Britain's first gold

I was delighted to see Nicole Cooke gain her well deserved gold medal yesterday. She was unlucky in Athens not to get one then and I'll bet it made it all the sweeter this time when she crossed the line. To say that she was excited after crossing the line would be the understatement of the year. ;-)

I have to say though that I'm a bit confused by the award of an individual medal for what was, by her own admission, a team event. Of course the TDF winner doesn't get there without massive support from his team but that's a very different event to a one-off road race. I can't help feeling that a non-drafting long time trial would be a much fairer (& better) test of individual strength.

Anyway, well done that girl!

An easy 8 miler

After another few days off (not through choice but just lack of opportunity), I went out for an easy run today around my 8 mile loop. Thankfully, my achilles niggle seems to have disappeared although I still have a bit of discomfort in my hamstring. Still, it doesn't seem to be getting any worse and a couple of my other aches seem to have disappeared too so it seems that sometimes, the cure is running rather than rest.

I find since the WHW race and my holiday in Tenerife that I'm really relishing running up hills just now. I reversed the direction of my run today just so that I could get a good long plug up a hill and I found on holiday that I was always looking for the biggest hills. Not sure what any of this means though. I doubt it'll translate into speed in the short term and it may be that I'm just running up hills relatively less badly than I'm running on the level bits but at least I'm enjoying it. Feeling much more confident about finishing the RAW race now and hoping to do a couple more 8 milers this week before another long run next weekend.

Panic setting in...

With less than a month to go until the River Ayr Way, a race that I've done my best to plug, I realised that I'd done perhaps half a dozen runs, all no more than 6 miles since the WHW race.

A good rest was always part of my plan but I swear it's not done me any good. After my first 4 week layoff, I developed problems with one of my Achilles and hamstrings and they've never completely gone away. I suspect that some folk, if they don't run regularly, tighten up and then become more injury prone. Perhaps if I was more obsessive about stretching it might not have happened but it seems more than coincidental that I've had more problems this time after the WHW race than in previous years when I haven't tried a deliberated rest period.

Anyway, stuff resting, I've got a race to train for so in best "running fool" tradition, I went out and ran 21 miles yesterday from home to the Failford Inn on the River Ayr Way just to see if I could do it. I can't pretend it was easy but then I didn't make it easy for myself by not carrying enough fluid for the windy & muggy conditions. I also set off just before lunch which didn't help. Still, I feel considerably more confident about managing the RAW race *and* I spotted a Kingfisher flitting up the river which always gives me a buzz (hence the piccy up above).

My legs are a bit stiff today but not too bad. I'll try and get another good run on the RAW in before the race and maybe do some cycling as I don't think I've time to put in as many running miles as I'd like without risking injury.

¡Hola!

As you may have guessed from my salutation, I´m in Spain, or rather Tenerife at the moment. Not only am I on holiday, I´m running again. Woo hoo!

Not everything is perfect though. I still have a little achilles niggle but that goes away as I warm up so I´m not bothered by that. I´m also still bothered by some hamstring tightness, something that I´ve never suffered with before. Still, neither of them are stopping me going out for an enjoyable 6 or so miles every other morning, romping up and down the hills of Los Gigantes.

If you look at the link, you´ll see that the resort is build at the base of some gigantic cliffs. Most of the flatter bits of the town are built on a 30 degree slope. The rest is steeper. :-)

Whethere running up and down hills is good for a man in my condition I don´t know but I´m just loving it. It´s just so good to be running again and I´m forever on the lookout for ever steeper hills to attack in my morning runs. I doubt I´ll be as fit as I had hoped in time for the River Ayr Way race but at least the hills shouldn´t bother me. :-)

Adios!

B*gger it!

I went out for a gentle run on Sunday evening, two weeks after the WHW race. My legs felt full of bounce but I was aware of a little niggle in the bottom of my right calf muscle. I took it easy and it seemed to improve so I carried on for a couple of miles when I stopped and did a bit of gentle stretching which seemed to loosen things up slightly.

I carried on for another couple of mile (with another gentle stretch) but about a mile from home, whilst running up a small hill, I got a sudden stab of pain in my calf and I was forced to walk/limp the rest of the way home. B*gger, b*gger, b*gger!

I iced it as soon as I got home and went to see my physio on Monday who did the usual black magic with the ultrasound and massage but it's looking like it's going to another week before I'm running again. :-( I managed to borrow an ultrasound machine so at least I can repeat the treatments at home.

I think this is the last time I try resting after a big race! It's brought me nothing but grief, firstly in the form of a chest infection and now this.

Still not running, but cross training

That's if you call fence building cross training. ;-)
That's about 70 feet of ranch fencing on 4x4" posts concreted into the ground. I also had to dig out five Leylandii with trunk diameters of 5-7" so it's not been too easy. My upper body feels decidedly odd after all this intensive upper body workout. It's just not used to it!

Nothing happening on the running front although I might try a gentle jog this evening as I'm fed up with this cough. Resting doesn't seem to be helping it to resolve so I might as well go back to running, or at least wheezing and running. My wife and I have finished the first bottle of Cough Nurse and have now graduated to Night Nurse. It seems to do the trick in as far as it means that we are managing to sleep now, despite our coughs.

A bit better I think

Well, I did go doctor bothering yesterday and she reckoned she could hear a few crackles in my chest and I came away with a prescription for amoxycillin.

Of course I don't know whether it was about to start resolving or not but last night was much better and I only had a couple of minor bouts of coughing. Still feeling a bit wabbit but that might have something to do with wrestling with a leyllandi hedge I was grubbing out yesterday and the ranch fencing I'm erecting in its place. I suppose it counts as "cross training" so despite not having run a step wince the race, I don't feel too shortchanged in the exercise department.

Finally got around to putting in my entry for the River Ayr Way race. Having spent so much time encouraging others to enter, I thought I really ought to get a move on and make sure of my own place in the race! ;-)

Bah humbug...

Another horrible night despite copious quantities of real ale, a glass of port, some ibuprofen and a slug of "Cough Nurse". :-(

I had high hopes for the Cough Nurse working as it specifically warns that it may make one sleepy. Combined with the alcohol, I thought it couldn't fail. I think I might have drifted off briefly but I spent a good part of the night coughing and barking like a seal until Muriel forced another dose of Cough Nurse down my throat. This at last did the trick and I did in the end get some sleep.

Sorely tempted to go doctor bothering today and see if I can get some antibiotics. I really am fed up with this.

Blegh :-(

Don't you just hate those tickly coughs that keep you awake most of the night? The kind where you keep hoping that the next cough will clear your throat properly (but it never does) and you'll be able to drift off to sleep at last?

Ever since the WHW race my immune system has been at a low ebb. Sometimes I wonder whether I shouldn't just start running again as I've often thought that an easy run can stop a cold from developing into anything more. All I know is that rest doesn't seem to be curing it. If it's no better tonight it's getting the red wine treatment!

Oops!

Allybea's Blog!

(It was pointed out to me today that I had omitted a very important link). ;-)

Another report from the support team's point of view

My wife Muriel has written up her account of my race. I've added a permenant link at the side but you can go directly from here

Post race analysis

I hope you all like the new picture. I took it with my mobile phone whilst running the race. I shudder to think how much time I wasted taking photos and how easily it might have pushed me beyond 23 hours! Anyhow, I'm quite pleased with the result and I think it captures a little of the beauty that the bog cotton brought to Rannoch Moor.

Getting back to the race, firstly equipment (starting from the top).

Equipment
Head torch
I had to rush out and buy a new head torch the day before the race as I just couldn't lay my hands on my nice Princeton Apex head torch. It had served me very well during my mid-winter WHW run and I was in a panic about losing it. I went out to my local Blacks of Greenock and bought their most expensive Petzl tikka torch, the XP. This only uses 3 AAA batteries as opposed to the Princeton's 4 AA but I wasn't after a huge battery life, I just wanted a decent light. I had no chance to test it pre-race (as I kept hoping that my old one would turn up and I would be able to return the new one) but I needn't have worried, it was brilliant. Light and bright with a good "flood" diffuser. If I had a complaint, it would be that the two buttons are a little hard to work with cold fingers. I'd highly recommend it though. It provided plenty of light for running and navigating through the forest above Glen Nevis.

Contact lenses
I use soft daily disposables *very* occasionally. When I say "daily", that's what it says on the packet. I reuse the same pair many many times. ;-) Despite being only an occasional wearer, I had no trouble wearing my lenses for the full duration of the race and a few hours besides. Again, if you're a spectacle wearer and you've not tried them, I'd recommend giving them a go.

Neckwear
Gotta be a buff, hasn't it? ;-) So versatile and comforting when things get a bit cool. My buff had to become headwear after Rowadennan to stop the midges biting my ears. A real godsend.

Top
I bought a Salomon X-Static technical top that I wore throughout the race. I bought it because I has a high neckline (useful to reduce abrasion from hydration pack straps), short sleeves and a short zip. I found it really comfortable and the only change I made throughout the race was to put a long sleeve top on over the top of it towards the end. The best thing though was that I've usually suffered abrasions around my waist from my bottle belt on long runs but with this shirt material, I had no abrasions whatsoever. Of course the dry weather may have been a factor.

Hydration pack
A cheapie bought from Millets (a "Storm Shield" pack). It's sold with numerous different names but the basic pack is the same. The original bladder died on mine years ago and got replace with a Camelbac one. As a rucksack, it's been really comfortable and I see no need to change it.

Bottle belt
A Hilly Classic bottle belt. Mine came with a 400ml wide necked bottle that was easy to fill and more than adequate in size for a race where you're getting supplies along the way. The two pockets are just big enough for a very lightweight jacket and overtrousers. Again, wouldn't bother to change it next time.

Shorts (half tights)
I've been using Skins in training and the knee length ones have been very comfortable with no tendency to slip down at the crutch (unlike the full length ones). I wore the same pair throughout the race (although I changed my underwear in Kinlochleven) and was pleased to have no abrasions post race. None of the usual screaming in the shower.
;-) Whether it was down to better training (likely) or some help from the Skins (possible), my quads felt fine throughout the race. I had no problems running down the forest road at the end, a time when shot quads are usually screaming out.

Socks
Innov8 Smartwool Deris Socks. Just brilliant. No gravel in my shoes, comfortable throughout and not even a teeny blister. I was worried about the durability of the rubber bands that pass under the shoe but they held up well in several training runs. During the race, the first band broke at about Kings House, the second one after Kinlochleven. Despite this, they still functioned well at keeping the gravel out. Given that they weren't pristine pre-race, I can live with that. Better still, I phoned Innov8 and for the princely sum of £3.50, they posted out 3 new pairs of rubber bands. They're supposed to be available in the shops (for 50p a pair) but few shops seem to stock them. When the socks wear out, I'll just snip them off the gaiter and use ordinary socks so at £15 a pair, I reckon they're great value for what you get.

Shoes
I've been training in Innov8 Roclite 295s, not so much for their light weight but because the shape suits my foot much better that the 315s. I found them just fine in the Fling so was happy to wear them for the WHW. Again, up to Tyndrum and perhaps up to Kings House, I had no problem but my feet became increasingly tender after this and I felt I needed more cushioning. At KLL I changed into some old road shoes (my "old faithful" Asics Gel Landreth shoes) and my feet felt better for it. I'd probably use them again for the first half of the race but change inot road shoes at Tyndrum in future. I had no problems with my feet swelling and my sandals went unworn post-race.

Miscellany

Phone
I tried Vodaphone this year to see if the coverage was any better. As you might expect, I wasn't spending my time watching the signal strength so I don't know anything for sure. It *did* seem to have plenty of signal across Rannoch Moor which is where I've had trouble with Orange and O2. Still seemed poor above Crianlarich. Seems there's no one network that will work everywhere. What I did enjoy was (being an antisocial miserable bugger) the fact that only Dario, my wife and support runner knew my number. In the past I've come to really hate dealing with calls & texts when I'm running. I made sure that my support knew that I *didn't* want any unnecessary calls. Call me a miserable git if you like but I was a lot happier running without having to deal with calls and texts.

Anti-midge tactics.
Skin-so-soft may have an effect but I believe that it's anti-midge reputation was built on the "Woodland Fresh" scented variety, which isn't the one you see in most shops. I stuck with DEET. ;-) The other thing I did that really seemed to help when we visited the Everglades in Florida a few years ago, was to have Selenium tablets (which contain yeast) for a week pre-race. This doesn't stop you getting bitten but does seem to dramatically reduce the pain and itching. I had no visible bites post race.

Training
You know, I don't think I'd change anything very much. My 200 miles a month in 2008 seemed to work pretty well, concentrating on a lot of LSD and not too much speedwork. I think doing the odd hill race pre WHW helped quite a lot too, particularly the Carnethy 5 which really seemed to "kick start" my legs. I'd perhaps make more of an effort to do the full back to back long runs with JK et al as I think more miles on the trail can't hurt too much and would have given me more opportunity to fine tune my hydration and nutrition in as near race conditions as possible. I'd definitely do the Highland Fling race again (already entered for next year). I was worried before it that it might just be "too much" before the WHW race but I really enjoyed the race and my legs recovered well from it.
Still got some work to do on hydration and nutrition. I definitely felt that my pace suffered at times not from under-training but from swinging nutrition levels. I wasted too much time this year experimenting with "self sufficiency", which would be useful should I decide to run the WHW unsupported but not a good strategy when one has got a support crew. It definitely involves compromising you nutrition in favour of portability over quality.

Nutrition & Hydration
These two are, I think, absolutely key to doing well in this race and I know I've got some work to do. I thought I'd crave chocolate milk more than I and only drank one during the race. Small tubs of fruit salad were a hit and I knocked back quite a few of these. Had a couple of Muller Rices as well but I found during the race that I felt a bit intimidated by the size of them. "Little and often" seems to be the order of the day. I enjoyed half a baked potato at Auchtertyre and would have potato again. I might also experiment with John's baked beans. Maybe that's where all the wind came from after KLL? ;-) I think I'll have to work up to them though as I've never been wowed by the thought of cold beans. Still, if running like JK means eating like JK, I'm prepared to give it a go. ;-)

Fluidwise, I keep using a mix of water and probably Lucozade Sport with Caffeine boost. I don't know if it was *just* the Lucozade and caffeine that gave me the boost after KLL and it may just have been enough calories getting absorbed at the right time.

I did use some "Succeed" electrolyte capsules which I've had no trouble with. Unfortunately, the packaging is poor and my ziplock bag burst and then the capsules popped. :-(. Fortunately, I also had some Nuun tablets that you add to water. reasonably palatable but incline to leave a residual flavour in your water bottle which can be annoying. I think I'm going to harass the makers of "Succeed" into improving their packaging. They aim their product at runners and then only supply it on big bottles of capsules that you have to transfer to something else. Far better if they were in a bubble pack strip or in tablet form rather than capsule.

Golly, I think that's enough for now. ;-)....................

...............back again, now where was I?

Ah yes, SUPPORT! Where would we be without them?

I use a "one crew" support system. One car, one driver, one runner for the whole shebang.

I make a point of NOT stopping before Balmaha to give my crew a chance to rest and I'm really not sure why anyone would want to see their support crew sooner. I mean, if you can't run the 19 odd miles to Balmaha unsupported you shouldn't be starting! It really doesn't mean carrying much more. Being at night means that insensible losses tend to be low so you really don't need to carry much fluid for that distance (and there are always camelbac etc. if you want to carry a lot.

I try to phone ahead to give my crew some idea of what I want. I think it's a bit unfair to surprise them or expect them to be hopping from foot to foot in anticipation of your arrival. You're going to need them for a long time. No point in wearing them out with nervous exhaustion any more than necessary.

I was happy to have my support runner with me from Kingshouse onwards. I don't expect or want them to run in and out of checkpoints with me. I appreciate that it depends on a lot of factors but I feel having a support runner too early is not quite cricket. They're certainly not there to carry any of your kit! They're there for your safety, not to pace you to a faster time whether you're in the top 10 or the bottom 10. If you're injured or really struggling for other reasons, fair enough. I rather suspect that pacing and muling (carrying kit) happened on occasions is this year's race. Probably through ignorance rather than any intention to bend the rules.

Sorry, I digress. Getting on a hobby horse. ;-) Back to support.

I think something that my wife would do differently next year is keep more hot water in thermos flasks. We have a good stove but it still takes a little time and if I change my mind about wanting coffee and want a cupasoup instead, having hot water rather than coffee made up makes things simpler.

Another thing we found handy from the support point of view was for my wife to have two phones on different networks. At one point I couldn't contact her on O2 but could on Orange. If you have a spare handset it's easy enough to pick up a PAYG sim and you never know when it might come in useful. Of course it would have been handy if I'd had two phones but there are limits to how much clutter I'm prepared to carry. ;-)

Other than that, I don't think I'll change anything about my support for next year.

My 2008 West Highland Way race

After 2 failures to make this start line in the last two years, I was just desperate to make the start line this year, and if possible, put in the sub 24 hour time that I was sure I was capable of. I know that to some folk who knew how I was running in training, this might have seemed a fairly modest target, but I had suffered too many disappointments to risk setting my sights too high. My first goal was to get to the start line, my second goal was to finish and my third goal was to go sub 24. In 95 miles there is just so much that can go wrong, it's foolish to take anything for granted.


In the last few days before the race I had a panic attack when I realised that I couldn't find my trusty head torch that had seen me through my Way Highland West run in 2006. Despite turning the house upside down several times I just couldn't find it before the race and had to buy a new one on Thursday. As it turned out, the replacement one (a Petzl Tika XP) turned out to be an excellent little piece of kit, the only downside being rather small buttons that are a bit hard to feel with cold fingers!


Before leaving home, I had this picture taken which provides and interesting contrast to the one taken at the end. A bit scary huh? ;-)

Before

After

As you can probably tell from the after photograph, I was more than a bit pleased. ;-) I hadn't just gone sub 24 but had manage to go sub-23 with a full minute and 8 seconds in hand!

Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to the beginning. It was the first time I'd heard the pre-race briefing in the church hall which made a huge difference, I could actually hear it! The one downside of using the hall is that there isn't really room for all the support crews and I think some of them need a bit of pre-race instruction.

I personally feel that some runners are jeopardising the future of the race by having far too large a support team. Parking is at a premium up the WHW and no runner should need more than one vehicle or one runner supporting them at any time during the race. Whilst I accept that bigger vehicles are nice to have, on many parts of the WHW, there just isn't space for big motorhomes! That doesn't mean that runners can't have two teams of support crew to spread the load but having more than one support vehicle occupying precious parking space at a support point is just selfish in my opinion. Some runners had so much support that it could be construed as pacing and muling (carrying a runner's load for them), practices that I consider "unsporting" at the very least. I certainly saw runners being accompanied from Tyndrum carrying nothing at all (not even a water bottle) and I think this breaks the spirit of the race rules if not the letter.


Enough of that, time for my report

Milngavie to Balmaha

"Start slow and speed up later". How many times have I told folk that? Is that what I did? Nope. ;-) I'm an absolute sucker for getting dragged along by a group and as this first stretch never feels like the *real* WHW to me, I'm always keen to get it over with as soon as possible. The pace felt easy but I reached Drymen in 1:55 which was faster than I'd intended and it was only as I climbed Conic Hill and Murdo passed me, that I began to appreciate just how much too fast I might have set off. Still, it had been a glorious night for running with a near full moon, mist over the lochs at Carbeth and beautifully cool and windless. When I say "cool" I actually mean "near freezing". The car thermometer dropped to 3c on the way over to Balmaha and I swear I saw some ice near the top of the hill. I had a lightweight windproof top on though and didn't really suffer apart from slightly chilly fingers. What I did suffer from was an inconvenient call of nature and a surfeit of hill walkers at 4 in the morning! I *think* I was just about decent when they came around the bend up the hill. I think I reached Drymen in 3:14 and stopped briefly for some chocolate milk before heading off at 3:19. I was feeling pretty good but my tummy was bothering me.

Balmaha to Rowardennan

Things weren't right in the Downie guts department and I had to stop twice before Rowardennan to desecrate the countryside. One one occasion, I was forced to stop running and walk, or should I say "mince" with tightly clenched buttocks until I reached a suitable site. Not fun at all! My legs seemed to get heavier and achier as I neared Rowardennan and by the time I reached there, I was seriously beginning to doubt whether I wanted to carry on. Every step was hurting and the though of doing another 60 miles at that point was almost overwhelming. Rowardennan seems to be a real "make or break" point for lots of runners and I think the knowledge of what lies ahead weighs most heavily on you at that point.

Rowardennan to Inversnaid


The midges weren't bothering me when I stopped at Rowardennan and I made the mistake of *not* topping up my repellent. Good old DEET I'm afraid, none of your "Skin so Soft" rubbish. ;-). My motto is, "If it doesn't melt plastic, it can't possibly be any good". Anyway, I'd only put some rather weak DEET solution on the the beginning and the moment I left Rowardennan, I deeply regretted not slathering on more. Like everyone else, I chewed and blinked my way through clouds of the damned beasties, all the time hating every step of the way. My progress had slowed right down and runners were coming past me with distressing frequency. I was feeling really low at this point and wishing I'd picked up more snacks to sustain me to Beinglas. I couldn't run up any sort of hill and even gentle downslopes were causing me pain.


Just before the end of the forest road where the track narrows though, something came right in my body. I suspect it was just delayed absorption of what I'd eaten at Rowardennan but over a very short space of time, I found I could actually run down hills again, and then up hills too! What's more, the awful ache in my legs and feet disappeared. This association between energy levels and pain occurred several times during my run, something I've not read about before. For me, low energy = more pain. High energy = less pain. Quite why this should be so, I'm not sure but the relief of the pain and the pleasure of being able to run again lifted my spirits enormously and I proceeded to retake all the runners who's passed me before Inversnaid.

Inversnaid to Beinglas

At Invernaid, I filled my water bottle with water and midges before setting off on a section that I have mixed feelings about. I actually love the first part of it which is full of swoopy little hills that rise and fall for a few miles. After that though, you get into the snarly roots and rocks and there is so little of it that you can run, even if you want to. It just gets tedious and you just want it to be over as soon as possible. Before Beinglas I managed to overhaul another two runners which was good for morale although I was worrying about my pace.

I don't actually stop at Beinglas, but carry on to the point where the WHW diverts off to the right, At this point the WHW and the road are very briefly on the same side of the river so it's a handy support point that doesn't involve abusing anyone's hospitality. I'd arranged by phone for my wife to bring up some food and drink but before I arrived, I was overwhelmed by a craving for a Solero ice lolly. I don't know why, but it *had* to be a Solero. Dutifully, and amazingly, she got up to Crianlarich and back to the A82 crossing in time to hand over my hearts desire. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself how lucky I am. ;-)

A82 crossing to Auchtertyre

After my lolly, I was feeling pretty good all the way up to the checkpoint, certainly better than I had done during the Fling which encouraged me. Of course, this is exactly how it *should* have been but it was nice to feel that I didn't want to stop at Tyndrum. Auchtertyre though was the second point where things started to go wrong, for the stupidest of reasons.

Runners were getting weighed at this point (for very good reasons) and I'd put *on* a little weight (just 0.3 of a kilo). Now I was feeling fine but *knowing* that I'd put on weight (potentially very dangerous if you drink too much) made me way too cautious about drinking thereafter. There pre-race instructions were pretty clear that weights would only be treated seriously if there were other significant symptoms but that didn't stop me worrying. Consequently, I got dryer and dryer thereafter. I was here that I heard about Ian's withdrawal, a huge shock for us all I think. Ian is just so synonymous with the WHW that to hear of his withdrawal was almost like being told that the sun was going to rise in the west in the morning. I think Ian has given so much to the race over the years and shared his experience with so many runners that we've come to assume that he's not like ordinary mortals and forget that even he can have an off day. It was a blow for all of us I think but I was glad to hear that he'd decided to stay on. A WHW race without Ian is somehow almost unthinkable.

Auchtertyre to Kingshouse

I left Auchtertyre in pretty good shape but I found the stretch from Tyndrum to Bridge of orchy realy tough. It's just too flat! My feet and legs were beginning to ache again and I found myself increasingly having to grab myself figuratively by the scruff of my neck and give myself a talking to. I could see hopes of a sub 24 slipping away. I had reached Tyndrum in 11:30 and was basing my estimated finishing time on twice that but it was beginning to feel more and more unrealistic. I tried to put on a brave face for the camera at Tyndrum but I think the photograph shows my true feelings.

After Tyndrum I felt like I was crawling. The level bits hurt, the uphills hurt, the downhills hurt. I don't know how long I took but I ran with Rosie Bell for a bit which kept me going when I was feeling so low. Somehow I managed a slightly more convincing smile at BOO.
I had some to eat at Bridge of Orchy and crawled out up over the hill. Once at Inveroran though, I seemed to recover some strength again and the pain lessened once more and I began to start pushing more. I actually made quite good speed down towards Blackrock cottage and you can see I was actually enjoying being able to run again.



I was was again shocked to find another friend in trouble at Blackrock cottage though. This time it was Thomas who was in trouble and it hurt to find out that he too was withdrawing. I stopped for some coffee and food and Thomas donated his supply of grapes that he'd seen me lusting after.

After a slow jog to Kingshouse I was joined by my support runner, the wonderful Anne. She's not been in our club terribly long but has already proved her mettle at marathon and ultra-distance events. She never uttered a single negative word through the last stretches of the race, something that you really appreciate when you're having more than enough negative thoughts to sink a battleship.


Kingshouse to Kinlochleven

Anne and I made as much use of the level (ish) stretch to Altnafeadh as possible to claw back some time but by the time I reached the bottom of the Devil's Staircase, I felt utterly spent. The climb just seemed to go on forever and I'd slowed so much that I was getting cold for the first time in the race. Reaching the top didn't bring any relief either though and I felt as weak as a kitten. My descending legs had utterly deserted me. It wasn't until about half an hour into the descent that I regained the ability to run and from that point things improved (slightly).

At Kinlochleven, I got weighed again and found that I was now 4.7kg *underweight* and it was clear that I had swung too far in the wrong direction. I now had a craving for a sausage roll (the greasy flaky kind) but the best the chippy could manage was a sliced up sausage in a bun. Not exactly what I wanted buy full marks for trying! I can't remember what I drank at this point (other than quite a lot) but I set off with a bottle of Lucozade Sport with caffeine boost (following Thomas's recommendation in his blog) to drink on the climb. I was sufficiently pessimistic at this point to tell my wife that I could easily be two hours before I'd see her at Lundavra.


Kinlochleven to Fort William


The climb was horrible. In 2005 my right knee locked thirty miles into the race. I'd had no trouble with it before or since but now I was getting a stabbing pain in my right knee whenever it bent beyond a certain amount. I had to do virtually the whole climb leading with my left leg and each time being careful not to plant my right foot *higher* than my left, taking lopsided steps all the way up the hill. By now, all hope of a sub 24 seemed lost, a goal that I'd had in mind from my very first race back in 2005. A sub 27.19 PB would have been nice but it was the sub 24 that I wanted. Still, one small step at a time, I made my way up the hill, getting passed by runners yet again. Once at the top however and on to leveller ground, I found that I could jog on my knee without pain. The lucozade seemed also to be doing something as the pain and tiredness seemed to be leaving my body. Combined with the freakishly strong wind against our *backs* (when have you ever known the wind do you any favours in a race?), we were able to pick up the pace. Before long, we could see the runners who had passed us in the far distance. We could see that they were walking up the hills so I determinedly forced myself to run up every runnable hill or at least run further up each hill than they did. Little by little we reeled them in, our pace picking up all the time. By the time we reached Lundavra we were on a high, excited by the realisation that now, not only was sub 24 back on the cards, a sub 23 might be doable!

My wife wasn't expecting us so soon so we had to jog down the road to the car to fetch another bottle of "rocket fuel" as I was now calling the Lucozade. Of course I can't be sure that it was what made the difference, I ate and drank too many different things to be sure but by golly, I didn't think another bottle could hurt at that stage! Before leaving Linlochleven I had asked for some soup in Lundavra but we realised that there wasn't time for this now and we set straight off. The wind wasn't quite on our backs anymore, mostly from the side and sometimes head on but we were still making good time and keeping our head torches in reserve for as long as possible (I just wanted to see how far we could get without them). Eventually though, as we got deeper into the trees, we had to don them and our pace slowed considerably as the path narrowed and wound it's way through the woods. Still, we pressed on as best we could but we caught by a runner (Paul Tranter) and his support as we navigated our way through. I was glad that I had run the route relatively recently in daylight as it was *much* less clear where the path went in the dark and I reckon I probably helped Paul out there. ;-)

The moment we hit the forest road though, it was no holds barred and Paul and his support took off into the distance. Anne and I watched this for a while before realising the we *could* go faster, indeed, probably *had* to go faster if we were to get into Fort William in time for a sub 23. Somehow, we both found untapped reserves and slowly, oh so slowly, we clawed our way back. First we passed another runner (Neil MacRitchie I think) who Paul had already passed and gradually we caught up with, and passed, Paul and his support. After 92 miles we were racing!



We though we had him beat but not long after joining the road after the Braveheart carpark, Paul came steaming past at a speed I knew I couldn't match. A glance at my watch showed however that I was darned well going to have to try to match it though! From the 30 mph sign onwards, I swear I was nearing 6 minute mile pace. I ungraciously left Anne to fly past the roundabout and on towards the leisure centre. There was no time to look at my watch now and I sprinted across the car park at a billion miles an hour (slight exaggeration) and hit the doors so hard I thought I'd broken them for a moment.

This was me pretending to be tired.

And this was me about a minute later when the realisation that I'd managed 22:58:52 hit me.


I'm not given to blubbing but I think you can see just how pleased I was. It was wonderful to have my wife Muriel (on the left) there this time. Back in 2005, I was struggling and came in much later. She'd (quite justifiably) fallen asleep in the car and unfortunately found a mobile phone "dead spot" I couldn't warn her of my approach!

This time she was there though and much happier that I'd arrived over 4 hours earlier than last time. Both she and Anne (on the right) got a huge hug. After shaking hands with Paul (who probably inadvertently gave us the impetus to scape in under the 23 hours), we didn't hang around. We went straight to our B&B, into the shower and off to bed. Amazingly this year I actually slept, something I never normally manage to do after an ultra.

I'm going to stop now as it's coming up to 2 am and I'm making a bit of a bosh of this but I think John K's absolutely right that you need to get this stuff down as soon as possible. I'll do some polishing and additions tomorrow. Sleep well everyone.

Mr Blobby's ready!

Let's just hope that I burn off some this blubber on the way!

Today's the day!

Well, tomorrow actually as it starts at 1:00 am but it's my last full day before the race.
It's been interesting reading some of the other blogs of first timers who, not surprisingly perhaps, are a wee bit nervous.

I think I've in the Dave Waterman camp in that I "don't do nerves". Not as in I don't ever do nerves, just that I'm not nervous about the race. I am excited though. I suppose if I'm honest I do has the usual anxieties about injury and failing to finish but denial is a wonderful thing and I know that's not going to happen this year. ;-)

When I first ran the WHW race, I tried following another runner's plan to adjust my sleep pattern by staying up late for the two nights pre-race and then sleeping in. With hindsight, I'm really not quite sure what the point of the exercise was but the end outcome was a complete disaster as far as sleep was concerned. I reckon I got 4 hours sleep total in the two nights pre-race. Despite this, sleepiness was never an issue during the race so this time I've not tried to mess about with my body's normal sleep pattern. I've slept well the past two nights (last night aided by a pint of Guinness) and feel suitably refreshed ready for the race tonight.

Anyway, in just under 13 hours time, I'll be setting off from Milngavie train station and I'll find out how well my training has worked this year to prepare me for a sub-24 hour time. Fingers crossed I've done enough of the right stuff.

Best of luck to all the runners in this year's WHW race but in particular to Ian B, John K, Thomas, Marco, Debbie, Dave & Neal.

Muriel's blog

You can read Muriel's account of the Moonwalk over on her blog http://merryhell.livejournal.com/

Moonwalk

Even the hardiest couch-potato can hardly be unaware of the phenomenal rise of the Moonwalk. A mass participation event that really seems to have captured the public imagination and helped to inspire folk who wouldn't consider running a mile to walk a marathon.

I don't know whether it's the walking at night or doing it in bras but for whatever reason, over 10,000 women were walking the streets of Edinburgh last night, and not just in the "red light" districts. ;-)

When it comes to running I'm not a great fan of "big" mass participation events but you have to acknowledge the fact that they really do inspire folk to get involved and hopefully, some folk will continue to enjoy exercise and be inspired to stretch themselves further. Nothing's certain in life but it seems to me that they can be a great first step up.

So why am I talking about a walking event? Well, my wife Muriel took part in last night's Moonwalk and walked her first ever marathon. It took nearly 8 hours but she was significantly slowed by the fact that she was walking with a group of friends and that made overtaking very difficult. Running is expressly forbidden at these events which might seem a bit strange from a runner's point of view but probably helps to keep competition out of the event, something that I think would deter many potential entrants. The other factor that slowed her down was waiting 50 minutes, yes, 5, 0, minutes in a queue for a toilet at Silverknowes. It seems that the organisers have some lessons to learn about the provision of toilets for a female entrant marathon walking event.

Anyway, I'm really proud of her. My wife works full time and has had to fit in all the long training walks in at weekends and the odd evening as of course, being walks, they take *hours*.

Here she is (on the left) with two friends at 26.19 miles. Still smiling and braving the elements in her bra.

Cairn Table (again)

A picture for my blog at long last. ;-)

Just one week to go!

Well, a certain amount of sense prevailed this week and I didn't push for the 40 miles I said I was going to do in my last posting. In fact, I've only done 25 miles as I find that the moment I stop running 6 days a week, I find it incredibly hard to push myself out of the door.

As others have recommended maintaining some intensity in one's training during the taper, it seemed a reasonable idea to have a go at the Cairn Table hill race today. As hill races go, it's an "easy" low-risk one. It's only about 4.5 miles, never too steep (I managed to run about 95% of the uphill) and with good footing (on dry but bouncy peat) on the way down so little risk of injury.

There were just 20 of us at the start line and I found myself in 3rd, then 6th and finally 5th position when I reached the top. By that point I was relatively well clear of the 6th place man and held my position to the finish (in 40:31).

Even though it was an "easy" race, this close to the WHW it was still a little nerve wracking. I was very conscious of not wanting to injure myself or over-do it and not be fully recovered in time for the WHW race. Probably worrying too much but that's the nature of tapering. You worry about every little ache, pain or sniffle.

Definitely taking it easy for the rest of this week. ;-)

1000 miles at last!

It's taken rather longer than I'd planned (200 miles per month was the original plan) but it finally came today at the end of a 21 mile run to my favourite pub. Unfortunately I had no money with me so I couldn't celebrate with a pint but that was probably just as well after a large excess of red wine last night. Way behind other WHW runners I'm sure but I've had the spectre of two "Failed to make the start line" hanging over me and it's always been my priority this year to play it safe.

The run itself went well and I even managed to run up the "impossible hill", a long steep flight of steps that I meet 20 miles into my run. Of course it's not really impossible but I've never managed to run up it before so that was very encouraging.

Despite the long run, I am tapering, although not doing a very good job of it. The less I run the worse I feel and it has such an undermining effect on my confidence. One of the runners on the WHW forum commented yesterday that he races better if he *doesn't* taper so maybe the whole tapering business needs some serious research.

Today's run will definitely be my longest run before the race but I'll probably aim for about 40 miles next week before cutting back more for the last week.

Setting goals

With the WHW race nearly upon me, I suppose it's time to look back on my training, read my tea leaves and kill a chicken to study its entrails, all in order to work out a realistic time goal for the race.


Now I'll be the first to admit that the last two are slightly flippant but I think in a race of 95 miles, you have to accept that there are so many potential pitfalls that can befall one during the race, that guddling through entrails might give you just and accurate a forecast as any number of race time predictor sites.

I must admit to feeling a bit guilty at giving Thomas a bit of a hard time over his first goal. I feel a bit like the tortoise offering advice to the hare and that I've trampled over his dream. I know I'll be nowhere near Thomas in terms of speed but I *do* have two runnings of the WHW under my belt which is a lot less than many participants in this race but two more than Thomas. ;-) I'll be absolutely delighted for him if he proves me wrong but I think that it's easy to underestimate how much one can slow down in the latter stages of the race if you have injury or nutritional problems along the way. Even without any specific problems other than fatigue, I think that many runners find that Tyndrum is about halfway in terms of time if not in distance.

As to my own goals (it's only fair to give Thomas a chance to have a go at them) ;-), they are considerably more modest.

Bronze goal has to be just finishing. 95 miles is a long way in anybody's book and although I'll be disappointed if I don't improve on my 2005 time (27:19:25), I'll be happy to finish in the time limits.

Silver is sub 24 hrs. I think I've got it in me and there's something about a round 24hrs as a target. It's entirely arbirtary (like my 20 minute 5K goal) but it's a period that we can all identify with. If I can get to Tyndrum in 11:30 without taking too much out of myself then I think I'm in with a chance but I'm not going to plan on being able to go any faster in the second "half".

Gold will be sub 23. An odd number but it means that I'd finish the WHW on the day. (i.e. Saturday) rather than in a day. This will very much be "icing on the cake". I don't think I'm in with a realistic chance but if I get a good run, good weather and everything goes right, perhaps not impossible.

Platinum would be arriving in Fort William in time for a pint but I don't think that's going to happen, well, not this year at least. ;-)

Next year? Who knows. Time to slaughter another chicken I think. ;-)

Club 5k

A trip down south at the weekend to visit my wife's 95 year old aunt put paid to too much running over the last week. I know I'm supposed to be tapering but I hate this period. Somehow, you always feel worse when you drp your mileage significantly and I never really believe the stuff about tapering applies to *me*. ;-)

I was hoping to run the Merrick hill race this weekend which is now a longer, gentler(ish) race that the old one that was very tough. Unfortunately, family commitments once again are going to scupper this so I think I'll have to find another hill to run up.

At last night's club 5K I wasn't too hopeful after a weekend of eating and drinking too much. It was also a bit windy for the last 2 Km but I wasn't unhappy with my time of 19:43. A good bit off of my PB for the year but on the right side of 20 minutes again thankfully. ;-)

Cobblers & 10Ks

By way of a change from running, my wife and I took advantage of yesterday's fine weather and walked up the Cobbler, a hill that neither of us has ever climbed before . As you can see, it was a glorious day but the heat wasn't suiting our collie cross mongrel very well.

The old adage "better late than never" springs to mind with this hill, it really is a jewel and it's easy to see it's popularity. Here's a view taken from the "back side" (oo er..) looking towards Beinn Ime. The Yorkie is our other dog. Very unfairly, she gets all the sympathy from other walkers because she's so small and "cute". She has no problem with hills or distance (she did 17 miles on the River Ayr Way once with us without turning a hair). Roger, our big dog is getting on now (11 yrs old) and wasn't really enjoying the heat or the climb. We had to make frequent stops by the stream for him to drink and cool down.

Still, he made it in the end as you can see here. Fantastic views all round. Next time I come up here I think I'll try to take in Beinn Ime and Beinn Narnain as well as they're both accessible from the same plateau at about 2000ft.

This was just me playing with the camera trying to photograph a flower. Very pretty but I'm no botanist. Maybe someone can identify it for me.
Regarding 10ks, tonight was our annual 10k time trial which we hold once a year following the Troon 10k. After my miserable 10k in Kilmarnock on the 14th of this month (44:02) I didn't have high hopes for a run tonight, particularly as it was quite blustery and I'd been shivery most of the afternoon. I was beginning to think that I was coming down with something but in the end, I think I was just under dressed! As the old saying goes, "Ne'er cast a clout 'til May is oot". ;-)

Anyway, I didn't push myself in the first 5k and picked it up a little after that and was pleased in the end to finish with 41:33. I'm sure I ought to be able to run a 10k faster with a solid sub-20 5K under my belt back in March (19:21) but somehow things never quite work out and as it happens, it's a lifetime PB so I'm not complaining. It's a timely confidence booster to have before the WHW race even though I know a 10K time is of little relevance to how I'll do on the big day.

If only...

I don't think there's a runner alive who hasn't thought "If only I'd trained a bit harder...". I know that I rather wish I had done more long runs, more weekly miles, more back to back long runs but that desire is tempered by my desire to get to the start line intact.

Barring illness or freak injury, it's looking like I'm going to make it this year and that's been my main goal this year. Yes, I want to run a good time (sub 24 hopefully), but first and foremost, I want to get to the start line! As someone with a 66% "no show" record over the last three years the last thing I want to do is up it to 75%. ;-)

Running wise, it's been a good week. I felt I recovered quickly from last weekend's "back to back" long runs and I've put in another 56 miles in the last week (including a very pleasant 4:30 run along the River Ayr Way). I've also been very pleased with some late gear choices I've made lately.

Firstly, shoes. I bought some Inov8 Roclite 295 shoes whilst at the Ben Lomond Hill race 2 weeks ago. The toebox of the Inov8 315s was completely the wrong shape for my foot so it was rather a surprise to find that the 295's were just right. I didn't run Ben Lomond in them but I did my weekend of back to back long runs in them and another long run on Saturday with no problems at all. They've been really comfortable straight out of the box.

The second bit of kit was some Skins compression half tights. After my problems with the full length ones I was a bit hesitant about going with Skins again for compression shorts but I needn't have worried. I've had no problems with slippage or chafing and I'll definitely be wearing them for the WHW race.

My last purchase was a pair of socks. I've been using a very old batch of socks I bought years ago that I've become very attached to but they really are wearing out and I thought it was time to treat myself. I'd admired Morgan's gaiters on my last run from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William and I saw something similar in Tiso's. What Tiso's were selling though was a sock and gaiter combined into one made by Inov8 and called the Debrisock. I was a bit hesitant about buying a combined product like this as I'd prefer to be able to choose and change my socks independently of my gaiters but I realised that when the sock wears out, there's nothing stopping you cutting the old one off and just using the remains as a gaiter. The socks themselves are made of smartwool so they're a decent product in their own right, even without the gaiters

Anyway, I wore them on Saturday for my long run and enjoyed a wonderful grit-free experience. I don't think you realise just how much and how often grit gets in your shoes until you do a long run with no grit whatsoever. The bits of elastic that pass under the sole look a bit vulnerable but they're easily replaced. Considering that it's easy to spend £10 on just a pair of technical socks these days I think £15 is cheap at the price.

Less than 4 weeks to go and no doubt I'll be going crazy with worry about either not doing enough or doing too much.

Ouch!

So what's with the picture I hear you ask. Well, it's how I'm walking at the moment thanks to rather too much abrasion around the family jewels. It's bl**dy painful!

Once again, it's my skins causing the problem and I think I'm either going to chop them off at the knees (they're the full length tights) or buy another pair of thigh length ones and keep the full length ones for post-race recovery.

The run itself was good although I did have a rather low point up on the Larig Mor (?sp) when my energy levels took a bit of a dive and I was reduced to a slow shuffle. Fortunately they picked up again a bit and I jogged in with Morgan over the last 4 miles or so and I felt pretty good by the time I reached Fort William.

Overall happy with my time (7:15) for this stretch but I must admit there were times when my energy levels were low that rather negative thoughts about the whole WHW race crept into my head and it started to seem like sheer madness. Such is the madness of ultra racing it's hard to know sometimes what is a negative thought and what is just a moment of rationality. ;-)

I'm still going to have to fiddle with my nutrition. The mars bars work, after a fashion but they were really an experiment in self sufficiency and I've no plans to run on the 21st in a self sufficient manner and there's no way I could eat them for a full 95 miles. Today I took a leaf out of JKs book and had some grapes on the way round. After three claggy mars bars, the sweetness & freshness of a nice bunch of grapes was just so wonderful! There's definitely going to be in the support vehicle on the day.

Back to back runs. Day 1

Today was the first of two runs planned for today and tomorrow. I ran on my local stomping ground of the River Ayr Way from Failford to home, about as pleasant a way as you could hope to find of running a good distance without involving roads. It was "just" 21 miles but I feel pretty knackered so it'll be interesting to see how I get on tomorrow for the 36 miles or so from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William.

The heat today certainly impacted on my fluid requirements so I'll certainly be taking a camelbak and my bottle tomorrow. Despite what I said earlier, I suspect I *will* be taking the Mars Bars again. I survived one mini bite-sized one today without throwing up so I guess I can cope with them again tomorow.

Mixed feelings about wearing my skins though. The "baggy crutch" problem can cause a lot of discomfort but I'm going to try another WHWer's suggestion of removing the elastic from the bottom of the legs as this seems to be responsible for maintaining a certain amount of traction downwards.

It's official, I'm getting slower...

After a rubbish 5K time (20:29) on the 6th of this month (compared to 19:21 back in March), a rubbish run up and down Ben Lomond (1:54:40) last Saturday and now, a rubbish 10K time in Kilmarnock last night (44:02), I think I can say hand on heart, my speed is rubbish. ;-)

Of course I can think of all sorts of excuses what with possibly still recovering from the Fling, still recovering from Ben Lomond, still recovering from a tough (but great) training run on Tuesday night where we galloped all over Dundonald Hill and a bout of food poisoning thrown in for good measure last week as well. So, all in all, I'm not too downhearted. I know that my 5k/10k speed isn't what's going to get me to the end of the WHW in just over 5 weeks' time.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to joining the WHW family on Bridge of Orchy on Saturday morning for the second half of my "back to back" long runs. Unlike the hardcore crew, I'll just be doing an "easy" 21 miles on the Friday before joining them for the 36 miles to Fort William. Part of me would like to do more but more than anything, I want to be sure of making it to the start line. Touch wood, my legs are completely free of any niggles and I'd like to keep them that way this side of the WHW race.

Tough break DQ

Just heard about a friend's (DQ) withdrawal from the WHW race. As someone who's "been there, done that, got the T-shirt" - twice, I know just how horrible it feels when you have to face up to the fact that you're not going to make the start line.

Although it will bring DQ no comfort whatsoever, my experience the second time round was far less traumatic that the first time I had to withdraw. I was able to be far more philosophical about the it second time and enjoyed my months of rest whilst I waited for my foot to heal.

I don't just feel for DQ though, I more than a bit narked that I've been cheated of the oppotunity to humiliate the loud mouthed git by soundly trouncing him in this year's race. ;-)

I hope the DQ will find someway to be invloved with the race even if he's not running it. Marshalling and supporting other runners certainly saved my sanity the two times I was forced to withdraw.

I'm hoping that as I type, he's plotting to set up the best real ale bar at Lundavra for thirsty runners on the day!

Ben Lomond hill race

Well, as John has already kindly pointed out, I did finish in the top 100. However with only 121 runners, 98th isn't that impressive. ;-) I finished in 1:54:40 (%158.5 of the winner's time).ild u

I was a bit disappointed in my time but a week spent fighting a gut bug (whilst continuing my training) probably didn't help. I could have rested more pre-race but I try not to let pre-whw events interfere too much with my training as I think it's easy to end up missing out on a lot of useful "miles on legs" in the build up to the WHW race if one's not careful.

Weather conditions were perfect for the race. The early sunshine turned to overcast skies with a little light rain and gentle winds, just enough to cool on a warm day but not enough to impede.

The race pretty much follows the tourist route up and down Ben Lomond with a few diversions just to add to the suffering. In character it's quite like the Goat Fell race (but with less road) but the unrelenting climb was more reminiscent of Ben Nevis. Fairly quickly on I decided that I wasn't cut out to be a hill runner. The urge to chuck it all in, have a lie down and just enjoy the fantastic scenery was almost overwhelming, but, in the end, pigheadedness and pride won out and I continued my slow slog to the summit where water was on offer.

Once round the summit cairn it was time to do the thing that I find even harder than running up hills, namely running down them again! As runner after runner came flying down the hillside past me it was brought home to me forcefully how important appropriate trianing is for hill racing.

Of course, for me this race was primarily about building leg strength and surviving the descent intact and I was pleased to get down with all the skin I started with, which was more than could be said for many of the runners.

One of the best aspect of the Ben Lomond race has got to be the proximity of a large body of water waiting to greet hot & exhausted runners. Wading into the loch was sheer bliss. Once we'd cooled down it was off to the hotel for soup & bread (included in the race fee) and a pint of beer which went down very nicely indeed. ;-)

An excellent event and Westerlands CCC are to be congratulated for their organisation.

Relieved, sort of...

I was more than a bit disappointed in my time on Tuesday's 5K but now, with hindsight, it's easy to see that all was not well within the Downie body.

I'd had a slightly gippy tummy on Monday and Tuesday morning but by the afternoon, things seemed to have "blown over". After my run on Tuesday evening, my guts turned to water and my temperature was all over the shop. The last two days have involved many visits to the loo and a couple of exceedingly dicey runs ("runs" being the appropriate word) where I've had to dash off into the bushes at intervals.

Today at last, I can break wind with impunity, something that you take for granted until you lose the ability to do so without imperiling your underwear. ;-)

Fingers crossed now that it really is settling as I've got the Ben Lomond Hill race tomorrow and whilst I don't expect to excel at it, I'd like to be able to enjoy it at least.

This week has also been the week of our club 10K race, one that's proved very popular with west of Scotland runners. It's the highpoint (and maximum stress point) of our club's year and we always breathe a huge sigh of relief when it's over. Since we've introduced chip timing, our stress levels have reduced enormously, or at least mine have. Having spent a few years being responsible for results production using manual timing methods, I, perhaps more than anyone in the club, appreciate the value and accuracy of a chip timing service.

It was good to see Ian, John and Neal on the night. There may have been other WHWers out there but as I spend much of my race night hunched over a laptop, I don't get to see much of what's going on.

Good luck in the Troon 10k!

I just wanted to wish any readers taking part in tonight's 10K race in Troon the best of luck. I think the weather forecast is for it to be another warm night and if it' anything like last night, it's going to make it tough.

I had a miserable 5K time trail last night, partly down to the weather, and partly, with the benefit of hindsight, due to some sort of bug I was brewing. My throat & tongue felt like they were being shrivelled up right from the start and although I ran the first kilometer in 3:50, it had felt like hard work. There was no spring in my step and none of the "get-up-and-go" feeling that I'd had back in March when I ran 19:21.

After the first km, I struggled and crossed the line in 20:29. I dare say some of the Highland Fling aftermath accounted for some of my slowdown but I had been feeling better towards the end of last week that I did at the beginning of this one. Spending the best part of 12 hours in the car at the weekend didn't help my back either.

About an hour after the race, I was siezed with a violent attack of shivering and went to bed with an extra blanket. Some time during the night I awoke completely drenched in sweat so it seems that there was clearly something not right with me. Lets just hope I can shake it off before the Ben Lomond hill race on Saturday.

Musings on massage

There have been a couple of comments on the WHW board recently about massage and it seems an opportune moment for me to share my possibly eccentric views on the subject.

Firstly, no tittering at the back, I'm talking about "sport" massages, not the kind with a happy ending. Now I must admit to having little experience of either but that doesn't stop me having an opinion, the wackiness of which I leave for you to judge.

It is probably true that appropriate massage can help with the treatment of some injures and I'm not about to go tilting at that particular windmill. My concerns lie with it's use (or perhaps that should be "abuse") for the enhancement of recovery by the release of "toxins" or other unexplained mechanisms. This article makes quite interesting reading about "toxins" and massage.

Like everything in life, moderation is the key but it's tempting to believe sometimes that if a bit of something is good, more is better. Following the experience of a runner in last year's race, I'm not so sure that you can't have too much of this particular "good thing".

This particular runner suffered from renal failure post-race due to a condition called rhabdomyolysis. This is breakdown of the muscle cells which then release their cell contents & myoglobin (the muscle cell equivalent of haemoglobin in the blood) into the blood stream. This mixture causes clogging of the kidneys and renal failure (of a type known as "acute tubular necrosis" - ATN for short). Now fortunately, if treated appropriately, this is something from which you can recover but in the short term, you may need to be placed on renal dialysis (a kidney machine) until such time as your kidneys recover. If undetected & untreated, it can be fatal. This particular runners condition never quite got to the point of needing dialysis but it was touch and go.

So, what's all this got to do with massage? Well, the cause of rhabdomyolisis isn't always known. Sometimes it's due to heatstroke, sometimes a "crush" injury where a large muscly body part has been crushed in an accident. Sometimes it's caused by extreme exercise and there seems to be a genetic predisposition involved (which is really just another way for doctors to say "we don't know").

When I read the runner's account of his race, I started looking for anything that might have caused his rhabdomyolysis and one feature of his race struck me. Namely, he underwent massage four times during the race.

Now this is far from being conclusive proof but I'm sure every ultra runner is familiar with the feeling of owning a couple of sacks of mince where we used to have quads during the latter stages of an ultra. It seems reasonable to me to ask the question, "If my quads feel this bad, is pummelling them more or less likely to make them leak their cell contents?".

Common sense is a dangerous tool but it seems to me that the balance of probabilities is that it certainly won't make them less likely to leak. Indeed, I think it's much more likely that pummelling an abused muscle is likely to increase leakage of cell contents.

So, is there any evidence? Well, there are the odd case reports of renal failure following massage (see this article here). Now that case refers to an 88 yr old man, but I dare say there might be a few similarities between 88 yr old men and WHW runners at the end of the race! There is lots of information on rhabdomyolysis and extreme levels of exercise.

Now I'd be the first to admit that I'm trying to link the two in the absence of published evidence, but the question is, to paraphrase the words of Dirty Harry, "'Do you feel lucky?".

To my mind, it just seems a risk not worth taking. If you're a fan of post race massage then you'll no doubt claim that you recover faster but to my mind, recovering a day or two faster doesn't justify the potential risk. It would probably be far more beneficial (in the long term), to delay the massage for a few days until the muscle stiffness has settled.

This article isn't intended as a criticism of that runner's actions. I have a medical background and what I've said is just my tentative hypothesis of why perhaps he developed renal failure. I think it's reasonable to voice my misgivings about a practice which I think may carry an unusual level of risk for ultra runners.

So there you go. Hit or myth, you decide. ;-)