Training Log Archive: ba-ba

Quite lucky to get picked up at 5am, a good nap, woken to bacon cooking, nap 2 and woken again to a massive stew and pud then driven home - ideal recovery.

Need to work on climbs and hill sharpness over the next month or so, but feeling ready and able.

Napping and relaxing at Casa del Bradley all afternoon. News of being just off schedule turned to up on it after the addition of the extra peak, Haycock. However weather seemed clearish. Bit of spooning in Wil's van before Adam flew through honister, 1h to prepare for the last leg circus from Newlands!
Started 5min up. I forged ahead, my plan to show the safe lines 100m ahead, around which Adam and his cohort could pick their preferred lines. Little bit of wind up Ard Crags, but not too bad. Climbing to the Sail col the wind and rain really hit. Sideways rain on the run out to Causey but splits kept to and we picked up Muir and Chris Arthur as much needed backup. On the way back Adam clothed up so we lost ~4mins to Sail, as well as some waiting pacers as weather got wetter, colder and windier. And claggier. However solid compass work with backup from Wil saw us hit and beat splits to the potentially tricky Wandope and Whiteless. The 200m ascent to the Grasmoor plateau was good, I hit the first cairn but the clag was so thick I couldn't see the path without squatting down and the wind was terrible. Forged on, looked back only to see no-one behind but RickStew. 5mins of complete panic before we stumbled upon them returning from the summit having outlined us - Adam was still well with it - but we were now 1min down on a schedule with only 4minutes built in to it.
The line off Grasmoor was not great. The clag was a bit better but still difficult, I sat on a bearing and picked up trods but it wasn't quite good enough, I was now a bit squirrel-in-a-peddal-bin after losing 5 blokes on Grasmoor. Another couple of minutes lost to Sand Hill (which went on forever), before slipping 8mins down after the really slippery rock to Whiteside. I sat up at Hob carton, getting cold, as Adam and team ticked off Ladyside. There were people waiting on Grizedale as - finally! - the clag cleared. Adam set off down like a stabbed rat, but only had ~15mins for a descent that is horrible, especially when wet, at the top.
He gave it everything but just missed it, after it bein well on 22h+ and 72 peaks. I walked and jogged off on my own, preserving the illusion of Schroedinger's record for as long as possible.

The splits on the last 6 peaks are so tight, and the weather we had was far from ideal to hit them. I did some really good work early on but was less useful for the last 100mins or so. Feeling slightly bereft. Adam says that was it, his last go. It's obvious he can do it with just slightly better weather, but the time put in over the last 4 years is mega. Thrice undone by bad weather, once by excessive warmth and the pressure of publicity. The first attempt was just playing, and whilst this attempt still had all the fun and excitment of that we all knew what we were doing much better than back in 2013. I know everyone would come back and help if asked again, maybe a few years off and he'll consider it again, at 29 he still has plenty of time to nail it, it's a question of if he wants to.

The amount of faith Adam puts in me is humbling, and I am a better fellsman because of it. Over these attempts and pairs/team races weve had moments, but ive never managed to repay it as much as I'd like.

Pez's Morning Glory: the Lake land 24h Peaks record attempt (The 78), take 5.
The bugger had put me on leg 1. Muir and I drove to Latrigg to avoid the road secton, on which Adam killed Josh Jardine (who had supported a BG last night. The folly of youth). 2mins up at Lonscale with his top already off #titsontour, a gap we roughly maintained throughout. I ditched my bag at the Caldew as the others skirted round. Claggy but good temp and could see what was happening, compass work solid but Adam had it on rails, I only had to correct him once. We had a GPS to fall back on just in case but was pretty obsolete here even if this ground is vague in clag.
I dropped off to pick stuff up at the 2nd river crossing so cut out the next peak, Muir was back up to speed here. Wind hit on Blencathra - OK for us but not looking great for the 2nd leg. Descent a bit slippery but got in 3mins up, the first time Adam made it to Threlkeld with supporters and ran straight through.

Keeping up on the climbs was just harder than comfortable, I couldn't have done it with my bag on for the Calva section. Did pack a bit too heavy as weather seemed a bit changeable.

About all I'll have time for today. The struggle was real.

Stravinsky: symphony of psalms
Mozart: Requiem

Good shit

Alan Partridge take 2

Allotments etc. post-drive whilst Hannah cooked dinner.
Alpacas have a diving board; not much action at Bummer's bend.

Down Cambridge way. Morning Alan Partridge from the Travelodge.

Found an old Roman Road to run on. Did an out and back at Tempo. The out felt really good, a couple of false flats to work on but mainly flat. However the reason for the easiness became clear on the return, where there was a lot more false flat than anticipated!
Out in 3:30s, back in 3:45s. 2min jog (and a read of the history board) between. Its a start