Week One - Sick of the BGR? Already?

On the face of it, a 12,000 foot week at the start of a BGR training campaign is not bad going, but the truth is it's not been a wholly great experience.  So much so I almost thought about binning it.

After tight calves plagued me all week after a fantastic fast run on Moel Famau last Friday, I though I'd limit the training sessions but make the ones I did really count.  So I did 7 all-run Tattenhall railways in the soaking wet on Tueaday with calves still smarting a bit and that seemed to go well.  This gave me some confidence to support Richard Gilbert's BGR on Saturday, starting at midnight.  I was down to navigate leg one and decided I would do leg 2 and even a bit of three and maybe make my way back to Keswick and the car.

First off I should say well done Richard, he made it in 23:20 - superb stuff :-))

Richard wanted to take the east ridge off Calva and the Doddick Fell route off Blencathra, so armed with these instructions, Richard, a couple of Daves and I set off.  I felt fine, although I did have three litres of fluid for Richard and myself so felt weighed down, but happy enough.  I had to hold RIchard back a little on Skiddaw but we still made it 8 mins up on schedule.  I was blowing a bit but felt OK.  Calva arrived 41 mins later, a leg I do in 39 when i'm going well.  I felt like i was going no better than ok.

Blencathra arrived bang on schedule 70 mins later and i picked a very efficient line up there in the dark (no rain thankfully).  I felt OK.  Dropping down to Threlkeld I felt very hungry.  I was glad to run in to some noodles which were waiting for me (thanks Emma!). We were about 14 mins up.   No sooner had i changed my top, had some tea and started a nibble, Richard set off, about 6 mins after arriving.  I decided to eat quickly and catch up.  Big mistake.  I shoveled the food in, didn;t really eat that much though, and sprinted off.  I was bombing along the road and caught them just before the farm at Newsham.  As soon as we started that horrid climb on Clough Head, I felt ill.  I started to get dropped a little after the stile.  Before I knew it, I was diving into a little hollow where I had a bit of an emergency pit stop.  I felt terrible.  I carried on and ran over Clough Head summit, with Rich and two fresh pacers ahead by about 100 yards.  I plugged up Great Dodd and cut across before the summit to intercept them on the way to Watson's Dodd.  I still felt rough and cited my intestinal issues as an excuse.  My stupid pride wanted them to know I was fit enough! 

Onwards to Stybarrow and i felt ill again.  I was determined not to be dropped and stayed towards the front of our little posse.  I felt like the legs were ok, but the rest of me wasn't.  I moved well but then my pride gave way to the required selflessness that comes with supporting a round.  I'd ceased to be of use to Richard and with 9,500 feet of climbing in the bank on the top of Helvellyn, I bid them a temporary farewell and headed down to Dunmail.

As soon as I left them, I had to retreat behind a rock this time for another little break.  My guts were convulsing and then suddenly OK.  As I took a beeline to Raise Beck, I felt stronger than I had done for hours and arrived at Kirsten, Emma, Morgan, Yiannis et al feeling like a wimp.  It was nice to report that we'd been nibbling away at the schedule on leg two having taken a fair amount off leg one, but I felt like if i had any mental strength in me, i should have still been up there.

I realised as I stood with fellow BGR veterans that as much as i'd enjoyed helping Richard, I was a bit BGR'd out.  I've done leg one and two half a dozen times this year, and about 20 odd times in all and was just a bit sick of it.  I was also gutted that I wasn't strong enough to do two legs.

I resolved to reconsider my plans because doubts are the last thing you need to achieve this.  I was seriously thinking about jacking it in now and stopping wasting peoples time.

Chastened, I went home via a shower and full English at Tebay and two hours kip in the car.  That night I went out with the neighbours for a curry and was seriously naffed off.

Sunday came and i was still moody.  I went out on my bike for an hour to a friends BBQ.  Some of Tattenhall Runners were there, and they talked about my impending winter round and how the club's Christmas Meal was going to be arranged to miss my appointed date. I didn't voice my doubts and thought about it some more.  It lit a little flame and I got excited again.  Some home truths landed...

-  I'm at the start of this training programme not the end, I have got a lot of big days to come where i'll get stronger.
-  It's OK to have to work hard to keep up with a motivated, trained, unladen and fresh BGR contender for two legs. Esp if you're ill.
-  Doing the first legs of someone's BGR is a lot harder than the later ones.  Worth remembering.
-  I live between 60 and 90 mins from various parts of Snowdonia.  It might be an idea to starve myself of the Lakes and train in Wales for a few months.  I don't need any more recceing of the route and it would be good to do the round whilst chomping at the bit to get back to the Lakes and the BGR.

So it's been an interesting and difficult start, but the legs are feeling OK after such a long day out.  Can't be bad as starting point.

So, Snowdonia beckons!

Mark

Week summary:

Tuesday - 7 all-run railways - @2,500' ascent and descent
Saturday - BGR leg one and leg two to Helvellyn and then to Dunmail - 25 miles? 9,500' ascent/descent.
Sunday - 45 mins on the bike, 14 miles.  Worked quite hard.

Total ascent/descent - 12,000'