Training Log Archive: BrandNewMe

Life is never dull.

Ray ran from Milngavie to Balmaha yesterday in highland fling training. 20miles, a bit over 3 hours (muddy trail). Ray set off from Balmaha at 10. I drove with the kids to Crianlarich, with a meeting time of 4 and a bit hours probably (30miles). Then I'll go for a nice run, meeting them in the cafe in Tyndrum. 4 hours, no sign of Ray. 5 hours, still no sign of Ray. 6 hours, still no sign of Ray. It is 4pm and rapidly getting darker. He has a hat, gloves, pertex, cash, phone (no reception), Jersey some water an a bit of Christmas cake (we were meeting for late lunch). No head torch.

Dilemma - when do I call the police??? I call the friend of ours who is police (and has tried and failed the highland fling so knows the course). Stevie is worried, but calm. We have misjudged the 30miles apparently. The 5 miles north of inversnaid takes 3 hours. If Ray doesn't arrive by 5:15 Stevie will call mountain rescue. A frozen, soaked, exhausted and hungry Ray turns up at 4:50, having hit the wall with 10miles to go, the last mile being along a forest path in the pitch black. FFS! A rethink required for next time we do this sort of. thing. So no run for me.

C • Ray 4

We're in Balloch in Dumbartonshire for the evening. It was dark. I had 45mins. Head torch on, I headed West on the John Muir way for 2.5miles. It was up a big hill, and hit some nice off road muddy trackky moor-type stuff by the time I had to turn around. 26mins out, 19 back.

Calf was fine but left Achilles aching. Oh I can't be bothered with a new Achilles injury!

Do I do the ESOC hair of the dog or don't I? Decided to do it at the last minute, so set off to blackford hill about exactly when we were supposed to be starting.

Poker-o around blackford hill. Ingenious design by the Lindsay's. 45 min score course, each control worth the same amount. Map memory. Get the map for 1 min at the start, and there is a map to look at at each control. You get dealt 5 cards at the start, and there are three cards at each control. You can swap one card with one of the cards in the bag at each control. You get bonus points added to your score depending on how good your poker hand is at the end.
I am crap at poker, and missed the start so was a bit confused with what to collect. Top of the suggestions on the list was a royal flush. I started with an ace and queen of hearts, and 10 controls of the 20 in had got the jack, king and 10. I jogged around to get the rest of the controls to head to the finish to claim a historic victory. 5 mins into the course my calf started hurting. It never 'went' though, so the gamble to keep going was worth it - packet of chocolate button won!

Still coughing and snotty, but bearable.

C • Confession 4

Run before a long trip home on the train. Coughing. Snot. Wheezy. I'll take the day off tomorrow. Too soon still.

Gawd mountain biking is a shit sport! I forget quite how shit it is, and occasionally need reminding. Jesus wept it is so shit! Ray was doing a long run and wanted me to cycle beside him. It was off road alas, around the North downs way. I spent a third of the time skidding in a not-at-all-controlled fashion through mud, a third of the time trying to work out where the fuck the 'bridleway' went through various golf courses (they had been hidden, to try to dissuade you from using them) and another third of the time trying to dislodge some of the mud that was preventing my wheels from turning at all. At one point I was carrying my bike down a field as the wheels refused to budge, in the vain hope of finding a stick to dislodge some of the crap at the bottom. Only my trainers were giving me no traction so I was skidding with a bike on top of me down a hill.

All those injured people that try to persuade themselves that mountain biking can be fun - just don't bother. You'll only get more depressed! Sit at home and stick pins in your eyes. It will be just as rewarding and much more fun.

Wallington, Happy Valley (ha - how ironic!!), north downs to box hill where Ray met the kids, Epsom racecourse, then titting around some bridleways home.

C • mountain biking 8