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.

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!

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!

Idiopathic plantar hidradenitis...

... is a bit of a mouthful but I think is the name for the itchy bumps I get on the soles of my feet when I run a lot.

I've had them on and off for years but never known what the condition was. Somehow it's more comforting to know it has a name. I hope this knowledge brings comfort to other suffers out there. ;-)

Getting back to running, my buttock hasn't fallen off but remains firmly attached. The pain is still present though most of the time so I'm still not out of the woods. Had a lumbar pine x-ray yesterday which I doubt will show anything but as I said, it's part of the work up to a hospital referral.

I went out again on Monday night with Muriel & some friends - there's nothing like 4 runs in 5 days to ease oneself gently back into running after an injury ;-) - and enjoyed an easy six miles. This time there was a bit more of an ache so I think I need a day or two off. The best bit however was blasting up a hill.

I can't remember at what point in my running career hills became a pleasurable challenge rather than something to be avoided. I just love sprinting up sprintable hills. There's just nothing to beat that surge of power, the foot plant, the thrust, the flight, that period of anaerobic burn when you're going all out with no thought for the future, just enjoying the ride.

For some reason my ankles are sore now. Can't think why that should be. ;-)

More weirdness

I was walking in town on Saturday wondering if perhaps I hadn't overdone things on Friday. My buttock was aching with every step as per usual. I was talking to my wife when mid-sentence I stopped & said "It's gone".

Literally in the space of one step, the ache disappeared. Not permanently though but certainly for the rest of the shopping trip. I must admit I'm puzzled as to what kind of pathology can come and go like this. It did come back later but definitely seems to be on the wane.

On Sunday Muriel was keen to go down to Culzean to run the fun run course. (For those not familiar with the area it's a great little hilly 5 & a bit mile trail race that takes place in the grounds of Culzean Castle). I think she must be getting infected with the trail running bug. ;-)

Anyhow, we jogged around together and whilst not completely pain free, it was fantastic to be out on the trails again enjoying the mud & the hills. Of course a couple of good runs isn't going to be enough to get me round the WHW but I've not ruled out having a slow jog along the Fling yet and things are looking more hopeful for a WHW walk.

My month total for February has already surpassed January's mileage (20 vs 16)! Just a little short of the 200 miles per month that I'd normally like to be doing now. ;-)

Some progress perhaps....

I've not been updating my blog with dreary "still hurts" messages as I'm sure no one wants to hear that so I've been waiting for some improvement.

The improvement may be transitory but it's cheered me up. ;-)

Last week I ceremoniously washed all those bits of running gear that were "half worn", you know, those things that don't quite make your eyes water when you put them on. Working on the principle that I wouldn't be needing them again for some time.

I hit a new low last Thursday when my wife & I went out for a brisk 4 mile walk in the evening and the ball of my foot went numb. Suddenly my "life line" fall back plan to walk the WHW was looking in jeopardy and I was not a happy bunny. After a weekend brooding about it, I went back to the doctor to see about x-rays, hospital referral etc. I've had a heap off blood tests & I'm getting an x-ray next week.

In all probability, these will show nothing useful but they have to be done before a hospital referral.

On Wednesday I decided that if walking was going to make my foot go numb I might as well jigger myself with running as it didn't seem to be making things worse so it was on with the clean running gear and out for a slow 2.5 mile jog. It wasn't a great success. Indeed, it was just the same as any run I've tried this year with pain at every step and I ended up walking parts.

Despite this the foot seemed to be improving slowly although my 2nd toe is still feeling a bit "fuzzy".

On Friday Muriel was very keen to get out for a run so I thought I'd give it another bash. Right from the outset things felt different and I could jog comfortably with minimal or no pain. We did about 4 miles and I enjoyed the whole run. Woo hoo! I even pushed hard up a couple of hills just for the thrill of getting out of breath and feeling my muscles working. Perhaps not sensible but it's been so long since I felt that thrill I just couldn't resist.

Fortunately those pushes don't seem to have aggravated anything and I do think that the pain has lessened. Fingers crossed big time that this is the start of a real recovery.

I'm still happy that I'm not doing the WHW race this year but who knows, I might make the Fling at a leisurely pace.

Thanks for all your support but...

...as you've probably guessed, I've decided to pull out of this year's race.

I'm getting quite used to this now, this being my third pre-race withdrawal. ;-) Consequently, this isn't a heartbreaking decision, it's just a recognition that I have to do what I think is best for me. I'm very comfortable with the decision and I'm already looking forward to a year of non-running challenges.

In many ways, I feel like I've already missed the race. For me, the race really begins once my entry is accepted and from then on, I'm focused for the year ahead on my WHW goal. I take pleasure in the build-up in training and participating in the group runs so even if I were to get to the start line in "good enough" shape to complete the race, I'd still feel short changed.

So once again, my thanks to all for your words of encouragement and support. They were all appreciated.

Pain in the butt 1 - Chiropractor 0

Today I had my third (and I strongly suspect my last ever) treatment session. As before, a lot of pushing and shoving around, assurances that I was breathing much better (despite the fact I could feel no difference) and some decidedly uncomfortable neck cracking.

I'm afraid I'm probably not a good patient for chiropractic treatment as I just can't buy into the "life long" treatment business that they try so hard to sell. Nor do their theories about what they're doing really convince me. Despite my doubts I am/was prepared to give the treatment the benefit of the doubt based on results.

The results so far have been no improvement in my bum and a sore stiff neck after today's treatment. Consequently, unless things magically improve over the next week, I won't be going back.

Running wise, I'm still keeping my options open but I strongly suspect I'll be having a year off the WHW race this year.

Quack part deux

Today I had my second treatment session with my chiropractor. In all respects pretty much a re-run of my first treatment. A bit of uncomfortable pushing and shoving and a few cracks from places you never knew could crack.

So far I'm trying hard to keep an open mind but my chiropractor is very keen to stress the importance of a long term maintenance plan of regular treatments. More than a hint of time-share sales technique going on which I find very off putting.

I'm going to give it one, maybe two more goes and if I don't see any tangible improvement I'll take my money elsewhere. At £30 a session (with discounts if I buy a dozen sessions at a time!) it's not that much more than my private sessions with my physio but he doesn't expect me to keep visiting him for the rest of my life.

Runningwise, I did manage about 4 miles on Sunday. The first two were a bit of a struggle but once things warmed up the pain seemed to ease off so there may be hope. It's pushing through those first 2 miles that's the hard bit though.

Going quackers

Firstly, I must thank those folk who've offered advice & support recently, in particular Brian and Richie. I'm not very good at this social networking stuff at the best of times and even worse when I'm not running. Anyway, thanks to you all, much appreciated.

As to "going quackers", I've been to see a quack. More specifically a chiropractor. Coming from a medical background I have a high degree of suspicion when it comes to any form of "alternative" therapy, unsupported by peer reviewed research & publications but when you're in a corner, you'll try anything.

It was an interesting experience, filled with various pops & crunches from my spine. Whilst I'm unconvinced by much of the speil that goes with the treatment, it was interesting to see how he picked up real discrepancies in my posture.

I would love to report that I'm now cured but that would be unrealistic. Of course you can't help hoping but I was a bit disappointed to find my pain *worse* the day after. Having said that, I managed a reasonable slow run today (about 4 miles). It started off with quite a lot of pain but as I warmed up things seemed to improve so maybe there is some hope.

I'll give my chiropractor the benefit of the doubt for a couple more sessions at least and decide what to do after that.

As to the long term, I'm obviously questioning whether to do the WHW race but I've decided to leave it to the end of the month before I make a decision. It's not all gloom and doom though, I've had plenty of time to think about running, life, goals, work etc. whilst I've not been running and in many ways, I feel I've "made my peace" so to speak and will be happy with whatever I end up doing this year. If I don't run the WHW race I will probably look for a different non-running challenge that I wouldn't normally consider because I'm used to thinking of myself as "a runner". Don't be too surprised if you see me and Muriel *walking* the WHW this summer during the race. ;-)