Fell run (Old Crown Round) 5:42:16 [4] 23.43 mi (14:36 / mi) +2032m 11:30 / mi
shoes: Walshes 2nd pair
Old Crown Round. Hesket Newmarket, Carrock Fell, Blencathra, Skiddaw, Knott and High Pike, then back to the pub. Completely free route choice - which was hilarious in the clag! Very small field - 42 runners started, and I think at least 5 dropped out! Started off slow, right at the back, and started to gain places coming off Carrock fell mostly be taking straight-is-great route choices. Took the high line over Blencathra, worselled several people who had been ahead of me on the climb by taking a bearing around the side of Bowscale. Gained some more places coming off Blencathra, didn't get the line I wanted to but ran all the way on a bearing and came out a bit far left of Skiddaw House, but still within sight of it. Met Tom at Skiddaw house for a quick chat, then got onto the Skiddaw climb and back into the clag. Caught and passed 3 blokes on this bit, and they were the last people I really saw for the whole race! Easy route over the top of Skiddaw, then off on the BG line down to Calva. Up Gt Calva and cut the corner as the top wasn't a checkpoint - got proper jelly legs in the heather here! Shoved some more food in and set off for Knott. Feeling a bit tired on the climbs now, but noone in sight behind me and the guy who was in front of me was far enough away and moving well enough that I couldn't really catch him. Kept beavering away all the way up to High Pike, onto the home straight. Since I had the old map, I got a little confused coming off High Pike because the old map had a set way to the finish and I couldn't remember if they had said that you had to go that way. Also, I had a very small scale map which didn't have any fields or fences on it, so at least going back to Woodhall meant that I knew I could get in and out of the fields. Did mean I had a mile(ish) road run in though - didn't lose any places though :)
4th woman! Cracking route, and really quite pleased with my run.
