Plan-B is not something you want to hear on the eve of your A race (and only ultra of 2022): the text message read...
NAV4 TdH Emergency info: Sorry, it's Plan-B. Route will go to CP3 and then return the same way...
I must admit, my heart sank.
I signed up for the Tour de Helvellyn on a whim: Paula, a friend, mentioned she was doing it, I knew nothing about the race, I just liked the name! But having enjoyed the recce so much, I was really looking forward to challenging myself on my first ultra since 2019. Running-wise, I had been in fantastic shape in 2020, (my best year of running to date with 430 hours and 2,700 miles) but frustratingly wasn't able to travel for the South Downs Way 100 due to COVID travel restrictions... Lancashire had been classified tier 3 just days before the race and despite begging the race organisers, they (rightly) didn't want to see me on the start line. Then, very unexpectedly, I had an awful end to 2020 which put me out of action for a year, (more about that in another blog post sometime). So 2022 was all about building up from scratch and the Tour de Helvellyn was going to be the test of where I'd got to. I was ready and raring to go... and it was hard not to be disappointed by Plan-B.
A follow up email confirmed conditions at Raise Beck were too dangerous to allow the race to go ahead as planned and so a shorter 25 mile route, essentially an out-and-back to CP3 at Swart Beck Bridge, would have to suffice. In the ten year history of the race, this option had only been employed once before, so clearly things must have been pretty bad.
Waking early, I picked up Paula and we set off for Askham. Heading North on the M6, conditions were very grim. The third lane was covered in six inches of slush and sleet battered us from all angles. I was convinced we'd get stuck on the smaller roads the instant we turned off the motorway but luckily as we travelled further North the weather gradually improved. The roads were still bad but we were soon rolling-gently-without-touching-the-brakes into beautiful Askham.
It was ace to bump into Gary from the podcast on the way into registration: we exchanged a few words about the shortened course and wished each other a good and safe day. Registration was followed by much bag faffing (in the designated area, of course). I'm sure you're aware that bag faffing is mandatory before the beginning of every race. I removed some GU gels and Tailwind that I wasn't going to need (due to the shorter race distance) and finally concluded that the lighter of my two retirement layer options, a Montane jacket, would do just fine.
I managed to get all the way through kit check without filling my flasks, a kind volunteer (all the volunteers and marshals were extremely kind), directed me through a secret door to the kitchen and as I burst in, I saw a familiar figure stood at the sink filling his flasks. It's Paul Tierney, I thought. Stay calm, act natural. I have watched his Running the Wainwrights film many times over in awe and wonder... and here, in a small village hall near Penrith, I find myself standing next to a giant of our sport! It was hard not to say something gushing and stupid but I managed it by not speaking at all. Just a respectful nod. An hour later, Paul would fly past me with his 3 metre long running poles making it all look very easy.
One final unsuccessful visit to the loo and an embarrassing shuffle through the kit check area (again) and I was ready for the off. The Tour de Helvellyn is staggered start: there's a starting window and you simply set off when you're ready. I found this to be much less stressful than a normal mass start race... a casual walk to the timing gate and off into the cold morning air.
Although it was clearly icy on the roads as we were rolling-gently-without-touching-the-brakes into Askham, I hadn't fully anticipated just how icy it was. Leaving the village hall was a rude awakening. The tracks and paths of Askham fell were absolutely treacherous. I felt on edge with every single step, trying my best to pick out ground that might provide some traction. Often it was a thin, no wider than the average fell running shoe, strip of uneven, frozen grass verge... in other places, the only sensible way forward was bush-whacking off to one side of the track or the other. Less than two miles in, I spotted a runner walking back towards me, as we met I gave a cheery, "Mornin', you alright?" to which he replied, "Yeah, fine... this is madness! I'm heading back". I don't know how far he'd got and it suddenly occurred to me that I might not had seen the worst of it yet!
At Howton, I joined the road and soon came up on CP1 at Martindale Church. I hadn't been particularly looking forward to the road sections of the route and though slippery in places, the tarmac proved to be welcome relief on the day and actually passed quite quickly.
Reaching Boredale Head, I was feeling strong and managed to put in a good effort pushing up the icy climb but to say the descent down to Side Farm was "sketchy" would be a massive understatement: I had a significant moment on sheet ice which I'd mistaken for dry rock but luckily didn't fall. Periodically standing aside for runners charging carefree down the icy steps, my micro-spike envy peeked.
In and out of CP2 at Side Farm, one flask refilled... on to Patterdale and Glenridding (with a successful visit to the pubic loo at the Ullswater Visitor Centre). Hurrah!
I made steady progress up to Helvellyn YHA and saw the first runners (including Damian Hall, go Damo and Paul Tierney, who had seemed to have lost his running poles) on their way back from CP3, the half-way turnaround point. I couldn't ignore the growing feeling of nausea and slowed to a hike. I saw quite a few runners choosing to cut the switchbacks up to Stang End, the same thing I had done two weeks before but I decided to plod up the switchbacks whilst forcing a GU gel in as best I could.
I reached Swart Beck Footbridge in pretty poor shape but managed to open up the stride and squeeze out a MASSIVE smile for the camera, as can be seen below...
Touching the footbridge and thanking the marshals, it was just the small matter of getting all the way back to Askham.
I managed to get down off Stang End without falling and maintained a slow, steady pace back to Glenridding but on leaving Glenridding, flanked by Penningtons coffee shop to the right and The Glenridding Hotel to the left, the heady aroma of cooked food was all too much... several huge, dangerous, almost-puke-belches and as many metres later, I slowed to a walk... I don't remember whether I ran at all on the way back to CP2.
Although I didn't actually want to stop, on reaching CP2, I knew I needed calories and still being able to sip Tailwind, I stopped to refill a flask but something about actually standing still made the nauseous worse... at the water table and fearing the inevitable was about to happen, I abandoned my stuff and excused myself and found a patch of grass which I circled for a few minutes. The inevitable didn't happen and I managed to compose myself enough to get my stuff together and start the climb up to Boredale Hause.
Despite feeling awful, I actually managed to plod steadily up and over the last significant climb of the day... making it down the icy, rocky terrain back to the tarmac road section, I fell into a slow, steady running pace that seemed to suit the stomach... this I maintained all the way back to Askham, except for any uphill sections, which I walked.
I finished in 5 hours, 50 minutes and 28 seconds and covered almost 27 miles with 4,800ft of elevation gain.
Forcing down a wonderful bowl of leek and potato soup, I promised myself never to enter another race, especially not a winter one! I had not enjoyed the constant danger of slipping and hurting myself one little bit and I was intensely frustrated at finishing yet another race with fresh legs and a cranky stomach... I've either got to find a solution or get used to running through it. A solution would be my preference!
There's no denying, NAV4 put on a fantastic event. The volunteers and marshals all doing a incredible job from start to end. I dare say if I do ever get the urge to enter a race in the future, I'll be sure to check what events NAV4 have on, like the the Lakes Mountain 40, which I definitely will not be entering. Definitely.
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