Virtual Lakeland 50 – Day 7

What a good night’s sleep I had! My first awareness this morning was Mick getting out of bed and my first thought was “Gosh, I’m hungry!”. Mick looked like he was heading to the kitchen, so I mumbled a request for a bowl of porridge to go with my cup of tea.

Having completed the required 50-miles yesterday, there appeared to be little reason for me to head out for another 3.5 miles, except that the event organiser had requested that all participants go out today (wearing something green) to run up a set of steps. This was by way of substitute for ‘Jacob’s Ladder*’, the stone-staircase of a path that leads up onto the fells from Tilberthwaite (the final Checkpoint) on the way to Coniston (the finish line).

Last Monday, during my first run of the event, I wracked my brains and could not think of a single set of steps nearby. Then on Tuesday I remembered these:

I would have sworn this ‘flight’ comprised only two or three steps. Must usually take them two at a time!

They couldn’t be considered in any way comparable to real thing (the ascent in the final 3.5 miles of the real Lakeland 50/100 is just under 300m), but they were the best I could do.

At the very civilized time of 0940, I headed out the door with Mick, who was going to accompany me, not only because he likes my company and needed to go for a run today anyway, but also (and more importantly) to photograph my ascent of the steps.

Can you see the man cutting the bush to the left of the steps? Our behaviour must have seemed odd from where he was standing!

We then tootled back home where I didn’t waste much time in addressing my ravenous hunger!

Here’s 2.5 minutes of video** coverage of the outing:

If the thumbnail above doesn't work, use this link.

I think I’m going to have a rest from running tomorrow!

^{(*Jacob’s Ladder is not a name you’ll find on the map. Jacob was a young lad who died of cancer last year, after whom the Lakeland 50 & 100 events have unofficially named the path from Tilberthwaite. As well as the Lakeland events being fundraisers for the Epic Kidz charity (they reckon the entry and merchandise fees from this virtual event will have raised £65k) they also ‘charged’ a charitable toll in aid of Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group(nominally £1) for going over Jacob’s Ladder.}

^{**Incidentally, it took me a dozen attempts to manage the voice over bit in a way that was both coherent and fitted into the available audio space!)}