Border League, Birkenhead

A reasonable performance in the 2nd Border League fixture of the season: a 5.5m, four lap circuit of Birkenhead Park. I was eight places down on Prestatyn, finishing 48th from the usual strong field of 270, just a tad over 33 mins. Given recent problems with my hamstring and cold, I'm fairly satisfied with this but need to work a bit harder if I'm to finish higher up the field as the season progresses. Still not back in full training (30 mile wk), but had an excellent night-time run around the lanes last Thursday. Entered the Paris marathon today after a tip-off from Dave, so an easter of pain looks on the cards, particularly if I get a London place (which is one week later).

MBR trail, Coed y Brenin

No races this weekend, but my injury seems to be righting itself, so I took the opportunity to up the training closer to the level I was at before the 'tweak'. A longish run of nearly 10 miles around Dodleston, Pulford and Rossett was a good start on Saturday. Then Rich and I paid our first visit to Coed y Brenin for a few years to do the new MBR trail - short but quite demanding both physically and technically. A surprising number of tricky rocky descents, compensated for by good open views over Cader Idris and the superbly quick and smooth pink heifer singletrack section leading down to the river. The new centre is splendid and it looks like the other trails - all of which I've done in their old form (Red Bull, Karrimor) - have been altered slightly. Today dawned clear, crisp and cold - in contrast to recent drizzle, so I went for a rewarding early morning run up Waun y Llyn - great views over the entire Sandstone trail and the Clwydians, flocks of redwing overhead - running back along a very muddy bridleway on the Ffrith side.

'Over the top' Clwydian MTB, Abergele 5 road race

After the OMM disappointment, things got worse last Tuesday when I tweaked my hamstring during intervals with the club. Out of action for the rest of the week, icing the injury, trying unsuccessfully to jog, all rather annoying. By the weekend, it felt a bit better but by then I'd developed a cold! Felt a bit cooped up, so myself and Rich did a quick variant of the 'over the top' mountain bike circuit over the Clwydians ridge on Saturday morning in low cloud and unforecast persistant drizzle. Enjoyable as ever, with an excitingly wet descent down to Gellifor and one very long skid! The climb back to Penbarras took it out of us, though, so all in all I was hardly in a great position for the hilly Abergele 5 mile road race on Sunday, which I probably shouldn't have bothered with. But I had a jog along the seafront with the children in the morning and felt OK and, indeed, the first three miles went well. I felt my cold, but not my injury (much), and was in about 20th place until the steep hill on 3 miles when I blew up completely and lost at least a minute, possibly more. Eventually limped home in a very disappointing 31:16 for 34th place from 246.

OMM Lowther Hills

A disappointing experience in my first mountain marathon over the weekend. It had all gone pretty well, really enjoyable, with my navigation standing up to the test in some pretty bad conditions later in the day - mist, rain, gales - and a great, interesting route through a suitably obscure area (the Lowther Hills are north of Dumfries). But after a long haul from checkpoint 9 to 10, with tricky navigation, we failed to find 10 along with a big group of other teams. We did eventually find it in the wrong place but by the time we came to the final checkpoint my partner Gary had slowed dramatically, and was obviously starting to suffer, unable to make the steeper ascents at the end (we were on the B course, 25k, 2000m climbing over a few of the main peaks in the area including Green Lowther and Lowther Hill). So we didn't start day two. A real shame, the first time I've had to abandon anything - particularly galling as I was really enjoying the challenges of the event. Still, there are plenty of events to go at next year, and at least one full day is better than none.

Pen y Cloddiau

No racing this weekend, as I wind down before the mountain marathon in Scotland. Instead, spent the weekend with the children in St Asaph. The weather was, of course, perfect: as it invariably is when there is no chance of doing anything more ambitious. Still, we had two nice outings - one in the hills above Llanfair TH, then up Pen y Cloddiau with Morgan, Eve and Katharine on the Sunday. Some reasonable training runs, too: about 34 miles last week.

Eglwyseg climbs

Took advantage of the last vestiges of evening light, and the slight indian summer, to meet Alwyn for rock climbing at Trevor last night. Managed rapid ascents of a number of routes I'd targeted on my last visit. Cluedo is a good, quite delicate steep slab on good compact rock (f5+). We then did a couple of trad routes on Railway Buttress: Puffing Billy a good, though short HS 4a lead, a sharp positive crack with perhaps the best, roughest rock in the valley (previously seconded). Then came Over the Wall, a very good traverse line on the Compact Wall with a technical but brief f6a crux right at the top. Also led three easy sports climbs: Hot Dog, K9 and Deputy Dog, and seconded the trad severe Ivor the Engine. Lovely evening sunshine and a very pleasant atmosphere, so much so that I ran along the Panorama in the fading light to finish.

Prestatyn border league

A race of two halves yesterday at the first Border road race League fixture of the season in Prestatyn (5.1 very flat miles by the sea). Was going very well, feeling strong, until the last half mile or so when I began to lose it quite badly. I held on, struggling, for 40th place from the usual strong club field of 265 in a time of 30:15 - but may have lost as many as 10 places in the last half mile. The margins are so tight in these events that any kind of slackening is likely to cost a lot of places. Still, 40th is my best finish in the league - in this, my 10th Borders outing. Presume Buckley did quite well overall, but not sure if we won the team event. Next day, had a nice early morning run from Loggerheads along the Alyn to Cilcain then over the hilly bridleway below Ffrith back to the car park. Falling leaves, sunny spells, still not much mud, very therapeutic.

Tryfan

A drizzly, rather unpleasant trip up Tryfan today with Rich. We wanted to do one of the harder scrambles, so went up to the Heather Terrace with climbing gear. But the cloud was low, the rock streaming, and prospects grim. So we continued to the summit and pelted down the west gully back to the car without further ceremony.

Sandstone Trail race, Penmachno mountain biking

A rather strenuous weekend, culminating in the 28k/17+ mile Sandstone Trail race yesterday. This is a tremendous event, brilliantly organised, covering new territory for me. It started from the woods on Bickerton Hill in magical conditions of light mist and sunshine. The race then covers fell-running territory over the main ridge of the Peckforton Hills, beautiful and exhilerating in the early sunshine. It then traverses Beeston Tor to switch to flatter terrain over farmland, with the ground rearing up again to a difficult finish past Kelsall and up through the tracks in Delamere forest. I had nowhere near enough mileage in my legs and inevitably suffered over the final five miles, losing lots of places to finish in 2:21 for 32nd place. Still, I had no plans to really race this event so am pretty satisfied with an enjoyable and unusually varied outing. Travelled to the start with Dave and his Penny Lane club mates, which was nice: also good to see Dave B from Buckley at 13 miles. I'd had a terrible night's sleep on Saturday which didn't help, particularly as it followed an excellent mountain bike trip around the 22km Penmachno circuit with Rich in perfect weather on the Saturday. Great riding, particularly the initial triple singletrack descent and the final rocky descent towards the head of Cwm Penmachno. Seems to be taking off as a venue, which will be great (I hope) for the village, my paternal ancestral home...

Mold 10k

Broke 37 mins for the first time yesterday at the Flintshire 10k in Mold. A pleasing performance, particularly as I felt relatively comfortable and controlled throughout. Was concentrating on 6 minute mile pace: inevitably lost some time on the hills but kept pushing at sub 6 minute pace for 36:53 - over a minute quicker than my previous Market Drayton pb set in May - for 17th place from 321. After a quick bacon bap at Llandegla cafe, I warmed down a little more intensively than planned (!) with a blast around the red mountain bike circuit with Rich. The new bike again making this a lot more fun than it used to be.

Mynydd Llantysilio morning run

Possibly unwisely, I followed up a good intervals session last night (3:21-3.27 pace) with a morning run from the Horseshoe Pass over Moel y Faen, Moel y Gamelin, Moel y Gaer and Moel Morfydd. Cold, damp, misty and unpleasant (contrary to the weather forecast) and I was rather tired from the previous evening. Ran down to the lonely road at the western end of the ridge, then climbed back onto the ridge at the summit of Morfydd by mistake (no map - had been trying to locate the bridleway that runs east), gradually running out of energy at this point and feeling vulnerable in shorts and t-shirt, no jacket, hat or gloves. My error proved a blessing in disguise, though, because the weather dramatically improved as I ran back across Moel y Gaer and the main ridge - crisp sunshine, great views out to central Snowdonia and the coast. But hard work as I struggled, tired back over Gamelin to the Pass.

Guilden Sutton 10k

My first road race since May produced a reasonable performance last Sunday, narrowly missing a PB with 38:03 in the Guilden Sutton 10k. Fairly breezy and undulating, and a strongish field, so 28th from 284 was OK.

Nesscliffe Nasty, Clwydian run

Another slight improvement in the Nesscliffe Nasty XC race (5 miles) on Saturday. The race is all off-road, very steep in places, among the crags and woods west of this Shropshire village. I finished 13th from 92 in 32:22. Felt reasonably comfortable, but again failed to push to pick up places. Just back from a great run from Llanferres to Foel Fenlli then down to Penbarras and along OD to Moel Gyw. Then back via Llanarmon (90 mins). Nice crisp sunny weather, but too damp from earlier showers for rock climbing at Pot Hole.

Eglwyseg climbing

A good day's climbing with Alwyn, about nine routes - mainly bolted - on the Suspect Walls and elsewhere. Forensic science, Innocence and Proven Guilty finished off the 5s on the Suspect Walls, having done the 4s with Steve a fortnight ago. Nice climbing, largely blunt aretes broken by a middle band of ledges and overhangs. On the Impact Walls, Impaction and Sudden Impact were also two good 5s up obvious aretes - while Hot dog was an easy 4 on good rock right of the Fudd Walls. Also got to the top bolt on Impact Imminent, a good, sustained TR 6b which at least reminded me of what harder rock feels like after all these years! The best day's climbing I've had for a few years. Went for a quick run after this, with a race tomorrow - conscious I've done little this week save intervals on Tuesday: but a conference in Cardiff was less healthy!

Frodsham

Not a great week, felt tired throughout. Had a good run through the hills above Pwllglas with Gary on Sunday, about six miles almost all off-road. And on Friday visited Frodsham crags for the first time: an interesting venue, short but very steep and hard. Did a few boulder problems, but felt the need to shunt most of them, unwilling to risk a broken ankle. Thin Crack, Flake Crack and a few others. Have given up on the Peris horseshoe, just not fit enough.

Brenig race, Trevor Rocks, Castle Inn

Another quite encouraging performance last Saturday with 17th place at the Llyn Brenig multi-terrain race. A nice loop of the lake, hilly and 'fell-like' terrain to the north, on small paths, then fire roads and tracks elsewhere. Just failed to break the hour, finishing in 61:29. Next day, met Steve for a day chasing showers. We walked over Moel y Faen and Gamelin first, in drizzle and wind. Then chanced our arm at the Suspect Walls, Trevor, managing three bolted routes between showers. Clue, So? was the best, a nice f4 arete which I led comfortably and enjoyably - good move over a small roof. Who's Sam and Prime Suspect were also reasonable. Intervals with Buckley on Tuesday, after a play on the Helsby crags, then another spot of bolted leading on Wednesday at old favourite Castle Inn, where I led Route 1 in the damp for the eighth time, and also Finale. Just got back from a worrying run: real loss of form as I tried to run up Hope Mountain. Not sure what the problem is, possibly just tiredness.

Moel Famau race

Quite a pleasing performance in the Moel Famau (Cilcain mountain) race yesterday, the fourth time I've done it. Shaved over a minute off last year's time to finish in 34:36 for 20th place from 125. Theoretically a strong field, as it was a counter in the North Wales champs this year. My best time and highest finish.

Clwydian run

A good week for training, despite a long weekend in London/Loughborough. Managed a 16-odd mile run across the Clwydians from Cadole on Thursday, to at least put myself in a position to do the Peris horseshoe if I feel able to (mid Sept). Ran to the Alyn then up Ffrith and over to the Garth path to the col, then over Moel Dywyll to Moel Famau. Down to Penbarras, then up OD over Fenlli to the junction near Clwyd nurseries, then NE via Fron-heulog to Pen y Waun and back to Cadole via Tafarn y Gelyn: 2:10. Some runs in London, then a good intervals session last night: 3.25 pace average, with the last at 3:22, probably the fastest session I've done.

Trevor Rocks

A good rock climbing session last Friday, two days after the Ponderosa fell race (on which I was 21st from 100, in 30:48). Managed 8 shunted routes at Trevor Quarry, including four big ones on the main slab: Long John Silver (VS), Silver Line (HVS), Dino (VS) and Gold Flash (VS). All quite good and leadable. Also managed a few more routes, including two splendid short routes on rough limestone (Puffing Billy etc). The bolt lines look interesting round here too. I ran up Dinas Bran after this, then along Offas Dyke for an hour or so. Rather tiring. Training is going quite well, I am considering the ludicrous Peris horseshoe race in September...Did the red MTB circuit at Llandegla on Monday, new bike bedding in very well. Then intervals yesterday, some at 3:24 pace.

Snowdon race, Ponderosa race, Llandegla Black, Conquering hero, Eglywseg rock climbs

Problems with computer so no posts for a while. Snowdon race on 28 July went pretty well: I summited in an hour, but got a stitch on the way down to finish in 1:33 for 121st place out of 500-odd. Great day for all the family - we then stayed in Conwy for the weekend. Some good runs the week after, getting back into harder training. Ran up Waun y llyn from the house in about 43 mins, then back, and some harder training with the club. Did some shunted routes at World's End on 3 August - Hornbeam Wall (VS) and three others. Two days after Snowdon race, did the Black MTB circuit at Llandegla on my new mountain bike, a DiamondBack Apex. Great stuff - also did the Conquering Hero loop around Rhewl on 6 August. And went up Moel Findeg with Morgan and Eve. Yesterday did the Ponderosa 4 mile hill run around Cyrn y Brain, great race in beautiful weather.