I think this is my 9th. Might have been Chris's 11th or 12th trip around the Lakes on this
somewhat excellent and epic race. It shouldnt really need any introduction, but for the
last few years it has been getting harder and harder to be in shape for the race. I get to
about April with a healthy amount of fear and no-where enough mileage in my legs.
I was determined to be a bit more structured in my approach this time.
Realising that doing the same thing over and over and getting the same result hasnt
really been working (I realised that for a number of years I was pretty much just
coasting on historic fitness).
This year, for 6 months I employed a coach to keep me somewhat more on track,
and enable me to get some residue of actual hill fitness back.
It worked insofar as I have been running a LOT more, and in hindsight, had I not been
doing this training, I can't even imagine how bad it would have been.
Chris, as ever, was on form. We had an initial agreement that it would be a good idea
to keep the pace relatively sedate to begin with. His sedate and my sedate are very
different paces. My Heartrate was defintely a bit high on the climb up and over
Silver Howe, and the pace was not crazy as we came through Grasmere, but it
was a little uncomfortable where I was hoping it might be a bit easier. The climb
up towards Grisedale tarn was good as we let the fast guys go ahead. Dollywagon Pike-
steep as ever... a long long grind to the top- there are some parts of this race that
never get any easier. I was wondering if I've ever felt good on that climb- and also
realised that the calibre of athlete doing the OCT has definitely risen in the past few years.
The guys up ahead of us were rocketing ahead, and showing every intention of
nailing it the whole way round.
The top of Helvellyn appeared 1:45 or so in, which, if you're keeping up with your
race nutrition, is still a fair few grams of carbs in by this point. A sedate run down
into the crazy angled clough, where there is now a trod- (never used to be one back in the day!),
and the steep grassy section down to the food point before Thirlmere.
I can't say I was entirely comfortable with the pace, but any slower and it
would have been silly. My main aim was to be able to actually run some of the section
up from Esk Hause, and that means keeping some powder dry up to Angle tarn.
The climb up Wytheburn is long and boggy. It really isn't too bad in and of itself,
and there appears to be work on quite a big new path down at the bottom, which will
certainly speed things up once it is fully built. Up over the top and a contour (again,
on a trod that didnt used to be there) across and over to Sticks path, across that
and up toward Angle tarn.
I was beginning to make small mistakes with footing, but nothing crazy.
Certainly wasn't feeling fresh- but equally, not desperately tired.
We cruised through Angle tarn checkpoint, first full refil of the water bottle,
and then on up to Esk hause- where I was actually able to put in a bit of a shuffle
up the hill. Astonishing. Had I gone too conservatively on the first section, in
order to get some irrelevent speed at this point? Who knows. The ascent to Scafell Pike
is rocky and not really running territory on tired legs. There is far too much opportunity
to mess your race up with a silly injury. We made haste to the top, and then took the
direct line off the Pike. Always a bit of fun. We didn't totally nail it, but then, we didn't
mess it up and were off the steep stuff in short order before making our way down the
grassy sides of the hill. Second full refil of the bottle, and then the run down Mosedale.
At this point I was feeling it and was entering full ultra-shuffle mode. 5 hours and 2000m
of ascent in and my legs didn't really want to play. I know Chris is strong at about this point
and he was very cool about just running at my pace, despite every fibre of his being
wanting to absolutely smash it down through this boggy section.
Getting food in was pretty hard by now, and I must have been losing concentration
as we got towards Cockley beck, going over on my right ankle hard- and subsequently
cramping in my adductor and calf at the same time. Had to take a couple of moments
before I could get going again, and from there it was a bit of a battle to just keep going
rather than drop out anywhere- especially at the impeding road crossing at Cockley beck.
Half a sandwich and another refil of water, and off we went up Grey Friars.
Everyone knows Grey Friars- my main aim was to not stop at any point, and just keep on
walking all the way up. Not something I've really had an issue with before, but definitely
on my mind this time. It took an age before we got to the top, it was almost like an infinite hill.
Then to the out and back to the Old Man of Coniston. The clag was coming in from
the West, and the promised rain was looking somewhat promising. We ran as much of
this section as my legs and lungs would allow, taking a somewhat lower line on the way back.
I also took a spectacular fall as I put my foot on a rock and my inov8s basically didnt grip
in any way shape or form. Pretty annoyed about that.
As we came to the route off the hill and towards 3 shire stone the clag was very much
coming down and we had a moment of doubt about the route. Only a moment, and we
continued on the right line, dropping down fast. Looking at the watch, it was clear that
any hopes of a sub 7:30 were long long gone, and a sub8 was likely, but not totally guaranteed.
Around Blea tarn, and then down and across the fields, time for one last stub of the toe
and very nearly headbutting a gate, followed fairly swiftly by spraining my right ankle
*again* before the final 100m of road to the end.
7:55. A hard day out. 13th overall- and 2nd V90.
Maybe Im about 12 months off some decent fitness. Just need to keep at the training now.
