I’ve been on a blogging ban this past month while I wrote an essay for my SQH – it seemed straightforward enough at 4,000 words but with all of the appendixes I had to write to it came to 14,000 so I’ve been a bit busy. Anyway, finished now and a brief period of respite till I start the next unit. I say respite but I have just taken up the post of Acting Depute Head in my school so feeling a bit panicked right now!
As usual, running has been a bit up and down this last month but I have had some good runs and my main problem has been having to go out at night in the dark. I don’t mind the cold once I’m out, I just hate the dark and restricted routes in the winter during the week. I’m trying to get back to the club, go out with my sis-in-law once a week and get back out again with Miss Pump to help on those nights.
First week in November I ran 4 times with a total of 24 miles. As Debs has said we went up on the Kilpatricks with her and Sharon that Saturday and they were very gentle with me!! Seriously, they were great at going at my, very slow for them, pace, keeping my company and having a stream of chat!
Struggled to get out at night the next week and only did the parkrun (slow time, feeling rubbish) and 19 miles on the WHW which JK has already blogged about. I felt great for the first half of that run, especially on the downhills through Crianlarich Forest but the wheels came off spectacularly after Tyndrum. It was no surprise when I came down with a cold a couple of days later.
Only did about 20 miles over the next 2 weeks and then it was the start of the Marcothon. I am determined to do this this year and on the 1st and 2nd I just did the 3 miles each day as Andrew Murray’s/Yamaa Trust 28 mile ultra was on Saturday.
Thomas and Silke were coming up with us on the Friday night and we were staying in the cabins at the MacDonald hotel in Kinlochleven. The drive up was almost as bad as it could get in terms of weather and the thought of that climb out of Kinlochleven in the morning was not appealing! I seem to have blocked it out of my memory but I think when we actually went to register it was just very windy not actually raining/snowing etc. Met my brother and sister-in-law there, this was his birthday present from me, his first ultra and he had only done one half marathon before but he just was not that interested in a marathon and he put in the training…and bought all the gear, well apart from borrowing Neal’s jacket that is. I would have been far more gutted for him if it was cancelled than I would have been for me. It was also Neal’s birthday present from me but that didn’t exactly go to plan and he spent the day supporting Thomas, Silke and I!
Silke and I started together and stayed together for the first four miles. We made our way up from Kinlochleven with Kenny and Adrian and it was nice to get some chat. I managed to keep my sights on Adrian, although increasingly further and further in the distance for about 2/3 of the race which I found very comforting for some reason! At about 4 miles Silke stopped to tie her shoelace and I carried on as it was too cold to stand about and wait and I was sure she was going to catch me on the uphills still to come. However that was the last I saw of her and I spent the rest of the race by myself and in the same position.
I enjoyed the run down the Devil’s Staircase, I was able to do it faster than I thought I would be as it wasn’t too slippy. Neal (and my mum and dad) were at the bottom but I didn’t stop. It was too cold to stop really and I was kind of in my groove plus the weather had been ok to this point, apart from windy, and I wanted to get as much done in the dry as possible. There had been some stunning views from the hill and at that point it looked like it was nice over Rannoch Moor so I wanted to get there as soon as possible. I think the bit from Altnafeadh to Kingshouse is much nicer this way round and I enjoyed that part. Didn’t stop at Kingshouse either, just walked through having some food from my Dad and did the same at the ski centre. I don’t think Neal was very impressed with his supporting role today, with his ankle he could not even walk fast enough to keep up with me while I ate.
I kept going well over the first 1/2 or 2/3 of Rannoch Moor but I was having some problems with my breathing, not the throat problem yet just breathing/asthma problems. Of course it was pointed out to me I should have taken my blue inhaler which I did have with me but for some reason it never even occurred to me. This meant I was struggling to keep running for any length of time but I was having a bit of a competitive streak today and didn’t want to get overtaken so was fairly disciplined about getting going again after short walks. About 2/3 way across the moor the weather turned pretty brutal with snow and hail come down heavily. My top half was warm enough with my Gore jacket on, I just had full length leggings on but decided I would need my waterproof trousers on for going over the hill at Victoria Bridge. Neal met me at the house/gate at Victoria Bridge and gave me potato which I ate while going round to the bottom of the hill where I stopped only to pull on the trousers (which I was carrying, just waited till then to put them on) and change my gloves.
Neal told me at this point my brother was not far in front of me because he had suffered really badly from cramp from Kingshouse on which was a real shame as he had been really enjoying it up till then. I think there were a variety of reasons he might have got it but he’s never had it before and was finding it pretty hard going. I stomped up the hill trying to keep the pace going as I really didn’t want to lose a place now! Thomas was with Neal when I got to BoO, having been dropped off by my dad and I barely stopped there again apart from to ask Thomas how he got on but walked up to the road eating my potato again. This was probably the best I have done for food in a race/long run. I ate four pancakes between Kinlochleven and Kingshouse, 1/2 a custard pot walking up from there (didn’t like it as too sweet for me) and potato at the ski centre, Victoria Bridge and BoO.
I never did catch my brother as after Tyndrum I really slowed up myself. I got my throat problem again, bang on cue at 20 miles, I lost the will to live a bit and the weather turned even more brutal. I was still warm enough, apart from my hands and feet, but it was so windy in your face and snowy it was hard to keep going at any pace. I did quite a bit of walking around the farm but after that I was trying to talk tough to myself and get running again. So I did but on the first step I fell…and I mean really fell, I went flying! I bashed my knees, elbows, hands and possibly my ankles considering the serious swelling I have had in them since then. I got up right away and kept going but that was just adreneline, and the fear of being caught! I had to stop a minute later as I was in serious pain, especially in my hands, I think just because they were so cold. I was also distraught to find I had ripped my brand new North Face waterproof trousers as well as the leggings underneath. But the thing I was most upset about was possibly not being able to do the Marcothon if I had seriously hurt my knees!
I cried and staggered my way through the next 1/2 mile I think and then just tried to keep the running going. Luckily it’s pretty easy that way from the hill after the railway bridge and I was very aware there was someone not far behind me so that kept me going. I’m really pleased with most of my run – till BoO anyway and even after that I managed to keep going on a lot of it. I spent a lot of it trying to bring down (gradually) the average pace after the slow start from KLL and this helps at giving my something to focus on. It slowed again unfortunately at Victoria Bridge and I didn’t get it back down to it’s best again after that.
Still I finished in 6.26, still slow I know but given all of the hills, the weather conditions and my fall I am pretty pleased, particularly with how focused I was for the first 20 miles and the last 2!
Thanks to Neal and my mum and dad (my dad may moan about how we are all mad etc but he can’t miss it!!!) for supporting and all the fabulous marshalls and organisers. That was a really hard shift to be marshalling on!
Oh and I’m still in the Marcothon by the bare minimum. I’ve done 25 mins on the treadmill the last three days, Sunday and Monday were just a shuffle really with my knees and ankles not feeling great but today was much better so I do not think I’ve done anything serious.
