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| 1 | +Title: 28th July-3rd August Run notes |
| 2 | +Tags: running |
| 3 | + |
| 4 | +## Monday |
| 5 | + |
| 6 | +Off to the Chevin forest park to test a new spot for 12 by 1 minutes hill sprints. This entails a climb up East Chevin |
| 7 | +road to get to the forest park so I'm banking some climbing early. The sprints themselves are a matter of two halves, the |
| 8 | +first six are reasonably strong (maybe too strong) and I get used to the stretch of track that climbs up towards the Ebor |
| 9 | +way. The next six are harder and I can feel yesterday's run in my legs, I try to keep efforts consistent but know that |
| 10 | +overall I've slowed down towards the end. Still it's good to practice working hard on tired legs if just to know what it |
| 11 | +feels like. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +## Tuesday |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +Easy day. I keep it flat today with an explore along the Ilkley road. I find a marked bridlepath all overgrown so end up |
| 16 | +running along more of the road than I intended but eventually come off for a footpath close to the river on Burley Holme. |
| 17 | +It's lovely and flat and the river is running gently alongside making for a tranquil scene. |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +## Thursday |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +I decide to take my easy run all the way up to the Chevin ridge. Not strictly the easiest run I could do but a good |
| 22 | +opportunity to see how easy I can take it going up East Chevin Road and then continuing up to the ridgeline. The first |
| 23 | +mile or so I'm able to keep my heart rate at the top of Z2 and whilst it rises a bit further for the final bits of climbing |
| 24 | +I'm happy that it felt easy. The view from the top is fantastic and I carry on along the ridge looking to find a path to |
| 25 | +descend on the west side of the Chevin, an area I know less well. I manage to fall on my face as I pass a dog walker, which |
| 26 | +leaves me scuffed and a little embarrassed. I find my way down into Wilson's plantation and I find myself within a canopy |
| 27 | +of trees with lots of space between their trunks. The incline is reasonably gentle and with their high branches the space feels |
| 28 | +enormous. I carry on further and the descent gets steeper, I briefly curse choosing my road shoes today as I slip and slide |
| 29 | +in places before popping out towards the bottom of West Chevin road. I patter home feeling great albeit a little scuffed |
| 30 | +and grateful I have the Chevin so close. |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +## Friday |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +I set off with Friday weariness in the legs but find things are stronger than they initially feel. It's cool out and the |
| 35 | +streets feel quiet as I pass my wall through Newall and up through the fields towards Clifton. Past the farms I turn left |
| 36 | +onto the Welcome Way and cruise through the long grass past farms towards Askwith. On the return leg I pass back through |
| 37 | +a field of cows and sheep and am briefly chased by some startled calves. It's a new experience and I'm comfortable enough |
| 38 | +to turn up the pace and scarper away. Out of trouble I get back into Clifton and get to enjoy a flowing descent all the |
| 39 | +way back into Otley. |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +## Saturday |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +I climb West Chevin road just over the A660 and my watch buzzes. Ten minutes left, time for that fast finish. I'm two hours |
| 44 | +into a sunny trip back to Burley Moor and my run in from Burley-and-Wharfedale has been strong along the old railway line. |
| 45 | +I still know I've got a gear to go up into and so raise my cadence along Birdcage walk and find my finishing pace. |
| 46 | +I'd gone back to the Moor after last weeks visit and explored the south dirt track around Carr Bottom reservoir before |
| 47 | +joining Occupation lane. That took me back up onto a familiar, stoney track which I took all the way to [Twelve Apostles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles,_West_Yorkshire), |
| 48 | +who I circle giving each rock a venerable tap and follow the track back whence I'd come. I split from my old path |
| 49 | +and took the Millenium way descent back to Burley Woodhead and told myself next time I should come up this way as it certainly |
| 50 | +feels challenging to descend. |
| 51 | +The moor is a remarkable place to run and I have to count myself lucky that it is just so close and accessible. I also appreciate |
| 52 | +it's relatively straightforward visiting in the summer but still like to take some emergency bits and pieces incase I get into |
| 53 | +trouble. For now though it makes for an enjoyable counterpoint to the Six dales trail but a taper beckons so I won't be |
| 54 | +back for a few weeks. |
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