STUFFMOUNTAIN

What a really good read this is. ARD was not just known for his rock climbing but also as a fell runner. Fascinatining insight into this character by Tom Greenwood. The book has a free DVD of ARD climbing footage. A gem of a book.

Issue 2 in the shops - free with Trail.

This new book from Kev and I is currently out for review. Our biggest and best yet ! To be published soon.

It was with great interest that I purchased early this week, Trail magazine with it free copy of Trailrunning. The magazine was full very much along the line of the trail walker’s mag. The emphasis was very much on the adventure runner based in South East England wanting to do a bit of off road running. The coaching regimes were very much gym oriented. The shoe review was pretty accurate apart from the comments on the Walsh fell show which should faired better; maybe the tester should have used the right sized shoe. A welcome addition to the newsstand, which I am sure will sell well, even at £4.30. Not anywhere as good as it USA companion Trailrunner but looking forward to the next copy

It has busy for last few months. One highlight was an extended visit to Norway which meant I could complete in this huge relay event. Over 1,900 teams of 15 completed in hot and humid weather in Oslo on May 8th. I completed Stage 7 which is 1.8km with 85 m of ascent in 8 minutes and 38 seconds. Everthing I had heard about this event was true - what a great day out. Check out www.holmenkollstaffetten.no

Listen to your body. Clear your mind. Enjoy the journey. Smile for the camera. Sense of humour.

I tested one of the original offerings from OMM and was not impressed at all with the performance of the fabric or the durability. How things have changed I have just tested a product which look and feels good and has not ended the first run with a large seam split. The 2009 OMM smock looks good and a much needed facelift. The product fits well, aided by the stretch material, comfortable feel next to skin and the front pocket is accessible with a pack on but what do you fit in it, a folded up map maybe ? The thumb loops are well positioned. The hood fits well when around your head but does not fold down [ roll away ] well at all to form any sort of comfortable collar. Drop tail is about right depth to use for Mountain Biking too. The performance is great for the endurance runners which I presume it is aimed at but if you use for a fast short run the breathability lets you down dramatically, even with long front zip right down. Waterproofness and windproofness are very good. In summary

There a many shoe manufacturers ranting on about running bare foot. Running off road your skin must be tough that's for sure. Bet the sock manufactures are not happy ?

Wolsingham runner winner in North East Fell Running Championship. Stuart Ferguson the over 50 champion for 2009, the sixth running of the North East Hill Running Association (NEHRA) Fell Running Championships. This year the series consisted of seven races of which a competitor’s best four results would count. The race series covers all age categories up to over 70 and of differing lengths from 5 to 25 miles, spanning North Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. Stuart completed 5 of the 7 races namely Guisbrough Moors and Saltergate Gallows in North Yorkshire, Doctors Gate in Durham, Bellingham Show Fell Race and Simonside Cairns in Northumberland. The 2009 series attracted nearly 300 male and female runners completing in 1 to all 7 races. Stuart is a founder member of Durham Fell Runners (DFR) and wishes to thank La Sportiva for their support for providing the Crosslite Off Road running shoe which was used for the series. Further details of DFR and NEHRA can be found at www.durhamfellr

See review below: http://www.mynortheastengland.com/northeastengland/Activities/ChviotWalkingwithGeoffHolland

Possibly the main reason why runners take a tumble during winter is ICE. A major hazard especially when covered with snow and unseen. Wear a sticky rubber studded fell shoe. Observation and recognising spots where ice may form can help prevent an accident. Watch out for signs such as does the area look at if it was boggy, are there any rivers nearby, does it look as if water has run-off across the path, is there a hole in the ground that may have contained water. There is current view in the UK to attaching spikes to your shoes or using 'O' shoes with dobs which may help, but this has an environmental impact of scratching rock, just like the issues regarding crampons and dry tooling in climbing. Understanding your environment is better than damaging it !