Sewing the Seed
The legend of the Spine MRT Challenge – a non stop 108 mile ‘race’ along the Pennine Way in the middle of January – planted a small seed in my mind 5 years ago, when friends Steph Dwyer and Mike Bottomley completed it with an inspiring and record breaking run in 2018. The following year I joined my local fell and cave rescue team (UWFRA), and that January I witnessed the ‘three UWFRA lions’ – Joe Parsons, Matt Richardson and Dave Dixon complete the challenge together in second place. I had been struck by the lack of female participation, both in the race and in mountain rescue generally, so in 2022 when no women finished, I thought to myself – 2023 is the year! Having recruited a further two female UWFRA team mates, Clare Canty and Ruth Smith, we set out to prepare for the monumental feat of journeying 108 miles in the depths of January, with the joint aim of improving visibility and encouraging participation of women in mountain rescue.
Planning and Preparation
The time and effort that went into preparing for the race were colossal – having only run 16 miles before, I knew I needed to put in a lot of hard work. Going out for early morning runs in the wet cold and dark, along with starting an occasional ‘run commute’ helped to increase my weekly distance. However the biggest factor instrumental to my success was strength and conditioning training, improving my core, gluteal and quad strength, which had previously been minimal. I also changed my running technique, again reducing likelihood of injury. Kit was also a massive factor – our packs weighed at least 10 kg, and included GPS devices, sleeping bags, bivvies and a stove to name but a few items. Massive thanks to my friends from whom I begged items of kit!
Recces were also a vital part of the mental preparation for the route – one particularly notable outing was a 42 mile walk after work on a Friday night, setting off at 10.30 pm from Edale, bivvying for 3 hours on Bleaklow, and arriving at Hebden Bridge at 6 pm the following day, in the excellent company of Clare. Nutrition was also key – I massively upped my protein intake, fresh fruit and veg, and felt much healthier for it. In the last month I went (nearly!) T total and cut out caffeine for the preceding 2 weeks to the race, in the hope that tea and coffee would give me an added boost on the trail.
After nearly a year of careful preparation and planning, we were ready to get going!
The Physical Journey
I approached the race itself with excitement, trepidation and caution. I had sprained my ankle badly 6 weeks beforehand, so the focus in the last few weeks was on recovery and preventing further injury. As a result, I was rather philosophical as we set out on the Pennine Way – I’d give it my best effort, but I was aware that a nasty fall could end my race in seconds.
The air was filled with infectious enthusiasm in the murky hours of Saturday morning in Edale. Flashing camera lights and horns of mountain rescue vehicles heralded the start of the race, as some 20+ mountain rescue competitors trotted off 30 minutes behind the main “Challenger” pack. We set off as a trio (myself, Clare and Ruth from UWFRA) but sadly at Jacob’s ladder we split up due to differing in paces, with Clare and I continuing together for the duration. Ruth put in an impressive strong performance, but sadly retired due to a nasty knee injury at Hebden – a difficult, but very brave and sensible decision.
The Kinder plateau delivered its unique mixture of side ways rain, gritty moorland boulder hopping, and dark moody light – a charming start! We then moved over to Bleaklow with its river crossings, thigh level peat bog and deep ruts, making me think we were in an underground cave rather than a footpath! Luckily the stream crossing at Dean Clough was not in full spate, so easily passable, and in our first 8 hours Clare and I covered good ground, running some flat and downs. The local MR teams put on 3 great pit stops, with cake and tepid tea fuelling our Peaks journeying.
The ‘weather’ came in over Standedge as darkness fell, in the form of 60 mph winds and horizontal sleet and hail stones that were like cold sandpaper to the face. My goggles and balaclava reduced my vision to a blurred tunnel a hands breadth in front of my face, and breathing was made more difficult underneath the layers of protection. Continuing in this state, we were grateful for the breaks at Nikky’s Food Bar (M62), and the MR team at the White House pub. We decided to break up this incredibly unpleasant night with a 4 hour stop at CP1 (Hebden Hey) with food, hot showers and attempted sleep, before heading back out.
On the Sunday morning, still in the midst of the bleak hailstorm, we breakfasted at the bothy in Top Withins (of Bronte Wuthering Heights fame), and bizarrely this nearly cost us our race! The wind was so strong that it wedged the door behind us, so we had to use our combined bodyweight to heave it open! It was a hairy 30 seconds – we had visions of having to dot watch fellow athletes, then shouting and whistling as they went past, in a futile attempt to grab their attention over the wind and horizontal hail. The thought of calling Spine HQ to say we were stuck at the Withins was equally mortifying!
However, from that low point, the weather gradually broke into a welcome calm, with sunshine kissing the rolling hills around Cowling and Lothersdale, into the mid morning. The cheering figure and waving arms of a fellow UWFRA team member Joe Mellor was an incredibly welcome sight, coming off Irckonshaw Moor, and his cheery smile and buoyant chatter spurred us on. Mentally this was the toughest part of the race for me, as it became obvious that our pace had dropped (protecting our injury-prone ankles in the horrendous conditions overnight). We knew at this point we would need to spend a full second night on the hills in order to reach the end at Hawes, something we had both hoped to avoid. Having come to peace with this realisation though, our spirits lifted again as we arrived at the Craven Tri Club station in Lothersdale – our first support station in 20 miles – never has rice pudding tasted so good!! I was greeted by my partner Mike, my sister Becky and my wonderful nephews Seb and Teddie, and this gave me the boost I needed to keep going - not that I ever contemplated quitting!!
Spurred on by sunlight, coffee and the cheering of friends, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon crossing the bowl of Gargrave, making a welcome change to terrain with rolling fields, accompanied by panoramic vistas of our home hills – Rylstone Cross, Sharp Haw and the Malhamdale fells. As darkness fell for the second time on our journey, a pervading feeling of calm struck me as we wound our way up the ascent of Malham Cove. The wind had dropped, the stars were out, and the limestone vista felt like it was hugging me into a semi meditative state. My mind had been a whirlwind of anticipation, which dissipated with the knowledge we were now on ‘home ground’ and likely to finish.
After a 30 minute stop at the Malham Tarn field centre (CP1.5) where we looked after our feet (both in very good nick) we started to climb Fountains Fell and Pen-y-ghent – two local hills that I had sorely underestimated. My zen-like calm from Malham Cove was quickly replaced by profound tiredness – resulting in the flat road between the two hills turning into a vertical escalator curling over me in my mind. I didn’t know what was up or down, and this made the climb up Pen-y-ghent the scariest experience I have had on a mountain to date. Eating more helped a bit, but I knew that 40 hours in all I desperately needed was sleep.
As a result, the Craven Pothole Club unofficial check point at Horton was my saving grace. Spicy lentil soup and homemade cakes built our broken bodies back up again, and we took advantage of a 20 minute lie down to give our brains a break. Our minds would still not let us sleep however – they knew we still had the Cam High Road left to tackle.
I was glad to be forewarned about the Cam High, as to the unseasoned ‘Spiner’ it may appear to be a benign bimble 14 miles to the finish. It is, in fact, a war of attrition with your mind, legs and feet: every step you take is further away from Horton and closer to Hawes, but in thick mist and with light snow covering the ground, you feel you are in a waking dream of white, and going nowhere. At this point I think I nearly broke my constant companion Clare, by listing all the things we could be thankful for in life…. I think my brain had gone to mush!
However, as Steph Dwyer says, nothing lasts forever, not even death, and we did eventually make the welcome descent into Hawes in a murky dawn and dramatic snow flurry. Crossing the finish line down the cobbled main street, hand in hand with Clare, with our wonderful family watching on, has to be one of the proudest moments of my life. We had finished joint second women in the MRT Challenge, with a time of 48 hours and 22 minutes, completing a full women’s podium for the first time in Spine MRT history.
Objectives and Achievements
Aside from the physical challenge of journeying for 108miles in January, we had two main aims. The first was fundraising for UWFRA and mental health charity Mind, and we’re staggered to have raised £3306 to date, as a combined total. We would like to thank everyone for their kind donations –they definitely spurred us on over the course. The second was to raise the profile of women in mountain rescue, as there are still proportionally more male volunteers, a fact which was highlighted by our UWFRA 2022 intake of new members which comprised of eleven men and one woman. This is not intended to lay any sort of blame on our male colleagues – they are very encouraging and welcoming. Instead, we wanted to show that women are welcome to join their local teams, and make many excellent contributions.
We were able to share our participation in the race via local newspapers, on local BBC Radio York, and on BBC Look North with a live interview with Steph Dwyer (who won the women’s MRT race, and smashed her own record – massive congratulations!!), Clare Canty and myself. I even received a letter of support from the Keighley Member of Parliament! We are pleased that our message got traction, and hope to have inspired others – both men and women– to push themselves in the outdoors, and think about joining mountain rescue teams – it is an enriching and rewarding experience.
Reflections
My main reflection is that ultrarunning is probably not 100% good for you, long term!! It is obsessive, all encompassing, and puts a big strain on your body. However, it pushes your mind and self-resolve to limits they had not encountered before, and once you have pushed through that barrier, you come out stronger than ever before.
Aside from now possessing the empowering accolade that I journeyed a total of 111 miles (more than the official distance due to navigation/ diversions) by my own steam, one of the loveliest legacies is the wonderful support group that we developed while preparing for the race. Clare, Ruth, Steph, Mike, Liz, Frank and Jude were a lovely bunch of local Spiners and supporters to train and talk with, and I am very grateful for the friendships we have made along the way.
Thanks
I feel the saying ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ is very appropriate in relation to the Spine Race. I would not have finished the race without the support of a great many people. Looking at a broad historical perspective, the Pennine Way itself would not exist without the tireless campaigning by pioneering outdoor access activists in the 1920s through to the 1950s. Then looking closer to home, there are lots of friends and supporters who were instrumental in my success. I am very grateful to you all, and it is not possible to name everyone, but I would like to thank some people especially:
- Clare and Ruth, for accepting the insane challenge, with thanks to Clare putting up with my constant indecipherable waffle, and being an unwavering companion all the way to Hawes.
- My partner Mike, for tolerating long training runs, and long hours planning and preparing, for his unwavering support and enviable cooking skills powering me with awesome food.
- My family, especially my Mum, Dad, sister Becky, Uncle Kenny and Aunty Buff, for instilling a love for the outdoors into me from an early age, inspiring me, and giving me the opportunities to enjoy being outside safely from a young age.
- Glenn Costin, who is a solid training partner, encouraging me out on early mornings in disgusting weather. It is his fault I got into running just less than 2 years ago!
- Mark and Katie from Paragon Physiotherapy and Run Right (Skipton) who gave me the tools to run well, the strength to prevent/deal with injury, and the belief that I could do it.
- Christine from Fit for Purpose (Skipton) for wonderful sports massage.
- And finally, my dog Dash, for being the best canine companion out on the fells.