'Tour de Helvelyn'

Well as I wrote this I'm laid in bed full of some bug praying it's not flu!! Flu wouldn't be a great start to the 50 in 52 challenge. It would mean 2 ultras in some of the 52 weeks but that would be pretty interesting !! Plus I'm writing this on my iPhone not a laptop so sorry for any mistakes etc.
Saturday 17th December I ran the 'Tour de Helvelyn' 38 miles over lake district hills in winter conditions. The route was an out and back with a few small climbs then 2 big climbs, one over Sticks pass and the other over Grisedale pass. I wore kahtoolas (running crampons) for the majority of the race as snow and ice was abundant. I ran with David Cremmins for the whole of the 38 miles and navigation went well(some of the way) We made the first 11 miles in 2 hours. Then came sticks pass. Sticks pass summit is situated at about 800metres and in a White out which we endured it felt a damn site higher. The wheels came off as I tried to change gloves and my fingers started to go numb, putting the other gloves on seemed to take an eternity. My legs felt heavy and had no real climb left in them and a shortcut into a knee deep stream of icey cold water didn't help. The climb up Grisedale was much easier still felt that my legs had no climbing speed in them I recognised this route as part of the Bob Graham on an anti-clockwise round. The view of Grisedale tarn when reaching the summit of the pass was stunning. A cock- up in the last few miles of the course meant we went on a 2 mile excursion and finally arrived back in 10hrs 40 mins. I for once had set of on a race with no real target time only one aim for the race and that was to get round without timing out but when on the course ths changed and I set myself another aim to get round in under 10 hours. Still I had a great day out an adventure and if the race is run in 2012 it will be one of my 50 or even my last ultra of the challenge? Weighing myself ( which I have avoided for quite a while) I was just over 15 stone a full stone heavier since summer! I now understand why my ascending was much slower and my descending was much quicker! Start back on a diet!!!

Will I be well enough to run on Sunday? 1st January 2012??? I hope so !!!

West Highland Way Race

I have got through the ballot and am now in the West Highland Way Race for 2012!! 2 down 1 to go (UTMB) Possibly running the Country to Capital 14 January, so thats
1st January Hardmoors 30
7th January Filey Flyer 22 miles (need to add another 5 miles onto the end)
14th January Country to Capital 45 miles
21st Hebden (possibly) or 30 miler over the Cleveland Hills
28th Frostbite 50
so January should add up to 182 miles of ultras

Fundraising Page up and running

If you take pity on my poor knees during this challenge then please make the pain a little bit more bearable and donate to International Rescue Corps via my Justgiving site
http://www.justgiving.com/JONATHAN-STEELE1

If you see me at one of the events next year and Im falling to peices, remind me Im running for International Rescue Corps...

December

As a prelude to the 2012 50 in 52, I will once again take part in the 'Marcothan' (3 miles a day minimum every day of December) The distance obviously is no problem...Its fitting it in with everything else, ie Christmas day etc.

November - December 2011

Well nearly 1 month to the challenge, Rudolphs Romp next week, 25 mile LDWA event , last weekend was the 40 mile Rosedale Romp and in a few weeks time the 'Tour de Helvelyn' 38 mile hilly route. Then the challenge kicks off with the Hardmoors 30 on New Years Day, followed by the Filey Flyer a week after (only 23 miles so an extra 4 miles to add onto the course), the week following being the 'Hebden' and possibly the 'Frostbite 50' 50 miles from Whitby over the North York moors on the 28th January.

50 in 52 The Rules........

1.   Ultra a week - what comprises an ultra for the challenge?

- Training run 30 miles minimum (The North York Moors, The Wolds etc)
- Training run 27 miles minimum ( Lake District, Highlands, Snowdonia)
- Any foot race over 27 miles.
- Any race under 27 miles I must add  distance to it  to make it over 27 miles.

2.   3 x 100 mile races

 To throw a spanner in the works, I must complete 3 x 100 mile races within the year.
 recovery after the event and tapering for the event will be put to the test.
 June - West Highland Way Race (95 miles + 5 miles extra)  Entered, all down to the draw
 July - Lakeland 100 (105 miles) entered
 August - Possibly UTMB (103 miles) will enter all down to the lottery

3   4 x 50+ mile races

As well as the 3 x 100 mile races I must also complete 4 x 50 + mile races/challenges throuPossible events are -
Woldsman or the Fellsman (same weekend)
Round Rotherham,
Hardmoors 55, 
Bob Graham Round


4  Charity

I will raise money  in the process of my challenge  for the
'International Rescue Corps'   http://www.intrescue.org/ via the justgiving site.
http://www.justgiving.com/JONATHAN-STEELE1