Back to the physio!!

Nothing exciting to report I'm afraid. The lingering and frustrating hamstring injury needs more rest/stretching/ice/physio or whatever to get itself right. So I'm off to see Dave Carter again (link on right) on Friday.

I went out last Tuesday evening (20th) to help out with a local running group called the Greenfield Greyhounds (info below) and although i only did the first run; around 5 miles in total (including the run to Greenfield from Uppermill and back) it was enough to know about it the next couple of days.

Being sensible, i decided to take a week off and achieve full recovery. I then went out this Tuesday morning (27th) and after 1 mile turned around and came home! There's only minor discomfort but quite a lot of tension and after a full week off with lots of stretching and ice i figure it needs looking at. As a result no running since. With 3 months to go till the big day and the need to really get the mileage up I'm hoping Dave can work his magic, fingers crossed.

Here's the info for the Greenfield Greyhounds:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/greenfieldgreyhounds/ which is organised by Colin Green with help from a couple of experienced runners. Colin's a local Physio http://www.physio-matters.org/ and encourages all abilities of runner (beginners very welcome!) to get out as a group on a weekly basis and improve their running. The GG meet at 6.00pm (beginners, approx 3 miles) and 7.00pm (more advanced, longer run) on Tuesday's at Tesco in Greenfield. It's £1 each and the money goes to charity.

and remember

Cheers
Mick

The four season's run 17/03/2012

It was just me and Frank who ventured out into the spring afternoon of Saturday. We left Uppermill just after 2pm and headed off down the bridal path towards Greenfield. We didn't really know where we were going so we decided to recreate the Higher Swineshaw Reservoir run which i did in January: http://mickslakeland50.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/sunday-22012012.html

By the time we got to Mossley and turned off the canal to Millbrook the sun was beating down on us and it was time to strip off the outer layers and pretend it was summer, which turned out to be a good move because we were both sweating buckets by the time we'd made it up to the highest point, pictured below, number 1 on the map:

This is the path that i should have taken last time, when i went the wrong way.

As Frank pointed out it'd be pretty good for the mountain bikes!

Those of you with a keen eye may notice the subtle change in background between the 2 shots above. Frank is running up the hill in the wrong direction (Mossley/Greenfield in the background) but I thought the scenery was worth the cheat for a photo.

The quarry and next photo site is arrowed in red (top right).

When we'd dropped back down off the top, to the back of the housing estate at Carrbrook, instead of going left, like the previous route, we went right with a view to going up and around the right hand side of the Buckton Vale Quarry. The road we took that said 'private' was in fact private (shocker!) so after we sneaked past the footballers style, detached property and through the garden we scaled the six foot rusty and disused gate and jumped over the other side onto the proper track. Then it started to rain, never mind, we stopped and donned waterproof jackets and carried on regardless. Up the hill we went and to the right of the quarry. When we got right up onto the top, it really started to rain and got a fair bit colder. Then, when we realised that there is no proper way around or through the quarry, it started to really come down and hail and turned into winter! A photo at this point would have been good but not having a waterproof camera i had to wait until it stopped, number 2 on the map:

Frank, drying his glasses and checking that I'm having as much fun as he is?

Oh yes! I reply

From here it was back down off the hill, over 2 barbed wire fences, through the very wet, thick heather and newly formed mountain streams (God bless Sealskin waterproof socks) and a steady run home. We had discussed continuing on around Dovestones previous to our soaking and then surprisingly lost the urge. On arrival home the day had taken on a grey, autumnal feel and a hot bath was very welcome.

13.6 miles in a little over 2.5 hours. Top tip: stick to the left hand side of the quarry :o)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=210653186902825491076.0004bb953784e5ce7ce01&msa=0

Cheers

Mick

Bill O' Jacks and Pots & Pans

It was just me and Gaz who managed to get out on Saturday morning. We met up in Uppermill at 8.30am and headed off towards Greenfield on the canal. Came off at Well-i-hole and up to the cross roads at the Royal George pub. Up the hill a little and left turn up Shadworth Lane, up the very steep track and up to Moor Edge rd, turn left and follow it on to Intake Lane.

From there we went through the plantation and stayed above Dovestones Reservoir. Point number 1 (in yellow on the map) is where the two photo's below where taken. One of Dovestones and the one of me with Indians head in the background.

Dovestones, you can just make out Pots and Pans in the distance (top left corner).

From a distance and at a certain angle (with some imagination!) the rocks of Indian's Head resemble a face with a feathered headdress.

We followed Dovestones around and dropped back onto the damn wall and up the side of the second Reservoir. From there we took a left, up a steep climb to the A635 Holmfirth Rd. We passed through the area that was the scene of a brutal double murder way back in 1832, known as 'Bill O' Jacks' (Bill son of Jack) it's on the map as the yellow no 2. In brief: the landlord of the Moorcock Inn and his son were murdered and the killer was never found. At the time the murder was described as 'one of the most diabolical murders ever committed'. The top photo shows the site as it is now and the bottom one as it was back in the day. Here's a link if you're interested in reading more:

http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/england/greater-manchester/folklore/the-bill-o-jacks-murders.html



The site of the Bill O' Jacks murder as it is today

A picture of the Moorcock Inn as it was in 1832 with the Greenfield Reservoir in the background

After a quick dash up the A635 we turned left (opposite Crowthers Farm) and up over to Pots & Pans war memorial (no 3 on the map). There's always a good turn out at Pots & Pans on Remembrance Sunday despite it being at the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere. As you can see from the earlier photo of Dovestones the monument can be seen for miles.



Gaz at Pots & Pans with a view of Greenfield/Mossley in the background

The Rememberance service in 2011. The number of people making the effort seems to grow every year.

From Pots & Pans it was back down the hill to Uppermill. About 11 miles in a little over 2 hours. I've switched my phone GPS App to 'My Tracks' and it seemed to work well. There's a screen shot of the route below from Google Earth but there's also a link to the route on Google Maps, so you can zoom in and play about with it or follow it exactly. The only thing a couldn't figure out how to do is display the elevation profile, it'll show on my phone but I've given up trying to view it on the PC - never mind!







https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=210653186902825491076.0004baec5fcd6a15e63d1

Cheers
Mick

The Pennine Way - 03/03/2012

Managed to get out with Gaz and Frank this morning for a good run onto the tops. Caught up on a bit of gossip and generally put the world to rights.

We met at 9am in Uppermill, Frank in peak physical condition - shaking off a hangover & set off up the canal to Diggle. From the Diggle Hotel up Boat Lane (which gets longer every time I run up it) and out onto the A62 at Standedge Cutting. Across the road, into the cloud and right turn onto the Pennine Way. It wasn’t too muddy under foot but I don’t think we need be overly concerned with the reported drought problems just yet; they didn’t build all the cotton mills around here for nothing!

Frank, with protective eyewear to shield from the glare of the days subtle sportswear.

I'm not sure if he's indicating that Gaz has let one go, it's possible looking at Gaz's smirk :o)

The path on the tops pretty much disappears but if you keep going it does reappear. At the big pile of stones (trig point?) we turned left down the hill towards Castleshaw and around the reservoir. Up the other side and across the A62 again just above the Saddleworth Hotel and onto Harrop Edge Lane, down into Dobcross and back to Uppermill.

The Pennine Way; damp & muddy – perfect!

All told about 10.5 miles in about 1hour 50mins. That seems like a slow pace but we’ve agreed that it’s better to end training runs knowing that we could have easily gone on, unlike training for a shorter distance were you generally finish with an empty tank. The pace we’ll be aiming to average on the day (not counting rest breaks) is around 5mph.

It was a good chance for us to assess where we’re at. The general consensus being that all’s well for this stage of the training but I think we all know that this is when the real effort starts.

We’re aiming to get over to the Lakes, hopefully by Easter, and run some of the route. The idea is to concentrate on the last half of the 50, the part of which we’ll be doing at night.

The Knee didn’t cause me any problems, thanks Dave! Must keep on top of the exercises and stretches though. The hamstring was still a little tight, especially towards the end of the run but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that will sort itself out over the next couple of weeks. Needless to say my two (considerably lighter and younger – I’m not bitter!) colleagues have no reports of wear and tear at this stage, long may that continue.

Route: It may not be the exact route we took off the A62 and through to Castleshaw but my trusty Map My Run software on my phone has recorded the time and distance etc but not the map... doesn't quite do what it says on the tin - maybe time for a change of software!

Cheers

Mick