Well here we are, the blog counter now reads less than 12 days to go, and I am in winding down mode now.
I keep reading the FRA BG forums about other people's Rounds and I'm starting to get twitchy as I want to get on with it. I'm ready. I've run about 1,200 miles in training, as well as biking, hiking, and so on, I've run 7 recces on the route itself, 5 long or super long fell races, 5 further ultra training runs, and even shinned up Table Mountain when visiting my brother and sister in law, all in the cause of getting ready for the year's only race that counts and to be fit enough for it.
I aimed to do one last long run this weekend but an offer of a sailing weekend on a Thames barge came up and that was sufficiently unusual to bring forward my tapering a few days! I am now commited to just some biking and short lazy runs to keep the legs moving over the next two weeks. I'm happy to be in this stage now.
I'm reassured by my last recce over leg 2 and also by the news that Rae and Jarv my leg 2 supporters have checked the route again last night and are confident. Leg 2 is often chosen for the night section, which is what I have opted for, because it is fairly straightforward to nav and a lot is runnable. However I also know people have floundered in poor visibility on this section so I was a little concerned, though I'm now relaxed about it with these recent recces. Leg 1 I'm happy with: two good supporters in Mike and Barney, pleanty of daylight and my legs will be fresh. Leg 3 is of course the make or break leg, the central leg, the longest leg, the highest leg, the first time I'll have run a third consecutive leg. Here I have more good friends: Deasey to nav, the ever strong Stu, and Mark from Northampton in support, so I am positively looking forward to that one. Leg 4 I have run the least but it is an excellent section; I love the part from Yewbarrow to Gable, then after the brief rocky and knackering yomp up Gable its all downhillish to Honister. I have the privilege of Andrew and Paul, courtesy of Stu's arrangements, although I have not yet met either of them - thanks guys! Leg 5; well you can almost smell the finish from Honister, and there are just 3 peaks to go and then a road section 3.5 miles to Portinscale and then the last mile to Keswick (I've measured it!). Edwin from Skipton and Phil from Northampton will join me for this, and if other people's Rounds are anything to go by there may yet be others who join in at this point also.
I don't know how many feet of ascent I have covered in training but it's probably as much as I could have done from a Northamptonshire base without mind-numbing repeated hill reps (I did do some of those). I've done as many recces of the Round as I reasonably could, again given my home base and also the great deal of snow which covered the route for so long (still the odd patch on my last trip on 1 June!!). I've also pushed the boundaries of fairness on the amount of time away from family, balancing training needs with family needs.
So here I am: I'm ready. I'm ready to go tomorrow and 11 and a bit days still to go. Ah well, let's have another beer and think about the plans again!
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