Allens Lakeland 200 Attempt Number Two
Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 8:13 pm
On Saturday I set off on my second attempt of the Lakeland 200. It’s a brutal course that has been in the back of my mind since I set off in the wrong direction and cutting bits out, then ending up at my van 12 hours later.
It’s 6:50 am, I slept so well in the van the night before and I’m ready to go. The time limit is 40 hours to appear on the finisher's board.
I got lulled into a false sense of security, riding everything right up to Walna Scar. Even at the top of Walna is was in good spirits thinking I can do this in 24 hours.
I made it to Boot, pushed up slowly towards Burnmoor Tarn, then I remembered how rugged the west side of the lakes was. Dropping down to Wasdale for chips, before two hike-a-bikes. Black Sail and Scarth Gap Pass absolutely emptied me. My aim was 150km before sleep. Then 50 and home for lunch. My expectation slipped further around the clock as I made painfully slow progress to Honister.
It was 12:30 am and after around 17 hours, I was ready to get into my bivvy bag. Stars out, the occasional shooting star, 5 minutes later I was
Due to exhaustion I couldn’t generate enough heat to keep me warm and woke up 
a few sit-ups and running type motions in my bag I managed a little more snoozing.
5am pork pies. Yum. I had no cooking kit with me so I ate whatever I had for breakfast number one. Breakfast number two came in the form of a garage in Keswick at 7:20 am.
Pooley Bridge was my next stop for lunch, as the hike-a-bike was put away for a while I could ride again meaning that I could get there for lunch. 12:30 pm, cheesy chips, and garlic bread. Usually, I’d inhale this as a naughty treat, but I was starting to overheat in the sun and it took a while to get it down me.
The last lump before High Street was also brutal. It didn’t look like much on my computer, till I got there. It helped to know that I was following the tracks some great friends have pushed.
At the bottom of High Street, I wanted ice cream, the truck was nowhere to be seen. They must have gone home as it was 16:50 on a Sunday. After drinking straight from the river for what seemed like an eternity due to an unquenchable thirst I made it to the top looking down into the valley. Only Garburn and a little lump left. I can do this. I have to do this.
The descent off Highstreet was crazy! So tired, pulling the brakes for my life I kept on remembering there was a section that I pushed up a while back that required a bit of climbing with the bike. This translates into a 6ft gap jump if descending. Wrong bike. Wrong time. Wrong trail. I had to stop before this bit catches me out. I passed my bike down to the rocks below and climbed down and got back on. I’m so happy I remembered this section.
Garburn seemed easy in comparison, but being as tired as I was, it still took it out of me. Garburn decent would have been fun if I could focus as much as I was required to. I’m not ashamed, I pushed some.
One more lump into the seven rivers decent, one-time bridleway climb and I was back at the start where I’d left a fresh version of myself the day before.
This is classed as a finish as it was sub 40 hours. What a route, though expectation vs reality was greatly outweighed. I’m stronger and lighter than I’ve ever been and it still kept punching me in the face all the way around.
212.25km 6945 meters / 131.88 miles 22,785 feet.
Pretty chuffed with the timing.
[url=https://geojsonlint.com/]geojson
It’s 6:50 am, I slept so well in the van the night before and I’m ready to go. The time limit is 40 hours to appear on the finisher's board.
I got lulled into a false sense of security, riding everything right up to Walna Scar. Even at the top of Walna is was in good spirits thinking I can do this in 24 hours.
I made it to Boot, pushed up slowly towards Burnmoor Tarn, then I remembered how rugged the west side of the lakes was. Dropping down to Wasdale for chips, before two hike-a-bikes. Black Sail and Scarth Gap Pass absolutely emptied me. My aim was 150km before sleep. Then 50 and home for lunch. My expectation slipped further around the clock as I made painfully slow progress to Honister.
It was 12:30 am and after around 17 hours, I was ready to get into my bivvy bag. Stars out, the occasional shooting star, 5 minutes later I was
Due to exhaustion I couldn’t generate enough heat to keep me warm and woke up 
a few sit-ups and running type motions in my bag I managed a little more snoozing. 5am pork pies. Yum. I had no cooking kit with me so I ate whatever I had for breakfast number one. Breakfast number two came in the form of a garage in Keswick at 7:20 am.
Pooley Bridge was my next stop for lunch, as the hike-a-bike was put away for a while I could ride again meaning that I could get there for lunch. 12:30 pm, cheesy chips, and garlic bread. Usually, I’d inhale this as a naughty treat, but I was starting to overheat in the sun and it took a while to get it down me.
The last lump before High Street was also brutal. It didn’t look like much on my computer, till I got there. It helped to know that I was following the tracks some great friends have pushed.
At the bottom of High Street, I wanted ice cream, the truck was nowhere to be seen. They must have gone home as it was 16:50 on a Sunday. After drinking straight from the river for what seemed like an eternity due to an unquenchable thirst I made it to the top looking down into the valley. Only Garburn and a little lump left. I can do this. I have to do this.
The descent off Highstreet was crazy! So tired, pulling the brakes for my life I kept on remembering there was a section that I pushed up a while back that required a bit of climbing with the bike. This translates into a 6ft gap jump if descending. Wrong bike. Wrong time. Wrong trail. I had to stop before this bit catches me out. I passed my bike down to the rocks below and climbed down and got back on. I’m so happy I remembered this section.
Garburn seemed easy in comparison, but being as tired as I was, it still took it out of me. Garburn decent would have been fun if I could focus as much as I was required to. I’m not ashamed, I pushed some.
One more lump into the seven rivers decent, one-time bridleway climb and I was back at the start where I’d left a fresh version of myself the day before.
This is classed as a finish as it was sub 40 hours. What a route, though expectation vs reality was greatly outweighed. I’m stronger and lighter than I’ve ever been and it still kept punching me in the face all the way around.
212.25km 6945 meters / 131.88 miles 22,785 feet.
Pretty chuffed with the timing.
[url=https://geojsonlint.com/]geojson
soon you'll beentering the HT550 and beating Phil 
). A few more but I'm shatteredyself just now. Just rode to York for a CPR training day but then on the way back something amazing happened... I did it in almost the same riding pace/time as the way there - never happened in 7 years of commuting back n forth. Soon we'll be ready to fight them bad guys in the Matrix movies 
I found a decent little dip that was almost Allen sized.