Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

SOL Blue Pentlands

Had to get this over with quickly as - like yesterday - I had a family event to get to. The first 4 controls were fairly straightforward, then the long slogs started. I went straight to 6, mainly as I couldn't really be bothered thinking of any thing else. I think Sarah, who went left, did a better route as she spent more time on paths. Had Andy Simpson with me so that was a good way of keeping me going.

Enjoyed the ping ponging around the forest at the end, and the course was much more fun than my low expectations thought it would be. Knees sore on any descent, and anything too tussocky. Overall not 100% fresh, and not feeling good physically but glad to grind it out.

C • How could you? 2

VHI relays - Binning Wood

Bumbled around really. First time out since the 6 day, and haven’t run recently due to knee pain, i felt v rusty. But it was a nice sunny day, and I didn’t drop places, and would have been hard pushed to gain places, so it’s all good.

Crags, St Margaret’s Loch, Whinny Hill, summit of AS, and home via Pipers. Boiling. I had to take my t-shirt off. I rarely go to the summit and it is frustratingly chossy, but had to today to get the views. Then realised I was going to miss my dentist appointment and pegged it home.

L knee sore, r Achilles sore.

Train out to Linlithgow with the kids to pick up the Trotter Relay, then followed it (Ray running with first Claire G then Mickey G) on the John Muir Way to Blackness castle. Nice route but the whining from the kids was loud at times.

Then I get to give Ray the bike and the whining kids and run the Trotter from Blackness to a brewery at the far end of South Queensferry, with WHB, Briony, Al H and Alex. I really love this area for running and it was great - esp with company though the last 2 miles from Hopetoun were a drag. Felt v ill for mile 5 for some reason.

Then at the brewery we stood outside the bar for a bit as it was v small and packed with posh brewery tour people and we were really quite sweaty. There are limits to what a Trotter will try to brazen out (although these limits vary between club members). The wind was really strong and I got too cold. My knee got too cold in particular and totally ceased up. I got the train back with the kids who had gone from whining to that 1,000 yard stare of acceptant that their parents were masochists (everyone else’s parents let them watch telly all weekend. Everyone else’s parents have friends who they go for coffee with not run and drink beer somewhere shit that has no cake. Everyone else’s parents gives them £50 pocket money a week. Everyone else’s parents but them the latest £1,000 phone etc etc. But no, I get the parents that are idiots)!

Got the train home with the kids, and as I was sans bike I was hobbling after them and in the end let them cycle back through Edinburgh traffic without me. They are quite sensible but FFS it was a stressful hobble home.

My knee has been really sore recently, so I tried it out with a hobble up to Stewart’s Brewery in Loanhead to catch the Trotter Relay. It was ok. Not feeling v motivated just now though as it gets sore when I run.

Cowgate, Holyrood, dassies, pipers, crags, whinny, pipers and back via St Leonards.

Felt better than I have done for ages.

Marathon Du Medoc

Fun. I overheated at half way and struggled in the 2nd half. We had planned to cruise the first half (1:54, about 5-10mins of which was stopping / drinking / taking pics) and stop more in the 2nd. Stopped for a good 20mins at 30k where there was ice cold beer and ice cream (I had 3 ice creams. They helped!). Sore head from over heating meant I didn’t drink as much as I could have. And I did something to my left shoulder which made it absolutely f’ing agony. And blisters and hip flexor cramp, as expected. Ray made sure he got value for money for both of us on the wine front.

There was a nice post race beer / wine / food / feast tent at the end, where we flopped in the sun and waited for Pete and Jen, who finished about an hour after us. Despite the pain and exhaustion this is still without a doubt the best marathon there is. Just amazing!

C • and the knee 1

Meggetlaps. 20 laps of the small loop, before boredom got me. Was hoping to go on a more interesting outing, but they decided to go to the grass and do tackling, so we had to stay in the vicinity of the pitch.

Home from work with a detour. Knee sore, but not massively so.

Meggetlaps. Seemed to run beyond the sore knee a bit until it got a bit sorer.