Bare Bottoms on C2C Race

I decided while lots of my mates went back out to UTMB again that I would be missing out all the fun and body bashing the race lets you in on! So I signed up for a Four Day Adventure race called Open Adventure C2C - and it covered the C2C route from Whitehaven/St bees to Robin Hoods Bay.
First of all though you have to get there - I had forgotten how much organising goes into getting all your kit, food, maps, support and life before a big adventure race that involves kayaking, Mountain Biking, Roady Cycling, Fell Running and some Swimming!
I thought I would plan a couple of months in advance so I would be totally organised - one week before the event I had finally found a boat to borrow, my bike had fallen apart and I hadn't even looked at the route on the web so had no idea where I was off to!
So - Boat - sorted - I got a great offer from fellow Macc harriers runner Phil, who kindly leant me a superb sea kayak with posh paddles and all the paraphernalia that goes with kayaking, he gave me a go in the boat on the canal near Macc and it paddled great and I had not forgotten how to do it - phew! So I said yes to the boat and sent off my qualifications to James the Race Director as you have to prove you can kayak too - luckily my certs were stored to hand in the back of beyond in the last tub I looked in, in the back of the dark loft - everything takes so long find!
Next up - make sure I can still run - oh phew had just done my best ever race so that was sorted - the shoes got packed!
Next up - go out biking with mates and break your bike, never mind I have another - oh no I broke that one too! Spend the next two days at the bike repair shop in Hathersage (who are brilliant by the way) sorting one frame and about 6 wheels into something that resembled a working bike - it worked - I picked it up the day I was leaving and had four wheels working so I could have an off road set and a roady slicks set (we were only allowed one bike).
Maps I did mostly at midnight for a few nights leading up to leaving so at least I knew what I was doing and when!
Food - decided I needed healthy food - so spent a couple of afternoons preparing food and freezing the stuff so it would last longer in the van fridge. Also pre cut veg for other meals and made yummy flapjack.
Also secured a mate of mine as a support driver - poor guy had no idea what he was letting himself in for - me in race mode is probably not a good thing especially over four days - but I promised his brother I would not Kill him and hopefully he would find no reason to Kill me!
Last of all (oh after clearing the van of the shite it did not need in!) was a mascot - we all had to race with one - I found a 50 pence Barbie Doll in a local charity shop, made her a Buff Suit and called her Buff Barbie of Team Run Like a Girl.
We were ready - picked Nick up from Macc on the way - ate our food on the way up to Cockermouth to a Youth Hostel so we could get up early and head off to Whitehaven for the start and the first of many kayak sections.
Day 1 - Uh Oh - the wind was up - the waves were crashing over the sea wall and even if they'd said the kayaking was still on I would not have got in my boat - it was a BIG sea! So we all ran to St.Bees - phew - I can do this now - obviously not as fast as the rest of the racers as am sure I was pretty close to last (must remember to make sure there is more slow people in my races to make me feel good!).
A quick change and onto the bike for a roady section over to Crummock Water. Nick was great he had my boat waiting for me in transition and all I had to do was get the thing down to the water on a trolley (no help was allowed by support drivers) - so off I trotted (or is that plodded) and all went well till the wheel fell off - bugger - the wheel fell off - and this is the first kayak section and we have many more portages to go - bugger - go and look for the split pin then - bugger I can't find it - so improvise with a small karabiner. A solo girlie overtook me - bugger!
Paddle - well I would have if the wind had not kept pushing my paddles out of my hands - it was very extremely horribly windy - I thought of giving up kayaking forever! then came the portage - oh god this trolley was not going to work - the wheels were too small for those rocks - not a path to trolley along more of a path to swear at whilst trying to carry a boat that is too heavy to pick up - back aches - can't walk any further - cry - get some help from lovely team 58 - phew - eventually did the kilometre of rough rocky terrain and found some more windy water to paddle - so then it hales, thunders and lightening - umm - not sure I like this either - am definitely giving up paddling forever!
I stay in the van in transition cos I don't want to go up Robinson in that weather - eventually I brave the weather and get up the hill to find Jim (one of the marshals) had been there through all of that weather - gave him a hug for that - the sun came out now so hopefully he had a better afternoon! I had caught up some blokes from a team and one of them said "Hello Kaz" - I must have looked puzzled as he then said "you don't know me but I know your van!" - ah - the van with flowers has been spotted - he must be a Derbyshire resident (later found out he was!) - that just spurred me on to run faster and get over to Dale Head and down Cat Bells - bit of competition - it worked - I flew - and caught up another male solo called Ben - that spurred him on and off he sped! I met him again at transition at Nicol End where we had to get ready for a swim over to Keswick.
I found a lovely smooth bit of concrete to stand on and preceded to undress and get my wetsuit on (well it was cold and I'm obviously a wimp compared to the hard nuts that swam in their running kit!). I started to hear some shouts from the water from the safety guys and the photographers - they told me to turn round - I did and yep - I had been moonying through the window of the cafe - great - that went straight on sleepmonsters.com race report! Oops - sorry to ruin some poor tourists afternoon tea - hey oh!
The swim went well - well I didn't drown and I got to the other side - where I ran off in my wetsuits slippers into Keswick - umm should have asked Nick to take my trainers to the end of the swim - bit stony that track! Still I get into town wearing rubber and running like a girl as usual - poor tourists subjected to that look!
I got to the finish - I had done day 1 - and it was still daylight - excellent - oh and no need for a shower seeing as I'd swam the lake! And I wasn't last! 3rd girlie and 27th overall (teams and solos).

Day 2 – Staggered starts – about 7.20 am I set off on a roady ride to Thirlmere – great another kayak stage – phew the water looked flat and the lake edge was only about 10m away – no trolley or carrying – that is much better – maybe I will like kayaking today and continue to think the sport is something I like! I did like it – the water was flat and the boat went straight and then it all went wrong – the portage at the other end of the lake was another long one – luckily a lot less than a kilometre but still too far to carry but when you don’t have your trolley with you, you have to carry (the boat was far too expensive to drag – unlike those clever people who had hired a plastic boat and didn’t care what they dragged it over!) – I carried – it hurt – the physio after this is going to cost a fortune – bugger! I did get it to the gate at the edge of transition and then just shouted for Nick and he came running over and helped – phew – he was doing a great job. He’d made coffee perfectly and had all my running kit ready for the slog up Helvelyn. Not a hard steep up hill at all – well it was – but at least I wasn’t carrying a boat! I got to the top in a complete white out of fog or mist or whatever type of clag it chose to be, found Phil (a marshal) in a bivi bag hiding from the wind and then set off down Striding Edge – just as the clouds dispersed, the sun came out and the view appeared in front – wow – the ridge looked fantastic and the lake down to the side was beautiful – felt good to be running again – see I seem to like running now – I am sure in my 20’s I was a kayaker, then in my 30’s a biker – does this mean I have to like running for all of my 40’s – god this is gonna hurt! The downhill was a perfect rocky skip of a downhill – I lapped it up. Next up – oh lets carry my boat for a bit – Nick had made me some nice sandwiches and another hot drink and then off I went towards the water (somewhere!). I found it – swore at the boat – the paddle – probably the marshal (with an apology straight after) – definitely the land – got in the boat and immediately forgot the portage and paddled down a gorgeous little river under bridges and overhanging trees and through reeds – wow it was lovely and the boat was ace and I loved kayaking again! Then Ulswater came into view – blimey it looked long on the map let alone when you got on it! – All went well till the wind picked up – then came the doubts and the swearing at the waves pushing me in the wrong direction and the waves for trying to eat me up and the lake for being too long! Everyone overtook me – oh how demoralising – I feel so slow. Getting out of Ulswater was up another gorgeous creek with fantastic houses lining it with seats and barbeques and people chillin – oh for a chill out! No – just one more small carry – it nearly killed me getting the boat onto my shoulder but got there. Nick had more sandwiches and coffee and all my kit ready and my bike ready for me to swap the wheels and off I set – only to return within the first 10 mins cos I had forgotten my pump – would have needed it if I had not gone back for it – typical – must remember my pump next time! The uphill was good, I was on a bike on solid ground not carrying a boat – excellent – so stop enjoying it Karen and get on with it – oops I go the wrong way down a superb downhill in completely the wrong direction – needed an extra uphill – turn round find the real track and now get on with it – whilst telling myself I am a plank over and over – how can a navigator do that – was the downhill so good I had just enjoyed it and not looked at the map or was I getting crap at navving – not acceptable – try harder and concentrate – things will only get worse if I loose concentration – the new downhill was even better! Good choice of tyres too – well done – less of a plank now as have forgotten the mistake and just start enjoying the ride. Eventually I catch Ben up again – wow – didn’t expect that – we chose different routes and then end up finishing at roughly the same time in Kirkby Stephen with Maria (the girl who overtook me on day one kayak one) just a few minutes behind – I am loosing time to her all the time – she’s good – but then both of us are loosing time to Nicola even quicker – she’s super human! Again I finished in the daylight (about 4.15pm) and had plenty of time for a super hot shower and loads of home made curry – which then made me feel faint in the race briefing later on that evening – so missed most of it as I spent the entire evening slumped on the floor feeling awful! Was still 3rd – so was still happy! Well I was happy whatever as there was no more kayaking!!! (29th overall)
Day 3 – Short run over Nine Standards in the morning to end in Keld – we were supposed to see our support cars and drivers half way along on a short road section so they then knew to move to Keld for transition – my Van was not there – it’s not hard to spot with all it’s flowers but it wasn’t there – panic – panic again – ask people to tell Nick I have gone through and then panic for the next half hour – then forget and just run on cos what else could I do – the weather was good, there was no boat on my back and I was enjoying the run (again – weird!). Eventually I get to Keld – blimey it took a while – but there was the Van and even better there was Nick with all my bike kit (minus a helmet and shoes) in the transition shed – he ran off and got my forgotten kit and I changed – hopefully only moonying a couple of cows in the back of the shed, Nick panicking a bit cos I was just strippin off – hey ho - at least I wasn’t in front of a café window! Then off for a mountain bike ride over to Castle Bolton. What a very good ride – some nice riding and again I liked my off road tyre choice (a semi slick on the front and a 1.5 mud claw on the back), kept my speed up and rode well – till I cheekily saw some riders ahead walking a rocky downhill section – so I blasted past on my skinny’s feeling good – then promptly had a puncture – bugger – oh lets change my inner whilst watching the droves of racers file past me! Oh well – quite a quick inner tube change and then off on an excellent really really long down hill – what a blast – found Nick with more sarnies and more coffee to gulp – a quick change onto my roady slick tyres and off towards Northalerton (having seen Ben, Maria, Nicola and everyone else fly past me) – I caught Ben – wow – I must be flying – and stayed ahead all the way to the days finish but not quite enough to get ahead of him. Still 3rd and now 30th overall out of 45 starters – must try harder tomorrow and not slip out of the top 30.
Day 4 – A really early start again – this time at about 6.15am – oh god – the cycle ride to Osmotherley was so hard – my legs don’t work that early in the morning – maybe I over did the cycling yesterday and I’m gonna die today - must push on and get to the run – oh god nearly wipe out on the first downhill corner – the wheels skid, I panic – go up the bank – it luckily pushes me round like a burn and off I fly down the hill to Swainby and a “quiet” transition – me quiet – oh god – remember whisper – you can do it – nearly managed it until I said thank you Nick as I was leaving for the run with my biking helmet still on! Forgot my correct map too – back into transition sort myself out and get on up the hill! The legs are slow and heavy – the sandwiches taste like heaven – I love German Rye bread with cream cheese and avocado – now my preferred race food! Thank you Nick you are a star – they were the perfect sarny! Get up onto the Cleveland Way – someone has made it a lot hillier and longer than I remember – still I push on – it is the last day – the sun is out – I feel good and I can push! I run into transition with still no- one having overtaken me as arrive same time as Sue (from Way up North pairs) and Alex and Sarah from team 58 my kayaker life savers. We then mountain bike along the Cleveland Way and I am feeling really strong now and loving eating the miles up and over taking teams who started before me this morning. I get into transition from my best section so far still with Sue, the 58ers and two others from a team literally just behind me – wow – I was loving my bike and I surprised Nick he was ready but wasn’t expecting me for about another hour! Next was roady wheels for the final push to Robin Hoods bay – the droves started overtaking from the minute I left transition – but I still felt strong and powered on and even the surprise hill in Rushwick before the Middlewood way trail was a mere blip in the scheme of things – I was close to the finish and someone had said the finish was a downhill – excellent – couldn’t wait! The wind got up and was dead ahead and I had to peddle hard to keep moving downhill all the way to the finish – but I’d done it – I got the medal and so did Nick and I had loved every minute of it. We then swam in the sea and drove home!

• 
  

• I came 3rd Girlie and 26th Overall

• I will kayak again - the portages did not put me off - just need to practice - get better and get a lighter boat!
• Thank you James and Lisa Thurlow for organising such a superb event
• Thank you to all the race marshals, behind the scenes crews and other peoples support for all your cheering and encouragement along the way
• BUT my BIGGEST THANK YOU is to Nick for not killing me and putting up with my probably selfish "pass me this" attitude, my demanding cups of tea and coffee and sarnies, my smelly body and kit and for getting up so early every day to drive my kit and feed me and look after me so I (we) could get through this - we made a great team - it worked and we have the prize to show for it!
  

Oh I'm Back!

I'm a runner again - or have I ever actually admitted to being one before?
Well I feel like one now - I had a great race at the Long Tour of Bradwell, Runfurther's new short race. It started 100m down the road from me - bonus - I could sleep longer - well untill I had to get there early to put all the Runfurther flags up, meet all the usual faces and some new ones, chat, get nervous, nip home for the last minute nervous pee as there was a queue and get to the start line in the baking hot sun (at last!). Lots of people were thinking it was gonna be too hot - I was thinking I'm gonna love this heat - feels great to be warm in a British summer! We started, everyone flew off and I, as usual plodded, Karen stylie up the first hill, chatting and trying to get my legs to remember what a long race was all about - I've done soooo many short fell races this summer I'd forgotton that feeling of a whole day of pushing myself - it felt great - my newly learned skills of actually running up some inclines kicked in - better not push it - this was the beginning of a 31 miler with heaps of climb - but I pushed it anyway - I had homemade flapjack in my rucsac - I could push it! I flew down the first downhill "Cavedale" into Castleton, passing runners I don't usually pass and thinking that they'll catch me on the tarmac out the other side of town, but only a few did - so I powered up the next hill to Hollins Cross, chatting with a guy called Willy who'd done the West Highland Way last weekend - god - he should be hurting! Then the next downhill into Edale had me catching the couple form Cambridge again, well they don't get that may steep rocky downs around there - of course they caught me again in the fields through Edale. Ringing Roger was a toughy again but had a little boost when a mate Peter from the village ran down the hill cheering us on (telling me the rest are only just ahead! when infact they were probably already at the half way point!). The downhill from the Druid Stones was great, steep, brackeny, muddy, slippery and I overtook people again - this is a good feeling. Next was straight back up to Lose Hill, running with Willy again. Hope was next, some biscuits and a long drink and then up round Win Hill and a swarm of flying ants - yuk - don't smile they get in your teeth! Then down to the dam and I'd made the cut off point just over half way in 3 hours 45. A long roady section up passed Bamford Edge to Stanage, but loads of motor bikers distract me and I go straight passed CP12 right to the top of Stannage - boo - gotta go all the way back down again - what a waist of all my hard effort overtaking - Clare Kenny goes passed me - oh well usually she's hours ahead of me at this point in most races - so i plod on - Stannage Edge was longer than usual - someone had added in a few extra rocks and a slight incline - sure this wasn't right!!! Willy kept me on the right track at a lack of concentration moment and on I sped - decided I needed to get home now - the flapjack was too sweet and tasted not good so needed home!!! I ran as fast as I could - loving this new feeling of being able to push myself harder - must be the shorter races I've been doing! I ran through a mini Blackpool Pleasure Beach on the Longshaw estate, kids in the river - how jealous was I, picnics - how jealous was I, BBQ's - oh how jealous was I, people lying down relaxing - well I was running and I could eat mountains later! Down to Grindleford, a long slog along the river to Hathersage, a long drink at Adrians feed station - he asked me questions and I grunted the answers - I needed to finish now and I still had 9km to go - push it karen - lets get under 8 hours - I pushed it and pushed it and ran uphills and then powered down the last steep one to Bradwell, I was gonna make it and I caught some folks up ahead, that didn't impress them, they spead up and we had a race on for the finish - two of them got me but I beat the one in - 7 hours and 24 mins - and a collapse on the line, a cuppa tea from my mum and then I got told I was fourth girl - Brilliant - what had I done - I'd beaten loads of people who are usually hours ahead of me - i can run - and I loved it - big adrenalin buzz - hence the ramblimng on this blog - the adrenalin will die down at some point!!!
My runfurther score is the best I've ever had - i was less than two hours behind the leaders and got my first score over 700 - I hope this fitness stays with me - I quite like it! I'm back!

Run Like a Girl Catherine's BG

Wow - what a great way to spend 24 hours - luckily I wasn't running for that many of them but helping on Catherine's Bob Graham was a great experience.
Catherine's start time was delayed by the weather for an hour and she started at 2am on Saturday morning. Luckily this mean't that Alex and I had an extra hour in bed before we drove up to meet her at Dunmail Raise. The whole family was there, Ross, her husband, Cin and Geoff her mum and dad and then when she came off the hill she was with her brother. They'd had horrible wet and windy weather on section one and two with 10m visibility so the navigation was hard work but spot on.
Next me, Spyke (Stephen Pyke) and Swatts (Stephen Watts) set off up Steel Fell on a good pace and up on her timings by about 20 mins or so. The weather was great and we could see for miles!
Every top we came she picked up minutes or stayed even, never going slower than her schedule. By Pike of Stickle she was up by 24 mins and I was leaving here to head off down to Borrowdale to catch a bus to get to Honister for a long wait before my next leg (5). Spyke and Swatts were a great pair to run with, I thought I talked lots, these two were a complete double act - talking bollucks and racing and rounds and runners all the way - she was in good hands.
The waiting was hard - I kept staring at the slopes coming off Grey Knotts like she was going to suddenly turn up - I was hours early!!! But it is intoxicating wanting to know where she was and how she was doing. Eventually others turned up for other runners and left, then more turned up for runners supposed to be in front of Catherine, but she turned up first. her Dad, her Mum and me were practically jumping round the car park, she was an hour early - what a fantastic sight.
We had tea and cakes ready, some rice pudding, a change of clothing and we were off.
It was now me, Alex and Ross. Ross sang to her, I talked alot (well I had just had a coffee so was on a caffine high!) and Alex helped her ignore us!!!! I provided comedy moments by trying to take photos going up hill backwards - and then falling over backwards - much laughter - good she was still with us - am i always just there for a laugh!!! It got her to the top though - the mist came in on Dale Head, cleared by Hindscarth but came back with vengance on Robinson as the dark enveloped us. Ross navigated perfectly, helped a bit by my hand held bike torch that cut through the mist at a low level.
It is hard to run with mist and head torch so it was a good job we had the extra torch. We kept up a good pace, got straight to Robinson top, came off on a compass bearing and found the trod off down the side. The downhill was long and steep but eventually we got to the easy path in the valley and then the car park, a last cuppa, change of shoes and we set off again with Geoff (Dad) in such high spirits - sure we would be really early. She was - we rocked up into Keswick, with catherine navigating cos we all missed the gate through the park, and got to Moot Hall in 22 hours and 50 mins - 40 mins up on schedule - and as swatts had said to Ross earlier in the day when asked what he thought of the schedule written by Ross "it was rubbish - far too slack for catherine!" She'd done it - she's joined the club - god I hope I get there one day.

Here's her quick view on the help she got................

"A huge thank you for all your help this weekend - I really couldn't have done it without you!

Being lead through thick cloud and sheltered from frequent gusts, having my 'picnics' and pink juice on tap, not being expected to join in conversation but included anyway, paced carefully up the biggest climbs and then looked after on the steeper descents when my knees were hurting, given hot tea and home baked cakes during brief road stops - and most importantly, throughout all this being made to feel that I could do it and was going well (when the doubts were creeping in) got me to the Moot Hall in 22hrs 50mins.

It was a really special day for me and I'm enjoying re-living each leg with Ross with my sore legs up on the sofa."
Next up is Alex from Run Like a Girl - this is a big year for our team - newby team member Karen Davison got round in June, Cathwerine this month and Alex is having a go in September. God the pressure in on for me now!!! Am feeling stronger every time I get in the hills, especially enjoying the Lake District and all the training so watch this space - need a few more recce's and hopefully a late one this year or an early one next year.

More Salty Boob Adventures

More sun, salt and running round the BG route again!
This time with Alex from Run Like a Girl, we set off on Thursday evening at 4pm to do Keswick to Threkeld, in shorts again with fantastic weather. The views were supperb from the top of Blencathra, you could see for miles (a first for me as have only ever been up there in clag and dark!). After my trashing on the 3 day trip last month with Karen I decided to take Poles - blimey they worked - I felt great going up and down, although they may look wiered in the Lake District on a BG they work for me - cam off the rocky bit of Blencathra without them then took them out for the runnable bit - brilliant - no trashed quads - or am I just back to fitness again with the last rip up here and the short fast and steep fell races I have been doing. Whatever - it feels good to be back!
That night we had a meal in the pub - a very cheesy lasagne that didn't seem to have any lasagne ingredients!!! Oh well I will dream well even if I have no energy for running the next day!). Then we drove (we had left the car at Threkeld and got the bus to Keswick for the start) to a Youth Hostel is Buttermere, excellent place, with great showers and they sold wine - brilliant - our recovery drinks avaialable on tap! We guzzled some wine with pints of water as chasers, chatted with a mad man doing a C2C, he was very funny - young and knew everything about everything - to the point that you couldn't have a conversation with anyone else as he would but in and tell you all about it!!! Rest of room just had to listen!!! Breaky was a supperb array of anything you could think of that you needed for a breaky so we had lots of porridge and a cooked breaky. That would get us over the hills.
We then drove to Keswick and caught the bus to Threkeld and had a late start at 11am - well it was going to be a short section. The sun was out again and thehills were much easier this time - I love this feeling of being abale to run. We didn't set off to go at BG pace but we seemed to be making each top in the allotted time, this is a good confidence boost. We then did some navigation tests, where one goes one way and one the other to see which is best route, this worked well but takes time and is great as we now have our best routes on and off the top of Dollywaggon Pike and found the correct route of Seat Sandle so we know where we are going when we attempt the BG!
Our accommodation that night was a B&B about 2 km down the road towards Grassmere. Town End Farm - that I now consider the best B&B in the country - what a welcome - a cuppa and a cake, then we showerd and changed and went off down to the Travellers Rest for some grub - yummy Chicken Roast. The B&B had a lounge so we chilled there and watched the last Torchwood of the week long epic. Breaky was a supperb egg and bacon cooked breaky, made to order as she even asked if we wanted the eggs on the toast or not - great service! Then the farmer gave us a lift up to Dunmail, where we met alot of BG supporters as it was now 8am saturday morning. I missed Karen's Dad (who did the last recce with me and Karen and who was supported a Josh Nailor Round) by about an hour as he was on the leg coming in to Dunmail. Steel Fell was supprising quick climb for the look of it! Then it was easy running along the next few tops, doing our route finding again, definately following the path accross to Calf Crag and a cut accross was rubbish!!! Met some BGers coming through, one very fast guy who was up by 40 mins, another guy who was navving along with hi supporters - umm - we are planning to know the route so this will not be our senario! And another guy - Nick - a local runner who was struggling a bit so we joined them, chatted with the support guys and kept with them all the way to one of their wives Kate who was at Angle Tarn area. She gave us a cuppa and a biscuit and we chatted for about 20 mins then she showed the lead in to the best route up Bowfell. Much easier than the route me, Karen and John took the other week! My legs were still going well so was starting to feel like I could do this thing again - and maybe even get in 24 hours!!!!
We had a look at Broadstand but opted out as we didn't know it and didn't want to get stuck, am sure Alex would have been fine on it but then she's a brilliant climber whereas I am just a dabbler - would not have looked good if I'd got stuck and she'd only just got her ML assessment!!!! So up Foxes Tarn yet again - horrible going down to come back up again 0 but hey neither of us know Broadstand so better to be safe than sorry!
Found the excellent route off Scafell that Ross had told us about and joined the racers from the Wasdale Race at the bottom, had a cuppa, chatted with mates and eventually found Jon who'd bought our kit in to camp. Had luckily found out he was doing the event and as he lived just round the corner from me was willing to drive our kit up for us. Owe him a few beers for that one!
We had a shower nightmare - 20p's not making the water hot, then after suffering the shampooing with cold water, the water turns hot and then wouldn't stop!!! Confused - ummm!
Next - up to the Wasdale Head for some grub and to meet up with Rachael and David who'd done the race. Then luckily, as the heavens had opened, they gave us a lift back to campsite. We both had a rubbish nights sleep and then found out my trainer had fallen apart, the whole sole was delaminating.
The weather was rubbish, the tops were not visible and my shoe was not looking good, so we taped the shoe up and headed off on a lwer level route over Styhead Pas to Seatoller and a bus ride to Keswick. A large lunch in the Peddler Cafe and an early get away.
Home by six, even after picking my van up from Macclesfield after meeting a mate Nick at a random service station on the M6. Van had broken down last week and was now mended!
A supperb recce and fell fast enough to actually support on Catherine's (Run Like a Girl) BG this weekend.
Sorry no pix of the salty boobs this time - but am thinking I am the only person in the world with this affliction - no-one else seems to sweat there and cause salty rings!!! What am I sweating out!!!

Salty Boobs....................

Well that got you reading............ the salty boobs bit is a bit further on!!!!
Forget mid week buzzes - try a 3 day BG in the sun - what an excellent trip - apart from the fact that I cannot now walk!
It rained a bit on the first day which was a little chilly but still managed the day without gloves, we could see some of the tops and we didn't get blown off Helvelyn - at last I have been up that hill in good conditions - I could see it and I wasn't hanging on to a rock to keep me attached to it - oh and at this stage my legs were working too!
This soon changed! I was on a BG recce with Karen Davison (newby to Run Like a Girl), who is attempting her BG in 3 weeks with Dark Peak Fell Runners, and her Dad, John, who is trying for his Josh Nailor soon. Karen is a very bouncy lightweight runner - I had to follow this all the way - my legs eventually gave out half way through day one just after Helvelyn, Johns legs also gave out here so we plodded on behind Karen. We abandoned the last two hills on day one as we could not get off the hill in time for some food - we had been out for 11 hours (well one of those was in the pub at Threkeld!) and we were buggered! Luckily my Sister was on holiday in the Lakes so we had stayed with her and her mates the night before, so we did set off at 8am that morning, else I think it would habe been a long day!
We stayed at a Youth Hostel in Grassmere and it was supperb. The food was good and cheap and they even opened a bottle of wine for me - must have heard I was coming!!!
Breakfast was huge - thank goodness! Then we stopped off at the locaal post office for hill supplies and set off up Steel Fell, good pace - even if I could hardly walk - wish I had my poles with me. Karen did but gave them to her Dad who was in even worse state than me!
The sun was out - the hills were gorgeous and we had a great day route finding and climbing over grassy hills and rocky tops later on. What a stunning peice of countryside. When we got to Scafell, Karen did not want to go up the Broadstand bit and was going to go off the hill. I decided that missing two out yesturday was not in my book anymore and persuaded them to go up the Foxes Tarn way, which was lovely apart from me twisting my left ankle (had already turned the right one!!!) So was a bit slow on the slippery path down to the gully up to the tarn. Karen was well pleased we went up as it gave her an idea on timings of the alternative, she was getting within all the leg times as we timed each other between the tops. Karen then spead off down the hill to Wasdale, while John and I hobbled down with downhill wobbly legs - I felt like an ostrich! If you have ever had trashed quads then you know the ostrich feeling of collapsing uncontrollable legs. John and I headed off to the Wasdale Head Pub, luckily Karen jogged up the road to meet us there. The pub looked great - BUT - the food and service was terrible and very expensive - they defiately have a captive audience! We had to pay extra to have ice-cream on our sticky toffee pudding - you can't eat that with nothing on it!!!! Rant over - have now recovered from the experience!
The B & B we found was miles down the lake so we hitched and got there a bit too early for a welcome reception - the land lady was out and her daughter had not mastered the meet and great yet!!!! Still as soon as the land lady showed up it was excellent - lots of drink making facilities, a towel for a shower (much needed) and some left over shower gel - perfect!
After starving myself on day two - didn't have enough food, we decided that a massive cooked breaky would be the order of the day - it was lovely and it got me all the way to Honister Pass. And I must have run fast cos even my boobs sweated!!!! Yep - I have sweaty boobs and proud of them!!!

I was back, my legs nearly worked (well if you ignore the pain they almost ran!) and I was making the times between the tops - blimey that was a surprise!
We had a sandwich at Honister and set off on the last three hills, sending Karen off for a speedy finish, while John and I pootled off Robinson and ambled along to the layby at the road, sat in the river to recover the quads and then walked ike slugs on the road untill karen turned up in the car!
We'd done it - and loved it. What a confidence boost - may do it the other way round next - and then try for my new 30 hour schedule - cos no way am I ever going to be fast enough for 24 HOURS!

Mid Week Buzz!

I like mid week adrenalin buzzes!
I did another short fell race, from Totley - it looked like a hilly route so thought - try this - you enjoyed the last one! So off I trotted - well it worked - I tried hard, pushed hard as I could up the hills, even though in the McDonald fell running world I always walk up the hills, I actually found myself doing a trot up the first one! Blimey - must like the competition! It felt great and I even overtook quite a few people, mind you some came back passed me on the flat on top of the hill, but then the downhill was really slippery so I flew passed loads again (well a few!) and kept most of them off my shoulders on the the next downhill and sprint to the finish - what a blast! Mind you my evening could have been improved if the photographer had decided that us lot at the back were not worth photographing, how am I supposed to get my little buzz from the boost I get from giving any photographer a big teethy smile? Then just round the corner there was another - his excuse was he was changing his memory card - am I not allowed my flashy teethy grins anymore? Oh well - have now learned to race without the grin! And I wasn't last - big bonus - took me just under an hour and I think it was about 5.5 miles (doesn't sound good now but felt like a sprint all the way!)
Bring on the next adrenalin buzz!

Fellsman from the other side!

I stuck to my guns and didn't run in Fellsman - oh what a good descision - it rained and hailed and was soooo windy - and I saw it all from the inside of my pink flowery van, in the warmth!


What a bloomin good descision - for a change! I had an ace weekend and still got less sleep than when I ran in it last year! Spent the morning putting up the runfurther flags, cajouling gorgeous looking men into taking photos for me at the start, while I cycled up the bridleway to Ingleborough to take photos of happy (cos it wasn't actually raining then) runners on their first hill!

Oops forgot my gloves and a warm jacket - so froze whilst waiting for the runners - took hundreds of photos with a battery guzzling camera and cycled back down the bridleway with numb hands and a whoop - the track was supperb! See - biking - and I'm soooo happy again!!! (Nothing to do with the two glasses - oops nearly wrote bottles then! of wine I've had this evening! - just happy!)

Next - frozen hands can't undo the poles for the runfurther flags - so enlist the help of some bloke in the car park - well I am a helpless female! Pack up all the flags and banners, get in flowery van and race up the road to Checkpoint Three - meet a bloke called Harry - he's done this race about 20 times and now follows it in his car - brilliant bloke - says he does it to follow the top guy Mark Hartell - had to give him the unfortunate news that Mark has absconded to the USA and isn't actually in the race today (for the first time in 10 years!) - he looked a little dissapointed, told me all about everyone who has ever run in the event and spead off after Andy, Jez and Swatts had gone through - obviously only follows the elite! Anyway - Mark - he says "hi". (this is presuming Mark reads my blogs? - that reminds me - met more people that read this - it does scare me that people read this - it is just me venting my emotions to myself - or something like that!!!) Maybe it is a bottle of wine not a glass - umm - must check the fridge!

Sooo where was I - oh cheering people on pretending to take photos - well the batteries had run out now so saved it for peops I knew - and I had alot of people posing and smiling for me - sorry! Oh get back on track - it started to rain and rain and rain and the more I told people it was just a shower, it got heavier and heavier - then Matt pulled out - hooray I had a play mate. We spent the rest of the day hiding from the weather and chillin in the van, drinking tea and following everyone around. Trouble was we knew the top racers and all the rest so we spent hours at Fleet Moss Check Point waiting, luckily Hannah had supplied me with choclates (posh belgium ones) and the local co-op had supplied me with cookies - so we spent the day getting fat in the van watching everyone freeze!

Jez Bragg and Sarah Rowell were focosed when they were cold (well supposed it also had something to do with them being focused top runners and in the lead!), Andy ranking was frozen and bordering on hyperthermia, Swatts was moaning about a stomach bug, but he didn't moan as much as Mick Kenyon, he just didn't want to be there - he'd forgotton his ipod, was running alone and I think it got to him! (It was his camera I had borrowed and I probably have all of his agony on film!). Hannah, Rachael, Claire and Helen were just bubbly whatever happened. Will complained of not training enough. Bruce said "hi" - another converted cyclist - neither of us knew each of us was now into running. Paul, usually in an orange wig, dumped his wig for a more conventional warm hat and several more friends pulled out in severe weather conditions or cos their bodies just packed up. BUT I had a great day seeing them all through the checkpoints and cheering them on - I think I got just as much of a high from this as running in it!

Next was putting the flags and banners up at the finish, cheering the top runners in, cajouling Andy R into getting a quick shower, not having any food and joining me and Matt for last orders in Grassington whilst cheering in all the top girls and and the rest of the crew out there in the dark!

Eventaully I got to bed at 2am, in the van, for only about 3 hours before getting up to perform miracles on knackered bodies by offering sports massage to all! I now need a thumb massage, but the wine has helped!

Great weekend - great event from a another perpective, oh and I've eaten too many cookies!

Biking and Winning

I'm back - it may have been a local event but you have to be in it to win it - and I was - and I won it! Oh sooooo happy and full of adrenalin and I rode hard and I loved it. God good stuff makes a difference doesn't it??? If just feel great again - but am gonna stick to my guns and not run in Fellsman - scared of falling off the adranalin buzz again - not good at coping with a bad race obviously!!
Better go - woodworking classes on Thursdays!!! Poor wood will get an adranalin fueled chizzeling tonight!

Back from the dead!

Wow my legs recovered - never thought I could trash my legs that badly - thought those days had gone and I could do these races! Anyway it took a few days to be able to walk again, then a few more to recover the dead leg feeling and then I spent bank holiday weekend biking and running - I am back! Happy again - I didn't disgrace myself on the bike - I got up the hills, fell off on the rocky bits and pushed through the windy bits - god Sunday was windy and cold! Where did that summer go - I'd worn shorts! So anyway I was pleased I could still move and so went running on Bank Holiday Monday with Karen Davison, team Run Like a Girl's newest recruit, she is far too fast for me to run with normally but she did the Fling too and trashed her legs too and if you send her off to open all the gates you can just about keep up!!! Also ran with some other local friends Hillary Bloor, who now bikes more than runs, she's done the opposite to me and a new friend Kim, who has just moved into the Peaks like me. I just about stayed with them all up on Kinder, looks like I keep finding friends to run with that are just ahead of me all the time - must seek out some slow people one day - make me feel good!!! Mind you I spend my bike rides going as fast as I can to keep up with the front riders as I know this improves my biking, but I just can't seem to do this one foot, maaybe need a lighter carbon pair of feet, my lead lined ones are getting a bit worn out!
I am (so far) sticking to my guns and not running in Fellsman this weekend - I really want to as I like the event and the hills are just my sort of running BUT if I run in it like I did in Fling - it will make me cry and I'll hate it and never want to do it again - so will I stick to my rest from the races or will I cave in???? Ummm..........................

April - what a hard month for running!

Well - haven't been here for a while - been running but not too well - first off was 4 Inns. Nearly pulled out before the start cos thought I would never keep up with Catherine, Alex and Hannah all that way - they are all running sooooo well this year - I feel like a lead weight being dragged round. BUT it is a team event, so I told them I feel crap and they told me to get to the start line! So after a logistical nightmare - or so we thought - two days prior to the race day when we thought we had no way of getting their bar our own cars (horrible then cos you have to get back to Holmbridge after the race to get your car back when all you want to do is get in a bath and drink wine!). We got two offers of lifts and one turned out to be a lifesaver. Hannah's boyfriend came up to support us and drive us to the start and cheer us on all the way round. We were a bit paranoid that this would be seen as help, so we asked him to shout lots of encouragement but not to feed us - it worked, he blasted music at us to power us on, waved, laughed, cheered and gave us choccies at the finish - he knows how to treat 4 girlies! We set off and of course knew the route really well now so just got into running. I found it a little hard keeping up, but tried to get in front for the hills so that it made me feel good (I hate being at the back it just slows me down and makes me cry!!!). This worked for most of the event, apart from the bits where I just could not catch them. The weather helped and we all had bad/slow patches but I even had a surprise good patch - or so I thought - I felt ok going up out of Edale and then running down the road to Chapel I even kept up with the others (unherad of on tarmac!) - found out later it wasn't me having a good patch but the others having their bad patch! Oh well - it worked - it got me to the end - although the end was tough and I had no usual sprint finish - just a near collapse over the line - BUT hey we did it AND we beat last years time by 52 minutes, which means we won and we are still the record holders - ME - blimey! Anyway we have the trophy for another year and a record of 9 hours 34 or something close to that! I was definately not too well though - I only managed half a glass of wine that evening!

NEXT OFF - SKI TOURING THE HAUTE ROUTE - yep Ski Like a Girl - well Alex and I and Mark Hartell went off to Chamonix to ski the Haute Route. What an excellent trip - we started off in cold icy conditions up the Col du Chardonnay, with Mark prefering his crampons to his ski's after a horrible accident a couple of years ago, and me and Alex skiing up the icy slopes to the high col, when a quick abseil down takes you out of the Chamonix Valley and beyond. We decided to do a higher route than normal and this paid off with 3 days of not seeing the crowds, high cols, very strong winds, bad visibility, clambering over avalanche debris, using crampons to climb steep grassy slopes (was supposed to be a ski tour not a grass tour but warm weather and avalanche risk means you sometimes need to take alternative routes!), we then rejoined the masses on the main route and squeezed into huts, had fantastic weather for two days, climbed steep and icy and ski'd untracked spring snow. Until the last night when we got into a storm and had to abandon the last day into Zermatt due to avalanche risk and white out conditions on the glacier, so we ski'd in deep powder to Arolla - oh what a shame - deep powder!!! Next year we start from their and finish with Zermatt and Saas Fee. At the end of the trip I was again knackered but thinking I had alot of high altitude in my blood was fired up for Highland Fling at the weekend..............




HIGHLAND FLING - Oh my god that hurt - I spent the 3 days after hols just lying down as I felt dead tired, all a bit strange as I had not ski'd since the monday. I started the race - way too early at 6am feeling great and chatting and running along at my own pace but matching the people I usually do. Until about mile 10 when I started thinking "why do my legs hurt already - I have hardly gone anywhere yet?" The next 43 miles were pure hell in gorgeous surroundings! People were passing me sooo much I was wishing I was not there. I got asked so many times if I was ok as I was passed - must have looked really bad from behind - they should have seen the grimace on my face! I felt like giving up every minute - apart from the one big hill which felt normal and good for my legs and the bit that everyone seemed to dread in the race where you climb over lots of boulders and routes on the latter part of the Loch Lomond - I liked this bit cos it actually improved the pain on my left quad, which helped to drag the other one round the rest of the race! By the time I had crawled to within a few kilometers of the finish I could take it no longer - I got my phone out and phoned my sister - she would get me to the end - I complained about the finish not being just round the corner and then admitted I was so knackered that my eyes had welled up when I passed a memorial bench - oh my god I was emotional again!!! I also admitted to finding the plaque that tells you all about the wigwam sheds that are camping barns in that part of Scotland and leaning over it pretending to read about them, it saved me from falling to the ground and just crying!!! She perked me up, made me laugh and told me to get on with it - so I did - but not in usual sprint finish style - my legs just would not do it - they just about managed a mini sprint of about 100m to the crowds at the end and then collapsed over Andy Rankins shoulder - poor guy - well he had been finished for about 6 hours! He got me a life saving cuppa, carried my bags and got me a bed at the local hostel, phew I could stop, eat and drink copious amounts of water washed down with free bubbly from the race! I have given up running - I have decided not to do Felsman and will get my bike out!! Took me 3 days to walk again and I'm still not right - sleeping 9-10 hours a night - I need last years body back again - it worked so much better! (Oh it took me 13 and a half hours to do that Fling - that is about3 hours too much!!!)

Much better head on me this week!

Well - decided not to go and recce BG again this weekend - not up for punishing myself and my demoralised head again so may even put it off for a year so as not to rush my reccying! Did a hilly roady bike ride on the saturday - still not right in the legs but alot better so hopefull! THEN - I entered my first extremely short fell race (only 5.9 miles of big hills - this is usually my warm up hour!). My local town of Bradwell has an charity called "Bradda Dads" and they set it up and the whole world turned up - I seemed to be back where I was a few years ago not knowing anyone at races again - all these fast sprinty fell runners.
Good thing was I could run to the start over the hill at the back of my house so this would warm me up and then I stood in a queue for my number - I got your number - 118 - hope I can run as good as the two in the advert!!!!
Met two people I know - phew - maybe I will know more as I get to live here longer - felt good putting down "Local" on the entry form though - am definately a Peaks Girlie now!
The pace was a fast start through the field and lane to the first big hill climb up Shatton Moor - I can't believe how steep people still try and run - I don't do that - just long strides and overtook loads! Yippee I was back - my legs felt great and my head too!!!
Course they all overtook me again once we got to the running along the tops bit!!! But then came a steep downhill and I felt great again - I was loving this - why have I never done short fell races before???
Next big up I started ticking people off - felt great overtaking again and then charging passed a couple more on the massive downhill finish and then one more in the field - Oh so happy - I am not last!!!
What a great morning - the winners did it in just over 40 mins and I did it in just under 1 hour 10 mins - so still extremely slow but who cares - it was such a good race - Wolf Pitts Race - you get to the website via Dark peaks website.
Ah just thought why I liked it so much - there was photographers on the course so ofcourse I was smiling all the way!!
Next weekend is biking 103 miles road sportive - hope my head stays good as am loving the feeling again!

Shud have raced!

Well - I decided to go with the Girls (Catherine and Alex and another friend Graham) to start my BG training (at long last) - BIG mistake - all I have done is demorralised myself and even want to give up running altogether let alone do anything big. I think I am not good at running in a team or a group - I am always playing catch up and I can't stand it - last year all my best runs were by myself, at my pace on my terms. I must be the only person in the world that gets worse not better when their friends are just ahead! I dropped out after 4 hours of hell - oh yeah and it was very very very windy - we got blown off our feet going up Helvelin, it is not easy trying to hold your hat on with frozen fingers whilst holding onto the rocks to keep you attached to the Earth!
Maybe I am not ready for a BG yet - or am I just not ready to train at someone else pace? My head needs a good sort out and my body needs a transplant - or is it the other way round - my head needs a transplant and my body needs sorting. Why can't I do it - I love hills and I couldn't even get up the first one (we were doing leg 2 in a clockwise way so Threlkeld up to Clough Head and on to Dunmail). All I wanted to do was cry and I was on the hills - I should have just been having a good time cos I was out in the lakes - I don't understand not having fun - it was worse than the emotions on Tour du Mont Blanc - that I could understand - this I cannot - may be all I needed was a hug but I couldn't catch one up!!! Next time I am taking the hugs in my pocket and reccying by myself - mind you the next two sections look really complicated!!! My map has sqiggles all over it now!
Well at least writing about it has cheered me up - even going out biking today didn't help me - I seem to have swapped my legs muscles for lead muscles - it is like dragging lumps of concrete up the hills - and the usual wine afterwoods hasn't helped either - just couldn't be bothered with it - what has happened to me?
Depressed of Team Run Like a Lump of Concrete

Wow - Wye Ultra - did I need it???
I still can't walk and it was 2 days ago!

I turned up the night before having picked my sister up so she could come and get an idea of what running one of these events was like - we met up with a few mates in the pub and stupidly I drank wine - well I do love it!

Next day at 6.30 am having spent the night in my flowery van with my sister and her extremely smelly dog (don't swim in the Wye it is very very fishy!), set up all the Runfurther.com flags and banners, drank as much water as I could shove down my neck and went to registration.

Oh god - the bridge (about a 3rd of the way into the race) has fallen down or broken and so is closed, the course is now four laps of 7.5 miles along the banks of the Wye and some roads and some forest - oh help me please - I was dreading just one out and back and all the flatness, now I have no long hills to give my legs a change of pace and I have to come back to the start - I will never be able to turn round!

My sister tells me to stop moaning, it can't be helped, get out there and enjoy it - so I start the race! And for the first time without carrying anything accept 2 bars and some brufopen in my pocket!

• First 7.5 miles - brilliant - I am not last, there was one short hill, the sun is out and I feel great.
• Second 7.5 miles - oh god you can see how far ahead all your mates are, but luckily it all feels very new this way round, even the road section goes quickly!
• Turn-a-round - haLf way - everyone was telling me to be strong and just run through it - well that suddenly felt easy! I sprinted in - got a slug of water from my stashed bottle and sprinted (well my version of a sprint!) again 0ff on the third leg- well I have now got a few goals to pick as I can see all my mates again!
• Third 7.5 miles - getting harder but still moving, need a few stretch stops and more water and food at the water station, chat with other runners, meet new friends, still going but not so strong, then there it is - a photographer - always good for getting me to smile - and even better a second boost just after him was my sister - she'd run to near the half way point to meet me - what a boost - more photos - more smiling and off I trot - well you have to look like you know what you are doing! Felt good though cos just round the corner I bumped into Hannah - OK she was way ahead of me and of course looking good (well she is 12 years younger!) BUT she was walking! Well all that got me to the last turn-a-round point.
• Last 7.5 miles - as soon as I turned it all went wrong, my legs went to lead and the path seemed to get longer and longer - I'm sure it wasn't that far back to the water station - well got there eventually, clock watching cos now I wanted to get under 5 and a half hours - it was looking good, then bad, then good, then bad but seeing and hearing the marshals at the road junction was fantastic - it not only gives you a boost to be cheered on but then it was only 4 miles to go - even if most of it was on tarmac (my pet hate) I was determined to pick up the pace a bit and try and catch a few runners and get my time goal - so I stopped, stretched and spead off - NOT - it was like running only alot slower yet again - so then I decided mind over matter and pushed harder - it worked - I over took someone - another boost! Then another - then the road came to an end and I knew it was only 20 mins to go - horray I could do this - then another big boost - my sister was in the park near the finish and she started running with me - this spead me up to my usual sprint finish and a huge smile for the photographer over the finish line - 5 hours and 21 mins.

So I thought I'd hate it but actually I did quite enjoy the pain, seeing all my mates several times and the sunshine - just hope I recover by the weekend - more biking and then some BG training I hope - got to start somewhere!

Starting to Run again!

Well - I'm back for 2009....
Having recovered eventually from the massive goal I set myself in 2008, yep I did complete all 12 races in the 2008 Vasque Ultra-running Champs, see my blogs from last year on the Blogs pages on www.runfurther.com . Oh year I also ran a few extra races and the last one was Round Rotherham - bloomin heck what a mistake - oh so cold, oh so muddy oh so horrible, luckily i was running with my team mate Catherine and we kept each other going in the hell of industrial muddy Rotherham - never again!! 50 miles of that can be missed in my book!! Mind you the bucket of wine afterwoods was again welcome - so I have kept up the alcohol training! Did well on my ski holiday on that front too - powder, steep, deep and wine - perfect holiday!!!
This year - well - I said I would have a go at a Bob Graham round, but haven't reccy'd at all over the winter, so not sure if this will happen! Next idea was having a go at Trans Britain, a 6 day stage race, but have to raise £1000 for charity and at the moment I'm finding it hard to earn that amount of money let alone get it for something else! So that is still an idea if I can come up with a way of raising the money (what I do like though is that all the £1000 goes to the charity, the entry is seperate!) Any ideas???
What I am doing is again running in the Vasque Ultra-running Champs again, not all 12 races this year but at least 5 at the mo! Maybe more so will see you all there again - hopefully seeing some of you having a go at a Grand Slam, well if I can do it so can all you lot!
Apart from that - more biking - having neglected it for a couple of years - and part of this is running the New Polaris Challenge, a 2 day mountain bike orienteering event. I used to organise this event a few years ago and am now back in charge. First one is in the Peaks, where I have just moved to, where the riding is supperb. My new team name needs to be "Bike Like a Girl", or maybe "Drink Like a Girl" covers all our activities including the celebrations after the races!!!
Well first race is on Sunday - it is 30 miles of far too flat running along the banks of the river Wye - I will moan all the way round, and it's an out and back so all the other racers will see me moaning too!!! Still - it'll be a good catch up with all my running mates and an introduction to ultra's for my sister - she's going to walk it and laugh at me moaning!!
Why oh why do I do this - oh yeah - I enjoy it!!!