Training Log Archive: GaryHouse

THE LAP

Turned up on Friday evening with enough time to get the tent up in day light....it was just a field full of duck shit so glad it was just me and not the family coming too. That sounds like s small gripe but I kid you not.....you couldn't walk two steps without being in the stuff.

Slept fine although the twat in the tent next to me took a phonecall at 3:30am.....3:30am to make sure he was awake! I had ear plugs so managed to get back off to sleep.

Woke at 5am, breakfast was available but it was a 10 minute walk so I just ate my own food and stuck some calories in a drink too.

The race briefing was short and mainly based on how well the course is marked 'getting lost is not an option' that James lad said....

We set off at 6am, bit of a run around the YMCA trails before a bit of climbing through a forest.

I was sweating quite a bit early on, I knew humidity was meant to be high but I also had a throat / chesty cough in the last two days so I was a little cautious..

There was about 8 of us in a group but it was obvious half shouldn't be with us.

I took the lead early here but only because it was tricky ground and once we got to the top and easy downhill running two of them eased past me.

I stopped for a piss, it was a bigger piss than expected so the other two dissapeared and I carried on running but got the feeling that surely someone should have come past me?

I switched my watch screen over to the breadcrumb trail and that confirmed we had missed a turn....just 3km in to the race.

Retraced my steps and it wasn't far but quite steep uphill, looking back on the GPS and it was 1km in total.

The arrow was actually placed after the hidden turn, or one was was missing...either way you couldn't see it running 4:30km pace down the hill.

I wasn't too bothered because in my head I thought the winner was going to be from one of the three that shot off down the hill and the other two had kept going - spoke to them after and they hit a gate about a minute down the road and doubled back.

Next few KMs were easy enough and by the first CP there was nobody behind me, I asked how many in front and they said nobody

Just after 10km you turn up through a wooded area....lots of tape then the tape disappears then tape again then nothing.

Then I hit a load of JCB tracks in the mud with no clear path or signage....again I had the feeling something wasn't right. I started to double back while I checked the GPS which did look off track but then came three other runners up the same route.

I was out off sight so they hadn't blindly followed me.

Short story - GPX file was slightly wrong, the tape was none existent and a bunch of us missed another turn.

I got the fucking map out in the end and figured out we were the wrong side of a big stone wall..

I climbed up the wall and could see the two lads Tom and Bruce catching up some runners on a climb.

Other side of the wall was just brambles and nettles with my legs getting torn up and stung to fuck.

The standard of runner group I was in now was not great due to the amount of time pissing around with maps and brambles.

This was 11km in.....it did cross my mind for a second to just fuck it off because it had not been fun up to now.

I could see the two that I knew were strongest competition less than 5 minutes up the hill though so just cracked on.

After passing a bunch of people for the third time already now I felt a bit stupid and frustrated but soon caught up to this Bruce fella and ran with him for a bit.

He was from Orienteering apparently and running OK so thought it a good idea to stick together for a bit.

We went through a few people until the second CP where he was flapping around and I just needed a water refill so left him

Now on my own, no idea of placing and running with a mixture of the stressful task of spotting markers and using the slightly wrong GPS.

Before you fall asleep I should mention that the running felt easy and good...gels going down OK and felt good.

The marking in the first half was possibly the worst I have ever seen and aside from the fact I had a good chance of winning it just made the race experience a bit shit

There was talk of a disgruntled farmer but that doesn't account for this shit show.

I also know for a fact that they lost two volunteers who were meant to be marking and had to get someone to do it last minute because they bloody told me the night before.

Anyway....running in to Troutbeck (halfway) I was relieved to see a bit of tape for the first time in about 5km and picked up the route I had recced.

I had dropped anyone behind me from sight but no idea what place I was in

Then I gert a phonecall at the bottom of nanny lane on the way on to Wansfell ...I answer because the kids havent been to well and it was race HQ telling me I had gone wrong and missed a CP.

I knew there should be one in Troutbeck so assumed it was about to come up...this lady said I had missed it and was way off track ..

At this point I am stood next to a lamp post with two fucking markers on pointing in different directions.

I explain that I can't be off route, there are two of your fucking arrows here.

Turns out I had missed the CP due to a parked car across the sign for it....it was down a 100m track to a hall then come back on yourself but the 56 minutes it took to get this information while stood chatting I made it clear I didnt want to turn back.

She confirmed I wouldn't be able to have my hot meal.....

What the fuck?

I wanted to make clear that I wasn't going to get a time penalty or DQ especially after the shocking marking - she said they understood and apologised for the marking. I got the impression this lady had already hd similar conversations.

Anyway...

I run on up wansfell and get to the top and don't turn around.

Drop through Ambleside (no marking) but knew the way and up Loughrigg.

Again no marking but I knew the way.

Missing the CP meant I had to b more economical with my water although I did grab some on Loughrigg, not sure if is safe there but it had got pretty warm and I didnt know when I would ever see another CP.

It was marked up much better from this point for some reason although I had already recced it and I just kept it a good effort without pushing too hard.

I could feel my chest tighten a bit and I was starting to cough up lots of shit on occasion but gels etc still going down.

In hindsight I maybe should have pushed on in the more runnable sections because if I had Tom who won probably wouldn't have caught me in the last 5km

With 10km to go I was feeling OK...you go past a pub and a village where the last CP is.

A couple of martials were in the road taking pictures so I smile and run up the hill to the left before they shout - don't you want any water??!

Fuck sake....they were the CP but instead of manning it they were in the middle of the road taking pictures.

It was just a table in a car park behind a wall so being first through you couldn't see the thing.

I ran back 100m and got some water/coke....I lost by 10 mins in the end so it probably didn't matter but it didnt help me wither.

Tom went wrong twice though too and just finished better....I would have like to hang on though because he was slightly annoying at the finish banging on about his ITRA points or something.

Mixed bag I guess. They got lots of things spot on but you can't fuck up the markings that bad....especially offering £400 for winning. The ladies race was even worse with the first two actually missing a good chunk off the course but STILL keeping the positions

Happy with my own running, race experience not the best.....tent is in landfill covered in fucking duck shit.

Easy run + strideouts

It felt cold leaving but soon got bloody warm....listened to a podcast and it all felt much easier than last week. Strideouts good too.