Full network attempt(s) in 2011

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Nigel
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by Nigel »

geofftech wrote: too many questions to ask really ... so i'll go with the most pertinent one (which you may or may not reveal) is how fast you had hoped you might do it it, or how fast it might it have been if things had run better for you after 7pm... 16:18, or 16:08 ??!?

do you also think overall you got lucky (with buses, etc...) and that the same route on a different day would be slower... or faster?
For my planning I have a master spreadsheet which shows the consequences of connections taking up to 3 minutes (e.g. if your connection is due in 2 mins it will then show the next connection after that (which may be 10 mins). I've also got assumptions for run times (which I now think are too conservative for the longer ones). It also assumes that no negative time changes are ever made. It gives a hierachy of outcomes (I think Hakan used to do something similar and assign probablities) and so you can see fairly readily which are the key connections to make and which don't matter too much as you will probably end up on the same train later. The most optimistic time this gives at the moment is 16h38m. Yesterday, I was ahead of this most optimistic schedule, which given towards the end effectively there is a 10 minute frequency on most of the relevant routes - potentially means 16h28m, except that my minute's delay at the start would have made 16h27m if the final train ran to schedule.

Overall with average luck (but no major service delays or key trains cancelled), I think I should get 16h48m - so overall I think I have to say the luck was against me yesterday.

I think I need to look again at my assumptions about non-tube transfers and build in something more realistic for the interplay between running and busses. I think if I can get the connections I had in the morning of April 21 combined with those I had in the afternoon of yesterday we could be considering getting an earlier MHE which should lead to an earlier Hainault Loop (or vice versa) - so potentially 20 minutes ahead of 16h38m which would be 16h18m (but I haven't looked at any of this in detail, so this speculation may not be borne out once I check the timetables.) I suspect though that consistently trying to achieve these most optimistic times in rush hour in the centre is unrealistic (unless you choose Maundy Thursday :wink: ).

The recent opening of the the third platform at Stanmore means that more trains are running through to there which has been a big help.

What struck me yesterday was how much time tube trains spend just sitting around either in or just outside stations. My perception is that if LUL had really efficient scheduling/signalling software and these could be eliminated there could potentially be big gains made without the network having any more trains or them running any faster.

I'm not sure if I've really answered your question Geoff, I think that I probbaly need to do some more planning and test it out again soon :)
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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. :wink:

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.
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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!
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by palkanetoijala31 »

looks like this one has gone down hill as well.!
Nigel
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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. :(
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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 :)
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by The Raven »

Unluckily man!
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by hopeful traveller »

Well, there was, apparently, emergency engineering work was taking place at Victoria.
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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 :)
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Sam
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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 :(
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Nigel
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by Nigel »

hopeful traveller wrote: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.
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by Nigel »

Sam wrote: 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.
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by 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
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by Sam »

Yes I do! Makes no difference though!
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Re: Full network attempt(s) in 2011

Post by Nigel »

Sam wrote: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.
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