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Fifth attempt, second completion

Posted: 13 Oct 2015, 23:42
by nick468
Hi there,

After finishing the tube challenge last June in a rather slow time of 20 hours, four minutes and four seconds, I managed to shave almost two hours off my time during an attempt on September 25 last. I started at Heathrow T4 at 05:02, and finished at Amersham at 23:17. I did this by taking the advice of a route by the Orange One, which avoided a lot of redoing of zone one stations.

I had not planned to do another tube challenge after finishing all 270 last year, but then a friend of mine asked to do the challenge with me earlier this summer. We finished at 266/270, and this annoyed me. So I did it again a month later, and again I fell a handful of stations short, due to being stuck in Hainault for 30 minutes after that part of the line was closed due to a drunkard threatening to fall onto the tracks. But it was a case of third time lucky on September 25, thanks mainly to having the extreme rub of the green.

I started off at Heathrow T4 at 05:02, and, changing at West Kensington, I jogged down to make the 06:15 Kensington Olympia train, ten minutes earlier than I had planned. That put me ten minutes ahead of my planned time, and I was able to board a Piccadilly Line train within 30 seconds of getting off the District Line train at Earl's Court, so I gained yet more time.

Through the day, I was never behind, I managed to get myself up to 45 minutes ahead of time, before it dropped back to five minutes ahead, and eventually ending 30 minutes ahead of my planned time.

At the end, I was so far ahead of time, I was able to forego two of the 'runs' - between Kenton and Northwick Park, the H10 bus came within a minute of my arrival, and - mercifully - the same service arrived within five minutes of my arrival at Rayners Lane, meaning I did not have to embark on the long long jog down to North Harrow.

A mistake I have made on previous tube challenges is I have taken my foot off the gas during the day when I have perceived myself to be doing well. But I have since learned you can not do that, because somewhere along the line (no pun intended), a curve ball will be thrown your way (as detailed above).

I know the time I am posting here is quite amateur when you look at the top of the league, but I am surprised at myself that I managed to complete the challenge within the same day. Strangely enough, I found the experience far more enjoyable this time. I felt no pressure at all, once I had built up such a head of steam.

Anyway, my time, from the doors closing at Heathrow T4 to them opening at Amersham was 18:15:34.

Best,

Nick

Re: Fifth attempt, second completion

Posted: 14 Oct 2015, 01:31
by tractakid
Nicely done!

Re: Fifth attempt, second completion

Posted: 14 Oct 2015, 08:34
by Nigel
Congratulations. I've added it to the top times list.