Training Log Archive: Magic

IW. Started slow but caught another cyclist who wanted a tow so had to get moving to drop him. Almost ran over a baby blackbird.

HFW. Tried to push on again and pretty pleased with the results. Slower through town and not moving as quick as yesterday, but a solid effort. Pat on the back please.

C • Surely 2

IW. Taking it easy int he morning sunshine. Traffic and lights were most agreeable.

HFW. Legs were just spinning effortlessly and the lights were nearly as kind as this morning. Quite possibly a PB for the commute home.

Easy evening run up the Garth to overcome the day's traveling. Tired but not too bad once warmed up and it was a glorious and warm evening. Maybe getting back to work won't be so bad after a most enjoyable break...

An Teallach ridge with Ciara (walking for about 7:15). What a cracking range of hills and some really fun scrambling bits. Quite a long but easy walk in and then a good climb to the tops. Lots of fun climbing to the top of most of these before heading to an outlier to west for lunch.

Unfortunately while here we could see (and hear) thunderstorms to the east so hasted back to the ridge, bagged the second Monro and got off the ridge as quick as we could. Not all that easy due to a rather inconveniently located snowfield, but successfully negotiated just in time for the rain.

Something of a surprise after so much sun but it made the walk out very atmospheric - it also somewhat increased the presence of midges. Another great day in the Highlands.

Cracking recovery walk (walking for 3.5 hours) in the low hills south of Ullapool (from Gruinard bay). Followed a gorge inland past some cracking contour and rock detail before resting on a wee hill with a stunning view of the surrounding hills. Nice walk back along a river before a snooze on the beautiful beach. If only all recovery days could be like this.

Highlander Mountain Marathon, Glen Cannich, Day 2, B course, 25km, 1500m.

Slept really well, in fact had too many clothes and had to discard quite a few. Had also eaten and drunken well so was feeling great in the morning. It was also nice to be able to take it easy while everyone else rushed off to their starts (reverse chasing meant we were out last).

Ciara is a girl who knows what she wants and knows what she doesn't want. Today she wanted to catch and pass every other team out there and you were in trouble if you were going to try and stop her. I decided not to and just tried to hang on. She was a real beast today.

We opted to save time and draw the course on the move meaning that, despite starting a minute late due to to some last minute faff (last starters on the last day of the last Highlander) we had passed B2 (the two guys who had been economical with their bag carrying yesterday) before the start flag.

They passed us on the flat running to the first few and pulled away on the big climb up the hill to the cluster (#4 & 5), but from then on Ciara really started beasting. We caught and went straight past B3, keeping B2 in our sights and slowly reeling them in with better lines.

By #9 we were passing dozens of slow teams and were up to about B10 (though still missing a few) and Ciara pushed on even harder. The climb to #10 was hard but as we approached the control we saw B2 going high. Couldn't see them either ahead or behind us after that so didn't know what had happened to them.

Ciara beasted in over the bogs and down the hill for the last few k, meaning we caught just about everyone (as the numbers only went up to about B15 it was hard to know - but the exclamations of "look, B1" as we flew past only served to spur the beast on even more.

Great to do this event, it really was fun and special and to do it in such great weather and with a fit and determined teammate made it one to remember. B2 also lost enough time at #10 and 11 to mean that we had enough time in hand to be ahead of them even without their penalty. Job was a good one. Fun prize as well.

http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/2016/Highlande...

C • fun. 4

Event: Highlander Mountain Marathon
 

Highlander Mountain Marathon, Glen Cannich, Day 1, B course, 25km, 2500m.

What an amazing day. Found ourselves out early (courtesy of registering early last night and only being given the choice of early buses) with clouds covering the peaks on the ride to the start up Glen Cannich. Opted to start in shorts and shirts though this seemed like it may be a poor choice as we disappeared into the clag for #1.

Off line to #2 (my fault - should have listened to Ciara) and was saved by a spectacular cloud inversion as we neared the top, showing just enough of the surrounding peaks to work out where we were and where we had to go. It was proper hot up hear already by 9am.

Back into the mist for #3, which we navigated very carefully to but got to it to find it just below the cloud level and in excellent visibility. A brief stop here to balance out our pack weights a bit more efficiently and we were off, moving well for the first time.

Bit of a faff at #4 as we had to cross a gorge (not on the OS 50k map) and then hunted around a few hill tops looking for the one with our control on (only one on the map).

Tough climb to back into the mist for #5 (passed by the A course winners here) and then a long and steep route choice leg to #6. Opted to drop low back the way we'd come and follow a path as the more direct route would have been tough in the mist. Worked well and when we appeared above the clouds again we thought that we'd made the right decision. Nasty control though right at the bottom of a steep corrie.

Pretty easy run back to the finish from here with some nice running and not much more climb - and the cloud suddenly disappeared from everywhere on the climb out of #6. Ciara livened things up a bit by steeping into thin air along a river bank and promptly disappearing off the edge. Quite scary to see, especially the expression of fear on her face and she went over. Fortunately she kept her balance, grabbed some heather and fell less than 3m, whacking her knee and getting a few cuts, but not seriously hurting anything. Even managed to run well from there to the finish.

Pretty happy with the day, we started quite slow and were hampered a little by the mist, but happy to be at camp early and not to be running in the hot afternoon sun. Even had a dip in the river.

Finished second, 17.5 minutes down. At least we initially did. Apparently the leading team had dropped their packs and descended into #6 without them, picking them up again on the way out. Apparently there were seen doing this and fessed up at the finish. The result was a 20 minute time penalty, putting them right behind us. 3rd, also a mixed team, were also less than 10 minutes behind, so all to play for on Day 2.