Tempting fate

I should know better than to joke about injury but today I was acutely reminded that DOMS typically takes 48hrs to reach its peak.

Yesterday I was thinking that my legs were feeling pretty darned good for having run a hill race but today they're protesting! I've decided to defer my planned training run on the WHW during the week as I really don't think it will be sensible. I might well substitute it with a long run on the River Ayr Way and just accept that this year I might not do any training on the WHW. It's not as if I don't know the way

Anyhow, I've signed up for the Ben Lomond race (9th May) and will probably have a go at a few more just for fun.

Crippled by Criffel...

...is the headline I'd like to write but in fact I had a great time running the Criffel Hill race on Sunday.



It's a nice height & distance (569m & about 10K total distance) so it's not too extreme for someone attempting a bit of a comeback. After about a 1km run in on road & hard track it turns into a steady peat bog climb. Just a question of putting one foot in front of the other over & over again until you near the first peak when you have a brief period of running before ascending the second peak.

It was very windy at the top but the views over the Solway firth were amazing. Well worth climbing up to see even if you're not racing.

On the way down, as expected, I was passed by several runners (I just don't have the quads and kamikaze mindset for serious downhill running) but I hung on to the back of one lady who passed me determined not to lose any more positions. I think it probably helped me following her line and no one passed me after that. Of course that might have had something to do with the paucity of runners behind me. ;-)

I had a few good falls. The first one between the two peaks when a strong gust blew me over into the heather, a second one where I ended up on my hands and knees in a *really* sludgy peat bog and the last where I managed the classic hill runner's "fall - somersault- get up running again", all without losing any forward momentum.

No harm done and great fun.

I finished 46th out of 60 starters (59 finishers) but I really didn't care about my position. It was a great day out in a beautiful little village (New Abbey) and I'd highly recommend it.

I thought it was the boggiest hill run I'd ever done but I was assured by regulars that the course was drier than it's been for a very long time!

Full results here for anyone that's interested.

Running, not blogging...

Yep, I've been doing a bit of running since my last post. Nowhere near as much as I would really like but it's a huge relief to be able to get back to it.

It's very clear from my sessions at the club that my leg speed and my endurance have suffered a *lot* with my long layoff (& copious consumption of wine), but still, things are improving.

I got dragged around the Carrick Hills last weekend. Only 7.7 miles but very tough miles! No paths, tussocky bog and lots of barbed wire and gorse. Not your conventional "fun" run but fun nonetheless. Considering how close this is to Ayr it is it feels amazingly remote up there. We hurtled round there in 2 hours. That did include a break for photos but it gives and indication of just how hard going it was.


Yesterday I thought I'd try my short route from Oswalds Bridge to Mossblown & back along the River Ayr Way. (A bit over 6 miles). It was such a nice day I decided to carry on up river to Stair and back turning it into an 11 mile run. I certainly wasn't fast but I felt I could have gone on much longer which was encouraging. I couldn't have gone on yesterday though as 10 miles into my run my Coastguard pager went off & I had to hurry back to the car and down to the station, still in my running kit & covered in mud.

I got there just in time to put the kettle on and make the tea for the returning officers. The callout was what is known as a FAGI - a "false alarm with good intent". Still, as I'd phoned in and turned up apparently I get to claim 3 hours pay.



I was hoping to join in a group run on the WHW at the end of the month (I haven't set foot on the WHW this year yet!) but it looks like I'll have to go it alone sometime through the week. It'll feel strange running the WHW solo but I'm desperate to get at least one long run on the WHW before the Fling.

Mind the gap!

You know, that yawning one between what you *think* you can do and what you can actually do. ;-)

I had visions of doing an "easy" 13 miler yesterday but decided that that was a bit ambitious so soon after returning to regularish running and settled for an easy 6ish mile lap of part of the River Ayr Way.

Somewhat ambitiously I started my stopwatch at the start of the run (BIG mistake) but I knew within seconds of starting that my time was going to be entirely academic. My legs felt like I'd raced a marathon on Tuesday, not a 5k! I pushed on through the mud though and finished in 70 minutes. (I used to be able to run it in under 52 minutes).

Ugh!

Still, the back continues to improve and I should count my blessings. I didn't wimp out on any of the hills and ran them all so it could have been worse. I just hope I can get fit enough to enjoy the Fling.

Things I don't want to know

[1] My weight.
Ever since I've had to lay off the running I've been avoiding the bathroom scales. I know I've put on weight (my trousers have definitely got tighter) and until I'm feeling brave enough, I'm giving the scales a wide berth. ;-)

[2] My 5K time.
In March last year my 5k time was 19:21. I didn't do any more 5ks after the WHW race and last night was my first 5k in a very long time. I knew it would be bad but not how bad. After a several good runs on my own I ventured back to the club last night for the monthly 5K time trial. Icy rain as falling as we drove to Troon and by the time we started, this had turned to freezing sleet. Still, it wasn't windy so I cant blame that and apart from cold hands, I can't say that the weather made any real difference.

It was a real shock to the system to be running "competitively" again. Of course it wasn't a race but I can't help chasing runners and it usually helps to keep me motivated. It didn't work too well last night as I gradually slipped down the field from second, to third, to fourth, to fifth and then I think finally sixth.

Worse than my position though was my time, 23:30. Ah well, just as well I'm not planning on setting any PBs this year. ;-)

I'm still hopeful of doing the Highland Fling race if I can get in some decent easy long runs over the next few weeks. Not today however as my legs are suffering from the unaccustomed exercise!