Why run?

Since my brief trip to the Alps a month or so ago I've been unable to climb due to nerve pain in my left hand. I think it's been brought on by the battering it got holding the hammer head of my axe for 10 hours across the Midi-Plan Traverse so I'm christening it 'plunger's palm'

In the mean time I've been running even more than ever. Running is one of those activities that divides opinion in a love-hate way, so I thought I'd explain a little of why I'm I love it so much.

The first and main reason for me is that it is that it keeps me sane - running is a guaranteed safety valve for surviving modern life. I'm sure there is a complex physiological reason involving various chemicals being released in the brain as to why it works, but the simple act of heading out for even a short run seems to de-clutter the mind. I suspect the rhythm of running helps and of course the fact that you can concentrate on one thing without having to be distracted by the bleeps and buzzes of the daily grind.
Secondly there's the health benefits - my family has a history of genetic heart disease with many of my relatives dying from heart attacks, so anything I can do to delay that is obviously great. You could argue there are health problems from running too - my knees definitely aren't wild about my return to running and most of my mates have opted for road biking as their middle aged fitness escape route. However biking doesn't have that.......direct connection with the land. There is something magical about moving on foot at 'speed' over the land. I'm sure it's a deep rooted memory of the great travels our ancient ancestors must have undertaken. But (particularly as you get fitter) naturally right about sweeping across interesting terrain. As well as the rhythms and contours of the land there's the simple little discoveries I come across my early morning runs. I'm lucky enough to have my local wood within a couple of minutes from my front door. 6.30 runs have brought the glittering crystals of snow highlighted in my head torch, the echoes of woodpeckers, racing squirrels and Spring's carpets of wild garlic and bluebells.

I think most impotantly running more than any other activity gives me a sense of 'freedom' A sensation of release, limitless possibilities and a reminder of the simple joy of being alive.

More Alps

A few more pics here from The West face of the Plan. The line of the route.
Me setting off the first pitch - a rather savage crack with some full blown laybacking and minimal feet - luckily its only about 15ft long, nevertheless I spent longer recovering at its top with hot aches than actually climbing it!

Since getting back from Chamonix I've been getting stuck into my running, managing 6 runs this week. I'm never going to be a brilliant runner, but I love the feeling of freedom it gives. At the moment it's much more manageable time-wise than climbing, plus I've got what feels like tendon pain in my left palm from all the plunging into unconsolidated snow heading through the night back to the midi. Still I've a chance to head back to the Alps in a couple of weeks - an even slimmer window this time but fingers crossed I can sneek in another quick route, and the running might pay off and I won't be limping along the snow-plodding bits so much.

West Face Couloir of the Plan

I've been able to escape this past 5 days to the Alps and was hoping against hope that somehow I could get a route done to restore a bit of sanity having missed out on Scotland this season. Luck was on my side turning up trumps with the weather - grand beau temps, partners Steve Su and John Bracey, and a generous host in Zoe. The route was one I've been wanting to do ever since Nick Bullock and Andy Houseman repeated it free a few years ago - The West face couloir on the Plan. The only thing that didn't go perfectly was the descent/ascent - revering the Midi-Plan traverse to our sleeping bags stashed at the Midi Station. This ended up taking me about 10 hours through the night - almost as long as the route - arriving at 8am!

Still it was worth it - here's a few pics.

Chamonix from the hut the night before.My partners Steve and Jon.Jon leading one of many entertaining pitches through some amazing architecture.Steve on one of the cruxes, some thin ice, getting thinner as the winter season draws to an end.

Almost at the top, but we now need to get over there to the Midi - easier said than done.

Solihull Lecture & SHAFF Arcteryx Adventure Shot

Couple of events coming up. I'll be lecturing on the 3rd March at the Old Edwardians Sport Club in Solihull, you can find more info here http://www.solihullmc.org.uk/I'm also judging at the Arcteryx Photo Comp on Saturday 5th March, part of the Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. This is a superb rowdy event here is a link for more info and further details about the competing photographers http://www.shaff.co.uk/content/16/arc-teryx-photo-comp

Lucky

Even though I live in a big city - Sheffield, within 300 yards of my house lies Ecclesall Woods. The more I run in it, the luckier I realise I am to have such a superb resource so close. The stats say its 350 acres of woodland with 15km of public footpaths but I bet this is only the main ones, as there are hundreds of small tracks branching off in every direction. As I discover more of these pathways I'm gradually building up a collection of circuits ranging from 20 minutes to an hour, all through rolling woodland with only a single road that needs to be crossed once out and once back. Terrain ranges from wide even bridleways through to rough sinuous tracks slaloming through the trees.

I've a couple of mates I run with, one who, again luckily, is up for dragging me out at 6.30 most mornings, but I also often head out alone. My last solo jog was accompanied by the echoing rat-tat-tat of woodpeckers throughout the forest. I'm hoping to take my camera out on a few runs over the next week to see if I can post up something that captures the experience of running through this beautiful spot.

Park Run Fun

Did my first Park Run this morning - and didn't get injured - yipee!

Park Runs are informal timed 5k running events held at over 50 locations in the UK. It's free to enter and whilst everyone runs together the vibe is more one of racing against yourself than others. Your times are recorded and logged so that the website can track whether you get a pb, etc. I was slow - 21.06 (when I was "fit" at the beginning of 2010 I did the second half of a 10k in about 19.30) but it was great to open up a bit after just over a month of gentle plodding. I'm planning to do one of these Park Runs each month as a way of tracking progress with the hope to get down towards 19 minutes by mid summer. The priority however is slowly-slowly building up to make sure I avoid yet more injuries.

If you do any running at all, from racing to moderate jogging I would highly recommend checking out your local Park Run. At the Sheffield event there were some who finished in the low 17s (low 16s in previous events) but also others closer to an hour, so its the sort of low pressure event open to everyone. More details here http://parkrun.com

What's going on?

Having written off this winter due primarily to injury but also imminent arrival of our new baby daughter I told myself I would try not to get too envious of what everyone else might be doing up north. That's been tested this last week with a tidal wave of impressive ascents. InesPapert is back in Scotland with her friend Charly Fritzer and she's quickly amassing a telling ticklist; warming up on Daddy Longlegs VIII,9, following Charly up the second ascent of the very steep To Those Who Wait IX,9, climbing a new route with Dave Macleod on the Ben and heading out yesterday with Greg Boswell to the Shelter Stone (I haven't heard yet what they got up to EDIT Ines and Charly went to the Corries instead managing Happy Tyroleans and Demon Direct one day and a new route - make that THE new route there the following day-Wow!).

Ines on pitch one of Daddy Longlegs pic Pete Macpherson www.macmountaineering.co.ukCharly Fritzer on the second ascent of To Those Who Wait IX,9 photo www.hans-hornberger.com

Not to be left out the locals like Greg Boswell, Pete MacPherson and Guy Robertson have been on fire with numerous big new routes, as well as repeats such as Andy Turner's myth-shattering ground up of The Hurting XI,11. Andy's exciting report is here http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com

The route that impressed me most recently is Guy and Pete's Stone Temple Pilots on the Shelter Stone. To me it sums up how far the best Scottish Winter climbers have come, whilst Guy has a fair amount of knowledge of that cliff it was still ground up, as close to onsight that matters at an exceptionally sustained level; 8 pitches most at tech 8 or 9. Couple this with swooping on the cliff when it was in prime winter nick and you have a real demonstration of mastery with two climbers at the top of their form defining the limits.
Guy Robertson on Stone Temple Pilots IX+,9 www.macmountaineering.co.uk

Tim Emmett on Spray On photo Christian Pondella http://christianpondella.com/blog/

As if all that hadn't made me jealous enough, Tim Emmett returned with Will Gadd to Helmcken Falls in Canada where last year they established a WI10 ice route called Spray On. This trip they added a further 4 pitches through some of the most extraordinary territory on the planet. Envious yes, but at least with their climb at least I knew I wouldn't have a chance of climbing it.