Laura,
I'm going batty agonising over the Buttermere Round this Sunday! My head tells me that I'd be daft to try to run it so soon after hurting my leg, but I can't begin to express how much I want to do it!
If it was 15-16 miles I wouldn't hesitate. I did 7 last night and my leg was fine today. I've rested today, and I can rest tomorrow/do a v. short run. It's not 16, though. So, I'm wondering whether there are any places en route where it's easy to stop i.e. get a taxi back to Keswick in case of crisis. Any idea? I can't find more than a rudimentary description of the route on the Keswick AC page.
Also, d'you know whether it's all on roads? (I'm just thinking it's easier to get to Keswick from a road than from a fellside.)
Aagghh!!! I know FLM is the ultimate aim for this year, but ever since you mentioned this run I've been unable to get it out of my mind. I've spent so much time walking/backpacking in this area that I'd really love to be able to run round it.
If anyone else has done this run, please let me know if you can shed any light on the Qs above.
Thanks
WP
Comments
Good luck if you do decide to give it a go.
I was sorry to read that you were getting some sort of bug, though. How are you feeling now?
alas a hard feeling persists in throat on LHS - particularly when I swallow.
Might risk running with elder son when he goes to school X-C half-term training session on Sunday morning, as the pace will be very easy.
Anyway - sorry to hijack your thread - you really need Laura to log back on. Last seen reviewing her Iraq thread on General, I believe.
Laura - I forgot another question. Is the route marked out like an ordinary race, or do we need to be able to read a map (and to take one)?
You injure yourself and you'll get no more pomes from me!
JJ
It is all on roads, but there is a considerable amount of ascent, basically goes down along Derwent water to Borrowdale. So far so good. Then up Honister Pass and down the other side to Buttermere. Very steep! Then up into Newlands valley, another major ascent and down into Keswick. I did start working out the total ascent on an OS map, but gave up once I got to 800 mtrs...
I'm still undecided myself, mainly because if you get stuck there's only one way out! It's very exposed in places (haven't checked the weather yet) so would be sensible to carry spare clothing. 'unmanned drinks stations every 3 miles' doesn't exactly scream 'masses of crowd support' either. And probably the next bus isn't 'til Easter.
If I do it (will decide tomorrow and email you if I do, I haven't got a running partner - sob, and would love it if you did run it) I'll see it as a training run with someone else starting the stop watch. With only 70 odd runners I guess there won't be much chance of tailgating...
Hope that's given you a bit more info, but if you've any doubt it's probably not the most sensible of choices for the weekend. Then again, so what, I'll only be doing it for the hell of it and the scenery, judging by previous years' results I stand a very good chance of coming last!
I did the race 3 years ago and I am hoping to be there again this year. There are no marshalls on the course but I think it is marked with arrows at the critical points.
You only have to make about 4 right turns before you get back into Keswick so if you are familiar with the area you shouldn't have any problem.
It is all on the roads though it might be difficult to find a taxi en-route!
It is a hard route with two wicked climbs but the effort is worth it just for the scenery.
I found it was a very low-key,friendly event, most of the runners seem to use it as a training run rather than a race.
It's so tempting... I'm going off to read the Bob Graham Round website in a moment! Please drop me a line and let me know what you decide. If I do it, I'll do it very slowly and it'll definitely be a training run. But what a training run! I'm already thinking about where to put the digital camera...
Jeffurz - many thanks for the info I'm even more tempted now. Hope to see you tomorrow, but have a great run either way.
p.s. I wonder if either of you are doing Dentdale (14) on 8th March? I've entered - sounds wonderful
JJ - whoops! <piglet scuttles back to sty in crumblies thread in guilty alarm>
Hope to see you there Jeffrzy, thanks for the info. Will email you later WP.
Weather like this demands to be enjoyed!
The weather looks fine although you may have to negotiate some icy patches on the Newlands pass (I did 3 years ago)
I intend to carry my own drinks bottle in a bottle-belt, I find it more convenient and find that a 500ml bottle is just about right in cold weather.
I wish I was doing the Dentdale Race on March 8th I have heard good reports about it from one of my club colleagues but I am comitted to the Stafford 20 on the following day. This is one reason why I am doing the Keswick race tomorrow I just want a race that I can treat as a hard training run. My main reason is I love the Lake District and will use any excuse for a visit.
Hope to see you both there.
(p.s. naturally I'll be disguised as a human being tomorrow rather than a piglet, and I'll be masquerading under the name of Shirley...)