After successfully
completing the Spine Challenger in January I spent the following few weeks
looking for my next big ultra. Having thought I had missed out on the Lakeland
50 I was surprised to still see spaces for the corporate team category. This
was a team of either three or four with a commitment to raise money for fixing
the fells. The problem was finding a team of willing volunteers to do this with
me. A friend of mine called Richard had recently set up his own outdoor company
so I offered him the chance of joining the team under the name of his business
Aspirations Outdoor Adventure. He gladly accepted the chance to get some
limelight for his business and although never having attempted an ultra he had
completed an ironman so I was confident he could make the transition. The other
guy I roped in was an old ex-Army friend called Martin. Again he hadn’t
attempted an Ultra however I was sure from doing 10km and half marathon races
with him that he could get through it.
We all live
in West Wales and have the Brecon Beacons to our east and the Preseli Mountains
and the Pembrokeshire coastal path to our west. We decided that at least twice
a month we would come together and do a long distance run together. The only
one we actually did was on the Beacons in February. Apart from that due to work
commitments we never were all available at the same time so ended up deciding
to train alone. So come July we departed to Coniston not really sure about our
ability as a group or if we all had it in us to finish the race. As group
leader of the team I decided that the strategy would therefore be to complete
the race and not go there to compete.
Martin’s
girlfriend Vicky drove us to Coniston and we arrived on the Friday night. The
school field was pretty full of cars and tents but we managed to find a spot
and set up the tent. Richard drove up solo and arrived at pretty much the same
time. We set up the tent and got an early night with the thoughts of what was
coming looming in our heads. In the morning we registered and waited for the
race brief. Marc Laithwaite gave a cracking introduction and safety brief and
got us in the mood. Looking around the hall at the other competitors it was
easy to get overawed by all the expensive equipment and psyche yourself out.
Having done the Spine Challenger earlier in the year and feeling this exactly
the same I knew that in reality the equipment was only as good as the man
carrying it and put Martin and Richard at ease with a ‘all the gear and no idea
speech’. We then boarded the buses and headed on to Dalemain.
Start Point
The start
point at Dalemain is the halfway point for the Lakeland 100 and in the 45
minutes we had prior to our race starting we clapped a few of the competitors
through. The sun was shining and the sky clear and I felt pretty warm sat waiting
to go. I had two litres of water and wasn’t sure if that would be enough in this
heat. However the checkpoints were fully stocked so I decided I would be fine.
We moved to the start line and stayed towards the back. It is easy to get
caught up in the competition and go faster than you want so I purposely did
this to set the tone that we would be going steady. There was a count down from
the start and we were off following a pacemaker who would lead us around a loop
of Dalemain before heading off on the route.
Dalemain to
Howtown 7.4 miles
Now we were
racing I felt instantly relaxed. I stayed slightly ahead of Martin and Richard
and set the pace. I made a point of walking up hills and explained to them that
would be the strategy all race as it is a long way and we need to conserve
energy. The first part of the route is pretty flat so we made some good speed
along the river Eamont however at times we got channelled into a swinging gate
which slowed the field down. Before long we hit the town of Pooley Bridge which
was full of clapping people. From there we started the first climb up a tarmac
road and onto the fells up above
Ullswater. We then headed Southwest paralleling the lake before dropping down
to Howtown. This whole leg was pretty quick and we all felt good dropping into
the checkpoint. We stopped for about two minutes re stocking water and drinking
some electrolytes and then prepared to move off.
Howtown to
Mardale head 9.4 miles
Our euphoria
of reaching the first checkpoint soon got taken away as we climbed out of
Howtown onto High Kop. The climb was very long and slow going and we found it
tough. There were numerous false summits and it felt like we would never reach
the top. Martin started to struggle and the group split up. There is nothing
worse than when you’re struggling than people stopping and waiting for you so Richard
and myself pushed on to the top and
waited for Martin there. When he arrived we had a quick water and food stop and
then started to run across High Kop and downhill towards Haweswater. The
downhill was through ferns and bracken so we had to be careful not to trip over
holes in the ground. Richard was really strong running downhill and pushed on
ahead. I was a bit dubious about this to start with as I didn’t want him
burning out by going too fast, but I quickly realised that he found it easier
going downhill fast. The route along Haweswater was very rocky and hard under
foot. The path was thin and it was easy to get stuck behind people. I felt like
I was having my first low of the race so took a gel to keep me going. Richard
and Martin were both fine at this stage so we made some speed along the path.
It was a long stretch along the lake and felt like the checkpoint would never
come. Finally we got to the head of the lake and it came into sight. The checkpoint
was run by Delamere Spartans running club and the atmosphere there was buzzing!
We stopped for around ten minutes here and got some food down us along with
flat coke, electrolytes and restocked on gels. It seemed to be a natural long
stop for everyone as the car park was full of people sitting and resting.
Mardale head
to Kentemere 6.5 miles
We set off
from Mardale and again started to climb. This was another steep climb which saw
us walking. It wasn’t as long as the last climb but a similar gradient. Again
Martin struggled so Richard and myself pushed up to the top. The weather was beginning
to cloud over and I sensed that rain would not be far away. I looked at the
size of some of the packs that people were carrying around us and found it hard
to believe that the mandatory kit they had in there would be of any use if the
rain came in. There is a fine line in Ultras between lightweight kit and the actual
performance of it if needed. I was probably a Kg heavier than most but I knew I
had quality waterproofs in my bag. Martin reached the top and after a quick
water stop we carried on. The ground started to drop downhill on a rocky path.
Below we could see a long valley with runners going along it. This was the
first long downhill and my quads knew all about it! Foot placement was
important on this stage and again Richard pushed off ahead bouncing from rock
to rock. Martin was fine going downhill and we ran together. At the bottom we
caught up with a 100mile competitor. He was in a lot of pain but full of high
spirits singing out loud ‘You Will Never Walk Alone’. As we caught him the
heavens opened with a downpour so we rushed to get our waterproofs on. We
walked with him for a bit before setting off back up a small hill where the
rain stopped and we took our waterproofs off again. From there the route was
fairly steady and we dropped down to Kentmere which was an old village hall
type building. Inside this checkpoint they had pasta so we stopped for around
10 minutes and ate a bowl along with the electrolytes and flat coke on offer.
We also had a cup of tea with sugar. By now it was getting on time wise and I
was conscious that light was running out. I decided that I wanted to be through
Ambleside before dark and got Richard and Martin to leave their tea and get
going again.
Kentmere to
Ambleside 7.3 miles
I don’t know
whether it was the pasta or the sudden race against the light but we came out
of Kentmere strong. There was a bit of a hill to climb to Garburn pass but we
powered up it overtaking a few people. Martin kept up on this one and it seemed
as if his hill legs had suddenly kicked in. Halfway up I felt a blister
underneath the balls of my toes. It felt sore and then began to sting. I
ignored it until we got to the top and then stopped to have a look. When I took
my trainer off I had a massive blood blister which had popped. I put some
compeed on it and carried on. This worked a treat and the pain went. We pushed
on and had another downhill section into Troutbeck which we ran all the way. Light was beginning
to fade but we still had an hour or so left and would reach Ambleside no
problem the way we were going. Out of Troutbeck was a small climb and then a
run along the top before dropping into Skelghyll woods. The run through the
woods was a nice change although slippy and steep in places. We hit a road and
then had a long run down into Ambleside. As we passed pubs and restaurants
people cheered and clapped which was a massive boost at this stage. We arrived
at the Ambleside checkpoint still in daylight and decided to make it a quick
stop. Martin’s girlfriend Vicky was here and cheered him on. We were now over
the 30 mile point and we knew we were on the countdown to the finish. I think psychology is as important to racing
as nutrition and fitness and decided to use this small win to step up the pace.
I said to Martin and Richard that we were doing well and I wanted to get the
last 20 miles over and done with as the longer we were out in the dark the
quicker we would deteriorate. I also seen another group of three go through and
suddenly realised that we were doing a decent pace and the chances are that
most teams would have at least one person struggling and we were probably up
there in the team event. Martin said by to Vicky and off we run.
Ambleside to
Chapel Stile 5.6 miles
From the
checkpoint we ran through a park before crossing a bridge and heading uphill on
a road. We all seemed really motivated now and talked about where we thought we
were in the team rankings. As we climbed I asked them did they want to win and
they both said yes. I then asked them are they ready to push the pace to give
it a try and they said yes again. We reached the top of the hill and ran
downhill to Skelwith bridge. By now it was dark. The path from here was really
flat and good underfoot and we put in a lot of speed running all the way. We
felt strong and overtook a few people. Martin and Richards’s head torches were
not great so I led the way and kept the pace up. We passed through Elterwater
and came towards the checkpoint. This one was amazing as it had sofas in a tent
with log fires. As we approached the rain started to fall very heavily so we rushed
inside and got some food. We gave it ten minutes to see if the rain would stop
but it carried on falling. We put our waterproofs on and decided to head off.
Chapel Stile
to Tilberthwaite 6.5 miles
By now it
was very dark due to the clouds above. As the route is self-navigational there
are no markers so not knowing the area we tagged on to the back of a group of
four. The weather was horrendous and we could not see much. We climbed a hill
and followed a stone wall. I quickly realised from the group in front that they
were in the team event also and quickly briefed Martin and Richard. One of the
group mentioned something about first place and we then knew exactly where we
were in the rankings, we were in second place! I thought of a strategy of how
we could beat these guys. They were moving slower than what we were so I was
confident we could beat them, but I didn’t want to start the race to the end to
far out. I decided to stay behind them until the next checkpoint and from there
we would have a quick stop and go for the finish. The rest of this leg was a
blur, partly due to the rain, and partly due to focusing on keeping with the
group in front. Suddenly out of the darkness there were disco lights coming
from a tent, we had reached the checkpoint! We got inside the tent, had a quick
sip of water and set off again. The group of four did not leave so hopefully we
were out in front.
Tilberthwaite
to Coniston 3.5 miles
Straight
away we began to climb sharply. We could see head torches above us and knew
this was no small climb. I set a fast pace and was determined to make the most
of the advantage of getting out of the checkpoint first. Martin and Richard
were right behind me and must have been as equally up for it. The weather by
now was horrendous. The rain hammered down and the path was basically a river.
I could not see further than a few metres as the rain drops reflected the light
back into my eyes. I looked back down the hill and saw the four head torches
about 500metres behind. The race was now on. We had to keep pushing on. As we
got closer to the top I looked around and could see the gap was closing. I said
to Richard that when we get to the top we are running all the way to Coniston.
I had done my Mountain Leader training here and knew the ground and was
confident that it was runnable. We got over the pass and started running. It
was steep and wet and hard going. I didn’t look back, just kept running at the
same pace determined not to get beaten. A few times I slipped but quickly got
up and run. I could see the lights of the Youth Hostel and knew that I would
soon hit the old miners houses and be on good path. I looked back up the hill
and saw Richard and Martin had dropped around 50 metres behind and further up
could see the four head torches. I got to the path and waited for the two of
them to catch up and carried on running. I said not far to go and then carried
on pushing the pace. The run to Coniston was longer than I remembered but we
kept pushing until we hit the tarmac. We ran through a very quiet and wet
Coniston, rounded a corner and there was the finish. We ran as fast as we could
to the line and crossed it together. We had done it, we had beaten the other
team in. Now we had to find out if they were indeed in front.
Finish Point
We walked
into the school and everyone in there started clapping and we received our
medals. We found a space in the hall and looked at the big screen to see where we
were in the rankings but it only showed individual rankings. We went and asked
one of the guys on a computer and he had a look. We had done it, we were
first!!! From going out there wondering if we could do it, we had pulled of the
win. I couldn’t believe it and neither could the other two. The prize giving wasn’t
until 12am the next day so we had a long wait to get official confirmation. We
were all pretty tired by now so got some food and then got into our sleeping
bags for an anxious sleep.
The next
morning we got into the hall and ordered some breakfast. There was people still
coming in and I could only sympathise with what they had been through going all
night in that weather. Everyone who came in got a massive clap and thoroughly
deserved it. Finally it was prize giving
time. After all the singles trophies came the corporate category. Marc Laithwaite read out ‘And in first place
Aspirations Ultra Marathon Team’. Boom! We had done it. Out of nothing we had
taken first place. Considering it was Richards and Marks first race this was
one amazing achievement!
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