Recce day for the UTLD

The nerves of doing the first 26miles of the Lakeland 100 soon settled as I set off with a bunch of fellow runners. We navigated our way from Coniston to Seathwaite hardly noticing the first 6/7miles as we talked the time away. It always puts me at ease when I can run with others and confirms why I love this sport, being out with others but also getting in tune with myself somehow. The next leg to Boot was wet and boggy and some of the navigation a little tricky but I know I'll appreciate the terrain on the day to slow me down at the start of a long journey. As we were told this was the hardest quarter of the event I was waiting in anticipation of what was still to come but running into Wasdale was just lovely. Nice steady running broken up with little bits of ascent. Yes, I look forward to hills to break up the running and then look forward to running after a climb. That's what makes fell running so great, the variety. I think looking forward to the next section whether it be a climb, trudge through the bog, lovely gentle run along some easy trail or having to concentrate on some tricky technical descending is what helps me with such long days. That's not to say I didn't have moments where I was really questioning what on earth made me think I could do 100 miles. Especially coming off black sail pass after a great climb. I was feeling frustrated with slippy, rocky uneven and steep ground where I just couldn't let my legs go. But I soon got over that and with one mile to go running through lovely forest into buttermere I soon forgot the hard bits and am planning next long day out 😊