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..........................