Catching up

Another busy week has passed by already! Work wise it's busy and stressful, thank goodnes for exercise and running to relieve the stress...
I didn't run as much as I'd planned second half of last week, but I did get out on Saturday morning for a good 20km run, the sun shone and there was definitely a hint of Spring in the air. As usual though there was a strong headwind along Hillfoots Rd - a 4m straight from Tillicoultry to Alva which is a natural wind tunnel!
Sunday morning dawned grey and drizzly, but now wind whatsoever, perfect racing weather - It was the Alloa Half Marathon, this is our local race and it was the route I ran on Saturday. It's a well respected race which attracts a lot of club runners and is traditionally used by them as a sharpener before the London Marathon, it also has it's fair share of "fun runners" and this year there were 901 finishers. We went along to watch the start and then again at the 2miles mark before heading to Edinburgh for my last Diehard Bootcamp, this means I kept it up for 10 weeks which I am really pleased about :-) We met in the Pentland hills and headed out for a trail run with "challenges" it was about 5 miles in total in varied weather - some sharp showers and cold winds up high, but pleasant on the lower ground. We included hill sprints on short sharp grassy slopes, then on a narrow stoney footpath up a bigger hill, pressups and situps using the incline - that was interesting as slipping back down head-first was a definite possibility! We ran on all sorts of terrain, through burns and bogs, on shingle and grass but there are a good selection of paths/trails up there and a large number of "ramblers" as well as a couple of serious runners and mountain bikers. At various points along the way there were mystery challenges to complete including eating a doughnut without licking your lips, and we got to set challenges for the instructors as payback! As always we had a good laugh at the same time as working out and the 2hours passed quickly. I will miss the routine and the camaraderie which has built up over the last 10 weeks, but I am going to concentrate on training for Edinburgh over the next few weeks so will sign up for the one session a week option for the next 6 weeks at Stirling. I may well do another 10week programme over the summer months. It was definitely a good thing to do though and made getting through the dark winter evenings much more fun - I would have found excuses not to go out if I hadn't signed up to the program.
Yesterday the legs were a bit stiff, and I had an interval session on my program, I wasn't looking forward to it I can tell you! I went to the gym about 6pm and managed to complete the workout, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared it might be and in a slightly masochistic way I enjoy intervals, I think it's to do with the challenge element of it... Was very hard and I was tired when done, but sense of achievement of completing it is greater than the tiredness/pain. Today's workout is a 3mile run, which I would usually try to fit in at lunch time, but I have back to back meetings with only travelling time in between so I can't do it then, I have a bootcamp at Stirling tonight so will have a wee run before it and then do the session and that will be my training for today.
Talking about achievements... yesterday was day 80/100 of the 100 Days Challenge! 80 Days of intentional movement! Quite impressive - some of the days have only been a walk from the office at lunchtime into the town and back but they all count!

Running away...

No, not me, but the days/weeks/this year! I don't know why time is going past so quickly, old age? That's mid March already, nearly a quarter of the year gone in, and the days are lengthening quickly now. It's nice to wake up to the lightening skies and have an hour after work when it's still light.
It's 10 days since the Barcelona marathon, we ran in bright sunshine and 22C had the same glorious weather the following day which we spent walking around the city, watching the residents enjoying their holiday weekend and then got off the plane to 3C and rain!
It was a run of mixed feelings, I didn't get the time I was aiming for as I had a really tight left leg from 3km onwards which then led to the right hand side glutes and ultimately lower back seizing up so I felt like I was running bent in the middle... on the positive side though it is definitely the strongest I have ever felt running a marathon, and by far the strongest finish to date. I usually end up run/walking in the final 500m but this time I kept going all the way to the line totally fixated on the finish line and determined to keep going, it was hard work but I was so proud of myself :-) so perhaps on another day without my sore leg and maybe a little bit cooler I would have got what I was aiming for... I know it's there and I know it's getting closer so am not too downhearted.
It's a very well organised event and a great course, pretty flat with a mix of city and seafront running, it's well supported in most areas and the combination of nice weather and the Carnival weekend brought supporters out in numbers, many still in their fancy dress.
It was straight back to work on the Tuesday morning and then back into the birling maelstrom that is our work life at the moment...
In no time it was Friday and the weekend was upon us, we went out on Friday evening for a couple of hours with some friends and as the designated driver I managed to get through 4 Sprites! I woke on Saturday morning feeling as if I'd had more than 4 pints!! I had a head that felt as if someone had put an axe through it and generally felt yuk... It didn't help that the weather was foul, grey miserable and snowing! I have to confess that I barely went out of the house all weekend, I was still suffering from sore back from the race so had no motivation to go out and do anything. I missed my diehard bootcamp session on the Sunday which is probably a good thing as the challenge was to run up and down hundreds of stairs in a football stadium!
So all in all it was a funny old week last week and I'm glad it's passed :-)

Monday I had a physio appointment and he did a lot of work on my back managing to finally elicit the "crack" he was looking for :-) simple things that give some guys pleasure....
Seriously though although I feel like I have been kicked by a carthorse and then run over by the cart, I do feel the difference, I have much more mobility again and although I didn't do any exercise on Monday, I managed a steady 5.5km treadmill run at lunchtime yesterday and my bootcamp session in Stirling last night. It felt good to be back doing "stuff" and I am back at bootcamp again tonight in Linlithgow. This is the last of the 10 weeks of the Diehard programme, I'm glad I signed up for it as I do think it has made me stronger and fitter and I've made some new friends too. I will keep going once a week while I train for Edinburgh as it is good cross-training and I may do another 10 week session over the summer between Edinburgh marathon and our summer holiday...

Just a quickie

It's Friday evening and it's almost bedtime - I must be getting to that point in training where all the cumulative tiredness hits! I am so sleepy by 10pm! I've not been sleeping well this past week either which hasn't helped, however our fab physio found a "new bit" last night and with a bit of luck he's got to the root of my knee pain which has been wakening me every couple of hours during the past few nights. I only woke once last night, so that is huge progress!
I haven't run since Monday lunchtime other than at my bootcamps, this is quite remiss but I hope that the legs are better for being rested. They are tired and achey today but that's the post physio effect and the DOMS from Wednesday night's bootcamp, it was a really good circuit workout with lots and lots of static squats and lunges - good for lengthening the big muscles, but tired them out too!
Tomorrow is long run day, I want to go and buy new shoes too, so am hopefully going to get through to Glasgow early (ish) in the morning and then have a run in them in the afternoon.
Die Hard bootcamp on Sunday is back at Linlithgow so will probably be trail shoes as the grass on the rugby pitches will doubtless still resemble a marshy bog still.
We had to go to another funeral today - this time it was an older retired former colleague who passed away last Thursday which was coincidentally the 1st Anniversary of my wonderful mum-in-law's passing. This was a memorial service as he'd donated his body to medical research, so it was strange to be in church and have no coffin, however it was a nice service and was lovely to see so many other former colleagues - just unfortunate that we only get a chance to catch up on sad occasions these days. This is the third funeral I've been to in the last 3 months so I hope that the trend has passed for a while.
On a lighter note, we are now close enough to our trip to Barcelona for it to be coming up on the long range weather forecasts, and at the moment the weather looks like it is going to be sunny and warm :-)
Fingers crossed!

Flying through February!

Wow it's hard to believe we're half way through the month already! My mum used to tell me that the time flying in was a sign of old age, well I must be getting really old, time is just passing by so quickly!
I had a good second Bootcamp last Wednesday at Linlithgow with lots of work on the dreaded Preston Road (it's a hill!!) then Thursday was a trip to the donor centre in Glasgow and Friday was a rest day. Saturday was a 20mile long run and it turned out to be a really good day. The weather was pretty grotty here at home before we set out but by the time we arrived in Falkirk it had dried up and was trying to clear. I got dropped off at the Falkirk Wheel - a scenic start and has convenient conveniences :-)
If you look closely you can see the guy on the very large horse which is the first horse I've seen on the canal path although often hurdled evidence that they've been there!
After about 7 miles or so the sun started to filter through and it turned out a really pleasant day. The ice had eventually disappeared from the canal - The Union Canal runs all the way to the River Clyde at Bowling a total distance of about 31 miles, I went as far as Bishopbriggs and then back on myself a couple of miles so that I finished my journey at a canalside pub just outside of Kirkintilloch called The Stables. It is about 16miles to the pub, but I had to run past and back to make the total 20miles I was after. This is a handy finishing point as there is a safe place to park the car - John parked there after dropping me in Falkirk then ran towards and past me, then turned at High Bonnybridge and came back totalling 27miles!! As I am a much slower plodder, he arrived only about 15minutes after me and we had a very welcome bowl of delicious warming mushroom soup before heading home to watch a very disappointing Scotland performance at Murrayfield.
Sunday morning dawned wet and cold and Diehard Bootcamp beckoned :-) fortunately by the time we got to Bathgate the rain had stopped but it was incredibly muddy as it had rained all night, so the red cloying mud was prevalent once more! Another good hill workout for Sunday followed by circuits then home to a much more entertaining rugby match Ireland v France. Sunday was rounded off by a good pilates session and then a solid night's sleep!
It's Tuesday now and I had a really good treadmill run yesterday at lunchtime which was really reassuring as I started with tired legs but they worked well and I felt really good about it when finished, tonight was Bootcamp in Stirling, another cold and windy session, but the sleet at least stayed away until I was in the car coming home. There is snow and more cold conditions forecast so will see how it pans out for the rest of the week...

End of the week again!

This was the sunset on Tuesday evening as I headed toward Stirling, it was quite stunning...

I can't believe the week is over already! I had never intended to post daily, but I can't quite believe it's Friday evening again...
I suppose being so busy at the moment rushes the time past and the days always start to merge a bit as you approach the peak of a training programme.
I have done quite a lot this week, I did my Diehard Bootcamp on Sunday - previous post, then I ran at lunchtime in the gym on Monday. Tuesday was Stirling Bootcamp and I decided to run there so that I got a midweek run in as well. I ran just short of 11k then did the hour's bootcamp so was pretty tired by the end :-) I had extremely "twitchy legs" on Tuesday night so didn't sleep at all well, this meant that on Wednesday I was very tired and a tad grouchy, I was doing a job at work which involved a lot of concentrating on the screen so by the time I left work I was shattered and not looking forward to going to Linlithgow. I went though and have to confess I'm glad I went as I felt like a whole new person after bootcamp #2 of the week. Really enjoyed some well earned fish and chips on the way home!
Yesterday I didn't exercise as it was platelet donation session in the late afternoon and I'd got a ticking off last time for having done a spin class before I went as it pulls the Hb levels way down. I was really good, I ate extra healthily and took my iron supplements all week and stayed off the ibuprofen even though I'd have chewed your arm off for one (you're not supposed to take anything for 7 days prior to donating) so turned up yesterday feeling quite righteous and with a MEGA platelet count of 400 which I think is the highest I've ever had, and a Hb of 12.2 - it has to be 12.5 before they take the donation :-( Not a happy bunny - they say exercise is good for you too!!!
Today was always going to be a rest day as it's a 20mile run tomorrow, but feeling a bit guilty as I didn't do anything yesterday either...
However, fingers crossed that the weather brightens up a wee bit and we have good long runs tomorrow - a few folk I know are all going long tomorrow as the start of the marathon season rapidly approaches!

Busy weekend

to follow a busy week :-)
Yesterday I managed to do my 18mile run with a reasonable degree of success, it was hard but it wasn't nearly as much of a struggle as last week and the route I chose was varied in terms of scenery and weather! I ran from home (Tullibody) to Dunblane and back, all uphill on the way there and gently downhill on the way home - after you come out of Dunblane that is - stiff climb out of the town...
I left home in pleasant almost springlike conditions with the sun starting to shine albeit watery - watery is the word for the run by the way- the fields were all flooded by the River Devon where it hasn't so much burst it's banks, just overflowed. There is a bridge which is normally 6-10 feet above the water which would be lucky if it was 18inches clear.
I headed along to Bridge of Allan and the normally peaceful Allan Water was in fine spate as you can see above. From there it's a fairly steep climb out of the town and then a nice downhill into Dunblane. As I arrived in Dunblane the rain was just starting to drizzle, I took a detour through the town to add on an extra kilometre and also to find the conveniences ;-) when I came out it was tipping down, horizontal sleet and driving winds, it was like Florence all over again. "suck it up" they say across the pond, so I sucked it up and headed for home, there is something really satisfying about battling the elements I always feel like I'm saying "ha ha you can't beat me, I can still do this". By the time I got back to Bridge of Allan it was almost dry again and as I headed the last 5miles home the sun tried to come out again but not very successfully and the black clouds were gathering over the hills as I ran towards them. Half a mile from home my knight on his white charger appeared - well in a dirty green megane to be truthful but it meant I got home without getting drenched again - and it was half time in the rugby :-) I still clocked just over the 18miles so was pleased with the day's work.
Today I woke gingerly - you know that way you gently try every muscle and joint to make sure they're all still working before you get out of bed? I was in surprisingly good fettle so headed off to the Diehard session of bootcamp with some trepidation but feeling more confident than I thought I might have been. I really enjoyed it! It was definitely the toughest session we've had so far but I found my legs again and had a good wee 2.5mile trail run interspersed with some push ups, and then lunge and sprint sessions. Wet and muddy :-) This was followed by a tough circuit which Paul had set up for us while we were off on our run. All good fun and although legs are tired now - as is the rest of me, it's time for pilates and then that will be my "quiet restful" weekend over...
Bring on next week =:-0

Mud glorious mud!

I was going to write Phew!!! But I think I have used that already :-)
We've had a busy weekend, woke up yesterday morning to another day of freezing fog and a very heavy frost. Not at all conducive to going out to run... Yesterday was a long run(21.25km) along the Forth & Clyde canal which was quite picturesque as it was still mostly frozen, there were a couple of patches where a little thaw had occurred and the swans and ducks could get in and swim - their legs must be devoid of nerves or they would be frozen! The towpath was in reasonably good condition although a tad muddy in places - the shoes bear testament to that they're a fetching shade of grey!

Today was Die Hard Bootcamp session 2 this time we met at Kirkton Park in Bathgate, a pretty wee park on the outskirts of the town, with a HILL in it! Killer Hill I think would be an appropriate name for it - it's not very far to the top in that it will only be 400 - 500m I guess, but it seems to go straight up - at least it does after you've been up it a couple of times! Our warm up run was just over 2 miles but it went up the same hill just a little bit further along on a good wooded trail which every time you thought you'd got to the ridge, went up again :-)
It was all good fun (?) in incredibly heavy claggy red clay/ash MUD! with a 20 station circuit to follow - one of the stations however being up the hill and back! Great fun doing pushups on frozen ground with a slight covering of mud on it - at one point my feet slipped away behind me and I collapsed on the Bosu ball which we were using for the pushups in a fit of helpless giggles - a picture to conjure with!
We went for lunch with a friend afterwards, it was good to catch up - thankfully he is a runner too so he understands our madness :-) Enjoying a little bit of quiet downtime just now with a coffee and a home made peanut butter & choc chip muffin before heading back out the door in half an hour to do an hour of pilates. I think I will aim for a day off tomorrow, but depending how work goes and depending how I feel in the evening I might do a gentle 5km, we'll see...
I'll sleep tonight!

P.S. Another good friend and much respected runner suffered a dreadful injury in the summer, he completed his first race today - Much Respect and congratulations to him :-)

Dum de dum dum DOMS!

OK not quite, just a bit achey but have a sneaking suspicion they'll bite tomorrow...

Got up yesterday feeling good after Saturday's run, no recovery issues, did the hoovering and then it was time to set off for my special "Die Hard" Bootcamp, this is for the souls who are taking part in three sessions a week and lasts for 1.5 hours instead of the usual 1 hour weekly session.
Little bit of trepidation as it was as yet an unknown, so arrived in plenty of time and then spent 20mins wishing I'd detoured via supermarket to avail myself of their facilities.
However we gathered in the biting wind- but at least there was no rain and a feeble sun was attempting to break through, and after the introductions off we set for a trail run =:-0 Just what I needed to make me realise that whilst not painful I had rather stiff and tight legs! 20 mins or so on a nice mixed trail and I'd started to warm up so enjoyed the second half, especially as it was hilly and muddy - I used to be really prissy round puddles and mud but now I just plough through it :-)

Second half of the session involved pairing up with a partner and was a mixture of running round a small area of grass - on the path, as it was very soggy, in quarters, walk, jog, run, sprint - of course sprint quarter was uphill and into the wind just for good measure. One partner used the equipment whilst the other ran the circuit, a good range of equipment which really worked us out - my arms were dead by the end, I didn't know I could do squats while holding a medicine ball straight out in front of me or swing a kettlebell weight before yesterday! Thoroughly enjoyed the session, and we got our snazzy black Die Hard T Shirts as well.

Sunday evening we have an hour of pilates and we'd been told last week that this would be a foam roller session, both John and I were looking forward to that as he'd run 11miles on Sat and 16 on Sun so was needing the stretch as much as I was. We turned up in the "I don't really want to do this but I know it will be good for me" frame of mind and guess what? The whole session was done using 2lb weighted balls, one in each hand! By the end of it I couldn't feel my arms!

However, I do feel much better and healthier than I did last week so hopefully all this exercise has banished the bugs. I have to run tomorrow at lunchtime then it's bootcamp in the evening, sure makes the evenings fly in!!