Sad to have missed the event. I declared I wouldn't be running. Hope the person who got my place enjoyed a fab day in the hills :cool:
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Well, that didn't go according to plan. No matter what food I tried at the check point (sweet, savoury, cold drinks, hot drinks) it just irritated my stomach. Finally had to drop out at at Cray after not eating (or jus bringing it back up) for more that 6 hours.
A few lessons to learn for next time....pack more warm clothes, try out the fellsman menu on training runs (don't know how I'll keep a hotdog warm for a few hours whilst out training???), take it easier at the start.
2nd DNF in 2 weeks.......think I'll take up Darts instead
Well done to all competitors and organisers.
Well that was my first attempt and the Fellsman certainly chewed me up and spat me out.
After going over on my ankle in the tussocks just coming down off Blea moor I tried to run through it but the gentle descent down to Redshaw had me hobbling and I went lame.
Totally demoralised as i was pacing it right and eating well and due to hit Fleet moss before grouping I had to throw in the towel at mile 30odd.
Now wheres next years entry form.
Glad to see I wasn't the only one Kev.
Heres my lesson learned. Don't wear X-talons that are 1/2 a size too big. There was too much give in them and apart from me going over on the ankle the balls of my feet were sore with hot spots causing me to tread lightly which ultimately probably caused the anle twist.
I heard Duncan Harris won it
Top Event thanks to all the organisers and everybody involved for making it all work.
I ended up using all the mandortory clothing stipulated to stay warm overnight, despite thinking there is no way all this kit is needed, as i packed my sac for the race So yes the race comittee is right.
For the record i used WALSH SPRIT LITES, and a pair of £2-50 ALDI running socks and not a blister or hot spot for the whole trip, and the WALSH SPIRIT LITE`s have now covered 350+ miles and are still looking good for plenty more yet, i also think that the balance of cushioning in the Walsh is about right as my legs, feet and joints are in pretty good shape and no real discomfort, so happy days:cool:
Once again thanks to everybody involved including all the runners i met, what a great bunch of people.
Well done everybody, finishers and non-finishers alike – it’s a bit of a humdinger isn’t it?
I too got round without too many problems; my feet ache this morning but that’s probably to be expected. My legs feel fine though, no blisters to report either (all down to my trusty Walsh fell running booties), no aching joints and only the minimal of chaffage to the er… derriere.
Last year I think I was taken along a much better line from Middle Tongue to the final checkpoint before Cray but this year, with nobody else to guide me other than Rachel my trusty running partner (who couldn’t navigate her way out of a wet paper bag and who’s ‘only £1.99 at Aldi’ compass couldn’t even be turned), we just followed other runners along a fence line…. that went on remorselessly for frigging ages; even when we could see the light of the checkpoint ahead, it still took us several (fellsman) years to reach it! Other than that though I’m not sure we made too many navigational errors.
Oh and congratulations to the wiseguy who positioned the wall ladder over the completely wrong wall at the top of the descent into Kingsdale :D
The chill wind only caused me problems when we stopped at the checkpoints and at Park Rash, just before Great Whernside, with the tent opening perfectly positioned to let the howling wind in full on, I nire on froze to death. That said we had teamed up with two excellent compadres at Cray (Alan and the super fit 67 year old Richy) and I soon got warm again once we started hacking up Great Whernside.
Rachel also cocked things up right from the start by whizzing up Ingleborough like it was a 'to the top and back' fell race – next time I need to run with somebody with a degree of intelligence ;)
Well that was fun - I even enjoyed lots of it at the time, which wasn't in the plan at all!
My aims were to get to Fleet Moss before grouping - succeeded by 10 minutes - and to finish in under 20 hours - succeeded by about half an hour :)
Would have been an hour or so faster if it weren't for a minor navigational error on the way to Hell Gap - typically, the one section of the route that we'd recce'd beforehand. The BMC Harveys map only shows one fence line, and I turned my brain off, saw never noticed the fence junction and we swung south instead of NE. Oops.
Was worried in advance about being grouped with some numpties, having heard horror stories. Luckily we ended up grouping with 5 others who we'd been passing/passed by for most of the day and it seemed to work well (they're probably complained about the 2 numpties who joined them at Cray).
When do entries open for next year?!
First time for me, a real buss for completing in 16.5hrs. Not my usual race though; cramps, feeling sick, despair, feeling good/high/euphoric camaraderie etc, etc (is all this normal?) . Nice bit was top of Buckden feeling, I’m going to make it!