Guinea Pig

Currently having lots of fun testing out a whole lot of new Nathan kit.  Feedback to follow.....

Post 24H Race Update - hills, hills, hills

I've been pretty much floating about a bit race-wise since the 24H in April - the last 2 years have been all about the 24H and it left me feeling quite mentally drained.  So the aim for the summer has been to take the pressure off, and just start enjoying running again.  So, I've ditched the canal and roads and gone back to what I really love - the hills and the trails.  It's also meant a drop in miles in terms of the races I've been entering - but again, that's taken the pressure off - my thing is long races, so going into a shorter trail race, I don't have any expectations.

Race 1 - Goatfell Hill Race, May

Distance: 15.5km

Position: 5th female

Coming into the finish of Goatfell.  It wasn't pretty.   

So, first post-24H race was Goatfell hill race in Arran in May.  I took the ferry over with fellow GB 24H runners Debbie Martin-Consani, Sharon Law and Pat Robbins, and Lucy Colquhoun with her dog Kipper.  It was always going to be brutal - I'd spent the last 6 months training specifically for a flat, 24 hour race, not a short sharp hill race.  I was really happy to finish 5th female given my crapness at hill racing and general out of shape-ness, but spent the next week with the most extreme DOMS I've had in a while - my legs didn't even feel that bad after the 24H - and some funny text exchanges with Sharon and Debs regarding the state of our legs.  Note to self: must start incorporating more hills into training again!  It was a fun day out though - the forecast had been awful, with ferries cancelled the week before and we were all a bit worried about being stranded on Arran.  But it actually turned out to be brilliant - quite sunny, not half as windy as expected, and there was only a slight delay to the ferry home.  

Race 2 - Scafell Pike Marathon, June

Distance: 27.5 miles 

Position: 3rd female

Hanging onto Stuart from Nav-4 who was
 trying to make me run up the really big hill....

I knew the clue was not in the title for this one, having reccied the course weekend before with my friend Oliver Blomfield - my Garmin clocked up nearer to 28 miles.  I really felt like I wanted to do a marathon that weekend and had originally thought of Strathearn road marathon - I last did that 2 years ago when I broke the course record and got a huge PB - but I was no way as race fit as I was then....so, Fionna-logic said to do a hill marathon instead....ok, so I didn't know that Scafell Pike is the highest mountain in England!! I'm embarrassed to admit I've never known what the highest one is - everyone knows that Ben Nevis is Scotland's highest peak and its Snowdonia in Wales (please say that is right!!) but I'd never stopped to think what it was in England!  So I find that out a couple of days before the recce.  And this one lives up to its name - the hill that just keeps on giving!  I'm really grateful to Oliver for taking the time to show me the route as my navigation is rubbish.  As is my memory - I still managed to get lost in the actual race when I took a premature turn off the road and started climbing another hill - because Scafell Pike marathon clearly isn't hilly enough!  Again though, a great course, and well organised race.  Was also a fun road trip with Lucy and interesting stay in a "vintage" caravan the night before.  Note to self: we are definitely camping in a tent for the next one....On a serious note, I was actually quite pleased with the result as I didn't expect to place and didn't feel like I pushed that hard - albeit probably because I'm not back to fitness yet and wasn't really able to push, but I was pleased that my fitness is starting to come back.  Just need to refind my race head now.  Was also great seeing Joe Faulkner and Stuart Smith out marshalling on the course.

Race 3 - Dales Trail Series, July

Distance: 30ish km (actually nearer 33km)

Position: 2nd female

Similar to the Scafell Pike marathon, the Dales Trail 30km was another race I'd entered without realising that Lucy C was doing the same - similar (crazy??) minds think alike...?  It was actually my running buddy Davie Gow who had told me about the race.  Again, because I'm pretty much floating at the moment, with the aim of just getting my running mojo and race head back, I thought I'd come down and do the race as it seemed a nice friendly one.  Not really my distance, but again, pressure off.  I'd come down a few weeks previously with Lucy and Davie to do the reccie that had been organised by Richard Gale at Swaledale Outdoors.  I'd been really struck by how friendly the whole event was - everyone on the reccie was lovely and the course looked brilliant - very runnable and potentially fast.  Also, the campsite we had stayed in at Usha Gap was beautiful and so incredibly friendly (I would totally recommend it to anyone staying in Mucker - and the pub which is just a 5 minute walk across the field from the campsite) and I was really looking forward to going back for the race.  Similar to our recce weekend, we had been blessed with fantastic weather - we got our tent put up then wandered across the field to the Farmers Arms for dinner, where we bumped into David Jelley and a couple of others who had been on the reccie.  I figured Lucy was my biggest competition so tried to get her drunk, but I think she cottoned on.  An earlyish night, early morning battle with the tent zip (can you gnaw through a midge inner with your teeth??) and we were heading to the start line where we caught up with Davie and his girlfriend Stephanie and the rest of the runners.

I started the race fast - I knew the course suited Lucy more so wanted to get ahead of her, and right enough a few miles on, she was passing me on one of the long climbs.  Note to self: must eat less cakes.  I think after that, I just settled into enjoying the course - and I really did - such a scenic part of the world.  I felt really strong at the end, running up all the hills and I overtook about 3 guys in the last 800 metres - maybe its my ultra legs, it takes about 20 miles just to warm up!  I finished 2nd behind Lucy (which is always a win in my mind!) and was just happy that I can feel my strength is starting to return.  The race head still needs worked on, but its definitely there.  

Huge thanks to Richard and all the race organiser/helpers and also to race sponsors La Sportiva who have given me a really snazzy pair of trail shoes! I was sad that we couldn't camp the Saturday night too as there was quite a lot going on, but I had to head back to Edinburgh.  Again, was great seeing Stuart Smith (with Keela dog) and Joe Faulkner at the event.  Both of whom I am not stalking.

Whats next??

So, after a few months faffing about, I think enough strength and running mojo has returned to start getting focussed again.  The next race I'm aiming for will be the Grand Tour of Skiddaw at the end of August.  Between now and then I'll probably do a couple of shorter hill races (I'm planning Ben Rinnes later this month) and get down to the Lakes to recce more of the Skiddaw route.  I think that Stuart and Joe might be there too.  I'm definitely not stalking them.  Maybe they are stalking me?