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.

A light week

in fact a very light week. It was thursday before I stopped feeling really tired and friday before I could face running again. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were short runs (less than 3 miles each with or without some hills). Sunday being the most energetic with 6 x 300m uphill reps. I doubt we did more than 1500m of climb and 10 miles, but I needed some recovery time after a few hard weeks.

I am doing the Snowdon fell race in 3 weeks time, but I think I am going to do it just for the event and treat anything between than 1:50 as a success. I won't do well (even relative to previous years), but thats not the point, it is the event and the kids enjoy it.

A much harder week's running is planned for the coming week.

Supporting the Boob Graham Round

Outside Moot hall in Keswick at 6pm on friday night, 2 walkers asked me what race was happening as they looked at the various people in the lower 25th percentile of body fat with shorts and small rucksacs standing chatting. I explained about the Bob Graham Round, where there were 4 groups of people, only 1 or 2 out of each group was runner, the ones with rucsacks were pacers. They asked a few more questions and walked off shaking their heads.

This was the weekend I had originally intended to do my round. For lots of reasons with kids, works, Myra falling off her bike and if I am honest I did not feel ready, I am glad I moved the attempt to September. Still very good to see at least 12 runners plus slaves/hand maidens starting out and all I know of finished it.

The Boob Graham Round is a Tattenhall Runners concept where they do a Bob Graham Round relay with the ladies sharing the various legs out between them and the chaps being the slaves^D^D^D^D^D pacers. and much fun the weekend was, it was a privilege to be a small part of it and excellent training for me.

For a small club in a small village in Cheshire, they have a lot of good runners and a very healthy club vibe. At least 6 of the male supporters were Bob Graham Round Vets, some used the day as training for the UMTB, intending to do more than one leg.

It has been a bit of a hard week with quite a lot of work travel for Clive and a reasonable amount of running in the previous 7 days, so I was quite tired to start with. I am quite used to getting up at 1.30am, but I don't usually wake up. One the rare occasions the little people wake up now, I tend to be able to do what they need without waking up properly and go back to sleep quite easily. I really felt like I was still asleep until the top of Steel fell.

I was down to be one of 3 pacers on leg 3 for 3 of the ladies. In the end one of the pacers who also did leg 3 did an ankle 300m from Dummail Raise, and 2 of the ladies had to drop out for various reasons, so there was only Carol, Dave and me on leg 3. After a sterling leg 1 where the 2 runners arrived about 15 minutes before the support crew, they took no chances on the leg 2/3 changeover and made us get up at 1.30am, even though the runners who did leg 2 did not get in till 3.30am. I had between 30 seconds and 2 hours sleep, between a tractor in the field outside picking up horse poo and a couple of runners taking 15 minutes to blow up an air bed which started life as a Zepplin, I did not get much sleep. Still if you are doing the BGR for real, you get no sleep.

Many of the female runner were not hardened fell runners (some were), but each one aquited themselves very admerably. Carol who got the short straw of leg 3 which is the longest, most climb and roughest ground took herself to planet iPod and even managed the odd 5 seconds dance while going across Scarfell Pike. No idea what she was listening to. Carol was a hardned long distance walker/runner who had done 100 mile hikes, but was not keen on rough ground. Apart from the odd comment "I don't like rough ground" as she danced across the rocks was the only hint of decent from what was a challenging task. I had done nearly all this leg in bits on my own (or with dog), so it was really good to learn some of the better lines from Dave. A chap doing the full BGR called Colin (and his pacers) was doing about the same pace as us for most of this leg and it was good to chat as we were moving at about the same pace.

At Broadstand, I split off from the group who went via Foxes Tarn and climbed Broadstand. I had not been over it before. While I would not be too happy about climbing it solo and unroped in the wet, in the dry it was no problem and did not even raise the heart rate. The hardest bit was getting through Fat Man's chimney with a bum bag on. I waited for about 15 minutes at the top of Scarfell, so it does appear to be a reasonable time saving if you are up for it. Would I like to solo it after 40 miles and 16,000ft? I am no so sure.

At Wasdale, I was orginally intended to take a car back to Keswick, but Dave had a tight calf, so decided not to do leg 4, so I carried on with the new group.

Doing leg 4 after leg 3 as a pacer is quite hard. Trying to keep up with a group who are burning glycogen when all yours has gone is a challange. More so when the heat really started as we went up Yewbarrow. I would end up a minute or 2 behind at each summit which was not too bad. At Great Gable the group carried on at my suggestion and I plodded on and ended up about 10 minutes or so behind at Honister. It was an excellent training day for me, 12 hours, 26 miles and about 13k of up and down. The limiting factor was not climbing the legs, but available water and food. I had drunk all my water (a full bladder) by Kirk Fell, so I am greatful to the walkers who let me have about a litre at the bottom of Great Gable. If I had not had it, I would have had to go over Moses Trod as a short cut. With BGR slaves/hand madiens/pacers to feed and water me on the day things should be much better.

The girls finished in under 24 hours with some very fast running on leg 5.

By the evening I was a space cadet. A number of people asked me if I was O.K. and to be honest I struggled to stay awake through a very nice meal in Threkeld.

My limited association with TattenHall runners started when I meet Peter Taylor in April 2008 at a fell race they organise. Peter was trying to make the best of limited parking. I overheard a conversation he had with someone that he was going to do the BGR in a few weeks time. We had a quick chat about it, I mentioned it was part of my long term plan, he asked what running I had done, I pointed out I finished with the 60+ ladies in the Aran Race a few weeks previous and he managed to contain his laughter.

On saturday night, Peter in brutal Scottish honesty said something along the lines of

when I 1st meet you were s**t. You had a plan, worked on it and are just about there. Legs 3 & 4 self supported is a good effort.

Doing legs 3 & 4 which is about 1/2 the climb of the round, the hardest 2 legs and the roughest 2 legs and still climbing well has given me a good confidence boost. Pace was a little quicker than needed on the day and I carried my own (and other people on leg 3) water and food. I feel that if I had gone for the BGR on friday night, while at best it would have gone to the wire, I was capable of completing in the 24 hours if things went right. The next 3 months are about getting some margin in place. I need a few more 10 hour plus days out, but the ability to keep climbing hills is there.

In short a great weekend in all aspects, people, weather, experience and having a laugh. I also picked up a few very experienced BGR veteran pacers who are very welcome.

Monday : rest

Tuesday : hill sprints

Wednesday : 10 miles and 1k on the south Downs path near Petersfield

Thursday : rest

Friday : tried to sleep

Saturday : 26.66 miles and 13,000ft

Sunday : you must be joking

While my legs were a bit stiff on saturday night, they did not stay that way into Sunday. I am still tired, but I think most of that is lost sleep with an accumulated defict prior to Friday. I am having the 1st part this week off running. Time for a bit of R & R.

and then the sun came out

Monday : Rest

Tuesday : 12 miles on the bike, quite hilly

Wednesday : 5 miles + 1000ft somewhere near Brigands Inn at lunch time on return from seeing a customer in Telford and 8 miles and 1000ft in the evening from Clarach to Pen Dinas return. 2 runs in a day was a novelty for me.

Thursday : 2 reps from hill fort to bus stop. 2nd rep was in 12.33 which is the fastest to date and that was with a slow descent. Next target is sub-12 minutes.

Friday : rest

Saturday : 26 miles and about 7k of climb over the course of the Pumlumon Challenge, but with a few excursions to add in 4 extra hills. On a day like this, this range of hills is as beautiful as any in the UK. Other than at the top of Pumlumon dog and I saw no one. Did the route a little faster than last years race time, but took it a lot easier. Did stop for watch for about 20 minutes in the Hen Gwym valley while I pondered my place in the Universe, decided I was quite happy with it. I guess this valley is one of the most remote places in Wales. It was just so easy to chill out, it was a struggle to get going again. I think one of the best days I have had out in the hills. mid-Wales hills lack the majesty of areas like Snowdonia, the Lakes and Scotland, but they make up for it in remoteness and have their own charm. No wonder it makes the top 10 hills in Wales for this chap. Dog appeared as fresh after 26 miles as after 6, git. For the distance I found the running quite easy, in part because we went at a steady pace. Last few miles got a little harder, I think mainly because I did not eat in the last 1/2 of the run. Nuum tablets are a god send though. Felt strong on the hill climbs where the last were the same speed at the 1st.

The Challenge is the same day as the Peris Horseshoe, and 2 weeks before my BGR date, so I am opting to do the Peris as my last effort before tailing off and just aim to get in under 5 hours. I think with a push I could do much better, but lets see how much will power we have.


Sunday : took kids swimming. Nice to not feel wreaked after a long run.

So just meet the 10k feet of climb goal and about 40 miles, plus a good hard bike ride.

Tight calf not hindering progress too much

Not a bad week of training considering 3 days of enforced rest. I have been continuing to train despite a tight calf which has improved over the week in part due to physio, part putting it in cold water when I get the chance and part due to extra stretching.

Monday : rest by intent

Tuesday : Clarach to Borth and back along the coast path which felt like interval training. Lots of short hills. 6 miles and 1500ft

Wednesday : In London

Thursday : 1000ft and 6 miles in/on/around the hills to the east of Llandinam and the wind farm on my way home from London. Good fast running with reasonable hills. Spent about 20 seconds watching a badger watching me in day light. Seen lots of badgers in my time, but not many in daylight (8.30pm).

Friday : 1500ft by 3 reps of bus stop to hill fort.

Saturday : Kids party, cutting grass and other messing around meant it was dark by the time I got time for a run

Sunday : 6000ft and 12 miles via 2 reps up Cader Idris. Was going to do 3 reps, but got tipped on during the 2nd rep, got quite cold and had already changed clothes after the 1st rep, so nothing dry left to change into. I have a lot of respect for this hill and it was quite savage for shorts, vest and a thin pertex shell to run through for about 10 minutes. Still not managed to summit on the 1st rep in under an hour, 62 minutes today was the best so far. Did feel strong throughout which is good. Calf was OK, but with hindsight I am glad I did not push it.

So 10,500ft is good, 28 miles is less so. Need another big day out soon. 4 hours is not enough at this stage.

Things just get in the way

All quiet here for the last 2 weeks in part because of being on holiday in Northern Scotland and part down to being busy. Myra decided to do some bike related stunts and ended up in A and E 2 weeks ago. Some cuts and bruises and today we are told a fractured jaw in 2 places, but thankfully not serious. This means my part of looking after the terrorists has increased a fair amount which as a consequence has hit my training plans (prime BGR directive about family collateral damage). Still managed snatch about 7k of up each week.

I did get 1 really good day out over Seana Bhraigh which I felt I wonder in from the east from Oykel Bridge up the Strath Mussie river to have really visited this very remote hill. I carried on to Beinn Dearg.


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24 miles and about 7k of climb, so a really good day. Ground was very rough indeed and very hard going, however, there was no shortage of water for sure. Dog and I saw 4 other people out in this very remote area of the Scotland.