3/12 since my last post largely because not a lot has been happening. I seem to have spent the 1st quarter of the year being injured or spending time recovering from injury. At the moment I have an Achilles injury and a v sore neck.
However I have done some races. I did the Devil's Burdens and ran OK. We came 23rd which was a bit disappointing. We put a 9 man team in for the 3rd Eastern district X-country and again I felt below par.
The national x country was a shocker bit I did it and spent a minute retrieving and replacing a shoe.
In retrospect Alloa half went quite well. I did 86.43 which was OK and a good turn out of the club. After Alloa I clearly had an Achilles strain and eventually got the message and rested it. Unfortunately the national road running relays came along which I felt I had to do and again I had a shocker and a sore Achilles at the end.
So what now ?
I think the Achilles is improving but not better yet. I am x training fairly conscientiously which should help and it's just a case of being patient.
Monday, 9 April 2012
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Slow start to 2012
Along with 11 other Harriers I completed the Decembathon during a shuttle session. The day after we had the traditional Comrie new year day run. I felt my hamstring on the right was tight but was able to do the run.
After that I had 3 days off partly because of the ham but mainly because I didn't want to run, a v rare state.
On Friday I had a 24 hr tummy bug so missed out on a Devil's Burdens recce but ran the Galscorrie run on Sunday in a v encouraging 50.10.
Today I did the Glen Artney run with Kerry and had a good run. It was gloomy and windy but not bad for January.
I have been training in the gym quite a bit as well,trying to build some strength particularly in the legs.
It's x-country on Saturday, so I'll see how that goes
After that I had 3 days off partly because of the ham but mainly because I didn't want to run, a v rare state.
On Friday I had a 24 hr tummy bug so missed out on a Devil's Burdens recce but ran the Galscorrie run on Sunday in a v encouraging 50.10.
Today I did the Glen Artney run with Kerry and had a good run. It was gloomy and windy but not bad for January.
I have been training in the gym quite a bit as well,trying to build some strength particularly in the legs.
It's x-country on Saturday, so I'll see how that goes
Thursday, 29 December 2011
2012 approaches
December has been a slightly odd month. I have been doing our club Decembathon which involves running at least 3m every day. It's been OK and I have done it so far but I do miss rest days and there is a temptation not to run v far.
2011 has been a year of 2 halves for me. The 1st half was terrible but the 2nd pretty good on the whole. I have done 2 marathons (both v slow) and 4 halfs all pretty good. In addition I have done the OMM and lots of other races.
In 2012 I am helping organise a marathon in Strathearn which should be v exciting. We already have 16 entrants.
I have very few goals for 2012 except to run injury free and race as much and as well as I can. Of course I could put some times down here for various distances but there's little point in doing that as one calf strain blows it.
I feel very enthusiastic about the next few months. Lots of races planned and we are moving back to Comrie in 3 weeks where I like to do my running.
I wish anyone reading this a healthy and happy 2012.
As Brucie would say if he hosted a show called scrictly running, keeeeeeeeeeeeeep running !
2011 has been a year of 2 halves for me. The 1st half was terrible but the 2nd pretty good on the whole. I have done 2 marathons (both v slow) and 4 halfs all pretty good. In addition I have done the OMM and lots of other races.
In 2012 I am helping organise a marathon in Strathearn which should be v exciting. We already have 16 entrants.
I have very few goals for 2012 except to run injury free and race as much and as well as I can. Of course I could put some times down here for various distances but there's little point in doing that as one calf strain blows it.
I feel very enthusiastic about the next few months. Lots of races planned and we are moving back to Comrie in 3 weeks where I like to do my running.
I wish anyone reading this a healthy and happy 2012.
As Brucie would say if he hosted a show called scrictly running, keeeeeeeeeeeeeep running !
Saturday, 3 December 2011
La Gomera
I am a week into a 2 week holiday on the lovely Canarian ialand of La Gomera.
The weather has been idyllic for getting a tan but running is tough with barely a flat bit of road to be seen.
I have run 7/8 days here so far and not a run over 7m.
In general I have felt sluggish and legs sore but its all good as it is so lovely running in the sun and warmth.
I have undertaken the Decembathon which is a challenge to run every day in December at least 3m. So far so good with at least 4m done on each of the 1st 3 days. I am also swimming every day in a lovely pool and even going to the gym
The weather has been idyllic for getting a tan but running is tough with barely a flat bit of road to be seen.
I have run 7/8 days here so far and not a run over 7m.
In general I have felt sluggish and legs sore but its all good as it is so lovely running in the sun and warmth.
I have undertaken the Decembathon which is a challenge to run every day in December at least 3m. So far so good with at least 4m done on each of the 1st 3 days. I am also swimming every day in a lovely pool and even going to the gym
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Glen Clova Half marathon
Its quite a long drive to this end of season, popular half. Beth, Colin and I arrived at the start in good time and met up with Al, Kaz, Murray, Tony and Fiona.
My expectations were low due to a lack of real training and feeling rotten the night before. However low expectations are no bad thing.
It was a stunning day with clear blue skies and 10deg.
We set off at 12 and I quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm taking the hills as they came and enjoying the views. I was determined to take it easy for the 1st half as had doubts about how well I would last. In fact I felt pretty good and turned around feeling good. About 8-9miles I became aware that I was dipping and took my gel. I was passed and decided to hang on to him. I soon started feeling better and retook the guy who had passed me. The 10 miles arrived at 65.15. I was able to work hard over the last 3 miles and overtook 1 guy.
I finished feeling fine in 85.20 and 15th which I was delighted about. This bettered my 2006 effort by 90secs.
I would say that this was my most enjoyable race of the year which is what it is all about after all.
My expectations were low due to a lack of real training and feeling rotten the night before. However low expectations are no bad thing.
It was a stunning day with clear blue skies and 10deg.
We set off at 12 and I quickly settled into a comfortable rhythm taking the hills as they came and enjoying the views. I was determined to take it easy for the 1st half as had doubts about how well I would last. In fact I felt pretty good and turned around feeling good. About 8-9miles I became aware that I was dipping and took my gel. I was passed and decided to hang on to him. I soon started feeling better and retook the guy who had passed me. The 10 miles arrived at 65.15. I was able to work hard over the last 3 miles and overtook 1 guy.
I finished feeling fine in 85.20 and 15th which I was delighted about. This bettered my 2006 effort by 90secs.
I would say that this was my most enjoyable race of the year which is what it is all about after all.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
OMM 2011
This race was so far out of my comfort zone that it was in another universe. Mountains/bog/heather/tussocks/rain/wind/mud/navigation... but it was great.
I cant say how impressed I was with the whole thing. How anyone organises this massive event is beyond me.
After a week of refining the contents of my new OMM rucsac I met Sam on the Friday evening to make sure we both new how to put up my tent. His ruck sac was mainly full of sleeping bag so he took my old one.
I was carrying 16lb by the time it was all assembled which is more than I am used to running with!
Our start time was 10.19 and our bus left Cultybraggan at 9.20. There were literally buses every minute! Unbelievable. And there were temporary traffic lights to make sure it all ran like clockwork which it did.
We had a great cooked breakfast courtesy of Andrew Scott and his team and set off for St Fillans.
The rain had been falling all morning but started to clear as we headed up the track to the start which left just west of the Four seasons hotel.
We had 10min to kill and then made our way to our start in B class. 26km lay ahead of us, surely that wouldn't take more than 5-6hrs? We heard that one elite team had taken one look at the map and gone home, hard to believe but true.
Off we went on time. Fortunately Sam seemed to know what he was doing and started up a track, not too bad so far. Then it started to rain and didn't stop for the next 7 hrs. We headed west, took in check 1 and then 2 with had John King marshalling and doing sterling work in torrential rain. All the marshals were awesome, what a job they had !
Then our 1st long stretch of the day across tussocky moorland. I fell, cramped, fel cramped then did it all again. Then our 1st significant burn crossing, Chucked the bag across and went for it, got wet, laughed as another runner went in head 1st, applauded as Sam stayed dry. West over a hill, checkpoint 3, hurrah.
Check 4 manned by a late middle aged woman, where do these amazing people come from? it was horrendous for her and all the other marshals. Down to the pipe and wow, some actual running for a bit. So far we had been mainly walking albeit quickly.
Next the long stretch east over the corbett, but which way? We spent an age checking, checking getting cold. Made in to Glen Finn and up,up,up. Sam did start to struggle with cold, and uncertainty as to where we should be going. Big hill, gale force wind, horizontal heavy, heavy rain so hard it hurt but we have to keep going, no option really. Eventually we get to the top of something in thick mist and find 2 girls, one in shorts!!! Find others also lost. I take a punt and head along a path and there it is, the long awaited trig point we are all looking for. 857m up and its about as bad as it gets, so down we go and find check 5 next to a raging burn. Checkpoints are like honeypots with lots of other runners buzzing around them, then its relative isolation until the next one.
Off we go sniffing the end but its a long way. Heading for Glenalmond and we go down a long way, sometimes on our backsides, then up again. There it is another checkpoint, this one next to a raging torrent we must get across. None of these checkpoints are easy to find. This is tough.
On we go with a real sense of the end in sight. We get into Glenalmond and slowly pick up numbers 8 and 9.Well done Sam you have got us to half way, I am in awe.
We finish in 7.09hrs. How can we have taken so long? That isn't even a decent walking pace for goodness sake! However we finish 55/120 or thereabouts, not bad, we are pleased.
The camp is already full of tents so we pitch ours just as the v brief respite in rain comes to an end.
Strip off and get in the tent and try to get organised and warm. We both opt for lying in our bags and doing nothing, hoping not to have to emerge again.
Phil and Rhian are next door and they have had 2.5 hrs more fun than us, god help them!
We spend the evening eating and warming up.
At 11pm we try to sleep. I toss and turn all night. Do I sleep? Maybe, but I'm not sure.
The hour goes back at 2am, I hear it above the gale outside.
At 6am we hear a deranged piper doing his thing, is that Rob Bolton?
Come on Sam, up you get, more fun today.
We breakfast and get ourselves together for our 8.53 start. It is a lovely morning, it is a beautiful glen, we are very lucky to be here and to be able to do this. We set off and do some running. More hills, some big ones. We end up on a boggy, peaty, moorland which is good because we can run across this. The mist comes down or do we go up to it? It is dry though and we move along quite well.
Eventually we reach the point when we turn towards Ben Chonzie. We have a fenceline to follow, no compass required, I bolt and run, passing many people and feeling great. We reach the foot of Chonzie and I bonk big time. Up,up,up following a line of runners up a gully. Where is the checkpoint? We follow the crowds and there it is. Then we make our only real error and head over Chonzie. This involves a big climb and loses us a lot of time. I bonk again and Sam gives me one of his precious gels which helps. This event is all fluctuating energy levels for me.
We find the Invergeldie track and head down and across to check 6. Then down and up along the muddiest track in this race which is saying something.
We make the Carroglen track and run through the farm and down the road. I bonk+++. This is awful, I can barely put 1 foot in front of the other and check 8 is up another hill, will this never end?
Finally we find 8 and Sam feeds me some energy bar which does help after 10min. We are on the TDS, OMG we are actually going to finish this. Check 9 is just above the cattlegrid on the Balmuick Rd. We turn onto the forestry track above the golf course and run. We pass lots of people and I start to feel quite emotional. Check 10 and then we race along the river to Laggan park and the finish.
There is Elizabeth, Liz, Kath, Kerry and Nicola. We finish.
What an event.
I cant say how impressed I was with the whole thing. How anyone organises this massive event is beyond me.
After a week of refining the contents of my new OMM rucsac I met Sam on the Friday evening to make sure we both new how to put up my tent. His ruck sac was mainly full of sleeping bag so he took my old one.
I was carrying 16lb by the time it was all assembled which is more than I am used to running with!
Our start time was 10.19 and our bus left Cultybraggan at 9.20. There were literally buses every minute! Unbelievable. And there were temporary traffic lights to make sure it all ran like clockwork which it did.
We had a great cooked breakfast courtesy of Andrew Scott and his team and set off for St Fillans.
The rain had been falling all morning but started to clear as we headed up the track to the start which left just west of the Four seasons hotel.
We had 10min to kill and then made our way to our start in B class. 26km lay ahead of us, surely that wouldn't take more than 5-6hrs? We heard that one elite team had taken one look at the map and gone home, hard to believe but true.
Off we went on time. Fortunately Sam seemed to know what he was doing and started up a track, not too bad so far. Then it started to rain and didn't stop for the next 7 hrs. We headed west, took in check 1 and then 2 with had John King marshalling and doing sterling work in torrential rain. All the marshals were awesome, what a job they had !
Then our 1st long stretch of the day across tussocky moorland. I fell, cramped, fel cramped then did it all again. Then our 1st significant burn crossing, Chucked the bag across and went for it, got wet, laughed as another runner went in head 1st, applauded as Sam stayed dry. West over a hill, checkpoint 3, hurrah.
Check 4 manned by a late middle aged woman, where do these amazing people come from? it was horrendous for her and all the other marshals. Down to the pipe and wow, some actual running for a bit. So far we had been mainly walking albeit quickly.
Next the long stretch east over the corbett, but which way? We spent an age checking, checking getting cold. Made in to Glen Finn and up,up,up. Sam did start to struggle with cold, and uncertainty as to where we should be going. Big hill, gale force wind, horizontal heavy, heavy rain so hard it hurt but we have to keep going, no option really. Eventually we get to the top of something in thick mist and find 2 girls, one in shorts!!! Find others also lost. I take a punt and head along a path and there it is, the long awaited trig point we are all looking for. 857m up and its about as bad as it gets, so down we go and find check 5 next to a raging burn. Checkpoints are like honeypots with lots of other runners buzzing around them, then its relative isolation until the next one.
Off we go sniffing the end but its a long way. Heading for Glenalmond and we go down a long way, sometimes on our backsides, then up again. There it is another checkpoint, this one next to a raging torrent we must get across. None of these checkpoints are easy to find. This is tough.
On we go with a real sense of the end in sight. We get into Glenalmond and slowly pick up numbers 8 and 9.Well done Sam you have got us to half way, I am in awe.
We finish in 7.09hrs. How can we have taken so long? That isn't even a decent walking pace for goodness sake! However we finish 55/120 or thereabouts, not bad, we are pleased.
The camp is already full of tents so we pitch ours just as the v brief respite in rain comes to an end.
Strip off and get in the tent and try to get organised and warm. We both opt for lying in our bags and doing nothing, hoping not to have to emerge again.
Phil and Rhian are next door and they have had 2.5 hrs more fun than us, god help them!
We spend the evening eating and warming up.
At 11pm we try to sleep. I toss and turn all night. Do I sleep? Maybe, but I'm not sure.
The hour goes back at 2am, I hear it above the gale outside.
At 6am we hear a deranged piper doing his thing, is that Rob Bolton?
Come on Sam, up you get, more fun today.
We breakfast and get ourselves together for our 8.53 start. It is a lovely morning, it is a beautiful glen, we are very lucky to be here and to be able to do this. We set off and do some running. More hills, some big ones. We end up on a boggy, peaty, moorland which is good because we can run across this. The mist comes down or do we go up to it? It is dry though and we move along quite well.
Eventually we reach the point when we turn towards Ben Chonzie. We have a fenceline to follow, no compass required, I bolt and run, passing many people and feeling great. We reach the foot of Chonzie and I bonk big time. Up,up,up following a line of runners up a gully. Where is the checkpoint? We follow the crowds and there it is. Then we make our only real error and head over Chonzie. This involves a big climb and loses us a lot of time. I bonk again and Sam gives me one of his precious gels which helps. This event is all fluctuating energy levels for me.
We find the Invergeldie track and head down and across to check 6. Then down and up along the muddiest track in this race which is saying something.
We make the Carroglen track and run through the farm and down the road. I bonk+++. This is awful, I can barely put 1 foot in front of the other and check 8 is up another hill, will this never end?
Finally we find 8 and Sam feeds me some energy bar which does help after 10min. We are on the TDS, OMG we are actually going to finish this. Check 9 is just above the cattlegrid on the Balmuick Rd. We turn onto the forestry track above the golf course and run. We pass lots of people and I start to feel quite emotional. Check 10 and then we race along the river to Laggan park and the finish.
There is Elizabeth, Liz, Kath, Kerry and Nicola. We finish.
What an event.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Looking forward to the OMM
A brand new experience awaits me on Saturday/Sunday. I have never done a MM before. It starts and finishes in Comrie so couldn't be more local. My partner for the weekend is Sam who I believe and hope is a better navigator than me.
It should be a challenge and good fun.
The kit is now bought/gathered, wonder what it all weighs?
I think I am reasonably recovered from Liverpool now. I plan to run tomorrow and then that will be it until Saturday at 10.19am when we are off
It should be a challenge and good fun.
The kit is now bought/gathered, wonder what it all weighs?
I think I am reasonably recovered from Liverpool now. I plan to run tomorrow and then that will be it until Saturday at 10.19am when we are off
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