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.

That's better...

At long last, my legs seem to be recovering a bit.

On Friday I had a lovely long run (22.5 miles) down the River Ayr Way. I left my car in Catrine and ran back to Ayr as I much prefer doing one way runs to out-and-backs. Of course you do have the slight disadvantage of ending up 22.5 miles from your car at the end but fortunately I have two daughter's with driving licences who I reckon owe me the odd lift or two. ;-)

Anyway, I decided that I was going to walk all the hills and pretty much stuck to my plan. This enabled me to reach Ayr without feeling utterly miserable and exhausted and in my current state, my goal is just to finish the Fling, not worry about my time.

En-route, I did discover a new (well, new to me) part of the RIver Ayr Way where it passed through the Barskimming Estate.

I found a new path leading down to the riverside and for a while I thought it might be a dead end but I was delighted to find this instead.



It's a tunnel carved through the sandstone that enables you to pass a steep section of cliff face and carry on along the River Ayr Way. I must admit I'm getting increasingly annoyed about just how much of the river Ayr's best bits are hidden away in this private estate! It makes me feel a lot less guilty about entering the estate. Beauty spots like this really ought to be accessible to the public. I'd happily pay a reasonable fee if necessary.

A lovely day for a run...

...and my legs just don't want to know. :-(

As I sit here typing looking out the window at blue skies & sunshine, I'm fighting a desperate urge to go out and do an easy long run. It seems crazy not to but my legs complained about being taken for a gentle dog walk this morning so I think they'd complain a heck of a lot more about a 20 mile run. .

I don't think I've ever had my legs feeling like this before and it makes me wonder if there's something else going on, some sort of viral infection perhaps? Whatever it is, virus, stupidity, loss of confidence etc., I'm fed up with it. I want my running legs back!

Listening to the voices in my head...

I really ought to listen sometimes to those voices in my head, particularly the one last Tuesday that was telling me that I really ought to have a gentle run with the club and not over-do it as my legs were sore after my hill race.

Alas, as ever, I couldn't resist a bit of fartlek and whilst my legs felt absolutely fine at the end of the evening, my running has absolutely sucked big time since then.

Last Thursday I thought I'd try a nice an easy run up the River Ayr Way from Auchincruive to Failford and back but my legs felt like lead right from the outset. I plodded my way up but felt drained by the time I got to Failford and when I turned to go back, I was running head on into an icy wind. Not long after it started raining & then hailing and my legs had just given up completely on anything resembling a hill.

I just didn't feel I had it in me to get back to Auchincruive so I phoned for the cavalry and got rescued back at Failford. It's the first time I've ever had to bail out of a run like this and it was a demoralising experience.

After a weekend when I couldn't run as we were travelling, I went out for a gentle jog on Monday evening and again my legs felt sluggish but sometimes they do when I'm running at other peoples pace (as I was that evening) so I didn't think too much about it. Yesterday I woke determined to do my run up and down the Carrick HIll from Minishant. No sooner had I started running up the hill though, again my legs felt like lead and from then on the run was a real struggle not to just turn back.

Perhaps I should have as it was one of the hardest runs I've done in a very long time but I was just too pigheaded to turn back without running all the way to the top. I was almost weeping with frustration at every hill.

On the plus side though, it was a beautiful day, the skylarks were singing, crows calling and lambs bleating so I'm glad I was up there. Just wish my legs had enjoyed it more!