I was reflecting the other day on how my mileage increased over the course of last summer. In May I ran a 16 mile cross country that I had done a couple of times before, then over the summer I ran longer and longer – 19, 24 and in the Autumn a 32 mile race. Now, I don’t really have a training regime to speak of – I run when I feel I want to, sometimes that could be 8 … →
EEK, it is now confirmed… I have a place in the Devil ‘o The Highlands Footrace – the second ‘half’ of the West Highland Way. From Tyndrum to Fort William. Looking forward to a good summer of training.
It’s that time of year where a headtorch is almost mandatory if you’re stepping out the door for a run. I’ve had a headtorch for years, first off was a big Petzl mountaineering affair with a large protruding lamp at the front an a box at the back for one of those rectangular 9V batteries – the kind you could never get hold of in anywhere but a specialist mountaineering shop. I remember the little fiddly bulbs and taping a … →
This morning I posted my application for the 2012 Devil o’ The Highlands Footrace. It starts in Tyndrum and covers the last 43 miles of the West Highland Way, finishing in Fort William. I grew up on the West of Scotland and spent many teenage weekends walking the hills around here, and over 20 years ‘munro bagging’. I’d never really considered doing (walking) the West highland Way, but have really got hooked on the idea of running it. It’s around … →
2011 was a pretty good year for my running. Two main themes – consistency and endurance. In terms of consistency, this was probably the most consistent / frequent running I’ve had in years. I ran most of the year, with no real injury breaks or ‘loss of mojo’ periods. It was still a bit ‘ad hoc’ with no real structure, just running when I felt it, mostly long slow stuff rather than any speed or hills sessions or the likes. … →
I’ve had a mixed time (training wise) the past couple of weeks. Firstly the GOOD. I seem to have changed my gait slightly and begun mid-foot / toe striking instead of heel striking. I’ve also found my cadence has increased – I suspect one has led to the other, but I’m not yet sure which one is the chicken and which one is the egg… Now the BAD. I had a great run home from the station the other night. … →
Last Sunday I did the Bimblers Bluff 50K trail race in Guilford, Connecticut. It is apparently 32.5 miles rather than 31 (according to some people Garmins – personally my RunKeeper for Android measured it as 29.15 because the GPS craped out for a couple of miles). This was a great race. The evening before I headed to KC’s Pub to register and the team there (race team as well as the pub team) were very friendly. I picked up my … →
I’m sat in a hotel in Guilford, Connecticut, USA and it’s the evening before my first ultra race, the 50K Bimblers Bluff. I’ve got here less prepared than I had hoped, but I got here… I did some last minute shopping in the town of Branford this afternoon, grabbing some electrolyte drink powder and body glide, then spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on some work and relaxing – trying to hydrate myself well for tomorrow. This evening … →
Well it has been two weeks since I found I couldn’t run due to a foot injury. Since that day I have done only a handful of runs, totalling less than 15 miles rather than the 84 miles I had planned. Not Good. There are now 2 weeks to go (13 days actually) until race day and I will have done nothing long in the final month. I have started doing a few short runs on it in the past … →
I think – no, I know – I have a foot injury. I have a painful ache / throbbing sensation on the sole of my foot right on the ball. It’s not just one toe, but seems to be across all of them. I think it is also across both feet. From a bit of research it would seem to be Metatarsalgia. I am guessing this came as a result of pushing myself on my mid week long run. I … →
