Blog gremlins...

As everyone who ever writes a blog says: "I'll try and keep it updated". Been a bit lazy lately, but lots going on and I *will* get around to updating things as the summer progresses...also, not sure why the post from January isn't displaying photos, hmmm...

CCC, Gear, Winter recap so far...

Time to resurrect this and weigh back in - really should be doing once a month, but maybe I'm not interesting enough for that!

Any, after the final race of the year in October I kept things steady, mostly running to an from work with the occasional cycle commute. In November I had a few trips north to camp, with excellent runs in and around Tyndrum and Glencoe - getting up some hills that you can't help but marvel at from the road in fantastic autumnal conditions, such as Beinn Dorain and Buachille Etive Mor.

Beinn an Dothaidh summit (L) and Beinn Achaladair (R)

Ridge line along to Stob na Doire

December brought with it a little bit of snow, and some exceptional runs in the Pentlands. Not the biggest of hills (max about 550m) but stunning and tough work. Glad the investment of a pair of Salomon Snowcross paid off! Hills like the Pentlands are great to have, just a 20 minute drive from the house with lots of different routes be it hilly, flat and fast, and invariably muddy also.

Sun rising over Caerketton.

Pentlands skyline.

Also, for the 2nd year running I completed the Marcothon - a challenge created by Scottish runner Marco Consani to run every day in December, for a minimum of 3 miles or 25 minutes. This is relatively easily accomplished when you run commute, but there was the odd day when the bare minimum was scraped by! For me, this consistency is key so a good motivator to get a good month of running done in the darkest of Winter months. Again, for the 2nd year I competed in the BARF Turkey Trot on Boxing Day - after quite a bit of road running in the weeks prior it was excellent to get racing in the Mournes again. While last year it was perfectly clear but terribly icy, this time around it was super windy and very wet - waterproof stayed on the whole race as we experienced rain, sleet, hail and snow climbing and then the opposite descending! Managed to hang on for 3rd place, even after spending most of the section through Happy Valley on my backside.

Through December and into January, while not doing huge mileage (around 40m) each week, I find I tend to benefit more from the consistency of running to and from work each day with a longer run on the weekend. However, that is subject to change in the coming weeks as I turned up at work on Monday morning only to be told that the shop I managed had closed. Cue, lots of free time to run and ride my bike! Which is great, although panic will inevitably set in soon enough until I find something.

But...as every cloud is said to have a silver lining, at least I secured an entry into CCC! Time spent in Chamonix last summer while the UTMB and sister races were going on made me really want to take part in the one of the races, so CCC (100km/6100m) seemed to be the one that would suit me best. All being well, that race plus the Highland Fling in April will be my target races for this year, with plenty of 'B' races to fill in the gaps! Lots of work to be done :)

Looking forward to this!

Some thoughts on two great pieces of winter gear, one cheap and one not so much!

Quechua X-Light Jacket

Photo: Decathlon website

After looking on eBay for a cheap Primaloft or down jacket for running when it got super cold, I couldn't find too much so decided to go with the X-Light jacket from Decathlon. For use out running it would inevitably get scuffed, ripped, dirty etc so for £30 this seemed like a good option. Having worn it 5+ times I must say I am suitably impressed! It is a great fit - I'm a size Small, perhaps a little short in the arms for someone like me with gangly arms but with a LS layer underneath and gloves it's not an issue. The attached hood, while it can't be stowed fits perfectly with elasticated trim and makes a huge difference when pulled over a hat/buff. The warmth from the down in the front is great - to the point that I find myself unzipping it from time to time on climbs. Only in the wickedest of winds do you feel cold creeping through the seams in the arms, which again isn't a huge issue as the core remains well insulated. This jacket was reviewed by Live For The Outdoors who were a bit harsh in marking it down - their ratings would be appropriate if the jacket was 2 or 3 times the price, but for £30 it is fantastic when conditions drop below 0C. Thoroughly recommended!

Salomon Snowcross

Always a sucker for Salomon gear, I bought these for my birthday, with some discount from Cotswold Outdoor. Now I knew they wouldn't get a huge amount of use throughout the year, but they'll last for ages and give a lot more protection and grip than lighter Salomon or Inov-8 shoes that I have. So far I've run 45 miles in them and they are incredible - the studs give excellent grip on even glass smooth ice, giving enough traction to propel forward, and they handle other frozen terrain with ease. The ClimaShield gaiter gives great protection from the elements, and even after 5 hour days trudging through snow my socks remained a little damp, most likely due to sweat. While expensive, for anyone looking a shoe to get them through winter Munro trips then this is the way to go, not looking forward to the snow melting and having to put these away for the summer!