Lakeland Trail Race and Challenge Garburn 23k 31/05/08
This great photo just in - Wainwright would have been thrilled!
The second race in this series was at Stavely near Windermere in the Lake District. Another stunning venue for these trail races.This is the longest race in the series and voted the most scenic race in England by Runners world. We had set off down to England Friday tea time to stop off near Penrith to go to a friends birthday ceilidh (not a good plan the day before a tough race!) And arrived at our very chintzy (everything has a doily, even the loo roll!) B&B in Windermere at 11pm.These events are organized by a dedicated couple who came up with the idea of a running festival to include all types of runners, from Mountain Marathon winners to 6 year old kids. It's a fabulous day from the first race going off at 9.30 am to the prize givings at 5.30pm. The amazing weather was a bonus and the help of over 100 people kept things running smoothly. However even Graham and his crew couldn't help me this day!
The day dawned sunny and already hot at 8am! Help, I hate running in the heat (here come the excuses). We met our friend Andree at her less chintzy B&B and drove the few miles to Stavely, registered and waited to go. The course had to be changed slightly because some Buzzards were attacking people on a section of land (Buzzards are birds not locals) and a kind farmer had allowed the route to be diverted over his land so the race could go ahead.
Some of the equipment that will get you through the race (Bulmers - are you sure?)We set off, my plan was to go off and get as far along the course as I could before my injury recurred, the thinking being I could walk and still come in within 3 hours! Ha plans! I enjoyed the first 10k, a flat start out of the village and a gradual climb, then a lovely undulating bit to the start of the dreaded Garburn Pass. At 10k my time was 49 mins so I was quite happy. Then a brutal climb over rocky terrain to the top and at this stage it was very hot. At the summit my legs had nothing left and all the people I had overtaken now passed me. I started to run down the other side when cramp stopped me in my tracks, my calf had a dent in it!! I waited til the cramp wore off and was amazed that I could run on it again, however cramp returned several times on the way back, I've never suffered from this during a race before. Once over the pass we wended our way home, over fields, down treacherous rocky descents and over cramp inducing stiles. Then with half a k to go my calf went again and I couldn't move and to add to my pain David came trotting by, feigned concern and trotted off to finish in front of me! I staggered the last bit which cruelly takes you all round the field so all spectators can see your suffering and fell over the finish line 3hrs and 4 mins. I forgave David as I was grudgingly pleased he had had a good run as he had suffered at Hawkshead. Andree had a good run too and we missed Paul who couldn't come as he was at a pharmacist conference! Has someone invented hill running pills? In spite of the pain this was a fabulous race, scenic when you could look up from watching where you put your feet and a challenge for anyone wanting to try something different to running around the streets.
David with injuries.After the race we lay in the field recovering, swapping race stories, David proudly showing off his injuries from a spectacular fall on the way down (he spent rather a long time getting his cuts and scrapes attended to by a rather attractive St. John's Ambulance lady!) and then we slowly worked our way around the food and drink on offer from the various vans. With the race entry we got a T-shirt, a meal ticket for the wonderful Wilf's cafe (hot veggie food, wonderful chocolate shortbread) and a donation from the fee is given to the Kendal Mountain Rescue. Fortified by Wilf's veggie stew, pork and garlic pies, ice-cream and ice cold cider we were finally able to watch the 5k trail race and all the kids races. The winner of the 5k was a Mountain marathon winner who is just coming back from injury and just shows how great it is that someone of her caliber is willing to take part in such an event, no snooty 'I'm too good for this nonsense' here. The orgainsers had made a wee podium for the winners and it was lovely to see the kids climb up and get their prizes which were presented by a star of Emmerdale who also ran the 23k race. The only slight marr on the day was when some local yoofs decided it would be hilarious to pinch some of the spot prizes and sabotage the generator just before the prize giving. We all felt for Graham and his team as they put a lot of work into this and want to keep the ethos of openness to all and not have to resort to extra security and a ticket only entry. It's a shame for the area too because it could mean the events are be moved elsewhere. Anyway happy and sunburnt we returned to Windermere for showers and sustenance before heading back to Stavely Village Hall for the post race party with live music and dancing......yes still dancing at midnight!!
A good day. Looking forward to the next one which is in September at Derwentwater. Look up the website; new races have been added including an intriguing sounding Steamy surprise which involves a steamboat ride in the race! www.lakelandtrails.org. Results here also.
Report and photos Lynn Hanley
This from Lynn's other half...
I've just had this e-mail from David and feel in the sense of fairness I
should forward it to you as his side of the story! For some reason he has
come up as a lady vet in the listings (also unattached which could be
arranged relationship wise as well!)
Lynn> as I am now being victimised across Scotland for my bad samaritanism... I
> am indebited to Rolf Harris (an Australian emigree), who gave me the
> inspiration for this poem dedicated to Lynn
> "Did you think that I'd leave you crying
> with cramp whilst I ran on by....
> Yes"
>
> 3:03:39 HANLEY, David Unattached - Edinburgh Lady Vet 40
> 3:04:29 HANLEY, Lynn Portobello RC, Edinburgh Lady Vet 40
> 3:17:41 ROSE, Andree Unattached - Tarporley
> with my sex change confirmed again I am now clubhouse leader for the
> summer until Derwenthingy....nothing can stop me now whilst the hormone
> therapy supply is good........
Derwentwater 14 k Lakeland Trail Race 6/09/08
This is the 3rd of the series of Trail races in the beautiful Lake District. I checked the latest race report page on the Lakeland Trails website a couple of days before the race to torture myself with the slideshow of the course and a look at the map of the route. A mention was made about the wet summer and how parts of the route would be particularly wet underfoot, so we dug out our oldest socks and checked the strength of our laces and set off on the Friday to meet our friends from the South in the pub near our B&B in Portinscale, a tiny village next to Keswick where the race was to start.
Setting off from the B&BSaturday morning the wind raged and the rain, well rained. We decided to walk the mile and a bit to Fitz Park in Keswick as a warm up and arrived to find despondent organisers Graham and Clare with an Event Cancelled sign. The strong winds had uprooted the marquees in the night and although they had been up at dawn to put them up again the wind caused even more damage and because there was no where to put registration, first aid etc they had to cancel.
Disappointed runners!After chatting to them and receiving our T-shirts we decided to run anyway as the route was marked and although wet was not dangerous. We also felt we had to earn our T-shirt and the pub steak pie we had promised ourselves that night!
David set off to walk (he has been suffering an Achilles injury since his triumph at Garburn, divine retribution perhaps?! (see last report! top of page) )
Fitz ParkSo Paul, Andree and I walked back to the B&B dumped our stuff and set off back to Fitz Park where a few others who had missed the cancellation reports on local TV and radio had also decided to have a go.
I decided I would do a 'Peter' and took my camera to record our adventure.
The first 4k were a lovely flat wooded trail away from Keswick and towards the Valley Glendarra and Paul sped off into the distance on his mission to catch David (men are sooo competitive!). Andree and I chatted and laughed our way round. The river at Keswick was swollen to almost breaking the banks, it was a touch damp! We then started to climb for the next 4.9k along one side of the valley following the little white arrows and km markers. The Glendarra bog near the top was a challenge to keeping shoes on feet and we were absolutely soaked by then but having a great time (what is it about jumping in puddles and mud? Makes you feel like a kid again). There were several becks to cross which had become raging torrents but we managed to not end up on our backsides in the water.
Reaching the top (400m at the highest point) the wind blew us along the other side off the valley where the path became narrow, rocky and slippery. It was very exhilarating and the views were amazing looking back towards Derwentwater and Keswick, the weather only adding to the atmosphere. The steady downhill back to Keswick was less steep and painful than the Garburn or Hawkshead descents, for which I and my knees were grateful.
At the finish we congratulated ourselves and walked back to the B&B to hose the mud off and soak in a big bath!
Then back to Keswick for shopping at George Fisher, tea and cakes followed by much beer and steak pie!!
Roll on Coniston, last in series on 4th October (our wedding anniversary, a feat in itself!)
Report and photos Team Hanley
