Training Log Archive: fluceluce

Bob Graham Complete!

I decided to do the bob this year and tried to decide what time to aim for. The more long runs I did, the more multiple legs, the more realistic having a go at 18 hours looked. Lots of people suggested 'the first time you do it, you don't need to go fast', however I wasn't sure I wanted more than a first time. I commited to an 18hr schedule in the last few weeks, having spent a long time looking at timings and supporting other fast rounds. I still had no idea if it was really possible and suspected I would know by dunmail, slow on leg 3 and go steadier the rest of the way.

Leg 1 - A beautiful early morning start with Jonny and Tim, up skiddaw feeling good and setting a pace a little up on schedule, cloud inversion sunrise, lovely. Saw Angus on a dubious lakeland 100 line half way up skiddaw (oh dear). Felt good for the entire leg, moving and eating well, although FGS not sitting as well as I would have liked. Arrived in Threlkeld ~7mins up on schedule so spent some time eating pasta and changing socks.Left 5mins up on schedule.

Leg 2 - Off onto the dodds with Sabs and Dave, intercepting the lakeland 100 for the second time. Very helpfully we kept getting told the race didn't to go up clough head, we were going the wrong way....if only....Legs still moving well, stomach quite heavy with food now, tried to fit in some more, cereal bar, orange, jelly babies all going down. By helvellyn were 10mins up so stedied off en route to fairfield. Down to dunmail still feeling good around 5mins up. Used some of those minutes to eat and shoe change again. Off on schedule onto leg 3.

Leg 3 - Steel fell isn't one of my favourites and I thought things might start slipping here. I was wrong! Cruised over to the langdale pikes, Rich and Neil doing a great job of feeding me and finding some excellent lines. All on course, even after rosett pike where I really did expect to drop a bit of time. Feeling a bit tired in the head going through the pikes, but legs still feeling easy. Up bowfell and I started to think it was worth taking some time to bank some food at the top. We sat down and had a bit of a picnic. Unfortunately maybe too much at once, it all came back. Well, I felt better, but knew this wasn't good for keeping moving....
Over to scafell I was sure I was losing time, for the first time, with no fuel in the tank, my legs went from not even a glimpse of tiredness, to pretty damned sore. There was no way I was hitting times, so in my head I had resolved the game was up. However, as we summited scafell, Rich let on we had only lost a chunk of time from Bowfell-Esk Pike and was pretty much still on schedule. Off down to the valley and it was clear it was going to be worth stopping in wasdale to bank some food. With nothing to fuel them, legs became really sore on the descent and a little more time lost here. Into wasdale 10-15mins down, I had completed 42miles to schedule, now to see what I could do with the rest.

Leg 4 - Set off ~25-30mins down. Still able to move ok (although it no longer felt that way) but really couldn't stomach food without stopping....for instance I think, on moving time, I probably ran gable roughly to schedule, however I had to stop to eat a biscuit, and eating was not fast....Support crew doing a great effort in trying to keep me eating. Met rhys and tom for extra encouragement from blacksail. Hit honister having lost another 1.5hrs - at least 50% of which was annoying due to being stationary.

Leg 5 - This is definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done. I think my body thought it was over at honister. Getting food down almost impossible, even sugary sweets. Feeling awful, very nearly ditched it on dale head and it was so tempting to get in the car delivering road shoes when I finally did get to the road. A massive entourage kept me going however, down off robinson my descending legs were gone, I think it took around an hour! At least I got one record, don't think there are many leg 5s done slower on successful rounds! Thankfully got a trot on along the road and hit moot hall after 21hrs 53mins. So unbelievably happy to have finished!

An excellent day out in the hills on a lovely day wth a great bunch of people, what could be better! The record can stay where it is for a while (at least until I get better at fuelling myself) :-)

C • Well done 3

Another little leg stretch to burneside

Leg stretch to burneside

Monday paddle night - out in Helen and Paul's boat with Sabs who was parnoid about falling in. I was adament we wouldn't! No getting wet :-)