In preparation for my ultra marathon in April I decided to run part of the west highland way - the Conic Hill. I ran with a friend who knew the route and once we were on the hill the scenery was stunning. The temperature was around 3 degrees and there was a mist in the glen which made it look like you were running above the clouds. The highland cattle and the autumn colours diverted my mind from the task of running uphill (436 metres of climbing) which was a blessing. This is a tough climb and I realised that in April I will be approaching this hill after approximately 15 miles of running and have to pace myself as I still have 38 miles to go!
To increase my strength I went out hill running with a group of ultra runners. Dungavel Hill is not much fun and doesn't have the benefit of nice scenery. 316 metres of climbing was really tough and the pace of the group was different to yesterday so I hung on to the lead runners, just. Back to back tough runs is a great way to get fit and improve your strength. It's this type of training which will give me the best chance of a good performance for me next year. There are no short cuts in ultra running you just need to get out there and do it. It helps if you have the backdrop of the wonderful Scottish scenery and as I train on the race route on the west highland way I cannot wait for more breath taking views - literally!
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