Devil o' the HIghlands. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Well this year's Devil was always going to be a wee trip into the unknown for me with my very abbreviated training but I was feeling good apart from slightly sore quads due to a slightly over-enthusiastic session of hill bashing on my bike on the Wednesday prior to the race.

Still, I wasn't worried and I was really looking forward to introducing Dave, a newish club member, to the delights of running in the highlands. He's been is Ayrshire for years but never up past Loch Lomond so it was a grand day out for both of us.

As usual, I was up at about 4 am to fry up some bacon for a sandwich. I always reckon it sets me up well for the day. Whether it does or not I don't really care, I just like bacon sandwiches. ;-)

I won't bore you all with minutiae of my run but over the first section to Bridge or Orchy I was feeling strong and reached BOO in 1:05. My legs felt good on all the hills and I really do think that the cycling worked improve my uphill running. The next leg to Glencoe was going well too until I got a bit over-enthusiastic running down the hill to Inveroran when I stumbled and came crashing down heavily on my right arm and leg. I rolled and was up on my feet again in an instant but needless to say it took the wind out of my sails for a while and as I assessed the damage, I realised that I had blood dripping off my hand coming from a cut on my elbow. My leg felt a bit battered but apart from a few grazes there was little to show for it.

After a brief stop for a bit of a clean up and some milk at Victoria Bridge I carried on to Glencoe and was pleased to get there only a minute down on my time last year. Unfortunately as I approached Black Rock Cottage I was overcome with a *very* urgent call of nature and had to drop my shorts within a couple of hundred metres of the checkpoint. Apologies to anyone's sensibilities I offended if you saw me! All I can say is, if you gotta go, you gotta go. ;-)

From here on I was joined by Dave, my clubmate, "a running bear" in hirsuteness and size. I've been trying to point him in the direction of ultra running for some time now as he's one of those people who seem to glide over the ground making effortless progress so I'm sure that ultra running will be his forte.

Anyhow, it was a beautiful day although getting a bit warm by now but we enjoyed the views as we ascended the Devil's Staircase and beyond. Once at the top, I was aware that my legs didn't quite have the bounce that I usually have for descending hills but nevertheless we made good progress down to Kinlochleven. As we neared KLL I remembered thinking "Wouldn't it be nice if the race ended here?".

When we arrived in KLL I was now 18 minuted behind last year's time and this was indicative of how things were going to go from now on. I sat down to have a bite to eat before setting off on the last leg and as usual, the climb out of KLL felt longer and harder than the Devil's Staircase. That said, once we reached to top I managed to keep running the downhills and level bits reasonably well AND some of the uphills but I was finding the underfoot conditions hard, usually an indication of how tired I am. On fresh legs I can skip along but today it was becoming a bit of a stumblefest. Things probably weren't helped by my wearing my "mono-vision" contact lenses which give me one good eye for reading and one good eye for distance. The trouble is they give be one pair of eyes rather poor at depth perception which doesn't help on uneven ground. During the climb I realised that my elbow was leaking blood again and dripping off my fingers so I decided to take advantage of the Mountain Medics who did a grand job of bandaging my elbow up.

Anyhow, as it does, the Larig Mor eventually comes to an end and we met up with Muriel for a spot of refreshment before carrying on to the last leg. Just before we left I heard the dulcet tones on Anne (Noble - support runner) and Karen Robertson approaching. Karen has had miserable luck with the Devil (and this year's WHW race) so despite being upset about being "caught by a girly from my own club!" I was absolutely delighted that at last she was having a better run.

Being a gentleman, I hightailed out of the checkpoint without waiting but it did me little good and she soon overhauled me and left me for dead, which was pretty much how I was feeling by this stage.



My quads were by now seriously trashed and going down steeper hills (or steps in particular) was very painful and it was a slow and painful descent down Glen Nevis to Braveheart car park.

Still, one foot in front of the other gets you there eventually and after we passed the 30 mph sign I tried to pretend that I was a runner with a rather feeble sprint finish.






So, firstly the good things.

I think the cycling definitely helped with running up the hills. Considering the amount of running I've done lately that went well. I will be including cycling as part of my future ultra training.
It was also a great pleasure and a privilege to get to introduce David to this beautiful part of the highlands on such a great day.
My running went well (apart from my tumble)up until Kinlochleven. Dave was good company on the run and Muriel did a sterling job of trying to satisfy my whims throughout the day.

The bad things.
It doesn't take a genius to realise that I would have done better if I had started slower and I have to admit that I was really pushing myself in the early stages to see how close I could run to my times last year. It was always going to be a risky thing to do but I wanted to see just how well I could run on so little running in training. I would have enjoyed the race overall more if I had started slower I think. Also, having to drop your shorts in easy view of a check point isn't something I want to repeat in a hurry!


The ugly things.
My elbow doesn't look too pretty but it'll heal. I've some fairly impressive bruises on my thigh but I think they're all pretty superficial. I'll spare you the pictures of those. ;-)



NEXT year, I'll train properly, I promise. ;-) Unfortunately I'm going to have to find a new support runner as Dave is determined to enter the Devil next year, which at the end of the day, is a great result.

Running the Devil, on a wheel and a prayer.

It's been a funny old year and admittedly, it's not gone to plan running wise but I'm not too dismayed.

I've done less running in preparation for this year's Devil o' the Highland race than ever before but oddly I'm really looking forward to it. In fact, I'm even kidding myself that I might actually do quite well in it.

So where does this (very possibly misplaced) confidence come from? Well for a start, I've been doing a lot of cycling and most of that has included as many hills as I can point my front wheel up and nearly all of that has been done pushing a biggish gear (52x23 minimum) which I feel has really toned up my quads.

I've lost a good half stone in weight over the last few weeks thanks to the cycling and feel all the better for it.

Whilst I've hardly run I did do the sweeping for the Clyde Stride which was useful "time on feet" and I got talked into doing a hilly 7 mile leg of the "Round Arran relays". I think I done 2 other shortish runs as well and that's pretty much been it as far as running's concerned over the last month.

The other thing that's helped was watching the following video which has pretty much cured me of whinging about my sciatica!

Jamie Andrew: Mountaineering, Amputation, and Changing Nappies with his Teeth. www.jamieandrew.com from Alastair Humphreys on Vimeo.

So, whatever happens tomorrow, I hope I can finish with a smile.

Chim chimeny, chim chimeny, chim chim, cheree...

Well I've done some daft things in my time but it's been a while since I've done something quite as silly as this.

When I heard that Lee (the Clyde Stride race organiser) was in need of some sweepers (the folk who jog along at the back making sure that all the stragglers are accounted for) I thought it would be fun to bring my chimney sweeping brush for the photos at the start of the race.

Well, as you might imagine it caused a wee bit of a stir and folk were asking if I planned to carry it the whole way. I must confess I had thought about it and I decided that I would indeed find out what it was like to carry a chimney brush for 40 miles.

As it turned out, it was in in fact easy to run with (it's pretty light) and by the time I'd reached the first checkpoint I'd decided that it was going the whole way. Of course, when I say "run", I actually mean "a wee bit of running and an awful lot of walking". This suited me okay as I've done very little running in the last few months due to my chronic sciatica, which incidentally, is getting a bit better if you're interested. I'd been out on my bike for 4 rides in the week before the race (2x17 miles and 2x40 miles). Hard to be sure but I think they've helped me physically a bit. Whitout doubt thought they've helped me psychologically a LOT!

Today I had a really enjoyable 40 miler on my bike with no embarrassing walking breaks and plan to go out again tomorrow.



It been a very frustrating few months struggling to train in almost constant pain and having made the decision to forget the running for a while and just cycle, I'm really enjoying being able to get some decent exercise again. I'm now really looking forward to the Devil of the Highlands race which I was dreading before the Clyde Stride. I now feel confident of finishing at least.

Back in the saddle...

...literally.

After yesterday's cathartic whinge, I decided that the only way forward at the moment is to try and forget about running and try some cross training. I know, I know, you're all thinking "Duh?", it's an obvious response and an obvious answer to my current malaise but it's a route I've been reluctant to follow. I mean, everyone knows that running is The One True Sport don't they? Why would I want to do anything different? Anyhow, I decided that if I can't run and not running properly is making me miserable, I just HAVE to do something different for a few weeks.

I thought about swimming but with the schools on holiday I decided that my chances of getting any uninterrupted lengths in were going to be near zero. So today, I ventured into the garage and peered into the garage pile and pulled out a sporty looking number with no mudguards and not enough gears. After wiping the worst of the cobwebs and sawdust off (I kid you not, it's been sat there for about 5 years) I pumped 100psi into each tyre, crossed my fingers and wobbled off on a 17.3 mile ride.




It's odd really that I should be so reluctant to embrace my bike these days as I used to be a very keen cyclist when I was younger (and thought runners were absolutely potty) but I've somehow fallen out of love with cycling.

Anyhow, it wasn't long before I was regretting picking the bike with no granny gears as I wheezed my way up hills. My worst moment came on a long (but not steep) incline when I wobbled to a near halt and realised that I was going to have to walk. This was when my trust in bike turned out to be a little misplace as my SPD pedal was darned if it was going to let go of my shoe! Fortunately, I managed to get one out before I fell but I think a little lubrication and adjustment is in order before I venture out again. ;-)

Not long after that the rain started and the lack of mudguards meant that my feet and back got a good spraying. Admittedly, by the end of the ride I was almost enjoying it so I suppose I can stand to do this for a few weeks. Goodness only knows what it'll do for my sciatica but i guess I'll find out soon enough.

What do you do when can't do what you love to do?

First post in absolute ages and it's to have a self-pitying whine. ;-)


I'm having real problems with my running at the moment in that chronic back trouble is making it incredibly hard for me to train to anywhere near my potential.

Yes, I can still go out for shorter runs and enjoy them (after a fashion) but my sciatica constantly undermines my ability to do the longer runs that I need to do to train for ultras. Every day I'm thinking that if I wasn't a runner, my symptoms would be quite bearable and then I feel guilty for aspiring to something that most people wouldn't even dream of doing. It's not like I'm seriously disabled in the conventional sense of the word but and many folk would be grateful to have my present level of fitness, such that it is. Life would be a whole lot simpler if I wasn't a runner!

It's just that I so want to run next year's WHW race and while I know it's a long way off, this back trouble has grumbled on and off for months and months. It put paid to my plans to do the TDS earlier this year when I was forced to accept that there was no way I could put in the appropriate training to do justice to a course like that.


On the immediate horizon I have an entry for the Devil o' the Highlands race which is in August. I would love to run it but I'm having serious doubts about attempting it. It's not that I'm too worried about running with my pain (I've been doing that for ages) but that I know that I just can't get the training done that I'd like to do to run it "properly". I've never been a great fan of just achieving a finish for the sake of it.

I've seen my own physio who has given me mobilisation exercises to do for my lower spine but they've made no difference. I'm currently waiting to see an NHS physio so I suppose I should see what they can do. Although highly sceptical of surgery as a treatment for back pain my symptoms are very specific (single nerve root pain) and I'm beginning to wonder if that's the route I might eventually have to follow.

If any runners out there have been down the surgery route and have any comments they'd like to make, I'm all ears.

Strathaven Striders "Run with the Wind" race report

Well I tried, I really did. Ever since we got back from Nepal I've been working on my endurance and speed. Indeed, I've even tried training every day with no rest days but it was all to no avail.

There was just no way that I could drink my two pints of beer fast enough to justify a third before Muriel (designated driver) had finished her one pint.

It's not that I really wanted three pints [1], but when you're drinking with a certain London fireman, it somehow seems the right thing to do. It seems to me that if he's prepared to travel the length of the country to run the race, it would be rude not to down at least three pints with him. Alas, that goal has eluded me yet again. :-(

As to the race, well, for a change, it was glorious weather, if a trifle chilly. I really had no idea how I'd do after so little running over the last couple of months but with no real expectations, I was free to run how I felt and not worry about my time too much.

The first 4km were great and if it had finished there I would have been a happy man. Unfortunately, this "downhill" race then runs uphill from 4 to 6km. Despite that, I made good progress on the uphill section catching and passing several runners. After 6km, I more or less held my position as we headed gently downhill again. Sadly, at 8km there was another uphill and it was here that I discovered that I had probably worked a wee bit too hard on those hills as I went rapidly backwards and lost 3 places very quickly.

At about 8.5km the route went more or less downhill and I held my position despite the accelerating pace of everyone. When I turned the corner to the finishing line and hit the last little hill, my legs almost crumpled beneath me until I reached the finishing straight. I tried to put on a last ditch sprint to see if I could regain a place but it was not to be. All that happend was that I crossed the line gasping like a fish out of water and retching my guts up.

I'm not sure of my time other than somewhere between 43:00 and 43:10. I guess a sub-40 will have to wait for another day. ;-)

[1] That's a lie.

Annapura 8K report

Loads of pics here.

I was going to do a really long write-up of our trip to Nepal to do the Annapurna base camp (aka sanctuary) trek but Muriel has already done that and it seems daft to do it all over again. Instead, I thought I'd write about the real reason I went to Nepal, to have a crack at Thomas's Machhapuchhare base camp (MBC )to Annapurna base camp (ABC) and back again record. ;-) You can read about it on his blog here.

The trek to Annapurna is a fantastic trip. I suspect it's no more than about 50km from where we started trekking to ABC but what a 50 km! Strongly recommended for any reasonably fit adult. Be prepared for stairs though, lots of them.

After 5 days of trekking we had arrived at MBC at 3,700m elevation in time for a spot of lunch.

Pretty stunning view from our dining table!

After lunch, the plan was to have a little stroll around, go look at a river and then walk a bit up towards Annapurna base camp to aid our altitude adjustment. Well I stuck with the group as we wandered over to see the river but when we got back to the teahouse I could contain myself no longer and took off towards ABC. Slow trekking does not come easily to a WHW runner!

At 3700m altitude, you very definitely know that the air is thin and the moment I hit the first hill I was reduced to puffing my way up all the climbs. As it's a 430m to climb to ABC this was a feeling I was going to have to get used to! That said, it was pretty much like any hill race, striding purposefully up the steeper bits and running all the flatter bits.

I started to pass a number of trekkers and porters. If they didn't hear me approaching a cheerful "Namaste!" usually had them making way for me. It didn't seem long before I reached a large rock with "ABC 1 hour" painted on it. (In the Himalayas, you never see signs with distances, it always done in walking time). This seemed a trifle pessimistic as I could clearly see ABC about a mile ahead but the times are based on wheezing trekkers, not WHW running supermen. ;-)

Those blues roofed buildings are ABC

As you can see, the land flattens out as you approach ABC so I was able to pick up a bit of speed on this stretch. As I neared ABC you pass a large "Welcome" sign.


I agonised for a few moments wondering whether this was Thomas's turn around point but decided that I really had to go the whole way to the camp rather than stop about 400m short. I pushed on until I reached the top of these steps (now looking back down) at 4130m.


I then did something I not particularly proud of, I defaced ABC. ;-)


I did look for "CG" and "TL" briefly but couldn't see any sign of his moniker. ;-) After that, it was a quick turn around and then racing like a loony back down the hill. This did cause a bit of consternation amongst the trekkers. One rather worriedly asked me why I was running to which I could only answer "For fun!" as I hurtled back down the trial. Although altitude makes ascents hard, the descent was easy although I did take a bit more care than normal as access to medical facilities is somewhat limited up there. I misjudged my route as I neared MBC and ended up running up a long flight of steps back to our teahouse, cheered on by a camping group of trekkers.

So, did I beat Thomas's 59 minutes for the round trip? Well, sad to say I didn't start my watch properly when I set off so I'll never know. I suspect I was over the hour though so until I go back and time myself properly, I guess Thomas's record will have to stand. ;-)

These next pics are just an illustration of what breathing air at only 60-65% of normal pressure does for you (and a bag of peanuts).

That top figure (a measure of how saturated my haemoglobin was with oxygen) would be reading 98 to 100 at sea level.


This was a floppy bag of nuts when we go it on the plane. Now it was as tight as a drum.

So apart from the generally amazing experience of trekking in the Himalayas, this little taster of what running at altitude is like has given me an appetite to do more of it. Can't wait for next year's CCC or UTMB!

A grand day out

Yesterday I ran my last really long run before this year's West Highland Way race and although it started off rather inauspiciously, it really couldn't have gone better.

I had hoped to meet up with Ian Beattie, Ellen McVey and a few other WHWers at Bridge of Orchy but as I planned to run further than BOO to Fort William I decided to start at Tyndrum and run the 43 miles from there. I've done very little training on the WHW this year and I've really missed the group runs so I was looking forward to running with old friends and acquaintances. I arrived at about 06:20 having driven through torrential rain (a rather big change in the weather from the day before which was scorching), the skies were still grey and it was drizzling steadily when I set off at 6:25.

I set off very gently, walking all the hills and took advantage of the portaloos that are by the side of the WHW about half a mile out of Tyndrum. I only mention them as I had a bit of a fright as I turned to lock on the door the whole portaloo wobbled alarmingly over towards the door! I had visions of being trapped inside the loo with the door at the bottom and getting covered in the unspeakable contents of the loo. I quickly shifted my weight to the back of the loo and fortunately it righted itself and I was able to complete my "business" without any further frights. Before I left I wedged a couple of rocks under the front so hopefully no one else will suffer the same fate. ;-)

As I carried on towards BOO the rain stopped but the skies stayed grey. To be honest, although I had been anticipating sun I was much happier with the prevailing conditions. As I approached BOO (about 7:40) I tried to contact Ian and Ellen on their mobiles with no luck. I checked in the hotel and then called out Ellen's name near a couple of the tents but again drew a blank. As I had originally expected to be leaving Tyndrum at 7:00 and arriving about 8:15 I wasn't sure what to do but in the end I decided to carry on alone in the hope that either I'd catch up with Ellen (who had aimed for an early start) of they'd catch up with me.

It turned out that Ian had sensibly decided to call it a day after one day's running when he got pretty dehydrated and the heavy rain and somewhat dampened Ellen's enthusiasm for an early start and her phone was off. I did manage to contact Ellen later on but I was well along the way by that point and decided that I'd just carry on alone rather than wait. As I said, a rather inauspicious start to my hoped for "group run".

As I carried on towards Victoria Bridge I was caught by Bob Steel and Lynn (I think) but they were clearly intent on going faster than I felt comfortable with so I bade them farewell and plodded on.

The run across the moor was pretty uneventful but I was enjoying running at my own pace with no pressures to run faster or slower than I wanted. As I approached Kingshouse I remembered something I'd long wanted to do but never quite got around to, namely wave to my wife via their web cam!


So there's me grinning like an idiot with my phone to my ear saying "Can you see me yet?" I think the chap at the picnic table behind me thought I was a right eejit. ;-)
I had been looking forward to a cup of coffee in the bar but had arrived too early and I felt too smelly to venture into the hotel so I carried on, but not before pausing to photograph a little slice of heaven.

A little slice of heaven

No, I'm not talking about the view or the Kingshouse hotel (which both have much to be said for them) but that half pork pie sitting on the wall there. I know there is much talk about nutrition for ultra racing just now but I think I have found the answer, namely pork pies.

I've tried lots of things over the years but yesterday the fourth bit of pork pie I had tasted every bit as delicious as the first (which was wonderful indeed) and as the day wore on my legs seemed to be filling up with energy rather than draining down.

The climb up the Devil's Staircase is always bit of a slog but once I got there I found myself running surefootedly down all the rocky hills, up many of the lesser hills and really stretching my legs out on the forest track all the way down into Kinlochleven. My quads were absolutely fine and apart for a niggle in one groin I had no real aches or pains.

Having run out of pork pies (I started with two snack sized ones each cut into two pieces) I decided to stop & buy some more but I was tempted by the coffee in the Ice Factory so I popped in there, dripping sweat all over the counter (at long last the sun had arrived during my descent) and ordered a pint of milk, a filter coffee and a plate of chips.

The milk and coffee went down really well and I nibbled at the chips until I couldn't eat any more. By now my craving for more pork pies had disappeared and I decided to carry on without. I'd got chatting to a group of mountain bikers who had ridden over from Fort William along the WHW and were setting off back shortly. As I left the Ice Factory they were sorting out their bike gear and I half expected them to pass me on the road before I started the climb out. As it happened I got there first and knowing how tough that climb was going to be for them, I decided to make it even harder for them to catch me by pushing on a bit harder.

I was now entering that wonderful "steady state" of distance running whereby one becomes a machine burning fuel and unconscious of fatigue. My legs felt better than they had done all day and I was really starting to motor across the moor. My niggles had all disappeared much to my surprise as I had been half expecting the wheels to fall off after my descent into Kinlochleven.

I've always found that surface on the Larig Mor tricky to run on but not yesterday. Again, like my descent into KLL, my feet were going exactly where I wanted them as I galloped down loose stony slopes, feeling like they had only run 3 miles, not 30.

Ultimately the bikers did catch me but it took them about an hour and a quarter and they commented on how hard they had had to work to catch me. It gave me a real buzz to have held them off for so long.

Even once they'd passed however I didn't lose impetus and I was even running uphill into the wind at times without being conscious of any fatigue. I really was on cloud 9!

The last section from Ludavra seemed to pass in no time at all. Before I knew it I was on the forest track and far from jogging down, I was stretching my legs out and flying past walkers with only the odd brief walking break. Even the road section into Fort William didn't feel too long or too bad!

I arrived in Fort William at 16:10, 9 hours & forty five minutes after starting. Not an earth shattering time by any means but if I can run half as well in 4 weeks time I'll be well pleased.

I love to say that I knew just why I ran so well yesterday and that I had found the "secret" to effortless distance running but I honestly believe that my strategy of eating a little something every hour to 90 minutes or so (especially pork pies) helped me enormously. I think because I was unsupported and not relying on drop bags etc., there wasn't the temptation to wait too long and then eat too much. It's probably no coincidence that my best Fling race (when I fluked my way into lifting the first male supervet prize) I was also unsupported and working without drop bags. To my mind this is pretty convincing evidence for the efficacy of the "little and often" approach.

I think starting slowly was also a big help and I'm convinced that the 25 minutes or so that I spent in Kinlochleven more than paid for itself in the energy that I had when running across the moor. I had also picked out a selection of my gear that was comfortable and was wearing my road shoes rather than my trail shoes and I can honestly say that at no point did I feel I was lacking any grip and my feet still felt good at the end.

After a night in my Skins tights my legs feel good today, certainly capable of another run and my feet are blister free. The only problem that I had all day was a failure of my hitch-hiking thumb to do its stuff and I ended up walking back through FW to catch the train back. Apart from the £15 I couldn't complain about that as I met up with Jamie Aarons in the station who was good company. I had to laugh at her nerves about doing the full WHW when she finished the Fling as 4th lady in 9:53. Of course I can understand her trepidation about the step into the unknown (this is her first attempt at this distance) with the full WHW race but somehow I think she'll do okay. ;-)

Between now and the race I'll do my usual panicking about taper strategies and probably do the Cairn table hill race next month for a bit of fun.

Finished the West Highland Way!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Improvement, of a sort...

Well, my running may not be going as well as I'd like but my rowing is improving. ;-)

I've now rowed 120 km which takes me to Altnafeadh at the base of the Devil's Staircase. That only leaves me another 33 km to do before I'm finished the WHW. I did my first 2 km time trial today and was pleased to slip under the bar set for me by a certain crazy German of 8 minutes with a time of 7:46.0. I took 10 minutes for my arms to stop shaking afterwards though!

My legs do seem to be recovering well after the Hardmoors though. I returned to a favourite hill on Wednesday that for various reasons I haven't run up for a year. At 270m it isn't that high but the road swoops up and down on its way to the top and it's an excellent hill for giving your quads a good thrashing on the way down. I'm convinced that one has to train your quads to run downhill as well as up to survive the WHW race.

Away on holiday for a week next week (canal boating) so there won't be any rowing but hopefully I should be able to get in some easy miles along the towpath.

Hardmoors 42

42?? Well yes, it should have been 55 (or rather 54 due to a late course change) but as things turned out, I called it a day at 42 miles.

This race was one I had some trepidation about, knowing that I didn't have nearly as many long runs under my belt as I would have liked before tackling a race of this length this early in the year but I was keen to at least be at the start line of the first running of the Hardmoors 55. I'd missed the first Devil O' the Highlands, I'd missed the first Loch Ness Marathon and I'd missed the first Highland Fling race. I was darned it I was going to miss the first Hardmoors 55, a race that looked to have great "classic" potential.

I travelled down with John Kynaston & Sharon Law, both very accomplished ultra runners and we met up with Andy Cole and Brian MacIntosh at our hotel. A lot of talent in one room, with one exception. ;-) That said, I was still excited by the prospect of getting started. I expected it to hurt, I just didn't expect things to be quite as bad as they turned out.

As other bloggers have already recounted, the conditions on the day were little short of horrendous for an ultra race. The combination of low cloud, wind and exposure for such a long duration meant that something like a third of the field failed to finish the race, mostly down to hypothermia.

Hill and ultra runners often sail a bit "close to the wind" with regard to protective clothing, relying instead on fitness & the consequent generation of body heat to hold the elements at bay. Unfortunately for those of us who lacked fitness or experience of the prevailing conditions on the day, the prolonged exposure to the elements was very hard to deal with. I can honestly say that I've never experienced prolonged cold like that during a race, not even during the 2005 WHW race or during my winter WHW run.

I'd started off a bit overdressed, opting to wear my "walking" gortex jacket with hood and all the way to the first checkpoint I was planning to take it off and stow it my bag. Immediately after leaving the checkpoint though, we turned to face a north wind and I was only too happy to keep it on. In fact, without that jacket & hood I'm sure I would have withdrawn at 22 miles at the Osmotherly checkpoint. As it was, after a cup of tea I felt a lot better and headed out determined to make it to the next dropbag point at Kildale as 42 miles. I think if I had realised just how exposed that next section was I might have given up then. As it was I plodded on, grimly trudging my way up the hills and slipping and sliding through the mud.

Some of the time I "ran" with other runners but most of the time I was travelling alone. Because of the low cloud the views that should have been stunning were minimal to non-existent. All in all it was a very lonely and difficult run, not helped by mistaken decision to not study the route in detail before the race. I had no real navigation problems (apart from one brief moment when the low cloud was so thick it was hard to work out where the path continued across a car park) but not knowing how far it was to Kildale made the second section really drag on and on. I think if I had known just how long it was from the Bloworth Crossing to Kildale I might have coped better mentally. Instead, I was forever expecting to see a sign directing me off the moor at every corner and having my hopes dashed repeatedly.

By the time I reached Kildale I was destroyed mentally and physically completely unable to continue, my hands numbed to near uselessness and my energy almost totally spent in just trying to keep warm.

I think I arrived between 5:45 & 6:00 pm which, in the grand scheme of things and considering the conditions, I'm not unhappy with. Yes, I'm disappointed not to have finished but I have no regrets at stopping there. It's the only time I've been scared of dying during a race and I know that on the day it would have been madness for me to have continued.

Like many runners, my amnesia for the sheer unpleasantness of it all is already kicking in and having sworn "never ever again" many times on Saturday, I'm now thinking about next year's race and what I'll do differently.

I've learned more from this DNF than I think I have learned from numerous race finishes and whilst the experience probably won't make me a faster runner, I hope that I'll be a safer and better prepared runner.

I'm now much more appreciative of the benefits of hot drinks and the advantages of support crews & runners. Sure, when conditions are benign you can get away without these but when things turn nasty, they can make an enormous difference.

I'd just like to finish by extending my thanks to Jon Steele and all the marshals and everyone else who helped to make the race a reality and kept us all safe out there.

p.s. Just in case anyone is wondering, did all that rowing help (100 km in 4 weeks), the answer is "B*ggered if I know". ;-)

9 days, 50 km and...

...still not reached Inversnaid!

I realise that this is of almost certainly of no interest to anyone but myself, but hey, it's keeping me motivated to keep getting back on the rower. Another PB today although I must confess to having dropped the resistance to 4. As I've explained before, this doesn't make it easier to clock up my 5km, it just means I need to do more strokes/km. I've dropped the resistance as I'm finding that it's fatigue in my lower arm muscles that limiting me more than my aerobic fitness.

I ought to be enjoying rowing alongside Loch Lomond but there just aren't enough prominent landmarks to make me feel that I'm making any progress. Anyhow, that's the first 50km done and just another 103 to go. I'm getting there! ;-)

Another 7.5km

In an effort to do a bit of "catching up" I did an extra 2.5km last night before bed but it wasn't a good idea. Despite plans to "take it easy" I still ended up working harder than I would have liked and then didn't sleep well. I'm beginning to doubt that I'll be able to maintain an average of 5km/day, particularly as I have so many weekends when I won't be able to row. I suspect 25km/week will be more realistic.

Anyhow, another 5km today. I found it harder than yesterday but then I had been for my run first today rather than rowing first. Can't expect a PB every day I suppose.

That's 45km total now which places me somewhere due west of Ben Lomond's summit at a wee place called Toll a' Bhruic on my OS map. Guess it'll have to do for tonight.

Row, row, row your...Concept2

...gently up the WHW.

Back on board after a weekend off. I say "off" but in reality a busy weekend driving between Melrose, Oldham, Chester, Oldham again and then back home. We didn't get back until late Monday night and red wine seemed considerably more important than clocking up a few more km on the rower. That said, I'm going to see if I can catch up so that I can at least average 5km per day over the whole WHW.

After my first week of rowing I started to develop an unpleasant ache in my right wrist & hand and I suspect that I've got a touch of carpal tunnel syndrome. Consequently I've reduced the resistance from 10 to 5 which so far isn't troubling my wrist. Although it took me a while to get my head around the idea I can confirm that rowing 5km at "5" is just as hard as rowing 5km at "10". The resistance setting is equivalent to changing the size of oars that you might use in a real boat. Smaller oars mean an easier pull but you have to do more of them to cover the distance so I've pretty happy that I'm not "cheating" by dropping the resistance, I'm just using a better sized oar for someone of my physique.

Whether all this rowing is going to do me any good I don't know but I'm working on the basis that anything that leaves you collapsed on the floor in a puddle of sweat can't be all bad. ;-)

Elephants and sudden death in runners

I was very saddened to read of the death of another young man (i.e. younger than me) in John Kynaston's blog.

As John says, maybe running prolonged his life, but we'll never know. The question that really needs answering is did he ignore any warning signs that might have saved or prolonged his life?

There's been a very big "elephant in the room" about the death of Dario Melaragni, the previous organiser of the West Highland Way race who died suddenly whilst out running in the hills with friends. Why Dairo died is a question that must surely trouble any distance runner as we all hope to prolong our lives by participating in such a healthy sport.

Sometimes heart attacks (if that's what it was) do just strike out of the blue but one almost certainly anecdotal but believable figure I came across on the net was that over 80% of runners who had had a heart attack had had symptoms beforehand but had either ignored them or played them down.

There are many causes of sudden death in athletes and if anyone is feeling so inclined, have a look at this. http://www.sportsci.org/encyc/suddendeath/suddendeath.html


Whilst running probably doesn't make conditions predisposing to heart attacks worse, runners are inclined to ignore or play down symptoms because we're used to tolerating discomfort and expect running to hurt sometimes.

I want to go on enjoying my running without worrying about whether I'm going to leave my wife widowed and it would certainly put my mind at ease to know if Stephen or Dario had any symptoms beforehand that they might have mentioned in passing. Not just chest pain but things like episodes of racing pulse, irregular heart beat and aches in neck, shoulder or arms when running.

If you knew Stephen or Dario and know of any symptoms that they might have had but ignored, sharing that knowledge might help to prevent others from ignoring potentially serious warning signs.

You know you're obsessive when...

...you row an extra 2.5km just to finish at a "nice spot" on the West Highland Way. ;-)



After my normal 5km I knew that I would finish within sight of the top of Conic hill but wasn't sure whether I'd have the energy to do two and a half km more. Well after a bit of a rest, I jumped back on board my rower and I can now go away for the weekend happy in the knowledge that my "virtual me" will be enjoying the views.

That's 27,500 metres down, quite a few to go...

Other than the rowing, I'm pleased to have passed the 200 mile mark for running in February.

Well, I've reached High Wood just north of Drymen now and I'm wondering if I should push for the top of Conic Hill tomorrow (7.5km) or stick with my 5km sections. Be nice to stop where the view is good. ;-)

I must admit I find the 5km sections pretty draining as it is and I don't fancy doing more yet. Maybe when I'm a bit fitter. I am getting faster though so it must be doing something for me.

Rowing the West Highland Way

Well, I'm getting seriously worried about being fit for the Hardmoors 55 in under four weeks now. Past injuries have made me very wary of pushing my mileage in training and I've also started late with training this year. Consequently I've really not been able to get in as many long runs as I'd like and the ones I have done have been a struggle.

Interestingly enough, my January & February mileages are almost identical to my 2008 figures when I ran my best WHW race but I know that I was a lot stronger on the long runs back then.

Anyhow, I've decided to break the habit of a lifetime and try cross-training. To this end, I've hired a Concept 2 rowing machine for 12 weeks to try and boost my fitness without risking a running injury. If after 12 weeks I'm sold on it as a method of cross-training I might consider buying a similar (but cheaper!) machine. Perhaps foolishly, being a typical macho fool, I've cranked the difficulty up to maximum and am trying to get at least 5km in per day. If any experts want to call me a fool and offer sage advice, I'm all ears!

To keep me motivated and clocking up the distance every day I've decided to "row" up the West Highland Way and the picture above represents my progress on day 3. (I'm the little red spot).

Hopefully by doing this I'll keep at it although I've just realised that I'm going to be away from home on Sunday so I guess I'm just going to have to take a rest day. ;-)

Foot in mouth

I seem to be rather good at this lately. I'm referring to comments I made regarding the direction that the West Highland Way race is going, in particular about how the race has been "held back" by the organisers' past insistence on support crews.

Personally I've always been in favour of runners being given the opportunity to run unsupported and have always felt that whilst having support crews may save organisers some work on the one hand, it can create more problems on the other. Not a problem if you're happy keeping a race entry low but as has become vary apparent in the Highland Fling race and the WHW race latterly, support crews can become a very real headache for organises when the numbers grow.

The last thing in the world that I wanted to do is sully the memory of Dario, the previous race organiser who died so tragically young last year by suggesting that he had somehow "got it wrong" but I think the race has to move on and the new race committee is facing up to the problems and limitations imposed by the past insistence on runners having support crews.

That Dario isn't here to see these changes (and lead them himself) is very sad but I think he would understand and approve. He made many changes to the race in his time as organiser and I think it would have only been a matter of time before he would have introduced these changes himself if he was still with us.

My other "foot in mouth" moment was referring to the "Scottish ultra running community" that the WHW race has built. This is of course silly, the WHW race has drawn folk from all over the world and I've got to know many of them. The links between us all transcends nationality, it's ultra running and the WHW race that binds us all.

Anyway, time to stop digging before I upset any more folk. ;-)

SUMS update

As I mentioned yesterday, we've managed to secure the Ayr town hall for our post race ball. Here are a few pics I took today apart from the first which I *ahem* borrowed.

Blowing the dust off.

Well, it's been a absolute age since I last updated my blog, not because nothing much has been happening in my life but I'm aware that I spend too much time on my PC to be entirely healthy. Also, this is sort of supposed to be a running blog and there wasn't much of that happening at the end of last year.

Since my last post we've acquired a new dog. Our old collie cross mongrel Roger died at the end of last year after a very short illness. It took a while to get over his loss but at the end of December we took the plunge and took on a rescue dog from the SSPCA.
Here he is, he's called "Ringo" and as far as we can tell he's a full blooded border collie, about 9 months old now.

Like all border collies he's quite demanding of attention but he's also very rewarding to own. He loves running and is already pretty good on the lead and has run with me everywhere this year. Did his first 21 miler yesterday and celebrated by trying to scoff 3/4 of a dead rabbit on the way home.

Runningwise, after a pretty cr*p year last year I didn't do myself any favours by falling on the ice and cracking a couple of ribs about 3 weeks ago. I actually heard the "crunch" when I fell and it wasn't the ice. In some ways though, it's been a blessing in disguise as although painful, it actually hasn't stopped me running slowly and given my injury history, running slowly is working just fine for me. It's also meant that I've had more time to run with my wife Muriel who is training for her first half marathon (woohoo!) and my daughter (woohoo again!) who is just getting started. Off her own bat I should add, no pressure from me at all. The weekend before last Muriel, the dogs and I ran from Troon station to home and at 11.5 miles this was the furthest Muriel had ever run. She managed just fine and I'm really looking forward to running the Bath half marathon with her on the 7th of March.

I should be worrying about getting fit for the Highland Fling in April but I can't worry about that as I'm wetting myself worrying about the Hardmoors 55 on the 20 of March! I've got some serious endurance building to do between now and then.



Enough of my running, the other big news is of course the wonderful new Scottish Ultra Marathon Series as masterminded by Murdo MacDonald, the Highland Fling Race organiser. Once he got the idea he's been a human whirlwind creating two brand new scottish ultra races (or rather, asking folk in a way they couldn't refuse, to organise them) and resurrected one old one (The Speyside Way). It's just astonishing what he's achieved in so little time. What's more, today's big news is that he's secured Ayr Town Hall as the venue for the post race ball. This is going to be one brilliant do.

If you're an ultra runner but hadn't considered the series, have a look at the SUMS site. Don't forget to buy your ball tickets (only £5 a head!) as it's sure to be a sell out.

I lied!

Having said that I was going to hang up my Vibrams last week, I found that the persistent tenderness in the balls of my feet that I was suffering from had disappeared and I was itching to get back into them.
Last night at the club was our "hills" session, a series of short sprints where lightweight shoes (or even no shoes) makes a huge difference. So it was on with the Vibrams and out to the club for a quick thrash up and down some hills.

Running in the VFFs was fun but I was actually itching to run fully barefoot and after a while on a flat section I whipped them off and enjoyed the full BF experience. Just a shame the road was so darned cold! That really is one of the major reasons for not barefoot running at this time of year.

I'm going to try and keep a level head over the winter and keep my running BF/VFF to once a week because I don't want a repeat of the tenderness that I had before.

Found this interesting interview on youtube concerning barefoot running & ultras.

Hangin' up my Vibrams

Not for good but definitely for the winter.

I've not lost faith in the barefoot running ethos, it's just that I've come to realise that whilst running in Vibrams may be close to barefoot running, it just isn't the same.

Of course I've only really got myself to blame for running 17 miles on trails in them a couple of weeks ago and that has perhaps unsurprisingly left my feet tender. The fact is though, that it was the Vibrams that made it possible in the first place, had I been truly barefoot, I wouldn't have been able to run that far.

One of the claimed advantages for proper barefoot running is that the sensitivity of your bare feet naturally limits your advancement so that you don't ever "overdo" things and end up injured. Wearing anything on your feet, even something as minimal as the Vibram Five Fingers shoe, allows you to "short cut" your progress and push yourself further and faster than perhaps your feet are really ready for. This is what I strongly suspect I have done. Not really the shoes fault, just my fecklessness.

I don't regret having tried the VFFs but I think I'm going to wait until spring and then have another go with full barefoot running again.

For anyone who hasn't tried barefoot running and wonders why anyone would want to try I would ask you to image running with ear plugs, a blindfold and shoes. You start off stumbling along in a blacked out bubble of your own conciousness. Imagine then taking out the earplugs and hearing the wind, the birdsong, passing traffic, the sound of your footfalls and breathing. Already your world has expanded greatly. Take off the blindfold and suddenly your senses and flooded with all the sights around you. Now take off your shoes and suddenly you're aware of the intimate feel of the pavement, the polished stone kerbs perhaps, the feel of warm tarmac, the delicious coolness of a puddle, the warm squechiness of a dog t... ;-).

Okay, maybe not the last (or at least you try your best to avoid that!) but it really does add a whole new dimension to your running and that's why I'll certainly keep running barefoot once the weather warms up.

For anyone who missed it...

A great read.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/longdistance-walking-iron-in-the-soles-1805596.html

Okay, it's not running but a great account of what it's like to walk 100 miles in one go.

Great balls of fire!

After the excesses of the weekend I've been suffering from burning balls. No more than I deserve no doubt after attempting 20 miles in my Vibram FFs. Ever since the balls of my feet have been decidedly tender and burning gently.
I really should have changed my shoes after 10 miles or so as 6 miles was my previous longest run in the shoes but I've never been good at knowing when enough is enough. Still, it was great to be out enjoying a 20 mile run on the River Ayr Way with friends in benign running weather. Better still, I've had no back pain for 3 days now!

First pain-free run

...and I felt like cr*p!

I guess it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that I'm not the runner I once was but after all these enjoyable (if painful) runs recently, I really didn't expect my LSD today to be so tough.

There was just no "zip" in my legs and I plodded along on an out & back run to the harbour. In fact, it was so dispiriting that I altered my return route to cut out nearly 2 miles making it about 9 miles overall. I suppose trying a 11 mile run after such a long lay-off was perhaps a little overambitious but I really thought that I'd be able to trot along fairly easily.

Anyhow, I've got a run planned for tomorrow with Muriel and I'll be running in my VFFs again so hopefully that'll be a bit more fun

Getting better all the time...

Since my last post I've had a couple of runs in my Vibram Five Fingers. The first was a trail run (about 5.5 miles) around the route of the Culzean fun run at Culzean Castle. It was great to be out running on trails in them. Whilst you certainly know about the more painful rocks (& beech mast at this time of year), it's a whole lot easier than going fully barefoot. I did (and still do) miss the full barefoot experience but I think I have to acknowledge that there are going to be many surfaces that I will probably never get used to running on barefoot. Anyhow, my wife and I trotted round in about an hour just enjoying the experience and look forward to doing it many times again in the future.

After that run I tried a bit of road running in the VFFs, this time a hillyish 7.2 mile route. This time though I didn't feel that my calf muscles had quite recovered from my trail run as they were a bit tight during and after the run. On one part of the route with particularly good tarmac I took off my shoes and ran barefoot until I reached a stony section. During this time thought I was reminded just how cold wet tarmac can be! It fair sucks the heat out of your feet and I suspect I won't be doing much more full barefoot running on tarmac this year.

Today's run was back in my old cat pee shoes around Auchincruive and I was pleased to take another 3 minutes off my time. Of course I know I shouldn't be clock watching, particularly when I should be taking it easy but it's gratifying to see how quickly I'm getting back into form.

I've been reading other folks accounts of the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, an epic 103 mile race around Chamonix and it's a race I'd love to do. I think however I'm going to be sensible and not try and do it as well next year.

I think Susan Donelly has written up a particularly good report of the race that's well worth reading.

Running smells of...

...cat pee. At least it does in my porch at the moment.

Whilst not the nicest smell in the world it's a welcome indication of my return to running. The cat pee smell comes from my ancient Asics Gel Trabuccos that I've somehow never got around to throwing out and still enjoy using. For some reason, every time they get at all damp they smell of cat pee.

I was running in them yesterday around Auchincruive up to Annbank and back along the River Ayr Way. Last week it took me a lamentable 74 minutes to hobble around the 6.2 miles but yesterday, despite being almost as slow for the first three miles (that's how long it takes for my back to ease off) I finished much more strongly and completed it in 66 minutes. Still way slower than I used to but this time I actually found myself daydreaming whilst running and NOT thinking about my back which was a huge relief.

In fact, so huge was my relief I decided to have a crack at the Triple Crown next year. (For those not in the know that's completing the three races on the West Highland Way in one year). I've 7th on the reserve list for the Devil O' the Highlands race so that's reasonably promising and my Fling entry is already in. That just leaves the WHW entry to get in so fingers crossed I'll get a place in that one too.

Regarding my back, it's looking like the big mistake I made was thinking that my back would recover in its own good time if I just rested it by not running. Backs just don't mend like that and with hindsight, it should have been obvious as when my back was bad around January last year, I did manage to train enough to do the Fling. It was only when I stopped running (as I had pulled out of the WHW race) that it got worse again. For anyone with back trouble I'd heartily recommend "Treat your own back" by world renowned physiotherapist Robin McKenzie.

How not to catch a 7:30 flight...

Stage 1. Instead of making good use of your afternoon to get to Stansted nice and early, potter around the Tate Modern gallery until about 4 o'clock.

Stage 2. Now start working out how to get back to Kensington High Street.

Stage 3. Arrive in Kensington but instead of rushing back to hotel dither around looking for that ice cream that suddenly seems so important.

Stage 4. Give up on ice cream quest and settle for some sort of milkshake thingy from Cafe Nero.

Stage 5. NOW wander down to hotel & wait for ages for luggage to be retrieved from some subterranean vault.

Stage 6. Return to Tube station and find that mysteriously, the trains are packed with commuters.

Stage 7. Seriously begin to panic as train crawls around the circle line stopping mid-tunnel frequently.

Stage 8. Reach Liverpool street in a flap and run to Stansted Express. Get on train and realise that it's one of the "slow" ones that stops several times on the way.

Stage 9. Check timetable and realise that you're going to miss the cutoff time to check in baggage.

Stage 10. Repack four bags into two bags discarding cloths, sandals, computer bag, books and other sundry items. Wear raincoat and fill pockets with books, cameras and other junk. All this done on a crowded train with standing room only for extra pleasure. ;-)

Stage 11. Reach Stansted and race across concourse to security, packing make-up etc. into plastic bag on the way. Stuff rucksac and computer bag into bin on way to security and hope that my dirty underwear and other sundry items don't precipitate a terrorist alert. Hold breath whilst going through security and pray that luggage doesn't get weighed. (At this point we got lucky)

Stage 12. Remember that you didn't remove nail scissors & file as luggage goes through x-ray scanner.

Stage 13. Breathe huge sigh of relief as scanning technician ignores said items.

Stage 14. Grab bags and run hell for leather through the departure lounge where the screens are reading "Final call" for your flight at some god-forsaken gate that you swear must be the furthest one they could find from the lounge.

Stage 15. Reach gate 45 in a puddle of sweat (remember that I'm wearing my rain coat) with just a few minutes to spare.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> PHEW! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<

To cap it all, on arrival at Prestwick, couldn't get out of car park as no one was answering the intercom to take our booking code.

I'm sure that there's got to be a less stressful way to travel!

Square peg, round hole?

Now that I'm back to running again, I'm wondering if perhaps I haven't been trying to be something I'm not. Namely, am I trying to be an ultra runner when what I really enjoy is sprinting.

Maybe I was genetically endowed with more fast-twitch than slow-twitch fibers but for whatever reason, I have always enjoyed those moments when you get up on your toes, work your arms and feel the surge of muscle, bone & heart that is as near to the imagined joy of flying that I can attain.

Today I was taking my new Vibram Five Finger (VFF) shoes for their first spin and as we were in London in Kensington, that meant running around Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. Well, after a slow warm up (my back still hurts like b*ggery for the first couple of miles but it does gradually ease off) Muriel and I were running alongside a cycle path and I just couldn't resist giving chase. If I was a dog I would have been woofing and barking excitedly and indeed I think I did rather upset a couple of of cyclists but, Oh, the joy of it! I feel the need for speed! ;-)

Now I've always assumed that all runners feel the same as me about sprinting so I'd be interested in any feedback on this point but I'm beginning to suspect that not everyone feels the same as me.

Anyhow, I'm not going to give up on my ultra-running aspirations but perhaps I should think more about track work? Who knows?

Speaking of VFFs, having experimented with barefoot running in my pre-sciatica days, I was delighted to note how quickly I returned to my barefoot running style. I'm now very aware of how much what you wear affects the way that you run but having had some barefoot experience I was aware that the VFFs seemed to encourage a barefoot style without the disadvantages of being actually barefoot. Maybe they'll just be a transition stage for me to a return to full barefoot running but I do now feel that I can recommend them to folk looking to adopt a more "natural" running style.

Lots of other stuff happened down in London (stuff for another blog posting) but highlights were meeting up with The Pirate and Lee and seeing the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Everybody ought to hear "Teenage Dirtbag" on Ukulele before they die. ;-)

6.2 mile trail run. 52 minutes

In my dreams!

That's the kind of time I used to run this local hilly loop in but not any more. It took me 74 minutes of plodding to get around this loop today but at least I did get around without walking. The thing is, before I started, my back was pain free, I was feeling good, and I was so delusional I really did think I could have a "good" run around this loop.

The moment I started running the familiar ache was back but with possibly misplaced confidence that it would settle down, I plugged on taking teeny weeny steps and generally taking it very easy. Sure enough, within a mile or so it started easing off to "blunt screwdriver" level and by 3 miles it was down to a distracting discomfort. None of it nice but miles better than the pain that I've been having in the past that always brought me to grinding halt, on the verge of weepiing tears of frustration.

The last 2 miles were relatively "easy" and I even managed a bit of a sprint to finish off with. I'm really beginning to believe that I *will* go to the ball next year. ;-)

Today my legs ache - and it feels wonderful

I've not blogged in ages as this was meant to be a running blog and there's been damn little of that for months & months. It's been very depressing and I saw little reason to repeatedly tell the world that my back still aches and I still couldn't run.

I have been trying the occasional run but the pain has always turned any attempt to run in to a stop/start affair that's been about as much fun as toothache.

Last night however Muriel and I set out on one of our short loops (about 3 miles) and I found that the pain seemed to be plateauing at a tolerable level and I was able to run continuously. After one particular steepish downhill bit, I found that I had no pain whatsoever. I suppose a sensible person would have just savoured the moment but after months of pain that was all I needed as an excuse to open the throttle and let rip for a couple of hundred meters. A pathetically short stretch of pain free running in the big scheme of things but oh, it felt so good!

So today, my legs are aching. Not due to any problem with my back but through unaccustomed exercise and it feels great.

Fingers crossed this marks the turnaround point for my return to running. Woo hoo!!

Thoughts on the meaning of life & mortality

I've not posted in ages as I'm not running thanks to a recurring back problem. It's been really getting me down. I feel like a bird with clipped wings, denied my evolutionary birthright to run & run. I so firmly believe that we were meant to run, that to find that I can barely run half a mile after years of enjoying distance running is intensely frustrating and depressing.

Suddenly, my problems have been put firmly in their place by the tragic death of a man younger than myself, a fellow ultra runner who has been responsible for organising the last 10 West Highland races. Dario Melaragni was one of those special people who touched on the lives of so many people but especially the lives of ultra runners. He truly was a "father" to many many ultra runners, not just runners from Scotland but from all over the world. He offered a vast amount of encouragement and support to countless runners and his enthusiasm brought out the best in the many many volunteers needed to make the WHW race happen, year after year after year.

That he should have died so young and so suddenly makes me realise how lucky I am to be as fit as I am and how lucky I've been to have run the WHW race under his stewardship.

So what do I think about my running future now? Well, for a start, although I'm still no more certain that I'll be fit for next year than I was before his death, I'm much more comfortable with the thought of biding my time and just accepting that eventually my back *will* be better and that whether my back is better or not, I'll be involved in next year's and future WHW races one way or another.

My thoughts at this time are with not just his immediate family but with his extended ultra-running family, particularly those members who were with him on that fateful day on Lochnagar, Dario's last Munro (and by an odd reverse coincidence, my first).

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