Fellsman

[SteveS]

Ian, Karl or anyone else with experience, what are your thoughts on Fellsman same year as a BG please? Ideal prep or too much?

For me I'd have said too much, unless you were planning on a mid-July or later BG. I binned my first BG attempt at Wasdale and certainly wasn't recovered fully 5 weeks later for my 2nd go.

It's a very individual thing though, and if I'd have done the Fellsman I know I'd have given it everything and just wouldn't have been able to treat it as a training run even though I'd know there was a bigger goal in mind. It's proven successful for a lot of people though. My preference would be the OCT if you wanted a fairly long event in the build up.

[stevefoster]

I thought about it but it tends to be too close to the best times for a BG. I did my BG on the same day as the OCT so that's definitely too close!

Obviously it depends on the actual date of an attempt but I'd say nothing too long or arduous within a month of an attempt - unless you are called Bland

I'm planning a 25th June BG. The OCT is 22 May 2010, is this a bit close?

[IWCharters]

Bob is probably about right when he suggests nothing arduous within a month so you could make the OCT your last long day out and be pretty confident you would be recovered.

I did two BGRs 7 weeks apart so a month to recover from OCT should be enough but you will know better that anyone else how you feel. If you want to know why I did two (or you can't sleep properly) have a look at http://www.iwcs.blogspot.com/

[Derby Tup]

Thanks for replies. My gut feeling is the Fellsman is too hard not to take seriously and I wouldn't recover in time for a mid-June BG. Climbing / descent is what bothers me (Ive done LDWA 100 plus two 50s), so specific training on the high fells could be more useful than 18hours on my feet in the Dales

[stevefoster]

Bob is probably about right when he suggests nothing arduous within a month so you could make the OCT your last long day out and be pretty confident you would be recovered.

I did two BGRs 7 weeks apart so a month to recover from OCT should be enough but you will know better that anyone else how you feel. If you want to know why I did two (or you can't sleep properly) have a look at http://www.iwcs.blogspot.com/

Thanks Ian, prefer the OCT because it's Lakeland miles and climbs, as you say, it's all individual choice and feelings, enjoyed the Fellsman and would like to do again but want to spend more time in the lakes next year.
Reading your blog and thinking about the BG keeps me awake at night, great pictures from Swiss Toni's winter wonderland

[Donkarlo]

I found the Fellsman a huge confidence boost as well as a good training run. To knock over two hours off my previous best really filled me with confidence for my BG. I had originally planned the 5th/6th June but ended up going on the 25th/26th June so I quite a bit of recovery.

The OCT probably would provide a welcome boost too but I decided the Fellsman might be a bit softer under foot to save the wear and tear

[Fellmincer]

I found the fellsman tough on the legs compared to the BG. Did the fellsman in May this year and suffered with knee pain, i think because you have to pick the legs up so much more than i was used to. We just don't get peat groughs the size of double decker buses in the Lakes, so unless i go seriously off trail into tussocks its hard to replicate that ground of the Fellsman. But saying that completing the Fellsman was as DK says a massive confidence boost. I knew that if i could crack one of the 2 factors of a BG in training (distance and height) sheer wanting to get around would see me okay with the other on the day. I gave myself 7 weeks between the 2 events and that was plenty enough recovery.

[ukhursty]

Bob is probably about right when he suggests nothing arduous within a month so you could make the OCT your last long day out and be pretty confident you would be recovered.

I did two BGRs 7 weeks apart so a month to recover from OCT should be enough but you will know better that anyone else how you feel. If you want to know why I did two (or you can't sleep properly) have a look at http://www.iwcs.blogspot.com/

Just had a very quick scan through that blog.

Noticed you were putting in on average between 70 and 100 miles a week with well over 10000ft of climbing.

Thats alot of running, but def achievable

[Drunkeneuphoria]

FM form sat on my printer... with a few days off work now I know it will get filled in soon. I'm doing Hardmoors 55 before this, I expect this will be a much tougher prospect.

[Dog Breath]

Personally, the Fellsman in 2008 was my last big training day before my BG. This culminated a 110 mile week and 26'K of climbing. My BG was 3 weeks later, but I felt as if I could have gone sooner. I'm no Billy Bland (or youngster) either, but I suppose it's all down to individuals and how quickly you recover from hard training both physically and mentally from a tough day out. But 3 weeks was plenty of time for me.

Got my application through the post and will hopefully be completing my 16th Fellsman in 2010. Eeek