Wasdale

[Kitch]

promted by Pyrat's current signature.

off to the Wasdale race this weekend for 21.7 miles and 8540 feet in the sunny fells of the western Lakes.
A legendary record held by the legend that is Billy Bland 3:21
Ladies record is 4:22 held by Mari Todd - Orienteer, aslo considered as an outstanding record. If it survives the assualt of a British Championship field this weekend that will be confirmed.

I have sub 4 as a target (though Mari did beat me at the 3 shires one year - maybe I should aim for sub 4:22?)
can't wait !!!!!

Anyone else going?

Also Kenny Stuart - a mythical figure when I was growing up.

Orienteers - go fell running - its good for you.

[harry]

Go fell running - it is tremendous fun!

pretend you are Kenny Stuart gliding over the hills or Billy Bland scurrying like a mountain goat.

remember Kitch, pain is your friend.

Jethro is going, will he hold on to his British Championship lead?

[the duncan]

Should be a top field of racers, have a good one Kitch, give Phil Davies some banter!!

hope the weather is a good down there as it is up here in the deen, spanking sunshine, off out mountain biking now i think.

laters

[Kitch]

cheers Bruce
- its a magic day in the Burgh too
it'll make for a tough day tomorrow.

you Rat Racing next weekend ? - bed at ours if needed mate.

[ER]

Go fell running - it keeps you young. Check out the Lake District Mountain Trial on 04 09 05. http://www.ldmta.org.uk; great event - a one day mountain marathon with overprinted maps, si punching and food at the end.

Hope Wasdale is not too hot.

[the duncan]

so how was Wasdale? good race, tad warm?

hope you went well Kitch.

i am racing next weekend, along with our most recent signing, Miss H. Palmer!!

so anyone in edinburgh next weekend, get down to Princess st. Gardens for about 6.30pm on saturday to see the start of the Edinburgh Rat Race.

still got my flat in the burgh though andy, so i'm god for accom, cheers for the offer though.
Bruce

[Nails]

I hear it was a bit hot and lots of people keeled over....

[RJ]

Was on top of Melbreak on Sunday afternoon. Hot as.... Clear air, could see for miles.... juat couldn't quite see Coniston Old Man! Thought about everyone on the Wasdale. What a beautiful day. You just don't know what you are missing!!!

[Kitch]

Well
here goes

I'm such a muppet.
Didn't realise there was a seventh checkpoint just half a mile before the finish. So sailed past it on a parralel path. Would have finished 15th in 4:29.

Actually I was well pleased with my run. Its funny how 4 and a half hours can pass so quickly really.

Psychology is amazing.
The race doesn't even start for about 2 hours. Those first 2 hours (in Saturday's conditions) take you from the start at Brackenclose south of Wastwater over Illgill Head, across the valley and up over Seatallen and up towards the ridge by Scoat Fell.
Then You have Pillar and the descent to skirt round Kirk Fell before the most daunting climb on the route; up Great Gable, luckily I felt strong on this, despite feeling sick on too much fluid and jelly babies.
Leaving Sty Head a local accent asked "want a drink lad?" Looking up I recognised someone - "No thanks Billy" a moment later I looked at my watch 3:22 - I wish now I'd had the presence of mind to go back a few steps and point out to him that his record was safe ! Climbing to Esk Hause I again felt strong, but once past the check point I began to waver, I felt like there was a fuse burning in my head - This section was the only battle I really had on the whole run. Keeping going, keeping focussed, keeping quick feet on the endless jumble of boulders past Ill Crag and Broad Crag. I probably appeared a bit barmy on the last short steep gradient to Sca Fell Pike (slavering and muttering, cursing myself as I passed the massed ranks of plodding walkers). Soon the gradient eased and I could see the final summit, strength came back. Once over the summit I felt fantastic ( seing as it was all downhill ). I rolled down the hill on the main track down the Tongue ( a crappy track).
On the last bit of gradient I saw 3 runners I had left way behind on the summit of Scafell Pike. I just couldn't work out when they had passed me and I just piled after them, to no avail. They had taken a much quicker descent on the race route, via the final checkpoint, while I had been working my way down the main track, missing it out.
Once I'd finished a few people said - "why don't you nip back up and get it ( it was visible up the hill on the spur of Lingmell, only half a mile and 700 feet away), you can still finish well up"
Standing in 30 degrees of sunshine and after 4 and a half hours I asked;
"would you?"
A glance back up the hill and they all just nodded and said "No"

so next year then.....

[FatBoy]

Results now available on SPORTident website:

http://www.sportident.co.uk

[the duncan]

awesome times! almost 4 hrs for the winner in scorching heat. well done though Kitch, and at least you know how you'd have done.

just hope this weather holds for a few weeks more now!!

[harry]

That sounds so amazing. And I'm not sure I would have either Kitch! As Jethro said last night Mari's record is a very impressive one and Billy's but that goes without saying. Be interesting if J can hang onto the Championship at Pen-y-Fan, I hope so.

Long distance stuff like that is all about mind games. I guess I will have a chance to work on that at the weekend, any tips Kitch?

[Kitch]

Main tip for the weekend would be don't try any harder than on an long easy training run / ride etc. until at least half way. After that try and keep going.

Also, knowing you, don't keep up with the guys - they need to go at your easy pace, not you at theirs - If they don't then call it out because you are essential to any success.

On a long day like Sunday and at an easy pace you can eat proper food ( ham sndwiches, rice pudding what ever you think suits) not just bananas and jelly babies. Especially on a bike.

I found on Saturday that there is a limit to the amount of fluid / sugar you can take on. Too much is as bad as too little. I felt quite nauseus for spells having piled in 1.5 liters in a short space of time - it has to be drip drip drip. If you feel sick and a mouthful of water or food make you feel sicker then spit it out and leave off for 45 mins.
(several jelly babies were sacrificed in this way on Saturday - but they didn't die in vain).

Mainly - Its not a race, it a war of attrition.

any teams shy of a man ?

[ifor]

The scary thing about Billys record is that 2 week before he set the Bob Graham record and 2 weeks before that the Ennerdale record (since broken)

Ifor

[Kitch]

I was chatting to Pete Bland after the race he said the thing about Billy was that he ran everything like it was a race, no matter how far.

Just went for it, No Fear.