Lakeland Trails marathon 2016

I have done this event three times and always entered the Challenge version (both the Challenge and the Race events follow the same route, but the Challenge goes off at 07.00 and you have to register the day before and the Race goes off at 09.00 and you can register on the day). However, the plan had been for Melanie to do the half marathon Challenge which sets off at 10.00. So if I had started at 7.00 she would have been hanging around for three hours before starting. Hence we decided that it was the 9.00 start for me. What I hadn't really thought through was that there are cut-offs in the Race event (there are in the Challenge as well but they were two hours longer). And if it was hot (which it has been every other year I have run it) it wouldn't be so easy to make those cut-offs.

Well the weather turned out to be a scorcher, so I was immediately focused on making the last cut off at the last checkpoint. Based on previous years, this didn't look too bad, I just had to go at roughly the same pace as the last two times - the first time I ran it, I was running with someone a little slower on that day.

The weather was lovely just before 09.00

The start was delayed by about nine minutes because of cars blocking the exit and I was thinking, I hope they add this to the cut-offs.

When we finally started, the temperature seemed to go up very quickly. A lot of the climbing is in the first half as it the course undulates on trails and quiet roads. There are some spectacular views

Eventually we worked our way up to Tarn Hows which was as beautiful as ever

By this point I was starting to struggle in the heat. Nothing was sore, I was just running out of energy. I had been happy with my hydration, I felt I had eaten the right amount, it must have been just the heat. I was running the sections I normally run, so I felt I was on schedule. 

Into Grisdale Forest and I worked my way up to the highest point on the course with a spectacular view down the lake

There was a little bit of breeze in our faces at this point and that was a relief. As I headed down towards the south end of Coniston, it was more sheltered and I was finding I was running less and less. I had also forgotten it is not all downhill from the highest point to the south end of Coniston, there are a few upward bumps.

I crossed the bridge over the river at the south end of Coniston and looked longingly at the point where we had waded across at the first event when the bridge was being repaired. I would have loved to have done that again.

At the checkpoint my distance ahead of the cut off had decreased, so I knew I couldn't hang about when passing Beacon Tarn. The climb up there was tiring in the heat, there was very little shade. Finally, I got there to see people swimming in the tarn. I wish I could have done that.

The next section was tricky underfoot for a while and I decided to just walk through this bit. When it became easier, I started to run again, but I started to get twinges in my right calf. As I have another event next Sunday, I thought I should take it easy and walk like everybody around me. It looked like I should just make the cut-off at the last checkpoint. I did but only just ! In the event, they didn't enforce the cut-off as quite a few people came in after me.

The last three miles were along the shore of Coniston, but I was just completely drained at this point and I walked almost all of that.

After finishing, in my slowest time at this event, I found I could hardly summon the energy to get changed, I had to keep sitting down to take a break. My right calf muscle was also dancing round uncontrollably so after getting something to eat and drink, I had to wait around for a while for the muscle to calm down a bit so I could drive home. I can't remember the last time I felt so bad immediately after finishing a marathon.

If I do this event again, I will start at 07.00 again to avoid the main heat of the day and not have to think about cut-offs.