A recovery day.
Some goals for 2024:
5,000 miles for the year.
reach lifetime miles 74640 [3x round world]
weight down to 11st
successfully complete:
conquer Everest [stairs]
MovemberMiloMiles2024
Goggins 4x4x48
complete challenges:
Londone
pie&mash shops in London
epping forest gates
Ultras:
At least TWO [40miles+] challenge runs
Marathon near 3:30
Mile near 6 minutes
3516 miles (R2256 W1260)
Recovery day short jog with some steps. A long way to go to get back to previous levels. I haven’t done any stairs for nearly 17 months! Today was about 400ft.
Previous bests:
| session stairs 8,000ft | |||
| day stairs 9,000ft | |||
| two day stairs 13,500ft |
363 miles (R295 W68)
Foggy start to day. Actually ended up in double figures today; even 7 miles running, adjudicating a local event. I also got in 10 flights of steps.
260 miles (R207 W53)
Now time to get into a regular swing of things. Another few stairs [walked] early morning and a longer midweek run again after work.
FDC [day206] 2149miles
An easy start to the week. I did do 500ft of stairs [walked] early in the morning, to get back into the swing of things.
FDC [day204] 2124miles
I think I just about deserve a medal. I didn’t know about this when I started but hey, bling is bling. I wonder how long till the majority change the stats to 8,849 metres [as Everest remeasured last year at a couple of feet higher]?
Completed the remaining elevation before 5.30pm today with 2,000ft in the morning before work and the final 3,400ft late afternoon [yes went past by 400ft what I needed]. Stats: 29,403ft over 118 hours [under 5 days] total elapsed.
Last day of the month and first half of the year, so nice to finish with nearly 1,600 miles in 2021 so far. Also nice to be finishing the first 4 months of this 500 day [essentially Bob Graham Round training] challenge with another small monthly boost in distance covered; Jan 239, Feb 224, Mar 249, Apr 266, May 301, June 313 and on for perhaps 4,000 miles for 2021?
FDC [day121] 1129miles
It was supposed to have been a finishing off Everest elevation today with 4,000ft in the morning and 4,500ft in the evening [would have been super hard], but on realising that would have only been 96 hours elapsed by 7.30pm, I caved in. Calves still sore, but it would have been a cooler morning to exercise [and I was awake at 5.30am without the alarm]. I am obviously lacking some of the stubborn eye of the tiger of old lately?
I did manage to get out for another 1,000ft at lunchtime and 2,000ft after work though [both times in a drizzle], leaving a final 5,074ft for tomorrow; which can be split AM and PM [255 flights then].
FDC [day120] 1120miles
And perhaps Plan C? I had to decide early this morning whether to go for the remaining 9,362ft needed to summit Everest, over the next couple of days or not? The Limitless challenge was originally [in 2020] only a seven day one, with TWICE Everest being the goal!! I am certain that having actual mountains must surely make the going easier?
This doc inspired me to try. Her stats:
126 miles, 58,297ft [Everest elevation x2]
41 hours 41 minutes over 122 hours [5 days]
Day one 51 miles 10.5 hours [12,913ft]
Day two 7 miles, 3.75 hours, [5,302ft]
Day three 19 miles, 6.5 hours, [10,895ft]
Day four 18 miles, 5.5 hours, [6,945ft]
Day five 18 miles, 12 hours, [17,526ft]
Day six 12.5 miles, 3.5 hours, [4,649ft]
Today my calves were quite sore, but I can feel the legs getting stronger. I can also note the difference between Shooter’s Hill and the stairs. Calves on stairs and quads/heels on hills; no matter whether jogging or walking. This morning I decided to skip the drizzle and give the legs more time to rest. I therefore only went out for another 1,000ft late afternoon. A big 8,266ft, give or take, needed still to complete Everest in 5 days [120 elapsed hours]. Even if it takes longer it will be the most I have done on consecutive days; by far.
FDC [day119] 1115miles
The early start never materialised, but after a 12 hour break I returned for another 3,000ft. Again miffed that I didn’t do more. This time I sweated so much it felt like I had wet myself down the back of my pants [sweat pouring off back]. Glad the day was more overcast though. Also glad I seem to be consistently hitting 3,000ft in under 2 hours, despite only walking all the ups.
After only a 4 1/2 hour rest [wanted to beat the forecast rain] I returned for a final 3,000ft and a total [with overshoots] of 19,669ft in 45 hours. The afternoon was even sweatier than the morning; I found a teenage prat pouring away my water with 1,000ft still to go. I was dead man walking with 500ft left, though my pace was the quickest 3,000ft session of the challenge?
The GPS elevation logging proved terrible this weekend [never good on short flight of stairs] so had to rely on counting flyby blips. I guess the weekend turned into a quality Bob Graham Round training session. I only made 2/3 of Everest height in under 48 elapsed hours, but it’s a start. And now perhaps for Plan C?
FDC [day118] 1111miles
So last night I ‘gave up’ after only 6,000ft for several reasons: getting cold [never sweated so much, and it rained] as temperature dropping, pot heads camped at bench only 6ft away, sleepy tired. Disappointed, but changed to plan B; see if can cover the elevation in two days?
Returned this morning after 8 hours break, for another 4,000ft. Again annoyed that I didn’t do more, but again sweat soaked after only 300ft. Drinking a litre of water every 90 minutes. Took a whole bag full of snacks, but as usual unable to eat; not that I was still for long [average 1 minute of pauses every 1,000ft/40 minutes].
Returned again after a 7 hour break for another 3,000ft. Had planned to go until at least dusk, but on realising I had managed 13,000ft in under 24 hours I decided to go easy, stay away from the pot heads, and come back early in the morning.
FDC [day117] 1094miles
OUTRUNTHEZOMBEEZ 