Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Use this to post your race reports, posts must contain references to your obligatory mid pee fart...

Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby King Sad » 22 Oct 2013 20:14

Where: Ennerdale lake
When: 20/10/2013
Organiser: High Terrain Events http://www.highterrainevents.co.uk/17.html
Course details: 50k run around the lake (2 laps)
Marshalling: Very friendly
Facilities: Showers, burger van
Technical: Yes, very
Freebies: Salomon socks, 9 bar, \Trail Running magazine


That looks rather jolly I thought. Click – entered.

Training consisted of increasing distance with trail racing gear on a mix of road, wood track and fields – mountain trails a bit short in supply in Lincolnshire so have to wing that.

Kit:
Asics Fuji Attack trail shoes
Injinji 5 toes med weight socks
CEP calf compression
Nike compression running shorts
Athletika compression tights
Nike long sleeve base
Technical T
Pertex ultra lightweight windproof cagoule
More Mile high vis running jacket
Cheapo waterproof jacket (to satisfy regs)
Buff
Asics running cap
Quechua 5l running backpack
Garmin 310xt

Weather forecast – rain – a lot.

Drive to the venue on the A66 chasing the setting sun, the hills shrouded in rain clouds and mist turning purple in the sun’s dying rays.

I hadn’t been in the Lakes since May 2008, the last time I was truly happy so a bit of emotional baggage.

Got myself bedded in at the scout chalet – no Kevy, bad Kevy. Which meant I could have breakfast and register at the same time and then walk 100m to the start line.

Woke up at 4 am, rain was absolutely chucking down – joy. Back to sleep hoping it was just a bad dream, it wasn’t.

Breakfasted/registered, prepped and assembled at the start line, the rain had stopped but plenty of soggy clouds about.

There were three races being staged; 50k – blue numbers 2 laps of the course, 25k – yellow numbers 1 lap and 10k red numbers a shortened course. From the start it was a gradual climb of 170m along the north of the lake to the turn around point at the Black Sail YHA and then a return along the south of the lake.

Aim, a wild guess at about 8 min/km pace on a 9 min run 1min walk strategy base depending on the terrain.

10:00 and all 94 starters were off. All the young gazelles took off in their shorts, vests and bum bags, mmm think no podium place for me today.

First 3k on lakeside track then first short climb to the forest track. Uppy downy to 5 ½ k then gradual slog up to the Black Sail YHA http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/en-2550-10614 ; although the altitude difference was 170m from the start/mid point at the lake shore the route was undulating so you would slog up a bit, go down a bit and then slog up a bit, then go down a bit with perhaps a level bit thrown in. This meant that although the simple altitude gain was about 350m for the whole course the reality was 900m of climbing and 900m of descent.

Onto the track to the Black Sail, bit more exposed here, windy and a bit more splish splashy, through a stream, huzzah first feed station, 12.5k, time 1.29.03. Topped up my hydration, grabbed a flapjack and then off. Across the bridge and then bog trotting for a bit until back onto the tracks. Again some uppy downy bits and where was this gradual descent to the south lake shore?

21k (for some reason I had it in my mind this was 7k out from the mid point not 4k), into what I called the ‘muddy waters’ section before hitting the gravel and rock path … only with all the rain it was now the gravel and rock bed stream. Sploshing along, mostly ankle deep, sometimes up to knee deep, then onto slippy stones and rocks, very slimy black lichen covered tree roots, back into water, then stones etc for about 2k – 2.5k or so.

The young guns doing the 25k were darting through like nimble mountain goats but this slowed me down quite a bit as I did not want to turn on an ankle, at one point less than 4kph. Going along the gravel bits was OK, it cleaned the mud off my shoes and the water wasn’t that cold, the difficult bits were those where the track consisted of rocks of varying sizes (fist to half brick) and placement so that each footstep was at a different angle. The Injinji socks were great, out of water onto a dry bit, a couple of steps and squish, squish they felt warm and dry. Even when we cleared the tree line it was still challenging http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/en-2550-20176#photo That took me about 25 mins!

From thence onto the path for the ‘cliffs of doom’, OK not quite the clashing rocks but a steady trot/walk/scramble that took me 10 min to clear about 750m or so, then descend for a steady trot to the start/mid/finishing point in 3h 08. Feeling pretty good and just under my 8 min pace. Did a replen as the 25k runners were finishing, grabbed a flapjack and off.

400m later my legs lost all forward motion and had to walk; it had only taken a few minutes to go from feeling OK to being drained. Carried on walking, tried to trot but couldn’t keep it up for long. For the first time doubt whispered in my ear, how the hell was I going to carry on for another circuit like that?

Managed to trot to the 3k point and the climb from the lake shore to the forest track, that seemed to give me some kind of impetus and I thought ‘just try one more kilometre’. Gradually the distance covered increased and at bout 33k my Dad’s words were just drumming through my head ‘keep it up John’ and I would damned if I was going to DNF now. Run, walk, run, walk … walk, walk, run. The others were pulling away; I was now on my own, my legs were cramping and I was stopping every so often to do stretches to coax them on. I had a caffeine gel and dropped a couple of caffeine tabs in my drink and waited for them to kick in.

I kept pushing on and eventually came to the gate leading to the Black Sail, I was elated. In a few minutes I would be at the ¾ point and the die would then be cast; to carry on would be the same distance as turning back. Onto the exposed track and the wind really got up and was gusting away, 12mph was the forecast, my bottom! Dropping down into the Black Sail, another replen, more flapjack and on with my pertex windproof. The marshal checked on the radio and thought I was the last.

Dropped down to the stream, over the bridge and started the bog trotting. It was lashing it down and wind was gusting but I was happy, in my mind I was going to finish and to hell with the time. Onto the track and being buffeted by the wind, my buff (a freebie from helping at the Outlaw) came up over my head and under my cap, I was on a real high not all of it due to the caffeine. Came upon about five or six sorry looking cows on the path by the gate, they barely acknowledged my existence but looked bloody huge.

40k, the pace seemed to pick up and I even had time to think about pinching one of the conifers as Christmas tree, but then I would need a shovel to dig out the root ball and how would I fit it into my backpack?

Down to ‘muddy waters’ then onto the stream bed, this took me 34 min to clear, 9 min longer than lap 1. Onto the ‘cliffs of doom’, which took 20 mins to clear, only 4 mins down form lap one.

Huzzah, onto the shore side, 500m to go, across the bridge, onto the track, 200m, feeling chuffed, 100m onto the final run in that had been churned into mud, through the fence, 25m to go, a handful of people saw me and started clapping, shouts of ‘well done’. I thought ‘that’s for you Dad, thanks for being with me along the way’.

Got my medal and my piccy taken, it turned out I wasn’t last after all, not that it mattered, in fact part of me wishes I had been.

94 starters
8 DNF

Placed at 85 Placed at 85
Official timing: Split 1 3:08. Total 7:16:32

Garmin data:
51.2k covered
7:16:54
Pace 8:31 min/km
Av moving pace 7:59 min/km
Elevation 906m
HR 136 av 166 max

It was brutal; I never imagined that after feeling OK at the halfway point I would become so weak in just a few minutes. I quite honestly was thinking of stopping as I simply was not capable of doing another lap. Why did I carry on? Search me. It was not logical but on crunching the data the first 3k took 20min and the same distance where I thought I was about to seize up only took 25. I had allowed doubt to gain control but by pushing it 1k at a time a momentum built up where I at first dared to believe I might finish to absolute certainty that |I would. Also I didn’t want to let you down because of the support you have given me and didn't want to report a DNF.

As in the Nottingham 50k I had my phone with me, shot a bit more video this time – quite a lot actually. I do babble on but what you see and hear is, well me. In fact most of it was shot on lap 2 so it is as close as you can get to being with me during those dark times. My language does deteriorate so apologies in advance.
http://youtu.be/hDFrnwYNsM0
Last edited by King Sad on 03 Nov 2013 16:16, edited 1 time in total.
It seemed like a good idea at the time :? .



http://www.KingSad.UK
User avatar
King Sad
Clearly spends too much time on forum
 
Posts: 2138
Joined: 28 Mar 2011 07:05

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby jonathon.e » 22 Oct 2013 20:27

Congratulations, well done on another Ultra event, a rugged course in a truly outstanding and isolated part of the Lakes, shame about the weather.

A hearty well done. :D
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.
User avatar
jonathon.e
 
Posts: 3450
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 19:49
Blog: View Blog (17)

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby Kevy427 » 22 Oct 2013 20:33

Sounds like a challenging and enjoyable event...and rather appealing. Well done King Sad. Those Injinji Toe Socks are wonderful things - I love them. Bedding with Scouts and bog trotting...normal weekend for me
Pedalling between cake shops
User avatar
Kevy427
 
Posts: 4283
Joined: 06 Nov 2010 18:39
Location: The Principality of Pagham

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby Latinobeat » 22 Oct 2013 20:44

Great work KS. And as ever a wonderfully illuminating race report. :)
I'd go with the alloys and lose a few pounds!
Latinobeat
Starting to spend time on the forum....
 
Posts: 273
Joined: 13 Jan 2013 21:41

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby kfjatek » 22 Oct 2013 21:08

Well done KS! You're setting the bar really high with those videos... :-)

:ugeek:
2015:
26/04 Southampton 10k
30/05 Sieraków Triathlon
21/06 Dambuster Triathlon
29/08 Club Relays
27/09 Hever Triathlon
User avatar
kfjatek
Spends a divorce inducing amount of time on forum
 
Posts: 3219
Joined: 26 Sep 2012 12:16
Location: London/Surrey

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby Jack Hughes » 22 Oct 2013 21:35

Well done. Very impressed.
Omnia Vanitas

Immortal (for a limited tme).
User avatar
Jack Hughes
 
Posts: 11085
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 17:19
Location: God's own county

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby Jimba » 22 Oct 2013 22:46

Well done KS good determination. Looks like ere was some tricky stuff at the end there too particularly when so fatigued.
Clean since 25.9.14
Jimba
 
Posts: 1088
Joined: 21 Sep 2010 17:24

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby King Sad » 23 Oct 2013 08:37

Thanks chaps

My respect for fell/trail runners has been reaffirmed. The winner did lap 25k in 1:39 and finished in 3.24.45 :o And even the club/recreational runners just amazed me.

It was certainly a challenge and the weather added to it. Well worth doing. Had been thinking of getting a sports cam but never got around to it so just used a mobile phone, this type of event lends itself to video footage and I saw some of the others using their phones as well.

I quite fancy doing a night run as well - that would be fun :D
It seemed like a good idea at the time :? .



http://www.KingSad.UK
User avatar
King Sad
Clearly spends too much time on forum
 
Posts: 2138
Joined: 28 Mar 2011 07:05

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby jonathon.e » 23 Oct 2013 08:51

King Sad wrote:Thanks chaps



I quite fancy doing a night run as well - that would be fun :D


This website does list a series of head torch runs in Lincolnshire, Various distances, and mainly to the North of the Lincolnshire county, just turn up, join in, cross country, the group stops at intervals to regroup, and will split to vary the distance, free to do, usually meet at a pub.

http://www.tape2tape.co.uk/
Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.
User avatar
jonathon.e
 
Posts: 3450
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 19:49
Blog: View Blog (17)

Re: Ennerdale 50 Ultra Trail run 2013

Postby Tritans » 23 Oct 2013 08:55

A little bit of sick has just come up.

Well done though. You loon.
One who wants to do something, will find a way.
One who doesn't, will find an excuse.

Confucius
User avatar
Tritans
Was married, is now single due to amount of time on here
 
Posts: 4890
Joined: 05 Jan 2010 15:29

Next

Return to Race Reports

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

cron