Lakeland50 2018
This was where it all began. The Lakeland 50 race in 2010 was not only my first trail race, it was my first mountain race and my first ultra. In all honesty I had forgotten so much about this race, I guess due to pain and suffering.
Today I read for the first time what to do if you are pulling out at a checkpoint. The humour tickled me. The organisers know it's a hard race and they seem to make no bones about the fact that quitting for anything other than medical reasons isn’t going to get you sympathy - if you’ve not done your homework, your head isn’t in the right place, or if you’ve not done any of the training weekends that are advertised.
I did the 3 peaks race a few years ago. I did the Lakeland 50 in 2010, so surely I must know what I was doing...
On the day before traveling to Cumbria for this race, I hit a pothole on my Brompton while cycling to the office. I was right outside. I was maybe going 5 miles an hour, maybe not even that and I was just about to dismount. The roadworks outside my office have been going on for a while. I came off, my front wheel got stuck in a rut, the handlebar was ripped out of my right hand, and over the bars I went. I was lucky enough to be X-rayed that day and the results were telephoned to me the following morning. I had a fracture to my ulna. When I say fracture, not displaced, stable. Painful yes, mobile no. Ability to open and close bottles - depended on the number of painkillers.
So, I made the decision to go. I was told over the phone that I had to be careful. I planned to be - I hadn’t fallen on the trail for a long time. From memory there was no scrambling - I couldn’t remember a lot of climbing up anything. It was game on.
We were making good progress en-route to Cumbria when all of a sudden the race director sent an email saying to avoid the M6 - it had been closed in both directions due to a lorry hitting a bridge. We were too far north now to avoid it very easily, but we cut south of Manchester up to the A65 near Skipton. So did everyone else. The journey was horrendous. I was starting to think that this race would be my ‘Moby Dick”.
We made it to our AirB&B and things started to ease. We had arranged to meet Nick that evening for dinner, Nick carb-loading with a few craft ales.
In the morning was the start of the race registration. Mandatory kit check, issued maps, route book, number, buff and cup. Most races now are becoming more responsible with plastic and the use of re-usable cups. I’m a big fan. I’m not sure how this will translate to road running, but for trail it's great.
I put the buff in my bag. I’d wear it later, if I finished. I have a bit of a superstition about wearing race-labeled vests before I’ve finished the race. In a lot of races you see people running in the race t-shirt, but I feel that I haven’t earned it yet and I don’t want to tempt fate. I have one t-shirt that I can't wear. I don’t want another.
All the race prep done, we met Nick, pitching a tent at the school. His girlfriend lives an hour away, but this was easier with logistics and he had other friends coming from his ‘hash’ club to partake. We lazed around for a few hours before heading back to our digs for some final race prep. Nick's girlfriend, Jess, had done the race in the past few years and she had said that she didn’t think the checkpoints were as good as the year I had done it, so I opted to take more than I had thought I was going to. I prefer to be more natural, ie. nuts, meat, protein balls rather than gels. I had ordered some 33shakes but they hadn’t made it in time. I did though have Precision Hydration tabs that I used on Marathon des Sables. In the two ultras I had done this year, I had got cramps at the later stage. I didn’t get any on MDS so I thought I would give them a go again.
We arrived back in Coniston to watch the start of the 100. I missed this in 2010 due to arriving late in Cumbria after work. The atmosphere was electric. A few minutes prior to the race starting, a tenor sang “Nessun Dorma” - it was akin to the start of the UTMB. Slightly smaller scale, but wow. Goosebumps certainly arose. Crowds had gathered and lined the streets. It was a spectacle. The Lakeland 100 competitors set off from Coniston at 18:30 on the Friday, the 50 at 11:30 on Saturday from Dalemain Estate. The idea is that everyone should finish by 11:30 am on the Sunday back in Coniston. We watched the 100 leave and then we rushed to Seathwaite to watch them through the first CP. We waited until the majority were through. Some looked very relaxed - a few looked to have been working hard, even though it was still 28 degrees Celsius.
The weather forecast for the next day was around 11-14 degrees Celsius and rain, which I found hard to believe. Yes, we were in the mountains, but we were also in the longest heatwave the UK has had for as long as I can remember.
I was woken in the night to a sound that I hadn’t heard in months: driving rain. Torrential. I know the Lakes have different microclimates from valley to valley but I realized that for once the forecasters had been right. I checked the overnight results and 40 had dropped out. Brutal conditions.
We made our way to the start at Dalemain estate. It was so much bigger than I remember. 856 people were at the start to the Lakeland 50. I think we had around 250 in 2010. This had become a big event. The first part of the 50 is a 4 mile loop of the Dalemain estate, I guess to keep it simple for the 50 and 100 courses to run concurrently and have a great location for a CP. I did my final race prep and ‘admin’ and used my dibber to check in to the starting pen. While in the pen a runner that I’ve gotten to know over the past few years for various reasons, Lee-Stuart Evans, came up to me to say hello. He went to shake my hand - I asked for a fist bump, showing him my heavily taped arm. He asked for my prediction for the race. I told him I was aiming for 11 hours 30. The look he gave me was ‘no chance pal’. Straight talking as he is, I instantly knew he didn’t think I would achieve that.
As we set off, I was in my customary position near the back, not wanting to get dragged along by the speedsters, just pick my own pace and go. I ran with Nick until we got caught up at a stile. After that I got into my rhythm. No map or road book were needed for the first part. I had the GPX on my watch, but it wasn’t needed either, there was such a long procession of people. The lap around Dalemain was also accompanied by friends, family and dogs - the Lakeland 4 as Lee-Stuart Evans called it. I didn’t see him on the loop. A lot of it was lined by the spectators, especially the southern part just before heading to Pooley Bridge. As we headed south, mainly on flat farmland, we could see the mountains of the Lake District ahead of us, covered in grey cloud, looking menacing. As we came through the town again the streets were lined by people cheering and clapping. This was nothing like I remembered in 2010. Far bigger race, far bigger following, far bigger community.
Coming out of the town was the first climb, not steep, but getting the blood pumping. The road turned to wide trail and pushed on. It was too early to walk. Though conscious I didn’t want to ‘blow up‘, I took it easy. Almost at the top of this climb the trail turned sharp right. On this bend were our supporters. My wife, Jess, and Karen were there. Joking about it being the finish, I turned right and ran across Barton Fell, traversing the edge of Ullswater reservoir. Including the 4 mile loop, this was an 11 mile section to the checkpoint at Howtown. This was easy trail and I’m not sure if I was just not concentrating, but I went over on my ankle and wow.... a stinger. It made me angry, wince, and sweat all at once. Another runner, who I later found out was called Allan, asked me if I was okay and ran with me for a while. I was pleased for the company and he knew not to keep talking to me until the pain had worn off. I also the loved the “hopefully you’ll run it off” comment he made as it was exactly what was going through my head.
Coming into Howtown, I made sure my bottles were empty. A marshall came up to me and took my bottles - handy as I was trying my hardest not to get too involved with twisting bottle tops. “Water please!” I got my electrolytes out and added them to my bottles. It had just started raining and they had tons of food in the boots of cars and under gazebos. I had a few bits, put my bottles back in my pack and headed out.
I didn’t wait or see where Allan was. I knew that in a lot of these you end up pacing a few people around you. I’d already seen two or three guys that passed me and I re-passed, constantly changing places. Not yet in a bid to beat, just in your own rhythm, I seemed to have a good pace on downhills, they got me on the ups, which I was perfectly fine with. One guy had an impressive ‘ultra beard'. We muttered a few words to each other, ‘Well done buddy' as he passed - him the same as I passed. This was how I remembered this race - lots of encouragement from others. As you passed a 100 miler you saw their name and said it with a ‘bloody good running’ as you passed. These ladies and gents were 60+ miles in. They were going a bit slower. They earned that right.
Coming out of the CP was the first big climb, Fusedale, roughly 600 m. The rain really hit hard; hail too, straight in the face. This wasn’t the reason I brought my sunglasses, but they were a life saver, together with a buff pulled up. The climb up was steep and as I hit the summit, wow, the wind. The heatwave in the UK was a distant memory. Although the briefing information almost mocks the southerners, the required kit is for a reason - for your safety and possibly for your life. I did get it, but this was helping reinforce that and I had a chuckle to myself. As you come off the top of Fusedale you come down to Haweswater, another large reservoir. I knew I was right and my watch confirmed it, but I was a bit disorientated and it felt as though I had circled around to Ullswater and I was running along the bank the other way. The trail now was thin and almost trampled into the side of the fell through the fern leaves. It was easy to catch your foot. This went on for a number of miles. Simply stunning scenery, much calmer conditions off the top of the fell, and I managed to get some miles ticked off. I knew the CP was at the top of the reservoir so I just got my head down. I could see the CP and also a photographer - I assumed he was an event photographer. There are few photos of me that make me look like a runner - my gait is all out and my feet are twisted. I had the presence of mind to try and tidy up my gait, although it probably made no difference at all. None. I’ll post the photos if I ever find them
I came into the Mardale Head CP, got my bottles out again, passed them to the staff, and they filled up for me again. Legends, I loved the way the staff just were on hand to help. No ifs, buts, children with jugs of water to fill up, cups, bottles. Was incredible. The food was good too. I tucked into some peanut butter sandwiches and had a cup of soup. I was in and out again quick. You can make up time or lose tons, and then what's the point of working so hard between CPs if your drills aren’t slick? Coming out of here was another climb, around 300 m to the top of the next fell. This gave a few minutes for the food and the fluids to digest. At the top of this section it was runnable again. I still was only really using my Garmin for routing, but knowing that I was around people was also comforting. I had the road book and map on hand, but hoped to not need them. I'd re-folded the book so it had the legs from the 50 and not the 100 to hand, but I didn't recall a lot of the route. I didn't look at the ETA or other things that the Garmin provides, I was just running on feel, happy with my progress. Right then, while thinking about being fine, I went over on my left ankle for the second time. Rather than try to save it, I made the decision to hit the high grass bank on my left side. It probably looked more dramatic to the people around me as I head planted, kind of rolled and sat on the bank. I was sweating with the pain and I think I may have sworn. Two of the people that I had passed a few seconds back stopped to see if I was okay. I assured them I was and sent them on. This wasn't one of those moments I wanted to be social. I didn't sit long before I carried on. There was a lady in the passenger seat of a 4x4 who asked if i was okay, I gestured fine and trotted on. I'd not been going for more than another 30 seconds when Allan came alongside me. He asked how my ankle was - I assumed he meant from the fist stinger, and said that I'd just done it again. We ran for a while talking and any limp that I had gained I concentrated on losing. We started to pick up the pace together. I had the feeling Allan and I would be staying together for a while, we were very similarly paced .
We came off the fell down into Kentmere. This was roughly the halfway point. I remembered this place from 2010 - I'd had a massage here. We sat down for some time to refuel. Again it was well stocked with food, but no massage beds, not that I would have used one this time anyway. We got our reusable cups out, I refilled my bottles and drank Coke, water and had some food.
Allan looked for me and I knew he was ready to go. This suited me - Allan was quick and he knew the route. We packed our things away and headed out the door. There was a slight incline and although I don't remember it being too bad, it was a climb from 170 to 450 m, so pretty substantial. From here, we got moving up the track and climbed a few walls with the stiles built into them - this I definitely didn't remember from 2010 - then we came down into Troutbeck. As we ran through, I saw Jess stood by the road. I waved as I passed and she told me Sam had gone on to Ambleside. As we started to climb again, we were caught by a runner I now know to be Matthew. Matt and Allan, it turned out, had crewed the same CP on a race and knew each other. It became obvious that we were now a 3. Matt was asking what pace we were running, I think he had a Sunnto on and was looking at finish time - he was talking of finishing in less than 11 hours. We had quite a long run on a long section into Ambleside and were steady, all of us getting on at a good pace. Matt was sure we would be in around 10 hours. We all spoke about races and runs we had done. It turned out that Matt was a pretty quick road runner too, having done Manchester Marathon in under 3 hours. As we hit Ambleside we were about 6 hours 40 into the run. I mentioned that in 2010 when I got to Ambleside it was dark and we were already in head torches.
The CP was in a different place this time. I remembered it being in an outdoor shop along the main road. We passed it and turned left under an arch. This was where I saw Sam. She waved me through as I passed and took a few photos. I'd half expected her to be at the checkpoint, which was as we left Ambleside on the far side. Again we were quick through here. Now with three of us we filled bottles, drank and ate. Although I was eating at the CPs I did have other bits that I was eating on the go. I'd been eating protein balls and had had a couple of Caffeine Bullets. I was feeling alright: well hydrated. I was starting to think that I was only just taking enough fluids between the CPs - although I was taking on plenty at the CPs my bottles were empty as I came in. I did have an empty 500 ml in my bag and although I didn't get it out yet, I was thinking that I may do soon. As seemed to be the way, there was another climb out of Ambleside. We passed local fell-running legend, Ricky Lightfoot's house before heading back over the fells. Both Matt and Allan were very familiar with this part of the course but I couldn't remember any of this. The only real part I remember was going through a campsite. Allan knew where the hills were and how runnable the next section was. There were parts we could run and we made good time to Skelwith Bridge. The next 5 miles were runnable flat following the river up through Elterwater and on to Chapel Stile. We came into the campsite that I remembered - the checkpoint was at the far end and this was the most enthusiastic bunch of them all. All the crews were great, but these had cowbells and a very enthusiastic greeter. We entered the tent to the smell of hot food. Tables were set up and there were a lot of blow-up sofas, enticing you into staying here. We filled bottles, ate and got going. On leaving the tent it was freezing. I hadn't really noticed it being warm in the tent, but wow, we were cold. I put my OMM jacket back on and got running.
From Chapel Stile there was an unmanned CP which was just to check you in, and a CP with food and drink at Tilberthwaite. We figured that we were on the cusp of needing a head torch. Matt was clearly stronger here and Allan was keen not to hold him up, but he was adamant he wanted to stay with us. We traversed around the bottom of Side Pike and then a sharp left up. This was a short sharp climb, and steep. We took the more direct route rather than the zigzag path and made the summit quick. Apparently there was a road section coming up and although I don't really enjoy the road, I was looking forward to it now as we could get some miles under the belt fairly quickly. We would be going through 'barking dog' farm too, as described on the race briefing. On a few sections we were asked to be quiet as the path goes close to farms and houses along the route. We skirted around Blea Tarn, past the edge of Blake Rigg and onto the road through to the unmanned checkpoint. We dibbed in and moved down the road. Matt was now eyeing sub 10 hours 15, but we would have to move quick over the final 6 or so miles. I was still trying to comprehend how far it was from the final CP to the end. When we arrived I looked at my Garmin and it showed 4 k to do - under a parkrun, although I knew this was one of the bigger climbs along the route, up over 'Jacobs Ladder', as it had been named for this year's edition. You were asked to bring a pound coin for Jacob, a young child with cancer, who started the Lakeland 100. The money raised was going toward his treatment. I had the money stashed in the zip of my Salomon race vest and asked the marshal to retrieve it. The climb was steep - steps cut into the side of the hill and along Horse Crag. I knew we wouldn't get lost coming up here, but in 2010 we took a wrong turning and ended up on the wrong side of a gulley. I didn't even see where we'd got lost that year - we were still moving swiftly and overtook a lady that we had been running with and around for the past 10 miles or so, since the run into Chapel Stile.
This final 4 k was going slow, but I knew we were almost home. As we started the descent into Coniston on a rough track, Matt started to pull away a bit. Allan and I were still at the same pace. We told Matt to go on and this time he did. We came off the fell and back onto the road. We were almost home - around 1 km, Allan said. We pushed on and we could hear the noise of others arriving - cheering and clapping. We were almost in the dark, 10-15 more minutes and we would have needed head torches, but as we entered Coniston people were cheering from the pubs. Marshalls were stopping the traffic as we crossed the road, over the bridge, past the petrol station and onto the finish road. It was here I started to wonder how emotional I would be. In 2010, I cried as I finished - was that to be today? We crossed the finish line and dibbed in. Matt came to greet us and we hugged. All 3 of us had PB'd the course this year, me by the most: 8 hours and 15 minutes. This time 8 years ago I was just coming into Ambleside. A marshall asked our names and walked us into a finish area off the main tent. It was set up so that you were cheered as you were brought in and annouced, a medal put around your neck and straight for a photo. The photos of me on the Lakeland50 were horrendous. I looked shattered from the off. At the finish I looked nothing short of barely living. We were given t-shirts and ushered around for food and drink. I had a hot curry, a beer and a chocolate crepe - sat down and tucked in. Sam fetched the food for me. We had passed her as we came into the gate, apparently not stopping for photos after we dibbed. It was too much to keep you moving at that point, not wanting you to loiter around the finish. Sam fetched my race bag and I got changed into dry clothes and had a few coffees.
Not too long after, Nick's first friend arrived. So did Jess. We had a chat as he ate too. I had decided that I would wait here for Nick - Jess said he had just left Chapel Stile. I arrived at around 21:45 so I assumed Nick was a couple of hours behind. We went outside to wait for him. He arrived at 00:04hrs, having taken 15 minutes off his previous course record. He had done well.
In the few weeks past the Lakeland50, I've realised how brutal this race is. The conditions were pretty good for us - we had just gone through a heatwave in the UK. I'm not sure what I would have preferred, but we definitely had cooler conditions. My legs have taken longer to recover than I'd expected: tight glutes and ITB's. I guess not having that terrain to train on does put you through it. I'm very happy with the overall race and finish time, finishing 63rd out of 756 finishers, with 70 or so DNF's. I'm sure that's not the story over for the Lakeland race for me just yet... after all, there is the 100!
