Searching for a concise description of the problem

I guess part of many journeys to the Bob Graham Round come via the book "Feet in the Clouds". I read it about a year before deciding I wanted to do the BGR. When you fail on something significant, it is easy to blame external factors or that you were not fit enough, but deep down you know that there is something else going on and its inside your head, you just need a word or phrase to describe it.

In the early 90's I floundered around for 2 years with little direction on my PhD [2 years out of 6, I did it while working], trying to find an angle. I managed to go through 2 supervisors and supervisor number 3. was a 1/3 time professor approaching retirement, Ian Pyle who had a long and distinguished career, he started York computing department, worked on Safety Critical Systems in industry and was a all round nice chap. After about 2 months of his term as Clive's supervisor he came out with the phrase "Engineering Decisions" which captured what I was trying to do with my thesis. While the road to a PhD was still bumpy, it was a key moment and I could hang the rest of my work on a key phrase that at least he and I understood. 4 years later the PhD was completed.

In searching for the phrase or word to really understand why I failed last time and how to get it right, there have been a few interesting things turn up. Jim Mann pointed me at the book "Born to Run" and the concept of "The Beast" and indeed this has been useful, but did not quite capture why I failed. I was re-reading part of "Feet in the Clouds", the section where he has his final successful attempt(page 304 onwards) and talks about self-deceit in the face of the daunting task ahead being his real enemy.

If I really want to know why I failed in September it was self-deceit, if I fail again in 2 weeks time, baring bad weather or an genuine accident (mine or someone else), it will be self-deceit. Once you are able to describe a problem, you can deal with it, what else do I need to know !

To Fisherfield and beyond

The Fisherfield Forest (not that many tress left) is one of the most remote areas of Scotland and contains 6 prized Munro's which require a long walk in and out. Tim, who I have climbed with for years, had a small number of Munro's left including A' Mhaighdean and Ruadh Stac Mòr. I did look at trying the other 4 in the group, but we only had one map between us and part of the fun was being in the hills with a mate.

Weather was great, though a little hazy for pictures. No midges. Walk in's were long and to help with my training Tim kindly let me carry the tent on the way in and out and we put all the gear in one rucksack and he let me carried it. His consideration has no bounds. The walk in and out were probably quite good BGR training and hard on the feet.

Also included 2 other hills while I was away on the mission to take kids to see Grandad who lives in northern Scotland. Ben Wyvis, which I had been up about 15 years before, and a quick run up and down Cairngorm on the way home while kids were in the soft play in Aviemore.

Just when you don't want it .....

Last week had 2 great days out, including a 12 hours plus. This week had 3 days in New York visiting a customer and 2 days travel plus jet lag [ no, it was not nice or OK for some, it was a pain in the **** ]. Did you run while in New York, Clive? No. To the east of the hotel on Long Island are crack dens and to the west was a power station. Within 5 miles is Jones Beach where 10 bodies were uncovered during the week I was there. So apart from lots of stretching, a bit of swimming, activity was confined to Sunday where I did 20 miles and about 9k over Snowdon via the Watkin path, Moel Elio down to Llanberis for brew and back up and over Snowdon. Hot day for April and good heat training. I had planned to do more, a lot more, but I was just tried, not my legs, but me inside from Jet lag, etc and I feel very comfortable with going with what my body tells me and cutting the day short to 6 hours, 20 miles and 9k.

No work travel planned between now and BGR time in 3 1/2 weeks, but at least a good 10 days before I start ramping down. Going for at least 15 of climb in the next week and after that I learned to make the ramp down a little less steep this time.

Quite looking forward to the rematch in 3 weeks or so time.

Less frequent and more of it

The last few weeks I have traveled a lot with work. Paris and Milan last week which included an overnight on the train to Milan which was as step down the evolutionary ladder from the UK's Caladonian sleeper. Lots of sitting around and not much exercise.
At the moment I am in Long Island, New York. East from the hotel is a power station and west from the hotel is well known for Crack Dens, so I don't feel inclined to go out for an evening run. Though I am probably still recovering from last Friday to be honest.

However, the last week as included 2 super days of training. Early last week Jim Mann and I did leg 1 in a gale. We could just about stand up on Skiddaw. Soaked through, but probably the quickest I have done leg 1 at about 3 hours and 35 minutes. Easy get 15 minutes off that time in good weather. A most enjoyable morning other than the weather.

Friday was a beautiful day. I had got back from Milan and I was really tired on Thursday evening, given the weather I decided on the spur of the moment to return to the Lakes and did Newlands to Honister to Windy Gap to Esk Haus to Great End to Scarfel via Broadstand to Wasdale to Yewba****d to Pilar to Gable to Honister to Newlands in about 13 hours. I had a few work calls I had to took which took about 20 minutes and eat at honister on the way out, so probably about 12 hours over 13k of climb and close to 30 miles on some very rough ground. I found going back up Dale Head very hard, but did not stop and seemed to find new legs from Dale Head summit to the end (I missed out Robinson as it was just about dark by the time I got back to the car). Probably the best days training I have had and it felt good in a hard sort of way.

I am going to continue this training scheme of running myself into the ground once a week plus some bits for the remaining 3 weeks, though I hope that I won't be traveling work wise between the end of this week and the 13th of May. A job where travel is required is far from optimal for a BGR attempt, but we need to stay true to the BGR prime directive about it not having a severe adverse impact on home and work.