13 Valleys Ultra

In partnership with the Lake District National Park, the 13 Valleys Ultra is an epic adventure in the stunning landscape of the Lake District National Park, with four distances to chose from.

13 Valleys celebrates the 13 unique valleys of the Lake District National Park which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site status, by linking them all together. You can choose between one trail distance: 2 Valleys (21km) and three ultra distances: 5 Valleys (55km), 7 Valleys (110km) and 13 Valleys (180km). Each of them will take you through spectacular trail running around the magnificent lakes and valleys of the Lake District. (Taken directly from the website).

My lovely wife, Helen, sent me a link to this particular ultra, and I have entered the 5 Valleys distance with an early bird discount. For me, this race seems perfect. The 7 and 13 Valleys are way too long for me, and the 2 Valleys wouldn’t be enough of a challenge.

The route for the 5 Valleys starts in Ambleside and finishes in Keswick. Almost half of the route me and Helen have walked or run in the past, which should make navigation easier. However, the 5 Valleys distance is fully waymarked, and the GPS route can be downloaded, which I will do.

From Ambleside, the route heads to Troutbeck, skirting Wansfell. From there the route follows a well used trail all the way to Thornthwaite. Last year we walked up that fell, but for this race the route to the top and down from the top are different from what I’ve done in the past. Until the route drops into Hartsop, there is a 7 km section that will be new to me, followed by another 3 km that I’ve also never done. However, there is a 20 km section from Glenridding to Threlkeld that I’ve also never done. Over the course of the summer I will hopefully attempt this main section.

As the name of the race suggests, the route doesn’t always traverse the highest points or the fell summits. High Street and The Knott are just two Wainwrights where the official route misses by less than 100 m. I don’t suppose that anyone would mind if I was to run a little extra, although I would expect by race day that me and Helen will have “bagged” those two pesky Wainwrights.

The race is at the end of September, giving me eight full months to train. I have to say that I am incredibly excited by this race. The distance of 55 km will be challenging, as will the hills, although, as I said, the elevation could easily have been a lot more, with it “only” being 2300 m.

If you’re interested, the official website is https://www.13valleysultra.com/. I don’t know when the early bird discount will end, or when entries have to be in by. I also don’t know how popular the event is. The Lap, another ultra run/walk in the Lakes, sells out in a couple of weeks, so for me, this is the perfect alternative race as I was too slow to enter the run around Windermere.

Anyway, if you have entered, I’ll see you there, or possibly in the Valleys reckoning the route over the summer.

Woodhouse Moor Parkrun

Two weeks ago me and my lovely wife, Helen, were in Glasgow to see Geddy Lee. (Read about it here). While Helen returned to Lancaster, I changed trains at Carlisle and took the scenic route to Leeds, up and over Ribblehead Viaduct. I was attending a work Christmas party, where we went to Tattu, a very fancy Chinese restaurant. The food was amazing and it was great to meet so many of the other people who work with me. The company is small and doesn’t have an office so I work from home every day.

Anyway, when the boss took everyone to a pub after the meal, I had one drink before heading back to my hotel. Third Premier Inn in ten days.

The following morning, with a slightly sore head, I slowly jogged to Woodhouse Moor Park. There are a number of parkruns around Leeds, but this was the one closest to my hotel. It was also the first parkrun outside of London, and it was their 783rd event. Quite impressive.

The course is three laps, with a small hill. The paths are quite narrow, so if you want a quick time, make sure you start close to the front. The whole event was friendly and fun, much like every parkrun. It was also busy, with 470 finishers. I crossed the line in 98th place in a time of 23:18. I was happy with that. I then slowly jogged back to the hotel, had a shower and jumped on a train to return to Lancaster.

Beyond Impossible by Mimi Anderson

Another great book about running, and another one where the author didn’t take up running until later in life, and finds that they are really quite good.

Mimi suffered from extreme anorexia and part of her rehabilitation was exercise. At age 36, unfit and a mother of three young children, she reluctantly jumped onto a treadmill for the first time. With a resolve to improve her relation with food and a new found love of running, she starts to train hard and enters the formidable Marathon De Stables, the famous multi-day event across the Sahara.

From there Mimi enters tougher and harder races, often winning them, including the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley, USA, and the 6633 Arctic Ultra. This builds towards her biggest challenge as she attempts to gain the Guinness World Record time for a female running 840 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End.

The book is incredibly inspiring, even if all you want to do is run a 10k race, or even your local parkrun. I like to read about heroic challenges, even if a half marathon is likely to knock me off my feet for the following week.

A couple of things in the book with I thought about was time and money. I gather from the book that Mimi’s husband earns enough that she doesn’t have to work, which inevitably gives her the time to train when their children are at school. He also comes across as very understanding, as there is always an element of selfishness with any of these huge events.

Anyway, another great book about running to add the shelf of running books we have at home. I gave it five stars, which might have been a little generous as the average on Goodreads is 4.10.

Events for 2024

One of the biggest events in the ultra running calendar in the Lake District is The Lap. This is a 47 mile lap of Lake Windermere. Two events are held each year, one in May and the other in September. Entries open a couple of days after each event. Two days ago I tried to book an entry to next year’s race in September, but I had forgotten my password for SI Entries. There were already 1100 entries, with a limit of 1600. That is a huge number of people for an ultra run, although many people walk it as there is a 24 hour time limit.

Anyway, when I tried to enter yesterday, the race was full, and they don’t operate a waiting list. The entries for the May 2025 event open on the 13th May 2024. I have put this date on the calendar, as I would really like to have a go at this iconic event. There can’t be many ultra runs in the UK with 1600 entries.

The website for the event can be found here.

I will now have a look for an alternative race or two for next year.

In It for the Long Run by Damian Hall

Back in the summer of 2020 there was a spate of long distance running records being broken, including the Bob Graham and the Pennine Way. Most long distance routes don’t have “records” per se, instead, they use the system of the Fastest Known Time (FKT). During the first lockdown in early 2020 there were a lot of people who found themselves with extra time on their hands, or their feet, with people going for long runs from their home, with non-essential travel prohibited. In the summer, when travel was permitted, ultra-runners headed out and broke FKTs by the hatful. Some of these epic runs even became mainstream news, albeit, only briefly. Damian Hall found himself being interviewed by the BBC live on television after his truly epic run.

Damian Hall’s book, In It for the Long Run: Breaking Records and Getting FKT, not only describes his run down the spine of England, with a small part in Scotland, but also how he became one of the countries most successful ultra-distance runners.

Damian wasn’t always a runner, in fact he only took up running about ten years earlier, when he entered a half marathon. He was working as a journalist for fitness magazines, and they would often need a volunteer for various events, including walking the classic Wainwright Coast to Coast route. Damian was also commissioned to write a guide book for the Pennine Way. During research he stumbled across The Spine Race, a 261 mile race along the full route, completed in less than a week.

The book is compelling and funny, although I would suggest that it might not encourage casual readers to want to run extreme distances, as Damian doesn’t shy away from how terrible he feels towards the end of these events, and how invariably he has to apologise to friends who have been crewing for him.

The final few chapters are all about his attempt at the FKT for the Pennine Way, which was broken only a week or two before his attempt. The previous record had stood for 31 years. Damian goes all out with support, bringing in a whos who of ultra runners to support him on each section, so that he didn’t have to carry anything, didn’t have to worry about navigation or worry about opening any of the hundreds of gates along the route. John Knapp, a top four finisher at the Spine race, and friend from the City of Lancaster Triathlon Club was one of Damian’s pacers.

Anyway, I gave the book five out of five, mostly due to how readable it was, and because I always enjoy reading about ultra events, whether they are running, cycling, swimming, or all three. Probably a book for runners.

City Strides Update

Scotland still hasn’t been added to City Strides, although I am sure that it will be soon. My last City Strides related blog was moaning about that. Read all of my City Strides blog posts here.

I have also slowly been ticking off streets in the “city” of Lancaster, which includes Morecambe and a great deal of the outlying area. I felt a bit rough in July and hardly ran, but at the end of the month the percentage of streets in Lancaster that I’d completed went down. It didn’t go down by much, from 47.10% down to 47.08%.

How can that be? The logical explanation is that there is a new road. I would guess that a few houses have been built with a new road, which has now been added to the mapping software.

I have also been ticking off the “city” of Deansgate in the middle of Manchester. It is a small city with only 266 streets, but I have completed 263 of them. The final three are either inside a construction site, behind a security gate, or the final one is at the far side of the city and is too far to walk to and from within my lunch. Hopefully, at some point in the future I will manage to tick off the final three streets to have my first 100% city.

Anyway, that is my short update on City Strides, which is definitely one of the best add-ons for running and walking available. You also don’t need to be on Strava to use it, as the data came be uploaded from Garmin, Map my Fitness or Run keeper.

Running America and Barefoot Britain

Running America by Jamie McDonald and Barefoot Britain by Anna McNuff are two books that will inspire you to push past your limits and chase your dreams. Both authors have previously written books that focus on their incredible journeys of endurance and perseverance and Running America and Barefoot Britain continue to showcase their remarkable feats of physical and mental strength.

Jamie McDonald’s previous book, Adventureman: Anyone Can be a Superhero (read my review here), chronicles his record-breaking run across Canada, where he ran 200 marathons in 275 days. This time, he takes on the challenge of running across the United States, from the west coast to the east coast. Running America is a raw and emotional account of his journey, from the gruelling physical demands to the mental and emotional toll it took on him. Jamie’s resilience and determination are truly inspiring, and his ability to stay positive and motivated despite the challenges he faced is a testament to his strength of character.

The last few chapters of the book are all about Jamie’s attempt on the 7-day treadmill world record. Jamie ran on a treadmill for seven days straight, covering a distance of 523 miles, breaking the previous record.

One of Anna McNuff’s previous books, Pants of Perspective: One Woman’s 3,000 Kilometer Running Adventure Through the Wilds of New Zealand, is a hilarious and heart-warming account of her journey running across New Zealand. In Barefoot Britain, Anna takes on the challenge of running the length of Great Britain, from the very top of Scotland to the very bottom of England, all while running barefoot and raising awareness for Girl Guides. This book is a beautifully written love letter to the United Kingdom, as Anna takes us on a journey through some of the country’s most stunning landscapes and introduces us to some of its most interesting and kind-hearted characters. Her wit and humour shine through in every page, and her descriptions of the challenges she faced are both honest and inspiring.

On top of all this, Jamie and Anna are a couple with two small children.

In Running America, Jamie faces numerous setbacks, from blisters, getting lost and sleep deprivation. He refuses to give up, and his unwavering positivity and gratitude for the support he receives from his team and from strangers he meets along the way are truly inspiring. His writing is both vulnerable and uplifting, and you can’t help but feel like you’re right there with him every step of the way.

Similarly, Anna’s writing in Barefoot Britain is so vivid and engaging that you feel like you’re running alongside her, feeling the grass between your toes and the wind in your hair, as well as the dangers of stepping in dog poo. She is refreshingly honest about the ups and downs of her journey; from the physical pain she experiences to the moments of doubt and fear that threaten to derail her.

In conclusion, Running America by Jamie McDonald and Barefoot Britain by Anna McNuff are two books that will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted. Both authors have previously written books that showcase their incredible journeys of endurance and perseverance, and these latest offerings are no exception. I gave both books five out of five.

City Strides Scotland

After an amazing week in Wigtown, walking and running all over the place, I was looking forward to analysing City Strides to see how many new streets I’d ticked off.

None. That’s how many new streets I ticked off. We had walked or ran in Newton Stewart, Whithorn, Portpatrick, Stranraer and of course most of Wigtown.

I zoomed in on the website and examined every town. Nothing. I followed the forum to a link which contained a spreadsheet for missing cities. There were dozens of missing towns in Scotland.

City Strides is a great Strava add on, and is the work of just one person. Hopefully, at some point in the future this beautiful area of Scotland will be recognised by City Strides.

Agnew Parkrun

Making the most of being on holiday by taking part in a tourist parkrun. The nearest event to Wigtown is Agnew parkrun in Stranraer, about 40 minutes drive away. And, because Scottish parkruns don’t start until 9.30, we didn’t need to set off too early.

Easy journey, found the free carpark, had a walk around and used the loos. Very pleasant little park with a miniature railway which was having new track being laid, a children’s play area and a small lake with a pirate ship on the island.

The course is three winding loops. Helen hadn’t run for a few weeks, so was taking it easy with old Nelly.

As we set off, four runners raced away from me. However, each lap I slowly reeled in two of them, managing to finish in 3rd place, over 4 minutes behind 1st and 2nd.

There was some confusion at the finish line as the volunteer handing out the barcodes didn’t seem to realise that he needed to hand out finishers barcodes. The barcode scanner was also confused about scanning both the finishing barcode and my barcode. I think it was sorted out a little later as the results were accurate.

Very pleasant and friendly event. Only 55 finishers, but they are hoping to attract 100 people for their 100th event in two weeks time.

Agnew parkrun was my 59th different event and my first one in Scotland. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Heaton Park parkrun

Last week I ticked off my NENDY of Myrtle parkrun, which gave me a new NENDY of Heaton Park in Manchester. We needed some new garden furniture and the only sort we’d seen that we liked was only available at IKEA. Not my ideal day out, but it did mean that I could run at Heaton Park before battling IKEA hell.

I arrived at the very large car park nice and early, which allowed me time to take a few photos beforehand.

Apparently, Heaton Park is the largest park in the north west, covering an area of over 600 acres. The park includes Heaton Hall and a golf course. The whole park was sold to Manchester City Council in 1902.

It also has a disused tram line, as seen below.

I walked around and familiarised myself with where the start/finish was, as well as café corner and a large adventure play area.

I have no idea what this huge edifice is. For all I know it could be a disguised water tower.

Back at the start and I attended to tourist and new comers briefing. The course involved a small lap to begin with and then a larger lap. Not too difficult. The paths were nice and wide, and even though it was busy, there was plenty of room. The Manchester marathon was taking part the next day, hence why it was busier than usual.

I set off with the 22 minute pacer, but soon left him behind as I chased a man pushing a baby jogger, complete with small child, probably his.

There was one climb on each lap, nicknamed Angina Hill. It wasn’t as bad as the hill at Myrtle or at Lancaster. The route went past the front of the Hall before winding around on end of the golf course. It was then downhill all the way back to the lake.

I was incredibly pleased with my finishing time of 21:09, especially as I didn’t feel as if I was pushing it as hard as the previous week. I finished in 37th position overall, 25th male and 3rd in my age-group, out of a field of 768 finishers. I’m fairly sure that the only larger parkrun that I’ve done would be a trip to Bushy Park. It turned out that it was the fifth largest UK parkrun that week. My new 5k App (read about it here) also told me that I progressed three different challenges, Cowell Club, Freyne Club and Date Bingo.

My new NENDY is now Croxteth Hall parkrun on the outskirts of Liverpool.

As a bonus, the new garden furniture looks amazing. We now need a matching table!