Saturday, September 03, 2011

Peak District recce

Spent Thursday & Friday in Castleton checking out the route for the High Peaks 40 Challenge - well, I don't want to get lost do I!

On Thursday, I ran from Castleton following the course most of the way to Buxton - Cavedale, Tideswell, Monsal Dale, Deep Dale, then along the road to Chelmorton finishing the route at Cowdale. Then I fiddled my way bak to Castleton via the Monsal Trail and the Limestone Way, the latter of which was not a bundle of laughs. By the end my hip flexors were shot and for half an hour after finishing I could barely walk - but fortunately did make it to a very nice ice-cream shop! Very useful though as a recce and definitely clarified a few possible "going the wrong way" places. All in all, 4:53 and 32 miles - although I was probably out for more like 7 hours. In the evening I had a highly deserved dinner at Ye Old Nags Head in Castleton - sirloin steak which all the trimming, and treacle tart with ice cream - very nice.

On Friday, with hip flexors miraculously OK, I ran along the road to Hope then picked up the old Roman Road (skirting under Win Hill to Hope Cross), then down the valley to Edale, Upper Booth, Barber Booth, up onto Rushup Edge. Then right along the ridge to Loose Hill, down to Hope (which I knew was giving me shin splints) and back to Castleton and a slab of Bakewell Tart with ice-cream :-)
Really nice run, 2:55 and 19 miles.

Even though I'm very familiar with walking along a lot of this (especially through Edale & Rushup Edge), it's so different when running. had a really fun 2 days - although probably not everyone's idea of fun

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