I had a new energy drink with me on Grisedale Pike, Mountain Fuel (mountainfuel.co.uk) Extreme Energy, a powder you make up into a drink, it was a good first test, a second fastest ascent on battered legs!
Speaking with the man behind Mountain Fuel, Rupert Bonnington, he said it was best to sip away at the drink before my run to allow the drink to be absorbed and to work properly. So before myself and Byron headed out after work one night, I sipped away for around 2 hours before we set off. We headed over Walla Crag to Ashness Bridge and back along Falcon Crag, a usual after work jaunt of 6miles with 1300+ft of ascent. I smashed over 6 minutes of my PB, rocket fuel!!
Further to the energy drink there is also Morning Fuel, another powder to be added to your breakfast before you run, so on my next day off I added it to my breakfast, and made up the drink in 500ml of water. The plan was a double ascent of Skiddaw from Keswick, but I had woken not feeling great, and the weather on top was awful was awful, so I stuck to one ascent! Hitting Little Man on the descent, still ok for 3077ft in less than 9 miles.
Windy at the top!
By mid afternoon I felt better and I was raring to go, so I headed out and tagged Latrigg in the sunshine, setting a faster than average ascent time.
View on the Latrigg climb
A rest day then myself and George headed out after work to reignite the 'Sunday Skiddaw' tradition. 2 days earlier I had hit the summit only 57seconds slower than my PB and gone on to run Latrigg again that night. On Sunday, after a busy day on my feet at work, I hit the summit only 20 seconds slower than my PB! Once again with the Mountain Fuel energy drink on board. We tagged little man on the descent as I had on Friday, and finished 5minutes quicker than Friday.
Another Stella Skiddaw summit in summer!
Game of Thrones- Little Man edition
Out of the clag and hammering down Jenkins Path
The long run this week would be a solo jaunt, so I decided to head to my favourite playground, Buttermere! I often run the 9 mile circuit up Red Pike and across to Fleetwith Pike and and back along the lake shore, and always wanted to add in the 3 peaks on the final leg of the BGR.
Setting off in the opposite direction to usual I headed straight up Snockrigg, a surprising 1200ft climb in a mile to start the day....
Unassuming but steep!
After Snockrigg you traverse a bone chillingly cold bog and then climb up to Robinson, descend and climb Hindscarth and finally descend and climb Dale Head - the 3 summits of BGR leg 5, albeit in reverse. From Dale Head there is a fun & fast descent to Honister Slate Mine, where I made use of the facilities and had a can of coke as a wee treat!
As you leave Honister
From the mine there is a boring stone staircase until you reach the trail headed out to Haystacks. One of my favourite fells, it encompasses running with easy scrambles, but it breaks the climbs into fun sections rather than just plodding up hill!
The view over Innonimate Tarn
Buttermere & Crummock and the last big climb 'Gamlin End'
After Haystacks there's a sharp rise upto Seat, a small drop and then you're faced with Gamlin End. Coming in at less than 400mtrs long it climbs 800ft, and after 4000ft and 9 miles already, I wasn't thrilled!. As it happened I just put my head down and put one foot infront of the other and soon enough I had crested the summit and was running again to the Comb Crag ridge. There's a small incline between high Stile and High Crag, and then onto the final summit, and my favourite- Red Pike. Atop the summit I stopped to talk to a family who were doing the C2C and left them with the last of my energy pancakes as I shot off down the 2 mile 2400ft descent into Buttermere, where I finished with a swim!
The energy pancakes are a mix of the Morning Fuel, banana, dates & cranberries made into what I would call drop scones, rather than what I call pancakes. I had one with a banana for breakfast, another climbing Dale Head, one on Haystacks and a final one on Redpike, that was all the food I ate, and they aren't big! I had miscounted the energy sachets I had though, and ended up resorting to my previous set up of water and a hydration tablet. I could feel the difference on the run, my legs were a hey much quicker, and even today they are stiffer than any previous outings when I have used the drink. I'm yet to try the other 2 products from mountain fuel, a recovery powder and a night powder, both aimed at recovery from big days out. Main reason being that I keep forgetting to pack them when I go out running!
After the Buttermere Horseshoe I went to see Rupert again to report back on my testing of Mountain Fuel, and can happily state that they are committed to being supporters of my HeartTransplant Bob Graham training and attempt!
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