w/e 3/1/10 - The Way We Miss Our Lives Are Life..

"A sad fact, of course, about adult life is that you see the very things you'll never adapt to coming toward you on the horizon. You see them as the problems they are, worry like hell about them, make provisions, take precautions, fashion adjustments; you tell yourself you'll have to change your way of doing things.


Only you don't. You can't. Somehow it's already too late.

And maybe it's even worse than that; maybe the thing you see coming from far away is not the real thing - the thing that scares you - but its aftermath. And what you've feared will happen has already taken place.

And in that way, our life gets over before we know it. We miss it."



The first week of the new year. Time to stop looking over the shoulder and look in the here and now (not even at the future). Time to make the most of the opportunities as they arise and appreciate the ones that have already arisen and continue to have resonance.

But not in a "New Year's Resolution" kind-of-way you understand! That's the preserve of the fat or sad or lonely, looking for the "easy miracle" which will improve their lives. When the truth is it's right there in front of them, no need to go looking too far.

From a personal point of view, more than anything, it means not looking too far ahead and thinking about June. Think (and BE!) in the here and now. Enjoy the training for what it is - an excuse for lots of lovely days out on the fells!!

The week started with a meet-up with my old friends from Newport. It was really lovely to see them. Perhaps I'd forgotten (as absence is liable to make you do) what a great bunch they are to run with. A slippy, slidy recce of the Valleys route. Very icy underfoot. 10 of us negotiating steep slopes and revelling in it. A fantastic morning out and I only wish I could have stayed longer with them. (1o mls & 3,500ft)

Tuesday and Wednesday were Christmas recovery days and offered no more than walks to the pub (for rehydration and taking in nutrients!). I'd earned them.

New Year's Eve saw a jaunt up to Penistone Hill in deep snow, to run the Auld Lang Syne. A crowd of nearly 380 set off and I discovered (or rather remembered) what I like and don't like about fellrunning. And one of the things I definitely like is the space you get to run out there on the fells....which was definitely not apparent at this race. Queues of people up the hills, others pushing in when they're halfway (plus!) down the field and going to win nothing. This isn't what I enjoy. Even during the race, my memory was flashing back to those majestic moments when all seems right with the world.....the descent off Helvellyn in the Old County Tops, when I clearly recall the uplift and excitement of seeing pairs of runners emerging from the mist, all over the fellside. In the past, I think (think? yeah right!) I'd have gone into my shell and brooded about my lack of enjoyment of the race. Instead, I decided to "opt out" and just enjoy as best I could. I slowed down, I took in the views, I enjoyed watching people around me floundering in the snow and mud and, actually, quite enjoyed myself. And I made a mental note to only do races which either have a low number of entrants, are open to route-deviations and/or are long!! (6mls & 900ft)

New Year's Day was the perfect antedote however! An icy 9am start in Dewsbury to the Hangover Hike. A smattering of runners, plenty of hardened long distance walkers. Toast and tea and off you go when you're ready. And a very pleasant morning out it was, skidding on icy paths, looking out across snowy scenery. By 1pm we were back in a fantastic, welcoming pub, supping a pint or two to wash down pie and peas (for £2.30 no less!!!!). What a way to start the year, while most people were in bed nursing hangovers! (21mls & 1,800ft)

Saturday was a rest day, watching the snow fall again in the evening. Unfortunately, I didn't move the car down to the bottom of the hill first, so it's still stuck outside, unused, 5 days later!

Sunday saw me head out (alone again, naturally) for a trot around the moors. I decided to do the Hebden route (just because I could!) on a very icy day, with plenty of new snow to make it even harder. I enjoyed myself, but time was against me. And the lovely downhills which can be motored were slowed to a crawl by sheets of ice. I enjoyed it though, made a couple of mistakes, took the slightly higher path down Jumble Hole Clough (I wasn't going on the edge of the drop with the path THAT icy!), slogged my way up to see THE most glorious sunset from Stoodley Pike, then descended down to Mytholmroyd in the dark (having not packed my headtorch!). A lovely afternoon out to end the week. (18mls & 3,500ft)

Total for the week - 55mls & 9,700ft

Well the weather shows no signs of abating, meaning no trips in the car anywhere. And any thoughts of heading to the Lakes for some trots over the fells are placed on the shelf marked "warmer weather". But a 50k around the Calderdale moors planned for Saturday, and hopefully another 20 miles on the moors on Sunday should keep me going!