Lakes Training Weekend

Karen and I had planned a weekend of preparation aimed to help her peak for the World Champs Selection races in a weeks time (now only 3 days away).
Friday eve we joined up with club mate Paul Thornton to orienteer round the streets of Guisborough, OK not in the Lakes but was all part of the weekend! I planned a course that tried to take in some blocks of housing and then a mix of street O, plus a small bit of parkland. Mainly to help get Karen thinking about fast decisions and simple plans for each leg of the course.
Nice meal afterwards with Paul and Linda - cheers for the Chocolate pudding - am sure we had done enough exercise in 17 minutes to deserve that!
We drove over to Grange to stay with Karens's dad and saturday we had a session planned on Bethecar Moor. This was intended to match as close as possible the terrain Karen will expect to encounter in Scotland for the Long Race at Creag Mhic Challain. After a long run up through the forest we exited out onto the moor and completed a tough tour of the moor in sunny but blustery conditions. Karen was completing a longer course. I opted for the shorter cut-off option as have not really been training for orienteering and it was just for fun. Managed to nail the long leg, but then bumbled round the loop 11-17, then cleaner through the last controls. Karen followed not long after and was v happy with the training. Just a short jog back down the hill through the forest to the car - all on paths you understand. Stopped off in Coniston for some lunch and watched all the cyclists arriving to sign on for the following days Fred Whitton Challenge. Some even getting in last minute training on the first climb and looking like they were suffering... more pain to follow on the sunday for them!
Saturday PM - Karen had wanted to 'visit' her mum at the place where her ashes are spread on the flanks of Wetherlam. Its a beautiful location with stunning views all around - the lower lying forests and lakes to the higher peaks of the Fairfield Horseshoe and detailed craggy slopes of Wetherlam itself. Very restful and moving,  hoping to inspire Karen to good runs in Scotland.

Sunday - I had taken my bike so cycled from Grange to where Karen and Pippa were training at Gummers How. I knew this was going to be a tough climb up, but boy was that tougher than expected and yes my breakfast very nearly reappeared! My garmin was claiming a gradient of 31% for some of the climb. Definately a little brut. Duncan was waiting for me at the car park after his moments of torture cycling from Ambleside, swapped painful thoughts of the climb, then chose a short 1hr loop to get us back when the ladies had finished.
So up some more and over the top of the fell and weaveing our way down the narrow cumbrian lanes into the Lyth Valley. Skirted the west edge of Whitbarrow on the east side of the valley then crossed the flatter plain before returning into the wind on the west of the valley. We both knew what was coming. After a false steep climb then partial descent we knew we had to climb back up to Gummers How. We opted for the easier option as we zig zagged back up the slope of Cartmel Fell, legs screaming with the accumulated effort of climbing. A tough little ride, but nice to have different company to push me up the climbs. Thanks Duncan.