2012's training culminated in participation of the Dukeries Ultra - a 30 mile event around Sherwood Forest. I'd become something of a back marker running/walking with a sack and helped another contestant (raising money for Help for Heroes) find her way...
After this a chance at another c2c attempt seemed to slip away. So in January of this year I began training in earnest - a major difference being to include a sack (7-8lbs) with any runs over 5 miles. Further I began to study my own style and began working toward a pace that I could maintain for 20-30 miles on longer Sunday training routes.
link to St Bees or Bust!
Sunday 21 July 2013
Thursday 24 March 2011
Rising sap and all that...
Nearly half way into the training program this year... building up slowly - got round a new 12m off-road route Sunday in 2:20 - new shoes arrived today...
The thinking this year is to press on from last year's destinations. The 'known' zone could thus be extended (it can always go tits up of course...)
Instead of staying at Littlebeck, push on (in dark if necessary, or bring start time fwd) - likewise end day 1 - press on beyond InglebyX (after a bar meal there) - the idea being to eat into the 'end of day miles' and make Keld at end of day2. This would make the last 3 days shorter. If strong my new schedule puts me at St Bees by midnight on day4... if not, (which is a more likely scenario) it allows more time for the final slog when feet and legs say: 'no more!'
Of course one could argue that by doing too much too soon I could burn out... well this is where the 'known zone' comes useful in that I was a mere 7m away from the half way point at end of day 2 last year.
Avoiding Reeth on Saturday is a must too...
The thinking this year is to press on from last year's destinations. The 'known' zone could thus be extended (it can always go tits up of course...)
Instead of staying at Littlebeck, push on (in dark if necessary, or bring start time fwd) - likewise end day 1 - press on beyond InglebyX (after a bar meal there) - the idea being to eat into the 'end of day miles' and make Keld at end of day2. This would make the last 3 days shorter. If strong my new schedule puts me at St Bees by midnight on day4... if not, (which is a more likely scenario) it allows more time for the final slog when feet and legs say: 'no more!'
Of course one could argue that by doing too much too soon I could burn out... well this is where the 'known zone' comes useful in that I was a mere 7m away from the half way point at end of day 2 last year.
Avoiding Reeth on Saturday is a must too...
Saturday 2 October 2010
Maybe...
I'm just about coming round to thinking that another attempt could be possible... it's all down to 'what went wrong?' and 'could I put it right?' Certainly this year's attempt has been the best yet, so something was working...
Friday 20 August 2010
Stubbed Toe...
Well after hobbling round for the past week with a suspected broken/dislocated toe - stubbed it on the kitchen table leg after returning from the 5 day attempt! yeowww!!! - I then put my back out... so what with one thing and another I've been trying to take it steady! Hopefully back will be right for the drive up to Blackpool on Sunday,
meanwhile I've been going over the 176 video clips of the last attempt...
meanwhile I've been going over the 176 video clips of the last attempt...
Wednesday 4 August 2010
Well that went well..not
Such a feeling of disappointment - with just 38m left to go!!!
I'd tended the blisters at Shap, (lovely Shap - with newsagent's, open toilets with hot water and a bus shelter out of the rain) to press on for Patterdale though down on schedule there was still a good chance of getting to St Bees within the 5 day time frame but the first Lakeland hills took their toll and I didn't make into Patterdale until 5pm. After refuelling at the shop there I set off renewed but with very sore feet and took two whole hours to get up to Grisedale Tarn (8.00pm) where I had to make the decision to either press on or put down. At this point I calculated that a 5day plus was still a possibility with a good early start and set the alarm for 4.15am. With a high pitch (1800ft) for the tarp tent wind took much of the warmth from the sleeping bag and with only 2 dry tops left I spent a shivering night with little sleep not helped with throbbing feet...
I'd tended the blisters at Shap, (lovely Shap - with newsagent's, open toilets with hot water and a bus shelter out of the rain) to press on for Patterdale though down on schedule there was still a good chance of getting to St Bees within the 5 day time frame but the first Lakeland hills took their toll and I didn't make into Patterdale until 5pm. After refuelling at the shop there I set off renewed but with very sore feet and took two whole hours to get up to Grisedale Tarn (8.00pm) where I had to make the decision to either press on or put down. At this point I calculated that a 5day plus was still a possibility with a good early start and set the alarm for 4.15am. With a high pitch (1800ft) for the tarp tent wind took much of the warmth from the sleeping bag and with only 2 dry tops left I spent a shivering night with little sleep not helped with throbbing feet...
Wednesday 28 July 2010
Off again...
It's been a bit hectic of late what with finalising the kit list. Extra phone memory hasn't arrived in time, but the 4gig card should be enough... Basic kit is just under 8.5 lbs with just 670g of food - mainly pre packed cereal/dried milk with on emergency meal of 100g dried mash pot. Less weight carried = more distance covered and less for the feet to bear, yet still better equipped for wet weather this time...
hoping to post on twitter this time - as 'lightweightmick'
bed time for me, phew...
hoping to post on twitter this time - as 'lightweightmick'
bed time for me, phew...
Monday 26 July 2010
The Uber Lite night...
...was fitful. Like the early Thermarests, the Uber (at least the one I've got) has no anti slip surface... and the poly-io groundsheet is slippery, so everytime I turned over, the pad went sideways... and in the night when you're half-asleep with chilly legs...
As I haven't used a self-inflating pad for some years now, I may have over-inflated it a bit too much though but that 1" of air filled foam does offer more for the hips fo'sure.
Yesterday I laid out the plastic film groundsheet on the kitchen floor. Placing 2 gel pads in the centres of the shoulder and hip areas of the Uber seemed to do the trick (the gel pads are from the footcare kit, so no extra weight is incurred) - for lower legs it makes sense to put the reflecting foil pad back on the list...
This puts the final choice 50gms over the original target of 250gms:
Uber Lite: 225
Foil Ins.: 39
Poly-Io : 36
Total 300gms
As I haven't used a self-inflating pad for some years now, I may have over-inflated it a bit too much though but that 1" of air filled foam does offer more for the hips fo'sure.
Yesterday I laid out the plastic film groundsheet on the kitchen floor. Placing 2 gel pads in the centres of the shoulder and hip areas of the Uber seemed to do the trick (the gel pads are from the footcare kit, so no extra weight is incurred) - for lower legs it makes sense to put the reflecting foil pad back on the list...
This puts the final choice 50gms over the original target of 250gms:
Uber Lite: 225
Foil Ins.: 39
Poly-Io : 36
Total 300gms
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