When time's disappearing, when should you change a plan?

It is a much quoted saying that "time flies when you're having fun" and a well known fact that it seems to fly even faster when there is a deadline approaching, so it should be of no surprise to me to discover that this week is the last week in May and we have 3.5 weeks until we do the Highland Cross. It is fair to say I am feeling suitably panicked by this information and am wondering whether or not a change of training plan is required to help give me a boost in confidence.

A quick check back through last years blog and it looks like we're not far off where we were with regards to the distances we are running, though I know in myself I'm definitely a lot slower than last year. However I have definitely not got in enough biking. Yet again we skipped the long bike ride this weekend and though we got in a mid week cycle last week I am just not fit enough to comfortably cycle 30 miles after running 20! 

The reason for our slackness in training at the weekend? Well partly it's to do with us needing to pop up to Inverness to pick up some things from the wedding from the parents, but mostly it's the sunshine! 

We went out for a 12 mile flat road run on Saturday morning, setting off at 8:45 and the route planned based on the expected temperatures for the day; it was a very slow plod - and murder on the knees but it seemed foolish to try anything harder when we would be finishing our run in temperatures forecast to get up to 25 C. 

Then we headed up to Inverness where we met parents, picked up our belongings and enjoyed the sunshine - we even had time for a proper bbq in the garden where with toasted marshmallows on sticks (surely all this running deserves some treats?!)

The next day we had intended to head back down the road to Stirling and dig out the road bikes but it was another scorcher and so we decided to go for a walk with Dad and head down the road when it was cooler. We went for a lovely long stroll through the forests at Inverfarigaig and took in the views of Loch Ness, which were far more obscured by trees than the last time either Dad or I had been there.. another sign of time passing!

By the time we finally got home it was late, and there wasn't enough time to go out for a long bike ride - oops. The result, another weekend has gone and I've not been out on the bike again, meaning I've only been out on the road bike 4 times this year. Oops again!

With this lack of bike fitness in mind I am considering doing some sprint work and some extra biking for the next fortnight, the hope being that I now have enough running stamina to go the distance and it is just about getting that little bit fitter to do it comfortably.

Those who followed the blog last year will know that I treat my training plan like any other plan I work with, and as a project/programme manager I have dealt with a lot of plans! There often comes a point (more often that not it comes towards the end of a job) when you are not quite on track with something and you need to look at your plan, and look at the various tools you have at your disposal to see if there is another way of achieving your goal. I am feeling a bit like that today. 

In running terms this last month before an event is called "The Monster Month" and Runners World has some great tips to help you get through it. The advantage I have is that there is a tip in here called "cross out cross training" which as I am entered into a duathlon would not be totally practical! So in adjusting my plan I hope to increase mileage on the bike and to do this in parallel with some short faster runs, thereby not cutting back on the running but increasing my stamina on the bike - or that's the theory anyway - the proof I guess will be in a few weeks time!

The honeymoon's over...

It is a classic saying "the honeymoon is over" but for our training schedule that is most certainly what it feels like!! We may have spent some of our most wonderful week and a half away walking up hills and cycling along remote roads; but we also took very seriously the relaxing and enjoying plentiful supplies of quality food and drink which happily goes hand in hand with getting married. Unfortunately the after effects of this is that the running so far this week has been decidedly hard work. Oh well at least the sun is shining and we don't have any excuses of bad weather to fall back on so hopefully it won't take us too long to get back into the swing of a slightly more healthy lifestyle again.

Don't get me wrong it's not that our lifestyle has been unhealthy compared to some. We spent the Thursday and Friday before our wedding out walking with friends, and Colin went climbing the morning of the wedding whilst I went out for a run. We then had a lovely 'mini-moon' trip around the West Coast of Scotland, which despite initially looking like it was going to be a wash out of a week was pretty favourable from a weather perspective so we did get out for some walking and biking.

We spent a couple of days on the Island of Raasay where we cycled Calum's Road and explored the small Isle of Fladay which can only be accessed at low tide; and we completed a really enjoyable walk to Hallaig and up Dun Caan during which we were lucky enough to see a Sea Eagle flying over head.

On Sky we did a short walk around the Dinosaur footprints at Staffin.

Then whilst on Knoydart we completed a fabulous walk in the sunshine along the ridge of Sgurr Coire Choinnichean, which though only a small Corbett from a height perspective starts at sea level so involves a lot of ascent! Knoydart was a fanastic place and we were only able to just scratch the surface of the walking in the area during the time we were there. We will definitely be back.

On an initial look at this activity you may think that we would have nothing to worry about with regards to keeping up our fitness levels for Highland Cross training; unfortunately it seems that if you mix the enjoyment of the outdoors with the enjoyment of West Coast Scotland food and drink that some impact is inevitable... never the less it was absolutely worth it. We sampled some amazing sea food over the week, drank bubbly in a bubbly spa with a most amazing view, and made sure we enjoyed as many courses of food as we could possibly eat just so we didn't miss out on any of the amazing flavours on offer.

          

So there you have it, we had the most wonderful wedding at Kentallen Bay, and can't wait for the photos to from Julie Bee and Dougie Cunningham who captured the day with much clicking of cameras. We ran off to the West Coast of Scotland for a few days walking, biking and much merriment and now we are home....

Which leads us to the realisation that one month from today and we will be participating in a 50 mile cross country duathlon. Gulp! That seems like a lot of fitness we need to gain very quickly... where's that training plan - The honeymoon is over!

The calm before the party.... it's all part of this years training plan - honest :O)

Those of you who followed last year's training blog will know that I am a great believer in planning. In fact most people who know me are used to my being the butt of perpetual jokes about my need to plan, and the various lists and spreadsheets that I use to stop things running away from me. So I find myself in the rather pleasant experience of knowing I'm having a rest fortnight, chilling out having a cup of my favourite Apple & Mint tea, whilst waiting for someone else to clean the car, and knowing it's all part of my training plan.... honest!
You see when we sat down and decided to apply to enter the Highland Cross this year we knew we were wanting to get married and were trying to arrange for the wedding to be at a sensible time of year that it would have some possibility of being sunny (!), not be midgy (?!), and that we wouldn't be at peak-training watching our diet and worrying about taking a break. We therefore decided that we wanted to aim to be almost at maximum distance just before the wedding so that if we took some time off for a couple of weeks it would be easier to get the mileage back up again; in fact it would probably do our muscles good to have a rest from high mileage runs.
So it is with much glee that I can relax, as planned, a couple of days before the wedding and let my body recover a little. In fact we are bang on schedule for the runs, though I have to admit that the fact I've only been on a road-bike once this year so far is starting to worry me. No worry, have I mentioned the bikes are coming on mini moon!!!
Last weekend we enjoyed (yup we really did enjoy it!) a lovely 13 and a bit mile run round Glen Lednock above Brig O'Turk. The sun was out, we were feeling fit and even the snow couldn't cool our spirits. Colin was sprinting ahead up the hills but I was still able to pull the stamina trump card at the end after the long downhill section, just coming in ahead of him. It's not that we're racing you understand (?!) but it's great to see such an improvement in Colin's running after just a year. The last time we did that run was much tougher, though granted the weather was much friendlier this year.
So this week it's all been about prepping for the wedding knowing we're on track for The Cross. I've been back to see Angela Mudge to get that niggling pain tended to again, it seems there is much improvement but I still need to keep stretching for the week; we've had a lovely few days walking with friends in Glencoe; I've been for a pamper session to try and see if I can make myself beautiful and now I'm just waiting for the car to be 'made ready' so I can load it up with gear for a wedding and mini-moon holiday. How exciting is that? In fact, sat here with my cup of tea it feels very much like the calm before the storm, though if course I would rather my storm came in the form of a big party at the weekend rather than anything involving rain!
With that in mind here's a toast: to training, to weddings and to chilling out in the sunshine. Hope you have a lovely week or so, as I'm sure we will, and I'll tell you all about it when we get back...

CHEERS!

Sunshine and Sore Bits!

It's been a beautiful sunny week and it's made getting out for a training run alot easier to motivate myself for. Which is a relief as time has been short, what with all the last minute planning required for the wedding, so the slightest hint of rain could have put all training on hold! As it is I've been out running with views like this around me - it almost makes you want to stay out for longer.
Last weekend there was snow on the tops and Cairngorm ski resort was reporting deep powder. We were tempted but we had alot to get through so Colin and I refused to succumb to temptation and we stuck to plan - going for a run on the Saturday morning with Colin heading off to buy some essential items for the day (shirt, & shoes etc!). As time was at a premium we decided that rather than heading off to somewhere else for our run we would lengthen my previous weeks exploration into the Gargunnocks and headed out for a 12 mile 'there and back' to the tops behind the house. We could see a sprinkling of white on the tops but it was still a surprise quite how deep the snow was at 450 metres, and it made the wind very chilly as we ran against it. However the clear skies gave amazing views and we counted our blessings that we are able to get into such remote places so easily without even getting into the car. The 12 miles was completed well in just under 2 hours 20, which considering the climb up to 470 metres from our village wasn't bad atall.

Despite all this sunshine and sticking to our distance targets I've been encountering a bit of a pain. It's rather an annoying pain as it doesn't affect me running but it does affect me walking slowly, standing still, and sometimes sitting down. It's one that historically appears every now and then but has been steadily getting worse - and I suppose I would ignore it only.... I don't fancy standing & saying my wedding vows in pain!!!! So this week I headed off to Knead to Relax to see Angela Mudge and ask her to see if she can work some magic. The result was my leaving the place feeling like I'd been beaten up but very hopeful it would have positive results. I've alot of stretches to do over the next few days, I'm trying to keep the mid week runs gentle, and I've a repeat visit next week just before we head West for the wedding. Fingers crossed it works.

So tomorrow we hope to get in one last long run before we drop our mileage for a couple of weeks and head off to tie the knot. Exciting times! .... and don't ask about the bike training, I'm hoping that by taking the bikes on 'minimoon' with us we will get out and put some miles in then. :o)

Goatfell in the sun

Well, my latest hill day was an absolute cracker!
I prepared well the night before, and made it to the station on time, all packed with lunch and having had a nice breakfast. I failed to clear the next hurdle though, and got on the wrong train!
I was not dissuaded though, and decided that I'd just hop on the next one, even though I'd have to wait 3 hours for the ferry.
This was time well spent, as I had a natter with a nice chap in Ardrossan who had some great hill stories.
The ferry trip seemed to fly by, as I watched the island draw ever closer, eventually I was able to get a photograph of the Goatfell range. The guy on the observation deck had binoculars so I chatted with him about how I needed to get myself a pair of them to go up the hills with. He recommended I catch the bus from the terminal, to Cladach, to give myself a head start.
Hopping on the bus, I made it to the start of the path and bought a post card to send to a few friends in other countries, then headed up towards the hill.
The forest walk was very nice, with the trees providing nice shade from the hot sun, and allowing me to warm up the walking legs. I passed a monk coming the other way and we greeted each other and kept going. It reminded me to not rush the trip too much, and enjoy the scenery.
I'm glad I did this, as once I cleared the tree line, I came across an adder, which wasn't too happy at being spotted, and hid in the heather before I could photograph it.
I took the chance to look back over Brodick bay, and appreciate the height I'd gained, so I checked the map and was pleasantly surprised how much progress I'd made!
The final leg along the ridge was enjoyable with big boulders to scramble around if I didn't fancy the path, and after not too long the summit appeared, with its very own resident seagull!
I stayed a while and soaked up the amazing scenery, there's a few ridge walks that I'd like to revisit, so I think I need to add Arran to the "revisit again and again" book!
Rather than go back by the path, I decided to explore the south ridge, and found a nice route down, though I am sure I wouldn't have liked it on a wetter day! I soon got back on to the main path back and enjoyed the forest for a second time.
13km total distance, 4 hours (including 30 mins at summit)
5.5km to summit with 850m ascent, in 90 mins
7.5km back to pier, in 120 mins

Going by these times, I've still a lot of work to do if I want to beat my previous times! The walking bit of the cross is 30km and I need to make that in 5 hours!

Somehow though I feel fitter this year for it than last time, so we'll see on the day!