Social points

Running in the fog is no fun. I landed, what could only be described as a diving, front rolling, dive bomb off a rock today [if it was an olympic diving event, I think it would have been a good 6]. I seriously have no idea how I did not pick up a serious injury.

As I lay there working out which bits of me still worked, I was surprised that everything was moving and no cuts? As I looked up, I could see I'd dropped about 4 meters. I'd simple been running, lost my path line and took a small stumble. I was on a hill at about 400m. It really brought home that we'll be running and hiking up hills 1300m plus, with sharp inclines and B-I-G drops. For just a second I must have turned to see where I was instead of pausing and moving on. I finished the run, jumped in the car and pondered on my brush with broken bones.

I'll certainly be watching where I put my feet in future...
-Darren

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day light at the end of the tunnel.. oh now I see that fallen tree on the tracks

Training as Darren says, has finally become the norm again the Christmas break really messed both of us up.

Also the same as Darren I have given up alcohol completely and haven't touched a cup of tea or coffe since new years eve. It has been a roller coaster of a ride cutting out the caffeine lead to headaches and fatigue like never before for over 4 days. The benefits have been finally getting a really good nights sleep, which really helps with recovery after all the sport.

I've managed to finally get a routine going Gym Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays plus a swim on Thursdays. Really looking forward to training this weekend, that is if I don't break something.

Ah well another early night small sacrifice's for the biggest of gains.

Bryn

Life's a changing

When I've listened to people say things like "...this experience has changed my life", I've shrugged, thought it over dramatic and changed channel or if in person glazed over. If I dig deeper in to this, it really means I need to find my own life changing experiences, without them I guess I'll just be another guy in the pub when I'm 60 looking back on my life referring constantly to the joys I never had and the experiences I never felt.

Oddly enough this event and subsequent mini events around organising and training for the UK Everest Challenge, is really making a difference. I've been suffering for the last four weeks with a bit of depression and lack of energy. Since late December, I've been constantly tired, grumpy and not in any training zone. Yet I'd be out in all weathers and running, hiking through the kilometers.

My commitment was there, but my body was not.

There's been a lot going on, giving up caffeine, reducing beer, cutting back on alcohol in general, learning what to eat healthy all over again and really pushing my training. If you change your diet, eating habits and give up caffeine, there's just going to be a few teething issues. I thought I was prepared, but I was surprised at the lack of core energy to do anything other than, training, eat and sleep after work.

The great feeling is in the last few days I can now see the reward. It's like a huge chip removed from my shoulders.

My belly is shrinking and my dormant muscles are waking up!

This weekend we are going to expanding our distances for training, with a huge 45Km hike/run planned for early February, North Dartmoor to South Dartmoor.
Bring on the hills...
-Darren


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Moments

Good days and bad days
Good thoughts and bad thoughts
It's knowing that the aching thighs and stiff calfs, tired mornings and 27 days of not a single beer, cup of coffee or even tea is all going to be worth it.

we've got about 7 months left and that scares me sensless, hey ho let's keep on going.

Bryn

Hill running

During the week sitting at my desk, I devised a nice training session for this Sunday. We would jog down Bone Hill road to the base of the road and jog up, twice! Sounds nice and easy, but for Bone Hill is a wicked mile and half of straight up all the way. It's a really calf burner and lung blaster!

I felt this week we have had so much rain we were in danger of giving ourselves an unnecessary injury. It's a bit like dancing on ice but without the skill and skates. Pretty much one of use has fallen in the last three weeks, luckily without any major incident, more embarrassment really as one laughs hysterically at the others muddy misfortune.

Tarmac and I don't really get on, but with road events coming up in seven weeks, I need to get on with it. It was a good choice the ground was awful, all we'd have done is cut up pathways/tracks and get soaked.

After an hour of road work, I was comfortably done. I can feel my calf is still not fully recovered and it's strapped again, but nothing like the old pain of three weeks ago. It's quite odd that Bryn and myself are very much different runners, I'm comfortable off road, the ground suits me very well. Bryn works well over rough ground, but pulls backs on the hills, yet on tarmac he's completely at home. But I guess with a challenge like ours, it pays that you have two people who can drive the other on.

BRING ON THE HILLS!
-darren

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Training days are never boring

Bryn's entry this week painted the picture well. We had the lot snow on the way up the moor, we actually had to ditch our car [my thermo had -4 on the dash] as the snow and ice was skidding the vehicle something chronic.

We started in the snow, walked in to dense fog, then the snow and hail started just befor the wind really started cutting in to us, when we finally made it to the car it was raining! Our kit is working our very well, the support we have been getting on the equipment front is really making our training sessions, more a pleasure than a pain.

My calf was tense but we did well in the conditions. Anywhere you can build a snowman has gotta be chilly!

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Hills, rain, Ice oh and a bit of snow

Well I think you can guess from the picture that Darren's calf has improved he has a few tales to tell, He's been sneaking out for training sessions with out me!!

We managed to get out again, god it was needed, sub zero temperatures, driving winds and Hilly our snow man!! Darren was gettin a little too friendly with the wee fella. So we had to leave him behind [the snow man, not Darren].

Trainig wise it was a nice sharp blast up Router over Yes Tor across to Highwillhays. I managed to choose the wrong footwear as it was clear as a bell down in Torbay as I set off, I should have checked the weather reports. My toes where freezing and as I tried to dodge freezing cold standing water I ended up looking like Bambi on ice and ended up flat on my backside. Then to top it off we followed a track and ended up on having to cross a small area of marsh and I managed to fall flat on my face my momentum carried me about 10 ft forward, it was quite impressive after I wiped the snow out of my eyes ears and nose all I could hear was Darrens laughter...

Bryn

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Bugger?

What a right pain!
I've certainly damaged my calf. It's off to the Doctors for me as, movement is difficult at best and strapping is doing nothing.

It's not the first nor the last the winter will bring. A better warm up routine and footwear selection might be in order next week. At the moment unsure how long I'm going to have to take it easy for. Will still training later this week but will purely be gym type muscle fitness and definitely no leg work.

This one caught me out as what started as cramp ends up lasting nearly 3 days and no sign of subsiding - Darren

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Winter Hibernation

The weirdest of feelings, I feel like I'm surrounded by cotton wool. I think my body for the first time ever has actually been affected by the seasons. I feel like I'm waking up from hibernation!

I've struggled to get motivated, fighting with my conscious about going to the gym, even about going for a simple road run. Last weeks epic on the moor helped me a little, this has been my first week back at work and that has helped me as well.

My new years resolution was to remain teetotal and caffeine free until after the challenge. So far so good. I've had headaches for four days running, stomach cramps...weird I never realised that withdrawal from caffeine would be so tough?

I have finally fully woken from my winter slumber gym session is all booked in for seven a.m tomorrow morning. Bring on the next seven months and those mountains - Bryn
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On the run...

BEEP _ BEEP _BEEP, is by now the normal sound of my Saturday morning dreams being shattered by the alarm.
All my kit is ready from the night before, some porridge and a banana and I'm off in to the dark.

I arrive on Dartmoor, as the darkness clears I can see the it's very icy, my camera flash bounces off the frosty grass.



Deciding to slowly get ready and give some time for the light to catch up with me, I ponder routes. Today I'm running by myself. Bryn has planed to go walking on the moor with his Ten Tors team, so it's a solo run for me. The ground is tough, even the grass feels like concrete.

I feel in good condition, so start running the route last timed at approximately 56mins over a month ago. It's a big looping circuit taking in a couple of Tor's starting with a straight up jog over Haytor. That's always a quick way to warm up and instantly hit lung max. It was totally silent, all I could hear was my feet pounding the ground. I've been reading up a lot on running methods and phycology lately, in a bid to fine some sort of rhythm and form, I think to myself maybe I'll get time to deploy a few. The route is complete different in the icy conditions. I can't open up in the normal places as my grip keeps leaving me and forcing a drop to a shorter amble.

Disappointedly I hit the half way point in a little over 29mins. Frustrated, but understanding why I'm slow I start to concentrate on my breathing and pump my arms on the hilly sections much more than normal. If I'm going to be slower in these conditions, then I'm at least going to give myself a good work out! My grip is still all over the place and really having to concentrate on not landing on my backside [again], every rock is like soapy glass. At the top of the last hill, I'm left with roughly 2.5km that gently rises about a 100m and then branches off to an old mining track. Pushing harder I'm determined to open up at some point and rid myself of my irritation with the ground.




As I come to a halt, I stop the clock. Then stare at it for a moment, 51 minutes 32 seconds, that's nearly 5mins off my last time? Unsure how I've performed well, I look up at the day dawning and snap one last quick picture of the local Parke tourist info office, sun poking up over its roof.

-------

There is a sucker punch though. About 30mins after getting home, I felt my left calf tighten. Luckily my girlfriend is a certified sports massage therapist and worked the area, but it was not cramp. My calf is now strapped with a heat pad and later I'll try ice and elevation. But it just feels very tight and can't walk any distance without pulling up. It looks like I've picked up my first injury of 2009! - Darren
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Still moving...

We have been keeping busy with family and friends over Xmas, but with work back on the agenda and more UKEC organisation beckoning. The festive season is officially over and 2009 is off like a rocket!

On Sunday 4th we decided to attempt a tough training session. With the help of a friend [thanks Tim], we were dropped at Oakhampton camp on the edge of north Dartmoor. The idea was to have a multi training event; map & copmass, endurance and distance all rolled in to one session. Our tougest yet.

The target was 20km hike, jog and scramble over the more remote areas of the moor. Setting out off at Row Tor at just passed 8am, cold and very icy we climbed over West Mill Tor and up Yes Tor, where standing on top we could see the next three hours of our day before us in the sluggish winter haze. With little time to waste I snapped some pics while Bryn plotted our next hill and off we went.

Slipping and sliding on ice in the ascent High Willhays, we trudged on the Lints Tor, brushed passed Black Ridge. All the time munching on the way and trying to keep warm, on what felt like the coldest day of year so far. We got slowed down by thick ice on the higher 400m marsh land, which was a little like strapping bars of soap to your feet on a wet bathroom floor, interesting to say the least! We finally made Black Hill in what seemed half the day, the hill just kept slowing us down with thick layers of ice making us constantly check our foot work. After Sittaford Tor quickly vanished I clicked a few more pics and Bryn further made sure we were sticking to our hilly route.

With energy and feet burning we passed Grey Wethers 'stone circles', then rounded White Ridge, following the wall closely along the edge of the forest. By now we were really digging in. The day had morphed from freezing cold on the 600m plus Tors to ice melting sunshine. With all our winter gear stuffed in our day sacks we got our heads down the last 3km to our final destination of Heath Stone car park.

Sweating, puffing and delighted. We crossed 23.2km of rough terran in full gear, boots and all, in 4hrs 8mins. Not bad for a post Xmas warm up.

I know it's shameless but our kit worked great. We've had quite a lot arrive lately and this was a great way to test more of it out. All the winter warming sports sock, gloves and hats provided by Hilly Clothing were perfect on a day like we had. The performance base-layers, sports tops and mixed composite jackets sponsored by Logo4Polos were as always ideal, light, warm, breathable and easy to stow.

This coming weekend we'll be mixing it up once again with fell running to get our endurance up. Readying ourselves for a few larger 30-40km hikes in February.

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New Year - NEW WAY TO SUPPORT US!

Happy New year everyone and what better way to start the year than supporting us in a new way?

From today until October 2009 you can buy from our UKEC online shop. Everything bought in the shop will go towards our charity fundraising pot. As usual all the proceeds from our online sales will be listed on our main site.

There are lots of various items from pet bowls, to calenders, T-Shirts, mugs, caps, clocks, mouse mats, magnets and much more. So click along and see what you can purchase and support us today :: http://www.cafepress.com/UKEC