Lake District Challenge 100km 2023 – Race Report

Date: Saturday 10th June 2023

Official miles: 100km

Strava says: 61.72 miles

Elevation: 8,310 ft /  2,532 m

Weather: Very hot and sunny

Start: Kendal, Lake District

Route type: Circular

Conditions: Very dry

Website link: Ultra Challenge by Action Challenge

Describe the route in three words: insanely crazy hot

Lake District Challenge – Race Report

Oh gosh, I was soooooooooo excited for this race! I had never been to the Lake District before and I was really looking forward to getting a feel for the place. I also felt like I wanted to race and I could give it a really good bash after my recent adventures in Wales. I considered what sort of time I could do it in and decided that as I’d completed the Jurassic Coast Challenge in around 13 and a half hours, I felt that as this route is the same distance and similar elevation I might be able to complete it in just under 13 hours.

I’d been debating whether I should take the risk of running in shorts, I am prone to chub rub if I wear shorts, the weather report forecast scorchio. After my poor friend Katy had to endure a relentless amount of indecisiveness throughout our insanely long drive up, she helped me settle on the plan of wearing my leggings and carrying my shorts in my bag, I thought I would decide at some point I was too hot and then knowing the shorts were in my bag I’d then decide I could not be bothered to put them on, however if I didn’t have the shorts with me, I’d then be cross with myself as I’d want to put them on!

My start wave was at 7am. A few minutes before, two energetic ladies encouraged us all to do a warm up, I sheepishly joined in and was impressed at how nearly everyone else was joining in with great enthusiasm. I knew that only around 25% of the field were runners, the rest being walkers so I had positioned myself at the front, as had another gentlemen who did not even slightly participate in the warm up, he looked very pro and my money was on him to win (which he did!).

7am and we all set off, weirdly I seemed to be the one at the front leading the way. I looked over my shoulder a couple of times and wondered when the men would come past me. They didn’t. After around a mile or so I was aware of someone running to my right, I turned expecting to see a guy but it was a fellow chick! I said, “Well this is weird!” It was weird to have two women leading the way for the first few miles! We got chatting and Sophie and I ran together for the rest of our races. We quickly established that we were both running the Beacons Way 100 (Sophie’s first 100 miler) and swapped run stories until we got to the first checkpoint, Checkpoint 1, Longsleddle 10km at 8.01am. A chap called Oliver joined us for a bit around here, he was doing the first half, finishing at the YMCA. We learned how Sophie had lived and raced in Vietnam, becoming a semi-pro triathlete (she claimed that there weren’t many to choose from!). However, I could see that Sophie is a very strong and capable runner and I had the feeling that she would be leaving me behind at some point. 

We had our first big climb up Garburn Pass and it was here that I started to notice that my breathing didn’t seem right. I was more short of breath than I would usually be and because of this the climb felt tougher than it should have done.

When the next big climb came it was really apparent that I wasn’t breathing properly and I had to get my poles out to help me. Sophie kept pausing to wait for me. I was disappointed as I wouldn’t normally get my poles out so early on in a run and the climb was not nearly as steep as some of the stuff I am used to in Wales. Did I mention it was baking hot too? We had a 12 mile stretch between checkpoint 1 and 2 and I was very conscious of how much water I was drinking, I wanted to stay hydrated but I didn’t want to run out of water either. At the top of the hill, there was a medic sitting and seemingly enjoying the sunshine, he told us that an impromptu water station had been added in at the church and it was only a couple of miles away. This was great knowledge to have so I started drinking more. At the church we refilled our water bladders and carried on. It was getting hotter and hotter by the minute.

Sophie’s friend was crewing her and had parked up before the next checkpoint at Ambleside. We parted ways at the town but not before Sophie fell over, luckily she wasn’t hurt and she laughed as she hadn’t actually tripped over anything in particular.

It was odd arriving in Checkpoint 2, Rothay Park (Ambleside), 29km, 10.33am as I was the only one there. The marshals had spray bottles and I loved getting cooled off in the spray. I collected a giant cheese roll and a packet of crisps, refilled my water bladders and headed out. Even though this section was flat I decided I would walk and eat and hope that Sophie would catch me soon. I think it was here that I began to wonder if the heat was going to scupper my chances of finishing in 13 hours as although we had run the whole way to checkpoint 2, I suddenly realised how I needed this walk not just to eat but to catch my breath back. It was an odd feeling as I didn’t seem to be able to breath as freely as I normally do.

I heard Sophie’s voice and she filled me in on what she’d had to eat and drink at her checkpoint. She told me about her homemade energy balls and offered me one to try.

I know I’d only met and got to know Sophie just within the last couple of hours but I felt  that I could give her my honest opinion on them. They looked like how I imagine unicorn poo to look like! Brown and glittery. Very tasty though!

We came into Checkpoint 4 at Braithwaite Hall 42km at 12.25pm, it was absolutely baking hot. I re-filled my bladders again and the two brothers who we’d seen earlier were still there, they had passed us after the guy who I thought would win, but then the guy who I thought would win passed us again, turns out he’d made a wrong turn! The brothers were spraying on suncream and I asked if I could use it too, they kindly let me. I raided the pick n mix counter and Sophie and I made our preparations to go. We’d both sat briefly in what little shade there was to sort out our packs and eat something.

On we went and I was getting increasingly alarmed at just how much I needed to walk. I kept getting this strange rushing and pounding sensation in my head, each time this happened I would walk, I didn’t want it to result in me passing out. By the time we reach Checkpoint 5 YMCA South Camp 50km at 1.40pm (which was also half way) I knew I needed to lose the legging and get my legs out. Sophie ran straight through to find her crew. I went inside the YMCA building and used the bathroom before heading upstairs. As the chef kindly prepared some pesto pasta for me, I changed into my shorts and another lovely marshal handed me a Pepsi. It was a struggle to eat but I knew I must do it. Again, it is unusual for me to struggle to eat so early on in a race. I set off once more and came across a marshal by a car park, I asked him if another lady had run through, he said yes, and also he had a message for me. He said she had told him I would understand, it was not this car park but the next. I sure did and ran on to find the next car park, I also knew there was an ice cream van there as Sophie’s crew had informed us when they had spoken on the phone. As I approached the car park I called out Sophie’s name. No reply. I asked the group sat on the bench if they had seen another lady runner leave the car park, they weren’t sure. I couldn’t see her anywhere and thought I must have been too long and Sophie had gone on without me. I bought myself an ice cream and just as I took my first lick I heard my name being called! Sure enough, Sophie was still there. She shared her Coke and suncream with me and after a lovely sit down and chat with her friend, we set off once more.

It really was hot now. Earlier had been hot, but now it was just extra hot. As well as the difficulty breathing, the head pound rushing thing I also had a really tight chest. It just felt like I could not breath properly, as if I were at altitude. I had undone the lower strap on my bag to try to free up my lungs, in the end I undid the top strap too so that my bag was loose. It helped a little. I was also aware of a strange feeling in my legs, I have never had cramp before and I believe that perhaps this was the starting signs of it. It felt as though that if I were to suddenly change my movement (i.e due to a tumble or the need to lengthen or shorten my stride) then something bad would happen. It just felt as though I was on the edge of a muscle either seizing up or giving the sensation that it was broken. It was quite hard to explain and describe to Sophie but I felt sure that it must be early cramping signs. I ate the rest of my salty crisps and Sophie kindly gave me a salt tablet. It was a long stretch from checkpoint 5 to checkpoint 6 and I needed to walk, run, walk, run, in particular running along lake Windemere was frustrating, it was flat yet I continued to need do do many short walks.

At around 3pm I looked at my watch and hopefully said, “12pm – 3pm is the hottest part of the day, it should feel cooler soon.” We passed a pond and I went over to it, soaking my buff and draping it around my neck, letting the cool water drip down me, a brief relief to the intense heat.

As we were nearing the checkpoint Sophie said she didn’t feel that great and wanted to run on ahead, she explained she would wait for me there. I did feel that I was cramping her style (get the pun?!) and slowing her down and that perhaps I would not see her again. I also felt guilty as I seemed to be moaning a lot, not my style either. Although I like to think it wasn’t moaning, it was wondering out loud why I could’t breath / why was my chest tight / was I getting cramp / what was the pounding in my head/?! I then had a bit of a word with myself and decided I needed to change things up a bit. I decided to first of all finish my giant cheese roll and then to get my poles out. These were a real lifeline, making me forget all my woes and I really managed to pick up the pace, run a lot more and walk a lot less.

As I was running down a fairly steep lane, the hearing went in my left ear! This was really a most unusual run and certainly not a particularly comfortable one. As I ran into Checkpoint 6 Howborrow Farm – Cartmel 66km at 4.28pm I couldn’t believe that Sophie was as good as her word and was waiting there! She claimed she’d not been there that long and had actually stopped just before the checkpoint to vomit. Oh dear. Not good. I sat in the shade on the floor by the water station and refilled my bladders from a sitting position. The marshal looked concerned and asked me if I was ok. “I’m fine, just enjoying the shade and a sit down!”

Sophie said, “I’m not sure about you but I want a proper sit down.” Great idea! We pulled up a chair by the food, asked the marshal to put the volume up on the music and sat there enjoying some snacks, water, juice and Coke. There were proper bathrooms here too which had cool air flowing through, it always feels such a luxury when you can wee in comfort and wash your hands properly afterwards! I soaked my buff in the cool water and placed it on my head, letting the water drip all over me.

I loved trotting through the village coming out of Cartmel racecourse, there were people sat out in the sunshine at the pub, enjoying their beer and wishing us luck. There was a fudge shop and all the buildings were so pretty.

We then had a hill to climb, it was really apparent now that my tight chest and shortness of breath was a problem, it was very slow go for me up here, so much so that Sophie actually had time for a little sit down to wait for me!

We had another long stretch between checkpoints. Sophie still looked really fresh and strong even though she had been sick. Our conversation flowed and we got on to the topic of DNFs. Sophie said she was likely to pull out at the next checkpoint as she didn’t feel all that great and she also didn’t feel great about having her friend crew her when she was ill with a cold.

We discussed this a while and then got distracted by a hugely overgrown narrow path where we had to fight our way through nettles and brambles, disturbing many moths and creatures, having to bat horse flies away. At least this path would be clearer by the time the back runners came through!

As we were running along a lane Sophie started retching. She told me to run on ahead and I said I’d give her some privacy. I did wonder if she would make it to the next checkpoint or if she would ask her crew to collect her. After some time, I saw Sophie’s friend driving towards me, I waved and she stopped and put the window down, she explained that she was collecting Sophie and I told her to tell Sophie that she was awesome!

I carried on alone, grateful to the wonderful companionship I had had thus far. As I ran towards checkpoint 7 the route took me into a field with tall grass. I broke into a walk but as I was nearing the checkpoint I heard voices, I turned and saw two guys running towards me, there was no way I was going to let them check in before me! I ran into the Checkpoint 7 Witherslack 79km at 7.12pm, scanning my card before they did, ha! This was the pizza checkpoint! Exciting! Well, normally, however, I did not feel as though I could face a whole pizza. I ate a banana and a Freddo whilst my margarita was being prepared. The guys told me that they had struggled up until half way but then came out of the YMCA feeling brand new and as though they were on fresh legs hence their now speedy second half. The pizza chef handed me my meal which was cut into three slices, I took a slice and asked the marshals if they would like the other two slices. I left them with it and went on my merry way. I managed to eat the whole slice and felt relieved that the temperature was beginning to cool down somewhat.

I felt that I just needed to get this thing done now so I got stuck in and ran as much as I could. I overtook the walking marshal who was laying out the glow sticks for the evening and as I did this, the two guys who had come in to the pizza checkpoint came thundering past. My word they looked strong! As if they were on a Parkrun!

I arrived in to Checkpoint 8 Levens 86km at 8.18pm. The marshal prepared a Pot Noodle for me. As nice as it would have been to hang around and eat it, I knew I needed to get going. I had not packed a head torch as I had planned to finish this thing within 13 hours so it was now a race against fading light. The Pot Noodle was harder to eat than anticipated, probably because let’s just say it was al-dente. The liquid was great though, a lovely warm soup. I drank and slurped and swallowed as much as I could and then popped the leftovers in a bin. I had around 10km to go and I caught up with the two guys who had come thundering past me after checkpoint 7. They had been running so well but one of them was now vomiting, just a slow walk home for them now. I wished them luck and carried on, the glow sticks were great, really lighting the way in the dusk.

As I came into Kendal the light was fading fast, the glow sticks however were proving to be life savers. But then I caught up with the glow stick guy! Oh no! I only had about 1.5km to go and without glow sticks it was going to prove tricky to find the way. I must say however, even if I did have a head torch in my bag, I would not have put it on, I was on pavements now and it just would not have been worth the faff for such a short distance.

I could see the finish area and grinned as I ran over the line, what a relief it was over! The weather had made what should have been an enjoyable, scenic and easy going course into a real hard battle of a slog. In fact, I would put this in my top 3 of most difficult races (Hardwolds 2019 as number one and Gwynne-Harris Round as two). I was first lady too, but really the position was earned through survival, it was more of a battle on who could survive the heat all the way to the end. I must say, when I finished, it was the most depleted of energy I think I have ever been at the end of a race. What a lot I had learned through from running in such intense heat.

My friend Katy completed the first quarter challenge in 4h 36m 9s and was third lady!

What’s in the snack pack?

Natural bar

Sugar coated stemmed ginger

2x 500ml bladders water – both with Phizz

Spare Phizz tabs

Suncream

Inov 8 Trailshell waterproof jacket

Vasaline

Spare hair band

Safety pins

Compeed, plasters, surgical tape, spare socks

Harrier Helvellyn Carbon Z-Poles and quiver

Whistle

Foil blanket

OMM ultra flexi cup

Charged mobile phone

What I wore: Saucony Peregrine 12 ST, Garmin Fenix 6 Sapphire, buff, Sweaty Betty power leggings (before changing into Under Armour shorts), Sweaty Betty vest, baseball cap, sunglasses, Stance socks, Dirty Girl gaiters, Salomon Adv Skin 12 running vest.

Lead up: Due to all the training and preparation I had done for Rownd Mynydd Du I felt that I was in great shape for this race.

Morning preparations: I had porridge with oat milk, a mashed banana, mixed berries and a dollap of jam stirred through. I had time to do some stretches before I left for the race start.

Summary

This really should have been my ‘A race’ but due to the heat I established that time was irrelevant, surviving the heat was the priority. It wasn’t the race I wanted, it wasn’t comfortable or as enjoyable as it should have been (thank goodness for Sophie’s company as that was the best thing about the race!). I appreciated the views of course but my needs came first. I am grateful for the opportunity to run in such conditions as I really did learn an enormous amount and this will prove invaluable in future races I am sure. If I have the opportunity, it would perhaps be nice to do this route again but in cooler weather so that I can enjoy it so much more.

Lessons learned

This certainly was a hot run and I learned a lot about the way my body reacts to the heat and what I should do, luckily, I instinctively did do all the right things!

Tight chest and lack of breath – inhaling warm air can cause our airways to narrow which leads to a shortness of breath, it can also trigger coughing. It is known as bronchospasm and causes inflammation in the airways making it harder to breathe. On top of this, my body was working harder to maintain its temperature and therefore had less energy to maintain on stable breathing.

Pounding and rushing in my head – I believe that this was to do with my blood pressure being raised in the heat and also perhaps the first signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion.

Heat cramps – I had odd sensations in my leg muscles, which I felt were likely to be early signs of cramp. Having looked into this a bit further, healthline.com states that “heat cramps are caused by severe fluid and electrolyte loss, especially sodium. Dehydration is defined as the significant loss of bodily fluids. Fluid is a component of blood, and it’s needed to transport nutrients throughout the body. Bodily fluid also helps to control body temperature.”

Hearing loss – the heat was causing my blood pressure to rise, the high blood pressure then casued me to go deaf in one ear.

What to do?

• Drink plenty of fluid, electrolytes rather than water (every time I refilled my bladders I refilled with electrolytes rather than just plain water)
• Replace sodium by eating salty snacks (salt tablet from Sophie was a big help)
• Always remember to eat
• Continue to put on sunscreen
• Take the opportunity to cool down whenever you can (run in the shade where possible, marshals with water spray, wet buff, eat ice cream)
• Listen to your body and walk plenty, don’t chase a time, survival is number one!

Results

Chip time: 15hr 37m 53s

Overall: 6 / 252

Lady: 1 / 100

Lake District 100km 2023 – click here for results