Welcome !!!!
Moggie Ferguson.
Ma wee mammy
With me being 40 this year, I thought I would do something special, nothing outrageous, nothing to heavy just plain old special to me.
I had already planned to run for 40 consecutive days starting on my birthday, but I wanted to do something else.
I decided I would do a marathon, any old marathon would do, but it had to be that marathons 40th year as well.
So with the Berlin Marathon being 40 this year and me being 40 this year, I voted on an attemp at Berlin. I figured it would be fun and give me something good to acheive this special year.
Little did I know that when I decided on this I would be using it to help raise funds to say thank you to those who have helped and supported us since my mum was diagnosed with Cancer in 2010; thats ma wee mammy in the picture, ever smiling even though she is in pain.
This blog is my journey along with its highs and lows from a thought in my head to the finishline just past the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
So maybe the title should actually be
'My Miles for Moggie's Miles; The Road to the Brandenburg Gate and beyond'
or 'My Miles for Moggie's Miles; The Road to just beyond the Brandenburg Gate'
But what ever the title, what ever the outcome this has become more than just a plain and simple Marathon, it has become a symbol of thanks to those who help those who need it.
You can follow me and my training on my Blog bellow or to follow my Blog and leave comments click the 'My Miles For Moggies Miles; The Road To Brandenburg (Gate)'
I had already planned to run for 40 consecutive days starting on my birthday, but I wanted to do something else.
I decided I would do a marathon, any old marathon would do, but it had to be that marathons 40th year as well.
So with the Berlin Marathon being 40 this year and me being 40 this year, I voted on an attemp at Berlin. I figured it would be fun and give me something good to acheive this special year.
Little did I know that when I decided on this I would be using it to help raise funds to say thank you to those who have helped and supported us since my mum was diagnosed with Cancer in 2010; thats ma wee mammy in the picture, ever smiling even though she is in pain.
This blog is my journey along with its highs and lows from a thought in my head to the finishline just past the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
So maybe the title should actually be
'My Miles for Moggie's Miles; The Road to the Brandenburg Gate and beyond'
or 'My Miles for Moggie's Miles; The Road to just beyond the Brandenburg Gate'
But what ever the title, what ever the outcome this has become more than just a plain and simple Marathon, it has become a symbol of thanks to those who help those who need it.
You can follow me and my training on my Blog bellow or to follow my Blog and leave comments click the 'My Miles For Moggies Miles; The Road To Brandenburg (Gate)'
Donations can be made via the links above left or
or at |
Thanks and
Remember A Little Means A Lot :) |
SUNDAY 23RD JUNE 2013
Hi Everyone,
Firstly allow me to appologies if you have been following my blog on training for the Berlin Marathon, sadly we have had a fault on the telephone line which meant that I had no phone or internet connection.
I as given a temp line however someone ripped the wires from the junction box and BT and TalkTalk (although I think more it was TalkRalks fault for not passing on the messages) anyways the problem is now fixed and I am slowly geting things in order and catching up with the back-log of things that piled up in that 3-4 weeks.
Please accept my appoligies for theree being no updates, however I have been keeping records of routes and runs etc and will slowly be bringing the blog upto speed and date over the coming week.
Please tune in and continu to read and catch up on my running over the past weeks of internet black-out.
Firstly allow me to appologies if you have been following my blog on training for the Berlin Marathon, sadly we have had a fault on the telephone line which meant that I had no phone or internet connection.
I as given a temp line however someone ripped the wires from the junction box and BT and TalkTalk (although I think more it was TalkRalks fault for not passing on the messages) anyways the problem is now fixed and I am slowly geting things in order and catching up with the back-log of things that piled up in that 3-4 weeks.
Please accept my appoligies for theree being no updates, however I have been keeping records of routes and runs etc and will slowly be bringing the blog upto speed and date over the coming week.
Please tune in and continu to read and catch up on my running over the past weeks of internet black-out.
FRIDAY 31ST MAY 2013
Cycle, Cycle Cycle
Friday night and the weather was nice so we took to our bikes and chewed up the asphalt. Meeting Richie at the cycle track, we wasted a few minutes working out where to go. We always have a few planned routes in mind, but we never decide until the actual set of time where we will go, adds to the excitment of the cycle.
Tonights cycle was slightly over zealous I thinks in the hill department. wasn't meant to be like that but we mis-calculated a wee bit. heading out, we started off going up a hill, which wasnt such a good start.
From there we headed over a nice quite back country road, which tonight was surprisingly quite to the point we thought there was something wrong. Although it is a quite back road, round about this time of night people will use it to by-pass the main road and its winding through other wee villages.
Five Miles in and the Hills have us Dine
Having covered five miles already the constant rolling of the road has taken a wee toll on the legs and things just get worse. We turn right and there in front of us is another hill, powering up it, using almost all our range of gears we finally dawn the sumitt but rather than a nice wee down there is just a flat windy road. getting up a bit of momentum we move forward, legs recoving from the hill ordeal, only to be confunted with another hill as we round the bend. Gears selected and up off the saddle we push to the top, yet again only to be welcomed with a flat. By now we have covered close to 7 miles, but it feels more like 107 miles. Until now things have been good with no hic-ups or worries, but suddenly from out of nowhere a clown in a tin box decides to wizz past at a speed that would have made Joey Dunlop on his fastest lap of the TT look like he was standing still. To make matters worse, they hardly gave us any room on the road despite the fact that there was no one else on the road and it was a wide road, wide enough for 2 cars to pass comfortably, let alone a car and a pedel bike.
From here though it is relativly flat and we push on which takes us up and onto the old road, half of which they have now turned into a cycle track and for all intents and purposes is actually quite good. Up ahead we attempted to make a right turn, which takes us across the old road, and even though it is now down to just a normal two lane road, the traffic is somewhat heavy and its everyman for himselve as we try to get across it. This in itelf brings another hazard, getting from a standing start across the road and straight into a hill. I get across and start up the hill only to have an arse come round the corner and nearly take me out. Richie has to pause but makes it safely across.
Undulating is an understatement
The next 6 miles are a roller coaster of ups and downs, reaching speads on short down hill sections of 35 plus MPH, which wasnt to bad considering there was a wee breeze blowing into and across us. Suddenly though just as soon as you are down you are straight back up and the ass is off the saddle and the legs are working hard. legs missing a beat on occassions as you change through the gears before you reach the bottom, in preparation for the sudden up that comes.
At one point in our roller coaster ride, we come across the friend of our earlier car driving Joey Dunlop, once again in a clear part of road with no on coming traffic, they shoot past and dont give us any room and nearly clip Richie with their wing mirror.
Would seem that people in cars dont really care to much :) .
A few more ups and downs and we get a welcome down hill at the end, would have been decent to get some speed up on it however, seeing as it goes right past the front of a secondary school, someone felt that (almost) adult children dont yet know their green cross code and may get run down, so they installed speed bumps, which aint to good for a bike with thin tyres and wheels. Problem I see with this; apart from the school being for those who should know better, there is a barrier preventing people from running out the gates and the gaps in the fence onto the road and secondly there is no footpath on the other side of the road opposite the school so there is no need to be crossing over the road anyways. Over kill in the council department in out now nanny stae where we aint allowed to fart without supervision.
Hills Round 2
so once down the nice hill we cycle on to the end o the road where we encounter a nice roundabout. negotiating the roundabout, I wait on the other side of it as we head into another wee village; for Richie who was a wee touch behind on the decent and had was subsiquently cought at the roundabout. I can only say it must be assholes day out, cause yet again for the third time today a mobile caged freak manages to nearly run me down, even though I am at the edge of the road. Anyway I move the bike onto the pavement and await the arrival of Richie, as I see him coming I wave him to keep going rather than stopping and bloody hell, once again a car speeds past; bearing in mind we are in a 30 zone in a secondary main street of a villag
Friday night and the weather was nice so we took to our bikes and chewed up the asphalt. Meeting Richie at the cycle track, we wasted a few minutes working out where to go. We always have a few planned routes in mind, but we never decide until the actual set of time where we will go, adds to the excitment of the cycle.
Tonights cycle was slightly over zealous I thinks in the hill department. wasn't meant to be like that but we mis-calculated a wee bit. heading out, we started off going up a hill, which wasnt such a good start.
From there we headed over a nice quite back country road, which tonight was surprisingly quite to the point we thought there was something wrong. Although it is a quite back road, round about this time of night people will use it to by-pass the main road and its winding through other wee villages.
Five Miles in and the Hills have us Dine
Having covered five miles already the constant rolling of the road has taken a wee toll on the legs and things just get worse. We turn right and there in front of us is another hill, powering up it, using almost all our range of gears we finally dawn the sumitt but rather than a nice wee down there is just a flat windy road. getting up a bit of momentum we move forward, legs recoving from the hill ordeal, only to be confunted with another hill as we round the bend. Gears selected and up off the saddle we push to the top, yet again only to be welcomed with a flat. By now we have covered close to 7 miles, but it feels more like 107 miles. Until now things have been good with no hic-ups or worries, but suddenly from out of nowhere a clown in a tin box decides to wizz past at a speed that would have made Joey Dunlop on his fastest lap of the TT look like he was standing still. To make matters worse, they hardly gave us any room on the road despite the fact that there was no one else on the road and it was a wide road, wide enough for 2 cars to pass comfortably, let alone a car and a pedel bike.
From here though it is relativly flat and we push on which takes us up and onto the old road, half of which they have now turned into a cycle track and for all intents and purposes is actually quite good. Up ahead we attempted to make a right turn, which takes us across the old road, and even though it is now down to just a normal two lane road, the traffic is somewhat heavy and its everyman for himselve as we try to get across it. This in itelf brings another hazard, getting from a standing start across the road and straight into a hill. I get across and start up the hill only to have an arse come round the corner and nearly take me out. Richie has to pause but makes it safely across.
Undulating is an understatement
The next 6 miles are a roller coaster of ups and downs, reaching speads on short down hill sections of 35 plus MPH, which wasnt to bad considering there was a wee breeze blowing into and across us. Suddenly though just as soon as you are down you are straight back up and the ass is off the saddle and the legs are working hard. legs missing a beat on occassions as you change through the gears before you reach the bottom, in preparation for the sudden up that comes.
At one point in our roller coaster ride, we come across the friend of our earlier car driving Joey Dunlop, once again in a clear part of road with no on coming traffic, they shoot past and dont give us any room and nearly clip Richie with their wing mirror.
Would seem that people in cars dont really care to much :) .
A few more ups and downs and we get a welcome down hill at the end, would have been decent to get some speed up on it however, seeing as it goes right past the front of a secondary school, someone felt that (almost) adult children dont yet know their green cross code and may get run down, so they installed speed bumps, which aint to good for a bike with thin tyres and wheels. Problem I see with this; apart from the school being for those who should know better, there is a barrier preventing people from running out the gates and the gaps in the fence onto the road and secondly there is no footpath on the other side of the road opposite the school so there is no need to be crossing over the road anyways. Over kill in the council department in out now nanny stae where we aint allowed to fart without supervision.
Hills Round 2
so once down the nice hill we cycle on to the end o the road where we encounter a nice roundabout. negotiating the roundabout, I wait on the other side of it as we head into another wee village; for Richie who was a wee touch behind on the decent and had was subsiquently cought at the roundabout. I can only say it must be assholes day out, cause yet again for the third time today a mobile caged freak manages to nearly run me down, even though I am at the edge of the road. Anyway I move the bike onto the pavement and await the arrival of Richie, as I see him coming I wave him to keep going rather than stopping and bloody hell, once again a car speeds past; bearing in mind we are in a 30 zone in a secondary main street of a villag
THURSDAY 30TH MAY 2013
Recovery Run it is to be
Tonights run although a fairly middle distance venture was tackled at a fairly easy pace to what we runners refer to as a mid-week recovery run. This is generally the case after a hard session on a Tuesday night, but seeing as how I raced last night; which should have been my mid-week middle distance recovery run, I have had to swap things around abit and make tonight my mid-week middle distance recovery run. Dont worry if your confused, the runs has ben done and I got confused as well.
Hard to keep it slow
Although I had trained hard on the Tuesday night and had raced on the Wednesday night, it was slightly difficuilt to keep the pace slow. I dont mean that in such a way as to say that I am a person who runs everywhere fast or that I am a fast runner, far from it, what I mean is that there is a pace to which every individuale will feel comfortable with and regularly train at, if one runs faster than that pace; generally in a race or specific types of training, they are pushing themselves along and are out their comfort zone. In the same way if one slows below such a pace again they are out with the bodies comfort zone and strangly it can be difficuilt to maintain and this was how I was feeling tonight. However running at such a pace has its uses, mainly and tonights purpose as a slow recovery training run. In addition is uses the muscles in a different way and uses different muscle fibres to preform the movement ultimatly giving them a workout and allowing the normal muscle fibres a slight recovery.
To Not Move, Then To Move, Thats the Objective
Anyways enough of that, I found it difficuilt to get moving as I was slightly stiff, but once moving I found it difficuilt to maintain the slower pace than normal. So stiffness easing off after about a mile, probably doesnt help that I started off running up hill, but thats the joys of training, passing through the first mile and I dont see anything remotely interesting and am sad to say nothing to report. Upon entering into the second mile which takes me along past a small industrial estate which is populated with call centres, I am blessed with the mass exodus of workers all heading home for the night. As I weaved my way through them I finally decide it would be more sensible and easier to vacate the pavement and take up residence on the cycle path. In doing so I find movement in a straight line and forward motion more productive. Now bare in mind here that I am going slower than I normally would I edge my way forward as those fleeing from their chains of sociaty edge forward also. In doing so we gradually encrouch on each others only to have a baradge of stupid remarks, insults and comments thrown in my direction from several of those I pass. This type of thing happens all the time to those who take to running and it has become easy to ignore, but on this occassion I struggled hard to ignore the insults etc, because yet again; as previously happened; it was the walking blob og hydroginate fat and bacon lard that felt the need to hurrle insults and poorly constructed comments in my direction. This person was so big that they generated their own gravitational pull, so much so that light bent round them, such was the strength of the gravitational pull that I had to go into hyper sprint to break free.
Why o why is it always the ones who could benefit from a wee bit extra physical activity in their lives, that feel the need;thus far anyways; to be the ones to call those who are pursuing some physical activity; for what every reason; all the dumb ass etc under the sun? Answers on a postcard to Generated gravitational Pull, Large Ass-terroid, The place I run.
So Mile 2 I managed to Pull Through
Having managed to pull through mile 2 I am blissful of the countryside round about me as I make my ways along a slightly wider than single track road. I see the usual suspects of rabbits and birds and in the cool things are going well and all is peaceful. I am now comfortable at this easy pace and my legs are flowing as I hoped in a fluent mannor. I turn the at the junction and am preparing to cross the road to face on coming traffic and finish off mile three only to have my peace shattered by an asshole in a car tooting their horn and shouting from the window of their elabaret tin box. 'Yes I think to myself I am on the wrong side of the road and should be running towards oncoming traffic. But if you were to move your ass I would be able to cross the road' Suddenly I feel the car slowing, having no approaching cars and no junctions I begin to wonder why, then I get it, the asshole in the car was; I say was cause now I aint to sure; a mate, taking the piss. He drove along side me for about quarter of a mile as we had a chat and then without being nasty, they finally left me in peace again.
No more disturbances and at mile 3 3/4 just after my mate left me in his car I come to a a nice up-hill section which just grabs you by the short and curlies and saps your energy. Here I hear the WHOOSH and feel the wind of another friend out cycling, they speed down the hill towards me and are gone in the blink of an eye. After all they were heading in the direction I had just come and had probably already done about 10 times as far as I had ran. Over the hill and down we go, speeding up like I dont know, the down hill was good, got a wee spirt of pace just to wake the legs up from their slumber, but nothing to textreme that would take this recovery run to a fast run.
Back to Civilisation
I come out of the counrty roads back into cicilisation and I pass the house of the mate in the car, there just arrived at the house and are steadily unpacking what would appear to be 40 years worth of food shopping, another quick hi and a wave in the way past, followed by a 'how did you get here so quick' from them and I am past and a way, not stopping for tea.
I follow through village streets and dont see anything strange or unusual for this time of night, which is a wee bit o a shame really as it makes a run slightly boring and ultimatly this blog.
As I turn and head for home I; due to the narrow pavements, the people walking on the path in the same direction as I am going, I make the choice to run on the road. Due to the street being on a curve and the cars parked aroud the curve it is the logical choice as I can run in a straight line and not be hindered by the people on the path. As I do so I decend the hill and rach the bottom and am accendign the up side of the vally, just as a van appears at the top of the hill and heads towards me. Having a good look I notice it is full of what looked like uniformed police, but in an unmarked van, thinking they wer just out and being transported about I dont bother, then a second marked police van passes. Again I think strange for a second but dont bother too much, even though it nearly ran me down; my fault for being on the road I guess, lol.
As I approach and get over the top of the hill I find that the pavement is half blocked by a big long wheel based transit so I breath in and squeeze past, only to notice that the inhabitants of the van are all kitted out in stab proff vests and the such like and the back of their vest it informs me they are from 'Her majesties Border Security), behind this van is another small van like the first one that drove past and then another police van behind that. It would seem that Border Security are on the hunt for something or someone that slipped through a border check.
Never did hear anything elase about it though. :(
Excitment gone I head home the last mile, part of me feels good and wants to push the last chapter for tonight, the other part wants to maintain the pace and keep the recovery going. In the end I come to a comprimise and push a wee bit and then slow it down and then push the last wee bit.
Tonights Distance 7.28 miles
Weekly Distance 25.90 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 86.82 miles
Tonights run although a fairly middle distance venture was tackled at a fairly easy pace to what we runners refer to as a mid-week recovery run. This is generally the case after a hard session on a Tuesday night, but seeing as how I raced last night; which should have been my mid-week middle distance recovery run, I have had to swap things around abit and make tonight my mid-week middle distance recovery run. Dont worry if your confused, the runs has ben done and I got confused as well.
Hard to keep it slow
Although I had trained hard on the Tuesday night and had raced on the Wednesday night, it was slightly difficuilt to keep the pace slow. I dont mean that in such a way as to say that I am a person who runs everywhere fast or that I am a fast runner, far from it, what I mean is that there is a pace to which every individuale will feel comfortable with and regularly train at, if one runs faster than that pace; generally in a race or specific types of training, they are pushing themselves along and are out their comfort zone. In the same way if one slows below such a pace again they are out with the bodies comfort zone and strangly it can be difficuilt to maintain and this was how I was feeling tonight. However running at such a pace has its uses, mainly and tonights purpose as a slow recovery training run. In addition is uses the muscles in a different way and uses different muscle fibres to preform the movement ultimatly giving them a workout and allowing the normal muscle fibres a slight recovery.
To Not Move, Then To Move, Thats the Objective
Anyways enough of that, I found it difficuilt to get moving as I was slightly stiff, but once moving I found it difficuilt to maintain the slower pace than normal. So stiffness easing off after about a mile, probably doesnt help that I started off running up hill, but thats the joys of training, passing through the first mile and I dont see anything remotely interesting and am sad to say nothing to report. Upon entering into the second mile which takes me along past a small industrial estate which is populated with call centres, I am blessed with the mass exodus of workers all heading home for the night. As I weaved my way through them I finally decide it would be more sensible and easier to vacate the pavement and take up residence on the cycle path. In doing so I find movement in a straight line and forward motion more productive. Now bare in mind here that I am going slower than I normally would I edge my way forward as those fleeing from their chains of sociaty edge forward also. In doing so we gradually encrouch on each others only to have a baradge of stupid remarks, insults and comments thrown in my direction from several of those I pass. This type of thing happens all the time to those who take to running and it has become easy to ignore, but on this occassion I struggled hard to ignore the insults etc, because yet again; as previously happened; it was the walking blob og hydroginate fat and bacon lard that felt the need to hurrle insults and poorly constructed comments in my direction. This person was so big that they generated their own gravitational pull, so much so that light bent round them, such was the strength of the gravitational pull that I had to go into hyper sprint to break free.
Why o why is it always the ones who could benefit from a wee bit extra physical activity in their lives, that feel the need;thus far anyways; to be the ones to call those who are pursuing some physical activity; for what every reason; all the dumb ass etc under the sun? Answers on a postcard to Generated gravitational Pull, Large Ass-terroid, The place I run.
So Mile 2 I managed to Pull Through
Having managed to pull through mile 2 I am blissful of the countryside round about me as I make my ways along a slightly wider than single track road. I see the usual suspects of rabbits and birds and in the cool things are going well and all is peaceful. I am now comfortable at this easy pace and my legs are flowing as I hoped in a fluent mannor. I turn the at the junction and am preparing to cross the road to face on coming traffic and finish off mile three only to have my peace shattered by an asshole in a car tooting their horn and shouting from the window of their elabaret tin box. 'Yes I think to myself I am on the wrong side of the road and should be running towards oncoming traffic. But if you were to move your ass I would be able to cross the road' Suddenly I feel the car slowing, having no approaching cars and no junctions I begin to wonder why, then I get it, the asshole in the car was; I say was cause now I aint to sure; a mate, taking the piss. He drove along side me for about quarter of a mile as we had a chat and then without being nasty, they finally left me in peace again.
No more disturbances and at mile 3 3/4 just after my mate left me in his car I come to a a nice up-hill section which just grabs you by the short and curlies and saps your energy. Here I hear the WHOOSH and feel the wind of another friend out cycling, they speed down the hill towards me and are gone in the blink of an eye. After all they were heading in the direction I had just come and had probably already done about 10 times as far as I had ran. Over the hill and down we go, speeding up like I dont know, the down hill was good, got a wee spirt of pace just to wake the legs up from their slumber, but nothing to textreme that would take this recovery run to a fast run.
Back to Civilisation
I come out of the counrty roads back into cicilisation and I pass the house of the mate in the car, there just arrived at the house and are steadily unpacking what would appear to be 40 years worth of food shopping, another quick hi and a wave in the way past, followed by a 'how did you get here so quick' from them and I am past and a way, not stopping for tea.
I follow through village streets and dont see anything strange or unusual for this time of night, which is a wee bit o a shame really as it makes a run slightly boring and ultimatly this blog.
As I turn and head for home I; due to the narrow pavements, the people walking on the path in the same direction as I am going, I make the choice to run on the road. Due to the street being on a curve and the cars parked aroud the curve it is the logical choice as I can run in a straight line and not be hindered by the people on the path. As I do so I decend the hill and rach the bottom and am accendign the up side of the vally, just as a van appears at the top of the hill and heads towards me. Having a good look I notice it is full of what looked like uniformed police, but in an unmarked van, thinking they wer just out and being transported about I dont bother, then a second marked police van passes. Again I think strange for a second but dont bother too much, even though it nearly ran me down; my fault for being on the road I guess, lol.
As I approach and get over the top of the hill I find that the pavement is half blocked by a big long wheel based transit so I breath in and squeeze past, only to notice that the inhabitants of the van are all kitted out in stab proff vests and the such like and the back of their vest it informs me they are from 'Her majesties Border Security), behind this van is another small van like the first one that drove past and then another police van behind that. It would seem that Border Security are on the hunt for something or someone that slipped through a border check.
Never did hear anything elase about it though. :(
Excitment gone I head home the last mile, part of me feels good and wants to push the last chapter for tonight, the other part wants to maintain the pace and keep the recovery going. In the end I come to a comprimise and push a wee bit and then slow it down and then push the last wee bit.
Tonights Distance 7.28 miles
Weekly Distance 25.90 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 86.82 miles
WEDNESDAY 29TH MAY 2013
Land 'o' Burns 10k Road Race
Tonight saw me running the Land 'o' Burns 10k; for the first time in many a years and on a new course as well. Its a twisty, turny course that doesnt lend itself to good times, but it was all good as was my time, well within what I wanted to run and faster than Troon and Dunlop so cant be all bad.
So how'd it go
This one starts off down the prominade road and runs back towards town for about 400 - 500m where there is a left turn and then another left turn onto the prominade and heading away from town. First disaster occured within the first kilometre, where the car keys that I had tied to the draw string on my shorts came undone and dropped to the ground like a stone, I had no choice but to stop, turn and head back into an oncoming crowd of runners all determind and mind set on getting to the end in as fast a time as possible; and this here dumplin regardless of reason who was running against the tide so to speak wasn't gonna stand in their way. It was a case of head down and spot the keys and run towards them, swipe them up and make the turn to follow the flow of runners in as fast a time as possible. Its strange how them few seconds seemed to last for ever and half of ever, yet when running the time seems to fly past and the distance seems to be stagnant. Keys firmly in hand I find my place in the field again and gradually try to find my pace. A few hundred yards up the road and it is clear that the keys in my hand are going to be a total pain to carry around with me for the next 9k, I know that carrying them I just wont be able to relax properly, so the choices are, I carry them and be done with it; knowing fine well it will piss me off, I could stop and try and re-tie them onto the draw-string of the shorts; that would waste time or luck would have it, my coach was there at the side cheering people on and giving encouragement, so I ever so gratefully passed them over to him, thanks Kenny for being a saviour that night :). (only problem now is that I dont have an excuse if I run rubbish).
Finding something to carry you along
Everyone has something they have to carry them along the road, a we mantra, a song on an iPod, someone at a particular point in the race, me I never take them things with me, I just go out and run, never really relyng on things to get me moving, just in case they aint there when youu need them; thats not to say I dont have a mantra or that I on ocassions dont shout at myself to 'move your ass'; tonight I dont have anything, but sometime one will inevitably find something that will spur them on a bit, make them push that wee bit faster or that wee bit further. Tonight was no exception to that rule. What was it I hear you all thinking, well to those seasoned runners and race participants, to those who run for fun, to those who run for freedom, male, female or otherwise, you will all know what it is I speak of and so there is no need to tell...no need to give away secrets. I was able to use this to carry me along for about a kilometre, which was enough time to be able to get my pace back and sort myself out from the wee set back earlier with the keys, after that it faded away into the distant past as I ate up the miles. I am sure one day I will find the same motivation, I may even find the same one, but for tonight it is in the past.
'Time does fly, but not I'
Before I know it I have came past the half way point of the race, it seemed to fly by quite quickly, however when I look at my watch it would appear that I don't carry the same same proporties in this instance and I am actually slower than I would have hopped to have been at this stage. Never the less I push on determind to give it me best shot and to see how my training is coming along. I shouldnt be to hard on myself with regards to my half way time, after all to get here ir has been an excursion of twists, turns and slinks to the right and slinks to the slef, and even a right - left bend that would make any F1 or GP rider wonder just what was going on, on the track that night.
Emerging from the loop in the houses I am instructed to saty on the right until the road is clear, as I cross the road I notice a distinctive vest up ahead and wonder how I managed to be in such close quarters to this vest wearer. As I close in I realise that they have developed cramp in their calves and have slowed to a mere walk, followed by an abrupt stop. Apparently he said he had gone away to fast. I pass my team mate and turn the corner to begin the assent of what can only be described as a long drawn out hill of torment, after all you can just about see the top of it, and thats how it stays until you are just yards from the top, this is because it climbs up but there is just a wee slight flat section whcih you dont notice about 2/3 way up which lasts only about 50-60 metres, but is enough to give this un-reachable top illusion.
My Clim-b-ax and Desent-ax to the end
As I start the accent I hear the foot steps behind me of my previously passed team mate and although no one ever likes to be passed, I was some what releived to have him back in front of me, this releif was however short lived as once again he slowed to a halt and I ran past him. Pushing on up the hill I catch another participant and wonder if I should wait behind them or run past them, the answer is given to me by the sudden sharp bit of the hill and there is suddenly no way I can pass the fella in front o me. I just tuck in behind him and get what cyclist term as a 'wee draft', probably not as effective as when on a bike but surely it must cound for something. We reach the top o the hll and turn a left heading back down the was and I finally manage to pass the guy, only to have him pass me again within about 10-15 metres, only for me to pass him again in about 30 metres and then for him to pass me; this went on for about another 2 passings of each other, until he found his over-drive and went passed and kept on going. I tempted my legs and body to follow on and catch him, but sadly they never had anything in the reserve, so off he sped as we began to come down th hill, and suddenly it looked like I might catch him again, but it wasnt to be I started to feel the sicknes in the pit of my stomach, move up inside and so I eased off the gas a wee bit in expecttion of what is normally the inevitable, but nothing. I turned at the bottom of the hill and followed the road on through the 9k marker to find my running companin for the past 2 k striding along. The finish was in sight, it was just through the hole in the wall and left onto the gravel path (it wasnt just a hole it was a proper gap for the path). I just eased off and let him enter the park in front of me, once in the park I slowly eased onto the gas and then sped past him like we had done to each other earlier and he had done to me on his final escape, only this time I pushed up a gear as I ran past and pulled the distance out to a good 10, then 12 metres. It was all I could do, my gas was at peak performance all the twists and turns from earlier and the stutters and farts as we say in running speed and style had taken its toll on me, but I turned at the bottom of the park with about 50-60 metres to go, ever listening for the burst behind me and the approaching of feet I gave another we burst for security and I was home and safe.
I looked at my watch and I hadnt run what I would liked to have run, but on all the positives, I was faster than what I ran at Troon 10k, I was faster than what I ran at Dunlop 10k, according to the garmin it was more than 10k (so I did run faster than I had hoped), I was still well within my minutes per mile pace for my marathon, I had kept the insides on the inside (again) and I actually felt good after such a hard run. (Although maybe, just maybe I should have took last nights training a wee bit easier).
Tonights total is 6.10 miles (Garmin actually says it is 6.26 miles (someone elses said it was 6.25 and another said 6.27)
Weekly Total is 18.62 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 79.54 miles
Tonight saw me running the Land 'o' Burns 10k; for the first time in many a years and on a new course as well. Its a twisty, turny course that doesnt lend itself to good times, but it was all good as was my time, well within what I wanted to run and faster than Troon and Dunlop so cant be all bad.
So how'd it go
This one starts off down the prominade road and runs back towards town for about 400 - 500m where there is a left turn and then another left turn onto the prominade and heading away from town. First disaster occured within the first kilometre, where the car keys that I had tied to the draw string on my shorts came undone and dropped to the ground like a stone, I had no choice but to stop, turn and head back into an oncoming crowd of runners all determind and mind set on getting to the end in as fast a time as possible; and this here dumplin regardless of reason who was running against the tide so to speak wasn't gonna stand in their way. It was a case of head down and spot the keys and run towards them, swipe them up and make the turn to follow the flow of runners in as fast a time as possible. Its strange how them few seconds seemed to last for ever and half of ever, yet when running the time seems to fly past and the distance seems to be stagnant. Keys firmly in hand I find my place in the field again and gradually try to find my pace. A few hundred yards up the road and it is clear that the keys in my hand are going to be a total pain to carry around with me for the next 9k, I know that carrying them I just wont be able to relax properly, so the choices are, I carry them and be done with it; knowing fine well it will piss me off, I could stop and try and re-tie them onto the draw-string of the shorts; that would waste time or luck would have it, my coach was there at the side cheering people on and giving encouragement, so I ever so gratefully passed them over to him, thanks Kenny for being a saviour that night :). (only problem now is that I dont have an excuse if I run rubbish).
Finding something to carry you along
Everyone has something they have to carry them along the road, a we mantra, a song on an iPod, someone at a particular point in the race, me I never take them things with me, I just go out and run, never really relyng on things to get me moving, just in case they aint there when youu need them; thats not to say I dont have a mantra or that I on ocassions dont shout at myself to 'move your ass'; tonight I dont have anything, but sometime one will inevitably find something that will spur them on a bit, make them push that wee bit faster or that wee bit further. Tonight was no exception to that rule. What was it I hear you all thinking, well to those seasoned runners and race participants, to those who run for fun, to those who run for freedom, male, female or otherwise, you will all know what it is I speak of and so there is no need to tell...no need to give away secrets. I was able to use this to carry me along for about a kilometre, which was enough time to be able to get my pace back and sort myself out from the wee set back earlier with the keys, after that it faded away into the distant past as I ate up the miles. I am sure one day I will find the same motivation, I may even find the same one, but for tonight it is in the past.
'Time does fly, but not I'
Before I know it I have came past the half way point of the race, it seemed to fly by quite quickly, however when I look at my watch it would appear that I don't carry the same same proporties in this instance and I am actually slower than I would have hopped to have been at this stage. Never the less I push on determind to give it me best shot and to see how my training is coming along. I shouldnt be to hard on myself with regards to my half way time, after all to get here ir has been an excursion of twists, turns and slinks to the right and slinks to the slef, and even a right - left bend that would make any F1 or GP rider wonder just what was going on, on the track that night.
Emerging from the loop in the houses I am instructed to saty on the right until the road is clear, as I cross the road I notice a distinctive vest up ahead and wonder how I managed to be in such close quarters to this vest wearer. As I close in I realise that they have developed cramp in their calves and have slowed to a mere walk, followed by an abrupt stop. Apparently he said he had gone away to fast. I pass my team mate and turn the corner to begin the assent of what can only be described as a long drawn out hill of torment, after all you can just about see the top of it, and thats how it stays until you are just yards from the top, this is because it climbs up but there is just a wee slight flat section whcih you dont notice about 2/3 way up which lasts only about 50-60 metres, but is enough to give this un-reachable top illusion.
My Clim-b-ax and Desent-ax to the end
As I start the accent I hear the foot steps behind me of my previously passed team mate and although no one ever likes to be passed, I was some what releived to have him back in front of me, this releif was however short lived as once again he slowed to a halt and I ran past him. Pushing on up the hill I catch another participant and wonder if I should wait behind them or run past them, the answer is given to me by the sudden sharp bit of the hill and there is suddenly no way I can pass the fella in front o me. I just tuck in behind him and get what cyclist term as a 'wee draft', probably not as effective as when on a bike but surely it must cound for something. We reach the top o the hll and turn a left heading back down the was and I finally manage to pass the guy, only to have him pass me again within about 10-15 metres, only for me to pass him again in about 30 metres and then for him to pass me; this went on for about another 2 passings of each other, until he found his over-drive and went passed and kept on going. I tempted my legs and body to follow on and catch him, but sadly they never had anything in the reserve, so off he sped as we began to come down th hill, and suddenly it looked like I might catch him again, but it wasnt to be I started to feel the sicknes in the pit of my stomach, move up inside and so I eased off the gas a wee bit in expecttion of what is normally the inevitable, but nothing. I turned at the bottom of the hill and followed the road on through the 9k marker to find my running companin for the past 2 k striding along. The finish was in sight, it was just through the hole in the wall and left onto the gravel path (it wasnt just a hole it was a proper gap for the path). I just eased off and let him enter the park in front of me, once in the park I slowly eased onto the gas and then sped past him like we had done to each other earlier and he had done to me on his final escape, only this time I pushed up a gear as I ran past and pulled the distance out to a good 10, then 12 metres. It was all I could do, my gas was at peak performance all the twists and turns from earlier and the stutters and farts as we say in running speed and style had taken its toll on me, but I turned at the bottom of the park with about 50-60 metres to go, ever listening for the burst behind me and the approaching of feet I gave another we burst for security and I was home and safe.
I looked at my watch and I hadnt run what I would liked to have run, but on all the positives, I was faster than what I ran at Troon 10k, I was faster than what I ran at Dunlop 10k, according to the garmin it was more than 10k (so I did run faster than I had hoped), I was still well within my minutes per mile pace for my marathon, I had kept the insides on the inside (again) and I actually felt good after such a hard run. (Although maybe, just maybe I should have took last nights training a wee bit easier).
Tonights total is 6.10 miles (Garmin actually says it is 6.26 miles (someone elses said it was 6.25 and another said 6.27)
Weekly Total is 18.62 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 79.54 miles
TUESDAY 28TH MAY 2013
A Run of Many Loops
Tonights run isn't one of those fun filled runs that takes me out into the countryside or even through some interesting parts of town, NO tonights run is done at the running club. The route we took consisted of 3 loops of what we call 'The Rose Bowl'. For those interested The Rose Bowl is an octagonal (8 sided) bowled trophy, that has been an important trophy within the club for several decades, it is still a highly sought after privelage to get ones name on the trophy. More about this event in coming months however as it has yet to take place this year.
So back to tonights training, which will see me run this course 5 times; thats 5 laps of this course.
Lap One of this Loop
Starting any run half way up a hill isn't easy at the best of times and tonight is no exception. We used to start this run on the level, when we ran from our old home at the old cinder track, but now we have a new home and a new track which has moved over several hundred yards, the loop start is on the opposite side of the course and thus we start half way up a hill and sadly the top half is the sharpest and steepest part..
So with feet and legs struggling to get started I feel like; and probably look like as well; one of them wee cartoon characters that start to run on the spot and then shot off, only difference is, is that when I get started I dont actually shot of as more lumber forward. Moving along I finally find a stride that gets me up the hill and round the bend and over the top, brining me nicely to the downhill slope, which is for all intents and purposes just a slip road with a footpath at the side which takes us down and onto a gravel access road. However to get to the road one neds to either negotiate a kiss gate or a hole in the fence which is patrolled by over hanging howthorn trees, o the choices one has. I negotiate the hole in the fence by doing a dance that wouldnt look to out of place as a move in the Time Warp, yu know the one, 'Its just a jump to the left, then a step to the right' well here its a Jump to the left, a steep to the rear, watch you dont loose your sight, put your hands on your ears and bend your head just in time' After ma dance I find ma feet on the gravel path and jump and weave to avoid the ruts and potholes that are there, after about hundred yards its onto a tared road, with playining fields on either side. Being a nice warm sunny well light night tonight everyone is out in force, we have football matches going on, folks playing kick about with a ball and on the other side folks knocking golf balls around. To top of that we got every dog walker in the town out alking their dog, which isnt an issue in itself, if they would just keep them under control, or realled in on them damned extendable leads, especially when you hearly get tripped with them and your run turns into a hurdle session, but not only that the owner suddenly wakes up and tries to reel the dog in, which only makes things worse as the dog is no directly in front of you and you have the added distress of maybe hitting the dog if the jump goes wrong. All this excitment and i aint even halfways round the first lap yet.
Heading further on I pass the female football team with the subs sitting at the side of the park waiting for their turn on the pitch and their claim to fame. As I get nearer I hear a few having a wee snigger and making some snide remarks, but cant quite hear what they are, then i hear one of them say, 'actually I wouldna want to be running after him, he's fair movin' '
I head along the road and pass a bloke sitting at the side of the road, I recognised him from earlier, he was the fella that was sitting in the middle of the cycle path, whom I nearly ran over when I was heading to the club, he seemed fine and none the worse for wares.
Heading on I climb the hill and finally reach the end of the first loop with no more interesting tales to tell. I push on through the start point and into my second loop.
Loop Two for me - and for you
Pushing through into lap two I try to maintain the pace and force my way up the second part of the hill, the bit that always catches you of guard no matter how on guard you are. Managing to keep the wind blowing in my sails I encounter one of the ever friendly dog walkers that us runners encounter, sadly this was one of them that didnt know how to keep their pooch under control and once again I find I am the one having to jump left and right in order to get the doogie oot from under ma feet. I decide to take the safer option and resort to jumping onto the road and running up the edge of the road. Emergancy overted, I push on and get over the top and head down to the gap at the bottom. I manage to negotiate the gap and keep ma hearing, head and eye sight all intaked and not a sign of any transvestites from transelvania in sight.
Heading back round along the road and I hear the voices from behind the hedge, its the folks playing kick about, one of them says 'here they come again, lets fire the baw ower the hedge and see if we can get them', instantly they all go into a fit of laughter, probably at the thought o me gettin' a baw in the back o the heed and hittin the deck like a ton o bricks. I am pleased to say that on this occassion the baw never does come ower the hedge.
I pass the grils football team again and I hear them say 'hell here he comes again', moving along I think to ma self, shit i will be passing you a few more times in the course o the night.
As I move on I suddenly find that the fella that was sitting on the roadside has moved and is now staggering along the road sounding like he is drowning; for those that know of Billy Connelly and can recall his album Big Banana Feet, well remember the drunkman sketch on that, thats what it sounded like. To top this off he is deciding that it is a fun idea to wonder in front of me as I move towards him, now being the nice guy I am I move out his way, but this guy thinks he is ma mirror reflection and so moves with me, a burst of speed and a sudden swerve and I am clear of the obstical without disaster. Heading on I turn to head up the long steady hill towards the start point and once again I come across my friendly neighbourhood dog walker. This time i just move out and give as much space as I can, and still they don't get their dog under control. It dont bother me dogs off leads, I had one as you all know from previous blog entries and she never went on a lead, but 1 I had her trained to run beside me and 2 when she did run on a bit, when someone came I would shout her back if I thought she was going to get excited and want to play. Why cant others do that?
I push on and up the hill, past the start point and into lap 3 of this loop.
Three, Three alreadee
Heading into the third loop of this session tonight I suddenly realise that I have found my groove and I feel really comfortable as I trundle along. I plow up the hill in what feels like an easy flowing motion and head over the top down the other side and negotiate the Time Warp Hole at the bottom without losing any time whatso every. By this point I have cought a few of the other runners in the group who give me an encouraging 'well done' and 'keep going, you're looking good', these lovely comments from lovely people all add to the good feeling I am having. I admit though that the night is warm and the air just as warm and every breath in makes the back of my throat rasp and feel like it is on fire. I head round the track and onto the road, passing the folks playing kick about and a few folks playing golf as before, but this loop must have the strangest sight I have saw to date, not quite standing in the middle of the open field as such, but he could have been a bit more hidden, a bloke taking a leak, with no shame on his face, I guess when you gotta go you gotta go, lol.
Passing the girls football game again, they are still sniggering and gigling etc and once again it is commented that I have been passed before as they say 'bloody hell, theres that bloke again and he's still movin' ' Taking a litle smile to myself I push on along the road meeting a couple with a wee dog, at least they have the wee thing on a lead and under control so there is no worries. Further along I pass for the third time; clearly as they cant move anywhere; the two 5 litre milk cartoons that are sitting at the side of the path, one is half full of white liquid; would take a good guess it was milk; and the other is half full o pink liquid; strawberry milk?, as much as my throats on fire I wasnt tempted to try them and find out, but for that split second my mind was diverted away from my run, my pace, my training and onto something trivial like 'whats in they cartons sitting there' I dont know if its cause I was board, struggling or just so deep in the groove that my body was in control and didnt need my mind for that short spell. Rounding the corner at the end of the road and I start the assent towards home and the end of this lap, I push on up the hill and enter my fourth lap.
Lap Four, then its Just One More!!!
By this point I am catching and passing others who are in the other groups who have started off behind us, I am using them a short term targets, not treating it as a race but just using them to pull me along and keep me in the zone as we say. Each one i pass gives a welcome and encouraging gesture and/or statement; usually through broken breaths and sentances, but like them being a runner I fully understand what they are saying. Onwards and upwards passing the people kicking about and the guys playing golf, thankfully this time no persons who appear to be cought short. I pass the girls playing football and the subs sitting at the side and yes they had a comment about me going past yet again. I was tempted to tell them that i would be past yet again before the night was out, but to be honest even though I was running well and in control, I didnt have enough breath to waste on unrequired speach.
I stride out eating up the lap as i go and once again I pass the two peculiar milk botles and their even more peculiar contents and I once again find that my mind has wondered over to wonder what the contents actually is, paint, milk; which I thought last lap; or some other strange content. I round the corner and head on up the long dragged out hill and finish this lap in good time. I start my fifth and final lap.
Finally the Finale
Entering the final lap I push on up the hill, wondering if I will be able to push on through to the end. I doing so I pass a dog walker whom I have already passed a few times on previous laps of this route. It would seem to be that they cover a quarter of a lap for every full one I cover. I push down the hill and have to dodge my way round another two walkers, taking a step onto the slip road in doing so I almost lose my ass to a passing car, would know what type of car it was had it took away ma ass that night as it was going so fast I never had a chance to recognise it. Happy ma ass is still in place I time warp ma way through the hole in the fence and zig zag the ruts in the gravel path for the final time tonight. The ball kickers are still there, the golfers have gone off somewhere else by now, the girls football are still playing away with the subs sitting on the grass looking bored as anything and by now it would seem that there only high light to their night is me running past as they make another comment about me passing by and they are all laughing and now I even get a few whistles; same I aint gonna pass by again who knows what I might get. So I push on knowing that this is my final lap of the night and again the strange bottles come into view and like the last few laps my body lets my mind wonder off to ponder what the hell is in them bottles, I really dont want to know or I could have easily stopped and had a look, but then that would have broken ma stride.. No exciting happening, if there have been any thus far; come between me and the point at which I started and so it is with a full stride and a push to the end that I finish tonights training session.
Tonights total is 6.10 miles
Weekly Total is 12.52 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 73.44 miles
Tonights run isn't one of those fun filled runs that takes me out into the countryside or even through some interesting parts of town, NO tonights run is done at the running club. The route we took consisted of 3 loops of what we call 'The Rose Bowl'. For those interested The Rose Bowl is an octagonal (8 sided) bowled trophy, that has been an important trophy within the club for several decades, it is still a highly sought after privelage to get ones name on the trophy. More about this event in coming months however as it has yet to take place this year.
So back to tonights training, which will see me run this course 5 times; thats 5 laps of this course.
Lap One of this Loop
Starting any run half way up a hill isn't easy at the best of times and tonight is no exception. We used to start this run on the level, when we ran from our old home at the old cinder track, but now we have a new home and a new track which has moved over several hundred yards, the loop start is on the opposite side of the course and thus we start half way up a hill and sadly the top half is the sharpest and steepest part..
So with feet and legs struggling to get started I feel like; and probably look like as well; one of them wee cartoon characters that start to run on the spot and then shot off, only difference is, is that when I get started I dont actually shot of as more lumber forward. Moving along I finally find a stride that gets me up the hill and round the bend and over the top, brining me nicely to the downhill slope, which is for all intents and purposes just a slip road with a footpath at the side which takes us down and onto a gravel access road. However to get to the road one neds to either negotiate a kiss gate or a hole in the fence which is patrolled by over hanging howthorn trees, o the choices one has. I negotiate the hole in the fence by doing a dance that wouldnt look to out of place as a move in the Time Warp, yu know the one, 'Its just a jump to the left, then a step to the right' well here its a Jump to the left, a steep to the rear, watch you dont loose your sight, put your hands on your ears and bend your head just in time' After ma dance I find ma feet on the gravel path and jump and weave to avoid the ruts and potholes that are there, after about hundred yards its onto a tared road, with playining fields on either side. Being a nice warm sunny well light night tonight everyone is out in force, we have football matches going on, folks playing kick about with a ball and on the other side folks knocking golf balls around. To top of that we got every dog walker in the town out alking their dog, which isnt an issue in itself, if they would just keep them under control, or realled in on them damned extendable leads, especially when you hearly get tripped with them and your run turns into a hurdle session, but not only that the owner suddenly wakes up and tries to reel the dog in, which only makes things worse as the dog is no directly in front of you and you have the added distress of maybe hitting the dog if the jump goes wrong. All this excitment and i aint even halfways round the first lap yet.
Heading further on I pass the female football team with the subs sitting at the side of the park waiting for their turn on the pitch and their claim to fame. As I get nearer I hear a few having a wee snigger and making some snide remarks, but cant quite hear what they are, then i hear one of them say, 'actually I wouldna want to be running after him, he's fair movin' '
I head along the road and pass a bloke sitting at the side of the road, I recognised him from earlier, he was the fella that was sitting in the middle of the cycle path, whom I nearly ran over when I was heading to the club, he seemed fine and none the worse for wares.
Heading on I climb the hill and finally reach the end of the first loop with no more interesting tales to tell. I push on through the start point and into my second loop.
Loop Two for me - and for you
Pushing through into lap two I try to maintain the pace and force my way up the second part of the hill, the bit that always catches you of guard no matter how on guard you are. Managing to keep the wind blowing in my sails I encounter one of the ever friendly dog walkers that us runners encounter, sadly this was one of them that didnt know how to keep their pooch under control and once again I find I am the one having to jump left and right in order to get the doogie oot from under ma feet. I decide to take the safer option and resort to jumping onto the road and running up the edge of the road. Emergancy overted, I push on and get over the top and head down to the gap at the bottom. I manage to negotiate the gap and keep ma hearing, head and eye sight all intaked and not a sign of any transvestites from transelvania in sight.
Heading back round along the road and I hear the voices from behind the hedge, its the folks playing kick about, one of them says 'here they come again, lets fire the baw ower the hedge and see if we can get them', instantly they all go into a fit of laughter, probably at the thought o me gettin' a baw in the back o the heed and hittin the deck like a ton o bricks. I am pleased to say that on this occassion the baw never does come ower the hedge.
I pass the grils football team again and I hear them say 'hell here he comes again', moving along I think to ma self, shit i will be passing you a few more times in the course o the night.
As I move on I suddenly find that the fella that was sitting on the roadside has moved and is now staggering along the road sounding like he is drowning; for those that know of Billy Connelly and can recall his album Big Banana Feet, well remember the drunkman sketch on that, thats what it sounded like. To top this off he is deciding that it is a fun idea to wonder in front of me as I move towards him, now being the nice guy I am I move out his way, but this guy thinks he is ma mirror reflection and so moves with me, a burst of speed and a sudden swerve and I am clear of the obstical without disaster. Heading on I turn to head up the long steady hill towards the start point and once again I come across my friendly neighbourhood dog walker. This time i just move out and give as much space as I can, and still they don't get their dog under control. It dont bother me dogs off leads, I had one as you all know from previous blog entries and she never went on a lead, but 1 I had her trained to run beside me and 2 when she did run on a bit, when someone came I would shout her back if I thought she was going to get excited and want to play. Why cant others do that?
I push on and up the hill, past the start point and into lap 3 of this loop.
Three, Three alreadee
Heading into the third loop of this session tonight I suddenly realise that I have found my groove and I feel really comfortable as I trundle along. I plow up the hill in what feels like an easy flowing motion and head over the top down the other side and negotiate the Time Warp Hole at the bottom without losing any time whatso every. By this point I have cought a few of the other runners in the group who give me an encouraging 'well done' and 'keep going, you're looking good', these lovely comments from lovely people all add to the good feeling I am having. I admit though that the night is warm and the air just as warm and every breath in makes the back of my throat rasp and feel like it is on fire. I head round the track and onto the road, passing the folks playing kick about and a few folks playing golf as before, but this loop must have the strangest sight I have saw to date, not quite standing in the middle of the open field as such, but he could have been a bit more hidden, a bloke taking a leak, with no shame on his face, I guess when you gotta go you gotta go, lol.
Passing the girls football game again, they are still sniggering and gigling etc and once again it is commented that I have been passed before as they say 'bloody hell, theres that bloke again and he's still movin' ' Taking a litle smile to myself I push on along the road meeting a couple with a wee dog, at least they have the wee thing on a lead and under control so there is no worries. Further along I pass for the third time; clearly as they cant move anywhere; the two 5 litre milk cartoons that are sitting at the side of the path, one is half full of white liquid; would take a good guess it was milk; and the other is half full o pink liquid; strawberry milk?, as much as my throats on fire I wasnt tempted to try them and find out, but for that split second my mind was diverted away from my run, my pace, my training and onto something trivial like 'whats in they cartons sitting there' I dont know if its cause I was board, struggling or just so deep in the groove that my body was in control and didnt need my mind for that short spell. Rounding the corner at the end of the road and I start the assent towards home and the end of this lap, I push on up the hill and enter my fourth lap.
Lap Four, then its Just One More!!!
By this point I am catching and passing others who are in the other groups who have started off behind us, I am using them a short term targets, not treating it as a race but just using them to pull me along and keep me in the zone as we say. Each one i pass gives a welcome and encouraging gesture and/or statement; usually through broken breaths and sentances, but like them being a runner I fully understand what they are saying. Onwards and upwards passing the people kicking about and the guys playing golf, thankfully this time no persons who appear to be cought short. I pass the girls playing football and the subs sitting at the side and yes they had a comment about me going past yet again. I was tempted to tell them that i would be past yet again before the night was out, but to be honest even though I was running well and in control, I didnt have enough breath to waste on unrequired speach.
I stride out eating up the lap as i go and once again I pass the two peculiar milk botles and their even more peculiar contents and I once again find that my mind has wondered over to wonder what the contents actually is, paint, milk; which I thought last lap; or some other strange content. I round the corner and head on up the long dragged out hill and finish this lap in good time. I start my fifth and final lap.
Finally the Finale
Entering the final lap I push on up the hill, wondering if I will be able to push on through to the end. I doing so I pass a dog walker whom I have already passed a few times on previous laps of this route. It would seem to be that they cover a quarter of a lap for every full one I cover. I push down the hill and have to dodge my way round another two walkers, taking a step onto the slip road in doing so I almost lose my ass to a passing car, would know what type of car it was had it took away ma ass that night as it was going so fast I never had a chance to recognise it. Happy ma ass is still in place I time warp ma way through the hole in the fence and zig zag the ruts in the gravel path for the final time tonight. The ball kickers are still there, the golfers have gone off somewhere else by now, the girls football are still playing away with the subs sitting on the grass looking bored as anything and by now it would seem that there only high light to their night is me running past as they make another comment about me passing by and they are all laughing and now I even get a few whistles; same I aint gonna pass by again who knows what I might get. So I push on knowing that this is my final lap of the night and again the strange bottles come into view and like the last few laps my body lets my mind wonder off to ponder what the hell is in them bottles, I really dont want to know or I could have easily stopped and had a look, but then that would have broken ma stride.. No exciting happening, if there have been any thus far; come between me and the point at which I started and so it is with a full stride and a push to the end that I finish tonights training session.
Tonights total is 6.10 miles
Weekly Total is 12.52 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 73.44 miles
MONDAY 27TH MAY 2013
Bank Holiday Numb Day
Well today was supposed to ba glorious bank holiday but that never happened. For the most part it was raining like it never rained before, the rain was bouncing aff the floor, well the ground, but if it kept raining I was sure it was gonna come in and flood my floor.. So as i stood and looked out the window I kept thinking to mayself should i stay or should I go; get wet just now or hang about for the rain toget heavier? Well as it happens I had things to do and I ended up working away. This inevitabily meant that one could not take ones run till later; that wasnt a bad thing as by the time I did get for my run it had stopped raining from the skys, because there was no more water to fall, it had all fallen and was now running down the streets like rivers in the jungle, a concrete jungle none the less.
Todays run I have scheduled is for 6 miles, not a bad distance; however I need to make a stop off at the hospital, need to go and see how wee Moggie is, after all this is all for her and her ways of saying a big thanks to Ayrshire Cancer Support and MacMillan Cancer Support; rember you can help Moggie ssay thanks as well but donating at https://www.youcaring.com/donate2moggiesmiles or directly via PayPal to email address [email protected] ; Moggies Mony Money Miles where a little means a lot and we will go the distance for all of us
No it really is a Numb Day
I dawn my running gear; the running leggins, a t-shirt and a couple of long sleeve t-shirts; I never did understand the concept of a long sleeve t-shirt, I always though that a t-shirt was short sleeved and if it had long sleeves it was a sweatshirt ot a jumper, but having nothing else to call them i must bow down to the idea that they are long sleaved t-shirts. So I look at myself and with the black running tights and the black long sleeved top on I look like Jacques Cousteau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cousteau) than someone about to go for a run; but then in this weather this might not be a bad thing. Stepping outside into the dark, dank, damp day that is the 27th May I suddenly realise, yes it is bloomin' cold out here and it was far warmer splashing about in the sea yesterday than the puddles today.
Short - Long or Long - Short??? mmm
Off I flow as I ge t washed away down the street, I wonder which I should do first the long part or the short part. I decide to go with the short part first, thats just over 2 miles to the hospital to see wee Moggie, bearing in mind I was busy so i have missed visiting time at the hospital :).
Heading out to the hospital there is nothing to report, I dont pass any flying cows, beached whales, suffragettes or men burning their pants for anything either, its a quite 2 mile run to the hospital.
Arriving there I recall the ward that she is in and head off in that direction, only to find that when i get to the bottom of the stairs I have went the wrong way and thus need to walk all the way back and beyond in the opposite direction, tut tut tut, thats what happens when you dont pay attention to things and just go the way you think is right. So back on the right track I sprint up the stairs and find the corect floor, heading in I end up in the wrong ward, duh, or maybe it was wishful thinking seeing as Wee Moggie is in the HD Unit.
Anyways having spent a good waste of time floating from one end of the hospital and back to the other and then wondering round in the wrong ward; the hospital staff were beginning to think I had just left the ground floor ward, you know the one with the self hugging jackets and walls of marshmallow. I finally did find where i was meant to be only to find i was later and past visiting, but I told the nurses how it had been today and they gave me 5 minutes, well after all I aint seen her since she was admitted on Saturday mid-day.
Escape to write story
Thankfully exiting the hospital proved a whole lot easier than getting into it and I am on the road heading out to complete my run, before the realise ther is an empty bed and jacket in the lower levels. I head back along the way I came about 20 minutes earlier busy thinking of nothing and forgot about the huge puddle that has devoured the path, until I am suddenly in the middle of the puddle up to my ankles which is cold to say the least. Wadding my way out the puddle, once again i am glad I look like Jacques Cousteau, the only thing missing is a snorkle and fins; I am sure I saw a whale and def-fin-etly a shark. So swimming lesson over i continue to splish and splosh my way up the road, each foot setp sounding like I am smacking a bowl of custard with a spoon. A soggy mile up the road and the feet have stopped splishing and sploshing, which is good as I still have about 3 miles to run.
Onward and upward as I tackle the long long slow drag before I reach the turning point and head down hill. As I reach the turning point I pass a couple of strange creatures, one who looked like their trousrs were to tight and pulled up to high, the others who walked like their trousers were three sizes to big and not pulled up at all.
I push home down the last mile, even thouh I have a fancy running watch that gives me distance I always know where the last mile and a bit is from my start point and try as best as I can to push it faster than I have been running already, not always a flat out run but just faster than I have been running. I actualy fair well and the pace is comfortable, when i get to the end point i check my watch and I see that my last mile is about 30 seconds faster than the pace I was runing at, which is good. Although i am glad i managed to acheive this as not so far from the end someone steps from a car to head into the shop as someone is stepping from the shop heading to their car and I find myself hurtling towards this narowing gap between the two people whom neither of them has saw me. I twist and turn like a reed passing through into the eye of a storm and and come out the other side unscathed.
So there ends my Monday mayhem run.
Todays total was 6.42 miles
Weekly Total 6.42 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 67.34 miles
Well today was supposed to ba glorious bank holiday but that never happened. For the most part it was raining like it never rained before, the rain was bouncing aff the floor, well the ground, but if it kept raining I was sure it was gonna come in and flood my floor.. So as i stood and looked out the window I kept thinking to mayself should i stay or should I go; get wet just now or hang about for the rain toget heavier? Well as it happens I had things to do and I ended up working away. This inevitabily meant that one could not take ones run till later; that wasnt a bad thing as by the time I did get for my run it had stopped raining from the skys, because there was no more water to fall, it had all fallen and was now running down the streets like rivers in the jungle, a concrete jungle none the less.
Todays run I have scheduled is for 6 miles, not a bad distance; however I need to make a stop off at the hospital, need to go and see how wee Moggie is, after all this is all for her and her ways of saying a big thanks to Ayrshire Cancer Support and MacMillan Cancer Support; rember you can help Moggie ssay thanks as well but donating at https://www.youcaring.com/donate2moggiesmiles or directly via PayPal to email address [email protected] ; Moggies Mony Money Miles where a little means a lot and we will go the distance for all of us
No it really is a Numb Day
I dawn my running gear; the running leggins, a t-shirt and a couple of long sleeve t-shirts; I never did understand the concept of a long sleeve t-shirt, I always though that a t-shirt was short sleeved and if it had long sleeves it was a sweatshirt ot a jumper, but having nothing else to call them i must bow down to the idea that they are long sleaved t-shirts. So I look at myself and with the black running tights and the black long sleeved top on I look like Jacques Cousteau (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Cousteau) than someone about to go for a run; but then in this weather this might not be a bad thing. Stepping outside into the dark, dank, damp day that is the 27th May I suddenly realise, yes it is bloomin' cold out here and it was far warmer splashing about in the sea yesterday than the puddles today.
Short - Long or Long - Short??? mmm
Off I flow as I ge t washed away down the street, I wonder which I should do first the long part or the short part. I decide to go with the short part first, thats just over 2 miles to the hospital to see wee Moggie, bearing in mind I was busy so i have missed visiting time at the hospital :).
Heading out to the hospital there is nothing to report, I dont pass any flying cows, beached whales, suffragettes or men burning their pants for anything either, its a quite 2 mile run to the hospital.
Arriving there I recall the ward that she is in and head off in that direction, only to find that when i get to the bottom of the stairs I have went the wrong way and thus need to walk all the way back and beyond in the opposite direction, tut tut tut, thats what happens when you dont pay attention to things and just go the way you think is right. So back on the right track I sprint up the stairs and find the corect floor, heading in I end up in the wrong ward, duh, or maybe it was wishful thinking seeing as Wee Moggie is in the HD Unit.
Anyways having spent a good waste of time floating from one end of the hospital and back to the other and then wondering round in the wrong ward; the hospital staff were beginning to think I had just left the ground floor ward, you know the one with the self hugging jackets and walls of marshmallow. I finally did find where i was meant to be only to find i was later and past visiting, but I told the nurses how it had been today and they gave me 5 minutes, well after all I aint seen her since she was admitted on Saturday mid-day.
Escape to write story
Thankfully exiting the hospital proved a whole lot easier than getting into it and I am on the road heading out to complete my run, before the realise ther is an empty bed and jacket in the lower levels. I head back along the way I came about 20 minutes earlier busy thinking of nothing and forgot about the huge puddle that has devoured the path, until I am suddenly in the middle of the puddle up to my ankles which is cold to say the least. Wadding my way out the puddle, once again i am glad I look like Jacques Cousteau, the only thing missing is a snorkle and fins; I am sure I saw a whale and def-fin-etly a shark. So swimming lesson over i continue to splish and splosh my way up the road, each foot setp sounding like I am smacking a bowl of custard with a spoon. A soggy mile up the road and the feet have stopped splishing and sploshing, which is good as I still have about 3 miles to run.
Onward and upward as I tackle the long long slow drag before I reach the turning point and head down hill. As I reach the turning point I pass a couple of strange creatures, one who looked like their trousrs were to tight and pulled up to high, the others who walked like their trousers were three sizes to big and not pulled up at all.
I push home down the last mile, even thouh I have a fancy running watch that gives me distance I always know where the last mile and a bit is from my start point and try as best as I can to push it faster than I have been running already, not always a flat out run but just faster than I have been running. I actualy fair well and the pace is comfortable, when i get to the end point i check my watch and I see that my last mile is about 30 seconds faster than the pace I was runing at, which is good. Although i am glad i managed to acheive this as not so far from the end someone steps from a car to head into the shop as someone is stepping from the shop heading to their car and I find myself hurtling towards this narowing gap between the two people whom neither of them has saw me. I twist and turn like a reed passing through into the eye of a storm and and come out the other side unscathed.
So there ends my Monday mayhem run.
Todays total was 6.42 miles
Weekly Total 6.42 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 67.34 miles
SUNDAY 26TH MAy 2013
Irvine beach, The scene of today run.
Storming the beaches
Today saw myself and Matthew take advantage of this glorious day and go and storm the beach at irvine. Running on the sand is fun, but it can be hard on the legs. Todays run would be just a short one on the ssand and then a secondary run in the water.
As we arrive there are horse boxes galore in the carpark which usually signafies that the beach will be full of horses and they don't tend to be hanging about either. Once on the beach however there is not a horse to be seen, there is however plenty of dogs in all shapes and sizes, just eager and ready ro run at you, knock you down and generally get in the way.
Running out along the beach for just over 3 miles, there was nothing much to write home about, no mis-haps, nothing. On the way back the only thing that could be said was a small yappie dug that came a running right as us, just begging to get tied up in our feet, I slowed down the pace in anticapation, while Matthew decided to do some add-hock ballet and leap into the air like a deer running through long grass; if he only done a pirowet and stuck the landing he might have made the glasgow 2014 Commonwealth team.
Finishing back where we started a whole host of horses and horse assocciated people had gathered and were having some nice brightly coloured cocktails of which i am sure were not completely fruit juice.
One did congratulate us on our ability to run along the beach and wished that she could do the same, asking how far we went, telling her we had done just over 6 miles, she again said weldone, stating that 'once round the toilet block would have been enough for her', wasnt sure what she meant by that but seeing as it was Sunday I took it to mean that she would not be able to run round the block without being tierd.
We did inform her to the idea that we were not quite finished and that with a change of shoes we were going for a run in the water.
Knee Deep
After a quick footwear change it was back to the beach and into the waters edge, to a depth of ankle to lower mid shin. Splashing down the water we were drawing some strange and peculuar looks, but I didna care i was having fun, sun, sea and sand, I am sure there is something else in ther but never mind it will come to later I am sure.
It is a hard thing trying to run in the water and style tends to take a back seat on some occassions, with high knees taking priority, or sometimes running from the hips with straight legs almost, so I am in no doubt that it was this that wa drawing the funny looks.
After a mile it was time to turn back, i could ahve gone on, but then i couldnt have came back. I turn and head back along the water once again getting strange looks. Some parts were harder than others and there were bits of sand that were really soft and flowing and as you ran you sank into the ankle and the water became knee deep, other bits the water would be lapping further up the shore owing to the lay of the land and this would create deep pools again knee deep. In both cases the waves and tide were still flowing, so this would make for good instability places where falling over would be the norm. Running through these parts was fun and i could hear people having a laugh and almost taking bets on whither I would fall over or not, but hey who ever bet on me falling, well sorry guys, you lose, i never went for a swim, not once; although I did end up soaked from top to bottom and bottom to feet :).
By the time we got back to the start the horses and the gatherers were all gone, pity really I could have been doing with one of their fruit cocktails :).
Good training day and good weather for it, not coold in the slightest and little to no wind considering we were at the beach.
Todays Total 8.22 miles
Weekly Total 29.88 mile ran (25 mile cycle)
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 60.72 miles
Today saw myself and Matthew take advantage of this glorious day and go and storm the beach at irvine. Running on the sand is fun, but it can be hard on the legs. Todays run would be just a short one on the ssand and then a secondary run in the water.
As we arrive there are horse boxes galore in the carpark which usually signafies that the beach will be full of horses and they don't tend to be hanging about either. Once on the beach however there is not a horse to be seen, there is however plenty of dogs in all shapes and sizes, just eager and ready ro run at you, knock you down and generally get in the way.
Running out along the beach for just over 3 miles, there was nothing much to write home about, no mis-haps, nothing. On the way back the only thing that could be said was a small yappie dug that came a running right as us, just begging to get tied up in our feet, I slowed down the pace in anticapation, while Matthew decided to do some add-hock ballet and leap into the air like a deer running through long grass; if he only done a pirowet and stuck the landing he might have made the glasgow 2014 Commonwealth team.
Finishing back where we started a whole host of horses and horse assocciated people had gathered and were having some nice brightly coloured cocktails of which i am sure were not completely fruit juice.
One did congratulate us on our ability to run along the beach and wished that she could do the same, asking how far we went, telling her we had done just over 6 miles, she again said weldone, stating that 'once round the toilet block would have been enough for her', wasnt sure what she meant by that but seeing as it was Sunday I took it to mean that she would not be able to run round the block without being tierd.
We did inform her to the idea that we were not quite finished and that with a change of shoes we were going for a run in the water.
Knee Deep
After a quick footwear change it was back to the beach and into the waters edge, to a depth of ankle to lower mid shin. Splashing down the water we were drawing some strange and peculuar looks, but I didna care i was having fun, sun, sea and sand, I am sure there is something else in ther but never mind it will come to later I am sure.
It is a hard thing trying to run in the water and style tends to take a back seat on some occassions, with high knees taking priority, or sometimes running from the hips with straight legs almost, so I am in no doubt that it was this that wa drawing the funny looks.
After a mile it was time to turn back, i could ahve gone on, but then i couldnt have came back. I turn and head back along the water once again getting strange looks. Some parts were harder than others and there were bits of sand that were really soft and flowing and as you ran you sank into the ankle and the water became knee deep, other bits the water would be lapping further up the shore owing to the lay of the land and this would create deep pools again knee deep. In both cases the waves and tide were still flowing, so this would make for good instability places where falling over would be the norm. Running through these parts was fun and i could hear people having a laugh and almost taking bets on whither I would fall over or not, but hey who ever bet on me falling, well sorry guys, you lose, i never went for a swim, not once; although I did end up soaked from top to bottom and bottom to feet :).
By the time we got back to the start the horses and the gatherers were all gone, pity really I could have been doing with one of their fruit cocktails :).
Good training day and good weather for it, not coold in the slightest and little to no wind considering we were at the beach.
Todays Total 8.22 miles
Weekly Total 29.88 mile ran (25 mile cycle)
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total 60.72 miles
SATURDAY 25TH MAY 2013
Sacred Saturday it is here, so what I do, I went and had a beer, yes folks I went down to the pub on this lovely sun Saturday Afternoon and had a bottle of beer. I did have some grub in the hoose before I went though.
I had contomplaited going for a cycle with Richie and a few others again today but luck would have it that i was needing a long lie so i never bothered going out for that cycle. O well always next time eh? :)
Sacred Saturday not a mile to be near, but an ice cold beer was here.
I had contomplaited going for a cycle with Richie and a few others again today but luck would have it that i was needing a long lie so i never bothered going out for that cycle. O well always next time eh? :)
Sacred Saturday not a mile to be near, but an ice cold beer was here.
FERIDAY 24TH MAY 2013
Looking out to Troon and Arran from the top of Dundonald Hill
Tonight I set out to do a nice wee cycle, but by the end of it something strange had occured. The days activity ended in me doing something I havn't done in many or should that be mony a year.
Unadventurous Adventure
Meeting my cycling companion at the start of the cycle track we head off down the slop, neither of us still having any idea as to where we will venture tonight. We did decide howver to follow the cycle path as far as Irvine, mainly because they have recently relaid the section beyond Springside; which was in the past like riding over a washing board, due to the tree roots and grass etc breacking up the surface of the path. I must say as well who ever done the job of relaying and resurfacing have made a fine job of it, smooth as you like with not a bump in site or under tyre. They have even placed a few benches beside the path if you decide you need a well earned rest. Already the benches have been accommodated with Friday night weekend revellers and this was bearly 5:30pm and some of them looked like they had been at it since 5;30 am, but in fairness they only said 'Hi' and I am sure they even offered us a 'swally o their buckie'. Had I had a lighter with me this rocket fuel substitue could have saved us some leg effort, but seeing as we did not,we gratiously turned down their offer.
Coming to the end of the relaid part there is a short, sharp hill and bend combined, having cycled the old path before I was slightly aware of this and prepared for it with a gear shift and a seat position shift, Richie on the other had got cought slightly un-awares and found himself with a wee struggle on his hands. Lucky for him they had made the path a wee touch wider or he might have ended in the bushies.
Avoiding disaster we cycle on continuing down the cycle path through bordom and to infinity and beyond. Reach the point where desitions have to be made the lazy mans choice was to follow the path round, seeing as we were in no mood to a) naviagte through some wondering lost souls from oldsvile and b) navigate the bloody great big busy roundabout with more lanes and tracks than an Album on 12 in vinyl (If you aint sure what that this is then here is a link -
http://www.fugitivesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/vinyl_record_lp_10inch.jpeg or
http://www.predisc.com/products/vinyl-record-pressing/images/12-inch-vinyl.jpg )
Still Unadventurous But Slightly Unpositioned
Following this path took both Richie and myself into an area that neither of us had ben before and at several points along the way we found ourselves unpositioned and lost of our bearings. Cycling along, figuring as one does, that the path being a cycle path will eventually lead somewhere we know and sure enough it does.
Before that however we cycle along and round a bend only to find that we have cycled onto what loks like a blooming golf course, silly us the golf course in merely a pitch and putt short course attached to a local hotel, no worries there then according to the sign. Sorry but a golf ball up side the head is a golf ball up side the head regardless if its a golf course or a pitch and putt. Swiftly approaching the end of the path once again we find there is a short sharp incline with barriers at the end. Now these barriers aren't very cyclist friendly at the ebst of times but when one rides a bike where ones feet are connected to the pedals things can get slightly tricky. I manage; with some short sharp back and forth paddle action; to get up the hill and through the obsticle. Once again Richie was not quite prepared and once again he finds himself cought out, luckily the way the barriers are set, he gets cought on them as he tips over and the bike stays in an upright position, allowing him to get his feet out and walk the bike up the hill. Crossing the road and joining the cycle track again the other side isnt much better and this is a sharp twist into a down hill with 2 more bariers, so its just a twist to the left and a flick to the right, hands on the brakes bend your knees and flick to the left, lets do the cycle warp again; na your fine I will pass thanks :) . Who ever designed such an obsticle on cycle tracks should be taken out and cycled over.
Finding free path in front of us we quickly realise that it is seldom used as there is weeds and crevises on it, but we follow along it anyways with a sence of inquisativeness about ourselves. One thing we did descover about cycle tracks and paths is that they tend to take a long way for a short cut, had we negotiaited the big roundabout I mentioned before we could have saved ourselves about a mile and a half of cycling and been at the same point, but then what fun would that have been, huh? Finally coming off the cycle track; after giving the same old lady a heart attack twice; dont ask; we find ourselves on the roads again. taking a slightly different route to the last time we passed this way we come across some cobbles. Now we know what it must be like to cycle in the Tour De France, Richie on the other had thought I went that ways just for a cheap thrill. Leaving cobbles and cheap thrills behind we head out the long road to what seems like nowhere and the wind seems to pick up a bit and no matter how we position ourselves there is just no drafting off the person in front. Pushing through the wind it is still comfortably warm although it is some what slightly taxing and does require a wee bit effort to maintain a good pace; for us anything over walking pace is a good pace, lol.
Turning down towards Troon and once again we find the wind, nothing to exciting takes place and the only thing we have to do is decide which way from here; do we turn and head back along the main road, definatly no, to busy at this time of night and the roads full o nutters. So do we head over the 'Hill' or go on a bit and head via symington. Rather than make the choice, Richie is lead rider so I give the desition to him.
Right or Wrong the Torture is on
Approaching the mini-roundabout the left hand goes out indicationg we are going over the 'Hill', the man is possessed by this demon hill. Its not to bad as we start our assent and there doesnt seem to be any wind, things should go smoothly. How stupid it was to think that, not even 300m into the climb and my chain jumps a ring and has came off, luckily I am able to free myself from the bike and get the foot down; only because I had managed to build up a wee bit of momentum was all that saved me from a side plank. Bike upside down as the chain is cought, chain back on, wheels on the ground and now the fun begins, trying to mount a bike and get moving while on an assent, but surprisingly things go well and I dont need to push the bike up the hill after all. Pushing on Richie comes out of hiding on a small side road he managed to slip into and stop while checking I was alright. As we climb ever nearer the top a couple o blokes are fast approaching on the desent, to be followed swiftly by a couple of cars. The car in front decides it is a good time to over take the front cyclist who is a good bit out from the edge doing a fair speed, Richie and me are climbing doing no speed but between us and them there is bearly enough room for a car to fit, however this guy is getting through no matter what and luckily enough he is passed and in just in time before we all meet in the middle so to speak. The second car pushed through forcing us all to breathin slightly but its all good. this little bit of action forces a slow down and so further up the hilll I try to change up my back ring, only i am already in top ring and I should have dropped a front, so guess what; yep the chain jumps again this time i have no momentum and the feet are well and truly stuck in place. Things tend to happen in slow motion at this stage and it was all I could do to have a look round and assess the situation; I have two choices here 1) I have the road and gravelly bits to the right of me or 2) I have softish grass verge slightly out of reach to the left of me, as much as it was just out of reach I opted for the softness of the grass verge and somehow manage to get there without touching the road. Richie who was behind at this point was fair impressed as he explained 'You sme how managed to elongate your legs and body to reach that grass' Once again the chain is back on and once again with little effort I am on the bike and moving. Reaching the top, finally the view is well worth it; as the photo at the top shows; from here it is all down hill. Dropping down through the gears I push as hard as I can, today there is no wind or rain like the last time I was still unable to get past the 35 MPH Grrrrr, although there is a section that goes down ten dips and comes back up dropping about 8 MPH. Still managed to come back into the village speeding, do you think you can get a ticket on a bike for speeding while cycling?
Sightful, but not Eventful
From here it is back along the same old roads as before, the differrence being that there is little to no wind and ther is no rain in sight. Nothing happend on the way back and the right home is some what uneventful. I will say however that the views are fantastic, we can see for miles and miles. Its amasing though as you look out over the place we can see where we have been cycling and it looks like it is miles away in the distance, yet not so long ago we were over there looking over here, now we are over here looking over there.
Coming back to the final few miles we take an unshedualed detour along a wee back country road, that was closed for months due to water works etc being done. The road looked like the surface of the moon, but now the works are all but finished they have resurfaced some bits and put in a new road for the most part, sadly there are still bits that could have been doing with resurfacing but that aint been done, cant grumble to much though as the new surface is fantastic makes for good cycling.
Heading home the last thing i see that shows that shit can happen to anyone is a police motor coming round the corner with a nice pop and a gush. It suddenly had a blow out. Must say some mighty fine driving from the guy at the wheel though as the car is sliding across the road, he navigates his way safely to the side o the road on a busy one-way street.
And for my next daft thing
arriving in the house I spuradically decide to go for a run, I have no idea as to why I just do. I do some stretching and the nosion for the run passes. Next thing i know i am chnged and heading out the door. Weird, but off i trot, legs feel like I dont have control over them and they are under the control of an external force or even their own force but certainly not mine. I head down the hill and round the bend, a few people looking and wondering, probably as to why i look like I am drunk from the waist down and attempting to run. After a fe minutes the legs begin to find the ground beneath then and things begin to get into a rythme. I actually feel not to bad and the pace isna half bad either considering I have just came of off a 25 mile cycle.
Heading back to the start I feel good, I know i might not be able to manage any furtehr than the two miles I have just done but have not done anything like that for a long time; 23 years; except for the odd 2 mile cycle to training etc; I think I done not to bad.
Not sure if i will make a habbit of a cycle & run on a Friday night however.
Tonights run was 2.01 miles
So the miles for the week so far are 21.66 miles ran
(25 miles cycle)
Total Moggie's Mony Money Miles Ran is 52.50 miles
Unadventurous Adventure
Meeting my cycling companion at the start of the cycle track we head off down the slop, neither of us still having any idea as to where we will venture tonight. We did decide howver to follow the cycle path as far as Irvine, mainly because they have recently relaid the section beyond Springside; which was in the past like riding over a washing board, due to the tree roots and grass etc breacking up the surface of the path. I must say as well who ever done the job of relaying and resurfacing have made a fine job of it, smooth as you like with not a bump in site or under tyre. They have even placed a few benches beside the path if you decide you need a well earned rest. Already the benches have been accommodated with Friday night weekend revellers and this was bearly 5:30pm and some of them looked like they had been at it since 5;30 am, but in fairness they only said 'Hi' and I am sure they even offered us a 'swally o their buckie'. Had I had a lighter with me this rocket fuel substitue could have saved us some leg effort, but seeing as we did not,we gratiously turned down their offer.
Coming to the end of the relaid part there is a short, sharp hill and bend combined, having cycled the old path before I was slightly aware of this and prepared for it with a gear shift and a seat position shift, Richie on the other had got cought slightly un-awares and found himself with a wee struggle on his hands. Lucky for him they had made the path a wee touch wider or he might have ended in the bushies.
Avoiding disaster we cycle on continuing down the cycle path through bordom and to infinity and beyond. Reach the point where desitions have to be made the lazy mans choice was to follow the path round, seeing as we were in no mood to a) naviagte through some wondering lost souls from oldsvile and b) navigate the bloody great big busy roundabout with more lanes and tracks than an Album on 12 in vinyl (If you aint sure what that this is then here is a link -
http://www.fugitivesounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/vinyl_record_lp_10inch.jpeg or
http://www.predisc.com/products/vinyl-record-pressing/images/12-inch-vinyl.jpg )
Still Unadventurous But Slightly Unpositioned
Following this path took both Richie and myself into an area that neither of us had ben before and at several points along the way we found ourselves unpositioned and lost of our bearings. Cycling along, figuring as one does, that the path being a cycle path will eventually lead somewhere we know and sure enough it does.
Before that however we cycle along and round a bend only to find that we have cycled onto what loks like a blooming golf course, silly us the golf course in merely a pitch and putt short course attached to a local hotel, no worries there then according to the sign. Sorry but a golf ball up side the head is a golf ball up side the head regardless if its a golf course or a pitch and putt. Swiftly approaching the end of the path once again we find there is a short sharp incline with barriers at the end. Now these barriers aren't very cyclist friendly at the ebst of times but when one rides a bike where ones feet are connected to the pedals things can get slightly tricky. I manage; with some short sharp back and forth paddle action; to get up the hill and through the obsticle. Once again Richie was not quite prepared and once again he finds himself cought out, luckily the way the barriers are set, he gets cought on them as he tips over and the bike stays in an upright position, allowing him to get his feet out and walk the bike up the hill. Crossing the road and joining the cycle track again the other side isnt much better and this is a sharp twist into a down hill with 2 more bariers, so its just a twist to the left and a flick to the right, hands on the brakes bend your knees and flick to the left, lets do the cycle warp again; na your fine I will pass thanks :) . Who ever designed such an obsticle on cycle tracks should be taken out and cycled over.
Finding free path in front of us we quickly realise that it is seldom used as there is weeds and crevises on it, but we follow along it anyways with a sence of inquisativeness about ourselves. One thing we did descover about cycle tracks and paths is that they tend to take a long way for a short cut, had we negotiaited the big roundabout I mentioned before we could have saved ourselves about a mile and a half of cycling and been at the same point, but then what fun would that have been, huh? Finally coming off the cycle track; after giving the same old lady a heart attack twice; dont ask; we find ourselves on the roads again. taking a slightly different route to the last time we passed this way we come across some cobbles. Now we know what it must be like to cycle in the Tour De France, Richie on the other had thought I went that ways just for a cheap thrill. Leaving cobbles and cheap thrills behind we head out the long road to what seems like nowhere and the wind seems to pick up a bit and no matter how we position ourselves there is just no drafting off the person in front. Pushing through the wind it is still comfortably warm although it is some what slightly taxing and does require a wee bit effort to maintain a good pace; for us anything over walking pace is a good pace, lol.
Turning down towards Troon and once again we find the wind, nothing to exciting takes place and the only thing we have to do is decide which way from here; do we turn and head back along the main road, definatly no, to busy at this time of night and the roads full o nutters. So do we head over the 'Hill' or go on a bit and head via symington. Rather than make the choice, Richie is lead rider so I give the desition to him.
Right or Wrong the Torture is on
Approaching the mini-roundabout the left hand goes out indicationg we are going over the 'Hill', the man is possessed by this demon hill. Its not to bad as we start our assent and there doesnt seem to be any wind, things should go smoothly. How stupid it was to think that, not even 300m into the climb and my chain jumps a ring and has came off, luckily I am able to free myself from the bike and get the foot down; only because I had managed to build up a wee bit of momentum was all that saved me from a side plank. Bike upside down as the chain is cought, chain back on, wheels on the ground and now the fun begins, trying to mount a bike and get moving while on an assent, but surprisingly things go well and I dont need to push the bike up the hill after all. Pushing on Richie comes out of hiding on a small side road he managed to slip into and stop while checking I was alright. As we climb ever nearer the top a couple o blokes are fast approaching on the desent, to be followed swiftly by a couple of cars. The car in front decides it is a good time to over take the front cyclist who is a good bit out from the edge doing a fair speed, Richie and me are climbing doing no speed but between us and them there is bearly enough room for a car to fit, however this guy is getting through no matter what and luckily enough he is passed and in just in time before we all meet in the middle so to speak. The second car pushed through forcing us all to breathin slightly but its all good. this little bit of action forces a slow down and so further up the hilll I try to change up my back ring, only i am already in top ring and I should have dropped a front, so guess what; yep the chain jumps again this time i have no momentum and the feet are well and truly stuck in place. Things tend to happen in slow motion at this stage and it was all I could do to have a look round and assess the situation; I have two choices here 1) I have the road and gravelly bits to the right of me or 2) I have softish grass verge slightly out of reach to the left of me, as much as it was just out of reach I opted for the softness of the grass verge and somehow manage to get there without touching the road. Richie who was behind at this point was fair impressed as he explained 'You sme how managed to elongate your legs and body to reach that grass' Once again the chain is back on and once again with little effort I am on the bike and moving. Reaching the top, finally the view is well worth it; as the photo at the top shows; from here it is all down hill. Dropping down through the gears I push as hard as I can, today there is no wind or rain like the last time I was still unable to get past the 35 MPH Grrrrr, although there is a section that goes down ten dips and comes back up dropping about 8 MPH. Still managed to come back into the village speeding, do you think you can get a ticket on a bike for speeding while cycling?
Sightful, but not Eventful
From here it is back along the same old roads as before, the differrence being that there is little to no wind and ther is no rain in sight. Nothing happend on the way back and the right home is some what uneventful. I will say however that the views are fantastic, we can see for miles and miles. Its amasing though as you look out over the place we can see where we have been cycling and it looks like it is miles away in the distance, yet not so long ago we were over there looking over here, now we are over here looking over there.
Coming back to the final few miles we take an unshedualed detour along a wee back country road, that was closed for months due to water works etc being done. The road looked like the surface of the moon, but now the works are all but finished they have resurfaced some bits and put in a new road for the most part, sadly there are still bits that could have been doing with resurfacing but that aint been done, cant grumble to much though as the new surface is fantastic makes for good cycling.
Heading home the last thing i see that shows that shit can happen to anyone is a police motor coming round the corner with a nice pop and a gush. It suddenly had a blow out. Must say some mighty fine driving from the guy at the wheel though as the car is sliding across the road, he navigates his way safely to the side o the road on a busy one-way street.
And for my next daft thing
arriving in the house I spuradically decide to go for a run, I have no idea as to why I just do. I do some stretching and the nosion for the run passes. Next thing i know i am chnged and heading out the door. Weird, but off i trot, legs feel like I dont have control over them and they are under the control of an external force or even their own force but certainly not mine. I head down the hill and round the bend, a few people looking and wondering, probably as to why i look like I am drunk from the waist down and attempting to run. After a fe minutes the legs begin to find the ground beneath then and things begin to get into a rythme. I actually feel not to bad and the pace isna half bad either considering I have just came of off a 25 mile cycle.
Heading back to the start I feel good, I know i might not be able to manage any furtehr than the two miles I have just done but have not done anything like that for a long time; 23 years; except for the odd 2 mile cycle to training etc; I think I done not to bad.
Not sure if i will make a habbit of a cycle & run on a Friday night however.
Tonights run was 2.01 miles
So the miles for the week so far are 21.66 miles ran
(25 miles cycle)
Total Moggie's Mony Money Miles Ran is 52.50 miles
THURSDAY 23RD MAY 2013
Well tonights run was a sad run, today saw the passing of ma wee pall, 'Wee Jess' (Jessica Orange Ferguson). I was late in going for my run and it was difficuilt to get out the door in the reality that when i came back ma Wee Jess wouldna be there. I finally managed to get out the door for my run however.
To run forever and beyond
So as I head out the door I can't help but be sad, but I know that my wee running buddy will now be running free in the parks and the beaches when ever and where ever she likes. And tonight is no different I take my Wee Jess with me on this run and this will be one of many she will now come with me on. I had her with me every step of the way and I don't just mean in my heart and head; I dont mean physically either in case you all start thinking I am carrying a dead dog around, pppfffftt silly. I had here there running beside, in front and behind me as she used to do. People must have thought I was a loon (lun) as I ran down the street laughing but then they never saw what I saw, my Wee Jess running along in front doing what she loved to do :)
Down the street and round the corner every so often stopping and looking back to make sure this auld man was keeping up. I went into the park and onto the big loop, as I went over the bridge and round the bend I felt my lace flap a bit so I stopped at the top of the roller coaster dip to tie it and had a wee look round and a wee thought and a smile. I suppose the funniest part for me in the park was at the imfamous 'B' Hill, I was running past the horses in the field and it was strange, they used to come to the fence when i took Jess there and they would sniff each other as animals do and then Jess would dart off and the big horse would plod a way and there would be a wee bark and wee neigh. As Jess got older the running in the park became less and the horses would just neigh as I went past, but tonight one of them came up to the fence stuck his head out and kinda almost nodded and then walked away with a wee neigh, mmm.
But then that was me going off on a tangent, what i was going to say was at the 'B' Hill I felt Jess there at the bottom of it as I approached looking ears up as she always did, tail in the air in here 'ready to run playful stance' with the look of come on daddy come and get me. Being the Loon that I am I sprinted after this imaginery dog up the 'B' Hill forgetting for a moment that I wasnt the one with eternal life, although by the end of the sprint I nearly did have :).
I pushed on and followed my Spirited friend as I went, and then when I was coming down the other side of the 'B' Hill I got slightly tearful as Wee Jess used to hammer down the hill and skid at the corner as she tried to stop herself from crossing the wee wooden plank bridge as she never liked it, she always walked across these bridges crouched down and looking like she had bandy legs. By the time I reached the botttom of the hill, I was blinded by both sweat and a few tears and had to pause for a moment once again and just have a wee think.
Pushing up the road hill and through the swing gate nothing excited happened. The rest of the run went smoothly, although not to fast. All the way home I could see my wee Jess there in front moving me along. She will run with me always.
R.I.P Jessica 'Orange' Ferguson
October 1997 - 23rd May 2013
You will run for ever and beyond
Tonight was a short run of 3.36 miles
Weekly Total stands at 19,65
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total miles is 50.49
To run forever and beyond
So as I head out the door I can't help but be sad, but I know that my wee running buddy will now be running free in the parks and the beaches when ever and where ever she likes. And tonight is no different I take my Wee Jess with me on this run and this will be one of many she will now come with me on. I had her with me every step of the way and I don't just mean in my heart and head; I dont mean physically either in case you all start thinking I am carrying a dead dog around, pppfffftt silly. I had here there running beside, in front and behind me as she used to do. People must have thought I was a loon (lun) as I ran down the street laughing but then they never saw what I saw, my Wee Jess running along in front doing what she loved to do :)
Down the street and round the corner every so often stopping and looking back to make sure this auld man was keeping up. I went into the park and onto the big loop, as I went over the bridge and round the bend I felt my lace flap a bit so I stopped at the top of the roller coaster dip to tie it and had a wee look round and a wee thought and a smile. I suppose the funniest part for me in the park was at the imfamous 'B' Hill, I was running past the horses in the field and it was strange, they used to come to the fence when i took Jess there and they would sniff each other as animals do and then Jess would dart off and the big horse would plod a way and there would be a wee bark and wee neigh. As Jess got older the running in the park became less and the horses would just neigh as I went past, but tonight one of them came up to the fence stuck his head out and kinda almost nodded and then walked away with a wee neigh, mmm.
But then that was me going off on a tangent, what i was going to say was at the 'B' Hill I felt Jess there at the bottom of it as I approached looking ears up as she always did, tail in the air in here 'ready to run playful stance' with the look of come on daddy come and get me. Being the Loon that I am I sprinted after this imaginery dog up the 'B' Hill forgetting for a moment that I wasnt the one with eternal life, although by the end of the sprint I nearly did have :).
I pushed on and followed my Spirited friend as I went, and then when I was coming down the other side of the 'B' Hill I got slightly tearful as Wee Jess used to hammer down the hill and skid at the corner as she tried to stop herself from crossing the wee wooden plank bridge as she never liked it, she always walked across these bridges crouched down and looking like she had bandy legs. By the time I reached the botttom of the hill, I was blinded by both sweat and a few tears and had to pause for a moment once again and just have a wee think.
Pushing up the road hill and through the swing gate nothing excited happened. The rest of the run went smoothly, although not to fast. All the way home I could see my wee Jess there in front moving me along. She will run with me always.
R.I.P Jessica 'Orange' Ferguson
October 1997 - 23rd May 2013
You will run for ever and beyond
Tonight was a short run of 3.36 miles
Weekly Total stands at 19,65
Moggie's Mony Money Miles Total miles is 50.49
WEDNESDAY 22ND MAY 2013
Wednesday runs or mid-weeks runs are generally the second longest run in the training schedule and for me that is how it is.
A lovely warm night with little to no wind I leave ti till later on to go for a run and have the great company of a training partner on their bike, cycling along with me.
Out the door, foot to the floor
As I head out the door I begin putting one foot in front of the other, had I put one foot behind the other I would be running backwards, lol. I dont have any pace in mind just the intention of getting the miles in as it is still early on in the training schedule. Down the hill is always a good start and I figure by the time I reach the bottom of it and start the climb up over Strawberrybank I will have slowed down some what. I reach the bottom of the hill and begin the assent over Strawberrybank, about half ways up I pass two people walking, on the other side of the road. lightly bigger than the average girl in the street, wearing tight, tight denam shorts that have somewhat all but dissapeared at the rear. The shout over the road, something about me running and being daft and something about my cycling compain and how we were taking part in physical activty, the thought ent through my mind that maybe if said persons took part in slightly morre activity than they done they may not be lying at the side of the road as people through buckets of water over them mistaking them for lost orca. I push on and bit my tongue, afetr all its only taken me 40 years to begin to be rude, these two have got it down to a fine art and are lucky if they are half my age.
You would think that not much would happen within the first mile of a run, but already you have seen that this is not the case and I have to say I aint finished yet. Desending the other side of Strawberrybank, I naviagte the roundabout at the bottom and head to the right. As I move freely; cause yes I am, I have still managed to maintain my fast go floor speed from the door; I find i have to suddenly weaave my way round some Old Bowling Pensioners, who ran across the road from the bowling club and suddenly decided to stop right in my path and light up a cigarette. Now i wouldn't mind so much had the path been narrow but at this point the path is double normal size, they managed to take up all of it and then they decided to blow there smoke right into my face as i ran towards them. Yes they saw me as they were facing my dorection to shelter from the sudden gust of wind that pushed up the street against me. With everything going on I was hoping that mile two wont be so busy.
Into Mile Two I Take You
Turning under the bridge and into mile two I hope that I can have sometime to run for fun and I am glad to say i am blessed as nothing much happens. I am still plodding along at my previously from the start pace; or close enough to it, so that it feels like I am. Heading along the road with my cycling companion we receive some strange lloks from folks as they pass us by, a fella in a motor was looking so much that he started to drift on to the wrong side of the road and a fella walking down the road fell off the end o a curb as he was staring over.
Heading up the road I cross a junction, just an ordinary junction but there is a cyclist approaching it who was going slightly fast on the approach and clearly no paying attention to the road, seeing as he nearly ran into me as I crossed. As I head down the hill and away from the junction I have travelled probably about 300m and feeling good and who swans past with a stupid grin and laughter in his voice direccted at me but the guy on the bike; now i dont know about you, although it would be great to run at a sustained pace and speed where they couldn't, I would begin to worry if a cyclist wasn't readily able to pass me on a bike when I am out running, even if he does look like something from 'Last of the Summer Wine' in his flannel trousers and bike clips. Funny thing was though about another 300 - 400m up the road I cought up with him just as he was leaving a roundabout and almost cought him on the uphill on the other side of the roundabout, if I never had to turn right as he went straight on.
Heading into Mile Four
As I said I turned right and Mr cyclist went straight on, I came to a sudden stop as the wind was blowing down the street right into ma face, from here its an easy non-eventful run for the next 1 1/2miles where I have a short stop as my friend has to call in and collect a parcel from the sort office. Having stopped I begin to stiffen up already and when I try to start running again I find that i have developed wooden planks instead of legs. They dont move as well as they should, but I force it on and quickly lossen off and pick the pace up to what I feel is the same as it was.
Mile 5 makes me smile, mile six makes me sick
So taking it head on I try to maintain the pace and as I approach 5 miles I smile inside as I know a few things, I have done well so far, I will be able to hold this pace till the end and that end will only be about a mile up the road. Pushing on I cross the road and my cycling companion is held up at the crossing, I am a good distance up the road and a few turns later before I have been cought back up. With three quatrets of a mile to go I again slip away from my cycling friend as we cross a road but am quickly cought this time, but suddenly my own cycling companion turns into an ass and speeds free wheeling down a hill past me going 'weeee' they have joined the ranks of 'ass cyclist' these are different from proper cyclists who realise that they can and do move faster than runners, as apposed to those cyclists who find it entertaining to pass cyclists. who are different from the boys last night who were making it a challenge :).
Mile six is truley been and I felt a little sick and green, the pace I run begins to tell, now it feels like bloody hell.
My pace is slowly catching up on me and I have got a wee bit further to go, I push on regardless and the sick feeling disipates; which is a good thing in so many ways, which I will not boar you with. as we pass through into the seventh mile we are met once again by our Orca friends coming in the opposite direction and heading towards us, they havent obtained any mannors however as they decide to take up the whole path as well as the cycle part, laugh and snigger and force my cycling friend onto the road in the path of oncomming traffic.
Up the Hill I have had my fill, I trundle on and stop in a bundle, I stop my garmin and look at the harm din, Fast I see the pace did be, The time I ran was good for me.
Tonights distance is 6.79 miles
Weekly total is 16.29 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles miles is 47.13 miles
A lovely warm night with little to no wind I leave ti till later on to go for a run and have the great company of a training partner on their bike, cycling along with me.
Out the door, foot to the floor
As I head out the door I begin putting one foot in front of the other, had I put one foot behind the other I would be running backwards, lol. I dont have any pace in mind just the intention of getting the miles in as it is still early on in the training schedule. Down the hill is always a good start and I figure by the time I reach the bottom of it and start the climb up over Strawberrybank I will have slowed down some what. I reach the bottom of the hill and begin the assent over Strawberrybank, about half ways up I pass two people walking, on the other side of the road. lightly bigger than the average girl in the street, wearing tight, tight denam shorts that have somewhat all but dissapeared at the rear. The shout over the road, something about me running and being daft and something about my cycling compain and how we were taking part in physical activty, the thought ent through my mind that maybe if said persons took part in slightly morre activity than they done they may not be lying at the side of the road as people through buckets of water over them mistaking them for lost orca. I push on and bit my tongue, afetr all its only taken me 40 years to begin to be rude, these two have got it down to a fine art and are lucky if they are half my age.
You would think that not much would happen within the first mile of a run, but already you have seen that this is not the case and I have to say I aint finished yet. Desending the other side of Strawberrybank, I naviagte the roundabout at the bottom and head to the right. As I move freely; cause yes I am, I have still managed to maintain my fast go floor speed from the door; I find i have to suddenly weaave my way round some Old Bowling Pensioners, who ran across the road from the bowling club and suddenly decided to stop right in my path and light up a cigarette. Now i wouldn't mind so much had the path been narrow but at this point the path is double normal size, they managed to take up all of it and then they decided to blow there smoke right into my face as i ran towards them. Yes they saw me as they were facing my dorection to shelter from the sudden gust of wind that pushed up the street against me. With everything going on I was hoping that mile two wont be so busy.
Into Mile Two I Take You
Turning under the bridge and into mile two I hope that I can have sometime to run for fun and I am glad to say i am blessed as nothing much happens. I am still plodding along at my previously from the start pace; or close enough to it, so that it feels like I am. Heading along the road with my cycling companion we receive some strange lloks from folks as they pass us by, a fella in a motor was looking so much that he started to drift on to the wrong side of the road and a fella walking down the road fell off the end o a curb as he was staring over.
Heading up the road I cross a junction, just an ordinary junction but there is a cyclist approaching it who was going slightly fast on the approach and clearly no paying attention to the road, seeing as he nearly ran into me as I crossed. As I head down the hill and away from the junction I have travelled probably about 300m and feeling good and who swans past with a stupid grin and laughter in his voice direccted at me but the guy on the bike; now i dont know about you, although it would be great to run at a sustained pace and speed where they couldn't, I would begin to worry if a cyclist wasn't readily able to pass me on a bike when I am out running, even if he does look like something from 'Last of the Summer Wine' in his flannel trousers and bike clips. Funny thing was though about another 300 - 400m up the road I cought up with him just as he was leaving a roundabout and almost cought him on the uphill on the other side of the roundabout, if I never had to turn right as he went straight on.
Heading into Mile Four
As I said I turned right and Mr cyclist went straight on, I came to a sudden stop as the wind was blowing down the street right into ma face, from here its an easy non-eventful run for the next 1 1/2miles where I have a short stop as my friend has to call in and collect a parcel from the sort office. Having stopped I begin to stiffen up already and when I try to start running again I find that i have developed wooden planks instead of legs. They dont move as well as they should, but I force it on and quickly lossen off and pick the pace up to what I feel is the same as it was.
Mile 5 makes me smile, mile six makes me sick
So taking it head on I try to maintain the pace and as I approach 5 miles I smile inside as I know a few things, I have done well so far, I will be able to hold this pace till the end and that end will only be about a mile up the road. Pushing on I cross the road and my cycling companion is held up at the crossing, I am a good distance up the road and a few turns later before I have been cought back up. With three quatrets of a mile to go I again slip away from my cycling friend as we cross a road but am quickly cought this time, but suddenly my own cycling companion turns into an ass and speeds free wheeling down a hill past me going 'weeee' they have joined the ranks of 'ass cyclist' these are different from proper cyclists who realise that they can and do move faster than runners, as apposed to those cyclists who find it entertaining to pass cyclists. who are different from the boys last night who were making it a challenge :).
Mile six is truley been and I felt a little sick and green, the pace I run begins to tell, now it feels like bloody hell.
My pace is slowly catching up on me and I have got a wee bit further to go, I push on regardless and the sick feeling disipates; which is a good thing in so many ways, which I will not boar you with. as we pass through into the seventh mile we are met once again by our Orca friends coming in the opposite direction and heading towards us, they havent obtained any mannors however as they decide to take up the whole path as well as the cycle part, laugh and snigger and force my cycling friend onto the road in the path of oncomming traffic.
Up the Hill I have had my fill, I trundle on and stop in a bundle, I stop my garmin and look at the harm din, Fast I see the pace did be, The time I ran was good for me.
Tonights distance is 6.79 miles
Weekly total is 16.29 miles
Moggie's Mony Money Miles miles is 47.13 miles
TUESDAY 21ST MAY 2013
Beauty That I missed, lol
Tuesday is my Chose Day
Tuesday night is the night I go to club training sessions, I do this for the change in scenery and company as weell as for a different style of training. Another reason I chose the Tuesday night training over the Thursday night training session is because Tuesdays are done on the road rather than the track; which I dont take to well to doing sessions on.
I cycled down to the track using my trusty old mountain stead, the old girl never looked so tierd and dusty in all her 20 somewhat years of ownership; thats because there was some building work going on and the dust and drit got everywhere including all over my Mountain (style) Bike. Giving her a quick dust down I speed off down the road and head towards the club.
Its an uneventful commute with not an idiot, impatient or inconsiderate driver to be seen.
Three, Tue (two), One
Arriving at the club, I chain up my stead and head inside, coach Kenny is doing his circuit/strength pre-training session. Wondering in I see my fellow athletes are moaning in pain and agony from the torture they are enduring. Once complete we all head out doors to learn our fate for this evening. 3 laps of the clubs Christmas Handicap Route - pace...Hard or as Coach Kenny says 'Balls Out people, Balls Out' Although I must admit it wasnt balls out tonight but more butt; as in butt cheeks as one of our groups decided it would be funny, and it was to a point, pull their shorts into a thong and show off their ass cheeks to the world. A sight you wil be glad you have all been spared :) .
Reaching the start point we depostit bottles of water, jumpers and other items that we now decide we dont require, position ourselves on the line and 3.2.1.GO we are off. Down the hill, round the corner, round the corner again and up the same hill just in a different street, breathing gone to pot already and I begin to wonder only 100m in to the session if it will be a run of fun or a bum of a run. By the time I pass the top o the hill and head down the other side I begin to find my feet, breathing begins to settle and I hope I wont over heat as tonight is hot and clammy.
Now the problem with doing lap running is, you know whats coming in each lap and generally its the same old thing over and over again and I felt tonight was just gonna be one of those training nights, I am glad to say that that wasnt the case.
Lap Uno
On the first lap I head down the long straight, noticing that there is a car parked on a drive and partiially; atually completely; bloking the path, already I am already thinking about the best path to take for when I approach the vehicle on the road back to the start. As I approach the car that is blocking the path; as apposed to there being no clear way round it; I see myself running up and hurdling over it, maybe even with a twist or a somersault over the car and continue running, in reality i ran up, jumped...onto the grass and ran round about it, hey no harm in being creative in ones head and besides I wasnt fully warmed up to perform such a monouver I will get it on the next lap. So nothing else interesting occured, until close to the end, the route takes us past a large grass are in the out and back sections of the route, as it was a nice warm night loads of children were out playing in the sun with all manor of toys, I end up playing dodge ball for abit on ma final stretch of the first lap. Nearly standing on the ball I dodge quickly and am luck for my cat like reflexes or I might have shoulder tackled the ground as I rounded the bend.
Lap Tue (two)
Entering into tthe second lap of three I feel slightly tierd, but wonder if its just the heat; after all I am running at a pace that is within my target pace for the marathon and capable of running comfortably. I turn at the boot of the hill and then turn again to climb back up thesame hill one street over. As a reach the top a couple of boys who; and suddenly the theme tune to the 'Fresh Prince of Belair' came to my head, no not when running - just there when typing. Anyway A couple of guys were stiiling there on their BMX bikes, not surre if they were being helpful or wanting to send me on a wild goose chace, but they piped up 'Hey Mister, Mister, they went that wiy' and pointed in some obsure direction, 'Hiay Mister, that wiy'.
I asked then what they were saying and they replied 'thone runners, they went that waiy'
Thanking them for their assistance I shouded an explination of what we were doing and gave them a cheery wave and off I sped. The thing about doing loops apart from the repetative senery is that you begin to cross paths with fellow training peoples and tonight was no different. As i was going out the way i passed the last two heading in the way, this is used to encourage and support our fellow runners and gestures of thumbs up, smiles and the odd grunt of encouragement are passed between us. These do help all be it for only a split second.
So as I pass the car blocking the path I see it is stil there and I think 'right I will get it this time round on the way back. But before I can negotiate that obsticle I have to first weave my way round a few people who have crossed the road and have now decoded to take up some form of tribal street dance in front of me, nice as it is the pattern of this dance seems to clearly put themselves in the path to which i am running, maybe they think I am dancing as well for every time i take a step to the left or a jump to the right; hey thats what it was they thought I was doing the time warp; anyway they always seemed to be infront of me and in my path. Dancing over I loop round at the bottom and of the lap and begin the long road back. Rounding the bend I approach the car and this is it a hurdle over the car and on my way; reality hits and once again its onto the grass and continue at the same pace. Next lap for sure, afte all its the last lap. Going back up the long straight between the two circles loops of each lap I once again am welcomed by smiles and thinbs up, this time its more than the last time as there are other runners in the group heading back out on their second lap. In the distance i see two runners whom I am not familiar with, wondering if I missed them at the start i dont bother to much. I approach them and they have slowed to a walk, I quickly realise that they are not from our group but to other fitness freak just like us out doing their own thing. I offer up a smile and in return I receive a smile, a smile that changed the world, the mouth opened and there was nothing just a gapping hole of nothing barr a single solitory tooth on its own, not only that as the smile came the face creased up and developed cracks across it, like the opening of the ground as an earthquake moved through it. The complection of the skin went from smooth like silk to broken, crevise filled roughnes like alligator skin; Leather Skin and Toothless Grin filled me full of fear.
Heading into Three
Heading on to finish two I hear voices and the bumping of bumping of cycle tyres/wheels and skate wheels from behind. Not bothering to much I push on; this actually giving me a small incentive to push harder to see if I can finish the lap before I am passed, I finish my second lap and continue down the hill into lap three, the final for me. Down the hill round the corner, along and round the other corner heading up the hill from another street. half ways up I am passed by two boys; the same two boys from lap two; they had seen me at the far end of this circle and chanced me down to try and beat me. At the top of the hill they stopped into their wee spot and asked how many times I had done this already. When i explained that I had done two already and that this was my third, they replied with a 'bloody hell, well done, but we quite', pity really I could have been doing with the use of their bike later on in my lap.
Heading down the road I now pass most of my fellow runners.
I head down the long straight for the final time with nothing to bring to your attention, round the bottom circle and heading back I see a nice sight in front, but the sight is suddenly thrown away as they turn round, smile and give yourself a chance. Coming back up to the car that is blocking the way i decide that i will not hurdle over the car, I am feeling slightly tierd after this session and dont want to hurt myself. I push on past on the grass as i have done the two previous laps and head back up the straight. Down the path and up the hill back to the start or in this case the finish for the final time.
Done and dusted is the session, but I head out for a small cool down lap, this takes me round the top circle only adding about another 0.61 miles to my total.
Tonights session is 4.61 miles and the 0.61 miles cool down gives a total of 5.22 miles.
Weekly total 10.03 and Moggie's Miles total to 40.37 miles
Tuesday night is the night I go to club training sessions, I do this for the change in scenery and company as weell as for a different style of training. Another reason I chose the Tuesday night training over the Thursday night training session is because Tuesdays are done on the road rather than the track; which I dont take to well to doing sessions on.
I cycled down to the track using my trusty old mountain stead, the old girl never looked so tierd and dusty in all her 20 somewhat years of ownership; thats because there was some building work going on and the dust and drit got everywhere including all over my Mountain (style) Bike. Giving her a quick dust down I speed off down the road and head towards the club.
Its an uneventful commute with not an idiot, impatient or inconsiderate driver to be seen.
Three, Tue (two), One
Arriving at the club, I chain up my stead and head inside, coach Kenny is doing his circuit/strength pre-training session. Wondering in I see my fellow athletes are moaning in pain and agony from the torture they are enduring. Once complete we all head out doors to learn our fate for this evening. 3 laps of the clubs Christmas Handicap Route - pace...Hard or as Coach Kenny says 'Balls Out people, Balls Out' Although I must admit it wasnt balls out tonight but more butt; as in butt cheeks as one of our groups decided it would be funny, and it was to a point, pull their shorts into a thong and show off their ass cheeks to the world. A sight you wil be glad you have all been spared :) .
Reaching the start point we depostit bottles of water, jumpers and other items that we now decide we dont require, position ourselves on the line and 3.2.1.GO we are off. Down the hill, round the corner, round the corner again and up the same hill just in a different street, breathing gone to pot already and I begin to wonder only 100m in to the session if it will be a run of fun or a bum of a run. By the time I pass the top o the hill and head down the other side I begin to find my feet, breathing begins to settle and I hope I wont over heat as tonight is hot and clammy.
Now the problem with doing lap running is, you know whats coming in each lap and generally its the same old thing over and over again and I felt tonight was just gonna be one of those training nights, I am glad to say that that wasnt the case.
Lap Uno
On the first lap I head down the long straight, noticing that there is a car parked on a drive and partiially; atually completely; bloking the path, already I am already thinking about the best path to take for when I approach the vehicle on the road back to the start. As I approach the car that is blocking the path; as apposed to there being no clear way round it; I see myself running up and hurdling over it, maybe even with a twist or a somersault over the car and continue running, in reality i ran up, jumped...onto the grass and ran round about it, hey no harm in being creative in ones head and besides I wasnt fully warmed up to perform such a monouver I will get it on the next lap. So nothing else interesting occured, until close to the end, the route takes us past a large grass are in the out and back sections of the route, as it was a nice warm night loads of children were out playing in the sun with all manor of toys, I end up playing dodge ball for abit on ma final stretch of the first lap. Nearly standing on the ball I dodge quickly and am luck for my cat like reflexes or I might have shoulder tackled the ground as I rounded the bend.
Lap Tue (two)
Entering into tthe second lap of three I feel slightly tierd, but wonder if its just the heat; after all I am running at a pace that is within my target pace for the marathon and capable of running comfortably. I turn at the boot of the hill and then turn again to climb back up thesame hill one street over. As a reach the top a couple of boys who; and suddenly the theme tune to the 'Fresh Prince of Belair' came to my head, no not when running - just there when typing. Anyway A couple of guys were stiiling there on their BMX bikes, not surre if they were being helpful or wanting to send me on a wild goose chace, but they piped up 'Hey Mister, Mister, they went that wiy' and pointed in some obsure direction, 'Hiay Mister, that wiy'.
I asked then what they were saying and they replied 'thone runners, they went that waiy'
Thanking them for their assistance I shouded an explination of what we were doing and gave them a cheery wave and off I sped. The thing about doing loops apart from the repetative senery is that you begin to cross paths with fellow training peoples and tonight was no different. As i was going out the way i passed the last two heading in the way, this is used to encourage and support our fellow runners and gestures of thumbs up, smiles and the odd grunt of encouragement are passed between us. These do help all be it for only a split second.
So as I pass the car blocking the path I see it is stil there and I think 'right I will get it this time round on the way back. But before I can negotiate that obsticle I have to first weave my way round a few people who have crossed the road and have now decoded to take up some form of tribal street dance in front of me, nice as it is the pattern of this dance seems to clearly put themselves in the path to which i am running, maybe they think I am dancing as well for every time i take a step to the left or a jump to the right; hey thats what it was they thought I was doing the time warp; anyway they always seemed to be infront of me and in my path. Dancing over I loop round at the bottom and of the lap and begin the long road back. Rounding the bend I approach the car and this is it a hurdle over the car and on my way; reality hits and once again its onto the grass and continue at the same pace. Next lap for sure, afte all its the last lap. Going back up the long straight between the two circles loops of each lap I once again am welcomed by smiles and thinbs up, this time its more than the last time as there are other runners in the group heading back out on their second lap. In the distance i see two runners whom I am not familiar with, wondering if I missed them at the start i dont bother to much. I approach them and they have slowed to a walk, I quickly realise that they are not from our group but to other fitness freak just like us out doing their own thing. I offer up a smile and in return I receive a smile, a smile that changed the world, the mouth opened and there was nothing just a gapping hole of nothing barr a single solitory tooth on its own, not only that as the smile came the face creased up and developed cracks across it, like the opening of the ground as an earthquake moved through it. The complection of the skin went from smooth like silk to broken, crevise filled roughnes like alligator skin; Leather Skin and Toothless Grin filled me full of fear.
Heading into Three
Heading on to finish two I hear voices and the bumping of bumping of cycle tyres/wheels and skate wheels from behind. Not bothering to much I push on; this actually giving me a small incentive to push harder to see if I can finish the lap before I am passed, I finish my second lap and continue down the hill into lap three, the final for me. Down the hill round the corner, along and round the other corner heading up the hill from another street. half ways up I am passed by two boys; the same two boys from lap two; they had seen me at the far end of this circle and chanced me down to try and beat me. At the top of the hill they stopped into their wee spot and asked how many times I had done this already. When i explained that I had done two already and that this was my third, they replied with a 'bloody hell, well done, but we quite', pity really I could have been doing with the use of their bike later on in my lap.
Heading down the road I now pass most of my fellow runners.
I head down the long straight for the final time with nothing to bring to your attention, round the bottom circle and heading back I see a nice sight in front, but the sight is suddenly thrown away as they turn round, smile and give yourself a chance. Coming back up to the car that is blocking the way i decide that i will not hurdle over the car, I am feeling slightly tierd after this session and dont want to hurt myself. I push on past on the grass as i have done the two previous laps and head back up the straight. Down the path and up the hill back to the start or in this case the finish for the final time.
Done and dusted is the session, but I head out for a small cool down lap, this takes me round the top circle only adding about another 0.61 miles to my total.
Tonights session is 4.61 miles and the 0.61 miles cool down gives a total of 5.22 miles.
Weekly total 10.03 and Moggie's Miles total to 40.37 miles
MONDAY 20TH MAY 2013
Enter Week Two
So afters yesterdays wee race I half expected to get up and be stiff this morning. I know you have hear me say that before and I followed it up with not being stiff, well today was the same although i had difficulty dragging my carcuss from under the duvet I was surprisingly feeling good.
Getting ready for work I really only wanted to go out for a run, but that would have to wait till later.
Later rolls in
Afte a good day at work I venture homw with the intent of heading out the door by four, but i sat down for a few minutes and i could feel my upper eye lids slowly sliding down my eye balls to form a nice tight seal with the lower eye lids. After a few attempts and a fight for domination between sleep and awake, I dragged myself from the chair and readied myself for a run in the sun. Now the sun a big gasious ball of hydrogen and other elements burning in the sky, it is good to see but it certainly brings things out in the open; it is no wonder the sun has been in hiding after all some of the things i saw tonight bareing body parts that only the mortitian should ever get to see, but thats for further down the page.
Sun, See and Weesh, Weesh I hadn't seen
So its out the door into the big wide world which is blessed with sun, sun and more sun. In days like this it is great to run it makes the training much more fun. I start at a gentle pace and head on up the road, I opt to stay on the side of the raod that is in the shade knowing fine well that the route I intend to take will be kissed with the sun for a fair part of it with no where to go but into its light. Barely half a mile into the run and it's the first of the seen and weeshed I hadn't moments. dressed up with, or maybe dressed down, wearing a 'boob tube' if I remember my fashion lingo and a mini skirt, both of which would appear to be several sizes too small for the person inside them. Clearly they felt they were gifted to the earth for the man of the world but the way they were talking to each other. I would say they were gifted to nowt, smelling like suntan cooking oil, browner than beef gravy and the the resulting outcome of the tight clothing made them look more a kin to sausages hanging up in a butchers shop and the middle pages of a 'Food Hamper' catalogue than the centre pages of Playboy magazine.
Heading on past the eye sore I am grateful of the shade, even here the heat is hotter than we have seen for a long time. There coming down the other side of the road as i go up is Graeme heading down the way, he is fair moving, glad I aint in that side of the street going in the same direction.
Beetroot and Sheep Waves
Pushing through the blistering heat I leave the sanctuary of the shade and appraoch a busy roundabout which only adds to the heat due to the congrigation of tin cgaes sitting waiting to escape the gravitational pull of the roundabout.. Sfaely navigated I sped off, well I went faster than a walk, into the yonder only to hear the 'toot toot, ta toot too' of a car blasting its horn, as i look round i see a face and a hand dancing at the side window of a car, in my general direction; I assume they must be waving at me, after all there is no one else around. I later find out who this car driving waver is. I turn off the main road and into the country roads, where peace from traffic is a great releif and adds to the joy of the run. I am plodding along when from out of no where a beetroot on a bike hurtles towards me; I can only assume it wasa beetroot as the thing was the darkest shade of purple you could ever imagine and didnt seem to be breathing either. Dodging quickly to the side I avoid becoming part of a tossed meat and beatroot salad. Still in one piece I take the steps and footbridge option to cross the river rather than the old ford, although having been tempted to take on several occations have never done so; one does not know the state of the ford way under the water. The fields are full of sheep and I am; well not sure if welcomed or otherwise; acknowledged with what I can only describe as a 'Mexican Baa', starting at one end the sheep Baa in succession in a continual wave along just in front of me.
Different in the sun
It is strange how things look so much different when the weather is nice and sunn as apposed to raining and ovr cast. The last time I ran this road it was just that, raining and over cast, however today the sky was clear and the view out over the fields and country side was further than I could run and much further than I would care to try to at the moment.
Looking back to the road in front of me it is an uphill slope, which in tonights light was actually looking good as apposed to looking hard in the dark, dankness of the rain and wind etc. It is at this moment I come across the second of the 'seen and weeshed' moments, there crossing the crest of the hill is a silouette of what I truly am not sure, as it approaches I see it is a cyclist; well to be honest I initially thought it was 2 cyclists cycling one behind the other but just to the side, transpires it was only one cyclist, slightly larger than the bike, it appeared they did not have a saddle upon which to rest. dooning the crest of the hill I make my decent; again in the light tonight it looks welcoming to the eye; easing down the hill I am moving ever closer to leaving the beautiful sights and the 'Mexican Baa' of the country behind, I cross the bridge over the dualcarrage way; which with the amount of traffic sounds more like a raging river then a free flowing road; I re-join civilasation. I press on with no further mis-haps or eye straining moments to arrive back at my start point having completed 4.81 miles.
This run tonight brings week 2 miles to 4.81 miles and Moggie's Miles to 35.15 miles in Total.
So afters yesterdays wee race I half expected to get up and be stiff this morning. I know you have hear me say that before and I followed it up with not being stiff, well today was the same although i had difficulty dragging my carcuss from under the duvet I was surprisingly feeling good.
Getting ready for work I really only wanted to go out for a run, but that would have to wait till later.
Later rolls in
Afte a good day at work I venture homw with the intent of heading out the door by four, but i sat down for a few minutes and i could feel my upper eye lids slowly sliding down my eye balls to form a nice tight seal with the lower eye lids. After a few attempts and a fight for domination between sleep and awake, I dragged myself from the chair and readied myself for a run in the sun. Now the sun a big gasious ball of hydrogen and other elements burning in the sky, it is good to see but it certainly brings things out in the open; it is no wonder the sun has been in hiding after all some of the things i saw tonight bareing body parts that only the mortitian should ever get to see, but thats for further down the page.
Sun, See and Weesh, Weesh I hadn't seen
So its out the door into the big wide world which is blessed with sun, sun and more sun. In days like this it is great to run it makes the training much more fun. I start at a gentle pace and head on up the road, I opt to stay on the side of the raod that is in the shade knowing fine well that the route I intend to take will be kissed with the sun for a fair part of it with no where to go but into its light. Barely half a mile into the run and it's the first of the seen and weeshed I hadn't moments. dressed up with, or maybe dressed down, wearing a 'boob tube' if I remember my fashion lingo and a mini skirt, both of which would appear to be several sizes too small for the person inside them. Clearly they felt they were gifted to the earth for the man of the world but the way they were talking to each other. I would say they were gifted to nowt, smelling like suntan cooking oil, browner than beef gravy and the the resulting outcome of the tight clothing made them look more a kin to sausages hanging up in a butchers shop and the middle pages of a 'Food Hamper' catalogue than the centre pages of Playboy magazine.
Heading on past the eye sore I am grateful of the shade, even here the heat is hotter than we have seen for a long time. There coming down the other side of the road as i go up is Graeme heading down the way, he is fair moving, glad I aint in that side of the street going in the same direction.
Beetroot and Sheep Waves
Pushing through the blistering heat I leave the sanctuary of the shade and appraoch a busy roundabout which only adds to the heat due to the congrigation of tin cgaes sitting waiting to escape the gravitational pull of the roundabout.. Sfaely navigated I sped off, well I went faster than a walk, into the yonder only to hear the 'toot toot, ta toot too' of a car blasting its horn, as i look round i see a face and a hand dancing at the side window of a car, in my general direction; I assume they must be waving at me, after all there is no one else around. I later find out who this car driving waver is. I turn off the main road and into the country roads, where peace from traffic is a great releif and adds to the joy of the run. I am plodding along when from out of no where a beetroot on a bike hurtles towards me; I can only assume it wasa beetroot as the thing was the darkest shade of purple you could ever imagine and didnt seem to be breathing either. Dodging quickly to the side I avoid becoming part of a tossed meat and beatroot salad. Still in one piece I take the steps and footbridge option to cross the river rather than the old ford, although having been tempted to take on several occations have never done so; one does not know the state of the ford way under the water. The fields are full of sheep and I am; well not sure if welcomed or otherwise; acknowledged with what I can only describe as a 'Mexican Baa', starting at one end the sheep Baa in succession in a continual wave along just in front of me.
Different in the sun
It is strange how things look so much different when the weather is nice and sunn as apposed to raining and ovr cast. The last time I ran this road it was just that, raining and over cast, however today the sky was clear and the view out over the fields and country side was further than I could run and much further than I would care to try to at the moment.
Looking back to the road in front of me it is an uphill slope, which in tonights light was actually looking good as apposed to looking hard in the dark, dankness of the rain and wind etc. It is at this moment I come across the second of the 'seen and weeshed' moments, there crossing the crest of the hill is a silouette of what I truly am not sure, as it approaches I see it is a cyclist; well to be honest I initially thought it was 2 cyclists cycling one behind the other but just to the side, transpires it was only one cyclist, slightly larger than the bike, it appeared they did not have a saddle upon which to rest. dooning the crest of the hill I make my decent; again in the light tonight it looks welcoming to the eye; easing down the hill I am moving ever closer to leaving the beautiful sights and the 'Mexican Baa' of the country behind, I cross the bridge over the dualcarrage way; which with the amount of traffic sounds more like a raging river then a free flowing road; I re-join civilasation. I press on with no further mis-haps or eye straining moments to arrive back at my start point having completed 4.81 miles.
This run tonight brings week 2 miles to 4.81 miles and Moggie's Miles to 35.15 miles in Total.
SUNDAY 19TH MAY 2013
Itchy Feet
I woke this morning with itchy feet; itching to go for a run that it, not because I had contracted some strange foot infectin during the night; but I had to contemplate going for a training run or hanging about and then going to do a 10k Fun Run at Dunlop; after all this would be its last year apparently and I had never done it before. Previous years I never knew it was on or I was to early and I mean way to early and couldna be bothered going back later, one year I was injured and one time i just plain forgot.
So I decide to go and run in the 10k, for no other reason other than to put a bit of interest into a training run and give additional meaning to the effort; after all I did say I was going to try and run my Sunday runs for a few weeks at my predicted marathon pace or faster, so what a perfect opportunity to do so.
Dunlop for Fun
Small village fun runs seem to be slipping away into the world of non-existance, cost of running them, lack of support, who knows and Dunlop is no exception. It has only been held for 5 years and was set up as a way of raising money for the local church to help repair and replace parts of the old roof, having never ran it before I never knew what to expect.
I would like to take this time to say that it is one of the best, wellorganised, well marshelled, well signed run/races I have ever had the pleasure and pain to take part in. The worst thing about the race/run was the course, remember I said in a previous post that coming from Ayrshire there aint to many a place one can go to without coming across a hill, well Dunlop is no exception to that rule.
The race starts just outside the playing field and carries on up hill for about o the first 4 Kilometres and then the hill easies of to a rolling road of dips and rises.
First Time, Long Time
Its a late start for a Sunday 10k, normally 10k's start at about 9, 10, 11 o clock sometimes as late as 12 noon, but I aint ever ran a 10k that starts at 2pm in the afternoon, strange time to be starting but in a strange way it was worth the wait. So arriving in plenty of time; if I rush about a bit; I register for the race, find a quite corner and change into my vest; thankfully I never pinned my vest together, I have done so previously and it aint funny, but thats another story. Trainers on and do a warm up. Its a strange thing but one always needs to head to the evacuation station prior to a race, today was no exception; one, yep just one for every male in the place so the queue was longer than the queue at the checkout in tescos at christams. Its funny how standing in the queue its as if you canny wait, but once you get to the final destination, like everything else in life, you canny be bothered and you wait for ages.
Waiting for my turn it brings the panic of missing the start of the race, something else i have done in the past and that to isnt to funny, well at the time it aint. Finally we are all called forward to the line-up and given the safety warning and info etc and a breifing about the course. The woman on the load speaker explains that the 3k runners will run the ssame route as will the 5k runners. £k runners will run up and collect a band from a table that tey must bring back, 5k runneres will continue on to their turn pint just past the water station at 2 k and I am sure the woman on the load speaker said 10k runners would run up past 5k and turn at Dunlop House and come straight back also. So i think na worries an out abd back, means we wil come down hill on the way back; and to be fare we do come down hill on the way back, just not as I expected.
So we are given out instructions to line up, 10k runners at the front of the line, we are then piped out onto the street, no not like a big line of whipped cream or butter icing, but with a bloke playing the bag-pipes. So lined up the lady on the loadspeaker gives the countdown 'ready, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - GO' and we are off standing on the start line I seem to find myself on the front line, so when the gun or rather the voice of authority sounds the 'GO' I need to go and find myself in a position un acustom to me; to be in the front of a race at the start. I am running along with fellow runners Cammy and Mike as well as the other runners who seem to like to take thir place at the front of the run, pushing past at a pace that is impressive for any 10k runner.
Round the corner past the mini-roundabout, over the railway bridge and out into the country, the hill started as we left the start line, but now it is starting properly as we head out past the last bit of Dunlop village civilisation and into no-mans land with nothing but the sound of our feet and the groans of those running beside us to keep us company.
Going up the hill and the first fellow starter drops away, Mike being sensible has settled into his own pace and is a few strides behind. The other who is there is pushing on well and Cammy has found what looks like a relaxed pace on a Sunday afternoon run. Breathing as best i can from everywhere i can it is apparent that I might have pushed on slightly faster than i should have but it is a race and i guess i need to get back into this way of doing things. Reaching the 1k marker I know that i am working hard as my time for a 'k' is fine, its just that this one is the up hill type, lol.
I want to go back :)
By the time I reach the turn around for the 3k run; that would be 1.5 km out, I wish i had just signed up for the 3k, but then i know that once i get into my stride i will be fine. Plodding on know that it would get easier I find the fella that started off with us has gon his own seperate way and I have been cought and passed by another running enthusiast. By this time the gap between us and cammy has turned into a good few yard. Pushing on the next point that comes and that is the water statation, grabbing a cup from the table I feel that i have tumbled about a dozen in the process; why when ever there is a race with a table of drinks cups do those who place and fill them place them so tight that even the skinniest fingered person on the planet would have trouble getting from the table at speeds above walking pace thats closer to stopped than actually moving? Anyway water grabbed it is like most cups of water i pick up, dumped over the head, I am at presently sitting in 3rd place with cammy forging ahead in front a good 20-30 meteres at this early stage and the guy in second somewhere in the middle.
Just beyond is the turning point for the 5k runners and o how I wished right now i had opted for the 5k race, but knowing that, that was not an option I forge on. I wonder at this stage saying to myself 'ok the guy in second aint to far in fron and he is not un-catchable.' Surprisingly though i still feel quite relaxed and I cant hear any breathing on my ear or shoulder so that in one aspect is a good sign.
Forging ever further I wonder where we will be going and at 3k I am still within the time for marathon pacing. I pass through 4 k and push up the hill of the now undulating dips and rises of the road ahead. Just about the 5k marker there is another water station where I position my hand to grab a cup of water but sadly the person in charge has a hand that has a reach higher than mine and so the cup slips from my grasp and ends on the road under my feet. Looking for the ever elusive turning point I wonder if i have missed the turning or worse still mis-read or something and have entered into a 20k run. 6k comes and goes and thenits turning into the road to Dunlop House, but wondering that buy going back will take another 7kms of running, mmm. Turning into the grounds of the estate the last thing I hear is the fella marshall shouting, 'watch out the ground is un-even.' I will give him that the ground was un-even but nothing more so that other roads i have run on. just rounding a bend i hit a pot-hole and the ankle goes tweek, but nowt to worry about its just a slight annoyance and after a few strides and a slight slow of pace things are fine; although getting the pace back is slightly more difficult.
Time to turn
Finally I approach the tuning point I can see it in the distance, but first i need to negotiate another water station. i move over hand at the ready and swoop down on the cup with the grasp of an eagle and the agility of a cat, but thats all in ma head as i spill half the water all over the palce, the rest as before goes over the head to cool me down. Aproaching the turn point Cammy is heading towards me, by now he has a good 400- maybe even 500 metres on me and well lets say he aint a pretty picture; he looks in more pain that one could ever imagine.
I reach the turning point and have to slow the pace down to get the turn, this is the only part of the race that i would say needs changing, but as this is the last year there is no need to do so. Turning I head back down through the estate, not actually having had time to have a look at Dunlop House, but from the surroundings I can only imagine it is run down and derelict; if anyone knows to the contorary please let me know. I see Mike has found his place in the race and bumped himself up into 4th place, the fella that was with us at the start has slipped into 5th behind Mike. The other fella that was there at the start has all but disappeared and I am sure it is him I spot back in about 10-12th place.
Approaching the 8k marker I look at my watch and notice that my time is still well within target marathon pace so I am happy enough. Exeting the estate at the same point as which we entered we run straight over the road,with the marshells doing their job to fine form and warning appraoching traffic that there is a Sunday runner coming, bet they sit in their car cursing and saying things like 'Sunday Bloody Runners!!!' in much the same way as people who get stuck behind Marth and Boris on a sunny Sunday afternoon say, 'Sundy Bloody Drivers' lol.
The Approach
So crossing the road I notice a yellow sign up ahead, its the 9km sign meaning i dont have far to go, but just like a marathon where the last 385 yards of the race are the hardest, in a 10k the last kilometre is the hardest. Thankfully therer is a down hill section and I try my best to push on slightly and maintain the relaxed running style i have managed to find; although I did at one point have the whole feeling sick in the tummy thing and thought that it would happen, but somehow and i wish i knew how for future use, I managed to fight it off.
As i turn left back into civilisation and the village of Dunlop, I have cought up with 5k runners and although not in the stricktest of playing fare i use them to take me to the finish line. Over the railway, turn left, infront of a car at the junction which i am glad the marshells had stopped, a short burst and a sharp left and down a wee ally path into the park and then a wee wiggle to the left and then the right and into a right hand side of the funnel for the finish line for the 10k. bang i stop the watch and my run is done.
10k race on a Sunday afternoon, this brings my first week of training to a close and the miles for Moggie's Mony Money Miles to a weekly total of 30.34 miles. The time for today was inline with Troon and i found myself in a 3rd place finish. I even felt like going out for a nice wee run later in the evening, although I never went for sasid wee run, I hope that have the thoughts of such is a good sign.
I woke this morning with itchy feet; itching to go for a run that it, not because I had contracted some strange foot infectin during the night; but I had to contemplate going for a training run or hanging about and then going to do a 10k Fun Run at Dunlop; after all this would be its last year apparently and I had never done it before. Previous years I never knew it was on or I was to early and I mean way to early and couldna be bothered going back later, one year I was injured and one time i just plain forgot.
So I decide to go and run in the 10k, for no other reason other than to put a bit of interest into a training run and give additional meaning to the effort; after all I did say I was going to try and run my Sunday runs for a few weeks at my predicted marathon pace or faster, so what a perfect opportunity to do so.
Dunlop for Fun
Small village fun runs seem to be slipping away into the world of non-existance, cost of running them, lack of support, who knows and Dunlop is no exception. It has only been held for 5 years and was set up as a way of raising money for the local church to help repair and replace parts of the old roof, having never ran it before I never knew what to expect.
I would like to take this time to say that it is one of the best, wellorganised, well marshelled, well signed run/races I have ever had the pleasure and pain to take part in. The worst thing about the race/run was the course, remember I said in a previous post that coming from Ayrshire there aint to many a place one can go to without coming across a hill, well Dunlop is no exception to that rule.
The race starts just outside the playing field and carries on up hill for about o the first 4 Kilometres and then the hill easies of to a rolling road of dips and rises.
First Time, Long Time
Its a late start for a Sunday 10k, normally 10k's start at about 9, 10, 11 o clock sometimes as late as 12 noon, but I aint ever ran a 10k that starts at 2pm in the afternoon, strange time to be starting but in a strange way it was worth the wait. So arriving in plenty of time; if I rush about a bit; I register for the race, find a quite corner and change into my vest; thankfully I never pinned my vest together, I have done so previously and it aint funny, but thats another story. Trainers on and do a warm up. Its a strange thing but one always needs to head to the evacuation station prior to a race, today was no exception; one, yep just one for every male in the place so the queue was longer than the queue at the checkout in tescos at christams. Its funny how standing in the queue its as if you canny wait, but once you get to the final destination, like everything else in life, you canny be bothered and you wait for ages.
Waiting for my turn it brings the panic of missing the start of the race, something else i have done in the past and that to isnt to funny, well at the time it aint. Finally we are all called forward to the line-up and given the safety warning and info etc and a breifing about the course. The woman on the load speaker explains that the 3k runners will run the ssame route as will the 5k runners. £k runners will run up and collect a band from a table that tey must bring back, 5k runneres will continue on to their turn pint just past the water station at 2 k and I am sure the woman on the load speaker said 10k runners would run up past 5k and turn at Dunlop House and come straight back also. So i think na worries an out abd back, means we wil come down hill on the way back; and to be fare we do come down hill on the way back, just not as I expected.
So we are given out instructions to line up, 10k runners at the front of the line, we are then piped out onto the street, no not like a big line of whipped cream or butter icing, but with a bloke playing the bag-pipes. So lined up the lady on the loadspeaker gives the countdown 'ready, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - GO' and we are off standing on the start line I seem to find myself on the front line, so when the gun or rather the voice of authority sounds the 'GO' I need to go and find myself in a position un acustom to me; to be in the front of a race at the start. I am running along with fellow runners Cammy and Mike as well as the other runners who seem to like to take thir place at the front of the run, pushing past at a pace that is impressive for any 10k runner.
Round the corner past the mini-roundabout, over the railway bridge and out into the country, the hill started as we left the start line, but now it is starting properly as we head out past the last bit of Dunlop village civilisation and into no-mans land with nothing but the sound of our feet and the groans of those running beside us to keep us company.
Going up the hill and the first fellow starter drops away, Mike being sensible has settled into his own pace and is a few strides behind. The other who is there is pushing on well and Cammy has found what looks like a relaxed pace on a Sunday afternoon run. Breathing as best i can from everywhere i can it is apparent that I might have pushed on slightly faster than i should have but it is a race and i guess i need to get back into this way of doing things. Reaching the 1k marker I know that i am working hard as my time for a 'k' is fine, its just that this one is the up hill type, lol.
I want to go back :)
By the time I reach the turn around for the 3k run; that would be 1.5 km out, I wish i had just signed up for the 3k, but then i know that once i get into my stride i will be fine. Plodding on know that it would get easier I find the fella that started off with us has gon his own seperate way and I have been cought and passed by another running enthusiast. By this time the gap between us and cammy has turned into a good few yard. Pushing on the next point that comes and that is the water statation, grabbing a cup from the table I feel that i have tumbled about a dozen in the process; why when ever there is a race with a table of drinks cups do those who place and fill them place them so tight that even the skinniest fingered person on the planet would have trouble getting from the table at speeds above walking pace thats closer to stopped than actually moving? Anyway water grabbed it is like most cups of water i pick up, dumped over the head, I am at presently sitting in 3rd place with cammy forging ahead in front a good 20-30 meteres at this early stage and the guy in second somewhere in the middle.
Just beyond is the turning point for the 5k runners and o how I wished right now i had opted for the 5k race, but knowing that, that was not an option I forge on. I wonder at this stage saying to myself 'ok the guy in second aint to far in fron and he is not un-catchable.' Surprisingly though i still feel quite relaxed and I cant hear any breathing on my ear or shoulder so that in one aspect is a good sign.
Forging ever further I wonder where we will be going and at 3k I am still within the time for marathon pacing. I pass through 4 k and push up the hill of the now undulating dips and rises of the road ahead. Just about the 5k marker there is another water station where I position my hand to grab a cup of water but sadly the person in charge has a hand that has a reach higher than mine and so the cup slips from my grasp and ends on the road under my feet. Looking for the ever elusive turning point I wonder if i have missed the turning or worse still mis-read or something and have entered into a 20k run. 6k comes and goes and thenits turning into the road to Dunlop House, but wondering that buy going back will take another 7kms of running, mmm. Turning into the grounds of the estate the last thing I hear is the fella marshall shouting, 'watch out the ground is un-even.' I will give him that the ground was un-even but nothing more so that other roads i have run on. just rounding a bend i hit a pot-hole and the ankle goes tweek, but nowt to worry about its just a slight annoyance and after a few strides and a slight slow of pace things are fine; although getting the pace back is slightly more difficult.
Time to turn
Finally I approach the tuning point I can see it in the distance, but first i need to negotiate another water station. i move over hand at the ready and swoop down on the cup with the grasp of an eagle and the agility of a cat, but thats all in ma head as i spill half the water all over the palce, the rest as before goes over the head to cool me down. Aproaching the turn point Cammy is heading towards me, by now he has a good 400- maybe even 500 metres on me and well lets say he aint a pretty picture; he looks in more pain that one could ever imagine.
I reach the turning point and have to slow the pace down to get the turn, this is the only part of the race that i would say needs changing, but as this is the last year there is no need to do so. Turning I head back down through the estate, not actually having had time to have a look at Dunlop House, but from the surroundings I can only imagine it is run down and derelict; if anyone knows to the contorary please let me know. I see Mike has found his place in the race and bumped himself up into 4th place, the fella that was with us at the start has slipped into 5th behind Mike. The other fella that was there at the start has all but disappeared and I am sure it is him I spot back in about 10-12th place.
Approaching the 8k marker I look at my watch and notice that my time is still well within target marathon pace so I am happy enough. Exeting the estate at the same point as which we entered we run straight over the road,with the marshells doing their job to fine form and warning appraoching traffic that there is a Sunday runner coming, bet they sit in their car cursing and saying things like 'Sunday Bloody Runners!!!' in much the same way as people who get stuck behind Marth and Boris on a sunny Sunday afternoon say, 'Sundy Bloody Drivers' lol.
The Approach
So crossing the road I notice a yellow sign up ahead, its the 9km sign meaning i dont have far to go, but just like a marathon where the last 385 yards of the race are the hardest, in a 10k the last kilometre is the hardest. Thankfully therer is a down hill section and I try my best to push on slightly and maintain the relaxed running style i have managed to find; although I did at one point have the whole feeling sick in the tummy thing and thought that it would happen, but somehow and i wish i knew how for future use, I managed to fight it off.
As i turn left back into civilisation and the village of Dunlop, I have cought up with 5k runners and although not in the stricktest of playing fare i use them to take me to the finish line. Over the railway, turn left, infront of a car at the junction which i am glad the marshells had stopped, a short burst and a sharp left and down a wee ally path into the park and then a wee wiggle to the left and then the right and into a right hand side of the funnel for the finish line for the 10k. bang i stop the watch and my run is done.
10k race on a Sunday afternoon, this brings my first week of training to a close and the miles for Moggie's Mony Money Miles to a weekly total of 30.34 miles. The time for today was inline with Troon and i found myself in a 3rd place finish. I even felt like going out for a nice wee run later in the evening, although I never went for sasid wee run, I hope that have the thoughts of such is a good sign.
SATURDAY 18TH MAY 2013
Sacred Saturday so desperatly needed
As I have mentioned before Saturdays are my rest day, although I have on occassions recently found myself going out on a cyle with a couple of mates.
Today however I am glad I only occassionaly go out cycle. Last night saw me attend the 80th party of a fellow runner/coach etc with a limited selected few. A party that went well with good food and plenty to drink. Also attending last nights party were those with whom I cycle, It hadtherefore been arranged that when the morning cameth phone calls would be made to inform the out come for the planned cycle, however owing to the absence of a phone call I can only asertain that owing to the nasty change in the weather the proposed cycle was cancelled; that and the fact that if the others were anything like me they would be slightly rough after last nights celebrations.
Happy Birthday Jim
As I have mentioned before Saturdays are my rest day, although I have on occassions recently found myself going out on a cyle with a couple of mates.
Today however I am glad I only occassionaly go out cycle. Last night saw me attend the 80th party of a fellow runner/coach etc with a limited selected few. A party that went well with good food and plenty to drink. Also attending last nights party were those with whom I cycle, It hadtherefore been arranged that when the morning cameth phone calls would be made to inform the out come for the planned cycle, however owing to the absence of a phone call I can only asertain that owing to the nasty change in the weather the proposed cycle was cancelled; that and the fact that if the others were anything like me they would be slightly rough after last nights celebrations.
Happy Birthday Jim
FRIDAY 17th MAY 2013
As you may already know Friday nights is an open night with regards to what type of training I will be doing, it can be cycling, running, the gym and althought I aint done much for a while it could even be a swim.
This Friday however it was a running night; because i was going to attend a surprise 80th Birthday party for a fellow Running Club member, a coach, my coach and advisor on occassions and all-round good guy.
Not the 4 o' clock run
So today was such a beautifull day for a run and one I was glad to have. I was so fortunate today that things fell into place with regards to work, run and tonights already mentioned night out. Having had to take a bus back to the transport depot, I was allowed; and gatefully received; early leaving from my base to return the mini bus to allow a change stop into my running attire, allowing me to run home from the bus depot.
Although over all I did not gain anytime actual time per say, as by the time I dropped of the bus etc I had gone beyond my stop time, making up for the time I used to stop and get changed. However this fortunate opportunity did mean that I was able to venture onto a route that I havnt been on for some time as it is generally a long run route. I was also able to start my run a good half hour or so earlier than I normally plan to start.
The sudden ups and downs of running!!!
So leaving the transport depot in the heat of the afternoon, I feel good, relaxed and flowing. I just run and dont worry to much about pace etc after all I am only just starting my training. I head along the street and dodge a few children on the way home from school face glued to some type of electronic portable device be it a mobile phone, MP3 player or a combination of these, never to be paying attention to the world around them.
I turn onto a nice wee river side path and perfect silence falls; not the Doctor Who silence, just plan no noice silence; and in this silence I feel free of the worries of the world, this is what it means to run, this is what running is all about. The last time I was down this path, parts of it had disappeared during some heavy rains and when the river rose. The rocks underneath had, had enough of just sitting there and decoded to swim away to a better life, maybe they had sore arms from holding up the path, who knows why rocks do these things, guess its like running - cause we can. The path is winding and follows the natural edge of the field and the river, but is anything but flat it has a stretch in the middle that would put any roller coaster ride to shame with the suden sharp incline with the immediate and equally sharp decline only to find that your legs stop working properly as they reach the bottom; this is beacuse the legs are still in down hill mode but the ground beneath them has once again changed to up hill mode. If anyone saw this from a far they would probably wonder what the hell was going on, why does that person look like they are swimming without water???
So I reach the part that had been previously washed away wondering if it had been fixed or if I would need to traverse Scotlands answer to the Grand Canyon. I appreach to find that some new rocks had been found to hold up the path and to prevent these ones from swimming away they have been put into cages, dont worry though these were willing rocks designed specifically for this task :) .
Speed be gone!!!
Leaving the roller coaster path behind I turn onto the country road and head into the second mile of my run, the sun is still shining slightly in the sky and the chance of rain was sadly still looming however. I was rolling along at a nice comfortable pace and surprisingly faster than what I thought having passed through the first mile and the second mile of the run at roughly the same minutes per mile pace.
This however is short lived as I turn the conner and the hill in front of me 'Templeton Hill' steals my need for speed and reduces me to what feels like a mere walking pace, y running pace is reduced by 30 seconds per mile. This is a nasty piece of work, teasing you with its unseen sumit, you climb on never know where the top is or how fat you have to go, you reach what you think is the tp only to find that it has a short flat section leading into the next part of the hill. Only stretching on for a total of about half a mile this hill gives the suggestion that it is going on for ever. Finally reaching the top I turn away from the hill, but my plight aint over yet this road is a twisting turning, up and down road, which any normal human would probably stay clear of, but here in running world us humans aint normal. My pace is still slowed by this undulating road but I struggle on and once again the sweat of my plight flows down my face rendering me slightly blind for a second.
Coming up into the final 2 miles I begin to eneter back into the civilised world and pass through a donught on the road; a donought that is to act as a roundabout for the bypass. A car approches and decides to well suddenly pull into the edge of the road and stop for what is no apparent reason where by I nearly find myself having an impression of hood badge saab in my forehead.
The final stretch
I decline the idea of having a saab branding on my person and press on turning onto the main road signifying the home stretch. I flow down the hill like warm honey flows from a spoon, sticking to the cycle path rather than running on the path; cant explain why it just happens that way, like I said things in the running world dont always make sence. Down the hill and this brings me to the bottom a the hill I then need to climb, once again I slow slightly. Thats the thing about living here, there is no where to go without coming across a hill somewhere on ones run.
Arriving home feeling good, if somewhat drenched in the proof of my hard work and definatly aware that I have ran today as my legs are slightly soft and tierd.
Todays run saw me cover a nice 5.81 miles brining the Moggie's Mony Money Miles up to 24.16 miles so far. I can go out and enjoy my night tonight knowing that i have worked hard today.
O and No Rocks were harmed in the making of the new path!!! :)
This Friday however it was a running night; because i was going to attend a surprise 80th Birthday party for a fellow Running Club member, a coach, my coach and advisor on occassions and all-round good guy.
Not the 4 o' clock run
So today was such a beautifull day for a run and one I was glad to have. I was so fortunate today that things fell into place with regards to work, run and tonights already mentioned night out. Having had to take a bus back to the transport depot, I was allowed; and gatefully received; early leaving from my base to return the mini bus to allow a change stop into my running attire, allowing me to run home from the bus depot.
Although over all I did not gain anytime actual time per say, as by the time I dropped of the bus etc I had gone beyond my stop time, making up for the time I used to stop and get changed. However this fortunate opportunity did mean that I was able to venture onto a route that I havnt been on for some time as it is generally a long run route. I was also able to start my run a good half hour or so earlier than I normally plan to start.
The sudden ups and downs of running!!!
So leaving the transport depot in the heat of the afternoon, I feel good, relaxed and flowing. I just run and dont worry to much about pace etc after all I am only just starting my training. I head along the street and dodge a few children on the way home from school face glued to some type of electronic portable device be it a mobile phone, MP3 player or a combination of these, never to be paying attention to the world around them.
I turn onto a nice wee river side path and perfect silence falls; not the Doctor Who silence, just plan no noice silence; and in this silence I feel free of the worries of the world, this is what it means to run, this is what running is all about. The last time I was down this path, parts of it had disappeared during some heavy rains and when the river rose. The rocks underneath had, had enough of just sitting there and decoded to swim away to a better life, maybe they had sore arms from holding up the path, who knows why rocks do these things, guess its like running - cause we can. The path is winding and follows the natural edge of the field and the river, but is anything but flat it has a stretch in the middle that would put any roller coaster ride to shame with the suden sharp incline with the immediate and equally sharp decline only to find that your legs stop working properly as they reach the bottom; this is beacuse the legs are still in down hill mode but the ground beneath them has once again changed to up hill mode. If anyone saw this from a far they would probably wonder what the hell was going on, why does that person look like they are swimming without water???
So I reach the part that had been previously washed away wondering if it had been fixed or if I would need to traverse Scotlands answer to the Grand Canyon. I appreach to find that some new rocks had been found to hold up the path and to prevent these ones from swimming away they have been put into cages, dont worry though these were willing rocks designed specifically for this task :) .
Speed be gone!!!
Leaving the roller coaster path behind I turn onto the country road and head into the second mile of my run, the sun is still shining slightly in the sky and the chance of rain was sadly still looming however. I was rolling along at a nice comfortable pace and surprisingly faster than what I thought having passed through the first mile and the second mile of the run at roughly the same minutes per mile pace.
This however is short lived as I turn the conner and the hill in front of me 'Templeton Hill' steals my need for speed and reduces me to what feels like a mere walking pace, y running pace is reduced by 30 seconds per mile. This is a nasty piece of work, teasing you with its unseen sumit, you climb on never know where the top is or how fat you have to go, you reach what you think is the tp only to find that it has a short flat section leading into the next part of the hill. Only stretching on for a total of about half a mile this hill gives the suggestion that it is going on for ever. Finally reaching the top I turn away from the hill, but my plight aint over yet this road is a twisting turning, up and down road, which any normal human would probably stay clear of, but here in running world us humans aint normal. My pace is still slowed by this undulating road but I struggle on and once again the sweat of my plight flows down my face rendering me slightly blind for a second.
Coming up into the final 2 miles I begin to eneter back into the civilised world and pass through a donught on the road; a donought that is to act as a roundabout for the bypass. A car approches and decides to well suddenly pull into the edge of the road and stop for what is no apparent reason where by I nearly find myself having an impression of hood badge saab in my forehead.
The final stretch
I decline the idea of having a saab branding on my person and press on turning onto the main road signifying the home stretch. I flow down the hill like warm honey flows from a spoon, sticking to the cycle path rather than running on the path; cant explain why it just happens that way, like I said things in the running world dont always make sence. Down the hill and this brings me to the bottom a the hill I then need to climb, once again I slow slightly. Thats the thing about living here, there is no where to go without coming across a hill somewhere on ones run.
Arriving home feeling good, if somewhat drenched in the proof of my hard work and definatly aware that I have ran today as my legs are slightly soft and tierd.
Todays run saw me cover a nice 5.81 miles brining the Moggie's Mony Money Miles up to 24.16 miles so far. I can go out and enjoy my night tonight knowing that i have worked hard today.
O and No Rocks were harmed in the making of the new path!!! :)
THURSDAY 16TH MAY 2013
Hard Work Routine
Trying to get into a routine of going out straight after work is proving slightly more difficult than I would hope for, but I guess i shouldnt be to hard on myself after all this is really only the first week of getting into this routine. The thing I should take away from this is that I have been out every night running.
Managing to get out the door
By the time I got home it was already 4 o' clock and I still had a few things to do, checking email from potential fundraising areas. as well the fundraising pages. Sitting at the computer I slowly faded away and dozed off into a nice little land of slumber, waking up to find it was after 5 o' clock. I decided to hold fast and not go for that run just yet I sat and watched some TV and then the Simpsons. I finally found my way out the door at about quarter to 7. Once out the door I felt good, not starting off to fast I plodded along up the long drawn out hill. Its probably a safe bet to say that this long drawn out hill rises for at least 1 and half miles on this particular route. It's just a basic loop with an out and back at the top end totalling 4.23 miles long.
Full of Energy, mmm
As I ran along I felt good, this probably sounds weird, but although the miles havn't been many this week they are consistant and consistancy adds up and sometimes one feels flat; so by feeling good and not feeling flat it means I am finding a good balance between pace and miles, miles and days run, days run and pace.
Tonights pace as I said was nice and gentle and easy and this gave plenty of time to look around me and observe the world, something I dont normally do when running as I am focused on what I am feeling etc. So running along and I am thinking that nothing interesting will happen, there will be no cyborgs, dog walkers or mums trying to control children on this run; it will just be a general everyday boring run; once again i was proven wrong, I dont know what it is, is it the idea that I have a blog to write, is it because I am running slow and steady, is it the idea that I know I will be running 6 days out of 7 for the next 20 weeks and thus my running has meaning and structure that I am finding the enjoyment in it once again? What ever it is I have found something interesting and fun on every run so far. Tonight was no exception.
The things one sees
So your all sitting there wondering what it was I saw, well let me put you out of your misery and hold you no longer in suspence. As I ran along the road, there on the other side of the road heading towards me in the distance was a bright pink jacket, no thats not what the big deal is about, dear o dear. So as the bright pink jacket got closer I noticed it was someone out exercising in the form of walking. Now walking is a great form of exercise and I have respect for those that walk, however this walker was, well it made me have a good chuckle to myself. As they walked the head bobbed about, a wee bit like Paula radcliffe does as she runs, which in itself isnt to funny. The clincher was the invisible rods that the walker had fixed between their feet and their head; invisible rods I hear you say, whats this clown on about; well let me explain. Every time the foot lifted off the ground the body went up right and the head went back, everytime. When the leg went down and the foot hit the ground the body came forwards and the head fell down. in amongst all this action the arms were moving like; cast your mind to ghostbusters and the wee green ghost, slimer, well thats the way the arms were moving.
So picture this foot up, body bolt up right, head falls back arms swing back and forth across the body, foot goes down, body moves forward to a slouch, head drops to the ground almost. Its hard to explain but I hope you get the picture.
Further up the road I passed two ladies out running, bolt up right, but it was clear that these woman had left the house without a bra on, because they seemed to be having to hold there woman bits in place, nestled in the bend of the elbow, with their hads holding onto the opposite shoulder almost. There ways of holding their arms resembled that of the great late Les Dawson characterAda from 'Ada and Cissie'
The return Journey
As I plod on and reach the turning point nothing much more happens. I still feel good and in control of this run and as I head for home i wonder if i will pass my stylish friends or if the fleeting moment on the up leg was all that would be. I pick up the pace slightly and as I move on down the road i come across a set of road work temperary barriers, in the middle of the barriers there is an eruption in the pavement with water shooting out of its centre that would put 'Old Faithful' to shame. We could turn this into a tourist attraction and the revenue it would generate could rebuild the town in gold. To add to this the water that is floowing down the side of the road would put the Nile to shame, we could add 2 more wonders to the 7 wonders of the modern world with this lot.
I thought at one point I was going to get washed away and never seen again, could have ended up as a missing person on the telly, Eye witness story on the NEWS, 'Aye last we saw o him was his bright yella shirt disapear in a whirl pool spiral jist there at thone drain cover', 'suddenly there was a splash and his arse went up in the air, then a grugle and he was gone'. Maybe thats what happened to the two ladies that pranced down the road earlier.
Further down my own personal Nile I was forced to dodge two ladies whom clearly did take notice of a bright yellow jumper zooming towards them at metre per seconds and decided it would be nice to step out in front of me, thank the lord I had my cat head on tonight, which contained my sharpened reflexes, lol.
Disaster overted and I have had some adventure in the last mile, cant but wonder what the next mile would bring. Sadly it did not bring anything quite like the mile I just had. I did however catch up on the walker with the invisible poles attcheded between head and toes, Apart from speeding up there was no difference in the way she walked other than instead of the arms doing sideway swings like slimmer, she was doing back and forth swings and the legs were getting slightly higher lifts, which only acted in forcing the upper body into a more up right position and the head being thrown further back. I do however take my had off as they were managing to move along at some speed as it took me about 1.5 miles tocatch them up.
Down the road and back to the start and nothing else happened, I think it would have taken something special in that last half mile to top what I saw today.
Todays miles were 4.23 miles giving a Moggies Miles Total so far of 18.35 miles
Trying to get into a routine of going out straight after work is proving slightly more difficult than I would hope for, but I guess i shouldnt be to hard on myself after all this is really only the first week of getting into this routine. The thing I should take away from this is that I have been out every night running.
Managing to get out the door
By the time I got home it was already 4 o' clock and I still had a few things to do, checking email from potential fundraising areas. as well the fundraising pages. Sitting at the computer I slowly faded away and dozed off into a nice little land of slumber, waking up to find it was after 5 o' clock. I decided to hold fast and not go for that run just yet I sat and watched some TV and then the Simpsons. I finally found my way out the door at about quarter to 7. Once out the door I felt good, not starting off to fast I plodded along up the long drawn out hill. Its probably a safe bet to say that this long drawn out hill rises for at least 1 and half miles on this particular route. It's just a basic loop with an out and back at the top end totalling 4.23 miles long.
Full of Energy, mmm
As I ran along I felt good, this probably sounds weird, but although the miles havn't been many this week they are consistant and consistancy adds up and sometimes one feels flat; so by feeling good and not feeling flat it means I am finding a good balance between pace and miles, miles and days run, days run and pace.
Tonights pace as I said was nice and gentle and easy and this gave plenty of time to look around me and observe the world, something I dont normally do when running as I am focused on what I am feeling etc. So running along and I am thinking that nothing interesting will happen, there will be no cyborgs, dog walkers or mums trying to control children on this run; it will just be a general everyday boring run; once again i was proven wrong, I dont know what it is, is it the idea that I have a blog to write, is it because I am running slow and steady, is it the idea that I know I will be running 6 days out of 7 for the next 20 weeks and thus my running has meaning and structure that I am finding the enjoyment in it once again? What ever it is I have found something interesting and fun on every run so far. Tonight was no exception.
The things one sees
So your all sitting there wondering what it was I saw, well let me put you out of your misery and hold you no longer in suspence. As I ran along the road, there on the other side of the road heading towards me in the distance was a bright pink jacket, no thats not what the big deal is about, dear o dear. So as the bright pink jacket got closer I noticed it was someone out exercising in the form of walking. Now walking is a great form of exercise and I have respect for those that walk, however this walker was, well it made me have a good chuckle to myself. As they walked the head bobbed about, a wee bit like Paula radcliffe does as she runs, which in itself isnt to funny. The clincher was the invisible rods that the walker had fixed between their feet and their head; invisible rods I hear you say, whats this clown on about; well let me explain. Every time the foot lifted off the ground the body went up right and the head went back, everytime. When the leg went down and the foot hit the ground the body came forwards and the head fell down. in amongst all this action the arms were moving like; cast your mind to ghostbusters and the wee green ghost, slimer, well thats the way the arms were moving.
So picture this foot up, body bolt up right, head falls back arms swing back and forth across the body, foot goes down, body moves forward to a slouch, head drops to the ground almost. Its hard to explain but I hope you get the picture.
Further up the road I passed two ladies out running, bolt up right, but it was clear that these woman had left the house without a bra on, because they seemed to be having to hold there woman bits in place, nestled in the bend of the elbow, with their hads holding onto the opposite shoulder almost. There ways of holding their arms resembled that of the great late Les Dawson characterAda from 'Ada and Cissie'
The return Journey
As I plod on and reach the turning point nothing much more happens. I still feel good and in control of this run and as I head for home i wonder if i will pass my stylish friends or if the fleeting moment on the up leg was all that would be. I pick up the pace slightly and as I move on down the road i come across a set of road work temperary barriers, in the middle of the barriers there is an eruption in the pavement with water shooting out of its centre that would put 'Old Faithful' to shame. We could turn this into a tourist attraction and the revenue it would generate could rebuild the town in gold. To add to this the water that is floowing down the side of the road would put the Nile to shame, we could add 2 more wonders to the 7 wonders of the modern world with this lot.
I thought at one point I was going to get washed away and never seen again, could have ended up as a missing person on the telly, Eye witness story on the NEWS, 'Aye last we saw o him was his bright yella shirt disapear in a whirl pool spiral jist there at thone drain cover', 'suddenly there was a splash and his arse went up in the air, then a grugle and he was gone'. Maybe thats what happened to the two ladies that pranced down the road earlier.
Further down my own personal Nile I was forced to dodge two ladies whom clearly did take notice of a bright yellow jumper zooming towards them at metre per seconds and decided it would be nice to step out in front of me, thank the lord I had my cat head on tonight, which contained my sharpened reflexes, lol.
Disaster overted and I have had some adventure in the last mile, cant but wonder what the next mile would bring. Sadly it did not bring anything quite like the mile I just had. I did however catch up on the walker with the invisible poles attcheded between head and toes, Apart from speeding up there was no difference in the way she walked other than instead of the arms doing sideway swings like slimmer, she was doing back and forth swings and the legs were getting slightly higher lifts, which only acted in forcing the upper body into a more up right position and the head being thrown further back. I do however take my had off as they were managing to move along at some speed as it took me about 1.5 miles tocatch them up.
Down the road and back to the start and nothing else happened, I think it would have taken something special in that last half mile to top what I saw today.
Todays miles were 4.23 miles giving a Moggies Miles Total so far of 18.35 miles
WEDNESDAY 15TH MAY 2013
The Vallay Crash
After last nights run I arrived home and had something to eat; that was on top of the loads of post-race sandwiches that I ate last night at the get together in the pub afterwards; roasted/toasted/grilled cheese (thats a slice of bread toasted on one side under the grill, turned over, covered in cheese and them melted under the grill.) with roast beef under the cheese was the order of the night.
Not long after that I sonked out on the chair, woke went to bed and that was me right through to this morning.
I wold this morning and tentativly moved my legs to get out of bed, expecting the worst in lines of stiffness and soreness, but surprisingly I wasnt stiff or sore in any way.
Tired in the End
Came home from a good day at work with the sole intent of going out for a run or heading down to a locla running group depending upon how i felt. So when I arrived home I had a wee sit down and a catch up with things from during the day; big mistake, I dozed off and ended up having 40 winks, thats The Vallay Crash catching up on me.
When I came round for the second time I managed to shake myself alive and muster the energy to get ready for a run, still wondering if I shoudl just run here or nip down and run with the local group. In the end being tired i ffelt the best thing I could do was to just head out and get a run in, then if i came back and felt tired i could have an early night. This is something to expect over the coming months as training increases, becomes consistant and my body adapts to the new training regimine.
Short and Sweat
Normally the saying is Short and Sweet, but with the strange weather that we have had today, rainy to begin, slightly windy and then warmish and sunny when I went out, I felt that short and sweat was more apt, after all by the time I got home I was soaked with the stuff.
The run today was short and coming in at a nice 4.26 miles. A course that was undulating to say, starting with a nice down hill for about 3/4 mile then a nice climb for about 3/4 mile then down hill for about a mile, although the down hill wasnt as sharp as the up hill was, the down was more flowing than a climb. A short flat and then down again towards the ford which is a sharp down hill, followed by a sharp incline as we come out of the dip and away from the river. The surprising heat and effort of this climb combine to make me hotter than normal and as the name suggests; Sweat becomes a problem as it runs down my face and into my eyes, nipping as it goes. But they say the faster one sweats the better and more accute the cooling system, so I should look upon this as a good thing.
The Route Through the Park
As I asend the hill up from the river I take a sharp left into a street that would appear to be a dead end; but not so; tucked away in the corner ther is a wee entrance into the park. This isnt the Dean Park Country Park, but more your garden style park with grass areas and trees and shrubs and a network of paths. It's a shame as several of the paths have long since been taken away and/or blocked of which limits the routes through the park, but non-the-less it is still fun. I chose a route that starts at the top of the park and winds its way along and down through the paths, down a flight of stairs; which I knew were there and had all intention of going down, yet they still managed to take me by surprise and one nearly went head over heals down these stairs, but being sure footled even if i did look like an elephant on roller skates, I was able to maintain my balance and stay on ma feet. Once I letthe old heart rate settle down it was along the bottom path across the wee wodden bridge and then back up the hill and out through the gate onto the main street.
From there it's a quick shot across the road and along the side street, where I encounter the first wind of the day, which is surprisingly strong or maybe its just cause i have had it easy with no wind tonight.
Tonights run was nice and easy, gentle on the body and not as hard as I expected, what a recovery run should be like.
Now its time to sit and relax, eat drink and be full; although not of alcoholic drink I haist to add), feet up and read a bit o ma book and watch a bit of telly.
Tonights 4.26 miles brings the total for Moggie to 14.12 miles.
After last nights run I arrived home and had something to eat; that was on top of the loads of post-race sandwiches that I ate last night at the get together in the pub afterwards; roasted/toasted/grilled cheese (thats a slice of bread toasted on one side under the grill, turned over, covered in cheese and them melted under the grill.) with roast beef under the cheese was the order of the night.
Not long after that I sonked out on the chair, woke went to bed and that was me right through to this morning.
I wold this morning and tentativly moved my legs to get out of bed, expecting the worst in lines of stiffness and soreness, but surprisingly I wasnt stiff or sore in any way.
Tired in the End
Came home from a good day at work with the sole intent of going out for a run or heading down to a locla running group depending upon how i felt. So when I arrived home I had a wee sit down and a catch up with things from during the day; big mistake, I dozed off and ended up having 40 winks, thats The Vallay Crash catching up on me.
When I came round for the second time I managed to shake myself alive and muster the energy to get ready for a run, still wondering if I shoudl just run here or nip down and run with the local group. In the end being tired i ffelt the best thing I could do was to just head out and get a run in, then if i came back and felt tired i could have an early night. This is something to expect over the coming months as training increases, becomes consistant and my body adapts to the new training regimine.
Short and Sweat
Normally the saying is Short and Sweet, but with the strange weather that we have had today, rainy to begin, slightly windy and then warmish and sunny when I went out, I felt that short and sweat was more apt, after all by the time I got home I was soaked with the stuff.
The run today was short and coming in at a nice 4.26 miles. A course that was undulating to say, starting with a nice down hill for about 3/4 mile then a nice climb for about 3/4 mile then down hill for about a mile, although the down hill wasnt as sharp as the up hill was, the down was more flowing than a climb. A short flat and then down again towards the ford which is a sharp down hill, followed by a sharp incline as we come out of the dip and away from the river. The surprising heat and effort of this climb combine to make me hotter than normal and as the name suggests; Sweat becomes a problem as it runs down my face and into my eyes, nipping as it goes. But they say the faster one sweats the better and more accute the cooling system, so I should look upon this as a good thing.
The Route Through the Park
As I asend the hill up from the river I take a sharp left into a street that would appear to be a dead end; but not so; tucked away in the corner ther is a wee entrance into the park. This isnt the Dean Park Country Park, but more your garden style park with grass areas and trees and shrubs and a network of paths. It's a shame as several of the paths have long since been taken away and/or blocked of which limits the routes through the park, but non-the-less it is still fun. I chose a route that starts at the top of the park and winds its way along and down through the paths, down a flight of stairs; which I knew were there and had all intention of going down, yet they still managed to take me by surprise and one nearly went head over heals down these stairs, but being sure footled even if i did look like an elephant on roller skates, I was able to maintain my balance and stay on ma feet. Once I letthe old heart rate settle down it was along the bottom path across the wee wodden bridge and then back up the hill and out through the gate onto the main street.
From there it's a quick shot across the road and along the side street, where I encounter the first wind of the day, which is surprisingly strong or maybe its just cause i have had it easy with no wind tonight.
Tonights run was nice and easy, gentle on the body and not as hard as I expected, what a recovery run should be like.
Now its time to sit and relax, eat drink and be full; although not of alcoholic drink I haist to add), feet up and read a bit o ma book and watch a bit of telly.
Tonights 4.26 miles brings the total for Moggie to 14.12 miles.
TUESDAY 14TH MAY 2013
The Vallay Dash
Tonight sees the running of one of the clubs many handicapped events. Everyone puts there name down we get a start time based on our ability and off we go. The idea is that everyone finishes round about the same time and all the hanging about is done at the start, as well as giving everyone a fair chance to be the winner and first over the line. By the time the last stretch of the run is upon you it can be one big mass sprint finish with the strongest being the winner.
Living in Ayrshire there is not too many places one can run without encountering a hill of some description; regardless of how big or how small it is; tonight was no exception and boy-o-boy what a hill it is.
The Vallay dash starts in Newmilns and follows the river path down into to Galston before turning and heading up; and I say up in every sense of the word; and over; again over in every sense of the word; country roads back to Newmilns, covering a total distance of about 7.3 - 7.4 Kilometres.
And Where Do I Fit In?
Well with a handicap of 18 ish minutes I have enough time to get warmed up and even longer for the nerves to fire up and continually make me feel I need to go potty; as in wee-wee and I aint talking about running down the hill waving my arms in the air here. Its fine though cause I aint the last runner to go off there are another three runers to set off after me.
With my start time looming I dont know if I am ready to go or ready to go or just plain ready to go, John is off 15 seconds in front of me, just prior to him setting of he shouts back see yo at the bottom of the wee slope; the slope is about 100m long and is not much more than a farm style short cut to avoid the hair-pin bend at the other end of the road. Now 15 seconds may not seem like much but in running it is loads. John is off and I am ready, the countdown begins 10- 5 -4 - 3 - 2 - 1 GO and I am away, as said 15 seconds may not seem like much, but it took me a good mile to catch John. I never actually ran along side John, but for a while i was unable to get passed him and the 2 of us pressed on pushing the other slightly faster than before with each stride. Then we approach the first tricky part of the course a narrow path 90 degrees turn to the right. I forge the extra stride to get in front of John as I know that the path for the next mile it is pretty ni-on impossible to pass someone on the path Encoutering a slightly muddy slidie patch the pace slows and John sits right on ma shoulder, pop an immediate 90 degree turn to the left while navigating a slippery section and a good foot deep puddle. Safely round I decide to try and push on slightly and break the tie between me and John, Approaching a makeshift bridge consisting of a couple of railway sleepers over a small stream, taking care not to hit the gap in the middle, I criss cross my stride from one side to the other and get across. Just about to begin a sppurt I hear a thud behind me and turn to see poor John lying flat out on the deck, he had slipped on the wooden sleepers due to the dirt on his shoes. I pause and ask him if he is alright; after all i dont want to srint off in case there is something seriously wrong. Saying he is fine and as he brings himself to his feet I run on.
Along the twisting turning path i pass someone else and push on dodging puddles and mud patches along the way; In my mind I am flowing freely and gracefully but i probably look like a clumsy, lumbering elephant with 4 left feet all on the same side.
From there the path joins the Track in Galston; running round the track in what is the opposite direction from normal, I decend upon the gate to freedom; well to the street section of the route anyways.
Out On The Streets
Turning out of the track and onto the streets, the next 1.5 kilomiteres was the start of the path to heaven; even sherpa from Nepal would find this road hard. Climbing upward i see a bright yellow shirt in front of me, I set my sights on catching them; this gives you something to work towards; step after step I aint too sure if i am catching them or falling further behind. The something strange happens the runner who set of behind me, is somehow and for some reason running down twards me; she had apparently gone the wrong way and decided to do the loop again to make up for the missed bit.
Confused as to how she had ended up there and where she went wrong, I plod on ever concious that John could come to reclaim his place in front of me at anytime.
Ever onward and upward I pass this person and that person, setting my sights on the next player in the field. Then i hear it, the express train coming up on the fast track, leaving me in his wake I am passed by the fella that was the last man off a full 2 minutes behind me. Trundling along with no chance of catching that train, I round the bend to see a sight that shock my running world, Ken our coach was walking; yep walking, all be it up the hard hill, he was walking. There is nothing like coming round the bend to find your coach walking, lol.
Then as I pass Ken I hear it, the breath of the second last guy James echoing in my ear, expecting him to fly by I try to push on to delay the moment for as long as is possible onward, upward climbing ever closer to heaven I reach the top, from here it is litterally down hill all the way to the end.
I push on the first down hill section which is relativly smooth, but I cant shack of the shadow that is James, again I try but to know evail. Then comes the steep section of the down hill Kilometre 6 to 7 and I let lose as best as I can let lose, passing people as I go still expecting james to hrtle past like I am standing still. Still further down and gaining speed with one foot I am brakeing my speed with the other. the final stretch and I push on to try and pass a further 2 runners, I catch the first on the bend and give a burt to pass him, like a racing car using a burst of nitro, I manage to pass him, but he hangs onto my shoulder; a few yards from the end and he gives a burst and gains an edge on me. Giving my last I surge forward keeping my persuer at bay, however am unable to catch the other who was just infront of me.
Crossing the line I stop the watch and then find that I have over excerted myself and my success of keeping the insides where they should be at Troon is short lived here at the Vally Dash.
A respectable time of 28mins 10 seconds for 4.53 miles. This time is; in comparison to Troon last week;, felt very easy even though there was a nasty big hill for about 1 - 1.5 miles, suggesting a 38 minute 10 kilometre...
A couple of short laps as a cool down and my total mileage for tonight comes to 6.53 miles.
This gives a total of 9.86 miles for Moggie.
Tonight sees the running of one of the clubs many handicapped events. Everyone puts there name down we get a start time based on our ability and off we go. The idea is that everyone finishes round about the same time and all the hanging about is done at the start, as well as giving everyone a fair chance to be the winner and first over the line. By the time the last stretch of the run is upon you it can be one big mass sprint finish with the strongest being the winner.
Living in Ayrshire there is not too many places one can run without encountering a hill of some description; regardless of how big or how small it is; tonight was no exception and boy-o-boy what a hill it is.
The Vallay dash starts in Newmilns and follows the river path down into to Galston before turning and heading up; and I say up in every sense of the word; and over; again over in every sense of the word; country roads back to Newmilns, covering a total distance of about 7.3 - 7.4 Kilometres.
And Where Do I Fit In?
Well with a handicap of 18 ish minutes I have enough time to get warmed up and even longer for the nerves to fire up and continually make me feel I need to go potty; as in wee-wee and I aint talking about running down the hill waving my arms in the air here. Its fine though cause I aint the last runner to go off there are another three runers to set off after me.
With my start time looming I dont know if I am ready to go or ready to go or just plain ready to go, John is off 15 seconds in front of me, just prior to him setting of he shouts back see yo at the bottom of the wee slope; the slope is about 100m long and is not much more than a farm style short cut to avoid the hair-pin bend at the other end of the road. Now 15 seconds may not seem like much but in running it is loads. John is off and I am ready, the countdown begins 10- 5 -4 - 3 - 2 - 1 GO and I am away, as said 15 seconds may not seem like much, but it took me a good mile to catch John. I never actually ran along side John, but for a while i was unable to get passed him and the 2 of us pressed on pushing the other slightly faster than before with each stride. Then we approach the first tricky part of the course a narrow path 90 degrees turn to the right. I forge the extra stride to get in front of John as I know that the path for the next mile it is pretty ni-on impossible to pass someone on the path Encoutering a slightly muddy slidie patch the pace slows and John sits right on ma shoulder, pop an immediate 90 degree turn to the left while navigating a slippery section and a good foot deep puddle. Safely round I decide to try and push on slightly and break the tie between me and John, Approaching a makeshift bridge consisting of a couple of railway sleepers over a small stream, taking care not to hit the gap in the middle, I criss cross my stride from one side to the other and get across. Just about to begin a sppurt I hear a thud behind me and turn to see poor John lying flat out on the deck, he had slipped on the wooden sleepers due to the dirt on his shoes. I pause and ask him if he is alright; after all i dont want to srint off in case there is something seriously wrong. Saying he is fine and as he brings himself to his feet I run on.
Along the twisting turning path i pass someone else and push on dodging puddles and mud patches along the way; In my mind I am flowing freely and gracefully but i probably look like a clumsy, lumbering elephant with 4 left feet all on the same side.
From there the path joins the Track in Galston; running round the track in what is the opposite direction from normal, I decend upon the gate to freedom; well to the street section of the route anyways.
Out On The Streets
Turning out of the track and onto the streets, the next 1.5 kilomiteres was the start of the path to heaven; even sherpa from Nepal would find this road hard. Climbing upward i see a bright yellow shirt in front of me, I set my sights on catching them; this gives you something to work towards; step after step I aint too sure if i am catching them or falling further behind. The something strange happens the runner who set of behind me, is somehow and for some reason running down twards me; she had apparently gone the wrong way and decided to do the loop again to make up for the missed bit.
Confused as to how she had ended up there and where she went wrong, I plod on ever concious that John could come to reclaim his place in front of me at anytime.
Ever onward and upward I pass this person and that person, setting my sights on the next player in the field. Then i hear it, the express train coming up on the fast track, leaving me in his wake I am passed by the fella that was the last man off a full 2 minutes behind me. Trundling along with no chance of catching that train, I round the bend to see a sight that shock my running world, Ken our coach was walking; yep walking, all be it up the hard hill, he was walking. There is nothing like coming round the bend to find your coach walking, lol.
Then as I pass Ken I hear it, the breath of the second last guy James echoing in my ear, expecting him to fly by I try to push on to delay the moment for as long as is possible onward, upward climbing ever closer to heaven I reach the top, from here it is litterally down hill all the way to the end.
I push on the first down hill section which is relativly smooth, but I cant shack of the shadow that is James, again I try but to know evail. Then comes the steep section of the down hill Kilometre 6 to 7 and I let lose as best as I can let lose, passing people as I go still expecting james to hrtle past like I am standing still. Still further down and gaining speed with one foot I am brakeing my speed with the other. the final stretch and I push on to try and pass a further 2 runners, I catch the first on the bend and give a burt to pass him, like a racing car using a burst of nitro, I manage to pass him, but he hangs onto my shoulder; a few yards from the end and he gives a burst and gains an edge on me. Giving my last I surge forward keeping my persuer at bay, however am unable to catch the other who was just infront of me.
Crossing the line I stop the watch and then find that I have over excerted myself and my success of keeping the insides where they should be at Troon is short lived here at the Vally Dash.
A respectable time of 28mins 10 seconds for 4.53 miles. This time is; in comparison to Troon last week;, felt very easy even though there was a nasty big hill for about 1 - 1.5 miles, suggesting a 38 minute 10 kilometre...
A couple of short laps as a cool down and my total mileage for tonight comes to 6.53 miles.
This gives a total of 9.86 miles for Moggie.
Monday 13TH MAY 2013
Well with the weather changing faster than the blink of an eye, here in the Middle of May when I should be thinking about over heating and/or burning, all I find myself being worried about is getting rained upon and possibly even being to cold; whats the deal with the weather?.
In the beginning
Today I start my training to get myself into the routine of training proper, but how many times have you read that. Although I do have an important halfway race to compete in; I am hoping that this year i can run in the 'Round Arran Relays' and take the last leg North, this will see me running a distance of 11 miles and having ran all the legs in the relay thus completing the whole island. So I guess I need to start training for that as well. But it does and doesnt quite qork like that, I will from here on in be training for the marathon in Septemeber with the relays being slotted in as a race forming part of that training.
Based on of ll this I have stripped everything back down and will be running on basics again, thats light milage easy pace and building it all back up. The idea is to take an active recovery training period that allows for progression while also allowing rest and recovery and building th body up slowly and stronger than before in preperassion for what lies ahead.
So the important run
Tonight was a short 3 miles, when I finished I finished on all the 3'3 thats 3.33 miles; i could say it was only half of a devil of a run, but then that wouldnt be true it was such an enjoyable run tonight.
I headed out the door and across the road, turning onto an open grass area; clearly forgetting that it has done nothing but rain for the past day and a half at least; I find myself already ankle deep in water and grass. Once i get over the inital shock of the cold feet i trundle on regardless actually likeing the idea of running on the grass. reaching the end I realise that I have mised the opening onto the path and find myself doing a spot of hurdling, although high jump might have been better as I climb my way over the 6 ft fence. Not sure if there will be anu 6 ft high fences in the Berlin Marathon, but best to be prepared, lol.
Over the fence and down the steps, only to give a couple of young lads a fright as they round the wall at the bottom to see me trundle down towards them, thats old woman yesterday and young lads today, getting good at this scaring people thing.
Apart from that little bit of excitment there was nothing much doing on this run.
Change of plan
Todays route saw me go round the river loop at the Dean and for those in the know or for those who have read my earlier posts will know that this route takes in the 'B' Hill. But if you recall i said in the first sentence tonight that it was an enjoyable run, so much so i cant recall what was on my mind, which means I was letting everything go. But the real proof of the pudding, foot in the shoe, was that I was up, over and half ways down the other side before I recalled coming up the 'B' Hill.
Once down the hil the norm is to charge up the road hill to the swing gate, but as i dooned the bottom of the hill and onto the road my legs decide to take over from my brain. i find that I have not gone up the road but vered off along the path at the edge of the river and up the stairs at the end. It is just an alternative route that brings us out at the bent Oak amidst Spruce.
Continuing on past the Visitors Centre across the road and into the other park, I prepare myself for the sharp incline that is about to grab the wind from my sails, this one is a sharp short incline with a bend 3/4 of the way up. If it was straight with no bend it would be fine, but its the bend that slows and steals your air. But again I am up and through the gate at the top without even worrying about it.
The last bit home and all is well. 3.33 miles done and dusted.
In the beginning
Today I start my training to get myself into the routine of training proper, but how many times have you read that. Although I do have an important halfway race to compete in; I am hoping that this year i can run in the 'Round Arran Relays' and take the last leg North, this will see me running a distance of 11 miles and having ran all the legs in the relay thus completing the whole island. So I guess I need to start training for that as well. But it does and doesnt quite qork like that, I will from here on in be training for the marathon in Septemeber with the relays being slotted in as a race forming part of that training.
Based on of ll this I have stripped everything back down and will be running on basics again, thats light milage easy pace and building it all back up. The idea is to take an active recovery training period that allows for progression while also allowing rest and recovery and building th body up slowly and stronger than before in preperassion for what lies ahead.
So the important run
Tonight was a short 3 miles, when I finished I finished on all the 3'3 thats 3.33 miles; i could say it was only half of a devil of a run, but then that wouldnt be true it was such an enjoyable run tonight.
I headed out the door and across the road, turning onto an open grass area; clearly forgetting that it has done nothing but rain for the past day and a half at least; I find myself already ankle deep in water and grass. Once i get over the inital shock of the cold feet i trundle on regardless actually likeing the idea of running on the grass. reaching the end I realise that I have mised the opening onto the path and find myself doing a spot of hurdling, although high jump might have been better as I climb my way over the 6 ft fence. Not sure if there will be anu 6 ft high fences in the Berlin Marathon, but best to be prepared, lol.
Over the fence and down the steps, only to give a couple of young lads a fright as they round the wall at the bottom to see me trundle down towards them, thats old woman yesterday and young lads today, getting good at this scaring people thing.
Apart from that little bit of excitment there was nothing much doing on this run.
Change of plan
Todays route saw me go round the river loop at the Dean and for those in the know or for those who have read my earlier posts will know that this route takes in the 'B' Hill. But if you recall i said in the first sentence tonight that it was an enjoyable run, so much so i cant recall what was on my mind, which means I was letting everything go. But the real proof of the pudding, foot in the shoe, was that I was up, over and half ways down the other side before I recalled coming up the 'B' Hill.
Once down the hil the norm is to charge up the road hill to the swing gate, but as i dooned the bottom of the hill and onto the road my legs decide to take over from my brain. i find that I have not gone up the road but vered off along the path at the edge of the river and up the stairs at the end. It is just an alternative route that brings us out at the bent Oak amidst Spruce.
Continuing on past the Visitors Centre across the road and into the other park, I prepare myself for the sharp incline that is about to grab the wind from my sails, this one is a sharp short incline with a bend 3/4 of the way up. If it was straight with no bend it would be fine, but its the bend that slows and steals your air. But again I am up and through the gate at the top without even worrying about it.
The last bit home and all is well. 3.33 miles done and dusted.
SUNDAY 12TH MAY 2013
To Run (The now) or Not to Run (the now)
Once again I find I am awake bright and early and feel quite fresh, then I try to jump out of bed; this becomes more of a shuffle as my feet hit the floor I find that in the middle of the night someone has came and disected about an inch or two off my clave muscles. They are supprisingly tight this morning. So shuffle it is to the kitchen for a drink and then I shuffle back to bed. Lying there, I hear that the sun has already been out to play and the day is to get wetter as it progresse. O hell I am comfy but I neeed to do a run, shall I do it now or wait till later? Lying there doing the old point and flex of the feet to lossen of the calves I decide it is beter to go just now, after all why put of till later what will still be needing done, when I can do it just now and it still have no fun. Na dont get me wrong I enjoy my running and like everyone I occassionally just cant get morning motivation, but once out there I am fine.
Dressed to Impress...No One!
Running tights, T-Shirt, couple of long sleevers and a pair of fingerless gloves and my hat I hobble out the door. Now you can see why I wont impress anyone in this dress.
I just hope that the tightness of the calves will ease of a I start to run. Starting as I man to go on I build up slowly till I reach my desired pace of 4 minutes a kilometre and hold it there. The paln..O right...The paln is to hold it ther for as long as I can, the intention being the distance of the training run or till I collapse which ever comes first. The distance today is a mere 10k, same as on Wednesday night, but at a slower pace, after all it aint a race :).
Boring Cycle Paths
Todays run takes me down the cycle path and no matter where you are a cycle path is always boring, nothing ever really happens on them unless they are at the side of the road. Sadly today was no exception to that rule. One foot in front of the other as my feet eat the ground beneath them, I move ever further towards my goal, at the moment that goal is just the mid way point wich sinafies that its time to tun round and head home. Todays run is an out an back.
On the way out I encounter a few people with dogs ruuning freely, but these are no ordinary people; these were runner friendly people and take control of their free running dogs, brining them into the side till I passed. A wee thank you wave and a grunt of 'thanks' for their trouble.. Clearly they understood that my grunt was not an out spoke word of annoyance but more a poor attempt at a gesture of thanks and so I got a nice plesant 'you're welcome' in return.
Further down I encounter a runner going the other direction, although I am not to sure if he is full man of half man malf machine, he is certainly making foot steps as loud as a cyberman and there is more wires and tubes dangling from his person that what you would find hanging out the back of a TV or Computer.
My next encounter was a woman with a dog and a small child, both running free and out of her control, but in her defence she did make an attempt to corall both and to a point she did succeed.
And So I Must Return
A few metres down the road I reach the point of 'to return' and I turn round to head back home. Once again I meet the woman and her dog and her child, unimpressed I feel by my return, she once again brings her hoard under control, I say thanks and gesture a wave on the way past; either my grunts have become inaudible, she has no nderstanding of the ever popular language of running or she just cant be arsed but I get no reply.
Fearless and un concerned I trot on, noticing that what was a comfortable pace on the way out had become a slow creep on the way back, only to suddely realise that the cycle path is a slope and unfortunatly for me it sloops down, I now find that I am on the climb side of this path. A bit more effort is required to maintain my pace but its manageable and I continue to trot on. Noticing that my cyborg friend has vanished into the distance, I encounter 2 ladies out for a wal, clearly they did not hear me crep up behind them, as they gave a sudden startle as I said 'morning', why they never heard me is anyones guess I must have sounded like a Jet Plane with engine trouble the way i was breathing.
And then in the distance I see him my cyborg friend, not wanting to tun this into a race, afte all I dont know the fella, I notice I am catching him with each step, with him being about 200 metres in front he suddenly drive into the right and disappears into the trees; of course the first thing that springs to mind is that he has sprung a hydrolic leak; but as I approach his vanishing point, my feeling of him being part man part machine are enforced as he has dropped down the side of the bridge face to run on the road underneath.
From their its on ward finding out that as I go it is not only car drivers that can be stupid. I am running on the left hand side of the cycle path; we generally move along on the left in this country and when training with the club its keep to the left etc when we doing hill reps or short out and backs, so we dont bump inot anyone, so i figure why should things be different. Sticking to the left, I nitce a bright yellow blob heading in my direction holding my course I figure they will be able to see me, after all I can se them and I have no contatcs in. How wrong I was to asume things, this blob decides to move over to my side of the path and run straight at me, a suicie mission, mm I think not so i move out just far enough so that they may pass on the inside only to have them move out as wll. The thing is I could understand if this were a child but it wasnt a child it was an elderly round gentleman out running. Siuicide mission averted I continue on my way. Comming of the madness of the cycle path I climb the last hundred yards once again in on the left tight to the fence only to have another wired up numpty come onto the path and head straight at me like a bullet from a gun. Put me back on my bike and on the road any day, at least with a car you have a fair idea that they are gonna stay on their own side of the road.
The last mile I dont push but rather I keep to my set pce coming home to finish a nice 6.25 miles in just over 41 minutes.
cyborgs,, Free Running Dogs and children, Maniac Runners, Frightened Elderly Ladies
Wh said a run on the cycle path was boring...o yeh thats right me, lol.
Once again I find I am awake bright and early and feel quite fresh, then I try to jump out of bed; this becomes more of a shuffle as my feet hit the floor I find that in the middle of the night someone has came and disected about an inch or two off my clave muscles. They are supprisingly tight this morning. So shuffle it is to the kitchen for a drink and then I shuffle back to bed. Lying there, I hear that the sun has already been out to play and the day is to get wetter as it progresse. O hell I am comfy but I neeed to do a run, shall I do it now or wait till later? Lying there doing the old point and flex of the feet to lossen of the calves I decide it is beter to go just now, after all why put of till later what will still be needing done, when I can do it just now and it still have no fun. Na dont get me wrong I enjoy my running and like everyone I occassionally just cant get morning motivation, but once out there I am fine.
Dressed to Impress...No One!
Running tights, T-Shirt, couple of long sleevers and a pair of fingerless gloves and my hat I hobble out the door. Now you can see why I wont impress anyone in this dress.
I just hope that the tightness of the calves will ease of a I start to run. Starting as I man to go on I build up slowly till I reach my desired pace of 4 minutes a kilometre and hold it there. The paln..O right...The paln is to hold it ther for as long as I can, the intention being the distance of the training run or till I collapse which ever comes first. The distance today is a mere 10k, same as on Wednesday night, but at a slower pace, after all it aint a race :).
Boring Cycle Paths
Todays run takes me down the cycle path and no matter where you are a cycle path is always boring, nothing ever really happens on them unless they are at the side of the road. Sadly today was no exception to that rule. One foot in front of the other as my feet eat the ground beneath them, I move ever further towards my goal, at the moment that goal is just the mid way point wich sinafies that its time to tun round and head home. Todays run is an out an back.
On the way out I encounter a few people with dogs ruuning freely, but these are no ordinary people; these were runner friendly people and take control of their free running dogs, brining them into the side till I passed. A wee thank you wave and a grunt of 'thanks' for their trouble.. Clearly they understood that my grunt was not an out spoke word of annoyance but more a poor attempt at a gesture of thanks and so I got a nice plesant 'you're welcome' in return.
Further down I encounter a runner going the other direction, although I am not to sure if he is full man of half man malf machine, he is certainly making foot steps as loud as a cyberman and there is more wires and tubes dangling from his person that what you would find hanging out the back of a TV or Computer.
My next encounter was a woman with a dog and a small child, both running free and out of her control, but in her defence she did make an attempt to corall both and to a point she did succeed.
And So I Must Return
A few metres down the road I reach the point of 'to return' and I turn round to head back home. Once again I meet the woman and her dog and her child, unimpressed I feel by my return, she once again brings her hoard under control, I say thanks and gesture a wave on the way past; either my grunts have become inaudible, she has no nderstanding of the ever popular language of running or she just cant be arsed but I get no reply.
Fearless and un concerned I trot on, noticing that what was a comfortable pace on the way out had become a slow creep on the way back, only to suddely realise that the cycle path is a slope and unfortunatly for me it sloops down, I now find that I am on the climb side of this path. A bit more effort is required to maintain my pace but its manageable and I continue to trot on. Noticing that my cyborg friend has vanished into the distance, I encounter 2 ladies out for a wal, clearly they did not hear me crep up behind them, as they gave a sudden startle as I said 'morning', why they never heard me is anyones guess I must have sounded like a Jet Plane with engine trouble the way i was breathing.
And then in the distance I see him my cyborg friend, not wanting to tun this into a race, afte all I dont know the fella, I notice I am catching him with each step, with him being about 200 metres in front he suddenly drive into the right and disappears into the trees; of course the first thing that springs to mind is that he has sprung a hydrolic leak; but as I approach his vanishing point, my feeling of him being part man part machine are enforced as he has dropped down the side of the bridge face to run on the road underneath.
From their its on ward finding out that as I go it is not only car drivers that can be stupid. I am running on the left hand side of the cycle path; we generally move along on the left in this country and when training with the club its keep to the left etc when we doing hill reps or short out and backs, so we dont bump inot anyone, so i figure why should things be different. Sticking to the left, I nitce a bright yellow blob heading in my direction holding my course I figure they will be able to see me, after all I can se them and I have no contatcs in. How wrong I was to asume things, this blob decides to move over to my side of the path and run straight at me, a suicie mission, mm I think not so i move out just far enough so that they may pass on the inside only to have them move out as wll. The thing is I could understand if this were a child but it wasnt a child it was an elderly round gentleman out running. Siuicide mission averted I continue on my way. Comming of the madness of the cycle path I climb the last hundred yards once again in on the left tight to the fence only to have another wired up numpty come onto the path and head straight at me like a bullet from a gun. Put me back on my bike and on the road any day, at least with a car you have a fair idea that they are gonna stay on their own side of the road.
The last mile I dont push but rather I keep to my set pce coming home to finish a nice 6.25 miles in just over 41 minutes.
cyborgs,, Free Running Dogs and children, Maniac Runners, Frightened Elderly Ladies
Wh said a run on the cycle path was boring...o yeh thats right me, lol.
SATURDAY 11TH MAY 2013
Sacred Saturday is Mine
Well after the race on Wednesday night and the wee cycle last night today was going to be the Sacred Saturday. I woke up about 8:30 and was glad I had nothing planned the weather is back to being typical Scottish Weather, its raining cats and dogs, Niagra falls runing down the window; if any one has ever been to Niagra Falls and went in the tunnels that takes you behind the falls so you see them from the back, you will know what I mean; I am just glad that in this case there is a pain of glass between me and the water as there is no 60 - 70 degree farenheit temperature to go back out side to and dry off in.
So weather in min, I have a glass of water, not from the sky but from the tap. and decide more sleep is required, pop back to bed for what I plan to be another hour to find that when I return to the land of the living it has turned 11:30. The time on the clock seems to be the only thing thats changed as it is still teeming with rain outside.
Today I ate, drank an was mellow, even dosing off on the chair a few times.
Yes I am glad that this Sacred Saturday is Mine!!!
Well after the race on Wednesday night and the wee cycle last night today was going to be the Sacred Saturday. I woke up about 8:30 and was glad I had nothing planned the weather is back to being typical Scottish Weather, its raining cats and dogs, Niagra falls runing down the window; if any one has ever been to Niagra Falls and went in the tunnels that takes you behind the falls so you see them from the back, you will know what I mean; I am just glad that in this case there is a pain of glass between me and the water as there is no 60 - 70 degree farenheit temperature to go back out side to and dry off in.
So weather in min, I have a glass of water, not from the sky but from the tap. and decide more sleep is required, pop back to bed for what I plan to be another hour to find that when I return to the land of the living it has turned 11:30. The time on the clock seems to be the only thing thats changed as it is still teeming with rain outside.
Today I ate, drank an was mellow, even dosing off on the chair a few times.
Yes I am glad that this Sacred Saturday is Mine!!!
FRIDAY 10TH MAY 2013
Friday is a day that I leave open to any form of training, it could be a gym session (which i do on bad weather days or winter days, it could be a cycle with a few others, mainly Richard, or it could be a run; which i will do if its nice and no one is up for a cycle.
The Wrong Choice
On the home I txt richie to see what tonights plans were and he felt that the weather was alright to go cycle,
Now I quote what richie said "Legs still a bit sore from Wed. (Richie was running on Wednesday night as well). Just looking outside now and it's not really that bad. A bit damp but there is no wind. I would be up for a cycle." I was to let him know, I decided to go for the cycle, I had my doubts about the weather, but I went along with the cycle idea as I didnt actually fancy going to the gym tonight and finding myself stuck inside grunting and graoning to the sound of clattering and banging metal plates.
Meeting Richie at our designated point it was clear to see that he had got one part of the weather forcast wrong, the rain, it was raining and raining well. A few hundred metres out on our ride and it was most apparent that Richie should not take up a job as a weather forecaster, the wind was terrible and blowing into our faces. We were out and moving, wet already so the idea of turning around was never an option.
But this wasnt to be the only daft idea to pop its head above the stupidity parapet, Richie decides that the route we are going will bering us back over from Dundonald Hill; from the other side, which is supposed to be the hard side.On a night like this, after saturdays efforts; o hell in for a penny in for a pound so to speak.
No Turning Back
Having devided that seeing as we are already out there will be no turning back, after all both bikes are already wet and would require just as much cleaning and drying off if we we continune as they would had we turned backnow, besides appart from getting wet whats the worst that can happen?
Well apparently the worst that could happen is we get is knocked down and/or run over; as about a mile into the cycle it is apparent that even though both of us are decked out in bright ffluorescent yellow jackets with the bikes having flashinf red lights at the back, people apparently still dont see us and drive up into our pockets. But that wasnt the worst of it, nope that was still to come
Over the back roads and up the wee hill at Dankeith, and right up and over the back road into Symington. By this time we are truly soaked through to the other side o our skin and the wind is making it colder than it probably is to be honest, but on the plus side my upper body is relativly warm and ry thanks to my 'cheap' water proof cycling jacket from Aldi's, who said the dearest is the best?
Down through Symington and care has to be taken, the road is terrible at the far end and full of potholes, we know they are there, but negotiating them in the rain when there is puddles everywhere is slightly more dificuilt, after all one might fall in one and drown.
Coming down the hil and into the small vally the road is flooded with about 6 maybe 7 inches of water at the shallowest part and about 10 feet wide, its a case of hold on and hope there aint nownt in there that we have forgotten about.. On the way back up it is clear to see whee the water has come from; it is flowing down the road like a river, and with the state of the road you would think we were cycling on the river bed, Keeping out slightly to avoid most of the water and the holes yet cars and impatient drivers still insist on puhing past t speeds more suitd to branshatch, stupidity reins supreme, especially on an up hill section with no idea of what could be ready to come down the hill.
No Time for tea
Passing the farmhouse cafe where we normally stop for re-fueling, we only pause for a moment; not even long enough to unclip ourselves from the pedals; and carry on, no reward of scones and hot chocolate today for these intrepide cyclists. For the next few miles everything is rolling along a small shape incline where we rise from the seat to battle the wind followed by a nice steady down hill section. Off the quite(ish) country roads onto the main road and we are starting to head back home. By this time the rain has all but gone off; even if the wind is still there; but coming up fast are the signs that it has been here and has been heavy,; another massive puddle at the side of the road. looking back to check I gently and flowing move out from a bit back I haist to add, not just a sudden sharp alteration of course. As i pull out I notice a car ready to pull out from an entrance junction jus opposit the puddle and lust at that a car that was approaching from the rear passes us with laods of room to spare.
So the car in the entrance junction is waiting and then suddenly it pulls out, clearly the driver must have been day dreaming, suddenly they stop right in the middle of the road bearlt inches from my front tire, only for them to receive a loud 'Higy can you naw see me?' closly followed by Richards 'What is oor jackets no bright enough?, will we try a brighter one enxt time?'
at this the driver suddenly develops a lead foot and they accelorate away, ven thoguh there is still the chance that they could hit us as we havnt cleared out from their path yet. A few more roars as they came even closer with this manouvere and their lead foot get very heavy and off they spead. As they drovve off they had republic of Ireland number plates, no insult to the irish here, just thinking that they are probably running late and going for the ferry that leaves 5 minutes ago; Troon for those that dont know is a ferry port for Ireland. Shacken but not to stirred we cycle on and our fried takes the left turn at the mini-roundabout on two wheels cutting up a car in the process.
We on the other hand are turning right, right into the path of the other side of 'The Hill from Hell' Having never cycled or ran over this monster in my life I now find that I have done it once from either side in less than a week. The good news is that the wind seems to have dropped and the only battle we face is with the hill and ourselves.
Picking a gear I push on, Richard sitting in behind drafting no doubt. It is surprisingly easy, easy enough in fact that we are able to cycle side by side and have a short brief conversation about how the guys in the Tour de France manage and what their bikes must be like. We also debate, based on another of our mutual friends saying that there is no 'easy side' to this hill and how getting into a rhythm of constant pedalling (for this side) as apposed to the up-plateau-up-plateau and even a short down of the other side; where there is a constant change of rhe pace and rhythm; is far better. That debate ends with, this side beigg the prefered side.
We aint gonna stop
Reaching the top we decide not to stop and just push on, after all, what with the low cloud there is nothing to see anyway. Coming down the other side Richie has the start but I slowly catch him, as I fall in behind I am geting the kick backs off of his back wheel; its like hale stones hitting me. I pull out ever so slightly and want to put the pedal down and go for it, but behind me I hear the vroom of a creeping up car. Unfortunatly this side does not lend itself well to passing others if you are bigger than a push big and so the car on our tail cant get past or is sensible enough not to try, even when I do pull in behind Richard and receive more kick backs and cast offs.
Finally the car gets past and I am not to far behind. But in the wet conditions I find it truely hard to let loss and my fingers are covering the brakes and I dont push on as hard as I could.
The excitment is over the bottom looms and the road home is short and sweet, no hicup or onything th divulge.
Another cycle, all be it short at 20 miles, it has been done.
The Wrong Choice
On the home I txt richie to see what tonights plans were and he felt that the weather was alright to go cycle,
Now I quote what richie said "Legs still a bit sore from Wed. (Richie was running on Wednesday night as well). Just looking outside now and it's not really that bad. A bit damp but there is no wind. I would be up for a cycle." I was to let him know, I decided to go for the cycle, I had my doubts about the weather, but I went along with the cycle idea as I didnt actually fancy going to the gym tonight and finding myself stuck inside grunting and graoning to the sound of clattering and banging metal plates.
Meeting Richie at our designated point it was clear to see that he had got one part of the weather forcast wrong, the rain, it was raining and raining well. A few hundred metres out on our ride and it was most apparent that Richie should not take up a job as a weather forecaster, the wind was terrible and blowing into our faces. We were out and moving, wet already so the idea of turning around was never an option.
But this wasnt to be the only daft idea to pop its head above the stupidity parapet, Richie decides that the route we are going will bering us back over from Dundonald Hill; from the other side, which is supposed to be the hard side.On a night like this, after saturdays efforts; o hell in for a penny in for a pound so to speak.
No Turning Back
Having devided that seeing as we are already out there will be no turning back, after all both bikes are already wet and would require just as much cleaning and drying off if we we continune as they would had we turned backnow, besides appart from getting wet whats the worst that can happen?
Well apparently the worst that could happen is we get is knocked down and/or run over; as about a mile into the cycle it is apparent that even though both of us are decked out in bright ffluorescent yellow jackets with the bikes having flashinf red lights at the back, people apparently still dont see us and drive up into our pockets. But that wasnt the worst of it, nope that was still to come
Over the back roads and up the wee hill at Dankeith, and right up and over the back road into Symington. By this time we are truly soaked through to the other side o our skin and the wind is making it colder than it probably is to be honest, but on the plus side my upper body is relativly warm and ry thanks to my 'cheap' water proof cycling jacket from Aldi's, who said the dearest is the best?
Down through Symington and care has to be taken, the road is terrible at the far end and full of potholes, we know they are there, but negotiating them in the rain when there is puddles everywhere is slightly more dificuilt, after all one might fall in one and drown.
Coming down the hil and into the small vally the road is flooded with about 6 maybe 7 inches of water at the shallowest part and about 10 feet wide, its a case of hold on and hope there aint nownt in there that we have forgotten about.. On the way back up it is clear to see whee the water has come from; it is flowing down the road like a river, and with the state of the road you would think we were cycling on the river bed, Keeping out slightly to avoid most of the water and the holes yet cars and impatient drivers still insist on puhing past t speeds more suitd to branshatch, stupidity reins supreme, especially on an up hill section with no idea of what could be ready to come down the hill.
No Time for tea
Passing the farmhouse cafe where we normally stop for re-fueling, we only pause for a moment; not even long enough to unclip ourselves from the pedals; and carry on, no reward of scones and hot chocolate today for these intrepide cyclists. For the next few miles everything is rolling along a small shape incline where we rise from the seat to battle the wind followed by a nice steady down hill section. Off the quite(ish) country roads onto the main road and we are starting to head back home. By this time the rain has all but gone off; even if the wind is still there; but coming up fast are the signs that it has been here and has been heavy,; another massive puddle at the side of the road. looking back to check I gently and flowing move out from a bit back I haist to add, not just a sudden sharp alteration of course. As i pull out I notice a car ready to pull out from an entrance junction jus opposit the puddle and lust at that a car that was approaching from the rear passes us with laods of room to spare.
So the car in the entrance junction is waiting and then suddenly it pulls out, clearly the driver must have been day dreaming, suddenly they stop right in the middle of the road bearlt inches from my front tire, only for them to receive a loud 'Higy can you naw see me?' closly followed by Richards 'What is oor jackets no bright enough?, will we try a brighter one enxt time?'
at this the driver suddenly develops a lead foot and they accelorate away, ven thoguh there is still the chance that they could hit us as we havnt cleared out from their path yet. A few more roars as they came even closer with this manouvere and their lead foot get very heavy and off they spead. As they drovve off they had republic of Ireland number plates, no insult to the irish here, just thinking that they are probably running late and going for the ferry that leaves 5 minutes ago; Troon for those that dont know is a ferry port for Ireland. Shacken but not to stirred we cycle on and our fried takes the left turn at the mini-roundabout on two wheels cutting up a car in the process.
We on the other hand are turning right, right into the path of the other side of 'The Hill from Hell' Having never cycled or ran over this monster in my life I now find that I have done it once from either side in less than a week. The good news is that the wind seems to have dropped and the only battle we face is with the hill and ourselves.
Picking a gear I push on, Richard sitting in behind drafting no doubt. It is surprisingly easy, easy enough in fact that we are able to cycle side by side and have a short brief conversation about how the guys in the Tour de France manage and what their bikes must be like. We also debate, based on another of our mutual friends saying that there is no 'easy side' to this hill and how getting into a rhythm of constant pedalling (for this side) as apposed to the up-plateau-up-plateau and even a short down of the other side; where there is a constant change of rhe pace and rhythm; is far better. That debate ends with, this side beigg the prefered side.
We aint gonna stop
Reaching the top we decide not to stop and just push on, after all, what with the low cloud there is nothing to see anyway. Coming down the other side Richie has the start but I slowly catch him, as I fall in behind I am geting the kick backs off of his back wheel; its like hale stones hitting me. I pull out ever so slightly and want to put the pedal down and go for it, but behind me I hear the vroom of a creeping up car. Unfortunatly this side does not lend itself well to passing others if you are bigger than a push big and so the car on our tail cant get past or is sensible enough not to try, even when I do pull in behind Richard and receive more kick backs and cast offs.
Finally the car gets past and I am not to far behind. But in the wet conditions I find it truely hard to let loss and my fingers are covering the brakes and I dont push on as hard as I could.
The excitment is over the bottom looms and the road home is short and sweet, no hicup or onything th divulge.
Another cycle, all be it short at 20 miles, it has been done.
THURSDAY 9TH MAY 2013
A bent Oak tree amongst Spruce
The Morning after, the Run The Night Before
Woke up this morning, bright as a button and only a tiny touch sore and stiff in the old pins. I wondered just how sore and stiff I might have been had I not gone and got a post-race rub down from Toni and her magic fingers (Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy ).
With a soft spring in my step and an nice weird sence of acheivement I wondered off to work. As I wondered I thought about how i ran the night before and came to the thinking that I done exactly what i had set out to do, start the race, run the race,run at a pace I could maintain at close to marathon pace as possible and finish the race in one peice.
I did also acheive something else last night I managed to keep my guts where they are meant to be; ask anyone who knows me what I mean bu this; so over all it was a good run.
I also wondered what I would do later with regards to a post-race training session; would i run, would i cycle, would I be lazy? Lazy however isnt an option I need to satrt training fro the marathon and the next 3 weeks although not direct training are all about building routine and specificity into this old mind of mine.
Recovery Run for Me, That's Supposed to be the Key
Well after a good day at work, I wonder home keeping one eye on the weather and the other is watching where I am going. I have decided that what I need to do is get out and get a run done; after all as the sub-heading says recovery run is the key; regardless of the pace of the miles I do, it is the getting out there and doing them that matters and at this early stage it will help build routine for me.
Home and Away and Wild Horses Astray
Straight in the house and (pretty much) straight back out, I say pretty much a I had a few phone calls to make. How far I had already decided on, a nice easy gentle 4 ish miles to remove any stiffness from the legs and get used to running on tierd legs as well.
I headed down the road and decided that the Dean Park would be a nice we route to run, this way i could use the ajoining grass as well as the trails and keep the roads and pavements to a minimum.
Down the hill and round the grass, I get a few words of, mmm encouragement or abuse I am not quite sure, from a few young folks sitting drinking on their ass. Never to let it bother me, I continue to put one foot infront of the other and plod on each step feeling slightly easier than the last in that it is further away from last night, yet at the same time getting ahrder as it is one more step on top of last night; what a strange world we runners live in, lol.
Into the park and follow the river, over the bridge and turn right, this takes us into the large river loop which takes me up what we have effectionatly and decidedly refered to as many things, 'That Hill', 'B' Hill' or 'Bastern Hill' and probably many other names unique to each and evey person who runs up it, me I have said a few choice words and tonight was no exception, lol, I wont tarnish the page but rather just let ones imagination chose for me.
You probably wonder why this hill gets such a bad name, well its one of those hills that no matter how you attack it, it saps your energy and takes the wind from your sails. Start out gentle and maintain 1/2 way to 2/3rds way up the hill beats you, start slow and reach the particular point and you still get cought in it, it still drains you, I know attack it fast, get there before it knows i am coming, yeh that'll work, its goona work right? Wrong, 1/2 way - 2/3, it pounces on you, grabs your legs holds you there while it steals your breath and saps you energy. Finally reaching the top, everything is back to normal as if it never existed. Running along the ridge you can look down into the walled gardens and on very rare occassions you may even see a wee deer moving around in the trees.
Crossing the road ready for my desent and I am near trampled to death by wild horses, there the horses from the stable and they take them from the field back to the stable in the evenings and just as I approched the cross point one went past looking like it wa making a bid for freedom, but apparently it just wanted to go to bed, or so the woman said, lol.
Down the desent and you never seem to make up the time on the climb, but it still fun to run down the hill, but I need to learn to let go and relax on the desend.
Down the hill over the river; on a bridge; and up the road and through the swinging gate and past the weird bent tree; this is an Oak in amidst Spruce and can be seen in the picture there on the right; I would be coming towards you in this picture. From here its a few hundred yards along the paths down past the Visitors Centre and out the gate.
A short 3/4 mile finishing with a short wee increase of pace; not a sprint but just an increase of pace; over the last few hundred yards and I am done.
A really slow pace with a time to match 4.03 miles 33 mins 37 secs.
Woke up this morning, bright as a button and only a tiny touch sore and stiff in the old pins. I wondered just how sore and stiff I might have been had I not gone and got a post-race rub down from Toni and her magic fingers (Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy ).
With a soft spring in my step and an nice weird sence of acheivement I wondered off to work. As I wondered I thought about how i ran the night before and came to the thinking that I done exactly what i had set out to do, start the race, run the race,run at a pace I could maintain at close to marathon pace as possible and finish the race in one peice.
I did also acheive something else last night I managed to keep my guts where they are meant to be; ask anyone who knows me what I mean bu this; so over all it was a good run.
I also wondered what I would do later with regards to a post-race training session; would i run, would i cycle, would I be lazy? Lazy however isnt an option I need to satrt training fro the marathon and the next 3 weeks although not direct training are all about building routine and specificity into this old mind of mine.
Recovery Run for Me, That's Supposed to be the Key
Well after a good day at work, I wonder home keeping one eye on the weather and the other is watching where I am going. I have decided that what I need to do is get out and get a run done; after all as the sub-heading says recovery run is the key; regardless of the pace of the miles I do, it is the getting out there and doing them that matters and at this early stage it will help build routine for me.
Home and Away and Wild Horses Astray
Straight in the house and (pretty much) straight back out, I say pretty much a I had a few phone calls to make. How far I had already decided on, a nice easy gentle 4 ish miles to remove any stiffness from the legs and get used to running on tierd legs as well.
I headed down the road and decided that the Dean Park would be a nice we route to run, this way i could use the ajoining grass as well as the trails and keep the roads and pavements to a minimum.
Down the hill and round the grass, I get a few words of, mmm encouragement or abuse I am not quite sure, from a few young folks sitting drinking on their ass. Never to let it bother me, I continue to put one foot infront of the other and plod on each step feeling slightly easier than the last in that it is further away from last night, yet at the same time getting ahrder as it is one more step on top of last night; what a strange world we runners live in, lol.
Into the park and follow the river, over the bridge and turn right, this takes us into the large river loop which takes me up what we have effectionatly and decidedly refered to as many things, 'That Hill', 'B' Hill' or 'Bastern Hill' and probably many other names unique to each and evey person who runs up it, me I have said a few choice words and tonight was no exception, lol, I wont tarnish the page but rather just let ones imagination chose for me.
You probably wonder why this hill gets such a bad name, well its one of those hills that no matter how you attack it, it saps your energy and takes the wind from your sails. Start out gentle and maintain 1/2 way to 2/3rds way up the hill beats you, start slow and reach the particular point and you still get cought in it, it still drains you, I know attack it fast, get there before it knows i am coming, yeh that'll work, its goona work right? Wrong, 1/2 way - 2/3, it pounces on you, grabs your legs holds you there while it steals your breath and saps you energy. Finally reaching the top, everything is back to normal as if it never existed. Running along the ridge you can look down into the walled gardens and on very rare occassions you may even see a wee deer moving around in the trees.
Crossing the road ready for my desent and I am near trampled to death by wild horses, there the horses from the stable and they take them from the field back to the stable in the evenings and just as I approched the cross point one went past looking like it wa making a bid for freedom, but apparently it just wanted to go to bed, or so the woman said, lol.
Down the desent and you never seem to make up the time on the climb, but it still fun to run down the hill, but I need to learn to let go and relax on the desend.
Down the hill over the river; on a bridge; and up the road and through the swinging gate and past the weird bent tree; this is an Oak in amidst Spruce and can be seen in the picture there on the right; I would be coming towards you in this picture. From here its a few hundred yards along the paths down past the Visitors Centre and out the gate.
A short 3/4 mile finishing with a short wee increase of pace; not a sprint but just an increase of pace; over the last few hundred yards and I am done.
A really slow pace with a time to match 4.03 miles 33 mins 37 secs.
WEDNESDAY 8TH MAY 2013
28th Troon Tortoise 10K Road Race
In the beginning
Before I could even think about getting warmed-up or into the runing apparel, I had to sort out collection tins and buckets for those that were 'tin rattling' rather than running the actual race. You wouldn't believe how long it takes to organise 6 people with the correct paper work and permits just so they can wonder round a croud of people and ask them for a wee bit o money in support of Moggie's Mony Money Miles, for Ayrshire cancer Support and MacMillin Cancer Support, as well as sorting out a bucket for someone who was going to run the complete race with it.
My plan for tonights race was to go out and see what kind of shape I was in, but I hadn't made up my mind or as yet made the intension of pushing it to the limit, I was morre in the way of looking to run this 10k at a pace similar to what I hope to run the marathon in. You will have to continue reading to see how I done and if my intentions changed.
Off to a (not so) Flying Start
Deciding its time to get myself to the start line, I remove all the layers require to hold the slightest bit of warmth in the cutting wind from the shore and throw them in the back of the car. I make my way to the round about to have a wee last minute warm up and stop to talk to some fellow club runners who are there in a supporting role rather than a competing role, only for them to tell me that I had like one minute to get to the start. Running up the prominade I must have looked daft. Reaching the start line I push into the crowd. Standing in the crowd all lined up waiting for the race to start I notice that I still havn't got a signal on my garmin. We get the call to move forwardds to the start line and still I dont have a signal. The wind is blowing like mad and the sky is cloud covered with thick rain clouds the colour of tea, cold tea, cold white tea from the night before. The race marshalls decide they want to start before the rain does, although i aint to sure anyone will finish before it starts.
Bang and we're away, the crowd moves forward and there is a constant beeeep - beeeep as everyone crosses the special mats on the ground that activate our timing chips located on the back of our numbers. The start of the race is along the prominade which sadly narrows about 2/3 km down the ways and causes a bottle neck of runners, in one aspect it is good it keeps the pace down without getting carried away, but it does lend itself to everyone running from everywhere running down the first Kilometre like its the last further adding to the bottle neck effect.
A few hundred yard down the road and I still haven't picked up a signal on the garmin, its now asking if I am indoors, wish I was would save me getting sand blasted; Answer is 'No' next I am asked if I have moved hundreds of miles from my previous location, Answer 'No', again I wish I could answer yes to that,; somewhere warm, dry, calm and with just a touch of sun springs to mind. Finally in the Garmin Inquisition I am asked to verify the date 'Is this May 08th 2013'? The answer should be yes, but running and programming a Garmin isnt the best of things to do, so I accidently pressed 'No', this through the Garmin into a fit of being lost and confussed and it runs off in search of satalites and trying to reposition itself. In all fairness to Garmin, it came back pretty quickly and I only lost about 1/2 mile of the route distance. This only proves a problem if I needed the pacing and speed stats for the race, but I aint to bothered about that..
2 down 8 to go
have finally passed through the bottle neck and survived being sand blasted; must say my complection is looking good; its out onto the open roads and strets. The wind still hasnt calmed down any but at least we can move now. By the time I reach 3k, I have already passed half a dozen opeople at least who went flying past in the first kilometre to beat the bottle neck. Already their legs are buckled and their breathing gone; side effects of stupidity and too fast a start.
Finding my groove i setle down and each foot strick takes me one step closer to th finish and another step closer in the miles we will cover in Moggie's Mony Money Miles. 4 kilometres, 5 kilometres and things are not to bad, probably couldnt go much fastr if i wanted to, but on the other hand I do feel quite comfortable at this pace. I do fel slightly over heated and I am releived to see the 'Drinks Station' sign, rounding the bend I position myself on the right with hand out grabing the first cup in the line. Squeeze to hard and the water spills out over my hand and arm, I dont mind much cause this cup of water will never see the inside of my body as I tip the cup over the top of my head. I reach for a second cup and this one follows the first straight over the head. Water runing down my face and neck it feels good and releives the feeling of being overheated.
6 kilometres, 7 kilometres wham the wind in the face is like a brick wall, pushing through it is a wee bit like running through long grass, but nothing for it but to push through. I lose a place to a team mate, but that doesnt worry me, I aint out for a time I am out for a purpose.
8 kilometres is slightly down hill so its a releif on the legs, from there its back onto the prominade and the last kilometre and a bit. Entering the final kilometre the side of the prominade is lined with spectators and fellow club runners, team mates and runners from all walks of life cheering and welcoming us home. Sadly I wasnt able to have a good fast finish like I do in most racesas my hamstring was getting slightly tight and sore, so I didnt want to push it just in case. but I wasnt to bothered I finished and I finished well considering.
Post-Race assistance
Feeling stiff and tight in the hamstring I went and sought the assistance of Toni ( Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy ) and her magic fingers, she was ther giving away free massages after the race.
Jumped onto the table and just a wee quick 5-10 minute rub down to releive the tension and help remove any waste products such as lactate and once again the legs are mobile .
Target Running
So did I acheive what I wanted to acheive, did I perform the way I wanted to?
My target for tonights race was to run it at a pace equal to that which i hope to run my marathon in September, which is no slowr than 4 minutes 10 seconds per Kilometre. I completed this 10k race in a clock time of 38:15; this is the time from the gun going off to me crossing the finishe line; my chip time; this is the time I actually took from crossing the start line to crossing the finish line; was 38:09, both times are well within the time I wished to run, they are not PB's or even times to which I know I am capable of; I done the Turkey Trot at Ayr on Christmas eve in 37 minutes, but then I was running everyday and training well, here for the past few months I aint been getting consistant training as I have had a whole load to be dealing with an a whole load on ma mind, but its well within what i wanted to run on the night and i am happy with the result.
In the beginning
Before I could even think about getting warmed-up or into the runing apparel, I had to sort out collection tins and buckets for those that were 'tin rattling' rather than running the actual race. You wouldn't believe how long it takes to organise 6 people with the correct paper work and permits just so they can wonder round a croud of people and ask them for a wee bit o money in support of Moggie's Mony Money Miles, for Ayrshire cancer Support and MacMillin Cancer Support, as well as sorting out a bucket for someone who was going to run the complete race with it.
My plan for tonights race was to go out and see what kind of shape I was in, but I hadn't made up my mind or as yet made the intension of pushing it to the limit, I was morre in the way of looking to run this 10k at a pace similar to what I hope to run the marathon in. You will have to continue reading to see how I done and if my intentions changed.
Off to a (not so) Flying Start
Deciding its time to get myself to the start line, I remove all the layers require to hold the slightest bit of warmth in the cutting wind from the shore and throw them in the back of the car. I make my way to the round about to have a wee last minute warm up and stop to talk to some fellow club runners who are there in a supporting role rather than a competing role, only for them to tell me that I had like one minute to get to the start. Running up the prominade I must have looked daft. Reaching the start line I push into the crowd. Standing in the crowd all lined up waiting for the race to start I notice that I still havn't got a signal on my garmin. We get the call to move forwardds to the start line and still I dont have a signal. The wind is blowing like mad and the sky is cloud covered with thick rain clouds the colour of tea, cold tea, cold white tea from the night before. The race marshalls decide they want to start before the rain does, although i aint to sure anyone will finish before it starts.
Bang and we're away, the crowd moves forward and there is a constant beeeep - beeeep as everyone crosses the special mats on the ground that activate our timing chips located on the back of our numbers. The start of the race is along the prominade which sadly narrows about 2/3 km down the ways and causes a bottle neck of runners, in one aspect it is good it keeps the pace down without getting carried away, but it does lend itself to everyone running from everywhere running down the first Kilometre like its the last further adding to the bottle neck effect.
A few hundred yard down the road and I still haven't picked up a signal on the garmin, its now asking if I am indoors, wish I was would save me getting sand blasted; Answer is 'No' next I am asked if I have moved hundreds of miles from my previous location, Answer 'No', again I wish I could answer yes to that,; somewhere warm, dry, calm and with just a touch of sun springs to mind. Finally in the Garmin Inquisition I am asked to verify the date 'Is this May 08th 2013'? The answer should be yes, but running and programming a Garmin isnt the best of things to do, so I accidently pressed 'No', this through the Garmin into a fit of being lost and confussed and it runs off in search of satalites and trying to reposition itself. In all fairness to Garmin, it came back pretty quickly and I only lost about 1/2 mile of the route distance. This only proves a problem if I needed the pacing and speed stats for the race, but I aint to bothered about that..
2 down 8 to go
have finally passed through the bottle neck and survived being sand blasted; must say my complection is looking good; its out onto the open roads and strets. The wind still hasnt calmed down any but at least we can move now. By the time I reach 3k, I have already passed half a dozen opeople at least who went flying past in the first kilometre to beat the bottle neck. Already their legs are buckled and their breathing gone; side effects of stupidity and too fast a start.
Finding my groove i setle down and each foot strick takes me one step closer to th finish and another step closer in the miles we will cover in Moggie's Mony Money Miles. 4 kilometres, 5 kilometres and things are not to bad, probably couldnt go much fastr if i wanted to, but on the other hand I do feel quite comfortable at this pace. I do fel slightly over heated and I am releived to see the 'Drinks Station' sign, rounding the bend I position myself on the right with hand out grabing the first cup in the line. Squeeze to hard and the water spills out over my hand and arm, I dont mind much cause this cup of water will never see the inside of my body as I tip the cup over the top of my head. I reach for a second cup and this one follows the first straight over the head. Water runing down my face and neck it feels good and releives the feeling of being overheated.
6 kilometres, 7 kilometres wham the wind in the face is like a brick wall, pushing through it is a wee bit like running through long grass, but nothing for it but to push through. I lose a place to a team mate, but that doesnt worry me, I aint out for a time I am out for a purpose.
8 kilometres is slightly down hill so its a releif on the legs, from there its back onto the prominade and the last kilometre and a bit. Entering the final kilometre the side of the prominade is lined with spectators and fellow club runners, team mates and runners from all walks of life cheering and welcoming us home. Sadly I wasnt able to have a good fast finish like I do in most racesas my hamstring was getting slightly tight and sore, so I didnt want to push it just in case. but I wasnt to bothered I finished and I finished well considering.
Post-Race assistance
Feeling stiff and tight in the hamstring I went and sought the assistance of Toni ( Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy ) and her magic fingers, she was ther giving away free massages after the race.
Jumped onto the table and just a wee quick 5-10 minute rub down to releive the tension and help remove any waste products such as lactate and once again the legs are mobile .
Target Running
So did I acheive what I wanted to acheive, did I perform the way I wanted to?
My target for tonights race was to run it at a pace equal to that which i hope to run my marathon in September, which is no slowr than 4 minutes 10 seconds per Kilometre. I completed this 10k race in a clock time of 38:15; this is the time from the gun going off to me crossing the finishe line; my chip time; this is the time I actually took from crossing the start line to crossing the finish line; was 38:09, both times are well within the time I wished to run, they are not PB's or even times to which I know I am capable of; I done the Turkey Trot at Ayr on Christmas eve in 37 minutes, but then I was running everyday and training well, here for the past few months I aint been getting consistant training as I have had a whole load to be dealing with an a whole load on ma mind, but its well within what i wanted to run on the night and i am happy with the result.
TUESDAY 7TH MAY 2013
Tuesday for this week is the new Saturday
Today is became my Sacred Saturday; I rest today in preparation for tomorrow nights 10k. I dont plan to be doing the race to fast, but I want to conserve all the energies I can.
My plan for tomorrow is to run the 10k at my marathon pace.
Todays focus was on eating plenty and drinking plenty of fluids, water, juice, milk etc and do only but the important things such as work, lol.
Sorry if this post is short and sweet or short and sheet ;) but the rest day of a runner can be boring.
Today is became my Sacred Saturday; I rest today in preparation for tomorrow nights 10k. I dont plan to be doing the race to fast, but I want to conserve all the energies I can.
My plan for tomorrow is to run the 10k at my marathon pace.
Todays focus was on eating plenty and drinking plenty of fluids, water, juice, milk etc and do only but the important things such as work, lol.
Sorry if this post is short and sweet or short and sheet ;) but the rest day of a runner can be boring.
MONDAY 6TH MAY 2013
The last in a long weekend
Extra day off, May Bank Holiday, fantastic, yet typical the weather after a half decent day yesterday is absolutley horrible, had planned to go for a cycle, but the weather put me off, not because I am a fair weather cyclist, far from it, but just didnt fancy battling against the wind and the rain and ever chaning weather.
So today was a day doing nothing but logo building; which is really good, not; the logos are for Moggie's Mony Money Miles and will appear on posters and tickets hopefully T-shirts etc all connected with our fundraising campaign.
Here is the Moggie' Mony Money Miles Logo bellow: -
Extra day off, May Bank Holiday, fantastic, yet typical the weather after a half decent day yesterday is absolutley horrible, had planned to go for a cycle, but the weather put me off, not because I am a fair weather cyclist, far from it, but just didnt fancy battling against the wind and the rain and ever chaning weather.
So today was a day doing nothing but logo building; which is really good, not; the logos are for Moggie's Mony Money Miles and will appear on posters and tickets hopefully T-shirts etc all connected with our fundraising campaign.
Here is the Moggie' Mony Money Miles Logo bellow: -
SUNDAY 5TH MAY 2013
All the Sunday Socialites at the meeting point.
Initial Thoughts
After yesterdays long cycle and the loverly scone with jam, butter, whipped cream all washed down with a 'Full Works' Hot Chocolate, you would think I would have no energy for more activity or room for more endulgance.
How wrong you are!!! :)
Today is the meeting of the Sunday Social; a group of hairbrained runners from every walk of life and every style of running you could imagine, be it hill runners, ultrarunners (thats distances over 26.2 miles or distances over stupidity), road runners, those who prefer cross country etc, some club runners, some just runners and some just plodders, you get the picture; who once every month at irregular intervals will meet up in Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton.
Up, Up and Away
Another early rise for todays run caused a morning of rummaging through the drawer of my running attire half blind and never near enough awake; there will be plenty of mornings like this during the months of July and August, best get used to them, lol.
T-shirt, running tights; yes I said tights and there is no Robin Hood in sight; a few sweatshirts and that seems to be about right. After all I looked out the window and it seemed to be a cold morning there in the land of outside, mum always said wrap up warm on a cold looking day :)
Breakfast this morning was weetabix; shredded compressed cardboard as described by some folks I know;, but like yesterdays breakfast I like it and I enjoyed it. Besides I need to keep room for the after run treats.
well dressed, breakfast and its out the door and...straight into the car, got a nice wee drive in front of me and I have already left the hoose slightly later than I wanted to.
Why is it that when you're running late things always seem to be up against you, I found I was sitting behind every slow moving truck and yeh oldie 'o look martha its sunday morning' driver on the road that day.
Finally I get to Hamilton and turn into Chatelherault Country Park and the sun seems to be shining and the rain from earlier as I was leaving home had all but gone.
Parking the car I am juggling my t-shirts and sweatshirts wondering what I should and shouldn't wear, finally resting on a t-shirt and sweatshirt. Am I glad I did because even dressed like that it was roasting hot with my inside liquid pouring out through many leaky holes in ma skin.
Once everyone has cought up with the early 'craic' of the day since last we met, we all possed for the usual photo shot (see above) from there is down the path, round the bend and into the run.
Is it worth saying at this point that many of those who come run in their Buff????
The Sunday Social Run
The route of the run see's us cover a tiny yet beautiful part of the Country Park, going from one side of the river to the other and back again, covering 2 loops, refered to as very intelectually as 1 big loops; which incidently has the cousin of yesterdays Hill from Hell in it; and 1 small loop, which is about half the size of the large loop.
Strangely along the route there were little bags containing little round dollops of cake, actually they were mini doughnuts with a chocolate topping.
They were there hanging in the trees at regular irregular half mile intervals, placed there but one of the group in an attepmt to add some humour to the day as well as motivate our very own Sarah. Hillarity and humour it did bring, especially the thought of finding a little red or black back hanging from a tree with warm contents. It also did the trick in the motivational field as I am sure Sarah ran better this week than she did in her last Sunday Social visit.
Somewhere in amongst all this motivation and hilarity, someone thought it would be a good idea to throw in a Hill to Kill, it rises from the ground and goes up, up like you aint ever seen a hill go up before; to look at the top of the hill one almost gets a creek in ones neck. As we all tentativly cross the river, using the wooden bridge we slow slightly and the air is filled with moans and groans of the pending doom ahead. Taking a fly look at the river view on the way past myself and 2 other felow runners push ahead fearlessly wanting longing to conquere the 'Hill to Kill' the easy chatter slowly becomes broken sentences which make way for breathless word in turn making way for pure gasps of oxygen, which wold seem to be in short supply on the climb.
Reaching the top the 3 have become 2 our intrepid adventurer, now lost to one of the following groups. From there on in it is plain sailing and the rest of the large loop is completed.
Taking a short breathing rest back at the start point we re-group and venture on to complete a small loop; those who have had their fill of running are off to get changed and go sit in the cafe to have their fill of sweet, deliciuos cakes; spurring the rest of us on to run that wee bit faster in order to get back to the cafe before all the cakes and goodies have been eaten.
On the small loop the stairs; no matter how many times you go down them; sem to be different each time and will always catch someone of guard, after all they are neither of equal width nor equal drop catching oor wee Liz slightly off guard, she finds herself going down the hill slightly faster than she had hoped for having to jump to the side and the slope rather than use the stairs.
All's well that ends well and we arrive back where we started all safe and sound.
Cakes ahoy
Run be gone, we all trudge heavy legged into the Cafe for refreshemnts and more 'craic'. Having put on a change of clothing I join my place at the social table, feasting on 2 bacon sandwiches, my fouth mountainous climb in the past two day; a huge Double Choc Chip Muffin; in two days, 1st being the 'Hill from Hell', then the mountainess scone and jam etc from yesterday, todays 'Hill to Kill' and now the Muffin; all washed down with a large Hot Chocolate with the 'works'; A few bits of home made fudge/tablet top of my mini 'Beast of a Feast', the only intence problem I have had today is the hard contest to decide which one of the sampled Hot Chocolates is the best, more visits to sample each will most definatly be required in the future.
I strongly recommend (for those who are able to get there) a run round Chatelherault Country Park.
Finish to my Sunday
After returning home, it was into a nice warm shower, followed by a good re-fill of liquids, covering all mannor of types from plain water through to Lucozade and Gatorade. I was off to treat my legs to a beating and have them massaged to releive the tight/toughtness of my hamstring, calves and glutes. This leg massage was performed by the one and only Toni McIntosh from
Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy or on Facebook here
O what a painful, yet tension releiving end to a lovely day.
After yesterdays long cycle and the loverly scone with jam, butter, whipped cream all washed down with a 'Full Works' Hot Chocolate, you would think I would have no energy for more activity or room for more endulgance.
How wrong you are!!! :)
Today is the meeting of the Sunday Social; a group of hairbrained runners from every walk of life and every style of running you could imagine, be it hill runners, ultrarunners (thats distances over 26.2 miles or distances over stupidity), road runners, those who prefer cross country etc, some club runners, some just runners and some just plodders, you get the picture; who once every month at irregular intervals will meet up in Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton.
Up, Up and Away
Another early rise for todays run caused a morning of rummaging through the drawer of my running attire half blind and never near enough awake; there will be plenty of mornings like this during the months of July and August, best get used to them, lol.
T-shirt, running tights; yes I said tights and there is no Robin Hood in sight; a few sweatshirts and that seems to be about right. After all I looked out the window and it seemed to be a cold morning there in the land of outside, mum always said wrap up warm on a cold looking day :)
Breakfast this morning was weetabix; shredded compressed cardboard as described by some folks I know;, but like yesterdays breakfast I like it and I enjoyed it. Besides I need to keep room for the after run treats.
well dressed, breakfast and its out the door and...straight into the car, got a nice wee drive in front of me and I have already left the hoose slightly later than I wanted to.
Why is it that when you're running late things always seem to be up against you, I found I was sitting behind every slow moving truck and yeh oldie 'o look martha its sunday morning' driver on the road that day.
Finally I get to Hamilton and turn into Chatelherault Country Park and the sun seems to be shining and the rain from earlier as I was leaving home had all but gone.
Parking the car I am juggling my t-shirts and sweatshirts wondering what I should and shouldn't wear, finally resting on a t-shirt and sweatshirt. Am I glad I did because even dressed like that it was roasting hot with my inside liquid pouring out through many leaky holes in ma skin.
Once everyone has cought up with the early 'craic' of the day since last we met, we all possed for the usual photo shot (see above) from there is down the path, round the bend and into the run.
Is it worth saying at this point that many of those who come run in their Buff????
The Sunday Social Run
The route of the run see's us cover a tiny yet beautiful part of the Country Park, going from one side of the river to the other and back again, covering 2 loops, refered to as very intelectually as 1 big loops; which incidently has the cousin of yesterdays Hill from Hell in it; and 1 small loop, which is about half the size of the large loop.
Strangely along the route there were little bags containing little round dollops of cake, actually they were mini doughnuts with a chocolate topping.
They were there hanging in the trees at regular irregular half mile intervals, placed there but one of the group in an attepmt to add some humour to the day as well as motivate our very own Sarah. Hillarity and humour it did bring, especially the thought of finding a little red or black back hanging from a tree with warm contents. It also did the trick in the motivational field as I am sure Sarah ran better this week than she did in her last Sunday Social visit.
Somewhere in amongst all this motivation and hilarity, someone thought it would be a good idea to throw in a Hill to Kill, it rises from the ground and goes up, up like you aint ever seen a hill go up before; to look at the top of the hill one almost gets a creek in ones neck. As we all tentativly cross the river, using the wooden bridge we slow slightly and the air is filled with moans and groans of the pending doom ahead. Taking a fly look at the river view on the way past myself and 2 other felow runners push ahead fearlessly wanting longing to conquere the 'Hill to Kill' the easy chatter slowly becomes broken sentences which make way for breathless word in turn making way for pure gasps of oxygen, which wold seem to be in short supply on the climb.
Reaching the top the 3 have become 2 our intrepid adventurer, now lost to one of the following groups. From there on in it is plain sailing and the rest of the large loop is completed.
Taking a short breathing rest back at the start point we re-group and venture on to complete a small loop; those who have had their fill of running are off to get changed and go sit in the cafe to have their fill of sweet, deliciuos cakes; spurring the rest of us on to run that wee bit faster in order to get back to the cafe before all the cakes and goodies have been eaten.
On the small loop the stairs; no matter how many times you go down them; sem to be different each time and will always catch someone of guard, after all they are neither of equal width nor equal drop catching oor wee Liz slightly off guard, she finds herself going down the hill slightly faster than she had hoped for having to jump to the side and the slope rather than use the stairs.
All's well that ends well and we arrive back where we started all safe and sound.
Cakes ahoy
Run be gone, we all trudge heavy legged into the Cafe for refreshemnts and more 'craic'. Having put on a change of clothing I join my place at the social table, feasting on 2 bacon sandwiches, my fouth mountainous climb in the past two day; a huge Double Choc Chip Muffin; in two days, 1st being the 'Hill from Hell', then the mountainess scone and jam etc from yesterday, todays 'Hill to Kill' and now the Muffin; all washed down with a large Hot Chocolate with the 'works'; A few bits of home made fudge/tablet top of my mini 'Beast of a Feast', the only intence problem I have had today is the hard contest to decide which one of the sampled Hot Chocolates is the best, more visits to sample each will most definatly be required in the future.
I strongly recommend (for those who are able to get there) a run round Chatelherault Country Park.
Finish to my Sunday
After returning home, it was into a nice warm shower, followed by a good re-fill of liquids, covering all mannor of types from plain water through to Lucozade and Gatorade. I was off to treat my legs to a beating and have them massaged to releive the tight/toughtness of my hamstring, calves and glutes. This leg massage was performed by the one and only Toni McIntosh from
Toni McIntosh Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy or on Facebook here
O what a painful, yet tension releiving end to a lovely day.
Saturday 4th may 2013
The Sacred Saturday
Saturdays; with the exception of the occassional cross-country or relay race; have long been my sacred day, a day that I take as a rest day. However since December 2012 this has been something that I have broken on - well every Saturday in December since I had done the Marcathon, an event that was used to encourage and motivate people to run during the cold winter days and/or nights when motivation is normally low. It was also the first time I ever ran for more than 6 days in a row without a day off (My running week starts on a Sunday with a long run and ends on a Friday)
Today was one of those long broken sacred days, but instead of doning the rubber soul of my trainers, I swapped it for the rubber of my 700x23 tyres and went for a cycle. I thought that todays cycle would be easy; after all I have been out with these guys before and have covered this distace several times; not many but several and they were managable. How wrong was I, todays cycle was a windy, windy, windy 30 miles and the hill from hell.
Up and at'em; should I stay or should I go?
So rising this morning at the crack of dawn; way to early than needed and somewhat easier than and I am able to when its work I am supposed to be getting up for; I take a look out the window and wonder what today's weather will be like and had a 'Should I - Shouldn't I' moment, not because I am a fair weather cyclist or anything like that, guess it's just one o' them normal reactions when the weekend roles around; but I decided to go for it, after all the day looked fine and seeing as we dont get many of them right now and they are as unpredictable as rolling a dice. I had to make a slight adjustment to the seat, no' very interesting I know but hey it fills a line of texts so it acts as padding :) .
Fed and Watered
So after a few glasses of water and a seat adjustment I have a lovely bowl of Chocolate Special K, light airy and most important of all delicious.
Padded drawers, t-shirt and a few long sleeve tops, topped with my lovely bright yellow long sleeve cycling top; dont want to go un-noticed, after all i aint the only numpty on the road; cycling shoes, helmet and finally my trusty gloves, of the fingerless type. All suited and ready to go I clip clop my way outside sounding like someone in high heels doing the walk of shame. I aint outside for 2 seconds and I figure, hell its chilly for June, yeh I know its May, but I figure it will still be this cold in June; I gets to thinking, few weeks ago, on a day of less wind and slightly warmer the fingers got slightly cold on some down hill sections and a few straights to the point they were stuck in the shape of a 'c', frozen round the handle bars, none of that this week, straight back in the hoose for the full fingered version o' the gloves me thinks!
Rolls the bike out onto the street, step over the machine and clip in the right foot to the pedal, get rolling and clip the left foot into the pedal, together we have become one, man and machine in perfect harmony; till I turned the corner that was and it was apparent that this jockey was gonna have to do all the work himself as there would be no coasting today, the wind was full force in the face, slowing you to a halt at a moments notice.
And we're off and cycling!!
So a few miles I join the others and off we go. Seems the wind has calmed down and the cycling will be easier after all, then you move out from the back of the line and you realise that the wind hasn't gone anywhere you're just relying on the generous nature of your mates to act as a wind break, (Thanks guys I might take a longer turn at the front next time, lol)
So the legs are warmed up and everything is flowing freely, slightly windy but its a good day over all and then it happens, only 4.5 miles into the run, cycling along a nice country back road that goes now where in particular; whoosh, some asshole comes from nowhere with no warning, the wind in the ears doesnt help to be slightly honest, but still...this numb nut tries to push past, I say push, thats probably an understatement, he was going past regardless of how he got there; even if this did involve nearly running over the top of one of us in the process, stupidly past but safely out of harms way we can go back to enjoying the cycle.
Cycling along having a chat with a new fella that had joined us today, he was asking about running and other such things made a comment about how we seemed to be able to cycle along without what he perseived to be 'without breathing'. I tried to explain to him that as runners we had mastered the art of breathing through our arse's. He said as a mountain biker, he felt he should also master such a tehnique for the future.
The Hill from Hell
The cycle went smoothly for the next 9 miles and I took a turn at the front of the line, cycling along through a quite wee village turning left up a small hill which proves no problem at all, but knowing the route and the area etc we all knew what lay ahead another mile or so up the road and then it came, from round the bend it loomed up infront of us the hill from hell. It's strange of all the years I have been doing some form of cycling and or running, I know I have never cycled over the hill in any shape or form and can't recall having ran over it either. And so it was for the first time I slowly climb the hill from hell; my speed dropped as quick as the hill rose; a mile long from bottom to top and a climb of 300ft. Short by comparison to some hills but today the wind was coming down as we were going up. Looking ahead I see it climb, I think to myself 'for fu..' but I dont have the breath to think it let alone say it, probably using the wrong gear as well I plod on determind to get there, standing up, leaning forward, shifting my position to get the maximum push and minimum effort from my legs, most probably had I just got the right gear and stayed in ma saddle I would have used less energy in the long run; or in this case long cycle.
This certainly was the hill from hell and I thought I was trying to cycle out of it, lungs and legs on fire, I got there in the end and we regrouped at the top and took in the view, Ailsa Craig, Arran, Troon and surrounding area all looking stunning in the distance. Graham took pleasure in informing us that today we came up the easy side of the hill, explaining that there were a few small sections where it flattened out before the next climb and even had a small decent at one point, also explaining that the other side had a steep start and was a constant climb right to the top, but was the same distance of a mile. In our defence the wind didn't help our cause on the climb and this could also be noted on the down hill. Once regrouped and breath all back we set off on the decent, only managing to top out at 33 miles per hour on the decent just shows how the wind was severly affecting us, but it was still a blast. Strange, doesnt matter how old you get going down hill on a bike one always wants to see how 'fast we can go'.
Time for Tea :)
A few miles down the road and a nice wind free section we stopped for a break and had a nice Hot Chocolate with 'the works', thats marshmallows, cream and chocolate shavings and a scone with, jam, butter and cream; I aint a scone person but I must admit the scones in this place are just amazing and dare I say to die for. The cream was fresh whipped and the Hot Chocolate with 'the works' warmed the hands and the heart.
On the road again.
Full up of goodies and seized up as well, we climbed aboard our steads and ventured home wind blowing from every direction, coming down a small sharp incline I hit what seemed like a boulder in the middle of the road and had a nice wee nerve wracking wobble. Once stable I was concerned about the wheel, but it is alright as well.
The run back to the meeting point was eventful from there on in, not sure if it was plainly and simply eventful or the small hic-up with the stone had made everything else seem like nothing in comparison. The final mile and half saw me falter and fade from the group and I found myself about 200m behind as we reached the point where we met. Not stopping, the guys just pausing to give me time to catch-up and make sure I was alright, we ran on together for a further 400m and then each peeling off as required. A further 1 and half miles up the road, having completed just under 30 miles in a respectable 2hrs 6 minutes (including the stop at the top of the hill to admire the view; but not the time for Chocolate and Scones) I find myself somewhat exhilarated and feeling better than expected based on how I felt about 3 miles earlier.
I went, I cycled, I conquered.
Saturdays; with the exception of the occassional cross-country or relay race; have long been my sacred day, a day that I take as a rest day. However since December 2012 this has been something that I have broken on - well every Saturday in December since I had done the Marcathon, an event that was used to encourage and motivate people to run during the cold winter days and/or nights when motivation is normally low. It was also the first time I ever ran for more than 6 days in a row without a day off (My running week starts on a Sunday with a long run and ends on a Friday)
Today was one of those long broken sacred days, but instead of doning the rubber soul of my trainers, I swapped it for the rubber of my 700x23 tyres and went for a cycle. I thought that todays cycle would be easy; after all I have been out with these guys before and have covered this distace several times; not many but several and they were managable. How wrong was I, todays cycle was a windy, windy, windy 30 miles and the hill from hell.
Up and at'em; should I stay or should I go?
So rising this morning at the crack of dawn; way to early than needed and somewhat easier than and I am able to when its work I am supposed to be getting up for; I take a look out the window and wonder what today's weather will be like and had a 'Should I - Shouldn't I' moment, not because I am a fair weather cyclist or anything like that, guess it's just one o' them normal reactions when the weekend roles around; but I decided to go for it, after all the day looked fine and seeing as we dont get many of them right now and they are as unpredictable as rolling a dice. I had to make a slight adjustment to the seat, no' very interesting I know but hey it fills a line of texts so it acts as padding :) .
Fed and Watered
So after a few glasses of water and a seat adjustment I have a lovely bowl of Chocolate Special K, light airy and most important of all delicious.
Padded drawers, t-shirt and a few long sleeve tops, topped with my lovely bright yellow long sleeve cycling top; dont want to go un-noticed, after all i aint the only numpty on the road; cycling shoes, helmet and finally my trusty gloves, of the fingerless type. All suited and ready to go I clip clop my way outside sounding like someone in high heels doing the walk of shame. I aint outside for 2 seconds and I figure, hell its chilly for June, yeh I know its May, but I figure it will still be this cold in June; I gets to thinking, few weeks ago, on a day of less wind and slightly warmer the fingers got slightly cold on some down hill sections and a few straights to the point they were stuck in the shape of a 'c', frozen round the handle bars, none of that this week, straight back in the hoose for the full fingered version o' the gloves me thinks!
Rolls the bike out onto the street, step over the machine and clip in the right foot to the pedal, get rolling and clip the left foot into the pedal, together we have become one, man and machine in perfect harmony; till I turned the corner that was and it was apparent that this jockey was gonna have to do all the work himself as there would be no coasting today, the wind was full force in the face, slowing you to a halt at a moments notice.
And we're off and cycling!!
So a few miles I join the others and off we go. Seems the wind has calmed down and the cycling will be easier after all, then you move out from the back of the line and you realise that the wind hasn't gone anywhere you're just relying on the generous nature of your mates to act as a wind break, (Thanks guys I might take a longer turn at the front next time, lol)
So the legs are warmed up and everything is flowing freely, slightly windy but its a good day over all and then it happens, only 4.5 miles into the run, cycling along a nice country back road that goes now where in particular; whoosh, some asshole comes from nowhere with no warning, the wind in the ears doesnt help to be slightly honest, but still...this numb nut tries to push past, I say push, thats probably an understatement, he was going past regardless of how he got there; even if this did involve nearly running over the top of one of us in the process, stupidly past but safely out of harms way we can go back to enjoying the cycle.
Cycling along having a chat with a new fella that had joined us today, he was asking about running and other such things made a comment about how we seemed to be able to cycle along without what he perseived to be 'without breathing'. I tried to explain to him that as runners we had mastered the art of breathing through our arse's. He said as a mountain biker, he felt he should also master such a tehnique for the future.
The Hill from Hell
The cycle went smoothly for the next 9 miles and I took a turn at the front of the line, cycling along through a quite wee village turning left up a small hill which proves no problem at all, but knowing the route and the area etc we all knew what lay ahead another mile or so up the road and then it came, from round the bend it loomed up infront of us the hill from hell. It's strange of all the years I have been doing some form of cycling and or running, I know I have never cycled over the hill in any shape or form and can't recall having ran over it either. And so it was for the first time I slowly climb the hill from hell; my speed dropped as quick as the hill rose; a mile long from bottom to top and a climb of 300ft. Short by comparison to some hills but today the wind was coming down as we were going up. Looking ahead I see it climb, I think to myself 'for fu..' but I dont have the breath to think it let alone say it, probably using the wrong gear as well I plod on determind to get there, standing up, leaning forward, shifting my position to get the maximum push and minimum effort from my legs, most probably had I just got the right gear and stayed in ma saddle I would have used less energy in the long run; or in this case long cycle.
This certainly was the hill from hell and I thought I was trying to cycle out of it, lungs and legs on fire, I got there in the end and we regrouped at the top and took in the view, Ailsa Craig, Arran, Troon and surrounding area all looking stunning in the distance. Graham took pleasure in informing us that today we came up the easy side of the hill, explaining that there were a few small sections where it flattened out before the next climb and even had a small decent at one point, also explaining that the other side had a steep start and was a constant climb right to the top, but was the same distance of a mile. In our defence the wind didn't help our cause on the climb and this could also be noted on the down hill. Once regrouped and breath all back we set off on the decent, only managing to top out at 33 miles per hour on the decent just shows how the wind was severly affecting us, but it was still a blast. Strange, doesnt matter how old you get going down hill on a bike one always wants to see how 'fast we can go'.
Time for Tea :)
A few miles down the road and a nice wind free section we stopped for a break and had a nice Hot Chocolate with 'the works', thats marshmallows, cream and chocolate shavings and a scone with, jam, butter and cream; I aint a scone person but I must admit the scones in this place are just amazing and dare I say to die for. The cream was fresh whipped and the Hot Chocolate with 'the works' warmed the hands and the heart.
On the road again.
Full up of goodies and seized up as well, we climbed aboard our steads and ventured home wind blowing from every direction, coming down a small sharp incline I hit what seemed like a boulder in the middle of the road and had a nice wee nerve wracking wobble. Once stable I was concerned about the wheel, but it is alright as well.
The run back to the meeting point was eventful from there on in, not sure if it was plainly and simply eventful or the small hic-up with the stone had made everything else seem like nothing in comparison. The final mile and half saw me falter and fade from the group and I found myself about 200m behind as we reached the point where we met. Not stopping, the guys just pausing to give me time to catch-up and make sure I was alright, we ran on together for a further 400m and then each peeling off as required. A further 1 and half miles up the road, having completed just under 30 miles in a respectable 2hrs 6 minutes (including the stop at the top of the hill to admire the view; but not the time for Chocolate and Scones) I find myself somewhat exhilarated and feeling better than expected based on how I felt about 3 miles earlier.
I went, I cycled, I conquered.
Wednesday 1st May 2013
This is just a short post to get the blog up and running. I hope to fill the blog with all the happenings, training and other goings on on my bid to train for the 40th Berlin Marathon on September 29th 2013.
Today Wednesday 1st May, see's it being one week till the Troon 10k Road Race, which takes place on Wednesday 8th May.
This race is a significant point in my marathon training, it will give me a bench mark with which to structurer my training as well as an idea of what type of time I would capable of complete a marathon in in my present state of fitness.
The marathon is more than just a long run, it is 26.2 miles of determination, but a marathon does not start on the start line, it starts weeks before the actual event with miles and miles and miles and miles...well you get the idea; of training runs, mental preperation, sore muscles, plates and plates of food, gallons and gallons of liquid, plenty of good quality sleep and motivation by the truck load, just to get to the start line.
I hope that over the coming days, weeks and months you will enjoy following me through my miles & miles of runs, my gallons of liquid, mountains of food, sore muscles, ups & downs and trials & tribulations of everyday life as well as set backs throughout my training as I hope to take you on a journey, a journey in the life of a person training for one of the toughest races you can compete in.
yes there are longer runs, yes there are tougher courses, In longer races; ultra-runs; most people know and accept they may walk at some point, in tougher courses people expect the obsticals etc and are prepared to climb or walk through/round/over them etc, but the marathon is a race in which everyone wants to run from start to finish as fast as they can.
Today Wednesday 1st May, see's it being one week till the Troon 10k Road Race, which takes place on Wednesday 8th May.
This race is a significant point in my marathon training, it will give me a bench mark with which to structurer my training as well as an idea of what type of time I would capable of complete a marathon in in my present state of fitness.
The marathon is more than just a long run, it is 26.2 miles of determination, but a marathon does not start on the start line, it starts weeks before the actual event with miles and miles and miles and miles...well you get the idea; of training runs, mental preperation, sore muscles, plates and plates of food, gallons and gallons of liquid, plenty of good quality sleep and motivation by the truck load, just to get to the start line.
I hope that over the coming days, weeks and months you will enjoy following me through my miles & miles of runs, my gallons of liquid, mountains of food, sore muscles, ups & downs and trials & tribulations of everyday life as well as set backs throughout my training as I hope to take you on a journey, a journey in the life of a person training for one of the toughest races you can compete in.
yes there are longer runs, yes there are tougher courses, In longer races; ultra-runs; most people know and accept they may walk at some point, in tougher courses people expect the obsticals etc and are prepared to climb or walk through/round/over them etc, but the marathon is a race in which everyone wants to run from start to finish as fast as they can.