How do......

[TheReverand]

.....the top fell runners train to be so good? Im constantly amazed at how these top runners are so far ahead of us mere mortals....I mean I consider myself a half decent runner, sub 3510k and 114half, but despite whatever I do, I could never ever ever envisage being able to get within 15-20mins of the leader of a big champs race! How do these lads do it??? Do they live and breath the fells and totally live for running?? Is the training totally fell specific? Would a year living and training in the lakes improve someone greatly in this discipline?

[Insider]

.....the top fell runners train to be so good? Im constantly amazed at how these top runners are so far ahead of us mere mortals....I mean I consider myself a half decent runner, sub 3510k and 114half, but despite whatever I do, I could never ever ever envisage being able to get within 15-20mins of the leader of a big champs race! How do these lads do it??? Do they live and breath the fells and totally live for running?? Is the training totally fell specific? Would a year living and training in the lakes improve someone greatly in this discipline?

Yes, Yes, Yes and being 8 stone wet through, the lungs of thorough bred race horse, the agility of a mountain goat, the ability to leap off cliffs without a parachute and to enjoy the feeling of pain as your quads and calves are screaming to stop.
Easy really.

[IanDarkpeak]

Yes, Yes, Yes and being 8 stone wet through, the lungs of thorough bred race horse, the agility of a mountain goat, the ability to leap off cliffs without a parachute and to enjoy the feeling of pain as your quads and calves are screaming to stop.
Easy really.

hmm you missed out the bit of being able to disengage brain on the descents. Speed is one thing but the lack of injuries on the descents on rocky ground astounds me. perhaps I'm a wimp

[mr brightside]

.....the top fell runners train to be so good? Im constantly amazed at how these top runners are so far ahead of us mere mortals....I mean I consider myself a half decent runner, sub 3510k and 114half, but despite whatever I do, I could never ever ever envisage being able to get within 15-20mins of the leader of a big champs race! How do these lads do it??? Do they live and breath the fells and totally live for running?? Is the training totally fell specific? Would a year living and training in the lakes improve someone greatly in this discipline?

I've been thinking recently what it is that makes a good fell runner; what combination of aerobic fitness, physical strength, agility and willpower and in what quantities will produce a magic formula for a talented fell athlete. I've come to the conclusion that natural talent has the most to do with it, you're either born to run or you're born to do something else and no amount of training in some people will result in greatness regardless of their build or anything else. If you're lucky enough to be born with a naturally efficient respiratory system then i'd say you're in with a shot but if not, this in an area which cannot really be improved on significantly. Muscle can be built and agility trained, but the question is how good are your lungs?

[Brotherton Lad]

Don't forget the half marathon record is now 58:22, the elite runners are still proportionately the same distance in front of us mere mortals, I'd still have almost 3 miles to push as he popped into the showers.

As for the combination I reckon there's aerobic capacity obviously, anaerobic depth for ascending, a much higher power to weight ratio in a fell runner than a road runner, more elasticity in the muscles and very flexible joints for suspension, quick reactions to plan footfall and body posture 10 to 20 yards in front and a lack of fear in the descent.

[Al Fowler]

I might start stalking Ian Homles......pop out of a bush and "oh, alright again Ian...." "didnt you pop out of that push last night as well"

[SEFTON]

I might start stalking Ian Homles......pop out of a bush and "oh, alright again Ian...." "didnt you pop out of that push last night as well"

good plan...watch out for the police though! lol

[Trog]

Every now and then on this forum, hidden amongst the niff naff and trivia of ‘Todays Runner beans’ pops out a little gem like this question.

There have been some interesting comments so far, but probably the biggest reason above all else mentioned so far is:

Desire

Without that burning desire to get there at all costs you simply wont make it

As Paavo Nurmi said “Mind is everything—muscles pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind.”

Are you devoting 2000 hours a year to training?

What did you do on the Bank Holiday – a family trip to the seaside or 6 hours of training?

Which is your most important race in 2012, are you preparing for it now?

Of course we do not all have that level of desire and often running is some way down the list of priorities, but if you set yourself realistic targets, plan a progressive programme and carry it out over the next 12 – 24 months you will finish further up the field.

[mr brightside]

I might start stalking Ian Homles......pop out of a bush and "oh, alright again Ian...." "didnt you pop out of that push last night as well"

Keep bumping into him in Asda to see what he's eating "...well isn't this a coincidence, small world eh Ian."

You've got plenty of natural ability Al, i'm convinced by the time you're my ripe old age you'll be considerably better. I on the other hand have got 15yrs of smoking in the bank and chronic ITBS so it could be worse, are you still pi$$ed off about Coniston?

[noel]

I have just obtained a gene splicing machine and taken swabs from a selection of fell runners. From it, I intend to clone the perfect fell runner:

1. Simon Bailey's legs (they're twice the size of mine, which is cheating for a start)
2. Rob Jebb's cardiovascular system (although you could argue nurture rather than nature with all that cycling)
3. Ian Holmes' ankles, spacial reasoning and training dedication
4. Lloyd Taggart's pain threshold (only a crazy person would race that often unless they couldn't really feel it)
5. My ears (very handy with following winds up hills - you've either got them or you haven't)
6. Al's spelling (everyone needs an achilees heal)