Written by James Elson - http://www.centurionrunning.com/blog/
So far, 2014 had been almost entirely devoted to completing the BGR. It wasn't meant to be that way, as my previous two attempts came and went, so my race plans got scrapped in place of coming back and giving it another go. I knew I could get it right, albeit I would need to run at the upper levels of my ability all day to make it under 24hrs. I looked at those first two attempts as two ideal recce's, albeit 2 efforts in the 20hr range within the space of 4 weeks on the route had taken a little something both mentally and physically. I just took the positives from those, and most importantly started working on everything that had prevented me from making it, before, to be in a position to give it one more go this year on September 6th.
I ended up having what was honestly the single most enjoyable full day of running I've ever had.
Sunset over leg four on Saturday evening. Photo c/o Natalie White
Pre Attempt
The two previous attempts had failed because of a variety of reasons. If I was honest with myself I didn't work on the route enough. I tried to navigate at least some of the route myself - both times, losing valuable minutes in small and large chunks. I got my nutrition all wrong. I carried too much gear. And I didn't run very well.
I started answering as many of these nagging questions as I could, before this third effort.
- Navigation: It was really one man who made my mind up to get this done this season and not next. Bill Williamson is a BGR legend. He's completed all 3 British Rounds, and helped scores of runners on their own attempts over the years. I had contacted him at the beginning of the year, but with his own race schedule and being 'booked out' to many other attempts, he simply wasn't able to make either of my first two attempts. After the second failure, he read my report and promptly emailed me to say he'd get the navigators together, told me to get on and do some training and that he'd get it sorted. Within a few hours, he'd emailed me back to say that he'd rallied around and a quite exceptional group of runners had offered to help. I think they'd mostly found the shambolic efforts to date pretty funny, but I took heart from the fact that they seemed convinced I could get around in under 24. From my side I got a few good friends to agree to do the pacing side of things. The list of navigators & pacers ran as follows:
Leg One: Jim Mann (Winter BGR record holder). Matt Winn-Smith (Double Iron World Champ/ BGR finisher)
Leg 2: Alan Lucker (All 3 British Rounds). Matt Winn-Smith
Leg 3: Bill (All 3 British Rounds). Drew Sheffield (Team CR Legend).
Leg 4: Rob Woodall (All 3 British Rounds and Peak Bagger Extraordinaire). Natalie White (Former English Fell Running Champ/ 21hr BGR Finisher). Aidain Linskill (Supporter of multiple BG attempts).
Leg 5: Ian Roberts (31 years of BG support). Bill. Robbie Britton (Team CR Legend).
I knew I would perhaps only be able to ammass this calibre of support the one time. By adding a group of 5 additional pacers to the list, we now had 3 of us out on each leg, one pacer who would help carry kit, a lead navigator, and me. I ended up with more pacers for Leg 5 this time, than the whole of the first attempt. This is how I knew now, to make a BG happen. Nici Griffin would crew us and co-ordinate everything between legs. She would be the glue that held the whole thing together and with her attention to detail and experience on this side of the fence I could think of no one better for that role.
- Nutrition: With only 4 crew points in a 24hr run, a lot of gear, water and food needs to go out with you on each leg. Nici who crewed the second attempt was left with no options for my nutrition going out on stage 3 last time because I hadn't done adequate shopping before hand. This time I listed items to be packed together in individual bags to go out on each leg. No opportunity for error.
- Fitness: I was running ok in training. With 10 previous visits to the Lakes in 2014 alone I had spent a good amount of time learning how to move efficiently over the terrain. But I had hardly raced at all, sticking to occasional one off big efforts rather than consistent shorter racing that I've relied on in the past. This time I ran a marathon on a high school grass track, 3 weeks out from the BG just to see where I was at. I didn't kill myself and ran fairly well. I knew then I had the base fitness to complete and as vastly different as that running experience was, it allayed my doubts about my basic running fitness.
Leg One:
One issue I had with the first two attempts was lack of sleep. This time with an 0100 start I got to bed at the same time as our 8 month old at 1900 the night before. He woke at 2100 but I managed to get him back down by 2130 and got 80 minutes sleep before the alarm went at 2345 and we drove on to Keswick. It wasn't a lot but it was a damn sight better than 0 minutes.
When we got there, Ian Roberts was already on site and we were shortly joined by the crew. At the start there were about 8 of us and I was already starting to think the support infrasructure/ team effort on this day was going to be overwhelming. All for one person to run around in a giant circle in under 24hrs. It sounds crazy, it is crazy. That's why it's so brilliant.
Jim Mann the lead navigator, jogged down to the hall with about 5 minutes to spare having hot footed it from threlkeld. He, Matt Winn Smith and I cracked on at 0100 exactly, Ian's voice shouting '85 minutes up skiddaw is fine' as we shifted through the back streets of Keswick. As is more common than not on the first top, we ran in to clag and some heavy rain. Jackets went on and Jim took the time to ensure we got on to the summit safely in 74 mins, a nice start. We got off on to the trod down to hare crag with no problems. The climb up Calva went smoothly with Matt opening up about his Double Ironman World Champs victory 2 weeks earlier, and Jim talking about his successes at Winter rounds. These were two of the very best guys to have as company to start things off. The climb up Blencathra through Mung Bog went well as the rain died off, but the descent to Threlkeld held one or two special moments. Jim took us initially on a grass line he had found, to cut across under the steeper drop offs of Hall's Fell. We joined it a little high up, however, and conversation seemed to die in the wind as the greasy rock plunged away below us in to the dark and cloud. Matt and I were none too swift over there and we both fell lower down the descent but were able to continue moving well down to the first crew point, right on schedule about 3hr40 on the clock.
Leg Two:
When we got to Threlkeld, I expected just Nici and Alan, as it was the sociable hour of 0440 in the morning. In fact we were also met by Drew and Ian Roberts. Where else do you get people willfully showing up in the middle of nowhere at that time of the morning just to say well done. It meant a great deal. The first time we ran the BG, Paul and I came in to Threlkeld to a shopping bag full of milk and pork pies on a friends back wall. This was better.
Leg two is great running. Alan Lucker the next navigator was instantly a calming influence. He was totally relaxed even in the face of cloud wrapping itself around the summits. We left Matt at the car attending to gear and food needs and pressed on at a good lick towards Clough Head. As we climbed up the bottom of the fell, we saw car lights behind us and Matt jumped out and jogged up to catch us up. He could have run to catch us no doubt, but that he opted for the lift gave me a boost that we were moving pretty well and I felt really good.
Clough Head came and went, a short pit stop before the Dodds, but excellent navigation from Alan all the way across Raise and Helvelyn and the two Pikes meant we stayed right on plan, meanwhile we were wrapped in clag all the way. Visibility was just about good enough so as to allow us to look slightly ahead, but when the darkness fell away at 0630 it was the extra light we needed to stay the course. We dispatched the out and back up Fairfield in 15 minutes less than it had taken me last time. Over Seat Sandal and down to the crew point at Dunmail we were bang on schedule and in the space of literally 2 minutes on that descent, the cloud just lifted away to leave the Lakes visible all around us, the last smouldering remnants hanging on to the fell tops.
Descending to Dunmail at the end of leg two (Photo c/o Alan Lucker)
Bill had emailed me a couple of days before the attempt and told me he didn't want to see me at Dunmail before 0900. Save the energy and be consistent throughout, don't try to bank minutes early on. When I arrived at 0858 it seemed to be a good start. 25 minutes I was at Dunmail last time, 7 minutes this time.
Leg 3:
Bill led the way up Steel Fell and Drew jumped in as pacer carrying a lot of gear with us for the circa 6 - 7 hr leg that is the crux of the round in more ways than one.
Steel Fell is short and steep but we were up in good time and on to the first plateau with no issues. This is where the magic of Bill's mountain craft began to shine. Without pausing to stop or seemingly even to think he picked out the most even terrain and the fastest possible line between the tops, without ever sacrificing an inch of elevation gain. Chatting away ten to the dozen he gave me total confidence that this leg would be quite different to the two previous times. Every single top came and went between 2 - 7 minutes faster than ever before. I was running where you can actually run and we didn't pause for anything. Overall we worked hard, it was always at an effort, but I was eating enough prior to every climb to allow me to take them in stride rather than the stop start effect of previous attempts. It sounds a bit presumptious but by High Raise at the very centre of the Lakes, I knew we were going to make it in time.
This was a great day to be out on the fells.
Starting the climb up Pike O'Stickle with Bill behind. Photo c/o Drew Sheffield
Descending Pike O'Stickle like a pro! Photo c/o Drew Sheffield
Over the rough stuff at the top of Leg three towards Great End we began to take some much more direct lines and the savings kept coming.
Coming off Bow Fell. Photo c/o Drew Sheffield
The bit I was really looking forward to was Bill's line off of Scafell Pike and up on to Scafell. There's no easy option here, we took Lord's Rake as before but ducked off left and made our way up the West Wall Traverse. It was a grind up there with plenty of use of hands to haul up the gully but when we popped out on top, we were within reach of the summit rather than way below it as Lord's Rake spits you out.
that we took. The 'easiest' way up Scafell.
The descent off of the top was 36 minutes, down from 50 previously and came via the best scree run I've ever seen.
We came in to crew point 3 at Wasdale in 14hrs dead as opposed to 16hrs30 the last 2 times. Legs were good, energy was good, weather was good, time was in hand. And to help matters, my wife and son together with mum and dad had slogged it round to Wasdale in the car to say hi. It was time to enjoy the best of the lakes, leg four.
With the crew at Wasdale (Muscle beach). Photo c/o Phil Elson
Leg 4:
Always looming over the Bob Graham aspirant is Yewbarrow. It's steep. Rob Woodall led Natalie, Aidan and I up and took a great line and we climbed it in one swift move pausing for water only once and topped out in 42 minutes, a time I would have taken even if I'd been fresh. We rolled straight on to the higher part of the leg around to Red Pike and I reduced my previous effort of 74 minutes, to 45 flat. It was clear to me now that I just needed to keep moving to get it done. I didn't feel any pressure and really began to take in where were. Leg four really is sensational. It's only around 11 miles, but with 6000ft of climb it's steep ups and downs mean that the leg time is between 4 and 6hrs dependent on how smashed you are. You can see out over the west coast and the Irish sea, down in to the best of the Lakeland valleys - Ennerdale, Buttermere and Wasdale. But most of all the fells there stand as individuals, behemoths standing sentry in a ring around Wasdale Head. Yewbarrow is a classic 1 in 2 climb. Red Pike is a suprising way off from there, before the traverse to the prominentry of Steeple - a real favourite. Then Pillar, Kirk Fell and Great Gable are just monsters taking roughly 45 minutes each to climb and descend.
1. Drew Sheffield descending to Steeple on our recce in May. 2. Climbing Great Gable on the same recce.
I'm not usually a very emotional person but as we got over Great Gable on to the last three simple tops (Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts) before Leg 5, the sun set over Ennerdale and I had to drop back a bit from Rob and Natalie to make sure I held it together!
Last of the sun on the back of Great Gable. Photo c/o Natalie White.
In to Honister at the end of Leg 4, I had 4hrs50 minutes to knock off leg 5.
Leg 5:
Leg five breaks down in to two sections. The final 3 tops and a descent down to a road. Then the road run in to Keswick. Ian and Bill led us straight up Dale Head on this one. Not quite as steep as the other routes up from the crew spots, so relatively relaxed and despite my lack of power we hit it on the planned 35 mins. We ran on and round to Hindscarth as dark fell on us, where we could see two headlamps twinkling at us from the summit. Bill asked me if I knew anyone else who would be out here at this time of night and I said no. When we arrived, it turned out to be Martin Bergerud from Lyon Equipment our team sponsor and his wife Lisa who just happens to have done the BGR in both directions. Not a bad addition to the knowledge out on this last section! I was feeling pretty whacked out by now but we were still moving relatively well considering. The only loss of time really was a lengthy pit stop which came on very suddenly but luckily Robbie was on 'hand'.
When we made it down to the road I switched in to more comfy shoes and pressed straight on to get the job done. When we arrived in to the high street Bill said thanks for a great day in the fells. I couldn't believe he was thanking me! There were probably around 15 people back at Moot Hall including almost everyone from the round and my ma and pa who were then able to get me home (i had no idea how i was actually going to get back) which was nice. I felt pretty vacant, mostly on account of the lack of sleep in the past 40ish hours, but otherwise pretty good considering.
As I mentioned before it's pretty hard to make the numbers mean anything because of the ground and the weather but I know some might be interested in those so below are what I make the legs out to be after numerous runnings of them, what I ran them in on the day, and my splits.
Leg 1: 13.4 miles. 5724ft climb. 3hrs 40 mins.
Leg 2: 14.3 miles. 5700ft climb. 4hrs 13 mins.
Leg 3: 17 miles, 6150ft Climb. 5hrs 58 mins.
Leg 4: 10.8 miles. 6011ft Climb. 4hrs 58 mins.
Leg 5: 11.3 miles. 2333ft Climb. 3hrs 10 mins.
Total: 66.8 miles. 25,918ft Climb. 22hrs 15mins.
I'm not going to talk too much about how hard the BG is, except to say that save for the most talented of fell runners it is not something that can be done without a great deal of effort and planning. I know a few readers of this website will have it on their radar so being as honest as I can: I put myself in sub3 marathon shape, made 10 separate trips to the Lakes for training in a 7 month period, had possibly the most experienced team of navigators and pacers available (of 12 people who paced at different times, 7 of them had finished the BG), devoted my entire summer racing season to meeting this goal and got in with a relatively paltry 1h45mins to spare at the third attempt. I would liken my effort to running well under 18hrs for 100 miles on the flat. It is an exceptionally challenging run. Ultimately fell fitness is very different to run fitness and that is the crucial element. Someone with a lot less road speed can do this, being a good climber and descender is important. My fell experience is still relatively small in comparison to my run experience. Billy Bland walked the route in 22hrs. That's the difference fell experience can make.
Ian noted toward the end that the number of people attempting the BG is increasing, but that the spirit doesn't seem to have died in any way. He expressed concern that press coverage could be leading to many ill fated attempts but I still get the feeling that relatively few go for it in full. I'm not sure how I earned the respect of people like he to make them willing to support my effort, but I think my determination to succeed and wanting it to be more than just a simple 'get around to tick the box' exercise was perhaps evident in my earlier reports. Whatever the case I am exceptionally grateful to the group of people who made this happen. Whilst I may have been the only one able to do the actual running, I was held aloft by the support team all the way around.
Lastly, a few good friends have been struggling with injury, poor performance and the odd DNF recently. I have flirted with all three many times in the past. From my relatively inexperienced position, all I'll say is that this sport is somewhat of a roller coaster. There are big peaks in troughs in training and racing. If you hang in there, it will come back around. It's been 5 very poor efforts for me between probably my two best ever runs, Spartathlon 2013 and BGR 2014. Really, all I had to do was keep my head in the game and I have no doubt that a few years ago I would have sacked this off and moved on. Finishing it the third time means many more than 3 times over what it would have done to bag it in one. I could feel the pressure at times in the past 6 months, wondering why I continued to chomp at the bit when a rest seemed to be prudent. I guess I just knew in myself that that wasn't necessary, that it would turn around and that when it did, it would turn around completely.
I read the below just recently and perhaps it may apply to those of you who, like me, occasioanally fall short over the years.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
--- Theodore Roosevelt
Written by Al Pepper - https://alanpepper.wordpress.com/
Difficult one this….. It’s all to easy to start off by saying that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But each and every challenge has it’s own hurdle to jump and that seems to be what has happened to me this far. I do a race and there is always one thing that stands out as a bit of a hurdle to get over during it. For example, if it’s a hilly race then there is usually a nice steep ascent or descent towards the end when your legs are screaming for mercy and feel like they’re made from rubber (not expensive rubber I might add but the cheap stuff that drops to pieces easily). These however, are usually the result of a sadistic Race Director who giggles uncontrollably when race route planning and delights in seeing athletes crossing the finish line with the said ‘cheap rubber legs’. So what happens if you take an already challenging route, The Pennine Way, plan a linear race along it in the depths of winter and let mother nature take care of placing some more hurdles whenever she feels like it?
Well, you end up with a race that is so difficult that usually over half of the racers either don’t finish or have to retire due a wide variety of injuries from hypothermia to cartilages popping out of their knees. Welcome to the ‘Spine Race’. From the mind of Scott Gilmour (Race Director) it is a race of two parts along the Pennine Way in the depths of winter. One long and one shorter. The long race is the ‘Full Spine’ – 268 miles from Edale to Kirk Yetholm in 7 days and the shorter race ‘The Spine Challenger’ is 108 miles in 60 hours starting in Edale and finishing in Hawes. Both races follow the route of the Pennine Way and have their own challenges be it either distance or tight timings, together of course with everything else mother nature decides to test you with.
My choice of race was the Spine Challenger. Partly down to work commitments and partly due to a bit of fact finding before jumping in at the deep end. I’ve divided the race into 2 legs as it’s easier to explain than day by day as I really can’t remember what day was what during the race! ( I hope you’ve got a brew as it’s a long one)
Leg One: Edale to Hebden Bridge (Checkpoint one)
After a somewhat uneasy nights sleep at the Edale youth hostel all of us racing in the Challenger made our way down to the start line for a 06:30 start. The previous afternoon / evening had been taken up with safety briefings, mandatory kit checks, documentation etc to validate our entry and check we were suitable to start. This in itself is a rather chaotic process but all adds to the experience nevertheless. I’d had a pretty straight forward journey on the train to Edale and had bumped into a few other fellow racers including Eoin Keith and ‘Spine Racer’ Dave Lee. A veteran of the race and he told me about the delights that we could expect on our journey. As I looked around the train it was apparent that many of us where indeed heading for Edale. There was a huge pile of bags and each of us clung to a small lightweight pack like it was the last thing we’d ever hold. Anyway back to the story. With the weather forecast of wet and windy or should I say gale force winds and heavy rain we all made our way down to the start line in a muddy field next to the village hall. As if by magic the wind and rain upped their game a bit more just as we set off at a slightly delayed start of about 0643. It was pitch black as we started and the weather was doing as much as it could to discourage us (Mother Nature and her hurdles). But with all of us looking like we had just come out of a chapter from Ernest Shackletons diary set off into the darkness we did without regard. Our start time was 3 hours before the long race start but unbeknown to us they had to postpone their start due to bad weather!!! The train of racers moved swiftly up through the village of Edale and onto the start of the Pennine Way. Just over a week earlier we had been staying in Derbyshire and walked this part of the route and it was snow covered and icy. Today it was a muddy bog with winds blowing so strongly it was taking people off their feet. We battled on and at one point the wind took my hood off and nearly my headtorch with it. It was hell! It seemed like an eternity until we made the foot of the first big climb up Jacobs Ladder onto the Kinder Plateau. There was some respite from the wind on the climb but nearing the top going past Edale rocks it began to blow like nothing I’ve experienced before. The visibility was really poor and I was focusing my mind on making sure that I didn’t veer off course by checking the map and gps constantly. I’d caught two other racers up (John & David) whom I’d had the pleasure of chatting with on Friday night. They where here for their second go after an unsuccessful attempt the previous year. We approached Kinder Downfall. Now as you’d expect by the name it’s one huge waterfall and it is very impressive in full flow. But I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! The water was actually not going over the water fall but being blown back up and into the sky!!!! The noise was deafening and the spray off it was unbelievable. We had to find a river crossing point quite a way from it just so that we didn’t get blown over into the water and swept off into oblivion. The three of us trudged on towards Snake Pass on what seemed to be a never ending path of the all to familiar slightly submerged famous Pennine Way stone slabs. They are notorious for being slippery as we all found out at one point or another along the way and those that dare step off them risk disappearing forever into a deep brown gloop of a bog! Surprisingly the wind subsided for a short time and the sun even came out! I took the opportunity to take off my Gore-Tex over mitts, empty the water out, turn them inside out and hang them off me to dry. I’d been reluctant to remove them earlier as the water inside had warmed up and was keeping my hands warm.
Arriving at the road crossing at Snake Pass we were asked if everything was ok by some of the safety team and told that the weather was about to change. Again as if by magic and on demand a flurry of snow fell that quickly turned into sideways hailstones that threatened to blast any exposed skin off your bones. Now we were heading towards Bleaklow along the ‘Devils Dike’. This is probably my least favourite section as for miles and miles you trudge relentlessly along a stream that winds its way up onto the Bleaklow and Shining Clough Moss. I started to have a real down patch and began slipping behind John and David and eventually let them go on ahead. After the ascent up Devils Dike there is a really unpleasant descent towards Torside Clough. I was now having a really hard time of it. Being alone didn’t bother me, neither did the navigation as I’d done a reccy of this, and that was the problem! Several weeks earlier back in November I’d done this exact route and on the descent I’d gone over on my left ankle severely damaging a lateral ligament, leaving me on crutches and almost having to withdraw from this race. The demons had arrived early! As it happened the weather lifted and yet again the sun came out lifting my spirit and allowing me to push on again. So I did. Down to Torside reservoir I wondered just how I’d made it down there weeks earlier with my ankle in bits as it was a treacherous route at the best of times. Eventually I found John and David having a brew at the side of the reservoir (Needless to say being Yorkshire men they didn’t offer me one, hah!) so I joined them briefly before they departed leaving me to sort myself out and have a breather. That done I pressed on once more up towards Wessenden Head. I’d now caught up with another group of racers and joined them for the next part. I’d also met a couple who were out for a bit of a stroll and asked me why what we were all doing. I tried to explain in easy terms but I might have confused them even more when they replied with comments of ‘you’re doing what to where, and how far away?’
Anyway I joined the pair of racers. This time it was Emiko and Dominic. I tagged along behind for several miles just generally chatting and moving forward. These guys had been on the pre race training weekend and had done some of the route I didn’t know but I had said that I knew the route from Blackstone Edge all the way to Hawes so I knew if we worked together we’d be in for a finish. We made good progress along down towards Wessenden Head and we were joined by Andy who had not been able to start the race but had also been on the training weekend and knew Emiko. He had joined us for the section around the reservoirs. Prior to us meeting Andy we had a bit of a moment along the slabs around Wessenden Head Moor when Emiko had stepped off to the side and disappeared waist deep into the bog. Fortunately myself and Dominic grabbed hold of her and pulled her back out again! Pressing on again we parted from Andy when he left us in a layby to make our way towards the M62 footbridge. The weather was becoming increasingly colder and flurries of snow began to fall again. It seemed to take forever to reach footbridge over the M62. Many times have I passed underneath this iconic bridge and always wondered what it would be like to cross it. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be in a winter race going over it. Looking down it was strange to see everyone going about their business in their warm cars not even noticing 3 head torches trotting across the bridge back into the pitch dark bitter night.
We were making good time and our intended eta at CP1 was looking good. I would be good enough to get an hours sleep at least. Crossing Blackstone Edge I was feeling confident of our progress and I knew when we reached the Whitehouse Pub I knew pretty much all of the route to Hawes. It was bitterly cold and still lightly snowing but we were joined by the moon occasionally popping out from behind the clouds. We arrived at the pub and fell inside to feel the warmth and smell of food. After changing batteries in head torches and gps and downing several pints of coke, orange and bowls of chips we were ready to go again. Another racer ‘Basil’ asked to join us to the CP. We were now 4. Outside the pub it seemed even colder and the snow was still lingering in the air. We set off at a good pace with me leading and apart from a slight error we started to make our way sprightly towards CP1. It was an eerie feeling being out there ( the film ‘American Werewolf’ was at the forefront of my mind) being battered by the piercing wind with the moon shining an orange glow on us casting intermittent long shadows of four strangers who seemed to be totally dependant on each other to keep going. I absolutely love this and it’s something that is so hard to explain to most people, the camaraderie amongst racers is priceless . Pushing on we crossed Stoodley Pike and dropped down towards Charlsetown. We were in grasping distance of CP1 but for the hell of a climb up and then the descent down to Hebden Hey Scout / Activity centre.It was heaven to see the support staff smiling and being so helpful to us. Baked potatoes and chilli with gallons of tea was thrust upon us and anything else we needed.
Leg Two: Hebden Bridge (CP1) to Hawes (the Spine Challenger Finish) – you might need another brew at this point
Between us we had agreed to leave at 06:30 so I headed off to grab an hours sleep( I think it was nearer to 20 mins) and get my fresh shoes and kit. 06:30 came quickly but I felt fresh again, especially with a full set of new kit on. Jokingly we had decided to have a dry shoe day! ie lets try and keep our feet dry as long as possible. I think that lasted about 10 minutes! Moving along over towards Walshaw Dean, Top Withins and Oakworth it seemed to fly past. Two friends, Chris & Paul had met us before we went onto Oakworth Moor. Chris had a flask and gave me some coffee and it might as well have been a £400 bottle of champagne it tasted so good. I mentioned that we had now just about done half of the distance.
This spurred us on immensely and we headed off for Ickornshaw Moor. The terrain would change soon and we would be mainly travelling through agricultural land on footpaths. Now that sounds great until you add cattle and sheep. The ground would become increasingly wet and churned up by livestock. Navigation would become increasingly difficult going from field to field. As we passed the various road crossings and small hamlets my friend Paul kept on popping up and taking pictures of us and to be honest this was just a real boost to morale and certainly gave me more and more confidence that we would be in Hawes for Monday. Having done an extensive reccy I knew that there was another pub in Lothersdale that we could stop for food. This was turning out to be one great sadistic pub crawl!!! On reaching the pub the Landlord insisted that we come in as we were because he’d put carpet protection down on his floor for us racers. This seems to be a bit of a theme. Everyone along the way wants to help and accommodate us and make sure we keep going. So we settled for a huge meal and yet more coke, orange and hot chocolate before moving on. In the pub there was another racer tucking into a full Sunday roast. Unfortunately he was out with a knee problem and the medics were tending to him. It was a bit of a wake up as I remembered him from sharing a dorm with him in the YHA. It just goes to show that you never know when fate will deal its hand and your race is over.
Leaving the warmth of the pub it was apparent that there was a change in weather. It was really overcast and lightly raining. Little did I know that shortly this was about to nearly be my undoing for the first time. I remembered from my reccy in June that we had to cross Thornton Moor and in June it was blowing a gale and bitterly cold. I also remember thinking to myself this will be hell in January. And it Was!!! Mother Nature had carefully positioned another hurdle. I knew exactly the route and how long it would take to reach Thornton-in-Craven. On the moor the wind was unbearable the rain was exceptionally heavy and it was almost dark. My trusty ‘Buffalo’ clothing was beginning to get soaked and then I started to get cold, very cold. Because of the design of the clothing usually if you can keep moving you can generate enough heat to keep warm. I was now running and getting colder! Initially I was shivering and not too worried but then I’d started to violently shiver and also being tired I couldn’t focus on my map, gps or even my surroundings. Water was now running out of my sleeves and into my gloves. The clothing had failed and was now cooling me even further. Everything going on in my head was telling me that the inevitable onset of Hypothermia was with me and I had to get warm and dry. I’d told everyone else and my goal was to reach Thornton-in -Craven, find shelter and get into dry clothes. I only remember bits of the journey but I managed to find an archway between two houses and quickly change my top layers. Annoyed with myself my companions reassured me that it wasn’t a problem and we were ready to fight again.
it was now totally dark and we had picked up some more racers and at one point there was about six or seven of us. I still knew the terrain and with a bit of careful map reading and remembering the footpaths we were well on our way to Malham. The route briefly joins the Leeds – Liverpool Canal and eventually after Gargrave joins the River Aire all of the way to Malham. The journey was straight forward but really hard going underfoot with the amount of residual water lying on the banks of the river. At one point it was knee deep! Coupled with the endless cattle fields and mud it was relentless. I made a suggestion that we should take shelter in the pub in Malham for a while and have a hot drink. This was a bit of incentive for us all to push on before closing time. I’d made a bit of distance on the others and reached Malham only to find one of the pubs in darkness! I tried the other pub and it too was closing (22:30)! Apparently Sunday hours. I had no idea what day it was let alone opening hours of pubs! Anyway with a bit of persuasion the Landlord allowed us in for half an hour and sold us cold drinks and crisps. I took advantage of this and swapped my socks to sealskinz with a pair of thin wool socks as a liner before heading out into the night once more. Heading off towards Malham Cove I mentioned that we had lots of steps and a rather tricky crossing of the rock formations on top of the cove. I had done a detailed reccy of this part and knew it well so I had a nice easy route worked out across the rocks. The wind had now picked up again and was increasingly making forward progress difficult. We reached the road crossing just short of the Tarn and started our final trek to CP1.5 at Malham Field Centre. Passing the Tarn it was unbelievable to see the water being blown over us and the size of the waves crashing against the shore of the Tarn. At last we reached CP1.5 and found respite from the rapidly deteriorating weather. Inside we were greeted by John Bamber and his crew. Instantly the kettle was on and it was hot brews all around. We had decided to stay for a couple of hours and leave just before daybreak. I had a shake down of my kit and tried to grab a few minutes sleep outside in my bivy bag. I found a bench under cover and got into my bag. I’d also put a couple of handwarmers in my jacket to take the chill off. It didn’t last long, I was back inside not knowing if I’d been to sleep or not. But the four of us had decided to leave so we donned our kit and as we signed out a message came in from the Safety Team and said that nobody should leave because of the severe weather coming in (Another one of those hurdles). In effect the race was stopped. We waited for about 3 hours until the weather had moved on and we were released from the checkpoint. After many more brews and lots to eat we were off again. For safety reasons the route had been changed to miss the summit of Pen-y-Gent so that would give the legs a little rest from the climbing up the near vertical ascent up it. Making our way up towards Fountains Fell the weather really had started to hit us hard with driving rain and high winds. I was feeling the cold now and starting to shiver again. I pushed on alone knowing that if I didn’t move faster I might be in the grips of hypothermia. This was my second warning but now I didn’t have any dry clothes, only my saturated Buffalo top. I was getting blown all over the place and getting colder. My down jacket was soaked and had no insulation whatsoever now! I knew from my reccy that on the descent there was a place near a small cliff that was sheltered from the wind. Crossing the summit of the fell I was convinced that coming towards me was a huge figure of a man, a giant even! It was difficult to see with the cloud and rain but this huge silhouette was getting closer! I had some clear glasses to put on for eye protection but my hands were so cold I couldn’t open the zips on my front pack to get them out. I realised that it wasn’t a giant at all but one of the huge cairns (piles of rocks). I knew now that I was fatigued and cold. My mind was playing tricks on me. On reaching the shelter of the cliff I took the decision to put my saturated Buffalo back on. It was a nightmare with cold hand and the uncontrollable shivering. It took my breath away putting the cold fleece next to my skin but this was my only chance. Now I had to move quickly and get out of the cloud, wind and rain. The others had now caught up and we made haste with our descent. Thankfully as we descended the rain stopped and the fierce wind was now drying me. We picked up the pace and made our way along the diverted route to Horton-in-Ribblesdale crossing the edge of Pen-y-Gent. We decided to stop at the café for a warm and food. Many more racers had the same idea and the place was awash with wet kit and tired, battered bodies. But I knew we had only around 20 ish miles to the finish and this was a definite morale boost and a milestone. Fed and watered we exited the homely, warm confines of the café for the last push. Feeling totally refreshed I explained to my fellow racers that navigation was simple and I was going to get a bit of a wiggle on.It was strange being alone but I was totally comfortable and at one with my surroundings. I knew the route and I knew I would finish. It was the first time I’d thought about what we had just done and the experiences we had all had. It was uplifting and I felt a sense of achievement just getting this far. Some people call it ‘Flow’. A time when you are out running and you are completely immersed in the experience. Well if that’s what it is then I was experiencing it. Nothing mattered I was distant from myself and before I knew it I had covered many miles and found myself on Cam High Road. A single track that is straight as an arrow crossing the fells and I knew lead me almost to the point I would descend down into Hawes. I took the opportunity to play some music and spookily one of the first tracks was ‘Highway to Hell’. Immediately I found myself standing on the start line of MdS! I reminisced about that experience and tried to compare it to what I was doing now. There was no comparison this was totally different in it’s own way. MdS was a wonderful experience and I’ve gained some great friends from it but this was ‘Brutal’ and the description of relentless is a term commonly used to descried our experience. Were as on MdS there’s time each day to regroup and rest – no such luxury here. I started to drop down off Rottenstone Hill and made my way through the many bogs. It was now pitch dark and my head torch gave a confusing impression of the ground. It made it look like it was flat and dry. In fact it was mostly knee deep bog! As I eventually reached the tarmac of Gaudy Lane I was beginning to be overwhelmed by the experience and some dust must have blown into my eyes for I knew that within a short time it would all be over. I wondered how many people had been watching my lowly tracker progress towards Hawes. I approached the paved section that lead down into Hawes and I spotted a head torch heading my way. Then I recognised the familiar voice of my friend Darren. I can’t explain just how happy I was to see him. Darren was one of the Mountain Safety Team Coordinators and had been following my progress on the tracker system and came out to meet me. We trotted along the street together and in the distance I could see my wife Liz, Henry Hound and my friend Paul. More dust blew into my eyes! I passed them by and went into the Market Hall to be greeted by a round of applause, some hand shaking, hugs and the promise of a brew. That was it, I’d done it! Unbelievable! It was a lot to take in. Everyone was so friendly and just wanted to get me some food or a hot drink. I felt like I’d just woken up from a dream and couldn’t believe what had just happened. I recognised many faces from the race and it was apparent we were all part of a very special family now. It’s totally different to anything I’ve ever experienced. By the nature of the event and it’s severity the camaraderie it develops is rather special. Part of me was wondering what it would be like to be carrying on attempting the Full Spine and part of me just wanted to fall over and sleep! Racers kept coming into the market hall and eventually my three friends – Emiko, Dominic & Basil came in to a round of applause. It was great to see them and glad they had finished successfully.
It leaves me just to say thank you to everyone who helped out on the race and kept us safe out there. Also a big thanks to all of my friends who supported me and watched my tracker making its way North and of course Paul for the photographs and Chris for the coffee. Last but not least my lovely wife Liz for putting up with my mad sport but mostly for just being there for me x
Photographs courtesy of http://www.paulbrownimages.com
Post Race
I told you it would be a long one! Just like the race. Two weeks on – I’ve still not stopped smiling about it and I still can’t feel three of my toes. I’m already planning what I would do differently next time. Yes I’ll be there again for more. I saw a post online that somebody said that these races (The Spine & Challenger) are completed with three things equally – fitness, mindset, emotion. I can say that this is 100% true. They are all equally important and reliant on each other and for a race like this it’s essential to make sure that time is spent developing each one and using it to its best ability when called upon. Oh and that Mother nature sure knows how to put them hurdles in your way!
Written by Marcus Scotney - http://marcusscotney.com https://twitter.com/marcusscotney
Montane Lakeland 50 – July 2014
6:15 minute per mile at 40 miles into a 50 mile ultra is never going to be a good idea, unless you are trying to break into the lead of the race. Two things are likely to happen at this pace; you either pull it off and gain the lead and win or you turn yourself inside and destroy your legs. It was a gamble and I was willing to take that gamble to try and win the British Ultra Trail Champs at the Montane Lakeland 50.
The Montane Lakeland 50, being the British Ultra Trail Champs this year, was going to attract a top quality elite field. There was last year’s Champion Lee Kemp, Danny Kendall who finished 5th at MdS this year, Kim Collinson who had ran a brilliant race at TV in May, international mountain runner and former training partner Martin Cox, and fellow Team Montane member Stu Mills. Unfortunately last year’s winner and CR holder Ben Abdelnoor was injured. It was a star stunned line-up and the race could be as hot as the weather we had been experiencing.
The morning of the race was another hot and sunny day, and with the added nerves it felt warmer than the last few days. My build up to such a key race hadn’t been my best, I felt I lacked edge, my calf had cramped at 6am in the morning and I was still concerned how my kidneys would respond racing hard in such heat only 12 weeks post rhabdomyolysis (Kidney failure).
With the temperature rising as the sun shone down on all of us amassed in the starting pen, I knew with the heat that it was not a day to race for course records, it was going to be a race of survival.
As true to form Stu took the race by the scruff of the neck and led round the 4mile loop at Dalmain House, my legs felt heavy and my mouth was already dry. I let the lead group of five runners set the quick pace, I was happy sitting a minute behind. On the tarmac climb up from Pooley Bridge Stu was dropped by the lead group and I passed him just after the fell gate. I could see the lead group on a charge towards Howtown.
I was several minutes down by the time I arrived at Howtown, at last my legs were starting to wake up, they were soon deadened on the long climb up Fusedale, and I resisted the temptation to increase my pace to close the lead group down. The heat was increasing on the climb up Fusedale, and even the descent down to Low Kop didn’t offer any cooling breeze. The path along Haweswater was hard going, I was running out of water and my brain felt like it was being boiled in the heat as the sun glared down on me, I felt l was losing more time of the lead group as I filled my drinks bottle in a stream. Could I cope with this heat? I felt like the heat was draining everything out of me as I contemplated pulling out at Kentmere.
As I came up the track into the Mardale checkpoint my left hamstring cramped up, I also saw the lead group had fragmented, Kim and Danny where leading the charge up Gatesgarth, Martin was off the back and Lee was just leaving the check point. Was I still in the race?
I quickly caught and went past Lee on the climb up Gatesgarth; he looked like he wasn’t enjoying the long hot climb and I was now up to fourth. The long descent down into Longsleden was tough on tiring legs and I couldn’t see the three leaders ahead. At least if I don’t make it on to the podium then I won’t have come back down to Coniston tomorrow I thought to myself.
My left hamstring cramped up again as I began the short climb across to Kentmere, I felt like I was moving really slowly. At the summit of the ridge my girlfriend and Tim Taylor (Chia Charge) were out on the course taking photos, I told her I was feeling rubbish her reply was ‘Danny said his legs feel shite – go catch him!’. Could the race still be on? I tried to pick up my pace on the way into the Kentmere, both legs cramped up as I climbed over the stone wall stile; I ran the cramp off till the next stile.
I was relieved to arrive at Kentmere, I was well down on course record pace, I downed a smoothie and as I was drinking some water and coke Terry Stephenson from Montane handed me some paper towels ‘here you need this’, I looked at the towels ‘what’s this for?’ I asked. Then I suddenly realised that in my hurry to down the smoothie I had managed to coat my beard in banana strawberry smoothie. Not the best look. In the checkpoint I was told that Danny wasn’t feeling great and Martin was struggling with his knee.
I came out of the checkpoint rejuvenated and I reminded myself that it was still an ultra of survival and not racing with the sun and temperature still high. On the climb up Garburn I could see Danny up ahead and Martin not much further, I was moving quicker than both of them, as my early easy pace was paying off. By the top of the Garburn pass I was in 2nd place; Danny was feeling rough and suffering with cramp and Martin was struggling with his Achilles.
I didn’t know how far Kim was in front as I cruised down Garburn and up through Troutbeck, my hamstrings would periodically cramp up as I hit a climb, I kept getting time gaps from 100 competitors and folks out on the course, they ranged from 2minutes to 10minutes. I just wanted to keep moving and if I could close Kim down then that would be great.
The crowd in Ambleside was inspiring and lifted me. Aanother quick turnaround at the Ambleside checkpoint as I tried eating some crisps but my mouth was so dry even with all the water I had been drinking. I was told that Kim was only 2 minutes ahead. Could I still close the gap? I was feeling good other than the bouts of cramps which locked my legs down on any climbs.
At last it was getting cooler as I came over Loughrigg and as I came along the flat track towards Elterwater I could see Kim, could I take the lead? Could I win? Would my legs hold out?
Without realising it my pace was quickening and just before Elterwater, I caught Kim up, I expected to cruise past him as I came by him, he had other plans, he sat on, so I quickened the pace to 6:15min/mile, we ripped it into Elterwater and raced into Chapel Stile, my legs were screaming at me my head was questioning my pace but my heart was screaming BRITISH CHAMPION BRITISH CHAMPION at me! I eased off the pace as we came through the campsite to save my legs for possibly my next attack. Kim and I came into the checkpoint together, I refuelled took some more coke on and we set off out up the Langdale Valley. My heart screamed at me again, so I turned the pace up, it felt fast and furious… would we both last this pace? Would one of us crack?
As I climbed a large wooden stile my legs completely locked down with cramp and I had trouble moving as I came off the stile. Kim was now pulling away. In my vain attempt to win I had destroyed myself, my legs struggled for the next few miles as they kept cramping up, and I spent longer at the last checkpoint than I should have, eating a lot of fruit and taking on more fluid. The final climb out of Tiblethwaite wasn’t as bad as I expected and I cruised down the miners track to a raucous welcome by those sat outside the pubs in Coniston. My legs were screaming my head was swimming I felt dizzy, but I was going to finish 2nd and get Silver in the British Champs. I crossed the line in 8 hours 6 mins, a lot slower than I had expected and I had lost a lot of time on Kim who very deservedly won. Danny had come back stronger and had been closing me back down finishing 3rd and fellow team mate Stu had dug deep to finish 4th. Jo Meek had a storming run to win the womens race and finished 6th overall! Husband and wife Marco and Debbie won the 100 race.
I don’t think I ever ran an Ultra in such hot conditions, they sure did make the demanding course even more demanding. I am pleased with how my race panned out, my cautious start paid off and I have recovered quickly from the race.
Well done to all those Legends who finished the 100 and 50 and to all those amazing supportive marshals who encouraged us along and filled my water bottle at each check point. And well done to Marc Laithwaite and his organising team – the Montane Lakeland 50 & 100 is surely the Ultra Trail race to do in the UK. More photos taken by Jen are on //www.flickr.com/photos/16279920@N02/sets/72157646015300314/" target="_blank">flikr
A big thanks to my sponsor Montane, Clif, Osmo Active Hydration, La Sportiva, Petzl and Injinji for helping me get round a hot long day in the Lakes.
Written by Robert Jones - http://ultrarunningphoenix.blogspot.fr
Uphill, downhill, cross a river... repeat! This was my summary of the Spine Challenger 48 miles and 16 hours into the race at Hebden Bridge and after in excess of 100 river crossings.
Let's back track a little to how I got here. It was Jan 2014 and I was out for dinner and a few beers with some buddies - later that evening in a drunken haze I signed up for the Spine Challenger - a 112 mile race along the Pennine Way from Edale to Hawes. The "baby" version of the full 268 mile Spine race. It was c. 1 month later when a friend and fellow runner Simon Triscott also signed up. The race was on!
So there were found ourselves at 06.29am in a field in Edale waiting for the race to start. At 06.30 the wind and rain started on cue - and a few minutes later the race started. Off we trundled as Marcus, Ed and the rest of the racing snakes blazed a trail ahead of us...
The weather going up Jacob's Ladder and onto Kinder could only be described as "apocalyptic". We were left in no doubt as to what we would be facing for the next c. 40 hours. After 30 mins of "racing" we were forced to stop as I took shelter behind a wall and dug out my ski goggles (in an effort to stop my contact lenses from being ripped out my eyes by the wind)!
Over Kinder plateau the wind was so strong it was knocking people off their feet and Kinder Downfall had turned into Kinder Upfall - quite a sight and drenching us in the process!
On we ploughed to the first road crossing at Snake Pass, where we were unexpectedly met by one of our running friends Zoe who had come out to cheer us on. A nice surprise and a little lift at that early stage!
Up through Devil's Dike and on to Bleaklow Head - as we descended into Torside Reservoir the sun briefly came out for a few minutes and lifted our spirits.
This was to be our first meet point with Nick, Simon's brother and our support crew for the weekend. At this point I have to stop and say that without Nick we would not have finished - he was a legend all weekend. There is a lot of debate within the Spine family about supported v unsupported - for us it undoubtedly made a difference - probably more mentally than physically. The fact that Nick also wore shorts and flip flops all weekend in rain / sleet / snow kept us and our fellow competitors amused! He was also on hand to help out other competitors - be it with a cup of tea, food or a warm car to take shelter in! In the run up to the event I had also been worried about leaving Caoimhe, my wife, who is 4 months pregnant. The fact that Nick could provide her with updates (and vice versa) allowed me to relax, feel less selfish and focus on the task at hand. Legend! He was also texting updates to our wives at each point he met us - example one:
"They came down the path, not long after I'd arrived at the layby. Turbo boiled curry (actually, luke warm smelly slop) was ingested quickly, lucozade sport was downed, topped up crisps, snacks, sweets, gone... They're both looking well, it's not very warm but at least it stopped raining."
Off we went with a spring in our step. As we climbed the views back over Bareholme Moss and the Bleaklow tablelands were glorious. As we continued on to Wessenden Head the winds picked up and the going got tougher - however it was not long before we reached the road and Nick for another quick food stop.
Nicks update from Wessenden after about 7.5 hours of "racing":
"Temp = 2 degrees @ resupply 2. Rob & Simon said it was the toughest bit yet, with very strong winds. Chicken burger & chips each, not keen for too much more bulky water. They crossed the road from the car park, went through the gate and disappeared in the dip beyond. Both looking well and hopefully now a bit warmer."
As darkness and the weather closed in we continued to pass countless reservoirs and on to Standedge - making good time. Another brief meet up with Nick and the head torches went on as darkness started to fall.
Nick's update from Standedge:
"Car thermometer says 7degs but there's a few snowflakes wisping around. Simon says snow isn't melting though. Very quick resupply, crisps and swig of hot choc for Rob, hot choc & pancake for Simon, 2 minute stop, now they've crossed the road and has gone out of sight, 200m away, over the brow of the hill. Slightly less strong winds, still warm from chips earlier and not needing warmer clothes yet. It almost completely overcast, getting dark....".
The next section to the M62 all blended into one. It was dark, cold and windy. We crossed Blackstone Edge shortly thereafter without incident and felt good. We briefly stopped in at The White House pub for tea and a muffin (provided by the wonderful Spine support team)... and were then off back into the cold. Neither of us wanted to spend too long in the pub... too warm and lovely and the temptation would have been to stay!
Up to this point we had been navigational error free. At Stoodley Pike of all places we managed to go off track and ended up wandering around for 15 mins in bog trying to find the damned path! The amazing thing is that this is the exact spot where we got lost doing our recce over the summer! It was also at Stoodley Pike that we got overtaken by the full Spiners. We had been going for c. 14 hours at this point - they had been going for c. 9 hours! Amazing!
After about 16 hours and 48 miles we made it to a key milestone - CP1 at Hebden. Our plan here was to get in and out as fast as possible and so we did, making the climb back out CP1 (evil planning) and meeting Nick at the top of the road. Nicks update from Hebden:
"Back up to the car from cp1, New, dry socks, hot drinks, hot food , (simon jalfrezi, rob Bolognese, it's amazing what you'll eat if you're hungry!). Check maps, de-rubbish, additional layers, new head torch batteries, top up snacks & they're off again. Not as cold as it was, but they were keen to do the next stage (4 -6 hours) until maybe having a rest."
Off into the night we went. The whole of the second half of the route was going to be new to us as we had run out of time to recce the route! Useful as most of it would also be done in darkness!
As we left Hebden the snow started to fall and settle - it was beautiful and still and one of the best bits of the race. Whilst our chances of slipping on frozen slabs and tracks increased the going was good and we made good time.
It was also at this point that we first "teamed up" with Seb, one of the other Challengers. We were to end up doing most of the second half of the race with Seb and he was to prove a vital cog in our wheel as the race progressed. We met Nick somewhere near Oakworth Moor:
"To Oakworth, random road siding because the designated resupply place turned out to be someone's driveway #planning. Tracking the guys, they started this stage slowly but clearly accelerated when it flattened out along the edge of 2 lakes, because they arrived inside 4 hours and hence are 1h45 ahead of schedule. Confusingly, three lights approached me from the distance that I thought was Rob & Simon because the groups & individual participants are quite spread out now. It turns out, being thoroughly sociable chaps, that they've made a friend. Seb is from hounslow and was perhaps the motivation they needed to decide not to stop and sleep here. Hot tea & porridge for Rob, hot choc & snacks for si, hot choc & haribo for Seb, they plodded off up the hill. Seb: "if we keep up this pace guys, we're on for a pre-midnight finish"."
The next few hours waiting for daylight to come up were tough. We got lost on random moorland, we had to climb fences as we went wrong and the stage just seemed to go on for ever. What was particularly irksome was following a track alongside a wall or fence only to realise 10-15 mins later that you were on the wrong side of said wall / fence. Thus ensued a rather painful climb, sometimes also involving barbed wire. Lovely at 5am in the dark!
Our pace was so slow that Nick came out to try and meet us. He scared the shit out of me. Imagine the scene. It is 5.30am, pitch black, middle of nowhere and you turn to your left in a field and notice a figure standing dead still just watching you. After pointing it out and checking with Seb that I wasn't hallucinating we decided that it was either (a) a scarecrow or (b) a lunatic / serial killer. Then the figure moved... Nicks viewpoint on this incident:
"Getting tough. I parked up between last supply point and the next and walked towards si, Rob & seb. Tracker progress showed a slower pace. When I met them, I was stood still in a field, Rob thought he was hallucinating. (sorry, it was a bit mean of me). Simon has broken a pole, bit annoying but not essential for the next bit. Repair will be difficult. It'll be getting light in an hour, they've requested milkshakes... Seb set off before them, i think he's on a mission."
The next major landmark for us was Lothersdale - c. 65 miles and c. 25 hours into the race. Whilst daylight had come we were beginning to tire and decided we needed a slightly longer rest (and Simon wanted a power nap). Seb ploughed on as he was getting cold and felt good. Simon went to sleep in the back of the car and I sat and enjoyed croissants and strawberry milkshake! Cracking breakfast.
Update from Nick:
"Shhhh. At the Dog & duck, coach & horses, or Fox and whatever. Strawberry milkshakes and croissants, not so much for breakfast, more for the next course. They came down the hill with seb again, not too quickly but a fair pace. Immediately slumped down, Simon needed a rest. Be werry werry quiet.
Rob was of course alert and ready throughout."
With daylight and some rest came a renewed sense of vigour - we even managed some actual "running". It sounds silly but daylight makes such a big difference - your mood is better, navigation is easier and you have more than just the little circle of light in front of you to look at! In no time at all we had reached Gargrave after c. 28 hours and 70 miles. We also caught up with Seb.
Nicks update at Gargrave:
"End in sight. A muddy slog into gargrave took a bit longer than had been hoped, but a thorough drying of feet and a change of socks later, the guys sat down to an early hot lunch of curry & chilli. They were keen to know how far to next stop to measure how much to eat, precise weather forecast to get clothing exactly right and they are more decisive than ever about how much water to take. Clearly they've got their minds on finishing asap and don't want anything to jeopardize getting over the next 2 stages whilst it's light. Hot chips only at the next stop..."
Fields - oh so many fields. And hills. Fences. Stiles. Oh - and rain - lots of rain. The next section to Malham was wet, windy and miserable. We reached The Lister Arms in Malham (c. 80 miles) after about 31 hours. Into the pub we went to dry off, feed up and warm up. My left knee was beginning to hurt and whilst I don't usually medicate I knew I needed something to keep going. Codeine it was - that would keep me going! Oh and some pro plus for good measure! Nicks update from Malham:
"Tough going. The 3 amigos turned up at the pub at malham looking a bit knackered. 3 bowls of chips, coffee, full fat coke & pro plus. Simon lies down across the whole window seat, nobody is saying much anyway. Attempted to dry their clothes around the fire and using the hand dryer in the gents. Plessant people in the pub, but far too talkative when you're knackered, in a nice northern way, just keen to know what you're doing, where you're from etc... It's difficult to get going again when you struggle to pick up your poles and put new layers on but they're doing ok."
Leaving The Lister Arms I was fu&@ed! My legs hurt, my left knee was locked up and I was mentally low for the first time in the race.
Malham Cove is beautiful - the climb up it at this point in the race was not. Onwards and upwards we went to Malham Tarn and CP1.5. The support crew once again here were brilliant - tea and chocolate. A little boost! They also told us at this point that due to the weather conditions we would not be going over Pen-y-Ghent. A tiny weeny little bit of me was disappointed. A massive chunk of me was relieved - especially given the state of my left knee!
It was also around this time that some proper hallucinations started. I have often read about people hallucinating during long races from sleep deprivation but considered it was just bollocks - turns out it isn't. During the course of the night I had to deal with trees and rocks turning into people and monsters. Kept me on my toes!
Back into the darkness we went - just Fountains Fell to navigate then. Or Fountains Hell as we renamed it. Up and up we went and then up some more. The weather was awful - the worst we had so far! Head down - focus on the head light, one foot in front of the other. Eventually we levelled off and then came the descent - my knee hurt more. After the brief climb to the foot of Pen-y-Ghent, the descent to Horton-in-Ribblesdale followed. Pain shooting through my left knee - every step hurt. And then my lower legs just went completely numb - this was new (and worrying). I seemed to have lost all feeling in my lower legs! A rest was needed. Nicks update from Horton after c. 95 miles and c. 39 hours:
"Hardest slog. They arrived at 2230, in a nutshell: knackered. Rob jumped straight in the car, Simon ate, seb politely stood around waiting for an invitation to get in the car. He didn't hesitate. Simon said that stage was the hardest endurance / ultra / anything he's ever done. He broke his pole again, the ungrateful little [CONTENT HAS BEEN REMOVED]. Rob was cold but soon warmed up with hot tea and chicken tikka (he even asked for more and for car heater to be turned off, so he's back on form). Simon ate curry and choc pudding, seb ate curry too. Everyone had lucozade and drugs. Getting out of the car 50 minutes later was sluggish because joints had stopped working, straps were awkward, clips wouldn't clip, but with reloaded water, snacks, sweets and batteries, they were keen to set off again, undoubtedly because they knew it was the last leg. They speculated it might take 12 hours; Conditions are blooming tough out there, at least it wasn't raining when they set off, but they were all layered up well."
Off into the night we went for what was to be the final leg of our journey. Just 15 miles to go...
The terrain from Horton to Hawes was actually pretty good. The weather was the worst that had hit us so far! Unbelievable. An update from Nick who came to check on us somewhere near Cam Road:
"Wow it's windy - just met the guys about midway between the last supply point and the finish. I drove to the finish and it was a steady ascent by road to the midway point followed by a sudden massive climb to the peak of the leg. I let a lone runner into the car who put another layer on from his bag. The wind is phenomenal, they didn't stop. A few more hours to go....".
The wind got worse as went entered the final 4-5 miles over Dodd Fell... and dangerous. I have no idea what the wind speeds were (possibly 80-90mph), but the gusts were knocking us off our feet and visibility was down to a few feet. It is not often I get scared by weather but this was different - we needed to get down and fast... We were soaked through, there was no shelter and wind chill was cold! It was like the race was throwing everything it had at us in one final attempt to break us and stop us from finishing. Those final 3 miles were the worst of the race by a stretch...!
Finally we reached Hawes. Such is the ethos of the race that there were no banners or fanfare. We simply walked into the hall and sat down. It was done.
A final update from Nick:
"2 decrepit blokes have just hobbled into Travelodge Kendal services. Neither can make use of hips, knees, ankles or any of their lower bodies. Simon limps in first, grappling anything that will hold him upright. Receptionist: "oh my god, do you need a doctor? Rob is in a similar state of incapacity but doesn't whinge."
Big thanks go to Nick (legend), the entire Spine support / MST team, Robbie Britton for coaching (and tips) and everyone who supported along the way! Special thanks go to my wife Caoimhe and the rest of my family for putting up with my follies.
From a personal perspective it was nice to end my "running" year on a high. It has been a mixed year - a good run at Country to Capital, DNF at Transvulcania, finish but rubbish performance at Mourne Ultra, reasonable run at Race to the Stones and similar unsatisfactory finish at Mourne Skyrace. The major thing that I have struggled with is pacing and nutrition - for the Spine Challenger this was spot on (apart from the hick up from Malham to Horton).
Massive respect to all of the Challengers that competed and the full Spiners that are still going. Never again...
Kit Summary:
Montane Dragon 20 Backpack - Excellent waterproof bag and at only c. 350g super lightweight. You need to use a bladder as well as bottles on front to carry enough water. Just enough room for a supported run but if doing unsupported then I would want something bigger. Also used the Montane Bite 1 as a front pouch for snacks etc. which worked well.
Montane Prism Jacket - really like this jacket. Worked pretty well. Light, compressible to stash in bag, nice and warm and good hood. Zips broke in last few miles in strong winds which wasn't ideal (could just be a one-off).
Montane Fireball Smock - wow. Have always loved this bit of kit. Super warm!
Montane Prism Pants - like walking in an oven! Put these on at night and almost too warm... wow again!
Montane Minimus Smock - didn't take this bit of kit off except to dry. Great bit of kit.
Montane Minimus Pants - worked well. Super lightweight and legs didn't get wet once.
Montane Prism Gloves - used two pairs during the race. Hands were never cold and at just 30g it is easy to stash another pair in your bag. Wore Mammut Stretch gloves as a base glove and rotated between two pairs of these as well. Would also highly recommend.
Scott Off Grid goggles - purchased these in the days running up to the race. Was originally going to use sunglasses with low light lenses, but boy am I glad I bought these! Invaluable in the strong winds, rain, hail and snow! Would have otherwise been blind.
Inov-8 Roclite 235's - love these shoes. Not my normal shoe (which are the Trailrocs), but Roclites gave a little extra cushioning. Stood up to the test well and I didn't slip or fall over. Would probably want something with more cushioning for full Spine.
LED lensor SE07r - strong headtorch. Battery life was only c. 5-6 hours max which was a bit of a pain.
Garmin Etrex 30 - worked brilliantly. Go to GPS unit for me.
Suunto Ambit 3 - didn't use apart from using the map to double check route at some stages and for some easier night navigation. Love this watch!
Alpkit Kraku Micro Stove - weights literally nothing and fits in palm of your hand. Didn't need to use (which was the plan). Would probably use Jetboil if doing unsupported.
RAB 2014 Infinity 300 sleeping bag - lightweight and super warm. Limit extreme rating of -18 degrees and just 650g. Also had the Karrimor X-Lite Bivi bag. Just £15 from Sports Direct and only 130g.
Written by Flip Owen - http://fliperty.blogspot.co.uk/
Prerace/2014 race.
 |
| Allan at Middleton in the 2014 race. |
The spine race is the whole of the Pennine Way in January.270 miles of hills , bog and everything the winter weather can throw at you. The clock is always ticking. It’s billed as the UK’s most brutal race.
The conditions differ from year to year but it’s always brutal. It just has several different kinds of brutal. For once there is absolutely no question. It is the most brutal race.
My spine journey started a couple of years ago when I entered the race. However when it came to the second payment in November my knee was playing up and a few other niggles weren’t great so I decided not to do it. I sent of an email saying as much but offered my time helping out if needed. Scot the RD said, he certainly will be in touch and I never heard anything more. As the race stated in January I watched my friend’s progress and as Alan Rumbles approached Middleton-in-Teesdale. I went off with Anna to see if I could help him in any way. Alan was his usual smiling self as we got him some food but his feet were even at that stage a real mess. (Sadly Alan had cellulitis in his feet and after another 100 miles, within reaching distance of the finish had to make the call to call it a day.)
However as I write this , he has finished the 2015 race-Brilliant.
The place was a bit chaotic so I helped where I could, served tea and coffee, washed up for them and causally remarked to Amanda Crozier (I think) that I’d offered to help but heard nothing. At that I was leapt upon and asked if I could relive the marshals at Tan hill ASAP ! (Scott had forgotten about my email which isn’t surprising as I guess he gets snowed under as the race approaches)
So off we went. We saw Sunderland stroller Neil Bennett through (who finished) and met Martin May Ottersbach who was in excellent condition but sadly had over slept and was taken out of the race. Lovely bloke though and I look forward to more journeys with him.
 |
| PW sign at Tan Hill |
|
I worked the next day they I was summed to Bellingham CP on the evening. As I pulled up and went through the doors a lad was standing in bare feet holding onto the door frame and asked if I might just help him for a minute. His feet were buggered as well. This was Charlie Sharpe, a well know and very fast runner. He was trying to get to the sleeping area which was across a court yard. I told him to wait there and backed my car to the doors, helped him in, drove the 10 yards to the sleeping area and helped him to his sleeping bag. From there I relieved the marshals at Byrness. It was some 6-7 hours later in the early hours of the morning the spinners started to come through. I had a stove in my car so I made hot drinks and fed them with goodies I’d picked up along the way. Charlie came in (he couldn't remember me at Bellingham several hours earlier) and slept for a while in my car before struggling to his feet , barely able to stand and they blasted the Cheviots in 6.5 hours. That’s always amazed me as the lad could barely walk. Chapeau
So, to put it mildly, this race cried out to me.
2015 Race.
Well I guess like others the lead up to the race fairly did my head in. The gear was a compromise between ultra-light, meaning ultra-expensive and I couldn’t afford or what I could afford but was going to make my back pay. I begged and borrowed and bought as wisely as I could. (More on gear later). Then there is the route. Unlike a lot of ways in the UK the Pennine way isn’t that well signposted. Yes there are plenty of signs but it’s a long way and I’d say as many junctions of crossing paths without any indication of the way as there is. That is of course if there is a path. Sometimes it’s a faint line or almost nothing. Add in some snow and you’ve got nowt !
I addressed some of this with a few days on the way in late September. Starting in Edale , where I’d never been before and heading north. I checked out the route, pubs, and places to fill bottles, possible bivvy places and found the CP North of Hebdon Bridge. I made a few mistakes, which was good as I wasn’t going to make them twice and I spent as day in Haworth and another in Marsden refreshing (well it was my holiday as well!) Surprisingly a very enjoyable & interesting few days. I should do more hill walking. I just too busy running!
So come December and I’m starting to ease off. Looking after myself a bit and constantly reading
Damien Halls excellent guide book that I used on my week recce.I also decided to take this with me. If you’re lost I figured a detailed explanation would be like gold dust and worth its weight.
New Year’s Day and I very gently ran around the Captain Cooks fell race being very careful and enjoyed the social after. It was here I tempted fate. Talking to Jason & Lisa Taylor I remarked I was in very good form with no injuries and my only worry was all the people dying of cold-and pretty rotten colds at that. I said if you get me, I'd be out of the race. In fact a few had come on the FB spine page and said as much. I guess everyone was gutted for those people and also like me thinking please god, spare me till after the race please.
On the 4th January, our club Christmas handicap it hit me. I was meant to be marking the course but was swooning and coughing and couldn’t do it. I went along and took some pics and to the social as I like to support our club traditions. However on the evening I was ill as a dog. That was a Sunday, 6 days till race day. Monday was the same and Tuesday not much better four days till race day and i'm in bed ill! . By Wednesday I thought it easing a tiny bit. Thursday I had to make a decision and hoping I hadn’t been hit by what everyone else seemed to have I decided to run. I booked a hotel in Sheffield, figuring I wouldn’t be that popular coughing all night in the Youth Hostel and got a lift to the start. Did the kit check and briefing and heading to Sheffield. And I did cough all night. Train to the start with John Vernon and a good natter about the race and Hardmoors stuff.
Start. Well it was delayed 3 hours so a lot of hanging about but at last we were let go. My
Aarn backpack was playing up and I was very grateful for Neil Rutherford, another Aarn user working out what was wrong. The Aarn is a wonderful bit of kit but it is complex especially if you get all the straps twisted.
(Writing this Neil finished. I watched you all the way mate-well done.)
 |
| Kinder downfall. Just before the snow & hail hit |
|
The weather just then wasn’t crazy bad, although the wind was mad. Kinder downfall was our first soaking as it was blown back onto us but to a person we all had our water proofs on. This was something I’d notice the previous year. Not one person didn’t have their entire water proof kit on. This brief spell of good weather, was all to brief. The gale force winds hit us and the horizontal, hail and snow battered us. It has been described as biblical. I’ll go with that. And I was pleased. Pleased because after all that worry I think I got the gear right. I was pretty snug and although it was hard going, especially vision wise I was happy enough.Except that was for the coughing.It took its time to start but heck coughing is exhausting at any time never mind I in the UK’s most brutal race.
I must say i found the weather exhilarating. I always do. I'm sure i wouldn't have said that at the end but weather like that make you feel alive.
Still I was optimistic that it would sort itself out. I came across John Vernon approaching Black hill. John’s an expert navigator but my recce was invaluable (and John said as much later). Every turn or junction came back to me as we came to it and I was particularly pleased just after the A62. The good path here becomes a peat bog track, cut up by mountain bikes and in parts 20ft wide. On my recce I went straight past a tiny white post on the right hand of this track that takes you almost ninety degrees right along a faint track. I purposely stayed right knowing that the post would be easy to miss. Just as I was telling John to stay right we came across in covered in snow. Unfortunately just as we did I saw another group heading over the hill making my recce mistake. I shouted and shouted but the wind took it away and they were out of sight.
At the A672 a van waited and we topped up with water. Not much mind as they were running low. I filled up at the next stream having already used my 2 litres. (I carried a small collapsible plastic bottle for this purpose). The goal was to make the white horse pub and refuel but with the start delay we missed it. With hindsight we were never going make it and we should have detoured on the Marsden road crossing to the great western pub. At the closed
white horse pub John said he needed to eat so quickly cooked something up. I brewed a coffee and which went cold instantly. It was snowing, the wind was hellish and then realised it was bitterly cold. Some guy pulled out here, bivved down and went to sleep. I was a tad worried about him in the conditions.
 |
| Paving stones. Your best friend /worst enemy. |
|
I whipped off my water proof and put on my
Hanger 18 down jacket. Put the waterproof back on and was Ok again. That down jacket was a late acquisition for me but heck it was brilliant. From here it was straight forward.
My recce meant we weren’t glued to maps (which was tough to read in the wind and snow). John knew the way down form Stoodley Pike (which I missed on the recce as I dropped down to mankinholes YH (which was group booked). Just as well as that can be tricky.
We crossed the canal and used the light for the road lights to changes our head torch batteries and slowly made our way to the cp. All the time I was coughing more and more. I put a balaclava on and was trying to breathe through it as that seemed to help with the coughing (possibly by warming the air).
Into the cp and had a some food. This had taken us 16 hours for the 42 miles. I know its completely different but to put it into perspective this is the distance of the Devil of the Highlands race. I’ve done that in 8:45 before. We agree to rest up 3 hours.
No rest for me though as I started is hacking up continually. I left the dorm as I was keeping others awake. I knew it was useless and I just wasn’t well but it’s a very tough decision to make. I pulled out after speaking to John. Gutted.
(John also finished something that pleased me immensely)
 |
| Hardmoors family John & Ernie at the finish |
|
The rest of the time I got cleaned up and helped out a bit. Lass (i now know as Alzbeta Benn) had lost her water proof gloves and was heading out without them so I found mine for her and then as everyone left and the cleaning started I found myself cleaning the men’s bogs while coughing my guts up. Now, really lads, what was going on here? Mud up the walls and everywhere. As the boots come off at the door I don’t understand just how the mud was splatted in and around the sinks and also up the wall. Cleaning boots? The floors took 6 buckets to mop out. Not sure how this was possible.
A hard working spine worker lass gave me a lift to Hawes then to Middleton . After helping get all the food in I was picked up for home.
By the time I got there I was pretty ill and spent the next few days in bed hacking up. I watched the tracker on my phone cursing my luck but willing my friends on. 10 days later I’m still coughing but just been for my first short run.
So, will I be there again. If money was not an issue then there would be no question at all.It's a must do race for me. The spine IS good value for money and the setup is immense with crazy logistics. However it still costs 5 times the cost of say a WHWrace, Hardmoors or Lakeland and for me that’s a lot of money. This year I had a job postponed in the lead up to Christmas which didn’t help. I’m still paying out wages as well so money is tight & coming so soon after Christmas doesn’t help. It’s also a lot of money to risk that can be lost to a cold or an injury. However it won’t be left at that. I will be on the start line again, I just don’t know if it will be next year.
Positives.(lots of them)
Gear.
I reckon I got it right. My
kamleika waterproofs form Ultra runner store were excellent. Particularly the trousers.
The hanger 18 down jacket stood up to the coldest weather. I never got to use the
sleeping bag but im confident it will be more than up to the job as well. Hanger 18 is a very small company but the gear is excellent.
The rocklite GTX boots were very good (as they were on my recce)
The Arrn back pack is a decent if sometime complicated bit of kit. It really does feel comfortable.
I didn’t use poles but I would in future.
A few things I would have changed but not much.
Route.
My recce was invaluable and fun ! After that I did a couple of bit of the northern sections but I’ll enjoy more recce’s. I’d like to know the whole route. What confidence that would give.
Setup.
Seeing how a race is set up is very helpful. Even how the briefing and kit check go is beneficial. Sleeping in Sheffield and getting the train in, although risky in poor weather is worthwhile in my book. (Although I didn’t sleep much anyway due to the coughing)
So an experience and all experiences have positives no matter how frustrating or hard to bear. The trick is to take the positives and put them to good use. Once my pet lip is put away I’ll do that.
