Paras 10 2009

Just read about this event in this months mag and really fancy it. Having looked on the website it looks to me as though you have to provide your own boots and bergen. Can anyone who did it this year confirm if that's the case? I've got some walking boots which should be ideal but might need to invest in a rucksack and 35lbs of bricks!

Advice welcome with thanks.

Hi Vitruvian - did this race too and absolutely loved it, can't recommend it enough. I was not brave enough to go for the bergen/boots combo (not many women did - I think I only saw 2!)... I tried on my friend's pack and could not belive how heavy 35lbs is!  I could only carry it for about 1 minute standing still, let alone walk or run with it!

Is there a confirmed date for next year yet, does anyone know? At least you have a while to decide whether to run the bergen or 'sane' option though!

Hi folks,

In a moment of madness I entered the P company challenge. Seemed like a good idea at the time.I've tried some running with about 20lbs and boots, didn't seem too bad but not on ascents like the ones in the photos. They seem vertical. I'm going to expand the advertised 10 weel training programme to about 15 to give me a better chance.

The hills aren't too bad Alistair. It's only the one at the end that's really steep, & it's only short.

No-one carrying a bergen ran up the hills. Walking up them is fine.  (Careful running down though with weight on your back......)

I'm planning on doing the P Coy challenge....

 Hoping to go under 1.50...

Looks a great race & fun to do something a little different!

Hi Eastham75,

I tried filling a 2l water bottle with sand, seemed to work OK but took up a bit more room weight for weightthan a brick. If you've got the room in your bag, go for it, 35lb is 35lb. I did 7.15 miles last night with 20lbs. I don't have the stats, they are in my garmin at work. However I was quite happy with it. I hurt today though, mostly in the legs. My route was hilly, I'm trying to match what we will have to do on the day. I walked up most of the hills and ran the rest. I'll put the stats in another mail.

just done my first 3 mile run in the boots.

Link to militarykit.com !!!!!

Sent my entry for the p-coy challenge off last week. 

Been running in boots once a week for the last few months. 

Pulled a groin muscle before christmas which knocked me back & haven't been able to train as hard since.  Still not 100% but can do most everything except full sprints & too much ab work.

Finally got a rucksack (karrimor delta 35) last week and ran on Monday with it for the first time with 6.3kg/14lb (and boots).  5.2 miles in 47 minutes and absolutely knackered, but ran all the way including some (though not major) up-hill.  No aches or pains & felt ok next day.

Time well within the 11min/mile required to complete p-coy challenge in 1:50.  Will stick to 6 miles and slowly increase the weight (1-2kg/week), then when up to 25-30lb start increasing the distance up to 10 miles while trying not to slow down too much as the terrain will slow me down further on the day.

I'm using bags of flour for the weight - 1.5kg bags are 43p each.  Heavy but not too compact, and soft.  doesn't need too much padding.  Just stuffed a light sleeping back into the rucksack and popped the bags of flour down the middle of the sleeping bag.  Put paper flour bags in plastic bags & taped up so they don't rip/burst/leak etc.

Rucksack is nice & tight against the back.  Jumps up and down a bit but that will probably stop as the weight increases.  No aches at all just one of the straps rubbing against my neck but not painful.  Might look for a running top with a bit of a turtleneck so it doesn't become an issue.