Lakeland 50

[Hes]

ha ha ha...yes, well, not quite as much distance work put in as I was hoping, work got a bit manic, but I'm still looking forward to the L50. Just spent a great weekend in the lakes with a couple lovely runs. Today's run from Patterdale felt like being in Crete and the water was even warm when we were swimming! Don't know what it will be like next weekend but just being in the lakes again will be good.

I'm not experienced in ultras but did my first, The Fellsman, last year on very little training. A handful of long winter runs at around 20miles and a few longer ones with the longest being 31miles, the Fellsman is 61! I am surprised that I completed it but knew at the mid-way point that I would so long as I just kept plodding along and eating up the miles. However, I really suffered on the last few miles and could barely walk for two days after! I'm doing the lakeland 50 this year and this time I'd like to do it justice and not just wing it. I'm putting the miles in already (regular 18/19 milers and a 28miler last week) and I'll gradually up those as the year progresses with lots of ascent too. My aim for the lakeland 50 is to enter it knowing that I can finish it (assuming I don't injure myself and the weather doesn't put paid to it) and maybe even do it well. As others have said, I think its time on our feet that is important.

[Amex]

How much climb is in this 50 thing??

[Roadkill]

How much climb is in this 50 thing??

My Suunto Ambit said about 2.7k but I didn't calibrate the altimeter doofer so it may be wildly inaccurate.

[Martyn P]

My Suunto Ambit said about 2.7k but I didn't calibrate the altimeter doofer so it may be wildly inaccurate.

I uploaded the route to Garmin Connect tonight and the cumulative ascent gain is given as 9650ft. That's not so far from the advertised 3100m is it?

[Roadkill]

Sounds more like it. I hope you had a good day out. Bit warm, wasn't it?

[Martyn P]

Sounds more like it. I hope you had a good day out. Bit warm, wasn't it?

Very warm, I suffered ..... stupid really, should have taken more water early on, it meant that by Mardale I was already getting cramp in my calves. Nearly jacked it at Kentmere, but sat for a while and and drank two litres of water and managed to get going again. Enjoyed it nonetheless, think I'm going to have to go back for another go

[Roadkill]

The cramp must have made Gatescarth fun! My Mardale issue was downing two beakers of cola and guzzling food, then feeling sick for half an hour or so. I vowed to myself not to drink as much coke at the next checkpoint... but it tastes so nice, so I did the same again at Kentmere and felt sick again. Still, everything stayed down, unlike for my friend Frank who exited the Ambleside checkpoint to promptly vomit right in front of two Japanese tourists. Classy! I couldn't really stomach food after feeling sick at Kentmere, so I ran the last 20 miles or so on a few gels, 4 jelly babies and some SIS drink. It seemed to work...

I am definitely tempted to give it a go next year. I keep thinking "Well, I could go faster if...".

[barnyc]

I uploaded the route to Garmin Connect tonight and the cumulative ascent gain is given as 9650ft. That's not so far from the advertised 3100m is it?

it's advertised as 9,728' with 10,069' of descent. I found the climbs ok, it's probably been said elsewhere but the 2,500' from Howtown up Fusedale is the toughest. Gatesgarth Pass is gentle and short enough to be bearable IMO

[Hes]

I was the same re the coke. On the run along Haweswater a guy behind me was fantasising aloud about cold cans of coke to the point where I was ready to kill him and then to find that there was coke at the cp meant that I downed 3 cups in quick succession swilled along with half a cup of soup. I then felt sick and thought I was going to pass out so I left the cp promptly and managed to hold it all down whilst ascending the next hill. I was clutching a cheese sandwich but after meeting Andy Jackson and having a good chat with him, he rightly pointed out that I'd probably still be clutching it at Kentmere so I threw it to the sheep After that I tried to be sensible with my coke guzzling and the strawberry smoothie at Kentmere was like manna from the gods!

The cramp must have made Gatescarth fun! My Mardale issue was downing two beakers of cola and guzzling food, then feeling sick for half an hour or so. I vowed to myself not to drink as much coke at the next checkpoint... but it tastes so nice, so I did the same again at Kentmere and felt sick again. Still, everything stayed down, unlike for my friend Frank who exited the Ambleside checkpoint to promptly vomit right in front of two Japanese tourists. Classy! I couldn't really stomach food after feeling sick at Kentmere, so I ran the last 20 miles or so on a few gels, 4 jelly babies and some SIS drink. It seemed to work...

I am definitely tempted to give it a go next year. I keep thinking "Well, I could go faster if...".

[that_fjell_guy]

I tend to find its best to always drink at least one cup of 'pure' water. I believe it helps the body absorb the sugars etc better. I've no idea of the science but it takes a lot of water to absorb food etc, and I believe that that is part of the reason people get upset stomachs. I'm sure someone with more of a brain than me will be along shortly to confirm or refute this, but I did it after feeling slightly unwell at one point then didn't have an issue.