I lied!

Having said that I was going to hang up my Vibrams last week, I found that the persistent tenderness in the balls of my feet that I was suffering from had disappeared and I was itching to get back into them.
Last night at the club was our "hills" session, a series of short sprints where lightweight shoes (or even no shoes) makes a huge difference. So it was on with the Vibrams and out to the club for a quick thrash up and down some hills.

Running in the VFFs was fun but I was actually itching to run fully barefoot and after a while on a flat section I whipped them off and enjoyed the full BF experience. Just a shame the road was so darned cold! That really is one of the major reasons for not barefoot running at this time of year.

I'm going to try and keep a level head over the winter and keep my running BF/VFF to once a week because I don't want a repeat of the tenderness that I had before.

Found this interesting interview on youtube concerning barefoot running & ultras.

Hangin' up my Vibrams

Not for good but definitely for the winter.

I've not lost faith in the barefoot running ethos, it's just that I've come to realise that whilst running in Vibrams may be close to barefoot running, it just isn't the same.

Of course I've only really got myself to blame for running 17 miles on trails in them a couple of weeks ago and that has perhaps unsurprisingly left my feet tender. The fact is though, that it was the Vibrams that made it possible in the first place, had I been truly barefoot, I wouldn't have been able to run that far.

One of the claimed advantages for proper barefoot running is that the sensitivity of your bare feet naturally limits your advancement so that you don't ever "overdo" things and end up injured. Wearing anything on your feet, even something as minimal as the Vibram Five Fingers shoe, allows you to "short cut" your progress and push yourself further and faster than perhaps your feet are really ready for. This is what I strongly suspect I have done. Not really the shoes fault, just my fecklessness.

I don't regret having tried the VFFs but I think I'm going to wait until spring and then have another go with full barefoot running again.

For anyone who hasn't tried barefoot running and wonders why anyone would want to try I would ask you to image running with ear plugs, a blindfold and shoes. You start off stumbling along in a blacked out bubble of your own conciousness. Imagine then taking out the earplugs and hearing the wind, the birdsong, passing traffic, the sound of your footfalls and breathing. Already your world has expanded greatly. Take off the blindfold and suddenly your senses and flooded with all the sights around you. Now take off your shoes and suddenly you're aware of the intimate feel of the pavement, the polished stone kerbs perhaps, the feel of warm tarmac, the delicious coolness of a puddle, the warm squechiness of a dog t... ;-).

Okay, maybe not the last (or at least you try your best to avoid that!) but it really does add a whole new dimension to your running and that's why I'll certainly keep running barefoot once the weather warms up.

For anyone who missed it...

A great read.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/longdistance-walking-iron-in-the-soles-1805596.html

Okay, it's not running but a great account of what it's like to walk 100 miles in one go.

Great balls of fire!

After the excesses of the weekend I've been suffering from burning balls. No more than I deserve no doubt after attempting 20 miles in my Vibram FFs. Ever since the balls of my feet have been decidedly tender and burning gently.
I really should have changed my shoes after 10 miles or so as 6 miles was my previous longest run in the shoes but I've never been good at knowing when enough is enough. Still, it was great to be out enjoying a 20 mile run on the River Ayr Way with friends in benign running weather. Better still, I've had no back pain for 3 days now!

First pain-free run

...and I felt like cr*p!

I guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that I'm not the runner I once was but after all these enjoyable (if painful) runs recently, I really didn't expect my LSD today to be so tough.

There was just no "zip" in my legs and I plodded along on an out & back run to the harbour. In fact, it was so dispiriting that I altered my return route to cut out nearly 2 miles making it about 9 miles overall. I suppose trying a 11 mile run after such a long lay-off was perhaps a little overambitious but I really thought that I'd be able to trot along fairly easily.

Anyhow, I've got a run planned for tomorrow with Muriel and I'll be running in my VFFs again so hopefully that'll be a bit more fun

Getting better all the time...

Since my last post I've had a couple of runs in my Vibram Five Fingers. The first was a trail run (about 5.5 miles) around the route of the Culzean fun run at Culzean Castle. It was great to be out running on trails in them. Whilst you certainly know about the more painful rocks (& beech mast at this time of year), it's a whole lot easier than going fully barefoot. I did (and still do) miss the full barefoot experience but I think I have to acknowledge that there are going to be many surfaces that I will probably never get used to running on barefoot. Anyhow, my wife and I trotted round in about an hour just enjoying the experience and look forward to doing it many times again in the future.

After that run I tried a bit of road running in the VFFs, this time a hillyish 7.2 mile route. This time though I didn't feel that my calf muscles had quite recovered from my trail run as they were a bit tight during and after the run. On one part of the route with particularly good tarmac I took off my shoes and ran barefoot until I reached a stony section. During this time thought I was reminded just how cold wet tarmac can be! It fair sucks the heat out of your feet and I suspect I won't be doing much more full barefoot running on tarmac this year.

Today's run was back in my old cat pee shoes around Auchincruive and I was pleased to take another 3 minutes off my time. Of course I know I shouldn't be clock watching, particularly when I should be taking it easy but it's gratifying to see how quickly I'm getting back into form.

I've been reading other folks accounts of the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, an epic 103 mile race around Chamonix and it's a race I'd love to do. I think however I'm going to be sensible and not try and do it as well next year.

I think Susan Donelly has written up a particularly good report of the race that's well worth reading.

Running smells of...

...cat pee. At least it does in my porch at the moment.

Whilst not the nicest smell in the world it's a welcome indication of my return to running. The cat pee smell comes from my ancient Asics Gel Trabuccos that I've somehow never got around to throwing out and still enjoy using. For some reason, every time they get at all damp they smell of cat pee.

I was running in them yesterday around Auchincruive up to Annbank and back along the River Ayr Way. Last week it took me a lamentable 74 minutes to hobble around the 6.2 miles but yesterday, despite being almost as slow for the first three miles (that's how long it takes for my back to ease off) I finished much more strongly and completed it in 66 minutes. Still way slower than I used to but this time I actually found myself daydreaming whilst running and NOT thinking about my back which was a huge relief.

In fact, so huge was my relief I decided to have a crack at the Triple Crown next year. (For those not in the know that's completing the three races on the West Highland Way in one year). I've 7th on the reserve list for the Devil O' the Highlands race so that's reasonably promising and my Fling entry is already in. That just leaves the WHW entry to get in so fingers crossed I'll get a place in that one too.

Regarding my back, it's looking like the big mistake I made was thinking that my back would recover in its own good time if I just rested it by not running. Backs just don't mend like that and with hindsight, it should have been obvious as when my back was bad around January last year, I did manage to train enough to do the Fling. It was only when I stopped running (as I had pulled out of the WHW race) that it got worse again. For anyone with back trouble I'd heartily recommend "Treat your own back" by world renowned physiotherapist Robin McKenzie.

How not to catch a 7:30 flight...

Stage 1. Instead of making good use of your afternoon to get to Stansted nice and early, potter around the Tate Modern gallery until about 4 o'clock.

Stage 2. Now start working out how to get back to Kensington High Street.

Stage 3. Arrive in Kensington but instead of rushing back to hotel dither around looking for that ice cream that suddenly seems so important.

Stage 4. Give up on ice cream quest and settle for some sort of milkshake thingy from Cafe Nero.

Stage 5. NOW wander down to hotel & wait for ages for luggage to be retrieved from some subterranean vault.

Stage 6. Return to Tube station and find that mysteriously, the trains are packed with commuters.

Stage 7. Seriously begin to panic as train crawls around the circle line stopping mid-tunnel frequently.

Stage 8. Reach Liverpool street in a flap and run to Stansted Express. Get on train and realise that it's one of the "slow" ones that stops several times on the way.

Stage 9. Check timetable and realise that you're going to miss the cutoff time to check in baggage.

Stage 10. Repack four bags into two bags discarding cloths, sandals, computer bag, books and other sundry items. Wear raincoat and fill pockets with books, cameras and other junk. All this done on a crowded train with standing room only for extra pleasure. ;-)

Stage 11. Reach Stansted and race across concourse to security, packing make-up etc. into plastic bag on the way. Stuff rucksac and computer bag into bin on way to security and hope that my dirty underwear and other sundry items don't precipitate a terrorist alert. Hold breath whilst going through security and pray that luggage doesn't get weighed. (At this point we got lucky)

Stage 12. Remember that you didn't remove nail scissors & file as luggage goes through x-ray scanner.

Stage 13. Breathe huge sigh of relief as scanning technician ignores said items.

Stage 14. Grab bags and run hell for leather through the departure lounge where the screens are reading "Final call" for your flight at some god-forsaken gate that you swear must be the furthest one they could find from the lounge.

Stage 15. Reach gate 45 in a puddle of sweat (remember that I'm wearing my rain coat) with just a few minutes to spare.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PHEW! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

To cap it all, on arrival at Prestwick, couldn't get out of car park as no one was answering the intercom to take our booking code.

I'm sure that there's got to be a less stressful way to travel!

Square peg, round hole?

Now that I'm back to running again, I'm wondering if perhaps I haven't been trying to be something I'm not. Namely, am I trying to be an ultra runner when what I really enjoy is sprinting.

Maybe I was genetically endowed with more fast-twitch than slow-twitch fibers but for whatever reason, I have always enjoyed those moments when you get up on your toes, work your arms and feel the surge of muscle, bone & heart that is as near to the imagined joy of flying that I can attain.

Today I was taking my new Vibram Five Finger (VFF) shoes for their first spin and as we were in London in Kensington, that meant running around Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Well, after a slow warm up (my back still hurts like b*ggery for the first couple of miles but it does gradually ease off) Muriel and I were running alongside a cycle path and I just couldn't resist giving chase. If I was a dog I would have been woofing and barking excitedly and indeed I think I did rather upset a couple of of cyclists but, Oh, the joy of it! I feel the need for speed! ;-)

Now I've always assumed that all runners feel the same as me about sprinting so I'd be interested in any feedback on this point but I'm beginning to suspect that not everyone feels the same as me.

Anyhow, I'm not going to give up on my ultra-running aspirations but perhaps I should think more about track work? Who knows?

Speaking of VFFs, having experimented with barefoot running in my pre-sciatica days, I was delighted to note how quickly I returned to my barefoot running style. I'm now very aware of how much what you wear affects the way that you run but having had some barefoot experience I was aware that the VFFs seemed to encourage a barefoot style without the disadvantages of being actually barefoot. Maybe they'll just be a transition stage for me to a return to full barefoot running but I do now feel that I can recommend them to folk looking to adopt a more "natural" running style.

Lots of other stuff happened down in London (stuff for another blog posting) but highlights were meeting up with The Pirate and Lee and seeing the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Everybody ought to hear "Teenage Dirtbag" on Ukulele before they die. ;-)

6.2 mile trail run. 52 minutes

In my dreams!

That's the kind of time I used to run this local hilly loop in but not any more. It took me 74 minutes of plodding to get around this loop today but at least I did get around without walking. The thing is, before I started, my back was pain free, I was feeling good, and I was so delusional I really did think I could have a "good" run around this loop.

The moment I started running the familiar ache was back but with possibly misplaced confidence that it would settle down, I plugged on taking teeny weeny steps and generally taking it very easy. Sure enough, within a mile or so it started easing off to "blunt screwdriver" level and by 3 miles it was down to a distracting discomfort. None of it nice but miles better than the pain that I've been having in the past that always brought me to grinding halt, on the verge of weepiing tears of frustration.

The last 2 miles were relatively "easy" and I even managed a bit of a sprint to finish off with. I'm really beginning to believe that I *will* go to the ball next year. ;-)

Today my legs ache - and it feels wonderful

I've not blogged in ages as this was meant to be a running blog and there's been damn little of that for months & months. It's been very depressing and I saw little reason to repeatedly tell the world that my back still aches and I still couldn't run.

I have been trying the occasional run but the pain has always turned any attempt to run in to a stop/start affair that's been about as much fun as toothache.

Last night however Muriel and I set out on one of our short loops (about 3 miles) and I found that the pain seemed to be plateauing at a tolerable level and I was able to run continuously. After one particular steepish downhill bit, I found that I had no pain whatsoever. I suppose a sensible person would have just savoured the moment but after months of pain that was all I needed as an excuse to open the throttle and let rip for a couple of hundred meters. A pathetically short stretch of pain free running in the big scheme of things but oh, it felt so good!

So today, my legs are aching. Not due to any problem with my back but through unaccustomed exercise and it feels great.

Fingers crossed this marks the turnaround point for my return to running. Woo hoo!!

Thoughts on the meaning of life & mortality

I've not posted in ages as I'm not running thanks to a recurring back problem. It's been really getting me down. I feel like a bird with clipped wings, denied my evolutionary birthright to run & run. I so firmly believe that we were meant to run, that to find that I can barely run half a mile after years of enjoying distance running is intensely frustrating and depressing.

Suddenly, my problems have been put firmly in their place by the tragic death of a man younger than myself, a fellow ultra runner who has been responsible for organising the last 10 West Highland races. Dario Melaragni was one of those special people who touched on the lives of so many people but especially the lives of ultra runners. He truly was a "father" to many many ultra runners, not just runners from Scotland but from all over the world. He offered a vast amount of encouragement and support to countless runners and his enthusiasm brought out the best in the many many volunteers needed to make the WHW race happen, year after year after year.

That he should have died so young and so suddenly makes me realise how lucky I am to be as fit as I am and how lucky I've been to have run the WHW race under his stewardship.

So what do I think about my running future now? Well, for a start, although I'm still no more certain that I'll be fit for next year than I was before his death, I'm much more comfortable with the thought of biding my time and just accepting that eventually my back *will* be better and that whether my back is better or not, I'll be involved in next year's and future WHW races one way or another.

My thoughts at this time are with not just his immediate family but with his extended ultra-running family, particularly those members who were with him on that fateful day on Lochnagar, Dario's last Munro (and by an odd reverse coincidence, my first).

Another year, another barbecue

I think this is the third year that Ian & Alison have hosted the post-WHW race barbecue and, as ever, it was a splendid occasion. Despite not having run the race this year I still feel part of the "family" and it was great to meet up with so many of the WHW runners again.

First order of the day after arriving though was to pitch our tent. Some folk seemed to enjoy this exercise so much they did it twice!


Their excuse was that they'd put it up inside out to start with. ;-)

A few more photos from the evening.



I think Ian was discussing our favourite fireman judging from his hand movements. ;-)









Of course you need dogs at a barbecue and in addition to Ian's own dogs, there was Harvey (Neal's gorgeous collie cross) and a spooky encounter with a ghost dog.






Once again it was a great occasion an one that really makes the WHW race & family stand out from other events. Top marks to Ian & Alison!

Lastly, gotta mention Jez Bragg's outstanding achievement in the Western States 100 mile trail race where he came in third. Last year he was all psyched up for it (and over in the US) when the race was called off due to forest fires. No such disappointment this year!

You can read his blog here and watch him finishing here.

Bum...

I'm a bit fed up as my buttock has been hurting these past few days and at the moment, I don't feel like things have improved significantly since my original injury last year.

I'm still getting stabbing pain in the left buttock and at the moment, I'm not sure I could run even if I wanted to. Fortunately I don't have significant pain at rest but it's beginning to get me down. Chronic pain just slows you down, makes everything harder and makes you feel tired and grumpy.

Walking the WHW is probably responsible for this flare up but it's never really gone away and I had lots of moments of stabbing twinges during our walk.

I can't grumble too much as if the chance came up to walk the WHW again next week, I'd do it, pain or no pain and I'm pretty confident that I could do it. The trouble is, the way things are going, I'm finding it hard to feel optimistic about NEXT year's WHW race. I really would like to get back to some decent running. Do a Richie and run up and down the WHW a couple of times just for practice. ;-)

For anyone wondering, no, I didn't do any of the WHW barefoot. It did cross my mind to try some sections barefoot but the peeing rain meant the taking shoes on and off wasn't going to happen and perhaps more significantly, I think the path surface is way beyond what I'd ever be able to tolerate barefoot. Perhaps in Vibram FFs but with memories of the trail surface still fresh, I think I'll stick with shoes for serious off-road stuff.

WHW walk 09

It seems odd to be posting about walking the West Highland Way when all my friends have been running it but it's been quite an experience to walk it with my wife over four days instead of the hoped for sub 22 hours. And you know what? I think walking it is harder!

Running it is so uncomplicated. There's just you, 95 miles of path and a destination and you just keep putting one foot in front of the other until it's over. Walking it involves innumerable decisions and compromises, particularly if you're travelling with someone with a different level of fitness. The slower pace makes the bits that just drag when you're running seem like an absolute lifetime. Compared to when you're walking, Rannoch Moor or the Larig Mor pass in the blink of an eye when you're running!

Okay, a slight exaggeration but you get my drift. How many runners would like to "enjoy" the scenery between Milngave and Drymen for 4 hours?

Anyway, enough of that. What was it like walking it?

Well firstly, it was WET!!

Following all that good weather that we'd had, even though it was forecast, I couldn't quite believe the rain that met us on the Wednesday morning in Milngavie when we got up.



I foolishly thought that the forecast was pessimistic and only put on my showerproof trousers. 5 miles later, soaked to the skin and with my gortex shoes full of water that had run down my legs, I was bitterly regretting my decision. Meanwhile, Muriel who was wearing proper waterproof trousers was much more comfortable.

It wasn't until we were well along the forest path from Drymen that the rain eased off and we were actually able to see Conic hill. By the time we reached the top we were at least rewarded with fine views over Loch Lomond.



After a very welcome stop at the Oak Tree in in Balmaha, we soldiered on to Sallochy, about 3 miles short of Rowardennan to our B&B. That was 24 miles & 9 hours (inc stops).

Day two was a toughie. This time we had to reach Tyndrum, 28 miles over & through some of the toughest bits of the WHW. Inversnaid seemed to take an age to arrive where we stopped for coffee & cakes before heading on to Beinglas farm for "lunch" at 4 pm.



All of the other walkers who had started at Rowardennan stopped here but our luggage was waiting for us in Tyndrum so despite the hour, we had to carry on for the next 12 miles, the rain coming and going, sometimes torrential, sometimes just showers but never far away.

Eventually, after having started at 8:20 am we arrived having battled the elements (and latterly strong headwinds, more rain & flooding) at Tyndrum at 9:20 pm with just enough time to put on some dryer clothes and order some food at the bar. No sooner scoffed that it was off to bed to collapse!

Day 3 was (for me at least) an "easy" day as we were just doing about 19 miles to Kingshouse. I found the walking easy (if dull) but Muriel found this stretch hard. It wasn't helped by the continuing rain that meant that most of the hills were obscured most of the time so there was little to look at.

We arrived relatively early at Kingshouse (around 5 pm). After a quick soak in the bath I was dispatched to the bar so that Muriel could have a *proper* soak and was forced to drink 3 pints of some rather good real ale whilst I waited for her. I rather lost count after that. ;-) The Kingshouse hotel is an odd sort of place, massively undercapitalising on its potential in so many ways but good in others. We rather enjoyed it (but maybe that's the beer talking).



For our 4th and last day, a friend joined us to walk to Fort William. Again, we started out in steady rain (our waterproofs hadn't been removed once in the whole journey up to this point). It was great to climb the Devil's Staircase on "fresh" legs (i.e. as opposed to ones that have run 73 miles already) and joy of joy, the rain stopped on the way up and after a waiting a suitable period in order not to tempt the fates, we were able to remove out jackets & waterproof trousers! Hallelujah!



That area is also good for insectivorous plants. Here are a couple I photographed. Haven't had time to look them up yet.




At Kinlochleven I had a chat with one of the race organisers to get an update on the race and we met some of the Adventure Show cameramen (who didn't seem to want to film me). The climb out of Kinlochleven, normally such a chore during the race was easy but the walk across the Larig Mor was even more tedious that normal. It just goes on forever!

About 2 miles before Lundavra, we were caught by the leading runners, a Dutch supervet who was leading the race at this point!



That said, he had blood streaming down from both knees and was clearly in a bit of distress. All we could do was offer him a hanky to bind his worst knee but I think we would have been better off telling him not to be such a wuss and booting him up the backside! ;D

As it was, he lost a lot of time getting patched up at Lundavra and lost his position.

The next two runners, Scott Bradley and Richie Cunningham (both Carnegie) passed us about 11 minutes after Jan (the Dutchman).



They were simply amazing. They were running together up and down all the hills and I do mean running. They looked like they'd just popped out for a short run together and looked unbelievably fresh. I wasn't suprised to hear that Scott managed to overhaul Jan. Richie, who came in third was only a couple of minutes behind but over the moon at having taken over 2 hours off his PB! That's was 2 hours off a very good time already.

A couple more runners went by before we reached Fort William down that endless forest road.



Eventually however, we did reach the end and like the runners, we we so glad to reach it.



Highlights? Hard to say but seeing a couple of Jays, one of which caught a smooth snake right in front of us and left its wriggling tail behind was rather special.

I swore then that I'd never walk it again but a day later, who knows.

Lessons learnt.
Good waterproof trousers can save your life. Our Berhaus ones that can be zipped down from the top as well as up from the bottom were great. The top half of them is lined which makes a big difference to comfort as well.

Even if your jacket is Goretex, unless it's lined, you need something long sleeved otherwise you will get cold and damp.

Walking poles are great. Once you get into the swing of them they really do help on long climbs and level walking. Not so good when the ground is really rocky and uneven but they helped a lot.

Don't carry all your kit. There are perfectly good companies who will do that for you and will deliver you bag to as many places you intend stopping along the way. We used Travel Lite and had no problem with the service. Normally about £35 for one bag (although you can make that a large one) but they only charged us £30 as we had so few stops.

Lastly, if you want to enjoy walking the west highland way, DON'T DO IT IN 4 DAYS! It's certainly doable and better planning might have reduced the length of the mega 2nd day but it's still a lot of walking every day.

A day on and I'm thinking I might possibly do it again but over 5, 6 or even 7 days. Certainly no more than 8 hours walking a day.

I did miss running the race this year but it was great for once to see the leading runners and we went to the prizegiving after the race as well. I'm more tempted than ever to have a go at running it unsupported though. It may just stay a dream but who knows? ;D

Clunk click...

Have I mentioned my dodgy ankle? For a long time now (months) it's been a bit of a pain, literally.

When I get up in the morning I can't weightbear properly as I get pain deep in the joint towards the outside of my ankle. It usually settles after a bit of stumping around and when it goes, it goes completely. It's an "all or nothing" affair with no in between stage.

My physio had a good look at my ankle the other day but it was in a painless phase and there was nothing to be found on examination. He suggested some mobilisation techniques that might be worth trying in the morning but they didn't seem to do anything.

This morning however, I gave it a jolly good wrench around, particularly forced inversion and there was a satisfying "clunk" from my ankle and lo and behold, I could weightbear on it! Fingers crossed I've found the magic manipulation that will allow me to walk painlessly again.

With a 95 mile walk planned starting on Wednesday this discovery (if that's what it is) couldn't have come at a better time. What's wrong with it I just don't know. Probably a damaged tendon sheath or some small ligament that supposed to be holding one of the bones of my ankle in the right place. Perhaps if I avoid ever walking on it in pain it can start to heal properly.

Barefootwise, not doing anything at the moment. Still rather aware of my metatarsal but I think that's just increased awareness rather than any significant change in my foot. Hopefully get back to some more barefoot experimentation after my WHW walk.

Can't wait to get started now. Just working on the psyching up now as I've done b*gger all physical preparation for walking 24 miles a day. I mean, how hard can it be? ;-)

I think the hardest part will be having to choose between waiting for the WHW racers to come in on Saturday night or heading for my bed. My wife and I aren't entirely in accord on this issue. ;-)

Metatarsal osteophytes...

...is probably what I've got over the head of my second metatarsal on my left foot. This isn't something brought on by barefoot running but rather something that become more obvious (i.e. painful) since I started barefoot running.

I was finding that I was getting some tenderness in the ball of my foot right over this bone and when I had a good prod around, I realised that this bone was much more prominent in my left foot than my right. This would fit with the longstanding problems that I've had with this second toe virtually since I started running. I've always been prone to shooting pains and numbness in this toe when doing long road races (which is one of the reasons I switched to trails) and I've always had a feeling like there's a ridge or lump under my foot in this area.

I went to see my physio expecting to be castigated for attempting barefoot running but to my surprise, he thought that it could actually benefit this condition. (It's quite common apparently). Quite how it will benefit it I don't really understand (a lot of barefoot running stuff is counter-intuative) but it's to do with improving the mobility of the bones of the feet and building muscle strength.

Anyhow, it's a relief that I don't have to give it up but I suspect I do need to cut it back and not do any barefoot racing for a while. (Running a 5K time trial just 2 weeks after starting barefoot running was probably just asking for trouble).

Meanwhile, I'm preparing (or worrying about preparing) for my WHW walk. So far the weather forecast has been wrong just about every day so I'm hopeful that we might see some sun next week. ;-)

Barefoot running info

(Image from the Mail article)


I've found a few articles on barefoot running that might be of interest to others.

Running barefoot is associated with a substantially lower prevalence of acute injuries of the ankle and chronic injuries of the lower leg in developing countries, but well-designed studies of the effects of barefoot and shod running on injury are lacking. Laboratory studies show that the energy cost of running is reduced by about 4% when the feet are not shod. In spite of these apparent benefits, barefoot running is rare in competition, and there are no published controlled trials of the effects of running barefoot on simulated or real competitive performance.

The above quote is from http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm

There's an article from the Mail that's mostly an extract from Chris McDougall's book.

In the absence of the "perfect" shoe, barefoot running deserves serious consideration. The likelihood that all shoe-wearing runners will immediately abandon their footwear and take up full-time barefoot running is remote. Yet increasing the amount of time we run or walk barefoot should be beneficial. In their paper on running-related injury prevention, Robbins and Hanna concluded, "The solution to the problem of running-related injuries could be as simple as promoting barefoot activity."

FROM: TRACK COACH 168

And lastly a link to a blog (Dr. Ben Pearl). http://docforjocks.blogspot.com/2009/03/barefoot-running.html

First barefoot 5K

Last night was the night of my running club's monthly 5K time trial. I've run a
grand total of 25 miles barefoot since I started on this lark so probably
*way* too soon to be thinking about racing but what the heck. ;-)

Right from the outset I knew that I was probably running too fast but the
sensation of running shoeless is new to me and I had trouble trying to keep
up with my feet! The absence of shoes means that you can easily maintain a
very high leg speed but my heart & lungs just ain't up to it yet. ;-)

The first km came up in 3:53. Okay back in the days when I was lighter &
fitter but it's a long time since I've seen that speed. The second Km was
4:00 dead. By the third Km I was struggling and dropped to 4:14 and the
fourth was even slower (4:21). All pretty much what you'd expect for
setting out too fast. The roads had been pretty mixed in terms of texture
and at times I'd had to take small detours onto grass verges as the tarmac
was just too rough.

In the last Km was into the wind but I managed to speed up a little (4:16)
and finished in 20:47. I was well pleased as my last 5K time trial in March
of this year was 23:36 so considering that this was my first barefoot race,
I'm very happy.

Undoubtedly though, my feet aren't quite ready for barefoot racing and I've
suffered my first blisters since starting BF running. My form still has a
long way to go to avoid unnecessary scuffing & rotation on the balls of my
feet but I feel it's a positive start.

My goal this year is to build up my racing mileage tolerance to the level of
being able to complete a 15K race this autumn in France. A lot will depend
on road conditions though but I'm hopeful that I'll at least be able to
complete it, if not compete it.

Pied nus in Pollok

I've been feeling a bit guilty because I've not been running enough barefoot over the last week. I ran BF with the club on Tuesday and then went for a romp over the Carrick Hills on Saturday but that was in shoes. I would love to be able to run trails BF but there's just no way I could have done that on Saturday and enjoyed it. Maybe when my Vibram 5 Fingers arrive...

Anyway, we were in Glasgow yesterday to drop my baby girl off at the airport. I say "baby" but she's 18 and taller than me. She's off to Oz for 2 months with her boyfriend. I'd suspected that it might be a bit traumatic for me (I'm such a crybaby) so we'd planned to visit my mum and go for a run around Pollok park which is near my mother's flat by Maxwell Park in Glasgow (as a sort of displacement activity).

As I'm sure it was just about everywhere yesterday, it was another hot day and I was a bit concerned about the streets & pavements in Glasgow. None of Bristol's nice stone or concrete flags, just lots of rather gritty tarmac which isn't nice to run on.

Despite this, we found a quiet route from Maxwell to Pollok and once into the park, the paths were mostly smooth & gravel free tarmac. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be out jogging round the park and the dabbled shadows underneath the trees through the woodland paths were entrancing.

I had no real problems with the paths although Muriel was finding the heat a bit harder to cope with. Whilst it would be rude to say that she was sweating somewhat, I think you could say that she was "glowing like a horse". (I'll probably get into big trouble for that description). ;-)
I'm trying hard to keep repeating the BF runner's mantra "relax" in my head but it's not always easy when some b*stard bit of stone catches you unaware but mercifully, this doesn't happen anywhere near as often as you fear.

One of the reasons for trying to get more BF "time on my feet" is that I'm hoping to run our club 5K time trial tomorrow night shoeless. I really don't know whether I'm ready for this but I reckon it'll be interesting to try. For comparison I suppose I ought to re-run it next Tuesday with shoes but I'm not sure I'm really that desperate to compare times.

My replacement Vibram's still haven't arrived but I'm not too worried as I'm still enjoying road running without shoes.

Meanwhile, at the back of my mind (and getting closer all the time) is the thought that Muriel and I have committed ourselves to walking the WHW in 4 days starting in just over two weeks time. Whether either of us can realistically do that much walking in just four day I don't know. Whatever happens, I'm not going to be too purist about it. If we fall behind we'll just hitchhike. The important thing is to be at Kingshouse on the 19th so that we can start the last leg on race day.
I've really missed all the group runs and the camaraderie this year and I almost don't want to read about other folks great training runs. I still think withdrawing was the right thing to do. I probably could have completed it but I don't think it's fair to put a support crew to all that trouble for a poor run. Next year hopefully I'm be back fitter & faster. Probably not barefoot (even the Tamahumara don't race over long distances BF) but maybe in my Vibram's.

Vibram 5 Fingers

This was going to be a post about my first impressions of running in VFFs but sadly, what I feared came to pass, namely that the size I ordered was just too small.

It's one of the reasons I hardly ever buy shoes on-line but with the VFFs, that's pretty much your only option in the west of Scotland.

Of course, it could be argued that if running barefoot is so great, you shouldn't need things like the VFFs but I think you need to be a bit pragmatic and accept that there will be many routes that one either has to avoid altogether, don't avoid and run incredibly slowly or wear some sort of shoe and run pretty much as normal.

Well I'm not dabbling with barefoot running to end up running slower so I'm taking the pragmatic route. Run barefoot when I can and wear appropriate footwear when I can't.

Why run barefoot?

...is the question that I'm asking myself and I'm sure some readers are wondering too.

Firstly, is running barefoot "better"?

From my lofty expereince of three (well, two and a half) runs, I can only say that I think this is the wrong question. It's a case of apples and oranges. They're different with their own pros and cons.

Is barefoot running faster?


Too soon to answer this one but there's no lack of evidence that reducing shoe weight increases speed. Reducing it to zero potentially gives you the maximum benefit but you can't run in the same way barefoot as you do shod so I'll have to wait and see on this one.

Doesn't it hurt?

I have to say, I was pretty amazed that on only my second fully barefoot run I could run for over an hour around Bristol with no blisters or other foot problems. Yes, this was on mostly pretty smooth man made surfaces but I hope that with more experience and miles on my feet, I should be able to tolerate rougher surfaces.

Surely there must be some downsides?

Yep. I've strained my right calf a bit and really it's no surprise. Over 50 years of running and walking in shoes haven't really prepared my feet & legs for running with no heel raise. Also, if you think of all the places you can run, and then the places that you can run barefoot, the latter is inevitably a subset of the former. So that means the places that you can run is more limited. Probably not as limited as you imagine though and I hope experience and conditioning of the skin of my feet will narrow the gap.

Another problem is that although barefoot might be "back to nature" ironically, manmade environments are better to run on than trails or off road (in my exceedingly limited experience).

So why should I try it?

Well, you'll save on shoes for a start. ;-) Also, when I finished my run around Bristol, I was grinning like a loon. It was just such fun and somehow "feeling" every foot of the run added a new dimension to the run. Running uphill was a pleasure and the lightness of foot is something that every runner should experience. In the book "born to run" the author talks about how the Tamahumara run with joy and I feel I'm beginning to understand the source of that joy. Maybe it's just the endorphines but barefoot running transforms running into something much more than just moving your legs quickly.

Go on, try it. What have you got to lose (other than your preconceptions)?

Barefoot in Bristol

Enjoying a weekend down in Bristol at the moment and the weather is lovely. As you can see from the photo from our bedroom window, we're within spitting distance of the Clifton suspension bridge.

We'd planned to go running this morning and I'd brought my running shoes but in the end I decided to go barefoot again. I was a liitle worried about it but we'd covered quite a lot of the ground we planned to run yesterday so I had a prretty good idea what the surfaces were like. We started however by crossing the suspension bridge and running down a road that was somewhat akin to running down a cheese grater. NoT an auspicious start!

Once down the hill we worked our way across to the floating harbour and ran past the "Great Britain" (the Brunnel ship rescued from the Faulklands back in the 70s) and on to the swing bridge. From there it was back along the other side of the floating harbout and the uphill from Hotwells back to Clifton. Bristol really is such a great city for running. Superb hills everywhere!

From the feet point of view, apart from that first hill, I really loved it. We ran for 68 minutes and I could have gone on much longer. Running in barefeet adds a whole new dimention to your runs as you negotiate different surfaces, dropping back on the pricklier bits and surging forwards on the smoother stuff. The surging forwards feels particuarly effortless as you're not dragging extra weight on your feet. I really can't wait to try racing in bare feet to see whether this sense of speed is real or imaginary.

First full "stealth run"

I say "stealth run" as one of the first things you notice about running shoeless is how quietly you can run.

Anyhow, I thought I'd go to the club tonight as my wife's in Jersey and I fancied a go at trying a run completely shoeless and sockless. We set out down the cycle track (all tarmac now) and that was easy enough for the first mile or so but the skin of my feet started to feel hot, a bit as if blisters were developing. Consequently, when we reached the edge of the golf course I moved off of the cycle path an on to the grass.

That brought some comfort but also some anxieties as I'm sure that's where Troonies walk their dogs! I was careful to avoid any particularly luxuriant growths of longer than average grass in case they held any hidden "surprises". ;-)

After that it was across the railway line via the footbridge and then across another golf course. This was particularly enjoyable after the hard tarmac. We then headed across the dunes and down to the beach where I then hoofed it northwards to catch the main body of runners who had got away from me whilst I was tiptoeing down one particularly horrid section of path.

Again, I delighted in the fleetness of foot that you can achieve running unshod (on the right surface).

We finished off by heading up St Meddan's road back to the Marr which was mostly okay apart from a section of pavement that consisted of textured concrete rather than tarmac. Very prickly!

By the end I'd done 4.5 miles of mixed surface running barefoot. Some of it had been unpleasant but some had been really enjoyable. My feet/ankles/shins/knees all feel absolutely fine so I think I'm going to stick with this a bit longer. I love the lightness of foot of barefoot running, I'm just not sure I'll ever get used to the prickling & stones etc!

Hopefully my Vibram 5 Finger shoes will be the answer.

The power of conformity

Experimenting with barefoot running has forced me to think about issues I hadn't considered before. I like to think that I'm "my own man" so to speak and not easily influenced by what others think but I think the urge to conform is built into our very fabric as social animals.

I was out dog walking on the beach & sea front path this morning with a good friend (who long ago realised that I wasn't quite normal) trying to acclimatise the skin of my feet. I had no problems being barefoot on the beach or pavement with him but when we met other folk, it felt a bit like one of those dreams where you go to school/work and find out that you're naked. Suddenly I felt a bit self conscious. Perhaps if I had been in running gear it wouldn't have felt so uncomfortable but it's an issue I'm going to have to think about.

I don't mind being thought of as "the running nutter who goes barefoot" but somehow being thought of as the "dog walking nutter who goes barefoot" seems worse. I have to accept that what people think about me can affect my family so sometimes compromise is necessary.

I suspect that I probably won't go dog walking too often barefoot and keep my barefoot excursions to running ones. I think the answer might be some thin moccasin type shoes that will at least let my feet work naturally without looking too weird.

Does this make me a coward? I dunno.

Off topic: The joys of parenthood

A comment by Brian on Debbie's blog about the trials of being a parent reminded me of one of my favourite cartoons (by Claire Bretecher)

Enjoy. ;-)

On the road to barefoot running

After my experiment on Sunday with a barefoot beach run I decided I just had to continue the experiment and try the Vibram 5 Finger shoes to enable me to run on roads in as near to barefoot condition as I dared. Well,the shoes haven't arrived yet and at tonights "hills" session (short hill reps over the railway line in Troon), I toyed with the idea of trying it without shoes. The first couple of reps felt like hard work (no doubt Goatfell was still affecting my legs). When we were about to start the 3rd rep I noticed that the road surface was really pretty decent, certainly good enough to try running in socks so that's what I did.

In fact, I ran the next 8 reps in my socks which wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it might be. Best of all was the increase in my leg speed. Having struggled up the first two reps, my legs were flying for the rest of them. The only problem I had was on the last two reps (which were a bit steeper) as my feet were slipping on the tarmac and I just couldn't get enough traction to accelerate. I was really pleased with the way it went and there's no doubt that running barefoot alters the way that one runs. Whether this is all for the good remains to be seen but I was running faster & smoother for the same effort.

Of course, my socks din't fare too well but I have a drawer overflowing with running socks so I reckon I can afford to try this again. ;-)

Maybe my Vibram shoes will be redundant before I get them!

Goatfell hill race

On Saturday I ran the Goatfell hill race. It's one that I think is quite tough because of the length of the road section.

It never feels good to run on the road after you've come off a hill but the local rugby club makes such an excellent start/finish area with showers etc. that one can easily understand why the organisers use it, despite it being the best part of a mile and a half before you hit trails.

Whilst my uphill running is undoubtedly improving I think I'm putting too much effort into the the climb and not saving enough for the descents. You just can't run downhill fast on spent legs and on both Ben Lomond and no Goatfell, I've been passed by runner after runner on the way down.

The trouble is, I rather like pushing hard on the ascent. It's such a simple challenge. You, the hill and the clock. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and trying to either keep running for longer or start running sooner than the man (or woman) ahead of you as you grind your way uphill.

I was the first of our club to the summit but it really counted for naught as I lost so much time on the descent. Alex, my clubmate, was just behind me on the summit at 1:11 but he finished the best part of 8 minutes ahead of me by the finish. (1:54 vs 2:02)

I keep thinking "next time, I'll hold back", but I never do. ;-)

Still, that's water under the bridge as they say and to put things in perspective, the winner was finished 6 minutes after I left the top which rather highlights just how rubbish I am at hills so I don't know why I worry. ;-)

If I've done this right, you should be able to "play" this kmz file with google earth to fly up Goatfell. goatfell.kmz

Meanwhile, I've been enjoying reading "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. It's fascinating stuff, mostly about the Tamahumara indians in Mexico who are amazing ultra distance runners.

A lot of the book also focuses on the injuries afflicting modern runners, problems that aren't being helped by advanced shoe technology, indeed, it may be the shoe technology that's to blame.

It's not a new message but it's one forcefully delivered by this book. So forcefully indeed I was out for my first barefoot run (on the beach) on Sunday and plan to do more to see if I can do something to strengthen the intrinsic muscles in my feet. I've also ordered a pair of Vibram's 5 Finger KSO shoes. They're the nearest you can get to running barefoot without actually doing it and getting your feet cut to ribbons.
Ridiculously expensive but I feel I've got to try them. Can wait for them to arrive!

Troon 10K TT. Pacing with a difference

I suspect many runners will at some point or other have helped out by pacing a slower runner (or at least keeping them company) during a race. It's a chance to to put your own personal goals aside and give something back to newer runners who need just that little bit of extra support or encouragement.

Last night though was a new experience for me. It was our club 10K time trial and one of our club runners is severely visually impaired. She didn't have her usual guide with her so I offered to try and pace her round for a sub 50 minute time.

It might not sound like a hugely ambitious goal but you have to bear in mind that getting any training done when you're significantly VI isn't at all easy. Imagine trying to run at your 10k pace with your eyes closed! Added to which she'd run in our club 10K last week (50:52 pb) and the Women's 10K at the weekend so a sub 50 was a reasonably ambitious target. Lastly, I'd never guided her before so you can imagine just how much trust she had to put in me!

Running tethered to another runner turned out to be an interesting and fun challenge. Every change of direction has to be anticipated, road surface irregularities avoided, kerbs negotiated, pedestrians & parked cars dodged.

It was the unevenness of the road that caused me the most worry. I didn't want to be the guide that was responsible for her first fall since joining the club! South Ayrshire Council has a poor reputation for road repair and there are areas of Troon that are getting quite potholed now.

We dodged most of them by running in the center of the lanes most of the time. Getting in the way of a bit of traffic seemed preferable to tripping over kerbs or stumbling in potholes and motorists in Troon have become used to seeing Hazel with a guide so we didn't get any aggro from anyone.

My stupidest moment came when we caught up another club runner and I asked Hazel about the runners' hair colour. It was reminiscent of that famous comment by a snooker commentator in the early days of colour television who said something along the lines of "For the benefit of those watching in black and white, the pink ball is lying just behind the green". ;-)

I'd being logging the occasional split as we went round and the first few kms had been into the wind and "uphill". 5km came in 25:09 and at 6km we were 30:06. By 7km we'd managed to claw back a bit 35:01 but the next km was along Fullerton Drive into the wind and we dropped back to 40:09.

We only clawed a little back over the next km (45:07) so we knew that we'd have to work over the last KM if we wanted to get in under 50. I really didn't want to disappoint Hazel and she seemed to be coping well so with the wind now at our backs I paced her along as fast as I dared and she finished in 49:42, a 1:10 PB for her.

I was a great experience and one I'd recommend to anyone.

Ben Lomond organisers report

Just in case anyone doesn't read the Scottish Hill Runners site, here's the report from the organisers of the Ben Lomond Hill race. It seems that there was a really thrilling finish.



Dead heat in the cold at Ben Lomond, 9 May
May 10, 2009

From organiser Don Reid:

This year’s race was memorable for several reasons, especially the weather which threw everything at the runners, including sun (briefly), rain (lots of it), sleet and a good smattering of snow on the top, all served with high winds. The other amazing thing was the dead heat finish but more of that later.The first hassle of the day was whether to allow the runners to go all the way to the summit or turn them back at the bottom of the zig zags. The Lomond MRT (who were absolutely fantastic) were uneasy about letting the runners summit (bearing in mind the conditions) because they were having problems with communications to the summit marshals. Fortunately, Muffy Calder, who had just come back from a run to the top, thought it would be ok as long as nobody tried to run without full body cover (as one person, who shall remain anonymous, tried to do!).

A big cheer came from the runners as I announced we were going to the top, and off we went. The main point of interest for me this year was a runner from America by the name of Judson Cake. He had contacted me several months ago for an entry, stating that he had won several road races in the USA but was a competent trail runner too. He would be on holiday over here and could he get a run. I met him a couple of days before the race to show him the route, and we discussed tactics. He said he was going to take it on from the start.

As we set off, he was true to his word, and as we headed into the forest, I could see him already stretching a lead with Brian Marshall and Euan Jardine in hot pursuit. As we emerged out of the remnants of the trees, I could see that he had extended his lead but the pecking order behind was the same. That was the last I was to see of the leaders until I reached the finish. Conditions at the top were pretty horrendous with most runners pulling on jackets as they climbed the final steep slopes through slushy snow. Visibility was about 50m and I began to worry that maybe I had made the wrong decision for the race. Incredibly, the first runner I passed as soon as I turned at the top was only wearing a vest (though was carrying a bum bag!).

So how did the race end? Judson was leading to the top gate when Brian swept passed doing one of his demonic descents. Normally when Brian passes someone, there’s no coming back, but nobody told Judson that. Somehow, he managed to hang on, so that when they emerged on to the road, Brian only had a meagre lead of less than 50m. Judson used his road speed to close Brian down and as they entered the tight funnel, he was right behind. Just as Brian was about to cross the line, Judson dived forward and Brian did likewise, the pair ending in a pile on the deck scattering time keepers into the shrubbery! After lying on the ground for about 30s, during which time the time keepers thought the pair must have injured themselves, Judson got up, pulled Brian to his feet, they shook hands and declared it a draw! Just wish I had been there to see it for myself! The winning time was 1:12:38, not near the record but hardly surprising given the conditions. Euan Jardine was third and Steve Fallon was first v40. I managed to sneak the v50 prize after battling all the way to the top with Tom Scott, and first v60 was Eddie Dealtry. I must make apologies to Carnethy for announcing Ochils as first team. Sorry guys, I will sort you out later.

How did the ladies do? As usual they confused me by letting a v40 win the first prize, namely Val Houston of Westies in a time of 1.33.52, and first sen lady was Alayne Finlay of Ochils. First v50 was Jocelyn Scott 1.50.45, and the ladies team prize went to Fife. An innovation this year was split times from the summit (though how the guys managed to do it in the conditions amazes me!) and if you study the extra columns in the result sheet, I have ranked runners by descent times too. It make interesting reading.

Finally, I would like to say a big thanks to Martin Hyman for marking the junior courses on awful weather on Thursday, the mountain rescue and the other runners who came to the aid of Andrea Pogson who took unwell on the hill (she is fine now!) and gave her extra clothing. I would also like to thank all the marshals, especially those on or near the summit and anybody else who helped on the day and allowed me to get a run (again!)

Ben Lomond Hill race

Yesterday's weather forecast wasn't at all encouraging; rain, wind & snow all expected on Ben Lomond. This was only my second go at this race (first time last year) and I'd found it very tough going last time.

True to forecast, it was drizzling when we started, turned to sleet on the way up and by the time we were nearing the top it wasn't so much snowing as blasting us with ice particles which stung the eyes.

Despite this, I actually enjoyed the race a lot more this year. I felt stronger on the ascent, recovered faster on the less steep bits and generally felt like I was making good progress up the hill with considerably less effort than last year. Indeed, I was several minutes ahead of my club mates on the ascent until I blew my advantage by stopping for a somewhat distressed girl who I suspect just had a panic attack induced by the conditions. I waited until the mountain rescue guys arrived and then set off for the last stretch to the top.

I was really regretting not having taken my contact lenses by now as my glasses were opaque with the rain & sleet forcing me to finish the ascent without them. Not too much of a problem but goggles with wipers would have been the best wear for the top ridge where it felt like your eyeballs were being sandblasted.

I'd expected to see a marshal at the top but not one handing out cups of water! It really was atrocious up there and the poor guys must have really suffered.

Going down without my glasses was really tricky to start with. The rocks were covered in wet snow & slush and you never really knew when you might slip. Some 20:20 vision would really have helped on this bit!

The route takes a couple of "off-piste" diversions away from the tourist path, the second of which passed right through the centre of a bog. Great to see that the course designers have a sense of humour! My shoes managed to stay on my feet and I finished the race in about the same time as last year.

As I'd stopped for 3-4 minutes though on the way up I'm counting it as a good PB. The running felt easier and I enjoyed the racing a lot more this time.

All runners get some great hot soup and hot bread in the Rowardennan Hotel at the end. A great finish to a great day!

The Fling is flung, the grass is riz...

... I wonder what dem birdies is?

Cuckoos of course. What else would you call 300+ folk prepared to run 53 miles just for fun. ;-)

I'm feeling really guilty about the time it's taken me to get around to doing this as I've encouraged others to write their reports as soon as possible post-race. In my defence, I'd just say that a) I've been a bit busy worrying about the Troon 10K (now past) and b) having been so closely involved with the event as webmaster & runner, part of me is reluctant to draw the curtain on this year's race by writing my report. (Only 350 days to the next Highland Fling!)

This was the second time I've run the race although I marshalled the first two years so one way or another, I've been involved with every Fling so far.

My back problems over Christmas & the New Year meant that I entered this years race with far lower expectations than last year and my main target was to just finish. An under 12 hour time would have been nice but without the WHW to look forward to, I didn't want to bail out of my main ultra for the year.

I woke at 2:55 in the morning on the Saturday of the race, five minutes before my alarm was due. Having a whole 5 minutes extra to play with I decided to shower and shave pre-race. Probably a bit stupid in retrospect but I'm such a creature of habit I couldn't stop myself. ;-)

I'd prepared all my kit and drop bags (having decided not to go for self supporting this year) and drove up to Prestwick to pick up a clubmate and then on to Kilmarnock to meet another and transfer to another car. We arrived in plenty time to register and it was great to see so many familiar faces. I really feel like I've been missing out on so much this year by missing the group training runs on the WHW.

At 5 to six we shuffled up to the start line and were sent on our way at six. As ever, I had mixed feeling about the first stretch of the WHW from Milngavie to Drymen. I've run it so many times in training in previous years I'm really bored with it but in the early hours on the morning in the company of your fellow runners, it's actually a great place to be. My legs were feeling good and the temperature was just perfect. I knew I was going a bit too fast but I've never been a great one for planning ahead. I get lost in the moment and at that moment I was just enjoying running at that speed and in that company. I knew I'd probably pay later but I was running for fun, not for a specific finishing time.

I reached Drymen in 1:59, rather faster than I'd intended and the forest roads up to the base of Conic hill dragged on somewhat. Somehow, once my feet hit Conic hill though, the change in pace or footing seems to rejuvenate me and I had a reasonably good pull up the hill. As I often do on that stretch, I could hear a real cuckoo off in the woods to the north of Conic Hill. Murdo McEwan was on the hill to cheer us on and his quiet enthusiasm and encouragement helped me on my way.

I'd decided to run in my road shoes and I really didn't have any problem coming off of Conic hill in them. Sometimes I feel that trail shoes actually make you stumble more in long races as the studs are apt to catch on roots etc. if you aren't lifting your feet much.

The contents of my first drop bag were soon scoffed down (the efficiency of the marshals at producing the appropriate bag for each runner was amazing) and I headed off to Rowardennan.

By now, my lack of long runs was beginning to tell and as so many runners found on the day, this stretch was a bit of a low point. I suspect it's at this point that most of us are switching over from glycogen burning to fat metabolism. Fitter, better trained runners probably make this switch sooner and more gradually. I think for more ordinary mortals, it takes a bit of a hypoglycaemic "scare" to persuade our bodies to start burning fat.

Whatever the explanation, by the time I was approaching Rowardennan, my energy levels were picking back up. I have to admit to having had rather a lot of negative thoughts during that stretch, questioning my sanity several times.

Another drop bag was raided and it was on to Inversnaid. I'm not a great fan of the forest track on the first part of that run and once it got on to the roller coaster trail section, I was much happier. Its short swoops and climbs seem to suit tired legs much better than level slogs and I really enjoyed this section.

My enjoyment lasted until well beyond Inversnaid but eventually, as always for me, the novelty of the scrambling wears off and I just wanted to get to Beinglas Farm.

Despite the problems the marshals had had at Beinglas, my drop bag was quickly found and I picked through the contents trying to work out just what I wanted. It's never easy trying to get the nutrition right and I probably ate too much. I know that I ate a lot more than last year (when I was a lot faster) but I was a lot fitter last year so it's not a fair comparison.

After Beinglas it's the "home stretch". I've run this stretch so many times in training but I just couldn't remember how far it was on race day. The brain just wasn't functioning. By now my legs were pretty much shot and my run/walk ratio was slipping from 50/50 to 60/40 to 70/30. I just so badly wanted to get to Tyndrum and for it all to be over. The balls of my feet were really burning now and I was convinced that I was developing some impressive blisters and this made progress increasingly painful. (An illusion it turned out. They were tender for several days post race but no blisters)

Despite this, as Tyndrum neared, the anticipation and adrenaline helped to "raise the dead" and I managed a bit more running than walking in the closing miles. At long last the last gate before the river crossing hove into view and Silke relayed my number to the finish. It was lovely to see such a familiar & friendly face after so many hours of pain! (Not that all the marshals weren't friendly. This really is the "friendly race")

A final sprint and I was across the finish line. A medal, a goody bag and a bottle of Coors were thrust into my hands but what I really wanted was a chair! Fortunately there was one near at hand and I gratefully luxuriated in the joys of sitting after twelve hours and forty minutes of running/walking. Not a brilliant time but the best I could have achieved on the day I suspect.

If I'm honest, I didn't really enjoy my Coors (not my kind of beer) but somehow, it seemed the thing to do so I necked it down.

Unfortunately I couldn't stay for the after race festivities but if I honest, I was only fit for two functions post race, collapsing and drinking so I wouldn't have been one of those on the dance floor. ;-) Next year however I'll do my damnedest to be there.

It's now over a week since the race and I've enjoyed every minute of being involved with the organisation and working with Murdo & Ellen. It's been exciting (and a little nerve racking to see how quickly the event has grown) but Murdo & Ellen seem to rise to all the challenges and just keep making this event better and better. Their enthusiasm seems to bring out the best in everybody and it shows.

The marshals were brilliant and the race finish deserves special mention. The flags, the arch, the crowds all combined to make a fitting end to the race.

Three cheers to Murdo, Ellen, the marshals, all the backroom folk and all the great runners who make this such a brilliant event.

Cheers!

A good week

It seems like a long time since I've enjoyed my running so much. I enjoyed my two runs up the Carrick hills so much I did it again on Thursday (this time avoiding the bog) and felt much stronger. I think there's something about the distance, the elevation and the rest intervals that has suited me well. In the past I've tended to work on a 6 runs a week schedule but perhaps it's time to admit that my body just doesn't recover fast enough for that kind of training now.

On Saturday it was the Screel Hill race.


This is a great little hill that has fantastic view over the Solway Firth, a bit like Criffel, but without the never ending bog.

I drove down with a clubmate (Alex) and my wife (unofficial race photographer). The weather couldn't have been nicer for a short race (would have been a bit hot for a long event) and the course was generally dry.

The race starts off on a forest track for about 1/2 a km before you head off into the woods. Consequently, there was a bit of a mad charge for position whilst the route was wide and then we all settled into the usual "puff, pant & swear" mode of ascent. ;-) There's me hiding behind the tree ahead of Alex & Rod (from Kilmarnock).


This guy was clearly in a hurry. ;-)


Anyway, unlike Criffel where I felt like I was really struggling, this time I felt much stronger on the ascent. For a change I actually beat Alex to the top but I suspect if he hadn't spent so much time chatting to Roddy on the way up he could have easily beat me to the top. Within seconds of leaving the top Alex was past me and winging his way to the finish a minute ahead of me.

Still, I wasn't disappointed. I didn't fall, twist and ankle or otherwise injure myself significantly so I think I'll be fine for the Fling as long as I don't do anything stupid this week.

To finish off the week my wife and I went for a run around Culzean castle in Sunday (she's training for the Culzean fun run next Sunday) and as we passed behind the walled garden I spotted this deer sunning itself in the grass just yards from the path. It even sat there as I stopped and got my phone out to snap this picture.




I'm really looking forward to the Fling now. I've done nothing like enough long runs but there's d*mn all I can do about that now so there's no point worrying about it.

Found a bog today...

...and it was quite deep. ;-)

Old dog, new trick

Well, not so much a new trick as a new route and a renewed enthusiasm for running.

This year has been a bit of a washout runningwise so far. I sorely miss my normal fitness at this time of year and knowing how far "behind" I am with my fitness demotivated me and made it even harder to regain what I consider my "normal" fitness for the time of year.

Yesterday's run did a lot to remind me that running isn't always about winning, beating the clock or personal bests but is about learning to enjoy what you do, at whatever level you can do it.

I've lived in this part of Ayr for 20 years now and never seriously considered running up this hill from home. There's very little in the way of established tracks, quite a lot of fences, gates and ditches, and some very boggy bits.

It was a lovely sunny day and as we climbed the hill we were treated to the sound of skylarks as we ran/walked, surely one of the most evocative sounds of our countryside.



Although it looks fairly straightforward on the GPS track, like a lot of hills, whilst you on it you can't see where you're headed, particularly coming down but this only added to the fun and we finished tired, muddy but happy and the end of our run.

If your running is in a bit of a rut I can highly recommend pulling on your trail shoes and getting off the beaten track. You might be surprised at the fun that you've been missing out on.

If you live in the area and would like to join me for a run up the Carrick hill drop me a line.

Time to taper (and bitten in the bum again)

With less than three week to go before the Fling it's about time I started tapering. Last year I was all conflicted over what to do as I was doing the WHW race but this year I don't have that worry.

I've not been able to do anywhere near as much training as I would have liked but there's not a lot I can do about that now, the best I can do is to not try and get injured now.

My "bitten in the bum" remark is down to another episode of hopeless optimism yesterday when I thought that I could easily re-do the run I did last Friday (22.5 miles down the RAW). Well, after about 10 miles my legs made it well and truly clear that 5 days (in my present state of unfitness) is nowhere near long enough to recover and attempt the same sort of distance. I ended up walking and running the rest. It wasn't anything like as ghastly as the day I had to be rescued but it was a bit discouraging.

Still, if what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, who knows, it might have done me some good. ;-) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the taping works it's magic and that my tired body repairs itself into a faster fitter me in time for the race.

I think there's a fine line between optimism, hopeless self delusion and utter madness. ;-) I guess I'll find out which one I am on the day of the race.