The Confidence Pendulum

A snowy Catstycam and Ullswater from Helvellyn

No it's not an act from a John Peel session.  But it describes my feelings towards this impending winter BGR.  One moment, i'm sure i'm fit enough, prepared, knowledgeable, experienced and as ready as anyone can be and the next my talent to ambition ratio kicks in and i know i'm doing this because i'm by no means a cert, hence the challenge.

Last week was another good week's training, but yet again without a massive day.  10,000 feet were duly knocked off and I managed to do so whilst feeling like i was well within myself.  12 Tattenhall railways on Thursday (4000' of steep up and down with no respite - a headbanging session for sure) and then a snowy out and back on leg four with Nick on Friday which picked up almost 6000' of ascent.  Some gym work and local running (thank you Redhill Road Runners) made up a decent week.

Incidentally, if you set a cross trainer to the maximum resistance and gradient, and don't use the hands/arms bit, it simulates a steep fell-type gradient very well indeed, but without the rain and wind!  It's a useful thing to know and a dark and wet night in Nottingham when you need to get some training in.

Anyhoo, so i didn;t manage a huge day as the house has been a building site (have has 18 windows ripped out and replaced) and i didn;t want to leave Alison to cope with all that for too long, esp as i work away for much of the week. That has been the story of the prep for this round: opportunistic training rather than total committment.  I think that's why i feel undercooked, but the truth is that life is about keeping all the balls in the air and so the winter BGR training campaign has had to find its place amongst working away, looking after my pregnant wife and getting the house ready for Jan 25 (ish) when Smith Jnr joins the world!

So, i'm left feeling that I've done a good job of getting in plenty of training and keeping life and work moving too.  Some of the sessions i;ve squeezed in have been madness.  12 railways is 4000' near the house, a session which isn;t ideal because you're not out on the fells but has meant maintaining a balance.  So i can pat myself on the back for that, but the problem is that the BGR doesn't allow for circumstances.  You're either fit enough or you're not.  I want it enough, that much is certain.  I just hope that i get better luck with the weather than on my successful summer BGR (13 hours of torrential rain and high winds from the Langdales onwards going c/w) and and last year's freezer/blizzard/black ice affair that resulted in that agonising 24:22.

Three weeks to go and the taper starts now.  I'm going to have a couple more runs in the fells for 4 or 5 hours, and some 2 hour runs around Moel Famau and then a week of absolutely nothing before i go.

Wish me luck because i;ve done my best, but i really need better luck that i;ve had before.  Six degrees. overcast, light winds....perfect.  Who am i kidding...