Running Dad

When Dreams Come True

2011-09-05T03:17:00.000-07:00

It’s difficult to describe the events of last weekend. Normally after a race, you can summarise it fairly concisely as the events happened over a relatively short space of time. The UTMB is different. I have been trying to come up with a phrase that would give it credit, that would convey the physical and emotional extremes that it puts you through and the sheer scale of the whole event and the best I can come up with is “EPIC”

I do not intend trying to put down every detail of the race from start to finish, to do so would be a physical challenge in itself and I do not have the appropriate literary skills to do it justice and so what follows is a summary of my race and some of the highs and lows that made this one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Ready To Go

The start of the race was delayed by 5 hours to allow a storm front to pass over but it was still raining heavily when we set off on Friday night at 11:30pm. 2,300 gortex clad runners elbowing their way through the centre of Chamonix to the cheers of the equally bedraggled crowds until we eventually disappeared into the darkness. Despite the huge number of runners, it is eerily quiet with everyone lost in their own thoughts and the mix of nationalities and languages preventing much conversation.
I trotted along at a steady pace trying to take in the atmosphere and get my head around the fact that this was actually it. This was the race I had been thinking about for 2 years and that had kept me awake at night for the last month as I went over and over the possible outcomes.
The rain continued to fall making the ground increasingly muddy and the first main climb out of Les Houche and down to St Gervais was like something out of It’s a Knockout with runners slipping and falling all over the place. St Gervais was my first taste of a UTMB checkpoint and it was amazing. 3 o’clock in the morning and there is a full on party happening. Music is blaring, there are people everywhere shouting and waving and runners looking startled as they emerge out of the darkness into the bright lights of the town centre.

The checkpoints are all pretty much set up in the same way with two rows of tables, one with food listed as “salty” one listed as “sweet”. There is also tea, coffee, coke, energy drink and soup. They are fabulous and I was initially somewhat taken aback as to what I should eat. I went for the soup in the end and some cake, cheese, ham, dark chocolate and coke (breakfast of kings!) and this was generally the pattern I followed at each one.
Feeling re-energised I set off out of the checkpoint and immediately bumped into Ian King. Ian had started last year but was a victim of the poor texting service when the race was stopped and then re-started the next day. He was back to complete some unfinished business and I am delighted to say that he went on to finish in around 44 hours looking strong.
I was running comfortably and reached the next checkpoint, filled up with what was becoming my standard fare and then ran on. I had lost track of Ian through here and left on my own unsure if he was ahead of me or behind me. The first main climb was looming however and so I found my rhythm and headed onwards and upwards.
The Col du Bonhomme sits at 2,500m and was the first real test of my climbing skills. On the early part of the climb, I was struggling to stay awake and found myself staggering from side to side as I kept dozing off. Luckily, the next checkpoint appeared and, full once more, I continued on the steepening climb into the gradually lightening sky. I actually found this climb not too bad and went over the top feeling quite please with how it had gone. The descent, however was a different kettle of fish and I gingerly plodded my way all the way down the other side for what felt like an eternity with my knees protesting at each drop.
It was now fully light although still cloudy and quite cool with no sign of the sun offering to make an appearance. Into the next checkpoint, fill my boots (not literally) and off out again onto a long road section gradually gaining height. Not long out of the checkpoint, John Malcolm appeared beside me and the two of us shared our experiences so far and pushed along the road steadily passing people the whole way. John and I would end up running together pretty much all the way into Courmayer (half way) from here with each of us taking turns to keep the other going.
We left the road and set off up the next long climb and again I was feeling strong and set a good steady rhythm although John was finding the climb hard and so tucked in behind me. As we got higher, it started to get colder and eventually the snow came on. By the time we got to the top, it was a full on blizzard and I was wearing all my gear including hat and gloves. Not wanting to linger, we pressed on over the top and started the descent down and out of the worst of the weather towards the Lac Combal checkpoint. Just before we got there we met up with George Reid who was having a tough time but still going strong so the three of us came into the checkpoint together.

Just Like Being at Home

It was now around lunchtime on Saturday and the clouds were finally starting to clear to let us see the landscape in which we had been running. It was quite stunning with high peaks all around and hanging glaciers sitting in between each one. It is not easy to concentrate on your footing when you’re trying to take in such amazing scenery. It was warming up now and I started to shed some of my excess clothing as we climbed up to the next summit. Still feeling pretty good I set a steady pace up the climb with George and John for company. Over the top and the long, long descent down into Courmayer.
The descent starts fairly gently down to the aid station aid but then takes a cruel turn and the drop down into Courmayer itself is s series of never ending switchbacks with the occasional glimpse of Courmayer through the forest which never seemed to get closer. Finally we were spat out onto the road and with quivering, tired legs I trotted into the main checkpoint to pick up my drop bag and regroup.
Courmayer is the half way point in terms of mileage but certainly not in terms of stage in the race. Despite that; as I sat eating my pasta (well, we were in Italy now!) I was thinking to myself “15 hours to here, OK, lets double that to make 30 hours and add 2 or 3 hours to allow for slowing down – hmmm, that’s about 33 hours! Bloody hell I’m going well” How naïve I was but in my defence, I was tired and not thinking straight.
I changed my socks and put on a clean shirt before packing up and heading off out the door. I had, however, made one fatal mistake. I had put some Vaseline in my drop back with the intention of reapplying it to certain areas but for some reason decided against it and set off without doing so. I don’t wish to go into too many details but suffice to say, later in the race I experienced some of the worst “butt chaffage” it has ever been my misfortune to suffer!
John had left just ahead of me and George was still in the checkpoint when I left so I was on my own again. On the steep pull out of the town I passed John again and kept up a strong pace up through the forest to the next checkpoint. I was still feeling quite good after my stop at Courmayer so was in and out of the next checkpoint quickly and set off along the runnable path that traverses the valley. It was starting to get cold again as the sun was beginning to set but the view to my left was staggering. Mont Blanc was completely clear and the snow capped peaks surrounding it made an amazing sight in the fading light. The wind was picking up now and with the sun having gone it was getting colder. I tried to pick up the pace to generate some heat as I wasn’t yet back in my warmer gear and found that I was running well and keeping up a strong pace. I dropped down to the checkpoint and set about putting on all my warm gear once more.
By now, I had been going for around 22 hours and although I was still running, I was getting tired, my knees were hurting a bit and I had a couple of blisters forming on my feet and so coming out of the checkpoint I had my first low point of the race. I think it was a combination of the increasing cold and wind and the fading light but for no apparent reason I suddenly started feeling really emotional and before I knew it, the tears were streaming down my face! I wasn’t sad, I wasn’t in pain, I was actually enjoying the race but for some reason, I was crying – go figure.
Anyway, I was setting off up the next big climb but decided that before I did I would call home so I sheltered behind a rock and spent 5 minutes talking to Eve and the kids. It was great to hear them and it gave me the boost I needed to get back in the game.
The light was fading fast and the temperature continued to drop so I put my head torch on and pressed on upwards and onwards. I was starting to flag a bit now and struggled to keep the pace high enough but eventually a glow of light in the distance signaled the summit and after getting my number scanned I dropped down over the top and almost straight away, the wind disappeared. I latched on to another small group who were making good progress down the descent in what was now pitch darkness and despite my increasing fatigue and knee pain, I managed to stay with them as we wound our way down to the next checkpoint at La Foully.
This checkpoint was really busy and, as it turned out later, was where a lot of people decided to drop out. I met up with Jamie Thin and Bob Allison here and we compared our various levels of exhaustion and mood but set off separately.
The next stage to Champex Lac was a very dark section through the woods and my headtorch was used to full effect. However, as an added bit of interest, I had now started experiencing tunnel vision. It was a bizarre sensation and quite worrying at first as I didn’t know whether it was a symptom of something more serious. I decided just to crack on and see what it was like once I got back into some natural light.
After 20 minutes or so I caught up with Jamie Thin and Richard ? and we chatted away as we started the climb up to the next checkpoint, first passing a rather strange mobile disco set-up where our numbers were scanned. We assumed that the food stop would be immediately after but the climb continued and there was no sign of any life up ahead. Jamie and Richard were really struggling by now with both wanting food and sleep so we stopped briefly to take on a gel before carrying on only to come out at the feed station about 5 minutes later.
This is another major checkpoint and as well as the usual food and drink, there are camp beds laid out so that runners can have a sleep if they want. Jamie and Richard both decided that they would go and lie down for 20 minutes but I knew that if I lay down I would struggle to get going again. At this checkpoint, I met up with an English guy called Neil who had done the race last year and was feeling strong so we decided to head off together. Because of the previous night’s storms, they had changed the route at this point and instead of heading up Bovine, we were directed down to Martigny for an alternative climb and an extra 8k. The descent went on forever, and we descended through endless forests dropping further and further before what we knew would be the inevitable climb back up. My knees were really hurting now and the steep descent was hard going but we pressed on and eventually reached the bottom as daylight started to break.
We stopped at the bottom of the descent and got out of our excess gear as the day was promising to be very warm. After a somewhat unnecessary trip through the woods , we started out on what would be the penultimate climb of the day but what a climb! Up until now, the climbs had tended to meander and zig zag their way to the summits; this one however took a more direct route – straight up. For the next 1,000M we didn’t bend or turn but took a direct line which was to prove the final demise of my diminishing strength. Neil climbed strongly and so I tucked in behind him, put my head down and tried not to look up desperately hoping to see the approaching summit.
Eventually we topped out and after a short break, set off down to Trient, our next checkpoint. It is difficult to say which was worse, climbing or descending. I was in a lot of pain when I bent my knees and so climbing was hard going as I tried to lift my feet up and forward and coupled with the effort required to drag my body upwards, climbing was not good. Descending on the other hand was no better, the impact of dropping down each step was also causing my knees a lot of pain and the blisters on my feet; which had long since burst, objected to being forced forward in my shoes on each step. However, I knew that we were getting closer to the end and so pressed on. I can honestly say that at no point during the whole race did I ever contemplate dropping out. As far as I was concerned, that was not an option and as long as I was ahead of the cut-offs and could walk, I would keep going.
We stopped at Trient checkpoint and refueled before setting off on the final climb. My mind seemed to have gone into a state of numbness and looking up at the next climb, there was no dread or concern but just an acceptance of that’s what we had to do so we would just go and do it. I took the lead on this climb with Neil behind and although not fast, I managed a steady pace for most of the way but was now really struggling with the combination of fatigue and knee and foot pain. I was letting more and more people past now and when the summit finally came it was met with both relief and dread at the prospect of another descent. Neil had been holding back to keep me company but it was clear that he was stronger than me at this stage and so I urged him to press on and I would see him at the finish. So for the first time in around 6 hours, I was on my own and to be honest, that suited me now. I needed to really retreat into my thoughts now and try to maintain a focus on keeping moving. The climb had taken just over an hour and the descent took my 1½ hours of painful shuffling and staggering but the final checkpoint finally came into view and I shuffled in with growing relief that it should be easy going from here to the finish.
After a brief visit to the medical tent (remember my chaffing issues!) I set off into the full sun for the final 12k of trail down the valley into Chamonix. I had hoped that there would still be some running in my legs that would allow me to make up some time here and finish strongly but try as I might, I could manage no more that 20 or 30 strides before I had to stop and walk. The path was a very rocky route and each rock had to be carefully negotiated to avoid having to bend my knees up and forward. When this wasn’t possible, I would wince in pain as I stepped up and over. Occasionally I managed something resembling a shuffle before settling back into my metronomic walk - step, pole, step, pole.
My brain had now shut down and I was experiencing some very vivid hallucinations along this final stretch. Mostly heads and faces along the side of the path which I knew weren’t real but I could stare at them and almost felt like I could have reached out and touched them. There were also the minis. I kept seeing a pair of minis parked up ahead on the trail which was extremely frustrating as each time I saw them, I though the end of the trail was ahead and that I would be heading down into Chamonix for the finish only to get closer and realise that there was nothing there but more trail!
After four hours (for 12k!) Chamonix finally came into view and my heart lifted that it was all about to end. This moment that I had thought about and dreamed about for so long was about to happen. Throughout the race I had not allowed myself to think about the end, it was too far away and too many things could happen, so for the past 42 hours it had been one checkpoint at a time. Now it was here. I knew that there would be friends in Chamonix cheering me in and I also knew that, given that it was 5pm, Chamonix would busy with people. As I emerged onto the street and was directed onto the final run in I was struggling to hold it together. Determined to try and run this last few hundred yards I put on some kind of parody of a shuffle as the shouts of “Bravo”, “Courage” and “Allez” came my way.
I turned the final corner in towards the square and Karen and George were there along with Flip, John, Mark and Helen all cheering and shouting. Karen was talking to me telling which way to go and saying what a great job I had done but I couldn’t speak. I knew if I did I would completely break down and so I kept going. Karen handed me a Saltire and suddenly I was running – not fast but definitely running. I could see the finish line now, the announcer was shouting something in French I couldn’t understand but it didn’t matter, I was going to cross the line; bloody hell, I was actually going to do it!
Then it was over.
42 hours 35 mins (701st out of 2300 starters)
As soon as I crossed the line, Karen George and Flip were there to catch me and let me sit down. I felt completely elated but also completely helpless. They ushered me through the funnel, helped my pick up my gilet and get my wrist band cut-off and then gave me a seat and one of the best beers I have ever had.
I am incredibly touched by the support shown by my friends who were in Chamonix with me. Particularly George, Karen and Flip who despite their immense disappointment at not completing the event themselves cheered and shouted me home with genuine enthusiasm – you are special people; thank you.

Told You I could Do It!

Here's to the Dreamers - God bless us all!

2011-08-11T05:49:00.000-07:00

I've always managed to live beyond my means. I'm not one to let a lack of ability, or talent prevent me from embarking on a course that perhaps a wiser or more rational head would have decided was folly.

This has manifested itself over the years in a number of ways; buying my first flat when I had no money, singing in a band when I couldn't sing, starting my own business without any real clue about what I was doing and running in ridiculously long races when I don't train enough. However, here I am, 45 years in to this life and when I pause and look back I realise that I wouldn't have done any of these if I hadn't taken that leap of faith each time. To hang on to that unshakeable belief that I could do these things if I really wanted to and to not loose sight of the dream.

I've always been a bit of a dreamer. Not your whimsical, "wouldn't it be great if I could fly!" type of dreamer but more practical, real things that focus your energies and give you a faint glimmer of hope that says "why not? - I could do that!" Life is too short to hang around and wait for things to happen, you need to go out there and get them. You need to make your own luck and have a hand in your own future and to grab the chances that present themselves to you. Enjoy these moments when they come, savour them and embrace them and recognise the fact that you made them happen.

Andy Cole spoke in his last blog about finishing the Ultra Tour of the Lake District 100 mile race and that whilst most people would summon up a run in the last half mile or so to finish strongly in front of the crowd, he prefers to take his time. He wants to enjoy these last few moments, to drink in the atmosphere, to recognise the applause, the enjoy the satisfaction of all the hard work and effort that has gone in to this moment. I like that. I have blogged in the past about "enjoying the journey" and this is exactly it. If my cup of life is filled to the brim then I am going to drink it down and enjoy every drop - and then go back for a refill!

So does all of this have some point? Am I going anywhere with this? Well in a little over two weeks time I'll be in Chamonix for the start of the UTMB, 105 miles and 29,000 feet of racing in what is the premier event of it's kind in Europe. Have I trained and prepared properly? - No. Am I experienced in races of this nature? - No. Do I believe I can do it? - Hell yes!

How can I honestly believe that I can do this? - Well, in my head, many times, I have run down the main street in Chamonix in the early hours of Sunday morning with the cheers and shouts of "allez, allez" and with the finish line coming in to view. I raise my arms as I cross the line; I've done it. So I can dream it and I can imagine it and I have deep, deep down belief that I can do it.

So to the other dreamers who are joining me in Chamonix, who want to grab a slice of life a savour every morsel along the way, I raise my glass and say "Salut - bon chance mes amis!"

Response to Comments

2011-06-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all your comments on my last post - very helpful.
I'll take them one at a time if I may:
Tim - It's a long time since I've been referred to as a Youngster and for that, I thank you.
MtM - Wise words as ever and I will continue to seek out some hills - at walking pace.
John K - You're right when you say that if I don't go, I'll never know how I would have done.
Andy C - Your words probably struck the biggest chord with me. My own view has been that running is secondary in this event (except for the fast boys at the sharp end of the race). What is important is the ability to keep on going, to never give up and the finish line will surely come, Determination, I have in shed loads!
Ritchie - I admire your view and your TTFU attitude. There is some merit in that but I am wary of pushing too hard and setting myself back even further.
TM - Beer and whisky are always beneficial!
Debs - It is very difficult not to be influenced by the financial outlays made so far but you are right - what would my position be if these issues were set aside?
So, the upshot of all this is that I currently have no intention of pulling out. I will keep cross training like a demon, Climb hills when I can and keep the physio and stretching going so that hopefully, I'll be back to my ususal mediocre form in no time.
Stuart Mills posted recently about the Ultra Running community and the willingness of it's members to support and help each other irrespective of where you come at the finish line. Thank you to all who commented.

There's no going back now!

2011-05-31T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have ran a total of 28 miles in May! - Given that I am in training for UTMB, a race which consists of 105 miles of trail and 29,000 feet of ascent, 28 miles is not very much.
14 of those miles were in the week following the Highland Fling and it was during them that I felt the pain in my ankle which has subsequently been diagnosed as Posterior Tibial Tendonitis. It appears it is a general overuse injury and I had hoped that with sufficient rest, stretching and icing it would clear up in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we are now four weeks down the line and after a brief 5 miles last night I can report that it is still painful.
I haven't been completely idle in the last month and I have been cycling and using the step machine in the gym but it's not quite the same. This is the time when I should be out there putting in big miles on big hills - but I'm not, and I'm worried.
With just under 3 months to go till UTMB I am seriously concerned about my ability to finish. So what do I do?
UTMB, for me at least, is likely to be a "once in a lifetime" event. I have paid my entrance fee, I have paid for my flights, I have bought some expensive new equipment so, in short, I've laid out a lot of dosh in order to take part. There is also the issue of the ballot. This year I was successful, next year I may not be. So I am loathe to pull out and see all this go to waste.
I have never yet DNF'd. Now I know that at some point this may happen but not yet and not in UTMB. Should I start and risk having to pull out part way through or should I DNS rather than DNF? I am stubborn bugger and I know that if I start, it will take a serious issue for me not to finish, but at what cost? Struggling on to complete a road marathon is a different kettle of fish to battling my way over some serious mountains after 40+ hours of effort.
So what do I do?
I plan to continue to cross train and hope that my ankle improves sufficiently to allow me some proper hill time prior to August. I'm not pulling out yet but at the moment I am struggling to get my mind to accept what my body is telling me!

More on the Fling

2011-05-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the various comments on my last report. Many of them refer to the same suggestion of taking S Caps during the race to help replace lost salts - guess what? - I was!

I took one every hour so maybe that wasn't enough but I hope to find out a bit more after my visit to the Nutritionist on Monday.

From the photo below, you can see from my shirt just how much salt I had lost.

You can also tell that I was not in a particularly cheery, fresh state!

A few other pictures from the day:

Looking calm and relaxed before the start - little did I know what was to come!

Mustering before the start

Managing something almost like a run at the finish.

More of a Flop than a Fling

2011-05-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

My fourth running of the Montane Highland Fling and I was feeling fairly positive and determined to get under 11 hours at last. I've never had a good run in this race despite being convinced I should be able to get nearer 10 hours - maybe this year would be different.
My problem in previous years has been debilitating cramp which kicks in around 30 miles or so and sees me hobbling between bouts of muscle spasms in my hamstrings and calfs. I had a new strategy this year and had changed my drink of choice and had even put in some ready salted crisps at the Inversnaid drop bag to prevent the dreaded 30 mile threshold.
The weather was stunning and I set of feeling good and reached Drymen in about 1:55 - slightly faster than I had planned but feeling very comfortable. I trotted up through what remains of the forrest and then started the climb up Conic Hill. As I reached the top and was admiring the view, my right hamstring cramped up! - I couldn't believe it - only 20 miles in and I was suffering already.
The rest of the race kind of went downhill from there! - I was mentally defeated by the time I reached Rowardennan and for the next 25 miles I shuffled along at a snails pace. Every time I started to run at a reasonable pace, my hamstrings would cramp up and then, after a while, obviously feeling left out, my calfs and quads decided to join in.
The heat didn't help I'm sure but I don't think that was the only cause. I had one spectacular moment climbing the hill just after going under the road at Carmyle cottage when my hamstring and quad both cramped at the same time! - It was impossible to stretch either of them as the opposing muscle just screamed in objection!
Anyway, the long and short of it was that I plodded on and crossed the line in a personal worst of 12 hours 5 mins feeling pretty pissed off. The icing on the cake was that I was told that the cold bottle of Coors that was meant to be given to each finisher wasn't there as they had run out!
So what to make of all this?
I'm sure my problems come from my hydration and nutrition strategy and so with this in mind, i've booked in to see a Nutritionist next Monday to get some advice. Hopefully this will give me some confidence back for the rest of the season. Despite running more miles so far this year than in the previous two years, I haven't had many long (25mile +) runs which I think made a difference.
On the positive side, I didn't give up, despite it crossing my mind a few times and although I wasn't able to run, I could have kept walking beyond Tyndrum so, with the reduced pace of UTMB in mind, that's no bad thing. However, what is also clear is that I need to get the finger out and put in some serious hill time and long miles.
As with every year though, the Fling is a fantastic race, superbly organised by Murdo and Ellen (despite running out of beer!) and I'm sure I'll be back next year to try and rid these deamons!

Mike Cudahy - Inspirational Words

2011-02-09T01:45:00.000-08:00

I have just finished reading Mike Cudahy's book Wild Trails to Far Horizons - again. For those who haven't heard of Mike, he is one of our greatest "Ultra" runners whose achievements include being the first person to complete the 270 mile Pennine Way in under 3 days (on his 7th attempt) and he completed the "Coast to Coast" in under 2 days.

His book, "Wild Trails to far Horizons" is a fantastic tale of his adventures and achievements and his talent for running is matched by his talent for words. It was after completing his sub 2 day Coast to Coast run in what were challenging conditions to say the least and overcoming the mental battle to retire on a number of occassions that he wrote the following words which I thought captured the emotion and sense of fulfillment that I have shared on completing the West Highland Way. I hope he doesn't mind me quoting from his book.

"Never have I felt such sheer and simle joy at the end of a run. Moments such as these not only provide the answer to why one does things like this but why we are alive at all. One moment of such joy is worth far more than countless years of steady rational living. To have encountered hardship, discomfort, to have experienced one's physical, mental and spiritual limitations and weaknesses, to have found a path beyond them, not conquering them but accepting and yet transcending them, to have been supported, guarded and guided lovingly by friends represents, for me, a joy both sublime and supreme. I ask for no more."

If you haven't read his book - I would urge you to do so and see what running really is about.

Hill Reps

2011-02-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

My training for Mont Blanc has begun in earnest and in an attempt to gauge my current "state" I thought I would head off last Friday and do some hill reps.
Now bearing in mind that Mont Blanc has around 29,000 foot of ascent, a few sprints up the hill from my house wasn't really going to cut it so I set off first thing in the morning to Rowardennan where there was a slightly larger hill to use.
It's been a long time since I climbed Ben Lomond but it all seemed very familiar as I headed up through the trees and onto the hillside. Four and a half hours later I returned to the car after two consecutive trips to the summit and back.
On the whole, I felt pretty good. As I suspected, my climbing is fairly solid and I can keep a good pace most of the way up. Where I struggle is on the descents, partly through being a wimp and partly due to my weak ankles but the path is generally pretty good and there were no mishaps.
I used my sons trekking poles for the first time and these were fanatstic for the climb and will be a very helpful addition to my kit list in August.
The main thing that came out of my hill session was that for the next two days my quads were really painful. This is down to the descents rather than the climbing and is something I need to work on over the next few months.
So there we go. The first of many trips to hills and and a taster of things to come. All together now - "Oh, the Grand Old Duke of York, he had....................."

UTMB! OMG! TTFU!

2011-01-19T05:09:00.000-08:00

You know what they say, "be careful what you wish for" well, for the past few months I have been wishing for a place in this years UTMB - and guess what; this afternoon I got my wish.

http://www.ultratrailmb.com/

This is fantastic news but it does mean that things have to kind of get serious now. My training has gone really well over the last couple of months and, despite the poor weather, I managed my highest monthly mileage for 2 1/2 years in December! - thank goodness for micro-spikes. January has satrted off well and I've joined a gym to try and put in some strength work.

At the moment my weekly schedule looks something like this:

Monday - 6:30am gym

Tuesday - Steady 5 miles

Wednesday - either run to and from work (7 miles each way) or a 10 mile run in the evening

Thursday - 6:30am gym

Friday - run to and from work

Saturday - rest

Sunday - long run (15 - 20 miles)

This equates to around 50 miles per week and given my other committments is probably about as much as I can manage. I aim to take 1 day off work a month and do a long day in the hills and make one of my Sunday runs a month up around the 25-30 mile mark.

Now that the reality of have a place has sunk in, I'll need to have a look at my schedule and see what changes I need to make. I'll need to calm down first though!!!!!!

Me and my girl

2010-11-29T02:40:00.001-08:00

Sunday morning, 7:00am, the first footprints on the West Highland Way and me and my girl spend 2 1/2 glorious hours running through the trails and woods.

An evening run

2010-10-06T02:58:00.000-07:00

I had a hard few weeks with work. Clients were being overly demanding, staff were stressed and we were all working flat out. Tonight's run therefore was more for my head than my body.

I set off out of the door and turned up the road heading towards the woods that skirt around the golf course. The sky was still light and clear although the sun was starting to dip and a slight chill forced me to set off at a brisk pace to warm up. My legs felt great and the immediate release out into the fresh air felt good.

The first 1/4 mile is uphill and is always a a bit of a shock to my system as it wakes up to the realisation that it is going running but tonight felt comfortable from the start. I turned at the top of the road and joined the woodland path as it wound its way through the trees, my feet hardly making a sound on the soft earth but my thoughts still wrestling with the issues of the day and the problems of tomorrow. I disturbed a small deer who looked as shocked as me as I rounded a corner and it bounded away effortlessly as if teasing me to chase it.

My breathing was coming easily and steady as I sped along the path by the small loch, my legs had found a rythm now and I started to look around and take in my surroundings in the fading light.

The next two miles were all woodland path, a few steep climbs and one or two descents didn't disrupt my rythym and I kept pushing on, the sound of my breathing and footsteps accompanied by the evening birdsong as they found a roost for the night. There was no-one else around tonight, the usual dog walkers were done for the day and the golfers ensconsed at the 19th hole and I revelled in the glorious isolation as my mind started to clear and focus on the here and now.

I left the woods and turned onto the country lane that leads me further out on my route, a stiff climb up to Baldernock Church and I was breathing hard but clear and strong. My arms working as hard as my legs as I pushed to the top of the hill and headed out along quiet farm roads. I kept glancing over my shoulder to watch the sun as it began to disappear behind the distant hills in a final burst of orange and I returned to my rythym, strong and steady.

Cows glanced up from the adjacent fields to see me run by, expressionless and unimpressed, they returned to their grazing and I turned the corner to start the climb to my turnaround point. The road climbs steeply before giving way to a farm track and I am pushing hard now, legs are starting to hurt and my breathing is getting faster but it feels good; no, it feels great! I push on, harder still as I see the small cairn on top of the hill getting closer. The sun is now just a faint red glow behind my left shoulder but there is still enough light in the sky to make out the path and I bound over the small puddles left by the previous days rain as climb higher and higher before finally arriving at the cairn.

I stand there breathing hard, sweat pouring down my face and look around me to take in the view before darkness fully takes hold. Ben Lomond in the distance one way and the lights of Glasgow the other. Finally, as the sound of my breathes subsides, I am left with complete stillness, there is not a sound to be heard and the breeze that had chilled me when I set off is now completely gone.

I am conscious however of the fading light so I turn and set off back down the path I have just come up. My pace getting faster and faster as gravity takes hold and I am just barely able to make out my footing in the darkness. Onto the road now and throwing caution to the wind I speed up faster still, my legs shuddering with each footfall and my arms flailing like a windmill as I eventually reach the level once more and return to my rythym.

I decide to stay on the road all the way back as darkness has now descended and the woodland path is not a sensible option. The road rollercoasters up and down and I push on hard, totally absorbed now in the act of running. The darkness having robbed me of my sight, I am totally tuned in to what I am doing. Legs are hurting but going strong, breathing is fast but clear, arms pumping as I climb and relaxing as I descend and my mind in its own place, at peace yet completely absorbed.

As I approach the top of my road, the streetlights break my focus and I ease back and jog the last few yards back to my front door. 11 miles done and I am elated, tired and completely stress free.

That's why I run!

RAW

2010-09-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

See me eh? two posts within a week.

Saturday saw me at the start line for the 41 mile River Ayr Way (RAW) Challenge. Feeling particularly unprepared, I decided to set off at a nice steady 9min mile pace and see how long I could keep it going for. I had set myself a 7hrs 30min target which seemed reasonable if not too challenging.
The first few miles went by ok and I was running comfortably right on pace. This was my first time on the route and I was pleasantly surprised by how scenic it was. It starts with a lot of open farmland and rough grazing and then as it gets closer in towards the coast, there is a lot of natural woodland and some beautiful trails along the rivers edge.
I kept a nice even pace and despite one minor naivigation hic-cup I was feeling pretty happy about how things were going. In a bid to try and stave off my dreaded cramp problems, I had decided to drink an isotonic fluid rather than water and so I topped up with my individual sachets of High 5 at various stages along the way. I am please to say that I didn't experience any cramp whatsoever - so a bit of a result there!
I went through the marathon in 4hrs 15mins and although going ok I was starting to feel the effects of my lack of training miles. Still, I seemed to be picking off other runners now and again so I was still feeling remarkably upbeat.
By about 31 miles, I started to struggle and over the next mile or so my pace dropped and was interspersed with the occassional walk. I managed to adopt a nice little routine of running 200 steps and then walking 100 and so on. I kept a close eye on my Garmin and just focussed on ticking off the next mile, then the next one and then the next one. This worked really well and my overall pace settled out at about 10:30 and gradually he miles ticked by until I found myself on the long road section by Auchencruive.
By now I knew I was going to make it and so ditched the number counting and pressed on as best I could. I managed to pass another couple of runners in the lat mile or so and crossed the line in 7hrs 11mins.
Overall I was pretty pleased with my performance, not exactly a contender but I think I finished about 35th out of around 80 starters so I'm happy with that.
This was also the last race in the SUMS (Scottish Ultra Marathon Series) and with me now having 4 races completed my name appears in 37th place overall and 10th Male Vet.

So what next? I'm going to ease back a bit over the next few weeks and enjoy some nice easy running. I've got the Saab Salomon Turbo X run in Mugdock Park in a couple of weeks which is a bit of a novelty event run through mud, rivers, steep hils and trails and although 10 miles it is more about the enjoyment rather than a time.

October sees the entries for next years WHW Race opening but my main focus on next year will be on the UTMB. I am hoping to get a ballot place in the January draw so in anticipation, I need to start getting some time in the hills!

Where the hell have you been!

2010-09-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have not disappeared off the face of the planet - I am alive and well and active, I just don't seem to have had time to put much of my life down on "paper" as it were.

Anyway, this is just a brief note by way of a catch up but I promise to be slightly more proactive in the blogging stakes.

Much has happened since the WHW Race in June. Still on a high, I had two fabulous weeks in France, resting, drinking large amounts of wine and I even managed 3 runs. A week after I got back I was on the starting line for the Clydestride and finished in just over 7 hours but was once again plagued with cramp from about 30 miles onwards. Not sure what I'm doing wrong here as I was eating "S" Caps like sweeties but they didn't seem tobe making a difference.

Bit of a rest through August having had to pull out of the Speyside Way due to other commitments but then completed my 21st running of the Glasgow Half Marathon in a time of 1hr 34mins. I has set off on a sub 1hr 30min pace but after about 3 miles I realised it wasn't going to happen to eased off and came in 3 mins slower than last year. I'm sure I've got a sub 1:30 half in me if only I got round to training for one!

My planned 4th run at the Longmynd Hike was scuppered due to an over subscribed entry and the usual woeful race admin not sending me the email alert to let me know entries were open. As a last minute decision, I have therefore decided to run the River Ayr Way Race (RAW) tomorrow which will give me 4 counting events for the SUMS (Scottish Ultra Marathon Series). I feel particularly undertrained for 41 miles but I plan to set off really gently and plod round in somewhere near 7hours 30mins.

That's you pretty much up to date. It feels good to be back in blog land so watch this space!

WHW Race Report

2010-06-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

So there I was, lined up on the start line outside Milngavie Train Station for the 3rd year in a row, ready to start the journey to Fort William, 95 miles away in what I hoped would be less than a day. After a short briefing and a speech by Adrian Stott, the horn sounded and we were off into the dark of Mugdock Park.

My preparation had been about the same as previous years with me just coming under 1,000 miles for the year to date and managing my last long run 3 weeks before the race. The main difference this year was that I had managed to stay injury free so far and, other than the remains of a lingering cold, I was feeling pretty good.

The first few miles ticked away easily under remarkably light skies for 2:00am in the morning and I got to Drymen in just over 2hours exactly as planned. I met Eve and Cameron who would be my back up until Rowardennan and after a quick rice pudding and some words of encouragement I was off heading towards Conic Hill.

By now; 3:00am; it was light enough to turn my head torch off and I chatted away to some other runners as we headed through the forrest and caught our first sight of Conic Hill silhoueted against the skyline. I took it nice and steady up and over and got to Balmaha feeling good although the thighs felt the effects of the 20 miles covered so far. Another quick pit stop and I was away.

I have always hated this section to Rowardenan. I don't know why because it is stunning running alongside the loch as the sun comes up and there water is as smooth as glass. There is a lot of climbing on this section which surprises a lot of people and so my plan today was to take my time, just think about the 10 feet in front of me and try to find a rythym that I could keep up. It seemed to work as I came into Rowardennan fairly unscathed and met Eve and Cameron for the last time. Well, I should say I met Eve as Cameron was fast asleep in the car and it seemed unfair to wake him. They were going to go home after this, hand over to my second team and then, after a couple of hours rest come up and see me into Bridge of Orchy before going on up to Fort William for the finish.

The midges chased me out of Rowardennan and I started the long drag up the hill by the lochside trying to walk hard on the climbs and run everything else. In contrast to the previous section, I really like the stretch coming into Inversnaid and I was enjoying myself on the twists and turns along the water's edge and before long I arrived at the hotel and picked up my drop bag. It's always difficult trying to decide what to put in a drop bag as you tend to be making them up 24 hours before you need them and you need to anticipate what you'll want to eat and drink. As it turned out, my fruit bowl and mars bar was a winning choice and I devoured the lot, thanked the check point marshalls and set off.

By now the sun was up and we could see the hills across the loch being bathed in sunshine. I could tell it was going to be warm but for the moment, I remained in the cool shade of the trees and I skipped along over the roots and rocks that form this stretch up to Bein Glas Farm. This is the stretch that I had been hit with cramp during the Highland Fling and so I was very wary and nervous that the same thing would happen again. As it turned out, I didn't experience any cramp all day!

I arrived at Bein Glas on schedule but now starting to tire and met my 2nd support crew of Alistair, Donald, David and Pete (2 brothers, father and father-in-law). I asked for my hat, sun cream and a lucozade alert - none of which they had. It must be said, that they weren't on my list for that pit stop but I'm allowed to change my mind! After a quick dash back to the car, Donald arrived with the request and suitably attired, I set off once more.

It was now starting to get warm and I could feel the affects of the 40 miles covered so far and plodded along the route to Derrydaroch struggling to keep some pace going on anything but the longer descents. After climbing up the other side of the main road onto the "coo poo" path I managed to rally a bit and trotted through the gate and into the forrest above Crianlarich. The field was well spread out by this time and only occassionally did I get sight of other runners in front and I was playing yo-yo with a couple of guys as we went over the roller coaster of the hills through the forrest.

I came out onto the main road and managed to trot into Auchtertyre feeling OK. After being weighed (2kg down) I met my crew and tried to find something to eat. It is usually at this point that my stomach objects to anything going in and I really couldn't face eating anything. In the end I opted for a pork pie!

The next stretch to Tyndrum is only three miles but over that stretch I felt as though someone had pulled a plug and all my energy just drained out. I went from feeling fairly positive going into Auchtertyre to complete and utter exhaustion and depression by the time I got to Tyndrum. I sat down outside Brodies Store and for the first time that day, felt that maybe I couldn't actually do this. If I closed my eyes I would have been asleep instantly and I felt I didn't have the strength to stand-up let alone run. My team rallied round and we decided that I needed to try and eat something so after a few minutes I got up and accompanied by a marmalade roll, headed slowly up the hill out of Tyndrum. Over the next few minutes I slowly munched my way through this roll and plodded, head bowed, along the path. It is only through experience of running ultras that you get to know what your body can do and that if you have a bad spell, the best thing to do is to just keep moving forward and you'll come out of it. Sure enough, by the time I went under the railway line 2 miles along the path, I was feeling so much better and actually managed to run the whole section from there into Bridge of Orchy. I passed a few others along here including one chap who was running the whole way with his dog!

I finally arrved at Bridge of Orchy and, much to the surprise of my support crew, I was smiling! Eve and Cameron had arrived 5 minutes earlier so it was great to see them as well and I took a seat and topped up my supplies. The plan from here was that I would run over the hill to Victoria Bridge and Alistair would join me for the run across Rannoch Moor, however, after checking with the Marshalls, we were told that as I was still within 4 hours of the leaders I wouldn't be allowed a support runner until the White Corries. I was OK with this but I was more disappointed for Alistair who had been looking forward to his first chance to get out onto the route that day.

Up and over the hill out of Bridge of Orchy and after a quick hello the my crew at Victoria Bridge I set off across Rannoch Moor. My feet were starting to hurt by now as the route was so dry the paths were rock hard and my trail shoes were struggling to absorb the continued pounding and rocky nature of the trail. I plodded across the Moor constantly searching out the smoother side of the path and trying to keep sipping water from my camelback. The sun was high in the sky and the strong wind had been a constant companion now for the last few hours. It was helping to keep me cool but had the effect of speeding up the dehydration process many time over. Despite wearing sunglasses, it aslo seemed to be trying to dry out my contact lenses and the vision in my right eye was anything but 20:20.
I climbed out of the far end of the Moor and found Donald had run up from the checkpoint to meet me and run the last mile or so down the hill. My feet struggled to find a comfortable spot and each footfall was met with a wince as the previous 70 miles were now taking their toll.
I collapsed into the chair at the White Corries and forced down some soup and half an energy bar. As I sat there I spotted John Kynaston and Andy Cole heading out, both looking strong and steady. Alistair had decided to run the next section to the bottom of the Devils Staircase with me and so we set off slowly down the steep hill towards the Kinsghouse Hotel before the frustrating up and down path that seems to serve no other purpose than to add to my mounting woes. Running when I could and walking hard we reached Altnafeidh and Donald took over to accompany me up and over the Devils Staircase. Progress was slow but steady and after only two brief stops we finally reached to the top with stunning views in every direction. Despite the struggle up the hill, I would rather have gone back down and done it again than head off on the never ending descent into Kinlochleven. Resigned to my fate, we set off and I decided to try breaking into a run to see how my legs felt. They felt OK! This was a surprise, so we kept running and remarkably I seemed able to keep a steady pace going the whole way down to the fire road. As soon as we reached this road, we stepped it up and kept a good pace going all the way down into Kinlochleven, completing one of my strongest stages so far. Quite where it came from I don't know but it seemed to disappear just as quickly as soon as we reached the checkpoint and once again, I collapsed into the waiting chair, exhausted.
I was weighed again here and found that I had dropped 5kg; one more than I was allowed but after a quick "re-weigh" it seemed that we had misread the scales and I had actually only dropped 4kg! - It seemed I was allowed to carry on.
Alistair and I set off on the next stage and we plodded our way up the climb out of Kinlochleven and up onto the Larig Mhor. We were passed by three of four other people on the climb who all seemed to have far more in their legs than me. Reaching the top, the wind had now died down and the sun was staring to set, I was still able to marvel at the views all around. This stretch has been one of my least favourites in the past because you are able to see the trail winding away in the distance for what looks like forever and the conditions under foot are probably the worst on the whole WHW. The path is covered in fist sized rocks that shift and roll under each footstep. Bad enough on fresh legs and walking boots but a nightmare on trashed legs, blistered feet and trainers.
The one upside of this however is that you can start to sense that you are close to the finish - just 13 miles to go and it's all over and there is the faintest of magnetic pulls forcing you forward towards Fort William. It was a case of head down and crack on and we managed to run every downhill and several of the flat sections all the way into Lundavra. The path along here is surrounded on both sides with large rocks that are covered in black and white moss and lichen. The fading light, my lack of sleep and exhaustion and my dried out contact lenses meant that everyone of these rocks took on a new persona. I saw countless sheep (there were none) a white landrover (there wasn't one), a team of dwarf american footballers (now it was getting weird!) and countless faces. I decided to keep these images to myself to avoid worrying Alistair but it certainly kept up the interest as the stage went on.
We had planned a quick stop at Lundavra but by now I had realised that if we pushed on hard, we had a chance of getting in under my pb of 23hrs:30mins so we stopped long enough for Donald to join us and then it was off on the last stage.
As we reached the forrest we decided to put on the head torches and as in previous years, Donald led off, I was behind him and Alistair brought up the rear. We pushed on as hard as we dared through the darkness with me stumbling over rocks and roots as my legs struggled to co-ordinate with the terrain. Eventually we emerged from the forrest and onto the fire road for the final 2 or 3 miles in to the finish. The time was still possible but it was going to be tight so gingerly, I tried out a run once more and to my surprise found a new level of energy. The pace remained solid all the way down the road and we passed Andy Cole about a mile before Braveheart Carpark going steady and on course for his first sub 24 hours.
I kept looking at my watch and each time I increased the pace. This was crazy; I had just run 93 miles, an hour or so earlier I could barely walk and yet here we were stomping along at an ever increasing pace and feeling strong and totally focussed.
Braveheart carpark arrived and as we ran through the rest of my crew were waiting to see us. Cameron was going to join us for the run in and I shouted at him that he better be feeling fast because we were shifting!
Onto the road and the pace picked up again, a quick glance at the watch told me we had about 7 minutes to spare and I looked ahead desparate to see the 30mph sign that marks your arrival into the town. Finally it came into view and I kicked for home. Cameron had dropped off by now and I was flying flat out towards the Leisure Centre, with one eye on my watch. I passed three other runners as I sprinted into the carpark and shouted an apology at them as I sped past before bursting through the doors in a time of 23hours 25 mins!
It was a fantastic moment and I was elated and exhausted in equal measures. I shook Donald and Alistairs hand to thank them for their efforts which seemed like a wholly inadequate gesture but was as much as I could manage.
The prize giving the next day was excellent and gave an opportunity to catch up with other runners and for each one to receive their goblet in front of their peers. The new race committee have done a fantastic job in keeping the race going and maintaining the WHW Family feel - so well done to them all.
As before, my support crews were fantastic and so thanks to Eve, Cameron, Pete, David, Donald & Alistair - keep your diaries clear for next June!

WHW Race 2010

2010-06-21T05:21:00.000-07:00

(Coming into Bridge of Orchy - 60 miles: picture by Davy Hall)

A brief post to say that I finished the Race in 23hours 25mins - 5 mins inside my PB.

I realised coming into Lundavra with 7 miles to go that it was going to be close and so we pushed on hard through the forrest finishing with a mad 6 minute mile pace charge along the road out of Braveheart carpark.

Thanks to all my support crew and especially Alistair and Donald for pushing me on over the last few stages.

A stunning day with breathtaking views from start to finish - never have I seen Scotland looking better.

Full report to follow

It's The Final, "sniff" Countdown!

2010-06-15T04:52:00.001-07:00

I've got a cold - normally that's no big deal. Take some lemsip and just ride it out; it'll be gone in a few days. The trouble is that in 3 days time, I'm running a 95 mile ultra marathon through some of Scotlands finest but toughest scenery!

It's not a big cold, just a runny nose and a bit of sore throat but not the kind of pre-race build up I was hoping for. The plan was to run an easy 5 miles or so tonight to keep the legs ticking over and to gather my thoughts for the big day but I think it best if I stay indoors and keep popping the Echinachia (?)

I ran a strong race in the Milngavie & Bearsden 10k at the weekend finishing in 42mins 45secs; 10 seconds faster than last year and good enough for 10th place and now am trying to rest the legs and get my head ready for this weekend.

I try to avoid too many detailed race plans as I tend to find that, on the day, I race as I feel irrespective of what I've written down, but there is a need to have some form of strategy and plan so; in no particular order, here are my intentions:

I'd like to get inside 23 hours - last year I ran 23:30 and 24:45 the year before so I know sub 23 is in me. It would be nice to finish on the same day I started.
My pace chart shows me setting off slower than last year until about Auchtertyre when I start to overtake my timings. I need to average 14.5min/mile overall to hit sub 23.
I need to try and avoid the cramp that has plagued me in the last two Highland Fling races (but not in the WHW?) so regular "s" caps, soup and some ready salted crisps on stand-by. The forecast looks like its could be hot so plenty of water as well.
I want my suppport runners to push me on a bit harder in the later stages (Donald, Alistair - are you reading this?). Particularly along the larig mhor and down into Frt William.
If I can take 1 minute off each pit stop, I'll gain an extra 10 mins without any running!
Patience - this is very important as it's going to be a long day. I know there will be times when I get downhearted but I also know that these moments pass and I just need to keep presssing on.
Enjoy it!
Stay positive as this helps to keep the mind and body going.
Don't stop - sometimes easier said than done but the bottom line for this race is to keeping moving forward, keep putting one foot in front of the other and no matter what else happens, I will finish!

So there we go, the final run in to my 3rd WHW Race and I'm still nervous, exited and worried but I can't wait to get back out there again and put my body and mind on the line and, with the help of my fantastic support crew, experience another amazing journey to Fort William.

Pass the Lemsip..............

70 Wild Miles 'n stuff

2010-06-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I put pen to paper (so to speak) so I thought I'd provide a quick update of what's been going on.

A few weeks ago, myself and a couple of pals spent a very pleasant few days biking in the Vercors in south east France courtesy of the extremely laid back Phil Smith at Gastrobiking

http://www.gastrobiking.com/

The idea is to climb a few cols have some cake, descend a few cols, have some more cake and ride back to base before having yet more cake - oh, and a few glasses of wine. If you fancy some fantastic riding over some of the "Tour" routes in glorious weather, Phil is your man.

Back home and into some serious training to get ready for the WHW race, I managed some good runs and did my final long session a week ago from Tyndrum to the White Corries and back. 36 miles, under 11 min mile pace and feeling good at the end.

Last weekend saw me and two pals team up once more for 70 Wild Miles. A team triathlon event organised by Click Sargent based in and around Glen Coe. The event consist of a 43 mile bike ride from the White Corries to Taynuilt. This is followed by a 10 mile Kayak up Loch Etive and then a 12 mile run up Glen Etive. Not surprisingly, I did the run section and our team came 2nd overall in the team event - a fanatstic result. Personally I ran OK but struggled in the heat and didn't feel quite as strong as I would have hoped but still managed to record the 5th fastest run of the day!

Me approaching the finish

Graeme "TM" Busby (Kayak), Me, Peter "Boris" Gorrie (Bike)

Not bad for a bunch of old guys in their 40's!

So the focus is now very much on the WHW Race which is now less than 2 weeks away. The training is done and all I can do now is to try and rest up and get my head togther for what will be a very long day. As always, the plan is just to finish but I do have a schedule for a sub-23 hour which it would be great to get near. More on my pre-race thoughts on a later post.

I have one more race before the WHW Race which is this weekends local 10k. Part of the Bearsden and Milngavie Highland Games. I have run this the last few years and it is hilly wee course that catches a lot of people out. I always get to the start line saying that I'll take it easy with the following weekends race in mind but as soon as the gun goes off, the red mist descends and I charge off at a ridiculous speed which sees me gasping and panting after two miles. Still - it's all good training.

So that brings you up to date - a bit of a brief summary really but duty calls and there is business to be done. I'll post next week prior to my main event of the year.

If you want to get a head................

2010-04-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Get a hat!

Ultra running trend setter Andy Cole has taken sartorial elegance to a new level by sporting a very fetching flat cap during his outings into the wilds of the British countryside. Andy claims it has numerous benefits including thermal, waterproof and UV protection qualities as well as being rather dashing!

This got me thinking as to what other types of headwear may be suitable for my own race calendar this year. There is clearly a desire to gain some technical advantage by the correct selection of headwear but perhaps we should go further and try and celebrate and embrace the cultural associations that go along with the relevant race.

Here are some suggestions:

The Mighty Deerstalker - bit of an obvious one here and, considering the type of race, of no practical use other than allowing you to blend in with the other 999 people wearing the same thing.

The Highland Fling - This race presents a number of options, some of which are perhaps more obvious than others. The race is understandably proud of it's Scottish roots and and prides itself on its informal approach so I would suggest the following:

Note the extended peak and rear neck protection to prevent excessive exposure to the frequently experienced suuny conditions on this race.

The red "bobble" providing easy identification for waiting support crews and the added ability to blend in seamlessly with the groups of young chaps enjoying the outdoor camping life at Salloch Bay.

West Highland Way Race - a surprising selection for this race but one which I think you will agree is perfect for any prevailing weather conditions that you may experience:

The wide brim provides excellent protection from rain, hail, sleet, snow and sun - all of which can be experienced within the duration of the race. Perhaps, it's biggest benefit however; and I'm quite pleased with this; is midge protection! Anyone who has experienced the joy of passing through Balmaha or Rowardennan in the wee small hours of mid-summer morning will appreciate the benefit that this form of fashion accessory will provide

Clydestride - this is a new race that follows the clyde walkway from Partick in the west end of Glasgow to New Lanark. The race presents some notable cultural challenges and the ability to blend in with ones environment should be considered a high priority when passing through the East End of Glasgow. I think I have come up with the ideal solution however that provides both practical and cultural solutions:

It is imperative however that when sporting this particular fashion accessory you ensure that your camelback is refilled with the appropriate isotonic replacement drink of choice. I understand that Achilles Heel and Run-4-it are able to order in the requisite quantites of Buckfast.

Finally, some local jargon may assist your passage through this tricky race route with phrases such as:

"How you, ya fanny, geez a sook o yer ginger!" or "I can see yer baws in they shorts!"

Speyside Way Race - this is my first venture onto this race and one I am very much looking forward to. The choice of hat is a tricky one but given the nature of the location I would sugest the following as an ideal choice:

There is ample space to attach your flies as one of the principal rules of this race is that you must catch your own food en-route. The welcome waters of the river spey will give ample opportunity to ensure a plentiful supply of salmon although the accompanying Ghillie may be deemed to be illegal support on this particular event.

So there you have it - your perfect hat choice for this seasons races. Whilst I cannot hope to follow in the fashionable steps of Andy Cole, I hope I have gone some way towards helping my fellow runners in this difficult process.

On a final note, should your budget not stretch to race-specific head gear and you are looking for one hat that can cover every eventuality, I can do no better than suggest this:

I know - there's no need to thank me.

Montane Highland Fling

2010-04-27T02:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday saw me running my third consecutive Highland Fling and my fastest yet (by a whole 6 minutes!)

I set off in the second wave consisting of all the male vets. The older vets and ladies had set off an hour earlier and the young guys were to set off an hour after me. I had no real race plan other than the loose targets in my previous post, but as I headed out of Milngavie and through the woods I felt comfortable and was looking forward to the day ahead.

My early pace was a bit quicker than planned and I reached Drymen in just under two hours. I ran straight through and as I joined the forest drive at the top of the path I was joined ny Ian Rae and Keith Hughes. We chatted away with some good banter all the way up conic hill at a pace that was a bit quicker than I had planned but the company was good and the running felt fine.

Keith picked up his drop bag at Balmaha and kept walking whereas I stopped to eat and had a quick chat with Ian Beattie. I thought that would be the last I saw of Keith but we kept crossing each other all the way to Beinglas.

I always hate the section from Balmaha to Rowardennan and I was determined this year to try and get there feeling ok. I kept the head down and plodded on and about 2 miles before I got there I was passed by the eventual race leader who had started an hour after me! Rowardennan arrived and whilst I wasn't feeling great I was OK and after a quick refuel I was on my way again.

I quite enjoy the lochside section and despite the growing fatigue, I kept a steady pace and arrived at Inversnaid tired but pleased to be 33 miles in with 20 to go.

I suffered my first batch of cramp as I stepped over the rocks and roots of the next section and cried out in pain as a knot the size of a golf ball formed in my right hamstring. I managed to stretch it out and I was able to get going again but I was concerned that this was the start of a repeat of last year. I had been taking "s" caps regularly so far but the clear skies and warm sun meant I had been sweating hard and clearly hadn't been replacing enough salt.

The cramp seemed to stay away however and I plodded on towards Beinglas where I would meet up with Pete (my father-in-law) and my two boys. This gives me a huge mental boost and allowed me to swap my long sleeved Helly Hansen top for a short sleeved one. I left Beinglas feeling ok but very wary about the constant flickering of my hamstrings, calfs and quads all of which threatened to go into a cramping spasm any moment.

13 miles to go now so I knew I was going to make it. I had been on my 11 hour schedule up till now but I knew from past experience that this next section is where the wheels can come off - and they did. The threatened cramps now started to appear and I had to adopt a curious straight legged shuffle to avoid too many bouts. I had been running with a guy called Liam since Beinglas and we had chatted away quite happily. As I started to slow up Liam pulled away and I thought he had gone for good but as I turned a corner I saw him lying on the grass by the side of the track trying to stretch out a cramping muscle. I clearly wasn't the only one suffering today!

Up and over the roller coaster hills above Crianlarich and I'm telling myself that I'm almost home - "just a 10k to go - come on Graeme!" I push on, running when I can, walking when I can't and have a brief strong spell coming out of the woods and into Auchtertyre. I meet my support crew briefly and then decide to push on and give it all I've got to the finish in Tyndrum.

I emerge out of the woods into Tyndrum and can see the finish arch ahead. As I pass the piper 100 yards from the finish, I have to stop again to stretch out my cramping muscles but then finish with a smile in 11 hours 16 mins in 113th place (out of about 350)

As I sup my cold bottle of Coors and chat to many familiar faces waiting at the finish, the memories of the pain and suffering are already starting to fade but then I look across the road to the West Highland Way path as it heads up the valley towards Bridge of Orchy and think to myself "only another 42 miles to go!"

Pre-Fling Thoughts

2010-04-22T03:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday sees me taking part in my first Ultra of the season with the Montane Highland Fling. A 53 mile trail race following the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Tyndrum. I'm starting to get that wonderful pre-race feeling of exitement, fear and anticipation as the day gets closer.
I don't have a particularly detailed race plan but given that this is my 3rd running of the event I have had a chance to consider some problems that have dogged me in the past and hopefully, I will avoid on the day. So, in no particular order, here are some thoughts, targets etc.

Start off slow
Take "s" caps every hour to prevent a repeat of last years cramp
Drink a little and often
Eat a little and often
Get to Rowardennan feeling good (never managed this so far!)
If I have to walk; walk fast!
My main goal is just to finish, but I would like to get close to 11 hours and so my splits would work out roughly: Drymen 2hrs, Balmaha 3hrs 15 mins, Rowardennan 5hrs, Inversnaid 6hrs 40mins, Beinglas 8hrs 25mins, Auchtertyre 10hrs 25mins, Tyndrum 11hrs.
Enjoy the event

That's kind of it really. I don't want to overanalyse every aspect of the race as I'd rather just set off and deal with how I feel on the day. There has been a lot of talk on various blogs about different pace strategies with scatter graphs, percentages, in depth analysis and comments. I'm sure this is all very important and interesting if you're up there contesting the podium positions but for all the rest of us it all seems a bit anal and unnecessary. Just get your gear on and go and run and don't forget to smile occassionally, it definately helps.

So for everyone else who is running on Saturday - the best of luck and don't eat all the stovies at the finish before I get there. If you're not running - get your gutties on and get out there, you've got just over 12 months to be ready!

Up till that point I had been feeling pretty pleased with myself!

2010-04-06T05:07:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday brought the usual family commitments what with hiding easter eggs, finding easter eggs, not finding the easter eggs that I had hidden half an hour before and preparing for a meal time visit from my parents, so my long run had to be squeezed in to it's usual early morning slot.
I decided to drive up to Gartmore and run from there over to Balmaha and back. A total of 20 miles with the added bonus of a couple trips up and over Conic Hill. I set off at 7:00am and was feeling quite spritely as I trotted along the road and then up through the forest behind Drymen before the first ascent of Conic Hill. One or two little patches of snow left but nothing much and I slid my way down the wet grass before the lovely little downhill section through the trees to the car park at Blamaha.
I arrived in good shape having really enjoyed the run so far and munched on a Hot Cross Bun and Jam (it was Easter after all!) before heading back from whence I came.
The second ascent of Conic Hill was a breeze and I was up and over dancing my way down the river bed that masquerades as a footpath on the other side of the hill. By the time I got to the bottom, I decided to step up the pace as I was feeling comfortable and wanted to push myself a bit. I continued this pace all the way down to Drymen, passing hoards of walkers going the opposite way with a cheery, "morning!", "morning!", "hiya!", "morning!", "morning!"
I crossed the main road at Drymen and was heading across the field to join the road back to Gartmore when I spotted Ritchie Cunningham and another runner coming in the opposite direction. We stopped for a quick chat:

R - "Hi, have you been far?"

Me - "No just over to Balmaha and back but I'm going really well today. How about you, where are you heading?"

R - "Tyndrum"

Me - "Whoa , good for you"

R - "Then Fort William tomorrow"

Me - " Really?!"

R - "Then back again over the next two days"

Me - " "

R - "See you then, have a good run"

Me - "Yeah, you too"

So there you go - just when I was starting to feel like I was going well, along comes Ritchie to put it all into perspective - Thanks Ritchie!

Not too dispondent, I pushed on and finished my last couple of miles at breakneck speed before reaching my car and heading home. I did console myself however with the thought that as I was sitting there supping my first of several glasses of Tempranillo later that day, Ritchie would have been battling with the cow shit just past Derrydaroch - at that brief moment I did feel slightly more pleased with myself!

The Mighty Deerstalker

2010-03-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday saw my fourth running of this slightly off-the-wall event based at Traquair in the Scottish Borders. A beautiful sunny day meant that the start was delayed by 20 mins to ensure we experienced some night time running later in the race so at 5:45pm 1,500 of us set off up the grassy avenue of Traquair House and within 100 yards encountered the hay bale hurdle - the first of many obstacles we were to encounter.

Having run this several times before, I knew the key was to start fast to ensure you didn't get caught up in the bottleneck of runners formed at some of the later obstacles. I was feeling good and ran the first section well and comfortably (I think someone had been dredging the "pond" as what had previously been a waist high water feature was now chest high!). Up the long climb before a mad descent down the mountainbike trail of hairpins and jumps and through the forest into the catch nets by the road.

After a spectaular head over heels just before the nets I was laughing with guy behind me when this picture was taken.

Onwards and along by the river before descending into said river for 300 yards of upstream wading before emerging onto the muddy bank and heading for the main climb of the day up the scree covered side of the hill. Over the top and over a log bridge before once again, plunging down hill through the forrest in the fading light. One particular section of muddy bank was so steep, they provided ropes to help you down - I preferred the "bum-slide" method!

Another river crossing:

and then back through Innerleithen and the finish at Traquair (with a few more tunnels / rivers etc. just for fun!)

I finished 92nd out of about 1500 but to be honest, the placing and time is irrelevant. I was running well within myself and just set out to enjoy the day. It's a great atmosphere and a really fun event and so there is no pressure on you for times or pb's.

I changed into some dry clothes and shivered my way through an excellent plate of haggis neeps 'n tatties before getting back into my car for the journey home. As I left the field I looked up to see a trail of head torches still snaking their way up the hill I had battled with 1.5 hours earlier. There would be some very weary, wet and cold stragglers out there for a while yet. See you next year!

Sticks and Stones (twice)

2010-03-18T06:18:00.000-07:00

My first ultra of the season is now only 5 weeks away and I'm starting to panic! I've been putting in some regular sessions but nothing of any great distance so, yesterday, I decided to take a day off and run out from Rowardennan to Beinglas Farm and back - a distance of 28 miles.
I have run this section many times before and so I knew what the stretch from Inversnaid to the top of the loch was like but I've never done an out and back over it. The run out was fine and I was skipping over the rocks, roots and trees quite happily although feeling the effects by the time I reached the Doune Bothy. A quick stop at Beinglas Farm for a pot of beans and I turned and headed back the way I had come.
It puts a whole different perspective on this stretch running it backwards (not literally!) and the constant clambering up and down and around was starting to take its toll on my weary legs so I was delighted to see the Inversnaild Hotel coming into view once more. Another brief stop and a marmalade roll (food of the gods) and I set off on the last stretch along the lochside to Rowardennan. I'll not pretend it was easy - coz it wasn't. I was relieved to finally emerge back in the car park 5hrs 50 mins after I left with some concerns over my ability to do the same again plus another 25 miles in a few weeks time - still a complete lack of preparation, ability and talent has never stopped me before!

My legs feel ok today which is just as well as Saturday sees me running my first race of the year - The Mighty Deerstalker. This will be the fourth time I've run this race and I know some people don't like it but 2,000 of us seem to turn up each year so they must be doing something right! It's billed as 10k and a bit but that "bit" is actually another 5k. The route takes in river crossings, tree bridges, culverts and lots of mud and is timed so that the later stages are run in the dark. All good wholesome fun!
The last few years, the whole family have come along to support and we've stayed in a local hotel afterwards. This year however - as my dog has very selfishly broken her leg and is confined to her crate, I'm going down with my eldest son and one of his pals and driving home after the finish - That post race beer may have to wait slightly longer this year!

My feet are a pain in the arse!

2010-02-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

No, I really mean my feet are an actual pain in the arse! I have discovered over the years that in certain biomechanical areas, I was not designed for running. There has been much talk over recent months about the return to "barefoot" running as this was how we are meant to run - back to our pre-historic roots of chasing antelope until they fall over!!!

I would contest this however as my own personal experience suggests some form of full enclosure, bomb proof cushioning is the only way forward.

I have always been blessed (cursed?) with big flat feet. I remember fondly getting my first pair of Doc Martins (8 holes - I wasn't allowed the 13 hole ones :( ) when I was a spotty 13 year old in 2nd year at school and at size 11, it prompted my new nick name of "Angle Bracket Reid". Not exactly snappy and cool but none the less, descriptive and, when coupled with my Levis which had been taken in to allow people to see how much change I had in my pocket, frighteningly accurate!

My feet haven't actually got any bigger since then. I still have size 11's but over the years, anything that once resembled some form of arch has been gradually beaten down to leave me with the fine specemins I have today.

For the most part, my running is largely unaffected by this attribute, indeed, small holes and gulleys are easily bridged and I was able to run across the surface of the recent deep snow without the thigh deep immersions of my running buddies. However, as the distances increase and my fatigue grows I find the effort of lifting my feet over rocks and boulders harder and harder until I find myself tripping and stubbing my toes continuously.

This is where the whole barefoot running thing falls apart for me and what I need is something more suited to my needs;

Alternatively, I could look at another pastime where my feet are consideed to be an asset. So watch this space. If you tune in to the winter olympics over the next week or so and hear talk of the introduction of barefoot ski-jumping in 2014 - you'll know where it came from!

Doing my S.U.M.S.

2010-01-27T05:07:00.000-08:00

Just when I though my plans for the year were sorted along comes Murdo and introduces the Scottish Ultra Marathon Series. A series of 9 scottish ultra marathons including 2 new events and one resurrected event.
The scoring requires runners to complete at least 4 of the races and prizes will be awarded to the overall series winners after the last race - the River Ayr Way.
Now I'm already signed up for two of the races - The Highland Fling and the West Highland Way Race but I am keen to do 2 more to feature in the series rankings.
I have decided therefore to do:
The Clyde Stride - a 40 mile race following the new clyde walkway from Partick to Lanark. This is only 4 weeks after the West Highland Way Race so if last year is anything to go by, I wont exactly be springing along.
The Speyside Way Race - This was apparantly last run in 2005 and ties in nicely with my plans to run this route anyway. The race is only 35 miles which, as far as i am aware, is less than the full speyside way but looks like being a great race none the less. This is on 28th August and as this is usually quite a quite month for me, it fills the gap quite nicely.
So at the moment, my race plans for this year are now:
March - the Mighty Deerstalker
April - The Highland Fling
May - Cycling trip to France
June - 70 Wild Miles and the West Highland Way Race
July - The Clyde Stride
August - The Speyside Way Race
September - Glasgow half marathon
October - Longmynd Hike

Looks like a full year with 5 ultras and few 10ks and other half marathons scattered around in there.
Training is going OK at the moment - no huge mileage but what I am doing I feel good about. I did an 18 miler on Sunday morning and finished strongly feeling good. The plan is step up this weekend and put in a 25 and then keep the momentum going through Feb.

What's Occuring?

2010-01-09T04:07:00.000-08:00

Well, 2009 has now been and gone, I managed just over 1500 miles again for the year - not as much as many of my other running colleagues but enough to let me complete the various challenges I had in 2009.

So which races did i do last year?

March

Wuthering Hike (32 miles) - this was my first attempt at this and in some challenging weather I manged to finish in a very slow time due to some slight navigational errors which saw me add an extra couple of miles on to the route!

The following week I ran in The Mighty Deerstalker - this is billed as a 10k but it is actually abouy 9 miles and includes river crossings, swamps, log bridges and much more. I know some people don't like this event but I do and have signed up again for this year.

April

This month I ran the Highland Fling (54 miles) - my time of 11hrs 42 mins was very disappointing and I suffered terribly with cramp throughout most of the race. It is still a great race however and I am signed up for next year.

May

I had a quiet May and only ran the Helensburgh 10k. It was a very fast flat course and I ran 40mins 26secs which I was delighted with. I was also pleased that I was up the next morning at 6:00am to meet Mark Hamilton & Ellen McVey in Tyndrum to run the 35 miles to Kinshouse and back!

June

This is the busiest month on the year and it started with 70 Wild Miles which is team triathlon. I joined up with a couple of friends and did the final run leg of 13 miles. It was a really fun event and we're doing it again this year. The following week was my local 10k which is on a tough, hilly course and managed to beat my previous years time by 15 seconds to come home in 42mins 52 secs. One week later was the main event of the year with my second running of the West Highland Way Race (95miles) I had a great run and took over an hour of the previous years time to finish in 23 hours 30 mins. I'm going for sub 23hours this year!

July

I took some time out this month to go on holiday and nurse some injuries picked up during the previous month.

August

I decided to run the Helensburgh half marathon this month for the first time in 20 years. It was really hot day and I struggled from very eraly on to finish in 1 hour 38mins (faster than 20 years ago though!)

September

This is the month of the Glasgow Half Marathon which I now completed around 20 times. I had a brilliant run here and finished in 1 hour 31 mins. I'd love to get under 1 Hour 30mins again so maybe this is the year! The following week I ran the Saab Salomon Tubo X race in Mugdock Park. A 10 mile run through the trails and swamp. It is very much a fun event and I loved it.

October

I ran the Longmynd Hike (50 miles) for the third time this year and despite horrendous weather for the first half of the race managed to take 20mins off my PB to finish in 11 housr 25mins.

That was the end of my racing for the year and after some big mileage in the first half of November I've been pretty lazy up till Christmas. The snowy weather is proving challenging at the moment. It's ok if you can get off-road but the pavements are dreadful and it makes for some hard running.

I ran to work yesterday in -11 degrees. When I ran home, my eyebrows and eyelashes had frosted up!

2010
So what of my plans this year? As always, it depends on what I can fit around my work and family commitments but my race plans at the moment are:
The Mighty Deerstalker
The Highland Fling
70 Wild Miles
WHW Race
Longmynd Hike
I'll do some 10ks and Half marathons as well.
I'd also like to do a couple of hill races this year and I had mentioned in a previous post about running the official Long Distance Footpaths (WHW, Speyside way, Great Glen Way, Southern Upland way) I'm not sure how these will all fit into my diary but we'll see as the year progresses.
So that kind of brings things to a close. I've got out of the way of blogging recently but I'd like to get back into a more regular routine so watch this space

A new training partner!

2009-12-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

Meet my new training partner - Jess.

OK so maybe I can run further than her at the moment but I'm sure that won't last long. I've wanted a Springer Spaniel for years and after much family discussion, we decided that the time was now right. Jess is only 12 weeks old at the moment but hopefully, by the time the worst of the winter months are behind us, she'll be able to join me for some short runs and eventually, she'll be charging off ahead leading me on my longer sessions as I prepare for next years West Highland Way Race.

My training has been very light over the last couple of weeks - I think I'm averaging about 15 miles per week but it's quite nice to give my body a bit of a break and given the dark, very wet and cold evenings, it doesn't exactly inspire me to get out there.

However, as I mentioned above, my entry for the WHW Race next year has been accepted and so I now have a goal to motivate my butt out of the door on a Sunday morning. I have also started to plan some other races for next year and a few planned "excursions" At the moment I have;

The Highland Fling
The West Highland Way Race
The Longmynd Hike
The Mighty Deerstalker
Great Glen Way
Speyside Way
Southern Upland Way

I think that's enough to be going on with - best get some training in!

A Run With The Glee Club

2009-11-18T02:16:00.000-08:00

Saturday saw my first group training run for a while. The plan was to run from Tyndrum to Kingshouse and back, a total of 36 miles with various options to drop in and out en-route. This was quite a long run for this time of the year and after running 28 miles the previous Sunday, I was in two minds as to how much of the run I would do.

However, as the the day drew closer, I decided that I would set off with the intention of completing the full 36 miles but that, depending on how I felt, I could stop at Bridge of Orchy on the way back (31 miles) and get a lift back down to Tyndrum.

About 16 of us set off on a very wet and cold morning in full waterproofs feeling remarkably jovial and upbeat (it is the Glee Club after all). The first 6 miles or so went in easy and we reached Bridge of Orchy still pretty much grouped up and picked up a few more people who were joining us there.

The climb up and over to Victoria Bridge was wet and by the time we had dropped down to the Inveroran Hotel, the group had started to spread out.

The time had passed quite easily though and I had chatted away to the likes of Keith Hughes about the wonders of Penfolds Grange and George Reid about his progression towards barefoot running.

Rannoch Moor was somewhat bleak but is sometimes all the more majestic because of that. Early on we spotted a small herd of deer running across the peat bogs and a little later a big stag taking a dip in one of the many small lochs along the route. I ran with Mike Thomson for much of the Moor and it was good to catch up with him and what he's been up to. Unfortunately, he is still having back problems and was forced to stop at Kingshouse and make use of Davie Hall's taxi service.

We reached the Kingshouse in just over 3.5 hours and it was my intention here just for a quick refuel and to set off on the return leg. Many of the others were opting for going inside for soup and warmth before heading back but I knew if I got sat down inside, I would never get going again.

So myself, Bob Steel and Jamie, set off back up the hill and onto Rannoch Moor once again. We met Ritchie Cunningham at the start of the climb who had set off with Lucy Colquhoun some time after us but, not surprisingly, had caught up by the half way point. Lucy had turned back earlier but Ritchie was putting in some miles before heading off to the states for a 100 miler in a couple of weeks and turned back with us.

By the time we had reached the top of the hill, Ritchie and Jamie had pulled away, Bob was gradually disappearing off which meant that I was on my own as I went over the top and headed onto the Moor. I quite liked this bit of solitude and the bleakness of the Moor adds to the sense of isolation so I plodded along quite happily lost in my thoughts.

The light had now started to fade slightly and the rain had not really let up all day so I started to get cold and put on my gloves and hat and kept up the pace to stay warm. By now, my feet had started to hurt again and I was beginning to feel that really, I'd had enough for the day and as I reached the gate at Victoria Bridge, Bob and Jamie were waiting for me and we set off together back up over the hill to Bridge of Orchy. I decided at this point that I would stop at Bridge of Orchy rather than carry on to Tyndrum. I could have kept going as I still had enough left in the tank but my feet were hurting and to be honest, I'd just had enough. I was very wet, cold and with no immediate racing incentives to pursue, it made sense to take advantage of a lift from Jamie back to my car at Tyndrum. Bob carried on on his own and finished the last few miles in ever fading light.

I got to my car in Tyndrum and, sheltering under my open boot lid, got into some dry clothes and headed into the Real Food Cafe for coffee and a bacon roll - boy was that GOOD!

Lucy Colqhoun was already there and it wasn't long before we were joined by Davie, Ritchie, Karen, Stan and David. All of us agreeing that conditions had been somewhat challenging to say the least.

After a bit of a chat, I headed home for a bath, more food and a very welcome glass or two of the red stuff!

As well as providing taxi services, Davie took some great photos which you can see here:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/davidhall1956/GleeClub2?authkey=Gv1sRgCN_fif6W96Oi0wE##

Every which Way but Loose

2009-10-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

October has traditionally been a quiet month for me. My last long race at the Longmynd Hike is at the start of the month and I usually take some time out to rest and recouperate until November when I start to venture out once more.
What is also does is give me some time to mull over what my plans are for next year and I've had an idea thats been going through my head for some time now and I think next year may be the time to put it in place.
I'd like to run all four official Long Distance Footpaths in a single year. That's The West Highland Way, The Great Glen way, The Speyside Way and The Southern Upland Way. There - I've said it now, it's out in the open and I feel better for it.
At the moment, it's just a vague plan and is by no means confirmed. There are numerous logistical issues to tackle and, of course, staying injury free long enough to complete them.
Here are my thoughts at the moment:

West Highland Way - Having raced this over the last two years, as long as I get a place in next years race, this one is tried and tested.
Great Glen Way - at approx 60 miles, this is doable in a single day but I may split it and do it over 2 days. This does require some degree of support and accommodation etc. which makes the single day option more appealing.
Speyside Way - This runs from Buckie to Aviemore along the River Spey and at about 70 miles is also a possible single day run but again, could be done over 2 days with a bit of organising
Southern Upland Way - This is the biggest challenge of all 4 and at 212 miles is a mjor undertaking. At the moment, my thoughts are to do it over 5 days which equates to about 45 miles per day. Not knowing the route, I don't know if this is unreasonable or not. The biggest decision will be the logisitics of accommodation, food etc. and this is an issue still to be resolved.

As far as timing is concerned, I'd like to run the Great Glen Way and the Speyside Way prior to the WHW race at the end of June and then set up for the Southern Upland Way in September. Given that I also want to run the Highland Fling in April and I have a cycling trip to France in May, this might be over ambitious for the first halsf of the year but, like I said, it's just vague plans at the moment.

So, if anyone reading this has any experience of either the Great Glen, Speyside or Southern Upland Ways, your comments, advice and thoughts would be appreciated. Leave a comment here or contact me separately. I should also point out that I am more than happy for anyone to join me on all or parts of any of the trips and so let me know if you are interested.

Before all this, there is the minor issue of trying to resolve my list of current injury woes which I am hopeful will allow me to last the pace for a busy year.

Longmynd Hike

2009-10-06T05:27:00.000-07:00

For the past half hour I had been rationalising in my head why it was perfectly reasonable to pack in the race there and then. The wind was doing it's best to blow me off the ridge, the rain was hitting my face with such ferocity that it hurt and what's more, I was tired! I was by now, 20 miles into a 50 mile race and if the weather stayed like this for the duration, it was not going to be fun.

However, for some reason, I was still moving forward and perhaps there was a glimmer of hope that the rain was easing and the forecast was for the wind to drop so, I resolved to keep going and see how things felt.

This was my third year at the Longmynd Hike. A 50 mile run through the Shropshire hills covering 8,000 feet of ascent and, starting at 1:00pm meant that a large portion of the run is completed in the dark. I had enjoyed the previous two years and being local to my in-laws it had become a "must do" race. It also happened to be the final race in the Vasque Ultra Series and so does tend to attract a large field.

I line up with 500 other souls in the middle of a field waiting for the signal to go and no sooner were we off than the first hill loomed ahead. There are 17 check points on the route and many of these are perched on top of some of these hills so within the first 20 minutes, I was through the firts check point and heading down towards the second climb. It is quite a shock to the system as within the first 4 miles, you have already climbed two hills and your legs are feeling the effects. I was prepared for this and had set off easily determined not to trash my quads early on and so I felt OK as I left the hills behind and set off on the long drag up to check point Nr. 3. What I wasn't ready for was the strength of the wind which although forecasted, was still a surprise. The next 5 miles or so was spent with the wind head on as i climbed slowly to the next check point. I could feel the energy being sucked out of me and the noise of the wind around my ears was deafening. What amazes me on this route is that despite the inhospitable conditions and remote locations, the check points are all manned by incredibly cheery and enthusiastic volunteers who send you on your way with some words of encourangement and a huge smile.

As I turned and headed across the rough grazing land on my way to the next check point at the Bridges Pub, the rain started and within seconds I was soaked to the skin. The track eventually brought me out onto a country lane and I dropped down steeply to the waiting marshals and a refill of my camelback.

The next stage is a long, very steep climb up a tarmac road which seems to go on for ever and as the intensity of the rain increased, my spirits started to fall. At the top of this climb, you leave the road and start the steep climb up to the top of the Stipperstones. This is a hill from hell as the ridge is about half a mile long and is made up of brick sized rocks at every possible angle preventing you from placing a foot flat on the ground. Coupled with the wind and rain, it was at this point that I had started to entertain thoughts of a DNF.

I was determined to get off the ridge as soon as possible and so put my head down and pushed on. Sure enough, as I dropped down to the bottom, the rain stopped and, as forecasted, the clouds cleared and the sun actually came out. This lifted my spirits considerably and suddenly the task in hand didn't seem quite so bleak.

I passed the 20 mile mark and set off up the next climb of the day which was completed at a slow but steady pace. My quads were hurting on the descents now but I was managing a reasonable shuffle on the flats. The next check point at Bank Farm, allowed me to refuel with some soup and a rice pudding and as I set off into the forest section I was feeling more positive than I had felt all day.

One of the rules of this race is that the organisers group you into groups of three during the hours of darkness and I knew that by the time I reached the next check point at Shelve (30 miles) I would be getting grouped. It was therefore time to suss out the opposition and try to position myself with some one who i thought looked like they would run at my pace. There were a couple who i had been running behind, off and on for some time and they seemed the most lilely options so I spoke to them as we arrived at the checkpoint and they were happy to group up. It turned out that the lady was the same person I had been grouped with the previous year, so I knew we were evenly matched and after a quick introduction to to the other runner (her husband) we were off into the night and heading for the next climb up Corndon Hill.

Although the pace was higher than I would have liked, I was feeling OK as we climbed up under what was now, a bright, clear night with a full moon. A quick stamp on the tally card and we were off down the other side towards the trickiest navigation section of the route. We managed to work our way through the dense woodland and out the other side with a minimum of problems and got out onto a road for a brief flat section before tackling the next climb. Although tired, I was going OK and still felt that I had enough in reserve for the remaining 15 miles and that a reasonable time was on the cards.

We pressed on up the climb of Black Radhley, passing another group on the way. This gave us a bit of a boost and after a very quick check in, we decided to push on hard to the next stage to try and open up a bit of a gap. 38 miles in and we reached the check in at Stipperstones Car Park, the scene of my depression a few hours earlier. Oh how things had changed and we pushed on hard down the road that I had plodded up in the wind and rain earlier that day.
I had been surviving so far on instant soup and coffee provided at the check points and this was being supplemented by some gels, dried apricots and the occassional mini mars bar. It seemed to be working as we kept up a strong pace to the second last check point where, conscious that we were still not clear of the following group, we briefly checked in and then headed for the final climb. By the time we reached the base of Ragleth, I was all but spent and those last steps up to the summit were like walking at high altitude. Very slow, small steps and then a brief pause every couple of minutes to catch my breath before carrying on. Eventually, the summit check point came into view and we knew were as good as home. We got our cards stamped and then mustered up a final push to descend through the trees and into Church Stretton for the last few yards along the pavement to the finish at Church Stretton School.
We crossed the line in 11 hours 25 minutes exhausted but delighted and 15 minutes inside my previous PB. The results are not published yet and so I don't know my position but last year with a slower time I was 38th.
This is a really tough race but now in it's 42nd year, it is really well organised and is over subscribed every year. The challenges this year of the weather at the start and the 8 climbs merely adds to the whole experience.
In the words of Arnie..........."I'll be back"

Roundabouts - a metaphor for life?

2009-09-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

Few things in life really annoy me. On the whole I'm a calm, relaxed kinda guy who doesn't let things get to him. There are however, one or two exceptions to this and one of these is:
Why don't people signal at roundabouts?
This drives me mad. It is not a difficult concept to grasp and is one of (or used to be) the key parts to a driving test. It is simple;
If you are taking the first exit, signal left on approach to the roundabout and maintain the signal until you have exited.
If you are going straight on, do not signal on approach but as soon as you have passed the first exit, signal left to indicate to other road users that you are exiting the roundabout.
If you are turning right, signal right on your approach to the roundabout and then immediately on passing the second exit, signal left to indicate that you are coming off.
Simple!
Why then, do so many drivers experience a total memory loss and fail to give any form of signal at any stage in their trip around the roundabout?
Maybe I am doing them an injustice, maybe there is something deeper, more psychological about their inability to signal which mirrors their attititude to life. Perhaps they are people lacking in direction in their life, when faced with a choice they feel unable to commit to a decision and simply let life lead them by fate or chance. They cannot decide on a route or a way forward and so they are unable to inform others of their intentions.
Alternatively, perhaps these are extremely focussed, driven individuals who know exactly where they are going in life and how to get there and see no reason why they should let others know of their grand plan as it is none of their damn business! There may be a fear that they will be followed, or worse still, overtaken and no longer find themselves to be a leader!
Whatever their reasons, it is rude, ignorant, dangerous and very annoying that they cannot simply flick their indicator wand at the appropriate time and keep us all safe!
Oh, there is one other possible reason; perhaps they're all women!

Mugdock Turbo X and bunking off

2009-09-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I raced the latest in the Saab Salomon Turbo X series in Mugdock Park. Billed as a 10mile trail race with plenty hills, mud, trail, mud, hills and more mud, it lived up to its billing. Over 400 people set off on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning on a route that took us through Mugdock Park, onto the West Highland Way and back up through woods and bog back into Mugdock Park again. It was a brilliant race and as it bears no resemblence to any other race , there is no pressure to make a certain time. For the record, I finished in 1 hour 33 mins in 60th place.

Picture courtesy of Chris Upson

I decided to take Wednesday afternoon off work to take a "fitness test" in readiness for the Longmynd Hike in 2 weeks time. I have completed the Longmynd the last 2 years and it's a tough course over 50 miles with 8,000 foot of ascent so it's not to be taken lightly. As I have banged on about in recent weeks, I 've had foot and ankle problems since the WHW and this has meant a reduced volume of training. Yesterday' s run was meant to provide a final decision as to whether I was going to get to the start line or not.

I decided to run an out and back route from Milngavie to the Beech Tree Inn and back but on the outer point, I would cross the road and run up Dumgoyne twice. Kind of extreme hill reps! this was a total of about 22 miles that I hoped would feel "comfortable". The weather was brilliant and I felt great up till the last couple of miles through Mugdock Park but kept my head down and pressed on quite well. As I sit here typing this, my legs are a bit stiff and my PF is giving me some gip but I've decided to go for it and head down to Shropshire for a wee trot through the hills! - wish me luck!

Great Scottish Run 1/2 Marathon

2009-09-07T05:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning saw me line up for my 20th Glasgow Half Marathon. I have spent a lot of time in the last few weeks whinging about my sore feet and ankles and how my legs have been tired and how my running just wasn't going well. Generally the kind of attitude that really annoys me in other people and so I'm not overly proud of my own self pitying. I had decided that I would run on Sunday with the plan to just get round in somewhere under 1:40 and to try and enjoy it.
The race got under way 10 minutes late and just as the rain started. Not heavy rain, but just enough to keep the temperature down. I was determined not to set off too quick and managed to settle in to a 7:15/mile pace feeling surprisingly good. The first few miles went in fast and I was enjoying the atmosphere and all the crowds who were standing in the rain cheering us on.
6 miles in and I was still on pace and feeling really fresh so I decided to step it up a bit and brought the pace up to about 7:00/mile.
I normally hate the section through Pollok park as there are some sneaky wee hills that sap your legs at about 8-9 miles in but yesterday I kept pushing on and came out of the park still with plenty left and starting to think that a reasonable time might be on the cards.
I decided that I would wait till 10 miles and then see if I could up the pace again for the final 3 miles in to the finish. I hit 10 miles and, feeling strong, I pushed hard and stayed at about 6:40 ish all the way to the finish to come in on 1 hour 31 mins.
I was absolutely delighted, not only with my time but at how good I felt all the way round.
I have an entry for the Longmynd Hike, the first weekend in october and I've been unsure as to whether I should start or not as training hadn't been going well and my feet are still bothering me but after yesterday's run I am much more positive. I am running in the Saab Salamon Turbo X race at Mugdock on Saturday and, if that goes ok then I'll commit to the Longmynd.

Thank You Darling!

2009-09-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of a Political animal. I have no allegiance to any particular political party and have little time for the petty squabbling and points scoring that goes on at Holyrood and Westminster. As a business owner, I have to have a weather eye on what is happing in government circles particularly as most of my work is within the public sector and just occassionally, something comes out that is actually of tangible benefit to us, the working public. I'm not talking about policy reviews or complex and inpenetrable incentive schemes. Alistair Darling will help you buy a bike! How cool is that.

A number of years ago, the Government introduced the Ride to Work scheme which lets employers purchase a bike on which they claim back the VAT, the balance is then deducted as salary sacrifice from the particular employees monthly pay over a 12 month period meaning that the employee doesn't pay NI or Income Tax on the monthly amount. In real terms, what this means is that we, the bike riding public can save around 45% on the cost of a brand new bike and pay the balance on a 12 month, interest free loan. Good eh!

So being the kind, understanding employer that I am, I registered with Evans Cycles Ride to Work scheme last year and have recently acquired my second bike through their scheme. Isn't she nice?...............

So my training is now interspersed with the occassional bike ride to and from work made all the more pleasurable by knowing that Mr Darling is helping to pay for it!

Good times, bad times

2009-08-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday saw me on the start line for the Helensburgh Half Marathon, trying to better my time of 20 years previously. The weather was unusually warm and with not a breath of wind, it was going to prove to be a harder run than planned.
I didn't realise how much harder until, the race began to unfold.
I had decided to set off at 7:00min mile pace, thinking that if I could hold that as long as possible and maybe push on the last two or three miles, I may just sneak in a 1hr 30mins. My first mile was 6:45min, a bit fast but ok. The second one was 6:59mins, bang on schedule. Mile 3 was 7:15mins but that was ok as there was a bit of a hill here. That was when it all started to go wrong!
By the time I'd got to mile 4 my legs felt completely done and I was struggling to keep going. I couldn't figure out what was wrong as I was only 4 miles in, the pace was high but not excessive but there was just nothing there. My mind started to get in on the act too by saying that this could be my first DNF, I may as well just stop there and then coz it was only going to get worse! I had given up looking at my splits by now and just decided to keep my head down, plod on and hopefully things would pick up.
Miles 5 to 9 were a battle between body and mind but my body was just managing to keep on top and the miles crawled by. By mile 9, I knew I was at least going to finish (phew!) and so resolved to try and make a reasonable attempt at chasing my 1989 time. I was enouraged on route by Ellen McVey and Aileen Scott who were marshalling and supporting respectively and their presence kept me going so thanks ladies!
I tried on a number of occassions over the last two miles to pick up the pace but each time I tried, nothing happened. The final mile is along the main street which is flat all the way and I was determined to salvage some dignity and managed to hang on to the heels of a couple of guys who passed me to cross the line in 1:38 and 130th place out of about 350.
So, what was my 1989 time.................1:44. Despite my physical stress, I had manged to run 6 minutes quicker than I did 20 years ago. I don't recall anything about how that race felt all those years ago but I'll bet it didn't feel as hard as today's. I also have the certificate for the following years race but if I want to beat that time I'm going to have to have a hell of a lot better a day than this year!
Looking back, I don't know why I struggled so much on Sunday. It was pretty warm which didn't help but not roasting. I had had a hard 10 miler on Thursday night but I felt that was out of my legs so I've just put it down to "one of those days".
I've been hobbling around this week a bit as the PF in my right foot is playing up and there seems to be some nerve damage in my left ankle which has never really recovered from the WHW Race. I've booked in to see my Physio next week to try see if she can keep me going as September is looming with a couple more races followed by Longmynd at the beginning of October.
I also have some big plans for next year, but more of that in a future post.

Holding back the years

2009-08-07T05:08:00.000-07:00

I was having a bit of a tidy up at home the other day and came across a couple of finisher certificates for the Helensburgh Half Marathon for 1989 and 1990. At the time, I was a young, fit 23/24 year old exploring my running limits and training for my first Marathon.
Co-incidentally, I have entered this Sunday's Helensburgh Half Marathon (which I don't think I've run since the aforementioned dates) and so I find myself, 20 years older, wondering whether I can still run the times I did as a younger man.
I'm not giving too much away at the moment but suffice to say that, on a good day, I think I may be able to pull one out of the bag. I'll divulge both past and current times in my next post.
Helensburgh was also the venue for my 10k pb of 35mins 12secs back in 1990 something which I can confidently say I will never come close to again. Last year I ran my first marathon since 2001 and came very close to a pb but due to an over enthusiastic couple of sub 7 min miles early on, I died horrible in the last three miles coming in at 3:29.
In recent years, I have joined the ultra running community having now notched up 8 ultras over the last 2 1/2 years and, with the exception of this years Highland Fling, I have gone faster in each race.
As I get older, I therefore seem more suited to the longer events. This is no doubt in part due to the combined effect of years of training and running resulting in a deep reserve of fitness but it must also be down to the mental approach of running longer. The requirement for patience and to "think" your way round a course that perhaps isn't there in the youthful enthusiasm we exhibit in shorter events. One look at the age profile of a typical ultra is clear evidence of this with many competitors well into their forties, fifties and beyond.
One other trait which seems to benefit me in these longer races is my sheer bloody mindedness not to give in. I have never yet experienced a DNF and whilst I'm sure it will no doubt come, it will not be for lack of trying. In my first year running the Longmynd Hike (50 miles) I was in a pathetic state after 20 miles and was considering throwing in the towel when I grouped up with a couple of other guys who knew the route and so I tagged along behind eventually finishing in 12hours 15mins, totally spent. During those 30 miles running with the two guys we had chatted away and it was clear to them that I was only just hanging on in there. We sat down after the finish to enjoy the hospitality at Church Stretton School and one of the two turned to me and said "you are one stubborn bastard!" Now there's a compliment!
So, what happens on Sunday will be as a result of being a fit, middle aged, stubborn bastard - that's got to look good on my CV!

Best Interview Answer Ever

2009-07-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

I came across this today whilst clearing out some old files. A friend of mine sent it to me a few years ago and I thought it was brilliant then..........and still do:

Q
In order for the admissions staff of our college to get to know you, the applicant, better, we ask that you answer the following question: Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?

A
I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice.
I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently.
Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row. I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes.
I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru. Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries.
When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge. I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie.
Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don’t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer I toured New Jersey with a travelling centrifugal-force demonstration.
I bat 400.
My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me. I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy.
I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening.
I know that exact location of every food item in supermarkets. I have performed several covert operations with the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair.
While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me. I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid.
On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prizewinning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin.
I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.

2009-07-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since my last post and this is down to a few reasons.

I went off on holiday for a fortnight the week after the WHW race and had planned on writing a full account of my family's exploits navigating a 23 foot camper van around the North of Scotland but on my first day back at work, I received an email telling me of the tragic death of Dario Melaragni whilst on a training run with friends around Lochnagar.

I didn't know Dario well and my only contact with him was as a participant in the West Highland Way Race which he organised for the last 10 years. What was clear was his endless enthusiasm and love for what he did and his encouragement and concern for the wellbeing and success of all the runners he came into contact with. Other people who knew him much better have written some very touching and heartfelt comments and reading through them all has confirmed his position as the ""Father" of the West Highland Way Family. He will be sorely missed.

Eve is down visiting her parents with the kids for a few days just now and so I have been left to fend for myself (and the cat). It has meant that during this brief spell of solitude, I have had time to reflect on recent events and to how the death of someone you know with still so much to give can have an impact on your own perspective. I had planned a weekend camping trip on my bike last weekend and spending 14 hours pedalling away gives you the opportunity for a lot of thinking time

I've long been an advocate of the "seize the day" school of thought. It is easy to spend time sitting around talking about things you would like to do or places you would like to go and for many people, this is a far as it gets. The next time you hear yourself saying "one day, I'd like to........." why not make that "one day" tomorrow? To live your life and look back and say, "if only I'd done this" or "if only I'd done that" is a life unlived. What is painfully clear from recent sad events is that you never know what is round the corner and when your time will come so don't sit back and think, "maybe next year". We all have plans and dreams and it is times like this that give me the impetus to bring these to the fore and start to make them a reality.

I lost another good friend to cancer at Christmas last year. She was only 40 and left behind a husband and two small children. Her death and Dario's have had a profound affect on me. Perhaps more so than elderly relatives who have passed away who, although closer in relationship terms, had lived a full and active life. To have all of your dreams and possibilities wiped out when you had so much more to give is tragic indeed.

I have spoken many times before on this blog of "enjoying the journey". In an ultra, if you keep going, persevere and endure you will reach your destination but the key is to enjoy the journey on the way there. In life, we all have a cast iron guarantee of reaching our destination so I for one fully intend to enjoy the journey.

Rest in Peace Dario and Jo.

WHW Race Report

2009-06-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

I thought I should write my race report whilst it is still fresh in my mind. Time has a habit of blacking out the bad bits and only remembering the good so hopefully this covers them both.
My support crew arrived in Milngavie early on Friday evening and after a restless wait at the house, I finally persuaded everyone to move out and walk round to the car park for about 11:45pm. As last year, the place was buzzing and I spent some time catching up with some friendly faces before registering and gathering for Dario's briefing. Right on time at 1:00am we were off! One thing that always intrigues me about teh race is that there is no starting gun or claxon or even a "GO!" It just seems to start.
The first few miles although through the dark, are so familiar to me I could run them with my eyes closed anyway! I was determined this year to start off slowly and kept an eye on my Garmin to make sure I was around the 9:30min/mile I wanted to sustain as far as Drymen. I was feeling very comfortable and glad to be on my way and I passed the Beech Tree in in 1hour 5mins only just seeing Eve and Cameron as I ran past. I kept my steady pace and already the field was starting to thin out. My other plan this year was to keep drinking and eating throughout the day and to pop an S-cap every hour. After the mess I was in during the "Fling" with cramp, I was determined not to let that happen again.
I arrived in Drymen right on 2 hours and met Eve and Cameron. I had a rice pudding, topped up the water and carried on through. Another tactic for this year was to ask my support crew to move me on through the check points as quick as possible in either the 5 or 10 mins allocated. By the end of the race, they were like an F1 pit crew and had me refuelled and out in no time at all. As I plodded up through the woods at the back of Drymen I started to get some pain in my left foot, nothing significant but annoying none the less. This was also my first low point of the race, I was feeling slightly light headed and very, very tired. I put this down to lack of sleep and pressed on but by the time I topped out Conic Hill I had convinced myself that I wasn't going to make it. As I descended down to Balmaha I passed my son's Scout Troop who were doing their annual midsummer climb up Conic Hill. The cheer I got must have been heard in Balmaha and it was just the tonic I needed to perk me up and I arrived in Balmaha feeling much happier - Thanks guys!
My F1 pit crew quickly had me fed and ready to go and the ferocity of the midges meant I wasn't going to hang around so I set off towards Rowardennan once again feeling more positive. This has historically been a really bad stage for me and I have always struggled getting in to Rowardennan but I was determined this year to stay steady and not worry about where I was heading but to just concentrate on running the 6 foot in front of me. This was a tactic I used throughout the day and I'm convinced it helped me cope with some of the tougher legs later in the day. I arrived at Rowardennan, bang on schedule and Eve and Cameron were there to see me through and refuel me. This was their last support stage of the day and so they were heading back to Milngavie to handover to Crew 2 and to get some sleep before joining us much later in the day.
I set off towards Inversnaid and am always suprised by how long the climbs are along the lochside at this stretch but kept walking hard up them and running all the flats and downhills and before long I appeared by the waterfall above Inversnaid and carefully made my way down the steps to the carpark to collect my drop bag. I was feeling OK still although my left foot was becoming increasingly more painful. I looked through my drop bag and realised that there was nothing in it that could face eating and so decided to take my bagel with me in the hope that I may change my mind as the next few miles passed.
I actually don't mind the stage from Inversnaid to Beingals Farm that much and managed to keep up a good steady pace up and down the rocks and over the roots and before long I emerged at the top of the loch and the climb up above Inverarnan. It was at this point I was ambushed by the BBC and was asked on camera to "Describe how you're feeling!" I'm not sure how much of my response they can show before the watershed!
Leaving Beinglas I started to struggle again and had a tough time getting over the undulating track to pass Derrydaroch but knowing that my support crew were at Carmyle Cottage, I was spurred on and took a real lift when I spotted my brother waiting a few hundred yards along the track before the checkpoint. At Carmyle Cottage I changed my shirt and had some soup and a fruit bowl and feeling much better, I set off on the climb away from the A82 up towards the path leading to to Bogle Glen. I quite enjoyed this stretch and was making good progress again as I rode the rollercoaster path through the forrest before emerging by the roadside once again and I ran strongly over the bridge and into Auchtertyre. I was now about 20 mins ahead of my schedule and feeling fairly good. After being weighed (I had dropped 3.2 kg but this apparantly was fine!) I had some more food and set off on the short tretch to Tyndrum.
I arrived in Tyndrum in 11 hours 35 mins, 1 hour and 10 mins faster than I had completed the "Fling" in 7 weeks earlier, all due to avoiding the terrible muscle cramps I had then.
A quick stop at Tyndrum to change my socks and I headed up the hill towards Bridge of Orchy. This is a great stretch for running and I made good time arriving in Bridge of Orchy still 20 mins ahead of schedule. I had hoped to briefly see Eve and Cameron here as well but it would appear I was too quick for them! It was our intention that Alistair would join me at Victoria Bridge to run over Rannoch Moor with me and so we checked with the Marshall how far ahead the leader was. Although he was only 3.5 hours ahead, we were told that I could be paced from Victoria Bridge.
I ran over the hill from Bridge of Orchy and as I was heading along the road section past Victoria Bridge, Cameron ran up to join me. He and Eve and arrived at Bridge of Orchy jaust after I left and decided to run round to Victoria Bridge to see me there. This gave me great boost but by now my main concern was how many painkillers I was allowed to take and in what combination. My ankle was really bothering me now and I was starting to feel the effects of the previous 60 miles of running. Suitably dosed up, Alistair and I set off on the long drag up Rannoch Moor. Despite starting to tire, I managed to run pretty much anything that was falt or downhill and only walked the ups. The final climb before the descent into Kingshouse really took a lot out of me and I started to feel light headed and needed to stop a couple of times to steady myself. The top eventually came and as I started towards the descent I was surprised to pass Thomas who was obviously in a bad way and eally struggling. Silke was with him and after a quick pat on the shoulder I set off down the descent. Alistair and I managed to run most of the descent down to the Kinsghouse and we arrived on schedule.
My support crew were ready for me but by now, nothing in the food bag appealed to me at all. Knowing that I had to eat something, I forced down some pasta and some flat coke, popped a couple more painkillers and set off with Donald towards the Devils Staircase and Kinlochleven. The climb up the Devils staircase was tough and I started to get light headed again but kept going and eventually reached the top where I had to have a brief sit down. The view was spectacular in verely direction and helped to dull the pain I was feeling in my ankle. Last year, I had to walk slowly down from here into Kinlochleven but this year we managed to run about 80% of the descent despite someone having sneaked out and added 6 miles onto the road from the power station (or so it felt!). We arrived in Kinlochleven running strongly but behind schedule which in hindsight was due to an over ambitious time split rather than a slow run. Another weigh-in and refuel and we set off up the climb to the Larig Mhor. The plan was to run this stage with Alistair but Donald stayed with us and decided to run over the Larig Mhor ahead of us and wait at Lundavra. Donald is doing Ironman Swtzerland in 3 weeks and at my pace, wasn't getting the training run he needed!
As we crossed the Larig Mhor, I started to see some rather bizarre objects by the route. I could have sworn I saw a cow up a tree, a crowd of people gathered under a tree, several tents and hundreds of little flickering lights amongst the grass (I didn't tell you about that last one Aistair, in case you started to get really worried about me!) Along the never ending path we kept pressing on, still managing to run the down hills and a few of the flats until the welcome site of the bonfire and the last check point came into view. By now my ankle was so sore that it was actually less painful to run that it was to walk. It had focussed on the tendon running down the front of my ankle and on to the top of my foot, so every time I bent my foot upwards I was in a lot of pain so I had managed to develop a kind of flat footed hobble rather than a walk or run.
Alistair, Donald and I left the last check point in fading light but I knew I had 2.5 hours to get under 24 hours so, barring any great disaster, it was looking good. We took up the same positions as last year with me sandwiched between Donald & Alistair as they kept the pace up. We decided that we would try a fast walk through the woods and then run as much of the forrest road into Fort William as possible. We soon arrived at the top of the road and I set off on the best run I could muster. I managed about 300-400 yards before I had to have a break as my quads were completely shot and the steep descent was more than they could handle. After a minute or so, we would do another few hundred yards and then another break and we continued like this all the way to the Braveheart Car Park. We had aranged to meet up with the rest of both crews here and Cameron and my Dad were changed and ready to run in with us so we set off in a group of 5 shuffling along the road into Fort William. As soon as I saw the 30 mile an hour sign I knew we were nearly there and from some untapped source I set off at steadily increasing pace until I was flying along round the roundabout and into the leisure centre carpark at what must have been close to 7 minute mile pace. I charged through the doors and gave in my number - Finished! 23 hours, 30 mins 37th place.
I was absolutely delighted and so relieved to be finished and able to stop at last. I had a quick shower but after I came out I had became very light headed and only just made it to the bench outside to avoid passing out. I sat there for five minutes with my head between my knees before eventually shuffling into the car and making my way back to the B&B where I crawled into bed, very tired, very sore but very pleased.
Today, mt foot and ankle is badly swollen and bruised so I have an appointment with my physio just to make sure there is nothing too serious going on. Other than that, I have the usual sore muscles and a general overall sense of fatigue but I can honestly say that it was an incredible experience. To run for so long and push yourself beyond what you think you can do is a hugely rewarding and empowering experience. It gives you a sense of perspective on your life and breaks down all the boundaries and obstacles that you put in your own way to stop you from achieving things. You come away with a sense of "nothing is impossible" and that is a wondeful feeling.
I could not achieved this without my fantastic support crew of Eve, Cameron, David, Pete, Donald & Alistair. Thank you so much

WHW Race 2009

2009-06-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

A quick post to say that I finished this years race in a time of 23 hours, 30 mins in 37th place out of 142 starters. Obviously I am delighted and now somewhat tired. I'll post a full report in the next few days.
Now next year, if I could just.....................................................

Pre-Race Thoughts

2009-06-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

My work is done, all that is left now is a gentle 4 miles tomorrow night and then it's time to count down the hours until 1:00am on Saturday 20th June when me and 174 others embark on a 95 mile trot from Milngavie to Fort William on the West Highland Way Race.
Rightly or wrongly, this has become my main focus for the last 12 months. All my training is geared up to this one race. My mind is constantly flicking through mental check lists, logistical options and different completion scenarios. Eve and the kids have had to put up with my anti-social running exploits and I have spent far too much time updating training logs instead of working. As with last year, Race Day accelerates towards you and before you know it, it's here and it's time to deliver the goods.
I could spout forth here about pace schedules, target times, nutritional requirements yadah, yadah, yadah but the thing is; this is a really simple concept. You start running in Milngavie and keep going until you reach Fort William. If you don't stop, you'll succeed, if you do, you wont.
Now I know that there is a bit more to it than that but I've decided that if I get too caught up in obsessing about splits and pace then I'll panic if I don't hit them and if I start to get defeated mentally, the race is over.
Goal number 1 is to finish (safely and in one piece). Last year I ran 24 hours 42 mins and so it would be nice to run under 24 hours this year but we'll see what the day brings. My support crew is the same as last year with Eve and Cameron (wife and Nr. 1 son) doing Milngavie to Rowardennan and then David, Pete, Alistair and Donald (Dad, father-in-law, brother Nr. 1 and brother Nr. 2) from Carmyle Cottage to Fort Bill.
It will doubtless be another emotional and physical rollercoaster with some glorious highs and a few deep troughs but one thing is for certain, if I keep moving forward, I will finish. That may sound obvious and kind of simple but when you've been out there for 15 hours, your legs are completely shot, your feet are in pieces and you're not quite sure which way is up and which is down, moving forward is quite a challenge.
I have written before in this blog about "enjoying the journey" and not focussing on the destination and that is what I hope to do. We are very fortunate to be able to take part in an event like this and so I for one intend to enjoy it.
So my overall race plan goes something like this:

Eat well, drink a little and often, start off slow and be patient. The end will come!
Wish me luck and I'll talk to you on the other side.

70 Wild Miles

2009-06-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday saw me and my two oldest friends team up to take part in 70 Wild Miles. For those of you not familiar with the event, it consists of a 47 mile bike ride from the White Corries Ski Centre in Glencoe to Taynuilt at the head of Loch Etive, competitors then embark on a 10 mile canoe, the length of Loch Etive before handing over to a runner to run the 13 miles up Glen Etive to where it meets the A82 just beyond the Kinghouse Hotel.

It can be done as either a solo or a team event but the main purpose is to raise funds for CLIC Sargent, the childrens cancer charity.

We chose to enter as a team with Peter doing the cycle, Graeme doing the canoe and myself running. The cyclists were set off in 1 minute intervals and Peter was allocated a 7:50am start time and was away pretty much bang on time. As soon as he left I took the car back to Ballahulish where we were staying to pick up the rest of his and my family and set off to see him finish in Taynuilt. Peter had an absolutley storming ride such that we arrived at the finish pretty much at the same time as him. Despite some very poor course directions resulting in a 5 minute tour of the backroads of Taynuilt Peter did a fantastic 2hours 19mins.

Although the weather was fairly good, the wind direction meant that the organisers changed the planned 10 mile canoe up Loch Etive to a 2 mile thrash around the calmer waters by Taynuilt pier. Not put off by this slight change of plan, Graeme joined the other 90 or so competitors for the mass start and powered his way round the course to finish in a fantastic 15th place. As he carried his canoe up the beach, I retrieved the timing chip from him and we set off towards the run start.

Due to the change of canoe route, the run had to be amended to start at the finish point and run 6.5 miles down the course, turn and then head back up to complete the 13 miles. Given that the route is pretty much uphill all the way, this was a slight blessing allowing the first half to be run downhill. The runners were allowed to start as soon as we reached the start and so I was third away and very quickly passed the other two people to find myself in the front. Knowing that the second half of the run was all uphill, I tried to relax as much as possible on the outward half, holding back for the return leg. Although I was only in the lead because I was one of the first to start, it was a very strange experience to be leading the field and having no-one to chase and it meant I had to concentrate on doing my own thing whilst feeling the pressure of being chased by everyone else. I had a great uphill leg and ran strongly all the way to the finish in 1hour 29min and the 8th fastest run of the day. There was a fair amount of shock on my family's face when they heard that the first runner was coming in only to see me cresting the hill and sprinting home. My youngest son still believes that I won the race and it would be cruel to tell him otherwise - wouldn't it!?

Our team finished a very creditable 6th out of 18 teams competing and at the last count we had raised just over £1,250 for the charity.

It was a great weekend and one that I'm sure we are all planning on repeating next year. Thanks to Peter and Graeme, the event was all the better for being able to share it with you guys!

Last run on the Way

2009-05-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday night saw me line up for the Helensburgh 10k. Conditions were perfect with clear skies, a light breeze and a flat course. I was feeling pretty good and looking to get under 42 mins. In the back of my mind however was the prospect of an early start the next morning for my last long training run on the West Highland Way. Is a 10k race the best preparation for a 40 mile trail run?
I decided I would try and hold a bit back in the race so that I wouldn't be completely done in for the next morning so I joined the 1,000 other runners on the start line nervously jumping up and down and doing last minute stretches. Bang! - as soon as the gun went off, the red mist descended and any thoughts of holding back went out the window. I weaved my way through the slow runners who always manage to start too near the fron and eventually found some clear ground and settled into a surprisingly comfortable 6:30 pace which I managed to hold onto uncannily accurately the whole way round finishing in 40:24 and 110th place.
I stretched out, had a gentle jog back to the car and relived some childhood memories by calling into The Palace chippy for a fish supper before heading home.
I got home at about 9:45pm and after running around sorting my stuff out for the next morning, I was showered and in bed by 11:00am.
6:00am the next morning, the alarm woke me from a fitfull sleep and it was off to Tyndrum to meet up with Mark Hamilton and Ellen McVey. I was running from Tyndrum to Kingshouse and back and they were running straight through to Fort William. My legs felt OK considering the previous night's efforts and we set off at a nice steady pace jst after 9:00am.
The weather had looked a bit ominous with black clouds up ahead over Glen Coe but other than a light shower as we passed Bridge of Orchy, we stayed dry. Running the flats and downs and walking the hills we made steady progress, reaching Kinshouse in 3hours 40mins. After a quick scoff, I turned around and left Mark and Ellen for my journey back to Tyndrum.
It is the first time I've run over Rannoch Moor in that direction and it's only then that I realised just how much of a climb it is as I managed to run the whole way across back to Victoria Bridge with a steady descent the whole way.
By this time the clouds had gone and it was a glorious sunny afternoon. I pressed on passed Bridge of Orchy and reach my car in Tyndrum 7hours 30mins after I left it.
On the whole, the run went well especially after racng a 10k the night before. I had to work pretty hard from B of O back to Tyndrum but the coffee in the Real Food Cafe in my Highland Fling mug made up for it!
So, this week is a bit of a recovery and I've got 70 Wild Miles next Saturday, the Milngavie 10K, the following Saturday and then WHW the next one - Bring it on!

Stuff

2009-05-19T05:03:00.000-07:00

Well Sunday morning's run broke new ground once more and I managed 18 miles through some very attractive scenery. Looking at the map, I had anticipated more of it being on rough ground and so I wore my trail shoes. Unfortunately, the disused railway line which is now a cycle path had been tarmaced and so by the time I got home my feet were pretty sore.

The photos below are taken en-route to give you an idea of what it looks like

Tomorrow night sees me running in the Helensburgh 10K which, many many year ago, was the sight of my PB. Those days are sadly long gone but never the less it is still a fairly fast, flat route so i would like to sneak in somewhere under 42 mins. Unfortunately, my timing is somewhat lousy as I have also planned my last long training run on the WHW for the following day! So it will be an early start, up to Tyndrum to run the 40 miles from there to the Kingshouse Hotel and back.

I hope to run the outward leg with a few others who are carrying on up to Fort William so it will be nice to have some company for a change.

I'll let you know how I get on.

New discoveries on my door step

2009-05-14T05:24:00.001-07:00

Tim Downie blogged a while ago about heading off on routes close to home that you've never done before and so, in this spirit, I decided last night to head into pastures new.
On my usual run around the quite country lanes of Baldernock, I regularly pass a signpost indicating a footpath to Lennoxtown and so I decided that tonight was the night that I would investigate.
Immediately I was onto a rough Landrover track that started to head steadily up alongside a Beech Wood and after half a mile or so, another signpost took me left, through a gate and up onto the moor heading towards Lennoxtown Forrest. It was probably a combination of late evening blue skies, great running terrain and a steadily improving fitness that resulted in a fantastic run. As I reached the top of the moor just before heading into the forrest, I took a detour over a fence and up to a small cairn on the brow of the hill. From there I watched the sun set behind Ben Lomond with all the surrounding hills perfectly silhouetted as far as the eye could see. After a brief dip into the forrest (where I spotted some great tracks for possible future runs) I turned and flew back down the tracks to emerge back onto the road and the continuation of my normal route.
Envigorated by the experience I sped along the last four miles on the road at 7:00min mile pace (it's all down hill!) and arrived home with 11 brilliant miles in the tank .
I can't believe that I've lived in my present house for almost 12 years and not been up into this area before. From what I saw, and from studying the map last night, it looks as though I could link up well over 20 miles of off-road trails and track straight from my front door.
I am planning a 25 mle run on Sunday and rather than the intended trip up through Mugdock Park and the WHW, I'm heading for Lennoxtown forrest and some more new adventures!

Reflections on a far flung Fling

2009-05-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

So it's now almost 2 weeks since I finished the Highland Fling and I've had a chance to reflect on how the race went on what lessons I can learn from it. As always, it was a superbly organised race and Murdo and Ellen are to be congratulated on a job well done.

The race didn't go exactly according to plan and my hopes for sub 11 hour time were scuppered by significant cramp. I am however, a firm believer that you gain more from a bad experience than from a good one and so what have I learned?

Pacing - OK so I know this is rule nr. 1 in running ultras but I still managed to head off too fast, worrying about times and splits when I should have had the confidence to set off slow and let others go off. I'm sure I paid for this by the time I reached Rowardennan as I was already feeling tired at that point. So for the WHW race I need to set off nice and slow!
Nutrition - My problem is that there is no real strategy behind what I eat and when I eat. I tend to try to fill up at check points when I think I need to nibble away at something every 15 mins or so and then top up at the check point. As the race progresses, you tend to feel less and less like eating so I need to find something that fills the tank and that I actually want to eat. I generally eat gels, dried apricots, baked beans and rice pudding which I think are all fine but it's how much and when I need to improve on. During the Fling I carried water with me and drank some coke and lucozade at the drop bag points. As it was quite warm during the race perhaps I should have drunk more which may have helped with teh cramps. I don't tend to measure how much I drink, rather doing it by thirst but I think I should try and keep tabs on how much so that I can increase if necessary.
Supplements - There has been much discussion over why I cramped so badly during the Fling but one point that comes out time and time again is the issue of salt balance. I generally take Hammer Endurolyte caps but rather erratically instead of every hour. I have switched to Succeed S Caps which contain about 4 times more sodium than the endurolytes and am determined to stick to a one an hour plan so hopefully this will help.
Mentality - I have run enough ultras now to know that you have periods when you are feeling pretty low and you just need to keep your head down and press on and you generally come out of it. In the Fling, I became very negative by about Rowardennan, convincing myself that I was not going well and that i might have to pull out which, as you would expect doesn't do a great deal for your motivation to keep going. I need to remain more positive and focus on the good elements at a particular time. I wrote a piece recently about "enjoying the journey" and not worrying about the destination and I think I need to practice what I preach.
Perspective - when you are involved in the ultra running community you tend to loose focus on what it is you are actually achieving. Being disappointed in only running 11 hours 42 mins for a 53 mile trail race when most people shudder at the thought of running 5 miles is putting myself down.

Since running the Fling I have been back training with avengance and am now really looking forward to the WHW race which is now only 6 weeks away. My plan for the rest of May is to put in a 56, 65 and 75 mile week and then to gradually ease off from the start of June onwards. I,ve got three races before then with the Helensburgh 10k next Thursday and then 70 Wild Miles and the Milngavie 10k in the two weeks preceeding the WHW.

On a final positive note - whilst not completely gone, my Plantar Fasciitis seems to be in remission and is now only slightly tender if I have done a lot of road miles.

In pain, me? - Nah!

2009-04-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

DSCN2563 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

The Highland Fling

2009-04-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday saw me on the start line for my second running of the Highland Fling, a 53 mile ultra marathon from Milngavie to Tyndrum along the southern half of the West Highland Way.
I started at 7:00am along with about 170 other runners in the Male Senior and Male Vets category. The ladies and supervets had set off an hour earlier and the realy teams would be leaving at 8:00am an hour behind us.
The weather looked great with no wind and some light cloud cover but as the day wore on things would warm up and I think contributed to my difficulties later in the race. I set off at a steady pace trying to keep around 9min / mile and to resist the temptation to push on too hard when your body feels fresh and the adrenalin is pumping. There were a lot of runners around me as we left mugdock wood and decided to drop back a bit to give myself some space and run on my own. I got out past the Beech Tree Inn feeling comfortable and kept a steady pace all the way to Drymen, getting there in 1:55 slightly ahead of my 2 hour schedule.
I topped up my water and set off up through the forrest towards Conic Hill. I don't find the climb up Conic Hill too bad but I hate the descent and managed my usual slow progress down into Balmaha where I picked up my first drop bag. A quick pot of rice pudding and I was off along the lochside towards Rowardennan feeling the effects on my quads of the earlier descent. I always seem to struggle on this section and Saturday was no different. I went through a really low period that saw me contemplating imminent failure. It was along here that I started to get my first cramps in my calf muscles which, after a quick stretch seemed to pass but which were to cause me serious difficulties later.
I reached Rowardennan feeling pretty down and already struggling but after a pep talk from Alex who was in charge of the drop bags I got going again and shuffled my way off towards Inversnaid. I managed a bit of momentum along the roadway and kept the cramp at bay with regular stretches and was delighted to see the waterfall that signals your arrival at the Inversnaid Hotel. Because of the weather, the car park was full of tourists who all look somewhat bemused by the sight of these shuffling runners appearing out of the woods, scoffing down rice pudding and sandwhiches before shuffling off again.
The stretch along the top edge of the loch was slow as always and I continued to struggle with my motivation to keep going but by the time I left the waters edge and started the climb up towards Bein Glas I had rallied a bit and manged to up the pace again.
In an attempt to carry as little as possible, I had decided to use my bum bag instead of my back pack but the continued pressure on my stomach was making digesting food harder than normal and left me feeling nauseous on a number of occasions. I'll need to decide whether to go back to the backpack for the WHW race and try to address the chaffing that gives me in some way.
As I left Bein Glas, I was struggling again and started my run for 200, walk for 100 mantra to try and keep the progress going. The trouble was that by the time I got to about 120 on my run, the cramp set in and I had to stop and stretch then walk for a bit before I could start running again. I had arranged to meet my support crew (Pete my father-in-law and Cameron and Stuart my two boys) at Carmyle Cottage and it was this that kept me going. As I passed under the railway just before the cottage Stuart spotted my and came charging up to me shouting and cheering which was great and gave me a real boost to snap out of my depression. I tried some crisps at this point to see if that would help my cramp and after half a bottle of coke I was on my way once more - 8 miles to go!
The path along the top of the A82 was unusually dry and I met up with Mark Hamilton at this point and the two of us plodded our way up into Bogle Glen. By this stage, my hamstrings were cramping as well and I cursed the uphills and the downhills through this section but had a brief resurgance as I dropped down the last descent and ran into Auchtertyre Farm for a quick stop before the final 2.5 miles into Tyndrum.
I was determined to run this last section but I was fighting with cramp every hundred yards or so which was so frustrating as I felt could run if only my legs would let me. As I came out of the woods into the back of Tyndrum, people were passing me but there was nothing I could do about it. I had decided to try and keep something back so that I could at least run the last section along the edge of the river up to the finish and as the finish line came into sight I could feel my muscles going into spasm once more and despite my best efforts I had to stop 10 yards from the finish to stretch them out one last time. I crossed the line in 11hours 42mins; 20 minutes slower than last year.
There were many times through Saturdays race that I convinced myself that i wouldn't be able to finish and that if I found this race hard, what chance did I have of completing the WHW Race? Despite that though, I persevered and kept on going and I look back now and can see that that is what makes this kind of racing so special. It is the ability to endure, to keep going when everything within you is telling you to stop. If I can sort out the cramp problem, I know I can come back stronger and I'll be on the starting line in Milngavie at 1:00am on Saturday 20th June. What possible reason could I have for not!

A pre-Fling Update

2009-04-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

With The Highland Fling now less than 2 weeks away, it's too late to worry about whether I've done enough training. I think, no matter who you are, you always feel like you should have put in a few more miles.
I looked back at my training schedule from this time last year and from the start of the year up to the end of this week, I've run 100 miles more this year and already competed in 1 ultra (the Wuthering Hike). This should make me feel quietly confident of getting round quicker than last year and perhaps even getting in under 11 hours. Why then do I feel concerned about getting round the 53 mile course a week on Saturday?
I went out on Friday for my last long run before the race and covered the 26 miles from the Drovers up to Tyndrum and back. The last few miles were a real struggle and I finished feeling exhausted and slightly dispirited. The rest of the day I was tired and I had a fairly quiet day on Saturday but then got up on Sunday morning at 7:00am and had a fantastic 9 mile run through the woods at the back of Mugdock - go figure!
So what's the plan for the Fling? - well first and foremost is to finish. Last year I got round in 11 hours 22 mins and so I would like to beat that time and maybe even get under 11 hours. With over 300 individuals and 30 teams taking part this year, the course could get a bit crowded but by the time we reach Drymen, it should have spread out enough not to be an issue. Pete (my father-in-law) and my two boys are going to come up to support the last few miles from Carmyle Cottage so it will be good to have that to focus on. Other than that, I hope to enjoy what is a great race and to set myself up for the WHW Race later in the year.
I'll get out for three runs this week and then an easy session next Tuesday, other than that, it's plenty of rest and mental preparation.

Getting from A to B

2009-04-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

I remember back to just after Eve and I got married and we would be sitting having breakfast on a sunny Sunday morning trying to decide what to do with the day.
"Why don't we go for a drive?" Eve would ask.
"Where to?" would be my response
"Does it matter, why don't we just head off and stop somewhere for lunch?"
Now, this was my problem you see. If you go off in the car you are going from one place to get to another place - from A to B. My mindset would be to look at where we were going and to try and get there as quickly as possible (legally of course!) What was important was the destination and the more obstacles that got in my way on route, the more stressed and annoyed I would get.
I'm glad to say that I have mellowed over the years and I can now relax and accept that if you want to get from A to B, it sometimes takes a while and you should enjoy the journey.
So what has this got to do with running? Well for a long time, I have had a similar attitude to going for a run. If I go for a run I am going from A to B, even if sometimes A and B are the same place (home) and my focus was on getting to my destination. Sometimes I did this well, sometimes it was a struggle but if you're always worrying about getting to B as quickly as possible, 99% of the time, you're going to be disappointed.
On the longer runs, if you focus constantly on the destination, you become overwhelmed, intimidated and, eventually, defeated before you even start. There are ways to make this more achievable by breaking these long runs down into smaller destinations for example, the next check point, or the next aid station. Focus on each small destination, one at a time. This however still encourages a mindset of the destination being the main focus.
I've realised over time that this takes away from the whole idea of why I go running in the first place. There is a real pleasure to be gained from the pure physical action of running, especially if you're feeling good. We've all had those runs when your legs are fresh, your breathing is strong and steady and running feels almost effortless. The faster you go, the easier it gets and you feel as though you could keep going forever. On those days, the destination is not important, nor is the time you get there. What is certain though, is that if you keep going you will get there, wherever that may be.
So my attitude has changed, I enjoy the process of running, I enjoy the environment in which I run and I can look around and take it in and appreciate it more fully. As with all runs and particularly in races, there is still a need to get from A to B but these days I can now enjoy the journey.

70 Wild Miles

2009-03-26T06:12:00.000-07:00

The more astute among you will have noticed the introduction of a Just Giving widget on this blog. This has been set up to make it easier for people to donate to the very worthy charity CLIC Sargent which aims to raise funds for children with cancer and lukemia.

Myself and my two teamates are taking part in 70 Wild Miles Adventure Race in the bginning of June and hope to raise bucketfulls of cash for this excellent cause.

http://www.70wildmiles.org/GlencoeHome.htm

So click on the link across the page and dig deep - thanks.

I have also got hold of some photos from last weekends Mighty Deerstalker which give a bit of a taster of what was involved...............

Just after the first bath of the race

Descending the steep hill just before the "catch nets"

Emerging from the pipe before the home straight

Are you sure this is good for me?

2009-03-25T06:17:00.001-07:00

Ive been running for over 20 years (not continuously!) and in that time I've achieved a fair amount - many many 10k's and half marathons, several marathons and numerous rather more obscure but no less challenging distances and events. During that time I've been pretty lucky on the injury front and managed to come through fairly unscathed each year. In fact looking back over my sporting life thus far, I seem to have avoided any kind of serious injury.
When I was at school, I played a lot of rugby both for school and club and most weekends and once or twice during the week, I would be running around a rugby pitch either in training or playing a match. As I left school, my rugby career came to an end and, other than a few scars and minor bumps, I seemed to remain remarkably injury free. Now some of my team mates may say that that demonstrated a lack of committment to the cause and whilst I full accept that my total try tally remained very much in single figures, I did pride myself on being able to tackle even the largest of opposition 2nd rows. Other team mates seemed to regularly break collar bones, arms, legs and other appendages but not me!
As well as running, I spent many years competing in Triathlons and managed some reasonable placings in National events. I finished many half Ironman events and a full Ironman back in '96. At this point I was training most days of the week, sometimes twice a day, and racing regularly. Much of my cycle training was spent on the main road between Glasgow and Helensburgh at 6:00pm when the mass migration of 4x4's takes place but again, never a crash, a bump or an injury did I sustain.
Three years ago I decided to get back into running seriously again and entered the West Highland Way Race. As I increased my mileage, for the first time, my body seemed to object and the first of a raft of injuries appeared. In that first year, they were enough for me to withdraw from the race before even getting to start the line and although I have since gone on to finish it and many other ultras, rarely can I say that I am running injury free. When I read other runners blogs and reports, it is clear that my mileage by comparison is fairly minimal. I'm not putting in 70 miles a week, week in week out but clearly what I am doing is causing me some damage.
When I tell people that I am prone to heading out for a 40 mile run at the weekends or taking part in a 95 mile trail race, their image is of an incredibly fit individual leaping through the hills for hours on end. The reality is that whilst my heart and lungs are pretty efficient, leaping and bounding do not feature very high on my list of abilities. It is encouraging however to know that I am not alone. When I talk to other runners, conversation normally comes round to injuries and from my experience, it's a miracle that any of us are walking at all let alone running. Everyone seems to be carrying some degree of ailment or injury that the doctor's said they should rest but we all seem to be able to carry on regardless. I once visited a local GP to seek advice on knee pain I was experiencing. After a brief consultation and a cursory look at the offending area he described me as being like a car that from the outside looked in great shape, well maintained, good paintwork and bodywork, but when you get behind the wheel and turn on the engine you realise that it's already done 100,000 miles! He told me that this was only to be expected and offered me a cortisone injection that would "see me alright for a few months and then you can come back for another"!. Needless to say I managed to find an alternative practitioner who was able to treat the problem and not just the symptoms.
So what does all this mean? Is running really good for you or is it a means of slowly inflicting an ever increasing degree of stress onto a weakening body? There is one factor that perhaps I have been deliberately ignoring - when I played rugby I was in my teens; when I started running I was in my twenty's, when I raced Triathlons I was in my thirty's - now I am in my forty's and much as I hate to admit it, this must have some impact. I know that 42 is not old and a look at this years WHW race entry list shows many runners competing well into their 50's and beyond but I can't hide from the fact that my PB days are behind me and that perhaps I need to pay a bit more attention to the daily maintenance to ensure that I've still got another 100,000 miles on the clock!

The Mighty Deerstalker!

2009-03-23T05:52:00.000-07:00

This is the third year of this unusal event and the third time I have taken part. It is advertised as a 5k (and a bit) and a 10k (and a bit) and, like the last 2 years, I opted for the 10k. This year and last year, I measured the course on my Garmin and both come out at around 9 miles so the 10k is a bit misleading. Add to that the fact that it consists of several river crossings, a river run, some unusual man-made obstacles and the fact that the latter part is finished in the dark, it makes for an interesting event.

The emphasis is very much on the fun side and participants are encouraged to dress up for the occassion with tweed and country style being the outfit of choice. The race is based around the grounds of Traquair House near Innerleithen in the Borders and the start line is set up on the grassy avenue leading up from the House itself.

The weather was fantastic this year with blue skies and very little wind and at 5:30pm we were set off through a cloud of smoke as 900 runners sprinted off towards the first obstacle. Within 100 yards of the start, a line of straw bales had been placed across the route and after battling over these and a few prostrate bodies, we set off along the road out of the grounds of the house.

After the first steady half mile or so we were diverted off the road and down through a large pond of waist high muddy water, emerging slippery and muddy out back onto the road and straight off up a footpath for the steep climb through the woods to the high point of the first loop. Having done this race before I knew that if you were too far back within the main field, you would be caught up in bottle necks further on as runners queued to get through some of the obstacles so I put the head down and pressed on up the hill, passing runners all the time.

At the top of the climb you enter the woods and are faced with a long series of balance beams that zig-zag through the trees at the end of which is a tunnel built a foot off the forest floor that you crawl through before emerging out onto the forrest road at the top of the climb. Before you have a chance to catch your breath you're sent straight back down into the forrest following a mountain bike track complete with jumps and berms and after much windmilling of arms and uncontrolled speed you once again join another forest road. Along this for a hundred yards or so and it's back down into the forrest again down an incredibly steep series of hairpins with your passage blocked every twenty yards or so by a bar fixed between two trees about 2 feet off the ground. The technique here is to grab the bar with both hands and swing under, limbo style using your momentum to bring you upright on the other side. This works fine until some of the lower ones which are only a foot off the ground are reached and here it's best to go over. I tried this once with an ambitious leap but caught my foot on the bar and somersaulted several times before my descent was stopped by a large tree. At the bottom of this mad descent you reach the main road but to avoid any accidents, a large cargo net is stretched across the bottom of the path to catch you and prevent you becoming road kill.

Once on the road, you cross the river (on the bridge!) and follow a footpath on the other side which takes you in towards the town of Innerleithen. Once into the town, you're directed down a muddy bank into the river and for the next five minutes you slip and slide your way up stream through thigh deep icy water with spectators desparately hoping for some-one to slip and take an early bath.

After about 200 yards, your back out the other side and heading for the slopes of the main climb of the race. This is a very rocky and very steep climb through lots of loose scree and gorse which turns your quads and calves into quivering jelly. Once at the top there is a log bridge to negotiate before an equally quad thrashing descent back down through the woods to the bottom of the climb you've just completed.

At this point, compared to last year I was feeling great and knowing that the worst bits were over, I started to pick up the pace and try and make up some time. A little way along the road you're directed once again down into the woods, this time a straight drop down to the river. It is so steep here that they have a fixed rope in place to lower yourself down on but by the time I reached it I was going so fast there was no way I could grab it so I finished the descent on my bum.

Approaching the last mile or so, there are another couple of smaller river crossings before you reach the road bridge just before the return to the event centre. Rather than going over the bridge though you are once again sent down into the water and through a narrow tunnel the length of the road and waist deep in muddy water. Back up onto the bridge, over and off the other side through the water again before the final stretch in towards the finish. As you enter the finish field you head up the slope, through a length of large pipe, under a cargo net and then over the finish line.

My time last year was 1 hour 54 mins and because of the more favourable conditions, I managed to gallop across the line this year in 1 hour 36 mins in 79th place.

http://www.themightydeerstalker.com/page108.asp

This is a fantastic event. Very much focussed on fun and so times and placings are irrelevant as you have nothing to measure them against. There is a large event village with food stalls and a beer tent selling specially brewed "Deerstalker Ale" brewed at Traquair House's own brewery.

Many people choose to camp but given that I was there with Eve and the kids, we returned to our Hotel in Innerleithen with enough time for a couple of well earned pints in the bar.

After a good nights sleep we spent the day in Edinburgh at Dynamic Earth and took a quick look at the Scottish Parliament building before heading home. A great weekend was had by all!

Wuthering Hike

2009-03-16T04:43:00.000-07:00

My first race of the year saw me in Yorkshire for the Wuthering Hike - a 32 mile yomp through the Yorkshire Dales including a reported 4,000 foot of ascent.

I drove down on Friday afternoon and arrived in Howarth at about 5:00pm. After checking in to my B&B (excellent place - highly recommended) I set off to stretch my legs and see if I could find the start of the next days race. As I turned out, I didn't need to stretch my legs very far as the start was 100 yards over the road! I found a nearby pub and had some dinner and a pint of excellent Hound Dog before returning to my B&B to get my stuff ready and have an early night.

The next morning, over 200 runners gathered at the start for an 8:00am kick off and pretty much on time we set off up the steep cobbled street of Howarth and out into the country. As soon as we got out of the shelter of the houses, the wind hit us and for the next 10 miles it would be head on as we climbed up to Top Withens and then out to the far end of the loop before turning South.

My biggest concern for this race was the navigation and so I was determined to try and keep within sight of other runners. As it turned out this contributed to my downfall as the early pace of 8:30mins/mile into the head wind I knew was too fast but I stuck with it feeling pretty good. My aim was to try and get under 6 hours and I naively thought I might push 5:45 but as the race wore on I realized that this was not going to be my day. By 18 miles I was feeling tired and despite a quick refuel of beans, I started to struggle. My foot, which had been giving me problems for the last few weeks, was aching slightly but not really giving me too much bother, I just didn't seem to have the energy in my legs that I had hoped for.

At about 20 miles or so, the first of two climbs appeared which wasn't too bad as it gave my legs a change of muscle use and allowed the field to group slightly. Shortly after this, the main climb of the day loomed ahead and I plodded up Stodley Pike despite the winds best efforts to blow me off the summit.

It was the descent off here that I started to get cramp in both calfs and in my right hamstring. At one point I slipped and fell in a particularly boggy section but anyone watching would have thought I was on springs. As soon as I landed my hamstring went into severe cramp and I lept to my feet in desperation trying to stretch it out.

As I made my way across the fields, the field was now well spread out and I had lost sight of the those immediately in front. Another runner joined me (Mark) at this point and the two of us set off through the woods heading for what we thought was the next checkpoint. As we arrived at the main road we realised that we had missed a turn off some way back up the path which meant we were now about a mile further along the road than we should have been. At this point I was pretty worn out and the thought of having added another 2 miles onto our route was not the kind of moral boost I was looking for. Anyway, we managed to get ourselves back on track and chatted away as we plodded through the next few miles.

About 5 miles from home, we joined up with Shirley Colquhoun and the three of us slowly made our way towards the finish. My time was a very disppointing 6 hours 45 mins and I came in 170th out of 241. The race was won by Jezz Bragg in an amazing 4:13.

My initial reaction was one of disppointment, I was much slower than I had hoped, my cramp gave me problems, my navigation was very poor and the whole race felt much tougher than I felt it should. However, on reflection I still completed a 32 (actually 34) mile race, my foot feels OK and I can walk up and down stairs today with only minor discomfort!

I think I am in danger of setting my sights too high and forgetting that actually, there are not a lot of people out there who can do what we do. I did enjoy the race; more so now, in hindsight now that the mind has had a chance to filter out the bad bits. What it has made me realise is that there is no substitute for long days and long miles and with the Highland Fling only a few weeks away I'd better get my shoes on and get out there.

Still going

2009-03-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

Well, after my weekend run, I'm still walking so next weekend's race at the Wuthering Hike is still on.
Sunday morning saw me head out at about 6:30am into heavy snow and sleet with the intention of running out to the Beech Tree Inn, up to the top of Dumgoyne and back through Strathblane. A total of about 18 miles.

I thought I'd try a bit of video on my phone - so apologies for the quality and as you can see, Im no Ron Howard!

Not long after heading out, I realised that the weather would put a stop to my plans to go up Dumgoyne so I settled for a low level route still of about 17 miles.

My biggest concern for the day was whether my foot would be OK but it didn't bother me at all whilst I was out. Despite the weather I really enjoyed getting back out onto the trails again for a long run and I was setting a good pace all the way along the old railway line into the Beech Tree Inn. After a quick gel, I crossed the road and set off up the path behind the Glengoyne Distillery and onto the Water Board track than runs along the bottom of Dumgoyne

The weather mixed from sunshine to blizzard and as I climbed the road out of Strathblane on what is locally referred to as "The Devil's Pulpit", the snow came on again and by the time I turned in at the Carbeth Huts, visibility was very poor.

I'm pretty pleased with my run and felt OK all the way round. My foot was quite tender for the rest of the day but today (Monday) it's back to how it felt before the run. I'm planning another steady run on Tuesday night and then a short one on Wednesday. After that I'll rest up until the weekend. I'm driving down to Howarth on Friday afternoon where I've booked into a B&B and after the race, I'm planning on driving straight back home.

Carry on regardless

2009-03-05T07:56:00.001-08:00

Well I've eased back on my running only having completed about 20 miles in the last 2 weeks, I've replaced my road shoes and my trail shoes and I've been stretching, massaging and icing as often as possible. Has it made a difference? - not really, no.
Mind you, it's not any worse either. It seems to have settled out as an annoying discomfort that is there when I'm standing for any length of time but seems to all but disappear when I'm walking or running.
I've therefore decided; perhaps foolishly, to carry on as normal. I'll gradually build up the miles again and hope that my new shoes will prevent matters from getting worse. I'm planning on racing the Wuthering Hike a week on Saturday so I intend going out on Sunday morning for about 18 miles or so and if all is well, I'll race.
I've felt a bit down this last week or so and I've been snapping at the kids and Eve for silly little things. I thought it was mainly due to a stressful time at work but the more I think of it the more I'm convinced that it's due to my lack of running and my annoyance at another injury.
I read "To the Edge" again last week by Kirk Johnson which is a truly inspiring book about a New York Times reporter who went from very little running to competing in Badwater over the course of a year. It focuses on the psychological and emotional side of ultra running as much as the physical and I would recommend it to anyone.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edge-Death-Valley-Mystery-Endurance/dp/044667902X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236269445&sr=1-6

Anyway - onwards and upwards and I'll post after my Sunday run to let you know the prognosis

Plantar Fasciitis

2009-02-24T05:17:00.000-08:00

Well, as I suspected, the diagnosis is Plantar Fasciitis. I hope that I have caught it early enough that it will be treated without too much disruption to my racing and training plans.
It is difficult to know what has caused it but I think it is a combination of increased mileage, shoes that need replaced and my rather complex biomechanics as a result of having big flat feet. The main treatment is going to be to replace my road shoes which will hopefully help and then to treat with ice and massage.
I'm going to keep running although on a reduced mileage and see how it feels and I am still planning on running the Wuthering Hike in a couple of weeks so that should give me a good test of how the repair is going. I've got the Mighty Deerstalker the following week so the racing season is well and truly upon us and, injury aside, I can't wait to get into it.
If anyone has any tried and tested miracle cures for plantar fasciitis, don't keep them to yourself.

and it had all been going so well

2009-02-20T02:09:00.000-08:00

Training has been going well with me averaging about 50 miles per week and maintaining some good consistency. I had completed a 31 mile run three weeks ago and was planning another long run of about 38 miles next week, prior to my first race of the year at the Wuthering Hike in mid March.
However, for the last couple of weeks or so I have been getting pain around the base of my heel which was only fleeting and once I got going didn't seem to bother me. It has however been getting steadily worse and was particularly sore last night after a run and this morning.
My fears are that it is plantar fasciitis and after a bit of googling this morning it seems to fit the symptoms exactly.
Dam!
I have an appointment with my Physio on Monday so we'll see what she says and take it from there but it certainly looks like I'm going to have to take some time out to allow it to recover.
Bugger!

Tears before bedtime

2009-02-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

Big boys don't cry - do we? We grit our teeth and stand up straight, we may wince and whine but tears? - never!

Having three young children, I am used to the world of sobs. The reasons for them can vary from the skinned knee to the stolen teddy and their intensity can range from quiet tears to screaming like a banshee!

I'm sure that when I was small, I shed my fair share of tears for very similar reasons but as you get older, the reasons become fewer and your tear ducts start to dry up. We all still have our moments, sadly as a result of some form of bereavement, when our emotions come to the fore and we are able to cry and display the inner pain we feel.

We have all witnessed the nauseating spectacle of X Factor winners sobbing their way through winning songs or the despair of a loosing side in a crucial match but these are "other" people, not us, not me. Their emotions are fragile and easily exposed mine are hidden away, deep down........usually!

What is therefore about an event like the West Highland Way Race that changes all that? Last year (my first year) I had been struggling from about Kinlochleven and had been walking / running as best I could over those last miles. As I went through the Braveheart and onto the pavement into Fort William I started to run again. I was joined by both my brothers who were acting as support runners, my eldest son and my father and we all ran in towards the finish. By the time I reached the end of the Way sign at the roundabout, the tears were running down my face and as I pushed open the doors of the leisure centre I only managed to mumble my number to the marshall, scared to try and talk as I knew I wouldn't be able to get any words out.

My stiff upper lip had quivered uncontrollably and if you read through the many race tales on the WHW Race website, I am not alone. It is a common recurring theme that the end of such an event is an emotional experience and the barriers that we normaly put up have been broken down by the excertions of the previous hours.

It is not only runners who experience this as this extract from a posting of my brothers on his triathlon clubs website shows:

"We come to the forest car park where we join the road into Fort William, phone calls have been made and the full support crew are waiting. My Dad and nephew join us and we keep moving forward, in heavy rain now, knowing we are into the last mile or so. As we approach the finish Graeme summons from somewhere a last burst of energy and we run into the Leisure Centre and at last Graeme can stop. He sits down, he cries. Someone shouts 24:46 and I realise that’s the finish time, I go over to tell my brother and congratulate him but for some reason I can’t speak so I just shake him by the hand."

I don't know if this year will be any different, perhaps having done it once, the emotions will not be so strong. I think somehow though I'll still find myself blubbing like a baby as the leisure centre comes into view.

Tears before bedtime!

Why do we run?

2009-02-09T07:46:00.000-08:00

Why do we run? On the face of it, that's a pretty easy question; to get fit, to loose weight, to meet friends. This really only takes you so far but anyone who has pushed the limits of their endurance or dismissed the throbbing pain of aching muscles to keep pushing forward knows only too well that there is so much more to it than that.
Our reasons for running are as varied as the runners themselves. They can be intensely personal, driven by a whole gambit of emotions but we all have them, deep down inside and perhaps the only time we ever really find out what they are is when we are faced with that decision of whether to take the next step or not.
Ultramarathons hurt. There is no escaping the fact that at some point during a 50 mile race you will want to stop. Your legs will be screaming at you for rest, your energy reserves will have been long since used up and so the easiest, most sensible decision would be to stop. There will be no great disaster that will befall mankind if you decided not to keep going, no-one is going to suffer as a result and your body will get the rest it is crying out for. There is no shame in deciding to say "enough is enough" after all, many people find the thought of running two miles challenging enough so to stop after 40 miles is understandable isn't it? Why then do we keep going?
This is when we look to our own motivations, our own reasons for taking that next step. These are vital in our ability to move forward, to press on and to finish. When you find these reasons, hang on to them. They are yours and yours alone and will mean nothing to another runner as they are what drives you and what makes you the person you are. They are the only source of nutrition that will never be depleted and are what is left when everything else is stripped bare.

I know what makes me run, I know what I cling on to when everything else is saying stop but they are my reasons alone and so I'm not going to publish them here, they would be diluted as as result and I need them to be clear and strong so that when I need them they will there for me. Keep your reasons to yourself, hold them close to your chest or thrust them deep into your pocket so that when the going gets tough and you are faced with that decision of whether to take that next step you can remember why you are there and why the choice will always be to keep going - to keep running.

A long run and a burning sky

2009-02-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

Saturday saw my first long run for a while. I decided to go from Drymen to Rowardennan and back, a total of 31 miles which was my first run over 20 miles since October so I wasn't sure how it would all go.

I set off from Drymen at 7:00am in the pitch dark but feeling pretty good and looking forward to the run. As I climbed up through the forest, the sky gradually got lighter and I occassionally glanced back over my shoulder to see any sign of the sun coming up. What I wasn't prepared for was the utterly amazing sunrise that appeared over the period of about 15 minutes just before I got to the bottom of Conic Hill. I kept having to look over my shoulder to see how it was developing and even tried to take a couple of photos with my phone but these do not properly convey the sheer breathtaking view. It is a very humbling feeling to be on your own out in the wilds in the pitch dark and then to have this scene unfolding before you. I can honestly say that at that moment, there was nowhere else in the world I would rather have been.

Up and over Conic Hill and as I was eating some beans in Balmaha carpark I spotted Mags Turnbull getting ready to run to Inversnaid and back. We ran together as far as Rowardennan then went our separate ways. I started to tire on the endless ups and downs along the lochside back to Blamaha but eventually reached the carpark and prepared myself for my second run over Conic Hill. This was the hardest part of the day and as the wind did it's best to blow me off the hill, I put my Ipod on, my head down and pressed on hard until I was over the top. The run down the other side wasn't as bad as I had feared and I managed to keep a reasonable pace all the way back into Drymen, getting back to the car in just over 6 hours.

I am pleased to have got a long run under my belt again and despite the sore legs today, I am eager to plan another one at the end of the month.

Why does no-one smile anymore?

2009-01-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

On the whole, I enjoy my running. I say on the whole because, like most of us, I occassionally have a day when it just isn't fun. Some days you really feel like putting your feet up in front of the telly and having another glass of wine or there are those days when you're out running but for whatever reason it is just not happening; you feel sluggish, tired and not overly keen on the whole thing.
Running is, however, my chosen pastime and so I do it because I enjoy it. When I am out running I am usually in a happy place in a strange pain filled kind of way.
It would appear however, that many of my fellow runners do not share this joy - for example:
I was running into work this morning and as usual, having to follow the less than scenic route down to Anniesland Cross, along Great Western Road and in through the West End to my office. On the way I passed several other runners of various sizes, shapes and abilities. When I pass another runner I will look across at them, raise my hand and say "hi" or "morning" or some other similar single word greeting. Without fail, not one of them returns my salutation. The responses range from a look of horror that I have had the cheek to speak to them to complete embarassment that someone has spotted them out running. Not one of them even smiles or acknowledges my presence.
Now I'm not looking to engage them in a lengthy conversation or ask them some personal question, it is merely exchanging pleasantries between two like minded individuals. A common acknowledgement of a shared experience.
Do these people not enjoy what they are doing? Are they all enduring some terrible internal pain that renders the whole process so unbearable that they can't even raise a smile - Stop running then! Stay at home and be miserable in front of the telly.
One thing I can't accuse my fellow ultra runners of is a lack of friendlyness (?) There is a camaraderie between runners when you've been out for 6 hours and your goal is merely to get to the end. There is no competetive sneering or dirty looks but there is always an encouraging comment or a warm hand shake and, of course, a smile!

Pain, suffering and baby oil!

2009-01-23T06:12:00.000-08:00

When you think of the word "massage", what thoughts spring to mind? A warm welcoming atmosphere, soft, soothing hands gently carressing the cares and stresses of your day away. Perhaps some fragrant aromatherapy oils and some relaxing music playing in the background as you drift between wakefulness and sleep in a blissful sensation of pure realxation.
Now put the word "sports" in front of massage and it's a whole different ball game. As is my want, I popped into Achilles Heel in Glasgow this week for my regular "sports" massage in an attempt to keep some semblance of flexibility in my lower limbs.
The massage starts off gently enough with a firm pressing of my quads which are generally OK and don't tend to suffer from much in the way of stiffness. I turn over and Christine works on my hamstrings which again are usually OK but can tighten up occassionally. The first sense of foreboding comes as she moves onto my calfs which are usually fairly tight, a condition I put down to my use of orthotics and nothing to do with my usual stretching regime which a best can be described as negligable.
As she works away trying to loosen the tension in my calfs, there is the occasional twings of pain as she identifies a tender area and like a boxer who has just noticed an opponents weakness, starts to focus on that spot until the pain and tension eases. So far so good; then she utters the words that strike fear and terror into my very soul. Words that have grown men flinching in anticipatory pain and onlookers covering their ears and averting their gaze............
"Just roll onto your side and I'll do your IT Bands!"
Now if anyone has had there IT bands massaged they can sympathise and for those of you you haven't, consider yourselves very lucky. I am regularly advised that although they give me no specific problems, my IT bands are usually as stiff as pieces of wood and so Christine finds this a personal challenge to try and produce some minor flexibility and suppleness back into them. This process can involve, elbows, knuckles, forearms, heels of the hand and pretty much anything she can lay her hands on. I am not ashamed to say that this is possibly one of the most painful experiences I have to endure in my day to day life as I lie there gritting my teeth and trying not to blub! Christine usually asks me some fresh questions at this point to try and distract my thoughts but any response is usually restricted to few stifled grunts and groans.
At the end of this process it has to be admitted however that my legs do feel good. There is a warming glow about them and they feel loose and free and any niggles and stiffness I had been feeling have gone. It is therefore incumbent upon me to get back out running, ignore my stretching and undo all the good work done by Christine in order that I can put myself through the whole process again a couple of weeks later.
So - who's for a massage?

Monday morning bike rage

2009-01-19T05:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend saw me down in Chester at my sister-in-laws 40th birthday bash and so I had to forego my usual Sunday morning run. We got back up the road at about 5pm last night and after a look through the telly pages it was clear that there was nothing sufficiently exciting on to prevent me from getting out for a run.

It was actually quite a good paced 8 miles I did in the end although it was later than planned so I didn't get back to the house till about 10pm. I decided at that point that I would bike into work today and so I packed my bag and put out my cycling gear before going to bed.

Monday mornings are always hard to wake up to but this morning felt particularly so due in part to my late nights down south over the weekend and my late 8 mile tempo run the night before. However, undeterred by the rain on the window I knew I had committed myself the night before and so I got up, had a quick breakfast and geared up for the wet 7 miles into work. If there's one thing worse than riding a bike in the rain and dark, it's doing it in competition with the 7:30am migration of 4x4's from Milngavie into Glasgow.

About a mile and half into the ride I stopped at the traffic lights (serious bug bear - cyclists who don't obey traffic lights!) and staying clipped in I held onto the railings by the side of the road waiting for the green light. As soon as the lights turned green, I stood up on the pedals for my customary sprint away from the traffic when there was a sudden bang as my chain snapped, my foot fell forward and I wobbled across the path of the following traffic. My annoyance was compounded by the driver of the car behind who decided to honk their horn at me for slowing down their 20mph progress along the road so I stopped where I was turned around and explained in a very loud voice exactly where I would like them to go!

There then followed a 1.5 mile walk back home in the pouring rain pushing my bike like a forlorn 10 year old whose friends don't want to come out to play.

By the time I got home, had a shower, and drove into work it was 9:30am and I was in a great mood?!?

Listening to the radio in the car, I heard them say that apparantly, today is the most depressing day of the year due to the dark days, post Christmas credit card bills, the length of time until the next holiday - oh, and broken bike chains and twats in cars!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=X975EVV3Egg

Concerns for my mental health

2009-01-12T05:12:00.001-08:00

It's official, running can seriously damage your health - or at least your sanity!
Take this weekend for example. Sunday morning, my alarm goes off at 6:00am and I lie there listening to the wind and the rain battering against my bedroom window. It's warm and comfortable where I am and yet I decide to get up, tip toe around the house putting on waterproofs, gloves, hat and a headtorch before heading out into the darkness to run 18 miles on my own! No-one is forcing me into this, there is no gun pointing at my head and my loved ones safety has not been threatened if I fail to go out - why then would a sane, mature individual choose to do what I now find myself doing?
I question myself time and time again as I head out of Milngavie onto the WHW peering into the 10 feet of illuminated darkness that my headtorch provides with every foot fall landing in either a puddle, or mud or both. I reach the Beech Tree Inn and it's still dark and as I turn onto the main road to head up onto the Water Board track along the base of Dumgoyne, the full force of the wind; which until now had been at my back; hits me in the face and the rain stings my cheeks as I battle into the relative shelter of the woods once again.
Three hours later, I plod back through my front door, soaked to the skin and shivering to find my wife emerging from the bedroom, sleepy eyed, asking me if I enjoyed my run!
Did I enjoy my run? well, actually yes.
You see, I told you I had concerns for my mental health!

1500 Not Out

2009-01-06T03:58:00.000-08:00

Well, the New Year is now fully underway and I am delighted to say that I managed to complete my 1500 miles for the year. Actually it was 1501 to be precise.
I went down to Shrewsbury for Christmas and ran in the Stiperstones Dash on Boxing Day which is a 3 mile thrash up and down a local hill. The weather was glorious and it certainly cured my slightly thick head from the previous days excesses.
The following day I got out late afternon and managed a brisk 8 miles through the country lanes leaving me with 20 miles left and 4 days to complete them.
Back home on the Sunday and I was out for another 8 miles on Monday afternoon and so on the last day of the year I had 12 miles left to do so I got up early and completed a nice off road 13 miles in the dark to hit the 1501 mark.
I realise reading some of the other blogs that 1500 miles is not a particularly impressive total but, all things in perspective, I'm not exactly comparing myself against your average punter!
So the year has started well, I was back to work on Monday and despite the economic turmoil we have a healthy order book and a new Surveyor has boosted my employees up to 12. I managed a spectular 8 miles last night through my usual country back roads and the moon and stars were so bright that I didn't need my head torch.
The start of a new year is generally a time for reflection and so looking back over my running last year I feel very pleased with my achievements. My main success of the year was staying relatively injury free which meant the biggest challenge of actually getting to the start line of a race was achieved. Here is a summary of what I did:

March - The Mighty Deerstalker - a bit of a novelty event which although listed as 10k was actually just over 9 miles. My second year of running it and I've booked up for this year again
April - The Highland Fling - 11 hours 22 mins: generally used as a training race for the WHW but I think this devalues it as a great race in it's own right. This years race will be the biggest yet and I'll be on the start line.
May - No races but a great long weekend cycling in the Vercors in southern France up some seriously steep and long cols.
June - West Highland Way Race - 24 hours 46 mins. - My first attempt at this and although my gold medal target was sub 24 hours I was slightly disappointed in my performance. I'll be back again this year and aiming for 23 hours. Also ran the Milngavie 10k which is a great wee race on a very tough, hilly course. A small turnout meant I managed to sneak in for a top ten place.
July - R&R
August - No racing but building up the miles for a busy September.
September - Started with the Glasgow Half Marathon (1 hour 34 mins) and then two weeks later ran the Dundee Marathon (3 hours 29 mins) and then two weeks after that ran the Longmynd Hike (50 miles in 11 hours 44 mins). Anyone not familiar with this race should have a look at the Vasque Ultra Series Web Site. It's a great race which I have doen two years in a row now and includes 8,000 feet of ascent

That was the end of my racing for the year. I don't tend to race a lot but I do enjoy the ones that I do.

My plans for this year have been mentioned in a previous post but added to to that, I would like to do a couple of hill races, some more cycling and hit 1750 miles for the year.

Masterclass

2008-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is how it should be done - Simply stunning!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

Running blind

2008-12-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

I went out last night for a tempo run on the Milngavie 10k route. The route takes you out the back roads through Bladernock village and through some fantastic car free country lanes. The best bit about it though is turning the head torch off and relying on the slight shine on the wet roads to guide you through the darkness.
There is something quite magical about running in the pitch dark. I think when one of your senses is taken away from you the others become more heightened. It is quite mesmorising to hear only the sound of my steady hard breathing and the thump of my feet hitting the ground and I feel very disappointed as I emerge back into civilisation and streetlights once more.
It has an incredibly calming affect on the soul and leaves me feeling revived and in love with running once more.
I am away for a few days now so if anyone is actually reading this, have a very Merry Christmas and I hope your plans for 2009 are achieved.

24 hours 44 mins WHW Race 2008 - Finished!

On the road again

2008-12-22T05:35:00.000-08:00

I am back running again at last. Well, when I say running, it's a bit more plodding really. I went out last Monday for the first time in over two weeks and did a short 4 mile loop around the Ski Club which felt not too bad but worryingly, my legs were sore the next morning. The next night, Nr. 1 son runs at Garscube Harriers and I did my usual 7 mile route whilst he was out with club - sore legs again.
I missed the next few days due to eating and drinking committments! and so I didn't get back out again until Sunday morning. I set off at 7:00am into a very dark, windy and wet West Highland Way and ran up through Mugdock Park and out to the Carbeth huts. Although it was fairly slow 11 miles, it was good to get out and get my feet muddy again.
So here we are, 9 days of the year left and still 37 miles to get my 1500. We're off down to Shrewsbury for Christmas to stay with my in-laws and given my Father in-law's generous hospitality I'm not convinced I'll get in much mileage. There is a wee hill race on boxing day called the Stiperstones Dash which I'll do but it doesn't eat into the 37 miles a great deal.
So it looks like I'm going to end up with a 20 mile run on Hogmanay to finish off the year!
There is a definite sense of hyper-exitement in our house at the moment as the kids have finished school and are counting the days until Santa arrives - I'm sure it's something to do with the fact that every day starts with a chocolate fix from the advent calendars!

Party Animals

2008-12-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

This was not what I had planned! A fourth post and still no running to report on. I am now on the mend and am just trying to shed an annoying cough and a blocked nose so I am hoping to actually get out for a run by Friday.
I have 59 miles left to complete my 1500 for the year and so it is still on although I may have to put in a bit of an effort!
The party season is in full swing now and I never seem to be at home although it has to be said - they're not my parties! Nr. 1 son has a scouts party and a school christmas panto (Oh no he doesn't!) Nr. 2 son has a Beavers christmas party and a school christmas party and Nr. 1 daughter has a Rainbows christmas party, a school christmas party and 2 "other" christmas parties. Now none of these parties will involve a late night kebab and the last train home but they do somewhat eat into what little time I have for running!
I am resolved now not to post again until I have actually put my running shoes on and stepped out of the door. The results could be painful!

Definately not Man-Flu!

2008-12-05T06:29:00.001-08:00

My slightly under the weather feeling has now become full blown flu. Now I'm not talking man-flu but proper, I can't get out of bed flu. I have even had to take time off work for the first time in about 10 years!

Not surprisingly, I haven't run this week at all so my 1500 miles target for the year although still quite attainable is going to have to be worked at a bit harder.

Perhaps this is a good time to look ahead to my plans for next year. My main focus will once a gain be the West Highland Way Race but I also plan on doing the Highland Fling and the Longmynd Hike again. With the Fling and Longmynd being in the Vasque Ultra Series, I might have a look at doing the Wuthering Hike in March which would give me three counting events. Outside of ultras I also plan on doing the Mighty Deerstalker, the Milngavie 10k, the Galsgow 1/2 marathon and maybe the Dundee Marathon. I've also entered as part of a team for "70 WILD MILES" and I am planning riding the C2C route with some mates in March. That seems like a reasonable spread of events but like all great plans, whether they actually happen is another issue. The first stage is to get rid of this bloody flu!

The dreaded lurgy!

2008-12-02T05:05:00.000-08:00

Running has been somewhat curtailed at the moment as all three children are off school with some kind of flu type bug. I'm not feeling too chirper myself and so rather than tempt fate and continue running in the current sub-zero temperatures, I'm staying indoors and trying to put off the inevitable bug transfer.

All being well, I'll be back out later in the week and with only about 60 miles left to do to complete my 1500 for the year, I'm keen to get out for a long run on Sunday morning.

The long run - ah yes, the staple of all long distance running training and for me, the most difficult to accommodate. I don't think I'm particularly unique as everyone has other commitments and pulls on their time although reading some of my fellow bloggers reports, some seem to have more than others. For me, Sunday's long run means a 6:00am rise and out the door for about 6:30am. This gives me a good 3 hours before returning to demands for swimming trips or bike rides by my pyjama wearing family. My enthusiasm for this is directly proportional to the amount of red wine consumed the night before and whether this was followed with a large Lagavullan or two!

I do try and get out with one of the organised training groups when I can and this gives me the chance to put in some extra miles.

Last year, I peaked at about 60 miles a week just before the WHW race. I don't see that changing dramatically next year but the plan is to run smarter, rather than longer and be a bit more structured in what I do.

So there you go, two posts in two days. Hopefully, my next one will include some comments on an actual run.

And so it begins

2008-12-01T13:10:00.000-08:00

This blog was set up to find out how to set one up that I knew what to do and could tell my 12 year old son, Cameron how to do one. Now that I've set it up, it seems sensible to put something down; on paper - kind of thing.

A bit about me first. I'm a 42 year old, self employed father of three. Although, perhaps that should be a father of three who is self employed because that's the priority they seem to take in my life. Oh, and I'm a runner.

This blog aims to set out how I fit in running my own business, keeping my kids happy, staying in love with my wife and training for ultra-marathons. I like to think I do three of the four things very well and I do just enough to get by in my running.

I started running at college and after a few years competing in triathlons I started running ultras two years ago. Last year I ran the Highland Fling, West Highland Way Race and the Longmynd Hike. I did some other races as well but ultras have become my focus.

Next year I'm hoping to do the same three again with hopefully a couple of others thrown in.

So that's a brief summary. Over the next few weeks, I'll put a few of my thoughts down on how my training is going. If anyone bothers to read this, let me know you're out there.