Time & space

I must have been slightly deluded to think juggling my time between work and UKEC would be easy. This week, I've hit some big deadlines to at work, so training has been walking/jogging in everyday and a few weight sets. We are off to Wales Saturday for some bigger mountains and harsher conditions. We are keen to test out our new OMM main event sacs, new Northface footwear and really test out the GPS.

So until we get back Sat/Sun, wise us luck in the black hills of Wales.

-Darren

Needs must

Hiking and jogging 24 miles last week did leave some deep aches in both our bodies. There's no external work this weekend. I'm concentrating on web work and 45 mins of cardio on the elliptical trainer and light weights work out on Saturday and Sunday.

My heal got pretty cut up last week and stuffing it in a shoe within 6 days would have been a bit silly. With such a big goal and so much distance to cover, resting injured parts and still training is a must. It shows personally how far I've come mentally and learning about what by body is saying, a few years ago I'd have gone out training all weekend. Cut up my heal even more limpped around all week, then strapped it up and cracked on. All the time in pain, all the time under-preforming because of the injury.

With weights and training equipment at home, it's times like these when you take full advantage of them and recover.
The count down clock on the site is frightening, 174 days until be ship ourselves over to Ireland ready for the event start. 174 days, in that time we have to; go ice climbing again, back to Southampton Solent Uni Sport Dept - twice!, climb [re-climb] at least 6 of the peaks we are covering in the main event and we have between us a London Marathon, Dartmoor Jail Break, Great West run [poss a Great North Run], EnduraceLife Dartmoor 48 hour Marathon and one of the Cornish Trail Series to compete in, plus all our normal training for as well. Something tells me we'll be rather busy!

-Darren

Stumble It!

How far.. but you said!!!!

After each training session we seem to be full of adrenalin and endorphins as we keep having these mad conversations that go along the lines of;
"I really enjoyed that"
"wow that was brilliant"
"I know next week let's.........."
This is usually the point where we agree to double, triple our distance suggest almost running marathons across the moor. Now I remember why we ended up running, hiking, snow dodging, slipping our way across Dartmoor last week.

What a day we started at Fernworthy it looked ok a few humps of icy snow on the road and the odd pocket amongst the trees. Then as we progressed up in to the treeline and the back of the woods and out on to the moor the road dissapeared and was replaced by one to two foot of snow and ice. We had decided that this would be a training not only of our stamina and endurance but of our navigational ability. As all natural features of the ground dissapeared under a blanket of snow our view kept vanishing behind low lying mist. My one thought was this is going to be tasty!!!!
We cracked on, we had a five to six kilometre an hour pace in mind thinking this would allow us 7 to 8 hours for the run. After an hour of lung, thigh, glutes and calf burning snow hill running / hiking we where almost on track, we hit our target check points one after the other;
Fernworthy, Hartland Tor, Post Bridge, Bellever Tor, Dunnabridge, Sheberton, Whiteworks, we by passed Dry Lake Ford and ended up at Yealm Head and then Headed due east via Blatchford Bottom then the River Erme crossing the Two Moors way, then through Petre's Pits Bottom round the back of the Avon Filtration Station (I spent all day thinking this was a Firestation, confused the life out of me it did) to Shipley Bridge.

The end was glorious we managed to navigate two thirds of the way across dartmoor without actually getting lost and in the last 500 metres we couldn't find Tim our logistics man on the ground and the car park. I think we where tired and a little dehydrated. It was a fantastic turning point six weeks before we had just under fourteen miles in just over 4 hours so to add over ten miles to this total and only an adittional three hours twenty five minutes was brilliant.

Being honest we could have pushed ourselves slightly harder, to which I'm sure Darren agrees. As each week goes by my confidence grows and I know we will achieve this huge challenge which only five months ago was seemingly an impossible challenge!

I'm fundraising this week hopin to improve the financial support we have received, so Darren will be training solo but I will let you know how the fundraising goes.

Regards Bryn
Stumble It!

Could some one get me the number of that bus....!

Building up stamina and endurance is not as easy as picking up a dumbbell or twenty minutes on a running machine. We have to get out, push time on the trail and dig in.

Today we pushed that notch up a level. Both Bryn and myself know hiking, running and bouncing up over and down ten of the UK's highest peaks in five days [or less], is tough and without testing ourselves weekly we know by August it could either end in injury or failure, neither a real option.

We now have too much riding on up donation money is rolling in, we have a sponsors and we have to do ourselves justice. So our new logistics team member Tim planned us yet another mind bending route across heavy moor, marsh and hill. Yes we are now officially a four man team, two runners/hikers [Bryn/Darren], back up runner/hiker/driver [Dan] and back up driver/logistics [Tim].

I apprehensively, but still excitedly awoke at five am, shuffling around the house fueling up and messing about with kit. Bryn and Tim both arrived at seven am and off the moor we went. Staring at Fernworthy Reservoir at eight twenty five, we disappeared in to the cold morning snow and fog. Leaving Tim making himself a cup of tea on the side of the road.

Today was as much about mental strength as physical training. We trekked across the moor taking in Tor's, passed Two Bridges, bending out to Whiteworks, taking in a few more punishing deep marsh beds and finally ending up in the car park of Avon Damn Reservoir. We did get off track and ended up adding approximately two miles to our day, but luckily our new GPS units pulled it back together with a slight detour [again].

Over all twenty four miles in seven hours and twenty five minutes. The day was pitched as a map and compass day, it certainly was, rewarding, challenging and nearly a marathon. Tomorrow though I feel I will wake wondering where the bus went that hit me! Already after a soak in the bath, filled up with food, the aches are setting in.

I hope Bryn posts his thoughts on the day with some picture, we both had various ups and downs.

-Darren

Stumble It!

Stunning, majestic...freezing!!

I knew this was going to be a tough training day, when we had to dump the car a mile away from the car park as its back end was sliding all over the road.

We did the usual and unloaded all our kit and changed to match what was a surprised and freshly white north moor. Base layered up we set off moving away from the military camp and off over hills. It was not long before we realised that the snow was no longer 1ft or 2ft but heading towards 4ft in places.



As we climbed higher the next hour was a tough slog over deep snow, no running this was a proper hike. This was proving to be a real thigh burner, you almost had to lift your legs up to your chest to get over some of the large pockets of snow. By the time we pushed on to Yes Tor, the snow was never less than 2ft.

I think the worst part of the 3hr hike was walking over ground we knew was covered in technical rock track, it might have looked smooth, fluffy and welcoming. The right footwear was essential as anything less than strong support, would have left us both with very little skin left on our ankles. We did have some falls, far more than normal and unfortunately I did find a huge pocket of snow that was up passed my chest.

By the time we both jogged off down the road to the car, the snow was driving down hard, it was a difficult but ultimately a rewarding training day, next week we are off on a 35km trek, to really push our endurance levels and time on the trail.

-Darren

Stumble It!

Heck of a work out

I've never run in the snow before, I've hiked in it, built a few snow men in my time but never run. Although today was cold at about two or three below freezing, thankfully this week without the icy wind, it felt quite pleasant. I guess the bright sun helped too.



I started out today with a road jog and then over Haytor and off for a short run. After about 20mins the terrain got the better of me. The snow changed from a few inches to about three foot snow drifts. I probably only ran a few miles, all the time having to work hard. The new multi surface North Face shoes that arrived this week, were an absolute treat, I was amazed at the traction over ice, snow and slippery tarmac. I'm defiantly sold on cross running shoes after this morning.



The scenery was breath-taking, the air was crisp, just right for a early morning jaunt. I however was not alone today... several rabbits were going about their business on the snow. Unlike me hardly making and impact on the surface of the fluffy stuff, sadly their feet were faster than my ability to get my camera out and snap them. Every time I'd see one and turn the camera on, they'd be off, all I got for my persistence was a few tracks in the snow.



As the snow drifts finally got hip hight I back tracked on my trail, all the time working hard to raise my legs. I guess it was more a leg work out than a true run. Again having the right kit was perfect for the trip out. The Hilly socks kept me warm and with the Paramo smock I was toastie, event when I stopped to snap some pics.



It was a brilliant way to spend an hour or two on a perfect winters morning. I can really feel my thighs burning. It was almost like being on the elliptical trainer in a gym, pumping my arms hard to get my legs moving with any momentum as they sank anywhere from a new inches to a couple of feet.

Sunday we are both off to either the middle or north Dartmoor, more snow and higher winds, it'll be another picturesque morning I'm sure.

-Darren

Stumble It!

Something different

The Moor is covered in about 1ft to 2ft snow pockets, today I tried out some new cross footwear. The snow was ideal, tomorrow we intend to run, so I just wanted to get the feel of them, before sticking some miles in.
- Darren

Stumble It!

The final count down...

Here we are, less than SEVEN months to go and the training is getting harder and more extreme. Training has been hard on me, but every week we push each other that bit more, bounce off each other. We have a lot of different strengths, but I guess that what really makes a team click.

We doubled our running this week, with our eye's on a 44Km north to south Dartmoor hike looming this month with a possible Snowdonia trip, things are far from quiet!
- Darren