Building towards 2017

[BumblingIdiot]

Ahoy hoy fellow runners.

I'm planning a BG attempt in 2017, just wanted to sense check a few decisions I'm making if you wouldn't mind. Any assistance is greatly appreciated! I'm no superstar, and I'll be racing the clock to come in under 24 hours, but it's possible.

1) Route - first decision was to go clockwise, I understand this is commonly accepted as the fastest route?

2) Timings - My thoughts were to start around sunset to ensure I get the night running done and dusted whilst I'm still fresh and the first section north of Keswick is the easiest to navigate?

3) Recces - I was hoping to get up to Lakes (based in the Peaks at the moment) one weekend a month from around July onwards this year, planning to get as familiar with the route as possible to avoid navigational issues. Will this be enough?

4) Supporting - what's the best way to get involved in supporting other rounds? Will speed be an issue?

Thanks for any / all advice.

[Derby Tup]

Welcome to the forum B

c/w isn't necessarily the fastest but for many runners it's the most familiar way

How have you gone on in the past running in the dark? Does it suit you? What about waiting around to set off at midnight?

Once a month this year before training properly from say November sounds sensible

Speed can be an issue. Bob Wightman's web-site has a calculator and loads of pace suggestions. I'd go out and do at least a few legs before I went out supporting. You don't want to be a liability to the atemptee or a risk to yourself. You have to be quite fit to do leg one even at 24 hour pace and legs one and two together are a good challenge for anyone, especially in poor weather. As I'm sure you know already leg two is basically linear and you up high for a long time

[Bob]

I reckon legs one & two going clockwise are the two legs where most navigational mistakes can be (and are) made. Navigation doesn't have to be absolutely precise - it's hard to run on a bearing within a couple of degrees or even move quickly with that sort of accuracy. When I've done the nav on leg 2 I've marked up the map with bearings to the nearest 10degs, easy to set and over legs that are only a few hundred metres to a kilometre or so you aren't going to be miles off course - knowing what features you are going to hit if you drift to one side or the other helps.

Supporting: you need to balance having the fell speed of the early legs with the possibility that the contender doesn't make it to the later legs. The central leg is my personal favourite to support, varied terrain and running plus you can short-cut some of the tops as they lie off to the side of the main paths.

Start-time: 1800-1900 is popular at the moment (but can cause problems with market traders in Keswick at the finish), I had a midnight start which means you get daylight just before Threlkeld and darkness arrives as you drop off Robinson. You need to figure out how much slower you are running in the dark than in the daylight over different terrain then chose the one that loses you the least amount of time.

Recce the parts of the route that you really aren't sure about and make your own notes. Probably best to train away from the route itself especially on the Skiddaw section as it becoming quite eroded in places.

[BumblingIdiot]

Thanks Bob, quite accustomed to headtorch running here in the peaks so midnight start sound sensible. I'm familiar with the lakes, but not at all with the route - I'm planning to get as many recces in as possible (good thing the mrs likes it up there!)

I'm already in for pacing a couple of attempts in August so will need to be acquainted by then.

I was thinking about temperatures though - do many attempt a mid-May round?

[BumblingIdiot]

Welcome to the forum B

c/w isn't necessarily the fastest but for many runners it's the most familiar way

How have you gone on in the past running in the dark? Does it suit you? What about waiting around to set off at midnight?

Once a month this year before training properly from say November sounds sensible

Speed can be an issue. Bob Wightman's web-site has a calculator and loads of pace suggestions. I'd go out and do at least a few legs before I went out supporting. You don't want to be a liability to the atemptee or a risk to yourself. You have to be quite fit to do leg one even at 24 hour pace and legs one and two together are a good challenge for anyone, especially in poor weather. As I'm sure you know already leg two is basically linear and you up high for a long time

I just went with c/w as that's what it seemed most were doing. Best to get it set in advance so my recces will all go the same way.

Running in the dark isn't a problem on my home terrain, but never had to navigate an unfamiliar route in the dark. As you suggest a midnight start might be sensible. If I can get familiar enough with the route, I should be fine.

Good point re pacing. Hoping to get a few recces at least before supporting in August.