The dark side of the Bob Graham Round

The Bob Graham Round (I suspect any similar experiment in making the human body go up and down hills for 24 hours) seeks to expose any weakness it can find. It works away at the mind and body. Testing the character with hill after hill and rough terrain stretching out before you in your mind just that bit worse than the reality. Bad weather, darkness, coping with the inevitable slight navigation errors and other niggles is a stern test of inner strength of both pacers and the runner. So that is the kinder, sunny disposition of a summer BGR. A mid winter BGR shows a whole other darker side. 14 hours of darkness, endless sub zero temperatures, winds, limited visibility, hard ground, soft snow covering features and hazards make it a whole different ball game.

Second weekend running of BGR support. As with the previous weekend, great fun, but not with the outcome we all would have wanted. Jim Mann who completed the BGR back in September set himself a serious challenge. While I was off enjoying life a bit and getting my head set to start training again, Jim was doing 100 miles a week and getting to know the route much better.

I was to navigate leg 5 and also to provide a limited service cafe at Hare Crag on leg 1. I really enjoyed the walk in along the Cumbrian Way. The light was on as I passed Skiddaw Haus, probably just a candle, but someone was in residence. I got to the crossing point on the land rover track about 15 minutes before the group who set off at 9pm passed thorough and tied a flashing LED dog collar to the Hawthorn tree to guide them in as they came down from Skiddaw.
At 10am it was still enough to hear the voice of the runners on top of Skiddaw and easy to see their torch light.

1st group must have been a bit curious what they were running towards(a rave maybe), but had a very brief hot orange and golden syrup cake stop and headed up Calva. About 20 minute later Jim arrived minus navigator who they had left behind (with his consent of course). Dave Hindly, a class act as a navigator, is a faster plodder than me, but still a plodder. To pace Jim on the 1st 2 legs of the BGR you need to be a bit of a racing snake. Coffee and cake consumed and they disappeared up Calva. It appears that the pacer with Jim asked who was the chap with me. Jim pointed out there was no one and a bit of "yes there was", "no there was not" exchange went on the trog up Calva I was later told. I can confirm that to be best of my knowledge I was on my own at that point. Spooky hey.

A sweaty and puffing Dave Hindly turned up about 15 minutes later. We then waited about 20 minutes for the solo runner( See Baggins on page 4). We could see his light on Skiddaw and thought we better wait as a 4 hour leg in the dark on your own, even a sip of hot juice and bit of cake and 15 seconds of human company must life your spirits a bit. We then walked down to Threkeld just in time for Jim to barrel through have some Carbona and coffee thrown at him. Appears he had some fun trying to descend Sharp Edge. Not a route I know, but seems to be one to be treated with respect. More so since he came back up it again. Various bag swapping chaos ensued in Jim's wake and pacers from various groups appeared and then things returned to order. It was 2am and I had a fantastic evening. Most of it on my own, but the situation was great. Being in the middle of the mountains in moon light were great. So were my 5 layers of clothing. I was not cold, but once you stop you chill very quickly. Dave Hindly and I had a great chat on the way down to Threkeld.

Most of the next day I spent eating and drinking tea after an early aborted attempt to get to Newlands to look at the descent from Robinson. In a Volvo which gets stuck on the flat, no way.

The leg 5 crew were thinking about getting ready for the trip to Newlands, when we got a text that it was off. Disappointed that Jim did not get his crack at the mid-winter record, but all down safe. I am sure the rest of the story will be told on the fell runner forum, its not my story to tell. Hell of an achievement just the same given the conditions.

While waiting for the runners and support crew to return to the house, the three of us in the leg 5 crew went off to Threkeld to stretch our legs and I had a look at the lower second of the parachute jump descent again.

Both weekends had great people and great efforts by all involved. Mark I really feel for as his calf tore after 45+ miles. Jim just was unlucky with the conditions. The most respect to both of them.

After the last 2 weekends, my mojo for the BGR is back, but lets be very clear. I enjoy winter running, but the only BGR attempt I will ever make will be a summer one.

if you succeed at everything, you are not trying hard enough.

Main event this week was Mark Smith's winter round on friday night and saturday. I was scheduled to

1. Rope up Broadstand for an abseil descent (anticlock wise round) with my 100m caving rope.
2. Do leg 5 (Skiddaw and friends)

A rapid thaw on friday left just about as good a set of conditions as you could hope for in winter. As with supporting any round there are many other threads to the Mark Smith winter 2010 BGR story, but they are not my story to tell.

Roping Broadstand went well, apart from pulling a rock down on my face as I put a guide runner just above Broadstand. I should have spent 2 minutes clearing the rocks above. Still, I was not beautiful before hand. One of the support runners who was going to run leg 3 with Mark started an abseil and could make no progress, the rope was too tight. This made no sense to me at the time, but we made the call to take Mark down Foxes Tarn instead, as the abseil would be very slow if the rope was that tight. When I abseiled down about 10 minutes later to get the gear I left in place to guide the rope it was easy, I did the 80m in about 2 minutes, rope was loose. It appears 2 walkers use it to go hand over hand down the tricky bottom bit of Broadstand which is why Ian found it tight. Did they ask? No! Could we have choosen at any time to untie it and let it sliver down? Yes! I shall say no more as it did not effect the outcome of getting Mark round in under 24 hours, but I was not a happy Clive.

On Dollywagon Pike [ about 17 hours in ], Mark was only a couple of minute down on a 23 hours schedule, so going very well. At this point he tore a calf muscle and had to struggle back down to Dummail.. I really felt for Mark, after being so close last year. He was obviously disappointed. With a small person on the way, he felt it was his last chance for a while. Few people have been as encouraging in my rather less ambitious summer BGR objective than Mark, so if/when he wants to have an other go, he can be assured of my support. A winter BGR a big step up from a summer round in terms of commitment.

In the early 1990's I organized talks in the University in Aberystwyth by some well known mountaineers(if you were a mountaineer yourself). All were great, the most memorable being Simon Yates, Mick Fowler and Andy Perkins (in the days when he had a beard and worked for Troll). Andy came to Aber at least twice. One talk was about an 1993 expedition to Gasherbrum 4 where they did not complete the whole line. While talking about the expedition over a beer, he made a comment along the lines of

if you succeed at everything, you are not trying hard enough.

That statement has well has stuck with me over the years. If you attempt a winter BGR, you defiantly are trying hard enough.

So for my 1st week of training, only about 3000ft. These were a quality 3000ft carrying with 3 of us taking turns to carry 40 pound plus sacks up Scarfell. Sunday was taken up with hosting a 7 year old girls birthday part and taking a small buy to a cinema party which left little scope to make up for not doing leg 5.

Next week is pacing Jim Mann's winter BGR and it appears at least an other 4 groups are going over the weekend. Must remember to avoid the falling rocks from now on.

Cardington Cracker and beyond

The day after my aborted Bob Graham Round attempt, I decided to have a break until the Cardington Cracker race (about 10 weeks), get a bit faster, catch up on some other bits of my life, change job, get to enjoy running again and reflect on what I needed to do to get round in May 2011. Success on all counts.

The Cardington Cracker was a bit frustrating this year. Nothing to do with the organisation or anything like that. Speaking to others their times were down, some by about 6 minutes on the previous year because of the ice and hard ground. By the 1st gate 200m from the start I knew something was not right. I got out of breath more than usual on the flat and slight inclines. I could not attack the hills as well as I have been, so lots of people passed me. I got back some places on each descent (20+ on the descent from Caradoc), but most of them passed me by the summit of the next hill. Had a lack of serious training had such an marked effect? By the time I got home the reason for a very lack luster performance was obvious, I had picked up the stomach bug one of the kids had. Better this weekend than either of the next two.

Before putting the new plan together its useful to reflect on why I did not get round and to be quite honest about it. In no particular order

• I did not prepare mentally for the concept that I could get to Dummail behind schedule and have to pull time back
• Did not apply vaseline at the start, after leg one or after leg 2. It caught up with me on leg 3. While tolerable, it took your mind of the task in hand. Take care of those important little places.
• I had no margin of error. The BGR was at the limit of what I was capable of. This meant I lost confidence going up Clough Head, slipped a little behind schedule and a feedback loop started.
• I did not know leg 2 well enough. Despite having been over it 3 weeks before while doing legs 1 and 2. I also did it in snow in February and most of it one evening in 2008, I still did not know it well enough.
• Late September was not an ideal time to do a round. We had ice, some cold and lot of dark.
• I had too few long days out. Family collateral damage prime directive stood, but I could have used two or three more long days out a couple of months before.
• I ran too few miles in training. I did the climb and did it well. I would go out and do 2500ft of climb, but sometime in only 2 miles. I really need to get more distance in the weeks training. Maybe not every week, but most weeks.
• Some days I would go out and do hill reps and only do a 1000ft. I really needed to go out for an hour (or whatever unit of time was available) and see how many reps I could do in that time, not decide to do 3 and end up doing 2.
• I went out some days when I was too tired. I got the train/rest balance mostly spot on, but some days I should have focused on stretching and strength training or a short recovery run rather than a half hearted attempt at hill reps.
• I should have paced a BGR or 3 in 2009 in addition to a winter one.
• I was about 1/2 a stone too heavy.
• I came down from Scarfell on my own. Really needed a pacer.
• My plan for food, etc was too specific on what and when. Needed a more pragmatic plan to give pacers along the lines of "insert contents of bag marked leg ?? food into largest hole in front of Clive's head during the leg until empty".
• My legs were still tired a little from the Peris Horseshoe 2 weeks before. I don't think this was a big issue, but meant my taper was more an abrupt near stop.
• I spent a lot of leg 2 not knowing if I was ahead or behind schedule and by how much. I need to be self sufficient until Wasdale in knowing where I am relative to the schedule.

All that said, much more went right than wrong in training. I ended up fitter than I had probably ever been before and I had a good crack at it. I had only been running for 2 1/2 years, so not a bad effort for starting at the tail end of the pack in March 2008.

So what are we going to do that is different

• Get to know leg 2 really well. At least 1 out and back in training and a combined leg 1 & 2 in less than 8 hours.
• Use a more aggressive schedule 22.30 and have done each section faster than that schedule in training.
• Less hot baths and more standing in cold rivers post training runs.
• Do at least 30 miles in training every week, in addition to at least 10,000ft of climb
• Do 50 miles plus at least twice a month. Anything more ambitious would end in injury and/or madness and/or violation of the BGR family prime directive.
• Do as many hill reps per unit of time available and compete with yourself to improve.
• In my local area, much of the ground is rough, slow and hard work. The BGR is rough, slow and hard work, they are a good match, so spend more time local running than travelling to someone more interesting.
• Be under 12 stone or I must run in a shirt with "fat bastard" on the front on the 13th of May.
• Spend more time stretching and working on leg strength, not just stretch before and after running.
• I got a lotout of, and raised my game, after my blind date at Dummail with Penrith Stu. Getting out and running on the hills with other people who are a order of magnitude better than you (and are not a dog) is very positive.

There is also a large slab of "on the day stuff I have picked up", but we can leave that to the day itself.

I found not racing much a good move and only plan to do a couple of races before May. My thoughts at the moment include

• Long Mynd Valleys race
• One of the Hardmoors 55, the Wuthering Hike or the Wye valley Ultra. Preference to the longer race.
• An as yet unspecified A.M., maybe the Moelwyn race.

The next 2 weeks are a bit curious training wise as I am supporting winter BGR attempts on the next 2 weekends. I don't want to have trained so hard in the week that I become a weak link. That said there should be at least 6000ft of climb for me including Scarfell from Wasdale with 100m of caving rope. Lets hope the weather improves(read power snow goes hard), at the moment a winter round would be a hell of an adventure.

Snow, Snow, Snow

Seal Skin socks and Inov-8 studs dealt very well with uncompacked snow and the little ice that has been around. So Friday to Sunday included very nice, but quite cold evenings of 5 or 6 miles in the dark on snow. I suggest a snow plod multiplier of about 1.2 making the running a little harder, but no where near the added difficulty of last year. Still, more snow is forecast so the snow plod multiplier may increase.

Hound has a new green flashing led collar which appears to stop motorists who can't work out what it is.

The tail end of this week has been really about getting myself reacquainted to running in the cold and dark. While moving I find I need a lot less insulation that I expect when I am starting out. This is important to be able to judge how many layers and how thick each one should be for the temperature and wind. I have pacing for 2 winter rounds coming up in 2 weeks time and keen not to make the same mistake as last year where wearing a Buffalo Smock almost cooked me alive, even though the temperature was around -8. Major lesson learned.

Other major lesson was that drinks not in a flask will freeze, so I have a few heating pads which should take the chill off a drink in a camel pack without melting the bag itself.

Cardington Cracker race next weekend. I suspect it will be fun! For some historical reason it is one of my 3 favorite fell races of the year (Long Mynd Valleys and Nant Peris Horseshoe are the 2 others). A time of 1.42.30 last year, so lets go for under 1.40 this year, but times relative to last year will be irrelevant if there is a lot of snow to slow things down and spice it up.

Poor Little Sod

Something I suspect most road runners don't come across during their training.

My car was being serviced in Aberaeron, and as I am taking a weeks holiday between jobs, I took the opportunity to run along the coast path from Aberaeron to New Quay and back, about 6 miles each way. I did this section in June in trail shoes, but I do wish I had worn studs today as I slipped over a few times. Wales in November so I got soaked on the run down. Enjoyed a coffee, some welsh cakes, a read of the paper in New Quay and started to run back.

On the beach north of New Quay I came across this little fellow and a reasonably elderly lady who had just pulled him out of the surf at no small risk to her self. Her friend had gone to get a phone. She was walking 2 dogs, one of which was deaf and blind and would every so often bump into the Seal pup, and then bark at it, but facing the the wrong direction.

We waited a while, but the Octonauts failed to arrive. I had my mobile with me so via the Coastguard (I was one long ago ago, so had a good idea they can be the official in the middle for such things) who somehow got in touch with Bert the man who rescues Seals in mid-Wales. Only took Bert the Seal man about 40 minutes to get to us.

While a Seal pup looks very nice, injured as it was, it was still very keen to demonstrate its ability to hiss and show its teeth to make you think that handling one is best left to someone like Bert who know what they are doing. Seals carry Salmonella, so care and gloves are required in their handling.

The Seal pup had lost one eye (crows picked it out), was exhausted to the point it could not move itself and bleeding from the mouth. I expect he got washed around by the storm last night. Bert thought the seal pup was about 2 weeks old, still dependent on its mother and would have died if left. Seal pups appear in September/October and this one was probably born quite late in the year.

A young couple staying at the Caravan park above the beach were part of the team which carried Seal pup across the beach and up to Bert's car in a dog cage. It was being taken to the Seal hospital in Milford Haven. The couple named him Nelson and Bert told us how to visit him. I won't be going to see him, best to do your bit and move on in such things. As I was still damp from the run down, I got cold, even though the Sun came out while waiting on the beach. I was happy to see Nelson in the back of the car and to get running if I am honest.

Should nature have been left to take its course? Possibly. I don't know if Nelson was a grey or a common seal and what the population balance is in the Irish Sea. Since someone was bothered about saving it, I guess it must have been worthwhile. In short, not for me be the judge for the future of a fellow mammal.

So if you do run along the coast this time of year, then Welsh Marine Life Rescue on 01646 692943 is a useful number to have programmed into your mobile.

Winter's come on the Meirionnydd Round

A few pictures taken on Wednesday on the section of the Meirionnydd Round north of A458. Only had time for a quick "lunch time" run on my way to get the train to London. Got as far as Glasgwm, before running out of time and having to turn back. Great view of the whole round, but my feet got very cold. Note to self to wear Seal Skin socks when out on such ventures from now on.

Clwydian Hills Race

Pics as usual thanks to Alistar.

A good excuse to explore a new area which is the area of hill between Mold and Ruthin. Race was 10 miles and 3100ft of up and down. The start was a bit random with runners spread out over about 100m and a whistle and "off you go". I was near the start by chance, so had 1/2 the field stream past me in the 1st mile.

Most of the up was runnable for the mid-pack folk unless you have spent the last 2 years training to walk up hill, so I lost places on each of the quite gentle up hills. Gained places on the down hill and the steep ascent up the gully to Moel Famau. Some of the descents were fantastic in terms of being quick and I appear to have properly got my descending head back.

I did a time of 1.36.?? which is better than the target of 1.40. I left my watch behind so had no idea of my time until I had finished, just ran as hard as I could. I decided to do without any gel (I had one with me incase I or someone else bombed out) to see what happened. I think it made no difference on this course. I certainly felt like I could keep the power on towards the end. I finished about 10 place ahead of the 2 people I judge my performance against, but you never know what sort of day they had. It did feel like the interval sessions I have been doing made a positive difference in allowing me to run some of the more gentle hills. I did 4 miles on saturday evening which might have left my legs a little tired, but I don't think it made much difference.

Navigation yesterday was a case of follow the line of runners infront. I had a map with the checkpoints marked, but did not consult it which would have slowed thing down a bit.

Great soup and tea at the end. The race was very well run (as would be expected) by the NEWSAR mountain rescue team.

The rest of Clive's running week was looking for new routes and some intervals.

Fred Rogerson

I never meet Fred Rogerson, but was well aware of his huge contribution, from reading accounts of BGR attempts, talking to people or from Feet in the Clouds, to many who attempted the Bob Graham Round over the years.

Morgan wrote this on the fell runner forum.

but why ?

back on or off the wagon depending on your point of view.

Monday : 3 miles on fast-ish on undulating ground

Tuesday : 5 miles and 1000ft of local loop

Wednesday : 3 miles fast-ish on undulating ground

Thursday : Tabata

Friday : rest

Saturday : Out and back of the easy leg of the Meirionnydd Round which felt like about 5 miles and 2k of climb each way at a reasonable pace.

Sunday : probably nothing as Mrs AmbitionExceedsAbility is away

Hound and I ran the section from the A 487 to the A470 and back.

View Merrioneddyd round section 1 in a larger map

The part of the Bob Graham Round most like this is probably Calf Crag. The running is quite quick in many sections, but it is boggy in a lot of places and quite undulating which makes for a good 9 or 10 mile training run. I suspect that this is the least challenging section of the Merrioneddyd Round in all aspects, distance, terrain, amount of climb and navigation. Indeed once you find the fence, just follow it worked well. Being mid Wales in later October is rained for part of the run, but the visibility was good enough to be able to see most of the rest of the Round and it is quite impressive. I can believe that it is at least 90 minutes harder than the BGR. Not even thinking about doing it, at least until we have got round the BGR, but a winter of exploring as part of the BGR training has some great wider effects of getting to know an area less than an hour from home, but wild as hell.

Attempting to do the Bob Graham had many effects. Not getting round was not the big deal I though it might have been, maybe because at least in my mind I proved to myself I could do it, now all I need to do is remove the few small barriers (a lack of Vaseline strangely being one of them), get a little bit fitter and a little bit faster than I was in September to get some margin and baring accidents, really bad weather, etc and including some humility, I should get round in May.

The Sunday after my attempt I decided it was time to change jobs. Not quite sure how it happend as I did not actually apply for a job (missed out the whole writing a C.V. and interview ball ache), I now have a new role in Engineering in Oracle stoping our customers self harming with these monsters of Database consolidation.

As a mid-life crisis, 2 1/2 years of training for and attempting the Bob Graham Round is quite tame really and keeps me out mostly out of trouble. Certainly less disruptive to family life than fast motorbikes, having an affair with fast and loose women or exploring your alternative sexuality. I do seem to be collecting agricultural and construction hardware( about 30 tonnes at the last estimate) but I am using the excuse of an investment which works for me at least.

The reasons I started running again 3 years ago and set the BGR as a goal as mostly lost in time, though I do remember one event being a catalyst. Running along the ridge this afternoon I asked why I was going to have an other go at it and what poped into my head was along the lines of

putting yourself in a high stress situation which you choose to be in gives a perspective from which to examine the rest of your life.

Each to their own, but it works for me as a justification to have an other go. No major revelations, I am happy with my lot, but there are a few things which, on reflection over the last 5 weeks, I have decided to stop doing which leaves more time to focus on important stuff.

So enough of the navel examining rubbish. Considering doing the Clwydian Hills race next sunday. A new race for me in an area I don't know.

Round up of the week

Nothing that interesting this week, other than a mild cold which gave an excuse not to run for the last part of the week.

Monday : Did something, but can't remember what!

Tuesday : 5 miles across Rodney's Piller at night. Good ridge with lots of climb.

Wednesday : Snivel

Thursday : Snivel

Friday : Snivel

Saturday : 6 x 400m reps (would have been 8 but it tipped it down) while waiting for kids and 8 x 20 seconds flat out with 10 seconds rest late afternoon. I was knacked.

Sunday : busy building a shed

The default dog walk is 250ft of climb in about 1/2 a mile through woods, so I have been doing that at a push which adds a little spice and do this on the days we don't run and even on some we do.

Getting the appetite back to run distance and legs seems to have recovered now.

Hills, Hills, HIlls, Miles, Miles, Miles, Fun, Fun, Fun

A very wise man left a comment on my blog a few weeks ago

Clive
Throw the bloody stopwatch away!!
Hills hills hills
Miles miles miles
Fun fun fun
I once paced a very fast marathon runner (2.25) AND HE FAILED TOO.
You will do the BG at "Clive pace"

There is no doubt Stu is right. Even a high level analysis of my BGR training prior to September would suggest it was a short of miles most weeks, did have lots of hills and lots of fun. A lack of miles will be something I am going to address when I start BGR training again in December.

At the moment I am playing catch up on the jobs around the house, so going out for 20 minute, warming up, doing 4 minutes of hell on legs and warming down, then getting on with everything else is very appealing. Intervals round the track fits well with Saturday morning children's gymnastics. I am also not that motivated to do long runs or hill reps, probably because it is only 4 weeks post BRG attempt. I am getting quite fired up about doing the course of the Meirionnydd Round in sections over the winter and might start this week work and weather willing.

However, it has been fun exploring an other side of running over the last 3 weeks of trying to just get faster over a short distance (1 mile) and I have used it as a change rather than full rest.

Stu is on the money, for a BGR it matters not a jot if I the fastest I can run a mile round in track is 6 or 8 minutes. More importantly it is great to be challenged when the challenge is a wise one, and Stu's always are, particular the one about fat boy. Its the best kinds of encouragement, is very useful and is included in the mix when working out a training plan (don't really schedule things, my world is too random for that) which balances home, work and BGR ambitions.

So Stu, whats next for you? Paddy Buckley?

Shame the Commonwealth Games has finished

I have improved my mile time by 31 seconds in the last 2 weeks to 6.22. I expect there are a couple of reasons for this

• Recovered a bit more from the Bob.
• Got a bit better at the pacing and technique of running a mile
• Tabata training is having some effect.

Give me an other 3 months at this rate and I would be setting a world record, though I expect diminishing returns. A good use of the 50 minutes while I wait for the kids to finish gymnastics on a Saturday morning and once we can get sub-6 mins, we will work toward 2 miles under 6 minutes. My very experienced veteran Midlands runner friend Richard keeps pointing out that "if all you do is long slow distance, all you will get is long slow distance".

Not quite feeling recovered enough for a big run or hill reps yet, so 5-7 miles tomorrow is planned.

Golf, hand warmers and being bonkers

The day or 2 before I attempted the Bob Graham Round last month I got a number of text's which included the words

good

luck

bonkers

in various orders.

Jim Mann and Mark Smith are both attempting winter rounds a week apart and I shall look forward very much to doing what I can to support them both.

I was looking at getting some of these in preparation and this seems to be about the cheapest place to buy them. However, can I risk being seen to buy from a place that sells golf gear?

If you have any experience of such heat generating devices, please leave a comment.

24 hours out in December a whole extra world of hurt layered on top because of the cold. 8 hours out in winter is OK, 24 is a different game, even supporting in 4 - 6 hours sections becomes more of a challenge. Not being able to do something because you had to take your gloves off to fiddle and now they are too cold to feel can not just be awkward, it can be there start of the decent into the accident pit. Even so, buying stuff from a golf shop is going a bit far.

Jim and Mark, I am pleased to say you are both bonkers.

Still recovering

I went out for a run on Sunday late afternoon, aiming at about 7 miles on Sunday, some very small hills and rough forest tracks. The weather was a bit wild, so stuck to either the forestry or lee side of hills north west of Nant-y-moch.

I did the 1st 2 miles aiming at a 8 minute mile pace, but after a mile and 1/2 the track got rougher, some small rivers to run through and I got more tired, so slowed to 8.40 for the next 1/2 mile. The rest was at a comfortable, fun pace, though the last mile was hard work, my legs have not quite yet fully recovered from 2 weeks ago.

I find my unconscious mind is planning a re-match for May and every so often pops ideas and plans into my conscious mind when then need suppressing. For the last 2 years I have run the Aberystwyth Twin Peaks race, but this year I am giving it a miss. Myra is riding the Taf Trail with some friends today so small people are in charge of me and to be honest I am not ready to run a race, even more so one which is more than 70% pavement, though very nice pavement. The race is quite fast and has less than 1000ft of climb in 7 miles, so not well aligned with the previous years training aims.

Tabata : take 2

A little more research and it appears I was doing it wrong on my 1st attempt. The requirement for the Tabata method to be successful is that you can't stand after the 4 minutes is up. Almost not being able to stand is not good enough. Each rep needs to be as fast as you can go at that time with no pacing at all.

Last night I could not stand after which is the aim of the game. Even after only 2 reps of really flat out sprinting I was already struggling.

2 times a week for 4 weeks and we shall see if my mile time improves from 6.53.

Tabata Method : No, it has nothing to do with contraception

I tried the Tabata Method out this evening. Running as fast as I could on the flat for 20 seconds, 10 seconds rest, repeat 8 times.

I could just about stand after. Aiming to raise my VO2 MAX, so going to do this twice a week and see what progress gets made in my mile times and hope this translates into being able to work a little harder on the hills.

Running again and Marshalling

Started running again on thursday early evening with a little jog (maybe 3 miles) around Gloucestershire Country Park which I had been passing with 1/2 a mile of for the last 13 years and never found before, shameful. May make this a regular stop.

Did some work on the track on saturday morning where I have an hour free while the kids do Gymnastics. A warm up and then a 6.53 minute mile and then some warm down jog.

Both of the above suggest I have not yet fully recovered for my aborted BGR attempt.

Sunday had much fun as a marshall for the Arenig fell race in the wild parts of wild Wales. Just a great race in the middle of nowhere. You get a different side to racing and meet different people. I do between 4 and 8 races a year, so I guess if I Marshall 1 a year, that is my contribution for now. I have a long term plan of re-running the Nant-y-Moch fell race, but not for a few years. If any one remembers the route, can they let me know.

Going to try a bit of HIIT over the next 4 weeks in addition to longer slower runs and a bit of hill climbing, see what happens. 1st measure is any improvement in my mile times, but the real test will be the Cardington Cracker in December.

Bob Graham Round 1 Clive 0

Wimped out at Wasdale, about 1 hour and 20 minutes down on the schedule. Your head goes your legs soon follow.

Why? some strategic planning errors and not having my head in the right zone on leg 2. A round is a cruel beast which seeks out any weakness to stop you getting round. If you are on the margin of being able to do it, which I openly admit I was, then it does not take much to tip you off balance.

That said, it was still a fantastic experience. Weather was not a big problem, though it was very icy on top of the peaks on the 2nd half of leg 3. Leg 1 was magical and the most fun running I have ever done. The team, both pacers and support were brilliant in all aspects. I could not have picked a better random stranger than Jim Mann to do it with. Well done to Jim for getting round in 22 hours, doing leg 4 on a 16 hour schedule!

What it did prove to me is that I am capable of it, and with some spare time. My legs were not shot until my head told them to be. If my head was right in Wasdale my body was quite capable of carrying on.

Lots learned. I am not going to dwell on it or have a autopsy of the BGR experience. We know what went wrong, what needs to be changed and what went right and so much went right.

I am going to step out of the Bob Graham Round mindset for a few months. Running wise focus on getting 1.35 (7 minutes quicker than 2009) on the Cardington Cracker race in December, be Mark Smiths Winter BGR slave the following weekend and then start thinking about an other crack at it, probably in early May.

Myra and a friend as planning to cycle Wales, north to south, next year so I am now becoming Coach Clive as well.

What makes the BGR special is not the achievement, the mountains or the location, but the wonderful people we meet on the journey to and from Moot Hall.

Now, time to get a bit faster !

No time or reason to dwell

The day has arrived after 2 1/2 years since the concept of doing the Bob Graham Round found its way into my head. no time or reason to dwell. Forecast looks better, still windy.

So many nice messages of support. Time to get on with it.

I suspect quite a lot of the 24 hours from 7pm are going to hurt.

Friday

Weather

There may be some light rain at first, but this will soon clear leaving a dry day with clouds thinning and breaking to give some sunshine, particularly over the southern Fells.

Visibility

Very good, perhaps good at first in any light rain, becoming excellent by the afternoon with distant hills clearly visible.

Hill fog

Occasional at 700 metres becoming patchy by the afternoon and lifting above the summits.

Maximum winds above 500m

Northerly 35-40mph gusts 50-60mph over exposed summits and ridges, easing 25-30mph gusts 35-40mph during the afternoon.

Saturday

Weather

A dry day with some good sunny spells, although there will be more in the way of cloud over the eastern fells during the afternoon.

Visibility

Excellent, with distant hills clearly visible.

Hill fog

some patches at 700 metres over the eastern fells in the afternoon.

Maximum winds above 500m

North 25-30mph gust 35-40mph

Full moon approaches

30 minute run last night and my legs felt that they recovered from the Peris Horseshoe. They had not on Sunday where 7 miles mostly on the flat was harder work than it should have been. Lets hope they still feel recovered at Wasdale. Our run last night was just before it got dark and the moon is just off full.

Lots of planning, packing and writing the BGR manual. This has been a useful exercise to get me to think about who and what needs to be where and when. Also what to pack, what to explain. A number of people involved are not runners and previously thought Bob Graham was a mid-West US preacher.

2 1/2 years since I decided to attempt the BGR and 2 days to go. This may be the calm before. I am visiting a customer tomorrow, trying to sleep as late as I can in a B & B in Ullswater on Thursday night. I don't feel nervous or really excited, maybe that is being 42 and treating it a little like a job to be done and doing all I can to give it the best chance of success, rather than worry about it. The one thing that had concerned me was the weather and that has improved in terms of the forecast a lot in the last 5 days.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Occasional showers on Friday clearing, leaving a dry weekend with plenty of sunny intervals. Feeling cool and fresh in a northeasterly wind that will be strong at times on Friday.

If that is what we get then I will be content.

Packing probably too much stuff in 8 labelled boxes on the floor, plus tents, matts, sleeping bags and water containers among other items. Planning and packing has replaced training as a focus in the last week. A few last phone calls to make.

We have a bunch of great pacers and friends from the last 42 years helping, a cast of 13 at last count. Whatever the outcome in terms of getting round the 42 peaks in 24 hours, the other 2 measures of success are

• Failure to call the mountain rescue
• Everyone has fun

Preparing for a small war

Into the final week and it is all about resting and preparing. I am looking forward to the rest of this week where the name of the game is to feed my face (technical term is carbo-load) which I should be quite good at.

Every day the Met Office forecast changes and it has been sounding better, but with some uncertainty. The current forecast is

Outlook for Wednesday to Friday:

Dry, sunny and warm on Wednesday. Cloudier with occasional rain and showers during Thursday, before becoming brighter again on Friday, though turning cooler.

UK Outlook for Friday 24 Sep 2010 to Sunday 3 Oct 2010:

Outbreaks of rain are likely to affect the UK on Friday but become mainly confined to eastern England and Scotland, while western areas become drier and brighter. It will feel cold, especially in the east and northeast where it will be rather windy. Indications are that the weather will become more settled during the last weekend of September with most places seeing dry and bright conditions. Daytime temperatures are likely to recover to near normal but it will feel chilly at night with a chance of patchy frost in rural locations. Towards the end of September there are signs of a return to more unsettled weather with wind and rain in the northwest gradually extending further south and east by the start of October. Temperatures will tend to be near-normal.

Not quite cool, with a gentle breeze and clear skies, but looks OK. Things can change, but there is no mention of gales or heavy rain which there was 5 days ago.

Last motivational coffee and cake with Coach Jon today.

I have done a little running, 1000ft of hill reps, 7 miles and 2 miles on the flat. Also a "how fast can I run a mile while waiting for children at Gymnastics", answer is very slow, just over 7 minutes, though there was a head wind. Still a bit tired from the Peris Horseshoe which I very much hope disappears before Friday.

Scared by the moon

I got sent to Morrisons to do the weekly shop on wednesday night. It was just about dark when I came out and the moon which was a perfect 1/2 caught my eye. The implication that we are only 1/4 of a lunar cycle away from standing outside Moot Hall under the full moon scared me for the 1st time.

I did a very bad job of explaining this to a ex-neighbour who I meet in the car park who wondered off thinking I had really lost it and that I was now scared of the moon itself. Sorry, Wally.

7 days to go.

Nant Peris Horseshoe 2010 : welcome to the taper

I can't really claim that the Peris Horseshoe was part of my taper, that would be rubbish. At 17 miles and 8,500ft of serious terrain, it is always going to be hard work. I will claim it as my favorite fell race in the calendar, there is no better place to mark the end of my BGR training (assuming we get round).

My legs still felt a little tired from the previous Sundays run over legs 1 & 2 of the BGR and I did keep a little in reserve not wanting to end up really drained with 2 weeks to go. I also got very strict instructions, while I was waiting to register for the race, from Peter Taylor and Dave Sykes from Tattenhall not to injury myself . While you don't go out to hurt yourself, I was unable to disable the self preservation chip due to a little voice in the back of my head chirping on about "2 weeks to go". Probably a good thing.

My good friend and neighbour, Bryn, came up with me. I dropped him at Pen-Y-Pass and he walked up the Miners track to the summit of Snowdon with some fluid. He ended up being co-opted by the marshalls on the summit, who remembered him from 2008, to cut up Mars bars for the passing runners.

A field of 71(I think) started a little late, with a slightly altered start. Mike Blake, the race organiser, mentioned during his pre-race briefing that he had forgotten his fell shoes( think studs) and ended up running in road shoes (think slicks) he happend to have in the car. If there is one thing I shall remember this race for, it is struggling to keep up with Mike on a number of the downhills. I had invested in the most agressive studded pair of fell shoes out there (Inov-8 Mudroc) and I think of myself as reasonable quick downhill, but following Mike off the Glyders was a real lesson. Mike knew the lines really well, every so often I would work hard on a hill or the descent would favor grip over skill and I would make 30 seconds on him. Within 5 minutes he would get a better line round a lump and be back with me. I did manage to gain maybe 2 minutes on Mike on Lliwedd, but I got some really bad lines and he got a little ahead by direct route up Snowdon. Mike has 20 years on me and if he had studs he would have left me for dust yesterday. I must admit I do try to beat Mr Blake in races, more as a way of judging how well I am doing rather than a personally competitive thing. Mike's view of the race can be found here. Given his 10 minute handicap of running on slicks, I think Mike deserves to be the winner of any King/Blake challenge. I do come away with real admiration for Mike, not just as a runner past and present, but also for the energy and organisation that makes races like the Peris such a great day out. Sorry if I nicked your lines Mike :-)

Apart from trying to get some advantage by following Mr Blake, the notable parts for me were

• Legs got tired on Y Garn, a hang over from doing 27 miles and 11000ft 6 days before I guess. Good I was still able to run OK on tired legs.
• I got a useless line over and off Lliwedd. Lost maybe 5 minutes.
• Short stop at the top of Snowdon, get some fluid from Bryn and disappeared off down the track shouting "passing to your left" at the tourists.
• I did slow down on the last 2 hills, but managed to keep going limited only by how much air I could get down my lungs.
• I fell over about 1/4 of a mile from the finish, some minor cuts to my knees and the air went blue.
• We got a mug at the end, every last drop of sweat was worth it 10 times over for the mug.
• Sausage, egg, chips and beans in Pete's Eats.

While I did try to keep something in reserve for this race, my only goal yesterday was to finish in under 5 hours, who was in front or behind me did not matter at all. My time was 4 hours, 59 minutes and 55 seconds. My fall near the finish was only due to running as fast as I could on tired legs as I saw the 5 hour barrier approach on my watch. So I am really pleased to have finished 14 minutes faster than last year. I still think that if I got the good lines on the second half I could take 5 - 10 minutes off my time, but getting good lines is all part of the game.

The last year of BGR training has been all about climbing hills at a moderate pace, repeat until finished. It became clear yesterday that if I want to improve in this class of race that I do need to become faster and work my my V02max . I was too slow up Elider-Fawr, I would get breathless really quickly if I went faster than my usual up hill plod and I could have run more of the Miners track. With training focused on this type of event, and getting the route knowledge (learned of lot from Blake yesterday) I think I have the potential to do 4 hours 30 minutes, but this is something that can be considered post BGR if we get round. One thing at a time dear boy.

Peris 2010 was a top day out, part down to following Mike for a lot of the race, part down to having a mate (Bryn) along and part because it is a great race in a great location. While I could have done better I am sure with more focused training, I would rather compare where I am now to where I was in 2008. I have been running for 2 1/2 years, just about all of it has been with the underlying aim of attempting the Bob Graham Round. The days I remember as learning something important or being special in some way include

• 2008 Aran race : finished in the last 5. Took too much clothing and was out classed by the 60 year plus ladies.
• Peris Horseshoe 2008 : spent time being sick with dehydration on Lliwedd until a kind soul out for a days walk dropped a litre bottle of Tesco's water in my lap and wondered on
• 2009 Long Mynd Valleys race : over an hour faster than when I was 27 on the race which caused me to give up fell running for 13 years. Not quite true, we took up diving instead.
• Highland Fling Ultra : 53 miles and 8500ft along the 1st part of the West Highland Way, including an out of mind experience and calling a very confused coach Jon as I could see the finishing line. Being held up against a fence at the end of the race by Iain and Sarah Ridgeway and crying with possibly joy while sitting in the shower.
• 2009 Welsh 1000m race where I did not finish and had a near death experience, just someone else's near death.
• Leg 1 and 5 for Mark Smith's Winter round : a shock to the system as to what a round really means and during the trudge up Blencathra I did commit to myself to pull out of the idea of doing a BGR, I would never be near fit enough.
• A bind date with Penrith Stu running legs 1 and 2 in snow : this day out caused me to up my game quite a lot and he also introduced me to Nuun tablets!
• Tattenhall Boob Graham Round : Proof of concept, in particular with Peter Taylors comment about me being a really **** runner when he 1st meet me in April 2008 and now I was at least in the ball park after doing legs 3 & 4 legs in heat with a sack.
• Pacing an overnight leg of the Paddy Buckly over Snowdon for Jamie, Mick and Olly.
• Paul Jacksons BGR : Just a great day out with new folk, found legs 3 & 4 much easier than 6 weeks earlier. Also meet Jim with who our resources have been pooled for the attempt on the 24th.
• Most of Ceredigion Coast path with Misty.
• Many hours and days out with coach Misty, always eager and always faster than me. Chewed sticks when she got board of hill reps.

Writing a blog has been a very good discipline. I have no idea who reads this, but feeling you have to justify your training output, meeting or exceeding the 10,000ft target each week has been useful. I based my training plan roughly on Mark Smith's blog with some modification (more rest and some very slack weeks) and I can't think of a better way of doing it for me at least. I could probably have used some more distance, a few more really long (12 hours plus days out) but it did not fit my lifestyle and the BGR prime directive of avoiding collateral family damage.

So 2 weeks of planning a small war, getting kit together, resting, eating and a bit of running, cycling and maybe even some surfing.

Last big day out

It must be a good sign when after 2 leg of the BGR you don't feel like you have had the life drained out from you.

Jim Mann and I did legs 1 & 2 on Sunday. Apart from the last hour from Grisdale Tarn, up Fairfield and Seat Sandle being a bit of a struggle for both of us (me a little more) because we were about a litre short on the amount of water we needed, things went very well.

We were about 20 minutes up on schedule at the end. We passed and gave appropriate encouragement to many competitors of the Helvelin Triathlon. I guess if you were fashion orientated, then one of these would make Triathlon more appealing than a pair of discounted Ron Hill shorts and a inside out Inov-8 top (it was dark when I got up, my excuse anyway).

We also engaged in some road crew training on Sunday with Myra very ably meeting us in Threkeld and Dummail with drinks and food.

Ideally, we would have at least climbed Steel Fell and maybe gone on a bit further, but I have the Peris next weekend and don't want to push it too far with only 6 days to recover.

Monday : 12 miles near Stratford-upon-Avon along foot paths and the Green Way. Very nice morning run starting from my Brothers house and ending up near Wellsborne.

Tuesday : Rest

Wednesday : 1000ft 2 reps fort to bus stop and back in dark

Thursday : Went out for a run, but heart not in it. Did some down hill training instead

Friday : 5 miles and 1000ft at a moderate pace

Saturday : Rest

Sunday : 11,000ft and 27 miles

12,000ft and 44 miles make it one of the best weeks in terms of Horizontal miles and 12,000ft is OK.

Starting the ramp down now. I am going to enter the Peris Horseshoe next weekend, but plan not to take it to the wire. I only really want to do better than 5 hours (last years time was 5.13) and not get injured.

Lots of planning to do, but we have a cracking set of pacers lined up. Am I ready? I feel ready to attempt it. If I get round is determined by those things you can control like the extent of your minerals, your planning for food, support, etc and those you can't such as weather, injury, the 2nd coming, etc. I have had enough of training, Thursday of this week showed that, which suggests its time to get on it.

by the next full moon ....

I was out doing my hill reps on Tuesday night while a good friend bribed by a choice of 1 of 7 bottled ales, watch the kids after they went to bed (actually he watched telly). I noticed the near full moon breaking through the clouds. Next full moon it will be time for the round. I know if I kept training I would get fitter, but I somehow feel ready. Does not mean I will get around in 24 hours, but I feel I am capable of it and as ready as I will ever be.

We have a really good set of pacers and supports lined up and Jim Mann who I met on leg 3 of Paul Jacksons round is going to have a crack at the BGR with me. Should be interesting how some who is very fit, but has not trained specifically for the round does.

Myra away at a conference last week, so much fun had with kids and really had to pack the running into 3 days. Still managed 12000ft, but not much more than 25 miles on the horizontal if that.

Monday : Kids

Tuesday : 1500ft of 3 x 500ft hill reps. Managed just under 12 minutes for 1 rep of hill fort to bus stop and back up (in dark) which is a new Clive record. Also 1st time out in the dark for a while.

Wednesday : kids, no time

Thursday : 1500ft 5 * 300 reps

Friday : 3 reps of Cader Idris from the east side so 3000ft x 3 and 18 miles in total. 12 seconds under 1 hour to the top while juggling a mobile phone talking to a customer who phones when I was within sight of the top and running across the rocks at the top. Still able to run quite fast at the end as time running out to pick up kids. Legs still a bit tired from day before, but a great day out. 1st ascent 59:48, 2nd and 3rd about 1.15 so all at a reasonable pace.

Saturday : helping kids learn how to body board at Mwnt

Sunday : kids all day

plan for next weekend is to do legs 1 & 2, following weekend the Peris Horseshoe and then 2 weeks taper. It would be rash to claim that the Peris Horseshoe is part of my taper!

After 2 and a half years of training, 9 months of more intense and specific training, I am looking forward to the next full moon and getting on with it.

Sweden, German army motorcycle helmets and the strange world of Arthur Brown stop play

A combination of

• A big day out on Saturday last week over legs 3 + 4 of the BGR
• A week working in Sweden with a 8am meeting, a full day working and 7pm conf call
• King family annual pilgrimage to the Beautiful Days festival in Devon

left little scope for training. I did run about 5 miles on saturday morning along some footpaths and stubble fields in rural Devon and can suggest with high level of confidence that I was the only festival attendee out of maybe 12,000 who put on a pair of running shoes and shorts and went out for a run. While waiting for a free portaloo I was talking to a chap wearing a german army motorbike helmet and a frock that my late grandmother would have found out of fashion. I made the point that I don't normally talk to men in a dress outside toilets and he made the point he does not normally wear a dress. I got more strange looks running out of the site at 9am, than a chap with a beard walking round all day in a frock and german army motorbike helmet which did not cause most of the festival 12,000 a second glance. Going for a morning festival run would have been a concept a little too far out for even The strange world of Arthur Brown.

Some weeks this is the price of having other great things in your life (family) and a job I have to admit I am blessed to enjoy most of the time. Always good to remember the BGR prime directive about collateral damage to the rest of your life. I could feel guilty about not training this week, but there is no point. The rest probably did me good and training hard when you are travel tired I have found to be counter productive.

I feel a serious week of hill reps coming on.

Paul and Marks BGR : Yet another blind date at Dummail Raise

• Monday : rest
• Tuesday : 5500ft 11 miles 5 reps up and down Plynlimon
• Wednesday : rest
• Thursday 1000ft 2 x bus stop to hill fort
• Friday : rest
• Saturday 13,000ft 27 miles legs 3 & 4 of BGR
• Sunday : Brussells airport

so a total of about 19,500ft and 40 miles which is more like it. I really should have run on wednesday, but work and home life got in the way.

Saturday morning, 8am at Dummail Raise walking up line of cars on the grass verge asking if they were waiting for runners called Mark and Paul. Eventually found the road crew, among 2 other BGR parties and one doing the Joss Naylor, for Mark and Paul, said hello, eat breakfast and had a brew.

Mark came in 1st, looked good going well, had some beef stew(I had some at the end leg 4 and I can confirm it was the best food in the world ever), change of socks and pacers and off he went up Steel Fell. Paul came in about 45 minutes later, he looked shot, mumbling about not intending to carry on. A combination of a good talking to from his wife and beef stew persuaded him to carry on. It appears that his pacers on the 1st 2 legs did not feed and water him to the extent needed.

If you have never been a BGR pacer, it is quite reasonable to assume that the runner will ask for food and drink, rather than having to be pestered to eat and drink. I ran a 3rd leg of the Paddy with 3 very experienced guys who were very self contained and needed little water or food from me, so if that was your only experience of pacing, you might quite reasonably assume that you feed and watered the runner when asked, other than that you were there for company and carriage. It does highlight the need for a pacers apprenticeship and also for the runner to be aware of the experience of the pacers and to be clear what is needed of them. Anyone who offers to help on a Round is a top chap or top chapette just for offering, but sometimes you just don't know what is needed and I am certain the 1st time I paced a round I was at risk of not providing the support needed.

On leg 3, Dale, Jim and myself made sure that Paul eat and drank and by Calf Crag he was a recovered as a man who had done 30 miles and 12,000ft of up and down could be. Dale did the navigation, impended by a little mist, but still getting good lines. Jim and I played who can force the most food or liquid down Mark's neck without him getting visibly upset, but we eased up on the game by High Raise. Good banter, though it has to be said Paul had his mind focused on the task in hand. Scarfell Pike was standing room only. There were 2 climbers on Broadstand so rather than push past them, I went with the others on West Wall traverse which feels a lot slower and then down to Wasdale from Scarfell. It had been a great leg as a pacer. 4 people who had never meet each other before just coming together and getting on with it.

A change of socks and some food on my part, some TLC for Mark and his feet, a change of pacers and a new name for the 1st hill on leg 4, Yew-Bastard. Navigation was done by a chap called Ian who I think it would be fair to say knew Leg 4 as a navigator so well as not to put a foot wrong or to even hint it might be a possibility. I did little as a pacer on leg 4, I think I held a bottle of water once once, shouted a few words of encouragement on Great Gable and did a bit of torch shining coming down the hill to Honister. Other than that I was just along for the training. The 3 pacers Paul had were just what you would want for the task in hand. I missed out Steeple, choosing instead to phone home and have a chat with the kids before they went to bed. The subsequent sunset was spectacular, I will post the pics from my phone when I get a chance.

The few words I exchanged with Paul suggest a really nice chap, but he really did go inside to get the strength to get him round. This meant after 11 hours in his company over some of the toughest mountain terrain in England, I don't really know him at all. I hope some day we will have a few hours for a beer. He really did dig in and grind it out coming from being well behind schedule at Dummail Raise. I was travelling to Sweden for work the next day, so could not hang around for Paul to finish leg 5 which I regret, but that the breaks.

I did find the walk up Red Pike hard, I was probably a bit down on food and fluid by that time and also was carrying a reasonable amount of weight in a rucksack, so it is probably not a shock I was finding it a bit hard going after 18 miles and 9000ft. I tried a new gel from Torq which coach Jon recommended which has a nice Strawberry yoghart flavour and that was a lot easier to get down your neck that the usual SIS gels. It also perked me up straight away.

I did feel a lot better than the 6 weeks previous when I did legs 3 and 4 with Tattenhall, moving a lot faster on the downhills and finding the uphill also easier. Having eaten and drunk more, but also being it cooler and not having getting up a 1.30am probably helped.

As I got a lift back to my car at Dummail, we found out that Mark had finished in 20.56 which is a fantastic time.

I admit I had a slight(being a bloke we can only admit to a slight one) tear of joy when I got a text that Paul finished his round in 23.46. I was pleased that collectively as pacers we did our job. The huge contribution of Paul's wife and Mark's partner as road crew in terms of providing the worlds best beef stew, moving pacers around, tending needy feet and delivering a good stiff talking to. What really got Paul round was digging deep inside and grinding it out. I saw a huge amount of mental strength being brought to bear on legs 3 and 4, which is in relation to my attempt at the end of next month, was both inspring and sobering.

A round runs on its pacers

I decided to have a harder than usual set of mid-week hill reps and did 5,500 ft and 11 miles via 5 reps of my favoriate little track up and down Plynlimon from the west. 1000ft of climb in a mile is good value and the decent is soft and the terrain is varied, so it is good training for both climb and also getting fluent on the descents. I felt quite tried yesterday until I started running, then it seemed to come together. Sunset was out of this world and some dusk running allowed me to ease into getting my night running head back.

Of course, repeating the same path 5 times give some time to think about the BGR and the logistics. Since December 2009 I have been involved as a pacer in a Winter BGR, a BGR Ladies Relay and a Paddy attempt. This weekend I am pacing some folk for their BGR attempt. I have found being a pacer a wonderful experience, though at times rather sobering. I have been run into the ground twice only just being able to keep up (this seems to be a common experience and the rucksack is often blamed). There is so much to learn and its a great way to get to know new people, some you probably won't meet again, some you keep tripping over.

I am just about there in terms of pacers now. I don't know that many fell runners socially, so have had to reach out a little further and the response has been great. Some people have already booked things, but suggested others who might be free. People who I have only meet once in a dark lay-by at Dummail Raise or know by reputation have stepped up to the task. I just hope I can do them justice and am so thankful for their time and experience.

bits, but very good bits

This week has been made a little more difficult training wise to get the big day in by the needs of childcare as Myra and her sister went on their annual trip to London. In fairness, I could have had a big day out on Sunday, but decided to spent it climbing with Tim around which we squeezed 6000ft, so actually it has been a good training week. It mean's more bits than I would have like, but thats the tradeoffs.

• Monday : rest
• Tuesday : 4 * 1000ft reps on Plynlumon. Each rep was 31 minutes, so pleased I did not get slower.
• Wednesday : 3 miles in wood (work and kids constrained)
• Thursday : 4 * 300ft reps (work and kids constrained)
• Friday : rest
• Saturday : 1 rep of Cader Idris in the evening. Top in 61 minutes (I tried sooooo hard to break the sub hour) 3000ft. I also had a a very physical afternoon helping a mate take some trees down which I found harder than running per unit time.
• Sunday : Climbing with Tim. Walk up with rucksack with Rope and gear (good training no doubt) to do the Kircus route on the crag on the back of Pen yr Olewen 1500ft. A good thrutch up the 5a crack in a wonderful situation. run up Moel Shabod from the south west (bog, do try it) 2000ft. So a total of 35ooft.

Total of about 12,000ft which is good, but would have liked a big day out. Next week we are pacing 2 chaps (on leg 3 of the BGR at least) I replied to on the fell runners forum who requested some extra pacers which should be fun. Going for a monster week next week, see what happens.

Putting together plans for my BGR, still a pacer short for leg 1 and a navigator short for leg 3. Anyone free on the 24th of Septembers who likes walking/trotting fast over mountains at night, let me know ?

Last 6 week training plan

I thought I better write down a rough training plan for the last 6 weeks prior to my taper. I am doing 2 weeks of taper, with nothing really big 3 weeks before. I want to do the Peris Horseshoe 2 weeks before and coach Jon assures me that will be fine provided I keep eating.

The gaps I see which need filled are

• Downhill. This is about making downhill running more fluent and energy efficient, rather than developing as competition to Mike Blake and Ian Holmes. I got most of my downhill head back during the Snowdon race, but a bit more style and efficiency would be very useful, particular when I start to get tired.
• I want to over over the section from Esk Haus to Wasdale again, in particular the descent from Scarfell Pike to Mickledoor, I would like to solo Broadstand once again and do the descent from Scarfel at least once more.
• Go over BGR section 2 at night
• Parachute jump decent from Blencathera once again
• I need to get my night running head back(I might still have it). I did a lot of night running over the winter and got very confortable with it. I have not run at night for about 3 months and something I my do at least some of before the 24/9/2010. I got to the point of thinking nothing of running the Long Mynd Valleys route starting at 8pm in Feburary and would like to get back to that state of mind.

The plan for the last 6 weeks

• 3 reps of Cader Idris from the east. I have done 2, but not managed 3 yet
• I am supporting some folks doing a clockwise rounds on the 14th of August. Will do whatever they want, but try to do 2 sections.
• I have 3 days walking/climbing somewhere (Lakes or Scotland) with a friend of mine 1st week of August.
• Run the whole Aberystwyth to Cardigan coast path on one go
• Day wondering around Scarfell
• Legs 1 + 2 at night on my own
• 14 peaks in North Wales
• Mid-week Long Mynd Valleys race route at pace
• Peris Horseshoe (under 5 hours ?)

The above combined with hill reps and shorter, slightly faster runs (6-10 miles). 2 rest days a week and over 10k of climb every week, but at least 1 week in August as a lighter week should get me as close to where I need to be fitness wise as I can get in the remaining time.

I feel really positive about my prospects of getting round in 24 hours. It is going to be at the limit of what I can do and I will need everything to go right on the day to get round sub 24 hours.

Snowdon race according to Garmin

Snowdon race : not what I expected

The third time I had run this race and I was expecting a time around 1 hour 50, a little slower than last year. That was OK given the shape of my Bob Graham training, along with the prime directive of not getting hurt. The reality turned out quite different.

A wet day in Llanberis, the race started by Kenny Stuart who holds the record and with Wilson Chemweno in the field, despite the best efforts of the UK Immigration Service. We avoided the heat of the previous 2 years for sure. About a mile in I found it easier than I expected and pushed on with a combination of run and walk. I got to the 1/2 way tea station in 31 minutes (last year was about 35) and I was struggling far less than previous years. My heart rate was between 161 and 168 all the way up, if it got above about 165 I found I get tired very quick, and less than 165 I felt I could do more. In previous years I have passed the descending runners at the 2nd tunnel under the railway, this year I was about 150 meters up the hill past the 2nd tunnel when Robbie and Wilson passed coming the other way which was a sign that either they were much slower than last years winner or I was a little quicker.

I could have run a little more as the hill gets gentler, but I opted to walk mostly as I was started to get a bit cold (it was very wet and a good stiff breeze into your face). I got to the top in 1.06 (5 minutes faster than last year) which was a bit of a surprise.

I think I lost my downhill head when I fell over during the Long Mynd Valleys Race in February. Whatever happened I got it back yesterday and managed to deactivate that bit of your brain intent on self preservation as I went over the timing mat on the summit of Snowdon. Looking at the results I was number 202 to the top of Snowdon and 164 on the descent, I felt for me at least I was going as fast as I could on the downhill. I took a few wrong lines which slowed me down a little on the hill before the top tunnel under the railway and I felt really tired running along the road past the houses in Llanberis. The rest of the descent I felt I was going as fast as I was capable of without knowing the decent better. I managed a sprint finish within 100m of the finish when I noticed 2 people on my shoulder.

1:40:37 was 10 minutes faster than I expected and 7 minutes faster than last year. This is a good confidence boost for my Bob Graham where one of my big concerns was that I would just be too slow on the early sections. While I intend to travel much slower on the day, it s is good to know the training has had some effect, even at shorter distances and it was really promising that I could just keep the work rate up on the step hills.

With more specific training I am sure I could get an other 5 minutes off my time next year. I found on the way up I was having to walk sections others were running (part tactics, but part because my heart rate when up to 168), but thats OK, I have done little training for running up hills. All the last 9 months has been about preparation to walk up lots of hills fast, trot down them, repeat 42 times.

Anyway, I am very pleased with my run. I am also pleased not to have injured myself. Nice to have the kids meet you at the end, even though the weather did dampen the usual festival atmosphere. I do love running past the Victoria Hotel 200m from the finish in an Eryri vest and being cheered on by the crowd. I am not normally into that sort of thing, but in this case it is a very uplifting experience and as with last year it is one of those things that makes the race special.

9000ft in total this week, no very long runs, but some great fun

Monday : In London. 3 miles and 1000ft on hills near Welshpool in the rain

Tuesday : rest

Wednesday : Clarach to Borth 2000ft and 7 miles

Thursday : 6 x 330ft on hill at far end of Tanybwlch beach

Friday : rest

Saturday : Snowdon race (4000ft and 11 miles if you include warm up)

Anti training for the Snowdon race

I am quite looking forward to the Snowdon race tomorrow. 9 months of BGR training which in the most part is walking fast up hills, running down them and walking up it again, repeat, mixed with long days out is not the ideal training for an A.M. My training schedule has had very little pace training.

Last year I had an overall time of 1:47.07, to the summit in 1:10.37 and decent in 36:31. This year I am sure I am slower over this distance (though if we had to run it 3 times I suspect my placings would improve quite a bit), so my only goal this year is to get under 1:50 and not get injured (my toe nail is still regrowing from last year).

The real reason for doing this race is the event itself, the kids enjoy the festival atmosphere and running past the Victoria Hotel is a very uplifting experience.

OK till Sunday

• Monday : rest
• Tuesday : 3 * 350ft reps of hill at far end of Tanybwlch beach (south of Aberystwyth)
• Wednesday : 6 * 250ft behind house
• Thursday : working overnight at an investment bank, training to stay awake
• Friday : cream crackered
• Saturday : 9 miles and 2500ft plus a game of football
• Sunday : some knee pain, I guess a side effect of the football. Plans for a big long run put on ice, went swimming with kids instead.

So the lesson of this week is don't play football, even a non physical game, as your body is just not used to quick and sharp turns.

4000ft and about 15 miles really does not cut it. Might need a day or 2 rest, but I don't think the knee pain is serious.

Next saturday is the Snowdon race where I am just going to enjoy the day and not worry about my time beyond doing better than 1 hour 50 mins. Need to get 6500ft in the early part of the week balanced against resting the knee on monday at least.

Ceredigion Coast Path : role your own Ultra

Misty and I started at 6am from Tanybwlch Beach at the south end of Aberystwyth in slightly breeze conditions, but still warm enough for t-shirt only. Our aim was to get to Cardigan and then return to Aberystwyth on the Bus. The route would be about 46-50 miles and we left about 12 hours so it was always going to be tight. I made the decision to take the time to eat and to take photo's and if that meant a reduced distance, so be it.

I have spent 6 months living near Southampton, 3 years in Stoke on Trent, 1 year in Birmingham, 6 months in California (total work time spent over the last 13 years) which leaves near 37 years living in Aberystwyth. It is therefore shameful that I had not taken the time to explore the 50 miles of coast line to the south. Given how well I know Snowdonia and Pembroke, or even parts of the Scottish coast, Saturday was the day to start to redress the balance.

I knew some of the 1st section, but I was quite surprised at the scale of the cliffs past Morfra Buchan. Thought less than 400ft in total hight, they still had some grandure and a lot of bird life. There were also the only place where I went off route into a section of Dwarf Oak, which was interesting none the less.

I left Aberystwyth with 20 quid, a some energy gel, a visa card and phone for emergencies, a thin waterproof, water, a camera and a spare pair of socks, so we travelled quite light. My plan was to eat and drink at least 4 times on route and the 1st stop was the Shell station in Llanrhysted for a coffee and some welsh cakes. In hind sight rather than following the signs back into the village, I should just have gone along the beach avoiding the Caravan park. Llanrhysted to Aberaeron where a lot flatter. I saw a side of Llanon which you don't see from the road, very pretty. A little further on by a maize fields were scores of white butterflys.

I aimed for a target pace of 4 miles an hour including stops, so I got to Aberaeron at at 10.30 and stopped for about 15 minutes to have a cup of tea, a bacon sandwich and change my socks. Aberaeron went about its saturday morning business as passed over the bridge in the habour.

Some quite nice houses on the south side of Aberaeron.

More hills, though nothing too bad on the way to New Quay where there is a good mile of sand which you run along when the tide is not high, very nice.

If you wish to join my internet campaign to have New Quay floated out into the Irish Sea and then sunk, please vote here. The classy end of New Quay is the fish factory to the south. Apart from a cheery girl in the Spar, everyone else I encounters were miserable as sin and just wanted your money. Full marks for the RNLI life guards spotting that Misty is a dog, but explaining the probability of her choosing to dump on their 50m beach after 22 miles left more than adequate time for me to clear off while they processed the concept with a confused look that people might run along a coast path with a dog and be just passing through, rather than using their 50m of beach to exercise their dog. Sweating bloke, panting dog, bum bag, lack of bucket and spade would suggest to most I was not intending to stay beyond the 30 seconds it took to cover their area of beach.

The coast south of the the wart on the backside of Ceredigion is wonderful, though a lot more up and down. What was were is now a jumble in my head, but 3 great accessible beaches and 2 that had no road near them, but were super and had a very quick swim in one. No shortage of tea and cake opportunities. This section of coast is just stunning and also excellent training with a lot of hill. I would love to read the risk assessment for digging this section of path which is just wide enough for 2 people to walk side by side, but being a 360 degree excavator owner myself this is a scary place to use a rock breaker. If it did start to slide, you would roll down to the sea before you knew it. Very impressive indeed.

We got to Aberport and the bus times just did not work to go any further. I had hoped to get to Cardigan, but with 2 1/2 hours left and well over 10 miles, it was too much of a risk that I would have to call up Myra to get me having missed the last bus at 6.30. So we got the bus back from Aberport.

I was chatting to a retired couple in Tresaith who wonder if they should call the N.S.P.C.C. because the dog was being made to run too far. I suggested they were welcome to do so, but that madam was always ahead, had plenty to drink and if she could talk the only words you would hear her utter was about how slow I was. There was also the small point that the N.S.P.C.C has a target market of beneficiaries which are children. They did reflect that she looked very happy.

36 miles and I guess about 6-8k of up and down in 9 hours of moving and an hour of tea drinking time (once we had decided at Treseith we were not going to make the bus in Cardigan, we chilled out a bit). Getting better at eating and drinking on the move and only eat real foot and some chocolate, giving the gel and sports drink a miss. Writing this on Monday evening, my legs are nearly ready to run again and my head certainty is.

It was really nice to do something which is not mountain based once in a while, but still is good BGR training, but what a coastline!

• Monday 3 x 500ft hills reps hill fort to bus stop and back up with a lung bursting best of 12.02 1500ft.
• Tuesday rest
• Wednesday 5 miles of running round a field which included some hills sprints as well. Probably 1000ft in total.
• Thursday : In London all day and having a excavator delivery at short notice put pay to my plans to do the Long Mynd Valleys course.
• Friday rest
• Saturday : Aberystwyth to Aberport along the Ceredigion Coast path. 36 miles and between 6k and 8k at a guess climb.
• Sunday : Ice-cream and Football : playing football of course with kids, not watching it.