Trying to sort my head out...

These are tough times and they call for tough measures, in our wee community of ultra runners are some of the most responsible sensible people I've ever had the pleasure to know - we love our group runs, our sweaty runner hugs but we also understand the pressure on MRT and other rescue services so fully appreciate why events are cancelled. We are in the main fit and healthy but that doesn't mean we aren't carrying viruses even if not displaying any symptoms. I am gutted that our races for the foreseeable future are cancelled or being rearranged and between that disappointment and the extra stress of working from home and doing extra stuff, I am finding it very hard to get motivated to go for a run. I know I need to as I will feel better when I've been but my head is too busy with all the other stuff that's buzzing about in it! I know from friends' posts that others are equally confused/stressed. I'm not writing this for sympathy just trying to get my thoughts in order. I want to head to the hills more than anything else at the moment, especially on a beautiful day like today but I can't. I am going to try to drag myself out and go for a walk/jog on the local cycle path then I will come back and do some more work in the hope that I can keep just a little ahead of the game for tomorrow - we have a plan in place for tomorrow but who knows if that will change overnight... I think that is the most disconcerting thing for me at the moment, the speed with which things are changing, we often moan - and I am one of the worst - about the lack of guidance coming from "Them" in this case I guess the Government but I think that "They" are in the same boat as the rest of us...
Working in the arena I do I am used to having to sometimes make tough decisions and make them quickly but at the same time trying to be proactive and put pre-emptive procedures in place - there isn't time to do this with coronavirus. Yes we have the evidence from countries who are ahead of us in the spread but we don't have enough time to think then act, it's about doing it all at once!
It's all happening so fast, and irrespective of our Political views or disdain towards the politicians, at the end of the day they too may have elderly relatives who are at risk and children whom they can't get to hug etc., lets not forget that
I am saddened at the thoughtlessness and selfishness of some of my fellow humans but if I'm honest not overly surprised, just annoyed - there are always going to be people who think it will never happen to them, they only think about themselves, we've all seen the reports in the news and social media of people 'escaping to the highlands' with no obvious thought for the small communities with limited resources that they may be having a negative impact on.  We've seen photos of folks still drinking in pubs or cafes etc and never mind the horrors of the panic buyer/hoarders!!
If you have a nurse who lives in your street, chances are he/she will be working 12 hours shifts from now on. If you can spare one, leave a toilet roll or a bag of pasts (or a bunch of daffodils) on their doorstep next time you're passing.  If you've an elderly person in your street, pop a note through their door offering to pick up shopping/prescriptions etc. or even just sharing your phone number in case they're in need.
I have spent this weekend feeling very close to tears on a number of occasions for no particular reason and I guess that might continue...
We are fortunate we are both in good health, the freezer/cupboards are pretty full and I have flour so can make bread.  I ordered a ton of slate chips and some more sleepers yesterday morning so hopefully can use this at home time to get the garden sorted out, it's been sadly neglected since we became van owners.
I guess I should stop rambling now, I was needing to try to get some rambly thoughts in order in my head and this was the easiest way to do it. 
I hope that you are all healthy and stay that way, I'm looking forward to all the hugs and catchup runs/cake/fizz that will come in the hopefully not too distant future. To sum up all the advice about handwashing/social distancing/not hoarding etc in true Ultra 'speak'

Don't be a Dick!

This is the next race on my calendar - hopefully...

2019

It's been on my mind a few times over the last couple of months that I've not put any of my random ramblings down on virtual paper.  I'm not sure of all of the reasons but think that it's mainly because social media as it is today means we almost live in the moment and each others' moments too.  This is brought home really strongly if we're away for a weekend at a race and you realise that you've not touched your phone all weekend other than to message the next checkpoint when first runner and sweeper has passed you.  I have heard myself say on a couple of occasions "I've not been on facebook all weekend - but that's because most of the people whose expolits I would be following are here"
I love following friends on social media,looking at their photos, listening to them on podcasts or just reading their tales and I guess the corollary to that is that there's no point blogging as it's all on instagram/twitter/facebook etc.  I do however like the blog for my own personal use, it's like the diary I never kept very well when I was a teenager and I like to be able to look back and see how I felt about a particular race or a trip we did or whatever.  So here's a wee recap of what I've been up to so far this year.
Interestingly when I came here today, I reread the last post (from Sept 2018!) which was about my new friend Consistency. I am pleased to report that she has stayed by my side all year this year and I have so far, had a good year.  I have been training for a number of races of varying lengths in 2019 and so far all has been going to plan - apart from not being able to motivate myself to get out the door this morning, which has left me feeling really sorry for myself all day today.*

In December we went to Oman, John ran and I was put in charge of an Aid station, I have been meaning to write about that since we got back and I will still try to write it up, it will just be out of chronological order!

2019 has gone pretty well so far:

At the beginning of January we went to Kielder for the Winter Series. We ran a 10mile run on the Saturday morning and a 10km in the dark on the Saturday evening.  It was great, trails are superb, weather was kind, stars amazing!  I was final finisher in both races but worked hard, did my best and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

End of January saw us fly out to Chamonix for a spontaneous crazy weekend - deep snow made our usual trails interesting but fabulous! The last minute-ness of the trip also added to the excitement and adventure.



The first of the 'big' races of the year was in Gran Canaria at the end of February. 
I did the Starter (30km) and John was entered for the Advanced (65km) however he had been rehabbing a calf injury in the weeks before and made the right decision not to start while he was waiting to board the bus to the start line.

I loved the race, from start to finish even the big hills and the technical stuff and the weather was spectacular which was a bonus!
I wasn't the final finisher this time, there were a fair few behind me :)
We also discovered the joys of  "All-Inclusive"which was great on the Sunday for post race, poolside recovery!

Our first marshalling event of the year was D33/99/133 on the 15-16 March.  This was a one off race series to mark the 10th anniversary of the D33 and George's final event as Race Director.  What an amazing weekend it was! Weather was fickle as usual, very windy and bright but cold on the Friday for the D99/133 and then on Saturday it tipped down and was freezing!  As per usual, the Sunday was a beautiful day though still bit blowy and we had our traditional run out to Dunottar Castle before heading home.  So many stories and photos already shared from this weekend that I won't add more in here.

Sunday 24th March saw me running round the North Inch in Perth, and round and round and round 21 times!  (though lots of folk went round 42 times!)
We have been to spectate at the Self Transendence & Anglo Celtic plate races a couple of times in the past few years and the format of this event has always appealed to me.  Contrastingly it's John's worst nightmare :-)  I like the sociable side of it, you see your crew and everyone else's and spectators every lap and the speedy runners pass on the loop with words of encouragement or a thumbs up as they fly by.
When the race opened in November I think I was the first to enter!  I was the last over the line in the 50km but I had a brilliant day!

Now it's mid April and we are getting ready to fly to the USA next week, we will have some holiday time exploring Boulder and Colorado Springs, then my 'A' race - Miwok100 is the weekend before we fly home. John is also running it but not sure if it's his A race or not.  I am looking forward to this with a degree of trepidation because although the distance and terrain aren't phasing me, the cut-offs are tight and right on the edge of what is doable for me. I am going with the intention of giving it my all but also aware that there is a fair chance I will get timed out.  I intend to keep smiling though as that seems to have been the theme of the year so far!
So there you are that's a quick round up of the year so far...


*I am sitting writing this with a sore throat and a snuffle and absolutely no motivation to go out and run even though it's a beautiful morning. This is due to combination of things, I have been carrying a bug for about 6 weeks which abates but just doesn't go completely away. I am working in an office with people who are sniffing and coughing all around me.  I've found work quite stressful over the past few weeks - all of which combine to make me feel a bit run down.  To try to counter this I have been taking spirulina as a supplement again and trying to get back into the clean-eating habits I'd established well since the beginning of the year, but this week has been a struggle.  Add in the pre holiday stress which I always suffer from and you have the perfect recipe for procrastination

Clocking up the miles...

On Friday 3rd of March at 1430 John and I picked up our latest acquisition, our brand new wee motorhome - it had to be wee so that it could a) go the places we want to go and b) fit on our driveway.  The Eldiss Autoquest 115 fitted the bill perfectly and apart from the fact that the upholstery is totally impractical for manky runners - a beautiful light grey and blue - it has been the best purchase ever!  We have already over 2500 miles on it, but it has helped me to clock up the miles in my training calendar this year and really reduced the logistical stresses.  This weekend for example, my run was to be Milngavie to Balmaha, we've had a week of fabulous weather with hot temperatures and non stop sunshine, and I was wanting to get the run started early so that I could be finished by lunchtime and hopefully benefit from cooler temperatures in the earlier part of the day, so we drove through to Milngavie on Friday night and stayed over.  This meant I had time to have a leisurely breakfast and my usual ablutions and still be on the trails by 0650.  The hope it would be cooler was a tad forlorn though as it was in the 20s already!! It was a roasting hot run, by the time I got to Conic Hill the sky had clouded over a little which was a welcome respite from the sunshine beating down but it didn't really get much cooler... The thermometer on the dash was showing 26C

I enjoyed my run, I achieved what I'd been tasked to do, I know where I can hopefully shave off a few more minutes, but I started on a very empty tank as the past too weeks have been physically and mentally hard and I was very very tired.  There were tears at the finish, I was so delighted to have got there in time!

After a quick shower - another luxury of having the van!  We headed off up the road to Aviemore to spend the night with Clark and Amanda and celebrate Amanda's birthday, there was champagne, nice food and a few laughs then another run today - so all in all a good weekend!  Good running, good people, good fun, good food, good champagne!  There is a lot of shit going on in my life at the moment, which for now will remain close to only a very few, but suffice to say a good weekend was exactly what I needed and yes I know we could have done the same miles in the car  but the van has just added another dimension to it all!  There's a lot to be said for the hashtag #vanlife 💕👧🚐

TWTWTW!

Still running...

(you probably need to be over 50 to get the reference in the title but never mind!)

I always wanted the luxury of having a week to train and not have to worry about anything else, and last week I was lucky enough to realise that ambition.  We had volunteered to help at the inaugural Skye Trail Ultra and decided to take a week's holiday beforehand so that we could run and run and run.  Unfortunately John had 'tweaked' his calf again but I was able to run - every day, twice a day on all but 2 days!  I am very proud of my longest ever training week and my stats:
Distance: 74.64 mi
Elevation Gain: 2,578 m
And I'm not broken either!  Tired, but not broken :-)

On Saturday 24th May we headed up to Skye, the weather wasn't great, rainy and windy.  This set the tone for the week, rain, occasional sunshine and gales.  Add in the sleet, snow and hailstones and you get the gist - character building, challenging, (hellish!)  I soon discovered that there are no flat bits on Skye, every single run I did was hilly!  We managed to catch up with some friends while we were there, had a lovely curry with Andy and Karen O'Grady in their house and then I met up with Fiona, Rachel and Andy again on the Thursday evening for a run.  We also managed to explore a fair bit, I ran around the North of the island on Sunday, we went to the Quiraing on Monday as John had hoped he be able to run but unfortunately his leg wasn't as strong as he'd thought so instead, I ran home.  Tuesday we went to Broadford and I ran on the marble line to Kilbride, this is a beautiful trail and is also the last 10 miles of the Ultra race.  The trail is beautiful it has hard packed trail, heather and peat bogs, grassy headlands and scrambling up rocks add in the path along the beach where the cliff has fallen down and it's got something for everyone!  The views when the sun comes out are spectacular, you pass through Boreraig and Suisnish - villages cleared during the Highland Clearances - strangely eerie and emotional places with a single solitary headstone in the clearing.
I ran five evenings as well, a different session each time, whatever my coach decided I should do.
We also managed to catch up with some much needed restorative sleep, including a few afternoon naps.
On Wednesday I set my alarm and got up to run early in the morning (in the rain), with good reason.  It was Amanda's birthday and we had arranged with her husband Clark to meet them in Plockton for lunch.  The Plockton Inn is one of her favourite spots for food and it didn't disappoint!  Beautiful seafood and great to catch up with them, Amanda didn't know we were going to be there and I think she enjoyed the surprise (and the gin)!  Wednesday evening I went out to do intervals and it was the worst weather of the whole week, it nearly reduced me to tears on rep 5!  However I toughed it out and did more than the previous time!

Waternish trail

Thursday dawned a bit brighter and we headed to Waternish - there was mud, lots of it but there was more sunshine than we'd seen all week and only a couple of heavy downpours.  We visited the old church at Trumpan and  John walked up to see the Brochs.  On the way he tried to rescue a sheep who'd got stuck in a ditch but unfortunately she died :-(
Clark had told us they'd done this route a few years ago and it was muddy, he wasn't wrong!
The trail did get grassier and less mucky and more runnable later on and on the way back I managed to run through some puddles to try to clean off my shoes a bit, they still had to get a proper rinse under the tap and they've still got some peaty brown bits ingrained into them - as have my toes!  We stopped off in Dunvegan for lunch and by the time we got home, I'd half an hour on the couch with my feet up then it was time to get changed again and go meet some fellow Grumpies for the second run of the day!  The weather was getting wild again and we headed off to the Quiraing where Fiona, Rachel and Andy were going to take me up the hill that I'd chickened out of on Monday.  Suffice to say it was scary!  Gale force winds, hailstones, beautiful rainbows, mud and my legs were pretty dead before I started - I found it really tough and Fiona took pity on me and we stayed on the 'low' bits!  Thanks Chiefy xxx
Friday was my last training day as we were marshalling the race Saturday and Sunday, so  we headed back to Kilbride and I ran the marble line again in the 'right' direction this time ie the same way as it would be for the racers.  Thursday night's rain was torrential and the difference on the trail from Tuesday to Friday was huge, it had been fairly dry on Tuesday and it was a complete mudfest on Friday.  I was very tired on Friday morning and found it hard going at the beginning, however the sun came out and the views were fantastic.  Then the hail came!  Then the sun came back out, then the hail, this was to be the pattern of the afternoon, sunshine and showers.  John met me at the end of my run and we headed to the Broadford hotel to meet up with the competitors and Jeff the Race Director.  More friends, Donald and Elaine were staying overnight in Uig on their way to Harris, so we met them in the pub for a drink and a catch up then we went 'home' to get packed up and ready to leave the cottage on the Saturday morning.   4am Saturday and the alarm went off, time to go to Duntulm for the start of the race - but that's another story...

home for the week

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)

Don't look Ethel!

(Here endeth the streak...)

Definitely NOT out!
I haven't run today... but I'm not down about it, I said I'd listen to my body, and whilst I took my bag with me today, when it came to lunchtime I was a bit wheezy ( I blame the weird aircon they have in the room I've been in for past 2 days - I always come back from there snuffly or wheezy...) so I went for a wee walk round the shops instead.  I did consider running when I got home, but decided, 'no, enough is enough'  I've managed 34 days running outdoors in all weathers with no injuries or illness and I feel pretty good about that :-)

I am going to have the evening off, a tiny wee glass of wine and heinous of all crimes, a takeaway curry!

It's back on the straight and narrow tomorrow, the eating is back on track and the running and fitcamps will be back underway too.  I've got goals to achieve in the next few months and I'm going to do my damndest to nail them.  I'm pleased that whilst I put on a couple of pounds during December, I didn't actually put any on over the dreaded Xmas/NY week, ok so I didn't lose any either but it's still a first!
I think we still had a good time over the festive season with enough indulgence to make us feel that we'd not been deprived, but definitely nothing like the gross over indulgence we used to undertake - for no reason other than I think we were conditioned to believe that that was what you did... in the same way as the hundreds of people who flock to the supermarkets on Xmas eve and Hogmanay and panic buy as if the end of the world was nigh - the shops are only closed for 2 days!!  So, if there's a moral to this post it is this - in the same way as we are conditioned to overeat and drink in December - how many times do you hear - 'oh well just the one then it is Christmas' or similar excuses from people who can't say no thanks? - We can also condition ourselves to make healthier choices, to get up out of our chairs, to park a little bit further away from the door of the shops, to drink more water etc etc...
None of these things cost us much time but they will make a difference to our health.
So a toast to all my healthy friends, and a 'come on what's stopping you?' to the rest... you decide which category suits you xx

4 weeks is a long time when you're injured :-(

It's funny how life deals you the cards...
the last time I posted on here I was just starting out on my most recent training program and looking forward to gearing up for some Summer races.  I have done hardly any running or exercise in the past 4 weeks and certainly none of the workouts on my "Devil" program :-(  When I can't do those things, I don't come here either as I don't feel I've anything to recount and would end up just moaning so better not to start writing :-)
The sore achilles I mentioned in my last post turned out to be a suspected tear in my posterior tibial tendon which got sorer as time went on, however I have had some pretty excruciating physio sessions and am pleased to report that it feels like it is on the mend.
I have run in the interim, but not much, we had signed up for the Kilt Run in Perth as part of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, it was a good day out, a fun event and I managed to run albeit slowly, all the way round the 8km course - wearing one of John's kilts!!!
Last weekend I ran/walked 9.6km on Saturday and then on Sunday John - who also has an injured calf, suggested that we go for a longer run so we drove to Falkirk then walked/ran along the Union Canal to Linlithgow where we had a nice lunch and got a train back to Falkirk.  It was a fine day out and we both survived with no ill-effects of the exercise.
Today was the MHFS 10K in Glasgow, this is the race that our friends from work trained for last year when team Runtime Error was formed, a number of them did it again today and John, while still injured managed to hobble round in a respectable 44minutes!!
I am hoping to get back on track tomorrow with my running and with my Pinpoint-Fitness program as well, that's not been great over the last couple of weeks either due to injury and illness, though hopefully everything is looking up again and I will be back on track.
Keep your fingers crossed for me and send healing vibes :-)

P.S.  Just checked and there are only 9 people in front of me on the "Devil" waiting list now...

Back Again! :-)

It's a bit of a cliche but it is true... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and having just finished my 4 week stint as a Guinea Pig, I am not dead, but I AM stronger!!  Mentally and physically stronger, more aware of the strength of my body and the limits I can push it to - this has paid off in my running and I am delighted, as this was the initial purpose of trying to lose weight and get fitter.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 4 weeks of training with John Allan and Pamela Halkett of PinPoint Fitness really nice people who can motivate and push you to just grind out "one more" :-)
I've made some new friends along the way and have enjoyed the banter and am grateful for their encouragement and support.  They have all done brilliantly, with lbs and inches coming off all over the place :-)

Since I last blogged about running here, we have done the Hoka Highland Fling - what a day!! The weather gods took pity on us and we had almost perfect racing weather, not too warm but not too cold, hardly any wind and enough sunshine to warm your bones.  I am totally in awe of my amazing husband who ran the full course, 53 miles from Milngavie to Tyndrum, in 12hours and 13 minutes!  He was incredible shape when he finished, lucid, smiling and injury free!
Our friends and colleagues Janette, Rab and Colin ran the relay with me and we all had fantastic runs, we finished in a combined time of 11hours and 50minutes which I am delighted with.  On a personal note, the climb up Conic hill which took me 1hr 30 in March, took me 1hr 10 on race day and I got to Rowardennan 18minutes faster than I had the last time.

On Friday  past I ran the Black Rock 5 race with a group of friends from Falkirk parkrun  it is a slightly crazy race out onto the beach and round a rock before the tide comes in!  It was freezing cold but great fun, and yes I'm looking forward to doing it again next year... It's quite a sight to see all the runners streaming across the sand.

I am really enjoying my running at the moment, this is probably due to the fact that I lost 8lbs on my Guinea Pig journey and this means there's less to move over the ground so makes it a much more pleasant experience.  I feel so much stronger too which means I don't tire so quickly and I am running faster than I have ever run before so I am hoping that this bodes well for my next race which is the Women's 10k in Glasgow this coming Sunday.  Fingers crossed that all goes well as I'd really like to get another new PB at this one, I'd like to keep the chain going.
My leg is behaving itself at the moment, it's the usual tired-sore after a run, but no new pain or swelling etc so hopefully all is calm for a while to come.
I had a wee moment of madness after the Highland Fling, and put in an entry for the Devil of the Highlands, this is the 43 mile ultra which John ran last August and is the second half of the West Highland Way from Tyndrum to Fort William... I am officially on the waiting list so here's hoping I get a place - the first 3 on the waiting list have already got places - eeek!  This will mean a bit more intense long distance training over the next few weeks, but it will set me in good stead for the Marathon in Toronto in October even if I don't get the place on the Fling.
So that's enough for now, will try to update reasonably regularly over the coming months and record what we get up to :-)

Running through 2012 I guess...

Happy New Year!

I didn't change the name of the blog as I don't know if I can without starting a new one, and I don't want to do that, I want to continue this journey... If you're interested in coming along for the ride then welcome, and if you're not it's no skin off my nose - there's a joke there but it's not for polite/mixed company :-)

It's now into February - 6 weeks of the new year gone already, wow doesn't seem all that long ago I was sitting on Hogmanay writing the last entry of 2011.

So what's new in 2012? Well I have found a new love - bench presses :-) actually weight training in general, just love it! Hard work but what a workout! I bought 5 sessions with personal trainers as a surprise stocking filler for John/us and boy was he surprised when he opened the envelope on Christmas morning LOL!!! We finished our last session today and I think it's safe to say, we've both really enjoyed it, we've adapted our diet and have both lost some weight and some serious centimetres, so here's hoping we can keep it going and carry on losing. John and Pamela from Pinpoint Fitness have come through every Saturday morning since 7 January and put us through our paces. They are knowledgeable, friendly and really good motivators :-) We've been doing 2 workouts during the week between sessions, so getting 3 good sessions a week as well as our running training the occasional bootcamp, oh and work! Guess that kind of explains where the year has gone so far!
We've just had a couple of days holiday and went up to Balmaha on Loch Lomond, we stayed at the Oak Tree Inn and spent a day running along the West Highland Way to get a feel for the route of the Highland Fling Ultra in April - more about that later. A brief stop in Glasgow on the way home yesterday for new trail shoes and we feel like we've had a holiday :-)

I will come back and update when I can fit it in :-)

Blown Away!

Well almost!! Whilst nowhere near as bad as the conditions suffered by the people of Missouri, we have had some incredible weather this week! It has been reasonably sunny and in places warm, but we have had gale force winds certainly across Scotland, since last Wednesday. We took our Canadian friend up to Aberdeenshire on Thursday and found the house that his Grandmother had been born/lived in until she emigrated, and we also found in Fyvie churchyard, a number of graves of his ancestors. It was a beautiful day weatherwise, just windy! It kept us off our feet for most of the day though which was good marathon prep, although it was nearly 400miles of driving but he saw a lot of Scotland on the way.
Friday I had a taping appt at the physio and left duly taped up in pink tape and set for the marathon, most of the day was chores and baking a banana bread which has to be the most delicious banana bread I've ever had. The chef has run 15 consecutive Boston Marathons so I reckoned if it worked for her it was worth a try! Risotto for dinner started the carb-fest.
Saturday morning dawned bright and fair if a little windy - though not too bad and we set off to Edinburgh to watch a friend complete her first ever race, she was running the 10K as part of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. We picked up our friend's race pack for the Sunday, watched the 10K - cheering her in to a fabulous finish with a huge banner ;-) then met other friends also up for the marathon for a pasta lunch. By the time we got home on Saturday afternoon it was starting to rain and it was forecast to be like that for the next day too - wasn't really looking forward to running in it I can tell you. More pasta for dinner to enhance the glycogen levels and after pinning on the bibs and laying out the kit, it was off to bed at 10.
Sunday 22 May 5.30am - not a cloud in the sky and the wind seemed to have dropped, felt more hopeful... porridge, banana and honey, coffee and a slice of home made wholemeal toast, dressed, numerous visits to the loo and we were ready for the off by 0725. As we left it was raining gently but looked promising towards the East with bluer skies and whiter clouds - ever the optimist me :-)
Parked easily in George St., made our instant porridge and ate it as we walked along towards the start area for the marathon. This is the time when the real collywobbles start, when you are heading towards the start and you see the first other runners heading the same way - this is the OMG moment for me - you realise then the enormity of what you're about to undertake and why you have spent the last 3-4 months training and clocking 500+ training miles - it's quite overwhelming and sometimes tear inducing!
The start area was very well organised, plenty of porta-loos (that flush and had paper) well marked corrals, easy bag drops and MC on the radio bus doing a great job.
We met up with friends, took some photos, sheltered from a passing shower then went off for "one last visit" and to our separate start corrals.
I won't go into detail on the race, it's 26.2miles so rather a lot to write, it was rainy, the sun shone, it blew gale force winds, fabulous people braved the elements to come out of their warm homes to cheer us on and hand out jelly babies, there were spectacular views across the Forth, got blinded by sand some times, plenty of banter amongst fellow participants.

Highlights for me include:
1. passing my super fast husband going the opposite direction as Seton Sands, having the energy to shout to him that I love him and to high 5 him in passing - it brought a smile to more than me I can tell you.
2. being stung to bits by giant hailstones at mile 16!
3. free range chickens wandering across the course at mile 17-18 :-)
4. battling into a 25-30moh headwind for the last 6 miles of the course - it was unbelievably strong, there were a couple of gusts - apparently up to 50mph - I believe that!! When I could barely stand.
5. passing lots and lots of people who either couldn't keep up their pace or had simply given up trying in the wind.

6. being able to finish strongly and then meeting up with John again afterwards - that's the best bit :-)

We met up with everyone in the pub for a welcome beer/coke then another friend who had come to support us and he kindly drove us back to Edinburgh to our car.
I got a new PB, I managed to finally break the 5.30 barrier - not by much clocking a 5.29 finish, but given the conditions on Sunday I am absolutely delighted with my performance and time! This was my 10th marathon so I guess that's something of a landmark :-)

Yesterday we visited Glasgow and had an eventful journey home as all the trains were cancelled due to the horrendous weather which blew in from the Atlantic. This morning we took our friend back to the airport - he as made it down to Heathrow and is en route back to Ottawa.
We are enjoying the last day of our holiday just chilling and recovering, legs almost feel up to a wee jog - though not in the gales which are still blowing! Think I am nearly hydrated again and am almost back to normal - whatever normal is!
To everyone who has inspired me to run, to keep on going when injured or feeling down, and who make me keep on wanting to put myself through this torture again and again - Thanks! :-)

Rest is training...

so they say!
Enforced rest this week - back to physio Monday morning and new tape applied, same groovy colours, different pattern :-) So, this week has been resting and trying to do heel raises - it took me til yesterday to be able to do singles on the left leg but getting there now and managed to do 7 this afternoon followed by another 3 later on... how sad when your achievements are measured in single figures :-(
No 10k race for me on Sunday now though. I will go with John to parkrun at Strathclyde park on Saturday and will marshall while he hopefully gets a new P.B. and gives his snazzy new shoes an outing! They're too orange for me but they are pretty cool :-)

In order to ease the taper madness which is exacerbated by the lack of running, I've just baked a big batch of rhubarb and custard buns, will send some to work for the Runtime Error guys, that's a whole new post :-) and will take some in for my colleagues. Roll on the weekend I might get a wee jog!

I don't B**** believe it:-)

It's been 2 full weeks since I last posted! Crazy crazy times, it's all been running, training, sleeping oh and work... I feel kinda guilty that I haven't been on here for so long, because I really want to keep a diary of our year and that's 2 weeks missing out of it already :-(
Apart from me completing the 100 days challenge, we also had a good running weekend that weekend, we did the Strathclyde parkrun on Saturday morning which meant up at usual work time and out the door by 0745, it was a beautiful day and my new "coach" coached me to a new PB for 5k! Then we headed off up to Fort William for the Lochaber marathon on Sunday 10th. As it was such a lovely day we drove all the way up the road with the top down on the car which was great, lovely to get the sun on your face and you get a much much better panoramic view of the scenery than you do from a car with a roof on.

see what I mean?

We stayed overnight in Kinlochleven and after a lovely dinner, an early night and a good sleep we were up and preparing for the race on the Sunday morning. I wasn't racing, but I did have a long run to do so I had decided to leave before the start and run to the bridge over the Caledonian Canal so that I could get John's photo as he crossed the bridge.... Unfortunately I took a wrong turn, which gave me a good long run but meant I missed him crossing the bridge, I did however get some photos of the runners who were further back the field. Then I decided to head off up Neptune's staircase for the rest of my own run. Neptune's staircase is a set of 7 locks to allow boats up and down the hill and each of the locks has it's own wee hill so it was a fabby wee hill session - made all the better by the admiring and genuine "Well done Lassie" I got on topping the last one from the Lock keeper who had been watching my progress :-) Lassie I ask you!! Mind you he was getting on a bit!


I took his advice and crossed to the other side of the canal at this point and headed off for another few miles before I turned and retraced my steps. I stayed on this side of the canal all the way to the road and this gave me a long steady downhill as opposed to the individual hills on the way up. I headed back the scenic route I had inadvertently taken to get there and back into Fort William ultimately completing a nice 15 mile run in scorching sunshine and a strong headwind.
In the meantime John who was still rehabbing remember, was on his way back to the finish on the Shinty park and came racing home in an amazing 3:31!!! A new PB for him even though he was going to go and "take it easy"!!! Honestly... Men!!!
Glad to say he had no adverse after effects and made a good recovery, the post race beer possibly contributing some well earned carbs and hydration :-)
A leisurely and scenic evening drive down the road, back to bed and up for work next morning! A hard week's training followed and we decided that we would do our long runs on the Saturday this time and for a change we decided to run on the West Highland Way.
We started off from Mugdock Country Park and headed towards Drymen, what a fabulous, fun run! There were some cracking big hills and I had a blast running down them and dodging the boulders and muddy puddles - didn't manage to avoid all of them I have to confess - oops!
I really enjoyed the experience, I think I am growing to love trail-running. I wouldn't have tackled it nearly as robustly a year ago so I am really proud of the improvement not only in my strength but also and perhaps more importantly in my confidence.
Another crazy week of training and work, including Bootcamp on Tuesdays as usual and before I knew it it was Good Friday - yay Holiday!! Guess what? Still woke up at 6am :-) It was another beautiful sunny morning and we decided to take a drive through to Glasgow as it was time to buy new shoes in preparation for Edinburgh marathon in 4 weeks. A visit to Achilles Heel where once again I got exactly what I was looking for and new socks too :-)
After a lovely lunch we came home and spent the rest of the day working in the garden, no weeds left but what a workout for the hamstrings & glutes!
Yesterday dawned dull and drizzly and we went back to Strathclyde parkrun, this time John was chasing a PB and I was going to try very hard to pace myself properly on my own, he missed his PB by 4 seconds as he had to stop and tie his shoelace! I was 45 seconds slower than when he'd paced me round weeks ago so I still haven't got it quite right, but will keep practising. This morning's long run was on the old railway line to Dunfermline, and it was a shocker! Legs were just shot and although I managed 22km I had hoped for another 10km but I didn't have it in me I was so so tired, both mentally and physically.
Tomorrow is another holiday as it's Easter Monday and hopefully it's going to be another nice day so we will see what that brings :-)

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!

Back again

I knew I'd not been blogging for a while but didn't realise it had been over 2 weeks... I guess life just kind of got in the way!
It's been a busy couple of weeks both work and life wise, but it's been fun too. We left for Barcelona early last Thursday morning - 5am early! Flew via Luton and arrived in a rainy Barcelona mid afternoon. By the time we got off the train/metro and headed to hotel the rain had stopped so we had a pleasant wander through the city, a nice dinner and back in bed by a respectable 10:30pm
Woke late on Friday morning - 8am which was a pleasant surprise, and when I opened the curtains, the previous night's clouds were rolling away and the sun was shining. We had a gentle 4.5mile run along the old harbour to the beach stopping for coffee and pastries on the way back, what a lovely way to start your day :-) John's knee held up well so things started to look a bit brighter on that front too. After a shower and change back at the hotel, we headed up to the expo to pick up bib numbers etc. Sun was splitting the pavement by this time but it was still airy and about 12C which bode well for race day although the forecast for Saturday was rain. Picked up numbers and the nicest race shirt so far, except that John's shirt was blank! We decided to take it back on the Saturday after the Breakfast run. Rested up in the afternoon for a couple of hours then people watched and drank coffee before meeting friends who had flown in from England then another nice dinner & some vino tinto del casa.
Saturday morning's sky was also azure, (the heavy rain seemed to have fallen overnight) with a bright sun blazing down as we headed up to the marathon start for the Breakfast run. Almost 2000 people from all nations gathered together to run the last 4.195 km of the Olympic marathon course which we did last year and finished at the Olympic stadium, it's a lovely run up the hills with stunning views from the top. This time the course started off the same but the route altered and we passed boys playing rugby, children getting horse riding lessons and ran through a tunnel which was also a climbing wall! We were a tad perplexed about the change of route until we crested a small rise and realised we had reached the stadium and were about to enter the tunnel - what an emotional moment, to be running through this very quiet almost ecclesiastic space imagining what it was like for the Olympic athletes - you enter the tunnel from sunshine and supporter noise to absolute peace and cool air - it's quite eerie - then you turn a corner and there's a bright light and more noise, and it was noisy enough for us it must have been awesome when the stadium was full!!
To top it off, you have to run a lap of the blue track and the finish arch stands where the official finish line was, it's a tremendous track for running on and just an incredible experience. It was a truly magic moment!
After spending a wee while absorbing the atmosphere, we headed off down the hill - on the conveniently placed escalators to partake of the breakfast part of the Breakfast run :-)
Successfully changed John's shirt for one with the appropriate markings and then spent another hour or two (and some Euros) in the expo before we joined our fellow runners for the free pasta lunch - which was very good.
It was Carnival weekend in Spain so we wandered back down into the city stopping to watch a parade of children in fancy dress with drums, stilt-walkers etc. Rested for an hour or so then headed out for another quick bite to eat and to watch the parade of floats which lasted a couple of hours and was spectacular. Back to hotel, race number pinned on and kit sorted for the following morning then off to bed. Race report to follow in another post :-)

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...

Shifting clouds

After yesterday's awful run, I had sore legs and a really sore shoulder/back however slept pretty well and wasn't too sore this morning although legs were still bit tight. I gave them a good doing with The Stick and they felt much easier afterwards so I set off to Bootcamp - die hard session with not quite as much trepidation as I'd had yesterday.
It was threatening to snow, indeed there had been some snowfall on the Ochils, and it blew through for most of the drive to Linlithgow and it was bitterly cold. We had a really good workout first of all doing some running and drills with Gordon then 'the hill' twice then down to the main school area again to do the circuits. Paul split us into 2 groups and my group spent the first 15minutes doing shuttle runs, by the end of which my legs were pretty dead but not sore if that makes sense?
Paul had laid out a circuit for us which was mixed and good fun - I have never pulled a tyre before but enjoyed being able to get to a slow run with it rather than just walking, then I discovered there were weights inside it as well! Finished off with a few stretches.
I feel physically much better than I did yesterday and I feel mentally a thousand times better than I did yesterday The big black cloud which has been following me about all week has shifted, hopefully not to return.
Time for coffee and a well earned stem ginger cookie and a couple of chapters of my new book.

Happy Campers...

Since I was last here on Monday, I have completed the first 2 of my 10 week Die Hard programme with Burnit Bootcamp - phew!! It's been good fun and although my muscles are telling me I've used them I'm not in any pain so that's a bonus.
Session 1 was held on Tuesday in Stirling, but the weather wasn't favourable, it was like an ice rink underfoot and the grass was just as bad, we nearly cancelled, but decided that we could do a slightly reduced workout on the tennis courts which still had fresh fallen snow on top of the ice so afforded some grip. Stewart started off saying if we got 20-30 minutes this session he'd be happy, we managed 55minutes! A lot of static exercising with a little jogging was the order of the day but it was good fun and we'd lots of laughs along the way.
Session 2 was last night, had to travel to Linlithgow for this one and conditions looked much more favourable there but the school we were using decreed that we couldn't use the outside facilities as they were unsafe so they gave us a dance studio/gym to work in - 45 of us in a reasonably small space, but we managed. Paul & Gordon devised a really good circuit using every spare inch of the hall, split us into 3 teams and off we went. It was a much tougher session than Tuesdays - although I was working on tired legs, but what a blast! I finished it on a real endorphin high which lasted all night and I am sure contributed to one of the best sleeps I've had since before I was ill over Xmas.
Now I need to fit in some running! I am going to a spin class at lunchtime today with a friend and will either run on the treadmill tonight or if the weather is kind will try for a run outside - I need to practice running with a head torch on in preparation for the Mighty Deerstalker in March - more about that one later!!

Monday...

Oh I really don't like Mondays :-) Thankfully there's only one a week but after a busy weekend it is always a struggle to get motivated on a dark Monday morning. Come summer it's much easier as it's bright and I have even been known to run 5miles before breakfast! Anyway, it's over now and it wasn't too painful.
I was much more tired today from yesterday's run in the snow than I should have been for the distance, but I know I'm still not completely clear of whatever horrid bugs took hold over the Christmas break so no run today. I did plan to go to the gym after work and was scheduled to do an interval session which sadly I really enjoy, however was so tired at the end of the day that I gave it a miss.
I am taking part in the 100Days Challenge http://www.teampenguin.com/100days and today is Day 10 so I did 30mins on the Wii Fit.

Tomorrow is the first day of a 1o week 3 times a week Bootcamp which I have signed up for, so that will count as tomorrow's input to the challenge... I am looking forward to taking part but am also slightly nervous of the unknown. Hopefully it will be fun as well as strenuous and will help to shift some of the weight I need to lose to help me run faster. Will let you know how it goes ;-)

A new year!

Last year I celebrated my 50th birthday and decided to mark this momentous landmark by attempting to complete 5 marathons before my 51st. I managed to achieve this goal by completing

Barcelona - 08/03/10

Swiss Alpine Marathon Davos 31/07/10

Chicago Marathon 10/10/10

Toronto Marathon 17/10/10 (yes 1 week later!)

Florence Marathon 28/11/10

It was a great journey, hard work and occasionally emotional, and as I got to the end, I wished I'd written it all down.

This year we have decided to try something slightly more ambitious and I have decided to write it all down this time so that I don't miss any of it :-)

So far the year hasn't got off to a great start as I've been unwell and therefore unable to get out and run, but maybe just maybe I will manage a few miles this weekend so I decided to start this blog today.

My year of running starts with Barcelona Marathon on 06/03/11