Training Log Archive: Mark3

16th - and gotta free pudding, which is the main thing. It was really good actually.

The race not so much really; reasonable first half with some road, track, narrow forest, then opening out onto some fields before a short steep technical down section that was the best bit of the race. Then from then on (ie, the remaining 3/4s) it was fairly dull; hard-packed earth track for several kms which wasn't bad, just samey, then a 180 degree corner and a similar distance of gravel track. Then a few fields and a river crossing to finish.

Set off far too fast (first km 3:35) and then faded once we got to a hill. Didn't feel as bad as last week though so definitely getting over the cold although still blowing my nose every few hundred metres.

A min and bit behind Matt Nichols which is pretty good actually, although overtaken by Jordan Street on the gravel track and couldn't stay with him. I'm sure I beat him a couple of times pre-Covid so that was a bit annoying.

Em was 99th after falling on top of a child at the start (probably not a great idea to start the main race and the funrun at the same time!) and then helping a crying child later on to restore her karma. Think she still enjoyed it.

18 minutes faster than last year! Which I'm pretty happy with. Although not all of the time was gained where I expected, and looking at James Harris' (2nd) Strava, there are defintiely some lines I'd like to either recce or try out next year.

This year vs (last year);
Whiteside 38:41 (41:43) -3mins
Hopegill 10:45 (11:52) -1min
Grasmoor 21:33 (24:23) -3mins
Whiteless 12:53 (13:58) -1min
Newlands 16:35 (18:34) -2mins
Dalehead 49:53 (49:20) 0mins
Honister 9:27 (10:44) -1min
Innominate Tarn 29:16 (28:42) +1min
High Stile 47:33 (47:54) 0mins
Melbreak 46:50 (52:16) -5mins
Finish 20:21 (22:10) -2mins

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Forecast was for 35-45mph gusts but rain would mainly be further South and so I was hopeful it would be okay; it was certainly warmish at the start in the sunshine out of the wind. Went out quite fast since I didn't want to get queue'd anywhere, which was successful. Managed to stay ahead of 8-pints-last-night Allen until about Whin Ben. No issues with anything up to Grasmoor so happy to be 7 mins up (although I didn't know at the time). The first lady had been ahead of me for a bit but I re-overtook her just after Coledale Hause.

Missed the corner cut back down off the summit, annoyingly, which is probably worth 30s or so. Didn't quite believe it was quite that high up, but it starts about a third of the way down. I was too bothered about not cutting too much by mistake, but maybe I shouldn't have been. So even with that, to gain another minute to Whiteless is good. Conditions were basically perfect.

Did the steep bit much better too, although probably not as well as on the TWA. But there was significantly more bracken at this time of year (SE facing slope). No real route choice to Newlands except I cut the small post-road corner rather than running up the road - note to self; don't do this again.

Then I took the main path whereas James took the Moss Beck which is a bit straighter; I imagine there's not a lot in that one but I'd try it next time. Then I went with my route last time and went up and over, pretty successfully, but I'd like to try the much lower route crossing the wall at NY 19576 16274, contouring all the way around, and then just coming up upon reaching the col. I haven't thought about staying that low before; on the map it avoids all the rocks though.

Down from Dale Head there's loads of nice grassy trods next to the main path, alternating sides, which I didn't know about before and I imagine is what gained me a minute on the descent.

I was confused a little by the flags until there was a course split sign for the Kong Lakes Ultra and I remembered they were on the same day. James took a corner-cut I've never even considered here but which makes perfect sense, to leave the tramway before the end and go around Dubs Quarry to the S, following the first small stream, still crossing the river in the same place. I like that choice. There's also a little corner cut just after Little Round How, back to the path at the junction and then staying 50m S of the path to Blackbeck, which avoids the rocky steps down to the tarn. Definite scope for lots of little savings on this section.

No problems Innominate down to Scarth Gap but then I optimistically tried to climb the scree up to Seat and that was a bad choice, just going around to the rocky stepped path would be better. On the top it looks like James contoured around to the W of the path just after the summit to come out at the small tarn, which looks like a grassier choice than the main path. Could also be user in reverse on Ennerdale.

Going up to High Crag I seem to have found some Weather that no-one else got - I would say c.60mph gusts (struggling to stand up, had to hold on to the floor several times) and really tiny flecks of driving rain that felt like hail it was so hard. Lost a bit of time putting my coat on and doing it up (since it was acting like a sail) and a bit more on High Stile not going to the right cairn (I knew the CP was the W one rather than the true summit to the E, but I didn't know which one I was going to).

Next leg was the one I knew there was plenty of scope to do better, and the 5 min improvement shows I was right. Deliberately went along Lingcomb to the second path below the (very obvious) cairn. I had hoped the path might be nicer than the main one but actually I think it's just very similar. Probably main one would be better next time. But after getting down to the stream (which I made more of a mess of than I should have because I didn't realise the path went parallel for a bit before dropping down, and just dropped down through the grot myself beforehand) and 100m or so, I did pick up a trod down to the Black Beck wall and that route was great. Again though, I want to recce James' choice of heading NW then W from Red Pike to just N of Little Dodd, then curving round N just up from the sheepfold and heading more or less due N straight to the wall. Has the advantage of totally avoiding the stream; I assumed the terrain there would be grim (and maybe it is and he just dealt with it) but it's worth looking at. Probably wouldn't do it in the race without a recce though as it feels a bit risky!

I did the sensible thing from Mellbreak; path to trod and then straight down the trod. I didn't notice the start of the contouring trod but people seem to generally agree it's the better choice if you can find it, so again maybe worth another recce. James just heads due W from the summit down to the path; again something I hadn't considered so that's worth a look too!


Still one of my favourite races and the massive scope of future choices to be made is still a bit exciting. 2 Clif bars and some Veloforte and SIS chews (both worse than Bloks) was a good nutrition strategy. There was water provided at both Newlands and Honister; I took 1L and didn't stop at either but I'd run out just before the end. On a hot day it would be worth taking a cup to have a quick drink at each.

Sad to be missing Wasdale next weekend really, but the Saunders this weekend should be fun.

Easyish loop, couple of hills. Feeling less cold-y now so hopefully can untick this tomorrow.
Looking forward to Buttermere as it's a great route.

Double sprint. Good map and straightforward area meant that one mistake on one of the courses cost me the win, terrible nav just trying to go too fast, cost me at least 30s and lost by 9 :(

Good fun tho and Em did really well for 2nd woman.

Psyched for this since Allen took 'my' trophy last year and I wanted it back!
2 and 3 compulsory first controls were significantly overlapping so very nearly missed the second of them. Then was helped quite a bit by having done this event multiple times before... Have had a control on the ruin before and knew there was a path all the way to the footbridge despite it not being mapped, etc etc.

Didn't carry on far enough to the path up Jep Clough so added a few hundred metres extra distance, then later on was confused because one path was through thick, established woodland (no trees on map) and then again because the path I was on was obliterated by the control circle.

Then the final control was in the wrong place and I spent 5 mins looking for it before Andy told me they'd spent a while earlier and it was on a different gate. Sigh.

Luckily I was well ahead of everyone else and so still took the victory despite this.

Lovely evening and good running. Bit sketchy at times with these shoes, think they're due for retirement.

I suck at proper (forest) orienteering.

There was more vegetation than last year and it was pretty hard to match up the paths on the map with those on the ground; last year you could just take compass bearings everywhere but it was too dense for that this year. Will be amusing to see the splits.

Looking forward to more urbans.

Mucus is en route to solidifying and lemsip meant I felt more or less normal for most of the day.

Cold-infested.