For a start it is 10 officially measured road marathons. Add in that it is the same undulating course each day and you can begin to see why it is such a challenge. The final piece that makes it so special is that it is all in aid of the Brathay Trust, a charity that works to improve the life of young people by building their confidence, showing them that there are alternatives and empowering them to make their own life changing choices.
We are based at Brathay Trust’s HQ, a beautiful hall on the lakeside near Ambleside in Cumbria. Our entry fee has bought us comfortable youth hostel style accommodation in the woods and every thing we might need is laid on for us. We have full time support in the form of Aly and her husband Mac. Aly has completed the challenge twice and knows well what we are going to be putting ourselves through.
The course is the one used for the Brathay Windermere Marathon and if we get through to day 10 we will be joined by around 1000 other athletes taking part in that event. It is a beautiful course with the first half going out through woods down the West side of the lake. There is just one significant hill in these first 13 miles but none of this part of the course is flat. The first four miles to Hawkshead are uphill and need to be treated with respect (on the 6th day I paid dearly for not doing so, which I put down to mental tiredness). Newby Bridge is the turnaround at the South end of the lake and marks the halfway point, although it is actually half a mile shy of it. The next 7 or so miles are where the race is made or lost. There are a series of hills that are not too daunting but they need to be run up if you are looking for a good time. If you can get to Bowness on Windermere in one piece then you have cracked it! There is one short sharp hill remaining at 22 miles but walking up it will not cost you much time. The course has one last cruel trick up its sleeve though – the driveway up to Brathay Hall has to be climbed before rounding the corner to the glorious view of the finish line with the lake in the background.
To get us through 10 days of this we have The Body Rehab and their team of physios. They dunk us in ice baths, massage out the tightness in our muscles and strap up our injuries with RockTape. By the third day most of us have some tape on and by the last day we look like rejects from a multicoloured mummy convention. The hills and the camber in the road are taking their toll but no one is giving up. Our motto has become 13 out, 13 in.
Our race nutrition is provided by Team Nutrition in the form of electrolyte energy drink, boosted by a carb reloading drink for the later miles (starting the refuel for the next day) and some gels that I liken to rocket fuel.
Completing the list of sponsors is ASICS, who have supplied a full set of running kit including top of the range Gel Nimbus 12 shoes. I got on well with these during training and a visit to Up & Running in Milton Keynes gets me two more pairs for the event itself (not only were they a good price but my running club card got me another 10% off).
If you’d like to read a day by day blog of my experience you can do so here http://www.brathaywindermeremarathon.org.uk/blog/noel-jones-10-in-10.aspx (for all 10 days you have to look to the archive section on the right). We were also filmed in action by Cumbria Live TV and these marvellous mementos can be seen here http://www.cumbrialive.tv/brathay10in10/
I’ve met some really inspiring people and made some good friends along the way (pic below). I was touched by the generosity of my friends and work colleagues, some of whom I have only talked to by phone and never actually met! I was told this experience would change my life and I think it has. I now truly understand teamwork and the bonding that arises through shared adversity.
Noel Jones
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