w/c 7th May - A grand day out

Thanks to Sarah's healing hands, the calf problem that plagued me last week seems to have gone and I've been able to resume the training. My hope was that the week off would have provided some probably much needed recovery.

This was indeed the case, with an excellent week's training in the bag.

Despite three brilliant mid-week runs on Moel Famau (including a good strong run with Pete on Tuesday), the highlight of course was my first (probably only!) completion of the Fellsman - a 61 mile/12,000' grand day out in the Yorkshire Dales. The Fellsman is an annual pilgrimage for many from the fellrunning, ultra-running, long distance walking and Scouting fraternities. One such pilgrim is Paul Miller who despite deciding to postpone his BGR attempt, was still happy to guide me round his 14th Fellsman. We completed the course together in 19 hours and 2 minutes, having had to slow right down for the last 6 hours to support a slower compliment of runners in our group (competitors have to form groups of four or more during the hours of darkness).

This was not a race. It important for me to know how it felt to push quite hard for a long time, as opposed to very hard for shorter periods. So far, my longest day out running has been 9 hours. Whilst the three peaks and my training runs have demonstrated that i'm fitter physically, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the Fellsman was my main chance to train my mental strength and endurance. So the mission was to take ages and not to rush it.

Perhaps then it was fortuitous that it pissed it down for most of the day! This meant that 'rushing it' was impossible and that it was to provide a tough test.

I learned quite a lot from this event that gives me confidence.

- I can keep going for hours and hours at a consistent pace.
- I'm climbing well and continue to after a long time out (still felt like running up some of the last peak but didn't)
- Drink tea and water at rest stops really helps more than anything else.
- Rice pudding is rocket fuel.
- After over 18 hours out, i could still run 2 road miles at under 8min/mile without too much difficulty (not suggesting that i'll do the last BGR section at that pace!)
- New headtorch was great, waterproofs were great
- GPSs can be bloody useful.
- Staying positive really works, even though the bad patches.

It's SUnday night now and i'm knackered. Apart from a 2 hour nap this afternoon, i;ve not slept since waking at 6am on Saturday morning before the Fellsman. I'm going to veg out now content in the knowledge that another major test that i set myself leading up to the BGR has been passed.

Training summary:

Mon - 9.5M, 3100' - Clywdian race route. Steady, 1:45.
Tues - 7.5M, 2400' - Brisk MF run with Pete
Weds - 2.0M, 1250' - Straigh up and down MF from bottom car park
Thur and Fri - rest
Sat - Fellsman 61M, @12,000'

Totals - 80M, 18,750'