Three Peaks Fell Race

[socks]

2008 3 Peaks Checklist
Build up races correct? Trog, Hobble, Edale, Mourne - yes
Adequate Hydration? - yes
pre-race massage? - yes
Pre race Carbo-loading? - yes
Pre-race alcohol abstinence? - yes
Pre-race taper in the 2 weeks before? - yes
Plenty of food/drinks consumed on the day? - 2 litres of lucozade - yes.

Improvement on last year? - no (3:34)
Enter 2009 Three Peaks in yet another attempt to break 3:30? - yes.

Goodness me - how the heck can you drink 2 litres of lucozade in one day????!!!!

[Stagger]

Goodness me - how the heck can you drink 2 litres of lucozade in one day????!!!!

It turns you Hypo.

Possibly why he was running with Daz H

[crowhill]

Goodness me - how the heck can you drink 2 litres of lucozade in one day????!!!!

Before setting off (sachet carefully left with registration marshall.)
At bottom of Penyghent (sachet carefully dropped into litter bag at 1st drink station.)
At Ribblehead (sachet carefully stored in bumbag whilst climbing Whernside.)
At Hill Inn (sachet carefully stored in bumbag whilst climbing Ingleborough.)
After race (bottle returned to father, who carefully put empty bottle into his rucsac.)

[Graham Breeze]

wow - what a race! A huge thank you to the random strangers I begged water from. Had lots of gels & energy drink on me but over first half was just craving water, very weird. And another big thank you to everyone who posted advice re taking it steady over the first half, I did & the wheels still totally dropped off in the last 2 miles. Would've liked to break 4 1/2hrs but v chuffed with a 4.34. Great organisation, thanks to all the marshalls & supporters, looking forward to next year already

Well since I only did 4.33 I need not have pushed past you on Ingleborough and suffered abuse from Jon Broxap after all then!

[Marvin]

I see the missing data has arrived at last from Pen-Y-Ghent:

http://siera.sportident.co.uk/threep...hp?course=Long

[BritNick]

Just realised (by obscure means) that a guy I talked to on the way up Whernside - I mean the lower sections, when I was still capable of speech - was BritNick. He seemed to keep stopping to record instalments of a video diary. I'm glad he wasn't doing interviews.
Glad to have met you, anyway, BritNick. I was the wheezing, limping chap in red and white hoops, carrying a bottle of fluorescent pink sport drink.

Hi Tussockface,
I do apologise, but your description of yourself conjures up such a vivid picture in my mind, but I don't recall ever seeing such a sight on the climb up Whernside. Red and white hoops? Did you have to gyrate to keep them up? Fluorescent pink elixir??
Yes, I was taking pictures all the way round (and beforehand and afterwards) - about 80 in all. I've uploaded them onto Snapfish, which requires you to register your details before you can view them, so I'll try to find a more user-friendly alternative. Anyhow, for those who can't wait, here's the link:
http://www1.snapfish.co.uk/photolibrary/t_=88997764

I suffered compared to last year. I was 23 minutes slower, couldn't do any more than jog the downs and flats and CRAWLED up Whernside and Ingleborough. I honestly thought I was going to miss the Hill Inn cutoff, especially when I nearly snapped my left foot off on my clumsy, bumbling descent of Whernside. (Those Mitzuno Wave Harriers left my feet too exposed to the rocks and rough hard terrain. It'll have to be back to more stable, padded trail shoes if I return.) I was well pleased to see the Hill Inn checkpoint brought forward, otherwise I might have been timed out.

I was lucky in that I had no hint of cramp (never do), probably because I don't go fast enough. My time was 5:08.

I was so glad all the forecasts I'd seen were so WRONG. It was a great day.

Nick.

[Chris D]

Just wanted to add my thoughts to the comments on cramp, I have done the 3 Peaks for the last four years and on the three previous occassions have been in bits with cramp. This year after a tip off from a running club member I carried some small sachets of salt from McDonalds with me. When the cramps started (as they always do) going up Whernside over the course of the ascent I had three sachets washed down with energy drink and the cramps gradually faded away about 5 mins into the descent.

I had another two sachets at Hill Inn and wasn't troubled by cramp again in the race. I must emphasise that these are small sachets, I am sure that taking on large amounts of salt is very bad for you but during such an extended period of exertion all I can say is it worked for me - I beat my previous PB by more than 40 minutes finishing in 4.18.

Anyone else tried the same thing?

Finally well done to all runners and my thanks to the organisers, marshals, and everyone who gave encouragement along the way, it was a great, well run event.

[Witton Park]

Hi Chris D - I had a similiar cunning plan, but checked my bumbag part way up whernside and could not find my 2 x KFC salt sachets

Got back to the car to find them on the floor in the boot under the kit bags of the team mates that travelled with me, along with my Ibuleve 10% that I especially bought on Friday night and also could not find before I set off.

The best laid plans... looking at the splits, I was on for about 4:25 - 4:30 until the crmps set in coming off Whernside, but 4:39 at 1st attempt with my previous longest race being 14 mile - I can't complain.

[Witton Park]

Witton Park 'I'd be interested to hear from some of the ladies who got round.'

Hi WP, I didn't get cramp at all in my legs...they were just like jelly going up Whernside!
I had bad stomach pains up and down Whernside though. At Ribblehead I felt really hypo so had had a gel and some jelly babies, and also a carb drink but I think I didn't drink enough water, and I think that's what caused the pains as they went as soon as I had a big drink of water at Hill Inn.

However...I'm no where near as fast as you guys! Glad I gave it a shot though and got round in a fab time in comparison to normal people!!! [/QUOTE]

Thanks for your input MG - I don't think the speed is the issue - many of the athletes had cramp from the low 3 hour guys to the 5 hour + ones, but they seem to be Men, and the ones I saw rolling around at the top of Whernside were all men.
Gel's are notorious for the stomach cramps.

[Wobblehead]

Hi WP, I didn't get cramp at all in my legs...they were just like jelly going up Whernside!
I had bad stomach pains up and down Whernside though. At Ribblehead I felt really hypo so had had a gel and some jelly babies, and also a carb drink but I think I didn't drink enough water, and I think that's what caused the pains as they went as soon as I had a big drink of water at Hill Inn.

However...I'm no where near as fast as you guys! Glad I gave it a shot though and got round in a fab time in comparison to normal people!!!

Thanks for your input MG - I don't think the speed is the issue - many of the athletes had cramp from the low 3 hour guys to the 5 hour + ones, but they seem to be Men, and the ones I saw rolling around at the top of Whernside were all men.
Gel's are notorious for the stomach cramps.[/quote]

So that's what was doing it!