5 Valleys 2025

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Three weeks after completing the Ratrace ultra, Sea to Summit (read about it here), I was back in Keswick for a return of the 5 valleys ultra. I wasn’t happy with how I got on with this particular race in 2024, which was why I’d entered it again (read about the 2024 event here).

This year we camped in Keswick, which made the logistics far easier as Helen, my lovely wife, wouldn’t have to drop me off at the start. I could gently amble from the campsite to the finish area by the lake and catch a bus to the start. As a bonus, the registration this year was far easier with only select items of kit being checked. Also, being in Keswick we could watch the start of the 13 valleys race. There were almost 200 people taking on the 180 km challenge.

At the start in Waterhead, there were far more people than the previous year. There were almost twice as many entries.

There is a bottle neck close to the start, so this year the route took a detour in the opposite direction, down a side road and along the main road, before heading up a narrow track towards Troutbeck, allowing the faster runners to get ahead. I tried to take it easy as the early miles rolled by.

However, all too soon the intimidating climb up to the summit of Thornthwaite loomed in front of me. I took my time as the wind howled and the clouds dropped. I was very pleased to make it.

In the mist, the route skirted a couple of hills as I ran down towards Hartsop. The first feed station was busy, far busier than the previous year, probably because there were twice as many people. It was a bit of a scrum so I refilled my water bottles and headed off.

A few miles later I made it to Glenridding, and the long slow climb to the second feed station. I rubbed some Ibuprofen gel onto my feet, grabbed some food, refilled my water bottles and headed towards Sticks Pass. This was where I came unstuck the previous year with the steep descent. It was just as steep, but I found that I could still run when I reached the bottom. Last year I’d had to walk from here.

With some company, I slowly ran towards Threlkeld and the third feed station. The route was altered slightly to avoid a very boggy and muddy section. It wasn’t raining either, despite the forecast, which had said rain from 1 pm.

However, I was in for a nasty surprise as I walked up the hill to the village. The feed station had been moved 2 km further on, and it was all uphill. Upon gratefully reaching it, I changed my socks, refilled my water bottles and had a packet of crisps. Lots of kudos to the helpers who were in for a very long day and night.

The moved feed station actually helped as there was now very little climbing left to do, as the route skirted around below Lonscale Pike. Last year I was grumbling to myself as dozens of people ran past me. This year, it was me slowly overtaking people. I was almost flying as I reached the Skiddaw carpark. Downhill all the way.

As I slowly ran towards Keswick, I was overtaken by someone going full pelt. He was the leader of the 110 km race and finished in 11 and a half hours.

Back into Keswick and I was smiling as I spotted Helen and Gordon, our English Pointer.

The route then headed away from the lake before the finish line, allowing Helen and Gordon to be there waiting for me. I was shattered, but I was incredibly pleased with my time, which was much quicker than the previous year. I was also pleased that I managed to continue running to the very end, even though I had walked up almost every ascent.

Almost as soon as I finished it started to rain.

I can’t thank Helen enough for supporting me and helping me back to the campsite. I was walking like an old man.

Despite how well organised this event is, I won’t be doing it next year. However, the first feed station was busy and the results don’t include a breakdown for age groups, which is a shame.

Also of note was that the winner of the 180 km event finished in just over 24 hours, looking fresher than I did at the start. The winner of my event finished in under 5 hours, which I can’t comprehend.

If you wanted to give me some kudos, my Strava run is here.

Sea to Summit, Seascale to Scafell Pike

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Last weekend I took part in my “big” event for the year, Seascale to Scafell Pike. This race was part of a series of races organised by Rat Race, with the other two races being Snowdonia and Ben Nevis.

My amazing wife, Helen, completed The Wall in the summer, another Rat Race event, which was over twice as long as my race. She was incredibly enthusiastic about how good they were, and I have to agree.

We booked a campsite in Ravenglass for three nights, with the whole of Friday set aside for me to relax and literally do nothing. The day before The Lap, I did too much, which is part of the reason why I ended up with a DNF.

Amazingly, there was no kick check or registration the day before. All I had to do was go to the sports centre in Seascale on the morning and collect my tracker. Massive thank you to Helen for dropping me off at the start.

There were two waves, both starting on the beach, and both with approximately 175 participants. This was far less than The Wall, although there were enough people that there was always someone in sight.

The route out to Wasdale Head was 14 miles, mostly on the road, which was tough on my feet as I was wearing trail shoes even though they are the best trail shoes in the world (Read why here). There was also a feed station at 6.5 miles, where I refilled my water and grabbed some Haribo.

I was pleased to see the second feed station at Wasdale Head, as the road alongside Wast Water was busy with cars and had a nasty camber at the edge. At the second feed station, I filled all four of my water bottles, rubbed some Ibuprofen gel onto my feet and grabbed more Haribo, before setting off up the largest mountain in England.

It was busy, with hundreds of people making the ascent in almost perfect conditions. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see the almost never ending snake of people heading up.

I have to say, that while Scafell Pike was tough, it wasn’t too bad, with good conditions under foot and hardly any technical sections. The views across Wast Water weren’t too bad either.

As I reached the summit, the wind picked up, and as is often the case, the summit was shrouded in clouds. I was holding my cap in my hand so that I didn’t lose it!

From the top of Scafell Pike it was back down. However, the route back was via Sca Fell. The route went down to Mickledore, the site of mountain rescue box. A little further down, on a tricky descent, it was then up. The route went up Foxes Rake, which looked terrifying to me, with steep rocks and plenty of scrambling. I can imagine 25 years ago I wouldn’t have blinked twice. Fortunately, the organisers had made sure that there were four very experienced guides to help everyone, if they needed it, through each steep section.

I have to say that I was pleased to see the top of Sca Fell. I wasn’t pleased about the steep, technical descent with loose scree. I think everyone ended up on their arse at least once. The descent also seemed to go on forever.

The final sting, was the climb up Illgill Head, which was steeper and harder than I had expected. However, it was nice to be able to see Seascale from the top. The last climb was over the fourth Wainwright of the day, Whin Rigg.

By this point my legs were hammered and I was looking forward to a nice steady descent. In places, it was. In other places the going was hard with boggy sections and rocky sections. I was incredibly pleased to see the final feed station, which was the same one as the first one. Only 6 and a half miles to go. I refilled my water, took a couple of paracetamols, changed my socks, stuffed my face with food and phoned Helen to say that I was on my way.

There were a few people glad to see the final feed station. Despite it only being 12 miles from Wasdale Head, it had taken over four hours. I was pleased that I had two litres of water, as I’d needed every drop.

With my legs feeling it, I mostly power walked back through Drigg and onto the sands south of Seascale. Almost everyone I saw at that time was also walking. Back into Seascale and as the finish line came into sight, I could see Helen and Gordon. I even managed to run the last few hundred meters.

Suitably shattered and a free official photo.

Smiling, with the route displayed behind me.

Gordon and Helen were both happy to see me after a very long day in the fells.

Would I do it again? Probably not. However, I am thinking about entering the Ben Nevis version of Sea to Summit next year. Amazingly, despite Ben Nevis being so much higher than Scafell Pike, the overall elevation of the two events is the same, with the Ben Nevis event also being two miles shorter.

Overall, the race was well organised and unusual. I was surprised that there weren’t more entrants, considering how popular some of Rat Race’s other events are. A week after the event, and legs appear to have completely recovered, which is a good thing as I had entered Five Valleys again.

The Best Trail Shoes in the World… Ever

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That is a very bold claim and trust me when I say it isn’t something I would usually write. However, after using trail shoes by 361 Degrees, namely the Futura, this isn’t hyperbole. Note, the trail shoes are the green and black pair on the right.

Over the years I have tried various trail shoes, mostly the Saucony Peregrine. (Read my review here). I’ve also tried a pair of Asics Trabuco Max. (Read about them here). Both pairs of shoes have their limitations. The Peregrine’s feel great on your feet and are great on the fells, especially if it is wet and muddy. However, they have very little cushioning and are very hard on your feet when the trails are firm or on the road. The Trabuco were the opposite. Great on firm trails and the road, but terrible on the fells when the terrain is tricky.

Anyway, last summer I was in need of a new pair of trail shoes and I visited my local running shop, The Runners Centre. I was moaning about not being able to find appropriate trail shoes when Nick suggested the Futura. I tried them on and they instantly felt great.

They have a hard wearing Vibram sole, decent uppers which haven’t worn through in 300 miles, good grip and almost as much cushioning as a road shoe. Within half an hour of my first trail run wearing them I was happy. They are the shoes that I wore when I successfully completed the Five Valleys Ultra last year. (Read about it here). A friend of me and my wife completed the Spine race wearing a pair of them.

Not only are they great for trail running, I have been using them when me and my lovely wife, Helen, have been walking in the fells. Helen has also bought a pair which she wore when she successfully walked the Rat Race event The Wall. A full 70 mile ultra from Carlisle to Newcastle, following the route of Hadrian’s Wall.

Suffice it to say, neither me or Helen will be trading in our Futura’s anytime soon, except possibly for the new Futura 2.

Kairos 2, also by 361 Degrees

A few months ago I was chatting with the owner of the Runners Centre about the Futura, and he very kindly managed to obtain me a free pair of the road equivalent, namely the Kairos 2, the blue pair of shoes on the left in the photo above.

I did my first triathlon in 1991, so it is fair to say that I’ve used many different makes and models of running shoes, some good, some not so good. For many years I used the Asics GT2000 range, only swapping over to Brooks ten or twelve years ago. I was very happy with my go to Brooks shoe, that is until they changed it slightly. I really didn’t like the new version, and swapped over to New Balance 860. For the last three or four years, these have been my go to road shoe, often having two pairs on the go at once.

How would the Kairos 2 fair against the 860? Very well as it turns out. The Kairos take a little longer to bed in, but I’m incredibly happy with them, especially as they were free! I’ve currently used them for just over 100 miles. I’ve used them for a speedy parkrun, gentle runs and for longer runs, and I have to say that I am very impressed.

A few years ago, when trying on different running shoes, I tried on a pair from 361 and didn’t like them. They felt hard, almost like running in clogs. I am very happy to say that the new version is very comfortable with just the right amount of cushioning for me.

I was chatting with Nick, who works at the Runners Centre earlier in the week, and he said that they have become one of their best selling shoes. My current pair of New Balance have done 400 miles and I will be looking at replacing them soon. It will be a hard decision to go with another pair of 860’s, or buy a second pair of Kairos 2. That’s how good they are.

Anyway, to recap, the Futura are the best trail shoes I have ever walked or ran in, and the Kairos 2 are an equally good pair of road shoes. Well done 361 Degrees.

The Cumbrian Coast and Whitehaven Parkrun

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One of the best things about our campervan is the diesel heater. It means that we can get away in January, something we would never have considered with a tent. This weekend we stayed at a basic farm campsite in Newbiggin. £20 a night with electric hook up. Bargain, and we could use an electric blanket to warm up our bed.

Neither of us have seen much of the Cumbrian coast, which was why we headed there. Also, there are a few parkruns that I’ve not done. Saturday morning we drove to Whitehaven and parked in the correct place, according to the website. There was no one else about. I walked with Gordon to the start and only then did I saw a handful of other people. Ten minutes before the start and there still weren’t many people. The route was nice and easy, similar to Keswick parkrun in that it was an out and back course on an abandoned railway line, uphill out and downhill back.

Gordon had two massive poos before start, which I was hopeful would mean that he wouldn’t need to stop for one during the run. Gordon set off like his life depended on it, and within two minutes decided that he needed another poo. Almost the whole field passed us. I then ran with the poo bag in one hand, not knowing where the nearest bin would be and holding the lead of a very lively dog in the other hand. I eventually found one at the turnaround point, about 100m beyond the route.

With the freedom to run without holding onto a full poo bag, me and Gordon over took quite a few people, finishing in 13th place, 2nd in my age group and 1st dog, even with an extra bit. There were only 64 people taking part. Another reason why I love parkrun, that volunteers help out every week even at the smaller events.

A quick change in the van and we were off the see St Bees. Gordon was on a long line, as he is a young pointer and if we let him off the lead on a beach, we might not see him again for hours.

I have to say that neither me or Helen felt the love for St Bees. It felt like a tourist town out of season, which I guess it was. The church of St Mary and St Bega was pleasant, as was the old school.

Back in the van and our next stop was Seascale. Completely different from St Bees. It felt welcoming and friendly. The car park was also free. We had a brew in the van, which always makes us smile.

We then went for a walk up the coast towards the nuclear power station. It is huge, and at night we could see the lights from our campsite over ten miles away. Both of us are old enough to remember the change of name after an “incident” and the adverts on TV for the new visitors centre. This was demolished many years ago.

On the way back to the van we walked into the town, passing a house that we’d seen featured on Charlie Luxton’s Great British Home Restoration. Quite an amazing build converting a derelict church hall into a large home on the ground floor and a holiday let on the upper floors. Two years earlier in Scotland we’d walked past a house featured on Grand Designs.

Back at the van, and Gordon wasn’t tired, so me and Helen took turns playing with him using a bath mat. What does it take to tire out a pointer?

Saturday night in the van was again warm and snuggly. Helen even joked that it was more comfy that our own bed. I’m not sure about that, but it definitely is a home from home, and something we should have done years ago.

Anyway, where to next?

Mell’s Fells

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Last Friday our campervan had it’s MOT. Has it really been a year since we bought him? It has, and he flew through it without needing anything done, which was a bonus. To celebrate, we decided to head out for a night. Our first choice was Castlerigg Farm near Keswick, which unfortunately was fully booked. Back up plan was the Quiet Site near Ullswater. It shouldn’t have been the backup plan as it is an excellent campsite, and one that has fond memories for Helen, my lovely wife, as she went there when she was young with her parents.

We arrived in good time and popped the top, plugged in the hookup, and then off we went. An “easy” seven and a half mile route taking in two Wainwrights.

Straight out from the campsite the route went up, and then it went up some more, although within one mile of setting off we were at the top of Little Mell Fell.

I’m making a funny face because the sun was in my eyes. There was still a smattering of snow in places. While the view was fairly clear, it wasn’t as good as it could have been. There have been more than a handful of fells tops that we’ve summited where all we could see was mist, fog or clouds.

From Little Mell we took the northern route down, which wasn’t as steep, but might not actually be a footpath, as we had to climb over a gate. It must be annoying to a farmer if the only way to the top of a Wainwright is across his land. I’m sure they get used to it. According to Open Street Map there is a path, but on my OS map there isn’t.

We dropped down through a valley, clambering over a few stiles, although two of them next to each other were incredibly difficult for Gordon to navigate and he got his paw stuck. Fortunately, he was okay, but he was scared of the stile when we returned an hour later.

From the direction we were going, there are two routes up to the top of Great Mell Fell, the other “Mell” Fell. The way up was steep and very boggy, and probably is most of the year. Boggy, I mean. It will always be steep. The sun was starting to dip as we made it to the top. Also at the top was the same three people who we’d seen at the top of Little Mell.

From there, we took the other route down, which while steep was mostly dry. We then backtracked our route, crossing the horrible stiles again, although we managed to lift the bottom of the fence high enough for Gordon to crawl under. We then skirted Little Mell with some amazing views at the sun dipped lower, before dropping back down to the campsite.

There are very few easy Fells in the Lake District, and our “easy” walk had taken three and a half hours with over 700 m of climbing. We were ready for tea, and Gordon was excited about wearing his campervan pyjamas. He’s a funny dog who genuinely likes wearing clothes.

After a pizza from the on-site wood fired oven, we went into the bar for a drink. It was busy as there was live music later.

Feeling tired, we didn’t make it for the music. We were snuggled up in bed by 7 pm, all toasty with a new electric blanket. It was needed as the temperature dropped to freezing.

Another two Wainwright’s ticked off, and we will definitely be staying at the Quiet Site again in the summer.

Nethermost and Dollywagon

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Last Sunday, me and my lovely wife, Helen, and our silly young pooch, Gordon, headed up to the lakes, again. We can’t get enough of those pesky fells!

We set off nice and early so that there would be space at Wythburn carpark. There was plenty of space, and as a bonus, the parking meter was out of order.

From the off, the walk went straight up. No messing. Nethermost Pike is one of the highest fells in the lakes and as such it was a big climbing day. I was looking after Gordon while Helen was on photo duty.

At the bottom, the weather wasn’t too bad, but we knew that it would be cold and windy at the top, hence why Gordon was wearing his waterproof jacket, as were we. He’s a funny thing about wearing clothes as he really likes it. Anyway, the lower section of the path was very good quality and even higher up it was easy to follow.

The photo above was the last chance we had for a view. From then on up we were in the mist and the clouds, barely able to see more than a few feet, with other walkers suddenly appearing from out of nowhere.

The path that we were on would take us to Helvellyn, however, today wasn’t that walk as we did an abrupt turn south to take us to the top of Nethermost Pike at 891m high. Both me and Helen have walked to the top before in good weather, so we know that the views are stunning. This is the Lake District, and days like this are part and parcel of the fun of fell walking. I know that Helvellyn would have only added another km to our walk, but we’re not in a rush to tick off every Wainwright. We’ll get there when we get there.

It was also very windy as we topped High Crag at 884m high for a bonus fell, even though it isn’t a Wainwright. Unfortunately, from there we took our first wrong turn of the day. Helen had downloaded a route from Wikiloc, usually an excellent source for GPS routes. However, whoever had created this route had missed the turn for Dollywagon and had cut across from the main footpath to the summit. With the visibility being so low, we opted to continue on the footpath and double back to the summit a little further on. As with Nethermost, we couldn’t see a thing at the top.

Our route then took us down towards Grisedale Tarn. Again, the GPS route seemingly went off-piste. According to the map we were following a footpath, but on the ground, it was invisible. We were therefore very grateful when we met the main footpath in the saddleback between Dollywagon Pike and Seat Sandal.

We had lost confidence in the route we were following, so we sensibly opted to follow the main path down to the main road. Before we’d set out, we had an idea that if we were feeling good, we could climb to the summit of Steel Fell. We weren’t feeling too bad, but the weather was looking like it was going to get worse, so we followed a good quality track back to the carpark.

Seat Sandal and Steel Fell will be waiting for us another day. We’d walked less than eight miles, although we had ascended 3,000 ft. It was a good walk, and it did start to rain hard within minutes of making it back to the van.

It was also the first time that Helen had walked with hiking poles. According to her they were a game changer. I might invest in a pair as well, although they would be impossible to use while also holding onto Gordon’s lead.

We’re slowly ticking off the Wainwrights and have probably completed about a quarter of them.

Nell Ceramics

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My wife, Helen, is an amazing potter. She set up her own pottery a couple of years ago, but has recently got serious. Nell Ceramics is named after our previous English Pointer called Nell, sadly now passed away. She was a one off, kind hearted, greedy and full of life.

Back to pottery. Helen had a stall at her first festival last month, and it was incredibly successful. She worked almost non-stop in the run up to the festival and then worked tirelessly for three full days.

Some of our favourite items include a Salt Fish and small flower vases. Helen also has some “Bring me Sunshine” mugs for sale at Lancaster Museum.

Within days of returning from the festival, Helen was back at work in her studio, this time making some stunning looking espresso cups, which are sure to sell quickly.

Where can we buy these amazing items, I hear you cry? Helen now has a Big Cartel site with an ever changing selection of pottery items to buy (UK only at the moment). The link to her site and shop is below, along with her Instagram page.

https://nellceramics.bigcartel.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nell.ceramics/

I for one am incredibly proud of my talented wife.

Stone Arthur

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Earlier in the summer, me and my lovely wife, Helen completed the classic Fairfield Horseshoe. (Read about it here). We have a poster of all of the Wainwrights in our kitchen, along with optional routes to complete them all in as short amount of walks as possible. We don’t generally follow the routes on the map, but we mostly did with the Horseshoe. The one section that we didn’t follow was the dog leg to Stone Arthur as it would have added at least an extra mile, not in itself too much of a problem, but Stone Arthur is also quite a bit lower and would have added a lot of climbing. For that reason, we gave it a miss. Last weekend we did a shorter walk up to the rogue Wainwright, along with Great Rigg, Heron Pike and Nab Scar.

We set off from Grasmere, as expected, seeing as it has a huge carpark. Almost empty when we arrived, full to overflowing when we left. We walked along the main road until we reached The Swan Hotel, where we headed onto a small road before turning onto an even smaller road heading up. As you can see, Gordon was as keen as ever, grumbling about me and Helen walking too slow.

At the top of the small road the really steep section begin, although it was a very well maintained path. We took our time and slowly made our way up. I was wearing a hat and gloves as it was fairly cold early in the morning, but it soon warmed up.

Towards the top of Stone Arthur the path was less well defined, but it was easy to find the top, with good views across the valley.

Having ticked off Stone Arthur, we could easily have headed straight back down, but where’s the fun in that. We continued up almost to the top of Great Rigg, turning south at the main track. With it being a nice day, there were loads of other walkers and runners enjoying various routes.

We passed Heron Pike and almost went to the top of Nab Scar before turning back towards Alcock Tarn. Gordon had a drink and a paddle before we hit a steeper downhill section. However, before we knew it, we were at the bottom and walking into Grasmere for coffee and cake.

It was one of the best little routes that we’d done. Just over 7 miles and not too much climbing. Helen also took a selfie of the pair of us. She is very beautiful.

I think we’ve done about 40 Wainwright’s now. Plenty still to do, and some of them will involve long walks. We have time and the energy.

5 Valleys Ultra

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It has been four weeks since I completed the epic 5 Valleys Ultra, which is more than enough time to write about it.

I knew that the event was going to be tough as I hadn’t done enough long distance training. Me and my lovely wife had walked the Fairfield Horseshoe in the summer and we were both shattered at the end of it. (Read about it here). I had also done a recce on a short section of the course from Troutbeck to Glenridding, where I was also shattered at the end. (Read about it here).

As always, race day loomed and my aim was simply to finish. I said to Helen that if I had a good day I would be finished by 6 pm, an okay day at 8 pm and a tough day in the dark. My plan was to go off at a steady pace, walk the up hills and not stay at the feed stations for too long.

We were staying a couple of miles outside Keswick at Castlerigg Hall campsite in our campervan, along with Gordon, our 18 month old English Pointer, arriving on the Thursday night. On the following morning, I drove into Keswick while Helen walked with Gordon. We met up and I went to race HQ for my kit check. There was a large queue, which is tantamount to how popular the race is.

As requested, I had everything in a large carrier bag and not in my running pack. However, there was an immediate problem. I didn’t have my trail shoes with me. I hadn’t thought that this would be required at checking. I explained that I wasn’t planning on running barefoot and was allowed to proceed. Kit check complete it was time to relax before the morning. Helen again walked to the campsite with Gordon.

In the morning, trying to be quiet, I probably made even more noise. I was organised and soon we were on the road to Ambleside. Helen dropped me off at the start, much to the consternation of Gordon, who looked out of the campervan window wondering what I was doing and why Helen was leaving without me.

The lake was peaceful as hundreds of runners milled about, far more than I had expected. Apparently, the 5 Valleys distance had completely sold out.

There were also three other races that weekend. The 13 Valleys had set off from Keswisk the previous evening, and the 7 Valleys also from Ambleside two hours before I was off, with the half marathon distance 2 Valleys later that day from Keswick.

Spot on time, we set off. Although everyone came to an almost standstill within minutes due to a badly parked car at the youth hostel. The first few miles were filled with chatter as the excited runners made their way towards Troutbeck. At the village I stopped to remove a layer and my gloves. It was a prefect day for a long run.

The section from Troutbeck to the bottom of Thornthwaite is one of the best tracks. I chatted to another runner casually mentioning that I was doing a 55km run less than one week after turning 55. I promise to have a go at the 7 Valleys when I turn 110, if I’m still around and the race is still on!

It is a long slog up to the summit of Thornthwaite, but the views were amazing, followed by a gentle descent past High Street with Haweswater Reservoir to the right. There was an official photographer at this point, and while I haven’t bought any of them, the social media person for the race used a photo with me to promote next year’s races.

From there it was steep descent towards Hartsop and the first feed station. It was well stocked and friendly. I filled up on water, grabbed some snacks and set off within five minutes.

Into Glenridding and I was cheered on by some friends who were supporting other friends of theirs. The second feed station was about a quarter of the way up the Helvellyn range of fells and was also about halfway through the race. I stopped to change my socks and headed off after less than ten minutes. The next section was tough, with some switchbacks and a steep ascent through Sticks Pass, with Stybarrow Dodd to the north and Raise to the south.

For me, the worst was yet to come. The descent down to Stybeck and the A591 was steep and technical, and my legs were shot at the bottom. I knew that from here on out I would be mostly power walking. Fortunately, it was mostly flat to Threlkeld, although some of it was muddy.

Another feed station, filled with very friendly and helpful volunteers was most welcome. I filled up with water, grabbed a bag of crisps, a sandwich and a Freddo, before setting off for the last few miles. My legs were feeling every mile by this point. I was also wishing that I hadn’t changed my socks at the previous feed station as they were wet through after the muddy section.

As the road went up, I was overtaken by the eventual winner of the 7 Valleys Race. He was running up the incline faster than I would if I’d only been doing a 5km, and he had already run at least 90km. The people at the front, for all of the distances, are in a different league. I doffed my cap to him and wished him good luck, although I was probably mostly incoherent.

Anyway, with tired legs I continued to power walk, with some very slow jogging, making my way back into Keswick, being cheered on by random people in the streets and hanging out of pubs.

At the finish line I looked tired. I might even have looked grumpy, finishing in ten and a half hours by 6.30 in the evening.

I was tied and hungry, but I was very happy on the inside to be greeted by my lovely wife, Helen, and our crazy pointer. I struggled back to the van and then scoffed Nachos back at the campsite followed by a beer.

As expected, my legs didn’t feel like mine the next day, but within a few days I felt surprisingly sprite.

As for the race, it was very well signposted, the volunteers were helpful and friendly, and I would definitely recommend it, even with the bonus couple of miles and over 2,000m of climbing. I might see some of you next year as I have entered it again. However, I am determined to have some longer runs in my legs.

Ashbourne Parkrun

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To be more precise, Ashbourne Recreation Ground Parkrun, but that’s a bit of a mouthful. Anyway, me and my lovely wife, Helen, were staying in a lovely cottage in Youlgrave for a week and seeing as I had done the closest parkrun on the Monsal Trail the previous year, I decided on Ashbourne, which was less than 30 minutes drive away.

It was a still, cold morning with mist in the air. I missed some of the course briefing, but the gist was, three laps, and there could be some mud. I was wearing trail shoes, as were most people.

As we lined up, Gordon was bouncing. He always is. Other dogs always appear far more calm.

We set off near to the back and slowly overtook a few people. I wasn’t at my best as I’d run an ultra the previous weekend, which I need to blog about. Helen wasn’t running, but she cheered us on and took some photos, although the pair of us went for an early morning run most days this week.

As I completed two laps, the winner raced past me. It is rare that I’m lapped, but he was exceptionally speedy. We crossed the line in 33rd position out of 160 finishers, although I was sixth in my age group, despite going up to the next group.

We walked back to the carpark, passing Madge’s Corner. Helen Google’d it on the way back to the cottage and Madge was Ashbourne’s most famous prostitute, who stood on that corner from 1621 until 1657. Not really. Helen made that up. The truth is far more boring.

We’re back in Lancaster now with work looming next week. I will admit that having a whole week with Helen and Gordon is more fun than work. I’ve bought a lottery ticket for tonight, so maybe every week will be a holiday if we win.