Jonathan Tombs
London Number 14 and the Bob Graham Round
Fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support
Story
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
At 5.52 on Sunday 22nd July, 22 hours and 52 minutes after setting off on second attempt I fulfilled my ambition in completing the Bob Graham Round. Am very happy, tired, relieved, and deeply satisfied that all the hard work and changes after the first attempt paid off. Many thanks for your support and sponsorship. Now for the next challenge....
Hi - thanks for visiting my Justgiving page.
22 April 2012 will hopefully see me running my 14 London Marathon in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
In the past 13 years with your incredible support I have raised £35,200 for Macmillan. In that time I reckon I’ve run over 10,000 training miles and I couldn’t have done that without your support – knowing how much people have sponsored me helps motivate me to get out and train in the dark and in all weathers.
This is why I’m hoping to draw on your support for an even bigger running challenge in 2012. I intend to run the London Marathon as part of my training for an attempt on the Bob Graham Round on May 20/21.
The Bob Graham Round is a 70 mile route passing over 42 mountains in the Lake District with 27,000 feet of ascent and descent, and the challenge is to complete it inside 24 hours. These figures add up to make the Bob Graham Round one of Britain’s toughest mountain / running challenges.
I say attempt as first-time success is not guaranteed – only 1 in 3 attempts is successful with people often making a number of attempts before succeeding. Having been involved with 5 rounds in recent years helping ‘pace’ people (3 successful, 2 unsuccessful), I have been inspired to try and complete it myself.
In trying to complete both the London Marathon and the Bob Graham Round, I am aiming to raise a further £4,200 for the work of Macmillan Cancer Support.
To help motivation as I train on the BG route during the next few months and as a way of ‘personalising’ the round, I am inviting you to sponsor a particular mountain. I am hoping this form of support will keep me going in training and on the day as I climb each peak. For those of you familiar with the Lakes you may want to contribute towards your favourite mountain or a mountain with which you have a personal connection. Or you may choose to contribute to the highest mountain Scafell Pike, the first mountain Skiddaw, the final mountain Robinson, a mountain that you’ve climbed with me in the past, or just a mountain which you like the sound of its name.
I have notionally split the £4200 target between the 42 mountains according to their heights, with the highest mountain Scafell Pike having the highest value at £200 and lowest Calf Crag having the lowest value at £10.
(Peaks in red have been fully (or in some cases more than fully) pledged - please feel free to still support these peaks but it would be nice to have "support" across the whole round)
Skiddaw - £180
Great Calva - £20
Blencathra - £130
Clough Head - £50
Great Dodd - £110
Watson's Dodd - £80
Stybarrow Dodd - £110 (£120)
Raise - £130 (£20 pledged)
Whiteside - £120
Helvellyn Lower Man - £170
Helvellyn - £190
Nethermost Pike - £140
Dollywagon Pike - £120
Fairfield - £130
Seat Sandal - £60 (£66.50)
Steel Fell - £10
Calf Crag - £10
High Raise - £80 (£45 pledged)
Sergeant Man - £60 (£120)
Thunacar Knott - £40 (£60)
Harrison Stickle - £60
Pike O'Stickle - £30 (£90)
Rossett Pike - £20 (£60)
Bowfell - £160 (£40 pledged)
Esk Pike - £140 (£10 pledged)
Great End - £160
Ill Crag - £170 (£10 pledged)
Broad Crag - £180 (£5 pledged)
Scafell Pike - £200 (£201)
Scafell - £190 (£65 pledged)
Yewbarrow - £10 (£30)
Red Pike £100
Steeple - £100 (£107)
Pillar - £150
Kirk Fell - £90
Great Gable - £150 (£200)
Green Gable - £90
Brandreth - £40
Grey Knotts - £30
Dale Head - £70
Hindscarth - £50
Robinson - £70
In the past I have always said that I run for Macmillan because of losing my Mum to cancer in 1989. This is still a massive reason behind me running for Macmillan, but over the last 13 years lots of you have told me of family and friends who have suffered from cancer. I know some of you have lost a loved one, and some of you have suffered from cancer yourselves. All of your stories serve as new and ongoing inspiration for my running.
I am overwhelmed by people's generosity over the years both financially and in the messages of encouragement and support. I couldn't maintain the enthusiasm I have for running and fundraising without this amazing support.
One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their lives. 300,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with cancer every year. 157,000 people in the UK die from cancer every year. Macmillan reach and work with more than one in two people living with cancer, providing support for them and their families.
Please support me and the ongoing incredible work of Macmillan as I attempt to complete these two runs.
I’ll post updates and photos of training and fundraising on this website.
Many thanks
Jon
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17 December
Completed 38 mile Tour de Helvellyn mountain race in just over 10 hours today, a great event to end the year. A few miles of knee deep snow added to the challenge/fun! Has given me a lot of confidence going into the New Year when I will be upping my training.
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2 January
Am finding out the hard way how hard it's going to be trying to do 10,000 feet of ascent a week in training...did an 8 mile race on New Year's Day yesterday and then a long 14 miles today in the wind with a combined climb of 4,800 feet...and now have trouble with my calves and stairs!!
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7 January
Cross-country in Keswick this afternoon....but first a quick jaunt up Skiddaw ....just putting it off by updating this :-). (Postscript - that was hard work - very windy on Skiddaw, very muddy cross-country!)
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9 January
Good run out today witth Stu Smith and his collie - always good running with a dog. Opted to run up Blencathra....twice! Passed the 10,000 feet mark for the year (12,200 feet) in 9 days so am feeling encouraged.
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13 January
Friday 13th proved to be a fantastic day! 28 mile roadbike in the morning in the glorious winter's sun - clear skies, extensive clear views, cold toes and fingers! Then a fell run starting at 3pm, climbed above a cloud inversion which made the tops of mountains look like islands, reached the highest point at 5pm as the sky turned a vivid orange and pink silhouetting the mountains and then an hours run back to the car by headtorch.
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16 January
Stunning run today - bright sunshine, blue skies, 360 degree extensive views. Ran up Sticks Pass and along the Helvellyn ridge.....twice! in opposite directions. Was a shame to have to come down as the sun started to set.
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Late January/Early Feb
Mix of some runs in fantastic weather together with some runs in horroble weather....the worse being 3 hours on Blencathra with snow being blown into my face by rediculously strong winds. Still, the bad days make the nice days feel that much nicer so a couple of days later I had a great run when I emerged from a cloud inversion to run for a couple of hours in the snow and bright sunshine with distant snow coverd peaks sticking out of the cloud...felt like being in the alps.
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12 February
Two superb days walking and running in the Cairngorms. Made nice change from the Lakes although the change not as good as a rest as I did over 10,500 feet in the two days. Today was stunning - blue skies, birght sunshine, and a crisp dusting of snow on the ridge along top of the Northern Corries.
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25 February
High Cup Nick fell race. Third time I've done this race and each year finish thinking what a gem of a fell race. Very runnable apart from a steep ascent of the valley headwall, but a superb descent - fast and with stunning views, if you dare to lift your eys from where you're putting your feet, across the Eden valley. Have improved my time each year. Superb soup at the end!!
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3 March
Big day today - 20+miles 8000 feet 15 peaks 7 hours 2 sore knees! - horrible 5 minute hail storm on Stybarrow Dodd and strong winds made it a challenge. Thanks to Graeme from work who was out camping with a group and who allowed me to have one of his chocolate brownies!
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4 March
Took it easy today at the Haweswater half marathon - really pleased with a surprisingly comfortable 1hour 40mins which although was 11 minutes slower than last year I hadn't had a big day out on the fells the day before last year. Conditions not as nice as last two years when we've been spoilt by blue skies and sun - this year a horrible biting cold wind and grey skies.
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10 March
Difficult day today. Warmed up on Seat Sandal and then headed out on leg 3. Very boggy and then very rocky so not a lot of it very runnable even if I hadn't been suffering a dodgy stomach and bad chaffing. Worse still I pulled a muscle in my back scrambling up a horrible gully after taking a slightly wrong route choice up Bowfell. Continued to Great End but then the 10 mile return to the car proved very long and hard - reduced to a walk for last couple of hours.
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17 March
Another hard day - 7 hours and simply ran out of energy. Steel Fell is an anagram of Sleet Fell - horrible sleet shower as I ascended, which put a covering of snow on the higher peaks that I had just run over.
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18 March
Spirits restored with a run in the sun with mate Andy (one of my Leg 2 support) and his dog Moss. Did the Coledale Horseshoe race route but it was such a nice day added in a couple of extra summits. Snow still on the highest ground.
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25 March
After fairly easy week raced the Edale Skyline in Derbyshire - a stunning 21 circuit. Aim was to break four hours and managed a fairly comfortable 3 hours 56 mins so pleased especially as summer has arrived early!!. A long way behind my mate Kim who came second in 2h 45m. Am pleased that he's one of my support team for the BG (Leg 4 support) - in fact all of my support team I consider to be a lot better fell runners than me so am looking forward to being pulled along by them.
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28 March
So the amazing weather continues, although actually it was a bit hot today. Out for six hours with mate Robin (Leg 3 support) checking a few optimal lines in case it's misty on the day. Resorted to dunking heads in streams to cool down.
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31 March
Biggest single climbing day so far - 9600 feet - completes first 20000 foot week!! Did Blencathra three times plus Skiddaw plus a few others. Reccied the descent down Hall's Fell Ridge - a grade one scramble. Interesting in daylight in the dry - next time it will be in the dark at 3am and could be even more interesting if wet.
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7 and 8 April 2012
Two successful days fundraising by running a mountain hut as a tea shop. Despite the nasty wet weather raised £630 serving tea, coffee, hot chocolate to passing walkers who were grateful to get out of the rain. Big thanks to Sue, Donald, Rachel, Steve, Elaine, Becky, Robin, Dave, Oli, June, and Ruth for all their contributions either helping run the hut or simply providing an amazing array of cakes.
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12 April
After a short fell race last night in the evening sun - Loughrigg near Ambleside, today completed my longest run this year - 30 miles!! 20 Peaks - Askham to Garburn Pass.....and back! Few nasty hail showers but tops mainly clear. Two sore knees at end so won't do much before London now.
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14 April
Great to get the chance to see some top class fell racing today as went up to just below Sail to watch Coledale Horseshoe race, the first race of of this year's British Championship. Able to watch the leaders make easy work of a loose rocky descent - different class.
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22 April
Another great marathon day - nice and sunny but not too hot so ideal running conditions. Pleased with my 5th fastest maarathon time out of 21 marathons - 3h 31m 40s. Now nursing a very sore shin. great support from Macmillan around the course and afterwards at a post-race reception with massage - they are really appreciative of all the people raising money for them so really go out of their way to look after you which is nice. Now for the BG - a couple of days off and then will be back on the fells.
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28 April
Uhmmm.....a long hard day back on the fells - 10650 feet of ascent - 20 miles over some of England's highest mountains (and most rocky!) Some of the climbs were brutal - not looking forward to the ascent of Yewbarrow on the day - just when you think it's steep it gets even steeper!
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5 May
Last long day on the fells before the 20th - early start in Borrowdale - Stonethwaite - High Raise - Leg 3 to Scafell Pike - Borrowdale Fell Race route to Great Gable - Leg 4 to Honister - Leg 5 and then descent back to Stonethwaite. My biggest single day ascent - 11,200 feet - 23 miles. Good to have company of Oli Blomfield -one of my Leg 4 support runners. Am I confident for the 20th? - not sure, but will have fun trying.
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12 May
Looking forward to 8 days off before next weekend - lots of sleep and rest.
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16 May
Last run before Sunday - a very easy paced evening trip from Askham to Arthur's Pike - not many better small hills to run up with its view overlooking Ullswater. Anticipation and apprehension building in equal measure.
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20 May
So it wasn't to be at the first attempt.....after 17 hours, 45 miles, 18,000 feet of ascent, and 30.5 peaks I stopped. I'd been sick a few times and so hadn't been able to eat or drink sufficiently to reenergise so simply ran out of energy and fight on the first peak of Leg 4. But plans already made for second attempt later in the summer, so watch this space.