Tapering

Today, tapering officially started.  I did my last long run on Saturday.  The weather forecast was mixed so rather than go to the mountains where snow, low temperatures and high winds were forecast (typical Scottish summer) I headed off with Stu to run the first section of the West Highland Way just to refamiliarise myself with it.  It was as I remembered.  Very runnable but boring.  As I'll be starting the race at 1am I won't see the views but at least I know what the terrain is like.  It's really important as if I start off to quickly on the flat ground, I'll be in trouble.  I need to keep reminding myself that my target is finishing the race, the cut off is 35 hours but I'm aiming for 30.  I'm looking forward to sunrise on both days but it will be spectacular on Conich Hill looking down to Loch Lomond.  Visualising that and other stunning views along the way will keep me going.
We ran an out and back totalling 35 km but I struggled on the way back - thanks Stu for leading the way back.  I've had a very busy week with 2 trips to London with 4am starts and late finishes which was a good reminder that I need to reduce my training and increase my rest between now Saturday 22nd.  This is the "tapering" period which I have gone through many times before, but it's always a bit strange.
Every twinge or sniffle makes you think you are coming down with something.  But your body and mind are getting used to a reduced training load.  My training load has been reduced to ensure my knee doesn't flair up but I have put in some long runs.  The key for me now is keeping the runs consistent but not over 10km this week and 5 km the following week.  Plenty of rest and no travelling or late nights.
During the 30 hours my mind will wander.  It will have positive thoughts and negative thoughts.  This afternoon, after my gym session, I watched the Roland Garros final which was like a see saw.  The players emotions were up and down as was there tennis.  One minute they were happy the next they weren't and it made me think about what I will be going through in the race.
There will come a point where my legs are very painful but I know once you reach that stage, unless you are truly injured, the pain just plateau's.  I've also been thinking about the second night because running in the dark plays tricks with your mind.  My focus is going to be on the second sunrise because that will be special as the finish shouldn't be too far away. 
Next weekend I am sitting down with my support team, Beth & Stu, to go over the logistics.  It will be a tough shift for them too but we need to make sure we have all the supplies required for me as well as them.  They are also required to be my support runners for the later stages of the race for safety reasons.
Tapering is important and whist it can feel unnatural, it's essential to get me to the start line ready to go.

It's never as bad as you imagine

It's been a tough week as I start to recover from my chest infection, but I felt well enough to go out for my longest run this year at the weekend.  I prefer training with a partner, especially the long runs as having someone to chat to takes your mind of the pain and the boredom.  I certainly get tired of my own internal chat especially if I am out for a long time.  But on ultra marathons, you can spend a lot of time on your own, in your own head, and you need to be able to cope with it as it can destroy you especially if going through the night like I will be on the West Highland Way.  Anyway I had no choice as Stu had caught my infection and messaged me at 4.45am to say he wouldn't be going!
I have ran the Highland Fling twice (80 km) and everyone says, and I agree, the worst section is up the east side of Loch Lomond from Rowardennan to Beinglas Farm (22 km).  Exposed tree roots, rocks, large rocks you have to scramble over and big steps up and down make it a slow section requiring your full attention.  Some of the path is narrow with a drop of 5 metres to the rocks on the shore line if you miss your step.  You reach this section 44 km in during the race so your legs will be warmed up, but I was starting from fresh.  Because of logistics, unless you have someone picking you up at Beinglas and driving you back to your car, it's an out and back so it's 2 X hell - 44km!
I set off early to miss the scores of people walking the WHW.  I took the pace slowly as I am still trying to keep my heart rate down and not wanting to fall!  In my mind I'd agreed that I was out "all day" which should equate to about 7-8 hours.  The purpose of planting this thought in my mind was not to think about getting to Beinglas and turning back - just think about the time.
The way out was uneventful and I stopped at Beinglas for some coffee to give me a boost as I ate my food.  The coffee was shared with a midge who had decided to go for a swim in it.  Many of the campers were wearing midge nets, wise move, so I didn't hang around long before I headed back.  My quads, calves and knees felt the way back and I was careful to use my gels to keep me from "bonking".  The flat coke I carried certainly came in handy.  The big steps, up and down, took some navigating as I tried to reduce the strain on my legs.  But I completed it in 7hrs 2 minutes and thought overall, it was a good mental exercise.  While thinking about my race I was dreading this section but not any more.  It's like a hill you see in the distance that you are dreading but before you know it you are at the top and it's never as bad as you imagine.
That's a really important "thought pattern" to keep hold off as if I allow my mind to think about the enormity of the WHW, it will only make it more difficult.  It's check point to checkpoint and forget how many hours you have been going for.  It's about how bad I want it and the pain I'm prepared to go through to succeed.
I did a recovery run the following day but since then have been exhausted.  Today, 4 days later, was the first time I felt normal which is just as well as I had my PT session.  Bartek is such a Pro - he has been rehabbing my knee for months now through active recovery.  It's not 100% but in the last 5 months I have come from literally being broken and looking like an 80 year old getting off the floor to now regularly doing squats.  The more I've visited the PT, the less I've needed to visit my physio and that's an excellent result.
So if you've got a challenge coming up that you are concerned about, just remember it's never as bad as you imagine.  All that worry does you no good so why bother.  Just "programme your mind" to understand that everything is possible with the right mindset.
This week will be a light week for training and I have one last long day which will be the weekend after next before I can start tapering.  I don't want to wish time away but I am very excited about being on the start line at 1am on Saturday 22 June with circa 250 other like minded people.

Tick tock

Tick tock.  42 days to go and there is nothing I can do to slow it down.  Time waits for no ultra runner as the saying goes...I think?
It hasn't helped that I came down with a chest infection which meant no running all week and just one light weighs session.  I've been coughing my guts up and was off work on Monday & Tuesday which is unheard off.  I should have taken Wednesday off but we're too busy.  By Saturday I had to do something so Stu and I headed to the Devil's Staircase to do an out and back to Kinlochleven.  We left at 5.30am as the weather forecast was good and we knew the mountain would be very busy and parking is limited.  We weren't wrong!
The Devil's Staircase sounds worse than it is under normal conditions.  It rises out of Glencoe and after 25 mins we were at the summit.  It's not too steep and you have a long undulating run before the big descent to Kinlochleven.  After 1hr 20 mins we were in Kinlochleven getting ready to head back and it is a tiring, steep climb out until you reach the pump station.  On the way up we met a lovely girl from Belgium and gave her some tips on the best way to climb Ben Nevis which she was going to do the following day.  We shared stories and she told us how lucky she'd been with the weather and how she loved Scotland.
Then we bumped into Becky who was walking from John o'Groats to Lands End - WOW!  That puts my 96 miles into context.  As I've said before, it's the people that make running so interesting, especially in the mountains.
But I'm all too aware that what seemed easy in a 21 km trail run, will be different when I'm 80 miles in.
My chest was ok and my knee held up.  The sun shone, the company was good and to top it all off we met Michael Martin who was running/climbing the Buchaille Etive Mor - some serious climbing and not for the faint hearted, like me!
I spent a lot of the night coughing so elected for an easy day today.  Started with yoga then time in the gym hammering my legs followed by a 6km run.  My heart rate was elevated and I coughed throughout the run so tomorrow is definitely a rest day.
I've said before my goal is to get to the start line uninjured and a fit as I can be.  I can't catch up on the missed training and if I take on too much, I'll end up injured so it is what it is.
What I will be spending more time on is the logistics as it would be heart breaking to fail due to poor logistics.  During the week I will be running consistently and at the weekend I'll be keeping up the consistent running, with longer runs on the race route at the weekends.  Tick tock!

Hitchhikers guide to the West Highland Way!

I was once told, there is no substitute for preparing for the West Highland Way other than getting on it and running it.  It was over 30 years ago since I walked it in 5 days while there was a hurricane of the west coast of Scotland which meant I had to miss some sections out, and there was snow - in September.  Since then I have completed the Highland Fling twice so I am reasonably familiar with the first 53 miles.
With time running out and the difficult logistics of doing sections without the need for two cars, I have started to "fill in the gaps" of the sections I haven't run before.  
When the Fling was on two weeks ago, I ran from Tyndrum to 1 mile short of Bridge of Orchy - a short section.  Last weekend, Stu and I parked up at Bridge of Orchy and ran to the ski centre in Glencoe - 18kms.  I'd heard a lot about how exposed the Rannoch Moor was and wanted to see for myself.  We picked a hot day and there was little breeze so I carried plenty of hydration and isogonics - I was testing out new products to see if they were better than what I'd used before.  If you are going to be running for possibly 30 hours it's important that your stomach is happy with what you are taking or it can be the end of your race.  In this short section, the Maurten carb drink and gel worked so I'll be buying more of them.
The route was mainly "land rover tracks" which is really the main surface on the WHW.  You have to get used to occasional stumbles on the rocks or going over on your ankle which is why you need to spend time on these trails.
We weren't trying to go fast but there was more running than we expected so we had the chance of catching the earlier bus back to Bridge of Orchy.  When I was packing in the morning I had a bad feeling about the bus so took a piece of cardboard with BOO in it so we could hitch a lift back - not something I have ever done before.  My premonition came true and Stu couldn't believe it when I took the card out my rucksack and stuck out my thumb looking for a lift.  20 minutes later, and 40 mins after the bus should have turned up, a van pulls up and gave us a life back to our car.  This certainly restored my faith in people.  The driver chatted away but asked that we didn't mention his name or the company name as his boss wouldn't be happy he'd picked up hitchhikers in the company van.  But we were very grateful.
The next day I ran Tinto 3 times and came across Mark Reilly, author of The Lives of Reilly and a fabulous ultra runner.  He's preparing for the "Jungle Marathon" and had ran Tinto 5 times the day before and was painfully running it another 5 times that day - puts me to shame!  But his words of encouragement were well received and gave me a lift.  Good luck Mark and I am sure you and James Allan will have an amazing adventure.
Lighter road runs during the week, yoga and gym work kept me ticking over.  Remember I am trying to avoid aggravating my knee and foot injury and just getting to the start line.  Unfortunately I can't run much with Beth at the moment as she is doing different training for the Edinburgh Marathon but after that we will be back on the trails together.
Yesterday Stu and I headed up to Kinlochleven for the final section through the Mamores to Fort William.  It was a scortcher and it was good to understand where the tough sections were although with over 80 miles in my legs by this stage in the race, it's all tough.  I had to keep reminding myself of that as the slightest incline will have me walking and I must be prepared for that happening.  That's why I practice run/walk/run/walk.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to start running again.  It's difficult to start the momentum if you've been walking too long and your muscles will complain at the pain.
I had been told that towards the end their is a 4 km downhill section.  Normally you'd welcome that but even yesterday I could feel my knee complaining as the downhill went on forever.  With Fort William in sight that's the motivation to keep moving no matter how slow.
I'm under no illusion as to how tough this 96 mile/153km race will be.  Doing short sections is for familiarisation but I can't replicate the pace, much slower than I've been running, or the discomfort whether that be my limbs or my stomach.  But that's the challenge and I need to keep my mind focused on check point to check point and not think about the race in it's totality.  I know my support crew Beth & Stu will help me in every way possible but it's also a long shift for them too.
When we got to Fort William the bus was on time so I was able to get a short sleep on the way back to my car.  While the focus is on the race, I always try and take in the scenery which in this part of the world is stunning.  The WHW was full of walkers which is great to see although a few had been caught out with the sun and the backs of their calves looked like they were a Glaswegian on the beach in Spain - painful pink lobsters!
My body is telling me I need a rest as I have started to cough up "gunge", it started yesterday.  I appreciate how important rest is and always build it into my schedule but this type of rest doesn't sit well with me.  However rather catch the bug this far out from the race than just before it!  Till my next blog, take care my friends.

Preparing for this adventure on 22-23 June has been fun and I'm still smiling at the van pulling over and giving two strangers a lift.  The route of the WHW is fully of amazing scenery but what really makes it for me is the people and their stories.  Instead of running on tarmac breathing in the fumes, get out on the WHW and enjoy yourself.  Even better if your route finishes at a coffee shop with cake or even a cold beer.  People travel from all over the world to enjoy this treasure and it's on our doorstep.  Get out there while you are still fit enough to do so.

A salute to "the Fling"

Yesterday was the 16th Highland Fling took place organised by the amazing "Johnny Fling".  This event is so special in the ultra calendar and I have had the privilege of running in the relay once and twice in the full event.  It has always been a well organised event and based on the numerous ultra's I have run, it's one of the friendliest events ever.  It requires a massive number of volunteers to cover the 53 miles in some unforgiving terrain.  But they all take their role very seriously and always have a smile on their face, which for a competitor is so encouraging.  I even witnessed volunteers at the end of the race running to the main road to keep the public service bus from leaving for competitors who were limping along trying to get the bus home.
I was there in a support role for Beth & Stu.  We arrived at the start at 5.15am and it was below zero degrees.  The atmosphere was great and people had travelled from all over the world to compete in this race.  The competitors set off and I headed to the first check point which was 19 miles away - the route makes observing difficult.  When I got there the volunteers were like ants busily getting ready for the runners.  I headed up Conic Hill with my dog Poppy and we got to see the leader and eventual winner come flying down the steps.  I also got to spend time with the amazing volunteers who were all so friendly.  I met my pal Graham Kelly (Beardy) and brilliant runner who was there to catch up with friends.  What a lovely community around this race.
After Beth & Stu came through I headed to the finish line and then went out on the West Highland Way to recce part of the course for my race in 55 days time.  I met loads of people, from Germany, USA, Canada and Ireland, walking the full 96 miles and the weather was kind to them.
Back to the finish line to watch my pals come in, and chat to numerous friends who were there, and what an effort they had put in.  It's a tough route and when I do my race, at this stage I'll have another 43 miles to go with some big climbs and descents. 
Watching the race not only motivated me but has made me realise I will need to have a good race plan to survive the race.  Mental disciple will be essential because moving (note I didn't say running) for 30 hours will involve some dark moments to overcome.
Today I headed out for 21km of tarmac running and it was a struggle as I was tired from the 19 hour day.  My Garmin said I now need to rest for 58 hours which explains how bad I felt but I didn't run the Fling.  Beth has been doing yoga a foam rolling as part of her recovery plus eating a lot to replace the calories burned.  She now has to focus on getting ready for the Edinburgh Marathon in 4 weeks time.
The Fling has given me a kick up the arse I needed as I try and get to the start line without injury.  The volunteers also motivated me as I know in the WHW, being a much smaller race, they will be equally enthusiastic and will cajole me when I am in a dark place.  Beth & Stu are my support team and at certain stages will be running with me for safety reasons - hallucinations can put you at risk as I experienced in the Tahoe 200 Ultra .  I now need to get planning as the logistics can mean the difference between success and failure.  I also need to recce other parts of the route to help me in my race and test my feeding strategy.
So the Fling is over for another year and congratulations to those that made the start line.  There was a high drop out rate due to the warm weather but DNF means Did Nothing Fatal.  They will come back and try again.  Well done to all the finishers and I hope your aches and pains disappear in the next 2-3 days.  As for the organisers and the volunteers, I salute you in your commitment to putting on such an excellent event.  If you haven't completed an Ultra, get this race on your list.
 

It's the people you meet

I'm often asked what I enjoy the most about running in the mountains and the answer is always the same.  What makes it so special, other than the scenery, is the people you meet.  Complete strangers smile and say hello.  If you are in trouble they help and if you've stopped they will have a "natter" with you.  They will offer tips about the route or even some food.  Nothing surprises me these days and I always come away uplifted.
Yesterday was a good example.  Due to time constraints and being on my own, I decided to go locally to Tinto hill as I had done the weekend before.  This time I was going to do 3 repeats and see how my knee stood up to the downhill running.  I set off at 6.20am from the car park and half way up met two guys who I'd managed to catch up with.  One of them told me that I "was him 12 months ago" and that he used to be able to get up and down in 50 mins.  That's quicker than me but he'd obviously had some health issues, but was on his way back.  I wished him luck and passed him on the way down.  When I met him on my next ascent he offered me words of encouragement and looked like he was enjoying being back on the hill.  I also met a father and son, aged 6, and a mountain biker descending fast - I wouldn't fancy pushing a mountain buke up that hill for a speedy descent.
As I left the summit for the second time I met a running pal Laura MacDonald.  She was actually running up the steep section at the top as she is preparing for the Ben Nevis race in September!  It was lovely to catch up and we first met in a 50km trail race where we were doing the same pace for 40km and got chatting.  I blew up in the last 10 km but she went on to finish 2nd woman.
When you are doing reps people notice and start to ask you why.  One such persons friend had completed the UTMB and had also come second in the West Highland Way race that I am preparing for.  Another lady was being dragged down the hill by two very big dogs but she still smiled and complimented my descending.
After I finished it was off to the Tinto Tea Room for a cooked breakfast, cake and coffee.  An 82 year old gentleman started chatting and it turns out he was a Munro bagger until his quadruple heart by-pass.  As the conversation went on, at the next table there was a father and son who were serious cyclists.  Turns out they came from the same area as the older gentleman and the four of us had a wonderful chat.  They had so many mutual connections but had never met before.  He finished off by saying to me what a pleasure it was to have shared stories with us.  Much better than sitting next to someone on their iPhone he said.  We all left the hill or the tea room uplifted by our conversations.
I'm sure our friends that have been running in the London Marathon today will have tails to tell of the people they met - well done guys.  It helps we are all like minded in our passion but it's just nice to strike up a conversation with another human being you've never met before.  It's uplifting and reinforces my faith in people.  Next time you're on the hill or a trail run, strike up a conversation and see where it leads.  There's nothing to lose as you can always move on if the chemistry isn't working.  Oh and I almost forgot, my knee survived the downhill reps so progress on that front.

It's a fine balance

69 days to go before the West Highland Way race.  Anyone who has done the race before would point out that my training isn't what you'd normally be doing to be successful (i.e. finishing) this race but as they say, if someone throws lemons at you, make lemonade!  Consider this an "experiment" in approaching training for such a long race in a different way and only on 23 June will we know if it's worked.  In my head, which is important, unless there is a physical failure then I'm up for it.
What I've lacked in miles, and time on the WHW, I have made up for with gym rehab/strengthening work and yoga.  My knee wasn't happy with some downhill steps at the end of 21km at Chatelherault but fortunately I had an appointment with my sports therapist the next day.  On Saturday I did some speed work intervals on the treadmill and some strength work.  But the test was today.  Repeats of Tinto hill (711m).
Stu and I set off at 8.30am and with all the rain we've had, the bottom track was treacherous.  I said on the way up, "we'll need to be very careful on the way down".  As usual despite some blue sky the summit was clagged in so poor visibility, the wind was howling and it was very cold.  Heading down my knee let me know it wasn't happy, but it wasn't sore.  I suggested to Stu that rather than go all the way to the car park we should turn back up where it starts to get wet and muddy.  After all, we just wanted the elevation - Stu is doing the Highland Fling (53 miles on the WHW in 2 weeks time).  We summited for the second time and I decided not to do a third summit as I'd rather finish with no knee pain.
Everything was going well till we hit the wet muddy trail.  Stu & I both slipped at the same time.  I immediately felt my knee and tried to stop - suddenly both feet were off the ground overtaking my head that was accelerating towards the ground.  I instinctively spread my arms to help with the impact.  It happened so fast but the collision with the ground set off my Garmin Incident Alert and I couldn't stop it from sending messages to three of my contacts.  Two came back to me immediately which was reassuring, but a bit embarrassing.  My back and bum were covered in mud but I was lucky there were no rocks there.  Stu and I took it easy in the final section but even in the last 10m we slipped but didn't fall.  Normally I'd have been running with poles and would have caught myself but the WHW doesn't allow them so I'm training with out them.
It was a reminder of how easy it is to take a fall when running, especially on trails.  Every foot step is a potential ankle turn and the WHW has some rough sections.  The good thing about my strength training is that it helps my core which is so essential, especially on uneven ground.
My training has been dictated by circumstances and it's a fine balance.  I need to do sufficient running to get me to the start line but not "cram in the miles" as I will risk further injury which would rule me out of my "A race".  I know this is a problem for lots of runners and with the race season about to take off, Boston Marathon tomorrow, London Marathon next week and The Fling in two weeks time, take care and don't push it too hard. 
This weeks message is to get the balance right based on how you are feeling.  If you can't do the miles do some other form of training to keep your fitness and strength up.  And here's to you avoiding a "soggy bottom"!