The season is over and it won't go down in anyone's books as a classic. I hope it's never repeated in my lifetime. I find myself thinking we're stuck in March in "ground hog day". The virtual races have been my savior giving me something to focus on and a reason to push hard for at training. I didn't realise just how enjoyable peaking for races was until there were no races to peak for. And now we head into the autumn with the days shortening. But there's nothing we can do about 2020 except appreciate the good times when they happen. The work done between now and 2021 will set me up for the next season and that's what I must focus on with my coach.
Once again I had some niggles to deal with. My foot hasn't been great following the 250km virtual race and the discomfort spread to my ankle. My hamstring on my other leg was also playing up but I suspected that this was due to my hip alignment rather than a strain on the hammy, so I visited my amazing chiropractor Gill. I limped into her surgery and walked out with no limp - that's the sign of a successful session. The hammy was as expected but my ankle has a little bit of swelling and I can't say the treatment was pleasant, but the results were brilliant. I was told to stay off hills when running, easier said than done where I live, so the following day went on a trail run which was flatter than normal. The ankle held up and I met up with my team mates for coffee which was the highlight of the day - almost back normal! I hope this continues as having social interaction with your team mates is a big part of training helping motivate me to greater heights.
To give my ankle a rest after yesterday I went out for a bike ride to spin my legs. I haven't been out on the bike much and the weather conditions were wet so I was wary on the back roads which can be covered in mud or potholes. On the way home I was coming down a long steep hill, the Ardoch Rig, on "the bars" to get some speed on. I'd just come round a corner to see a car stopped to let a cyclist past on the other side of the road - the road is narrow and won't take 2 cars at this point but there was no need for the car to stop. I hit the brakes but there was no way I was stopping before the car and the other cyclist was going to be level with the car when I got there. My front wheel started a speed wobble and I shouted WOW to alert the other cyclist to the problem. He shouted something back to reassure me and gave me as much room as possible so I let go of the brakes and aimed for the small gap. I flew through with little room to spare so thank you to the other cyclist - I won't print what I'd like to say to the car driver! This all happened in a matter of seconds and could have ended so differently which was a reminder to me about cycling in the wet - it was definitely a close call.
The plan for me is to get my niggles sorted and to continue with my core strength work. The swimming pools are going to be open at the end of the month but I think we'll wait to see how they get on with the new rules before venturing back. In the meantime I'll continue with regular, consistent running but I won't be pushing the mileage. Nothing to be gained from that with no races in the coming months.
Sunday, 23 August 2020
Close call
Sunday, 16 August 2020
Why do you do it?
This is a question I get asked a lot, and last night when socialising with new neighbours , I was asked about my running. I gave them an insight into my adventures and what usually happens is the focus goes on the difficult stages where you are digging deep. Deeper than most people think is sensible but that's because they are working on the "factory mode safety setting" in their brain. Achieving anything worthwhile, whether it be a fast 5k or your first half marathon or ultra marathon, involved you pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and into uncomfortable territory. Territory where the "health and safety officer" is screaming at you to slow down. If it was Star Trek, Scottie the engineer would be saying "the engines canny take it Captain" - but they always do. But you're built of stronger stuff and the factory setting are to be ignored, more than once in my experience.
But you've got to want it enough to put up with the pain you are putting yourself through. You know when you've crossed that finish line that within 10 mins, 1 hour or if really hard in a few days you'll feel better and have a big grin all over your face for the achievement. That's also helped if you blog because you know you're going to have to report back on what you've promised. Social media also means you'll be held accountable or your Strava followers will give you kudos which is always welcome. It also helps motivate you to keep going - pain is temporary, but failure is forever. And if you do give up, unless for a serious medical problem or injury, you'll regret it within 30 minutes and there's no going back.
So back to the why? The short answer is because, as I approach my 59th birthday I realise that this journey has opened my eyes, my mind as to what is possible - I'm the fittest I've been in my life and it feels good. I've ran in the Sahara Desert for a week and the same in the Grand Canyon while living under canvas - what a privilege, what an experience. I've ran for 3.5 days in the mountains in Lake Tahoe, non stop, and pushed myself as close to my limit as I've ever been. I've raced in Ironman competitions with thousands of competitors all of whom are on their own individual journey with their own story. I go out training with my pals, like today, and we all push each other while having fun. I guess I'm lucky to be able to do it and I was reminded of this when talking to a friend who's in his 80s today. He said walking 300 yards to get his papers in the morning and back to his house was a real effort but he was determined to do it. That to me sounds like a hard work out and it's all relative based on your circumstance. If he gives up and stays house bound that would be terrible as there's plenty of life left in him yet!
So I do it because I can. I do it because I enjoy pushing myself and showing my kids that even at this age I am still "in the game and competing" and hope it will help them raise their "bar". I do it because through these daft adventures I've raised a lot of money over the years for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres who do such an amazing job in supporting people and families affected by cancer. I do it because I've met people all over the world that I call friends and in Tahoe last year 9 of us from around the world joined up to run together and it was so special. I know we'll get the chance to do it again in the future. I've always said we're all capable of so much more and aim to keep proving that to myself. I hope this will help you adjust your "factory mode settings" and take on some challenging adventures - you've one life, make the most of it.
Sunday, 9 August 2020
#loverunning
After my grueling effort in the virtual ultra race Romania I had a week of next to no exercise except some foam rolling. I was extremely fatigued and although I had no DOMS, I had a few strains. Tuesday was my recovery massage. The usual places were tender but I asked for my feet to be done. My right foot is always a problem. I said to Rhondda, if only it was pain free like my left foot. Then she started on my left foot - OMG agony. How the hell did that happen. She could hardly put any pressure on it without me tensing up and grimacing. It feels amazing when running so obviously something is going on.
On Wednesday I went to see my sports therapist, Pamela. My back was "solid", to us a non technical term, so she worked on that, my right foot and had a wee poke around my left foot - not good. So my next visit it will get the full monty! You might hear me scream!
It's always strange when you haven't got a daily exercise plan, you feel as though you're cheating. Getting up at the usual early hour and then thinking, what will I do with this spare time? On Saturday I went for a walk run with my pal Stuart who has just come back after 8 months off while waiting for a hernia operation. We chose a flat 5km route and I enjoyed not trying to keep to a pace or heart rate.We ran, walked and talked and it was great just to be out and moving - but it wasn't a work out so today I had to go out for a proper run.
5 of my ATHelite team mates met at Chatelherault for our first run together since lockdown. It was great. The weather was perfect and we didn't push the pace. I was delighted with my heart rate around a hilly lap and the pace was better than expected coming off a recovery week. It was good to be out with friends, socially distanced, with the usual banter.
Tomorrow I'll meet with my coach. We need to get a plan for the rest of this season and next year. I was going to do a long run (160 miles) in Scotland in September but decided to book a holiday in the sun instead. My "A race" is over and while 9 days to go before the race finishes, I am pleased with my performance. I was the first non-organiser and fastest runner to come in on 9 days for the 250 km. I was top of the leader board for 5 days before being overtaken by my team mate Graeme Scott (the race is based on the fastest time over the 25 days) who was then over taken by my other team mate Paul Noble. ATHelite had the top 3 places. I'm now down in 6th but my position is of no importance. This was about making the best of a disastrous year and the race organisers have come up with a winner with this event. I look forward to receiving my medal and will wear it with pride. The race might have been virtual, the pain wasn't. It brought together athletes from around the world including my G2G pal Kim who finished yesterday - an amazing effort as she hadn't trained for the event and Richard Labbe another G2G pal. So to the athletes still out there in the race, including my team mate Michael Martin, my nephew Colin Bryce and Kelsey Hogan from G2G, focus on that finish line. The ultra running community is wonderful and I am humbled to be part of this amazing group of fabulous people that I can call friends. #loverunning
Sunday, 2 August 2020
Virtual Ultra Race Romania - race report
Monday, 27 July 2020
Virtual Ultra Race Romania - race report so far
My training had gone well in the week before the race - I even put in a fast 12 k 2 days before the race which increased my confidence as I'd been doing a series of slow runs up until then. There are different ways of approaching this race; my nephew Colin is running 12 km per day which will be an awesome achievement. I want to put in some big runs and finish is 7-10 days depending on my foot holding up.
On Friday night I went to bed excited about my race. It's been a while since I've felt like this but before drifting off to sleep I was going through my running checklist and the route, half of which was new to me. The good news is I had three of my running mates to accompany me for part of the way and that was a real boost. We set off at an easy pace, after all this was only the first leg of a 250 km race so no point in racing ahead. Genevieve my coach and her husband Colin stayed for the first 8k and Michael, who is also doing the race, managed to 20 k but had done 5 k before he joined in. Considering this was his first long run after an enforced lay off then it was a fantastic effort. It also meant I didn't run too fast which is easy to do at the beginning. I completed the last 6 km on my own and think I took a wrong turn as the last 1.5 km was on tarmac but it didn't matter. My wife arrived at the same time as me and drove me home - I was tired and looking forward to a bath and some food. Early night for me but 26 km done.
On Sunday I got up at 5.45 am to fuel up. Today was 42 km. I was going to run to where Michael had stopped then turn and head back. My coach said she'd meet me on the way back and this gave me something to look forward to as I had targeted 5 hours due to the terrain and being all on your own isn't easy. When I reached Crossford, 20 km in, I found the local store and got a bottle of coke - rocket fuel. I'm so glad I did that as the tanks would be on empty on the way home. The scenery along the Clyde Valley is beautiful and it was so good not to be stomping on tarmac. I met Genevieve on the return route and the time flew by. We even passed her husband coming the other way as he got a run in as well. With about 6 km to go, the euphoric feeling of running in lovely countryside had left me and my speed was slowing down. I had a tightness at the back of my right knee and I just wanted to nurse it back to the car while getting under 5 hours. Having Genevieve there to encourage me along made all the difference and when I got home it was straight into the bath then a foam roller. It was my son's birthday so no time to waste as dinner needed to be prepared. I managed not to go too mad with the beer and had another bath before bed as my knee wasn't good.
Monday, day 3 and again Genevieve & Colin decided to join me for the best part of 21 km on the roads. I pissed down the whole time but was warm which gives you the dilemma of what to wear. We all wore light rain jackets but probably ended up as wet with sweat! My knee was niggly especially going up hills but surprisingly after 10 km my legs felt good. We had to run through some roadworks only to discover our shoes were caked in tar as were our legs - we'll see tomorrow if I've managed to get most of it off otherwise that's one pair of ruined shoes.
3 days in and I'm feeling good. 89 km done and 161 km to go. A multi-day ultra takes a certain kind of mental discipline. You know you can run faster and you don't like seeing slower speeds but go too fast and you won't finish. Plan well and execute the plan. I've got another 21 km to do tomorrow before my sports massage and then a day off to recover. That should set me up nicely as the miles build.
Monday, 20 July 2020
Socially distanced running
Saturday was a really special day. My first run with pals, my coach Genevieve and her husband Colin. I turned up at Chatelherault early to do a lap before they arrived and they joined me for the second lap. That was a tough second lap as having reduced my training over the last two weeks has had an impact on my fitness. Genevieve gave me some tips to improve my running and I did my best to make the changes. But I was blowing out my backside by the end. We managed a socially distanced coffee afterwards and it was great. Almost normal but not quiet, but we'll get there in time. You can't beat running with friends. The mistake I made was not to rest afterwards. I had an afternoon of furniture shopping for our new house which is important, but it came at a cost the next day as I missed my rest. Oh and that was 15 km, a nice step up as it was day one of three days of running.
My foot was a 4/10 so it was agreed that I'd run at the wind farm on Sunday as it was better underfoot than tarmac, marginally in my opinion. The wind farm is a tough gig. Hilly and exposed. I decided that instead of an out and back, I'd half the distance and do 2 out and backs in case my foot played up - I didn't want to be too far away from the start if my foot acted up. It was a game of two halves. 6.7 km out was tough but on the way back I felt better as it ends on a downhill! I then turned around for a second loop and that's where the wheels came off the trolley.
I went a different route as I couldn't face the hills I'd just been on again. I ended up stopping, walking and had a number of stones to pick out of my shoes. Easier said than done when your ham strings are complaining and you're trying not to tweak anything. In total I managed 24 km and was knackered. But I got my rest when I got home.
So this morning I headed out early to Chatelherault at 6.30 am for 16.5 km. No company to distract from any discomfort. But I had the birds singing which always cheers me up. It wasn't fast but it was done. Then I started eating. McDonalds for breakfast, fish and chips for lunch. Home for dinner with more fish and pasta - you know when you've trained hard when your appetite goes through the roof!
Having had my first run with friends in over 4 months I'm really looking forward to this becoming the norm. The Virtual Race Romania starts on Saturday, 250 km in 25 days. I was intending in doing it in 7 days but we're going to be managing this on a daily basis with reduced mileage just so we can get there. What ever it takes!
Sunday, 12 July 2020
Whatever it takes
During the week I mixed running with cycling and would put it down as a good weeks training with some decent runs. By Thursday my heart rate was behaving which confirmed the training schedule was on point.
On Saturday I ran 30 km which was a decent step up in distance but unfortunately it was all tarmac. I'm still getting used to my new orthotics and while they are offering more support it does have an impact on my body which I started to feel around 20 km. My foot was uncomfortable but it was more my IT band at the side of my knee. With 6 km to go I turned for home straight into a headwind and my niggles were getting worse. I eased off on my pace as I knew I had a 90 minute run the next day and didn't want to hurt myself. Just as I got into Strathaven I noticed my coach and her husband heading in my direction on their bikes. Genevieve started shouting and waving like a loony and that always makes me smile, straighten up, and pick up my feet. But that short burst of motivation quickly subsided as I just wanted to get the run finished.
I reported back to Genevieve on how I felt and we both agreed to wait till the morning to decide whether to run or rest. I woke up and other than the first few footsteps I felt fine, certainly no muscular pain in my legs. So I headed off for Chatelherault to get off the tarmac and back to the trail. I was scheduled for a couple of laps but quickly it became obvious it was going to be a painful run as the niggles were getting worse. About 3 km in I felt like turning back and walking but decided to keep it going and see whether I could manage 1 or 2 laps. At some stages it felt fine and with under a km to go in the first lap I thought I'd start the second lap but as soon as I turned up the hill towards the end of the lap, the pain came back and I called it a day. A slow and painful lap. Such a shame as it was a lovely day to be in the beautiful grounds of Chatelherault.
I came home, hot bath, anti-inflammatory tablets, ice and elevated my leg.
Tomorrow is a rest day and I have set up a conversation with my coach for tomorrow. Fortunately I have a sports massage booked for Tuesday and seeing my sports therapist on Thursday. My "A race" is 12 days away and my current race strategy of completing it in a week might have to change. I'll do whatever it takes to be ready on Saturday 25 July and if it means I have to run more days and less mileage then I will, with one condition. I'm not creating a bigger problem with my foot / leg. I'll be speaking to my podiatrist as well as it takes time to adjust to new orthotics.
It's never easy which is what makes it so satisfying when running injury free. May the wind be at your back!
