What with having done a 10k yesterday and, more to the point, the fact that it has rained all day today, I decided to opt for a leisurely 2 mile out-and-back bimble along the bottom road to Garthdee. This turned out to be a less than amazing idea as that road seems to be the only one where the pavement is, despite the rain, still extremely icy, resulting in pretty hazardous running conditions. Well, it was either that or run in the road, which is hazardous for different and obvious reasons. I managed to totter precariously along on the pavement for most of the way, with the occasional foray onto the edge of the road when it got too un-navigable. Also got drenched twice by passing cars, I prefer to assume accidentally.
Hope tomorrow is a drier day.
Stats:
Distance: 2.12 miles
Time: 21:59
Splits: 11:11, 9:49, 0:59
Average pace: 10:23
Monday, 3 January 2011
Sunday, 2 January 2011
Lumphanan Detox 10k: Race Report
Was looking forward to this race, which is billed as Scotland's first road 10k of the year, which I presume it is, not that I've conducted any research to verify it or anything. Had a bit of a mass turnout of people from Fetch who live vaguely locally, either running or supporting, which was fab. *wave*
Being on 2nd January it's called the "detox" 10k, though having had a fairly sedate New Year I wasn't particularly toxed in the first place. I was more worried about the hill and what with that and not having done any runs longer than 5 miles for a while, I wasn't expecting a good time and was happy to be within or just over the hour. Due to the conditions underfoot because of recent weather, the route was changed slightly to remove the off-road section, which had the unfortunate side-effect of resulting in having to run up another hill back into Lumphanan at around the 8k mark. Boo!
Even more unfortunately, it turned out that Lumphanan had no water :-O presumably due to frozen/burst pipes, which must have been a nightmare for the organisers and resulted in the obvious problems for the usual pre-race toilet visits. Flushing was, shall we say, somewhat occasional. There was some discussion about whether the race should have been cancelled as a result of the water issue, but it was either too late for them to cancel or they just decided to go ahead anyway.
The race kicked off at 11.30, and was immediately uphill, which continued for nearly the first 2k - the first kilometre was the steepest, though, and I was pleased that I managed to run the whole thing as I was totally expecting to walk some of it. Still, thanks to the uphill the first mile was a pretty slow 11:52! The gradient eased off a bit in the second kilometre, but was still uphill, then began a much pleasanter long descent! (At the top of the hill someone shouted "It's all downhill after this!" which as usual turned out to be a big lie.) I managed the second mile in 9:04, the third in 8:54 and the fourth in 8:56 (hurrah for downhills). The view over the snow-covered fields was lovely, and the underfoot conditions weren't too bad apart from a few icy patches where you had to watch your footing, but mostly it was fine. Then came the climb back into Lumphanan, courtesy of the changed route, resulting in a fifth mile of 10:08, though I managed to regain a little bit of time with a sixth mile of 9:07.
The kilometre markers were a bit dodgily positioned, especially the 10k mark which for some mysterious reason was about 200m before the finish (thanks for that), meaning that you passed it, ran on, turned a corner expecting the finish to be right there but it was still what felt at the time like ages away (it wasn't). I was neck and neck at the corner with another woman, but managed to find a burst of speed from somewhere to burn her off at the finish :) and finished in, according to my watch, 59:16 - about a minute and a half over my PB, but I was glad to be under the hour. (My watch also said it was 9.91km rather than 10, but everyone else seemed to find the distance to be correct if not slightly long, so I don't know where the other 0.09km went - I swear I didn't take any short cuts.)
The soup in the village hill after the race was welcome, even if the toilets still weren't working! And we got a nice t-shirt with a picture of an exhausted-looking detoxing runner on it, though no medal.
All in all a fab morning out and a nice start to the racing year.
Stats:
Distance: 6.16 miles (see above)
Time: 59:16
Average pace: 9:37 (mainly thanks to the slow first mile!)
Best pace according to Mr Garmin: 6:08 (gulp)
Saturday, 1 January 2011
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
..Or a few thousand steps. I'm planning on completing 1,000 miles in 2011, so the journey starts here.
Happy New Year everyone! Had a pretty sedate night last night and got Janathon off to a good start with a really enjoyable 3 and a bit mile run this morning, ahead of tomorrow's 10k. I've been treadmilling a fair bit lately what with the weather (snow alone can be manageable off road, but the ice which has prevailed over the past couple of weeks has rendered most surfaces unrunnable). However most of the pavements - though not the paths, which are horrendous - are now largely clear apart from a few isolated icy and slushy patches, and I managed a satisfying, if cold, out-and-back run along the main road. Would happily have gone further, but my training hasn't been that great lately and I didn't want to overdo it before tomorrow, which I suspect is going to be a bit of a struggle anyway (there's a big hill at the beginning, although lots of downhill thereafter). But since I haven't done more than about 5 miles in nearly a month, I'm not expecting a great time.
I did feel really energised and positive today, though - probably because I was running outside in the fresh air rather than in the hot and sweaty gym with the crappy music and nothing to look at but my own hot and sweaty reflection in the mirror - so the month, and the year, feel like they're off to a good start.
Today's stats:
Distance: 3.43 miles
Time: 32:41
Average pace: 9:32
Happy New Year everyone! Had a pretty sedate night last night and got Janathon off to a good start with a really enjoyable 3 and a bit mile run this morning, ahead of tomorrow's 10k. I've been treadmilling a fair bit lately what with the weather (snow alone can be manageable off road, but the ice which has prevailed over the past couple of weeks has rendered most surfaces unrunnable). However most of the pavements - though not the paths, which are horrendous - are now largely clear apart from a few isolated icy and slushy patches, and I managed a satisfying, if cold, out-and-back run along the main road. Would happily have gone further, but my training hasn't been that great lately and I didn't want to overdo it before tomorrow, which I suspect is going to be a bit of a struggle anyway (there's a big hill at the beginning, although lots of downhill thereafter). But since I haven't done more than about 5 miles in nearly a month, I'm not expecting a great time.
I did feel really energised and positive today, though - probably because I was running outside in the fresh air rather than in the hot and sweaty gym with the crappy music and nothing to look at but my own hot and sweaty reflection in the mirror - so the month, and the year, feel like they're off to a good start.
Today's stats:
Distance: 3.43 miles
Time: 32:41
Average pace: 9:32
Friday, 31 December 2010
Happy Hogmanay, and Janathon thoughts
My first full year of running (only started part-way through 2009) is nearly at an end and it's been a pretty good year all in all - first marathon, first half, first 10-mile race (that one didn't go terribly well), and PBs at all distances. Still not fast, but not last either, and hoping to see some improvements in 2011.
Recent weather conditions have forced me into the gym, where I've been learning to love the treadmill... well, "love" is putting it a bit strongly. "Hate a bit less" would be more accurate. It's not my first preference, and contrary to what many people seem to find, it always feels like much harder work than outside, but it has its plus points, a non-slippery running surface being a key one.
Gearing up now for Janathon and I think this is going to be a challenge. Having successfully completed and enjoyed Juneathon last year (I came 3rd! I won a prize!) I signed up for Janathon without too much thought, basically thinking it would be more of the same. But it won't be more of the same, because Juneathon was in June when the weather was OK and the evenings were light and I could fit in some shorter runs late in the evening, and Janathon is in January when it gets dark half way through the day and the weather is uniformly horrible (not necessarily a problem in itself, except when outdoor conditions are actually unrunnable in, which has been the case for much of December). So given that running on the spot while waiting for the kettle to boil probably doesn't count, fitting in daily runs could well prove to be an even greater challenge.
I like a challenge though.
Happy New Year, however you choose to spend it.
Recent weather conditions have forced me into the gym, where I've been learning to love the treadmill... well, "love" is putting it a bit strongly. "Hate a bit less" would be more accurate. It's not my first preference, and contrary to what many people seem to find, it always feels like much harder work than outside, but it has its plus points, a non-slippery running surface being a key one.
Gearing up now for Janathon and I think this is going to be a challenge. Having successfully completed and enjoyed Juneathon last year (I came 3rd! I won a prize!) I signed up for Janathon without too much thought, basically thinking it would be more of the same. But it won't be more of the same, because Juneathon was in June when the weather was OK and the evenings were light and I could fit in some shorter runs late in the evening, and Janathon is in January when it gets dark half way through the day and the weather is uniformly horrible (not necessarily a problem in itself, except when outdoor conditions are actually unrunnable in, which has been the case for much of December). So given that running on the spot while waiting for the kettle to boil probably doesn't count, fitting in daily runs could well prove to be an even greater challenge.
I like a challenge though.
Happy New Year, however you choose to spend it.
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Goals for 2011
I don't know how realistic these goals are, but you’ve got to have a target in mind, right? :-) I got PBs across the board in 2010 (not that difficult since it was the first time I'd done some, OK most, distances) so it would be lovely to do the same in 2011.
So here are mine for 2011:
* Sub-55 10k (current PB 57:43. I’m not sure how plausible this one is, to be honest.)
* Sub-2:05 half (current PB 2:10:20 - I would love to say sub-2 hours but I think that may be beyond my reach at the moment)
* Sub-4:45 marathon (current PB 4:55:07 - I think this is definitely doable… I hope. The 4:55 – set at Loch Ness in October, which was my first marathon – is a bit of a soft PB, I think. Hopefully I can reduce it at Edinburgh in May. As long as it’s not too hot, as it apparently has been in previous years. I'd much, much rather run in the freezing cold than in the heat.)
* Lose about half a stone in weight in addition to what I’ve already lost – around 4-5lb so far. (I think this is achievable. My eating habits are definitely changing, although my weight seems to have stalled for the moment. And I know this isn’t exactly a running goal, but it’s related. )
* Complete 1000 miles in 2011 (Currently on 852 for 2010. 1000 in 2011 should be doable, all being well.)
*Increase my cross-training. (That would be "increase" from the "next to nothing" which is currently my cross-training. I am very bad indeed at cross-training. I'm a crap swimmer and I don't have a bike, but I do have access to a gym, so I really should start making better use of it than just running on the treadmill when it's too snowy and icy outside.)
To be reviewed...
So here are mine for 2011:
* Sub-55 10k (current PB 57:43. I’m not sure how plausible this one is, to be honest.)
* Sub-2:05 half (current PB 2:10:20 - I would love to say sub-2 hours but I think that may be beyond my reach at the moment)
* Sub-4:45 marathon (current PB 4:55:07 - I think this is definitely doable… I hope. The 4:55 – set at Loch Ness in October, which was my first marathon – is a bit of a soft PB, I think. Hopefully I can reduce it at Edinburgh in May. As long as it’s not too hot, as it apparently has been in previous years. I'd much, much rather run in the freezing cold than in the heat.)
* Lose about half a stone in weight in addition to what I’ve already lost – around 4-5lb so far. (I think this is achievable. My eating habits are definitely changing, although my weight seems to have stalled for the moment. And I know this isn’t exactly a running goal, but it’s related. )
* Complete 1000 miles in 2011 (Currently on 852 for 2010. 1000 in 2011 should be doable, all being well.)
*Increase my cross-training. (That would be "increase" from the "next to nothing" which is currently my cross-training. I am very bad indeed at cross-training. I'm a crap swimmer and I don't have a bike, but I do have access to a gym, so I really should start making better use of it than just running on the treadmill when it's too snowy and icy outside.)
To be reviewed...
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Race Review of the Year
Things got off to a slow start in January/February, with the cancellation (twice) due to snow of the Lumphanan Detox 10k. By the time it finally happened I was already thoroughly detoxed plus it was still snowy and incredibly cold plus there was tennis on the telly and I didn't feel like driving umpteen miles to get there so I bailed :( Plan on doing it this year, though.
March was the Garioch 10k, my second ever 10k following the extremely snowy and icy beachfront Christmas Canter in December. It was a warmish day and a hillier course than I'd anticipated and I found it a bit of a struggle, not helped by getting a stitch half way through (after drinking a cup of ice cold water) which refused to shift :( Still managed to PB in 1:01:51 but had hoped for better.
April saw another 10k over at Balmoral, and I knew this was going to be tough due to the famed Balmoral Hill, and sure enough it was tough, although I'll have another shot at it next year now that I'm slightly (very slightly) better at hills. Finished in a Personal Worst of 1:05:40 :-O My performance was probably not helped by having to trek what felt like miles from the car parking area to the start with daughter on my shoulders (husband was recovering from a hernia op and hence excused carrying duties). Did enjoy the bacon roll afterwards, though.
My 2010 10k series continued in May with the large Aberdeen Baker Hughes event on a drizzly morning. I'd had sub-60 min hopes for this one but had a bad run on the day and finished in 1:01:09, still a PB though.
The quadrology (?) of 10ks concluded in June with another beachfront event when again the weather managed to be atrocious. It took place on a Tuesday evening and was wild, windy and very very wet. However, I somehow managed to smash both my PB and my sub-60 target, finishing in 57:40 :-) :-) :-) Probably because I was in such a hurry to get out of the rain and get home!
July saw my first half marathon attempt in the Stonehaven HM, which everyone kept warning me was Very Hilly. It was another lousy day (the joys of the NE Scottish summer) and the largely uphill first few miles were difficult, but I surprised myself with a 2:10:20 finishing time (having been mainly concerned to beat the 2:45 cut off and avoid getting swept up by the sweeper vehicle). A week later I ran the Big Fun Run 5k in a time of 26:45. But I still maintain the course was short.
August and September were focused on marathon training, which went reasonably well on the whole, culminating in October's Loch Ness Marathon, which was just a fantastic experience :-) I'd aimed for sub-5 hours so was very happy to finish the hilly course in 4:55:07, though of course I immediately started thinking about how I could have been quicker... Plan on hopefully improving on my time in Edinburgh next year.
I struggled a bit to recover post-marathon, feeling quite fatigued for a while and also nursing a niggly calf problem, but was well on the road to recovery by the time of the inaugural Aberdeen Fetch Mile in November, organised by the dynamic Nywanda. This was a great event which was enjoyed by all and it was brilliant to get the chance to run on the track at the new Aberdeen Sports Village. I ran the mile in 8:19, which hopefully I can improve on next time.
Due to the snow'n'ice and hence postponement of this year's Christmas Canter, December is a non-racing month. Looking back though I'm quite surprised at how many races I actually did in 2010 including: first marathon, first half, first mile, and PBs at every distance :-) (Not difficult given that I only ran three races in 2009, which was my first year of running, but gratifying nonetheless.)
Will think about goals for 2011 in my next blog post...
March was the Garioch 10k, my second ever 10k following the extremely snowy and icy beachfront Christmas Canter in December. It was a warmish day and a hillier course than I'd anticipated and I found it a bit of a struggle, not helped by getting a stitch half way through (after drinking a cup of ice cold water) which refused to shift :( Still managed to PB in 1:01:51 but had hoped for better.
April saw another 10k over at Balmoral, and I knew this was going to be tough due to the famed Balmoral Hill, and sure enough it was tough, although I'll have another shot at it next year now that I'm slightly (very slightly) better at hills. Finished in a Personal Worst of 1:05:40 :-O My performance was probably not helped by having to trek what felt like miles from the car parking area to the start with daughter on my shoulders (husband was recovering from a hernia op and hence excused carrying duties). Did enjoy the bacon roll afterwards, though.
My 2010 10k series continued in May with the large Aberdeen Baker Hughes event on a drizzly morning. I'd had sub-60 min hopes for this one but had a bad run on the day and finished in 1:01:09, still a PB though.
The quadrology (?) of 10ks concluded in June with another beachfront event when again the weather managed to be atrocious. It took place on a Tuesday evening and was wild, windy and very very wet. However, I somehow managed to smash both my PB and my sub-60 target, finishing in 57:40 :-) :-) :-) Probably because I was in such a hurry to get out of the rain and get home!
July saw my first half marathon attempt in the Stonehaven HM, which everyone kept warning me was Very Hilly. It was another lousy day (the joys of the NE Scottish summer) and the largely uphill first few miles were difficult, but I surprised myself with a 2:10:20 finishing time (having been mainly concerned to beat the 2:45 cut off and avoid getting swept up by the sweeper vehicle). A week later I ran the Big Fun Run 5k in a time of 26:45. But I still maintain the course was short.
August and September were focused on marathon training, which went reasonably well on the whole, culminating in October's Loch Ness Marathon, which was just a fantastic experience :-) I'd aimed for sub-5 hours so was very happy to finish the hilly course in 4:55:07, though of course I immediately started thinking about how I could have been quicker... Plan on hopefully improving on my time in Edinburgh next year.
I struggled a bit to recover post-marathon, feeling quite fatigued for a while and also nursing a niggly calf problem, but was well on the road to recovery by the time of the inaugural Aberdeen Fetch Mile in November, organised by the dynamic Nywanda. This was a great event which was enjoyed by all and it was brilliant to get the chance to run on the track at the new Aberdeen Sports Village. I ran the mile in 8:19, which hopefully I can improve on next time.
Due to the snow'n'ice and hence postponement of this year's Christmas Canter, December is a non-racing month. Looking back though I'm quite surprised at how many races I actually did in 2010 including: first marathon, first half, first mile, and PBs at every distance :-) (Not difficult given that I only ran three races in 2009, which was my first year of running, but gratifying nonetheless.)
Will think about goals for 2011 in my next blog post...
Monday, 4 October 2010
"All the way is far enough": Baxter's Loch Ness Marathon 2010 Race Report
Really didn't know quite what to expect from my first marathon... I'd done most of the training (although circumstances had interfered a bit over the last few weeks), I'd read every bit of advice I could find, some of it contradictory, I'd packed and unpacked my bag several times, tried to positively visualize myself crossing the finish line, studied route maps and elevation profiles and weather forecasts, and although I was wildly excited I still didn't feel a bit ready.
Got to Inverness, found our B&B more or less by accident, then walked down to registration in Bught Park, though the B&B turned out to be further away from the park than it had looked on the map and the little one was complaining of tired leggies. Registration was straightforward enough, got my race number and chip (strange loop thing) and got the little one registered for the Wee Nessie pre-schoolers' race which she was excited about and very pleased with her free Nessie t-shirt. She was also enthralled by the giant inflatable Nessie which greeted us on arrival at the park.
We were pretty hungry by this time and hadn't booked tickets for the pasta party, and I was a bit worried that everywhere would be full, but we managed to find a place to eat without much trouble and despite looking longingly at various other menu items I decided to do the sensible thing and opt for pasta, which happily turned out to be delicious. Then met up with some friends we hadn't seen for ages who were doing the 10k and had a pleasant few drinks before heading back to the B&B where I had a pretty restless night thanks to pre-race nerves.
Got up at 6.20am, put my gear on (rummaging about in the dark so as not to wake the little one, couldn't find my socks for ages even though I'd laid everything out the night before) and went down for breakfast, which I could hardly eat any of although the B&B lady had kindly provided me with a big bowl of porridge. I managed a few spoonfuls and then just couldn't eat any more, but took a banana to eat later. Said goodbye to husband and (still sleeping) daughter and headed off to catch the bus - it was a really pleasant early morning, not cold at all, I had my jacket with me but didn't even feel the need to wear it.
We were on the bus for much longer than I'd anticipated - nearly an hour and a half, reaching the start at about 9:25. The guy who sat down next to me didn't seem inclined to chat, enabling me to proceed with my planned programme of staring out of the window feeling sick. At one point we passed a garden centre which declared itself "Scotland's Best Garden Centre 2010" on a huge banner, which sounded good (though I don't know who had appointed them Scotland's best or whether they had just decided that they were) and I wondered if we would have time to visit it before we left before deciding that no, we definitely wouldn't. A bit later, one guy on the bus persuaded the driver to stop in a layby and a whole load of men piled out of the bus and stood in a line at the side of the road having a pee next to a fence. Since by this time I was desperate for the loo (despite having visited a Portaloo just before getting on the bus), this left me musing, not for the first time, on the unfair advantage enjoyed by the male anatomy in such situations.
We finally reached the start area, by which time the formerly pleasantly balmy morning had turned cold and wet and horrible. Dumped my bag at the baggage vehicle and headed off to stand in the queue for the Portaloos, shivering. I'd taken an old jacket to wear and discard but was still cold and actually looking jealously at the people who had fashioned stylish items of clothing out of bin bags and thinking I really should have done that too.
Thankfully it wasn't long to the start, and I congregated with my fellow tortoises near the back of the throng while the sound system blared out music and encouragement, oh, and the pipe band was a nice touch. The gun fired and, to the sound of Scotland the Brave, we were off - well, kind of - it took me a good 3.5 minutes to shuffle over the start line, but then I really was off, and downhill too, and already feeling quite emotional ("I'm finally doing it! And I've got to keep doing it for 26 miles!").
I was very conscious of not going off too fast and had a rough game plan of aiming for 11 minute miles, but also was aware that the first half has a lot of downhill and the second half more in the way of uphill, so although I know you're not meant to do this I also had in the back of my mind the idea that it might not be so bad to make up a bit of time in the first half, given that like many people I find downhills easier than uphills. I decided to stick to what felt like an easy, manageable pace for the first half (had decided against wearing HRM, which might have helped). First few miles were fairly undulating with a sharp uphill at around 5 miles - I did the first 5 in 51:48, hit 10 miles at 1:45:03, and 13 in 2:17:22, and that was the end of my sub-11 miles. To be honest though I can't remember much about it - it's all a bit of a blur. Stuff I remember: first glimpse of the misty loch; the person in front of me dropping their mobile, which broke; spectators at Whitebridge and Foyers; getting a text from husband at around 8 miles to say the little one had done her race and got her medal, and then trying to work out how far I still had to go when I'd done 8 miles. (My maths isn't usually that bad!) And the guy playing Scottish music from his car at the bottom of his lane - I can't remember at all at what point that was, but it was a nice boost.
Managed to stick to my fuelling/hydration plan with a combination of Shot Bloks, gels, plenty of water and Lucozade Sport, and I think it worked because although I was very fatigued later in the race I never hit the dreaded wall or felt that I couldn't carry on. But predictably enough the second half was much harder, especially when I reached The Hill At Dores (which had already achieved mythical status in my mind) in conjunction with the weather started to feel quite hot. I don't do well in the heat - I'll take rain and wind any day, for running in at least. I fast-walked up a fair bit of that hill and the one after (so did most people around me), and hit my worst point at the next uphill which didn't look as if it was ever going to end. That was the only point where I really felt like stopping for a breather, but I knew if I did I would struggle to get going again, and kept run-walking to the top. Saw the guy who had collapsed at the side of the road - I didn't stop, as there were several people round him, but was glad to hear subsequently that he was fine.
Marshals and spectators were fantastic, really encouraging, with cries of "You're looking good!" (not true) and "the worst is over!" (also not true, but a nice thought).
By the time we reached Inverness my legs felt really, really tired and my pace had dropped considerably - I was doing 12 minute miles by this stage, just trying to keep going, and spent the last few miles doing mental calculations as to how much leeway I had to make it to the finish within my target of 5 hours. Although I'd told everyone my aim was just to get round, I knew I'd be massively disappointed to be over 5 hours. Running through Inverness when I could hear the finishers on the other side of the river was tough and it felt like an awful long way to the Ness Bridge, though it really wasn't! I was barely noticing spectators at this time, apart from looking out for husband and daughter who were there somewhere.... finally saw them at the entrance to the park, ran into the park, saw the finish ahead of me and someone shouted "100 metres to go!" which by this point felt just as difficult as the previous 26 miles, but kept going, even managed a smile for the camera, saw the 4:58 on the clock, and finally stumbled across the finishing line in 4:55:07 on my watch (and official chip time), 4:58:59 on the clock, suddenly bombarded from all sides with goody bags, medals and bottles of Lucozade, shared an emotional moment with the girl who'd finished a few seconds ahead of me (another first-timers) and emerged into the muddy quagmire of Bught Park, very tired, achey and already thinking about the next one.
In summary.... although a lot of it is a blur, I had the most fantastic time. I don't know if my tactics were the best (probably not) and I should probably have done more hill training, and immediately afterwards I started thinking I could have pushed myself a bit more in the second half (first half in under 2:20, second half in over 2:35) but given how tired I was at the finish I'm not sure I could have done that much more, at least at my present level of fitness, as the hills in particular really took it out of me. Next time.....
Appreciated the shower afterwards and the great medal and t-shirt, though (a) a technical t-shirt would have been nice as would (b) one which didn't advertise the Scottish Daily Mail on the back, but hey, I'm not complaining!
Still stiff and sore two days later but still on a high, and currently considering the 2011 Edinburgh Marathon to try for a good PB....
Got to Inverness, found our B&B more or less by accident, then walked down to registration in Bught Park, though the B&B turned out to be further away from the park than it had looked on the map and the little one was complaining of tired leggies. Registration was straightforward enough, got my race number and chip (strange loop thing) and got the little one registered for the Wee Nessie pre-schoolers' race which she was excited about and very pleased with her free Nessie t-shirt. She was also enthralled by the giant inflatable Nessie which greeted us on arrival at the park.
We were pretty hungry by this time and hadn't booked tickets for the pasta party, and I was a bit worried that everywhere would be full, but we managed to find a place to eat without much trouble and despite looking longingly at various other menu items I decided to do the sensible thing and opt for pasta, which happily turned out to be delicious. Then met up with some friends we hadn't seen for ages who were doing the 10k and had a pleasant few drinks before heading back to the B&B where I had a pretty restless night thanks to pre-race nerves.
Got up at 6.20am, put my gear on (rummaging about in the dark so as not to wake the little one, couldn't find my socks for ages even though I'd laid everything out the night before) and went down for breakfast, which I could hardly eat any of although the B&B lady had kindly provided me with a big bowl of porridge. I managed a few spoonfuls and then just couldn't eat any more, but took a banana to eat later. Said goodbye to husband and (still sleeping) daughter and headed off to catch the bus - it was a really pleasant early morning, not cold at all, I had my jacket with me but didn't even feel the need to wear it.
We were on the bus for much longer than I'd anticipated - nearly an hour and a half, reaching the start at about 9:25. The guy who sat down next to me didn't seem inclined to chat, enabling me to proceed with my planned programme of staring out of the window feeling sick. At one point we passed a garden centre which declared itself "Scotland's Best Garden Centre 2010" on a huge banner, which sounded good (though I don't know who had appointed them Scotland's best or whether they had just decided that they were) and I wondered if we would have time to visit it before we left before deciding that no, we definitely wouldn't. A bit later, one guy on the bus persuaded the driver to stop in a layby and a whole load of men piled out of the bus and stood in a line at the side of the road having a pee next to a fence. Since by this time I was desperate for the loo (despite having visited a Portaloo just before getting on the bus), this left me musing, not for the first time, on the unfair advantage enjoyed by the male anatomy in such situations.
We finally reached the start area, by which time the formerly pleasantly balmy morning had turned cold and wet and horrible. Dumped my bag at the baggage vehicle and headed off to stand in the queue for the Portaloos, shivering. I'd taken an old jacket to wear and discard but was still cold and actually looking jealously at the people who had fashioned stylish items of clothing out of bin bags and thinking I really should have done that too.
Thankfully it wasn't long to the start, and I congregated with my fellow tortoises near the back of the throng while the sound system blared out music and encouragement, oh, and the pipe band was a nice touch. The gun fired and, to the sound of Scotland the Brave, we were off - well, kind of - it took me a good 3.5 minutes to shuffle over the start line, but then I really was off, and downhill too, and already feeling quite emotional ("I'm finally doing it! And I've got to keep doing it for 26 miles!").
I was very conscious of not going off too fast and had a rough game plan of aiming for 11 minute miles, but also was aware that the first half has a lot of downhill and the second half more in the way of uphill, so although I know you're not meant to do this I also had in the back of my mind the idea that it might not be so bad to make up a bit of time in the first half, given that like many people I find downhills easier than uphills. I decided to stick to what felt like an easy, manageable pace for the first half (had decided against wearing HRM, which might have helped). First few miles were fairly undulating with a sharp uphill at around 5 miles - I did the first 5 in 51:48, hit 10 miles at 1:45:03, and 13 in 2:17:22, and that was the end of my sub-11 miles. To be honest though I can't remember much about it - it's all a bit of a blur. Stuff I remember: first glimpse of the misty loch; the person in front of me dropping their mobile, which broke; spectators at Whitebridge and Foyers; getting a text from husband at around 8 miles to say the little one had done her race and got her medal, and then trying to work out how far I still had to go when I'd done 8 miles. (My maths isn't usually that bad!) And the guy playing Scottish music from his car at the bottom of his lane - I can't remember at all at what point that was, but it was a nice boost.
Managed to stick to my fuelling/hydration plan with a combination of Shot Bloks, gels, plenty of water and Lucozade Sport, and I think it worked because although I was very fatigued later in the race I never hit the dreaded wall or felt that I couldn't carry on. But predictably enough the second half was much harder, especially when I reached The Hill At Dores (which had already achieved mythical status in my mind) in conjunction with the weather started to feel quite hot. I don't do well in the heat - I'll take rain and wind any day, for running in at least. I fast-walked up a fair bit of that hill and the one after (so did most people around me), and hit my worst point at the next uphill which didn't look as if it was ever going to end. That was the only point where I really felt like stopping for a breather, but I knew if I did I would struggle to get going again, and kept run-walking to the top. Saw the guy who had collapsed at the side of the road - I didn't stop, as there were several people round him, but was glad to hear subsequently that he was fine.
Marshals and spectators were fantastic, really encouraging, with cries of "You're looking good!" (not true) and "the worst is over!" (also not true, but a nice thought).
By the time we reached Inverness my legs felt really, really tired and my pace had dropped considerably - I was doing 12 minute miles by this stage, just trying to keep going, and spent the last few miles doing mental calculations as to how much leeway I had to make it to the finish within my target of 5 hours. Although I'd told everyone my aim was just to get round, I knew I'd be massively disappointed to be over 5 hours. Running through Inverness when I could hear the finishers on the other side of the river was tough and it felt like an awful long way to the Ness Bridge, though it really wasn't! I was barely noticing spectators at this time, apart from looking out for husband and daughter who were there somewhere.... finally saw them at the entrance to the park, ran into the park, saw the finish ahead of me and someone shouted "100 metres to go!" which by this point felt just as difficult as the previous 26 miles, but kept going, even managed a smile for the camera, saw the 4:58 on the clock, and finally stumbled across the finishing line in 4:55:07 on my watch (and official chip time), 4:58:59 on the clock, suddenly bombarded from all sides with goody bags, medals and bottles of Lucozade, shared an emotional moment with the girl who'd finished a few seconds ahead of me (another first-timers) and emerged into the muddy quagmire of Bught Park, very tired, achey and already thinking about the next one.
In summary.... although a lot of it is a blur, I had the most fantastic time. I don't know if my tactics were the best (probably not) and I should probably have done more hill training, and immediately afterwards I started thinking I could have pushed myself a bit more in the second half (first half in under 2:20, second half in over 2:35) but given how tired I was at the finish I'm not sure I could have done that much more, at least at my present level of fitness, as the hills in particular really took it out of me. Next time.....
Appreciated the shower afterwards and the great medal and t-shirt, though (a) a technical t-shirt would have been nice as would (b) one which didn't advertise the Scottish Daily Mail on the back, but hey, I'm not complaining!
Still stiff and sore two days later but still on a high, and currently considering the 2011 Edinburgh Marathon to try for a good PB....
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