Mercia Fell Runners The Spine-less Winter Challenge 2025
Thank-you everybody who wished me (Dave Nichols, aka Giz) well on the 2025 Winter Spine.
Unfortunately I was retired at Hebden Bridge for not meeting the cut-off. This is a brief summary of my preparation, the leg I completed and my diagnosis of what went wrong.
TLDR; I had stomach issues after 10 hours that prevented me from eating without throwing up, this slowed me down dramatically, hence not meeting the cut-off.
History: I was inspired by Phil Clarke to do the event and tried to enter the 2024 event, but I was a little late visiting the entry web-site and it was full already! I instead entered the only option that was not full - The Southern Challenge. This is the first two legs of the full race stopping after 108 miles at Hawes. I'd done an LDWA 100 before so I thought this would be a doddle!
Preparation for the 2024 Event: Totally inadequate! A couple of 10-20 mile walks carrying the full kit. That was it. Such arrogance.
Result: I retired myself at the A635 road crossing after about 22 miles. The reason: severe pain in the lower left side of my back that compromised my balance to such an extent that I kept falling over and finding it difficult to get up again.
Not one for giving up, I entered the full Winter Spine for 2025 and was determined to be better prepared. To that end I competed in 2024 Run Further series (which I won for my age category - v70 - but don't get too excited, I was the only qualifying v70). Of those events the Bullock Smithy (56 miles) was problematic due to stomach issues and vomiting, but I completed (on empty). I put the stomach issues down to going too fast early on. Another training opportunity was the Long Mynd Hike, my intention there was to do it carrying the full Spine kit (including food/water about 10kgs). That went pear-shapped going up Earl's Hill, this time with severe lower right side back pain and ensuing loss of balance. I retired myself at Bank Farm.
This was suspicious. The same symptoms as the Southern Challenge at about the same distance. The common demoninator was carrying a heavy pack. Several visits to an Oesteopath followed to 'loosen' my spine. Then I started a regime of walking further and further carrying the full kit, building up to 20+ mile sessions every other day. They all went well, if a bit boring (apart from my session during storm Darragh - that was fun!). I did one session significantly in excess of my '20 mile' threshold with no ill effects. Cracked it, I thought. The other thing I did in these sessions was to train my stomach to take on board food at regular intervals - one protein bar (various sorts) per hour, also to take on water regularly - every 15 minutes.
I'd worked out a race schedule that allowed me to go as slow as possible but stay within the cut-offs. For leg 1 this was 2.4 mph, leg 2 2.3 and the rest at 2.2.
Come race day, it was foggy in Edale as we set off, temperature around -2c, no wind, but underfoot snow and ice. I put on ice spikes at the foot of Jacobs Ladder and they stayed on thereafter. At the top of Jacobs Ladder we burst out into cloudless sunshine - it was a spectacular inversion. Kinder Scout was clear, great views ahead, but the clag came down going over Bleaklow but cleared again going across Dean Clough along with a slight wind build-up. I got past my 2024 failure point with no pain issues and on schedule - great, but - there were mumors from my stomach that did not bode well. This rapidly got worse and by the time I reached Wessenden it was in full revolt. That was it, no more food from then on. Worse, by the time I got to the M62 I had lower left side back pain as well! I'm assuming the result of lack of energy. At the White House mountain rescue station I drank a mug of hot chocolate they made for me, I was gob-smacked at the effect this had! On the approach I was doing about 2 mph, after the hot chocolate I did over 3 mph! But it didn't last... By the time I got to Stoodley Pike I was below 2mph. By now I knew I was unlikely to meet the cut-off. After a navigation error (not my fault, but that's another story) on the diversion to the moved checkpoint I was definately out.
Bottom line of all this: my body will no longer tolerate what I ask of it. :-(