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| from Dodd summit over towards Derwent Water |
I'm too impatient to rest my sore heel for too long. I planned an easy trail run, around the woods by Dodd. Soon enough I found myself heading up towards Longside Edge before taking a rather steep path off the side down a gulley. Nice to get out but I might have an achy foot tomorrow.
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| OS 1:25 map - click to see larger image for the detail |
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| 3d map at 1:50 scale |
Most of the running was on forest tracks. That was the way I had planned it because it was a rotten rainy day and I thought these tracks would allow me to do some hill runs while also providing some shelter.
I got out on the open fells a little bit when I took the track in the picture to the left which leads up to Longside Edge.
I hadn't really planned to go this way but decided to carry on and was all set to run along and drop down by Carlside until I spotted a track going down alongside Sandbeds Gill. This looked like a very interesting track, dropping off the edge. At the top is was rough scree but quickly turned into soggy grass shelves which were not too much fun to get down. Further down it was back to the scree and was a pleasant run down to the fence. A quick trawl though bracken and I was back on the forest track.
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| A month or so ago, we did a loop up from Bakestall to the top of Skiddaw and down Longside Edge. There is a ridge in between these two routes. From Skiddaw summit it goes down Randell Crag, Buzzard Knott and Great Knott. There is also a track from Carlside. I think this picture shows Buzzard Knott and then along to Great Knott on the right. Some exploring to do there... |
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| heading up to Ullock Pike |
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| the track I took off Longside Edge |
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| yep, it was as steep as it looks - this and the next photo perhaps show the difference between fell and trail running |
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| back on the trail |
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| pretty sure that is Dodd up there between the trees |
I was a little low on energy by the time I got to the turn off for Dodd. It's not far along the track though and I thought it would be worth it for the view alone.
The track climbs initially to a beauty of a viewpoint. From here it levels off or dips slightly before it turns and winds up towards Dodd summit.
There was a group at the top that I didn't want to get caught up in so I took a few pictures and then retracted my tracks down.
There is a subsidiary viewpoint to the south which has a really clear track to it. This made me think that there might be an onwards track from it but experience has made me wary of trying to bushwack through pine forests so I headed back on the main path.
I then followed the main path down and around, going downhill for two and a half miles. It was a steady descent but my heel was hurting. At the teahouse, I took a wrong turn and followed the track through the Calvert Trust (the one with lots of no-entry signs). When I got to the clearing where I expected my car to be, I realised my error and headed off along the road. It was maybe a mile and a half or so back. Nice to get some distance in I suppose. There is a track through Mirehouse that I will have to explore another day.
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| the viewpoint on the way to Dodd summit |
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| fungus among us |
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| Dodd summit with the subsidiary view point below |
I'm not usually one to spend money to try to get better, faster etc etc but this heel thing has been really getting me down so I made a purchase today. Following the advice of a work colleague, veteran of several hundred mile runs, a Bob Graham Round and hoping to get into the UTMB, he should know what he is talking about. And what he was talking about was buying some Hokas. So that is what I did.
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