- Sit On Top Sea Kayaking:
I don't like being in
deep water. It makes me nervous. I can't swim well. However stuck for
something to do on a typical wet North Wales day Lily suggested we
head kayaking off Newborough on some sit on tops. I borrowed a wet
suit and buoyancy aid and was reassured by the fact that sit on tops
are impossible to fall out of or roll....
“Lily!” there was
alarm in my voice, “The back of this kayak is very low to the
water.” Lily looked around her face turned to shock. I was sinking.
“We should head back to shore.” I didn't need to be told twice. I
turned the kayak and it rolled dumping me in the sea. I wasn't happy!
I clung onto the kayak with a climbing style terror grip. Long story
short I got rescued by Lily and we towed the kayak back to shore. It
had a 2 inch hole in it and took about 5 minutes to drain.
Still not a huge fan of
deep water.
- Surfing:
Went to Rhosneigr with
Adam, Ruth and Lily. We checked out a few spots just to establish
that the surf was shit everywhere. Perfect for me to learn in then
and no chance of being swept home to Ireland. Surfing is something
I've wanted to try for ages. Mainly because I think it'd make me look
cool. Being a qualified surf instructor and decent individual Lily
was willing to give me a lesson. “Paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle,
paddle, paddle, paddle, PADDLE!” in a crazy instructor voice just
about sums it up! After a few failed attempts I managed to pop up and
promptly fell off backwards. This happened a few more times then
BOOM! I popped up found my balance and I was away. First wave if you
could call it that successfully surfed! I felt like a super hero!
 |
| How I felt on a tiny wave! Photo: Wikimedia Commons. |
Water is growing on me.
- Cliff Jumping:
Low clag and rain meant
climbing was off. In a fit of desperation and running avoidance I
paddled a surf board 500m across Llyn Gwynant and did a 4m jump off
the rocks. I have never been as scared in my life. Felt totally
ridiculous standing on a rock ledge looking at the deep water below
and shaking like a leaf. The shaking wasn't from the cold. It took a
while... Splash. The cold was biting. The darkness unnerving. I broke
the surface. Deep breath. I think I smiled? I went back up and jumped
again. The paddle back was freezing!
I am defiantly more
comfortable in water now.
Still not a fan of
sand, bloody stuff gets everywhere.
***
Two and a half weeks
with very little running meant the long journey up to Scotland held
an impending sense of doom for me. I knew I was going to suffer. Andy
claimed he hadn't been doing much running but what counts as much for
someone who rain the Dragon's Back race last year?!
We arrived in
Newtonmore and registered. Andy talked to a few folk, ever the sales
rep and we headed to the pub. Some food and 4 or 5 pints later we
sacked off the idea of pitching a tent and slept in the car. We were
up at 06.30 and I finished packing. Breakfast was hard to eat. We
were on the bus at 8 and on course about an hour and a half later.
The terrain was difficult. Bog, marsh and tussocky heater turned to
snow higher up. There was also a route choice to be made for the
second half of the course. Any order we liked on the controls. The
sun was out in force and I could feel myself burning in the glare
from the snow. Andy was up for pushing, I tried to follow but was on
a bit of a go slow. At some stage in the day something went in my
hip. Every time I lifted my leg I got a stabbing pain. I suffered
through slowing Andy down at every uphill.
 |
| Running conditions on day one. Photo: SAIS Creag Meagaidh Blog. |
We made it around in 6
hrs 21 min, the leading time was 4hrs 40min! The run into the finish
was agony, Andy took my pack for the last few kilometres. Day one
finished and I was broken. We got some food, pitched the tent and I
crashed out for a few hours. Andy woke me up at 7ish I think I we got
some water on for dinner. I got to hear about the virtues of how good
the expedition foods meals were as they were resealable and could be
used as a hot water bottle while they cooked. “Make sure it doesn't
leak” was my advice as I lay there bemused. Five minutes later
there was fish pie down Andy's front and on the tent floor. I was too
tired to even laugh much.
There was a great
atmosphere in the marquee that night with a ceili band, beer and
people up dancing. I ate more food. My intake was now verging on the
ridiculous. At about eleven I took 4 nurofen and headed to bed hoping
for a miraculous recovery in the morning. It didn't happen.
Half five came quickly,
we broke camp had food and were on the course at seven. I was
suffering, it was raining and the first icy river crossing burned the
hell out of my sunburnt legs. A nav error between points 3 and 4 had
us moving up the bottom of a steep sided gorge. Eventually we got
sick of icy water, falling through snow and sticking in mud and
clawed our way up the side and out. Luckily we popped out beside the
control. The next few hours passed in a blur of popping nurofen,
eating to occupy myself uphill and variable weather. It was sunny,
then we had rain, wind, hail, sleet and show then back to sun.
I got very cold near
the end after a waist deep river crossing. My right ankle had
deteriorated throughout the day and now I could just about manage a
hobble downhill. I decided to nip any more problems in the bud and
stopped and layered up. Eventually we hit the last downhill section
and I hobbled to the finish.
 |
| Scratched legs, sunburn and a slightly less swollen ankle! |
We finished 13th
overall, well off the pace of the top finishers but I'm happy to have
done my first mountain marathon. Thanks to Andy for dragging me
around and putting up with my slow pace and complaining! Also Rab
lent me an Infinity 300 sleeping bag for the event which was great.
Salomon gave me the use of some S-lab ¾ tights and and S-lab t-shirt
which didn't come off all weekend and were very comfortable over the
many miles. I also had the use of a Klymit X-Frame mat which was
surprisingly comfortable and I'd defiantly use one again.
Now I have about two
weeks till I'm off to Fairhead. I feel like I've been neglecting my
climbing although for once this hasn't bothered me as much as it
normally does. So I've two weeks to turn it around. I'm psyched!
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