adidas Terrex Coast to Coast (C2C)
It’s a Family Affair
Rob Howard / 27.08.2011
Starting outside the Keswick Museum the day began with a ride along the A591, with a steady climb to stretch the legs early on, leading to a bike-to-paddle transition at the northern end of Thirlmere. There was little space here and the marshals were working overtime to fit everyone in and move them on, with one calling out.; “It’s car dominoes – I love it!� He was clearly enjoying his work – despite the persistent midges that plague most transitions.
In the early morning light the paddle down Thirlmere, past hillsides wreathed in patchy cloud, was a delight, though another difficult exit and portage to reach gthe jam packed car park wasn’t the easiest of finishes to the stage.
It was here that I caught up with a few of the many teams that are family efforts, starting with the team who have called themselves ‘Family Affair’. This includes regular racers Alex and Sarah Davies and Tim Wagstaff and it was Alex I found loading the kayak onto their car with Tim’s father. “Our aim is to have fun and not fall out with each other�, Alex said, “and it’s going OK so far. My sister was going to be our main supporter, but when she became pregnant we called in help from the rest of the family. Tonight my parents will take over, so we’ll have to train up a new support team!�
Further down the track towards the kayak exit Sue Courtman and Maryvonne Hassell were waiting for the team from ‘Southern Softies’ to arrive, and this turned out to be another family team . Sue’s husband, and Maryvonne’s brother and husband were on the water in the kayak, and the team were happy with their progress so far.
“We’ve never done anything like this before,� said Sue, “everyone is well out of their comfort zone but the team are doing much better than expected.�
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