10,000ft a week

[IanDarkpeak]

Merry I'd say you'll comfortably do a Bob Graham Round, no sweat. If I were you though I'd just concentrate on the not getting injured bit the most and maybe be careful about entering actual races, particularly in the January to May stretch if youre thinking of BGR'ing in June. And if you do race, don't actually um.. race if you know what I mean.

Getting round the fellsman with a crocked ankle this year was all too scary and painful - trying to do a Bob Graham carrying a similar injury would be horrendous.

i'd say with the miles your doing you will be ok but to say you'll do it comfortably is to encourage complacency. it is hard and there are lots of variables that could go the wrong way however fit you are.

Get the time on your feet and don't get over excited or build it up too much.

long challenges are great training for keeping you going through those weak moments.

long 12 hour runs are the key with lots of mileage/climbing, speed isn't important. try and get some night events in as I find these are useful physcologically.

But I do agree with Stolly that you have 'the right stuff'

[Mark Smith]

I agree that suggesting you'll do it easily is dangerous because it makes you less able to cope with that inevitable bad patch (if i can do this easily then why do i feel crap...perhaps that's not normal....oh no i'm going to fail....). Fact is you'll have a wobble. Could be 5 mins, could be an hour. It will pass, esp if your pacers feed you, keep you drinking (little and often) and look after and reassure you when it comes.

Beware complacency. If you stand at the moot hall having faith and confidence you'll make it, but knowing that failure is possible, you'll get the balance right. FUrthermore, starting something you can't be sure you'll finish requires courage and it's worth remembering that.

As for climbing per week, i think it's vital to get plenty in, much more so that distance. Fact is that you can't climb 10,000' per week without going a fair way anyway. For me, it's about being able to still run downhill during legs four and five and strong quads are vital for this, something distance alone can't give you. Of course, you have to be able to keep plodding upwards, but once you have to walk the 'alongs' and downs, you'll struggle to keep to time. It's not impossible, but that makes it harder to get round in sub 24.

Some people are naturally gifted and can make it round without much training, given a fair wind and great support. Most mortals need to get the climbing in. I am now training for a winter round and am counting my training week in feet ascended/descended, 10,000 seems to work for most poeple so try it. Make sure there is at least one 'big day' in there (i.e. 4000'+) if you can for most if not all weeks. Getting out for 12 hours+ once or twice is also to be recommended - you have to train your head too.

FInally, get out on shitty days and get out at night a few times. It's great confidence building and helps sharpen your sound mountain judgement too.

GOod luck!!!!

[BLUEBIKE]

...10,000 week....That was a nag of mine but I let it go and decided not to get drawn into lots of must do's. I agree with IDPK....long days...out for 12hrs and you can do 18..do 18 and you can do 24.....really: How much do you want it???? Having your head together and keeping it so, even when it crumbles and it will...Enjoy!

[Stolly]

Swiss Toni some great advice there but remember ML has already done the fellsman which, although not so long and not so high, is still a toughy at what 62 miles and 11,500 odd feet. Its hard to compare the dales to the lakes fairly but I'd guess there are probably less paths and a shed load more bogs on the fellsman. In return the lakes will have a load more rubble and rocks and of course the BGR is longer with much much more climbing/decending involved. But like bluebike said if you can do 18 hours its likely you can do 24

[Mark Smith]

I agree, the fellsman was arguably the single most useful session i did pre BGR, that and supporting other attempts to get a feel for a round.

AFter the fellsman i realised that i can do running at night, can do 18 hours and can cope with awful weather. Came back from that feeling like this was becoming possible...

Hey ML if you fancy a run, or even a supporting role on a winter round then let me know! 18 Dec if you're free....

[IanDarkpeak]

...and of course work on that descending lots of climbing means lots of descending.

I have also said else where don't recce the route to death, it will keep some interest for later and use Scotland to keep you fresh.

[Duff]

How about up to Stoodley Pike and back from the valley floor? Or anything similar in the area really.

Merry, there are at least a couple of established full day training runs in the upper Calder Valley that cram in the climbing, primarily 'collecting' trig points.
Of course they all go to Stoodley Pike.
If you fancy a long day out over the winter give me a shout. Will involve some running in the dark, but all the better for it.

[southernsoftie]

This is all good stuff. Very useful. Looking to do mine - first time I'm saying this out loud, so to speak - in 2011. Would have been next year but for my 9 months out with me knee.

Be up for some recces and support legs next year.

[stevefoster]

Touched and overwhlemed by all your support folks, thank you, appreciate all the advice, Swiss Toni, will try and be free for 18th December, Duff, will try and get out for a dark one with you, been sneaking out for a headtorch run when the mrs. is in bed lately

[stevefoster]

All these suggestions that i'll do it easily go in one ear and out the other, i know its a toughie, if it wasn't, i wouldn't attempt it, i may appear a bit of a joker on the forum, but in reality i'm a down to earth, level headed chap...............if you belive that, you'll believe owt!!!!!!