Rollercoaster

It's been a month or so of ups and downs. The ups: being able to run for more than 30 minutes, running (gently) up a couple of local hills. I started on roads and more recently went onto trails and this weekend, proper "fell" (well, the Nab). I feel more like my old self, I can tell by how my gait is when I run. It's a good feeling. My son is six months old now. I didn't think it would be this long but the wait has been worth it, and I haven't injured myself getting to this point, I'm really glad of Lynne at Global Therapies help with this. 

On the track up to Turf Pits

The downs: Winter brings colds and bugs, and babies get them all. It's an important part of growing a strong immune system but it knocks onto me, not just that I catch a cold too, but when ill, he sleeps less and consequently so do I. The last two weeks have been particularly bad with him returning to three or more wakings at night, plus struggles to get him to sleep in his cot. Sleep deprivation is no new thing to me but now he's older and more needing of entertaining during the day, it's wiping me out. 

I've had to get over myself on a few assumptions I rashly held about returning to fellrunning. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you need to be firstly quite determined and secondly very flexible to fit in running, and strength training, around looking after a baby. 

The Baby Clock 

Club run on Thursday? Oh yes please. See you there. Oh. This Thursday the baby has decided to drop into a sound sleep at 6pm (which he never usually does) leaving a club runner with boobs like two unripe gala melons. This situation can at least be saved with that most useful of items, a breast pump.

Race on Sunday?  Oh yes please.  This Saturday night the baby has been waking at 00.24, 03.44 and then not sleeping til 06.20 and then awake again at 08.00 at which point this racers head is spinning and body feeling like rubber. No race. 
 
These two examples illustrate how it's  hard to plan and then execute training of any kind . I've been reading Jo Pavey's book and it's a lovely account of her career, of course I am particularity interested in her return to fitness after childbirth. She writes a little about having support from her husband, about fitting in breastfeeding, about running late in the evenings. I haven't made my mind up yet whether to take my metaphorical hat off to her or to be burning with envy that from what I can gather neither she nor her husband have jobs to worry about (someone please correct me if they know otherwise)

Maybe I should have a stern word with myself on those days and evenings where I just feel too drained to go and run, or swim, or even to follow the strengthening exercises which I know will benefit me but just can't. Unfortunately , I feel as if too many times in the choice between train or sleep, sleep has won..On the positive side I have begun to embrace the off-the-cuff run at times of day I wouldn't normally entertain the idea. I need to continue to evolve from the Planner to the Flexible type of runner! 

Physical stuff 

Whilst I have finally recovered from the c section (I can feel muscle!! yay!!), there's no denying that my body is still different from how it was before. Hormones are still kicking about and I am breastfeeding.

 I have to be super vigilant about staying hydrated.  I've got the habit of drinking plenty of water from training for long events, though I've really noticed that though I drink as much as I ever did, I am going to the loo a lot less. It's clearly going to the milk. So if I go for a run then I have to chuck even more water down me, and that's sometimes hard when the baby is wanting to be picked up a lot.

 I ache. With the best will in the world and all the strength training I've done, I still end up carrying him for long whiles in what are perhaps not the optimal positions, or sleeping all cramped because he needs a night in our bed when he is poorly. Other aches are a result of the hormone relaxin which makes your joints a bit more mobile.  I have definitely noticed my hip flexors hurting, and am doing my best to warm them up and stretch them gently. Having said that , sometimes I am so excited about going out to run I just dash out the door! 

Recovery days are so important . I wrote earlier about overdoing it a bit. There is no way I can run, or even go for a decent length walk, two days in a row. I feel as tired after a 40 minute run as I used to after a few hours out in the hills. I'm hoping this will improve as my fitness grows. 

Selfish mum vs sharing training

Being able to have the baby with me whilst I run is lovely for him and for me. It doesn't always work out but it's great to be able to do it, I've met with my running club mum mates and done 'baby hill reps' a few times, great way of sharing the baby-watching duties and getting some quality training in. At weekends Him Indoors can take Fox in the carrier and walk along the start of my route, so that I can meet them on my way back (only works with out and backs but who cares). 

My support team 

On the flipside, I need some time for Me! All runners know the feeling of leaving everything behind once you get out the door and your heart rate going. I always come back home very excited to see my son and tell him where I've been, and it makes me feel more like the person I was before he arrived. This is the person I want him to get to know, and learn good things from. I need to keep her going!

Parent outdoor gear hacks update

Sports bottle: jet wash for getting dog poo off buggy wheels
Towel from triathlon I did years back: changing mat liner
Buff: baby scarf on cold days
Nappy cream: Face cream to keep his face from getting chapped

In the next month or so , I'm hopeful I can do my first race since having Fox, and that I can take the buggy to a parkrun and see how that goes. I'd also like to beat my pregnancy parkrun (at Glossop) time of 23.30ish, I got close a few weeks back and keen to try again. 

Onwards and Upwards

Finally, it's happened to me. 

The pain is subsiding and I'm becoming more able. When I put effort in, or overdo it (rare occurence) the pain I get is a familiar, friendly pain; the ache of a hard session or a cold day's racing, rather than the weird disconnection and bitey twangs of the last few months. 

I've run, non-stop, for more than ten minutes. I've walked up three of my local hills (carrying the weight of an 18 week old child). These things please me. I have however been cautious when asked what my plans are for returning to racing. The burning desire I expected is not there. I miss my friends, my social runs and the weekend expeditions on recces of race routes. I've signed up for the Cross Country league and that will do as a tester. Then I'll see what I feel like doing over the winter months - I imagine it'll be local racing as I will still be breastfeeding, though there are a good few local ones I haven't done due to my enthusiasm for going off on adventures. I look forward to trying them out. 

Outdoors parent hacks

I don't usually use that word ... 'hack'.. to mean ' way of using something other than its intended purpose' . However that is what I've been doing since gaining a small human to bring with me, protect and carry in the outdoors (and indoors too of course!)

Various bits of kit have been pressed into service, and various ideas have been had about what kind of thing should be designed to support parents like myself. Happily, I have met some of those people - the off-road mums on maternity leave, ekeing out the last of the summer days in the hills and woods with our growing cargoes. 

Valerie, Rachel and myself on Cock Hill. Photo by Net Bell

Here's my current list of kit hacks for parents

Dry bag - nappy containment bag. (I use cloth nappies so it's particularly important to ferry the dirty ones home)

Windproof jacket - Windproof wrap for the baby carrier. See photo! Whilst the wee ones are still too young for back carriers, protecting them from the wind whilst in the front carrier is the big challenge whilst out and about. I reckon I've sorted it, sleeves tied around my waist, et voila!

Zoe demonstrates the baby wind shield. Jacket by Mountain Equipment

Sitting mat  - knee protector for changing nappies. This one I use in the house, as we don't use a changing table cos he'll only chuck himself off it one day. After the first few weeks changing him on the floor my knees were proper sore. Out came an old mat my Mum had given me, like a garden kneeling mat, I used to use for sitting on in the tent. No more battered knees, hooray!

Buff - mopping-up cloth/modesty hide for breastfeeding. Need I say more, there are not many things you can't use a Buff for. 

Hi-vis strips/armbands - Buggy visibility. I don't yet run with the buggy but when I do start, I need to be sure the cyclists on the trails don't plough into us, it'd get a bit impolite. 

Blokes waterproof coat : parent and baby dual waterproofing. It goes round me and the baby in the carrier. grand. 

Well that's it for tonight. onwards and upwards :) 

Parenting advice, from me to me

I'm having one of the days of clarity and peace. These are the days I live for. I helped out at the running club's race event, Him Indoors walked over to meet me with the baby so he could be fed, and then the babies and the parents in the room hung out and smiled at one another whilst I made teas and chatted. A balance of the old life and the new . Fox laughed, sang and rolled around on his mat when we got home.

I need to write myself this note, so that on the days where I feel like a groggy, imprisoned dairy heifer I can check myself and make good decisions

The cupboards

We all know about having frozen portion meals ready for baby homecoming day. As time passes and days and nights begin to become more manageable, I'm still getting caught out by a bonk in the afternoon (note, I am not caryring on with the postie..non-sporting folk must understand a bonk is a sugar deficiency symptom..a crash, if you will). Foods which can be quickly prepared and eaten, do not create undue crumbs to drop on the feeding/sleeping infants head and clothes, and are healthy. These foods could be yoghurts, bagels, peanut butter, hummus, olives, cheese (oh so much cheese), and good old stalwart bananas. Always have cake in the house. This is not optional, you never know when cake will be needed. 

Go with the Flow

He's my baby, not Gina Ford's baby or the NCT's baby or the health visitor's baby. I asked Him Indoors, when we were about 6 weeks in, are we doing this parent thing OK? Have we been doing it one of the Ways? And we said..hmm, a bit of everything , a lot of following our instinct and going with the flow.  Mostly I let our little chap show us the way, now that we can mostly understand what he's telling us. We don't have a Bedtime or a Nap Time. Nap Time is when he acts sleepy during the day and Bedtime is when he acts sleepy after 7pm. When we have Something On (a party, a journey to make, shopping to do) then we impose our will on him, whilst being ready to change the plans if he's got a mad craving for milk or has shat a mustard coloured Rorschach picture the size of a man's face. 

By the same standards I don't spend all day finding new toys or books for him to peruse, nor do I attend the mid-boggling calendar of baby-improving events in the locality. He is left to lie singing at his best friend (the light fitting in the lounge) or chewing his fist and a handful of muslin, when that pleases him. Or he's hugged, bounced and shown the mirror and the windows, and anything which stops him from whingeing, fist in drooly little mouth.

The housekeeping standards

You want to do something? Change a lightbulb? Put a shelf up in the nursery? Take out the bins? You will need approximately three times as much time to do it and you need to plan it the same way you'd usually plan a trip to your aunt's in Doncaster, or the transfer of a large piece of dangerous machinery across town. Understand this, and accept that the house is never going to look the same, even when guests come. Especially when guests come, because now your guests will include the little vandalisers of the house beautiful. 

Leaving the House

Parents go on about this at length 'we're late because Kids' . Going out needs even more planning than the domestic chores mentioned in the previous paragraph. I've even considered a burn-down chart, or a Gantt, if waterfall is your thing (sorry, Project Manager joke lolz). I actually enjoy the challenge of an escape, and even sometimes wing it without nappies or wipes (i KNOW! imagine it!) Otherwise the Change Kit is adhered to the same way I used to be able to pack a race bag at 4am, in a one-man tent, one-handed whilst vaselining my ankles. 

Embrace and Understand Risk

Danger is now real. Sharp corners, hot foodstuffs, yappy dogs, fumes from household cleaning products. A midwife said to me whilst we were in hospital 'that's it now, you're on the worry train for life' - thanks love. She was right, but as elsewhere blogged, it's the real risks you need to take care of, be sensible. For example , I suddenly checked myself when about to lift my little hand weights near to Fox's chair. He loves watching me move about in a dancelike way, but the pretty pink shapes he stared at could be his end. Every move I make at night whilst tired is with more care, feet placed squarely on the floor, eyes carefully scanning. A silly aside is that spiders are no longer tolerated in the house when the baby is nearby - I reckon humans are hardwired to be shocked by their weird machine-like scuttling, so our fly-eating friends are hoovered in to eternity escorted off the premises firmly.

Always be thankful

And smile, and know you're not alone. 

Slight return

The light is dim. It is a warm night and the baby's arms are thrown up above his head in repose. In the opposite corner of the room ,  a woman carries out a series of actions ; two small pink dumb bells are pressed into the air and down; she squats, she lunges.

It's been slow, and I'm still not there. Where is "there"? It's being able to run again. I knew there would be a break but I didn't guess it'd be this long. The healing of the c-section scar is dictating things, and it's going slowly. I started strength training again a month or so ago, and a couple of weeks ago started to try some jogging reps. I was rewarded with an aching midsection. 12 weeks after the birth. I thought by this point I'd be able to run for 15 or 20 minutes at an easy pace. No chance. I'm fighting the urge to be angry and tucking disappointment away . I've got a bonny, healthy kid, who's learning to sleep well at night and charm my friends and family with his smile. But he needs his mum to be a happy lady, and until I'm fit again there will be a bit missing. So I do my best to fit in exercises around the pattern of his needs, and I walk up hills carrying his ever increasing weight in a sling, and I tell myself this will help.

I know what you're thinking: come on, you have taken a course of action which requires sacrifice, the child's needs come before yours. Of course, don't get me wrong. I love being a parent, I love his giddy smiles and the happy dance he does when he sees something new, or a favourite toy within reach, or his reflection. I love watching him grow and change day on day, learning from his father and I. All I am asking is that for a few hours each week I'm able to partake in the simple pleasure of hill running whilst my son spends time with his Dad.

Today I jog/walked one lap of my local Parkrun. (about 13 minutes for one lap of approx 1 mile in case you are wondering) Parkrun was a saviour for me during pregnancy and is continuing to lift my spirits and make me feel part of the running world whilst I am on a break from 'proper' running and racing. Any agency who doesn't appreciate that Parkrun isn't just a load of people running in circles in their park on Saturday mornings needs to look further and think what volunteering and just being together with the community can do for so many people, not just the participants.

Being thankful

In this strange new state I live in, the state of motherhood,  specifically the mother of a newborn. I look for things from my old ways to make me feel comforted.

I'm thankful my body knows how to build muscle. My midsection was rudely torn apart so that Fox could live, and my body has worked to rebuild it. I've noticed a huge appetite and I've followed its demands, hopeful that it is all a part of my recovery. It's difficult being a new mum when you can't use your middle, never mind difficult thinking about running again.

I'm thankful I am a napper. Sleep now happens in snatched shifts of three or four hours. Five weeks in amd I've only had a couple of late night meltdowns (actually hallucinated)

 Thankful I own a warm sleeping bag and I'm used to hunkering down on the ground. Some nights Fox gets very noisy and we decamp to the spare room to avoid disturbing his dad. We camp out, he in his travel bed which is like a little tent, me beside him in my trusty lamina 20

I'm thankful I know the difference between an ache and a pain and I can tolerate discomfort.  Breast feeding, long periods carrying a grizzly Fox and trying to feed, tidy and read one handed all take a physical toll. I'm also thankful I know a bit about stretching and maintaining my tired body,  which is in no small part down to Lynne from Global Therapies help and advice

I'm thankful I live minutes from open fields and views of hills. Now I'm strong enough to walk with Fox in a sling we get to feel the breeze and hear birdsong,  and smell the summer. Best restorative after a muggy night feeding and pooing/dealing with poo.

I'm thankful for my friends and my family who understand that it's not plain sailing every day. Even a ten minute house call or phone chat make me feel more human again. Bigger favours like lifts and loans of equipment have immeasurable value.

The Disobedient Mum-to-Be

The inception of this post

I'm writing this post in the 7th month and I will publish when I am holding what I hope will be a healthy baby. It'd be foolish to publish now, because if there's one other thing I learned by reading and listening to others experiences, it's that the unexpected is called that for a good reason and can occur in pregnancy and birth.

Post natal update

It was a terrible birth experience, I won't lie. I won't do detail but here are the numbers:

Hours in labour: 34

Midwives : 4 Doctors:4

Types of opiate administered: 2

Emergency C sections under General : 1

Apgar score at birth: 2

Hours til mother and baby met: 10

Amazing fathers : 1

Apgar score 5 mins after birth was thankfully 7, and 9 after 10 minutes. Fox Paul Scholefield is a fighter. He removed his own breathing tube in anger and went straight for the food when I finally met him.

My take on Risk control in pregnancy

There is a lot of 'advice' knocking around as I am sure you will be aware. There are also many sensible people, both your friends and family, and in the media, who tell you to ignore the advice. What I found interesting is that the advice which comes from the care givers in the NHS would appear be taken as absolute fact by the majority of pregnant women. I love the NHS and I support and applaud the fact that they are doing their best to ensure that the outcomes of as many pregnancies as possible are successful for mother, baby and family. I am however a questioner, and I got some funny reactions from NHS people on asking questions, or on stating my preferred way of doing things. I call it the 'eyebrow'. Example: "are you taking supplements?"  "No, I have a good diet" ".. eyebrow". I started just nodding and yessing after a while, to avoid the disapproving eyebrow.

Books. Oh books. I have formed the opinion that pregnancy books have been written based on evidence collected mainly from people who reported negative experiences. Open any chapter on 'what will happen during this month/trimester' and you will be faced with a long list of uncomfortable or unpleasant things. I accept that morning sickness, aching joints, heartburn etc, can all occur due to perfectly understandable biological changes. They don't happen to every person though, and maybe it's just the books and websites I have looked at, but some more 'mights' , 'maybes' and 'some womens' would be handy to avoid panicking apprehensive first-timers. Pregnancy as a natural state of being rather than a series of symptoms, if you will.

'Bad' things I did during my pregnancy

Ate sushi

Yum, sushi. A healthy dish of rice, seaweed and fish. The advice is 'stay away from raw fish' on account of the (size of risk not mentioned) risk of catching a horrid wriggly parasite or a food bug which will harm both you and the foetus. I've been eating sushi for ten years or so and have to my knowledge never got sick from eating it, so my evidence suggests that it's a low risk activity where the risk is outweighed by the benefit of getting more fish into me. Eating sushi is also a big part of my relationship with some dear friends.

Didn't get a flu jab

I was warned about the dangers of not having a flu jab by a very well meaning midwife who quoted me the statistic that "2 pregnant women died of flu during the Swine Flu epidemic". I expect more died in car accidents during that period, and I haven't been advised not to sit in a motor vehicle. I also understand that the current flu vaccination is not a guarantee against catching the flu, and that catching the flu wouldn't harm my baby, rather it'd just be very horrible for me. It would be horrible, pregnancy or no pregnancy. 

Ran quite a bit, sometimes on the fells

No need to justify or explain this other than to repeat the advice midwives give, which is continue to exercise as you have been doing, and listen to your body. If you feel rough, slow down. If it hurts, seek advice and consider stopping. 

A small number of people asked me 'but is that safe' when I mentioned I was still fellrunning. I tried to politely educate them.

At the Auld Lang Syne race 31 Dec 2016, three months pregnant. Photo courtesy Woodentops. 

Didn't go to NCT classes

The National Childbirth Trust offer a course to prepare parents for birth and the early stages of a child's life. Antenatal classes are offered by your NHS team, and oddly, finding out about them did seem a little difficult to me - no info exists online, you are advised to call or email if you want to know about when and where they take place. 

The middle class way seems to be to go to NCT, I don't know why, perhaps their advice is seen as being better , and I do know they advocate breast-feeding, which to me is a bit of a no-brainer. A course costs somewhere in the region of £300. Yes,you read that right. People who have attended NCT classes say that it gives them a great network of other parents to share experiences and learn from and I don't doubt that if I knew no other new or recent parents in my local area, this would be a factor pushing me towards NCT classes. We decided we had better things to spend our money on. 

After asking a colleague at work, whose baby was born at the same hospital we are going to use, how their antenatal classes were, and learning that he didn't think they were worth going to, we also decided not to do those either. 

Ate some brie and some rare steak

This advice is given so that pregnant mothers are not at risk of exposure to Listeriosis or E Coli food illnesses. Listeriosis is a very rare kind of food poisoning and the list of foods which could harbour the microbe responsible is vast and includes cold cuts of meat and boxed salads - so basically your lunch. However the chance the bug will be there is infitessimally low, I don't know the cases per annum of listeria but this piece by Zoe Williams convinced me its super rare. So in the spirit of risk management I had a few bits of soft cheese when they were about. I'm not a big brie fan , blue cheese yep. 

E coli lives on the surface of beef meat. If you sear the surface well then the risk of that microbe making you ill is reduced greatly. If you eat a raw mice burger your risk is increased. I ate a couple of lovely rare steaks which had of course been well seared. I chose to eat them in well-run, trustworthy establishments whose food hygiene protocol was likely to be very high. Minimal risk. Yummy meat. 

Had a wine or a beer from time to time

MINEFIELD. The research on how alcohol use affects foetuses is also listed in Ms Williams article. A good friend had studied alcohol abuse a few years ago and concluded that a mother needs to be a full blown alcoholic to damage her baby. There is limited evidence that binge drinking in the first trimester may lead to damage, but we all know mums who didn't know they were pregnant and got hammered and mortal..and baby fine.I'm not a mad drinker so I had a few ales and a few wines and didn't get drunk . I never really do.

Didn't take supplements

We live in the first world and I am shocked that the first thing the GP told me when I presented as pregnant was 'get some Pregnacare' . I eat a varied and healthy diet and I believe I get what I need. I know that babies add a demand on your system. So I upped the greens, reds oranges, purples and nuts. I upped the meats and fishes. I upped the dairy for calcium and by heck i went outside for the Vit D. Healthy living is all you need IMHO. I bought some pills and took them on my proper off days, for the Vit Bs. I still have half the pack if anyone wants them. 

So , what did I learn?

I learned that the worst risks are the ones that you just can't control. I could do NOTHING about the predicament of my child during and after the birth. I am glad I enjoyed a little of what I fancied during his baking and I don't blame the birth experience on anything I have done. He's very healthy now, feeding well and gazing at the world with his wise eyes. They've seen some bad times and I feel I can see the strength behind his gaze , the determination to succeed and then go out and take risks of his own. 

Ticking a big box - supporting Jasmin's amazing Bob Graham Round

After completing my Bob Graham Round last summer, I was looking forward to offering support to those attempting one in 2016. Then I found I was pregnant and realised that this would be quite limited! I mentioned to a couple of friends who I knew would probably make an attempt, that I may be able to provide road support, baby in tow, if they were going later in the summer. My driving license and car, gained in January for adventuring purposes, would come in handy for that.

I heard via the Glossopdale grapevine that Jasmin Paris would be making a fast attempt one weekend in April. Jasmin hails from this area and is a good friend of the club. I'd met her and Konrad at races, social events and club away weekends , and we discovered we both loved openwater swimming and cake (and fellrunning of course!). I emailed her to offer road support, understanding that she may already have a full compliment, being such a well respected and liked runner. She explained her Mum would cover every road crossing, though I could come in handy to help ferry support runners to and from the start of the legs. I signed up immediately. I was dead chuffed to be able to get in a support of a BGR before the baby arrived! It also offered an opportunity for Alan and I to spend a weekend in the Lakes, like a mini break as a couple. Alan was also keen to get some photos, he loves getting landscapes and fellrunners.

We got the green light on Thursday 22nd, the weather was looking favourable. I was assigned a list of people to collect from Steve Birkinshaw's farmhouse, and deliver to Dunmail Raise on Saturday morning . Some names there I recognised as high achievers in the world of tough, long challenges; Jim Mann, Jon Gay, and some championship botherers like Rhys and Ben. Her support runners list made impressive reading, I knew that every one on the list would have gladly accepted the job, excited about helping Jasmin achieve what could be a new record time for the round, for a female.  I was proud to see some fast runners from my club amongst the legends - Julien, Andy O and Tim B.

Jasmin and Leg 1 supporters Spyke, Konrad and Wardy preparing for the off 

Saturday morning 0330, Alan and I threw on warm clothes and walked five minutes from our B and B to the centre of Keswick. The Moot Hall was being used as a pissoir by a gent on his way home from his revels. No-one to be seen, so we walked laps to keep warm and Alan figured that he couldn't get a shot of the Moot Hall, Jasmin and the impressive full Moon. We heard voices from the ginnel beside the pub, sure enough it was Jasmin, Konrad, Spyke and Wardy ready for the off, accompanied by Jasmin's Mum  Alena, Iain W and his dog Jess, and Tim and Lynne from Global Therapies, on cheerleading duties as we were. Not long passed and they were counting down, then off.

The previous night I'd started a conversation on email with the Leg 3 support runners, saying that we ought to plan to leave earlier than Jasmin's roughly 17-hour schedule dictated. I planned to arrive at the base at 0800 and leave for Dunmail at 0845, given that the journey time was about be an hour and a quarter this would ensure we were there 40 minutes or so before she would arrive. When I got up at 0700 on Saturday, a text from Lynne arrived saying she was already 30 minutes up on schedule and I'd be best to get to base ASAP. I was thankful we'd already agreed an early departure. I managed to miss the lane down to the farmhouse and get a wheel stuck in some mud - Lynne and Tim rescued the little Yaris and about fifteen minutes later we were on the way. I was quite apprehensive about the route from the Kirkstone Pass down to Ambleside where Ben Abdelnoor would be waiting to be picked up, and once I noticed the passengers checking their watches nervously I offered the driving seat to Iain who knows the roads well and also used to drive a Yaris. I had been driving cautiously due to my inexperience on Lakes roads, and I didn't want to risk us being late. Thanks for piloting us down the Struggle Iain!

Fast men looking quite scared at what lay ahead :) 

The first runner to appear on the horizon was a man in black- we all stood wondering whether it was one of Jasmin's crew. It was Neil Talbott.  He was pretty knackered out, having met her at Blencathra summit and carried on from there.

a broken Neil T and a perky Jess the dog 

He passed on her order for soup and Coke, which Alena set about preparing whilst the Leg 3 team picked up food bags from her car. It was a beautiful sunny morning, we could all imagine what a pleasure it would be to run the relatively easy leg across the Dodds and Helvellyn. They appeared on the descent, I checked Alena didn't need any assistance and went to the fence to hear cheerful chatter coming from Jasmin and Shane , as if they were out on a Sunday morning social run. Jasmin picked up her cups and a few words with her Mum then strode straight up Steel Fell. Supporters swapped bags and followed. Jess the dog led the group up and they were gone. 'was that 45 or 55 minutes up on schedule?' Two friends from Glossop arrived and we retreated to the warmth of their camper van for brews and a quick debrief . Alex remarked that the pace was such a clip, he'd not had a chance to take a sip of drink! All of them had thoroughly enjoyed their run in such glorious conditions. Shane hadn't been out for a long run for some time but was full of the joys of spring. It was lovely to hear them all so positive and so impressed with Jasmin's progress.

Alena's delicious roadside pastry stop at Dunmail

A less panicky drive back to Steve's and then I had a lunch break with Alan, Lynne and Tim in Keswick. We all knew we had to be at Honister for the Leg 4/5 changeover as early as possible. I had to bring 3 support runners and some bags, Lynne had Tim in the van. The car crawled up to Honister fully laden, making it there for about 16.20 giving us time to have tea and snacks whilst we waited - we guessed she would be there by perhaps 1700 or 1730. All the Leg 5 runners were hell bent on eating as much as possible, knowing that with the end, and an immense new record time in sight, Jasmin's pace would leave no time for refuelling! Alena was again in attendance with her tray of delicious pastries. The sky was darkening a little and the wind was fresh, we thought perhaps the conditions on the tops might have slowed the pace a little. I walked up the hill to Dalehead with Jo Z to keep us both warm and had the comical experience of trying to give downhill running tips to a Commonwealth Games athlete, whilst 8 months pregnant. She had been called up to provide pacing on the road section if needed, though is no stranger to off-road running.

Alan had gone up the fell to get photos of the group descending. They appeared at about 17.20

The changeover was made  - Movie here on Youtube -   (sorry the movie was deemed too big by Blogger!) and yet again Jasmin powered straight through via her Mum. I heard someone say 'yes she is tiring' and I did wonder whether her descending style had appeared a little less fluid than normal, but hey, she's human and had been through the toughest part of her challenge. Her smile was no less wide on hitting the road. The record was well and truly in the bag.

I collected the assorted down jackets, jeans, bags and a rusty old screwdriver Andy O had found hidden in his backpack, and headed back down the pass to Keswick once more. I needed a lie down and some chocolate but time for this was short, we needed to be back at the Moot Hall for 1900, we knew she was over 1hr30 ahead of her schedule and there was every chance she'd make more time. Alan jogged ahead so he could find a good spot for photos. I called Lynne to see where she was and found her a little confused/worried as the Market Square was filled with people! She quickly ascertained that they were assembling for a fundraising walk, but their presence there would both impede Jasmin's return and probably confuse her too! The organiser of the event was as excited as anyone to hear that a record was about to be broken, and made certain that his team knew that a path would need to be cleared. We had no information as to Jasmin's position on the road. A group of about six or eight of us were nervously stood near the Hall and Alan was further along the Market Square. We found Jon Gay who gave us her timing at Newlands and we surmised she was 10 or 15 minutes away. Lynne had got a prime spot up on the steps of the hall, good work Lynne, she had a GoPro and she had a clear view for the arrival. The event organiser made an announcement to his group and they obediently parted like a red sea of bobble hats and waterproof jackets. Some nervy minutes ticked by.. .Alan shouted 'I can see them!' A huge cheer went up from the walkers as Jasmin strode across the market square. I was grinning from ear to ear. There were so many people around, it was hard to see what would happen next. I hung back and after a little while we realised it'd be best to get into a warm pub. The Kings Arms had just enough room for the important people to sit down.

There followed a companionable evening and a growing realisation that history had been made, by a very humble lady who has a lovely supportive Mum and fiancee, and many many friends and admirers. The reaction in fellrunning social media circles took even dyed in the wool Twits like myself by surprise.

Alan's photos really give a flavour of the day I've described. 

Global Therapies blog also about supporting

Jasmin recounts her day on the Inov8 site
http://www.inov-8.com/blog/jasmin-paris-bob-graham-round-record/

I'm so very pleased that I could lend some help to a momentous day , at a time where I thought I'd be no use to anyone in BGR circles. Once baby has made its arrival then I'd be happy to road support again later this year.  The sooner our kid feels at home in the Lakes, the better!