A wee (slightly lengthy) update...

I've not written up my 'diary' for a few weeks, I'm never sure whether to do a little each week or wait til there's something to write...
 I've just completed my first back to back weekend of the year, physically it was good, mentally it was much better :-)
For a number of reasons, some health related, some weather related, I've struggled to get any long runs done yet this year.  I've really enjoyed the snowy weather and the challenges it has presented, the health issues are not so enjoyable and not for further discussion except to say that old age doesn't come by itself is fact, not just an old wives' adage! 
To backtrack a little...
I've chosen this picture as it is one of my favourite places in Scotland, it's a ruined croft on the Lairig Mor and two weekends ago we decided to go up for a run from Kinlochleven, thinking that there might be a couple of inches of snow on the top and knowing that the climb up would be good practice for me.  It was a beautiful sunny, clear morning and apart from the hideous traffic queuing on the A82 to get into Glencoe ski centre, we had a good early morning drive up the road.  There was plenty snow on the tops as we drove through the glen, but nothing to speak of at the lower levels and the climb up from Kinclochleven, while icy in patches was manageable and the snow at the top was pristine - and MUCH deeper than we'd expected (2 feet deep with 4 feet deep drifts).  John ran ahead of me and had fun making the first footsteps in the virgin snow, I followed his footsteps, happily plodding along and enjoying the views.  A solitary walker we met along the way, thought that we were 'pretty mental' but as it had taken him 3 days to come from Fort William and he was camping along the way - I didn't like to ask which was more mental...
(he'd spent the night before camping inside the croft!)
Last weekend I ran from Milngavie to Drymen and it was torture!  My legs were solid and screaming and it was also probably one of the coldest mornings I remember so my lungs were also screaming!  By the time I got to the wee (completely frozen) loch on the way to Carbeth I had started to warm up and my legs were easing off, the sun was out and I was settling into the slog.  I met John at the gate on Tinker's Lane, got a slurp of coffee, moaned about being too hot, took my jacket off and set off on the next leg.  I'd a great run down to the Beech Tree and then along the old railway line to Gartness.  I really don't like this next bit, it's hilly and tar and messes with my head, I plugged in my headphones and listened to Dave Troman reminisce about Chamonix last August, it helped me to lift my mood out of the doldrums and by the time I got back on the trail I was happier again.  I met John again at Drymen and discussed whether or not to stop - as planned - or carry on over Conic hill to Balmaha.  I was a little scared that Conic might be icy ( I have real issues with ice...) and I think John was a wee bit bored, so we headed home, I'd done what was on the plan.
We've both been doing circuit classes for 4 weeks now, I've been going 3 times a week, and until John popped his calf 2 weeks ago, so was he.  He managed one session last week and will hopefully get back later this week.  Still no running for him yet though :-(
This weekend we had a couple of days off work which was lovely, Thursday I went to donate my platelets and John had physio.  Friday we headed up to a dreich and dismal Aberdeen which was brightened immensely by spending the afternoon visiting George in hospital.  We popped back in again in the evening to see if he'd enjoyed his food parcel :-) After visiting, we took a brisk walk up Union Street to Six degrees north a bar that John had been researching, a bit noisy and full of students and 'rich young things' but the beer was good and the choice immense.
Back to the travelodge for a reasonably good sleep, breakfast in the nearby 'spoons on Saturday morning and then on another grey miserable morning we headed to Drumoak.
Not exactly a heaving metropolis, but the starting point for my run.  The D33 as those who've run it or been there, will know, is in the main, flat, I naively assumed that it would continue thus... Oh how we laughed!! After Banchory it's all uphill...
Fantastic forest trails in Scolty woods, apart from the ones that were covered in sheet ice!  Views to die for - I guess - it would be nice to go back one day in sunshine and see them, there were parts of the route where I could barely see 10 feet in front of me as the cloud was so low/mist so thick.
Long story short, I was extremely grateful I had my kahtoolas in my bag, and as the steep hills and ice slowed me down more than planned, John suggested I stop at Kincardine O'Neil - this was 16.5miles and I had originally hoped to get to Aboyne (20miles).
We'd planned that I would run again Sunday and had thought about staying over in Aviemore so that we could watch the Scotland game in the pub on Sunday before heading home, however it was Valentine's day - bad planning on John's part, and there wasn't much available accomodation.  So, we ended up in Newtonmore and on the road there I noticed a sign for National Cycle route 7.  Oh I said - 'there's a cycle path now, I could run back to Aviemore tomorrow' where do I get those stupid ideas from???  Needless to say that was a suggestion that met with coach's approval so after a delicious dinner, a glass of wine and a reasonably early bed, it was Sunday morning and time to go...
Newtonmore to Kingussie was on a designated cycle path, nice surface and easy running. From Kingussie you head uphill on the B road to Ruthven Barracks,  very pretty, with a nice wee downhill, then up again, and again, and again!  I was pleased though that I was starting to get more confident on the uphills and event trying to run some of them, not giving up as soon as the gradient increased.  It turned into a lovely day, blue skies, sunshine and an increasingly strong wind which was fortunately at my back!  Again John popped up in numerous places with words of encouragement and refreshment.  The most surreal thing was the 3 wee ponies making a dash for freedom at Insh!  The rest of the route stays on the B road although I believe that there may be cycle path from Kincraig to Aviemore now too, I didn't turn off to Kincraig I stayed on the road, as directed and we agreed that at 15miles I was going to stop- 15.01 to be exact and it turns out, another mile or so and I'd have been on the main road again at the Old Bridge on the outskirts of Aviemore, but I'm happy with what I did and actually ran and felt better than I had on Saturday.  Soup and coffee, a wee walk, then to the pub for the rugby and an early dinner rounded off my weekend.  Not bad, 31.51 miles with 603m of climbing!
Back to the GP later this week and hopefully things will keep improving and the training will keep on track.
(if you're still reading, well done! Sorry it's a bit wordy)

How time flies...

Wow it's been almost 2 weeks since I've been on here - how time flies when you're having fun (or training!)

I've done a few good runs since then, and some fun and tough fitcamp sessions too.

 

Alan

 

Last weekend some friends were running from Bishopbriggs to Falkirk along the Forth & Clyde canal, I didn't need a 20 mile run, so John and I went by train to Croy and met up with Alan Lindsay.  There had been some snow on the Friday, so the path was quite icy at the start - this gave me a chance to try out my kahtoola micro spikes which I'd got for Xmas and hadn't had a chance to use yet.  I kept them on for about 4km then the ice diminished so I put them back in my bag - it feels weird for first few minutes of running after you take them off!  John had run the first mile with us then he headed off at his 'slightly faster than me' pace :-) Alan and I trotted along quite comfortably, blethering away, and the time and the miles passed effortlessly.  We stopped to speak to the wildlife rangers who were trying to rescue a young swan which had managed to get himself tangled up in some fishing line :-(  His parents were watching from a respectful distance as he waddled across the frozen canal and just as the ranger thought she was going to be able to catch him, he took off and flew towards his Mum & Dad!  Her colleague who was in a rowing boat breaking the ice and trying to get to him on the water, was less than impressed!  With about 1mile to go, we met up with John who had run back to meet us, and then we headed off to the cafe at the Falkirk Wheel for a heat and some well earned refuelling.  The rest of the crew, Noanie, David and Angela joined us and after they were fed and rested, we all set off again to head up the hill and through the tunnelto join the Union Canal.  2.5miles took us along to Falkirk High station, where we had parked our car and where the others got on the train to head back to Croy/Bishopbriggs.  It was a fine sunny day and the chat was good, and I got 12.5miles in my legs.
Sunday, we went out in foul weather, it had snowed from about 4pm on the Saturday, pretty much all night, so it was slushy, grey, cold and windy but off we went... We had planned to go up the hill for a wee session, but I was struggling with tired legs so we did a 5.5mile loop around the hillfoots into a blizzard and home again.  I had had a sore foot on Saturday evening, from the base of my toe up towards my ankle, on the top of my foot, which on Sunday morning was swollen and slightly coloured so I rested it for most of sunday afternoon, applying ice and heat.  It is still a bit achy but the swelling and bruising have subsided and it doesn't cause me any pain when running... not sure what I've done but will keep an eye on it and if it doesn't improve over this week, I'll go to see my wonderful physio 

I had a good interval session on the treadmill on Tuesday, I was a bit worried about my foot, but it didn't hurt, then on Thursday I did another treadmill session, I'd a tempo run on my program, and the treadmill makes this much much easier.

Running down the hill

We had a great weekend of running in totally contrasting conditions! Yesterday we could have been in the Swiss Alps, it was glorious sunshine and deep, crisp, white snow - my legs are still cut from the ice-crystals!  We ran round the back of our local hill - Dumyat, up to the Sherrifmuir Road, then onto the hill itself.  We then decided to run down the back of the hill :-) There was no obvious path so we just picked a slope and headed down!  The snow was 3 feet deep in some places!  It was a fabulous day, the weather was amazing, I love being out in the snow and the sunshine there's something very special, and peaceful about being away up in the hills where there are very few other people.  On the walkable side of the hill, we met a few walkers in the full gear, and a couple of young Chinese students in totally inappropriate footwear - who were slipping and sliding their way back down!  I don't know how they managed to get up the path in the first place!  Scary stuff... though not quite as scary as the 4 30-something guys on mountain bikes heading back downhill!  There were ski tracks on the back side of the hill too, though the only other footprints were sheep and the highland coos.
Today it was a 4 seasons in 1 day run, 12 miles on the canal in deep puddles and real clarty mud - both tough workouts in their own way, but feels good to have done them!  I didn't manage to get quite as many miles as my program had for me this week, but I am pleased with the quality of the workouts and looking forward to next week's challenges...

7/31 marcothon week1 in the bag :-)

Apologies for the slightly satanic eyes in this photo, but this is Islay 'the dug'. 

Islay rose to global fame last year as the photogenic star of marcothon 2011.  Each day her slightly bonkers owner Alan posted a photo from their runs.  He also includes the number of the day in the photo in one form or another, hence the bottle of 7up in today's...
I am really pleased that we're finished week 1 and I have managed fine this year, I've completed my runs in one piece, in reasonably good humour and without any slips or injuries on the snow and ice, my legs are holding up well too, no great niggles or aches.  This may be a result of being a year more experienced, 25lbs lighter and a year more confident, or it may be as a result of my firewalk last week and my heightened levels of self-awareness and self belief... choose whichever option you please or choose to disregard them all, but as I said to John last night, something has changed and whatever it is, it's working so I'm not complaining :-)
This weekend we will hopefully get a slightly longer run tomorrow in fair conditions, and then on Sunday we will be in Glasgow for the Santa Dash, a fun 5km round the city with another couple of thousand mad runners dressed as various incarnations of Santa!  Great fun seeing the Saturday night revellers or 'jakies' who swear to never drink again after seeing the swathe of red and white wend it's way up St Vincent Street.  It truly is a sight to behold!
Monday is a day off for us so we will enjoy the city on Sunday afternoon/evening, stay overnight and then do something on Monday - including our run, before heading home.  I have tickets for the Pharoah exhibition in Kelvingrove so would like to try and take that in if possible...
To everyone who has managed to run this week, well done, who knows what the weather has in store for us in the weeks to come, but here's to good running and warm showers when you get home!
Have a great weekend folks x