A night out in rural Leicestershire

This week my regular work trip to Leicester coincided with the FA replay between the Foxes and the Rams. My usual hotel was full and driving into town on match-night didn't make sense so I drove North to Barrow upon Soar, and stayed at the excellent Hunting Lodge However I walked down to the Bridge Inn for local beer, home-made lamb curry and chips plus footie related banter. The only downside was extra-time meant extra drinking time and I arose on Thursday morning feeling slightly fragile. I blame the Old Original the barmaid recommended

Wednesday night headtorcher

Not the best photo but a lovely run out with friends old and new

Classic Cowling

Wednesday night's club run from the Bay Horse at Cowling was right up there with the best I've been on in over ten years involved with KCAC.  I've pinched the above photo from our web-site and I'm not sure but think Colleen might have taken it. Whatever it's a lovely reminder of a smashing evening

Last Wednesday nighter of the year

There was a small turn-out last night at the White Lion in Kildwick for our last KCAC headtorcher of the year. Brett's son Jack ran with us and seemed to enjoy himself. The running went well generally with only one tiny navigational error (we did 5 miles), and our friend James was on good form in the pub in spite of being too under the weather to manage a run. Bacon and cheese butties were taken along with excellent Saltaire Stout No 5. All in all a good last social run of the year

First Wednesday nighter of the year

It was windy and wet for last night's KCAC mid-week headtorcher from the White Lion, but thankfully not cold. I was very grateful for my Buffalo after getting changed and at least as happy with the free chips. It was good to see James around for the first time since Stef and I's wedding. He called round to show Stef how to make bread, with truly delicious results. Two runs in two nights and maybe a slight reprise for my long missing running mojo

ps I'm not sure but it might have been my first Wednesday night run of the winter, never mind 2015!

Classic Wednesday nighter

There was a great turn-out for last night's social run from the Lion with (I'm guessing) around 20 runners and a couple of dogs. We ended up doing a greatest hits package of, for me, the best bits of our normal routes without getting too lost. Perfect conditions too for running ie cool and dry, plus sausages and chips afterwards.  Roll on next week!

Back to the Lion

It was back to the winter home of KCAC's Wednesday night social runs last night: the White Lion at Kildwick. Sam and I did five and a bit miles with a good number of the usual suspects (Brett, Frase, Lorna, Milly etc) in increasingly wet conditions. As usual it was then into the pub for free food and a pint or two. It was good to be back in spite of the soaking

The Beer Engine

We missed Wednesday night's club run but I managed to get over for a quick pint to the Beer Engine in Skipton. The Engine has been dubbed Skipton's first micro-pub and I was very impressed with the friendly welcome we received, the great selection of beer on offer and the quality of the beer. Highly recommended! 

The List

It was a big night last Wednesday evening; the time when the list of pubs for our mid-week summer social runs is pored over, scrutinised and finalised. Several old favourites (Fleece in Haworth, OWB, Slaters at Bradley) were approved with a nod; some candidates were rejected, "that landlord is a miserable sod", " Tetleys", "Up for sale. There's a note on the door asking the coalman for no more deliveries for the foreseeable future" but consensus was gained in an hour or so

Last night was the first of our "summer runs". Someone forgot to inform the weather gods because it was cold, misty and gloomy running from the excellent Kings Arms in Silsden. Gloomy enough for us to not reach our intended target of the Doubler Stones, but not gloomy enough to spoil a great start to the season for 23 Keighleyites and Poppy the dog. Top marks go to the legend that is PetShopPete for bringing some new runners into the fold and to the Wensleydale Brewery for their superb Semer Water ale!

Sub-Eight

It was eight weeks to go until our wedding on Saturday. Most of the bigger things (church, dress, rings, hotels, my cuff-links) are sorted now and we're largely down to fine-tuning and sorting our wedding day race

We spent the weekend in Devon and should have been running the Grizzly yesterday. Around the middle of last week we decided we are in no kind of shape to do a mostly runnable 20 miler so we spent the day with Stef's lads instead

I'm running out of time to lose some weight and my training is still all over the place with decent weeks logged then weeks when I get out once at best. Last week was a 'one runner', albeit a very enjoyable Wednesday head-torcher

Too fat, too long

I've been fat and lazy all winter. Wedding planning has been a convenient excuse for not running, but wasn't really ever all invasive time-wise, and is coming along well now with around nine weeks to go before our big day. Therefore my pre-wedding streak started on Monday. I have long enough to (a) shift some lard and (b) beat my previous longest effort. Two short road runs have been done and my Hope is fully charged for tonight's headtorcher. Streak on!

A run from Lothersdale

I managed to get out for a run last night with the KCAC Wednesday night crowd. For a change from the usual run from Kildwick we ran up Pin Haw from Lothersdale to pay our respects to the former 'Beacon man' Robert Wilson who's body was found near the hill top back in 1805

We went back to the White Lion for the usual beer and food after our run. I'm not sure if this was my first head-torcher of the winter but all being well it won't be my last!

Back running again

I've done very little running this month, mostly because of Stef's Bob Graham but also because I just fancied a bit of a break after a tough spring's training. However, on Tuesday evening we had a run along the river out to the Friends Meeting House and back, which was a great way to get going again. We were lucky to see little owl in a spot where we've not seen one before along with dipper, heron, oystercatcher and curlew

Last night our Wednesday night social run was from Slaters Arms in Bradley and it was a classic. We ran up to the stone men on Skipton Moor in beautiful summer sunshine before adjourning to the terrace at the back of the pub to drink Timothy Taylors Golden Best eat crisps and wait for the sun to set. Sadly, we got 'midged off' before sunset but it was great fun any way! 

Old White Bear

We had a great evening for our regular Wednesday night club run last night; bright and just a bit breezy. We did 6 miles from the Old White Bear at Crosshills, ably led by Paul and his dog Galileo, followed by the usual refueling in the pub. There was a good turn-out with many of our regular Wednesday night friends and Brett passed on my new club vest. I've had my old KCAC vest for eight years and after something like 150 to 200 races (and washes) it's looking a bit tired and threadbare. Stef and I have had a couple of easy weeks with little running done but it's time to crank it back up again now

Fun in the snow

After breaking our streak on Tuesday (I received some sad news in the afternoon and it just didn't feel right running) we went out with the club last night. Above is Farnhill Pinnacle, which is at the top of the first climb most weeks. Tonight I ran (well walked up and ran down) Beamsley Beacon with Dave. Both runs were excellent and I'm hoping there's still plenty of snow around at the weekend 

Streakers!

Running every day in December has morphed into 'streaking' i.e. running every day. Yesterday we ran the Hardmoors 30 (more to follow on another post) but tonight (our 33rd run in 33 days) it was back to Farnhill Pinnacle and the White Lion with the Wednesday night KCAC crowd. Both Stef and I were tired and a bit 'tight' after yesterday's outing but we managed around 5 miles at 'social' pace, followed by the usual generous free food at the Lion. We had onion rings, breaded chicken gujons and also chicken 'lollies' on sticks (think kind of small flat fillets on wooden skewers). These were washed down with Copper Dragon North Star which was dark and tasty!

20 in 20

A headtorcher at Bolton Abbey on Tuesday night, the usual club run last night from the White Lion (albeit reduced to three miles) plus a road run tonight and we're still on course to run every day in December. My cold feels like it's finally clearing up and the prospect of more runs in the light during the Christmas holidays including a trip to the Lakes has lifted my flagging spirits no end! 

Full moon

There's always a bit of a buzz I think among 'headtorchers' around the time of the full moon. Judging by comments on the FRA forums a lot of runners love to get out whether with friends, or solo under a big bright moon. Stef and I managed it twice this week!

On Tuesday we were going to meet friends at Bolton Abbey but Stef was late home so we did some hill -reps on the Beacon. The ground was awful (wet and heavily rutted by cattle) but we both ran well before calling at the Wharfe under the suspension bridge to wash our legs and shoes (in my case an old pair of resurrected Walsh PB's). On Wednesday night 15 of us ran a clock-wise loop from the White Lion. I enjoyed running with PetShopPete and Kev Hoppy because it's not often they run off-road with us. Afterwards we were treated to an amazing and vast 'left-overs' shepherds pie (and a couple of much-needed pints!). Two really memorable evenings out 

Five in five

Five runs in five days for me this week. Wednesday was our usual club headtorcher and I struggled like hell on a really warm evening. Last night we had a 'timed training run' up Nab End from Silsden. The cool clear night suited me much better and I ran well (for me!). Afterwards it was all back to the Kings Arms, where a lovely hour or so was spent catching up with Gill from Wharfedale (five championship medals this year in spite of missing the start of the season), Livi and Graham Breeze, who was on top form in spite of a minor detour near the end of the run 

Laurel Aitken