I did a long run!

Bridge of Orchy – Fort William, 8.27.35 hrs, 35.37mls, 14.21m/m av pace

Bridge of Orchy – Kingshouses, 11.58miles, 2.22.30 hrs, 11.58m/m ave pace

5.41min stop

Kingshouses – Devils Staircase, 2.92miles, 33.47mins, 11.35m/m ave pace

4.18min stop

Devils Staircase – Kinlochleven, 5.92miles, 1.42.01hrs, 16.44m/m ave pace

7.57min stop

Kinlochleven – Lundavra, 7.47miles, 1.53.33hrs, 15.04m/m ave pace

9.27min stop

Lundavra – Fort William, 6.93miles, 1.29.07hrs, 12.52m/m ave pace

I was so nervous about this run but absolutely determined to do it!  Started off with Ian and Phil and that was good to get me started but I could not keep up on the hills.  I was quite happy though to run by myself at this point and not feel under pressure.  It was such a beautiful day and the views were so good that it was great.  I had reckoned on being between 2hrs 3o and 3 hrs for this section so was pleased to complete it in 2.22.  Lucy, Marco and Thomas passed me at about 8 miles, I was annoyed I was walking at the time but I had just eaten a sandwich and wanted to make sure I digested it properly.  First time trying a sandwhich and it was good, especially having it early on.  Thomas was great though and asked me how I was and said to take my time and there was no rush.

I was then running from Kingshouses with Silke and that was great.  I don’t know that I would have finished without Silke and Thomas and certainly not in that time.  I felt a bit bad as I am sure Silke could have gone faster and run more on the uphills but my legs were a bit gubbed by that point.

As soon as I started from Kingshouses I felt overwhelming sickness, sore head, dizzy and light headed.  I think it is because I did not have enough water in the first part of the run, in fact only a few sips.  I felt absolutely awful but Thomas gave me a gaviscon at the bottom of the Devil’s Staircase and about 10 mins after the top of the staircase I felt much better and I did not too badly into Kinlochleven.

I took another gaviscon going out of Kinlochleven as it had seemed to help my throat which had started again and it helped the second time too so I may have a bit of a solution.  I felt really slow for about the first half of the way to Lundavra and that I was hardly running but it did improve as the route got more downhill!

Stop at Lundavra was quite long as I got changed a bit and ate more.  There was no way I was not completing it all by that point and a big thanks to Thomas for being fab support! 

The last part did not feel too long as although there were some climbs before, and in, the forest I knew there would a good bit of downhill from the top of the forest and it was good to finish on a few miles of straight running although my legs were suffering.  Not very impressed with the new path for this, how big do they really need to make it!

Hated the part after the Braveheart car park to the leisure centre and do not know how I got to the end, again without Silke there I may well have walked!  Extremely pleased to have got to the end though and it was so nice to have Silke, John, Thomas and pacepusher there at the end pleased for that I had done it.  It was the longest Silke had run on the way too and she had not done from Kinlochleven before so it was good for her too.  I just hope I was not too slow for her, as it felt really good for me to have someone there doing my pace and not me chasing the boys all the time! 

I said anywhere between 8 and 9 hours so I am pleased enough with that time and that also kept me going from Lundavra really as I knew I could do it under the 8 1/2 if I kept that kind of pace up.

Thanks again to Silke and Thomas – I really can’t thank them enough for today!

Food:

lots of grapes and strawberries,

1 egg sandwhich,

1 muller corner,

lots of mashed potato and sweet potato,

1/2 bottle of Lucozade

Not very much when I look at it like that!  Lots more water in the end than I usually drink as the gaviscon helped my throat.

Hard but good

5 miles, 44.28, 8.53m/m ave pace

9.23, 8.59, 8.28, 8.28, 9.05

I was home early for me, after having spent two days in Stirling at a literacy conference and so decided rather than going to the club I would run in the daylight and actually get it done, rather than risk not getting to the club later.  I was all set to go out myself and at the last min pacepusher joined me.  Just went round to the woodland trail and we kept pushing the distance up as pacepusher had only really wanted to do 3 miles initially.  In fact he did not really want to go out at all.

After the third mile I decided to make it a bit of a tempo run and see if I could get the three middle miles under 9.00m/m pace.  Pacepusher tried to push me on a bit when I said that but I already had it in my head that I was doing that so I was okay!

It was hard, it felt like the  first time in ages I had done a run like that and certainly the most out of breath I have felt in ages but that is good and I know I was pushing myself on a bit again.  Plus it was nice then to have a whole evening in the house when we finished.  So maybe I am getting back on track a bit, hope so anyway and I am looking forward to Sunday a bit more now!

No watch

5 miles, untimed

I did not think my legs, or my head, could cope with doing the speed session at the club tonight so decided to go for a run from the gym by myself.  I went in to get changed, feeling awful and then took my stuff out to the car again and sat down in the car totally feeling like I could not run at all.

Forced myself out though, but without taking my gps as I thought I was just going to be doing a very small run.  However as soon as I started running I felt okay and decided to try for the 5 miles Nitsdale Road route.  I felt okay and was enjoying myself for about the first 3 miles but then my throat was really hurting and it was a right struggle to finish as it hurt like hell!

Pleased that I did a 5 mile run though, especially forcing myself out all by myself, and although not timed I do not think the pace was too shabby overall.

Alloa half marathon

Sun 22nd Mar, 13.15miles, 2.05.00, ave pace 9.30m/m

9.12, 8.46, 9.40, 9.32, 8.49, 9.14, 9.08, 10.01, 9.35, 10.05, 10.14, 9.41, 9.35, 9.08m/m for last bit

Surprise, surprise I did not want to run this morning.  I was feeling quite rubbish again yesterday and today with the cold and have not slept well lately.  Should have phoned for my blood test results on Friday and forgot so will need to do it tomorrow.  I am sure this constant unwellness is nothing serious but want to know for sure, but am getting really fed up now as that has been almost 3 months.

Anyway Davie Hall has just posted about the hills and the wind etc and I would agree with it all, including it being very well organised and I enjoyed the views but the wind along the long stretch made it soul destroying.  Well done to Davie as well for getting a pb.

I took three miles or so to warm up and get my legs moving and then was enjoying myself (shock horror I know Hotstepper!) and even when we turned into the wind I was picking off a few people and still going okay.  It got me down eventually though and my legs were tired and dead.  And as with Davie and with pacepusher I think the same people kept overtaking each other the whole way.

I then struggled a bit for the rest of the way especially with the later hills.  At least I finished though and ran the whole way which is about the only positive, but not to be underestimated in my present state of mind!  It is my second slowest 1/2 ever and only 2 mins faster than my first ever one. 

I feel I was proven right about feeling ill though as I felt awful when I got in the car and all I could think about was getting home and going to bed.  I could not have got into bed quicker when I got home and lay there for about 3 hours, shaking, shivering and sneezing at first and then dozing.  Feel a bit better now but am definitely not quite right.

Busy booking trips!

Friday 20th Mar 4 miles, 9.38m/m ave pace

I feel like I have spent most of the week while not working (and that has been quite a lot with courses to run) in the car on the phone booking flights to Africa and now the trips to Kiliminjaro and the Masai Mara!

So now my summer is booked and looking like this, and I am super excited now:

Malawi for two weeks staying with the family again over there and working in the school with the teachers. 

Fly to Nairobi and meet pacepusher, one night there and then travel to Tanzania and do 8 day Kiliminjaro trek.

Back to Nairobi and go on 3 day camping safari in the Masai Mara and then a couple of nights in Nairbi before coming home.

Flying with KLM so 2 x bags at 23kg each.  That means I can take out virtually all of that allowance in stuff for the school,  leave with virtually nothing and have pacepusher bring out my climbing gear etc to Nairobi!  I would enjoy spending the next few months gathering resources for them except this is leaving me with little spare cash to buy them with!  The pupils in my school here (I visit frequently) are going to be busy making things then!

I could not make the club in time or classes at the gym which is a shame when it was so nice but finally got out yesterday and although it was slow and short it was just nice to get out.

Lost 2 pounds yesterday and so on a roll with that, hopefully that will continue and will help the running again as I am sure that made a difference.

Doing Alloa half marathon on Sunday, just using it to get a training run, and hopefully to just enjoy running somewhere different.

so excited!

Good news at last although nothing to do with running – booked flights to Malawi today to go back to my village for 2 weeks, stay with the family again and work with the school again (my own school now have an official link with them as well) on further leadership and managment and numeracy and literacy issues.

Then it is back to Nairobi, onto to Tanzania to climb Kiliminjaro and back to Nairobi for a few days safari on the Masai Mara and then a couple of days in the city.  Not actually booked the trek or safari yet but onto that tomorrow!  And home 8 days before the Devils!

Long but not long enough

Sat 14th Mar – Drymen to Rowardennan and back to Balmaha

23.11 miles, 5.34.05, ave pace 14.27m/m

4.43mins (0.47miles) to start of the route

Drymen to Balmaha – 1.32hours, 6.97 miles, 13.15m/m ave pace

6.41mins break

Balmaha to Rowardennan – 1.56hours, 7.88 miles, 14.47m/m ave pace

Rowardennan to Balmaha – 1.53hours, 14.44m/m ave pace

This may or may not have been a good idea but I went for a sports massage at Achilles Heel on Friday.  I felt my legs were so dead when I tried to do the 32 miles two weeks ago that a massage might help, but Friday but was the first day I could make it in having been away in Aberdeen and Inverness most of the week.  They said they would just do a light one to get the muscles loosened up and then I am going back in a couple of weeks for a full going over!  It was sore enough on Friday so I think I will need something to clamp down on next time!  She was quite shocked at the state of my legs and said both calves, both ITB’s (and I felt a burning pain I have never had before when she was massaging them) and my left hamstring were really bad so I am a bit of a mess really.  She was hopeful that the masssage would help for the Saturday though.

I had planned to run from Drymen to Beinglass or Derrydarroch today with Neil, not pacepusher, but a guy from the club who is doing the Fling as well.  My dad was supporting which I was very glad about!  I felt okay, although my legs were slightly sore,  going from Drymen to Balmaha and was slightly faster than before in doing this part although a lot of this will have been down to it not being covered in snow as it seems to have been every time I have done it!  I also though was doing one of the things John does and was counting to 100 on the hills before I stopped to walk and then sometimes going a bit further than that too.

My legs got worse and worse from Balmaha and I was really struggling to get to Rowardennan and I knew I did not want to take the chance of going all the way to Inversnaid without the chance to stop if I needed to.  I would probably have got through it but I was close to tears feeling so anxious about it and would have been so stressed out I would probably have made it worse that it was.  So my dad was great and stopped at loads of places on the way back to Balmaha in case I needed to stop but at the same time really encouraging me to keep going.  I really wanted to keep going and go back over Conic to Drymen or at least up to the top of Conic and just back down to Balmaha but my legs were so painful and just at that point where I felt I was going to tear something if I kept going.  I don’t know if the massage helped, hindered or made no difference at all!

I had been feeling okay that at least I got 23 done which is more than I have done for 6 weeks but after getting a telling off from pacepusher on the phone I was thoroughly fed up myself and wishing I had just tried to push on with the whole lot.  And to clarify I do not mean that in a bad way as he is probably right.  I just seem to have lost all confidence in everything I am doing with the running and am too scared to keep going.

So I still feel I need a thiry in and have said on the WHW forum I would like to join Jamie etc from Drymen to Beinglass next Sat.  I then would still like to do the 42 as well in 2 weeks which is probably complete madness but I feel like I need the groups too to run with as due to work etc I have only done then run at the end of Nov with the big group and I really enjoyed it.

I wanted to do the Fling and the Devils because of raising money (and this is now stressing me out as well – what if I don’t finish down to this terrible training) and because I so enjoyed the bits and pieces I did on the WHW last year and now I am just finding it so stressful it is not fun anymore like it was before.

I had a look at what I have done long runwise on the WHW and road and it is not as bad as I thought in terms of getting out and doing something, apart from when I was injured, it’s just I do not think I have done enough at length:

Sun 30th Nov – 20.5 miles WHW

Sun 7th Dec – 14.37 miles WHW

5 weeks off with knee injury

Sat 10th Jan – 19.36 miles WHW

Fri 16th Jan – 8 miles road

Sun 25th Jan – 29 miles WHW

Sat 31st Jan – 10 miles road

Fri 6th Feb – 13 miles road

Sun 8th Feb – 19.4 miles WHW

Sun 15th Feb – 10 miles road

Sun 22nd Feb – —————–

Sat 28th Feb – 12.37 miles WHW

Sun 7th Mar – 17 miles road/trail/beach

Sat 14th Mar – 23 miles WHW

Any suggestions gratefully received as to what I should do in the last 6 weeks!

A bit of an adventure

Sat 6th Mar

3 miles, untimed

I decided not to do my long run before travelling to Aberdeen as I would be doing it by myself so I might as well do it up there.  I did 3 miles without managing to use my GPS correctly correctly so no time or pace!  Did not matter anyway it was just to get me doing something.  Had an hours walk on the beach as well.

Sun 7th Mar

17 miles, 3.14hrs, 111.28m/m ave

This was supposed to be my long road run but turned into a bit of everything.  I ran down the A90 towards Aberdeen for the first 7 seven miles which was pretty miserable as the wind was right in my face and really making me slow and struggle.  I really wanted to jack it in at this point.

Then I had a couple of miles a bit nicer along the beach front, still towards town but with the wind not quite so in my face and more people about, rather than just running down a dual carriageway with no pavement!

I then turned back but on the beach instead of the road.  I think the beach north of Aberdeen is beautiful but it was certainly hard work running on it.  I stayed at the sea for quite a while but it was not as hard packed as I thought it would be so I would swap about for a bit of a change and go up above the dunes on to the paths – which were still really hard work and the sharp grasses (and the driving sand with the wind) gave my legs a good exfoliation, and a few cuts!

I had to pull myself up at various points using every bit of strength I had and then had various times sliding back down as well!  I had five pieces of water to cross – one had a bridge, two I just got my feet wet, one I went up to my knees and the last, 3 miles from home, I went up to my waist – it did not look as if it was going to be as deep as that , although I had no choice to cross it anyway, but I certainly got a shock as halfway across it just suddenly sank a foot or two in depth!

I also spent a mile running alongside a military firing zone, it said not to go on it if there were red flags flying, there weren’t but there was a lot of gun shuts so I was quite fast over that point.

So a very slow run and certainly not road running training really.  I did enjoy that beach part though as I stopped worrying about time and just enjoyed it.  Although I did lose the will to live slightly after the waist high dip!

Did a 6 mile cycle in the afternoon with 2 of the boys.  There seemed to be a lot of uphill!  I was on one of their bikes and they had one of theirs and their sisters pink one – every time a car came they would abandon the bike and run on so it did not look like a pink bike was theirs!  They are going to come and stay at Easter again and I want to take them up Ben Lomond – pacepusher says we need to get in training as last time they stayed we took them up Conic Hill and they sped up in a Sonic mountain goat stylee and we were left for dead!  They were only 11 at the time and now at 13 they are even fitter!

Short but consistent this week

Wed 4th March

4 miles – 39.52mins, ave pace 9.58m/m

10.00, 9.35, 10.27, 9.27

Glad I wimped out of last nights run in the rotten weather and did it this morning instead.  It meant I did not get my usual 7.30am start in the office but I needed to run instead.  I was running at 7.00am and the only problem was it was quite icy around Bellahouston, although not so bad when I got to Pollock Park.  The ice plus the total shock to my body at running first thing in the morning meant I was quite slow but it was a beautiful morning and nice to be out.

Thurs 5th Mar

3 miles treadmill, 31.18mins

It was even icier this morning and I almost went flying in the car park so decided to run inside instead.  It was okay for a change, I could not believe how busy it was!  I have only been to swim at that time in the morning so did not know the gym got busy too at that time.  I was able to go at this time again as I was in a school first thing for a Malawi talk – I usually get a new question each time – this one’s was ‘do they drink alcohol!  I was talking to higher pupils and was fairly honest but kept a bit back!

Going to try for a long run today after work before driving up to Aberdeen for a few days.  On another note we have been doing a weigh in at work each Friday and I put on 2 pounds somehow.  I have never found it so hard to lose weight – in seven weeks I have now only lost 1 pound!  This never happens to me,  I  am tired of not fitting so many of my clothes and I am sure it is not helping with running either.

Next Sat I am doing a long run on WHW (32 miles I hope to make up for last Sat) but the person I was hoping to run with can’t make it so if anyone else wants to join me that would be great!  I was hoping to do Drymen to Derrydarroch with my dad supporting me but he is not letting me do that part unless someone else is there as he thinks it’s too far away from roads and him!  So room in the car for 3 more people back to Drymen afterwards!

Really enjoyed reading everyone’s reports from Sun, wish I could have been doing it then!

Doctor’s visit

am – 50 mins cycling – 11 miles

I was going to run again today but was having trouble with motivation after 3 really tiring days training on co-operative learning. 

I had a doctor’s appointment at the end of the day and I have left the doctor flummoxed!  I asked first of all about this tiredness and the lack of energy etc and so I am having a blood test done as she says that that is sensible after 2 months of this.  Of course I cannot actually make it back to the doctors to get a blood test done for nearly 2 weeks!

I also asked about this throat things and she has never heard of it before.  She had several ideas if it happened with food as well as liquid but as it is not that did not help.  She said I could get a camera stuck down my throat but that frankly did not think it was worth it as she did not think they would find anything.  She did mention that speech and language therapists have things that they might be able to do but first she has given me a prescription for some drugs that are supposed to smooth the lining of the eosphogus (or however you spell it!).  I have to take them and drink lots before and while I am running to see if it makes a difference.   It will be unpleasant if it does not work!

Going to try and run tomorrow morning before work now instead of tonight.