Interlude, then reprise

Right, so where am I at? Recently back from a fabulous holiday to Portugal with the family (immediate family and also more removed - cousin's wedding while were out there). I ate too much, had a few late nights where I drank too much, and spent a fair bit of time sitting around in the sun.

However, I did also fit in a couple of runs, a bike ride (you can hire them for free in Cascais), some swimming and a few strolls. Plus the thing that made me sweat most - giving Zoe a shoulder carry up to the Moorish Castle at Sintra. (Worth it, it was stunning. By the way, I'm not sure when, despite regular threats, we will decide Zoe actually *is* too old to be carried...)

Had a great weekend on return to Edinburgh too. Saturday started with a season's best at Parkrun. Still nearly two minutes short of my all time PB, but very pleased to have things moving in the right direction again. And always good to see my running colleagues - and make some plans for a Sunday run too.... More on that later. Anyway, the sun was shining so the family decided to go for a picnic lunch after. We headed to Harlaw reservoir in the Pentlands and sat waterside for lunch. Quite a few people had the same idea and some were even swimming in the reservoir, although personally I didn't think it was *that* warm. Then had a lovely short walk round the reservoir with the littl'uns. Zoe and Gregor were inspired to shake off their usual negativity towards anything that might constitute hard work - and even became mildly enthusiastic as we talked to them about the different trees and flowers around the reservoir and in nearby Harlaw Wildlife Garden.

Took advantage of being out Balerno way to quickly visit Malleny Garden (NTS) too, which was looking fine in the summer sunshine. Not sure what the other older visitors who were relaxing on the benches there made of our two running around and shouting, but hopefully we weren't too disruptive...

(Pictures at foot of blog post are from Harlaw and Malleny.)

Saturday evening passed without incident, and I downed a huge plate of pasta in prep for Sunday's effort. Regular readers will know it has been a long comeback from injury for me, but that I'm still committed to doing the Berlin marathon at the end of September. This means I'm having to increase my mileage, and especially the length of my weekly long runs. The furthest I'd managed before Sunday was 13 miles, so I wanted to increase to 14+. Bert had advertised a '16mile+' Sunday run on the club website's bulletin board and I figured that it would be good to have some company. Even if I couldn't manage the full distance I could just turn at 7 miles and come back the same way so I had company for some of the run.

We met at the Commonwealth Pool (currently closed) at 9am and the route was explained. Turned out the planned route was actually more like 18+ so no way I was ready for the full route, but there were options to cut it short.

We headed down past Cameron Toll, then onto quiet roads and tracks along through Hermitage of Braid and over to Colinton. Joined the Water of Leith path heading for Balerno - and could have turned back there for a 12-mile route. Instead, stuck with the main group until 7.5 miles had gone by and then Andrew and I turned back. Instead of going back the same way, we took the path for Slateford and on to the canal path back to Bruntsfield. Through Bruntsfield links and the Meadows and back to the Commonwealth pool. All in all, about 14.5 miles on a very nice route (we really are extremely lucky with the variety of trails and paths we have in and around Edinburgh), in about 2 hours. I'm VERY pleased with that. It was hard work, especially the last couple of miles. Faster than I've been used to on my solo long runs and obviously that wee bit longer again, but a good confidence builder and most importantly, no ill effects after. That's the best I've managed since June 2010.

Plan for this week is to cycle to work once or twice and to hopefully make club training for the first time in over a year on Wednesday.... Then Scottish Gas 10K on Sunday, plus hopefully a few more miles afterwards (Shona's working Saturday so I have to get the miles in on Sunday). I'm ever more optimistic about Berlin, which can only be a good thing.

Super Saturday... (The virtue of volunteering and a lucky long run)

Earlier in the week, I responded to a plea from Edinburgh parkrun for volunteers.  I couldn't run it as my wife had scheduled her regular haircut for a similar time, but agreed that we could take a child each when we went our separate ways, thus enabling me to volunteer (2 kids would have been a bit much!).

Zoe came along with me, she already likes running events (and wants to run parkrun but we think 5K is still a bit beyond her, so we're asking her to wait another year or so...) and we brought her bike so she could cycle about.  It was pouring with rain for most of the time we were there, but it did ease off very nicely for the time people were running, which was good.  Always good to see a few other familiar faces there too.  When I was injured, marshaling at parkrun was one way I managed to feel like I was still a part of the running scene, so I'm a big fan.

The concept itself is brilliant too - it's free, timed and with a welcoming atmosphere for all runners.  I think it's important for strengthening the running community and I hope it helps bring new runners into the sport.  There are the mass marketed events too, the 'great runs' for example, and they all play their part.  But personally speaking I'd far rather people came in via the parkrun route, where running is free and marshals do it to give something back and contribute to the community, rather than for a wad of cash.  Only works if people do volunteer though - so if you run at events like this (heck, even if you don't but want to see what it's like or just help out at something worthwhile) please consider volunteering regularly.  Just now, with summer holidays, they aren't always finding it easy to cover all the roles they need to so it would be good time to put yourself forward if you haven't before.

Anyway, sermon over...

Not running parkrun did not mean I was off the hook for the day.  I had to fit in a long run this weekend, and knew that my Saturday night plans meant it was unlikely I'd fancy it on Sunday... so was nervously watching the weather all day for a break in the rain.  Finally decided that there was no point and that I'd just have to deal with the fact I was going to get wet! As it happened I got incredibly lucky.  Was out for 2 hours and it was entirely dry the whole time.  Started pouring again about twenty minutes after I got back in.  (And hasn't stopped much since...)   Maybe this was my reward for the morning's volunteering stint! Worth a shot...?

Anyway, wasn't my most exciting long run ever, just had to bank the miles and went east along the seafront path up towards Prestonpans, and back along the other side of the racecourse at Musselburgh. A few photos below:

Looking back along coast to Arthur's Seat and Edinburgh

Prestonpans

Musselburgh racecourse

Good ol' Ma Foremans

Was getting pretty tired in last mile or two, but that's me back up to 13 miles now so still making progress and building the mileage up for Berlin marathon at end of September. Much harder than it used to be, and I'm doing these long runs slower than I used to as well, but my confidence is building again and hopefully the more I do the easier it will get.  I now know I'll be able to get round the Haddington half on 20th August!  Also thinking of doing the Scottish Gas 10K at start of August so I can gauge my time on a slightly easier 10K than at Crieff last week.

Was at Stockbridge later that day, this shows how much rain had fallen. I've run along that path before now. Not an option this weekend... 

And, finally, on a related note - I'm delighted that my slowest ever 10K has been captured, and captioned, on video by one of the Portobello WAGs....  On a serious note though, I really liked the video, good record of a friendly Scottish club race.  Thanks Jennie for putting it together. Shared below for anyone who wants to watch it.

  


PRC Crieff 10k - 10 July 2011 from Portobello Runners on Vimeo.

Nice race, shame about the body

The same time will mean different things to different people.  So 58 minutes, for example, could be reason for elation as someone's first 10K under the one-hour-mark, or as a new half-marathon world record for the likes of Zersenay Tadesse.

I say this because other people I know will no doubt say my time today was respectable enough.  But for me, today's 51 minutes 54 seconds is my slowest *ever* time for a 10K race.  By several minutes.  So in that regard, I'm not exactly where I want to be.  My first ever 10K (after about 10-15 years of fairly consistent abuse to my body, including heavy smoking... and then resulting weight gain after giving up the smokes..!) took about 49 or 50 minutes in 2005. By Spring 2010 I was running 10Ks in nearer 42 minutes.  But obviously injury and age have combined and damn it is tough to come back!!

However.... in the interests of balance, a few further considerations.  First, for most of the past year I couldn't have done a 10K race at all - at times I couldn't even have walked it comfortably.  Plus, this was a tough course, lots of climbing and uneven trails, and most definitely not a PB course.

It was also a VERY nice course.  Lovely forest trails and spectacular views across the valley to the hills on the other side.  And great to take part in my first club championship race of the year!  Great atmosphere, good turnout and some excellent results for fellow club members, lots of tasty cake and sandwiches at the post-race spread.  Add to that a whisky glass and a miniature Macallan 10 year old in the goody bag (which, to be honest, would be enough to get me back to this race on their own) and the fact I've lost nearly half a stone over the past 2 months since I was able to pick up my training properly again, and you pretty much have *all* the many reasons why I love running.  So from that point of view, I'm exactly where I want to be.  More of the same, please.

The race winner missed the course record by 5 seconds - bet he's a lot more disappointed than me!

Peter was second male vet

Shery first female vet

Willie 2nd male super vet

The spoils of 'war'

Back in double figures

It's been a topsy-turvy month.  I felt I was getting somewhere with my training and return to fitness in May. The marathon weekend at the end of the month was great. I really enjoyed running the 10K on the same morning as Zoe did the 1.5K kids run and Shona did the 5K.  Then marshaling at the half-marathon and marathon the next day was superb, a good way to be part of the whole thing, and feel like a proper member of the club again through seeing other marshals and supporting our runners.

No issues after the 10K. Then a minor niggle, which I was able to fix myself with a bit of stretching. But then disaster - terrible cold which lasted a week, and then when I felt well enough to get my running kit out for the next day, I woke up in pain with an opportunistic ear infection that had snuck in on the back of the cold!  Was over a week before I could even hear properly again, and altogether I missed nearly 3 whole weeks of training.

But I'm getting back again now.  Feeling good, and I kept to my schedule all last week (2 lots of cycling and 2 shortish runs) and then yesterday I ran 10.7 miles.  It was pretty slow, to be honest, and tough going in the warm weather, but that is the furthest I have run FOR A YEAR!  Happy days.  Been out on the bike for 30 minutes this evening too, and all seems to be well.

Off to Brussels in the morning, but running kit's packed so I can continue sticking to schedule... And signed up for Crieff 10K and Haddington half marathon so hopefully I can make a couple of championship races in 2011!

My training schedule - a poem

I was stuck at Heathrow airport for a few hours last week.  I'd made up my marathon training schedule for Berlin the weekend before, which always results in a burst of enthusiasm, but I then had to cut short my next training run, that same weekend, because of calf pain.

Anyway, I must have been bored, because this is how my idle mind processed this information and filled the time at Heathrow...

-----------------------------------------------------------

My training schedule - a poem

I've done a training schedule, it's perfect in ev'ry way
If only I can manage to keep injuries at bay

Sixteen weeks long, it breaks down in parts - long, short and tempo
Plus a little bit of cross, where it'll help things to flow

But fix your back, calf goes next. Sort one calf, other one goes.
Ageing body must protest, what's coming next - no-one knows!

They say, "Just follow the plan, it'll get you to Berlin"
No need for miracles or the wizardry of Merlin

So I've made up my schedule, I just need a little luck.
And for troublesome injuries to, please, now, get to f---.

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Bagging the Ben

When we booked to go to Spean Bridge for our Easter break, it was definitely my intention to make the trip up Ben Nevis at some point during the week.  However, there's a certain amount of criticism and snobbery directed at Ben Nevis.  It's not the best walk, it's too busy/touristy, there are much better hill-walks, etc etc.  But as you'll see from the picture above, the outlook from our holiday cottage meant it had been staring at me all week.  Plus there is a certain element of 'it's there' and the allure that goes with it being the highest mountain in the UK.  There are also runners that dismiss the big city marathons as being not for proper runners - I say they're just different.  But Ben Nevis is most definitely the London marathon of the hill-walking world...! 

A trip to the Ben Nevis whisky distillery served to whet my appetite, with the various boards covering the history of Britain's highest mountain.  Like the story of this nut-job here... who knew upright pianos break up at 1000 ft?

Anyway, the allotted day came around, and like almost every day of our holiday it was a scorcher...  But everything I'd read advised you to 'dress for the top rather than the bottom' so I still had on my fleece and long trousers.  10 am on the day before Good Friday seemed to be a very popular start time for the ascent, and of the 10-20 other walkers setting out at a similar time to me, most were not choosing to be so cautious with their attire.  

So I spent the first 15 or 20 minutes overtaking other walkers and wondering how long I could last before I gave in and JUST TOOK MY STUPID EXTRA LAYERS OFF.  I finally relented after about 30 minutes, by which point I was already dripping with sweat. 

By my reckoning, the climb up Ben Nevis breaks down in to 3 broad sections (4 if you count the snow at the top separately).  The first section is all big boulders, man-made steps that are an effort to resist the obvious erosion caused by thousands of people climbing up it each year.  The fact there are lots of foot-high steps mean it's an excellent warm-up for your calves and hamstrings.  

 The middle section is more normal dirt track, going past 'the halfway lochan', a river crossing, great views up and down. (Guess which was my favourite bit). I reached the halfway lochan (which I reckon is more like the 'third or two-fifths-of-the-way lochan, although I acknowledge that doesn't have the same ring to it) after about an hour and a quarter, and rewarded myself with some jelly babies.

The third section zig-zags up the steepest part of the ben. It's all scree and loose rock, a bit of a slog. And a fair bit of it is snow-covered, even in summer.

I started getting more tired at this point and wolfed down some tablet...

Turns out December in Edinburgh was excellent training for Ben Nevis in April

So anyway, the jeans-and-trainers-brigade may have toiled in the final snowy sections, and it did get cooler, but actually it wasn't too bad. Right at the final bit, where it levelled out and the wind kicked in I did put my fleece back on, but I probably would have managed without.  It was busy enough at the top, maybe 30-40 other people. Being on my own there wasn't much reason for me to hang around, but I was happy to get my photo taken at the summit and I did feel a bit of a high from the achievement.

 Plus there were some excellent views of the cliffs on the north face, and the snowy peaks around about.

But, as any good hill-walker or fell-runner will tell you, the top of the hill is only half-way.  After 5 or 10 minutes I was ready to begin heading back down.  I passed a few groups with children under 10 in tow, who were struggling to persuade them up to the top of the hill as if that was the end of it, and didn't envy what I knew it'd be like for them when it took around 3 hours to get back down as well.  There were going to be some stressed out families there.

Anyway, it was easier going down through the snow than it had been to climb (although did throw caution to the wind a little bit and revert to my - admittedly poor! - descending techniques from occasional hill races) and after the grey scree was left behind I climbed up a little way off the trail to sit back and enjoy a late lunch.  It was about 1.30pm by this point, and the traffic seemed to have died down a bit.  The views where I stopped were spectacular and the camera really can't do it justice as you can't capture the full panorama, and the light, well at all.

Soon enough I started back down and felt really good having had a good feed and with the knowledge I'd left the summit and what I thought was the hardest section behind me. Even chatted to a few people on the way down - a group of Germans who'd already done the West Highland Way before tackling Ben Nevis, and then after I'd left them behind, a couple of squaddies (who were the only people who actualy overtook me in either direction).  One of them berated me for having an OMM rucksack but not having actually done an original mountain marathon event.... He didn't accept my explanation that it was now commercially available and was just a good pack, reckoned I should commit to doing it in the next year or two.  Erm.... not sure about that!

It was great to get back to the middle section and on to reasonable, even, dirt track again.  But it didn't seem to last long and on the way down, the final section did seem to just be a total slog. The hard surface was a killer for tiring feet and knees.  I saw my first '3 Peaks' t-shirted group on the way up there, doing Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike over 24 hours to raise money for Help for Heroes. Fair play to them, I was tired enough just doing the one, especially in that heat.

Before too long, and about 5 and a half hours since I started that morning, I was back near the Ben Nevis Inn. I had it in my head that I'd meet up with Shona and the kids there.  Instead though, a change of plan saw me walk a further mile along the river and over a different bridge to go to the Glen Nevis cafe - admittedly a more child-friendly venue, and a pleasant stroll along the river, although it did feel a bit like when you have to rush off at the end of a race rather than stick around and chat to your fellow competitors.  But no room to complain at all given Shona had looked after the kids solo all day on our family holiday, to enable me to do this!  So anyway, I bought a beer in town to have later, instead...

Final thoughts? I got a definite sense of achievement from doing Ben Nevis, there was a good camaraderie between people doing it, it's an accessible but worthwhile challenge and I'd far rather people did these kinds of things than didn't! Especially if it inspires anyone, either directly or indirectly, to get out and enjoy the hills (responsibly) and explore more of the beautiful country we are so lucky to live in. On the day I did it I was lucky to have good weather and the views were truly spectacular.  The sunburn on my neck was equally spectacular - do remember the suncream if you're doing something similar...

My next munro will be pretty different.  I'm staying overnight in a bothy and then tackling Ben Starav.  I may even be the only person doing it that day.  I expect I'll love doing it too, for different reasons.  But for now, going to put my feet up for a bit....

Pause (pummelling)

I've had a frustrating couple of weeks, unable to run. In fact, even walking has been painful and awkward. So Tuesday was time to ramp up efforts to fix the problem. For the first time, I went for a double whammy of deep tissue massage *and* chiropractic adjustment. The theory being that tight, twisted muscles are stopping my joints/vertebrae from staying where they should and/or putting pressure on nerves.

So, for a full hour the massage concentrated entirely on my left glute, piriformis, and hamstring. (Top of my leg and my butt, for the non-anatomists amongst you).  Then, the usual quick chiropractic adjustment.

I cannot tell you how strange it was afterwards. I have become so used to tensing/ flinching when my left foot strikes the ground that I was expecting it with every step, and it was genuinely disconcerting to be walking pain-free and normally for the first time in a fortnight... I couldn't help smiling as I walked.

Yesterday morning I got up expecting to be pretty much unable to walk (as had been the case lately) but was still ok and feeling no major discomfort, apart from plenty of bruising from the muscles that took a beating the day before. I was also still occasionally involuntarily compensating for pain that never came...

Now, 2 days on and still no issues apart from residual bruising and sore muscles. All in all, the improvement is incredible. Last weekend I thought I'd have to cancel all expectations for races this year, now I'm optimistic again.

Over the next couple of days I'm going to continue to rest and let my muscles recover from the beating they had, but all being well I'll try a short run this weekend.