BG - Leg 1 - Moot Hall, Keswick to Threlkeld

Well its time I posted an account of my grand day out. Here's the Leg 1 installment.

It was not the preparation and taper that I wanted having come down with a bad flu like virus 8 days before my attempt, I thought it was all over again, but 4 days in bed with swollen glands, aches, sore throat and a headache is obviously just the tapering that you need for a BG. I started feeling better on the Tuesday and decided on Wednesday that I might feel well enough on the Friday to start. The forecast looked good and all the support was in place, so all I had to do is turn up and run. It was that easy!

We got to Keswick early and parked behind the Lakeland Pedlar, spotting other contenders and their support teams. Kate And John where there on their way to Jura and Islay, and it was good to get some final words of encouragement from both of them. John’s chips made my stomach turn though! At about 6:15 I started to get ready changing into shorts and t-shirt as it was really quite warm. I’d eaten some more macaroni cheese earlier when we’d arrived and kept sipping at the water bottle. I made a real fuss over my feet, putting compeed on the heels, covering that with strapping tape, vaselined every single part of my feet, even between toes and put on my trusty pair of montrail highlanders – pre-soaked. These combined with the brand new socks felt really good on my feet.

I didn’t feel too nervous. Keen to get on with it and mildly surprised that I was actually here and ready, after last year’s disappointments, but not nervous. It was hard watching the two contenders head off at 6:30 (Larry from Macclesfield Harriers, and Nicky from Ilkley Harriers), as I still had to wait half an hour. We slowly made our way through the ginnel to Moot Hall, finding the large expected crown of Pudsey and Bramley runners who were also setting of at 7pm. Chris, Sam, Jenny and Anita where there and my first thought was that Julie was missing. Running the Moorclose 10k during the week had caused a groin strain niggle to go full on, and so Sam ably stood into her shoes as navigator and as I was soon to find out feeder and waterer too!!

There was a last minute panic by Anita realising that she’d left her car key in Sam’s car, (and her car was at Threlkeld ready to bring them home!). Chris volunteered to go and fetch it, neither Pete nor I could work out where Sam’s car was. I was just busy focussing on getting started. It could have been by the lake for all I knew!! So Chris sprinted off, aiming to catch us up soon after. A last minute pee in the hotel near-by and a five minute head start for the P&B runners, and suddenly it was time to go, With cheers from Pete and Alister, we set off through the ginnel past the Lakeland Pedlar and across the car park.

We had a slight navigational error for the word go, as we missed the turning down to the Greta, but it was hardly anything, and soon settled into a slow trot towards Briar’s Rigg. Chris was waiting at the start of the bridleway, and we trotted up the path towards Latrigg, Sam had already got me sipping water as we walked towards the car park behind Latrigg. I trotted the flatter parts of this, especially near the top, with the aim of reaching the car park in about 25 minutes. We were there in about 24. Ros and Rich were there unexpectedly which was great, partly for a cheering boost but also so I was sure they were on the road and ready to get to Threlkeld.

I took it very steady up Skiddaw. The plan was always to stick to schedule. The illness that I’d had meant I was unsure what would happen to my body when the demands were placed upon it, so no good cooking my goose too quickly! It was a lovely un-pressured ascent on a warm balmy evening and I felt good. It all felt good, the views were wonderful and Sam made sure I looked up every so often so I didn’t miss them. I was soon being feed and watered on a regular basis, to the point where I had drunk over half a litre by the first summit and eaten a flapjack and a piece of fruit cake! We touched the top of Skiddaw exactly on schedule, and after a quick photo by the roving Chris, we trotted off down towards Hare Crag.

I hadn’t recced this leg since the previous year so it was a shock to see how much the trod had widened. A lot of people are now coming this way!! It was also very dry underfoot. The descent went smoothly and soon we were climbing up towards Great Calva. More food and water were taken on, and we made good time to the summit. I had never got a good line off Great Calva towards Blencathra, so it was great to have Chris and Sam leading the way on a very obvious good path which I had never seen before! This made the descent so much better and soon we were crossing the river Caldew on rocks without getting wet feet, having not got a scratch from the heather! Here Sam and Chris held me back a bit as I seemed to want to charge up the slope a bit, but they kept me at a steady pace. The sunset was beautiful from the slopes of Blencathra and we could hear skylarks and meadow pipits still singing their hearts out as the sun set and darkness fell.

We had our torches ready for the descent off the summit of Blencathra down Halls Fell and plunged off the front into the quickening darkness. Sam, Chris and I all had powerful torches, which made the descent very easy. I seemed to become fascinated by the number of creepy crawlies on the rocks of Halls Fell. They were everywhere – beetles, millipedes, woodlice (?) and also moths flying past us, attracted by the light of our torches. Jennie slowed down as we descended as she only had a small torch, and by the intake wall was just a dot in the distance high on the fell. Sam doubled back to meet her as Chris and I crossed over the A66 (still busy at nearly 11 at night) and caught up with the P&B guys who were just leaving.

Bouldering at Gillercombe and Duddon Mountain biking

Saturday was another lovely day in the Lakes, and P and I went up to the Gillercombe Boulders beneath Grey Knotts. It felt strange to arrive at Honister Hause by car, as I think in the last 2 years I've been there over 12 times, but always by foot! It was great to go somewhere new (I've never been there before) and check out the problems. Didn't do anything spectacular, getting stopped by powerful sit starts a lot of the times, but feeling stronger each time I head out climbing.

Sunday was a wet day and used the time to catch up on a lot of chores which have been left, but headed out for my first proper run since my BG, 6 miles over Muncaster without a watch!! Felt good, although my knee still isn't right. Physio appointment next week. Luckily although its randomly sore, its not stopping me doing anything.

After work on Monday we headed over to the Duddon for an evening mountain bike ride, from the church in Seathwaite, up the Kiln Bank road over towards Broughton Mills to Kiln Bank Cross, descent via Park Head Road, back past the church and up to Birks Bridge, through the plantation to Grassguards and down under Wallowbarrow. We did the two loops the other way round to normal. Cracking evening, beautiful views of the fells in the evening sunshine. Topped off with food in the Newfield!

Normal ride to work and back yesterday and off to St Bees tonight for some routes...now what did I say about getting my head back?

Active Recovery

Recovery is continuing well, but running is still absent! To be honest I just haven't had time! I've been back on the bike properly this week, riding to work and back twice and mountain biking at Whinlatter on Tuesday night, plus bouldering down at St Bees last night. Its been great to feel a bit more like life as normal. Although I really loved every minute of the BG and my build up to it, (even when I whinged about going out AGAIN in the cold and dark and wet and snow and ice...) I did change the way my life worked for a while, and biking and climbing took a back seat. 

Now everything is back to equal shares.

Although, my mountain biking has taken a hit as I've become very unconfident on downhills, (refusing all sorts of bits at Whinlatter which I know I'm prefectly capable of riding!) and my climbing has become limited. I have been operating in a comfy zone for many months - not wanting to push and potentially injure myself, I've lost all bottle both leading and bouldering. So after a bit of baselining this week to see where I'm really at I'm gonna start pushing myself again.

Riding  - this means steadily getting my nerves back by sessioning stuff I don't have the confidence to ride and getting out a bit locally to knock around.

Climbing  - this means starting to push myself bouldering on problems which technically I should be able do but might be too high or not playing to my strengths etc, and starting to red-point again and work routes on lead instead of getting a rope put on them and working them to death on a top rope. I'll tackle the trad-head when I'm a bit more in the zone!

first... the aftermath...

I've not posted because I've been busy.. well busy relaxing, recovering, getting used to the idea that I've done it and catching up on life a wee bit. I'm still in the process of writing up my BG and collating photos, so they will follow, but in order to keep on top of things, here's life in the aftermath!!

I was really quite stiff the following day and my right knee was very swollen. Bizarely my major leg muscles all felt fine, my hip flexors were hammered though, which made stairs even more amusing as especially my right hip flexor couldn't hold my leg weight to control going down steps. Cue much merriement in the house!! I pottered around the house and garden on the Sunday, feeling much better moving around than sat still. Plenty of ice on the knee but no pills. One thing that was immediately obvious was that the vast gorging on food that I had envisaged would happen didn't as I had little appetite. In fact even two weeks later I'm not eating like I was.

I then did a 5 day week at work which turned out to be harder than I had anticipated, especially by Friday. I was not sleeping 9 hours a night as I can normally easily do, and coupled with the no exercise and less food than normal I felt all out of kilter but also strangely very good too! On Wednesday I had a 25 minute pootle around the woods near me to try and loosen everything up. By this point my knee swelling was going down and I could walk and even trot up and down the stairs, but things still felt not right. Thursday I submitted myself to a sports massage by my Physio which really helped. He identified very tight Achilles tendons and tight IBTs  - worst in my left leg, and no real cause for concern in my right knee. The worst problem seemed to be the lactic acid still lurking in my muscles so 20 minutes that evening on the turbo trainer kick started its disappearance.

On the Saturday on the bank holiday weekend P and I rode up to Wasdale Head to see a friend come throiugh on her anti-clockwise attempt, and we nearly missed her as she was an hour up on schedule!!! She finished in 23:43 on Sunday morning!! Well Done Helen! I felt tired still but strong on the bike, but kept the pace slow and just enjoyed the freedom of being on the bike again, even in the rain. On Sunday after a bit of retail therapy in Keswick I walked down the valley to the Bowderstone to meet P who'd been bouldering there all day with mates. A good 7 plus mile walk, again felt tired but OK. On Monday P and I walked up to the Samson Stones, he bouldering, me relaxing. These three days left me feeling more tired than I would normally be but no real problems!

I rode to work and back for the first time last wednesday and what a day to choose. My normal route follows some of the way Cumbria's now most notorious taxi driver took and riding home was emotionally pretty tough. Needless to say we're all very shaken by events and the community will take time to recover.

On Friday P and I took the day off and were down in the Peak. We headed to Cheedale's Two Tier for some bolt clipping. I now have to address my terrible 'head' for climbing, as physically I'm not far off my best in terms of strength and technique, stamina will come back with some work, but my leading head both trad and sport is nowhere to be seen! The weekend was spent with family, and I managed one 20 minute run on the roads to test the legs. Felt very slow and ponderous but no lasting problems so after two weeks feeling my way back, its time to decide...

Am I running or marshalling at Wasdale on 10th July?