I decided to go for it on Saturday June
21st to maximise daylight and after my final recce decided to go for a 21-hour
schedule.
I hated the taper. Not enough to do. Too much time to worry - was I getting a
cold? Had I forgotten anything? Would it rain? I needed to be well rested but
couldn't sleep. I made lists and
fretted.
Saturday 21 June: after very little sleep, up at 2am, breakfast
etc then at Pooley Bridge by 3am with runners Steve D & son James wearing
our head torches. Waved off by the
long-suffering Archie, Steve T & Barbara.
We ran steadily, didn't push the pace and
chatted up the first few hills to Arthur's Pike. We were able to turn off our torches less
than an hour later and it was clear that the weather would be good. James kept a log of times and kept telling me
that we were getting ahead of schedule.
We stopped for me to put more vaseline on my feet at High Raise and set
off again at a nice pace over Kidsty Pike, High Street, Thornthwaite Beacon and
several others, continuing to make good time until we got to checkpoint 1 at
Kirkstone Pass 49 minutes ahead of schedule.
There were worries that we had gone off too fast and I would pay for it
later. Also there was a bit of a panic
as one of my pacers for Leg 2 hadn't arrived and my cup of tea wasn't yet
brewed and my bacon sandwich was still in the bottom of a plastic bag
somewhere.
I spent longer than planned at the
checkpoint then set off with Jeremy & James hoping that Janet would arrive
soon and catch us up. She did - and
after legging it up Red Screes she arrived smiling and joined us for the rest
of it, going over Hart Crag, Fairfield, Seat Sandal and so on down to Dunmail
Raise and checkpoint 2. We were now 1hr
16 mins ahead! But all the team were
there, including Lucy and my youngest supporter - the very cute baby Molly. With too much chatting and faffing, again I
was longer than planned at the checkpoint but not worried as we were now so far
ahead.
So, up Steel Fell next with Paul, Pat
& Andy Mac. Again we did a nice
steady pace, chatted a lot and enjoyed the fine weather and great views. We found our way over High Raise (yes, there
are two of them) over to Rossett Pike and then for the first time straight up
Bow Fell on a good line known as Billy's Rake after the great Billy Bland. There are some big hills on Leg 3 but we
continued to make good time, I was reminded to eat and drink a lot and I think
we all had a good time. Pat took over
the notebook duty and we continued to get further and further ahead. Surely this couldn't last? Surely I would hit a wall (or at least a very
big hard rock) and run out of energy after 30-odd miles after a week with not
enough sleep?
We got to Checkpoint 3 at Sty Head an
unbelievable 2hrs 29mins ahead of schedule and I now realised that this really
messed up the plans. There is virtually
no mobile signal in Wasdale but Archie had managed to get word to people that I
was about an hour and a half ahead - but not two and a half! Neither of my Leg 4 pacers were at Sty
Head. Jeremy had arrived to meet Pat
& he had some food & water for me.
James had also legged it up and he had clothes, food (and the emergency
tent in case of cold wet weather!!) so I was able to eat, drink, change my
shoes and socks again, slap on some more vaseline, but after all that there
were still no Leg 4 pacers and I was stiffening up. Arch & Steve T arrived - the dicky ticker
team - and Andy Mac said he would start off up Great Gable with me and we hoped
that others would catch up. Steve D did
soon after and then Colin too legged it up to join us and Andy was able to
return to Lucy & Molly who were due to arrive shortly.
I found Great Gable hard, particularly on
the way down when I started to get wobbly legs and we went slightly wrong (my
fault!). However, maybe the food kicked
in and I began to feel better again going up Kirk Fell. I then realised that if I could just keep
going steadily I would definitely make my time limit with lots to spare and I
might even do it all in daylight. This
encouraged me to keep at it. Steve D was
a big help talking me step by step down the tricky top part of Red Gulley and
over the big rock wedged half way down.
Then the long slog up Pillar just came and went and some sort of weird
elation came over me - the classic runner’s high I guess - and I started not only enjoying it even more
but I caught myself actually grinning like a maniac as I plodded and ran on out
and back to the lovely Steeple, then after another bacon sandwich and some flat
Coke, on up to Haycock, a trudge up Seatallan and finally the final absolutely
final peak of Middle Fell before dropping down to Greendale Bridge, where a
bunch of the support team and the wonderful Joss Naylor were standing on the
bridge to meet me. I was just over the
moon, hugging everyone, laughing and crying and just loving every minute of
it. Steve T took lots of photos
(including ones of me sitting on the river) and produced some bubbly. Without a doubt it was the best running
experience of my life.
Massive thanks to the team - my pacers
and recce helpers were fantastic - Steve D, James, Colin, Pat, Jeremy, Janet,
Paul & Andy Mac who not only ran with me but carried all my stuff whilst on
the move. My road support had a tough
job with tricky logistics and timing but they were also just wonderful - Steve
T, Barbara, not forgetting Lucy & Molly and a special big thank you to
Archie who has put up with a lot all year.
What a team!
 |
| A hug from Joss for Caryl |
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