Kimm Capers- 2000 - Lake District-

Why? - It seemed like a good idea at the time....



The worst storm in 10 years hit England last weekend. Of course this was the weekend we were running the KIMM, the mountain marathon. We did start, and we did get past the first checkpoint, then after a while we joined 1/3 of the whole field in not finishing the event.

It was hard, it was steep, it was muddy, it was wet, it was windy. We were not fit enough. Our packs were too heavy. We did not finish. Ho-hum.

I am certain that every year people start packing "The Weight" and as the kilos mount up they think to themselves - "It'll be alright, I mean, 10 kilos it's nothing, we've hiked miles and miles with much more than that...." - and every year they get pounded during the KIMM and then get serious about pack weight. We did.

We had trained hard, all year, even went to Austria and did so well on long hard days at altitude, but it just wasn't enough.

It all started on Friday night already. Having packed and re-packed the gear the weekend before, we re-packed it again with food and the last few bits. Worryingly the packs weighed in at 8 and 10 kilos respectively before loading the 2 liters of water we planned to carry. (1)- see lesson 1 below. Similarly in the text you will find other points of wisdom.

We got in the car for 16:00 with a leisurely drive of about 4 hours ahead of us, plenty of time to register before 23:00 and get a nice early night, except that a truck had overturned on the M6 and we arrived at registration at 23:08. Irritating. All the while news of a big gale coming our way begins to filter through on the radio. They are saying 70-90mph winds and heavy rain.

Less than sound night's sleep in a pub B&B, (2) followed by a great fry-up which I know I can't run on unless I have a few hours to digest. But breakfast was at 07:00 and we were due to start at 09:51 so I thought I would be fine. Wrong. Nerves caused slow digestion and digestion caused slow pace. (3)

Arriving at the school event centre we registered, smooth. First thing to go right so far. I had meant to fill our bladders with our carbo powder the afternoon/night before but we arrived so late we just needed to sleep. Did it near the car instead - Result: Fine coating of powder over everything, not to matter though because the rain later in the day nicely washed everything clean. (4) Packed and re-packed again to even out the weight a bit more. (Actually I think it is a nervous tick). For once the queue for the ladies toilets was smaller than that for the men's. Some very fit people with some very small packs running about menacingly. I feel suddenly fat and slow and unfit, my knees start to ache.

Realised our roadmap was not detailed enough to find the farm from where we would start and so followed some other people to the start area. It was actually well sign-posted so wouldn't have been a problem.

Arriving at the parking fields we finally realise that there are really 3000 people in this race and they are all parked on these three fields, but the marshalling is superb and the four-wheel drive does the rest. (5) We don packs, which are feeling heavy, and walk to the start. Nervously attaching the car keys to the tag they provided, ( the keys are handed in at the start so they can have them ready for you when you come down, less weight to carry). We go through a farmyard where the river is already over the bridge surface - we convice ourselves this is just a normal ford. Nothing to it. No worries. (untrue - this was worrying) (5a)

Walking up the hill to the starting lanes feels hard, now I'm worried, but I know I am always slow and hard-starting in the morning, this usually picks up after about 20-30 minutes. Ignore the persistent sprites asking me unpleasant questions about fitness, preparation, sanity. We mill around watching very fit people with very small and light packs limbering up and comfort ourselves when we spot a couple with bigger packs than ours looking worriedly around. I slip in the mud. Joe catches me as he too is sliding. Our shoes have been great in all the training but everyone seems to be wearing Walshes, studded fell-running shoes.(6)This innocent seeming slip turns into major trouble later on because in twisting to stop us both, Joe strains a tendon in his foot. He doesn't say anything at this point, expecting it to just be a twinge that will go away.

The event coordinator tells us all that there will be a 3 kilometer detour in Duddon to avoid getting drowned in the river which is washing well over the stepping stones. This in a very matter of fact tone. Comforting to know we are in good hands.

Then it is suddenly time, we shuffel forward and drop our keys in the box, then into the lanes, the map is given to us, and then the horn and we are off. For about 100 yards to where everyone is on their knees looking at their maps and planning the routes. Then we heave off up the hill, which after 1500 pairs of feet running over it is quite slick with mud. And steep.. .

(Not us, but the winning team in the elite class, we were not in the elite class)

We were slow. Painfully slow. (Actually, I was slow, Joe was fine and was encouraging me onwards.) OK it was steep and it was 600m but still, I was unbelievably heavy on my feet, legs like rubber. People were passing us all the time, while we were used to passing people uphill, uphill is our strong area. Uphill is usually great, strong, fast. What was going on? I convinced myself it was just my usual slow/painful start and that the people passing us were in a faster class than us and that it was just temporary and that it was just because of the heavy breakfast and, and, and, and we eventually got up it and dove straight into the cloud. Many people were muttering about just getting to the first checkpoint and then bailing out. There all the teams lost touch with each other as we dissappeared into the mist and then we spent about 20 minutes running around into each other with increasingly incredulous and giggling faces. Very fit looking people with very small packs too. Very wet and windy already. People stopping to put on more gear. We were cosy in Buffalo gear , Windstopper gloves and Lowe Alpine hats. (7)

Eventually we found the high trig point and took a bearing and found the checkpoint. On an island in the middle of a small lake. We punched and then stood for a few minutes wondering whether to carry on. Many people were dissappearing off back down again but we decided to carry on. Feeling very much better, (so it was the breakfast/slow-start/etc...).

We took another bearing and made the popular decision to go for the slightly longer route via a path and then due north to get to a fence and used this as a guideline to take us in approx the right direction. Fences are good. We like fences. (They show as thin black lines on the map)

We make good time/speed along the fence but we are still too slow, and Joe's foot is getting worse rather than better. We decide to continue and take a decision at the road.(8)

(A little off the top of the map).

Before we got to the road though we faced an extra little challenge. We came to what looked like a small stream or beck in the peat. As we stood looking where best to cross, several of our fellow-competitors tried a crossing at the narrowest point and went in to their thighs, swimming out over grass tufts and looking very silly. Much nervous giggling from those still on this side. We tried in another spot and both ended up throwing ourselves forwards and dragging ourselves out of what turned out to be a bottomless peat bog with small river on top. For a few moments as I sank past my knees this was actually a little worrisome, people have drowned in these things. The whole rest of the day as we were doing the little ritual of squeezing the water out of our gloves we were reminded of these moments, because the water that came out was brown. (It actually dyed our legs and hands brown for a day as well).

We contoured around the hill on a compass bearing and got to the road. There we looked at our time, how far we had come, the weather, how far we had yet to go, our injuries, and the total lack of comparatively easy escape routes after this one.....and set off down the road. Still a long way back. 5 1/2 hours in all. (9)

As we ran down the knees and ankles got worse and confirmed our decision was a good one. And more and more people seemed to be on the way down. Quite a few of them had nothing wrong with them and were moving quite fast but didn't fancy the weather or whatever - we felt much better. At least we were injured. Almost all the way back down to the farm and we were picked up by the "bone wagon" which was patrolling the escape routes and picking up the wounded.

Eventually we would find that 1/3 of the field did not complete the first day. We felt very much better.

We registered "retired" and got soup and sandwiches in a big farm building filled with people with glazed eyes in various states of exhaustion and hypothermia.

Then we found the car and got in dry clothes. This was a good thing. We drove home through rain and wind so fierce that the whole M6 motorway actually stopped and pulled over to the side.

Later we looked at the gale warnings and sattelite pictures for the day and were simply filled with admiration for those who finished. Fitter and harder people than we, and maybe somewhat crazier.

We knew from the start this experience would be hard and that we would love it or hate it. We were already working out improved training plans on the way home in the car, brown water still dripping from my hair.

Kimm Hompage - http://www.kimm.com

Main lesson - Be fitter

Other Lessons:

1. Reduce the weight