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.