Slight return

Stef dragged me out for a lap of the village on Monday evening and we managed another couple of these 20 minute jogs yesterday and today. I couldn't believe how sore my legs were on Tuesday morning although, thankfully, the worst of the dreaded breathlessness seems to be abating. Next year's big target is the Lakeland 100 and races / challenge events we have entered or planned to enter (Hebden LDWA, the Grizzly - my first but not Stef's, Haworth Hobble etc) are all basically training runs for the 100. I've got a lot of fitness to get back (and a lot of weight to lose) but I feel better (and have been sleeping better) for the return to running. The good news is my endurance base is usually good and I respond quickly to training normally so hopefully some improvement will be gained soon  

Hebden Gold

Our 'streak' seems a long time ago because both Stef and I have been struck down with vile colds (flu actually in Stef's case) and we've done very little running since last weekend. Yesterday however we did manage a short walk in the Strid Woods and a drive up to Hebden to finally see Andy Hodge's gold postbox. While we were there it seemed rude not to pop into the Old School tea-shop across the road, where frothy coffees were taken along with an enormous slice of fresh-cream Victoria sponge cake 

A streaky snowy Hebden

It was the Hebden LDWA yesterday and after some good work by organisers Alan Greenwood and Carole Engels the event went ahead in spite of some snow and ice on the course. It was a cracking day out as ever but I found some of the slippery descents a bit hard work in Mudclaws. Huge tracts of the route being frozen solid helped and I finished with dry feet, almost certainly for the first time in five starts. The traditional pie and peas went down well afterwards,as did home-made apple crumble and custard! There were many people there we know and we had a good hour or so after finishing catching-up with the latest gossip

We were going for a Hebden-Splash double this weekend but the Stanbury Splash course has had to be shortened due to ice so we're going over to Bowland again later instead. My next job is either getting Stef out of bed or tackling a sink full of washing up from having pals round for dinner last night. I also need to resist having some of the left-over tiramisu for breakfast, which is not proving easy

I almost forgot, but yesterday was day 50 of our 'streak'. I'm amazed I've kept going (it was Stef's idea and she was much more determined from the start than me) but we've chugged on again this week with a few three and a half milers round the village and the usual Wednesday club-run from the Lion