Before leg 1 could begin we had to get to Keswick, before that, to Threlkeld to collect Sparky (Mark Ryan) and Nick Ray, before that, to Phils house so he could meet his home for the next 24 hours - my van.
I left home at 9 o'clock and collected Phil who drove to Threlkeld and thereafter around most of Cumbria - twice. Phil set a new record from the trip from Carlisle through Greystoke, Motherby etc to the A66. Its a journey I'd made myself at least twice a week, every week of 2013 to date. But at least when I drive I arrive with all the sandwiches still in their packets!
#speedyPhil.
In Keswick we stayed inside the back of the van a while, me faffing on getting myself ready. It didn't seem real. Didn't seem like I was about to begin the Bob Graham Round. It felt like I was just going for another run. It didn't begin to feel real, like I was finally doing something I'd thought about for 5 years, decided 12 months ago that, yes, I did actually want to do, and then trained hard for for the last 6 months solid, until well into leg 3.
Eventually it seemed like we should go to the Moot Hall. We got there and met Lee Newton, my third support man. Phil had my camera and took a few flash-lit snaps….
We popped up onto the Hall steps - more flashes. Time dragged interminably slowly. My watch said 10 57 on three separate occasions I looked at it - each of which felt like a minute.
I asked if anyone though we should set off early, but decided without waiting for an answer that to do so would merely serve to confuse the timings and throw off the rest of the day - and starting on the hour made the maths simple - so we waited.
Then , when my watch finally ticked over to show 11.00 I had to go - conversation had to stop mid sentence and we took off toward the alleyway next to the pink sweetie shop (painted pink not selling solely pink confectionery).
Earlier in the day during a phone call to Stu he asked if I was OK with the way out of town to Fitz Park - of course I was - stoopid Stu, who did he think he was talking to here? I may not know legs 3 and 4 very well but I know Keswick! ( I still almost ran past the left hander up the steepish lane though).
On the bridge over the Greta something came adrift in Sparkys pack and the other two also stopped to help. So here was Steve on his Bob Graham Round, planned in finite detail over 6 months, 15 strong support crew arranged throughout the County, running alone across Fitz Park with the crappiest head torch available to man - struggling to note exactly where the far corner was, opening the first gate of the Round myself and out onto the Brundholme Rd and first to go down Spooneygreen Lane. By the first gate up the lane however, I had been caught back up and was able to run through it as Mark held it open for us all. So I stopped for a pee.
The Latrigg path soon gets steepish and although I had told Mark, a week earlier, that I would jog up that section, I decided to walk after all. It seemed the right thing to do somehow. As soon as the gradient eased though I was jogging again and did so until we reached almost the Gale Rd carpark where we walked up the steep grassy bank shortcut which is allowed in the Skiddaw race but not in the Round Latrigg Race. (its important to know how to optimise (reduce) distance within the rules.)
Jogging past the monument thingy ( I've never stopped to read it and see whats its there for), we then reached the gate beyond it and thus began the steep walk up the grass (not allowed in the Skiddaw race - you have to stay on stoney path). Next gate reached, and now path is only real option. Theres the shoot off to Lonscale and we are almost at the big spoiled cairn on the LHS where,in my opinion it is time to jog again. (note - in the Skiddaw race there should be no need to run again because walking should not have been contemplated yet).
Nick was on my back - often. Telling me the slow it down a bit. He'd taken 3.20 for this leg (same as my schedule) on his own round, and he hadn't been running on this bit, just walking.
I knew he was right, I knew I would be feeling good compared to everyone else. After all, we were all as fresh as each other on leg 1 but I had nothing to carry and they had quite a lot (oops, soz lads).
I knew Nick was right but I also know myself and my legs and my body - other people too had said I would go off too fast. I don't think I did though. It was a good pace I was setting (68 mins to Skiddaw summit) but I was always keen to pare away at my schedule to hopefully give me a 20 hour round rather than the 21.15 I'd published.
Lee said he knew a good way to miss out the boggy climb over Hare Crag, by going around to the right. Sounded good but I wasn't so keen to try out new routes on my actual round, especially in the dark. Besides , Sparky going into said bog above his knees was one of the comedy highlights of leg 1. Just a shame I didn't get to see it, as I was trailblazing down toward the crossing point over the Cumbrian way.
I carried on setting a great pace up Gt Calva, prompting more shouts from Nick. Then at the first top he waited while I visited the real summit with Lee and Sparky. Nicks line off Calva is a good one, avoiding the ankle twisting stones that lie in wait below the heather. The heather still has to be bounded through though, and this was something Sparky wasn't comfortable with. It was a refreshing change to be running downhill and leaving him behind. I'm sure that if he was to practice this type of running in the dark more often he would soon be able to leave me behind at will, just as he does on any descent in the daylight.
The final climb of the leg saw me finally calm down a bit and I don't think Nick felt the need to tell me 'slow it down a bit' at all over Mungrisedale and up Blen. We took the scree path across to the right to save a bit of climbing and were soon approaching the final short pull up out of the saddle toward the trig.
Doddick was the way down so only myself needed to actually go to the trig, the others waiting 10-20 metres back while I jogged over it then turned almost 180 degrees back toward them. I'd written a couple of weeks earlier about visiting Blencathra on my round. I knew it would be the briefest of visits, but on the night I found myself thinking back to what I'd said and as I placed one foot on the cement circle I said aloud
"hey how you doing auld lass?"
That was a huge moment for me. Thinking of how many times I had been there in the past. How many more times I would surely visit again in the future. None of the other 41 summits have such special meaning to me. Yes, many are great places to be with superb views. This was one very special, very fleeting visit to the summit I know and love best of all.
It felt a bit like I was rushing through a party where everyone I ever knew was waiting to see me, and really, although I hadn't time to speak to anyone, I nevertheless took an extra second to ensure this particular friend knew I was there, had seen her, knew she was special and knew I would be back again for a proper visit when time and circumstances allowed.
At the top of the second zigzags Nick shouted we had gone the wrong way, saying Doddick was down from where he was stopped. It was, but not the best way - me and Lee were already making down those szigzag for the slightly lower path which then cut across right to the main Doddick ridge, missing altogether the rocky section higher up. It was a few seconds of standoff - with Nick stationary, calling us back up, whilst I carried on regardless. Clearly going to be left behind otherwise, Nick caught us up and within seconds we were all on the main path downwards - Threlkeld now in sight and maybe even... was that my van?
Hilariously (possibly not for him) Sparky was once again falling behind as we descended. It was a path I am very familiar with, and my headtorch on full beam (I had changed to my good one at Skiddaw summit) was lighting it up like Blackpool prom'. I made a mental note to tell Plucky all about Sparkys descent.
In no time at all we were down to the tarmac and heading into Threlkeld. Some cars parked up on the left by Josh's dads yard probably meant more BG contenders coming later in the night, but although still pitch black dark, I felt we had now completed the night section and would soon be emerging into daylight , if not quite daytime itself.
A great leg of 3hrs 11 mins. Only 13 minutes slower than fastest time I managed myself during the winter, (when I was deliberately running as hard as possible to see what I could do over just the one leg). And 9 mins up on schedule, not so fast to be concerned about starting too fast but certainly a great headstart on my plan to beat the 21hrs. Nick even agreed that the Doddick route was a very good option (he is a firms man and always opts for Halls Fell with high detour to the right).
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