John Rowlands

2011-11-22T05:09:00.000-08:00

The plan is made with high aspiration the night before, with great high enthusiasm. Alarm sounds, bringing realily back in a nasty wakening blow. A look through the window, confirms my expectation of darkness. As warned a thick fog covers every square milimlietre from land to sky, thick enough to knit a selection. The sound of flowing water still evident, as it had been every other fighting second through the night. The fighting of a mind of thoughts, excitement of what might become. Clothing placed over skin to create essentail insulation, warming body and soul ready for attack. A morning ritual of fiffffteeeen, sixttteeeeeeen, seventeeeeeeeeen, eighteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen, nineteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen and finaly TWENTY! This is my time, this is my drug so you'l never hear me complain.

Life has began.

Sunday 25th September: Windgather Race Recce

2011-09-26T01:43:00.000-07:00

After a better nights sleep I awoke with more energy and went over to valley brook to do some work on the project. We carried on from where we were, clearing the edge of the pathway of weeds. It is starting to take shape, I am beginning to be able to vision what it will look like when we have done all of the area. I popped home for some lunch and drove over to Wildboarclough and parked at the bottom of Cumberland clough. I was there for a recce of the Windgather race route, which actually starts near buxton but I added on a bit to save driving to Buxton. Arriving at the car park, some unfortunate guys were in need of some jump leads to start their vehicle. I couldnt help as I dont have any, might buy some. They were fortunate as they were a group and had two vehicles so they used the other to drive to Macclesfield to buy some jump leads, a lesson learnt from other peoples misfortunes. Anyway I headed up cumberland clough and past the Cat & Fiddle pub, joining the race route before the path leads to Shining Tor. The route descends into Goyt's Moss and over the moor to Burbage, this is the last bit. This section is really the only place where some studs on your feet might be an advantage, I had my Walsh Spirit Peak's on so a bit of an inbetween. I dropped into Burbage, along Errwood reservoir and was hoping for water. I find the water in the Peak district a bit of a gamble, usually it has a brown tinge to it so I avoid it. I have in places used water from the tap in the toilets. Passing Fernilee Reservoir one of the gills looked to be running clear so I sampled some of the water from that, it picked me up a bit as I was in need of liquid. I filled my bottle up half way and carried on along the Goyt valley and up to Windgather edge. Up until there I had been running topless, I misjudged what to wear as usual and put my long sleeve lifa on. When I got half way up cumberland I realised I was too warm so took it off and tied it round my waist. The extra exposure to the wind cooled me right down so the lifa was back on. I continued over to Shining Tor and left the race route back over to the Cat and Fiddle, I cheekily scrounged some water from the bar inside and carried on back to the van. I must of done around 20 miles, and was ready for some tea! The girlfriend's mum had warmed up a bought Rhubarb pie, 2 servings went down a treat!

Saturday 24th Sept: Local Run

2011-09-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Bit of a sleepless night and got up early to go volunteering on our local project in an area called "valley brook". Were basically trying to keep all weeds back and the area tidy. On my way there I popped to the library and I was in luck as a book they bought for me has come, Lakeland Mountain Challenges. I have the Welsh book by the same author and was impressed. They were good at the library, I asked if they could get hold of a copy for me from somewhere and they bought it especially. Get yourself down your local library, you cant beat a good book to read whilst sat back in the sofa. Anyways I got back from volunteering, had some lunch and went out for a run over the local fields. My enthusiasm isnt what it used to be about running over the local flat fields, but needs must and I find when im out im glad I did go for a run. Its nice to have local routes you can go out and just run, especially when training for something. Passing through a farm a lady asked if I could do her a favour, so I thought "here we go" but just said yeah. Her horse had injured its leg in a drain on the road and torn all the ligaments and skin. The vet had told her to only allow it to go outside if its not put under any stress, so asked me to sneakily walk past. Gave something interesting on my run anyways.

Saturday 17th Sept: Lantern Pike Fell Race

2011-09-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

First time for me on this years Lantern pike race and in an area new to me. I managed to get the girlfriend to come along for the day out and we arrived around 11, enough time to look around the show and let the nerves build up! I managed some lunch around 12.30 and got changed. We wached the under 8's with a mate at 12 to see his son race when it burst out with a heavy shower, I ambitiously stated the sun would be shining at 2 when the senior race started. I managed some lunch at 12.30 and got a 30 mins warm up before the race. Well the sun did come out and everyone but a few were in shorts and vest. I had mixed feelings about the race afterwards, there seemed to be a lot of road which meant I didnt need the studs I had on for all but a bit of the race. A well organised race and I suppose they have done the best route with what is available. Im looking forward to the next fell race.

Friday 23rd Sept: Its in the bag!

2011-09-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

Someone asked on the FRA forum the other day what people take on the hill. Shown in the picture is:

Lowe Alpine Fjell runner bumbag

Whistle on cord

Montane Featherlite Smock

Montane Featherlite Trousers

Two standard Buff's

Empty Caprisun Bottle / Bottle

Foil survival bag

Outdoor designs map case

Silva compass with cord

Thin gloves

The bumbag I cannot mock really, its simple but effective. The waist belt is nice and chunky, so the bag keeps stable with the compression straps. There are 2 zippers so the bottle can be placed in the middle and the zipps closed either side of it. The Caprisun bottle is for when im running in areas where I know I can get water that I can drink safeley, I carry it empty from the start and fill up when I get water. If I cannot get water I carry the bigger bottle with water instead. The Montane featherlite trousers and smock I am very impressed with, they are not waterproof but I have got by before in wet weather with them. To suppliment these I wear or carry a pair of Ronhill Tracksters and a Helly Lifa longsleeve. If its wetter or colder I carry a waterproof top of somekind. The foil bag is something I dont always carry depending if im running alone or not, id much rather get off the hill but its there if needed if bad things happen. The 2 buffs I cannot mock for running, theyre great. Just enough insulation to keep you warm if moving, im not sure if they would save you in the colder weather but better than nothing. I use the map case when obviously needing a map, whether im using harvey maps or OS they go in there. The silva compass is obviously essential, doest matter what kind you have as long as you can use it! The cord on it I have tied knots in it to measure distance in miles on a 1:25000 map. The gloves are just cheap thin ones that I think I bought from Millets. Thats all!

Thurs 22nd Sept : Mow Cop

2011-09-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I drove over to the bottom of Mow Cop for a little run. I took my camera, but was a little over ambitious with the batteries I put in. Non the less I got a few pics and there's allways next time, which no doubt will be soon. Living on the cheshire plain is a bit devoid of hills, but Mow is close enough I suppose. I became a member of the Mow Cop running club in 2009, looking for hill training over the winter. Training on the roads in the winter in this area is excellent as its 99% runnable, keeping your legs in condition for the spring season.

As I was on the way driving through Alsager it was threatening a shower of rain but when I arrived the sun was out, such is the weather we have been getting recently. I parked up next to the Macclesfield canal where the South Cheshire Way joins it at Ackers Crossing. A plod along the canal to the golf course, then I crossed over and cut through the housing estate passing the water tower nearby. Then through the fields up to pass Congleton Edge church. This little church is a gem, hidden enough for me to run past about 3 metres away from it endless times for years and not notice it! Onto the Gritstone Trail and along to next to the mast and old man of mow where I joined the SCW down back to the van. Some of my route is part of the Mow Cop fell race, which I did myself the other year, it certainly makes the most of the hill and not to be regarded as a pushover!