Up, up and away from it all........almost!

 Walking, of the "rambling" variety, has certainly caught on big time.  Time was when we could find a parking spot easily for an "away" off road run in the Dales.  Nowadays you have to be up with the lark to grab a space.  Trouble is when the lark is up; I'm turning over for another hour under the duvet.

 So the intention of a tour of the Strid for the umphteenth time went out the window as by 11.15 the ramblers had nabbed all the parking spots in the layby and I had to resort to plan "B" to execute the 9 miler on the planner.  
 No real problem.  The 3.5 mile uphill start to the run would be uplifting!  Well it would certainly uplift me to 409m. above sea level if nothing else.  Good job the run started at 178m!   and good that the surface is runnable "trail" rather than rugged fell.  The first 3 miles were logged at 11.15, 11.49 and 11.07.
  Another steep half mile and I turn downhill.  A lone walker pops his head up from a grouse shooting butt to see who is disturbing his quiet lunch with the sound of heavy breathing!  He looks at me disdainfully as if I've just run across his back garden lawn.  He   had obviously thought he was "getting away from it all"!

  And compared to the hundreds of walkers we would have encountered on the Bolton Abbey route we were.  I only came cross 8 up here enjoying the great scenery in relative isolation.

  The rest of the run is, of course, a breeze in comparison.  What goes up, must come down and all that.

But I resist lingering too long on the long distance scenery, concentrating hard on staying upright; always the danger on the stony paths.  In fairness with the first part of this route serving the reservoirs and the rest well kept for the grouse shooting the going is to be recommended. 
 I know I live in a hilly area but to be honest some weeks the gentle inclines of the 2 resrun are all the climbing I do.  Very easy to avoid hills if I want to.  (I live on the hill above Ilkley but rarely run from home!)
One good reason for keeping a  good record of the training on excel.  Very easy to review several weeks at a time on the page, and the lack of hillwork, scrolling up and down as necessary and plan runs in or even make fundamental changes.
 I think most of us have a weekly routine;  dictated often by club nights and group runs.  Tuesday and Thursday at the club plus the Sunday run or race with perhaps solo runs in between.  But I'm not really part of a club set up so I'm starting to look ahead on a fortnightly basis;  introducing easy days every 4th day rather than sometimes just once a week.
  So tomorrow rather than another routine Sunday run of over 10 miles  I'll have an easy day; hopefully fresher for a return to sub 8 minute pace on Monday.
  Nearly 7 p.m as I finish this post and the sky is already being illuminated by the fireworks from the Bonfire parties taking place in the town below and on the hillside opposite.  Better claim a spot on  the balcony and enjoy the spectacle!