Anna Watkinson-Powell - Lakes Traverse First Female

By Anna Watkinson-Powell

I’ve always wanted to run a big ultra but I assumed my body couldn’t do it. I’ve been plagued by injuries for years and I couldn’t imagine ever being resilient enough to take on the 100km distance.

It therefore felt like a small miracle when I found myself on the start line of the Lakes Traverse, pain free and ready to run. Given that the furthest I had run up to that point was 50km, I was very scared but also excited and curious as to how my body (and mind) would react. I remember telling my boyfriend that I wanted to experience feeling exhausted and empty; I wanted to battle through physical and mental fatigue. I had never run far enough to experience that, having always got injured before I got tired.

As someone who does not manage well in the cold, I could not have been happier to see the forecast; blue skies and sunshine all day! I could even forgive the easterly headwind and slightly chilly start. I’d spent the night on the school hall floor in St Bees and had been well fuelled with lasagna the previous evening. Somehow everything had come together and I couldn’t wait to get started.

The first section along the cliff tops was glorious, with views out to sea and a runnable grassy trail. I ran with my friends Helen and Sarah for a while, then pulled slightly ahead, trying to find a comfortable pace. I didn’t want to go out too hard but I have also learnt from fell racing that I need to be more confident in my pace and to avoid getting trapped on the narrower sections by starting too far back. Time passed relatively quickly as we crossed the fields and trotted along the road sections heading inland.

Ennerdale Water was looking particularly beautiful and felt like the start of the Lake District proper. I enjoyed the change of terrain and found myself passing more runners as I hopped across the rocks along the shore. I felt strong and was eating well but did start to wonder if I was running a bit too fast. The track up to Black Sail was hard work, particularly into a headwind, and I wondered why my hamstrings already felt tired this early into the race. Glancing at my watch I realised I’d already run around 37km; in most normal circumstances that would be the end of a long run and time for a cafe and a sit down!

Ennerdale Water ©No Limits Photography

Looking back, I think the relatively flat first third of the course makes it a hard race to pace; it is easy to go out too fast. On the other hand it meant that I was strangely grateful for the first steep climb as it meant I could finally walk! As I crossed under Grey Knots at the top of that climb, I was very surprised to pass Hannah Rickman, filling her bottles from a stream. Convinced this confirmed I had started too fast, I assumed I would see her again. Descending into Honister, it was lovely to have so much support from volunteers and spectators and I thoroughly enjoyed the grassy and familiar trails down to Rossenthwaite and the first checkpoint.

I had assumed I would be wanting to stop for coffee and some snacks but, somewhat unexpectedly, I now found myself leading the women’s race and thought I probably shouldn’t stop for too long. Up until this point I had been fuelling well; eating something every 30 minutes from the picnic selection in my pack: fig rolls, cereal bars, jelly babies, Luchos guava blocks, brioche… I realised, however, that I was now craving salt so I grabbed some electrolyte and savoury snacks before heading straight out up the track along Stonethwaite Beck.

As I headed up the climb to Greenup Edge I suddenly started to struggle; I felt tired, dizzy and a bit sick. At the top of the climb I could barely run, even on the flat flagstones, which was a bit worrying. I was now pretty sure I had gone out far too hard and was convinced everyone else would soon overtake me. I tried to get more food down but felt so nauseous that even the pizza and cheese sandwiches didn’t seem appealing. For my tired legs the initially steep and rocky descent was hard and I teetered down at what felt like a snail’s pace. Luckily, just as I was thinking my race was over, the gradient eased, I started to feel a bit better and was able to run the road section above Grasmere. I passed a lady out for a hike who turned out to be a fell runner herself, and her words of encouragement helped no end. I managed to run/walk up Tongue Gill, until I started to feel sick and tired again as the climb got steeper. I was very glad to see Grisedale Tarn and once again I felt better once I was descending (a somewhat strange experience given that I normally relish the climbs!).

As I ran down the track towards Patterdale I spotted a familiar figure; my boyfriend Adam had come out to see me, along with Helen’s husband Hal. Seeing them gave me a huge boost and I was also very relieved to get to the checkpoint as I’d completely run out of water. As someone who is known for barely drinking, even in the heat, I hadn’t even recognised that I had become dehydrated. In retrospect, I suspect that was a significant factor in why I’d felt so sick and wobbly, given that I felt a lot better after a big cup of water and another one of flat coke. I couldn’t face the burritos but grabbed some malt loaf and headed out again with a smile on my face.

Whilst I was definitely tired, the last climb felt less horrendous and the early evening light made for beautiful views across the hills. Damian Hall on the Northern Traverse passed me for the second time (I think he’d stopped for chips and tea) and said he hadn’t seen Hannah since the previous descent. I’d had no idea until then how much of a lead I had and had assumed my pace had dropped so much that she would soon catch me. Now I started to let myself wonder if I could actually win?

Climb towards Kidsty Pike ©No Limits Photography

I knew that the section along Haweswater would be tough and I was glad I had run it before; it is relentlessly rocky, undulating and goes on forever. It felt like my watch said 10km to go for a very long time. On one of the climbs something made me check my phone and I saw all these messages from friends and family cheering me on. I couldn’t believe it; people were actually sitting at home, invested in the race and watching my dot.

Having finally made it to the end of the lake there is then a cruel uphill road section before what seems like a never ending series of hilly fields. I was absolutely convinced that the second place runner would pop up at any moment and overtake me so I felt I had to keep pushing and keep running, even though my legs felt like jelly and my body just wanted to stop.Eventually I crested the last hill and Shap came into view; I have never felt so relieved. Dusk was falling as I turned into the main street to be met by Adam who shouted ‘you’re going to win!’. I finally let myself smile and enjoy the moment: I had completed the Lakes Traverse, my first (almost) 100km and was first female!

The lovely volunteers guided me towards a chair and asked what they could get me, to which I replied ‘I just need to stop running’! Once I had drank what must be the best cup of tea of my life, and washed the salt off my face, I was able to tuck into two bowls of chilli and share stories with the other finishers as they came in. I was very sore, very stiff and very tired but totally elated. I can confirm that I have now experienced feeling completely exhausted and empty!

Three weeks on and I still can’t quite believe what I achieved. It was an incredible day and despite the suffering I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait to do more long ultras and maybe to go even further.

Thank you so much to Ourea for such a fantastic event and to all the volunteers for looking after me and being so kind and encouraging. What a privilege to be able to run across one of the most beautiful parts of the country. I am already excited for what comes next.

Lakes Traverse Winning Female! ©No Limits Photography