1st big day out and what a day

Monday : rest

Tuesday : 4 miles fast on undulating muddy field

Wednesday : 1000ft and 2 miles of hill reps

Thursday : 2000ft and 3 miles of 4 *500ft hill reps

Friday : High intensity intervals

Saturday : 4 miles on flat reasonably fast (beach)

Sunday : 18 miles and 7000ft in Snowdonia

The early part of the week was OK, Friday and Saturday were too full and struggled to get time between being a taxi service. Sunday was one of the best days out in the hill I have had for a very long time. Starting and finishing in Llanberis, Y-Elin, Y-Garn, Glydar Fawr, Pen-y-pass, Miners track to Snowdon and down the railway. I was going follow the Peris Horseshoe route, but I there was a lot of water ice about and was unsure how her 4 pawed ladyship would manage on the north face of Snowdon. Average 3 miles an hour, water ice slowed things down a bit, as did carrying enough stuff to be safe on your own in winter. The ground was very hard, but a good 1st long day out of the campaign, hard but not too hard. Only regret was not taking a real camera and having to make do with a camera on the phone.

Need to get a few more miles and climb in the early part of the week, but still a good week of training.

Much of muchness

Whatever that really means, but an other slack week with some quality sessions. I was in Prague for 5 days and managed 2 good sessions on the stair stepping machine while there which don't half give your legs a good work out.

Saturday and Sunday had good runs of 11 miles/2500ft and 9 miles and 2000ft respectively. Saturdays run was from Nant-y-Moch, over Plumom to the source of the Severn and back following the fence. Sunday was a random run around various minor hill with the most stunning sunset. Not expecting such a sunset I left my camera at home. Both were good hard mountain runs over rough ground, Sunday especially.

I would guess at 23 miles and 7000ft equivalent, but this is just not good enough. I am still being cautious about my left foot which continues to not "feel right", but is not proving to be a problem. I used Fly-Roc's on Sunday and they seemed to give much better support and the foot/ankle bothered me less.

On the bright side it is enough output to be fitter at the end of the week than the start, but we need to step up a gear or 2 in terms of distance and climb and now is the time to do it.

Standing in a stream in your pants

Only about 15 miles, but lots of quality short sharp sessions. Using the gym has been a reasonable change, given the weather and wanting something different while my foot sorted it self out has worked quite well.

Foot appears to be on the mend, but taking it slowly.

Monday : warn up plus 20 minutes hard on stair climber. 1st time in Gym for a year or so, so some orientation required. Session cut short by need to pick up kids from school

Tuesday : Bike ride. Leg burner near Nant-y-Arian as fast as possible. Most out of breath I have ever been expect for ramp tests with Coach Jon.

Wednesday : 35 minutes hard on stair climber

Thursday : 35 minutes hard on stair climber plus 3K on tread mill to see if foot has recovered enough to run on

Friday : 4 miles easy local run

Saturday : 8 rough miles in hills north east of Aberystwyth. Blowing a gale on tops and very wet. Just under 2 hours out, lots of hill and some very rough ground. 1st real outing and foot was OK apart from a slight niggle.

Sunday : small boy birthday party and then some travel, so won't have a chance to write up, but expect to get some hill reps in late afternoon.

So not the week I would have wanted, but lots of useful training. Foot still has a niggle, but it is OK to keep running on it and I am going to gradually increase the miles. I think I learned this week that either a gym or bike once or twice a week is really useful. I had been struggling to run more than 5 days a week, but maybe a hour bike or gym cross training when the weather is crap would be a useful addition.

I have started using cold water to aid recovery after longer runs. Most of the places I run are quite remote, so you just find a stream, take your leg cover off and stand in a stream until you can't stand in it any more. The more remote parts of mid Wales the chances of someone passing as slim. So after the run on Saturday, post run, I wondered down to a stream by a bridge, took my tracksters off and waded into a stream. After a minute or so a Land Rover appears out of the forestry and stops on the bridge next to where I am stood in the stream. The old boy winds down his window

• Farmer : are you all right boy
• Clive : yes fine thanks, horrible day
• Farmer : What you doing standing in the stream in your pants, boy?
• Clive : It helps your legs recover after a long run, helps the micro-fibers repair more quickly.
• Farmer : You local then?
• Clive : Yes, 2 valleys over
• Farmer : I thought it was only people from away who stood in a river in their pants in winter

I came out of the stream, put my tracksters back on and we had a short chat about the farm I used to work on as a kid. Any farmer in North Ceredigion older than 55 knew or knew of (now late) Gatty Lewis who ran a agricultural machinery dealer in Aberystywth until about 1975 (unsure of this, must ask brother to be sure). He also ran a farm which I spend my formative years working on and he was a Dyfed County Counciler, including a term as chairman. There are 2 responses from hill farmers when you mention his name, either a change in the tone of voice to relative warmth or a slightly sheepish. The latter may be explained by a conversation I once had with Gatty about the difficulties of debt collecting from hill farmers who would run out of their farm yard into the hills when they saw him coming. In the end he hired 2 debt collectors from south London who he said looked like gangsters, even if they were more legitimate and they collected the full debt from every farm they visited. He did mention he had far fewer problems with bad debt after that, I guess the thought of a return visit by the Cray brother clones was not that attractive. I suspect either the sheepish farmer or his father had a visit from Ron and Ron.

Foot problems

I have hurt my foot. Think it was running on ice in mid to late December. Nothing serious and it goes away when I run, but Kevin the physio suggests it best to lay off running for a week, put it in ice water every day and call him if it does not recover.

So I have been on the bike for the later part of the week. I am not bike fit and the saddle has taken its toll getting my delicate little places are a bit sore. Still, better than sitting around. I can manage to keep my foot in ice water for about 20 seconds at a time before it gets too much, need to work up to a minute. Gaging to get running again. I was starting to enjoy doing the extra distance, but needs must and I am sure the time on the bike has done me good. Some extra time to focus on core stability and stretching has not been wasted.

Earlier in the week I did a short night run along part of The Ridgeway south of Swindon. The mist was very thick, like running through soup. I also think I ran through a car park which was holding the Wiltshire Winter dogging festival, not really my thing.

Start running again on Thursday and see how it goes. Really looking forward to getting a long day out.

On your bike

After 4 weeks of mild pain in my foot which cleared up after a few minutes running, I went to see Kevin the Physio this morning. Nothing serious and he thinks that the muscles between the bones in the foot got bruised and twisted. He hurt me for a while which made my foot feel much better. Suggested foot in ice water for a minute, then out for a minutes and back in, repeat a few times. One week with no running, so its the bike instead. He thought there was no point backing off for longer.

I was concerned that it was a little more serious, but this is good news and a week of going out on the bike instead of running won't be a waste at all. A tad cold to go aqua-running in Pendam Lake.

How did it happen? I don't normally run much on roads, which this is a common injury from. It may have been during the snow I was doing a few miles on the roads with a couple of inches of snow cover and some of the icy sections strained something in the foot that is not used to working that hard.

Niggles like this are part of Ultra/fell running and having access to a good sports physio has proved to be important.

I think I missed a week around xmas. Lots of snow plodding and some great night runs, but I neglected to account for them here.

The last week has been about doing a few more miles than I normally would, but various family stuff meant a big day out had to be canned. Still quite a good week for the 1st week of counting. Not a step was run in the light, thank you Hope Vision.

• Monday Rest
• Tuesday : 10 x 150ft of the steepest hill I could find. As good training for going down as up and a few miles before and after. 1500ft and 3 miles
• Wednesday : 5 * 350ft : 1500ft and 4 miles
• Thursday : Aber to Borth and back across the coast path. 10 miles and 2000ft.
• Friday : rest
• Saturday : 5 miles + 500ft
• Sunday : 7 miles + 1500ft

so 29 miles and 7,000ft is OK for the 1st real week of training. Both need to increase and a big day out a week should do that. This was the 1st week I forced myself to go out each of the 5 days and do more than a warm up and warm down. The ghost of Bob Graham present (otherwise known as Jim Mann) has kept on at me that I need to get more miles in and compared to last year's training where I would happily get 10,000ft of climb in 15 miles, we are heading in the right direction. If I can get a big day in as well in a week, then 40 miles and 10k of climb should be no problem and be nice to do some of it in the light.

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.