Monday, August 31, 2015

SBU35 - Saturday 29th August

Although its title suggests this event is 35 miles, folk with fancy electronics all seem to agree that it's in excess of 36.

The route starts near the osprey viewing point above Bassenthwaite Lake and moves generally south, down Borrowdale to the first checkpoint at Rosthwaite. Then it's up the old drovers' road alongside the Honister motor road to the slate mine, then left to the Loft Beck crossing at an altitude of 1,900ft and down into Ennerdale, past the Black Sail hut to CP2 at Low Gillerthwaite. Then along to Ennerdale Bridge to pick up Nannycatch Beck, thence to, and over, Dent Fell and into Cleator for CP3. then another 4.5 miles to the finish at St Bees.

On the day the weather was generally fair, although we suffered two severe squalls before Ennerdale.

I escaped all the cut-offs and managed to finish 106th out of 109 finishers (with 8 dnfs) and appear to be the oldest finisher, but I was disappointed with my time of 11:45, which was almost half an hour slower than 2014. First man home was Howard Seal in 5:41, first ladies were Susan Clapham and Kirsty-Jane Birch (=22nd overall) in 7:03.



This was taken from the Loft Beck crossing, the peak, centre distance, is probably High Stile, with Buttermere and then Crummock Water in the far distance.

Just been prescribed an antibiotic for an infected and badly eroded blister on my right heel - on finishing I realised why several people during the event had asked me if I knew I was oozing blood over the top of my Inov8. I'll spare you the photo.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

29th September? I always said you were A Ed of your time.

Ed the Unready said...

Thank you Raymondo, just testing, glad to hear that we still have at least one reader.