Protection

I quite often think about my blog as I'm running.  I don't necessarily write for anyone else's entertainment (I'm sure quite often what I write is pretty dull), but I'm trying to get down my experiences and what I learn and feel, so maybe when I'm old and senile I might get some pleasure from trawling back my memories.

Today I was thinking about Protection, what that means, and how important it is to many areas of my life.

Protecting the goal

This is the most important thing in my life this year.  Yes, work and Clark are essentials (more about this later), but this event is what it's all about.  I need to be pretty single minded about what I do and how I get there...key to this for me (as I mentioned in my podcast interview this week) is protecting the long weekend runs.  

There'll be no hiding place on June 21st, and as some wise person (John K I think) said, you don't want to be standing on the start line thinking about the training that you could/should/would have done if things had been 'perfect'.  Life ain't perfect, deal with it, do the best you can, and focus on what's important.


Protecting the head

I've said to several people this week that the little hamster on the wheel running around in my head has not only fallen off the wheel, but it's actually died!  I've blogged already about how horrifically busy work has been, and the adrenaline crashed this week, my head has been pounding, and I've been struggling to comprehend simple requests and instructions.  This can't go on.  Simple as that.  I've tried to start instilling a little discipline this week...and (shock horror) actually left work 'on time' a couple of days!  Granted, one of the other days included a missed flight home and an eventual 11:30pm return...you win some, you lose some...but sustaining that just isn't physically or mentally possible long term!

Protecting the stress levels

My friend Paul Waters (who trained me, Dario and Clark in some of our fitness/personal training courses) wrote a great blog this week about Good Stress (Eustress) and Bad Stress (Distress) and how to balance these out, by gaining more eustress in your life, or removing some of the distress (read it here: Balance Weight Loss).  

It's all true, and worth spending time having a read and thinking about what you can do to achieve better balance and ultimately more enjoyment!  I know I will be trying to take this advice on board.

Protecting the rock

Those who know me, will know I'm not really into all that mushy smushy stuff, but that at the centre of my world is my rock.  Without him, none of this would be possible! 

From getting me grounded after (di)stress days, to getting me motivated to get out there and do it, and generally keeping my world turning in a semi-efficient way...it's all down to him!

And I imagine I can be a pretty horrible person to live with sometimes, so all credit to his sanity!  And maybe I should try being a better wife sometimes!



Protecting the immunity

This has suffered a little this week.  Having spent too long on antibiotics, and then offsetting that pumping my body full of anti-antibiotics, and then a few weeks sustaining life on strong coffee and lots of sugar, I'm finding it hard to get back onto the straight and narrow with the healthy eating.  Sugar and caffeine during the week are currently at un-healthy levels, and the coughing and spluttering of others in the office when my immunity levels are clearly low is starting to manifest in sore throats and achy heads.  Once I get through this last week before my holidays I'm getting myself back off the sugar dependencies.  Definitely no room for anymore illness in my training plan!

So, that was the stuff running through my head today while I was running...the things I need to protect, and the things that are protecting me!

And what a lovely run!  Much better than anticipated when we left the house in the pouring rain....actually had to complain about the heat on several occasions!








I tried out some new stuff today:

 - my new Ultimate Direction SJ pack (good...not sure I've mastered the nozzle on the bottles yet), 
- my new OMM Kamleika trousers (good, but I only wore them for 2 miles out of the car as the drizzle stopped and the sun came out), 
- my new GU Salted Caramel Gels (yum...must buy more of these!)

There wasn't much snow left on the higher trails, so the running was good.  Being with PT Boy meant I was actively encouraged to run the hills....and (smug smiley face) I ran some pretty meaty old hills today!  I think even Clark was quietly impressed!

And the pace was pretty good today too at just over 11 min/miles (stats).  Granted the terrain is pretty runable, but I'm pleased with that.  This week is shaping up to be my highest mileage of the year so far...and, touch wood, I think I feel ok!

Tomorrow afternoon I'm going for a well deserved sports massage....all part of a good training plan....other than that, this weekend is all about eat, sleep, run, repeat!

Slip Sliding Away

"You know the nearer your destination, the more you're slip sliding away."

A slippy sliding end to this weeks training which had me in Tyndrum for the Highland Fling training weekend.

Training has been a bit hit and miss, and work has been a COMPLETE nightmare for the last few weeks.  Hopefully the latter will settle down a bit now, and the training can get back on track.  Looking back though, to reflect on it properly, it was only really the last week that I struggled with the mid-week stuff, only getting a 7 mile hill/road run in very early one morning...the prior week I managed 4 runs, 2 spin sessions, some strength training and an hour of pilates...so maybe the slacking is just in my head.  Putting in 14 hours plus at the day job, and working over the last few weekends has just ground me down.  

But, less of that, and more of the running chat!

View from the car en route!

Friday brought forecasts of heavy snow, and delivered on schedule!  A nice snowy crawl to Tyndrum......I "borrowed" the big truck from Clark just in case (meant he had a bit of a challenging weekend at home, while I made it safely north!).  Oh yes, and it was Valentine's Day...spent apart...but heck, I say if you love someone, you love them everyday, not just when someone tells you that you ought to!

Arrived safely at By The Way, checked in and said some hello's....and then time to pre-load for the next day.....cheesy chips and diet coke.....and I managed to say no to a beer in the pub! I did relent later and have a wee Ginger Grouse when we got back to the hostel and there was loads more chat to be had with the masses, including the lovely Fiona, Rachel and Sam who'd come down from Skye.  And later than my usual Friday night early collapse into bed, got tucked up with my new roomie Sharon.

View from Murdo's Mount (no jelly babies!)

Saturday dawned better than expected.  Most folk were heading South - driving to Beinglas to do an out and back, but a few of us were heading North, hoping for some more runnable terrain.

The views were great, and the underfoot conditions less so.....deep slushy snow to start with before drying out for the run towards Bridge of Orchy (and the drymax socks still worked!).

Keziah Higgins, me, John Munro, (Kirsty's pal)
and Kirsty Burnett 

We were also carrying a fair bit of kit - better safe than sorry!  Kahtoolas, foil blankets, head torch, spare batteries, spare gloves, hats, socks, waterproof trousers (a borrow from Helen), and enough food to survive for a week in the Arctic.  

Thankfully, the majority of this was all precautionary, and I'm sure carrying all the extra weight is good training!

We made good progress, and the group seemed pretty well paced (less so on the return leg) all the way out across Rannoch Moor, except for Keith, who we pretty much lost after about a mile at the start as he was too speedy!  


Aiming for 30 miles total, but we turned at 14 as the snow was just getting less and less fun the further across the moor we got.  Each step was icy and slippy...many with deep slush underneath the foot-deep snowy topping, and I know I had a sense of humor failure just before we turned...and thankfully the others seemed to be feeling the same.

I did stop to take quite a few photos too - I'm not sure they do it any justice, but you can't beat the changing light sweeping across the snow (and an excuse for a wee breather)...it's one of those things that remind you why you love to do this crazy running stuff!  

Just next to Forest Lodge

Oh yes, that, and other crazy stuff that doesn't happen in everyday life, like being able to hand feed wild stags with pretzels and jaffa cakes (sorry anyone offended by us feeding the wildlife with rubbish, but we didn't really have anything sensible for it, and it was certainly keen to scoff!).  What a gentle and beautiful beast it was!

So, we finally made it back, all in one piece (28 ish miles in 6hrs 19 ish).  Pretty burst but pleased with the effort.  Sliding around in the slush and snow certainly works the muscles that you forgot you had!

There wasn't much time for my usual post-run coma (sorry, nap).....for fear of never waking back up in time for the mass participation (60 folk?!) dinner, and chat from Marcus (the Hoka athlete and recent winner of Spine) and Ellen (one of the race creators).  But I sure didn't last the night!  A couple of beers, some great curry and chat, and that was me destined for bed.  Didn't get to sleep very well (mucho party antics from everyone else...oh, and maybe suffering from some of that over-training syndrome Marcus was warning us of!)

View towards Ben Lui

No real aches and pains on waking (bonus!) - wee niggle in my big toe (which I get on and off when the terrain is tough, and I'd felt it coming back down the cobbles off the moor, and had stubbed it a couple of times), but my knee which had felt a wee bit sore after the slipping and twisting was pretty fine.  So, on with the kit (pretty black and pinky purple x-bionic tights today) and out for a recovery run with (David for a bit) and John (thanks David for the uphill start!?!), and a chance to pick John's brain about some tips for the WHW race (including advice to test run from Milngavie in the dark, in the wee small hours, as this was something I'd not really thought necessary, being 'easier' terrain....but clearly forgot I'd be doing it at 1am in a state of shock and sleep deprivation!)

Running Drills Workshop

Watched the guys doing the running skills workshop, from the comfort of the veranda, with a coffee in my hand....

And then it was almost time to head back to reality!

After a quick visit to Mr Mike from Out-Run to collect the goodies I'd ordered (can't wait for some rain to try out my new OMM Kamleika waterproof trousers...and with the benefits of no postage charge since he was up for the training weekend too), another coffee top up (think I was tired!), and into the car for a bimble home...sun still shining and the mountains looking braw.  Happy Sunday!

So...what did the weekend teach me....?

1. Take some ear-plugs to the March training weekend...or learn to stay up later!
2. The kit is still working well for me (but I still need a new waterproof jacket).  I was warm enough, dry enough (or dried quick enough when wet), no chaffing and carrying everything I needed for all emergencies
3. Don't leave it too late to eat...or eat too little early on (Mrs Tilly's fudge is a saviour!)
4. David will be a good support crew member (to be fair, I think I already suspected this, that's why he's in my crew!)
5. Don't neglect to ask those with experience for advice - even if you think it's a stupid question!
6. I think I could do with some more hill work

Well, enough rambling from me for now!  I'm doing my next podcast interview this week, so I'd better start thinking of clever stuff to say...and work out what to wear/do with my hair in case JK takes another photo of me!

The Goodbye Group Shot (taken by Johnny Fling)

Happy Feet

 

 

WHW training weekend - woohoo!  I'd been looking forward to this for AGES!  There were many times in the last 2 weeks I didn't think I would make it - stuck down with a horrible infection and an extra bout of antibiotics, lots of pain killers, stuff to combat the side effects of anti-biotics and boost the immunity...and the list goes on (rattle, rattle)!  Work has also been pretty hideous, but probably because I wasn't really in a position to take any time off to recover quicker.

 

That aside, I'm pretty darned determined/bloody minded, and the room was booked at The Oak Tree Inn, and I was keen to spend time with new and old friends and enjoy some quality training on WHW.  So, the game was on!

 

I drove over to Balmaha later than expected on Friday, due to a late work challenge I needed to close off to try and clear my head for the weekend.  By the time arrived the bar was buzzing with excited runners, cosying by the fire, sharing tales, beer and good food.  I got a good blether with Johnny Fling, Noanie, John, Helen, JK, Katrina and Karen before calling it a night, ready for a big breakfast and big run the next morning!

 

The day dawned better than expected...less snow, less rain...a wee glimmer of sunrise....although that did all change and we had some bouts of rain and sleet throughout the day, but no real wind or anything *too* taxing...!

Photo from John Kynaston

Karen and I had a pact that we were going to do the 30, even if we were slow, at the back etc etc... And so, it transpired we were at the back...I wouldn't say we were particularly slow...AND, we did go further than a lot of folk in completing the full 30 (not having a dig at anyone here!), so despite this being my first experience of being tailed by the sweeper, I'm ecstatic with my achievements of the day (hence the happy feet!).  Andy O'Grady will understand the other reason for the penguin reference!

 

We settled into a steady pace fairly early on, and did most of the run with Emma H, chatting and running and eating without too much bother.  It was great to see such a great turnout of around 70 runners, and with the out and back we got to see all the fast guys as they headed back from Inversnaid (as were buoyed by the fact they did pass us as soon as we thought!), and we got to chat to various folk as we passed to and fro during the run.  

 

The views weren't too impressive as the weather did close in a bit, but we still enjoyed the fresh air and snow capped peaks when we weren't watching our feet to avoid tripping!  And we made it to Inversnaid without any bother.  We had a wee break, and some good true Scottish ultra runner snacks - Irn Bru (me), sausage roll (Emma) and Topic (Karen), followed by some hand drier action in the hotel to dry off a wee bit!

Sweeper Sean caught us just after we left Inversnaid to head back, but he went on a wee bit and then never 'caught' us again until we were back at Rowardennan.  And he never (really) hassled us once (apart from asking if we'd not rather run on the road (!!??) at the silly wee bit with the knarly trail right on the edge of the road!....he just offered us food, dry clothes and 'friendly' encouragement (even though we laughed when he fell off his bike on the slippy wooden bridge!)

 

We made it back just as the light was failing (no headtorches required!) and found most of the runners safely back in the bar! In all, about 7 hours effort (I forgot to restart my Garmin for a while after Rowardennan on the way back)

 

Emma had to dash off, and Karen and I hit the shower/bath/bed til we heated back up, and then went to the bar for an evening of pizza, drinks and good chat!  Good news was there was no real injuries (aside from Noanie's chin) and, aside from my waterproof jacket needing re-proofed everything else kit wise was working pretty well...I made need to keep that outfit for the race! Nutrition wise...good trial of Ella's baby food and Mrs Tilly's...supplemented with some Sour Cream & Chive Pretzels...did the job pretty well!

 

 

Highlight of the evening had to be Keith Ainslie's rendition of Tam O' Shanter which had everyone in stitches!  I'm hoping Sandra caught it all on video!?

 

Very, very tired today, so decided to head home right after breakfast rather than any running/walking.  Am conscious I've probably still got a wee bit of infection to fight...and I've already got some DOMS starting :-).  A wee bit of sensible head today then!

 

Hopefully this is me back on track...get some good training in this week, not to catch up what's been missed, but to get stronger, fitter and wiser...step by step!

 

Good running, good chat, good times!