Monday 30 December 2013

Festive cheer

Well I have certainly drunk and eaten too much as always this Christmas. It has been a typically hectic last couple of weeks rammed full of parties, meals, pantomimes and visits to friends, relatives and Santa! Im pleased that I've managed to keep the running going to some extent, managing 7 hours this last week and about 6 hours for each of the two weeks before that. Last week looked like this:

M: 50 mins road run in wild weather
T: 1 hr 45 mins low level run in Langdale
W: 45 mins Cunswick Scar
T: Rest
F: 2hr 10 mins Loughrigg and Lingmoor from Ambleside
S: 50 mins road run
S: 50 mins Cunswick Scar

Total: 7 hrs running  5000 feet of ascent

Another week of similar plodding before stepping it up in Jan and Feb. As well as the training, this next week will be taken up with lots more poring over maps and hopefully firming up a few dates from friends keen to help out.

16 weeks to go.

Saturday 28 December 2013

A man with a plan

In 2014 I will be attempting a continuous self propelled traverse of the 282 Scottish mountains over 3000 feet, known as the Munros. It has been a dream of mine for twenty years, since first reading the book 'Running High' by Hugh Symmonds about his continuous round in 1986. I will be covering the distance on foot, by bike and kayak and will be supported by an assortment of friends and family in a campervan.  I hope to complete the round in 50 days, although I will set off with an ambitious 38 day schedule which I intend to follow as much as possible (the current record is an amazing 39 days 9 hours  by Stephen Pyke).

Through my efforts I hope to raise money for two charities. The John Muir Trust protects the wild places of the UK and Cumbria Wildlife Trust protects wildlife in Cumbria.


I aim to set off on April 14th, starting on Ben More on Mull and finishing in early June on the most northerly Munro Ben Hope. I will hopefully be able to update this blog regularly with news of how the training and preparation are going and hopefully be able to post from Scotland when I get under way.