A Cairn on top of Conic

WHW Training Run 12 April 2009

So it was back on the Way again for the second half of my weekend training before tapering for the Fling.
Today the plan was to run from Milngavie to Balmaha. Debbie was also having her first run on the WHW since Cairn was born. And so the plan was for me to drive to Milngavie and then run to Balmaha where Debbie would meet me and then she would run from Drymen to Milngavie.
It was easier to plan all that than what pace I wanted to run. I had a few texts with Tom but still no clearer on pacing. In the end I decided on 1:30 to Drymen and 1 hour to Balmaha.

Milngavie to Drymen
12.15 miles
1:29:35

The pace for this section I had worked out as being 7:22. Straight away from Milngavie I could feel the pace. I think that my body isn't used to running the WHW at that pace and perhaps the 20 miles on Friday were still in my legs. Also it is a hard work when you are constantly looking at your watch instead of the scenery. Is this really what running on trails is all about?
Thankfully within a couple of miles I started to feel good and settled down a bit.
Although John likes them I struggled with the new gates. These last couple of years of trying to get into Ultra Running have given me strong legs. Unfortunately I would struggle to arm wrestle a 10 year old girl as my arm muscles have disappeared completely. I found the new gates stiff and annoying to open. Perhaps I should learn to vault them.
I was glad to get to Drymen. This section is far from being my favourite but the next section I really like.

Drymen to Balmaha
6.92 miles
1:02:17

I had been running up all the hills until Drymen but on the hill up to the woods at the beginning of this stage I took the opportunity for a break. This also gave me a chance to sort out some food and gels. By Conic Hill my quads were very tired and so I had to take a lot more walking breaks than I would have liked and I reached the top on 52 minutes. Looking at my watch I realised I only had 8 minutes to get to the car park and so I picked up the pace.
By this time there was a constant stream of walkers coming up the other side and the would stop and get out of the way as I ran down. At first I thought perhaps it was because they were in sheer awe at my graceful descent but as I got closer to the bottom I realised that they were all just waiting on my slipping and falling on my backside.
Thankfully I didn't and two minutes slower than I scheduled I arrived at the car park with Debbie and Cairn waiting patiently.

Milngavie to Balmaha
19.16 miles
2:31:52
7:56 /mile
12 April 2009

The 2 runs at the weekend while not being tough were certainly not the easy runs that I have been used to on the WHW. But should race pace be easy? Shouldn't ultra running be pick a pace and then run slower? Will I be able to average 8 min mile from Milngavie to Balmaha and then run another 35 miles without dying. Questions that I have to answer during my taper. Less than two weeks to go and uncounting.

Easter Monday on Conic 13 April 2009

On Easter Monday, Debbie, Cairn and I went up Cairns first hill. Conic Hill. It was lovely weather but Cairn missed most of it as he slept.
We met John and his family at the top who were out for a walk too. It was good to catch up with them.
Cairn did great and was very settled in his papoose. A good sign for any munros we do later in the year.