I was running fast, as I veered away from my house and set of down the track, but not quite fast enough. I finally got onto the road and continued to run, it was suddenly starting to feel much harder. I had only just begun the run. A mere 2 miles of running on the flats and then downhill had slowed my pace dramatically. As ventured along the road and into the village, it almost felt like I was running up a long, steep hill. I was trying to think of any other reason why I was feeling like this. "Perhaps I had started to fast" or "Perhaps I didn't drink enough before setting off?". But it was no use searching for any other answers. I knew why and I would have to except. I had yet another cold, despite having only recently recovered from my 4th cold of the winter. I had been trying to tell myself it had just been a sore throat or something. I had just had a great few weeks of running after school. Runs ranging from 2-13 miles and on all of them I had been pleased with my performance beating my regular 1 hour run by a further 2 mins.
Now I would have to rest and hope I would be fit again in a few days. I ran back up to my house at what felt like a snail's speed.
I decided that if I couldn't run I would climb. After all that is what I really love doing, but I just don't get the opportunity as much. There is a lot to be said for leaving your house and running out through the fields as the sun sets on the distant fells, but for me nothing quite competes with climbing, when it comes to focusing on the task ahead and keeping a clear head. The nearest crag is 'Jackdaw Scar' I have been there a few times, hoping to find some boulder problems to create. But the Sandstone base of the crag doesn't provide anything of particular interest when it comes to bouldering and I find myself often gazing up at the higher limestone in frustration and going away with an even stronger burning desire to get hold of some nuts, cams, hexes and slings and start trad climbing. However this time I managed to do bits of climbing on the crag. The routes didn't offer very much in terms of training, but offered me a lot mentally. A chance to unwind after school, listen to the running water from the beck and breathe the fresh air. They weren't particularly technical but required that focus and state of mind needed in climbing. So after feeling low for failing in my run, I had found my high for the day at Jackdaw scar, a perfect place to spend the evening, and feel closer to nature despite being no more than 60 metres away from civilisation.
My next bit of adventure was at Hutton Roof with Adam. Hutton Roof is a limestone crag not too far from Kendal and offers some great boulder problems. It has quite a few trad routes up it too, but it's only about 8 metres high so many of these can be climbed un roped with a crash mat underneath you. The crux of the climb was almost always in the first 4 or 5 metres and after that the angle relents to about 75 degrees with large handholds. My cold was now beginning to affect my general energy levels and I often found myself lying down in the shade after each climb and would leave Adam to wonder round trying out other problems for a while before I picked up the enthusiasm to join him again.
I spent the next few evenings after that climbing around Jackdaw Scar again. Then at the weekend joined Adam at Kendal Wall. We spent quite a decent amount of time bouldering before tying into the ropes and doing a few routes.
The day after I met up with Fergus and we went for a short stroll around the back of Dufton Pike up to Great Rundale Tarn, before strolling back down to the pub in Dufton for a coke. It is a bit odd that I should have had a cold this week. As even today which was supposed to be one of the worst this week, it hadn't rained for over a week and the sun was still shining brightly.
Today I did a bit of bouldering at Kendal Wall, as it it was now the official first day of my Easter Holiday. I could perhaps have gone for a run when I got back as I wasn't feeling as bad, but I was pretty tired from the 2 hours of climbing I had just done. Tomorrow though I will don my trainers and head out, I'll see what I can do, it might just be that my performance is fine and I can keep running for a good few miles up onto Orton Scar or I may have to make do with a lesser run until my Cold leaves me completely.
Thanks for reading.
Comments as always, are very welcome.
Ethan
Now I would have to rest and hope I would be fit again in a few days. I ran back up to my house at what felt like a snail's speed.
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| Jackdaw Scar |
My next bit of adventure was at Hutton Roof with Adam. Hutton Roof is a limestone crag not too far from Kendal and offers some great boulder problems. It has quite a few trad routes up it too, but it's only about 8 metres high so many of these can be climbed un roped with a crash mat underneath you. The crux of the climb was almost always in the first 4 or 5 metres and after that the angle relents to about 75 degrees with large handholds. My cold was now beginning to affect my general energy levels and I often found myself lying down in the shade after each climb and would leave Adam to wonder round trying out other problems for a while before I picked up the enthusiasm to join him again.
I spent the next few evenings after that climbing around Jackdaw Scar again. Then at the weekend joined Adam at Kendal Wall. We spent quite a decent amount of time bouldering before tying into the ropes and doing a few routes.
Today I did a bit of bouldering at Kendal Wall, as it it was now the official first day of my Easter Holiday. I could perhaps have gone for a run when I got back as I wasn't feeling as bad, but I was pretty tired from the 2 hours of climbing I had just done. Tomorrow though I will don my trainers and head out, I'll see what I can do, it might just be that my performance is fine and I can keep running for a good few miles up onto Orton Scar or I may have to make do with a lesser run until my Cold leaves me completely.
Thanks for reading.
Comments as always, are very welcome.
Ethan
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