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!
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Friday, 12 February 2010
My feet are a pain in the arse!
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;
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!
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Doing my S.U.M.S.
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.
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.
Saturday, 9 January 2010
What's Occuring?
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
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
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
A new training partner!
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!
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!
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
A Run With The Glee Club
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##
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##
Friday, 23 October 2009
Every which Way but Loose
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:
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.
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