Nigel wrote:
A couple of incidents:
- Given my experience last time out, I thought I'd better use toilets when I had the opportunity. I had a scheduled 6 minute wait a Moor Park, so I visited the toilet on the platform. However, after 3 minutes when I still had my trousers around my ankles I heard my train pull in. I'm not sure quite how I managed to get on it, but I think I was still pulling up my trousers as I jumped on.
Sounds familiar, happened to me at Ealing Broadway with Starkey frantically shouting and knocking on the toilet door
Sounds like you had some really rotten luck on the day
Twice former full network GWR holder and former Zone 1 Olympic and World Record holder with The Raven and Soupie Tube personality of the year 2009 Twice Winter Olympic Biathlon Gold Medalist with The Beer Baron 2008 All Lines Olympic Gold
palkanetoijala31 wrote:I love the incident at Moor Park very funny but i suppose one of perils of going alone is nobody to watch for the trains.You fate was sealed the same as comic relief date then stuck at a c2c station with thinking hang on the district would have been faster.
Which leads me to the observation that I think the only realistic way to beat the current record is to have a crew of supporters to aid the lucky few who are doing the legwork. And, yes, I mean people camped out at places of grief, eg, Upminster, Ken O, checking which trains are actually there as you approach so you don't have to blindly rely on indicator boards; people to trigger crossings, flag buses, hold open doors for you (not train ones!); as well as the usual stuff like keeping you topped up with food and drink on the move.
Some sacrifice though!
Full Network - Attempts: 1 | Completions: 1 (17h28m57s on 14/09/09)
The Raven wrote:There must be such thing as a perfect attempt?
- No Delays
- Quickest changes possible
- Catch buses just as there about to leave
- Cover minimum distance possible
... and you run like Usain Bolt!
Delays in the right places can help considerably.
Wanstead wrote:
palkanetoijala31 wrote:I love the incident at Moor Park very funny but i suppose one of perils of going alone is nobody to watch for the trains.You fate was sealed the same as comic relief date then stuck at a c2c station with thinking hang on the district would have been faster.
Which leads me to the observation that I think the only realistic way to beat the current record is to have a crew of supporters to aid the lucky few who are doing the legwork. And, yes, I mean people camped out at places of grief, eg, Upminster, Ken O, checking which trains are actually there as you approach so you don't have to blindly rely on indicator boards; people to trigger crossings, flag buses, hold open doors for you (not train ones!); as well as the usual stuff like keeping you topped up with food and drink on the move.
Some sacrifice though!
You mean that ideally its a team event....
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Wanstead wrote:Which leads me to the observation that I think the only realistic way to beat the current record is to have a crew of supporters to aid the lucky few who are doing the legwork.
I diasgree. While supporters can help, I still think that the current record is just about beatable without having to rely on such assistance. Maybe I'm perverse, but I would get more satisfaction from an unsupported attempt, knowing that it is solely your own effort that has delivered the result.
Nigel wrote:I diasgree. While supporters can help, I still think that the current record is just about beatable without having to rely on such assistance. Maybe I'm perverse, but I would get more satisfaction from an unsupported attempt, knowing that it is solely your own effort that has delivered the result.
Agreed, I think it's more of an achievement if your "support" consists solely of your independent stopwatch operator than it is if you have endless people around the network to help you out at any moment required.
[Edited to amend quote formatting]
Last edited by Steeevooo on 11 May 2011, 15:22, edited 2 times in total.
Steeevooo wrote:[quote="Nigel]
I diasgree. While supporters can help, I still think that the current record is just about beatable without having to rely on such assistance. Maybe I'm perverse, but I would get more satisfaction from an unsupported attempt, knowing that it is solely your own effort that has delivered the result.
Agreed, I think it's more of an achievement if your "support" consists solely of your independent stopwatch operator than it is if you have endless people around the network to help you out at any moment required.[/quote][/quote]
I personally get more satisfaction out of knowing i can do it on my own with no one else help i think nigel is spot on the button on that but u do need an independant starter and at least he can carry ur bags saving the weight problem.
Going Underground wrote:
Sounds familiar, happened to me at Ealing Broadway with Starkey frantically shouting and knocking on the toilet door
Bet that would have been funny to watch. Guessing you had a few heads turning at that?
I was too busy sorting myself out, pulling up my trousers and running for the train to look
Twice former full network GWR holder and former Zone 1 Olympic and World Record holder with The Raven and Soupie Tube personality of the year 2009 Twice Winter Olympic Biathlon Gold Medalist with The Beer Baron 2008 All Lines Olympic Gold
Take the classic GWR that used to be shown on the TV - plate spinning. Those doing it always had someone walking behind them handing them the plates to spin. It may have been a sole individual whom did the record but they had help - and is common in most record attempts - not just those involving the tube.
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moley wrote:Take the classic GWR that used to be shown on the TV - plate spinning. Those doing it always had someone walking behind them handing them the plates to spin. It may have been a sole individual whom did the record but they had help - and is common in most record attempts - not just those involving the tube.
I didn't think that the discussion was regarding whether you should or shouldn't have support though, but instead a discussion on which feels more satisfying, for which I stand by my initial comment, I would take far greater satisfaction from getting the record with no support team (excluding the stopwatch operator) than I would from having a team of people out there to assist and help whenever required.
Satisfaction is an each to their own thing. I know people that find the full day challenge more satisfying and those that would argue otherwise.
No secret that I'm rather plump and slow and therefore I'm never trying to get the record but I am part of a team - a good team. I don't judge the team on if they have got the GWR - as yet we haven't. I judge it on the fact that whether you are a runner, a strategist (me), a supplyman or point main (knowing whats going on rather than door holding), its all about the team. We loose together, we pick ourselves up together and eventually, we will win together.
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