Weather...

I'm in a bit of a quandary, me.  I've recently become a tad weather obsessed - not because of the effect on short-term running and cycling activities, but because of the effect on our forthcoming ski trip to Morzine.

Just prior to Christmas, following the driest November in living memory, even the relatively high slopes of Avoriaz (just above Morzine) were green, brown, grey - everything but white.  This got me interested in the forum on the Snowheads website, and particularly this thread.  There's links to various weather models posted, and I've got quite knowledgeable about low pressure areas dipping down from the arctic and bringing storms 9and lots of snow) to the Alps.  The good news is that after the snow-drought of the autumn the winter so far looks amazing - nearly 3m of snow up top and Morzine's got plenty too.

However, these low pressure areas that are bringing snow to the Haute Savoie are also bringing westerly winds across Embsay, which is making it a right bugger to get out and do anything.  I've decided that Saturdays are my long(ish) off road run day, so yesterday I set off to do my 8m circuit of the moor, finishing past Embsay Crag.  I felt pretty good on the way up to Halton Heights, but then when I hit the moor and turned to start the climb up to the summit the wind hit me - it was absolutely brutal.  I've never felt so much resistance when running - you expect it on a bike, but this made me feel like I was running through treacle.

It was worth a full 90 seconds a mile on the two mile climb up to the top, and even reduced me to walking  for a few yards on the steepest bit.

Eventually I turned left again and "only" had a gale force side wind, which made for easier going but still tricky running on the narrow single-track. My legs were absolutely battered when I got home, which made the fact it was a minute slower than last week even harder to take!

I'd intended to get out with the club today, but given the sound of the wind and rain, Herb and I decided to sack it off for this morning and see what the afternoon brings - probably more wind and rain, but on the bright side, more snow in Morzine!