How I successfully completed the Lakes Traverse 100km on minimal training.

Lakes Traverse

A bit shocked, somewhat stunned but flippin’ stoked!

My hip has been giving me pain and limited range of moment for many years now, but I refused to listen to it, or those telling me to stop. Rather I have been trying to accommodate it, work around it and I guess, ignore the fact that it was going to be reason I stop competing at Ultras. I have had injections, scans, manipulations, and told a number of times to stop running but it is not that easy. Not only do I get so much from the trails mentally and physically, but as a run coach it’s my job and a large part of my identity comes from it. Sidelining my trail shoes, admitting I could no longer compete is something I have agonised over for a couple of long years. It hasn’t felt good or been easy.

But as April approached the small matter of a left over race entry to the Lakes Traverse 100km needed to be dealt with. I tried to rope in both Maya and Isla to do it with me, but they were both busy ;) So I wrestled with what to do.

Since the Winter Spine race in January 2024 when I completed it highly dosed up on codeine, and with a limp,  I have rested my hip, taking a break from running. At most I have run a hnadful of 5kms with clients or the kids. I replaced running with weights and gym work twice a week. Since Christmas I added in Vo2 max work. Then I take Loki, our wee hound, most days but on a couple of days these walk can be up to 90mins.

With this rather lacking training routine behind me I decided to face the Lakes Traverse. If nothing else it would be great to have seen the course first hand to inform my coaching.

I stood on the start line pretty relaxed with not much to loose, no pressure on needing to race, and no loss if I didn't finish, as we were staying in the Lakes for a holiday anyway.

The weather was perfect, the morning was sunny and crisp, but there was defenately a need for long sleeves at the start. It was lovely meeting up with client Mike and running some of the coastal path together before splitting to ‘run’ our own races.

A suprising thing to me about this event, was that I was never daunted by the distance. Not before or during. Once I had done 20km it was a simple pragmatic, ok 80km to go. There was no breaking it in to parts or trickery of that nature, I was just happy I was going to be in my bed that evening and in the meantime I had a few mountains to scale! I really liked that, I was carrying no dread or fear.

The lack of pressure felt nice, when you race alot and start to have success, can be hard to rock up and just 'do' an event. I always felt the pressure of hitting a time, achieveing a certain position, meeting expectations. This can kill some of the joy of being on the trails with like minded people and just running. And on this one, I loved that, I had to let that go, there was no option.

I knew I would run out the first section, I would find it hard to walk off the startline, but I also knew that I wouldn't be able to run alot, What 'alot' look like was the unknown. So I went with it, religiously walking the gradients, keeping the pace very steady and listening to my body. I was amazed. I mangaed to run a lot of, thought not all, the first 25km to the first check point. Up until you traverse the edge of the lake the route was slightly undulating but was very runnable. As I run/walked along the edge of Ennerdale water I enjoyed a hug from Damian Hall as he ran past on his way to a course record, man he makes it look so easy as he glides over the ground. The next kms rattled past, though I was struggling with my stomach and feeling nauseous but I was determind to not let lack of nutrition be my demise. I kept downing the tailwind and the odd mars bar when I could.

The climbs are steep and the joy of the descent a challenge due to the rocky, uneveness of the terrain. Had I wanted to race I would have benefitted from a recce or two and pratising downhill running on narly terrain. I was suprised and pleased to find that I could still hold a decent speed uphill, the work in the gym paying off clearly.

A high point came as I was almost at half way and running in to the arms of my boys who had cycled up to meet me at Honsiter pass... I felt good, still rather unsure of if/when the wheels might come off but I was on a total high. Again, I loved this feeling of empowerment. Often when racing I would berate myself and feel I wasn't meeting my expectaions, loading pressure on myself. Not this time and I was full of beans and positivity!

It was minutes after this joyous cuddle moment that I realised I had had a total muppetry moment. I had uploaded the 2024 route on to my Garmin at the start - Duh, what a rookie mistake to make. This took me to the wrong location for the mid way aid station at Buttermere. I lost at least 45min going around in circles. I decided to stop, get myself some chips and a coke at a pub, hoping that might settle my stomach, whilst I contated HQ to get directions. Necking the food I headed to check in at the aid station.

Heading out from here took us up a long climb along the valley with a particulariy steep kicker, near the top. Sadly, I passed a couple of casualties of the terrain here, one who had dislocated her shoulder and another whose legs were totally beaten. We were headed into a section that was pretty remote and he felt it would be a risk to keep going so he tapped out. Having checked they were both being cared for I powerd on. whilst out on this remote seciton I had one of those 'good to be alive' feelings as I like call it. Counting my blessings that I was out on the trail in glorious weather with a body that was behaving and a mind full of positivity again, so empowering.

I carried on ticking off the kms with my dicey tummy and on my own until dusk. When I arrived into Patterdale check point, ready to reset. I am pretty speedie through check points and had wanted to give myself 20min here. The aim was to put on my waterproofs and head torch and try to eat some warming soup. Kidsty Pike lay ahead, it'sthe last climb, and it was going to be in the dark. The temperature up there had dropped to -2. So I ate, sorted my kit and was once more given cuddles by my lovely team, a joy to see them again. I was set to go when I noticed my Garmin was dead. Bugger. Reading a map in the howling wind and dark was no use. I contemplated the fact that my race had to end.

I then saw that two lovely lasses were headed out at the same time as me and they were happy for me to latch on to them. We had a fab 26km to the finish together. I'd have been lost without them and whilst we climbed at slightly differnt paces I owe them my finish, for without a route to follow (the Lakes Traverse is an unmarked way) I would have had no way of getting there. Coupled with this, they were gorgeous, generous women, and it was a privilage to meet them.

We arrived at Shap, I had done it! I was stunned at how my body had held up and how a lumpy 100km, after 18 months for nothing longer than 90mins, had not daunted me.

Prior to this event, and probably because the reality that my racing days were over, I had been struggling with the idea that I was the wrong side of 55, and 60 was scarily close. But this event showed me that I am far from cooked, washed up, done.. there is more in this body. once again hugely empowering for me.

I will write something further on my learnings, on how this race has informed my coaching for the older athlete. But for now I am genuinly stoked to bits. Oh, and catch this, to top it off - I won my age group!