Bad times on the BG
If you're into fell or long distance running you've probably heard of the Bob Graham Round, the ultimate English mountain challenge, where people attempt to cover up to 70 miles over 42 Lakeland summits in less than 24 hours.
I'd first read about this while at university over 20 years ago and never dreamed it was possible. Well this year I'd prepared myself for a crack at it and, after a lot of last minute hiccups and support rearrangements, at 8.00pm on 30th June we set off from Moot Hall in Keswick under leaden skies.
My two companions, former clubmate James Williamson and Tim Pigot (who I'd never met but had responded to my calls for aid on a forum) accompanied me up Skiddaw and into the clag. We topped out in 80 minutes dead on schedule, then as we dropped off the other side and Tim was checking the route to keep us on track, disaster struck. I was barely even moving but my right foot slipped on an angled wet rock and over I went.
In 14 years of running I've been very lucky, only ever having one injury that's stopped me getting out and about which was through a cycling accident. But as I gingerly got to my feet I knew my ankle was gone.
We valiantly pressed on over rough heather up to the summit Great Calva, but I was now bleeding time, seven minutes down on schedule already. I had a bite to eat but as we started dropping off towards Blencathra in the twilight I could barely put weight on my increasingly painful ankle. Thank goodness Tim was a physio and had some remedial kit to hand. He sat me down, took my shoe and sock off, then strapped my ankle up as best he could.
With my BG attempt in tatters after just two tops, we trudged over five miles through the desolate Back o' Skiddaw to the Blencathra Centre where my Leg 2 support had come to kindly ferry us back to base.
The next day I took a trip to Urgent Care and had my ankle X-rayed. No bone damage "just" soft tissue – not sure I wanted to hear that – and I emerged on crutches. It's still swollen and very sore now several days later. Not sure when I'll be back running =(
I'd first read about this while at university over 20 years ago and never dreamed it was possible. Well this year I'd prepared myself for a crack at it and, after a lot of last minute hiccups and support rearrangements, at 8.00pm on 30th June we set off from Moot Hall in Keswick under leaden skies.
My two companions, former clubmate James Williamson and Tim Pigot (who I'd never met but had responded to my calls for aid on a forum) accompanied me up Skiddaw and into the clag. We topped out in 80 minutes dead on schedule, then as we dropped off the other side and Tim was checking the route to keep us on track, disaster struck. I was barely even moving but my right foot slipped on an angled wet rock and over I went.
In 14 years of running I've been very lucky, only ever having one injury that's stopped me getting out and about which was through a cycling accident. But as I gingerly got to my feet I knew my ankle was gone.
We valiantly pressed on over rough heather up to the summit Great Calva, but I was now bleeding time, seven minutes down on schedule already. I had a bite to eat but as we started dropping off towards Blencathra in the twilight I could barely put weight on my increasingly painful ankle. Thank goodness Tim was a physio and had some remedial kit to hand. He sat me down, took my shoe and sock off, then strapped my ankle up as best he could.
With my BG attempt in tatters after just two tops, we trudged over five miles through the desolate Back o' Skiddaw to the Blencathra Centre where my Leg 2 support had come to kindly ferry us back to base.
The next day I took a trip to Urgent Care and had my ankle X-rayed. No bone damage "just" soft tissue – not sure I wanted to hear that – and I emerged on crutches. It's still swollen and very sore now several days later. Not sure when I'll be back running =(
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