Langdale 2010

Lovely day for it.

Race plan was to try and stick to Mandy G like glue for as long as possible. She could have hummed 'me and my shadow' on the climb up to Stickle Tarn. But by the first CP the glue came a bit unstuck and we were only 40mins into the race. Having concentrated that hard on keeping up with the 'Human GPS' I'd lost track of where EtU was, but assumed he was way ahead.

Reached Thunacar Knott on the hour, so 50mins to Esk Hause, mmmh. Crossing Martcrag Moor the familar Tod vest came into view, I drew level and said hello. She said she'd had a bad 'un at 3 Shires the fortnight before, having not run since Fairfield due to injury. Thought it would be bad form to enquire whether we were on target to make the cut off at Esk Hause. We reached the col near Rosset Crag with Mandy slightly ahead, 1hr 30mins elasped, 20 mins to make it to Esk Hause, mmmmmh. With a bit of a spurt I'd caught her back up at the start of the last rocky steps up to Esk Hause. Me and my shadow up the steps, if I was being timed out so was she!

Avoided looking the marshals in the eye, deliberately didn't look at my watch so as not to hint to them to check theirs and carried on and no one shouted me back. Oh eck! Only knew the bit from Pike 'O' Blisco and 'Bad Step' was looming. Struggled a bit on the traverse to Ore Gap, the last climb had taken a lot, but was pleased to met NLN (and had my photo taken) on her way back from Bowfell, who informed me that she hadn't seen EtU come through yet.

By the time I got to Bowfell, my GPS was well on her way and I was now in a group of six, with no one admitting to knowing their way over Crinkle Crags. Well we managed to find the right hand traverse, found the summit and got down 'Bad Step' (was that it!!) feeling a bit happier that I was now on my way to Pike 'O' Blisco and onto familiar territory. At the point where the 3 Shires route separates off, I could see my car (I've got good eyesight), not long now I thought. Blimey, the drop down to the cattle grid (last cp) seemed to take forever. I'd recced the last section through the campsite earlier in the day not fully believing I'd need to know it for this year but was grateful that I had and made my way to the finish line to cross it 4hr13mins after I'd set off (and only 5mins behind Mandy).

Feel sure that EtU must of been having an extreme 'off day' not to be in the lead of us tail-enders. Dinner table conversation on Friday evening had alluded (me and Steve not requesting to much detail) to a recent stomach upset and guessing that it's this that may well have affected his usually consistant performance on one of the Lakeland Classics.

Results here www.amblesideac.org.uk/Langdale_2010_results.htm

TF