After that last long run Neal and I spent some of Sunday at David Lloyd with most of that time being spent on the power plate, using it for both stretching and massaging. I had been sceptical about the benefits of the power plate up until now but using it for these two purposes really seemed to help. And another benefit of David Lloyd – there were only 2 at Bellahouston which you had to pay to use and at DL there are 4 there free to use!
Monday 25 April
4.52 miles, 41.47, 9.17m/m
9.53, 9.14, 9.37, 8.39, 8.46
I am sure using the power plate yesterday helped with making my legs feel ok for this run, far, far better anyway than I would usually expect 2 days after a long run.
Wednesday 27th April
2.5 miles
Unfortunately my legs suffered today and this became a jog/walk!
Thursday 28th April
5.5 miles, 51.56, 9.26m/m
10.41, 9.16, 9.16, 9.39, 8.28, 9.07
After the first mile I got on a bit better!
Saturday 30th April
I got up at 4.15am at my parents house this morning after having spent the night on the sofa with my sleeping bag so as not to disturb anyone else since Neal was not starting till 8. Despite the heat I spent until 1.30pm with 3 pairs of socks, running leggings, trousers, 5 layers on top and a big scarf on as I had been so cold until 10.30 when I finished marshalling!
I was doing registration till 7am, which was freezing but nice to put faces to names and see everyone. It was a bit frantic at one point since the chips were late in arriving so there were a lot of people to sort out at once when they did arrive but we got there! When in the tunnel holding up my time card for the 7am starters someone came to chat to me who recognised me from this blog, it was his first ultra – I hope you finished, had fun and will be back again!
Then, with a lift from Davie H, it was up to Drymen to marshall, unfortunately in the shade for 3 hours! It amazed me how many runners who had run last year did not remember this was a timing point and even some folk who did not have headphones seemed oblivious to our many shouts to come back! There did seem to be a bit less acknowledgement from runners this year than last year.
There were a few of us there so I left just before the relay runners started coming through as my dad was going up to Balmaha to meet Neal and if I didn’t go with him I’d be waiting a long time in Drymen for him to come back again! We weren’t waiting long in Balmaha and it was good to catch up with Weirunner there (and Harvey I suppose!) Neal seemed to be going ok and was 10 mins ahead of his 2009 time at that point. He was still up by just over this at Rowardennan and it was nice to catch up with folk there too and cheer others on.
As we made our way round the other side of the loch I had a can of Relentless as I was feeling exhausted. That was a mistake – I have been off caffeine since 5th January, but decided I would really want a kick today. It was too much of a kick! I felt sick and dizzy and did not eat anything until about 9pm that night as I felt so awful. I couldn’t even stomach a cup of tea! I had thought I would be able to use caffeine to get an extra kick in a long race if I wasn’t drinking it normally but looks like I will be missing that out!
We went round to the A82 underpass as we weren’t sure if anyone was parked at Carmyle Cottage and I went for a little run out in the direction of Beinglass Farm.
5 miles, 1 hour approx
Carmyle Cottage back towards Beinglass Farm, 2.5 miles, 26.44, 10.41m/m
When I turned to come back I lapped my watch intending to go back faster than I went out but I caught up with Ellen and Lorna just after I turned and ended up just staying with them and enjoying the chat! Then I also forgot to stop my watch when I finished as there was a bit of an emergency! I had been a bit concerned about Neal having support when he doesn’t need it and could have used drop bags but I’m glad my dad and I were there now – well mainly my dad really!
As I came back under the tiny tunnel there was a runner on the ground in the tunnel with a couple of runners who had stopped and she had obviously banged her head pretty badly. I ran on to the underpass to get my dad and he brought the car to Carmyle Cottage. By this time she had been brought up and was sitting in a chair and getting tidyed up. The gash was pretty bad, would need stitches and she could easily have been concussed. Turned out she was a relay runner and in the first mixed team. I offered to finish the leg for her just so they had completed and when she realised there was no way she could carry on she was happy enough with that but in the end we decided since we didn’t know if that is what the rest of the team would have wanted/be allowed by Murdo so we didn’t bother. My dad drove her up to Tyndrum and left her with a blanket and Silke and then went off to find the rest of her relay team as of course there was no phone reception. He found them at Auchteryre and then came back to Carmyle for me, where luckily I had had Weirunner for company. I would just have run on but I had had to wait for Neal with all his stuff so I was stuck. Neal had spat the dummy and was much longer than I thought he would be!
Walked out at Auchteryre again to meet him and was able to see Ellen again and let her know that the girl was ok. Neal had managed to pick it up a bit again and although finished in the end 13mins behind his pb time is ok with it since he felt the heat had a big effect. I thought the finish was great, it was brilliant to see so many people there cheering the runners in and it was good to catch up with people.
I was wrecked on Sunday which unfortunately coincided with having twelve people to lunch, don’t think I’ll be planning that again and meant I missed out on a longer run and missed out again due to in-laws being here although to be honest I’m still completely and utterly exhausted for some reason!
Excited about the Cateran Trail two weeks on Saturday after seeing the race but I think the sweepers will be seeing a lot of me!
17.5 miles total
