Day 4 - Day 2 of the Run, Up, Over, Down, Up, Over, Down, Up, Over, Along!

This was always going to be a toughy, starting in Borrowdale in the Lakes and heading out to Shap.

First thing was to get some Breakfast, instant ish porridge and hot cross buns:

After some faffing and deliberation it was out of the campsite and up Green Up Gill:

Looking back down Green Up Gill after the climb from Borrowdale:

As always in the Lakes the climb was hard, a bit of trotting up, but a fair amount of grinding, these are not hills for running up! Luckily the winds had eased off a tad which made running a bit easier.

I then dropped down Grasmere Common into Grasmere, not a nice feeling losing all that altitude when you know you've got to pick it all up again. A quick muesli bar at Low Mill bridge and then another climb up the east side of Great Tongue to Grisedale tarn, I stopped at these waterfalls for a quick snapshot of a hiker having his sarnies:

Looking back down Tongue Gill, the path to the left:

Luckily after taking a few photos it started to rain heavily, I saw it coming in so just about got the waterproof on time, then continued upwards. Up at Grisedale Tarn I had a quick chat with some walkers, explaining that it wasn't too cold for shorts! I started heading down Grisedale Beck, rocky and rubbley as ever in the Lakes., the rain clearing about half way down. so off with the waterproof and into sheep chasing mode, it wasn't my fault but the daft ewes insisted on running down the path in front of me.

I ran down into Patterdale where it started to rain again, but I couldn't be bothered with the waterproof as I was hopiong to find dad round the corner parked up for our lunch stop. As always he didn't disappoint!

Some refuelling on soup, ham, bread, probably a cup of tea or two and it was off for some more lakeland hills:

The climb out of Patterdale was a biggy, continued steep incline up to Boredale Hause, then more climb up to Angle Tarn. On the bright side the sun popped out briefly so I could get rid of the waterproof. It was then up near Satura Crag, my ipod Nano playing up on me a lot by this stage, it obviously wasn't appreciating the weather as much as me. I headed out onto the Straits of Riggindale (I love all these Hill names! ) before turning left up to Kidsty Pike, the highest point on the C2C if you don't go for any of the hilly detours (which I decided to miss this time, being a softy). from there I could see for miles, including the works at Shap which seemed very small in the distance and my target for the evening. Heading down was nice to beign with, grassy, not too steep, but this soon changed to steep, rocks, mud steps etc, and then the rain came in again for good measure.

I reached the bottom and Haweswater Reservoir where I overtook a fair few groups of walkers. The path again wasn't nice, but up and down, rocky and on a slope. I felt a low energy patch starting to appear, whilst concentrating on the descent I hadn't been drinking or stopping for snacks. A Muesli bar, apple and Tracker helped pick me up and get me all along the shoreline.

From there it was a few miles of faffing through fields, to Shap Abbey and then along the road for the final haul into Shap where dad had managed to secure parking behind the pub. Another 33 miles done. It was then more food, beer and bed!

Day 3, Let Day 1 of the run commence!

So it was time to start running. After plenty of faffing in the bus, applying micro pore tape to nipples, chafe ease up my crack and numerous other pleasantries I headed down to the beach to get vaguely wet in a wild Irish Sea.

A quick chat with the cyclists before they headed back to the passes:

Then it was time

Time to run!

It's nice that after a few metres you have to climb up on to St Bees Head, nice and warming, and great when you've two days of cycling on the legs. But there were some nice sea views:

From there it was some meandering around the lower lands west of the Lakes, I spotted this:

The first hill of the day was Dent Hill, a straight run up a muddy path through the lower woods before coming out on top to Flat Fell.

A little bleak!

Running down to Nanntywitch something or other was great, following a beck then rising up to the road and trotting down into Ennerdale Bridge to meet dad for a lunch stop. Soup, bread, ham apple, job jobbed!

I then headed out along the southern shore of Ennerdale Water, I was hoping for a smooth lake side path, but it was more of a rubbly stream, my feet were soaked in seconds and it was hard going. I carried on passed the head of the reservoir along the forestry track, slowly climbing, a shot of the valley wall on the opposite side of the stream:

After Black Sail Hut Youth Hostel I climbed steeply up towards Brandreth, contouring round just below, this was no time for running:

The view across from the saddle:

Underneath Grey Knotts looking north to Buttermere:

Again bleak but beautiful!

I then descended down into Borrowdale, some steep descents in places, lots more water! It was a nice early finish, 46.21 kms of running (and the odd bit of steep walking!). Stopped in a nearby hotel/pub for supper, stuffed my face!

One Day's running down, 5 more to go.

As for the 2 Daves, they got back over the passes, Dave 2 picked his car up in Sedbergh, and Dave 1 battled back a full 120 miles to his home, in effect completing his own cycling C2C2C, well done Dave!

Wrynose, Hardknott and onion rings. AKA Day 2.

Day 2 was Sedbergh - St Bees

After dad had the bus pulled out by Mr Giles in his tractor Dave 2 (Dave Boulder) was ready for cycling, I wasn't feeling bad and I think Dave 1 had slightly stiff legs from his previous 1.5 days on the bike. We retraced back to Sedbergh so Dave 2 could leave his car there.

We then cycled over to Burneside, a nice scenic cycle (had to wait for cows again) and met dad for a splash and dash.

It was then on to Windemere and round to Ambleside, luckily the busy A591had bike lanes alongside to avoid the worst of the traffic. The run down to the Lake was actually quite fun.

An early lunch at Ambleside where it decided to piddle down. We set off with waterproofs donned:

So a bit of cycling in the rain:

We soon reached wrynose pass, in the driving rain, the wind was swirling most of the time in our faces or on ours sides. This was tough cycling, I'd recommend  not attempting it on a normal double chainset, but it is doable! (With a couple of stops to regroup....) Getting clipped back in on 25% gradients was interesting. Dave 2 looking a little damp:

It was then an interesting run down the saddle, before starting up towards Hardknott, it had some real steep bits. Again Dave 2 looking alittle damper and tireder on the way up:

Well done to all for getting up! Getting down Hardknott in the pouring rain and headwinds was equally interesting, a fair bit of rear wheel steer/skid round the hairpins. We then met dad for a quick cuppa in Gosforth, before hot footing it to St Bees:

(Just before arriving):

And finally there

 

 Top Marks to all involved, 2nd day (including 2 passes) was 58.46, taking the total for the cycle to 164.66 miles. First Coast to Coast finished, only another 6 days of running to go!

 We recovered briefly in the camper and I may have eaten a tube of Pringles.

The wind was howling off the Irish Sea, and the camper was pretty near to it:

We then headed for some food, had to prop up the flagpole for a bit:

It was then to the local Hotel for food with onion rings, and extra onion rings, I've never eaten so many! Back to the camper for a bit of a chinwag, it was being blown from side to side. A drunkard kindly woke us at 1am by banging on the side, looking for his caravan, nice.

And if you want to sponsor:


virginmoneygiving.com/TimHurfordC2C2C

106 miles down!

A tad tired now, so pretty brief:

Cycyled down to RHB from the top car park this morning, went down to the sea, the tide was out, arse! Sand up the old road bike:

It was then time to actually get on the bikes and cycle up the 30% out of RHB:

We then headed along a cinder track along the old railway line to ease the start and avoid a big hill. Down into Whitby and up out the other side:

It was then a number of up and overs through the northern edge of the North York Moors, stopping for Muesli bar in Danby including some off roading on a nice track,, the road bike coped well. We then picked up a bit of speed down into Stokesley to meet dad for the first official break!

The pace picked up nicely across the northern edge of the vale of York, some quiet country lanes with little traffic. Dave 1 had a bit of an energy dip in Catterick Garrison, temporarily fixed with a Mars bar, we headed up the tank road to meet dad for a late lunch, 67 miles in:

It was then skirting wensleydale, Dave's energy picked up after Beans and Sausages!

There were a few cows which gave us another break:

We whistled down into Hawes for a cupper, where I heard from Dave 2 that he was at our campsite. Just as the cuppas were finished we saw the weather approaching, donned waterproofs just in time, then the heavens opened as we headed up garsdale head. Dave 2  appeared and took a few photos of us in the rain, I'll get them later, but it was soaking. It was nice to reach the valley head and head downhill finally after some more long climbs. And the sun started to peak through as we hit Sedbergh. Dave 2 escorted us to the campsite, Dad had had a few issues squeezing througgh the country lanes. Then got stuck in the campsite, so we're just parked up, he'll need pulling out with the tractor in the morning!

106 miles down, a few calories burnt.

Just had Spag Bol and a glass of wine, a bit of map looking for tomorrow and then bed I guess!

Lunch stop!

A quick update, 67 miles in, up passed the tank ranges about top drop down into Wensleydale, will update more this evening, got to get stuck into some brocolli soup now!!

Packed, Prepped & Pigeon

Well, got the shed all packed up with a number of bikes, plenty of kit and a fair amount of stuff I probably don't need :

It was then a quick hotfoot from reading up to Yorkshire to Dad and Liz's, no traffic jams and carry on with the carbo loading at 10pm.

A leisurely get up this morning and a last bit of bike maintenance, clean, chain lube, new tyres and brake adjust:

 Finally all sorted:

A quick go faster haircut and then off to pick up the camper from Harrogate motorhomes:

Includes fridge, freezer, satellite telly and all sorts of other 27' goodness.

A quick run back to Kirkby, load up the van, and then head towards Robin Hood's Bay, got a text from Dave 1 to day that he'd already cycled there so had some time to explore and pre dip his toes.

Arrived at the campsite to be told we didn't have a campervan but a house! Settled in, hooked up then wandered to the top of RHB for some food, the view from the pub/hotel/restaurant:

Some nice pigeon for starter and lamb for a main before coming back to the van for a bit of planning. Getting ready for an earlysih start tomorrow, down to the sea, dip the toes then Sedbergh..... well that's the plan!