ANOTHER WET LAKES TRAINING WEEKEND

  Thursday's wind handicapped track session left me so spent that when I only had a time window for a couple of miles on Friday I certainly wasn't concerned.  I felt sufficiently recovered to stick to the plan for Saturday; the first day of 3 in the Lakes,  with a routine fitness maintaining 10 miler on the road.

 Easier said than done in a popular parts of the Lake District which is not awash with pavements or safe country lanes.  So had to repeat a few miles on the remote lane up to Troutbeck Park Farm ; no hardship though covering a few good miles twice given the views, partially masked by the incoming cloud cover. 
  The only person seen in  the best part of the an hour was Postman Pat  delivering to the farm.  talk about The Loneliness Of the Long Distance runner.!

  Sunday.  Needing to get off the road but I knew that recent rain would make the run a wet one.  I really must leave a pair of trail shoes with a Goretex (or similar) membrane because this valley side trail run is one that starts just minutes from where we stay and so often repeated.   It never really dries out at any time of year as rain water floods down the adjacent steep hillside.
  The run is an out and back one.   This shot shows the last part before the turn,half way up the hill, below the narrow ridge of Froswick between this Troutback valley and Kentmere to the east.

At this spot I met a mountain biker heading for the gap on this shot.  He was already out of the saddle, miles from the top but determined to  stick to his plan.  I thought that's why they are called "push bikes"!   I hoped he would make it but knew I would be soaking nicely in a hot bath well before he had reached the summit !
  Saturday's  10 on the road and the Sunday trail run brought the week's total to a reasonable 47. Average.

 Another 7 miler today to start off this week; a mix of road and trail.   Several miles of the run today were on the Dubbs Road.  Actually not a road at all but in parts a very rocky trail.  It forms part of the Staveley trail race which swings down from Kentmere via the Garburn trail which then runs into this Dubbs Road. 
  Some great views on a clear day but as with most of the weekend conditions were officially described as "misty and mirky". 



 So yet another damp and dismal few days in the Lake District but not enough to dampen the enthusiasm       with 24 miles covered and for a change some good hill work which Pat assured me were just what I needed!