Penanmen loop

Peaks: Y Ro Wen

Area: Moelwynion, Eryri

Day two of the Strike: Wales v Iran (with pint and full breakfast) in the morning, so just time for this little outing as the light began to fade. My body craves upward movement, and struggles going downhill, so I set off at a fast walking pace from Dolwyddelan and located the main track that leads all the way to the top of Y Ro Wen. I have previously done this from the Penmachno side, but this is a lot more civilised and was ideal today. Great views from the summit (36 minutes from village) in the low winter light, huge clouds over the Moelwynion and Siabod looming across the valley. Very uncomfortable descent, partly because of my current issues, partly because Sarn Helen is currently buried under felled conifers. I found it on instinct after hurdling felled trees and then located myself with Carreg Alltrem, the classic crag, before descending Cwm Penanmen in a beeline back to the village. Refuelled on fish and chips and 'Wal Goch 58' in Conwy.

Windgather-Goyt Valley

I did the Shining Tor fell race a few years ago, and also did a short version of this outing in abysmal weather with Vic one new year. It seemed a good choice today, the first day of the latest strike. I parked at the Cat and Fiddle and set off under glowering skies, drizzle and low cloud. An easy jog and climb leads to the trig on Shining Tor, and then a long descent on very civilised paving slabs leads to Pym Chair. From here, a minor road leads to Windgather, where I've done a fair amount of climbing over the years. This was all great - the only issue being my spiking heart rate, feeling a pale imitation of my usual self, although never really struggling or especially tired. All very weird, as the entire illness has been. I then dropped down through the woods around Taxal Edge before kinking back north to join the Midshires way. Given the health issues, the return leg was a mix of fast walking and jogging above the Fernlee and Erwood reservoirs. Above this, entirely new ground for me as the tiny road climbs the upper Goyt Valley towards Derbyshire Bridge. This would have all been superb running terrain, if only I could run! Still, I moved fairly quickly and got back to the car two hours after starting: 19k and around 600m, a shorter version of the Windgather fell race, which I've never got round to doing.

Berwyn jog

Peaks: Vivod, Moel Fferna

Area: Berwyn

Still suffering from lingering glandular fever, and now with an infected ankle (after cutting it a week ago descending the Famau gully). That said, this outing showed some promise, glimmers of improvement. In particular, there doesn't seem any issue with climbs, in fact the steeper the better. My legs feel superbly well rested, of course, and my HR wasn't as high today as it has been recently. I took the climb up Vivod from Glyndyfrdwy that I had failed to find (but descended) last month. The weather was superb - a cold, autumnal morning with mist in the Dee Valley. At the top of the track, I missed the overgrown path leading to the main traverse path but ploughing through the bracken wasn't too bad. Up to the top of Vivod, and then along the North Berwyn Way all the way to Moel Fferna, around 5k of undulating terrain. Again, I felt better than I have done recently, and my HR was highish but stable. From Moel Fferna's summit, the usual extensive views over Berwyn. It is a little tricky to descend to Nant y Pandy: thick bracken and gorse all around. It is short-lived though, and I gained the main track down the valley fairly quickly. Good running down this to a rough tarmac road that leads back to Glyndyfrdwy.

Tal y Fan indirect

Peaks: Foel Lwyd, Tal y Fan

Area: Carneddau, Eryri

Diagnosed with glandular fever over a month ago, ergo my longest ever lay-off from racing, and indeed any real effort. This is incredibly frustrating, as I was in pretty good form, but being positive I have at least been able to get out for gentle outings, so it's a little better than being injured. This was my longest and most ambitious outing for over a month, only 15k/750m. The illness has been very mild but also very slow-burning (infuriatingly) so I took this cautiously, conscious of my HR as I climbed up the steep road out of Rowen towards the 'grit bin'. As ever, steep climbs are much more comfortable than road running, and my heart-rate stayed down. It was a stunning autumn morning: crystal clear. Hard work up to Bwlch y Ddaefaen, but then easier again for the steep climb from the bwlch up Foel Lwyd. I last did this, massively dehydrated, with Peter on our 'sea to sea' epic from Porthmadog to Conwy. The ridge to Tal y Fan and beyond is always awkward, rocky and lumpy throughout, but then I really enjoyed the grassy descent to Llangelynin old church: HR far too high, but it didn't actually feel hard. A superb ancient bridleway, new to me, plunges down from the chapel to the ancient woodland above Tyddyn Mawr: wet and rocky.