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.