Llantisilio Mountain Race 31/3/12

AS 6.2 miles 2100 feet.
Really enjoyed the run.
A photo I took a while ago when flying past.

Wrekin Fell Race 25/3/12

AS 519m 8.8km (it's all gone metric)

Up and over the Ercall, up't Wrekin and back again.

Very hot, very slow, but it's the taking part that counts, apparently.
Alistairs photos

Long Mynd Valleys Weekend 4&5/2/12

Organised by local fell running club Mercia fell runners


Titterstone Clee Race. AS. Just about caught the foulest weather we've had all winter. Only time I've ever worn my water/wind proof on a race. Wore it to the start line and decided not to take it off. It was cold cold cold.
I really felt for the marshals and Alistair of : Fell running pictures (pictures)


Long Mynd Valleys Race next day. The worst of the weather had passed leaving a lovely day for running. Although, there were some interesting descents down the steeper parts of the course.

Not my fastest times but another really enjoyable couple of runs.

Morning After Fell Race 1/1/12

BS 5 miles 900 feet.

New years day run.

Trying to get the year off to a good start

Just got to work on the belly now.

Pictures from Fell Running Pictures

Devils Chair Dash 26/12/11

AS 3 miles 800 feet.
Boxing day charity run/walk from the Stipperstones Inn

A good way to get rid of some of the excesses of the previous day and good preparation for the excesses of the following few days.

More information on race page

Corndon Classic 18/12/11

AS 5.8 miles 1850 feet

Didn't seem as hard as Cardington a couple of weeks before. I even had chance to enjoy this run.

Photos as usual with kind permission of Fell Running Pictures

Hoping to do Devils Chair Dash on Boxing day.

Cardington Cracker 4/12/11

9 miles 2600 feet.

After several months not running. This I hope is the slow road back to normality. Not surprisingly, I found it really hard going. It took me a lot longer to get round than last time I did this race. Walking was difficult for several days afterwards.

Photo from Fell Running Pictures

Wrekin Jog 13/6/11

Up and over the Wrekin. Then jog round the south side back to the truck. Hard work but glad I did it. Got to try and get back into it.

Last nights Kickboxing Session

Well, not really. Found this on the tube. Awesome!

Getting fatter and slower

I've been a bit quiet since my last post.
We'd been busy working towards the adoption and looking after the pigs as well as the normal 9 to 5s. This didn't leave much time for training and racing. On top of that, we'd been making the most of any spare time having meals out and generally living an unhealthy lifestyle. Hence, as the tittle suggests, I have put on a fair bit of weight.
Oh well, I did at least get out and do some races. Although, in my current state they became more like training runs:
Llantysillio Mountain Race 9/4/11, AM 6.2 miles 2100 feet. A shock to the system.
Market Drayton 10k road race. Local race with Mrs and neighbour. Note to self: I hate road running.
Cader Idris 28/5/11 AM 10.5 miles 3000 feet. By now definitely too fat to run up mountains. As well as seeing the usual Shropshire and Welsh runners, Steve (sbrt) and fellow blogger run forest run came over and said hello. Nice to see him again. Mrs Lightning commented on how nice he was. I agree, nice chap ;-)
Shutlingsloe 30/5/11 AS 2 miles 900 feet. Friends round the night before and for some reason I didn't think drinking whisky until 2 am would have any effect on performance. I was wrong.
Batch Bash 1/6/11 AS 3 miles 1000 feet. Number 3 of the Shropshire summer series, but, the first one I've been able to attend. Absolutely terrible performance, but, good to get into the hills.



The pigs are very happy free ranging in the field digging huge holes everywhere and completely oblivious to what the future will bring for them. Their transport to the great sty in the sky is booked for 4 weeks time. That will be a hard day for us.

Hopefully see you in the hills soon.

Where has all the time gone? Update.

(having problems editing this post, all the text at once) It's been a while since I last blogged. I've still been doing a bit but have slowed down a lot since last year. The main reason is Mrs Lightning and I have been going through the adoption process. It's been about a year, so far, of courses, CRB checks, interviews, form filling in, more interviews, more forms,,,,,,,but it seems as if we are getting towards the end of a rather long tunnel. And, because of this we have been spending spare time readying everything for "their" arrival and generally making the most of our spare time enjoying ourselves before we start having to be the grown ups. We also became pig farmers a couple of months ago. Um, yes, strange for a veggi. But, now we live in the country and have the space, we think we can do it ethically and rear happy, healthy, organic, free range pigs that will produce good quality meat for our family. We'll see how that one goes. I've not been completely idle though, Carding Mill Valley Race 5th Feb. 4 miles and 1800 feet. Classic Shropshire AS. Several short sharp shocks. Hell in the Middle. 12th Feb. Part of the Hell runner races. In one word. CRAP!! In a few more words, all the worst things associated with road races. Large entry fee £20, goodie bags full of crap. Too many people throwing plastic bottles everywhere and a crap route. Long Mynd Valleys Weekend 5/6th March: Titterstones clee race 2.5 miles 750 feet. Long Mynd Valleys Race 11.5 miles 4500 feet. Championship counter, so lots of big names. I chose the early start option and had the pleasure of spectating whilst competing. Amazing watching the speed of the big names. Also got a tshirt from Mercia for entering both races. Wrekin Fell Race 27th March. 5.5 miles 1700 feet. My local hill, and even though we had friends round the night before (slight hang over) I felt obliged to run it. I've also squeezed in a few kickboxing, weights and training sessions. I've mostly been very slow in the races but am glad to have taken part. I think it will be difficult to do as many races this year as last but am hopeful to at least get the local Shropshire races done

Carding Mill Canter

Titterstone Clee

Long Mynd Valleys

Long Mynd Velleys Presentation

Wrekin Fell Race

All photos provided with the kind permission of Fell Running Pictures

Long Mynd Valleys Recce 9/2/11

Not 100% sure I will have an entry for this race as, being a championship race that sold out very quickly, I didn't get onto the start list. But, I'm on a reserves list and I've agreed to turn up on the day. If there's a place I will run. If not, I will offer to help out.

So, just in case I get in, I thought it may be a good idea to remind my body how much climbing will be required of it in a few weeks.

I was out for four hours in the end. Some jogging, some walking and a couple of water stops. It was hard going but an enjoyable few hours in the hills.

Carding Mill Canter Fell Race

AS 5 miles 2000ft.
Methuselah came to mine and we popped over to Church Stretton for this enjoyable tough little race. It has a good mix of terrain and gradient to suit all runners.

The first race of the year, and having not made much of an effort to shed the Christmas pounds, I wasn't expecting a great performance. So, I decided just to plod round and make sure I enjoyed the race. Which I did.
Courtesy of Al Tye Fell Running Pictures

I came in just over 5 minutes slower than two years ago, which was the last time I did this race.

Next race next weekend. Hell Runner.

Wrekin run and hill sprints 31/1/11

Jog up and over the Wrekin. Down the other side to the foot of little hill. 4 sprints up little about 25 seconds each. Then with jelly like legs, jogged back round the south side to the car. Out for just over an hour. Didn't want to over do it as after that I drove to Kidderminster for a session of sparing.

Kick up the backside and RUN 12/1/11

After all last years runs I thought I'd earned a week or two rest. This in reality had turned into a couple of months +.
Although I'd been "doing a bit", I hadn't really been taking it too seriously(apart from my beer and ale drinking which I've been taking very seriously) and I'd been deliberately avoiding the scales. I think the scales had been avoiding me as well, I saw them cowering in the corner of the bathroom a couple of times but I didn't have the hart to inflict myself on them. So I knew I'd been putting weight on.
This morning I decided I would see how bad it really was. Couldn't be that bad, could it?
OMG! How much? No it can't be? It seems as though I have put on nearly a stone in the last six months. Really not happy.
Oh well, I think, early March is the Long Mynd Valleys race weekend. Plenty of time to sort myself out.
Then I receive an email telling me my race information pack and number will be sent to me in the next few days. What? Seems I had agreed to run Hell Runner on the 12th of Feb. So not much time to sort myself out after all.

Afternoon off work. So I popped down to Stretton for a run on my way home. A bit of a struggle and I found myself walking the steeper bits but I managed to plod round. At least I got a few miles and a bit of climbing in.
link to workout page
Hopefully this has kick started my training again.

Now, off t'pub. Doh! No.....

Wrekin Night Run 5/1/11

As the tittle says.
link to workout page
Found it hard going with the lack of exercise and extra weight I've put on over the last couple of months. I was however pleased with the head torch and enjoyed running through the woods at night. Hopefully, after this coming weekend, I'll be able to get back into some sort of regular training and get some races in the diary.

Not been up to much

After a year of lots of racing and training, I, have finished it with doing not a lot. In the last few weeks all I have managed to do is a couple of kickboxing sessions, a couple of weight sessions and a couple of short runs up the Wrekin.
I'm hoping to plod up Stipperstones on Boxing day for the Devils Chair Dash Race and do the Morning after race on new years day in Church Stretton. I'm heavier than I've been for a while and I'll probably have hang overs for both races. So, my times will be even slower than usual. In the new year I will set myself some targets.

Peace to all Men

Wrekin Wrecker Fell Race 21/11/10

AM 2400 feet 8.1 miles.
Due to some back problems and a holiday I haven't done much in the way of exercise for a few weeks. But, despite a hangover, I was determined to to get this one in as it's my local hill and organised by the very generous Newport Running Club . Everyone gets a prize regardless of position or time. This year I was handed a Wrekin Wrecker Buff as I crossed the finish line. Excellent!
Buff
I started ok but as I made my way up the first climb I knew it was going to be a struggle. My only saving grace was I still had some speed going down hill. So, as usual I got over taken lots going up and over took lots going down and almost held onto my position on the flat.
Alastair's Fell Running Pictures
It was hard going and I was slower than last year, but, I'm glad I did it and hope it kicks me into action again, before, the start of my annual Christmas binge.

New torch !

Quick run up the Wrekin to try the new torch.

Despite all the advice on which torch to buy (thanks guys) I ignored it all ( sorry guys) and bought a less power full Petzle.
Suits me just fine. I usually start off with a light but find the light is too bright once my eyes have acclimatised. The light I've got has a red light which is good for this scenario.
I ran halfway up with the light on full, then turned it to half strength until the top. Once there I turned it off all together and jogged halfway down just using ambient light. Once in the darker woods I used the red light and only used the normal light at the bottom to save scaring the crap out of some walkers just starting up the hill.
Great to be night running again.

I think the torch will also be usefull at work teaching pilots to fly at night.

Shame on Me 24/10/10

Yes, road running again.
This year 12,000 people entered the Birmingham Half Marathon.

I've now run all three of these now to be annual events. I entered to support Mrs Lightning AKA "The Panther". I really don't like road running. Especially round the dull roads of Birmingham. At the start of the race loads of people were wearing jumpers that they discarded at the side of the road. Water stations all along the route with thousands of plastic bottles and gels packets also discarded at the side of the road for someone else to clear up. All very different to the average fell race.
Not much good to say about the race. Only that I was a bit faster than last year.

Bring on the next cold wet muddy misty mountain race.