I confess I had never heard of the 10 in 10 events they were set up by Yvonne Booth in 2011 as a response to her husband Duncan’s diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis. The main aim of the events is to increase awareness of the condition and help to raise valuable funds for the MS society. Jon Heaney brought my attention to it during our training for old county tops, knowing my history with my diagnosis of relapsing MS. He thought the everyday ultra which weaves together the three 10 in 10 walking challenge routes to take runners on a circuit from the Swinside Inn up Causey Pike over Sail, Crag Hill, Wandope, and Whiteless Pike before descending into Buttermere. Then up Dodd, Red Pike, High Stile, High Crag, Seat, Haystacks, Grey Knotts, Brandreth, Green Gable, Seathwaite Fell, Allen Crags, Glaramara, Thorneythwaite Fell before a descent into Rosthwaite. Next climbing Castle Crag, Maiden Moor, High Spy, Dale Head, Hindscarth, Robinson, Snockrigg and Newlands Hause before returning to the Swinside Inn, a total of approx 39 miles and 17000 ft of vertical gain would be an ideal challenge to work towards leading up to my attempt at the Bob Graham Round next year (10 years post MS diagnosis). Almost like a dry run we think its about 2/3 of the Bob Graham so no mean feat.
So we set a date for September 15th and continued our hill training which led us to Alwinton four tops which was relatively straight forward, then the Wasdale Fell race naively thinking how hard could that be, it was hard so much so that by Great Gable one of our party who could be considered a man in most scenarios was reduced to a close to tears shadow of the man he is (no names) after convincing Graham that we were nearly done and dragging him up with his dummy well and truly spat out, I was heard to be voicing how the F**k can I get round a BG I’ve got F*****g MS who am I kidding a recurring theme in my hill training rammed with self doubt at every corner. As every other time the scars don’t last and within a couple of days my enthusiasm returns. Plus we did get to meet legendary fell runner Joss Naylor at the finish so worth the tears Eh Graham.
Jon and myself have since been to support an amazingly fit Rob Brooks on leg 1 Capel Curig to Aberglasslyn (maybe names are right) of his doomed Paddy Buckley attempt horrific weather halting proceedings on leg3, this was 23 mile and 9000ft or so of elevation gain, another good training run.
So that leads us to this rather daunting but amazing route that has been put together by top fell runner and brother of Duncan, Simon Booth. I have now decided the BG attempt won’t be a sponsored run, so this seems the perfect way to give a little back to the amazing work that is carried out by the MS society. When newly diagnosed I from first hand experience can tell you its scary, there is a load of worrying information all over the internet but the work the MS society carry out especially helping to educate then assist newly diagnosed people can be invaluable.
I’ll include a just giving page link here it probably won’t work as I’m a gimp with computers for anybody who feels they can spare a little dosh, I wont be giving the big sell that’s not really my thing, thanks in advance to anybody who does feel they can contribute its greatly appreciated.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Daniel-Richardson-No-Cure-Always-Hope-Ultra-Run
Polyfellers 