Training - extreme shopping run...

Day off today so decided to go against the grain and run in the morning. Needing to buy some Spray Mount (type of glue!) so that me and Emma can finish the Christmas cards we started making at the weekend I decided to run to Ilkley to visit the art shop.


The route I took can be seen from our window - out along the west end of the Chevin, through Menston, up to Burley Woodhead and then along Rombalds Moor above the Cow and Calf rocks before descending down into Ilkley.


After my purchase and a quick Geobar I followed the back road from Ilkley, across the wire suspension bride and through Askwith back to Otley.


Just over 15 miles in 2.5 hours. I ran with about 1.5 ltrs in my camelback with one sachet of SIS Go powder, water melon flavour. This was the fist time I had used Go stuff since Tooting but it was surprisingly refreshing, especially as the fluid stayed cold. It was into the wind and uphill on the way out, warm and sunny on the way back. Overall 942 ft of ascent climbing to just over 1,000 ft above sea level. Here are a few pictures of the route:





View of the route from the office at home. The craggy skyline just right of centre is the Cow and Calf rocks just above Ilkley.





Looking down onto Otley from on top of the Chevin, just above our house.

Cow and calf rocks just above Ilkley












A painting of Ilkley Moor that I thought summed up the atmosphere today.














The suspension bridge leaving Ilkley.