Full network attempt(s) in 2011

[Nigel]

As promised, more detail on my attempt.

The key facts from this challenge were that I started at 0519 and finished at 2309 for an overall time of 17h50m19s.

I'm fairly coy about disclosing too many details about my route, except that I expect that most people will have worked out that I was traditional, by starting at Chesham and finishing at Heathrow T5.

Going into this, I was worried about the state of my calf, the cold I had picked up, whether I could keep going all day, and whether my assumptions were realistic. As it turned out, I had one unexpected big problem all day. I know that some people take Imodium before challenges, but not normally suffering in that department, I didn't consider it. However, throughout the day I was suffering with bowel problems. At first, I thought it was just a little bit of first full network nerves, but they got progressively worse as the day wore on. Consequently, I had to make six unplanned emergency 'pit stops' (amazingly I think only one of which cost me significant time), and had two embarrassing 'incidents' of which I will spare you the details. In retrospect, I'm amazed I carried on – but in the first half everything else was going so well and by the second half I thought I would achieve my objective of completing. You probably didn’t want to know as much as I've said already about this, so I'll try not to mention it again. Despite this ongoing problem, I really enjoyed the day.

As mentioned, my primary objective yesterday was to complete, and test out everything I had planned. It's no great secret that starting an hour and a half later than I did, you would only be an hour behind after the first two changes. So any time achieved yesterday, ought in theory to be done half an hour quicker with a later start (and also I've identified a quicker finish, which surprisingly only works later). I was very pleased with how I had approached route planning. My 'core' route does certain sectors in a particular order which I believe to be optimal, but the order can be swapped round with only slight loss of time if there are problems on lines at certain times. Within any given configuration, I've then got another set of dynamic rules dependent on where you are at what time which try to set up minimal wasted time for doing the bugbears of Olympia, MHE and the Hainault loop. I also have a master spreadsheet, which in condensed printed form identifies which connections have significant knock-on consequences if they not made and those which are probably not worth busting a gut over. Other than this, I'm not going to say any more about my route other than as reported in my Tweets that after the NW start, I went East, then South and then North. Finally, after sweeping up a few loose ends, finished off with the Richmond and Heathrow branches, which seemed to take forever.

The good points from yesterday and things that worked well:
- My assumptions are realistic and the rules I use do seem to work under stressful conditions. I didn't have to wait more than two or three minutes for a train to each of the three 'difficult' sections mentioned above.
- Even though I'm not supposed to run at all these days due a knee injury made worse by a botched operation, as an ex-Marathon runner, I discovered that I've still got the stamina to keep going all day if required.
- In the first half of the day, everything working better than I could have hoped. I've even made a couple of 'negative time' interchanges, including the Olympia train. At one stage, things were going so well, that I was worried that people would think that my Tweets were a spoof by a deluded fantacist.
- My wife and son coming to find me early evening. Without their support, and replenishing my water supplies, I think I might have struggled.
- My decision to try Maundy Thursday on the basis that the morning and early evening peak would be less horrendous than usual, due to some commuters not working, appeared to be correct.
- Even though the network started falling over again late afternoon (both Northern and Jubilee lines suspended), I managed to escape fairly lightly.

The bad points and lessons to be learned:
- Take less food, but more water. As water is heavy, plan where you can top up if you have no support – many platform-level kiosks are closed by the evening.
- Keep all your records in one notebook, not three like I did (one for logging, one with all other key information, plus my spreadsheet printout). I was forever losing the relevant one in the depths of my rucksack when I needed it. Also, I need to be more punctilious about logging train numbers – it still isn't an automatic habit yet.
- Don't rely on C2C for a comfort break. The automatic door on the toilet on the train I caught was jammed wide open. I think I shocked fellow passengers by still using it for a pee, but I dared not use it for what I really wanted to do.
- When the Northern Line High Barnet branch went down, I only had Angel and Old Street on the Northern Line still to do. I could have easily re-jigged and left them till later, but decided not to as it would probably have scuppered my rendezvous with my wife and son, and I didn't think that bit of the City branch would be affected. In the event, after sailing through the first station, I then wasted ten minutes being held at signals because of a backlog of trains.
- Having escaped from the Northern Line, I then lost a further 10 minutes on the very next line because of a passenger alarm being pulled on the train in front of ours.
- After leaving my wife and son, the train I was supposed to connect to in the WTT simply failed to appear – this cost me another ten minutes, which I predicted would become 20 minutes because of the knock on consequences.
- I tried to remedy this by deciding to push myself late in the day on a couple of runs, only on both occasions to be thwarted by trains leaving early.
- Don't take anything on trust. At Wimbledon there was a sign saying that the next train indicators were showing incorrect information, and advising asking a member of staff. I did, and was also given wrong information. This appeared to ruin my chance of making a carefully planned connection with the Olympia service, but thankfully saved by the next District running early and the Olympia train being a few minutes late.
- Don't run down alleyways in the dark. On one of my final runs I cut down an alleyway halfway along which were a couple of Asian youths. I think I must have scared them, as they appeared to pull knives, but then hastily put them away when they realised I wasn't likely to attack them. A nasty moment, which left me shaken.
- Avoid fat people. At one of my central area changes, I got up from my seat a station in advance to get to the correct door position, only for an enormously fat guy who was standing near it to move into the door frame completely blocking it. When the train pulled into the station he took one step off the train onto the platform, and then didn't move. Complete mayhem, while I tried to get round him, and the crowd tried to get on the train.

In conclusion, I think I've learned a lot and will want to try again soon with a later start time. On the basis of yesterday, I also now firmly believe that the current record, although certainly very difficult, is not impossible to beat.

[al]

Good effort Nigel - continuing to the end in the face of adversity is one of the trickier aspects of Tube Challenging!

[Wanstead]

Well done, especially carrying injuries and, er, other encumbrances.

Hopefully the first and only time someone has to face a knife while chalenging.

[Root]

Yes, that knife incident sounds terrifying. Well done for continuing beyond that. Where did it happen?

Thanks for the good write-up too, very impressive!

[Nigel]

It was all over in a split second. To be fair to them, I think they were nice lads, just that it's worrying that they seem to feel the need to carry knives as self defence. I think my charging down from behind in the the dark startled them, they were blocking the path, and I just heard a click, click noise. They didn't threaten me at all. We both stopped and looked at each other, and then they moved over and suggested I go ahead. (It was on a 25 yard path which cuts the corner from a station in one of the posher areas often used as run - I'm sure you can work out where.)

[palkanetoijala31]

Hints and tips Avoid fat people but seriously well done o such a good solo time.

[Nigel]

As I originally said, my attempt last week was designed to test out my assumptions and my abilities. If susccessful, I would want to have another go. I've now arranged to go out again on Tuesday 10 May.

My aim was that I would use this next attempt to get a faster time, but I didn't think that a record breaking time would be possible. However, if I could maintain the luck I had for the first 11 hours of last week's challenge, then it might just be. I hadn't planned this next time to go through the full palava of getting independent ratification for GWR purposes, but I'm now wondering whether I should.

So the purpose of this post is to see if any one would be willing to act as an independent stopwatch operator on 10 May (I would be departing on the 06:50 from Chesham). I would be willing to pay any transport expenses, or to reciprocate on their attempt in the future. Obviously, arrangements would need to be made for the watch to be at the finish if a record time was on the cards. However, I'm realistic enough to realise that there is a high probability that I will slip behind record schedule early enough in the day to let them know that their services are not required in the evening.

If you are interested in assisting, please PM me.

[Starkey7]

Nice work Nigel. Love Panathanaikos's comment.

[Nigel]

Just to confirm that I'll be making my second attempt at a full network on Tuesday. As before, I'll try to provide progress reports by sending texts to Twitter (@whitenigel).

On paper, unlike my first try, this attempt could provide a fast time, but a consequence is that it will only take a couple of things going wrong to seriously jeopardise my chance of even completing. Also, I think I'll be on my own all day, as now it is back in school term time my wife and son may not have the opportunity to come and find me. While obviously hoping for a quick time, I'm not sure I want it to be too quick, as being solo I don't think I would be be able to satisfy the the full rules on providing evidence to GWR.

Anyway, hopefully this time I won't spend too much time visiting toilets at stations I'd not even planned changing at.

[palkanetoijala31]

Just to confirm that I'll be making my second attempt at a full network on Tuesday. As before, I'll try to provide progress reports by sending texts to Twitter (@whitenigel).

On paper, unlike my first try, this attempt could provide a fast time, but a consequence is that it will only take a couple of things going wrong to seriously jeopardise my chance of even completing. Also, I think I'll be on my own all day, as now it is back in school term time my wife and son may not have the opportunity to come and find me. While obviously hoping for a quick time, I'm not sure I want it to be too quick, as being solo I don't think I would be be able to satisfy the the full rules on providing evidence to GWR.

Anyway, hopefully this time I won't spend too much time visiting toilets at stations I'd not even planned changing at.

Well if Sam and Joy54 can do it solo i see no reason why u cant nigel.?

[Nigel]

I'm back home now after abandoning after only 118 stations.

It went as follows:
- The first 3 hours went like clockwork. The NW corner ran perfectly to time, followed by some slick changes in central London to put me bang on schedule.
- I then had a choice of how to get out to Upminster. I have alternative strategies dending on the time. This time it seemed favourable to go out on the C2C and return on the District (rather than the other way round, as I did last time). I just made the time for my connection to C2C; the departure board showed it on time, clearly hadn't just gone as the platform was busy. It didn't come - after 3 minutes the departure board baoard updates to say 3 mins late - due now, after 6 mins it disappears off the departure board, but no aplology for being cancelled. Now having let several Upminster District Line trains go, it is worth waiting for the next C2C, if on time, except same thing again, no train, it eventually rolls in 5 minutes late, i.e. 15 minutes after I should have left. If I'd known any of this in advance I could have got to Upminster quicker on the District.
- At Upminster, there is a District waiting cross-platform and one over the bridge. I quickly ran up the bridge to check which one was due to go first, and it's the further one. Get on it, only to see the one which was cross-platform from the C2C go first. Lose another 6 minutes.
- Back into to Central London for a number of quick changes. Last time out, these all worked better than I could have hoped. This time the luck wasn't with me. Nothing drastically wrong, just doors closing as you reach the platform, so a few minutes wait at many of them.
- The consequence of all this is that I don't have favourable timings for knocking off the Olympia train from Earls Court. But I have a strategy, which leaves it till later and involves a run to Olympia and then catch it back to Earl's Court.
- So my first change for this is a cross-platform which has always worked for me before. This time though I see my intended train pulling out as mine arrives. Still not a disaster, but makes everyting a bit tighter now.
- Next change I make in time to a line which should have a 3 to 4 minute service frequeuncy (never more than 5 minutes on the WTT), but wait 10 minutes to the next train.
- This makes the run to Olympia very tight. Pull out all the stops, but not helped by heavy traffic. Also as I've not done it in this direction before, so I misjudge one turning slightly, not a big problem but adds a few extra yards to the shortest route. Reach Olympia with the train in the platform, only for the doors to close (bang on schedule) as I reach the end of the carriage, and no the driver won't open them again. So I've missed it by 3 seconds, with 20 minutes wait to the next - and no realistic way to juggle the route again, as I've already done all the surrounding stations.

At this point I realised that if it all works perfectly from now on, then I should just about make the last T4 train of the day. In retrospect, perhaps I should have carried on, but I felt the luck was against me today. Also, I could still cancel my accomodation at no cost if I did it then, whereas if I left it later I would get charged. So I decided to collect my car, come home and sleep in my own bed tonight.

It's been a useful learning experience, and hasn't put me off. Just need to work out when to go again, dodging the strikes.

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.
- Much later I overhead a business conversation of a couple of people who appeared to work for the London Olympics organising committee. A few weeks back on BBC4 there was an excellent series called 2012, a spoof comedy documentary about organising the Olympics. I didn't realise how accurate it was until I overheard these two - from fretting about how the District line would get people to the tennis in Wimbledon, to trying to get air traffic control not to send planes over at key times.

[palkanetoijala31]

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.

[The Raven]

I'm back home now after abandoning after only 118 stations.

- Much later I overhead a business conversation of a couple of people who appeared to work for the London Olympics organising committee. A few weeks back on BBC4 there was an excellent series called 2012, a spoof comedy documentary about organising the Olympics. I didn't realise how accurate it was until I overheard these two - from fretting about how the District line would get people to the tennis in Wimbledon, to trying to get air traffic control not to send planes over at key times.

Do you reckon they could get the tube organised for one perfect tubechallenge run?

[palkanetoijala31]

I'm back home now after abandoning after only 118 stations.

- Much later I overhead a business conversation of a couple of people who appeared to work for the London Olympics organising committee. A few weeks back on BBC4 there was an excellent series called 2012, a spoof comedy documentary about organising the Olympics. I didn't realise how accurate it was until I overheard these two - from fretting about how the District line would get people to the tennis in Wimbledon, to trying to get air traffic control not to send planes over at key times.

Do you reckon they could get the tube organised for one perfect tubechallenge run?

If they could they as Moley keeps refering to the therotical route which is better one of you lot would have beaten the record by now allthough 1 thing i think is the criticism of the network of buses being on time (dont rely on the buses being there rely on your own 2 feet if a bus comes along by chance u take it but dont complain when it is not there)

[The Raven]

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!