How hard is the Tour?

[PaulB]

Clockwise. Me and my mate Alan Deacon (1030) did it together. I think we started at about 5pm so the night section must have been somewhere between Helvellyn and Bowfell. We used to train down in Sussex by running up and down the Downs which was inadequate but all we have in the way of hills. A couple of trips up to reccie the sections. On one of these we met and became friends with the great Eric Draper who helped us immensely with training tips and 'witnesses'. Some friends came up to support and witness too. We knew it was in the bag when we got to Robinson and, much to Alan's disgust, I virtually walked in to Keswick and deprived him of a sub 23. I didn't care though, sub24 was fine by me. I drank a glass of bubbly at the Moot Hall and puked it up!
To be honest, and I'm not being modest, you or any decent runner could do it with the right training. I think your marathon PB (and 10KM?) is better than mine. I was 43 when I did it so age isn't necessarily a barrier.
CIM?
Incidentally Eric Draper had done a back to back double in 50 hours missing out on the 48hrs he wanted. That was a great effort.

Clayton le Moors. They're my running club.

But now, a new level of respect comes your way. It wouldn't surprise me to discover lots of folk from this website are as unacquainted with the Bob Graham as some non-cyclists were (are) in the unfolding stages of the Tour de France but I'd like to tell anyone even casually interested that what Rich P of this parish did deserves a big 'Well Done' from the entire membership. A huge effort that deserves recognition. Well done, Rich P! Well done indeed!

 

[atbman]

Does Wiggo thinks it's Weller 'ard?

 

[asterix]

Yes, but could you ride over the Alps the next day and the day after that? I know I couldn't.

Did the Tourist Raid Pyrenean : 10 days, 28 cols, 790km, 20kilos of touring gear on my expedition tourer.
Then, a couple of years later the randonneur version, 100 hours, 710km, 18 cols, no touring gear on the Roberts Audax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raid_Pyrénéen
It gave me an idea how hard the TdF is since the riders go lot quicker than I did (altho' they do have a peleton to help).

 

[dan_bo]

To those of you unfamiliar with the Bob Graham, read this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Feet-Clouds-Fell-Running-Obsession-Running/dp/1845130820

Fantastic book. Made even me want to take up fell running.

 

[fimm]

Yes, there are pro Ironman triathletes (and also pros at the shorter (standard/olympic) distance).

I've completed an Ironman (as have others who use this site). It isn't that difficult, if you've done the training. A short triathlon is not as hard as a lot of people think it is. I have much respect for Rich P for doing the Bob Graham round, partly because of the sleep deprivation aspect of it. I think that is much harder.

With Ironman, we're back to speed. Mine took me 13h27. The winner took 7h47 (I think). Basically, after a 50 minute or so swim, he cycled 112 miles in 4 hours and then ran a sub 3-hour marathon. That's very impressive. But that was one day, and I would agree that cycling day after day after day is harder.

There are nutters who do insane things like 10 Ironmans in 10 days - and they give up their holidays from their proper jobs to do it!

 

[stewie griffin]

Clockwise. Me and my mate Alan Deacon (1030) did it together. I think we started at about 5pm so the night section must have been somewhere between Helvellyn and Bowfell. We used to train down in Sussex by running up and down the Downs which was inadequate but all we have in the way of hills. A couple of trips up to reccie the sections. On one of these we met and became friends with the great Eric Draper who helped us immensely with training tips and 'witnesses'. Some friends came up to support and witness too. We knew it was in the bag when we got to Robinson and, much to Alan's disgust, I virtually walked in to Keswick and deprived him of a sub 23. I didn't care though, sub24 was fine by me. I drank a glass of bubbly at the Moot Hall and puked it up!
To be honest, and I'm not being modest, you or any decent runner could do it with the right training. I think your marathon PB (and 10KM?) is better than mine. I was 43 when I did it so age isn't necessarily a barrier.
CIM?
Incidentally Eric Draper had done a back to back double in 50 hours missing out on the 48hrs he wanted. That was a great effort.

Lots of respect!
I lived down Borrowdale 86-92ish, used to mountainbike the paths when most people didn't know what a mountainbike was (at a time when All-Terrain-Bike was the term) & before it became illegal to do so. Used to see Billy Bland round & about & had a massive amount of admiration for him & his brothers. Running flat out down a steep rocky loose path takes a special kind of .......................

So hat off to you

 

[oldfatfool]

Yes, but could you ride over the Alps the next day and the day after that? I know I couldn't.

Yes, and with a bike and load of 40kg

 

[geo]

Not read all this thread but the answer is easy !! Hard, very very hard you only have to look at how you feel after a 100 miler or so with the exception of a few of us (not me by the way) who class themselves as exceptionally fit would you feel like doing it again the next day and the next day,and the next day and so on it goes for 3 weeks !!! then throw in that most days are in excess of 100 mile up the most rediculous of hills imaginable (us skiers know how steep they are) and to me you have come up with the hardest single sporting event there is. I guess there are other contenders to that, but for me the tour is the ultimate test of an athlete.

 

[andrew_s]

Round the world Cycle Race ?
Mike Hall's effort, 200 miles a day for 92 days ...

As nothing compared to Tommy Godwin's effort - 200 miles a day for 500 days

 

[mangid]

As nothing compared to Tommy Godwin's effort - 200 miles a day for 500 days

Yes .... I nearly tweeted that to Mike, but thought better of it ;-)

Pity the Year isn't competed today

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Clayton le Moors. They're my running club.

But now, a new level of respect comes your way. It wouldn't surprise me to discover lots of folk from this website are as unacquainted with the Bob Graham as some non-cyclists were (are) in the unfolding stages of the Tour de France but I'd like to tell anyone even casually interested that what Rich P of this parish did deserves a big 'Well Done' from the entire membership. A huge effort that deserves recognition. Well done, Rich P! Well done indeed!

Yes, that's a very big undertaking, I managed the Tranter round in Lochaber in under 24hrs a while back and that was a proper day out, so the BGR sounds hard core.

 

[Toshiba Boy]

Read a book some years ago (from the Library, wow, not been to one of those for a few years) that attempted to rank sports in terms of most physically demanding.

All I can recall was that 2 sports tied for the number one spot, by some considerable distance from all the others, and these were professional road race cycling and nordic (cross-country) skiing. Fully acknowledge the "toughness" of such contact sports as boxing and rugby etc., but it read that in terms of pure physical effort and drain on the body, these 2 sports were in a league of their own.

 

[fimm]

Yes, that's a very big undertaking, I managed the Tranter round in Lochaber in under 24hrs a while back and that was a proper day out, so the BGR sounds hard core.

Tranter round? (I get confused, as there's more than one in that area.) We're talking Ben Nevis, Aonachs, Grey Corries, cross Glen Nevis, return along the Mamores? That's a pretty long day!

Edited to add: googled. Yes, I'm right, and that is the round which was extended to become the Ramsey round.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Tranter round? (I get confused, as there's more than one in that area.) We're talking Ben Nevis, Aonachs, Grey Corries, cross Glen Nevis, return along the Mamores? That's a pretty long day!

Edited to add: googled. Yes, I'm right, and that is the round which was extended to become the Ramsey round.

Yes, the Ramsay round heads out to take in the Easains and Beinn na Lap I think, do-able, but not in 24 hrs !