Training Log Archive: duncanarcher

OMM day 2. Teams chasing us at 10 and 15 minutes, so couldn't afford to hang around. But a fine crisp day, and plenty to be excited about.

#1 Perversely nice to start off up the road towards Hardknott, firm surface giving a chance to shake out the legs, which frankly felt battered from yesterday.
#2 Ok, keeping up the tempo over Harter Fell and repeatedly looking behind but no sign of the chasers.
#3 Ok, fairly straight through Birks and Birks Bridge and round end of tarn and up. More looking behind, no-one in sight.
#4 Really not sure on the best route, we traversed north round Brim Fell and down the path to Levers Water, across the dam, over and up to the control (very small wobble in wrong re-entrant). Maybe faster over Brim Fell and down rocky spur to dam, but worried about getting stuck on steep ground (but think Birkinshaw/Berry did this and gained some minutes). North round Swirl How and Weatherlam not out of the question, but probably at least as much climb in the end and more distance.
#5 Ok.
#6 Straight is great. Coming through Three Shires / Wrynose start to think maybe we can win this, over half the day done, but keep eating and drinking and concentrating.
#7 Easy up the tourist path and in, keep up a slow and painful jog where we can.
#8 Traverse around Crinkle Crags and again round Bowfell. Seemed to take a while in rocky terrain, but Shane confidently leading the way and we found some ok lines.
#9 Ok, felt a blister burst on the way down to Angle Tarn, but nearly there and excitement starting to kick in so just ignored it.
#10 What a feeling to leave #9, and come over to see Langdale laid out before us, and OMM victory number three waiting at the bottom. Enjoyed the moment.

So there we are. Not at all how I imagined the results table might look at the end. Super pleased to win again, and in the 50th event too. Shane and I worked really well as a team, got enough MMs under our belt to know what works, Shane did some awesome nav when I was having rough patches, and kept us moving when the going got tough.

C • Awesome 2

OMM day 1, Langdale. Some strong teams out to do battle with this year, and not feeling like I'd had the best preparation. The conditions were challenging - not full on miserable, it was only raining and gusting occasionally, but it was breezy and misty all day on the tops, cold if you weren't moving, and needed some accurate nav. And 35km and nearly 3000m of climb was going to be hard work.

#1 Ok.
#2 Bit unsure coming in but there it was.
#3 Skirted Green Coomb and found tarn 400m to west, and wobbled in from there.
#4 Worst nav, thought we were close to top of Ullscarf, but should have gone to it to be sure. Took bearing but cut across above the control, wasted minutes scouting around before finally seeing fence 500m north, and back across slope to control.
#5 Fairly straight just south of line, through head of Greenup Gill valley - maybe down and up Langstrath or around Greenup Edge would have been better? Angled up towards the control, but suddenly I was really tired, every step an effort. Encouragement from Shane above, kept on moving, and he spiked the control without any drama.
#6 Feeling even worse now, legs all cramping up, not even half way round! Piled in some food and electrolytes, and let Shane competently take care of the nav through the hillocks into the control (and punch it - "island in tarn" - ridiculous).
#7 Steady away to Styhead and up Aaron Slack, not catching a team in front it felt like we should be able to, but holding position.
#8 Slow down to Wasdale, bit of walking in the valley for more food, then up another monster climb. Shane generously offered to take my pack for a bit so I could almost keep up.
#9 Food kicking in, got moving down the valley and along the road. Feeling dead again up the stream, then I took a bearing, Shane used 'the force', and we converged on the control alongside Wilson/Masson without too much drama. Turns out this control was quite decisive, Fellbaum/Bray spending quite some time and never finding it (but already 15 mins down), and Birkinshaw/Berry losing 20 mins and the lead.
#10 Climbing the wrong knoll first, then got it.
#11 Ok
#12 Another tarn, another misty hill top, and control taken with some careful nav.

Running in we knew we'd lost time through mistake at #4 (but would others lose more on the course?), and me having the worst bonk I can remember having in an MM. Well over 8 hours on day 1 - crossing the line we said we would not have been been surprised to be 30 mins adrift. Amazed to find we were leading. I put it down to persistence, getting most of the controls carefully, and good team work, each taking turns on the nav when the other was tiring, and encouraging each other to give it our all.

Easy jog in the woods followed by a good stretch.

Easy round Shincliffe

Steady away over to the wicker man.