Training Log Archive: Spur

Road to the Isles half marathon - PB ! Nervous about knee at start, but made a decent start with first 3 miles at 8m pace. Fraser went well ahead at Arisaig. Not the knee but started to feel groin pain from 4 miles, slowed to 9 min pace and had to dig in. First 10k in 53.30. Hills near Camusdarach became tough, but tried to make the most of downhills. Toiling at Morar but pleased to beat the train crossing at 90 mins, and doing enough to keep on track for under my 2 hrs target. Caught Fraser on the last uphill and we ran together into the finish. Happy to get a PB, sure I can do better without injuries etc

Easy cycle to Mosspark and back. Knee a little better.

SOL3 blue course at Drumlanrig. Going well (6th place) until en-route to #5 when I tripped on a root and battered my left knee on the fall again. Lost some time hobbling to 6. Lost 2 mins at 9 puzzled by greenery, would have been better going round on paths. Similar story at 13 where I lost at least 3 mins unable to find the ditch to follow. No power on sore knee for the long run home in the open. 12th place. Frustrating injury timing with a half-marathon next weekend.

Jog to Cathkin Park and back via QP.

Stag evening at Dawsholm. Didn't do a lot wrong apart from 1 min at #11 but feeling a bit slow on inclines, mid-table in the results.

Camusdarach beach in the sunshine!

Beinn Dubh from Luss. Glorious evening!

Jog around Frobost loop. Mixture of sun and hailstones.

More machair with Ben.

Thought about climbing Beinn Mhòr but the mist came in so went for a jog around the Howmore machair instead which turned into a walk as had too many layers on.

To the Milton machair with Ben.

Terrain training at Coille Nathais on the 2012 map. Even boggier than I remember, got totally lost after 4 controls and had to take a safety bearing back towards Fearnoch. Oops.

Lethargic jog around Queens Park.

Jog to King's Park Avenue and back.

Ran the Cathkin Braes blue course from the recent event. Went from 5 straight to 9 (which was adjacent to 6)... so did the 9, 8, 7, 6 loop backwards then carried on. Didn't take the best map print so faffed at a few control sites wondering what the feature was, and may well have missed a few!

Pollok Parkrun. Steady run on a dry fresh morning, ideal conditions. A bit disappointed with the time. Mary completed her first Parkrun though!

Jog to Mosspark.

Trossachs Blue Course. Nice and sunny. Another miserable outcome here but better than a DNF I suppose. Ok to 1 although found more climb than I needed to. Wide route to 2, a little confused en route but relocated quickly. Slow slog up to 3, maybe should have followed stream. Good to 4, 5, 6 and 7 - feeling quite good about myself now. Seemed to be running with Brad and Lard for company here (on a different course). Then the wheels fell off at no. 8 with almost 15 mins binned. Mystified by where the mapped path went, maybe distracted by others. Too high for a while, then way too low. Trudged back up to the control through thick heather. Passed by Andy Mac ! Couldn't muster energy to think for 9 so descended to the stream but then had another tired trudge up to the control. Plodded through the last few, losing desire though, and faffing a bit at 14 with map wearing away (?) and another lost competitor distracting me. Gratuitous climb to last control to round off the experience. Must be a huge effort to plan and control here so well done to the event team.

1.4k brisk jog to the start and 0.7k dragging my legs to download from the finish.

Cycle to St Mirren Park and back via Pollok Park, Ross Hall and Hawkhead, with a few turf visits on the way back. Enjoyable cycle ruined by Ayr Utd's efforts at football.