Training Log Archive: ba-ba

HighLAMMder day 2. A change in fortunes today as for the last 1.5-2 hours I was definitely the nail, yesterday's hammer being forgotten.

Just in the fleeing start meant plenty of people to work through early on - which helped on #2 where we were heading for the wrong, higher terrace but people descending it put us right with no time loss. Big group climbing through the mist and took me a while to push on and get moving, but as I did we were treated by an amazing inversion layer and the only summit of the weekend (Corbett Sgorr na Diollaid) where we caught Purkis & partner (Jim managed to not punch the control...). Back down into the mist to a bingo point feature, bearing worked a treat and was pleased that I lead everyone in. Back over the hill feeling good but we then had a long slog through broken ground up the hill as the day got hotter and I really struggled over this and wasn't moving great over the last more runnable sections.

Despite this, only 36mins down today, 5 mins down on Murray&Oleg and managed to beat Jon Ashcroft & Mark Harris by 6 mins overall - which Jim was happy about.

Feeling a bit fat and unfit of late. Weekend shows that latent fitness is there but body not used to getting up and going again as it was last autumn. Also please that despite me fading we were comparatively better on day 2.

4.5 months to OMM!

Event: Highlander Mountain Marathon
 

HighLAMMder Day 1. Teamed up with Jim again - neither of us in the shape we were at the OMM but looking forward to a MM in good weather.

A misty start but we'd been very tardy with busses to spend as little time in the clag as possible. Jim's compass also fell apart in the start-box. Small miss on 1 where Jim tried to navigate but I quickly regained control. Path route to 2 allowed the rest of the course to be planned. Clag lifted just as we were above the tricky(bingo) #3 - bearing spot on! From now on Jim was suffering - bit of a chest issue - and I was enjoying feeling good in the hills, meeting Peter G always lifting the mood, with plenty of Munros skirted but not summited. Just the one miss of note on the 3rd last where an extra stream was on the ground - I lost a lot of height, turned around to see the control bang on the level we were at.

Finished 6th, 55min down on Fin and Sam, 15mins behind Jon & Mark in 5th, 40 ahead of 7th. A long time since I did a summer MM, enjoy the sunny mid-camp (plenty of people asking Jim if he was actually carrying anything in his tiny bag).

Ran out from the Mullardoch Dam - excellent guessing of where the HighLAMMder start would be - to shake out the long journey north. Felt frumpy.