Stop start & stop again

Following my blog is like reading a doctors report!  Every blog seems to have something new to report on the medical front!
Having got over prostate op as you know, I headed for the hills a week ago and ran down Ben Vorlich. The following day ran 24km.  It took me 4 days to properly recover and I needed two massages that week and had to roll my legs.  It's always the same with the first hill run of the year and I should be fine now they have been reminded that this is what we do almost every week - muscle memory!
I was a bit nervous that wrecking my legs a week before my 1st race was not a good idea so turned up with Beth at a dreich (Scottish word for gloomy, low cloud, light rain) Glentress Mountain Bike Centre not knowing how my body would respond.  Until I properly surveyed the course a few nights before, I thought it was a road race - couldn't have been further from the truth but I came prepared.  With 750m of ascent it wasn't going to be a fast one but a good test of my fitness.  Beth & I agreed we'd run separately and I pushed on near to the front to try and avoid the bottle neck on the hill.  We'd met our club mate Emma and the thought crossed my mind that although I was giving her 30 years I still wanted to finish ahead of her.  My coach did say to me this is a training run and don't do anything heroic!  I wish I'd listened.
The first 3km is up hill and after 1km Emma passed me.  I tried as hard as I could to keep her in sight but after 2km I started walking the steep parts.  Glentress is beautiful, when you're not blowing out your arse, and I knew my best chance of making up time for my walking was on the downhills where I was over taking most people.  The technical sections were treacherous with the wet conditions and I was kicking myself for not having taken my poles.  Having said that, I didn't see anyone with poles although they were allowed.  At 11 km just as I reached the top I saw Emma slowing down.  I went to pass someone in the soft mud and then found myself face down in it.  I picked myself up, laughed and  said hi to Emma as I passed her.  Now I was in my comfort zone and flew down the hills, last weeks run had my legs in great shape.  The forest we ran through was stunning and because of the weather, we didn't have great views but you really had to concentrate on the trail.
With 3km to go I came out a clearing and was passing a runner and a marshal when my foot caught a rock - BANG.  Down like a "sack of tatties".  Banged my knee, elbow and head.  Fortunately I was wearing running tights so didn't see the damage.  If I'd have had my poles I might have avoided the fall. The marshal and the runner helped me up and I was offered medical attention - no chance, I knew Emma would be behind me and also that getting treatment might end my race.  The adrenalin had kicked in so I ran on fast as it was a nice forest trail heading down to the finish line.  With 1 km my hammy started to tighten up and I had to shorten my steps as it was close to going.  I crossed the line in 2hrs 21 mins which sound dreadful for a half marathon having done 1:47 in October but this wasn't a road half marathon.  It was tough as hell.
I headed off to the medical tent and when I took my tights off the damage was worse than I thought.  They cleaned me up but then sent me to A&E for stitches.  Emma finished 5 mins behind and Beth 5 mins behind Emma.  We all really enjoyed the course but my knee injury was really starting to hurt so we headed to Hairmyres A&E.
After all the bad press about waits at A&E I was so impressed with Hairmyres.  I had hardly sat down before I was triaged and in 90 minutes out with my knee stitched - thanks to the wonderful staff for the amazing service.
This week, walking has not been easy as I haven't been able to bend my leg.  That wasn't helped by a day in London sitting on a plane and walking up and down stairs on the underground.  My body has felt like it's been in a car crash but I can now bend my knee.  There has been no puss and on Tuesday the stitches come out.  There's a lot of bruising and swelling so I'll need to break myself in easy as the Manchester Marathon (road race!) is in 7 weeks time! 
Today I managed a short yoga session using a cushion under my knee and it was good to get my body moving.  Definitely more yoga and gym work so I can start to prepare my body for Manchester.  I'll be doing a lot of legs and glute work to stop me from dragging my feet when I'm tired.
Anyway, normal service will be resumed shortly and the mountains are calling.  Glentress was a good test of "how bad do you want it" as it would have been much easier to get the medical attention and pull out the race.  I'm glad I persevered otherwise I would have regretted that decision.

Tame those demons

Getting back into the swing of training again after my short break.  It's never easy following time off but after the first few runs I started to enjoy pushing myself again.  I'm desperate to get back into the mountains but have to remind myself that my first two races in the calendar are road races and it's also February which means it can be dangerous in the hills.  Sadly last week a 35 year old died falling on Ben More.  As you know I have turned back on at least three occasions on that mountain due to poor visibility or the threat of being blown off the mountain.  Ben More has a path almost to the top but you have to respect the elements.  My condolences to the family of the deceased but it's a grim reminder for the rest of us.
Last weekend I was down south with Beth and it is pan flat.  The country roads are straight,  go for miles and there is virtually no elevation.  So the demons were talking to me saying how boring this was but I remained focused on my task which was to increase the pace as the run went on.  When the demons appear your training session becomes not only physical but also mental which is what happens in races, so make the most of the challenge and get used to taming them.
On Monday we got the chance to go up our first mountain of the year. A Corbett called Morrone at Braemar.  It was perfect as it wasn't high enough to have snow on the summit or be clagged in with clouds.  It also had a forest track from the summit round the side and back to Braemar which meant we could get a fast run down.  It was a good reminder to our quads as to what is ahead of us.  It was exhilarating and we both enjoyed being back on the hills.  Fresh air and peace and quiet.  The run was followed by soup and a cheese scone! Delicious.
I wasn't able to do my long run during the week.  Beth did hers and had to slog it out.  When you're tired and work is busy it can be difficult to be at your best.  But these are the sessions that really count.  Even if you don't manage to hit the pace you were aiming for.  She gritted her teeth and delivered and this is so important.  Especially with URR in August.
The weather looked good on Saturday and I was delighted to be back on the mountains with the machine that is Michael Martin.  He chose a relatively easy Munro, Ben Vorlich, to start with but it is relatively steep.  The intention was to summit twice and it didn't take long till Michael disappeared ahead.  The weather closed in, visibility reduced and the wind was very strong.  As always there were people on the mountain dressed like they were going to Starbucks for a coffee - irresponsible idiots.  I didn't enjoy the climb to the summit where Michael waited for me, crouched down behind the cairn.  We did a quick Deek TV FaceBook live and I told him I was only doing one summit.  So he shot off down the mountain.  Getting my waterproof jacket on as it was now raining and my gloves back on was a real effort as I was frozen.  It doesn't take long to find yourself in trouble if you're not properly dressed.
I ran the whole way down and knew my quads would be complaining tomorrow.  When I got down I walked straight into the loch to cool my legs down - it was freezing.  Who needs an ice bath?  Michael did the same after he'd summited twice!!  Great fitness preparation for his "A Race" the Salomon Skyline - mental race!
The following day I had my long run to do; 3k easy, 6 k marathon pace, 6k half marathon  pace, 6 k 10k pace and 3 k easy.  I knew it would be tough but I had to tame my demons who were complaining about my sore quads, heavy legs and slower than expected pace.  Fortunately I have been reading a fantastic book called the Rise of the Ultra Runners and there are plenty of discussion about the negative thoughts that enter your head.  It doesn't need to be an ultra race to feel this way but whatever the distance you need to deal with it.  I came to the conclusion that I might be a bit slower than I wanted, but fighting off the thought of walking home was in itself a worthwhile training exercise for my mind.  So although I didn't hit "my numbers", it was a successful training session as I gave my demons a work out too.  The more they are dealt with the less likely they are to surface.
My first race of the year is a hilly half marathon with Beth at Glentress.  Your mental approach when it's an actual race is different and you usually put in an extra special effort, so we're both looking forward to seeing how we perform.  
If your demons visit you during a training session, treat it as an opportunity to tame them which will lead to more enjoyable sessions or races and better results.  Remember you're the boss of your own mind.