Supernova Riot Goretex Vs. The Bogs of Ilkley Moor

 How would YOU define adventure when it comes to running?  A "quote of the day"  came in from Amby Burfoot, Editor at Large, Runners World, in which he stated he firmly believed that...
 "every run brings new experiences. You just don't know what they might be until you actually do the run.  That's one of my major reasons for pushing out the front door as often as I do.....the adventure of it all"

  I would suggest in reality if all his runs begin at his front door his options for new experiences and  adventure must be somewhat limited.   That's why I'm so fortunate being able to train in daylight late morning every day and very often drive out to so many different venues. 
 Now I think you might well say that two elements  in an adventure are a sense of fun and a soupcon of danger.  On that basis  I would definitely suggest that today's run on ILKLEY MOOR would qualify.

 I began by driving to the moor edge to avoid a mile of road.   The first two miles of incline charm walkers and runners  as the underfoot conditions are dry and free of mud.   With the sun high in the sky today there are great views to be had all the way up Wharfedale with the River Wharfe meandering through from  Addingham towards Ilkley town. 

 Swinging left up the moor I am faced with two hundred metres of bog saturated by days of winter rain.  This is the first test of the shoes I'm "christening" today,  the  ADIDAS SUPERNOVA RIOT 3 M GTX (Goretex) chosen for exactly this type of run.

 Now when I've done this run before I end up throwing the socks I've worn away and have to spend much time scrubbing my feet.  Would the Goretex membrane work?  

 Having climbed up from the bog I meet my first walker (as opposed to earlier dog strollers) and  he kindly captures the fantastic day for me as I throw the camera up to where he is having his lunch (thanks Paul Turner) on top of a huge rock with splendid views way over to Memwith Hill where I did a very wet 9 mile road run a couple of weeks

ago. What a contrast to the spring like weather of this Tuesday.

  But the "fun" will really start as I try to cope with the moor top stretch from the masts to the Trig point.  In the last few weeks a helicopter has been flying up stone slabs to lay down and connect to existing slabs as with a constant stream of human traffic the path has widened and widened over recent years such that there is a great risk one day of a walker or runner sinking in never to be seen again!  The risk element in today's adventure!  The fun? Well with the Goretex shoe on I felt able to run through bogs that previously I would have run around much as a young child has to splash in every puddle if he has his "wellies" on!

  Further I run tentatively across the boards several inches under water. Never seen that in all the years I've run up there. More stone slabs lay in wait by the path ready to put into place.  Will be a great improvement.

But no doubt upset some purists.

  How did the shoe cope with all this?  Well, starting out on the dry stony trail I could really appreciate the tremendous cushioning and medial

support of the shoe. It's NOT a minimalist low profile trail shoe; so bags of protection which suited my thin aged feet.  The Continental rubber outersole proved up to the wetter conditions gripping well but obviously you'd have more bite on a less versatile fell shoe. The Goretex membrane worked a treat.   No need to throw the socks away, they were as white (yes white) as at the start of the run and my feet did not need 10 minutes of scrubbing in the shower.   No feeling of the foot overheating at this time of year of course. 

  For the record today's bog trotting adventure on the moor with its rise and fall took 80.25 for what I made up to be 7 miles compared to yesterday's 7 on the road in 58 minutes.
   But then again that wasn't so much of an adventure now was it?