Pennine Wayfaring

Thanks for all the commiserations following my failed 70 at 70 up the Pennine Way last Saturday. Having trained hard it was disappointing not to complete the full intended route from Edale to Gargrave but as we all know, if the weather is not kind these long challenges become a severe test of body and mind.

Leaving Edale with four layers of clothing, I felt overdressed for the day before the summer solstice and as Eden and I began the first leg along the valley bottom to the climb up onto Kinder, neither of us guessed what we were in for. Within an hour we were up on high ground and battling into a strong pre-dawn wind that met us head on for the rest of the run over Shelf Moor and Bleaklow reducing temperatures to a hand numbing coldness. Kinder had been rough, very rough in places, and flagging across some of the moors was a welcome respite, although at times somewhat boring and monotonous.

The first feeding point was at Crowden following a rough traverse along Torside Clough with an almost perpendicular drop into the valley. Not very comfortable and a very slow section.

At Crowden, after 17 miles, Sally took over from Eden as we encountered slow climbing followed by more rough terrain navigation went haywire as we missed a turning and ended up at a drought hit reservoir and no PW signposts. It was obvious something was wrong and fortunately hitech Sally produced her I phone with Google maps and a short correction took us back to the Pennine Way.

By now the wind was becoming more of a problem and the cold and a badly swollen right hand was causing some concern. The strength of the headwind was now making breathing difficult and it was obvious we were losing time big time. We had started the section half an hour down and this was now approaching two hours.

We went through Wessenden and back up onto the moors where there was a brief respite from the wind, the sun cam out for the first time and the rolling grass moors suddenly looked more friendly. At this point Sally took a phone call from JtE and in a better frame of mind I resolved to keep going to the bitter end.

We were soon back in the wind and not making good time. Having strayed from the Way once we were constantly checking the route book and this was losing us further time. By the time we got to the next feeding point on Bleakedgate Moor we were a good three hours behind schedule and discovered that Eden and Sheila who were with the car had had an equally testing time both finding the meeting point and coping with the wind. Eden's post run breakfast took an hour and a half to prepare as he battled the wind with a small camping stove.

It was here that the decision to abandon the run after 35 miles was made and I sensed that the support team were more than happy to retire to a less hostile environment. My calculation was that with the prospect of further slowing in the pace it would take close to 24 hours to complete even if I managed to run the full 70.

So, it was not a successful run but it contributed to a challenging and enjoyable weekend especially for those of us who saw the moors from close quarters. It all made for a good family weekend that might have had a better conclusion if the weather had been kinder.

From comments on the blog it would seem that a second attempt is expected, a prospect that at first I did not contemplate. However, with the right support, more preparation and a slightly slower, more realistic schedule a re-run might have a chance of success.

Before a plan is even contemplated I have a longstanding problem of plantar faciitis to resolve. A slow recovery run showed no sign of problems following Saturday's outing but today, with no prior warning the problem flared up and for the first time in thirty years I had to walk the last few hundred yards of a training run.

Until this issue is resolved I cannot even make plans for my next training run and will review the situation on a day by day basis.

Thanks once again to all who helped in my training and offered support on day. Any views on how a re-run could be supported will be well received.