The Grand Tour of Skiddaw

Just a quick post to get a few pictures out there from The Grand Tour of Skiddaw yesterday. I spend a happy day marshalling at the Caldbeck checkpoint which the runners visited twice on the route.

Looks like a cracking event that will grow and grow. Definitely one I have placed on the to-do-list.

These are all snapshots I have taken from video clips on a new mini HD video camera. I have upgraded in the hope of improving the quality of my video clips for the blog, so once I have had a good play around with the settings, worked out how best to upload to Yourtube/Vimeo and sussed out how to embed in HD, we'll see how it works out.

Ring O Fire preparation

It's all been a bit strange in the build up to the Ring O Fire race in just over a week's time. For my previous long ultras like the West Highland Way and the Lakeland 100, I have carefully planned a 3 week taper and have had no problems keeping to the plan, this time I have found it difficult to stop myself from going out for a run and have, in fact, done probably too much training over the last four weeks, to the point where I now have to take some rest days to stop myself from getting injured.

The obvious difference in the build up to this race is that I will have been off work (school holidays) for the six weeks leading up to the race. When I am not charging round like an idiot at work all day long, I have so much more time, energy and inclination to go out training - so I do!

On my previous visit down to Anglesey to have a look at the course, I definitely overdid the first day of running (45 miles in hot conditions) and then compounded the body-kicking with 23 miles the next day. It took me some time to get over that physically, though it was great, psychologically, to run those two big days back to back.

Last week, Tracey and I went down again to spend another few days on the island and I planned to do a couple of 20 milers, back to back as my last big push before easing back in the final couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I made a bit of a schoolboy error and miscalculated the distances between checkpoints and ended up doing 30 miles on the first day and then the planned 20 miles on the following day. Still, I felt fairly good doing it and finished strong on day 2, again giving a confidence boost that I might be able to cope with the full 3 days.

There are a few interesting points on the course, including times when you have to wade in the sea round rock out-crops on the beach. On my recce it was only thigh deep, but it could be interesting on race day if the tide is any higher! One thing I am going to do is carefully check the high tide times just prior to the race, estimate what time of day I will be at the significant points round the course and then make a decision as to whether I need to take the slightly longer but much drier options along the coastal path.

My route round the outcrop!!

Having done these two back-to-back sessions in the space of two weeks, I am feeling the effects a little and have, therefore, really backed off the running and am just going to trot out a few easy jogs in the final two weeks build up. I am starting to put together a battle plan, but am going to have a very different focus for this race than I had for the West Highland Way Race a couple of months ago; it will be interesting to see how things work out. I'll put some final thoughts together just before I head off down to Anglesey again for the race proper in the middle of next week.

This weekend, I am really looking forward to marshaling on the Grand Tour of Skiddaw Race. I'll be helping to look after the runners at the Caldbeck checkpoint, so if you are in the race, good luck and I look forward to seeing you spring in and out of the checkpoint on your way to achieving whatever goals you have set yourself.

Recovering and moving on

Following the WHW, I had a rough plan of recovery in mind; roughly three weeks of occasional jogging then try a normal easy week of training with the aim of being back in full training by the end of the summer term. This would give me time to get four weeks of good training done before a short taper for the Ring O Fire Race at the end of August.

The first part of this plan went well and I limited myself to some easy jogs and was quite happy to do nothing on some days and not beat myself up about it. After three weeks it was time to get the old mojo flowing again and what better way to do that than spend another weekend training with Richie over some more of the Lakeland 100 route? We spent a couple of hours running back to Keswick from Buttermere on the Saturday evening climbing via Sail Pass.

Dropping towards Braithwaite

On the Sunday, we had a look at the final few sections of the route, from Ambleside to Coniston and once again spent most of the time trying to take in the full beauty of The Lake District looking her Sunday best. I have really enjoyed showing Richie around the Lakes and again, as last year with John, watching someone else obviously loving this part of the country, it reminds me how lucky I am to live here. Mojo levels through the roof.

Langdale

The final week of term, when I intended to have a normal steady training week, kind of didn't happen. I found that having spent a lot of the day out in the sun, by the time I got home I had had enough and just wanted to stay inside the house where it was a bit cooler. Part of me was saying this was such a waste but, on occasions, I really felt it would be ridiculous to spend another hour or so back in the sun. In an ideal world I would have gone out training in the morning but my body clock does not live in the real world, my body clock likes to live snuggled under the sheets on a nice fluffy pillow.

I made my annual pilgrimage to The Open golf championship on the weekend of 20/21 July and, as you can imagine, on a lads weekend away there was no time, energy, inclination or desire to train so, despite the rough plan, training post WHW started on Monday 22 July, just over four weeks from the race.

Tracey and I decide to spend a bit of time away in the camper van and headed off down to watch the start of the Lakeland 100 in Coniston. It was great to catch up with friends and watch this amazing event from a totally different perspective compared to last year. Folk kept asking me if I wished I was running and, for the most part, the immediate answer was no. This event was never on my radar this year and it was nice to just chat to friends and not worry about how the next 24+ hours would pan out. The only time I did waver and felt like I wanted to set off on the adventure again was as we watched the runners go past us on the way up to the Miners Bridge just after the start. A short run along the shore of Coniston Water seemed to get that feeling out of my system.

The adventure begins

I wont go into the full blow by blow account of the race itself, you can see details on the race website or for more personal accounts try the race Facebook page, needless to say I spent most of the Saturday glued to my phone checking for updates on friends running the race.

I spent another day watching golf on the Saturday, this time at Birkdale for the Seniors Open and then we finally made our way in the van to Anglesey so I could have a look at some of the route for the Ring O Fire race.

What a spectacular course it is! In essence it is really simple; three days of racing round the 131 miles of the coastal path round the whole of the island. I had it in my head that it would be relatively flat with a few ups and downs but, if nothing else, the recce has given me some food for thought with regard to a race plan.

In an effort to make logistics a bit easier, I ran a long first day (around 45 miles!) and a shorted second day (23 miles) and have now covered all of Day 1 and Day 3 of the race. For the most part, the route is really well signed so navigation is not too much of an issue, though I did spend odd minutes here and there just making sure I had got the correct route. What was important is that I now know what to expect with regard to the terrain which I think is really important so I know how pay out my energy levels over the course of the day.

Top tan lines!

One thing is for sure; if the weather is good it is going to be a stunning journey and if the weather is bad it is going to be man-suit time in a big way. Check out the video of the two days to get a flavour of the route.

Ring O Fire Race recce from Recovery Beyond on Vimeo.

Sun setting on the Mother Ship

Although I am not making the race a major priority for the year, I am really looking forward to the run and cannot wait to see how my body will cope with three consecutive days of ultra marathons. My right foot has been very sore the last couple of days (I think I may have tied my laces too tight on the first day of the recce) so I have taken a few days off and will spend this weekend having a couple of cycle rides before I try running again. I'm not sure if I will have time to go down to Anglesey again before the race to recce the full 65 miles of the second day but I may have a look at some of the route. Any excuse to get out of decorating/gardening!

West Highland Way Race video

Here are some photos and video clips that give a flavour of how the day went for me and my crew.

West Highland Way Race 2013 from Recovery Beyond on Vimeo.

West Highland Way Race 2013

Everything was so different this time round. The build-up, the pre-race emotions, the feelings as I ran the race and the immediate post-race aftermath were all so far removed from how I felt in 2010 when I last toed the start line in Milngavie.

This year, I have made a few tweaks to my training; slightly increasing the overall mileage (though still not in the same ball-park as others), I've thrown in more back to back long runs and also added some carbo-depletion sessions, all in the hope of a big improvement on my PB of 20:21 hours from three years ago.

In more recent weeks, I've also experimented with my pack and hydration system, trying to avoid having a bum bag tight round my stomach, to this end I have been training with a small back pack and a hand-held bottle. After much deliberation, I decided to start with the pack and hand-held bottle, having the option to swap to the trusted bum bag if I wanted.

The really significant difference this year, compared to 2010, was my psychological state going into the race. Three years ago, although I was confident, it was still a step into the unknown and much of my pre-race emotion was focussed on trepidation and some anxiety as to how I would cope. This time, partly after the confidence boost of last year's performance in the Lakeland 100 and partly due to the solid training undertaken this year, I went into the race without any anxiety, only excitement; I wasn't here to get round in an OK time, I was here with my game face on!

A change to the support crew this year seemed appropriate as most other elements have been tweaked; my step-father Paul teamed up with Tracey to look after me for the duration of the race and what a super job they did.

Team Troman 2013

I did not want to spend too long at registration as I knew it would be easy to stand around chatting, spending time on my feet that I could better use later in the proceedings, so it was in and out very efficiently and back to the hotel to get my feet up. I do remember feeling restless during the evening, spending a lot of time fidgeting around with kit and race food - just something to occupy myself with really.

As with all runners, it is simply a relief once the briefing is finished and we can finally think about putting one foot in front of the other in a bid to get to Fort William.

Minutes to go before the start

I had a quick chat with John Kynaston just before the start and it was good to hear him being so positive about the challenge ahead and even more pleasing to see that he managed to put together a great run. Then it was the hooter sounding and off into the crowded pedestrian street of down town Milngavie.

They're off!

The general game plan was to run a good, solid first half to Auchtertyre and then hope that I could put together one of my strong 2nd half runs to keep things going when all around me fell apart. What I did discover during the course of the day is that nearer the front of the field there is a lot less falling apart, everyone runs their own race, at their own pace and no one really slackens off; I suppose it's the difference between completing and racing!

I settled in nicely to various small groups, usually tucking in at the back, letting any early whippets have their rope, confident I would see most of them again later and met Tracey and Paul for the first time at Gartness. I prefer this spot for a splash and dash pit stop as it divides up the run from Milngavie to Balmaha into a more even split and avoids the chaos at Drymen. Tracey counted me through Gartness in about 32nd place which sounded about right, giving me plenty of runners to use as a hare over the next couple of hours.

In 2010, I remember it was a crystal clear night and I could have turned my headtorch off before Drymen; again, 2013 was a different beast altogether. I finally felt safe to go with natural light somewhere after the large deer fence on the way to Conic Hill, had a great climb up there, then promptly needed to light up again as I went into the woods on the drop to the car park.

Like most runners, I just wanted to reach Balmaha without any dramas and feel that I'm ready to take on the loch-side route up to Beinglas Farm. Paul met me at the trail entrance to the car park, quick dib and jog across to the car. Like a well drilled pit crew, Tracey and Paul and all my various options ready and I just grabbed what I needed to get the Rowardennan, said a quick hello, thanks and goodbye and trotted out of the car park - no fuss and ready to do the next battle. (15th place apparently, 3:02 hours)

Balmaha

I must admit that the exact sequencing of events and in particular, people that I met and briefly ran with are very sketchy from this point on. My over-riding memory of the rest of the day is that I basically ran on my own for the next 15:30 hours all the way to Fort William. Obviously I passed a few runners, some at checkpoints, some out on the trail, we always chat, pass the time of day, encourage each other, offer food or a drink if it seems that it might be needed, usually these social events are imprinted on my memory as they are so important in an event such as this; one might say they are integral to the race but this time it's all a bit of a blur. Again, I think for me, it's the difference between running with a game face focus from an early stage of the race rather than just clocking up the hours before the later battles. Another sign of this was how little I took out my little video camera during the race; regular readers will know that I usually do quite a bit of filming during my races but this time I think I only took the camera out 5 times - don't worry though, I still have enough photos and footage from a number of sources to put together a video of the day!

The section to Rowardennan went well apart from a confidence crisis as I made one of the small climbs and thought "this doesn't quite look right", I tried to convince myself that I was on the wrong path and that I should be on a lower one. Fortunately, just as I was about to blast through the woods to find another track, I recognised a large boulder and short steep bit of path and had a right go at myself for being so stupid. I managed to pull up a couple of places and reached Rowardennan in 13th place, 4:26 hours.

Rowardennan

In the Fling, back in April, I managed to run all of the hill out of Rowardennan, just managing to set a nice easy jog all the way which covered the ground so much faster than walking but didn't do much damage to my legs; same again this time, I thought to myself. Once I had made that decision, it gave me the motivation to do it and it was a real confidence boost to make such good use of the forest road. Little boosts like this are all part of running a race like this and even more so along this section, where you do not see your support crew for such a long time.

I always like to reach Inversnaid. The marshals did a great job of sorting drop bags, helping me with my bottle and taking any rubbish I wanted to get rid of. A metaphorical rub of the hands and off into one of my favourite sections of the race. I've said this before, but there is no secret to getting through this technical section - all you have to do is stay relaxed, don't fight the trail and remember that everyone around you will cover the ground slower too. The more frustrated you get, the more energy you will waste. Simples!!

Without seeing many runners along the trail, I had somehow managed to pull myself up to 9th palce (7:10 hours) by the time I reached Beinglas Farm; where your support crew are fighting sleep and midges. I always feel that I should spend a bit more time with my crew at this point as they have stood around waiting for me, not leaving a single bare patch of skin open to the little blighters and I just rock up, say hello and get the hell out of there before I get attacked. Selfish, I know.

Beinglas Farm

Leaving Beinglas Farm, quickly!

I was really pleased with the way I was covering the ground, still running almost everything but I was conscious of the fact that I was finding it more and more difficult to get drink and food into me. A few years ago, this would have really bothered me but I have learnt that there is no need to panic or get frustrated as this only makes matters worse, the body will cope, so I just got in what I could, little bits at a time.

 I managed to avoid the bad patch through the rollercoaster woods that I endured in the Fling and felt pretty good as I arrived at Auchtertyre knowing I was going to have a slightly longer stop and change my clothing and shoes - aahh, bliss. My weight had dropped down to the lower limit at this point but I felt good and was certainly running a good steady pace, though I made a mental note to try and get some more into me before I got to Kinlochleven.

It was great to spend just a few minutes with Tracey and Paul instead of just a few seconds, so I had a sit down and a full kit change which always reinvigorates me and sets me up for the second half.

Time for some Skin-so-Soft

2nd half here we come!

Having arrived at Auchtertyre in 7th place (9:04 hours plus a 9 minute stop) I was thinking somewhere between 18:15 and 18:30 hours would be a target for the full distance if I could hold things together. On my last long training run on the WHW, about three weeks before the race, I had tried to run much of the 2nd half at a really easy jog, with the minimum outlay of energy. This was to be my approach again in the race; run as much as I could without pushing myself into the red zone. I kept thinking back to 2010 and the places where I walked then, using that as a stick to keep me running as much as possible this time.

I hardly walked at all on the way to Bridge of Orchy, only pausing to put on my jacket for one particularly heavy shower. I'm not saying it was a fast run, far from it, but psychologically it felt great to still be running at this point in the race.

Running into Bridge of Orchy checkpoint

Being near the front of the field (still in 7th place, 10:53 hours) meant that Tracey and Paul were able to get the car parked at the checkpoint so I had a full choice of drink and food for the yomp over the hill to Victoria Bridge. Once again, I set myself the target of running some (but not all) of the climb out of BoO and was pleased to at least look like I was running well as I met Murdo on his knoll at the top of the climb. Your support crew have to tell you that you are looking good and running well, its their job, but it was nice to be told that be someone outside of Team Troman, so thanks for that Murdo!

I met Tracey and Paul again at the car park just before the Forest Lodge and decided that Rannoch Moor warranted some music as it was going to be a lonely couple of hours over to the ski station. So, earphones in, I trudged off to battle the moor. I stuck to my plan of slow run all the way which seemed to be working, rather than mixing walk/run and managed to get a little more liquid in me on the way. Apart from the half mile climb before the final drop, I managed to run all the way to the ski station but I was a little disappointed to not see another runner anywhere ahead of me; I half hoped I would see someone to give me a little boost and perhaps a target to chase.

Glencoe Ski Centre (7th place, 13:03 hours) is always a sight for sore eyes after the desolation and isolation of Rannoch Moor. Paul ran down the access road to meet me and find out what I wanted at the support point - ever efficient!

Approaching Glencoe Ski Centre

Clocked in

It was another sub-1-minute stop and as I left, the marshals commented on what an efficient crew I had - nothing I didn't already know! This was illustrated perfectly at Kingshouse where Paul, a doctor, decided he should force a pit stop on me and make sure I had taken another small drink and a gel before I was about to tackle the Devil's Staircase. That is the crew doing the thinking for the runner as he starts to make less than satisfactory decisions - top crewing.

Leaving Kingshouse

On the way to the base of the Devil's Staircase, I started to convince myself that there was another runner closing in on me. At each of the last two checkpoints I saw the same support crew, then again at Altnafeadh they were there, looking back down as I made the long climb, I thought I could see someone gaining but Paul, who had ran up the climb ahead of me just to take a few photos (bless!) told me, when I reached the top, that there was no one in sight.

Climbing the Devil's Staircase

It was on the long drop into Kinlochleven that I really had my first difficult patch. It was not that I was suffering badly, I just could not get my legs to carry me as fast as I thought I should be going. By this point I had realised that my finish time would be a lot closer to 18:30 hours than it would be to 18:00 hours so, in a way I felt that a bit of pressure was lifted and I could afford to just make steady progress down into the village. On the way down I met Peter Duggan running up and we quickly said hello and remembered when we had ran together for a number of hours in the 2010 race.

At the checkpoint in Kinlochleven (yes, still in 7th, 15:21 hours) I was pleased that I had managed to put a bit of weight back on, though I was still under my starting weight. Now you feel that you are heading for home but it is still quite a trek to those leisure centre doors. I split this long section into a few mini-targets; reach the top of the climb and onto the military road, the large ruin just after the col, round to Lundavra, on to the forest road, Braveheart car park and finally the finish. Sounds easy!

Leaving Kinlochleven

As soon as I started the climb out of Kinlochleven, I knew I was going to have to really dig in for this last section. I felt like I was having to put in an inordinate amount of effort for relatively little forward progress. I thought back to the Lakeland 100, where my plan was not to go into the red on any climbs so I could run the rest and I guessed this would be a good time to replay that scenario. I was near the end of a super run, looking at a top 7 finish but was suddenly faced with blowing it all and crumbling over this last section. I took the climb nice and easy and told myself that I would get back to running once I was on the military road. Once on the main track, I did manage to get into a run but I say that in the widest sense of the word; I just figured that my slow run was comfortable enough and much faster than a walk so on I trudged.

Not much foot lift there!

No matter how many times you run over Lairigmor, you never get a feeling for how far it will feel come race day when you have 80 plus miles in your legs; it just goes on for ever. One thing that kept me going was the memory of how hard I found this in 2010 when it was a subtle blend of run, walk, swear, walk, run, cry, run, etc; at least this time I was running most of the trail and was able to feed off that psychologically.

Eventually, the checkpoint at Lundavra came into view and it was nice to be greeted by some familiar faces in the Neil and Caroline, who whooped it up for me (and long into the night, I hear) and sent me on my merry way feeling better. I almost forgot to refill my bottle for the last leg but Neil sorted me out and off I trotted on the final push.

Even this last section felt different; there was no beaming smile and inner glow of satisfaction at having completed the route that I had in 2010, this time it was still very much concentrate and finish the job off - more pragmatic than euphoric.

I'm glad that I had a look at this final section a few weeks ago as it looks so different now that there has been a load of felling; it is still an obvious track, just not how I remembered it. I had a few final checks behind and could see no one in sight so didn't really have to go full bore on the long drop to the Braveheart car park and, at last, started to let the events of the day and the final outcome start to sink in, let a smile edge across my face.

Braveheart car park

  
I finally reached the leisure centre and the finish of the West Highland Way Race 2013 in 7th place with an official time of 18 hours 30 minutes and 59 seconds - knocking 1:50 hours off my time from three years ago - well happy with that!!

Finished!

Tracey and Paul were right there to join in the celebrations (relief?!) and we had a few minutes together enjoying the moment. I think there were a number of others around who passed on their congratulations; sorry, but I was in no fit state to acknowledge you. I got reweighed and discovered that I had dropped just below my lower limit for weight loss which was a bit of a worry (and something I need to work on for my next adventure) but the main problem was my usual blood pressure drop as soon as I stop running these stupid distances.

No need to panic - I know the drill; lie down with my feet elevated to keep blood flowing round my core and head. To this end, I spent the next 20 minutes lying on the floor in the leisure centre next to Mike Raffan (6th place) as we both tried to recover. Apart from feeling a bit light headed, I didn't feel too bad so after some soothing from Tracey and light medical support from Silke (thanks), Paul brought the car right up to the steps of the leisure centre and I readied myself for the big push - well, 20 yards to the car! With Paul supporting me, I hobbled to the top of the steps and then it all went horribly wrong! To put it simply, I passed out and ended up being held up by Paul. Tracey, meanwhile, was standing by the car, under the impression that I was larking around, as I usually do, until Paul shouted up that I was really gone! As I write this now, I have a nagging thought at the back of my mind - something to do with a boy, a wolf and some crying?!

Somehow they managed to get me into the back of the car but I have no recollection of the 5 minute journey to the B & B and woke up some three hours later on my bed, still dressed in my running kit. I peeled off the kit, had a drink and slept again until 8am on Sunday. Then I had a shower!!

On Sunday morning I finally got to read all the texts and tweets I received the night before and got all emotional, stuffed my face at breakfast and headed up to the prize giving to catch up with everyone. It is always an emotional time with tales of joy and woe in equal measure. Tracey commented on how great it is that everyone has their moment in the sun and you get the same appreciation regardless of your finishing time - I guess that one line on it's own sums up this event.

I think I have rambled on for long enough now but I cannot finish without a few closing words. Thank you to my team mates for this adventure; Tracey and Paul, I couldn't have done this without you. To the West Highland Way Race committee - I have no idea how you manage to do it, but please keep doing it - this race means so much to so many people, thanks again. Thanks to everyone who gave words of encouragement in whatever form before, during and after the event - they really help. Paul Giblin, how the hell did you do that? Gareth B-J, you are an inspiration.  Finally, thanks to Mark and Kate (told you I would give you a mention!) for your help in the build up, you know what I mean.

Phew!

West Highland Way Race - quick update

We have just got back from Fort William after another wonderful weekend battling the West Highland Way.

I managed to knock 1:50 hours off my previous time and was elated to finish in 7th place in 18:30 hours. I had a few "moments" after finishing but more of that in the full report to follow.

Many thanks to Tracey and Paul for looking after me so well over the race (and beyond), all the organisers and marshals who made the race such a great experience and congratulations to all runners who managed to get their hands on one of those precious goblets.

Summer says hello, briefly

It seems strange, sitting here, looking out of the window as the rain lashes against the glass, thinking back on the last two days, with my shoulders plastered in Sudocrem to heal the sunburn. Like most folk running the West Highland Way Race, this is now my last week of hard training before a taper, so I thought I'd better make it a good one.

Since the Highland Fling Race, I have struggled through the week to get out and do anything meaningful, basically just ticking over, though I have still done the weekend workouts that I planned. I'm not overly worried that I might have missed some important training, I just thought that I would have more oomph for some training after work in these last few weeks of build-up.

Last year, in my final few weeks of preparation for the Lakeland 100, I spent one weekend supporting my stepfather as he completed the Two Saints Way. This gave me lots of hours on my feet without trashing my legs and I felt that it was a weekend well spent, so I wanted to replicate that same kind of weekend this year. When talking to my brother-in-law, Rob, he was keen to have a walk up Scafell Pike as a recce for an attempt at the Three Peaks Challenge so I suggested we should have a yomp up together, hoping I would get that same kind of benefit as last year.

We had a great day out in the mountains, even managing to see a fair proportion of the field doing the Old County Tops fell race on Scafell Pike. Still, it was a bit strange to be walking up through snow almost at the end of May!

Just below Esk Hause

Great views on the summit #fail

This weekend could not have been more different. Two times West Highland Way Race winner and all round legend, Richie Cunningham came down to stay with us in Keswick. I think the unspoken deal was that I would show him round part of the Lakeland 100 route and he would allow me to pick his brains for training and racing tips - we both got exactly what we wanted from the weekend, though I also got sunburnt shoulders into the bargain.

Richie arrived on Saturday morning and we immediately headed out, running the 4 miles to the Braithwaite checkpoint and then continuing on the route through Keswick, Glenderaterra valley, Blencathra Centre, the Old Coach Road, Dockray, glorious Gowbarrow and through to the dropbag station at Dalemain. What a day we had! The miles flowed, the conversation flowed and, boy, the sweat flowed!

Looking back towards Derwent Water (middle right) from Lonscale Fell

Richie on Glenderaterra terrace

Like the following day too, it was one of those occasions where you are just so pleased that you do the sport we do; what better way is there to enjoy the mountains?

Refuelling on The Old Coach Road

Shoulders don't look too red there! Wait until later!

There was the usual highlight of running round Gowbarrow Fell and the stunning views over Ullswater, by which point Richie was already hooked on the course.

Ullswater from Gowbarrow Fell

We finally trundled into Dalemain just under 6 hours after setting off from home with 30 miles under our belts; two very happy bunnies. We had just missed one bus so had to take refuge in a pub for 40 minutes and this was the first time I really noticed how sore my shoulders and arms were. As a PE teacher, I normally build up a reasonable colour over the summer term (even in Keswick) and have never been sunburnt, but this time I have to hold my (red) arms up and say "school boy error", it looks pretty comical but is actually really sore and I'm using Sudocrem like it's going out of fashion - still, you live and learn!

After a great refuel that night (how on earth did we eat that much?) and a sound kip, it was time for another 30 miles the next day. Normally, after 30 miles in the mountains, I would expect to be stiff as a board the following day, but I had no problems and, in fact, we both commented early on that we felt stronger than the previous day. I know that Stuart Mills has commented on this phenomenon, and I agree with him that the mind somehow accounts for the fact that you are doing back to back days and prevents you going into recovery mode, keeping inflammation at bay, allowing you to go again. I hope this works for the Ring O Fire Race later in the year!

This time we covered the sections from Dalemain to Ambleside, taking in Howtown, over the high point of the route at High Cop, Haweswater, Mardale, Gatescarth Pass, Sadgill, Kentmere, Garburn Pass and Troutbeck.

Richie on the banks of Haweswater

I was taking no chances this time and ran in a long sleeved top and we both plastered ourselves in factor 30, though I did spend most of the day with the image of an open stable door and a horse bolting off into the distance!

Once again we saw the fells in their full beauty and it was yet another 6 odd hours of big smiles.

Near the high point on High Cop

Refuelling with some Twiglets at Kentmere

Once again, we just missed a bus back to Keswick so were forced to sit in the park in Ambleside and eat ice-creams.....as you do!

So that completed my biggest back to back weekend ever which, if you ignore the sunburn, I came through totally unscathed and full of confidence. Both Richie and I had a fantastic time together, chewing the cud over important things (and irrelevant things), Richie is totally sold on the route, I've learnt a few tricks of the trade  from a proven race winner and we are already planning his next visit to continue the journey round The Lakes. The final dot on an i (or maybe it is a cross on a t) before the West Highland Way Race is a gentle jaunt from Bridge of Orchy to Fort William at the end of this week, just to reacquaint myself with the top part of the course which I've not been on since 2010, then it's taper time.

Getting excited now!

Hoka Highland Fling race report

If you read my previous post, you will realise I was in the turmoil of a dilemma - to go for it or hold something back for battles to come? I am not one for indecision, I like to have a clear plan but this time I found myself standing on the start line in Milngavie not really knowing how I wanted to play it.

Tracey and I travelled up to Milngavie after work on Friday and I wasted no time before going down to the pub to register. It was great to catch up with Andy Cole and Mark Barnes, but I didn't want to stand around for too long when there was a nice hotel room with carpets and sheets (as opposed to our new house with floorboards, dust and sleeping bags!) just next door.

Like many runners, I think my biggest worry for the race was getting up in time to make the start so I set my alarm for 4:15am but put it on the far side of the room so I would have to get out of bed to turn it off. The adrenaline kicked in as soon as the alarm went off and I made the start with loads of time to spare, catching up with friends and just being happy to be back on that sacred car park.

The temperature just lifted enough for me to leave my jacket in the bumbag and, in fact, the weather made a welcome return to spring after a dismal few days. I got myself in the front start pen but made sure I was to the back of the group as I didn't want to get dragged along too quickly early on. The field spread out quite quickly and I soon settled into a nice rhythm but I was concious of the speed that I was running at, so allowed a few to pass me and tried to stick to my rough 8 min/mile on the flat plan up to Drymen. I met up with Matt Wilson along this stretch and we enjoyed each others company to Rowardennan, having previously met up for some running around Keswick.

What pleased me most about this early, flat section of the race was that I was able to keep up a reasonable pace without really panning myself and was pleased to reach Drymen (67th place) and then Balmaha in good time. The new path up Conic Hill really helps with your footing and makes for an easier climb. I reached Balmaha in 2:55 hours, spent a minute sorting my drop bag out and headed out of the car park with the attitude that I would allow myself to think I was in a race now - game face on!

I am so much more at home on the terrain up the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, I love the single track, twisty, rough, undulating and gnarly. I could feel I was starting to run well and, more importantly, cover the ground quickly with a minimum of fuss. I concentrated on being smooth, going with the flow and not fighting the terrain and as I worked with Matt, we seemed to be in Rowardennan in no time. We were away from the checkpoint in a couple of minutes, though Matt wanted to walk a while to sort his nutrition out and went on to finish in under 9:30 hours on his debut.

I was enjoying myself now, picking off runners every 5 mins or so, and with this positivity, I set myself the target of running all the hill out of Rowardennan. I almost managed this last year but had a couple of lapses so was determined to take the scalp this time - and did! I caught up and then tagged along with John Butters on the way to Inversnaid and we made good time together into the checkpoint along the single track.

By now, I felt I was in a nice groove and ready to take on the Marmite section after Inversnaid. If you just accept that it is rough and it's the same for everyone, there is no big mystery to this section and I really enjoyed myself, running my fastest split ever for this sector. Looking at the final results splits, I was the 15th fastest up the side of the loch which reinforces how much I was enjoying myself.

As I approached Beinglas Farm (22nd place), I started to play my usual maths game of predicting a time and realised I had a chance of breaking 9 hours for the first time, so that became my new target to keep me fired over the remainder of the race.

I knew I couldn't hang around so pushed on with the good running to be had on the forest road to Derry Darroch and was really encouraged by the support from Paul and Gaynor (thanks, guys), thinking I could catch the next man up the track. I finally caught the next place (Ryan McKenzie) just as we reached the rollercoaster woods, feeling very pleased with myself and then proceeded to fall apart for 30 minutes as Ryan cruised away from me having spent 40 minutes trying to catch him (there is definitely some psychology in that!).

I somehow managed to hold it together through the woods and got myself in a better place once I was back down on the track to Auchertyre. A few more difficult maths calculations and I thought I could still make the 9 hour target, so no time to wallow in self pity after a rough patch. The two drunks near the main road underpass gave me a hearty cheer and offered me a miniature of vodka (did anyone else see them or was it just some sleep monsters?). It is always surprising how your body can kick in with a good finish once your brain takes off the self-preservation shackles and I was soon turning into the campsite and the superb finish area.

High 5's

I crossed the line in 8:56:10 hours, a PB by 22 minutes for 21st place - a very happy bunny!! For once I wasn't in bits and was able to (just) about suffer a massage and be sociable instead of hiding away in a corner in some kind of self-preservation coma.

Going back to my original dilemma, I think I just about got things right - a nice steady start followed by a great confidence building blast along the loch and a good finish in a new PB without totally wasting myself. Just about ticked all the boxes;-)

Thanks to all the organisers and marshals that surely make this one of the best events on the calendar. Once this is posted it's time to crack open one of those chilled beers they were passing out at the finish (just cannot quaff on straight after the race) and remember the good times skipping over those boulders on the loch shore. Eight weeks to the big one!

Hoka Highland Fling Race Update

A distinct lack of blogging over the last couple of weeks due to a house move (and lots of building work) and no t'interweb.

Now that we are back in the correct century, I can at least give a quick update on the Highland Fling as we have just got back from Scotland.

I was a little worried about how the house move might have affected my run, but I managed to put together another good race, breaking my PB for the course by 22 mins, finishing in 8:56 hours for 21st place.

I'm delighted with that result and am looking forward to a nice recovery week before the final push of training up to the West Highland Way Race in 8 weeks time.

Full race report and video to follow.

The boy needs a race

In my previous incarnations as an orienteer and fell runner, I probably raced 20 or 30 times a year and, if I am truthful, did not really focus on one specific race in any 12 month period. Now, this has advantages and disadvantages. It was never too long over the winter before the first fell/orienteering race so you did not have to maintain motivation for training for very long and once the season started properly, I was basically racing every weekend. If things went wrong in a race, it was "no biggie" as there was another one a few days later. On the flip side, I look back and wonder if I ever really got the best out of myself when I was training and racing over such a long season.

I have a totally different outlook now. Since I started having a stab at ultra running, I have focussed on just a few key races in the year, perhaps as few as 5 and, even then, using some of those as preparation for a bigger fish to fry later. A few weeks ago, I was trying to explain to a sports psychology class full of games players (football, rugby, netball, hockey) how different it is with regard to training motivation - contrasting sports where you compete every week with those (ultra running) where you train for 6 months for one performance.

Ten years ago, I would have raced more often, even if doing ultra races. I know my body could have taken the stresses then, but now I have to listen to what the body is telling me and plan more carefully if I am to get the best out of it. It does, however, mean that the competitive juices have to be kept bottled up for long periods of time which is difficult to do, especially round here when the fell racing season is kicking in.

Thinking along these lines then makes me wonder if doing some fell races might help with my ultra preparation, but for the time being I am going with the "if it aint broke ..... " philosophy.

All this brings me round to the conclusion that I need a race. Since The Tour de Helvellyn in December, I was supposed to have done two races (The Dark Mountains mountain marathon and the Dark Peak Marathon) both of which fell through with injuries to team mates, so I am now into my fourth month without a competitive outing. Boy oh boy, am I looking forward to the Highland Fling Race!

It is said that you don't have to dig up the spuds to see if they are growing, but I at least want to have a look to see if I've got any spuds at all!

The thought that occupies some of my training time is how many of the spuds do I want to dig up during the Fling, knowing that the main focus of the year (the West Highland Way Race) is only eight weeks after. The answer to this seems to vary depending on whether I am running out on the trails or sitting at home, perhaps being more logical. If I am cruising along a lovely trail, I think I will have a good blast in the Fling, when the adrenaline has subsided, I think it is wiser to keep the powder dry for the WHW race.

Psychologically, it's great to run a faster time at the Fling and build some confidence, but I have to wonder how long it will take to recover and is there enough time to get some quality training in before a taper for the big one? I have some real quality training planned for May and think that I will gain more confidence from completing that than I will from a better time in the Fling allied to slightly lower quality training.

I could probably ramble on for pages and still keep changing my mind, and I'm sure that everyone else who is doing this double will be pondering this exact same problem. However, I have the feeling that I will be keeping quite a few spuds buried for the big occasion in June.