Here we go again...

I'm going to take The Empire Strikes Back as my inspiration, or perhaps The Godfather - Part II.  Great sequels that took the best bits from the first (very good) episode, removed the bits that didn't work and introduced new elements and learning from the first which made things so much better.

This won't be a remake.  No back to the drawing board.  I got much more right than wrong last time, but i did get a few things wrong, which in the conditions i had meant failure and not success - it was that marginal out there that day, esp after Wasdale.  If condiitions had have been benign or even mildly unpleasant, I'd have sailed round.  But they weren't and I didn't and conditions may be the same on December 11 2010 as they were on December 19 2009.  Getting more right than wrong last time meant a 24:22 completion rather than an incomplete round.  This time - no mistakes, at least no critical ones...

Last time I was blessed with great help, the best in the business. The first job I have to see if those poor souls are willing to do it again, although in many cases in a different role and a different place.  Without them, it's off before it's on. 

I do have a broad plan for the training, which centres around long days on a friday (i am my own boss and don't usually work friday :-) ), fast hill runs of 2-3 hours on a sunday, brisk trail running and road running on Wednesdays and Hill Reps on Mondays.  I'll also squeeze in some biking and gym work as well as some reps of the Tattenhall Railway, without which no preparation for a round is complete.

This is weird, I have to say. I'm typing this in the Maldives on holiday in the bar, fans whirring above me and the wife swimming up and down in the pool.  It's about 30 degrees C.  I don't just tinker around with irony do i??

Training starts on Friday 16 July when I get back.  Looking forward to it!

For now, it's enough to state my intent, and hope I don't end up with a Ghostbusters II, Grease II, a Highlander II or worst of all, a Phantom Manace on my hands.