A 67-YEAR-OLD South Lakeland woman has completed an epic Lake District fell-running and swimming challenge.
Wendy Dodds, of Milnthorpe, finished her Frog Graham Round attempt in 15 hours and 52 minutes.
Along with covering just over 40 miles and ascending and descending 15,750 feet over the Lakeland Fells, Wendy had to swim across Bassenthwaite Lake, Crummock Water, Buttermere and Derwent Water before finishing where it all started at Keswick’s Moot Hall.
"I had support on the running legs," she said. "Except through Whinlatter Forest, I did that section on my own. I only swam the swims alone, the rest there was always a good friend there and that helped you onwards and upwards.
"I was counting my strokes as I swam but in the running legs I was just concentrating on working hard on the climbs and the rest took care of itself."
Wendy, who competes in fell races for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers, said she had been thinking about undertaking the challenge for 'more than a decade' but it was after she broke her fibula last July that she started to do more swimming.
She did her training swims with friend Julie Carter, from Keswick AC, who plans to do her own round in a couple of weeks.
"As well as regular fell running and races, I think that my fitness was helped by a couple of weeks in the Alps in July with mountain guide Chris Ensoll, from Windemere, climbing somewhat bigger mountains," she said.
Wendy said that she found the whole experience 'not too bad' and she had been 'faster than expected'.
"Compared with a Bob Graham it's shorter and easier," she said. "So my big fear was getting cold after the swims and that didn't materialise.
"I've done things that are much harder so it was quite a relief that it wasn't difficult. I'm pretty familiar with most of the legs. It wasn't too taxing going round."