I forgot to say thanks for the lovely comments after my post about the Highland Fling, they were very much appreciated.
It shows how much I enjoyed the Fling that I would definitely rather do that again than do Edinburgh on Sunday! I am dreading this and there are only two reasons why I am doing it – it is on my fundraising list and I will use it as a long run in prep for the Devils. I just can’t wait for it to be over, and the triathlon the week after, so that I can just look forward to doing Kiliminjaro.
I can barely remember what I have doing since the women’s 10km but I know it is not much!
I think I did something in the gym Tues and Wed, had a sports massage on the Friday (usual – left leg sore all over) and then did a WHW run on Sunday 17th.
Now pacepusher suggested doing this even though he did 13 on Saturday and I was quite up for it as I thought it would be better than trying to do a long road run, especially if we did a relatively flat section.
So the plans chopped and changed a bit and eventually became me running on my own! I was going to do Milngvie to Balmaha but it did not work out like that!
I took the dog, must try to start saying Harvey more often, and actually liked having him with me as it was some company and a distraction! I really enjoyed the first ten miles and ran the whole lot to the hills before Drymen when I also passed Harvey onto pacepusher as I did not want him on the roads with me.
There were literally hundreds of walkers, Sunday must be a popular day for starting, and quite a few big groups who were doing it for charity. Harvey does not pay any attention to other dogs but we had a bad run in with a horrible wee one on about 3 miles which chased and chased Harvey while constantly barking and growling. Of course it’s owner pretended it could control it by shouting it but it did not make a blind bit of difference. Every time we passed another dog I was tripping over Harvey as he cowered beneath my feet – even at the ancient, hobbling, blind lab we passed!
I had been intending on trying to run the hills to Drymen but I tried and my legs were done in. I could definitely still feel the Fling in them and it was exceptionally hard work. I was really disapointed and although I went up the hill out of Drymen there was no way I was going to make it to Balmaha and I stopped at the Garahban (I have no idea how it’s spelt, I am not anal enough like pacepusher to look it up and you’ll know what I mean anyway) forset where pacepusher was waiting. Still it was better than nothing and I really did enjoy it which is more than can be said if I had done a long road run I am sure.
I went to the gym on Monday and did go to the gym on Tues, I just did not actually make it in! The car park was heaving, cars abandoned everywhere and I just thought there was no point, I was never going to get on anything!
I did plan on going out for a run that night from my mum and dad’s but really had to get on with my 3,000 word assignment on The Management of Change. This was to be a reoccuring theme until today!
I was at the Stirling Management Centre on Wed and Thurs and it is located in the very pretty grounds of Stirling uni. We finished on Wed at 5.30pm with dinner at 6.45pm (well actually dinner was at 7pm but I was meeting others in the bar then!) so it had to be one of those very quick, make it worth it runs. I did a couple of mins warm up then 10 x 1min with 30 secs recovery and a couple of mins cool down. I ran round the lake and all their pitches, making a nice loop. Lots of students about – some running, some playing rugby, some practicing putting, having picnics…… or drinking buckfast by the water!
It was hard, hard work, first speed work in ages and on trail rather than road but was definitely worth the rush afterwards, although my face was beetroot for quite a while afterwards despite the cold shower!
Ran 3 miles with pacepusher and Harvey on Friday and 3 miles again today, it was supposed to be more but I spat the dummy as was feeling rubbish with the cold which had also stopped me running yesterday.
Roll out next Monday so it’s all over!
