Full network attempt(s) in 2011

[Nigel]

The madness continues ....

Tube 4

(given everyone else seems to have a penchant for numbering their attempts, I thought I may as well).

I would have loved to have had a race with Sam, Scrxisi and Al on 26 September, but I can't do that day. So it will have to be the next day Tuesday 27 September. So I hope the team the day before do well, but please don't do too well.

Following my last attempt, I spent some time trying to work out how I could shave some time from my route. I spent a few days coming up with nothing. Then one night, I suddenly woke up at about 2.30am with an idea, which having crunched it through the timetables looks promising. So now if a particular difficult connection isn't made early on in the day, my whole route changes with a very different approach to the finish which in theory ought to have less opportunity for losing time, and with some luck a chance of gaining time. We will see.

[Nigel]

Notwithstanding:
i) My knees still hurting from my attempt last month;
ii) My son very generously sharing with me the cold and sore throat he picked up from school last week;
iii) The lesson of Sam, Scrixi and Al's disastrous attempt today;
my attempt tomorrow goes ahead!

I'm not sure how many more full networks my body will alow me to do, but the last outing seemed to take more out of me than my previous efforts. As commented on previously, I've just hit my period of nervousness and self doubt I always have before each challenge. Once I start tomorrow, and I'm focused on the task, I'm sure this will disappear.

I will again try to tweet occasional updates (@whitenigel), but given my phone battery only just made it to the end last time, apologies if I don't always respond.

Hoping for better luck than had by today's crew!

[palkanetoijala31]

looks like this one has gone down hill as well.!

[Nigel]

Yes - that didn't last long.

I was was with Al for the first couple of hours. We got lucky early on when a late running train put us a train ahead which we kept for the next three changes, but the next change was back on to the train we were originally hoping for. Al and I split at this point for different door positions on the same train, which managed to lose about six minutes before either of us got off it. This put me 10 minutes down after the next couple of changes, then the next train I wanted failed to show, and the change after that was running seven minutes late. All frustrating, but recoverable. The final straw was taking 20 minutes to travel between just two stations (while every few minutes announce ments that there was agood service on all lines). Then a drivers announcement that we would be held at the next station indefinitely until a problem ahead was resolved.

At this point I realised that at absolute best I would now do no better than last time, but my knee was giving me problems, and I feared I would not be able to do any hard runs later in the day.

So I retired.

I'm not sure when (or even if) I will go out again. I fear that I have exacerbated my old knee injury (on which I had a botched operation 8 years ago) and have been told by the doctors never to run at all. I don't think I can risk trying again until it settles down, and I'm not optimistic that it can be cleared up quickly.

[Steeevooo]

Unlucky Nigel, and sorry to hear about your knee, hope that the damage isn't too serious and isn't an exacerbation of your previous injury. There are many things in life more important that running around the tube network though, your health certainly being one of them! Hope you recover soon

[The Raven]

Unluckily man!

[hopeful traveller]

Well, there was, apparently, emergency engineering work was taking place at Victoria.

[Root]

Tough luck, Nigel. I've always enjoyed reading your write-ups and I would not have bet against you claiming the record one day, so it's a real shame that your knee is causing you problems. Hope you get it sorted one way or the other

[Sam]

Knee pain seems to be a major issue with this challenge!! I too, suffer big time from knee pain and was in agony yesterday, seriously contemplating whether I should continue challenging! I've decided that i'll see how my race against Matt goes and take things from there. Although, i'm probably not helping myself by not having done any of the physio that was recommended!

Anyway, sorry to hear about your attempt today Nigel, just seems like luck really isn't playing for any of us at the moment

[Nigel]

Well, there was, apparently, emergency engineering work was taking place at Victoria.

I was aware of that, but reportedly it had all been completed by about 8.30am and I only decided to venture in that direction once a good service was being reported again. However, it would appear that they briefly had to suspend the line again later, causing the logjam I got caught up in - by the stage everything ground to a halt there was no obvious escape route which wouldn't leave a few stations awkwardly unvisited.

[Nigel]

Although, i'm probably not helping myself by not having done any of the physio that was recommended!

I'm somewhat sceptical about physio until there has been a proper diagnosis. When I first started suffering, my GP suggested physio - but in retrospect it probably did more harm than good. Only once I'd had proper scans (and an exploratory op) was the problem properly identified. Unfortunately, there isn't much of a long term solution short of a full knee replacement.

Similarly, I got referred to a physio about a shoulder problem a couple of years ago. Within two sessions I realised that she was talking nonsense - I made my excuses and stopped.

Obviously, if you're sure you know what the problem is, then physio can be be very helpful. But too often I get the feeling that it's offered as a cheaper alternative to really finding out what's going on.

[dudey]

On a serious note, and I hope this isn't taken as patronising....do you lot all wear proper running shoes out on these attempts? If not, it's no surprise you're getting knee and other physical problems

[Sam]

Yes I do! Makes no difference though!

[Nigel]

Yes I do! Makes no difference though!

I think part of the problem may be caused by stairs. Running shoes are primarily desinged to absorb maximum impact through the heel, whereas running up or down stairs uses the ball of the foot.

[Sam]

I agree!! I also blame the escalators, they're a nightmare to run up and down!