In Glasgow

I arrived in Glasgow yesterday after a 30 hire flight. It's cold and wet. At 2pm yesterday it was about 7deg although the prediction for the weekend is fine and 13. I fly out to Islay this afternoon (Friday) so will spend the next 8 nights in a tent. I feel OK. My left heel is still a little worrying but is better and the physio has shown me how to tape it up to prevent over pronating. My race plan at the moment is of denial and disbelief that I am actually here. I just want the race to start so I can think "oh, how did I get here?" I just found out that I made the local Pine Rivers Press newspaper who ran a bit of a story on me, which was pretty cool. It's also on their website.

Isle of Jura Blog

This following is taken from the Isle of Jura Blog website:
http://www.jurainfo.com/blog/news/scottish-ultra-marathon-to-return-to-islayjura/Scottish Ultra Marathon to return to Islay/Jura
April 10th, 2009
Niall Colthart of Port Ellen has finalised the route for Scotland’s toughest race which will take place over six days from May 3rd this year starting at Ardbeg distillery. Around 50 competitors are expected and a part of each runners entry fee will be going to Islay and Jura Sick Children’s Fund. Niall: ‘We also have a guy from Australia competing who is asking people not to sponsor him with monetary contributions but by donating blood - which is at a premium in Australia after the bush fires. All of us in the organising team have done this.’
The event attracts some truly tough nuts. One girl who came last year is planning to swim to the start line from the mainland while another guy is competing having lost a leg in the Falklands conflict. He is now the High Constable of Perth. Niall says that the organisers are keen to see some local athletes competing. He says: ‘It is possible to do the route without actually running. Each stage can be completed at walking pace - and at least one competitor did exactly that last year. This is where the event differs from the likes of the fells race with its timed cut off stages. It is however being tipped as the toughest multi-day event in the UK.’ Competitors carry everything with them as they run, including all food and a tent, camping in makeshift villages overnight. The only thing supplied at support stations is water.
The RouteDay 1 - Sunday 3rd May: Ardbeg to Bunnahabhain via Claggain bay, Beinn Vicar, Kynagarry and Balulive above Finlaggan.Day 2: Bunnahabhain to Feolin via Rhuval. Killinallan, Craigens and West Carrabus. Then Knockdonn, Loch Skerrols, Scarrabus, Balole, Loch Finlaggan and down to Port Askaig to camp across at Feolin on Jura.Day 3: Feolin to Glenbattrick via Inver through the Paps, Knockrome, Evans Walk to Loch Tarbert at Glenbattrick.Day 4 (the shortest but toughest!!) Glenbattrick to Rhuantailain along the shores of Loch TarbertDay 5: Rhuantailain to Tarbert Standing Stone via raised and shiant beaches to Corpach and then following the corpach river up to the watershed and then decending down to the road over five miles of tussock grass and bog north of Tarbert.Day 6: The runners run down from Tarbert on the road to finish in the filling store at Jura Distillery for a well earned dram.
Niall is also appealing for volunteers to marshall some of the sections saying: ‘We hope to grow this event in the future to add another date to the island calendar and bring people to Islay and Jura in particular who might not otherwise have come.’
for more info visit the website www.scottishultra.com

“Control the controllable and manage the uncontrollable!”

I had my first restless sleep last night. I felt really anxious about 2am wondering if I had any idea what I was getting myself into. Started to think of all the things that I'd forgotten to do and the extra training that I should have done. It's all due to a silly heel injury that I have suffered on my left foot caused by using the Merrel shoes and road running in them. They were fine in the 30km Wild Horse run but I think that I have a over-pronation strain from the Twilight HM road run. I cycled on the Monday & Tuesday after, then swam on the Wednesday. On Thursday I decided to take a break as I still felt quite stiff from the weekend. I had planned to do 10km out to work on Friday morning, then 10km home, then back that up with 10km on Saturday & Sunday. I got to work on Friday OK, however the Merrel shoes felt uncomfortable. I think they have a higher centre of gravity than the Salomons. When I started to run home that arvo, it felt like I was running with a stone in my shoe causing a sharp pain in my heel. 1km down the road I turned back to the workshop. Luckily I had my mountain bike there so was able to ride home. Saturday morning arrived and I could hardly place my heel down to walk - it was really painful. It's still uncomfortable today (Wednesday) but feels as though it's healing.It did allow me to get back onto my road bike on Monday for a fast 45km hit out. I've only been out on it a couple of times since I rode to the Gold Coast last October and it felt really good. I'm off to the gym this afternoon for a proper weights session. I'm searching for any cross training that I can do at the moment to rest my foot. I'll swim tomorrow, cycle Friday and then try a 5km run on Saturday in my old shoes. If my foot is still playing up I may be having a few more restless nights. As Pastor Stan says: “Control the controllable and manage the uncontrollable!”

Wet Shoes and a Dodgy Pakistani Shirt

I really don't enjoy road running. The sense of achievement when you finish a HM, particularly if you've run well is great but other than that it's fairly monotonous. I entered the UQ Twilight Half Marathon event on Sunday night, knowing full well that it was more an exercise in mental preparation for the Scottish Ultra than anything else. I started out well, feeling very comfortable for the first 10km keeping a 5 min per km pace. Then at the turnaround for the second lap, things started to go slightly pear shaped. The course took a detour before the 2nd outbound crossing of the Green Bridge to make up the extra 1.1km on the second lap (The first lap was only 10km). This messed with my race plan and my head as I had set this bridge crossing as a "slow & steady" sector of the race. So when I saw the bridge coming up I didn't realise that I had another km to go. This meant that I started my "slow & steady" sector way too early and it seemed to take forever to get to the turnaround and the 5 km to the finish. After the turnaround (where I had hoped to make a big push to the finish) I started to feel a sharp nerve pain in my lower back which started to worsen until the hill leading up to the last Green Bridge crossing. Everyone was passing me, little old ladies, crippled old fellas, crawling babies, three toed sloths. I had to stop and walk up the hill. When I walk up hills I take fairly wide steps. Strangely, after about 10 paces the nerves in my back eased. it was like I was carrying someone piggy-back and then they got off. I felt fantastic and started running at about a 5 min/km pace. I started passing people like they were standing still (sort of) and even managed an Orangutan sprint around the last 300m of track to the finish line!

I had used the HM to test some of my gear which I had hoped to take to Scotland. Firstly the new Merrel shoes that I have been using hurt my feet and I managed to get small blood blisters on both big toes, They also seemed to retain heaps of moisture. I'm not sure whether it is the Gore-Tex that stops them draining. I have decided to stick with my trusty Salomon Wings.

I bought a shirt on Ebay. It is a CoolMax type cycling shirt with the pockets at the back. I thought that this type of shirt would offer sun protection, give my a bit of extra storage and most of all not give me any rash/abrasion issues. I was wrong.The shirt was made in Pakistan. I think they used a combination of sand paper, barbed wire and asbestos to sew the underarm panels. Suffice to say that I couldn't use underarm deoderant this morning.........

Wild Horse Mountain Night Run 28/03/2009

After spending a relaxing day at Mooloolaba watching the preparations for Sunday's Triathlon, I made my way south down the highway to Wild Horse Mountain for a 6.15pm start. Intermittent rain during the day had made the trail unpredictable and there was a real prospect of rain during the run. About 30? starters lined up for the 10, 20 & 30km runs. As I have been having some real issues with my left shin splint I nervously agreed to the 30km, with the option that I could re-loop back into the 20km circuit if my leg starting playing up.
All runners started together with the "wake up call": a 750metre climb to the top of the mountain, up the stairs around the lookout and back down the steep gradient to where the track started proper. The view of the sunset over the Glasshouse Mountains was fantastic, I wish I had taken a photo. Immediately I felt my shin start to twang but strangely enough after 200 metres or so I must have got the blood flowing and it eased off. That was the last time I felt it for the rest of the night. I think I may have been helped along by the mosquitos. Most of the competitors lost a pint or two to the little blood suckers before the start.
NOTE FOR NEXT YEAR - Bring Insect Repellent!
On the way down from the lookout I met up with Alun and we had a great chat for the next 7 or so kms. I must be getting a bit fitter as I usually aren't able to create conversation when I run but Alun was kind enough to cut back his pace a bit while we talked.
We passed CP10 for the first time and I was quite pleased to see that I was keeping pace with a group of 5 or 6 runners which is quite foreign to me as I usually end up running alone near the back of the pack. At about the 10km mark the group started to spread out and for the rest of the night I stayed stuck between a headlamped runner about 500m ahead and another about 500m behind. There was no moon at all so it was particularly dark. About 13km in, I noticed the headlamp in front of me turn around and start coming back towards me, then the call of "SNAKE!". It was only a Python, about 5-6 feet who had decided that the gravel road was a nice warm place to curl up and have a nap, only to be interrupted by our Headlamps. I relayed the call to the runner behind and continued on, dodging the occasional cane toad and ingesting scores of bugs that seemed to have a fatal attraction with my lamp.
I made a conscious effort to take note of my electrolyte/fuel intake. I drank some Hammer HEED at the 10km mark and I think? that I noticed a boost in the way I felt by the time I passed through CP10 a second time. Feeling way better than expected I decided that this was the point of no return and committed to the 30km. This loops around the "Lowlands" or wetlands to the East, almost reaching the Pumicestone Passage's mangrove swamps. Running alone in the dark, I imagined that freaky scene from the movie "Deliverance", humming the banjo theme Do Do dee Do de do de do dum......... - you have to have a good imagination to do distance running.
Turning back towards the highway we had a few long straight stretches, curtained on either side by the pine trees. The cloud seemed to clear by this stage and I even turned off my light to enjoy the view of the stars. (Earth Hour). It was so dark. I turned my light back on after a minute or so as I slammed by foot sideways into a washout. The false horizons on the straight stretches from 10B & 10C were a little misleading and it was at this point I contemplated the pros/cons of buying a Garmen or at least a compass so I could work out what straight stretch I was on.
Thinking that I was on the home stretch as I passed 10B I was starting to fatigue, I lost concentration on a sandy part of the junction, burying one foot into the ground. This produced a very slow, long, clumsy stumble which appeared to take about 10 seconds and 10 steps to complete. Twisting and turning I eventually ended up on my back after a half somersault in a pike position. Luckily I came away unscathed apart from being entirely covered in sand. - including my mobile phone and back pack. Most of this sand ended up on the black leather seats of my wifes car on the trip home. I thank my lucky stars that I had the spill in the sand as 10 yards on either side was hard gravel road.
Composing myself with a bit of a walk and a drink, I jogged past CP10 for the last time feeling tired but content. I think I was running with Geoff at this stage who mentioned he was hurting but he still managed to catch me. With a failing lamp and tired eyes, I once again stumbled after slipping a foot underneath one of the many fallen branches on the second passing of the twisty trail towards the river crossing. It started to rain as I passed a couple of ladies from the 20km course just before the river crossing. I thought how pleasant it was to wash the mud and dust off my shoes through the river only to be confronted with a foot deep clay mud bog 50 metres later. - so much for clean shoes!
By this stage my lamp batteries were on their last legs. Geoff took off past me after having a a salt tablet and a second wind, but as this section is made up of jagged rocks I erred on the side of caution, preferring to slowly plod in to the finish rather than twist an ankle or have another fall.
I came into the finish tent in 2 hrs 51 min. I think it was 27 or 28km total distance.
Thanks to all who organized the event. It was great to run in the dark for a change.!

Shin Splints and other assorted stuff.

Managed a good 25km mountain hike with a 13kg pack on Saturday 7th March. Felt really strong and managed to back it up with a 10km run on the Sunday. Knocked over the fastest 10km I've ever done on the Tuesday and then backed that up with an hour of sprints on the Rugby Field on Wednesday. That's when my drama started...... I decided to do a 600m sprint to finish off the session and as I ran between the rugby pitchs I felt something Twang in my left shin splint area. It had been stiff for a few days but now I'm a bit concerened.

The upside however is that after 2 years out of the pool, I have rediscovered swimming and have been easily rolling over 2km. I did run 12km at Mooloolaba last Sunday but then the shins started aching whein I attempted to run on Tuesday, So it looks like it's all Bike and Pool for me for the next week and Hopefully I will be good to go for the 30km Wild Horse Night on the 28th.

On a sadder note, I am retiring my original Salamon Shoes as I have finally run them through. Something I've never done to a pair of shoes before!

Half Marathon 01 March, 2009

Competed in the Brisbane Road Runners Club Half Marathon Championship Race 1. Finished in 1hr 50min. I was a little disappointed as I had hoped to come in around 1-45 but for some reason I was really lethargic and of course I havn't done a huge amount of road running. - Which, might I add, is an INCREDIBLY BORING physical pursuit. 21km made up of 4 laps of a straight road with only a couple of humps to break things up. I much prefer trail running! PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, PLOD, - Finish!