Winter training (Tyndrum & Glen Coe)...and rest!

Back to back rest days, my head is wanting to run (especially as I'm watching UTMB YouTube videos!) but I feel super tired so sofa and blanket on a lazy Sunday it is!

At the moment training is consisting mainly of running to and from work each day (7 miles total) at a steady 7.30 min/mile pace which is great, not hitting huge weeks in terms of mileage but consistency seems to work for me. I've found that anything between 50 and 60 miles seems to be my max.

I had been struggling since the Mourne Skyline with a dodgy knee after taking a fall - it had got really bad and painful when running, but as with most of my little niggles, a weekend in the hills seemed to sort it right out! Last weekend I drove up to Tyndrum on the Saturday morning mainly because I knew it would be a good weekend weather wise, and a good opportunity to pick up some more Munros.

Saturday's run - Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh - started from Bridge of Orchy, just up the road from Tyndrum, along the WHW a little. Ever since I passed Beinn Dorain for the first time on the train heading for Fort William, and subsequent times in the car it had looked majestic and one I've wanted to run. The run was going to take a T-shape route, with a 1900ft climb up to a saddle before climbing up to Dorain on the right, dropping back down and then climbing up an Dothaidh.

The initial climb up to the saddle was quite boggy to begin with before the final section being very loose scree on a steep slope which almost felt like two steps forward, one step back - I looked forward to the descent! After the saddle, from which there were great views to Loch Lyon, the climb up to the Dorain summit was relatively easy. Climbing into the mist meant very limited views, and after a slight detour I reached the high point of 1076m, quick bite then a nice descent back to the saddle.

Climb up to the saddle.

Looking toward Loch Lyon

Beinn an Dothaidh, Rannoch Moor, Beinn Achaladair.

The climb towards Beinn an Dothaidh was technical enough to start then got very boggy - lots of hopping and trying to keep dry. Managed to make the summit relatively mud-free, with great views north over Rannoch Moor. The descent back to Bridge of Orchy was loose, fast and extremely boggy, good fun! 9.7 miles with 3863ft of ascent in 2h28m.

Back to Tyndrum for food, beer and rugby, and a very cosy night in my new (2nd hand) Rab sleeping bag, and up early to drive a bit further north to Glen Coe. Buachaille Etive Mor looks absolutely stunning from the road, but even after having planned a route up I still couldn't fathom that it did exist, going straight up the coire.

Straight up (above the bothy).

Setting off from the car park in Altnafeadh it was so bloody cold - merino and primaloft were packed! Really should have brought poles (conveniently in the boot) as above 700m is got very icy, definitely wasn't going to be a day for running as such, but still moving as fast as possible and staying upright! Getting to the summit of Stob Dearg at 3250ft gave amazing views northwards to the Mamores and Ben Nevis but it was bitterly cold, and very treacherous underfoot. The plan was to head along the ridge to Stob na Broige and potentially drop down and back up over the neighbouring ridge of Buachaille Etive Beag. Running the ridge line was fantastic, with crystal clear views over towards Bidean nam Bian.

Dusting of snow on Ben Nevis. Blackwater Reservoir to the right.

Stob na Doire.

Ridge along from Stob Dearg.

Great views to Bidean nam Bian.

Reaching the second Munro of Stob na Broige I was feeling pretty tired and couldn't see a clear way down into Glen Etive, so I followed back about a mile to take the path down to the Lairig Gartain path. I knew this was going to steep, didn't think it would involved climbing down wet slabs of rock beside a waterfall, but it kept things interesting - wee caffeine gel kept me on my toes. Once it flattened out onto the path in the valley 2 and a half miles were very runnable and any previous heaviness of legs was gone and I was able to skip nicely along back to the car. 9.7 miles (same as the previous day) with 3792ft of ascent in 3h27m

The Lairig Gartain path.

Buachaille Etive Mor from the road.

Another trip in the works for next weekend, perhaps to the Crianlarich Munros. Other than that it will be steady mileage with the aim of possibly running the Irish 50km champs in February - that will mean a lot of seriously fast running in December and January! Also, I'll try and get an entry for CCC in August, but as always, the Highland Fling in April will be the target :)

Mourne Skyline Race (Skyrunning UK - 35k/3300m)

When the Mourne Skyline race was announced, I certainly couldn't pass up the opportunity to run in what is effectively a home race, especially as it rounded out the Skyrunning UK calendar and would attract a strong field of local and (inter)national runners.

I came back home being now based in Edinburgh and wearing the Carnethy HRC vest with no real expectations as to how I would perform. Aside from a great week of training in Chamonix in August (65 miles with 25k+ of climbing) I hadn't done any significant longer runs. Gave myself a bit of a shock on Friday morning as I had to search back to early September on Strava to find the last double digit mileage run. Nevertheless I had been running to and from work most days so I was running consistently. On top of that, some good runs with the club at fell relays meant I went into the race with the same strong mental approach as always that I would relish in the climbs and try and hang on in the descents!

World and British champs, and some great local runners (Photo: Mickey Shields)

On the start line as a relative unknown given the field, but having received an incredible amount of encouragement from some of the local runners pre-race, I was quietly confident and looking forward to running a course I had covered many times. The pace at the start was quick as expected and a pack of 9 soon formed off the front. I sat behind the leading 4 up the quarry before having to yell at them to come back after they headed up instead of back down to the Glen River. Turning left at the river and up to the Saddle I felt so comfortable and was happy to sit on the shoulder of Allan Bogle and Kim Collison as we climbed into the mist and eventually into the first exposure to the brutal wind that battered us all day! 

Up the Glen River path (Photo: Ian Corless)

As expected the section from the Saddle to Hare's Gap along the Brandy Pad was run at a fast pace as we skipped along this very runnable part of the course, and got the amazing views of Bearnagh and Ben Crom to the left. Bearnagh is by far my favourite climb in the Mournes, as both sides offer incredibly steep scrambling and tricky descending. By this stage we were joined by American and Dynafit team runner J Marshall Thomson on the climb to the North Tor. Reaching the checkpoint at the South Tor and descending the NW side was a mission given it was into a straight wind and I struggled to get a gel down as I needed both hands to stop being blown over (funnily not the worst wind I've experienced on that summit!). Onto the descent and Kim and Allan showed their strength as they opened up a wee bit of a gap which was maintained up the technical climb of Meelmore and down to Happy Valley. While it hadn't rained all morning any rocks were extremely greasy, which coupled with the wind, made for an extremely interesting descent off Meelmore. On the track down to Happy Valley I was pushing on trying to close the gap a little and in my mind I thought about how it wouldn't be the best time to fall over, and almost instantly I caught my foot and slid and rolled. Luckily it was on a fairly grassy section but I had banged my knee on a rock and it was cut open.

(Photo: Jayne Bell)

Rounding the corner to Fofanny I could see the leading pair had opened the gap but I was content to sit where I was. Out of the aid station at 15k and up the road I never lost sight of them and I began to reel Allan in. Passing him before we rejoined the Mourne Wall, Kim had enough of a gap that any gains I made on the climbs to Loughshannagh, Meelbeg and Meelmore would be cancelled out on the descents. While I keep telling myself I'm a horrible downhill runner (which I am!) I was feeling great at this stage and really able to push the descents. Plenty of encouragement from the marshals, course director and good friend Justin on Meelbeg, and a surprise greeting from Billy Mol on Bearnagh really spurred me on, and while a friendly face in the right place can make all the difference I was feeling really upbeat and having such a great time trying to chase down the leader! In saying that I was feeling a bit of a twinge in both inner quads so a cup of water at Hare's Gap and the thought of getting to the 'magic' water pipe (the best water source in the Mournes!), along with a real runnable section along the ridge to Commedagh meant I could push on. 

Awesome photo looking toward Ben Crom Reservoir (Photo: Ian Corless)

Again it was a case of battling the wind, trying to stay upright and trying to avoid having the race number ripped off my vest to the foot of Commedagh. Always a tough climb I set a good pace to the water pipe, and drank about 300ml of water before the checkpoint close to the summit. I had wanted to cross to the other side of the Wall out of the wind but was directed by the marshal to remain on the south side - and while this meant feeling the full force of the gale, the slope was much more runnable than the other side so I was able to descend quickly to the Saddle. I could see Kim climbing into the mist, and I knew if I was to catch him and win the race I would need a sizeable lead coming off the highest point of the race, Donard. I was able to put in a bit of a push, but as I saw him start his descent on the other side of the Wall I knew he'd be flying down, so I gave a thumbs up and pushed on the the summit at 850m. Never usually a fan of the 5k descent from the summit to the sea but during the race it was thoroughly enjoyable! I hadn't looked back in the last 10k or so thus I had no idea if there was anybody close behind me, so I just pushed on regardless. The upper section of the path down the Glen River was very greasy so I took it fairly easily, but once into the trees I was having a whale of a time hitting sub-5 min/mile pace as I just *had* to finish under 4 hours! Out of the trees and into the finishing chute safe in the knowledge I had secured 2nd place was a great feeling!

Feel like I earned that! (Photo: Jayne Bell)

All in all a fantastic race - a very challenging course full of ups and downs, with a ringing endorsement from Stevie Kremer as the hardest race she's done, it should certainly go from strength to strength. Credit to Ryan Maxwell (NiRunning), Justin Maxwell and the rest of the race crew, great work all round!

Male:

Kim Collison - 3.57.09

Eóin Lennon - 3.59.42

J. Marshall Thomson - 4.08.38

Female:

Stevie Kremer - 4.24.45 

Jo Meek - 4.30.32

Diane Wilson - 4.45.41

Strava Race File

Kit:
Inov-8 X-Talon 190
Salomon S-Lab Advanced Skin Belt
High 5 & Torq gels

Hoka Highland Fling (53 Miles): The Fling that nearly didn't start!

Little lesson learned - set 2 alarms...waking up at 0532 for a race that starts at 0600 in a hotel 25 minutes away from the start leads to instant panic, hyperventilating and dry mouth, plus a lot of swearing! After driving like a rally driver down to Milngavie we managed to make it to the start line and my race began 12 minutes after the rest of the field, just as the timing mats were being picked up. Not an ideal start to the day, but surely after that debacle the only way was up!

Should have been in there somewhere! (Photo: Muriel Downie)

This was my 2nd time running the Hoka Highland Fling. Last year I ran it in a time of 10h44m, which was great, however my goals this year were to finish in the top 20 and/or finish under 9 hours. Training going into the race had been fantastic with a huge amount of time spent in the mountains which really helped develop strength and speed, particularly when it came to descents (always been a weakness!)

Milngavie to Tyndrum.

53.2 Miles, 5975ft Elevation.

Once I actually got going (at 0612) it felt very strange setting off with nobody else, almost felt as though I was on some sort of training run as I wound through Mugdock Park. Within the first mile and a half I started to catch up with people, and thus began the difficult task of squeezing past groups of up to 20 without knocking into anyone, or ending up in a boggy patch off the track. The most important thing was that I didn't go off too quickly, and in a way getting briefly held up by large groups calmed me down a little and allowed me to settle into a nice rhythm. I had set my Garmin Virtual Pacer for 10.10 min/mile which would be the pace required for 9 hours, so ticking along the very runnable section to Drymen at a very comfortable pace allowed me to get ahead of schedule. I passed a few familiar faces, and arrived in Drymen (after a bit of bog-hurdling) in a shade over 1h40m (66th) grabbing a refill of a 500ml bottle to get me to Balmaha.

Photo: Stuart McFarlane.

After not getting a proper breakfast my stomach felt a little jippy so after a quick stop behind a tree in the forest after Drymen I felt great and ready to hit Conic Hill. One of the real high points of last year's race was the crystal clear view over Loch Lomond from the top of the hill, but with it being such a dull start this year, it was a very pleasant surprise to drop out of the mist and see the Loch (and essentially the route) unveiled before us. With out going too crazy on the descent as it was slippery and I value my knees I made it into Balmaha in about 2h55m to pick up my first drop-bag. Nutrition had really let me down in Wicklow, probably from relying too much on super sweet gels and chews, so it was nice to mix things up and have fresh fruit, some malt loaf etc, along with the usual gels.

Into the mist (Photo: Graeme Hewitson)

Out of the mist (Photo: Paul Daly)

Photo: Ronnie Cairns

I really enjoy the section from Balmaha to Rowardennan as it is a good mixture of ups and downs and trails that I was able to make up more time. The aim had been to reach the halfway point in 4 hours which was achieved, and I arrived into the 2nd checkpoint at Rowardennan, in 4h01m (40th) where there was a great atmosphere again. I was in and out in less than 2 minutes taking on board more food and drink, roughly 30 minutes ahead of schedule but fully aware I would be losing time as the trails got more technical for the next 14 or so miles. Leaving the checkpoint I felt very strong, however my hip flexors were feeling a little twingy so I really focused on keeping a good technique - and cursed my lack of core strength!

Working through the technical section to Inversnaid was really enjoyable and it was a major mental boost to tick off miles under pace. I arrived there in about 5h15m, picking up more food, plus ever-welcome flat Coke and Hula-Hoops (nothing wrong with licking salt off one's hands at that stage of the day!), I definitely felt that I was getting stronger as the day went on and I was still able to reel in runners in front of me. More technical trails and scrambling up, down and over rocks and roots left me losing a little bit of time, but at mile 40 I knew I could run the final 13 miles in 2h20m to make 9 hours - seemed very doable!

Again it was a big boost to arrive into Beinglas Farm (6h35m, 22nd) and receive the welcome from marshals, and Iain who had arrived there by a combination of bike and boat! More Coke, Hula-Hoops and gels and I was on my way. Still feeling strong I found myself walking up the real steep inclines but managing to push on any runnable sections. Making my way through 'cow-poo alley' meant I had to remain sharp (caffeine gels may have helped here) as one slip would have resulted in a sticky, smelly mess. A very welcome glass of water from a father/daughter cheering checkpoint helped along this section as the route climbed to mile 48.

Negotiating 'cow-poo alley'. Photo: James Day

After climbing to the high point (1120 feet) of the race at mile 48 the fire road descent back to the main road began - it was at this stage last year that my quads were really suffering and I even considered walking down backwards. However, this year my legs felt great! I was able to run on, without going too crazy - I thought I was going great guns until I got passed by a relay runner who was really hitting the descent. At mile 50, upon crossing the road, the course leveled out and I kept in touch with the relay runner knocking off a few 9 min/miles.

Coming in towards the finish I was hitting a very high pace (for being 52.5 miles in) as I passed the relay runner, and as always was hit with a massive wave of emotion passing the fantastic piper just round the corner from the finish. I was informed just before approaching the By The Way Hostel that I was top 20, although I knew this was based on gun time, so the chances were I would be a few positions higher based on chip time. Crossing the finish line in exactly 8h33m I even managed somewhat of a fist pump while feeling hugely relieved that both goals had been achieved. I was 20th across the line, but based on chip time I managed to finish in 13th position, such a good result! Looking at the splits it turned out I had the 4th fastest split from Beinglas, and one of 5 to go under 2 hours.

Happier than I look, serious! (Photo: Ryan Maxwell/NI Running)

So, after the shambles of the start, what a relief it was to take more than 2 hours off last year's time. Any long run is filled with peaks and troughs, however a hard winter of training, with plenty of time cultivating the beard in the Mournes, certainly paid off as I don't think I had any real low points mentally, and all the nutrition came together. Perhaps having such a terrible and traumatic start to the day meant I was able to relax and enjoy the rest of the day! A massage and soup were just reward for such a great day, and it was great to finish 3rd fastest of the NI contingent (on chip time anyway). Huge congratulations to Justin Maxwell who finished 2nd, an incredible run. The Fling is such an enjoyable and challenging race in a beautiful part of the world, and of course thanks must go to race director John Duncan, the amazing marshals who give up their time to help us through the day, and also all the other runners who possess such a wonderful attitude and joie de vivre that make the day what it is! I will definitely be back next year all being well, with a top 10 finish in mind!

Top 3 Male:

Sondre Amdahl - 7h29m

Justin Maxwell - 7h46m

Neil MacNicol - 7h49m

Top 3 Female:

Joasia Zakrzewski - 8h30m

Sally Fawcett - 8h38m

Elaine Omand - 8h49m

Kit Used:

Shoes - Salomon S-Lab XT 6

Pack - Ultraspire Spry Vest

Top - Salomon Exo S-Lab Tee

Shorts - Ronhill Twin Trail Shorts

So far the recovery process has been good - I have done 3 runs, including 2 summits of Slieve Donard. Looking forward to heading to London on Saturday to meet the Trail Running Team supported by Berghaus & Torq! Need to try and carry this momentum into the 26 Extreme Mourne Way Ultra (52 Miles) in 5 weeks time, can't wait!

Race: Wicklow Way Ultra (31 miles)

After a winter that seemed to last an eternity, it was good to have a race before the Highland Fling to see if the training had paid off. I focused a lot more this winter on speedwork and descending, the latter being a big weakness from last year.

I knew going into this race that it was going to be tough because it was going to be fast - given the fact I would actually be racing, as opposed to just running. Going into the race blind was probably not ideal, but I had an idea of the elevation on the out and back course and strangely looked forward to all the climbing, maybe not the descending - and didn't know what to expect with the boardwalk I kept hearing about!

32.7 Miles/5970ft

Early starts for a race are somewhat exciting, although 5am may have been pushing it slightly - although Christian and I were greeted with a sweet sunrise on the drive down, and we certainly must have appeared keen being first into the car park at 7.30. It was good though to be able to potter about and get everything ready, and watch familiar faces arrive, from B.A.R.F. and some of the other northern clubs. The hour and a half between arriving and the race starting brought all manner of weather, hail, snow, rain and sun, but thankfully this had cleared and it was nice and sunny as we toe'd the startline with the 100 or so other runners. I had the ominous feeling the whole journey that I had forgotten my lenses, which I actually had, so I would have to wear my glasses for the race, which when dry is grand but when one begins to sweat, or it's pissin' rain it does get quite annoying - thus began 30 miles of pushing slippery, steamed glasses back up my nose! 

Photo: Ju Ju Jay M.S.R.

My early plan was just to go with the lead runners, and see where that got me. That turned out to be with Justin Maxwell, the eventual winner (and winner of Causeway Coast) and, unbeknownst to me at the time, Paul Tierney. As the elevation profile above shows, the climbing started early and even though we went through the first 2 miles under 7 min/mile pace I felt very comfortable. The first descent was surprisingly technical so I kept dropping back but maintained a decent gap all the way to the first aid station at Crone (Mile 8) where I didn't stop as the plan was to use that drop bag on the return leg. This would have allowed me the opportunity to pull ahead slightly but I was happy enough to sit in behind the 2 other (vastly more experienced) runners and go on their pace. Straight through the aid station we began climbing again, gaining roughly 1700ft over 5 miles. Again, I felt extremely comfortable climbing leading Paul towards the high point before the boardwalk began. For nearly a mile and a half I hung on for dear life as it was fully exposed to the elements, leaning into the wind, struggling to see through watery eyes and trying not to disappear into the bog off the 3ft wide planks. Luckily I made it through unscathed - trying desperately to squeeze through the early starters without causing too much interference - before hitting another fire road section for another mile and a half down to the turnaround point at Ballinastoe (Mile 16). Usual dismay trying to find my drop bag, really need to relax at aid stations! Switched bottles for the handheld, grabbed some food and started the return leg maybe a minute behind Justin, and 30 seconds or so behind Paul. I felt absolutely fantastic covering the first 16 miles in 2h5m, however stopping even for 40 seconds left my legs feeling super heavy on the climb back up to the boardwalk. By the time we hit this section again, Justin was out of sight, and Paul was just about visible - in reality, they were well within sight, however I dared not look up from the boardwalk, again trying to avoid colliding with all the other runner who were now making their way along - many carrying bumps and blood from falls. What I missed was some cracking scenery looking over to Lough Tay and Luggala, however Mick Hanney captured some great photos:

Photo: Mick Hanney

I kept it nice and steady back towards Powerscourt waterfall and on a sharp descent I seemed to just switch off and miss the signpost telling me to turn right, and I kept on climbing on the path up to Maulin. I knew something was wrong when it got quite boggy and looked unfamiliar, so I headed back down, and took the next left which turned out to still be the wrong path ahhh! Needed to drop back down even further to rejoin the Way, adding an extra mile or so and 12 minutes while also losing 2 spots and dropping back down to 5th. I was so annoyed at myself but figured there was no point fretting, and see if I could make up some time on the 3 mile descent back down to Crone (Mile 25). I quickly regained 4th place with a sub-7 mile but I couldn't quite reel in Dale Mathers ahead in 3rd. By this stage it was quite warm and much like Causeway Coast I was finding it difficult to eat anything solid, instead eating Clif chews but even they were beginning to taste horrendous and feeling as if they weren't having any effect. It was great to get some water at the aid station, along with a few gels which helped perk me up a little along the river before beginning the climb back up. Again I seemed to switch off a few times, almost missing a few turns either through not paying attention, not being able to see through my glasses, or not having my glasses on at all! By this stage the rain has started, as had the hamstring cramps...definitely need to incorporate some more salt into my racing diet.

Photo: Greg Byrne

I managed to make my way into 3rd on the climb, even though I was definitely suffering, having highs and lows of energy (as the photo above proves!) and hold that position on the descent back down onto the road section. Having been passed in the last mile of the Causeway Coast, I was very wary of being pipped to the podium again so I was relieved more than anything to cross the line for 3rd in 4h40m. While I had hoped to achieve a quicker time/pace, given the slight detour and tricky conditions, making the target of a podium was great. Congratulations to Justin Maxwell on the win, another well executed performance, might get closer to him as the year goes on!

Top 3 Male:
1. Justin Maxwell - 4h12m
2. Paul Tierney - 4h18m
3. Me :) - 4h40m

Top 3 Female:
1. Donna McLaughlin
2. Taryn McCoy
3. Denise Mathers

A great IMRA-organised event, which was very well run with extremely enthusiastic marshals - always makes a huge difference! And it was nice to receive a mug at the finish!

4 weeks to the Highland Fling where I'll be aiming to take a good chunk of time off last year's result, still some work to be done!