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.
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