Bebo

The human body has it limits. If the core body temperature drops below 30degreesC, you pass out and die of hyperthermia, loosing 50% of your blood would put you in hypovolemic shock and then death. Once you sprint past that 30MPH mark, your tendons begin to tear.

When I entered DRAGNET, I knew I would be entering into something very hard, one of the hardest things I could push myself through. I even started running in the morning, and my team got on a total of 5 practice walks.

It would be nothing for what was to come.

Setting of in the dead of night, we decided we knew where we wer going straight away. We didn't and within an hour of drop off, we had gone through a swamp and our boots wer wet. things went uphill from then, literally, but still it went better for the next few hours, I'll never forget walking at 3 in the morning thinking it was 10 at night. We hit Thirmere at sunrise, keeping off the road, we met a number of other groups. We came to rest at the lakeside, I think I had begun to lose my mind briefly and I suppose hit a state of euphoria, it was cut short when a fellow running team scuttled past on the road, right lets move was the call of james, as we turned there they were with the dreaded white bands, long story short, hiding in the bracken 3 closing in, my favourite phrase of DRAGNET "lets just go back to the car".

We were very close, coming in only 18 secs after the winning team, but luck wasn't on our side and we wer caught 3 times, all unavoidable as there was no other way but the road and twice by the same catchers.

DRAGNET is an experience that can only be compared with DRAGNET.

It was at the Grizedale summit, where I was the wettest I've ever been, it was overlooking grasmere where I was the most mentally and physically drained and feeling so ill you couldn't imagine.

I don't know where the drive to push on came from, but I knew, the only way I would let myself stop, would be in the back of an ambulance.

My second most painful experience ever was the last 3 miles, the first involed bone marrow.

The most physically and mentally draining ever, as I right this, 3 days on, I am still limping and still have a bruise 18cm by 12cm on my arm.

but after it all, in the car, homebound, in between sleeping, there they were, the best fish and chips I've ever tasted, to end the experience of a life time

would I do it again next year? HELL YEAH

It must have been 7 in the morning and we had cleared almost half of lake thirlmere - we were almost parralel with the 2nd island and had seen a few teams pass us by on the roads - but we were being more cautious
We met up with one team and spoke with them for a while then we decided to split - Then we rested on the shaw side - It was then that a team shot past us - we panicked and stood up to find a group of 3 catchers with the white bands on running towards us
We sprinted towards the other team frantically - but the catchers were to fast so 3 of us double backed and the fourth member - Euan - sprinted off into the wilderness
I turned around with amazement that the catchers had gone for the other team but only to see Andy and Dan lying on the ground battered - they had both fell on some rocks damaging their ankles and knees

Dan wasn't to bad but Andy struggled to move - we eventually hid in some tall brackens away from the catchers - I went back out leaving my bag in our hiding place - I searched for Euan with my minocular on the beach but it was hopeless the catchers were blocking our path whilst they spoke to the other not so lucky team..
So we decided to try and find Euan as a group and go round the back of the catchers - sadly we had waited to long and they were mobile again - the remains of our group were once again split - we Panicked as me and Dan ran up a bank into the wilderness
Andy was stranded at the bottom so I shouted "Disappear Andy" and so he did back to the bracken

Eventually once the threat had passed our team of 4 re-united - we all exchanged stories on how we escaped individually and Andy told us how he was hid in the bracken as the catchers closed in on him then gave up just meters away
It was all very exciting - it was our first real chase and it held us back by about 30 minutes but we loved it

Sadly about half an hour later we were caught by two guys in a silver audi - the same 2 that were to steal our third and final life card only 4 miles from the finish .... gutted - it was just a case of the wrong place at the wrong time
DRAGNET what a great experience
!

Well.........
We got off the bus near Threlkeld, knowing where we were as we'd followed on the map.
We then ran in the direction we thought we were ment to be going, wich tuned out to be the wrong direction!
So we found the right way to go and ran to catch up and get ahead of the main group. We then went down a few bridleways to get to the main road near Thirlmere by about 1:30am. We decided to take the quieter route down the side of Thirlmere hoping we wouldnt see any catchers. We didnt! we got to the otherside of thirlmere with all lives still intact. We then met another group and seen Tom Tom! . we took the back roads into Grassmere and were at Grassmere at about 5am ish. We were then heading round the tarn and up some steep roads that led up and then down to Skelwith bridge and after about 30 minutes of getting across we sat down on a bridleway at about 9am and decided to cook some noodles and a cuppa soup! The Minestrone ones were nice
So after topping up on energy it started to rain so we got fully waterproofed up and walked on only to find the rain stopped quickly so it was waterproofs of again!! Then shortly after this we entered the top of grizedale and decided to lift the spirits with abit of music Ministry of sound!! . I then got the team slightly lost so we headed for Esthwaite water in full tune bopping to the tunes . Tom also decided to ring Frank qoute from razzy "if you have a problem with DRAGNET talk to Frank" but we never had a problem!!
Our detour to Esthwaite Water turned out to be a good one! we came across a stream and topped up on some niice sterolised water After sterolising the water we walked along the road around Esthwaite water and decided weather to take the busy road into Newby bridge or divert around it! We thought becasue we reckoned we were ahead of all the main bunch catchers wudnt be a problem so at about 11am saturday we were on our way down the busy road to Newby bridge! what a drag So we got to Newby Bridge and also seen an Audi R8! We quickly got out of Newby bridge to avoid getting caught as we wanted to keep all 3 lives! We then pulled of onto a bridleway once again and lied down for a well earned 20 minute rest! still no sleep!! So after 20 minutes rest we set of on a walk again that went past a country sports centre, and then went on a bridleway through some trees and pulled of in to the trees at 5pm Saturday for our 1st sleep! We all got out the wonderfull survival bags and it wasnt long before we were discussing how bad they really were They kinda warm ya up but then soak ya with condensation! weird really! So Tom cooked some noodles matty probably was starting with the hilarious rips and razzy was settling for sleep and so was ii. So we got up after 10 minutes because couldnt cope witht he rain!!! We packed up and sat wondering what to do as we were only 3 miles from the finish if that! After about an hour we all tried to get some sleep under the botthy bag and it worked untill it hailstoned!!! so we were rudely awakened and i thought id had a good few hours sleep wich turned out to be 15 minutes!! no joke!! i wiosh it was!
We set of again and decided to get to the racecourse and sleep in the trees overnight! We got to Cartmel at about 8pm Saturday night and settled down hoping for aome sleep we couldnt get sleep as we were so wet and cold so at about 2am we cooked some noodles and cuppa soup Then retired to the botthy bag once again. We all got up at 7am and were all on look out for cathcers! At about 750 we seen 2 catchers aproaching the woods so pegged it!! right around the woods and into a field werew we stayed for a gd few hours behind a rock before taking a good chase from the same catchers wed seen a while ago! Hats of to the woman she was quick, but we got away ran past a sleeping team haha! Then cant remember much aport form running alot and eventuallt getting caught by a man that got out of a black fiesta and was easily the quickest ca