Great end to 2009

Well, it was a great finish to 2009 - the Vasque RunFurther Party! I was really proud to have managed to win the ladies series (quite a close call with Nicky Spinks setting a ladies course record in the final race of the year) - but my extra 100 points for taking part in the Lakeland100 paid off. I just completed 4 races in the series (Calderdale 1st lady, Fellsman 3rd lady, Lakeland100 1st lady & Pulmlumon joint 3rd lady), but together with some adventure races & Elite LAMM it has felt like a pretty busy racing year for me. I guess the Lakeland100 was the highlight from the series for me -- one tough challenge!

The party/celebration part was once again at Wilfs (Stavely, Lakes) & it was great hearing about others tales of much more epic multi-day challenges (across the UK & in hot & cold places). It was also nice to chat to people who i have got to know this year doing some of the runfurther series races. Thanks to Karen for her hard work organising the event -- i would definitely recommend the party to everyone for next year.. whichever races out of the series you attempt!



Photo - testing out the 2010 Vasque Mindbender shoes at the Whinlatter off-road duathlon (run 5K, mountain bike 16k, run 5k) on the Sunday morning after the party. The Mindbender shoes are definitely worth looking out for next year - i really like them. I did all my runfurther races in my Vasque Blurs - which i find really comfortable for ultras. I think the Mindbender is going to be a great addition to the range - still a nice comfy and cushioned shoes, but with a lighter upper makes them better for general UK conditions (ie wet/mud!). Despite not being too sure about my mountain biking racing skills in a duathlon (OK in adventure races as you have to stop and navigate on them) - i managed to have a great morning and finish 1st lady - so topped off a great weekend!

Pumlumon

A day in the sun..... it was lovely weather for the Pumlumon Challenge (i have now asked and been told it is pronounced "Ply-limon"). At a "short" 27 miles i knew i should be OK to get round -- but knew my legs were not yet recovered from the Lakeland 100 (although it was 6 weeks ago now). I needed to complete the race to make up my short race counter in the Vasque runfurther series so i had decided to come along and enjoy it.

It is a very small friendly race, i think there were probably only about 40 runners and it was an area of Wales i had never ever been too. I had been pre-warned that it would be "mountain marathon"-type terrain so was prepared for the off-path tussocks. Some of the route was on tracks and paths so the mixture made it interesting. The glorious blue skies meant visibility wasn't a problem, and arrows on fence posts made most of the navigation straight forward. It was pleasantly hilly - not too much climbing but it ceratinly wasn't flat. There were some great views over the reseviour the route circled, as well as Snowdonia mountains and the sea. I ran 2/3rds of the race mainly on my own, although Julie Gardner kept catching me up. As i climbed up the last hill and Julie caught me again, i decided to relax and run together & that helped enjoyment of the last section of the race. I was very impressed with Julie's running - she has done so much this year.. and this race was only 2 weeks after the PTL out in the Alps -- i was still feeling slow 6 weeks post Lakeland so was amazed! Julie and i finished together (along with Julie's dog) in 5hr 50mins as joint 3rd lady. It was a great venue to finish in too - i sat in the sun eating my very nice pasty watching a red kite gliding around the woodland! Definately a lovely little race & one to do again. As for the runfurther series this year.... well i got a few more points than i expected for this race, so will have to wait and see till after the Long Mynd in a few weeks time to see the final ladies results.

Lakeland 100 : Race report

“The Lakeland 100 (UTLD) 2009 took place on the weekend of July 31st-August 2nd and is reported to be the most spectacular long distance trail race which has ever taken place within the UK.

The circular route encompasses the whole of the lakeland fells, includes in the region of 6300m of ascent and consists entirely of public bridleways and footpaths. The lakeland route starts in Coniston in Cumbria and heads South before completing a clockwise loop which takes in the Dunnerdale fells, Eskdale, Wasdale and Buttermere before arriving in Keswick. From here, the route heads to Matterdale and continues over to Haweswater before returning via Kentmere, Ambleside and Elterwater to the finish at Coniston.” (www. lakeland100.com)

So I knew it was going to be a big challenge. I had been on a long day out in January and had completed the Conistion to Keswick section; I had a really nice day and it tempted me to enter the race. I completed the Fellsman (62miles) in May this year, but this would be my longest ever race, and I wasn’t too sure what to expect – would my legs keep going?

My parents gave me a lift up to Coniston on Friday morning as they were going to spend the weekend cheering me on. I spent a really nervous afternoon trying to read a book, drink tea & relax, but by the time the start came I was a bundle of nerves! So it was good to get going at 7.30pm – about 100 runners set off through Coniston and up towards the slate mines & the Walna Scar road. It was a drizzly start, but the rain was to get much worse later. The first checkpoint was in Seathwaite and then we headed off on the route that the Duddon fell race takes. As we approached Harter Fell the headtorches came out to negotiate the boggy woodland paths. I knew the route so was leading a small group. By the time we got down to Boot it was really dark and the rain had begun to get heavier. I knew that heading over to Wasdale Head the paths would be vague so I had my map & compass out and managed to keep us on a good route. Good flapjacks at the checkpoint in Wasdale and then off up the big climb over Black Sail Pass. The wind was really blowing at the top & I headed down to the youth hostel as quickly as possible – not that quickly on all the wet slippy rock! By the time I got to the youth hostel I was just with one other guy – we had chatted a bit earlier and he told me he was from Lithuania. As we climbed Scarth Gap Pass together he said the highest mountain in Lithuania is 252 m – this race was going to be quite a challenge then! (I was pleased to find out on Sunday he did make it round OK). I knew the navigation from Buttermere would be a bit tricky, this time I was aided by others around with a GPS & we got on the right path down to Braithwaite OK. Some welcome rice pudding & pasta (I did wonder if it was Ok to eat them in the wrong order?) and after 5mins or so I was ready to head out of the door into the slow dawn.

As I ran along the main road I met up with Drew, who became my running buddy for the rest of the race. We also joined another runner (who was pacing himself well as he finished 5^th) and we ran together as a 3 for a few hours. The rain was lighter & I was considering taking my waterproofs off, but as we climbed up to the stone on the Cumbrian way near Blencathera there were still some showers. A quick stop at Blencathera & a quick call to let my husband know I was doing well and to expect me in Dalemain at my “early” estimate. Then it was a climb up to the old coach road and then 6 miles along the track to Dacre. It was nice heading towards Dalemain with views of Ullswater & knowing I had made good time to the “half” way point (nearer 60 miles). My husband & parents were there to cheer me on at Dalemain & I put dry clothes on & had a good amount of food.

Anyway, couldn’t stop for long and headed off in the sunshine – now wearing my shorts & t-shirt which was nice. I think this was the best bit of the race with views of Ullswater and then Haweswater. As Drew and I passed High Knop Martin & Martin, who were leading the 50 mile race, bounded past yelling “Go Team Vasque!”, followed by the other fast 50-mile runners. Lucy passed us as we started on the contouring path along Haweswater. I knew the path along the lake had felt long in my reccie but it did seem to go on for ages! Heading up and over Gatescarth Pass lots of the 50-mile competitors passed – everyone was very encouraging so that was great. The best quote was “you’re my heros!” – which was nice – I didn’t feel very heroic later on! The rocky descents were hard work and & I was flagging a bit getting to Kentmere. But a welcome Smoothie was excellent & it was onwards again – now Ambleside was the focus.

Arriving in Ambleside we did get a cheer from the pub beer garden, as well as a big cheer from the group of supporters outside LakesRunner. Inside for some tea & a sandwich – unfortunately my stomach wasn’t quite so keen on the idea of proper food so I spent 10mins sat outside trying to calm my tummy down. This was the first point I suddenly wondered if I could do it – I didn’t like not feeling in control, but fortunately I picked myself up & Drew was waiting ready to carry on. We set off hoping to everyone at the finish in maybe 4 hours (it actually took us another 6 or so) -- the last 15miles were pretty tough for me. As we left Ambleside it began to get dark & started raining again. I was pleased that I had reccied the route so that helped – we made good progress to the Chapel Stile checkpoint. Then it was hard work going along Langdale – I thought it couldn’t be that far but it seemed to take ages & I felt I was really stumbling a lot on the rocky paths. But we got there & up & over to Blea Tarn was OK. Finding the best route down to the road was a bit tricky in the dark & all the bracken but we made it & were close with some other people again. One more up & over before the final checkpoint. We were keen to finish so carried straight on up the steps to the quarry, knowing there was a big group of people behind. We made the mistake of agreeing to follow all the other headtorches as I was worried about the last bit of navigation – we did end up a bit off course which was frustrating, but the group in front got sorted before I could get my compass out and apply my tired brain – the path was spotted and we were through the gap and on to the final descent. As we hit the track Drew said it was 3am – if we could do the last bit OK (probably less than a mile) we would make under 32 hours – so somehow managed a bit of a jog & even got up some speed on the last bit of road…. In to the finish in 31 hours 47 minutes to be met by my husband and parents – I think it was relief all round!!

Andy Rankin won the race in a new course record of 22 hours 46 min. I finished 16^th overall as first lady, setting the inaugural women’s course record. There were about 40 finishers out of about 100 starters… so goes to show it is a pretty tough race. Thanks very much to the race organizers & all the marshalls/checkpoint staff who were up all weekend & also thanks to my parents & husband to their support cheering me on over the weekend too.

Lakeland 100

Wow i made it!! Am really pleased & fantastic to set the inaugural women's course record. It was a tough wet first night but then a nice bright day for most of Saturday with some lovely Lakeland views and good running. The last 15 miles were a big struggle for me - in the dark and more rain.... was very relived to finish at 3.20am on Sunday morning in 31 hours 47 minutes (16th overall). There had been about a 100 starters and just 30 finishers.... it was definitely a tough race. Big thanks to my new running "buddy" - Drew - we had set off from Braithwaite checkpoint together at 4.30am on Saturday and stuck together for the rest of the race so that was fantastic & helped get me round. Also big thanks to my husband & parents who came and cheered me on & were there waiting for me at the finish in the middle of the night. Also a quick thanks to the race organisers & all the marshalls....it was a really well run event so thanks.




But i am still tired this evening, so a full race report will have to wait.... hopefully I'll get a report & a few piccies on here later this week if you are interested...

Wasdale Fell Race

Just been reading accounts of the Hardrock...., not sure Wasdale is really comparable -- but it is probably one of the toughest Lakeland single day fell races i think. At 21 miles & 9000ft of ups and downs i definitely found it tough for me this year.




It was glorious weather and great to get up on lots of Lakeland summits with great views. It was clouding up as i was starting up Scafell from Gable, but it stayed clear for all of the runners i think. The race has some big climbs and generally quite runnable descents -- although i wish i could fly down them with as much ease as some of those around me. I finished in 5hr 48 mins (15 mins slower than my first attempt last year) -- afraid i didn't find out who won either men's or ladies titles this year.

A sunny start

Lakes -- training & supporting

Spent the last couple of weekends very pleasantly exploring around Ullswater. I did not really know the Ullswater/Haweswater end of the Lakes much and it has been lovely to do some running round there. Dave completed the first "Day in the Lakes" Ullswater half ironman triathlon last weekend so i pootelled around supportng on my bike and gentle running. It was a pretty hot day and the triathletes all looked like they were working very hard. I was hot enough and i wasn't racing! It has been good to have a few long training days out in the Lakes and enjoy the views -- I've even got quite in to carrot cake Cliff bars ( i think the cherry ones are a nicer flavour -- but have found the Cliff bars are a really good consistency especially after they have been jiggling around for 6 hours in your rucksac they are edible!). I have been looking forward to trying out some new Vasque trainers, but unfortunately they seem to have got lost in the post somewhere at the moment. At the moment i am running in Vasque Blur trainers which i am finding really good for paths/trails etc - even in the Lakes.

Training Run above Ullswater - June 2009

LAMM 2009

We are just back from an excellent weekend competing in the LAMM in Kintail, Scotland. Despite a severe weather warning sent out by email to all competitors before the event, the weather over the weekend in Kintail was actually very good for a mountain marathon - good visibility and a breeze in mid-camp keeping the midges away.

Dave (my husband) and i were competing in the Elite class for the first time. In fact it was just two years ago we tried our first mountain marathon - entering the C class in the LAMM. We have really got in to the MMs and fell running & last year i completed LAMM 'A' class with Mandy (also Team Vasque), so we decided that it was time to step up to the challenge of the Elite course. There were 538 starters this year, including a new score class.

Looking slightly nervous before the start on Saturday -- yes i was wearing my Vasque team kit under my waterproof -- fortunately hardly needed to wear my waterproof all weekend once we had set off!

We set off at 8am (first pair -- obviously got there too keenly on Friday!) from a short walk away from the event centre. Unsurprising straight up a big hill! We then did some contouring around the Five Sisters and after that got overtaken by 5 or 6 of the fast elite pairs racing down our first big descent. A few of our controls were shared with C class, so there were some other pairs around, but generally very quiet. A big climb about 5 hours in was very tough, but we felt it saved us some contouring so the best route for us. The rest of the day seemed to disappear quickly -- hills interspersed with fresh Scottish stream water to wash down various combinations of Cliff Shot Blocks, banana sandwiches, Cliff bars and dried fruit. Dave was doing a great job on the navigation and we found all the controls on Sat without much difficulty (aided by great clear weather). Mid-camp is always a welcome site (although i am never so keen on how far down it is to get to it) - managed a good pace downhill to finish day one in 8 hours 57 minutes. I was pretty exhausted, but fortunately Dave had the energy to find us a great camping spot with mountain and lake view and after lying down and eating i felt ready to get to sleep at 9pm. Nice atmosphere at camp and seemed everyone had had a good day.Photo from LAMM website

Traditional LAMM wake-up call bagpipes at 5am were quite welcome - time to get the kettle on and some tea & porridge. We were over 50 minutes behind the first mixed pair and then had 30 minutes lead on the 3rd mixed pair, so we needed to have a good steady day out, but knew catching the first mixed pair was unlikely -- and they stormed past us on the first hill looking really strong. After starting out in the same direction as the B course, the rest of the day we were mainly on our own, meeting up with some of the other Elite pairs later in the day. The climbs were nearly as tough as day 1, although there did seem to be less rocky/tussocky contouring so that was good. We wished we had sneaked in a light-weight camera really as there were stunning views, including a great view of deer silhouetted in front of big mountains. Views of the Cullin, Torridon & some even said the Ben -- and many more mountains. We were cross we did miss one of the checkpoints and wasted 15 minutes or so -- although we were then together with the other mixed pairs so helped spur us on on the last hill for a good racing finish - we finished Day 2 in 7 hours 22 minutes. (Course statistics was 35km and 2500m on Day 1 and 26km and 2000m on Day 2).

We were very pleased we completed our first ever Elite MM - coming in 11th out of the 15 pairs and second mixed pair. We had missed the prize giving by the time we finished, but there was still a nice atmosphere at the Event centre with teams still finishing and a lot of tired but pleased looking people sat in the grass in the sun. A really great weekend- thanks to all those who give up their time making this event happen.

Duddon Fell Race

It was great to have a good race in Duddon in glorious weather on Saturday.

Photo shows a lovely post race swim

Duddon is really a lovely race (18 miles, 2000m) as it is all so runnable. I was pleased as my knee i banged a fortnight ago in the Open5+ didn't complain much, and i finished only a minute slower than last year in 3hr59 mins, as 4th lady. There was a great atmosphere in the Newlands pub afterwards, with great food and a lively band. Nice to have a relaxing Saturday evening...next Saturday we'll be mid-LAMM so might not be quite the same -- looking forward to it though, fingers crossed for the Scottish weather

Open5+

I was good about having most of the week post Fellsman as recovery (see photo of me at the end -- maybe i needed it!) -- managed a few gentle cycle to work and only one run... i knew Dave & I had entered the Open5+ adventure race on Saturday so that would give me an idea how quickly i was recovering.


Dave and i had completed the Open Adventure 5 hour mountain biking/running series through last winter as a mixed pair. The event last Saturday from Keswick was an Open 5+ (in a series with a 12hr and 24hr challenges) - as the organiser said at the start line it was more of an "open6" by stealth! You had to cycle to the mass start in Whinlatter forest before you even began. The first section this year was around the tracks & single track descents in the forest -- so no navigation -- but for me test of my nerves downhilling as fast as possible so you don't get mown over. After the forest we got the control scores for the rest of the 5 hour of the event - then it was up to you to plan the next bike/run/bike sections. The "+" bit turned out to be a pretty exhilarating Ghyll descent (timed out of your 5 hours). This involved getting very wet -- and after my initial nerves i did manage to do all the jumps. We were pleased to have dry clothes & shoes at transition & then headed out on the run. We opted out of the lake swim, but did the other "special" stages of a short climbing wall & mine tunnel. Unfortunately i took a tumble on rock on the run and a pretty sore knee slowed us down for the rest of the race (both run & bike). But we made the most of the road-based controls on our last bike section & were able to enjoy the race a bit!! Great scenery and terrain around Keswick. It was a nice atmosphere back in Keswick as everyone was finishing at similar times. A good thing to do on a pretty showery Lakes day! If you are interested in adventure racing check out www.openadventure.com for more info.

Should have been at a local fell race tonight but my knee still needs a few days off (am now getting a bit frustrated...) , but still a few weeks before the LAMM so should hopefully be back to training soon for that.

Fellsman

Well i am struggling with walking today... but i think it was worth it! Very pleased to complete my longest ever race so far... 62miles & 11,000-ft (~3800m) of ups & downs. The Fellsman is an excellently organised events - many Thanks to Keighley Scout group & also the many volunteers at all the checkpoints.

The race starts in Ingelton and loops round taking in lots of Yorkshire summits and finishing in the village of Thresfield, near Grassington.

Me & Mandy at the start.

There were 381 starters this year -- setting off on a bright but slightly overcast day. We had one really heavy rainstorm and going up Great Knoutberry in the mist & hail was pretty unpleasant. After that though the rain dried up, so for most of the day we had bright views over Yorkshire. I caught up with Julian Brown (a fellow Macclesfield harrier) in Dent and we managed to stay together encouraging each other on and it was very nice to have company. Chatted to a few other runners en route as there were always a few people around, but we were mainly following our own route. I had great encouragement at various checkpoints through the day from my husband Dave and also Karen & Matt.


Setting off round the bog over Fleets Moss... it was a bit wetter than a reccie a few weeks ago! But we did make it across and down to the Cray checkpoint before the 7.30-pm grouping time. I definitely struggled a bit here as Nicky Spinks had suddenly appeared at Hells Gap checkpoint and i felt i really should try and keep up... but as Nicky descended rapidly off Buckden Pike i knew there was no way i could match her speed & strength. So then i relaxed a bit more to the grouping point at ParkRash. We set off at about 9pm so got up to the top of Great Whernside before it was too dark, so the end bit in the dark was fine - the route was aided by beacons and also a very picturesque moon-rise. The final 2 miles on the road weren't quite as bad as i had feared -- we finished in 14 hours 22mins so i was very pleased with my time. Half an hour behind the 1st lady Sarah Rowell. A plate of chili & tea and then to bed. Definitely felling pretty pleased of my achievement today... i think my legs will need a bit of a rest though!

www.fellsman.org.uk

Human Endurance Centre

This week i made a second trip to the Human Performance Centre at Lincoln University. I am one of a 'cohort' of about 50 ultra runners who are taking part in Paul Murgatroyd 's research project into understanding physiology of ultra runners. I was going to write more... but spotted that Nick Ham has also written about his visit this week on his blog - so i think i will cheat and recommend you check out his blog for more info! http://ultraploddernick.blogspot.com/ .

Paul was keen to collect data in the lab close to the data he collected at the Calderdale Hike. For me many of my measurements were similar, although i have decreased my heart rate at my LT point, which is good. Also my "running economy" has improved (although last time i weighed in lighter than usual - i think my weight this time was more realistic) , but my VO2 max had decreased slightly. Paul puts the info together with some personalised training tips, but hopefully the main learning from this work will be to really study a whole group of runners. How does the lab data compare to "on the day"? - well Paul is looking in to it -- for me at Calderdale i ran for 6hr40min with an average HR of 154bp (82% my max heart rate) -- quite close to my HR at LT (HR at LT this week in the lab 151bp) and i hardly went above my HR at lactate turn-point 165bp).

Right, better get some sleep - i think that is now the best prep for Fellsman (where i won't be wearing a HR monitor nor donating blood en route - plenty of other things to think about i expect!) Let see if my "improved fitness" helps get me round 62 hilly miles...

Calderdale Hike 2009

Calderdale Hike - Saturday 19th April 2009

This was my first race in the Vasque series this year - and it was a good start. The weather was lovely - blue sky and hardly any wind. The route this year was new -- i had decided to cut-up my "South Pennines" OS map so that i could manage with a few sheets of map in order as i hadn't reccied any of the route so i knew navigation would be important. As i haven't done any of the races in this area, like the Howeth Hobble, most of the terrain was new to me (a little overlapped with last year - but not much). The route took an anti-clockwise route, generally to the north-west of Sowerby Bridge. It saved quite a few climbs for the second half - with an ascent to Stooley Pike about 6 miles from the end to make sure you were finishing tired. The terrain was generally very runnable on big paths - the only section of road was the last couple of miles to the finish (which was especially tough for me as i had to really sprint them as Wendy Dodds caught me up at the last checkpoint). During the race i also took part in blood glucose measurements for the University of Lincoln project on the physiology of ultra runners. This caused interest at the checkpoints from both other competitors and the race organisers wondering quite what was going on! I hope the results from the runners taking part (about 10 of us i think) are useful -- we were also wearing heart rate monitors throughout. Aparently my blood glucose stayed pretty stable.. they said i must have eaten well - so i guess 1 and 1/2 bananas, 3 custard creams, bite of flapjack, 2 dried apricots and some jelly babies did the job!! I wasn't really thinking much about food as it was a lovely day, but generally keeping an eye on the route was my main priority (once i'd managed to catch Claire Kenny up). I finished in 6 hours 40 minutes, which was faster than i had expected, and after a sprint down the last two miles of road just made it to be 1st lady. As Martin & Martin had finished in about 5 hours 40 mintues as first men it made a good finish for Team Vasque. It was great sitting around in the sun recovering & eating jacket potatoes watching others finish - everyone seemed to have had a good day and enjoyed the new course. I was very pleased -- i think my next Vasque series race will be tougher though.. Fellsman in 3 weeks time...

Open5 Adventure Race - Peaks

Finishing an Open5 in the Lakes in May 2008, me & my husband David Lawrance

Sunday was another great day in the Peaks - and yes over Mam Tor again! It was the last in the "Open5 08/09" adventure race series - check out their website (www.openadventure.com) for more info. I have been competing as a mixed pair together with my husband Dave. The race format is that you get 5 hours to get as many points as possible - split between mountain biking and running. We've found it works best for us to bike first - on sunday we biked for 3 hours - then do the running leg. Dave is in charge of the bike route choice and nav whilst i struggle to keep up, and then we reverse for the running leg so makes it pretty fair! It's a great day out and everyone seems to pick different route choices so you pass people in lots of different directions. We had a good race - we felt we did our best and didn't make any stupid mistakes (like running past controls as the scale of the map is so huge!) -- we finished 3rd mixed pair (out of about 30 on the day i think) -- but were a bit disappointed as we missed out on 3rd in ther series by only 0.2%/300%! But they have been great events - we've raced in North Pennies, North Yorkshire Dales, Lakes & Peaks so they cover great bits of the country and a good 5-hour day out. Next for me is proper Vasque series race -- Calderdale in two weekst time.....

Edale Skyline

Photo by Dark Peak Fell Runners

Sunday 29th March 2009 - Edale Skyline

It was a lovely day on Sunday - blue sky and a great temperature to run in - i was glad i opted for shorts & t-shirt. I did the race for the first time in 2008 (so missed out on the infamous awful weather in 2007) so i have been lucky to have great conditions both years. It is a 21 mile route, with 4500ft climbing, but most of the climbing is in the first half. Its worth taking it a bit easy in the first half, as you still need energy on the moorland sections later in the race. See the Dark Peak Fell Runners website for a profile (and maybe some photos). I had a really good race, finishing in 3 hours and 35 minutes as second Lady (mind you about 20 minutes behind 1st lady - Jackie Lee). I was 10 minutes faster than last year so felt like a good start to the year. It was great feeling that i could run well and pick up speed later in the race, not having raced that far for a while, and i got great support from fellow runners later on in the race as i caught people up which was really nice. Good samosas(!) & cake in the hall afterwards and came home with a bottle of wine - so a good day out. As ever, many thanks to the organisers for a smooth running event which everyone i spoke to seemed to have enjoyed. Next thing for me is the last in the 2008/2009 "Open5" adventure race series - it is from Hope on Sunday (so maybe will be up Mam Tor again!) -- i am racing with my husband Dave so hopefully my legs will have loosened up a bit before then....

Starting my blog

OK, so not a very exciting first blog post (sorry never done this before so just trying to work it out). Just had blitz of entering races for this -- run further series ones (as a member of Team Vasque we are hoping that the ladies Vasque team can do well in the 2009 series) & also some of the Lakeland Classics races - mind you some of them are apparently already full!). Am running Edale Skyline tomorrow so will be a good test of how winter training has gone -- and probably a wake-up call of more hill training needed! My first run further series race will be Calderdale and then want to try and run well at the Fellsman -- but never having run that far, nor raced in the dark am a bit apprehensive about it. A reccie over Fleets Moss in snow and mist in February convinced me it is going to be a tough race. So will "blog" again when i actually having some running to talk about....