Training Log Archive: Big Jon

decent warm-up (but still too short)

SOl Loch Ordie, Blue course. 6th (first older than 18...)
First few legs uphill - and boy did my lack of breathing show! 21st by third control (tho' that included a 45 sec error at 3). Then got caught by M16 and decided to try to hold on - citing all corners, minimising and optimising map reading. Worked a treat and the course stoped climbing at that point :-).
Held on till near end and a downhill leg... Bit of a run-in battle with WI - my inner M16 taking over my external M60 :-)
Nav pretty straight forward and running OK apart from uphills - legs pretty strong from all the surveying. Just need to work on aerobics over the next few weeks.

C • Breathing 1

DW east then riverbank to Warren Cottage (being rebuilt), round road loop[p then down steep track to riverbank again and back via Dess Burn and DW west. Getting chivvied along by Nevis - helps keep the pace up! and the occasional stop to throw pine cones was good as well.

Short lap of Bell Wood ( would have done a bit longer but forestry machine in clearing last winters damage. Legs felt terribly heavy. But R knee was OK :-)

Recovery day, feeling pretty tired.

Glen Clova Hotel up to Loch Brandy - straight into the climb so no attempt to start running. Quick dip in Loch Brandy (f-ing cold...), then carry on up to the Snub. Interesting cracks along hillside above the Loch, about 20m back from steep drop - suggesting the whole slope in unstable.
Started running here - over Benty Roads and Wolf Hill (was that a faint howling we heard?) then down to cross Water of Munich and over watershed into Water of Mark headwaters. A lovely run down here (though more along than down - the gradient was incredibly gentle meaning the stream did huge meanders - 2-3 times the direct line distance - so plenty of stream crossing. Pretty boggy going but never too tussocky or heavy. Followed river round Round Hill of Mark for a quick visit to Shielin of Mark where we had a short food/water stop. Very snug looking bothy, thank you MBA. From here a wee climb back to the 'shire and down into the Allt Darrarie and the track back to Spiral of Glenmuick.
Lovely route (almost a perfect straight line) and mostly good going.
Right knee complained a bit on the steep climb up above Loch Brandy and then a few times on steep descents but mostly behaved itself.
Pretty tired at end but nothing hurting too badly.

With S Glenmuick to foot of Broad Cairn then over to Jocks Road . Nice wee break in Davy’s Bourach then down to Glen Doll forest. Oops massive windblow and after Loki g at one track then heading down another for 400m had to turn back. Even the river was choked with trees… some skog bashing later we emerged above the damage and found a ride to flood along the slope- unfortunately it had regular soggy bits and some bottomless wallows, so clean feet disappeared fairly rapidly (dry feet had gone with the river crossing). Emerged onto the track after about a km but had a further diversion (with elevated interest at one point) to avoid the Corrie Fee set of windblow. Finally got onto forest road to find loads of “footpath closed” signs :-)
Just a 8km slow painful jog along the road to Glen Clova Hotel and a pint of shandy ;-))
Right knee started niggling within 10 minutes of starting but kept it manageable throughout. Main problem at end was shafted legs - not used to such long days recently… Tomorrow shorter route back planned.

tough session -just what I needed...

Academy run club. 6 kids, 4 adults. Out t oGliding strip and back. Struggled on way out with breathing and way back with R knee :-)