Lakes Mountain 42

[Travs]

Forecast looks like it could be interesting.

Hope that the full course is deemed fit to run. I think it's generally a fairly high standard of experience in this race, so hopefully the full course will go on. Certainly the section which i'd guess has most risk of being curtailed, the Loadpot-High Street-Angle Tarn section, is the highlight of the race for me.

Whatever happens, looking forward to a big day out, and by my own meagre standards, looking to 'race' it rather than just completing. Hopefully that doesn't set me up for a failure!

Travelling up tomorrow and hopefully picking off a Wainwright or two, then stopping in Penrith tomorrow night and sunday.

[Travs]

Race has indeed been shortened, missing out the Helvellyn loop. A shame, but when someone as experienced as Joe Faulkner is calling the shots I don't think you can argue, I'm sure if the Helvellyn section was remotely possible it would have been the full route.

So now it's a 25 mile race, which changes tactics slightly. I'm sure we'll all enjoy the extra two hours in bed before the later start though...!

[Travs]

Bit of a beast today. I clocked it at 28 miles and 7100ft. Conditions were very cold, zero visibility, and sporadic snow and hailstorms, very tough going.

Going up Place Fell I had a sudden onset of feeling very sluggish, and felt myself slowing down physically, if not quite so much mentally at the time. Luckily I spotted the signs, and after the painful ritual of getting my gloves and waterproof off, a primaloft on, and then my waterproof and gloves back on, in a snow storm.... I managed to get moving quickly and warmed up sufficiently within 5 minutes.

As for the race, I was absolutely flying over to Patterdale, and must admit the tough conditions were suiting me, and I arrived in Patterdale in and around the top 20, and after a quick turnaround I was raring to attack the second half of the race. Unfortunately on the journey up to Boardale Hause and onto Place Fell I developed a very painful right knee. I was relieved to get off Place Fell summit and hit runnable ground, but the pain had got so intense I was unable to run, and had to take the final 10 miles at a walk/jog/run.

Probably cost me an hour in the process, and people streamed past me and I ended up finishing around 62nd in 6hrs17. So still around halfway point in the field, but a missed opportunity for me to have possibly my best performance ever.

Great day though overall, and much appreciation goes to the Nav4 team for putting the race on in such difficult conditions.

Pete

[harv]

It was a bit wild on place fell. Did you go the direct line Pete ?

[Travs]

Hi Harv, this year I went via Boardale Hause.

I've done both in the past and think the direct line is a few minutes faster, but it does take more out of your legs, and given the conditions today I stuck to the path.

What about yourself...?

[harv]

A bit of both. Talking to folk after who’d gone direct, they reckoned it was slower. On paper it’s what I think they call a “no brainer”. - about half the distance. But the road (or fell) is not the map...
Well done on your run Pete, I like havin a read of your postings on this ere forum.

[Chris K]

Hope you all had time to admire our new trees on the lower face of Place Fell! Planted as part of our attempts to prevent further landslips into the Rooking township below the intake wall. Well done all for competing in 'challenging' conditions.

[RichardB]

I really enjoyed this. We'd had a long day out on BG Leg 4 the previous day, so I wasn't too dissapointed that the distance was cut short. Judging by the conditions on Place Fell, half an hour into the wind on the Helvellyn ridge would have been pretty tough.
I'd been up and reccied the High Street-Patterdale-PLace Fell section twice and I definately benefitted from it, and was delighted to pinch a top-10 finish. Great event.

[BritNick]

Hi Harv, this year I went via Boardale Hause.

I've done both in the past and think the direct line is a few minutes faster, but it does take more out of your legs, and given the conditions today I stuck to the path.

Travs, I did the same as you this time (took the path). Last year I took the direct line and it was definitely faster, including dithering before going back to take the direct line, and multiple rest stops along the way because it's so ridiculously steep.

Here's my race report posted in Runfurther: http://runfurther.com/lakes-mountain-42-2018/

[BritNick]

Hope you all had time to admire our new trees on the lower face of Place Fell! Planted as part of our attempts to prevent further landslips into the Rooking township below the intake wall. Well done all for competing in 'challenging' conditions.

Yes, I noticed the new planting up there. Very nice. It should look good in a few years' time. What trees are they?