The night before – Cateran Trail ultramarathon race
Just a quick post. All settled in Hotel, about 20mins drive away. Registered already and can’t wait to get started.
My sis will be tweeting updates @lilacswizzle
Thanks for all your support.
Running on Empty
Friday was my last opportunity for a long training run before the Cateran Trail Ultramarathon next Saturday.
I’ve started to mix up my longer runs meaning I generally now include 2 x types of long runs in my training. Both very different and both much debated / discussed by the running community. (more…)
My first Highland Fling (2011 Ultra)
I had run / cycled / walked quite a bit of the West Highland Way in the past and on the Saturday before the Fling I wanted to get one final long run in. As some of you will know I had to miss the GEDM race a few weeks before due to sickness and it had knocked my confidence quite a bit, especially as the training had suffered. So I decided I needed a decent long run and a week before the race seemed a good time to try out some of the course. It would hopefully (read on)
The Highland Fling 2011 – night before
Big race tomorrow. The Montane Highland Fling. Not got a lot to say about it following the GEDM sickness fiasco. Yes, I’m nervous something happens again before the start line.
Anyway, I’ll post up race results / report sometime next week. My sister most likely will be tweeting some race updates. Feel free to follow her here or my own account here.
So, it’s early to bed for me. I’ll leave you with some pics of the area from last week’s training run (excuse the poor quality – rubbish camera, and I don’t like to stop for long).
Night.
Running, racing, sickness and sadness
I understand now. I must be a bit of a drama queen. That’s obviously the reason I haven’t written anything for a while. Last post I did was the night before my big race – the one I had put a huge amount of effort into preparing for (The GEDM). Other than a knee injury the week before the preparation had been meticulous and my training relentless. Long runs, nutrition, weights, hydration, clothing, checkpoint times, target pace….the list goes on. I was so ready for it.
Headed off to bed night before the race at 10pm, breakfast plan all sorted, clothes prepared, support bag and instructions all organised – family had been briefed (and were excited about the race). Then at about 2am I was dragged out of my running dreams into a bit of a nightmare by the pain that was building in my stomach. read on
The night before the race – GEDM ultra
Not much to say really. 56 mile race tomorrow. Haven’t run all week due to injury. Will run and finish tomorrow though. Slightly apprehensive about it due to the knee but keen to get going.
I have a good team behind me (my family) so it’s another mini-adventure
My sister @lilacswizzle will be doing some twitter updates, other than that I’ll see you in Edinburgh 😉
Knee’rly in with a chance
As I said yesterday I managed to get an appointment with Glasgow’s finest Osteo last night. Was a pretty thorough session and as expected was an Ilio tibial band issue. He already knew that I was racing on Saturday regardless and after a fairly detailed examination didn’t waste any time talking me through his treatment recommendations to get me to the start line for 9am on Saturday (and fingers crossed the finish line in Edinburgh the same afternoon). Yep, you know what’s coming – I did too, and just to confirm the impending pain he stated that it’s normally “a pretty aggressive treatment, and when I do it , it can be a little uncomfortable.” Yeah right. IT Band release? It’s up there with child birth I’m sure of it 😉
To be fair to him, at the point where I actually stopped breathing whilst chewing my arm he did remove his elbow from my thigh for a minute before returning to the scene. What a gent 😉
So now it’s no running until Saturday which isn’t ideal in any way but my knee is feeling better – just have a thigh that’s a little tender. Still, should be feeling a lot better by tomorrow.
Roll on Saturday.
No Knee Never
On Saturday night following a 35miler my right knee was troubling me. Sharp pain down the right side of my knee-cap. I went through my normal post-run recovery – the right food at the right times, plenty of fluids, ice pack on my knee etc. Throughout the night the pain in my knee kept me up. I took painkillers, applied ibuprofen gel and desperately tried to sleep convinced that it would be fine in the morning. It wasn’t great when I got up. But moving it certainly helped. Sunday was a rest day anyway, so with luck I’d be fine by Monday. As I’m tapering the training a little for the race on Saturday and with sore knee in mind I decided before bed to ignore the #444alarm for once and sleep a bit longer. Figured I could do a lunchtime run and all would be good.
Lunchtime came and I was convinced that after a few hundred metres it would ease off and the world would continue spinning. It didn’t.
So, tonight instead of running and swimming I’m heading into town to see a man who I’m hoping can do something for me. Either way – I’ll be on that start-line on Saturday.
Fingers crossed.
Thursday training – West Highland ‘No’ Way
I had big plans for Thursday. Needed to use some holiday so thought it would be a good idea to get a tough session in before next weeks race. Would give me plenty time for recovery too.
So throughout Wednesday I formulated a plan. With us now officially in BST and with a week of half-decent weather behind us I thought it would be good to run part of the West Highland Way – the 53-mile Highland Fling route from Milngavie to Tyndrum read on
Race recovery week
Well, following my first race on the 19th March – the D33, plan was to have a lighter training week than normal. Whilst I generally run at least those distances at the weekend I did feel pretty tired all week – felt like I was wearing someone else’s legs for a while. It did stress me out a little but I guess it’s another lesson learned – racing is harder than training (doh!).
So, this week, I cut the mileage a little read on
Deeside D33 Ultra – blue skies and burning thighs
Thought I’d write-up my first race of the year – the D33 ultra in Aberdeen. Got up there Friday afternoon after a long drive and checked into the hotel. Then headed straight out to find Duthie Park – the race registration and start. read on
First race of the year – D33 Ultra marathon
First race of the season is finally upon me. A relatively short ultra at 33miles. Training has been going well and the thought of getting out there with like-minded people is giving me some pretty active butterflies. I’m not exactly a seasoned-pro when it comes to ultra races, but hopefully this is the first of many this year. Two more to follow soon….confirmed races.
Race strategy will be to do my very best not to get carried away for the first 20K. I have a bad habit of getting too excited with other runners about and passing people when I really shouldn’t. I just want to enjoy this run without pushing too hard and potentially burning out. So, expectations aren’t high in terms of time / placing. Just want to take in some new surroundings, maybe chat with a few people and enjoy the first of many races this year.
So, if you’re out and about in Aberdeen at all on Saturday, the race starts at 9.00am, Duthie Park. Tweet me if you want to say hello (@pyllon) and maybe we can do the old fashioned face-to-face thing. Keep your fingers crossed for fair weather.
Woooohooooo!!
Top training week
Just a very quick post full of Friday wishes. Sadly I have to work today (I normally cram a full working week into 4 days), I’ve done that already but my employer feels that there’s obviously more to give. This week has been a cracker in terms of training. I still have a longish run to do tomorrow but I’m already up at 115K for the week, 3 x swimming / 2 x weights sessions and a couple of spins. It takes a lot of organisation (and washing powder) to fit all that into 5 days.
My slippers - beaten up running shoes
Next week will be a little different with my first race on Saturday (details here). A little tapering of the training is necessary I think. I’m extremely excited about the race and cannot wait to get going. Some of my family are coming up to watch, so also a good opportunity to spend some quality time with them pre and post race.
Anyway, I said it would be short – hope you are winding down for the weekend after a fruitful week. Have a good one 😉
Pyllon - ultra runner 