I wasn't going to bother coming back to this but after a mate told me of some of the comments I thought I'd have a look. I only came across this thread by accident in the first place after following a link while looking for results. I don't normally bother with the forum for two reasons. One is the sheer banality of a lot what passes for conversation on here. The other is the sanctimonious, holier than thou, I never break a rule attitude of a lot of people taking part.
The next time some of you are hammering down a motorway at 90mph and fiddling with your cd player/talking on your phone/eating a butty, maybe give a thought about safety and breaking rules. I know we broke a rule, and I don't mind getting a ticking off from the organisers but that is as far as it goes. By the way, what's this about 'golden' rules. I thought rules were rules. Or are they graded nowadays, gold, silver and bronze maybe. For a gold, an outright ban, a silver, possibly three across the backside with a large studded fell shoe and for a bronze you get your gels confiscated. Don't take that as gospel though. You forumites feel free to bat that back and forth between yourselves for the next six months.
For the record we weren't trying to gain any advantage or cheat in any way. How could we? And I have to say the marshalls didn't make a big drama of it and the nice lady at the finish merely said it was a shame my mate had to rush off.
When he left me we were up on the ridge on the way to Coniston with a pair from Pudsey, who we knew, and a guy from Ratti who was on his own and said he was doing the last section. My mate took off with him and I stayed with the Pudsey lads almost to the finish. At no time was I on my own. So Studmark, (bet that name took some thinking up), whoever you found floundering around on his own wasn't me. As for the time gap on Coniston, we should have been a couple of minutes behind him, but we went on a bit far and had to retrace our steps.
He didn't lie, I didn't die.
I shan't be reading or writing any more about this.
It's all yours girls............I'm off to listen to some Roger Waters..........maybe Comfortably Numb..........much like some of your brains.