A fine balancing act

As you know, I'm cramming for the Great Scottish Half Marathon next Sunday, 1 October.  Two weeks later I am taking on the Amsterdam Marathon.  I've been getting treatment from Grant McLullich of the Treatment Hub in Hamilton and the results are showing.  Before the treatment started I could hardly bend my knees without severe pain in my quads.  At the same time I started with Beth's personal trainer Bartek, who doesn't take any prisoners.  A week ago after my treatment, Bartek made me squat for 40 mins.  Before that my normal was 10 mins then I couldn't walk for the next 2 days.  Surprisingly the next day I had no pain and was out running!  But one squat session doesn't make a summer!  
My personal training is tough but going well.  However with my race a week away I need to balance getting strong with not being too tired for Sunday.
I also have to keep an eye on Amsterdam.  So on Saturday I ran 32 km at a slow 6 min km but this is ideal practice marathon preparation, but it might not help my half marathon speed.  I was accompanied by my pal Gavin who is also doing the same races and having company made all the difference.
Beth is also cramming her training as life has "got in the way" of training.  But it's important to train when ever possible as it makes you feel so much better.  Today she ran 30 kms on her own down south and that's tough mentally. The races are just the cherry on the all important cake.
This week I will run three times which will include some speed work as I want to get a good time in both races assuming my body holds up.  I'll also be keeping a close eye on my heart rate and if it gets too high I'll walk it in.  Life is more important than a medal.
We're definitely in Autumn now and choosing what to wear can be a real pain as you're either too hot or too cold depending on what you wear as the temperatures fluctuate.  But there is something fresh about the air now.  Not as fresh as the other week when we were walking on the most beautiful beaches in the world on the island of Lewis & Harris.  We took a rest from training but had a couple of dips in the sea which was refreshing.  It was a much needed break and part of our fine balancing act. 

Bloody ballots

The UK is one of the most active ultra running scenes in the world.  We have so many different races you are spoiled for choice, if only you could get in them!  Last week I said we'd got the first half of our year planned.  That would have been the case if 2 out of the three of them didn't go to a ballot. The West Highland Way hasn't opened yet but I have lost out twice before so fingers crossed.  Beth & I applied for the Montane Lakeland 50.  She got in, I didn't.  Went for a charity place and 15 minutes after it opened I was number 751 in the queue, didn't get in.
The only race that is booked is The Lap (Lake Windemere) 43 mile Anti-clockwise in September next year and I'm glad to say, we're in.  I only found out about it last night from our pal Stu who has also entered - the race entries opened 2 hours ago and it's almost sold out!
I have a good for age for the Boston Marathon and entries open tomorrow so again, fingers crossed.  It's in April and 2 weeks after it is the Chiltern 50 miler which opens next weekend.
In the meantime my quads have some issues that are being worked on by my "medical team".  Running down even a slight decline is painful but running on the flat is fine.  I've also started work with a personal trainer to get stronger so hopefully that will help.
I'm investigating a "big race" in the next couple of years as I haven't succeeded in anything "big" since Tahoe in 2019.  Races in the heat are probably out due to my AF so it looks like I maybe going cold!  I'm excited about that but a my research is just starting.
With the Glasgow half marathon 3 weeks away, I ran 16/21&13km in the last fours days with my dodgy quads.  I have my fingers crossed that I can build up some speed work as I really want to "give it a go" and get a PB.  I also have to remember we have the Amsterdam Marathon two weeks after it so my mileage is going to increase.  I've enjoyed my training runs this week but need to lose the sharp pains in my quads.
There is a great deal of planning in advance required to put together a good race calendar for the year ahead and you success in getting into some races comes down to luck.  So plan well ahead and look into the application process as well as the race as you can get caught out.  As for the ballots, it's a sign of the success of ultra running in the UK and many of the entrants are from overseas as was demonstrated in the Montane Lakeland 50 (& 100) and every year in the West Highland Way.  I can only keep my fingers crossed for the WHY which would be amazing. 

Cramming

It's been a difficult month for me as far as training is concerned.  The two weeks in Romania involved one 4 km run.  However I did lose 3km with the manual labour of being a volunteer.  When I came back home my knees were aching from the constant bending down when putting the tents up or down and working 8 - 12 hours a day.  Now I'm back I've started training but my foot/calf injury came back and I took four days off training before I saw my wonderful sports therapist Pamela.  When I booked the meeting it was my right knee that was the problem - it kept collapsing.  But by the time my appointment arrived my foot was very uncomfortable and walking on it was difficult enough.
She focused on my foot/calf and finished off by spending some time on my right knee/quad.  I've got stretches' to do and hopefully it will start behaving.
In the meantime I have signed up with Beth's Personal Trainer to strengthen my body as for too long I have suffered injuries.  I'm not aiming for "beach muscles" but being stronger for my running.  First session is on Wednesday and Bart helped Beth in her prep for URR in 6 weeks so here's hoping.  He doesn't allow swearing and that will definitely be a f@@@@@g problem!
Today Beth and I headed to the "Arrochar Alps".  It was our intention to do 3 summits but when we got there it was all in cloud base.  We power walked to the top and my lack of training showed although one climber said she thought we were running so it was a decent pace.  Beth "threaded the needle" but there is no photographic evidence as you can hardly see the rock!  I did hold my breath while she did it as the rocks were slippy which meant she didn't get to the top of the rock (the Cobbler).  
We had a wonderful run down taking about 40 mins and I relied on my poles as my knees had a few weak moments - total distance up and down 11.7K.  We skipped the other two summits and agreed to get back home and run a lap of Chatelherault.  We arrived stiff from the drive but the sun had come out and again we had a fantastic, although tough lap (7.6k).  I was blowing out my arse but my heart  behaved itself although it did show up my lack of training.  It was interesting to watch Beth tackle, what in normal circumstances we'd call hills.  They didn't even feature for her having come back from the Romanian mountains. 
The reference to cramming is that in a month I have the Glasgow half marathon and two weeks later the Amsterdam Marathon.  This is not the recommended approach and it will be "reverse tapering".  I want to do well in both races but much will depend on how my knees/calf and foot hold up.  But I'm excited for the challenge and Beth will be racing both events.  I have the experience to run sensible races and also have the miles in the legs.  But I'll be pushing for PBs so lets see if the cramming works.
We've already got our races planned for the first half of next year, if we get in, and I'll provide those details in the coming weeks.