Blogger Community and Blogs of note

So this blogging thing right. There is a lot more to it than I first thought. I thought you'd write something and push publish. Job done!

NAH!!!

There's a blogger dashboard, reading lists, layouts, scheduling and something called 'blogger buzz'. Plenty to confound us relatively e-literate people.

One thing I have come to understand is that finding other bloggers whose thoughts/posts you are interested in and getting involved in the blogger community aspect is engaging and fun.

I have had the pleasure of beginning to blog alongside one of my great friends, so we've been learning together which has also been good. A bit of healthy competition never goes amiss, hey?!!

So, please please please widen (and improve ;-) your blogging community by visiting these two blogs below.
(oh and while you're clicking 'join this site' on the below blogs - as you no doubt will - spare a thought for Gandalf's [that's me] 'join this site' button, which is feeling woefully inadequate.)

1. Runblogger - Pete Larson. A teacher and a runner. (which actually seems to be a common fit). I have only been a 'follower' for a short while, but everything I have read has been interesting, pertinent to my interests and also to the current 'no mans land' that running science, technique and form theory seems to be residing in at the moment. Arguments are persuasive and justified, his thoughts just seem perfectly weighted and insightful. Take a look.

2. Anthony Animal - unshod Anthony or just Anthony. This guy is awesome with the written word. Can I say this after reading so little of his stuff? I think so yes! Now I know he's intelligent, but just quite how, I was reminded of recently by a number of examples, his blog being one of these. Right yes, I'll admit this guy is my best friend, but I have no quarms in recommending this blog (only in its infancy), based solely on its merits and not from friendship bias. A brave and refreshing approach to a subject that at this point we think might be quite niche. Nothing like building curiosity, right?!! Anyway, don't take my word for it, check out his words...

Minimalism or Lightweight

The logical progression is light weight, right?

Being a serious road cyclist, it is quite possible you have at least flerted with the idea of buying lighter components for increased performance. Spend money = increased speed. Simple! This is the domain of the weight weenies - guys and gals worried about loosing every last gram from their equipment, for promise of athletic gain - who’ll spend an extra 100 quid to save 50 grams, or even more for less in the most extreme cases. For me, this is one of the most real world examples of diminishing returns, though using the ‘real world’ expression in the context of leathery hearts, white man tans, shaved legs and lycra, seems laughable.

Let me explain further this crazyness with the language of the universe; numbers. Take for example a relatively large (in road riding terms) 200 gram saving, by replacing say, a saddle. In the grand scheme, it is laughable.

In my case my bike weighs 7 and a half kilos or 7500 grams. That 200 grams represents a tiny percentage. Now put that 7500 grams of bike weight up against my weight 75 kilos or 75000 grams. The 75000 grams that my 7500 gram bike will be carrying. You will see that spending that much money on saving 200 grams from a total of around 80000 grams is going to do very little, particularly when your average drink of water probably weighs the same and your body weight is likely to fluctuate quite easily day to day in those regions. [Granted, that is a really baseline look at weight in cycling terms, but an interesting subject eitherway]

So what I’m saying is, I’m a sucker for it! Weight weenie right here!

Now, taking the 'lightweight' theme across genres, when referring more closely to the ‘outdoor’ side of things and the relationship between 'lightweight' and 'minimalism', I wonder if there is becoming an ever increasing grey area that overlaps these categories. The line can blur for me! My impressions certainly overlap.

I wonder! Is this possibly the way that we as consumers are being led? Lightweight means minimal, when actually…well, stores can’t make money from the minimalist concept, right? Lightweight though...

Synical?! Maybe…

...Probably!!! but definitely something to ponder.

Snowdonia experiences - "Best thing I've ever done" moments

New post - Alpine experiences - Stage 1
Snowdonia Experiences - Time doesn't matter Wilderness
Snowdonia experiences - Battered by wind

“You ready man?”
“Yeah, but you might want to close the boot”
“Oh yeah, right”

So we’re walking away from the car, leaving it by a letterbox in Nant Peris (old Llanberis), the small village between Llanberis and the Llanberis pass. The path is getting very steep, very quickly. Climbing a stile right next to a cottage, we say hello to the owner as he opens his front door.

I’m wondering at this point what part of this hill is back garden and what part is common land and also, quite how I got so hot so quickly; Anthony stopping in front and pulling off layers is obviously wondering the same.

It’s twenty minutes later and we are on steeper footing, on a path that is meandering in, around and over stone walls as the landscape allows, roughly following the more direct watercourse.

Looking up, I’m wondering quite how anyone ever decided that they would be able to use their feet and legs and bodies to create a path up a slope like this.

I consider that despite being quite a cool day, it is very still, considering the mountain terrain, so perhaps that is why I’m hotter than usual – plus we are carrying over 10 kilos each - so it’s definitely worth a dunk in the stream.

 

“Mate you gotta try this” – says I
“What a place to be and thing to be doing when we’d both be in an office any other Wednesday” – says Anthony

We’re now at the steepest part of the climb, the path is a lot more loose. I cross a metal bridge, wonder how the hell it got up there, (helicopter I presume) then I take the ‘photo of the holiday’ on looking down the valley, using the bridge as the subject. Say something rediculous to Anthony about, “the juxtaposition of the man made bridge and nature hewn valley is what makes this photo” then continue on.

Anthony is coming across his first challenge of the vertigo kind 20 metres above and ahead. Anthony vs mountain! Anthony wins.

 

I’m quietly thankful that the climb has finally plateau’d out as we head onto the saddle grassland – the very boggy saddle between Y Garn and the Glyders. Consulting the map I finally make the connection between the actual position, look and layout of this part of the range. I look down towards Twll du (the devil’s kitchen) and Llyn Idwal. I can’t quite see across to our stopover from two nights before, near Llyn Bochlwyd or Australia lake as it is known.

 

Heading straight up Glyder Fawr the slope is scree and steep, but never unsettlingly so. I sneeze, whilst looking down at a runner who’s progress Anthony and I have followed for a few seconds. The runner stops and looks up, clearly unsure what the noise was. Not long later he is close behind us as we stop on a switchback, we say hello. He says hello.

He introduces himself, with an interesting accent, as the guy who we said hello to at the front door of the cottage below. Before too long we are into a long conversation about ultra marathons. We are finding out that he has taken part in the Ultra trail du Mont Blanc and completed it in 41 hours, along with various other European events. He certainly has the wirey look of a mountain runner and we find that he has lived all his life in the mountains, growing up in the Alps, with a short break to live in London, before moving out to Nant Peris with his wife. He is currently going between Nant Peris, Caernarfon where his restaurant is and Europe, taking part in Ultra Marathons. A very cool guy! A very cool guy with a French/Welsh accent who is keen to sell us his house.

Its time to move on. We’re making steady progress upwards. I begin to understand why they say 'lunar landscape' and to be careful if the weather comes in up here. There are no reference points. There is a light mist, but the path, or paths are clear enough. Cairns (thanks Anthony) are playing their part as well. And there’s the summit of Glyder Fawr.

Time is getting on, thanks to a late start and with the nights drawing in, so I suggest getting a mushti on back down.

“Let’s get a mushti on back down bro” – “okay”

So, I’m now leading Anthony back down the exact way we just came up, honest!

“Eeerrrrr, this isn’t right, my compass is well out. We’re going West and the compass is reading East. Bloody thing. It’s been fine up till now. What the hell!”

We continue.

“Errrr, I don’t remember this, do you?”
“Not sure”
“Errrr, just don’t get why the compass is buggered”

We continue on. The gradient levels out.

“Errrrr, this isn’t right, what the hell, I’m well confused now”

I look to the left and see the big drop down the crag, and then make the connection. We are now on the ridge top between Glyders Fawr and Fach. I have actually, used my judgement and headed off in exactly the opposite direction to intended and then I have convinced myself that it is more likely that a compass has broken, or the magnetic field of the earth itself has reversed - It does happen you know, every few hundred thousand years, the earths poles switch - so it is probably that which has happened. Well it is either that or you are telling me that a man’s directional skills have failed...stupid to even think that...I KNOW!

So now concentrating on navigation a bit more, I get my bearings and we decide that as we’re already on the way, we may as well check out Glyder Fach. After all, we are prepared to stay up on the mountain overnight if required. We climb around on Glyder Fach for a while, unsure of how to progress in the mist, so decide to leave the summit for another day. We’ve lost the route again, but quickly get back on track. Mine and Anthony’s respect for the mountains is increasing with this experience as is my awe for this place. I love it! It is such a good place to spend time!

We’ve reached the Fawr summit again. I’m eager to find the route down, but at the same time loathed to get off somewhere I have really loved being, despite a few moments of navigational uneasiness.

Visiting the Glyders, one of the best things I have done! And even though this theme is likely to come up a lot on this blog, I suppose that is what all this is about. Trying to get myself in as many of those “This is one of the best things I’ve ever done moments” as I can. I suppose the sensible thing is to hope that I become exceedingly repetitive! 



Frenchman's front window. Goat enjoying a good vantage point

New post - Alpine experiences - Stage 1
Snowdonia Experiences - Time doesn't matter Wilderness
Snowdonia experiences - Battered by wind

Get Dirty

With the winter coming on slowly, I am more than ever looking forward to the prospect of a good bit of mud. So with that in mind, here's Robin Moore again with another blinder.

Equipment and conflict

Equipment – don’t you just love it?!! Just having stuff and things. Buying cool new equipment. The pleasure of having a ‘tool’ that does it's job well, is great! I’ve been blogging a couple of weeks and in that time I have acquired a new head torch and a camera. Terrible really, but then the camera is partly for blog purposes and I lost my Go Pro Helmet Hero HD video camera in the sea whilst surfing and needed a replacement. (so it is fine!!!) I have to say in my years after university, I’ve made a hobby of buying stuff. Not good at all!

I also love not having stuff and things. I love walking round in just a pair of shorts in barefeet during the summer, particularly if it involves a newly watered vegetable patch. Wet soil between your toes. Awesome!

Now...I think...materialism and minimalism, are ever so slightly conflicting. I love to aspire to the minimalist approach; to life, the outdoors, and activity, but at the same time, I seem to be quite materialistic and like my kit.

One end of the spectrum – Riding a carbon fibre road bike with an awesome helmet and expensive clipless pedals, using a wireless cycle computer to check heart rate, cadence and speed.

And at the other – Running in ‘minimalist’ shoes. One of my favourite experiences of this year was wearing my Merrell trail gloves and just shorts running along a winding coastal path in Cornwall on a fantastically sunny day.

I can't complain really, I suppose we'll see where things go from here - More material or more minimal? Whatever direction, there's plenty of time!

'Grinding the Crack'

Just watch. Nuff said!

Work loop

Went for a lunch time run today with a colleague who I know from our work mountain walking trips. To his benefit, he has the mentality of a member of the RAF reserve regiment, to his detriment, he had consumed 16 pints over the weekend. A great guy and a great run! I was buzzing afterwards - good old endorphins.

Having only started barefoot running 3 ish months ago, I am still convincing my body, that this is the way to go. The adjustment to the barefoot style has been a slow one, a process that has demanded as much patience as it has rest. After the first month of constantly pulled calf muscles and frustratingly short distances, (starting at a few hundred metres) more recently it has become easier. I am still taking it slowly though, having had experience of plenty of injuries solely the result of over eagerness and lack of rest. REMEMBER, you get fitter, whilst resting. [in simplistic terms]

Being happy that I was finally up to the level where I could run the 4-5 miles that I knew Dave was running, I finally submitted to the goads (apparently I am a ‘puddin’ – did I mention he was from Newcastle!) and took up the challenge to join him. We stretched, started off slow but really picked the pace up once warm.

What I can safely say is, (in line with expectation) that having predominantly been a cyclist, my Cardio vascular system is a hell of a long way ahead of my body when it comes to running! With extended distances I am limited by my muscle capability, which today, I have to say, was a really interesting thing to experience.

Another thing of note though, is that fantastically, unlike the days when I was a heel striker, I now, (touch wood) seem to be able to do both running and cycling simultaneously. As I pick up both the cycling miles and the running miles again, side by side, we shall see whether this injury free state remains. Here's hoping...