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.

Weight a minute

 

Debbie had decided that today she wanted to run a long run at a faster pace as part of her marathon training and drive into town so she could have some flatter streets.   I am not so keen in running around the streets of Glasgow so I decided to take advantage and run from my house in Alexandria to town.  I am also not too keen on the A82 either so I decided on a new route.

The start was in Alexandria.  Onto the Balloch Horseshoe and follow the cycle route out towards Drymen. Then onto the West Highland Way to Milngavie and then a wee run into Glasgow City Centre to meet Debbie.  Only thing was that it works out as 27 miles.  Oh well, I'll take my time.

For such a long run I decided it was time to take the bra-pack out.  This pack is really good.  It's comfy, light and doesn't cause your top to ride up.  Pity that the bottle tastes like TCP.  This is the second time I have used it and even after a washing by Debbie and my normal extra strong energy drink it still has a TCP taste.  I am giving it one more chance before swapping the bottle with my trusty Platypus.

My new run was fantastic.  Being the first half decent weekend day of the year there was loads of people out on the cycle track and the WHW.  Lots of second glances at my bra-pack and I am sure that some teenage girls shouted something cheeky at my new fashion accessory which was drowned out by Alice in Chains on my IPod.  I finished the 27 miles in 3 hrs 30 mins but it was in fact only 3hrs 12 mins because I had stopped for 18 mins to talk to people, eat and enjoy the view etc.  I am really pleased with the time as I really didn't push hard although I was knackered by the end of it.

As everyone knows when you are on a long run your mind begins to wonder.  I had read recently that if you loose 150g from your footwear this will make you 5s per mile faster or 2min 11s faster in a marathon.  This is 8 minutes faster on the West Highland Way.  So weight a minute.  Maybe if I lose more weight off my body I could shave even more time.  Maybe not as much as the foot wear but still.  We have all heard of the Naked Rambler so how about the Naked Ultra Runner.  It's summer so not that cold and I'll be running far faster than the midges now that I have lost some weight.  Hair.  That must weigh something.  I will get it all shaved off.  Yes even those dodgy areas.  And it will make an excellent disguise when I appear in the newspapers for running about the hills naked.  What else could I lose weight with?  Skin!! Yes I could borrow Debbies exfoliating shower gel and if I use enough from now until June that must make me lighter.  Perhaps a bit redder but there must be a lot of weight in 4 or 5 layers of skin.  My Garmin weighs tonnes so its a gonner too and then there are the normal weight lose things. Eat less, colonic irragation.  Yeah Debbie makes me watch some pile of cr@p on TV.  Toenails, so overrated.  Part of your intestine.  Not needed.  Hey I could even make money by selling a kidney.  Who says that I am not committed to this race.

So if you happen to be on the West Highland Way on the 21st June then say hi to me.  I am the naked, red, bald, skinny guy being arrested while still high on diet pills and medication.

Thank god I only ran 27 miles.  Any further and I would have been imagining hacking off fingers.