UKC

Hello.

Can any south west runners help me please? I'm currently training for a Bob Graham Round attempt, there's no shortage of long runs hereabouts thanks to the coast path, but I'm struggling to make up anywhere near the sort of height gain I'd like to and which I think will be essential for me to stand a fighting chance of finishing.

So I'm wondering if anyone has prior experience of any good locations to make up height without either boring myself stupid having to repeat the same hills again or again and without having to run mid-week marathons as my 3000' training runs!

I guess I'm after the equivalent of AL fell racing on category runs, so 10-15 miles and 4500-6000' or thereabouts.

I know the coast path for the most part is hilly, but I'm looking for specific recommendations really. I can think of Morwenstowe area of the culm and High Willhays area of the moor (though this plateaus out a bit on top), but beyond that I'm drawing a bit of a blank. I tend to think of my local area of coast path as hilly but a 10k around here only yields about 1200'!

Any suggestions need to be accessible enough that I can do them as regular weekly or twice weekly runs. I'm St Austell based, happy to travel anywhere in Cornwall and east to Exeter.

Any ideas folks? Thanks in advance for your help.

Cheers,
Tom

In reply to Tom Last:

Hi Tom,
I'm not much of a runner these days, but I do quite a bit of cycling and am based in Looe.
One of my regular rides takes me through Respryn and the hills either side of Respryn Bridge are good hill training on the bike. How about parking at the NT carpark at Lanhydrock (free) run down Cutmadoc Hill to Respryn Bridge then up the other side towards the A390, turn around, reverse, repeat as many times as required.
Just a thought, and doesn't require too much travel

N

In reply to Tom Last:

Use the hills you've got, making your long runs as hilly as possible and get used to being on your feet for a long time. The only way to experience what it's like to descend 900m in one go is to get into the mountains for a weekend or two in the months before your BGR - ideally to spend three days recceing the route. I'm Hampshire based and did the BGR based on long runs along the Dorset coast or bashing through heather in the New Forest - both a lot flatter than St Austell!

Good luck!

In reply to Tom Last:

Hi Tom
The coast path west of Mousehole is pretty hilly all the way round to a mile off lands end then back east it stays hilly till godreavy area. Would be worth checking on the map though, I'm not sure if it's hilly enough. Good luck on the BGR.
Cheers
Asher

In reply to Tom Last:

My mate ran the Paddy, BG and Meiri rounds doing most of his training in the Presseli hills of Pembrokeshire and coast path - I'm guessing similar terrain to yours?

Mixed in were some weekend trips to north Wales, when he would hammer the big hills and climbs. Get those long days in, evening runs up and down a hill and weekends away (Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains being closest?).

In reply to all:

Thanks everyone, all good stuff to look at. I do know a few of the places mentioned already and to be honest I think that I might be stuck with having to do rather a lot of miles on the flat to make up the height gain. As mentioned however, I won't be the 1st southerner to try this approach, and after all "a lot of miles" is kind of what it's about I guess! So the ball's in my court.
Thanks too for the advice of long days on the hills, particularly for my night time legs - definitely going to be doing this.

Cheers for the replies.

Tom

In reply to Tom Last:

Just your side of Dartmoor, I would suggest start Sourton (A30), Sourton Tor, West Okement Valley, Black Tor, Foresland Ledge, Sandy Ford, Kitty Tor, Bleak House, Great Links Tor, Nodden Gate, Brat Tor, Chat Tor and then stagger back down the path then track/old railway to Sourton. Huge ascent in not too many miles!! Best of luck!

In reply to Wainers44:


Good old memory map shows that neatly as exactly 20K and 1000m of ascent. I have run most if not all of that route and the ground is pretty good by Dartmoor standards! Only soggy bits are around Chat and briefly after Kitty (although there is a path, you just need to search around a bit!)

In reply to Tom Last:

The section from Crackington Haven to Boscastle would fit the bill, especially if you descend to Strangles beach at half way.

In reply to Tom Last:

Are you best doing the edges of Dartmoor as opposed to the middle? From memory there's plenty of slogs up onto the moor from places like Buckfastleigh.

In reply to Tom Last:

Thanks for those other great suggestions folks, definitely going to check those out. That round near Sourton looks perfect in fact.

In reply to Tom Last:

Hi tom

I would say the coast path north of port gavern and the culm would be pretty much the steepest.

What about a trip to Exmoor coast that's bloody hilly and steep although not an area I know at all. Not so far away for a day trip

I would also suggest out from okehampton up into the moors zig zag up and down towards mekdon and sourton.


Good luck

James

In reply to Tom Last:

Exmoor coast is a good suggestion. Anywhere out of Hunters Inn, or Lynmouth, even the coastal path out of those two has plenty of height gain. Take a look at the route for the Endurancelife half marathon out of Hunters Inn. Love that run.