Running is good for you?

As I hobble round this evening with my back out of sorts and my scabby kneepit looking inflamed and infected, I'm wondering, just a teensy bit, whether running is always a healthy pursuit. ;-)

Today was my first run since the WHW training run last Saturday. That definitely took a bit more out of me than usual what with all the sliding round on the ice and my tumble.

My leg seemed to be healing up okay but last night it started to get a bit more swollen & red so I'm pretty sure it's a bit infected. Fortunately I had some leftover antibiotics in my cupboard that should hold things at bay until I can see a doctor tomorrow.

Today was the traditional "Turkey Trot" 10K and 5k fun run. For family reasons running the 10K would have been difficult, largely because I had to rush home and finish preparing lunch for 16 people. Consequently I ran the 5K.

It was really windy this morning and the race started head-on into the wind down along the seafront to the halfway point where we turned tail and headed back with the wind behind us now. Being a relatively small field there were precious few runners to hide behind so it was pretty much a case of battering into the wind on my own. It was almost spooky the way that the roaring of the wind in my ears stopped completely when I turned round. Suddenly I was running in eerie silence. From about 10th position at 1km I had worked my way up to 6th by the turn-around but the best I could manage on the way back was one more scalp and I finished in 5th place and 21:05.

Not a great time but given the wind, post-christmas lethargy and a dodgy leg, I was happy enough. Sadly, being a fun run meant no age group medals. Looks like I have to enter "proper" races if I want a medal. Well that or finish in the first three. ;-)

A couple of photos

Here's rather atmospheric shot that I took on the return to Milngavie. The sun had come out and much of the surrounding landscape was cloaked in mist.

The other photo is for fans of the gruesome. ;-) I couldn't resist taking a picture of the back of my knee as it's the only way I can see what's happening back there! As you can see, the bruise is developing quite nicely now.

2nd WHW training run

Today about 20 runners met in Milngavie train station's car park for the second training run. The sub-zero temperatures and freezing fog over the previous day had lent an almost magical winter wonderland look to much of central Scotland (even East Kilbride!) but last night's warm front meant that it was drizzling when we arrived at the start.

Although the drizzle went off, the effect of the rain and warmer temperatures was to convert dry slippery icy paths into wet & extremely slippery icy paths. Still, it was good to join up with up with the WHW crowd again and we all did our best to keep upright as we slithered and slid our way up to Drymen.

As usual, I went off with the lead group, only to regret it as the pace picked up. It wasn't that it was particularly fast but every step took more effort than nomal as I struggled to keep my balance in shoes that felt like they were soled with ball bearings much of the time.

Amazingly, I stayed upright until we came to cross the small footbridge just before the last field before Dryman. I went down the steps to it extremely gingerly until I got down to the bridge and then must have dropped my guard for an instant. The next thing I knew I was hanging half off the side of the bridge over the stream with a rusting metal upright hooked behind my left knee and clutching another upright with one hand.

I don't know quite why I didn't slip right over the side but fortunately apart from some bruising, I don't think I did any serious damage other than to my pride. ;-)

We stopped in the Pottery coffee shop (as usual) in Drynmen. Quite what the proprietors think about having their shop suddenly filled with malodorous and muddy runners I don't know but that's never stopped them being welcoming and keeping the coffee flowing. (Free top-ups in Scotland! Why don't more places do that?)

After half an hour is was time to head back up the road and again I set off with the lead group but this time is was clear that I wasn't going to keep up. The run up had clearly taken its toll! Still, I was keeping a fairly steady pace although for some reason all the hills seemed much steeper on the way back. ;-) About halfway back, my left knee started aching when walking up hills but fortunately running was okay.

Got back to Drymen about 10 minutes slower than my trip up but given the conditions, I'm happy enough. Hopefully my knee will be recovered in time for the Turkey trot races on Boxing day.

5K time trail report

It was our 5K time trial last night and I was hoping to to get back to the "right" side of 20 minutes again (it was September '06 that I last ran a sub-20 5k).

Alas, it was not to be, and perhaps (indeed probably) never was going to be. My time last month was 20:50 (and I didn't spare the horses then) so it was going to need a 50 second improvement so it was a big ask.

It was windy last night in Troon, almost straight up from the south. This gave us all a boost at the start (where I was going almost worryingly quickly) for the first kilometre. Sadly I missed timing that split (daydreaming too much) but my 2 kilometre split was 7:52. Given that we were running into the wind for much of the 1-2km stretch, I must have been well under 4 minutes for the first km.
2-3km was like driving with the handbrake on though and I had to resort to mental tricks to avoid slowing to a crawl, mentally pulling myself hand over hand along a rope. This enabled me to maintain some form if not speed over this stretch head on into the wind. My time for this km was a miserable 4:24. Ugh!
It wasn't until we reached the seafront that we had the wind on our backs but even then, my 3-4km stretch (which was partially against the wind) didn't improve much (4:13) and there was too much damage done my then to hope for a sub-20 5K. I did manage a 3:56 for the last km but given that I had the wind at my back, I should have been quicker. I *felt* like I was flying along over the last km but clearly I wasn't going that quickly.

Finished ahead of everyone else with 20:26 in windy conditions which is still 24 seconds better than last month so I shouldn't complain but it would have been nice to regain sub-20 form before the end of the year.

Hopefully come the new year as I ramp up the mileage and frequency of my runs a sub-20 will be mine again. I know it's only an arbitrary milestone but that doesn't stop me ruing losing what I had back in 06. ;-)

Weekly report

Only managed 3 runs last week. Fewer than usual but more than made up for by a great run on Friday. On Tuesday I ran a series of 8x3 minute reps. The first three went well but as I frequently do, I misjudged my speed at the beginning & went off too fast. Consequently I really struggled over the last five. I really do envy folk who can judge these things well!



A trip to Edinburgh on Tuesday & Wednesday for my daughter's interview for Vet School put paid to any running on those days so by Friday I was itching for a run. It was decidedly drizzly & damp but a good friend offered to run me up to Failford for my current favorite run back down the River Ayr



It's 20.5 miles from here to home and the great thing about it is that once I've been dropped off, there's no wussing out. ;-)

I was raining steadily as I was being driven up there and my friends clearly thought I was mad but it wasn't a cold day and I quite like running in the rain. My two days off had clearly reinvigourated my legs which seemed keen to go bounding down the riverside path.
Unlike last week when it was beautifully frosty and sunny, it was wet, slippery & muddy but it just didn't seem to matter. Indeed, once my shoes fill up with water, I ceased worrying about the puddles and just enjoyed getting good and dirty.
The river was much higher this week and the fisherman's path between Privick Mill & Tarholmbridge was underwater. I tried wading past the flooded point that you can see in the picture but beyond that point, there was a much deeper flood where the water was swirling violently. Knowing that the path at that point is very uneven, I wimped out an took the high-level path. There were plenty of bits of the path further on where I was running through running water but my feet were fine as I'd given my feet a good slathering of vaseline before I set out.

Despite the wet & slippery conditions, the first 15 miles down to Ayr harbour just seemed to fly by. As I was passing the fields below Kyle academy I startled a heron who dropped his prey as he took off. I was surprized to see not a fish or a frog but a very relieved looking vole jumping around on the grass. Even the last 5.5 miles along the seafront and back home were relatively easy. A great run!

I finished the week off with a nice and easy 7 miler with my wife & the dogs on Sunday. Our oldest dog Roger is coming up to 11 years old now but he's still game to go out running. I just have to be careful not to overdo it as he does get a bit stiff the next day. Our little Yorkie suffers no such problems, she's like the Everready bunny. She just seems to go on and on! ;-)