Everything felt better this year. The weather, my stomach, my sleeping pattern and the fact that I was going to run with Mandy and Hannah.
So, I knew I would do it and there would be no DNF.
Slept well the night before and got up at 3.30am in order to get to Threshfield for 5.45. Met Mandy and we got on the 6.15 bus over to Inglebrough.
We queued to register and do our kit check and then chilled before the start.
Then we all set off, nice and slowly on our part. We chatted away and climbed Inglebrough following a long stream of runners.
Up to the top and it was very windy but promised to be a lovely day. First checkpoint done and then down the rocky path, over the boarded walkways and on to Hill Inn. My feet were already hurting so I stopped to rearrange my socks. It dawned on me wearing high heels for the week before the race had not been a good idea!
A quick pit stop in a field before going up Whernside. Very windy up there and hard going but nice to see the faster runners coming down and then the slower ones as we came down.
We were gently trotting along and then realised we had missed the stile over the fence, so climbed over and cut a path down to the river which I managed not to fall in this time, before the checkpoint at the foot of Gragareth. That was some climb, but great to get to the top. Mandy and I jogged along, slowly over taking a few people on our way along Great Coum. Hannah was falling a little behind but we knew she would catch us soon.
The route down to Flinter Gill was so much easier in the dry conditions and my feet werent sliding all over the place like they did last year in the wet.
Even the rocky path down to Dent was easy going and not slippery.
We had a nice snack in the Dent checkpoint and waited for Hannah to catch us. Her achilles was troubling her and when we set off along the road she made the sensible decision to pull out.
The route to Blea moor seemed so easy this year, mainly because we could see the runners in front of us and could plot a straight route rather than struggling through the bogs.
Up to the checkpoint, along the top and then down to Stonehouse via the handsome turkeys in the farmyard.
The road section hurt my feet but I knew I wouldnt pull out.
We made we sure we ate lots and had a good sit down before setting off again. Hannah had only just been given a lift in the mini bus, which came into Stonehouse on it's way home.
Walking up to Great Knoutberry and managed to avoid the thigh deep bogs!
Someone passed me who remembered the fact that I had been stuck last year and I reassured him that I would miss them this year.
Down from Great Knoutberry and over Redshaw to the next checkpoint feet hurting but ok otherwise.
Snaizeholme, Dodd Fell, both came and went and we were still going ok. By this time we were travelling alongside Jim Drummond and a few others and we knew they would make good partners overnight, so when we got to Fleet Moss I asked Jim not to go without us.
We fuelled and replenished water supplies, got our torches and more clothes on and then set off straight across Fleet Moss whilst it was still slightly light. One guy had a hand-held sat nav so he took us on direct lines and in the dry conditions it was perfect going.
Middle Tongue was hard for me with my blisters because of all the rough ground. I slowed them down a bit I am afraid and I didnt like the fact that I was the weak link but they got me over there so much more confidently than last year.
More fuel at Cray and Jim helped me to treat my blister before the steep climb in the dark up Buckden Pike. All through the night, plodding away, there were certainly times when Mandy and I were saying to ourselves that we didnt ever need to do the event ever again but secretly I was enjoying it so much more, or at least hating it so much less than last year, that a repeat was beginning to cross my radar.
How good it felt to get to Park Rash and not feel sick. We didnt take a very good route up Great Whernside. We were climbing straight up on hands and knees as opposed to using the path which Jenny and I reccied last year. However, we got to the top and watched the dawn across the hills as we walked at a good pace towards Capplestone Gate. By then I wanted to run but the others didnt so we walked fast to Yarnbury.
From there it was a short couple of miles into Threshfield via Grassington and I just HAD to run.
It felt so good to be coming home despite the blisters. I didnt feel tired or sick and running seemed the only option. Besides which it saved so much time.
I arrived at the finish after 21 hours 45 minutes and waited for the others.
Then a shower, lovely cooked breakfast, a natter with the ones who had finished before me and a short snooze in the car. I heard familiar voices which woke me, but I was ok to drive home.
So- thanks to Hannah and Mandy, Jim and the others in the overnight group. A fabulous "day out" and I am sure I will be back!!
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