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.

On the way to 22

I decided that it would be a good time to do a 22 mile run on the WHW at Fling race pace. I did wonder if this was a wise thing to do but having read JK's blog he did the same thing as well.
Wow so for once Marco is being wise I hear you say. No not at all, after this 22 mile stint I am taking Saturday off before another 20 miler on Sunday. Then it is taper time for two weeks and the Fling.

On Friday I was running from Balmaha to Beinglas. I reckoned it was 21 miles and 3 hours 33 minutes seemed like a good time to aim for. I based my individual stage times on some Fling times from last year.

Debbie and Cairn, my ever present support this year, dropped or rather threw me out of the car at Balmaha and off I went on my run.

Balmaha to Rowardennan
8.10 miles
01:06:59
8:17 /mile

I had thought that this section was 7 miles and so my pacing was way out what I thought I should have been doing. I thought I was going way to quick as I was aiming for 1:09 for this section. If it had been the 7 miles I would have been under 1 hour. Okay this time it worked as the distance was longer but again it showed that my pacing especially at the beginning of a run is woeful.
I felt great on this section and the rain that was falling when I started had stopped within 5 minutes. Yesterday I had ran 13 miles with 7 under 6:40 pace so to have recovered was great especially after the week off with the cold.
The West Highland Way was muddy throughout the day. I hope it is a bit drier in two weeks.

Rowardennan to Inversnaid
7.29 miles
01:03:30
8:42 /mile

For this section I again practised my running up the long hills out of Rowardennan. I am finding them much easier now and they save so much time. By Inversnaid though I was starting to feel quite tired. I was not sure if the pace was just too quick for me or if the run from the day before was still affecting my legs. I like this section and found that the time went by quickly. My aim was for 1:03 and I was bang on.

Inversnaid to Beinglas
6.63 miles
1:16:01
11:28 /mile

It is hard to keep to a pace in this section. I was wanting to run at 11:30's but during the difficult section at the start I was going at 13 min mile. It was muddy and slippy and I had a couple of slips. I knew that I could catch up later though.
By the end I had to walk up most of the bigger hills but I was still on my pace and I felt strong as I came to the finish.

Balmaha to Beinglas
22.02 miles
3:26:30
9:23 /mile

A good run that taxed me enough to make me wonder about my pacing. I tried different gels today (GO) and found them a lot more watery and so much easier to eat. I also tried mint sweets which are good.
Debbie and Cairn met me at Beinglas. I am so lucky to have them helping me out this year. Thanks guys. :-)
On Sunday I am running from Milngavie to Balmaha. I would like to aim for an 8:20 minute mile pace. I think that this is easy for this section but I want to feel good at the end of it.