GREAT LANGDALE HALF MARATHON

Sunday, 19th September 2010

 

Team Colby has again been racing in sunny Cumbria, this time we really decided to up the pain threshold. This half marathon has been described as about the toughest in the country but that didn’t put us off. This is the kind of run that Mick and Carmel would say is great, if we asked them what it was like. Angela and I have learnt over the last year that flat races are not usually rated as good when we quiz Mick and Carmel about them, though tougher races usually will come with a glowing recommendation and comments such as “you will love it”. That kind of phrase rarely means that a pancake flat race is in store!

 

Sadly we can’t blame the terrible twosome for sending us up to Langdale, this was entirely of our own doing, well Angela’s to be exact! She entered us! We regularly go up and walk all the fells in and around the Langdale valley, it is our second home and our only home if we win the lottery! So, before we entered, we knew exactly how hilly this race was. We have walked most of the race route many times over the last few years, so our only excuse for doing it comes down to insanity.

 

Two years ago we stayed in a cottage in Chapel Stile, which is about a mile and a half from the finish line, so we had already witnessed lots of suffering due to this race. We sat in the front garden watching the runners in the full marathon go staggering past while we enjoyed a warming nip of some intoxicating liquor, vowing never to enter this race. We hadn’t become members of Wesham Road Runners then though! Last year we went up for a little walk and took some photos of the race for the website, still vowing never to run the race. We had joined Wesham by then though and the insanity was setting in.

 

Fast forward to this September and we are back in Great Langdale again, ensconced in our usual bed and breakfast that is also situated on the road of the run route. You can watch the lunatics run the race from our bedroom window at Robinson Place Farm, which is how I knew John Howorth had done the full marathon this year! We had previously told Vicky, who runs the B&B , that we wouldn’t ever do this race, so I suppose she must have been surprised when she received my email asking to stay while we came up to do the race.

 

I was quite stunned when Angela said she would do the race as she hadn’t ever really enjoyed hills before this year. We have really worked on our hill running this year though and I think she now is starting to appreciate the perverse pleasure you get from a really good up and down run. At our first hilly 10k in Langdale this year she spent most of the morning on the toilet as her nerves helped her body drain itself of all fluids and nutrients. So to do a half marathon round much hillier parts of the valley was a big step up.

 

Oh how the worm turned for this race! Angela was totally calm and looking forward to the run, this time I was the one pebble dashing the toilet due to my last minute race nerves. Peter Bartlett has done this race a few times and gave us some good advice on how to approach it. He told us to forget about our times and just enjoy the run as it isn’t a PB course. This we both did and probably why we absolutely loved it.

 

As we prepared ourselves for the start we bumped into Nigel Shepherd who was doing the full marathon. He also gave us very similar advice to Pete, so we firmed up our race plan ready to start. The plan was to walk any seriously stupid hills, probably two or three and otherwise just to trot along at a nice comfortable pace and enjoy the stunning valley that enveloped us.

 

Nigel also informed us that Steve Littler was running the full marathon, so we had three representatives in the full, Nigel, Steve and John Howorth and also three people in the half, Angela, myself and Dave Preston. Not bad for a race so far away, when there was a busy weekend of races closer to home.

 

The first mile and a little bit are pretty much as flat as you can get in Langdale, then you cross a cattle grid and head up the very steep road, (1 in 3), past Blea Tarn. This hill I had decided to walk up many months ago, as I knew it would be pointless expending so much energy to move only a tiny bit quicker right at the beginning of the race. At the next cattle grid you plunge swiftly down hill until you turn left toward Little Langdale and then follow the undulating road which eventually takes you onto the main Ambleside to Coniston road. You turn left onto this and shortly afterwards go right onto a tiny road that slowly takes you up and up to Skelwith Fold. This is a tiny hamlet of about a dozen houses, you can get your breath hear as the road levels out for a few seconds as you past the lovely homes. Then you plunge at pretty great speed down the snaking lane to Skelwith Bridge, hear you get another very short breather as you pass the Skelwith Bridge Hotel.

 

At this point you are back on the main road but only for a few deceivingly flat seconds, then it is off up toward Loughridgg for the most painful, leg and lung sapping section of the race. The first climb of only a couple of hundred yards is absolutely leg destroying to walk it, so I really don’t know how some people tried to run up it! Once you have got over this climb you slowly go up and up, past Loughridgg Tarn to Red Bank, where you turn sharply left to pass the Youth Hostel on you last serious up of the day.

 

As the road turns northwards and levels out for another few brief seconds, you get the most awe inspiring view of the Langdale Pikes. On a day as nice as we had, it was an absolute treat and worth every second of pain that my legs and lungs had been through, up to now. I really would have loved to stop and get my butties and flask out while enjoying the view but I was running and not fell walking.

 

We now had the most exhilarating plunge down to Elterwater. This really did give the thighs an absolute hammering. From there on you hit the 10k route back through the undulations of the valley to end on the flat bit of road at the Stickle Barn Pub. A quick right turn into the pubs field and you are through the finish line and the suffering is over, unless you are doing the full marathon that is. They had it all to do again!

I finally took a peek at my watch and was happy with a time of 1 hour 45 minutes, Angela came in behind me at 1 hour 50 minutes and Dave Preston did 1hour 53 minutes. All decent times round what is a very tough course.

 

During presentation a little while later, Rocket Rod Berry announced that the full marathon record had just been smashed by a quarter of an hour by our very own Mr. Littler in 2 hours 41 minutes. We sat in absolute disbelief that any human could get round that course in such a fantastic time without the use of a car. Nigel Shepherd then came in with a very good 4 hours 6 minutes and John Howorth came in on 4 hours 52 minutes. All had done Wesham proud, yet again.

 

To sum the race up, I would say it is as tough as you make it. If the hill gets too much for you, walk to the top and make your time up coming down, they pay you back all the way round. The scenery is stunning, so take time to lift your head up, enjoy the views and maybe even try to breathe. The water stations are set out in good positions but I would take a gel or two with you for a bit of a boost when you are tiring.

 

Angela and I are giving serious thought to doing the full next time, if my operation goes well. I am sure we could beat Mr. Littler’s course record. Then after that we would get out of the car and also run the course.

 

Written by: Charles Colby

Submitted: 30th September 2010

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor