UKC

Did anyone else take part this year? Some challenging conditions out on the hills.

Here's my write-up of the event - http://jptds.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/the-fellsman-2015.html

In reply to thedatastream:

Hello! Good work
I was on my 3rd go, finished 17.20 down from 24.40 a few years ago so pretty happy. Also it turns out the further you can get in daylight the easier the Nav is

Agree with the importance of a good group, despite having the shortes time spent grouped this year it was the worst of the experiences! The first year despite dawn and being able to disband at park rash we decided to stay together till the end. This year grouped at cray and couldn't wait to get to yarnbury to see the last of them! Oh well, maybe I was just cold and grumpy
Happy recovering

In reply to thedatastream:

Great write up, really captured the essence of the day. Not sure you quite got across to the reader just how facking cold it got around midday!

I finished in just over 20hrs with an ear to ear grin on my face. Not the fastest in the line up but I reckon I was one of the happiest. I love that race!

Incidentlly, I've just come back from Pembrokeshire where I completed the Preseli Uktrabeast, 32 miles and 6000ft ascent. Yepo, half a Fellsman and didn't disappoint!

In reply to thedatastream:

Thanks for posting that . Brings back memories as I did it back in 84, when I was a mere 17 ! What's all this about Pizza ? Nothing but cheese sarnies and soup back then. As I understand it it's now a month earlier and you start at 9am (rather than 12), but the route and the tally card haven't changed.

I did it in glorious weather - a bit hot during the day, but it meant Fleet Moss was dry (and lovely and soft under my blistered feet). On the other hand the descent of Great Whernside was agony - did most of it on my arse ! Plus by that time we had been de-grouped, and the guys who guided me through the night had gone on. My time was 21:30, but those last 11 miles took almost 6 !

Interesting to read that you ate a salt tablet - that's what I believe did for me the following year. I was fitter (and had better boots) and was an hour ahead of my previous time, but it was another hot day. My mum told me to take a salt tablet but two hours later, at the next checkpoint, I was completely out of it, almost delirious. I've since learnt that your body can adjust quite well to losing salt, but add too much when you are already depleted and it all goes to pot.

Cheers for the comments. I might edit my blog to say "facking cold"

Whilst there were a couple of times during the hike when I stopped having fun it was mostly marvellous and I hope that comes across in the blog.

The pizza referred to is the homemade calzone I make for longer walks / runs but I'm still tweaking the recipe. Based on my experiences from the Fellsman I had a go at a baked cheese and marmite roll. It were a bit good like!

As for the salt tablet, I normally pop half a Nuun electrolyte tablet in my water bottle but despite thinking I'd packed them I couldn't bloody find them. I felt like I was drinking water and constantly stopping for a wee but not getting anything out of it. Neil from my group gave me a Zero (pretty similar to Nuun) and I felt much less sick after that.