Aaaaaagh!

It is 2 days after the long run, and my legs are screaming at me. It's especially sore going downstairs. Always seems to be the same after the first long run for a while, particularly if it is a hilly one. I'm sure it was Conic Hill that did it. To go up and over Cronic Hill once is tough, but to do it twice in the same run is just plain stupid.

Mileage so far this week - 0 (zero).

At the moment there is little sign of this improving. We have our office do on Friday, so I'm hoping my legs are better for the dancing :)

Back on the WHW

Yesterday I was persuaded by a Strathearn clubmate, Phil, to go for a run on the WHW. Phil is planning on doing the Round Rotherham 50 mile race in a couple of weeks, and was looking to get a long run in. We started from the point where the WHW crosses the road just outside Drymen, and had a very pleasant jaunt up to the carpark at Rowardennan and back, stopping for a coffee and scone at the Rowardennan hotel.

I had been struggling for the few days before with a heavy cold, but actually felt pretty good for just about all of the 29 miles. I doubt the weather could have been much better for the end of November, although we did have to wade through quite deep water at a couple of points on the route. Legs are sore today, it has to be said, but all in all it was a good day out and an excellent run to get in.

Another highlight of last week was the Celtic v Manchester United game which I was fortunate enough to be at on Tuesday night. What a game and what an atmosphere - I don't think I've ever been at any sports event where the atmosphere has been so good (the West Highland Way Race excepted, of course). In case anyone didn't see it, or isn't interested in football, Celtic won 1-0 and qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League. This was despite the fact that 1) Manchester United's players are a completely different class to those of Celtic, and 2) for the first 30 minutes Celtic hardly touched the ball at all. Still, it's goals that count - Celtic scored one from a fantastic free kick with 7 minutes to go, then Manchester United missed a penalty with only a couple of minutes left.

Coming soon - Ian's review of the year

Over the next few weeks I'm going to publish my highlights of the running year. So watch this space! Will the 14 x 2.2 mile loops round Glenrothes (otherwise known as the Fife 50k) get a mention? What were my best and worst performances of the year? Plenty of contenders in the latter category, unfortunately. What was the worst event from an organisational perspective - again, quite a choice, with most of the contenders being races held in Edinburgh. And the big prize - what will win the award for the 'Ian's Favourite Event'? The WHW race will of course be a short priced favourites to win it for the 6th year out of the last 7 (it missed out in 2002 only because I had dislocated my shoulder a month or so before the race), but other events like the Aviemore half marathon, the Loch Ness marathon and the Dumfries marathon may come into the reckoning.

A decent run, at last

I went out running in Glasgow at lunchtime today. As I was in the office early and was working late (this is added just in case anyone from my work is reading), I headed out for a slightly longer than normal lunchtime run. I ran under the motorway and up to the canal path, past Firhill, out to the lock at Temple, then came back along the cycle path and through Kelvingrove Park, finally doing a few loops around the city centre to take me over the hour. I reckon I must have covered around 8 miles and although the weather was horrible - very wet underfoot and a biting wind - I really enjoyed it.

It's highly unlikely I'm going to reach 2,000 running miles this year. I've managed it for the last 3 or 4 years, but a combination of our Australian holiday in April and then a longer than normal recovery from the WHW in July and August have put paid to my chances this year, unless I do something like 330 miles over the next 5 weeks. Looking at my forthcoming work commitments and social diary, that isn't going to happen by a long way. I'll need to check my records, but I reckon that my lifetime total mileage is around 29,000. If that's right then I would hope to reach the 30,000 mark sometime in the build up to next year's WHW race.

Dull

As the title suggests, I've not done anything particularly interesting recently in terms of my running. I managed to get out 5 times last week, but we were away at the weekend (at the rather splendid Skibo Castle, venue for Madonna's wedding) and so didn't get a long run - far too much food and drink to even consider it. My weekly mileage was a staggering 19 - not much danger of overuse injuries, I would hope. This week so far I've run 3 times, which isn't too bad considering how busy I've been at work. I'll try and get out for a couple of runs over the weekend, and if anything more exciting happens I'll let you know.

Incidentally the West Highland Way race is full already. That's the earliest ever, and just shows how popular it has become. I've been exchanging emails with a chap who is doing it for the first time, John Kynaston. He has set up a blog to recod his WHW training, which can be found here:

http://west-highland-way-race07-training.blogspot.com/

He seems to be doing all the right things - maybe we'll get a run together at some point.

Yesterday's blog

I spent ages last night updating my blog. It was definitely there, but has now disappeared. How odd. I can't remember everything I said but I'll try and recall the highlights:

• I've had a good week's running - 2 sessions at Central, a great run on Saturday round about the Perthshire countryside, and an excellent half marathon today.
• One of the guys, David, does huge mileage - 75 mile in easy weeks and 125 miles when he's getting ready for a race. I don't. My average weekly mileage for 2006, up to yesterday, was 36 miles.
• I've joined Strathearn Harriers and am going to run first claim with them, although I'm still going to be a member of Central.

Think that was just about it, although it took me a lot longer yesterday to say it. Hope this one doesn't disappear as well.

Eddie's half marathon, Fort William

I'm just back from Fort William, where I ran Eddie's half marathon earlier today in 1 hour 28 minutes and 22 seconds. Given some of my half marathons this year, a lot of which have been in the 1.30 to 1.31 range, I'm very pleased. I reached the half way in 43.37 and held it together well through 10 miles (1.06.45), but when we turned into a really strong wind with about a mile and a half to go, it all became a lot harder. At one point I thought I might be able to get below 1.28 but the wind quickly put paid to that, and I was pretty relieved to cross the finish line on the shinty ground. As it is an out and back course I was able to count that I was 35th at the half way point, and think I'll have finished in round about the same position.