Monday, January 03, 2022

 Challenges for 2022

The New Year is with us so it is time to think about planning for some challenges over the coming 12 months.

I remember we discussed at the Autumn Equinox at the Rivington Bar & Grill about completing the Joss Naylor Challenge. For some of us it would be a first (TLoB,  Carl, Lurdes? and me), for others (Ed), a revisit. Was Kev there and expressing an interest?


To my embarrassment, I have never even supported anyone on a JNC or BG, so it is new ground for me and although my limit is now a generous 24 hours, it is still a fair old challenge for someone who has had more than enough injuries over the last few years and is rubbish at descending. I prefer to minimise running in the dark so would want to complete in around 21 hours, a similar time to what I took over the Grand Raid Pyrenees 80k in 2014, which had a similar amount of climb although at higher altitude and with only just over 13 hours daylight.

Ideally I would be looking at a May or early June completion. How does this fit with others? Could we do over successive weekends to enable supporting each other. I know it's not encouraged but as Ed, TLoB have fairly similar pace, that may open up ideas. The same for Carl and Lurdes? 

The former Mayoress and I have a week booked in the Newlands Valley in March so I hope to get some decent training in then, although not really close for recce, with a mix of bagging some Wainwrights, another challenge I have set myself. I hope that by then I will have recovered from my current injury (shoulder rotator cuff) which is not stopping me from running but means I am even more hesitant on uneven surfaces so I don't fall.

I have set the ball rolling. Responses please?

2 comments:

Ed the Unready said...

My involvement will be dependent on the medics sorting out my angina - if they do, this could be a good summer all round. I've also got a rotator cuff injury, but we're working on it.

TLoB said...

Sounds good. I am looking at the weekend of May 21/22 as the 22nd would have been my father's birthday. When are you in Newlands?