I think Drew was Chief TO there??
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Indeed hung out with Drew and James during the heats
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If I was younger and fitter I’d be in for this challenge - all taking place above 2000m!!
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impressed that the lake is 16-18C in July at 2300m, would have expected it to be a lot colder
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probably very shallow as many lakes like this are
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I’d call it more an event than race today as there was also people walking, it was a time-trial format with groups of up to 8 going off every 2 minutes or so. Well done to TC who got fastest time as well, I think he must have some kind of built-in GPS!
We only got the checkpoints as we were starting to prevent anyone plotting a route in advance, so I then spent about 10 minutes trying to work out the first 5-6 checkpoints but was getting cold and didn’t see people setting off behind me, including TC. In hindsight I should have just set off and surfed the previous starters but wasn’t sure how many there’d be and when I’d lose sight.
Went off at a fairly steady pace to avoid battering myself too early, and was going past plenty of people. One lad came past me on the hill where I’ve seen Rishi in the past but wasn’t really going much faster. We then came to a checkpoint and turn onto a track I haven’t been down but have been curious about, but it says private property but I think they’re generally alright excluding moto’s etc. along that track I was gaining on the lad again but he took a left across the heather and I thought the descent was quite tricky so kept going on the main track although a few others followed him.
When we got towards the bottom we had a bit of confusion where the checkpoint was until we saw some people and it was a small out and back, the lad had gained about 4 minutes on me. When we got back it was a narrow track which I knew the general direction but despite decent visibility could hardly see anyone so was thinking I was getting a bit exposed but generally knew where I was heading, the people just behind me were going a bit slower and falling back. I then saw someone in the distance and the next checkpoint was where I expected it.
We were then on a sandy track I’ve ran on a few times but wide open moorland, I could see the lad again in the distance so decided to push the pace in the hope I could close up a bit as I was fairly sure where the next checkpoint was. I just about caught him when we got there but he’d previously said he’d only looked to that point but I saw a couple setting off and the mountain rescue guy said it was just following the track as far as it went so I pushed on.
I slowed a bit but could start to see two more people quite far ahead but was definitely gaining on them, turns out they’d start about 5 minutes after me and gone straight past me. It was a long section to a T junction and then next checkpoint, I was only about 200m behind them by then and we were heading towards 26K so it was obviously straight on, and I realised it was going to be around 40K in total, but I’d been thinking the last bit was fairly simple on the Cleveland Way, doh!
I caught them after a while and started running with them and we saw someone else, one lad seemed very good at map reading and when he said where the point was I knew the direct way there so we set off, the other lad took a slightly different route that must have been quite a bit slower as he got there about 3 minutes after us.
We stopped again to work out where we going, I’d have been a bit lost here as although I know the rough area he knew the better route. The 4 of us set off and it started descending but on cobbled stones that I’m not great at running on so was falling back a little bit. We got to a turn and the fourth lad hesitated and decided to go another way, this then turned into an excellent descent on a rolling grassy narrow trail then track trail. We were pushing on a bit and the younger lad started to move ahead and I was last of the three but dug in to avoid getting dropped, I missed a turn which didn’t help and had to double back about 10 metres, but it got faster and I started catching them and I think they eased a bit, they slowed when it levelled anyway.
After this second last checkpoint things got a bit messy, I think we were slightly misinformed about the left turn as we thought one was blocked, after a bit of messing around through a wood and then jumping some fences we got back to a decent trail and got to the last checkpoint, which was actually where I ran last Wednesday. We’d slowed a bit by then, I think I could have gone quicker but wasn’t totally sure of the best route and also felt a bit bad after following them 
looking at the map now and seeing where a few others came in I think there might have been a slightly quicker route but only by a couple of minutes.
My watch was dead on 40K and total time was 4:23, but Garmin reckoned moving time was 4:03. I was a bit stiff afterwards and sitting down didn’t help but forced myself into the pool and sauna for 10-15 minutes and although I’ve got a couple of aches I don’t feel bad, especially compared to the half marathon a few weeks ago.
Fairly pleased overall, and had the bonus of finding a few new tracks I can do or modify for routes. Another 10K and 400m of ascent should be alright in 4 weeks and that will be on a marked track hopefully with no navigational issues.
The event was good fun but I’m not sure I’d particularly do it again as I’m quite lazy with the navigation, I can use a paper map but following something on my watch or a marked trail is just easier
I’m almost certainly going to do the 37K race in a fortnight around Ripon as a last decent effort.
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Great stuff Jeff, sounds like an experience!
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Your event sounds bloody ace Jeff, although admittedly anything with navigating fills me with horror. Well done and great write up 
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Nice work - I would not be able to do the navigation. TC still going strong , how does he do that.
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Battersea 10km
54:45
Just about hat I was expecting. In non-magic shoes. Handed Mother’s Day card to my mum at the halfway point.
Nice sunny day.
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Local lumpy 5 mile race this morning.
Didn’t expect much, and thought I’d suffer on the hills.
Went better than expected.
33:56. 103m elevation.
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Cracking result
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That is brill
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Shifting.
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well done mate
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Not a race but did the Glorious Gravel Sherwood Pines sportive on Saturday. Really enjoyed the route. The road sections were pretty quiet but so nice to be able to long sections of wide tracks.
Did bring my road shoes by mistake so had to ride in my trainers on SPDs 
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Had my name down on the waiting list for this 50km, mainly because my mate Craig is doing it and has done the race before and speaks highly of it. I was offered a place last night, so I’m in.
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You are on a roll at the moment FP , great to see after last year. Go for it and have loads of fun 
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Some nice running around that area. I like the look of the 80km race as well - might consider that in the future if I ever pick up my running shoes again!
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Thanks Anna, hopefully will build up towards SDW100. I enjoy the 50km distance TBH.
The real test will be making the SDW50 cut off on April 12th. To say I’m anxious about that would be understating it! 
The only downside to Butcombe is that it’s the same day that LO is going to London with her school running group to do a kids race the day before London Marathon.
She’s in the Big Smoke without us and I wanted to drop her at the station and pick her up but she seems completely unfazed about that (probably prefers it) 
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