Trimpell 20M

Garmin Track | Results | Photos

Being ill almost continuously for 4 months is not the ideal preparation for running a 20-mile road race.

Trimpell 20 mile route

I tried to start as slowly as possible, but ended up in 3rd or 4th position going round the track at the start.

Race start

I probably went through the first kilometre a bit fast (3:42), before settling down to just under 4 minutes per kilometre. However during kilometre 4, my Garmin suddenly started bleeping incessantly at me in the most annoying fashion, and the screen was filled with a message saying "Lap database full". This is such a stupid feature that the Garmin 405 doesn't simply overwrite the old data.

I didn't want to lose my entire Garmin track, so I had to fiddle around with unlocking the touch bezel, then browsing to  Menu > History > Delete > Old Activities > Delete? > "Yes", which wasn't terribly easy whilst still trying to shuffle along. By the time I'd finished faffing with the Garmin, the group I'd been running with were several hundred metres ahead, and I was feeling mentally drained from the multi-tasking.

I then backed off a fair bit and pottered along pretty steadily for the next 10km. I went through 10 miles in 64 minutes, which had been my pre-race target time to achieve sub 2:10 for 20 miles. However, very soon after the 10-mile marker I got attacked with a stitch, so couldn't breath properly for a mile or so. I also started feeling very tired and worn out generally.

By 11 miles, I knew the wheels had fallen off. I got repeated stitches, a pain in my right foot, and generally couldn't breathe properly or generate any pace, both of which are quite useful when trying to run.

The second half of the race became a steady procession of runners passing me, whilst I shuffled along at little more than walking pace. I dropped 18 places from Mile 10 to Mile 19. Once I passed the 19 mile sign, I started to make a bit more effort just to get the thing over with.  I did increase the pace a fraction, but not enough to prevent dropping one more place. As we approached the Salt Ayre stadium I could hear the first lady breathing down my neck, so I tried to maintain a gap, not knowing if we would have to complete a lap of the track. I kept something back just in case, but luckily this wasn't needed.

At 18.5 miles

So the end result was 2:17:42. At the time I was simply relieved to finish. However in retrospect, it was disturbing how I dropped nearly 8 minutes in the second half, and doesn't bode well for any thoughts of marathon running.

On a more positive note, Ellie had a great run to finish as 2nd lady in a time of 2:24:36, in her first long run since London Marathon 2011.

Ellie at 18.5 miles

Loch Katrine Half Marathon

Garmin Track | Results

My first run for a couple of weeks. A low-key one off event organised by Antarctic Odyssey.

Having pre-entered a while ago, I thought I might as well turn up, even though I wasn't remotely fit enough to run a half marathon at the moment. The warm up at Trossachs Pier was bitterly cold, so it was a relief to get going at 9.30am.

My only competition, Brian McGarrity of Shettleston quickly disappeared out of sight, leaving me to plod along in 2nd place. I had a plan to run at 4min/km pace, which would scrape me in just below 1hr25m. I duly passed through 5 miles in 32 minutes, which was bang on pace, however this didn't account for the serious hills being packed into the middle third of the race, hence my next 5 miles took 35 minutes, and I was  already looking at a 1hr27m time at best.

After passing the 10 mile marker, I was into the final 5km, which meant I was catching a steady stream of the slower 10k runners. Despite having plenty of people to chase, I was feeling fairly jaded by this stage, and running into the headwind was taking its toll, so I never really managed to speed up towards the end, and just pottered in with a time of 1:28:14, which was pretty much the slowest half marathon I've run, but it was nice to get out for a run on such a scenic course.

Loch Katrine Half Marathon

Scottish National Cross Country

Garmin Track | Results

Scottish National Cross Country, Callendar Park, Falkirk

This was a bit of joke turning up to the Scottish National Cross Country off the back of no running, training or racing. I decided before starting that my only target was to complete the course at even pace, i.e. attempting to complete each of the 3 laps in close to 16 minutes.

I felt like I was running ridiculously slowly on the first lap, barely raising my heart rate, to complete the lap in 16:10.  I thought for the 2nd lap I was start trying to speed up a bit, but funnily enough the watch said 32:28, meaning I'd run 16:18 for Lap 2.  I thought for Lap 3, I would really start trying and would start passing lots of people, but when I attempted to find another gear it wasn't there, and I just carried on shuffling along at the same pace.  For the final kilometre I must have speeded up a bit to pass a few folk, but still got pipped by Bill Breckenridge and a couple of other runners in the finishing straight.

Pottering around Callendar Park

My final time was 48:50 for 220th place, so just over 4 minutes slower than I've run in the past.  My final lap, despite trying to speed up, was 16:22.  I didn't feel too disappointed afterwards, given that I had no expectations, and just wanted to get out for a run.

Kirkintilloch 12.5k

Results | Garmin Track | Photos

Before the start, I was feeling quite daunted to be running such a tough course, and felt like dropping out after about 1km.  I couldn't quite contemplate how I would last the remaining 11 and a bit kilometres at this kind of pace, but focussed on running at a steady comfortable pace, and counting down the kilometres and minutes.

Kirkintilloch 12.5km route and elevation profile

Quite early on I gave up trying to race anybody, and instead concentrated on the split times and keeping an eye on making sure I scraped in under 50 minutes. Once we got into the final couple of km, I managed to reel in Gary Mitchell, but also got jumped by a couple of runners right before the end, and couldn't find any sort of response.

On the way out

On the way back

Devil's Burdens Relay

Activity on Garmin Connect | Results

My 13th year in a row at the Devil's Burdens Relay.

For 2013, the race was being run in an anticlockwise direction, and with a new changeover location at Kinnesswood.

My route on Leg 3 had a steep opening kilometre to reach the summit of White Craigs, followed by 4km of steady downhill on tracks largely covered with snow. I was quite pleased to maintain around 3:40 per km pace for the last 3km, having done virtually no running so far this year.  I finished the Leg in an official time of 27:21, but it took a few moments to hand over the paper baton to Luke and Cameron, since I was so focused on keeping up the pace to the line, I'd completely forgotten I was in a relay and needed to hand anything over.

Devil's Burdens - Leg 3

Scottish National Indoor Track Championships

Results

Glasgow Emirates Arena

This event covered a number of firsts for me:

• The first time I've visited the Glasgow Emirates Arena
• The first time I've run an event as short as 1500 metres (i.e. less than 5 minutes)
• My first attempt at running in over 3 weeks due to ongoing sinus and chest problems
• And my first race where 95% of athletes were less than half my age

I've also never seen so many race officials. Quite literally hundreds of them.

The protocol for reaching the startline felt quite gladitorial, with calling rooms, special individual chairs, sticky lane number for your shorts, and somebody measuring your track spike lengths. Although I think I was the only person not wearing track spikes. Anyhow, after much build up, I was on the startline in Lane 1 for heat 4 of 7. I deliberately held back on the sprint to the first bend, to avoid getting trampled, and then held back in last position for the first 3 laps or so.

I was worried that my chest was not at all happy about the sudden exertion after a horrible painful infection, antibiotics, and weeks of inactivity. After about 4 laps, I thought I ought to start making a bit of an effort, so jumped past a couple runners and was closing on another. It was all getting a bit of blur by this stage. The only thing keeping me going was the clock at the finish line indicating how much longer the suffering would last, assuming I'd finish somewhere between 4:30 and 4:45.

The laps were rattling away quickly enough but I had no sense of what pace I could sustain, with my mind a complete fog by this stage. It was a relief to hear the bell, and charge around the final lap. My predicted time was 4:44, although I had hoped to be nearer to 4:30. Given that I wasn't sure whether to turn up at all, I was pleased enough to cross the line in 4:44.62, and contrary to expectations, I didn't finish last in my heat.

Review of 2012

Races during 2012

The arrival of Benjamin in January was the major event of 2012, however I still managed a few races.

Benjamin on Day 1

Benjamin on Day 2

Benjamin on Day 2

Benjamin learning survival skills

Benjamin on the beach

Benjamin at the Burrell Collection

During 2012, I ran 60 races and completed one 600km hike across the Alps.

The 60 races consisted of 25 hill races, 18 road races, 5 cross countrys, 5 trail, 5 Parkruns and 2 indoor track races.

The 600km hike was from St Gingolph on Lake Geneva to Menton on the Mediterranean Coast in July, via the GR5, GR55 and GR52, over 15 days. See http://gr5blog.blogspot.co.uk/

Day 14, on the GR52 in the Mercantour National Park

Road races
The longest road race was London Marathon which I pottered round in 2:59-dead, after very little training, and trying to expend as little energy as possible over the 26 miles.

I also managed 4 half marathons: Alloa (1:22), Heaven and Hell (1:27), Balloch to Clydebank (1:19) and Lancaster (1:17) , plus two 10-mile road races: Lasswade (61:43) and Millport (58:54).  I was pleased with the Lancaster Half and Millport 10-mile, which were both the quickest I'd run in 5 years.

I was also pleased and surprised to run 2 of the Polaroid 10k's (Helensburgh and Dumbarton) both in 35 minutes something.

Hill races
I managed 3 races down in the Lakes: Kentmere Horseshoe, Borrowdale and Three Shires.  Borrowdale was my longest race time-wise of the year in 3:52:50, a full 21 minutes slower than I ran in 2003, but I was still happy to jog round in under 4 hours against a super-competitive English championship field.

Borrowdale Fell Race

Towards the end of the season my hill running started picking up after recording a personal worst at Ben Nevis with 1:56:09, I started improving at Three Shires in mid-September by not trying too hard. And managed to hold off Jasmin Paris by a few seconds at the end, partly helped by Jasmin going the wrong way and taking a fall just before we hit the final track.

At Two Breweries, a week after Three Shires, I made my slowest ever start, and drank and ate more than ever before during the race. The net result being that I missed out on a PB by less than 90 seconds for my 11th year in a row at this classic journey across the Scottish Borders.

Three weeks later I ran the Pentland Skyline also for the 11th year in a row, and once again had Jasmin Paris right on my heels the whole way round. I was pleased to finish in 2:54:18, having made up about 10 places in the second half of the race.

Parkruns
I ran 2 Parkruns at the beginning of January just before Benjamin was born, then another one in mid August, the morning after the Tour of Clydeside Bella Belter 10k, then in September I surprised myself with a PB of 17:11, just a week after my personal worst at Ben Nevis. I put this Parkrun PB down to a week's steady training with the Baby Jogger.

Indoor Track
We had 2 unofficial Westies indoor track races at the Kelvinhall over the classic mile distance. I was interested to see if I could go sub 5-minutes.  The first attempt was the night after running a half marathon in Pollok Park, and I only managed 5:13. Two months later I was just recovering from gastroenteritis, but managed a slight improvement with 5:03.

The tail end of the year fizzled out due to illness.  I was selected to run for the Scottish Vets team at the British and Irish Masters Cross Country at Belfast in November, but had to withdraw due to gastroenteritis, and since mid-December I've had sinusitis and chest infections which have scuppered any running for the past 4 weeks.

Looking ahead
Looking further ahead, I have no specific plans for 2013, other than to feel better again at some point, and to hopefully get back to some running. I would like to try a few new races, and maybe to branch out with some slightly longer events.

Lancaster 4k

Results | Garmin track

After the horrible experience of running Leyland 10k yesterday with a cold, I thought I might just about be able to survive this shorter distance today.

It was a fast, flat course.  Danny Parkinson of Kendal developed an ever increasing lead to win by almost a minute in 12:34. I hung onto 5th place in 13:45, for my final race of 2012.

Leyland 10k

Results | Garmin track

Being ill for the past 12 days with a heavy cold, injected sinuses, and generally feeling pretty washed out was not the best preparation for running a 10k.

The course was a bit different to the last time I ran it in 2007.  The trails were a bit muddy with standing water, and the starting area was quite narrow and congested. There was a slight delay at the start when the timing mats had to be moved back about 30 metres.

Once underway, I tried not to go out too fast, but found myself leading for the first 200 metres or so, before 4 or 5 runners came past.  After a while I dropped more places until I was sitting around 10th place at around halfway.

I just about held things together until 8km, but then fell apart in the last 2km and dropped 7 places, from the combined effect of getting a painful stitch and just feeling completely washed out with this lingering cold virus.

The timing clock at the end showed 37:12 as I crossed the line, but when I checked my watch later I discovered I'd actually run 36:38.  Ellie came in soon after in 42:24.

Glasgow Parkrun #198

Results | Activity on Garmin Connect

Having completed precisely 1-mile of training in the past 2 weeks, and crocked my back carrying the baby buggy, I lined up in front of the Burrell with lower back in spasm and feeling quite weary from the aftermath of gastroenteritis.

I was surprised to see British Fell Running Champ Joe Symonds on the startline, sporting his boggin' brown HBT vest, and had a brief chat before the run was underway.

I started much more slowly than normal, partly because I couldn't run properly with my lower back locked. Once the road levelled out by the carved woodpecker, I passed George Taylor to move into 4th place, with Joe Symonds rapidly disappearing from view.

I got a shout from Jethro at the first junction, and then aimed at closing down Michael Sweeney on the first little uphill section. I caught Michael just as the path levels off again, and then starting trying to close down Stuart MacDougall. I appeared to be catching Stuart for a brief while, but then the gap never came down, so I just kept a constant gap and finished 8 seconds adrift in a fairly average 17:25.

Joe Symonds was a full 2 minutes ahead with 15:27 for the 7th fastest time ever on the course.

Lancaster Half Marathon

Results | Activity on Garmin Connect 

I hadn't run a half marathon since Balloch to Clydebank back in April, when I pottered round in 1:19:54 as a warm up for London, and Ellie hadn't run this sort of distance since London 2011, whilst she was expecting Benjamin.

Anyhow, the weather couldn't have been much more perfect for running. Cool, clear, sunny and only a slight wind. We were in a bit of flap trying to get registered in time, but just after 11am the race was underway.

I was fairly sure I could measure my pace to around mid 1:17, but half thought 1:16 might be possible. The opening 100 metres shook out the field, and I was soon jogging along in about 5th or 6th position. Despite feeling fairly pedestrian, I didn't want to go any faster at this stage, and went through the first couple of miles in just over 5:30 pace. The first 4 runners were rapidly disappearing from view, so I worked with next 3 guys to share the pace. A guy in the Pudsey vest (James Titmuss) looked the strongest, so I tucked in behind him for a while on the narrow muddy cyclepath heading south into a bit of breeze.

We went through 5 miles in about 28:50, at which point I decided to back off for a few miles before pressing the pace again. This was perhaps a slight mistake, since it allowed a gap of a few metres to open up which I never closed again. At 6 miles the route turned sharp left onto tarmac and followed narrow undulating roads for the next 3 miles, before dropping back onto the cyclepath just after Aldcliffe.

We hit the 10-mile mark at just over 59 minutes, so I knew we would definitely be under 1:18, but still wasn't quite sure if 1:16 was possible. At mile 11, I dropped Phil Robertson of Lancaster Uni, who had been right on my heels for the past 6 or 7 miles, and attempted to reel in the Pudsey vest of James Titmuss over the remaining 2 miles. I pushed reasonably hard just in case he started coming back, but the gap wasn't closing fast enough, and my heart wasn't really into making any sort of super-human effort to charge him down on the line, so I just kept a steady jog going around the Salt Ayre track to finish 6th in 1:17:28.

Ellie soon appeared and crossed the line in a chip time of 1:34:38 for 2nd FV35, which was a gutsy performance given her crocked back and lack of sleep for the past 9 months.

Lancaster Half Marathon Race Route

Scottish National Cross Country Relays

Results | Photos | Activity on Garmin Connect

Working hard at Cumbernauld

This was my 6th attempt at the Scottish National Cross Country Relays at Cumbernauld Park, and having run sub 15 minutes in 2009 and 2010, I was hoping to do the same again today.

Tom Smith ran Leg 1 in 14:45 to finish in 42nd, followed by Gregor Stewart on Leg 2 in 15:02 who made up 8 places to finish in 34th place. I was hovering around the start area with Ross Milne of Central who set off 3 seconds ahead of me.

The first hill out of the starting straight

I didn't want to kill myself in the first 3 minutes, so worked myself in gradually and reeled in Ross after a kilometre or so. I then set about the task of pressing the pace, and aiming for distant runners and bringing them back.  I managed to catch 6 more, to bring us up to 27th place with a time of 14:50, which is the 2nd fastest I'd run the course.  Niall then took the final leg and made 2 more places to bring the team home in 25th place in a total time of 59:40, which is the first time we've ever got under the hour.

The 4.1km race route