Hogmanay Thoughts

Just a couple of hours to the bells and time to look back on my year; well, two half years.
I failed miserably in my goals other than in the three races I actually ran. A Pb at Alloa was a good sign, despite little speed work in my training. I finished the Highland Fling albeit with a struggle between Inversnaid and Beinn Glas where I was told by the stewards and my wife just how bloody awful I looked, worse even than normal! I struggled to recover and missed a chunk of training due to recovery and being on holiday in May. However a successful completion of the West Highland Way race was achieved; albeit a struggle with blisters and back. Two things motivated me to finish. My crew and my nephew Darren. A wee boy with disability that bothers him a lot less than it could. With an outlook on life like his, how can I complain about a bit of discomfort. Over £1800 raised to help make Darren's life a little easier, the least I could do for his inspiration and example.
That, however, was that as far as running went. My body refused to operate in running mode and although I have made satisfactory progress (in my osteopath's eyes), I am currently suffering from tight adductors due to the exercises I was doing with him on Tuesday.
Worse, instead of losing weight as I'd hoped I've gained two stones since June. Mainly due to inactivity and over-indulgence in the wrong kind of calories.
So, once the New Year dinner is out of the way I will be starting all over again, with an tentative target of the Devil of the Highlands in August. My only goal is to be confident enough, this time next year, to be able to say I've got an entry for the WHW race in 2011.
I'll start by blogging more often. That may be limited in scope at first as I will be starting off with some very easy running and swimming, as well as having to spend some time in the gym. (Part of my running problems are due to lack of basic strength and conditioning in my legs. At the end of the day I have the endurance in my heart, lungs and muscles but my joints and skeleton need to be improved to ensure I can survive an ultra.)
Additionally, it seems that Facebook has taken over as the preferred means of communication amongst the ultra community, and it also helps that other friends are more aware of activities. But it lacks the motivational aspects that the blog has; blogging being a kind of training diary as well as a commentary on all aspects of life.

So here's to a very Happy New Year to all of my friends and family. Thank you all for the tremendous support I received in June. I'll be having my New Year glass from a rather nice Goblet!

Tanks? Firemen?

I post this link without comment..... other than where do people get their references?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00p68g4/Gary_Tank_Commander_Green_Gods/

Quick before it is taken off the site!

Choices

Until yesterday I was trying to run at least twice a week and, whilst occasionally managing about three miles before things go wrong, generally I am in discomfort from the first step.
Yesterday was my weekly visit to the osteopath and a description of my efforts only encouraged him to ban me from running for at least two weeks.Swimming, cross-training, walking and upper-body weight training are permissible, but avoid putting weight through my knee at all costs. My right backside muscles it seems are a lump of dead meat. And he set to putting life back in them. Hopefully without the need for the kiss of life!
This morning, I am unable to move, but I am about to lace up some shoes and get out for a good long walk. Tomorrow, I'll head into the gym and pool with Andrew, my ticket to cheap workouts. Aqua-jogger and a bag of training gear in hand.
So, to my choices; I see two options. The one of the brain and the one of my heart.
1. I have an entry (reserve list anyway) to the Devil of the Highlands 2010. I could make that my target for 2010 and forego the temptation to enter the West Highland Way Race, making that the two year project that it really should have been first time round. I can enter the Fling right up until the closing date due to their being no limit, so, if I get back training early enough, I can do it as the start of the build up to the Devil's. I will also hopefully, manage a lot more races, certainly more than 2009 in which I managed three (Alloa half (pb) the Fling and the WHW)
2. I enter the WHW race at the risk of being the world's biggest "Numptie" (© WHW Runner) and undo all the expensive treatments by doing exactly what I did last year. (And be ridiculed by anon the mouse contributors.)

I'm going with 1. above. That will save me from the perils of form filling and I hereby volunteer for marshalling/admin/photograhic duties as directed by the race committee (anything for a goodie bag).

That's one weight off my mind. Standby for the responses....

Trauma Queen

I've mentioned this blog before, but reading it tonight found that the author has been rewarded for his skills and writing abilities. To read more go to his blog

Now, where would I like to go?

Progress Report

After seven treatments from my osteopath, I finally plucked up the courage to suggest running a few miles. he is firmly of the opinion that the way ahead is still swimming, or at least aqua jogging, both of which has me in danger of drowning as I would be risking falling asleep in the pool through the sheer boredom of it all!
Anyway, the man from Del Monte he say YES!! Within reason and with a few days between sessions to ensure full recovery.
So I did what was really a warm-up in Balloch Park on Friday, sticking to grass and doing some stiff strides (stiff as in immobile not hard!) in the highland games field. No real problems so I continued with my exercises and stretches until today when I followed them with an hours slow run/walk on the golf course, trails and farm roads around Cardross. A struggle at times, not helped by looking for a path that doesn't exist but an hours exercise doing what I enjoy most. Mud on the shoes, a wee bit of sweat on the shirt and a wee runners high post run!
Tomorrow night is the club time trial. The first of the (formerly) monthly winter events is being re-started and, as I am secretary and haven't been training for a while, I have been nominated as starter/timekeeper.
I'll also be tackling our social secretary regarding trophies for the presentation night. it had been decided that JR and I, as chairman and secretary, would be responsible for selecting them. I duly picked up the brochures and asked his opinion.
Would you believe that the 12 time Goblet winner and first and only ten in a row finisher of the West Highland Way, icon, legend and father figure, doesn't have the bottle to pick them in case the girls don't like them!!
Name and shame I say.

Back to the osteopath on Wednesday. i'll be reporting a tight butt as the only problem when running. Progress is good.
November fast approaching and I've started a moustache for "Movember" to highlight men's cancer health. OK it's still October but I'm after a wee start. Mind you if past bhistory is anything to go by, it'll be off in a few days. I can't stand the itch and Mairi can't stand the look.

Why not join in to highlight this important agenda?

EDIT: Just after posting this I joined Allybea, Keith, Dave W and maybe John K in registering for NaNoWriMo......... November is going to be a long month.
Several ideas in my head. Favourite at the moment is the tale of three ex-army rogues who set up a personal training company in Glasgow, and have be dug out of deep shit by a big flatfooted polis!

Glee Club Outing on the WHW

Saturday was the first Glee Club run of the winter.Organised by Mark "Drama Queen" Hamilton and Ellen McVey, this is an occasional training group that trains on the West Highland Way in preparation for the Highland Fling and the other two races on the route, the Devil of the Highlands and the West Highland Way Race itself. An amazing 25 runners started at 10am and at least another three arrived late and caught up with the pack. They ran to Beinn Glas farm and back from Tyndrum where I met up with them to spend the day walking, but mainly to take some photos. It was a cracking day, cold and sunny, setting off the autumnal colours to their very best. I had been out to try a run in Balloch Park on Friday, permission having been granted by my osteopath to try an easy run, and could have kicked myself for leaving the camera behind. The Loch was at it's best with an atmospheric mist lending a little extra. So I set off for Balloch to try and catch it again. But as I drove over the Carman Moor I saw the sun rising over the Crags behind Dumbarton casting a beautiful light on the reservoir on the top of Carman. Out came the camera but, as the sun had just made it over the top of the Crags, the flare in the camera lens spoiled a terrific pic. I've kept it though and annotated it with a promise to return on the first similar morning to try again.
Onto Balloch, but the Vale was looking it's very best. You couldn't see it for the mist! Again, I shall return.

Onto Luss for a few views of the Ben and then Tarbet. However, mindful of the time I headed on to Tyndrum where a few weel kent faces were getting ready to run and a whole new set of "virgins" ready to join them. Arriving from the wrong car park came Debbie and Sharon, gabbing ten to the dozen and I gathered them all together for a group photo (above) before waving them off. I sneaked through the grounds of the Ben Dorain Hotel to see a few of them crossing the river and running up to the gate.
After my free coffee and my (paid for) bacon roll in the Real Food Cafe, I set off to the layby at the A82 crossing at Ewich where I walked up the Way to try and catch a few runners with a, hopefully, spectacular background. I've always wanted to send a photo to Runner's World for their "Great Run" photo feature. I had in mind the view from near the top of the forest looking north east following the direction of the river towards Loch Dochart. Damn that bacon roll! I had made good progress, but was caught by the pack before I reached the top and had to make do with pictures as they went past, then making my way down and taking more pics as the stragglers went past me. The only one I missed was DQ who had waited for Mrs Pacepusher at Auchtertyre. A technical hitch (the camera was finding it hard to focus due to a walker passing at the same time - my excuse - I told Mark he was running too fast:-) ) meant I missed this photo. Never mind it's his girlfriend I'm photo essaying!
Back to the car and down to Beinn Glas where I managed a few more photos before lunch was taken. Chicken broth and a roll - delicious! This was a chance to meet some of the newcomers and examine Georges KSO shoes as well as the F lites he was changing into. Never, never do I see myself trying either. There is more sole and cushioning in my slippers. Certainly no use to my flat feet. Outsize they may be, but they are all there is between my ankles and the ground and they have to take all my weight. Unlike a certain London fireman who probably doesn't pay VAT on his children sized shoes.
I took Nora, who decided Beinn Glas was far enough, back to Tyndrum for more (free) coffee and a (paid for) flapjack before finding a very cold and shivering Debbie wrapped in my mate Brian's jacket. She had fallen on the return journey and had done a fair bit of damage to her knees. Last I heard she had her feet up watching her collection of DVDs and her much put upon husband Marco was head cook and bottle washer.
Quite a lot of strenuous walking in Ewich forest has left my hip and knee a bit stiff
but it was nice to be out. Photos here

By the time I got home I was starting to receive texts from Tooting where Lee and Dave were supporting Ian in the Sri Chimnoy 24 hour race. That's 24 hours round a running track!
Sadly, Ian completed 100kms before dropping out, but two members of the West Highland way "family" excelled. Paul Hart was second in the men's race completing 140.983 miles and Aileen Scott won the women's race. (As I type this, Aileen's distance isn't on the interweb thingy but she had passed 113 miles with an hour to go. I'll edit this when I find out the distance.)

A Post About Not Running

I'm sitting on my butt, reading Facebook and thinking about doing the exercises that my Osteopath has given me, when Rachel pops up in "chat" for a blether. She complains about my lack of blogging and, in another context describes me as "inspirational"!!!
I inspire?
Oh, well.
Even Mairi has complained I haven't been blogging. And that from the lady who complains about me sitting with my head in my laptop all the time. (She's sitting opposite me now so if this post ends suddenly......
I'd better fulfil my role then. This blog was set up as the bit on the top says to record my views on running, coaching and life in general. I've pretty much given up coaching, haven't done any jog leading since the WHW race due to my being unable to put on foot in front of the other in the required manner, and life in general is pretty bloody grim, not being able to run. I've only managed a few "runs" since the race and each led to a further period of not running due to new niggles, pains and incapacity. So this is a post about not running!
I thought tapering was a pain in the posterior, but not being able to run at all is a damn sight worse. Most of the time I'm fine. As before the first run after my blisters healed I have no pain at all, other than the slight discomfort in my sacro-illiac joint that has been present for about 10 years. I want to run and regularly get my trainers on and set off only to realise my leg muscles can't actually function at speeds above say, four miles an hour. Walking poles? A zimmer is what I need!
Several aborted attempts at a run did end in pain. I've been aqua-jogging. Borrrrrrrrrr - ing.
But I do it because I know it works. I'm getting good at it too. I actually sweat in a pool! Then one Thursday I go to the pool in the morning. Feel great and -
"I know!! I can go for a run tonight!" Down to the club I go and set off with the pack. Honest, I intended staying with the (absent on holiday) JR's group. All ladies - who stop for a blether with a former member. In the pub car park. 25 yards from the start of the run. I keep going. And find my self loping along at the front of the main pack with Big Ed who is just back from a looonnggg stint underwater with the underwater air-force. And who wants a short easy run before the Great Scottish run on Sunday; that he's trained for an hour at a time on the underwater gym's treadmill. (Could we power the sub on Neal's and Ed's running?)
When the rest of the pack carry on to the Arden Roundabout and beyond, the big guy and I turn off at Cameron House where we try and spot some of the Scotland players who are resident whilst preparing(?) for the Macedonia and Holland games. Big Ed needs a Paula so I slow to a walk while he waters the trees and when I start again......... I have a knee pain and have to jog/walk back to the club.
That was my last effort and a couple of weeks ago decided that I needed to blow the household budget and seek the skills of an osteopath. I've now had three sessions and surprisingly, given the horrendous stories of these guys treating their customers as cash cows,he reckons I'm making good progress and we are already looking to reduce the times between consultations. His thoughts are that I have at least three major muscle groups in my back that have pretty much seized up and,together, have affected my skeletal system so much that my pelvis has tilted, restricting the range of movement in my legs and was well on the way to serious breakdown. Every time I tried to run I was exacerbating the problem. No go-ahead to run again yet so I've resisted the opportunity to give it a wee try-oot. It's hard though.
I've being going to the club whenever I can, to post entry forms and fliers that have come in and last night for a committee meeting. They've given up asking when I'm getting back to training and replaced that with "Jeez, you're putting the weight on". And it shows. My troosers are tight, my shirts are bulging over my belly and my local sweetie shop is thinking of floating on the stock exchange due to the sudden increase in profits.
Mind you I'm now the proud owner of a new Nikon D5000 DSLR camera! And it worked well on Sunday at the club Horseshoe handicap race. Thanks Aviva!