Let the wind blow high....let the wind blow low....

Keep your eyes on the prize.....

I've just finished my 3rd podcast interview as part of the newbies who are being tracked for this year's WHW race, and oooooooh, it's exciting!  

In general, things are going pretty well, and it's a fairly positive experience talking things through with JK, and thinking that people might be listening and interested in how I'm getting on.

HOWEVER...there's also not actually that much time until the race, the clock is ticking seemingly ever faster, and as you continue plotting things into the diary (and on the wall chart in my case), it makes you realise how precious time is for getting that quality training in!  Hence, keeping the eyes on the prize!

Pre run? (Saturday).  Almost colour
co-ordinated aside from that pesky
Fling t-shirt!

This weekend just passed was the last of the Highland Fling training weekends (of which I went to 2).  I took a shocking lack of pictures, so this blog will be peppered with those stolen from others (Keith Ainslie mostly!)

Another great weekend, hosted by Kirsty at By The Way in Tyndrum, and organised by Johnny Fling.  And the interesting addition of a 'happy bus' for those of us who wanted to run Drymen to Tyndrum, thus ticking off the last 34 miles of the Fling route.  I say 'happy', but actually I'm not that clever on buses, so sat right up front to avoid too much desire to vomit my hearty breakfast back up!  On the plus side, it meant I got to listen to Noanie and Sharon's entertaining banter for most of the journey!

The weather was pretty decent, and a few miles after we set off, jackets were peeled off, and not back on until Bein Glas.  A few of us had agreed to run together...although we did lose a couple of folk early on (something to do with the excitement of running with Sharon I think.....;-)).  But for the rest of the day, there was a core group of myself, Emma, Stevie, and mostly Johnny, Katie, Minty and Julie and Alan R on and off (the latter a little too quick in the final stretch)).

It was destined to be, and was, a BIG day out.  For me, key was a reminder of the Inversnaid to Bein Glas section...a part I love, but haven't been on since last Fling I don't think...and was a stark reminder of how much you really have to pay attention on that section...and the perils of getting stuck behind groups of walkers struggling to clamber down the steep sections!

The bit I found most challenging was the stretch up from Falls of Falloch to Bogle Glen...and not due to killer cows (there were only a few out) or cow poo (it wasn't too deep).  I was quite tired at this point, and the wind was pretty fierce (why is there never a tailwind on the tough bits???)! Once we got up into the forest above Crianlarich I started to get a second/third/fourth wind and the latter stages felt ok....

Food and drink wise....I don't think I started early enough as I was a wee bit queasy after the bus, and I don't think the High 5 drink I was testing was that nice...(Keith pointed out the obvious to me later on...why hadn't I chucked it and filled the bottle with water...duuuuuh!).  At BG I had a nice medley of mature cheese, rice pudding, crisps and gel and I think once that kicked in it was the business!  I wore my SJ pack...and I'm still not 100% convinced I can access food well enough with both big bottles in it, so I'm going to look to change at least one for a soft bottle on my next long run, as I'm mostly too lazy to bother taking the pack off to go into the back.  I do like having 2 drink options on hand though, as I had flat coke in one bottle. 

Emma, Stevie and I finished together...just in time for the last dregs of Johnny Fling's mum's soup (which was awesome, and has kept us going those last few miles), and a quick shower before the talk on tapering and race prep from Team GB ultra athletes Sharon and Debbie.

Post run stretching (practice what you preach)

I hit bed pretty early after the yummy pasta bake and puddings (I had fruit before anyone accuses me of being a scoffer!).....as I said, it was a big day out with big tough miles...and there was the promise of another run, and some metafit (WTF?) on Sunday morning!

I headed out intending to do 6...and did 9 instead as once I got going, things seemed pretty comfortable...and I was enjoying the chat with Carol Martin and David Meldrum who were heading out to BoO.  On the return leg, I tried to push myself to run further up the inclines than I normally would before walking.

And then, there was metafit....not sure if my sides hurt today from the laughing, the metafit (all 10 minutes of it I lasted) or the running...but it was a good end to a great weekend!  Not sure Kirsty's grass will ever be the same again though!

Pre-metafit snacking, caught by Keith

So, 3 weeks til the Fling, a couple of weeks to recover afterwards, then 3 weeks more training, and then it will be taper time before the big day!

Lots of prep and planning still to do, but feeling like it's all progressing ok (fingers and toes all crossed!).  And by race day everything will be 100% ready - no doubt, no question!! 

Sharon demonstrates how it 'should' be done