I know Rachel through the Trail Running magazine #Run1000Miles Facebook community. She was very surprised to be asked to do an interview. Hopefully you’ll instantly see why her story is such an important and positive one to share.
How and why did you get into running Rachel?
Rachel before running
As a family we love parkrun and wouldn’t be without our weekly fix – in fact we even did the New Years double and have done a Christmas Day parkrun for the last 2 years (not sure the kids are that impressed with that one!). We love the atmosphere and social side to parkrun as well as the challenge of trying to improve. My daughter and I are determined to get our volunteer shirts this year and will be volunteering each month in order to do so and hopefully we’ll reach our 100 milestone in the summer.
What a moment that will be – to do 100th together 🙂
You now lead a weekly run group. What would you like to say to your participants?
I want them to know how proud so am of them all, I’ve watched our RunTogether group go from single figures to over 50 people running on a weekly basis, new friendships have been made and everyone comes together to get out and have fun. It’s one of my highlights of the week and so love my Weardale Flyers.
How has your approach to nutrition changed?
It’s very odd that the woman who hated PE at school now runs 5 Times a week, goes to the gym, Tap dances, does yoga and core conditioning. I only recently joined the gym and can now be found regularly avoiding the treadmill (I much prefer to run outside) and working out in the weights area.
What 3 words best describe you?
Happy, determined, settled.
What do you think about when you’re out running?
Anything and nothing! I find running really helps keep my mind focused on life itself and has done so much for my mental health. I run to clear my mind, figure things out as well as laughing to myself about the day or marvel at the world around me! If I’ve got my aftershockz on it can be trying to remember the words to the song that’s playing. There are of course the “what the heck am I doing” moments but they’re all part of running and you just need to dig deep, play tricks on yourself and keep going!
How has running benefitted your wellbeing?
It’s benefitted me immensely, as well as being fitter physically I’m far more fitter and healthier mentally. Running helps me keep me grounded when the world is crazy and keeps me happy and sane when things get hard.
I’m lucky to live in the Durham Dales and there are trails literally on the doorstep. I love running on the Weardale Way and exploring local footpaths and trails.
Scared but excited! I know I can do it, but I also know it’ll be a challenge unlike anything I’ve done before!
What else is on your bucket list?
I would love to do all the marathon majors (road I know!) but also desperately want to do the Race to the Stones and The Wall, depending on how Edinburgh goes!
I’m sure you’ll achieve it too! The trail challenges as well will be amazing. Thanks so much. Looking forward to seeing your progress again on #Run1000Miles Challenge 2018. 
All the best
]]>5 prize winners as shown in image below.
Best of luck – please share with running friends if you wish Good luck!
PRIZE WINNERS drawn randomly at 16:20 10.02.2018 are:
See confirmation and more information in comment below
RunEatRepeat.co.uk Camelbak giveaway
This is an updated version of the competition initially run in December. The competition software used in the original turned out to be incompatible with the latest version of WordPress. My apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused any previous entrants.
]]>RunEatRepeat now a finalist in The Running Awards 2018!
This comes hot on the heels of winning the RunUltra Overall Global Blogger Award 2018, plus their UK Award and being a finalist in the UK Blog Awards 2018.
Second round of voting closes 15 March 2018 meaning people can vote again for their favourite.
To vote for RunEatRepeat.co.uk in the best Personal Blog category please visit http://therunningawards.com/vote/205/206#vote
- Select “Publications & Online”
- Select “Blog Personal”
- Select “Run Eat Repeat” and press Vote (You may have to create a temp account to vote for these)
This is the second successive year RunEatRepeat.co.uk has reached the final shortlist of best blog award at The Running Awards. Once again, it’s a real privilege to be associated with some amazing running bloggers I enjoy following.
Thank you to every reader and follower who makes this blog the success it is. In particular all runners who agree to be interviewed and share their personal story – you continue to inspire runners of all ages and abilities
Some more fascinating runner interviews coming very soon
I was incredibly humbled and proud to win the prestigious “RunUltra Overall Global Blogger Award 2018” and to retain the “RunUltra UK Blogger Award 2018“.
With this being a global Awards, a total of 105 bloggers were selected, then 64 shortlisted. To then be selected as the winner from over 7,900 votes cast, I was incredibly grateful to my amazing readers, Rochdale Harriers and network of supportive people who influence and inspire me in some way. Thanks so much to every single one of you! To call the final 24 hours of voting nail-biting is an understatement. It became like a tight finish of an ultra itself – with the lead swapping places constantly until the final hour! This was the message received from the RunUltra team after the integrity of the votes had been verified:
Congratulations! You are the winner of the overall RunUltra 2018 Blogger Award and also the UK 2018 Blogger Award.
The quality of the blogs this year has been extremely high.
We enjoyed reading your blog and we wish you a very successful ultra running year.
The prize for winning the overall global award is a Suunto Spartan Ultra Titanium HR. An incredible bonus and my first genuinely smart training watch with HR. This is set to open up a whole new area of training and improvement for me in 2018 and beyond. Let’s see how progress goes
For details of all the regional winners, plus the finalists please click here. Please read and follow their blogs too – there are amazing stories, advice and general experiences to enjoy!
All the best for 2018 and thank you once again for all your support and positive feedback on the blog posts
Paul Halford asked me to write a short piece reflecting on completing the challenge in 2017, plus offering some tips to those new to it this year. You can read the full post here.
Have a read and sign up yourself. You’ll be amazed at what you can do and it really doesn’t matter whether or not you complete the miles – it’s more about enjoying the challenge
Below are some of my own favourite pics from #Run1000Miles 2017
Here’s to a fantastically enjoyable 2018 of fresh air and trails!
Well earned rest cresting Rooley Moor Road
the married couple
Here he talks about #Run1000Miles, favourite places to run, preferred nutrition and more.
Eddie, what was your reason for getting involved in the #Run1000Miles Challenge?
To be honest, I’m not sure, I think part of the motivation was to get a free ruff. I subscribe to Trail Running magazine and so became aware of the challenge early on. As I reckon that I run about a thousand miles most years, unless I get injured, joining in was a no-brainer.
I didn’t really think about it all that much, but the Facebook group grew and I got more involved in the social media side of things, through that. The group was a real inspiration and it was great to read people’s stories, to meet a couple of folk from the group in real life and to see the photos.
How did you get into running and when?
I guess that it started when I was a teenager in the seventies, growing up in the North East. I did a morning and evening paper-round of about a mile and a half and I used to really enjoy running it. When I got to University and was no longer delivering papers, I started running just to keep fit. This carried on through my twenties; nothing serious, just the odd two or three mile jog to keep the muscles moving. Then my family moved to rural West Africa – no electricity, no running water, but plenty of mosquitos. At that point my running went out of the window. Twenty years later, I found myself living in High Wycombe and somehow I’d become overweight and middle aged. One morning, I decided to set the alarm for half an hour earlier and go for a run. I walked up the hill behind our house and jogged down through the woods. A year later, I was running five miles and the following year I did my first half and a year later, the London Marathon. I’m still overweight (though less than I was) and I’m still middle aged, but I am a lot fitter than I was.
You now live in Yorkshire – where is your favourite local spot to run?
We’ve been in Yorkshire for less than a year, so there is still a lot to explore, I can get onto the moors straight from our house, without ever running on roads; but kicking off with a 500 foot climb without a warm-up is a bit grim. I love running out to Skipton on the Leeds-Liverpool canal and then returning via Farnhill Moor which isn’t too high, but gives great views.
And in the Chilterns (where you were previously)?
There is a very unprepossessing footpath in an industrial estate near the football ground in High Wycombe, which goes between two grotty factories, but ends up in a nature reserve. That opens up a whole network of pathways that go off in all directions, Thirty five miles from the centre of London, I could run for twenty miles, only crossing a couple of roads with red kites, deer and rabbits for company – and hardly a human being in sight. Over the years, I grew to know every mile of those paths and they will always be special.
However, if you want to know my favourite run of all, it is from the Bays Brown campsite in Langdale, down the valley, then climbing up to Blea Tarn and up onto Lingmoor Fell along the ridge and then back town into the valley and through the woods back to the campsite, Six miles before breakfast, followed by a day walking on the hills with my wife – perfect.
Fells, trails or roads?
Anything but roads! My knees are too old (they seem to be older than the rest of me) to take the continual repetitive pounding that road running creates.
What do you most like about trail running?
It depends on the day. Just being outside on the hills, in the woods or by the canal is reward enough. I’m not much into trying to get personal bests and to set fast times; I know my best and fastest days are behind me, but there are times, that I can recapture the feeling of being a kid, running for the sheer joy of feeling my body move rough ground.
Then there are the days when the sleet is in my face, the wind is chilling me to the bone and I feel more alive than anyone sitting by a warm fireside could ever understand (though I like the warm fireside afterwards). A few years ago, I had a t-shirt printed which said, “Running might kill me, but at least I’ll have lived”. That more or less sums it up.
Haha, brilliant! What keeps you motivated?
In 20 years’ time (perhaps ten?), I’ll struggle to walk in wild country, much less run. I know it sounds morbid, but I want to enjoy every moment that I can.
Langdales Temperature Inversion
What is your favourite pre-run and post-run nutrition?
I’m a creature of habit, so pre-run tends to be my normal breakfast of sugar-free muesli. If I’m going for a very long run; say 15 miles plus, I’ll add on a couple of slices of toast and marmalade. For long races, when I tend to be camping the night before, I go for those pots of porridge that you make by adding hot water.
Post-run, I tend to go with whatever my body tells me I need. That’s generally something with a fair bit of protein – it may simply be a coffee with lots of milk. After really long runs in warm weather, I often have a massive craving for ice-cream. Lots of long races serve vegetarian chilli at the end, which is always a good option. I’m not sure that the beer and fish and chips, which I got at the end of the St Begas Ultra last summer was the ideal recovery food, but it certainly hit the spot.
During runs, I tend to prefer real food to gels and energy bars. When descending from Grisedale on the Ultimate Trails 55 a couple of years ago, someone I was running with offered me a mini-cocktail sausage, which seemed a strange thing at the time – but I’ve never enjoyed a sausage so much in my life. Strange though it may seem, I now carry mini-pork pies on ultras. I do have the odd gel or bar in my pack, too, but they often come home with me. I’ve learned that it is important to take on nutrition before you need it and even on a ten mile run, I’ll often eat something at five miles, just for the discipline of the thing. If I know that there is a big hill coming up, I’ll try and have a gel or something about 10-15 minutes beforehand to get more sugar into my system.
What most people don’t realise is that ultra-running is basically a mobile picnic.
Start of UT55
Stickle Tarn on UT55
It is indeed! Do you ever have doubts when running?
I don’t have many doubts when I’m running, as such. However, at the start of races, I tend to be very conscious of being a bald, slightly tubby, old bloke who is surrounded by younger, thinner people who actually look good in lycra. When the said young, thin people vanish up the trail leaving me panting in their wake, I can wonder what on earth I’m doing there. But then I settle into my own tempo, grind out the miles, enjoying the views and chatting to other mid-to-back of the pack runners and I have a whale of a time. I rarely overtake anyone on the trail (did I say, I was slow?), but it’s not unknown for me to be in and out of checkpoints while others are gorging on the flapjack. At my age, you never sit down at checkpoints (unless you are changing your shoes), the danger is that you’ll never stand up again.
I love this quote on ultra running but can’t remember the source:
“If you ever find yourself feeling good during an ultra, don’t worry, it will soon go away.”
Who or what inspires you?
I could watch Nicky Spinks’ film, Run Forever, once a week and not get tired of it. She is a real inspiration and meeting her was a highlight of 2017 for me. However, the thing that really inspires me is any photograph of a random runner out in the Lake District, or somewhere beautiful. I like the hills and I want to enjoy them.
How do you get through those tough runs when you just can’t be bothered?
The hard part is getting out of the door. If I can manage that, I’m generally ok. One thing I find is running out and back routes; that means you’ve got to keep going otherwise you’ll never get home.
What are your plans for 2018?
I’m sixty this year and I have a personal goal that I’ll tell you about when and if I achieve it. It’s probably more than an overweight late-middle aged bloke should be doing, so I’ll keep it under my hat for a while. I’m desperately trying to lose weight and to get generally stronger, but I find that it’s hard to balance everything. It’s great to know that I can do ten back squats lifting 80 kilos, but it gets my legs so tired, I can’t run up hills for days afterwards.
I guess that my real goal is to stay injury free, to enjoy running and to be out along the canal and in the hills as much as I can.
Eddie thanks a million for this interview. Can’t wait to hear more about your personal goal. Also to seeing you again for our #Run1000Miles Challenge 2018. Enjoy another awesome year
All the best
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My blog has been shorlisted in the Sports & Fitness category #UKBA18
I’d like to thank every single reader of the blog who has supported me since launch in 2015. As well as sharing my love of running and food, a big intention was to share runner stories – of whatever nature. That’s what can be really inspiring to other readers regardless of age or ability and your amazing feedback on social media really shows that
This is the first time I entered the UK Blog Awards and out of the 4,000 entries and nominations, I’m one of only 8 bloggers to have got through as a finalist! It’s great company to be in and the finalists are (in alphabetical order):
Swing Out Sisters Personal Training
Expert judging starts 31 January and the results will be announced at the Awards ceremony on Friday 20 April This is the judging criteria and the mission of the UK Blog Awards:
“The mission of The UK Blog Awards is to recognise the unique and resonant nature of the Internet community – from bloggers to Social Influencers and through organisations and individual creators. The UK Blog Awards is the most prestigious, and the only, multi-industry awards honouring online excellence.
Now in its fifth year, The UK Blog Awards continues to celebrate the most resonant and engaging content creators in the UK, those inside and outside of the prevailing trends.”
Better get more runner interviews and posts of my own done! Good luck to everyone!
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Dawn, what would you say to anyone who tells themselves “I’m not a runner”?
I think if you run, you are automatically a runner, but often we are too worried about what others think. For example I will say “I’m a runner” but then will quickly follow up with “but I’m really slow”. I am trying to reprogramme my thinking to be proud of what I am achieving and acknowledge it better. “I run. I am a runner and I have great fun doing it”.
Where do these self-limiting beliefs come from?
Years and years of negative thoughts. They creep into your thinking and vocabulary with stealth and gradually build up until they become your natural way of thinking and talking.
You hear kids saying “I’m an awesome runner” or “I can run really fast” or even “When I grow up I want to be Superman”. Somewhere along the way we lose that belief in ourselves to be replaced with self-deprecating thoughts. Humility is encouraged in adulthood and we are not great at saying “I’m awesome at that”.
That is so true Dawn. We all need to find our inner Superman!
Could you describe your own backstory?
I started running not for me but when my step-mum of 32 years was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I wanted to run the Race for Life for her to raise money and show my support for her in what would be a hard treatment journey. I was 7 stone overweight and hadn’t really done exercise for 18 years, it had just got too difficult and was a vicious cycle resulting in low self-confidence and low mood for me. But I set about training for the run, mostly in the dark. It was really tough to begin with and I cried a lot but I never thought about giving up (which was a first for me). Cut a long and sweaty journey down, I did the run but I was worried that if I had nothing else to aim for after, I would give up running as I always gave up things. So I found parkrun and did my first 5k there. I realised I had started to actually love running (weird I know). So to date I have done 43 parkruns, 3 x 10km runs, run in my spare time, go to the gym, go horse-riding and am hoping to do my first half marathon next year.
Awesome! What’s the best non-running benefit of running?
Friendships definitely – the people I have met along my journey have been so amazing and I have forged friendships for life. And the benefits on my mental health have been phenomenal. I always felt my life was on hold until I was “thin” almost as if then when I achieved what my head depicted as “thin” I would be finally happy and the clouds would part and all would be well with the world. I now no longer hate what I see in the mirror as I look at myself and realise how strong I am and what I have achieved and how awesome that actually is. I know I have the skills and tools to keep myself physically and mentally well and if I have a dip in mood a run even in the rain reminds me of how strong I am.
How would you describe Parkrun?
Family. Epic. Life changing. And so so welcoming.
You came to people’s attention with your iconic parkrun finish photo. Could you describe your feelings at the very moment you crossed the finish line of your 1st parkrun?
That picture was from my 6th parkrun, I think the finish line picture of my 1st was a crying blubbering mess, less joy more emotionally and physically exhausted.
What stories have people shared with you because of that photo?
Mostly that they see themselves in me. They feel running isn’t for them or they are too slow or there is the expectation they will need to run the whole thing or they will finish last. All those things are the thoughts I have had so love to hear those challenges and gently talk to people to break down those misconceptions and hopefully inspire some excitement to consider giving it a go. The other more surprising stories are from the really fast runners that a lot of them actually admire the slower runners for getting out there and giving it a go.
Have you experienced negativity towards you through running?
Not really. I get the occasional disbelieving person when I say I run when they look me up and down and you can see them judging from my size that it is doubtful I am a runner. I have been known to wear a race t-shirt as evidence, but usually to remind me on a bad day that I have actually run 10k before so to pull up my big girl pants and just get on with it and stop being miserable. Initially when I was on BBC Radio and they tweeted a picture of me running one guy laughed calling me ‘fatty’ and asking if I was running to Weight Watchers. I’m not even going to bother answering that kind of comment, but thankfully there have been a handful like that – and usually the responses from other followers are enough to put them in their place.
I’ve had a bit a negativity from my teenager that I am not at home as much but that has meant she has had to learn to do a few more things for herself, which is no bad thing in the long run.
Any advice for others that may suffer from negativity?
Be proud and believe in yourself. When you are kind to yourself and acknowledge your achievements, it’s much easier to be positive and ignore comments which are totally ridiculous and probably more about the person saying them than they are about you. And are you really going to let someone else’s small-minded opinion stop you going out there and enjoying yourself? You deserve to be happy so go out and find it and keep doing it.
Fantastic! So how can people get more active?
I have realised why I never really stuck to activities before, it’s because I didn’t enjoy them. We only have a fixed amount of hours in a day and very few of them (if any) are ‘spare’ so why spend your time doing things you don’t enjoy? Running may not be your ‘happy’, but go out there and find what it is. Because if you are having fun it doesn’t feel like a chore or a slog, and meeting other people who share that same love, you’re going to make friends whilst having fun. Local clubs, sports centres, work bulletin boards all have details of different sports and activities. You might have to try a few to find the right one. Sport England and This Girl Can websites (you don’t need to be a girl to read it) have great details of all types of sports too.
Any plans for a #2018dawnsyear?
Hopefully to do a half marathon without the need for CPR or a defibrillator. The feeling of crossing the line after my first 10k was epic, so I am excited to take on this extra challenge and give it a go.
Finally, any tips?
Look up when you are running or doing your sport. I was always so embarrassed running in public that I used to look at my feet. Another runner coming the other way flagged me down and told me to ‘look up’. She said she had been trying to smile at me to encourage me and I missed it because I wasn’t looking up. She said to be proud.
So that would be my tip – Look up and be proud.
Dawn thanks so much for sharing your running experiences and dreams for 2018. It’s such an uplifting story. Hope next year is amazing for you and that you continue to go on inspiring so many of us to get more active 🙂
Yours in sport
In this enlightening interview, Lynne AKA “Jogonhijabi”, talks about the importance of running and joy of #Parkrun.
How did you get into running and why?
I have always enjoyed regular cardio exercise at the gym however never ran outside until I signed up for a 5k Race4Life in March 2015. I was motivated to join the Pink Army as I liked the idea of all ladies together running for such a great cause. I had recently lost my Nan to cancer and whenever I saw a advert for cancer fundraising I would start to cry so I decided to raise money and and run in her memory. I was going through a stressful period in my life then and despite starting my training in December 2014 I loved being outside running through my thoughts.
What has running given you?
I soon found that running was a great stress relief and helped me work through some difficult emotions. I had also been diagnosed with stress-related high blood pressure and found running helped alleviate the psychological distress which in turn improved my over all physical health and have not suffered with the physical symptoms of prolonged anxiety since. In Feb 2017 I joined a running club, Dagenham88 Runners, and discovered a whole new world. Having been consistently a lone runner, I was amazed to find such a varied community of people. The social aspect of running has further helped me to beat periods of low self-esteem and fluctuating moods. I have never met such a huge expanse of people so encouraging and positive that it lifts self-belief ten-fold. Runners have also helped me to have hope again in human nature whereby I have witnessed such great acts of kindness, selflessness and support.
What have you given to running?
Having experienced this support from other runners I like to give back what has been given to me. I have volunteered at Parkrun, cheered on the sidelines to other runners during races and turned up to track night when I am injured. I have run with runners when they are struggling at the back and kept them company so they could finish. A lot of running is about the psychological strength we need to get through to the finish line. Friendly, kind words of support work wonders in getting us there. Words and smiles cost nothing. I organised a 5km walk/run in my local park to raise money for charity and the majority of participants were non-runners. It was wonderful to support them and encourage them and praise them for their great achievement.
What do you love about Parkrun?
Parkrun really sets me up for the weekend. It is worth sacrificing a lie-in. Far more happy endorphins are produced staying active and meeting positive people than lying in bed. I love the fact people of all abilities and backgrounds get together globally each week for the mutual love of running and being healthy. The first day I went to Parkrun I did not know anyone but was quickly taken under the wing of the marshalls of Barking Parkrun and became newly adopted as one of the family.
The common stereotype about Muslim women who wear hijab (scarf or other coverings) is that we are weak, oppressed and have no voice. I want to show the world that on the contrary, we can be strong, self-assured and community spirited. While many might perceive that hijab holds us back, I want to demonstrate that it can be the powerful force that helps us reach our potential and beyond. Finding our true self is the ultimate goal for individuals. If a Muslim woman loves to wear hijab as part of her identity and she can go out and make a difference in this world then that is beautiful and she symbolises a purposeful life. Criticisms have been that hijab prevents integration in the UK and other populations. I hope to show that hijab does not get in the way of building and maintaining relationships in our society.
How else can we #empowermuslimwomen?
Have you ever experienced negative stereotypes while running?
How do you handle it?
Fundraising for Gambia how can people help?
VLM whats your hope?
Lynne, thank you so much for reflecting on your running story with us. The very best of luck with Virgin London Marathon 2018 and your fundraising.
]]>And I was loving it!!! This is the ‘Dirty Double’ weekend of Helvellyn and Ullswater Lakeland Trail runs. First time I’d done it for 5 years (2012 results here). Gruelling, scenic, joyous. And this was the 2x 10k version rather than the 2x 14k I’d completed previously.
Another major difference this time was the fact that the kids were able to participate in the 10k (Louis) and 5k (Izzy).
Idyllic Surroundings
We’d decided to make a proper family weekend of it – any excuse to stay in the Lakes. And Ullswater is my favourite area. We were lucky too. I hadn’t been prepared and booked well in advance so was desperately searching 7 days before the start and was incredibly fortunate to find a cancellation at Beckside Farm cabins – a more idyllic and remote location we couldn’t have picked. You can book via Go Lakes too. Their incredibly friendly team we able to accommodate our late arrival and Gill, the lovely owner, was able to transport us from the farm entrance to our cabins using the farm all-terrain vehicle (ATV). Boy was it needed as the incessant rain of previous days had created a real mudfest and we wouldn’t have had a clue how to find the cabins. I say cabins because one was the sleep and shower cabin – the other the living cabin containing kitchen, dining, couch and wood burning stove. Our tv was the cabin french doors which offered the vista of Ullswater and starry skies in the incredible dark. Beckside Farm is located right next to the Ullswater Way so not as difficult to reach as you might think. But that’s our secret right?! Their cafe was voted a top pick in Country Walking Magazine too. For us, highlights included seeing their native Herdwick Sheep, Swaledale Sheep, wild red deer. Just look at these majestic animals below. The video below shows the ‘senior’ stag chasing off a new younger ‘imposter’ during rutting season.
Idyllic running
Helvellyn trail is a superb run. Often technical terrain with many rocks on all sorts of angles to test your agility and balance. Running through them in wet conditions is superb fun and you should never let this put you off – many first-time trail runners did the 5k and 10k and loved it. This year I entered the 10k as our son Louis, was able to enter with being 16. He left me for dead! Izzy was able to do the new 5k and said it was her favourite trail run to date! So two glowing testimonials for the Lakeland Trails team right there with no prompting
In terms of running form – for me I knew I wasn’t going to smash either the Saturday or Sunday. I’d been suffering with fatigue for a few weeks so just decided to enjoy the runs and get round the glorious routes. And enjoy I did, taking the odd pic and chatting to fellow trail runners as we headed out towards the Helvellyn range. Laughing our heads off at each other when inevitably slipping on a steep grassy descent to slide for a fair few metres through rain and sheep sh*t! If you look carefully you can see it on my arm and vest in the photo of our backs below
Lakeland Trails events are known for their friendly atmosphere and here we were able to enjoy more of this. From spectators with cowbells, to locals and ramblers clapping and encouraging us all on, to the finish with all involved clapping, encouraging and the Batala Drum Band booming us across the finish line. Great fun.
Louis finished 12th and me 31st – though I was initially shown as 11th because we wore the wrong chips!
Izzy managed 2nd junior for 6th overall in the 5k!!
Day 2: A Smiling ‘sufferfest’!
The wind had picked up early morning so we anticipated the planned route – with the Ullswater Steamers taking all runners across to Howtown – may not be on. Sure enough the organisers had to use the ‘wet route’ back up plan due to the Steamers captain confirming it was too risky to set sail. While it was disappointing not to be taken on the Steamers, we all know that plans are subject to the weather. We also knew the Lakeland Trails team had excellent alternative routes mapped out. And they did not disappoint! The 10k taking us through Patterdale, turning left at Side Farm to run North on the Ullswater Way, several climbs on an undulating first half. Then the very steep climb up between Silver Crag and Birk Fell – as I was approaching that climb, I was able to look up ahead and see Louis moving past a few runners much further up. This was no surprise to either of us – we’d passed Anne Marie and Izzy who’d walked from Beckside Farm along the Ullswater Way to see us. They noted how fresh Louis looked vs. how tired I did!! The pictures below tell that story clearly
Ullswater is much more gnarly terrain than Helvellyn, particularly parts of the original route when running through forested patches. The views on this route as we neared Silver Point were amazing – Ullswater and Pooley Bridge north of us. A visual highlight for me: That view down as you’re about to tear up the descent off Silver Crag and Birk Fell. Memory highlight: Well that has to be the couple who chose to get married at Ullswater Trail Run and celebrated by running the 10k together! Amazing
What a weekend! Shattered, sweaty, muddy – great stuff!
A fresh looking Louis on way to 8th place!
A not-so-fresh me on way to 34th!
And here’s some bonus pics of the Ullswater Way (between Watermillock and Glenridding)
Overall thoughts? It’s fair to say the kids are getting into trail running. We’re not the only family transitioning to one adult with the kids doing the very short fun trail, to now running the longer events. What a legacy Lakeland Trails help create! It really is a credit to Graham Patten and his superb team. This part of the Lakes is pretty special
Thank you to all volunteers! Also Patterdale Mountain Rescue, sponsors inov-8, all the landowners and tenant farmers, Eden District Council, King George V Playing Field Committee, Dalemain Estates, Event Safety Group, Cumbria Police, Ullswater Steamers. You all help to make an amazing weekend
Yours in sport
Jeff