32 days to go

Saturday 4 Dallam runners, 1 COLT

It’s been a hard week of training but with only 32 days to go it needed to be. The week started at Sedbergh and a run over the Howgills with there mega steep climbs and the knee busting descents, at the time you hate them but when you get back to the car and look back up at them you feel good.

Wednesday night had us running up Ingleborough with the club. This was a good turn out of mixed runners which gives me some good training starting from the very back and working my way up trying to pass as many runners as I can then running to the back again.

Thursday night I ran from Dunmail to the Langdale in the dark with Jonny.This turned out to be a wet second part of the outing the first few climbs went well around schedule time but that wasn’t why we were running at 9pm mid week. Our main aim was to check out the route in the dark. Most of the run was good then just about the same place as Marcus’s round the clag came down this had the same effect as before making finding the summits very hard but we made it to Harrison before cutting down to the car.

Friday had me up early which was not so good after such a late night. The plan was to walk with my big sis for Day 5 of her coast to coast walk; this was to be the Shap to Kirby Stephen section taking in some different tracks I’ve never been on and some that I had. The 21 miles route passes through the village of Orton where we stopped at the Chocolate factory for coffee and cakes around mid day, well worth a visit, after our fill we pressed on towards Kirby the route was full of coast to coasters all enjoying the walk and chatting to one another about the previous few days, how hard they had been climbing over the Lakes and how easy this section was feeling, we arrived in Kirby around tea time so it was only fitting to finished the day with Fish and Chips in the Coast to Coast Chippy just as Wainwright would have.

Saturday had me messing around at home most of the day. Before sorting out transport and bags etc Andrew picked me up mid afternoon, as we drove we chatted about food on the night, pacers, and what Tom had been up to. We pick Stuart up leaving our bags for Mike M to collect, he was joining us at Threkeld so this would be a perfect change to try out some hot food at the checkpoint, it was at this point that Stuart said make sure your head torch is in that bag no need to carry it before hand, opps I had failed to prepare my night run would be doomed to fail with no light I had to eat humble pie and borrow one from Stuart, glad to see some one was fully prepared. We left a car at Dunmail catching a lift down into Keswick with Mike and Helen S, Helen was taking a look around
Keswick before running up for about an hour to meet Mike.

We started from Moot hall today just to check out the best line through the car park then across Fitz park before the long slog up Skiddaw, this was done just under time, we dropped off then we climbed the fence, we need to look out for the section with four posts close together we have built a small cairn pointing towards the path across the fell, we reached the Cumbria way and we said our good bye’s to Mike. The Summit of Great Calva sore us split with Stuart taking Andrew down the direct route across the heather leaving me to run down the fence then stepping over the river, this week I was able to cross without falling. The summit done just Halls ridge to stumble over but with dry rocks it’s pretty easy just the odd bit were you have to look the other way as you balance over the cliff edges.

At Threkeld we had our hot food and filled up with water and extra tops etc. Mike and Helen S watched as we ate Helen saying we were mad to be running on again, but these things have to be done, Mike m was keeping an eye on the time and was soon it was time to leave. The climb up Clough Head had me some way behind thanks to a phone call, but I kept to my pace and before long to summit was done. Mike M was leading to way and so we made good time but Stuart was slipping back slightly we pressed on and the darkness started to come. With the wind in our face I was starting feel the earlier week so time from a caffeine drink which had me zipping along just fine all the time the darkness was coming in, time to get the head lights out, good job Stuart had a spare. We have trained all winter in the dark but when you start to climb in a new area its not that easy the rocks just keep coming and you get a surreal feeling of emptiness but who else would be up here only other fools training or doing a BG, Lower Man done and Stuart was feeling ill with back pains and cramps, Andrew tried to massage his shoulders ‘was that any better’ he asked ‘it not there its under my arms more but it’s very nice all the same’ was Stuart’s reply, that sounds odd four blokes massaging each other in the dark in the middle of the night whilst eating peaches.

At this point we were just going to finish the night as best we could stopping together making sure Stuart was ok, as we dropped off Helvellyn I decided it was time to perfect my commando roll which I think is almost perfect although this is properly not the best time or place to practice, a stony path between Helvellyn and Nethermost, but I made light work of it jumping up straight back into a trot.

Does some one keep moving the summit of Nethermost it never seams to be in the same place, I hope its put back to were I know it is come 11^th June, I think we found it we all agreed it was the right one and so we pressed on over Dollywagon before finding the metal post that marks the descent to Grisedale tarn at which point we stopped for a Haribo Moment. We missing out Fairfield and went straight into Seat this would be a test to find the path down in the dark and one last chance to try out that commando roll again this one was a beauty nice soft grass that’s 2 rolls in one night I best be a little more careful now. Stuart stepped up to lead the way down to perfection and our night was complete.

Overall: A hard week with loads of climbing and a couple of long days. I’m glad we started at 4pm Saturday it gave us a feel of how different it will be to start later in the day.

Totals for Sat: 27miles, 1100ft ascent, 7 hours 45mins, 3.3mph Ave speed

Rest of week: Monday 3600ft,8.5miles, 2hrs,3.9mph,Wed: 2000ft,7.5miles ,1Hrs34 mins,4.9mph, Thurs,3200ft ,9miles,3hrs 20mins 2.7mph, Friday : 2000ft,21miles, 8hrs 2.7mph