Finished the West Highland Way!

...by Concept 2 rowing machine that is. ;-)

I started out with the plan back in February of rowing 5km a day until I'd clocked up 153km (which is the approximate metric distance of the WHW) and then see how I felt.

I quickly realised that 5km 7 days a week was actually a pretty tough schedule and decided to cut back to 5 days a week. This worked well for the first 5 weeks and my 5km times came down from 25:24 to 20:26 and I even managed to beat a certain "crazy German"'s 2km time trial time of 8 minutes with a 7:46.

So far, so good. Then we went on holiday.

I think that steering a canal boat for a cold week at the end of March with no running (most tow paths boggy wet & slippery) and lots of drinking wasn't the ideal way to keep my training going and although I managed to jump back on the machine the day after we got back, the impetus was gone and it no longer felt like an enjoyable challenge, just a drudge. Consequently, I concentrated a bit more on my running (and enjoyed a couple of good back-to-back runs on the River Ayr Way) and left the rowing another week.

It seemed daft not to finish the 153km before the Fling though so I've cracked on this week and clocked up 155.2 km, comfortably past the "official" end to the WHW and on to the leisure centre that is used for the end of the race.

Whatever else all this rowing has done I'm sure it hasn't *harmed* my overall fitness, I'm just not sure if it's going to have any effect on my running fitness. Maybe I shall find out on Saturday at the Highland Fling Race. At least I can say that I've reached the start-line injury free this year which isn't to be sneezed at

Speaking of which, I'm just back from the supermarket after one of my "pre-ultrarace shopping sprees" where I end up buying way more than I'll ever need in the hope that I'll have something that I do want when and where I want it.

I know from experience that I won't eat a fraction of it but this is what I have.

8 raisin & lemon pancakes
4 tubs peaches in juice
1 loaf white bread (for jam butties)
3x1.25 litres of Coca-cola (opened & being de-fizzed at present)
4-pack mini Toblerones
2 snack sized pork pies
2 large bunches grapes
1 bag apricots
2x475ml bottles Yazoo chocolate milk
1 bag Jelly Babies
1 bag salted almonds
4 cans ersatz "Red Bull"
Bunch of Bananas.
1 large bag salted Doritos

The next job is to work out how to divvy some of that lot up into what I eat on the morning pre-race, what I carry, what goes in my drop bags and what I want waiting for me at the end. One thing's for sure, a lot of it won't get eaten.

As some may have noticed, I've rather gone off gels & sports drinks. Cola seems to keep me going well on my long runs and I'll have a bottle for water (from streams) for when I get tired of the taste of coke. I'll probably use my "Succeed" capsules for electrolyte replacement. I've tried Nuun tablets (which are reasonably palatable) but I find I prefer my salts and my drinks separate.

I'll just finish by wishing all other Fling participants the best of luck on Saturday!