Never done leg 2 before. So it was a good thing that Stefan and I headed out a few weeks ago to give it a bit of a recce. I've run bits of it, but not as a full route, and certainly not in anger, and although it was a bit claggy when we looked it over, it was even worse on the day of the race, so we were very happy indeed to have some kind of knowledge of the ground.
The fastest a Glossopdale team had done this leg in the past (or at least, the past that is recorded on SI entries) was 1:17:12- which was Chris Jackson and Jamie Helmer. That's a pretty stiff time by anyone's books. The idea was to try and beat it, but with no more cunning tactic than "run as hard as we can and see what happens at the end".
The main thing you need to know about leg 2 is that there is nothing other than up for about the first half of the leg. The first part of that is agonisingly runnable, and if there is something Stefan is excellent at, it is going off at the beginning of a race, hard, and then bashing up a climb at some ridiculous speed. It was all I could do to hold onto his coat-tails, and there were a few sections where I was gasping at him to slow down a little.
Once off the first runnable bit and onto the walkable climb, I managaed to catch my breath a little before, inevitably, it becomes runnable again. By this time we'd overtaken about 4 teams, and had been overtaken by just one- HBT- who we were not really to see again for the rest of the race. Up onto High street, we picked off another 2 teams as the clag started to swirl around us, and we bolted off down the line towards the main path, (hopefully) with the mist swallowing us up.
Fast running down and along, and then the line that cuts under Thornthwaite crag- up and over and a momentary.... hang on a sec- until the wall hove into view, and the ridiculous steep descent took us down. (I wish there were some shoes that were decent enough to enable you to run down that kind of thing- and STILL have decent grip on rock. They just don't seem to exist nowadays).
Across Thresthwaite Mouth and up the steep, seeping rocks up to the top. Fully clagged in now, with no-one in sight in front or behind, we forged on up the hill to the wall line again. I very nearly made a very silly mistake with the nav prior to the next checkpoint. Fatigue was getting to me, and Stefan shouted me back in good time, and led the correct way with me running behind going "doh!".
As we hit the check by the ponds there were a couple of shadowy running figures disappearing into the mist... the next team in front of us. Downhill for a fair old way now, but easy running, so most teams will be nailing it here. Not a lot of chance to catch up with many- but the sting in the tail is still to come.
Chasing all the way down, despite seeing the pair disappear into the mist, there was no-one around until we reached the final sting climb along St.Ravens edge. We overtook another team, then saw Daz F and overtook him as well, and as we fought our way to the final checkpoint at the cairn a whole load of teams came into view as they were about to start the final descent.
To the dibber, and then a hair-raising jumpy/runny descent past people dithering on rocks. The VJ xtrms stuck like limpets to the rock- but were, as standard, a bit on the slippy side on wet grass. The clag was still down, it was raining and we were pelting down the hill trying to overtake as many teams as possible before the changeover. Through the gates- and another team, and then along the side of the road, cross, dib and pass the dibber to Immy and Sarah who shot off up Red Screes.
Kirkstone car park was a morass of fellrunners, either heaving with exertion from the previous leg, or waiting, shivering for their runners to come in. Mark D was there with coats for us, and a lift down should we need one.
The important thing, was what time? what time? 1:16:09. And having had a look at the SIresults page, it seems we were 16th fastest on the leg, which is pretty decent by my reckoning.
As is ever the case. I think I need to be faster up hills!
And as a postscript- the team did amazingly. We came 2nd Mixed team. Absolutely amazing!
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