Ladybower 50 - the 20 miler
A beautiful sunny September Sunday is best spent in Derbyshire after the glorious Ladybower 50 event today.
The event is run by "feed the warrior - endurance events" and involved a 20 mile "fun run", 35 mile and 50 mile option. On setting off at 8.30 from Fairholme visitor centre we headed south skirting the banks of the reservoir on good trails. Despite being bitten/stung by an unidentified insect that had take up residence in my hair, and a frog giving me a shock during the pre-race toilet stop I was feeling pretty good. Unfortunately this resulted in me getting ahead of myself and nearly tripping up some poor fellow runner during an ill advised overtaking manoeuvre. Better avoid her I thought and ploughed on full steam ahead.
Loop one sent us around the southern part of the reservoir then below Derwent Dam back to the start. A high five from the kids on the way through put a spring in my step for the second lap which was 15 miles around all three of the Upper Derwent Valley reservoirs. I was averaging 10 min miles and thought this was a little fast, although never having run 20 pacing was going to be tricky. At 11 miles I met John who was completing 100 Ultras and this was his 91st on the 35 miler. He had 2 stents after a heart attack and was running in memory of his late wife having travelled from South Africa to run the event - I mumbled something about training for 105 laps round a track and moved on.
As usual the last 3 miles were hell and the fact that my free app told me I had run 20 miles 1.26 miles from the finish was a killer blow but made it I did in 3 hours 27 minutes (unofficial time) so I am chuffed to bits. A fantastic race, one to be repeated with more Striders next time perhaps.
For more information, visit the website.
Elaine