It's about the people

What an adventure this weekend has been.  The Highlander, Backyard, Last One Standing was an incredible experience.  The rules are simple - 6.7km loop with 146m of elevation and you have an hour to do it.  Then repeat until you drop out.  On average I completed my laps in 49 mins and in the remainder of the time you can rest, eat, stretch and then be back at the start line to repeat on the hour.  If not you're a DNF.  It started on Saturday at 12 noon and I came out of the race after completing the 11th hour, in the dark - 73.4km total.  As I type there are two guys slugging it out and they have completed 32 laps!!!  Can you imagine that?  It doesn't matter how fast you are as long as you complete the lap in an hour and are ready to start again.  The Scottish record is 39.  The world record completed in Austria this year is 103 - yes over 4 days!
Stu only managed 6 laps and was timed out on the 7th lap but his stomach wasn't good - last year he completed 10 and timed out on 11 so it just wasn't his day.
We were both supported by Beth, and Poppy her beautiful springer spaniel, who made sure we had all the food, hydration and anything we needed when we came in - it was a quick turnaround and I don't know how some people did it without support - one of the current leaders has no support and is averaging 40 min laps!
We were delighted to be joined by the legend Rosie Bell who hadn't had a good run up to the race having been injured.  Rosie managed 20 laps and when I went to bed in the campervan at midnight, I felt guilty that she would be self supporting during the night.  The night is very tough as not only is it cold but all you can see is what your headlamp captures and it's easy to become disorientated as to where you are especially in the woods where it's difficult under foot.  When I woke in the morning and opened the van door Rosie was coming in.  She managed 1 more lap but was injured and decided to call it a day or it would set her back for future races - wise call.  But 20 laps!  Almost double what I did.
How do you keep going.  My approach was breaking the loop down.  Run for 2 mins to a speed bump, walk the hill for next 5 mins, turn the corner and run 2k trying to complete each km in 6 mins.  Get to the corner that turns uphill at 18 mins - walk the hill for 16 mins, take it easy through the forest 4 mins, then down hill for 2km to the start.  I was very consisted but in the middle my heart rate started climbing to 190.  My cardiologist had said if that happened take 2 pills.  I did and my heart settled into a better rhythm at a lower rate for the rest of the race - good to know that tactic works otherwise I'd have pulled out.
I met loads of runners, particularly on the long walk up the hill.  Two Polish guys were lovely, one managed 32 laps.  I met Stuart Ritchie a PT who trains people for Everest and other expeditions - check out www.trekandclimbfitness.com.  Everyone had an interesting story.  There was a father (about my age who did 13 laps) with his son & daughter running.  The runners were so friendly but that's ultra running for you.  Everyone employed different tactics whether it be walking the hills and running the downhills or the other way round.
I passed Alan (who I only found out at the end I'd been calling Andy) on the steep downhills as he saved his legs and on my last lap he offered to do the next one with me at my pace to get me round (and over 50 miles).  It was a lovely offer but I had made my mind up on lap 9 that I was only going to do 11.
Was I too tired, no.  Was I injured, no.  Then why stop?  I was bored and didn't have a WHY?  This was an experiment to try a different format.  If you want a mind f@ck, then this race is perfect for that.  If you can be so focused on the plan and not deviate then you'll do well but I didn't have a good enough WHY so decided not to hurt myself anymore than you do running almost 74km.  I have the Amsterdam Marathon in October and I will be pouring everything into that as I have a WHY which I'll share nearer the time.
Beth got to know the other supporters and thoroughly enjoyed their stories.  She put in a hell of a shift looking after Stu, Rosie and me.  Beth has her big race in less than two weeks time in Romania and it was great for her hearing from other experienced athletes like Lynsie and share tips.
For me this event was about trying something different.  What it taught me, if I didn't know it already, was the importance of mental strength because in the end that determines whether you succeed of fail and in this race, only one person succeeds.  Everyone else is disqualified.  I've talked about this many times before but you must have a WHY and the critical question is - How bad do you want it?  That's all that matters, just ask the last two competitors who are going round that 6.7km lap praying that the other guy will drop out so they can stop and claim the well earned title of Scottish Last one Standing. 
I'd like to thank the amazing organisers and volunteers who are there throughout and were always cheering and smiling as we past.  They don't finish till the race is over so it's a long event for them - well done guys.  As I said, it's all about the people and that's what makes ultra running so special.

Be prepared....for anything

As we get closer to our "A" races (Last One Standing in 9 days, Ultra Race Romania in 27 days) we are focusing on what we will actually need to carry with us and what is mandatory equipment.  My list is very short but Beth needs her 6 days supplies in her rucksack including her food and clothing.  Mandatory equipment will include fire crackers to scare off wild dogs and bear spray for, you've guessed it, bears!  Remember I said, be prepared....for anything!  Meticulous planning is required for these long events as it is for a trip into the mountains locally.
Last weekend we travelled up north and went to Ballater as the weather looked better.  Our trusted friend Michael Martin put together a good route that involved 5 Munro's (mountains higher than 1,000 m) in a long loop known as the Lochnagar circuit. We set out in stunning weather, blue skies without a cloud in sight.  My main concern was the heat.  Could we carry enough water for the 8 hours or was their fresh water on the route?  What a fantastic route and we were enjoying the scenery but realising the weather forecast later on in the day could be challenging.  It seemed foolish packing our full waterproofs and survival bags, but this is Scotland.
The wind started picking up and the clouds were closing in.  At the highest and furthest away point the rain started and then turned into hail stones.  This was 3 hours ahead of the forecast and the wind meant it was painful when they smacked you in the face.  We still had 4 hours to go and we were drenched.  There was no shelter from the wind so the full waterproofs went on, a bit late, and this prevented us from getting cold.  We had to eat to keep our energy levels up as it was a long slog, more so for Beth as she was carrying a weighted rucksack!
The weather improved for the last 12 km and when we finished we were pleased we'd covered a total of 29km and come through some testing conditions.  However it would have been a different story had we not been prepared.  We did fill up our water bottles early on in the walk but had to ration it towards the end.  It would have been a bigger issue had it stayed warm so always check what the water situation is before setting off.
The following day we went up Tinto (local hill 711m) - me twice and Beth three times.  I started to get a knee niggle on the descents and didn't want to risk making it worse.  It was the right decision as I have rested it this week, except for yoga.  I'll be back running tomorrow and do some specific running focused on the last one standing format i.e. run/walk/ rest, stretch and eat every hour.  This race will be a real "mind f@@k" and new territory for me.  I'll have my pals Stu and Rosie running it with me and they have the benefit of doing it last year so have given me some top tips.  The best part will be the finishing pen where you start and finish each lap.  It becomes like a party as the race goes on and last years winner managed 39 laps - yes that's 39 hours!  Beth is supporting me & Stu so the campervan will be stocked with food, drink and medical supplies!  I'm excited for this new format and will be tapering my training with lots of yoga to make sure my body is ready.  In the end it will be my mind that's the deciding factor assuming I remain upright and not injured!
  

New record set

Last week I wrote about "raising the bar" and by this I meant setting it high.  Reach for the stars my granny used to say, and if you hit the sky you have done well.  
On 26th June the bar was certainly raised when Jamie Aarons completed all 282 Munros in Scotland (mountains over 3,000 feet) in 31 days, 10 hours and 27 minutes.  She beat the previous record by 12 hours and 35 minutes set by Donnie Campbell who inspired her when she heard him talk about his record on the radio.  The previous female record was 76 days and 10 hours.  Can you imagine her mindset when she thought about beating Donnie's record?  
What makes it even more incredible is that she travelled between the Munros by bike, kayak or walked!! Unbelievable, and feats like these continue to drive me to raise my bar, but not to this level. 
As I have said before, it's all relative and taking on the couch to 5k is a huge challenge for some people.
Today I "raised the bar" or pushed myself beyond what I was comfortable with and ran the Stonehouse Half Marathon.  Obviously I have ran much longer than a half marathon distance but this one had 308m of ascent and as an ultra runner, I'd normally walk the hills.  But I decided to give it everything and leave nothing out there which definitely pushed me outside my comfort zone, but it was a race after all not a training run.  If I was lucky, I might even win the V60 category so I was motivated.
Accompanying me was my partner Beth and her daughter Holly who was running her first half marathon.  I knew she was strong but was determined not to lose to her.  Imagine my surprise when I thought I was going well and she past me on the first long climb!  But I was pacing myself as I knew the last 4.5 miles were down hill and I aimed to give it everything then.  I overtook her shortly afterwards and pressed on. 
On the out and back section I passed Holly and Beth coming the other way so I continued, even when it was uncomfortable to push it in the heat.  At one stage when tearing the top off my gel is exploded onto my face, hair & hands but I managed to get 75% of it in me.  With 2 km to go I had my last gel as the fast downhill had taken it toll on me and I was wavering.  That got me to the finish line and I was delighted with 1hr 49 mins - same time as my Glasgow half marathon earlier in the year without the elevation!  Sadly 6 minutes shy of the V60 winner but good on him, that was a tough course for that kind of time.
Holly finished 3 mins behind me and Beth a further 5 mins behind but taking the fastest V50!  A fabulous result all round.
But this only happened because we put the tough miles in and we set the bar high, not for the distance but for the time.  Any discomfort or pain melts away when you cross the line and after rehydrating you feel good about yourself.  I waded into the freezing cold sea up to my "rab hawes" while eating a 99.  After 2 minutes I lost sensation in my legs but hopefully this will speed up my recovery.
Not everyone can be in Jamie Aarons league but we can still set the bar high and when the time comes, give it everything.  It will only make us better.
Back home and we stuffed our faces with good food and I chased it down with a few cold beers.  Now for a bath and then start massaging my lets with my massage gun.  Tomorrow starts another week of training and my "A" race Last One Standing is now only 20 days away.  
When did you last raise the bar and is it time for a reset (upwards!)?

Where you set the bar

Last weekend was epic in Scotland with huge events taking place across the country in scorching weather.  An extreme ironman, the Celtman, took place in Wester Ross.  You're lucky to get out the swim (3.4km) without hypothermia or some nasty jellyfish stings.  The bike (200km) is on a hilly, tough and technical course and the warm down is a marathon with 1,600m of ascent.  If ironman wasn't hard enough then this  really is tough and the finishing times are significantly slower due to it being longer and more difficult than your normal ironman event.  But still people take it on.  I salute any finisher, or for that matter, anyone brave enough to make the start line.  Congratulations to my friends that finished.  You certainly have raised the bar from ironman which is a high bar to start with.
At the same time, the West Highland Way race, 96 miles from Milngavie to Fort William with 3,155 metres of ascent started at 1am on Saturday.  Entry into the event is by a ballot, as runners from around the world want to take on this challenge - I've tried twice and haven't got in.  It's a brutal course and leaving aside the winners who manage the event in around 14 hours, getting in under 24 hours is amazing and under 30 hours is still a good result.  To be honest, completing it is a massive achievement and our club mate Paul Noble managed it in 28 hours and 21 minutes on his first attempt.  I have ran the first 53 miles of this route in the Highland Fling and finished in 11 hours 6 mins but couldn't manage another step,  so the thought of going past this takes a lot of mental strength.  It depends on where you set the bar I guess!
I mention those two epic races as I was thinking about them this weekend while I was training at shorter distances.  On Saturday I ran with my pal Stuart as we replicated the race we will be doing in 5 weeks time.  The Highlander, Last One Standing involves a 6.7km loop around the Atholl Castle Estate which you have to do in an hour.  Easy I hear you say.  If you do the loop in 40 mins you can have 20 mins rest before starting again.  If  you complete the lap 59 mins you have a minutes rest, however you are disqualified if you exceed the hour.  Stu and I did four laps but the hard bit is sitting waiting for the next lap.  Do I drink, eat, stretch?  It's more of a mental challenge and while I have ran for extensive periods of time, over 24 hours, this is a different challenge.  Last year the winner completed 39 laps - yes 39 hours and 257.4 km to be the last one standing and everyone else disqualified!
The next day I ran 19km in the heat of the day and it made me think about "where you set the bar".  It was only 19km,but in the heat of the day it was a slog.  Only two weeks ago I ran/walked 60km and I also completed 2 marathons (42km) in the last few months.  So why was I struggling at 19km.  I had a good talk to myself.  Only 2 nights before a good friend of mine had visited me and it took him 7 mins to climb 3 flights of stairs.  He refuses to have a stair lift put in at home because it would be admitting defeat.  I had to physically lift him into my campervan as he has lost the power in his quads, and there will be no improvement.  So who was I to be struggling at 19km in the heat.  He's set his bar high and is defying gravity by hauling himself up the stairs.  Keep it going Al, you're doing amazing and an inspiration.
My next race is a trail half marathon and I'm excited about it.  Beth and I are heading up to Stonehaven to join her daughter and this will be her first half marathon.  It may "only be a half" but I know we'll have to work hard to get a decent time because we will set the bar high.
I'm going to finish on a sad note.  A long time friend of mine died in a tragic accident at the age of 69.  He was young for his age.  Always had a glint of mischief in his eye and read my blog every week.  He enjoyed pulling my leg and he will be greatly missed.  It's a reminder how fragile life is and why we should live in the present and make the most of this wonderful life we have been given.  Rest in peace Nick.  You will be missed but never forgotten.

The Full Tilt Ultra 2023

What a week of racing it has been!  On Sunday 28th May I completed the Edinburgh marathon and having pushed for a PB, in the heat, which I just missed I had five days to recover before the Full Tilt Ultra with my partner Beth.  I knew Edinburgh had taken it out of me as I was a mess in the last 4km but I hadn't realised just how bad I looked until I saw the photos - won't be buying them then!  At least I wasn't as unfortunate as three runners who had a cardiac arrest, according to a paramedic at the Full Tilt!  But my legs were "shot to bits" and I struggled to walk properly until Wednesday and even then it was an effort.
We were both excited about the Full Tilt as it was helping us both in the build up to our "A" races, the Highlander Last One Standing for me and Ultra Race Romania for Beth (I'm going as a volunteer to help the organisers).
Having got my pace wrong in the Edinburgh marathon and with it only having been 5 days before, this was never going to be a fast event.  We were joined by our pal Stu which was just as well as he had to bring a spare pare of shorts and socks for me as I'd left them behind.  Stu is also in the Highlander but hadn't got as much training in as he would like and it wasn't long before he left Beth and I trailing behind.  We overtook him on the first Munro but by the summit he wasn't far behind.  Descending is his strength and he passed us on the way down.  I caught up with him and we got talking to another runner, Jordan who was a nice lad.  Just as the pace was quickening I realised I had a blister.  Knowing we were only 30km into the race and still had a Munro to go I stopped and repaired the damage.  Soon after Beth appeared and we decided to run together  It's good to have company in these long races and with the temperature in the low 20's we slowed down along Glen Tilt as the road underfoot was terrible.  
We were getting very hot and were travelling at a snails pace so I suggested we wade into the river to refresh our tired and aching legs.  That was 7 minutes well spent as when we came out feeling refreshed.
We reached the checkpoint before the last Munro and were told the climb started in about 1 mile; it was nearer 2 which plays with your mind.  The organisers had told us how "horrendous" the first 2-3km of the climb was and to have something left when you reached this point.  We'd taken it very easy from the last Munro 19kms ago and flew up the "horrendous" hill.  It was easy.  We like hills but to be honest, I think Tinto is tougher.  However, Stu had pushed too hard too early and was spent.  We caught him half way up the hill and it was obvious his race was over at 40km.  We forced him to drink some coke, under protest, and by luck a photographer was coming down the mountain and agreed to look after him - thanks Liv.  Ultra running is brutal and there are no short cuts in training, you've got to put in the hours.  You have then to pace yourself depending on your current fitness which was what we were doing.  We may have been slow but our mission was to complete it on our tired legs from the week before.
We descended relatively fast, taking the conditions into account and from the bottom is was approximately 10km back along that awful track through Glen Tilt.  We ran most of it and all the way Beth was giving a count down by each km.  However I knew she was 2 km out as the advertised 58km was in fact 60km.  I didn't have the heart to tell her but a passing truck said to us just under 2km to go when she thought we were about finished - she was gutted.
But we ran into the finish straight with big smiles on our face and no feeling of pain.  We crossed the line holding hands as we had planned (always have the finish line picture in your head) and Stu organised the best beer we have ever tasted.  Success but only just.  We hadn't realised the cut off was 10 hours which was not generous and we came in in 9hrs 45mins.  
Today I ran a slow 5km recovery and it was sore.  On Wednesday I have a massage as I rebuild myself for my next challenge, a trail half marathon before Last One Standing.  It's good to have different types of races in the calendar as it means your training is also varied.  Enjoy this wonderful weather but make sure you stay properly hydrated using isotonic drinks and salt tablets.

Race strategy

In my last post I had two weeks before the Edinburgh Marathon.  I knew I wasn't going to be 100% ready but a cold certainly put paid to that.  I only had a couple of 5 km runs the week before so I arrived at the race on Saturday rested, or was it rusty?  My objective was to get under 3hrs 45 to get a "best for age" for the London Marathon 2024.  Beth was hoping to get 3hrs 55 to qualify for Boston so we had a chance of running it together.
We discussed our strategy and I knew I needed to run 5min 22sec per km to achieve my target time.   That was going to be tough as I had no idea how my heart would react - hopefully the same as Manchester marathon and not the same as my slower training runs.  I new it was going to be a slow start so I pushed on and was bang on for my first km.  Beth had recommended I run steady 5:20 per km and hopefully be able to increase the pace towards the end  (she's ran more marathon's than me) - but I chose differently!  I'd decided to run on feel and not look at my heart rate. The 2nd km on 5:17 and 4:40 in the 3rd km.  I was building up "credit in the bank" knowing at some stage I'd start to slow down.  At 15 km I tripped over a speed bump and managed to cut my knee on the same place I'd stitches a few months earlier.  I immediately got back up and started running, I wasn't stopping for a cut and bruised knee.
By 26km I was starting to tire and my times increase over 5:20 but this was OK until KM 32 - 20 miles or the half way point as I refer to it.  The weather forecast was for 13 degrees but it was 19/20 degrees and people we getting medical treatment at the side of the road as the heat took people out.  My heart rate was good around 150 which is unbelievable but I was suffering.  I had brought salt tablets but couldn't find them and I knew my body was starting to fail.  But I still had the target within my grasp.  
I was hydrating and taking my gels but had to ask a Macmillan volunteer for water between feed stations and she was an angel and gave me her own.  This got me to the next check point but I was in serious trouble.  With 3 km to go I started walking as I realised I wouldn't make my target and I was worried that my body was leaning over to the left as though the left side had collapsed.  I had walked through the last two feed stations so I could get my gel and a full bottle of water in me but I weighed up the pros and cons and decided to quit the race.  That lasted 30 seconds as I thought I should jog in and finish the race or I'd regret it if I didn't.
From 39km on all my km's were over 6 mins.  I was struggling to stay upright and the crowd were amazing screaming encouragement to me.  It took everything within me to stay standing and not crash into the barrier on the left side.  I crossed the line in 3hrs 49 mins - 59 seconds slower than Manchester and 4 mins outside the London target.  I didn't care.  I could hardly walk now and was sat down by a medic and given water.  When I was ready to go back to get my bag I had horrendous cramp and took an age to get to the bag drop.
Beth had a tough day out and couldn't hold the speed she needed but came in with a respectable 4hrs and 4 mins.  Her pacing was much better than mine.
It's been a painful lesson but res assured, when we complete the Amsterdam Marathon in October I am going to stick to a strict pace and see how that goes for me.  What I can't understand is how my heart behaves better in a fast (for me) marathon and not in a slow jog around Strathy Park?  
But we have 5 days to recover before we take on the Full Tilt 58km ultra including 2 Munro's.  Obviously I will be taking it easy and much will depend on how my legs feel when I start running.  It will push us both following our marathon efforts.
Training is good but the real learning is when we are in the race.  I'm not an experienced marathon runner but I am learning fast.  I'm looking forward to Amsterdam and in July the new experience of the Highlander, Last one standing race.  I'll give more details on that one after my next race report.
I'm so glad I didn't give up but I wish I'd stuck to a disciplined pace.  Here's to the next race.  Bring it on. 

Get lost

As you know I can get lost in a car park and there are too many examples to mention.  I try my best and even having prepared and downloaded the map to my watch, that's no guarantee that I will stay on route.  But I've come to accept it and get less stressed out about it as getting lost can be fun - assuming it's not in a race.
Last weekend I had 2 nights away in our campervan, AKA Scooby, with my daughter Eilidh.  We stayed in the caravan park next to the Glencoe Visitors Centre where we were looked after like Royalty by our good friends Graeme & Karen Scott who will be working at the site for the season.  If you are up in Glencoe, the campsite is fantastic and I'd definitely recommend you stay there.  We got up early on Saturday to climb two Munro's.  These were Eilidh's first ever Munro's and she did brilliantly.  I had climbed them a few weeks earlier so I was sure where we were going as I didn't want to risk it being too technical.  By the time she got to the bottom she could hardly walk and her legs were shaking.
Graeme & Karen came to the rescue with wine and ice cream and the next day she was brand new and ready to tackle The Pap of Glencoe.  I was nervous about this one as the last time I was up here with Beth, we'd lost the path and ended up scrambling over rocks.  Same happened again but I didn't freak out, or let on to Eilidh, as I knew roughly where we were headed.  The last time I was "bricking it" on the descent because I had lost the path on the way up.  But when coming down I could see the path and although technical in bits, we descended safely.  Not always knowing the exact path can be exciting and keeps you on your toes as you need to be constantly on the look out for the path - if there is one.  What a brilliant dad/daughter weekend in Scooby.  It's got her talking about our next trip into the mountains and I can't wait.
My next race is the Edinburgh Marathon and I'll put it out there - I'm looking for under 3hrs 45mins to qualify for London.  But a lot can happen on the day and there are no guarantees.  My preparation has been hampered by a cold which meant I didn't run for over a week so we'll see if that means I'm rested or rusty.
On Friday night after a long week at work I headed out for a short run to test my legs and my heart.  Both passed the test.  On Saturday morning I turned up at Chatelherault to run with my ATHelite club mates.  It was all going well till we stopped to wait for the others to catch up.  My HR had been behaving but after the rest it maxed out at 205 bpm!  That is the effect of Atrial Fibrillation.  I was still able to talk although felt slightly out of breath.  I told Alan & Mark to run on as I was going to cut the run short at 7.6km but they waited at the top of the hills to make sure I was ok - thanks guys.  Obviously this effort took it out of me and my Garmin told me to take three days off! Yeh right I have a race in 2 weeks time.
Today, Beth, Stuart and I headed out to do a recce of part of the Full Tilt Ultra (58km with 2 Munro's) which is 5 days after the Edinburgh Marathon.  I had the GPX (map) on my watch so was confident we wouldn't get lost.  The weather forecast wasn't good and the low cloud coverage meant we couldn't see the summits.  I'd looked at the map and could see we could take a short cut through Blair Atholl Castle where we had been last year.  As we approached we notice a hut selling tickets.  We were asked for £24 to park our van and take the short cut so we headed down the 1km driveway to a carpark across the road and ran up the driveway.  They were waiting for us.  No access if we didn't have a ticket - very disappointing but we headed back down the driveway and made our way to the start of the route.
The low cloud cover didn't help us and we took one wrong turn but quickly worked it out.  The terrain allowed us to run which was ideal for the marathon training Beth and I needed.  We reached a critical point in the route and due to the cloud cover, we took the safe option.  That meant we missed out on one summit but it was never our intention to complete the whole 58km today.
We had a fabulous time and made a decision not to tackle the other summit which again was hidden and trying to get the bigger picture off of my watch was impossible.
We ran 25km today with ascent of 650m.  My HR averaged 117 which was excellent and enjoyed 3.5 hours on our feet.  We spent a lot of the run trying to work out exactly where we were but that was part of the fun.  I'm not so worried about being uncertain where I am as long as I have a rough idea and help from technology (another of my strengths - not!).  On race day it will be different.  Getting lost is not an option so the recce was very valuable.  The only time I want to say "get lost" is to the staff at Blair Atholl Castle that wouldn't let us through their land unless we'd pay £24.
I got home and ordered some pakora and a couple of cold beers followed by a hot bath.  My Garmin isn't happy with me but other than yoga and some gym work, I'll take tomorrow off running.  It's a bit of a stretch going from 5km to 25km with climbing in 24 hours but that will count as my long run before the marathon.  Here's to finding myself exploring more adventurous routes and getting lost!