Running uphill...........and for Sport Relief!

After last weekend's surprise exertions with the Mighty Deerstalker being a tad hard than expected, Sunday was a 'rest day' spent with family.

Usually its my long run day typically starting at 8am.  By the time we'd got to 4pm I felt a needed a 'loosener' so hit the treadmill with my relatively new half marathon trainers on (bit more cushioning for my weightiness given my others had done 500miles now!) and a target of 5km steady.

At 5km I was feeling good so kept going, even thinking of hitting 10km.  But as 7km loomed, so too did common sense and I eased off and went for some stretching followed by a spell in the steam room.

And boy did I feel it on Monday still........my thighs were agony despite being iced on both Saturday and Sunday - long time since I had post exercise soreness!

Definately a rest day on Monday!  No argument from my legs!

So on Tuesday night I decided to have a run at an incline to keeping building what had been started - no way I was letting this pain go without getting benefit!

Treadmill started, decide to go for 8km all on incline and set the treadmill at 1.5%.  Think I'll maybe up it to 2% at about 6km.  But those that follow me or know me will know that taking things steady is really hard for me despite knowing better.  So at 4km the incline is at 2.5%, by 6km we're at 3.5% and at 7km for 500m its at 4.5%.  You'd think I'd slow the speed down wouldn't you? Yeah, if I had any common sense.

The great thing was that for the last 500m when I set the incline at 1% it felt like I was running downhill!  I think this might just be a new fave run-set!

No run now until Saturday as working away on Thursday and plans with family on Friday.

Saturday morning - want to test my progress so decided to do a time trial 10km.  Previous PB was 55:14.

Vicky (aka Mrs K) brings me a coffee and breakfast in bed!  I get up and 40mins later I'm in the gym on the treadmill targetting my best 10km.  51:48 later I'm done and over the moon! 

It's true what is said about taking a few days off and coming back stronger.  If anything, this is making me seriously look at the 'tapering' of my sessions before races.

Long lie on Sunday as we have the Sport Relief Mile with our daughters, Lauren 9 and Georgia 7.  We did it 2 years ago in 11:30 and whilst it's a bit of fun.......time is important too........but the most important thing is our kids enjoy the experience of being active and running.

The hottest March day on record in Glasgow - beautiful weather and we're near the front.  Lauren's got her Ipod on and Georgia's doing her usual quiet thing just before she attempts anything.

Off we go on a steady climb for 400m in the centre of Glasgow, turning sharply right for 300m downhill and then a series of lefts and rights for the next 900m.  The girls are setting the pace with Vicky and I tagging along.  And its some pace!  The more people they overtake, the quicker they go!

They cross the line in..............wait for it.............9mins 35seconds!  For a measured mile!  2minutes off their last mile PB.  And neither of them look particularly tired!

As the weather gets better, we're going to do a minimum of a mile together each weekend to keep the momentum and share our running together!  Lauren even talked about wanting to enter the Great Scottish Junior Run 1.5k later this year and run it herself!




The reward for the two of them.........apart from getting a photo with the lovely Jenni Falconer (I was too embarrased to ask her to pose for one with me!), was a well deserved ice cream!

So only 3 training runs this week and one family run - but possibly one of the best weeks ever because of seeing my girls run and achieve a fabulous time!

The Mighty Deerstalker

Warm up??

On Saturday 17th March, the first of my fundraising events took place.

Titled 'The Mighty Deerstalker', this was supposed to be a bit of a jaunt through some forest tracks, dressed in tweed.

I've got a few things wrong in my time, but expecting this to be easy was one of the biggest!

Craig and I lined up at the back of the field - our strategy: Start slow and bring it home fast but enjoy every step!

By the time we'd covered the first 200m (up hill) we came to our first obstacle.......a wall of hay bales that we needed to climb over.

Take a 180 degree turn to our left, back down the hill, out of the estate and we are into a nice steady pace, the sun is shining, the crowd is thinning and we are smiling.

That is until we hit the 'mud pit' - a pit about 2' deep of the foulest smelling, thick mud!  From that point forward, I was covered head to toe and my legs had gained about an extra 10kgs in weight with the mud!

Follow the lemmings......

Then came the hills! For about 4km we moved upwards through woodland, on forest tracks and scrambling up shale gullies.

At the peak of the climb we were greeted with some balance bars to traverse and a scramble net to crawl under...........

All downhill now!  And the descent was steeper than the climb, our legs cycling so much faster than we could actually maintain control.

At one point through a particularly slippery section of forest, we passed through the 'rave' section - glow sticks hanging from the trees, dark areas because of the canopy and dance music blaring out from strategically placed speakers - quite surreal!

'Brrrrrr this water is cold!'

What followed for the next 3km or so was a series of river crossings, tunnel runs under the road and heavy trail running on muddy river banks.

I'd decided against carrying any fluids or gels as this was advertised as 5km and I thought even with the obstacles I'd be back no later than 1hr 15m.  The actual distance turned out to be 9.6km!  I was now officially 'hanging' and in need of some energy.

Reaching the water station, we stop to 'pose' for a quick foto and muster up some smiles!

Then it's off again, approx 1.5km to go.........gentle run in and I remember saying to Craig '10mins mate, only a mile to go!'.

There might have been a mile to go, but it involved another water crossing, a 300m road run on an incline, crawl through a tunnel, scramble under yet more netting and then get over not one, but two 6' walls placed so close to the finish line that it was pure torture.

Water Station 'Foto Opportunity'

We'd finished - 1hr 44mins but we'd finished.  Waiting at the finish line were our long suffering wives and children - ready with lucozade, chocolate chip cookies and a pint of the specially brewed ale 'Deerstalker'.  Well, it would be rude not to........

Up n Over!

A lot harder than we expected, but actually a whole lot more fun than we expected and a great atmosphere!  We're already planning to do it again next year!

Teamwork!

......and we're done.....in!

Nearly there.....

Cheers!

And along came..........illness!

Since last week when I was elated at clocking off the week with a sub 2hr half marathon I have covered the sum total of 5km. That's right, 5km. Not 15, 50 or even 105km - just 5! My lowest weekly mileage since July 2010 when I aggravated a cervical disc injury in my neck and was laid up for a few weeks. And the cause....flu! And yes, to any ladies reading it was full blown man flu! I was feeling good on Monday after having a rest day and was looking forward to a hard interval session on Tuesday. As I was driving home from work I began to feel rotten. Not just looking for an excuse to not train, but shivery, sleepy and very cold. Off I went home, jumped in a bath and then to bed. The following two days I was working away from home and had diligently packed my kit so I could train. No chance, feeling just as bad. Instead I dug out some old running mags and read about the train v rest debate when ill. I reached the conclusion that to miss 3 runs was a loss, but not as much as losing a months worth of runs by delaying the recovery process and potentially generating fatigue for longer periods. With this in mind, I ran an easy 5k on Friday night as I was picking up a bit. I say easy because I wasn't going to hit it at pace but there was nothing easy about it. Except when I finished I felt good. I can honestly say I got the balance right for once which for those that know me is rare. I'm quite a 'gung ho' all or nothing person so this last week has been a real test for my mental preparation. On a plus note however, I DID enter the Scotland coast to coast race in September this year, the last of my challenges I am doing for Erskine. Place confirmed! And I am now just getting my kit ready for my run tomorrow. Can't decide whether it's a 10, 12, 15 or more kinda day....gonna sleep on it for now!

Flexibility, not just bendiness!

If there is one word that sums up the last week for me it has to be FLEXIBILITY! I don't just mean stretching and whether I can wrap my legs around my ears.....I mean being able to adapt to changes out of my control as well. After a 'dig deep' 16k last Sunday, I hit the treadmill on Tuesday night for an interval session. Felt more sluggish than a slug on a diet of 'ish'! Not a happy bunny and worried I might have overdone the training in previous weeks. Wednesday night 'run club' postponed too due to combination of illness and too much work. On Thursday I decided against training for two reasons. First I had been at my Daughters' parents evening at school. Both had done so well and I wanted to have tea with them. The second was I just couldn't get my motivation. So as I approached Friday and the weekend, I was dreading the runs as I felt they'd be poor. Turns out on Friday I was so pumped up with not really having any good runs that week I ran just 30secs outside my PBS for 10k. Then earlier today, I set out on a 15k easy run and felt so good I kept going, recording a half marathon in 1hr 57m 24s. My PB! Well it would be seeing as it was the first time I had run that far! There had been so much going on this week that to try and stick rigidly to a schedule and be demotivated when it failed would have been disastrous to my confidence. Instead I've finished the week on a high, feeling like I've met all my targets and more importantly kept my work commitments and been there for the most important people in my life, my wife and kids. Just 2 weeks now until I compete in my first challenge of £2012 in 2012 for Erskine. The mighty Deerstalker on 17th March is looming and then it is just 8 weeks to my half marathon! I WILL be registering this week for the Scotland Coast to Coast in Sept, my ultra adventure covering 105m in 2 days. Feel I might need a whole lot of FLEXIBILITY before this year is out. Keep running and keep smiling. M