Hotfoot Sightseeing

The best way to see the sights of a city centre is undoubtably on foot. But how to start? In my book it's a good idea to hit the ground running. In several cities I have headed off in the morning for a jog around the main tourist sights. It has to be the best way to get an overview of the character of a town.

In Cusco I decided to plot a route that took in 10 plazas. Each one joined together by picturesque cobble streets, flights of steps or narrow alleys. Running up the flight of steps to Santa Ana left my bent double gasping for breath. Running back down required care as many of the ancient cobble stones have been worn to a polish by countless thousands of feet. Here's the route.

William Sichel

I asked Richie Cunningham if he could think of anyone else I could have a go at interviewing and he suggested William Sichel. William's ultra running achievements are incredible. He is currently unbeaten in all events longer than 48 hours and holds six ultra distance records at World, British and Scottish level.

I read on your website that you live on the Isle of Sanday, in the Orkneys. What influence on your character has this had? Anything that helps your running?
I think yes. I moved here because I wanted a bit of an 'edge' to life. I had a very hard life for my first 10 years here, before I took up running again .
Even now I often train in harsh conditions and I think that keeps me strong.

At what point did you realise you were interested in running ultra long races? Was there a turning point when you decided to ramp up your training?
When I mentioned to a running shoe shop owner that my marathon time seemed to stay the same (2hrs 38mins) and yet I wasn't exhausted at the finish!
He suggested I try an ultra. I ran in the Scottish 100km Championships in 1994 and won it at my first attempt.
An ultra runner was born.

Do you have a favorite part of Scotland? Why is it special for you?
It has to be Orkney of course. I fell for the place in May 1982, the Isle of Sanday in particular and have now spent almost half my life here.
I married here and raised a family of two girls.
I discovered ultra running whilst living here which started a whole new life for me.
Is that enough!

What has been the most rewarding running experience you have had?
Hmmm difficult one. Maybe the Hamm 6 Day race last year. I had gone there to race head-to-head with the great German runner Wolfgang Schwerk.
He pulled out after only about 24 hours and I had to completely re-focus on what became almost a solo time trial.
I did it and recorded a PB and won the race (see below).

Which ultra-endurance races have you competed in? Which were the most important for you?
Rather a lot now as I have been involved in the sport since 1994. Did about eighteen 100km races with a best of 7hrs 7mins. Have done the classics - the Spartathlon and Badwater which helped in my development and my move to longer races than 24 hours. The debut victory in the Monaco 6 Day race in 2006 with the best distance for the year was highly significant for me.
It demonstrated that my ultimate strength would be in multiday events and was a huge confidence boost being ranked as World No1.

What are the longest time you have ever run for, I hear you have run for 6 days!!! What is the longest distance?
Last year in Hamm, Germany I covered 532.6 miles in the 6 days to maintain my unbeaten record and set a Scottish track record and British age-group track record. That is still my PB!

Recovering from testicular cancer to continue running competitively sounds like a story to match Lance Armstrong. Has it made you a stronger runner? How would you say it has changed you?
It was a huge shock at the time as I had only just stepped off the podium (with a team bronze medal) at the European 100km Championships in Italy (1997).
My deep down confidence was badly knocked.
I feel now that it has made me a stronger runner, because it has given me powerful emotions to draw on when the chips are really down.

How many miles would you estimate you run each year? And how many races?
I haven't counted miles for many a long year. I have tried many different ways of training.
Nowadays, my training is a very balanced programme of general fitness training and running - this has produced the best race performances for me.
A mileage figure is a poor representation of my training load.
Much of the running is done with a weight vest. This extra training stress isn't reflected in a simple mileage figure.
Training time is a better guide to my overall training - approx 16 hours a week.
I do about 5 ultras a year - suitably spaced, to be able to run well at all of them.
Every year I have to make very difficult decisions regarding my races. Frequently I have to turn down races and invitations as I don't do races that are too close together.

Do you enjoy suffering? How do you cope with the psychological aspects of these races?
I never think of it as 'suffering' or 'pain'. I enjoy the satisfaction of making a supreme effort in order to achieve something that I consider worth doing.
Currently I am working with a sports psychologist who is helping me develop skills to get that "extra 5%".

What has been the most challenging moment of your running career?
Probably my first race back after my cancer diagnosis and surgery in September 1997. The team manager selected me from my own training reports and my own judgement that I was ready even though the surgery had been in July!
I ran 7hrs 27mins in the World 100km Championships in Holland - I was back!

Any training tips for us mere mortals?
Train for the marathon and race at ultras.
Don't neglect speed - it is always the fastest average speed that wins the race whatever the distance!

Do you ever listen to music when running? Which song would you put on when you need motivating?
This is something I have just started to do on occasion in multiday races. I have a wide selction of very different tracks. Super Tramp and 'Breakfast in America' will always get me going.

What ambitions and plans do you have for the future?
To finish the 1000 Mile World Cup race in Athens next March within the 16 day time limit.
To break Scotland's oldest athletic record - 567 miles in 6 days set in 1882 on an indoor track.
To break records at 48 hours and other 6 day records.
So plenty to keep me going!

Hodgo

The world's least enthusiastic Can-Can with Leg 1 behind

"Question 21. What is known as the 4th Estate?", asked the quiz master (a man of BFG proportions). We arrived too late for any reccies of the route, it was dark, and besides that would have ruined the 'romance'. Instead, Team CAAC took on the fell running elite in a grueling battle of general knowledge and set about breaking Tim's Three-Pint-Rule. Sunday's team had been organised and reorganised several times in the course of this thread on the CAAC forum but, of course, the final decision of who would run each leg, as is mandatory, was made in the pub (the campsite's own The Barn End Bar).

In the first leg of the 22nd Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay, I scrambled up a waterfall, beside Dove Crag, listening to my heart beat faster at the steepest part of an exponentially increasingly steep mile and a half run from the campsite. Every now and then I looked up at Chris waiting for me, fresh as a daisy, and spurring me on up. Even so, the ascent was far from finished and in the next 3 miles there was probably only half a mile of runnable down hill. Finally topping out was rewarded with superb views across Lakeland with a clear blue sky. Chris and I dibbed the checkpoint at the top of Red Screes and looked down, eight and a half minutes later we were at the handover. The initial climb was infinitely long and dangerously steep. This was steeper and longer. We set off stepping with trepidation until we hit a scree gully where we managed to surf down the loose rocks at quite a pace, and then, on the progressively gentler grassy slopes, we nailed it to Kirk Stone.
A welcome gentle rain started as we watched Tommy and Pilky set off on Leg two. . .

Good report thread here. Results and splits here. Photos by Tommy's Dad, Colin, here.

PS The 4th Estate is a term used for The Press.

Richie Cunningham Interview

Richie Cunningham takes running to extremes. Last December he won the Fuego Y Agua 100km race in Nicaragua. He completed the race, named after an active volcano and a dormant one which must be run up and down, over 2500m of ascent, in 11 hours and 40 minutes. Richie, who lives in Fife and runs for Carnegie Harriers, regularly competes in the 95 mile West Highland Way Race, this year finishing 3rd with a PB of 16 hours 24 minutes. Along with other ultra-marathons and hill races he has entered many 24 hour races where the winner is the person who clocks up the highest mileage.

This year's WHW race is on the Adventure Show, BBC2, Sunday 4th October at 7pm.

What prompted you to begin running and how old were you?
When I was young I used to play a lot of football, sometimes 2 or 3 matches in a day and when I wasn't playing I was training. I used to love pushing myself to exhaustion and then trying to push out a bit more! Then, as a teenager I turned to endurance partying for a few years before walking the West Highland Way a couple of times and then becoming a keen Munro bagger. Hill running was just a continuation of this and my first hill race, Stuc a' Chroin in 1998, seemed a natural progression and from that I moved into ultras.

At what point did you realise you were interested in running really long races?
After the Glen Clova hill race in 1998, which I found really difficult and struggled to finish, I decided I was going to "crack" these long races and entered all the "longs" I could find. When I learnt of the West Highland Way Race I decided to use three races to work towards it, The Paps of Jura, Speyside Way and The Devil O' the Highlands.

Do you have a favorite part of Scotland? Why is it special for you?
I have a lot of memories associated with the West Highland Way so that will always be special. Jura is a fantastic place too because it's so peaceful (when its not blowing a gail and you're not getting eaten alive by midges that is...!)

What has been the most rewarding experience you have had?
In my "running life" I find it really rewarding seeing other peoples successes. At this years UTMB race it was such an emotional experience watching all the finishers after almost 2 days of running continuously winning their personal battles and realising months and often years of training.

Where do you keep your WHW race goblets? Do you have enough for a dinner set yet?
It's terrible, all my goblets are in a box packed away I should really have them on display! I've got a bit of a mixture, 3 goblets and 2 tumblers (for 3rd places in '08 & '09) so another goblet might even it out a bit.

When will you win the WHW race? You were 13 minutes behind the winner this year, presumably thats the sort of difference thats acounted for by an extra bite of pasta. . ..
It was a really exciting race this year with us being so close at the end, the closest I've ever come to winning. For me times are more important than wins, I'd rather have had 16:24 and 3rd than 18:24 and 1st but I'll be back again next year and maybe, just maybe...

What other ultra-endurance races have you competed in? Which were the most memorable?
I've ran 34 ultras since 2004 so lots of different memories. This years West Highland Way Race has got to be the most memorable because I focussed on it for months before and everything came together on the day, and just being part of that amazing finish was a privelidge but also because it was the last race organised by Dario Melaragni before he passed away so, the end of an era.

What is your PB for a 24 hour race?
127 miles 1119 yards on the 400m track at Tooting Bec, London last year. This is a sore point for me at the moment having just competed for Scotland at the Commonwealth Championships in Keswick at 24 hour. I had a very disappointing race for various reasons but I'm now determined to crack this event once and for all.

What are your favorite foods for running?
On the whole I eat a healthy diet packed full of carbs and loads of greens. I don't eat meat only the occasional bit of fish. During heavy periods of training I crave junk food, my favourite is chips and curry sauce and I've been known to eat whole packets of chocolate digestives in one go but I think this is the body telling you what it needs. Also I don't take any food supplements or vitamins and haven't for years ever since I worked in the health food industry and saw what a con it is, a good diet is all you need.

How many miles would you estimate you run each year? And how many races?
I run about 3000 miles a year, last year I raced 858 miles with a total of 141 800 feet of ascent in 25 races, on average 34 miles per race.

Do you enjoy suffering? How do you cope with the psychological aspects of these races?
The nature of ultras means that there is always going to be an element of pain involved. I find that running in beautiful and spectacular scenery is perfect for taking my mind off the pain and reminds me how lucky I am to be doing this. A bit of suffering in a race or a run means you are pushing yourself to the limits so is a positive thing most of the time, also it's a good thing to remember the option to stop is always available unlike some people in this world who have real-life suffering and pain to deal with. When I ran Fuego y Agua in Nicaragua worrying about if there was going to be gels or food at the next aid station seemed crazy when you saw the poverty of the local people, two worlds colliding indeed.

What has been the most challenging moment of your running career?
Last weeks 24 hour race in Keswick, a new challenge awaits!

Any training tips for us mere mortals?
Believe and enjoy.

Ben Challum

With a few hill races coming up soon, I thought I'd better get a bit of training in the hills. So, on Saturday I went out for an hour in the Pentlands and, on Sunday, I drove up to Kirkton Farm and ran up Ben Challum. A good amount of the ascent is runnable and the views from the summit, south to Ben More and east to Ben Lui, were excellent. Navigation was straightforward as you just follow a set of fence posts (and the procession of walkers).

Passing walkers seems to affect the hill runner in a number of odd ways. Firstly, in a valiant attempt to prove that I'm not an idiot, I feel the need to grin like an idiot. Next, I show off by speeding up as I overtake. Its odd behaviour I think, boasting to strangers. Even though it was a rainless day, it was fairly windy and most of the walkers were wrapped up warm with hats, gloves and jackets. It must seem slightly unhinged that I was trotting past, perfectly contentedly, in shorts. One couple, sat drinking coffee, gave me some jelly babies and said, "Well done!"

Comrie Hill Race

On Sunday I joined one of three CAAC teams competing in the Comrie Hill Relay Race. The first team came second, our team came third and the third team came 18th. All in all a fantastic day.

I ran leg 2 with Tim and it was fairly tough going. The initial ascent was fairly gradual but then required a fair bit of heather bashing. Then we followed a fence up to the summit and pegged it down very steep heather to the road. After a mile on the road we handed over to Alex.

The day was sunny and the bbq, beer and village cricket rounded off an excellent day. Also Martin was surprised with a card and a cake to celebrate his 60th. Here he is with Graeme beginning leg 2.

Lomonds of Fife Hills Race

Which way?!

One of the enjoyable things about hill running is that each race has a distinct character of its own. This one has a bit of everything: steep ascents, muddy tracks through forest, heather bashing, views across Fife and the Forth, and probably the steepest and narrowest descent of any race. So much so that the best way down is on your posterior. As seen in this youtube clip from 2007.



Despite being a windy day, I caught the sun on my shoulders, but the red marks on the backs of my thighs are from grass burns.

18 Grueling Mountain Races in Scotland

If you love the hills and you need a challenge try these for size. . .

The Big Daddies

1. West Highland Way Race ~ 95 miles with 12,000 feet of ascent following the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Fort William.

2. Islands Peaks Race ~ A team of sailors and runners sail from Oban to Troon via Mull, Jura and Arran. Includes 4 hill races totalling 60 miles with 12,000 feet of ascent.

3. Cateran Trail ~ 55 miles with 8,000 feet of ascent. A circular trail in Perthshire starting and finishing in Blairgowrie.

4. Highland Fling ~ 53 miles. The first half of the West Highland Way from Milngavie to Tyndrum.

5. Devil of the Highlands ~ 43 miles. The second half of the West Highland Way from Tyndrum to Fort William.

Long Hill Races

6. Lairig Ghru ~ 27 miles with 2,100 feet of ascent.

7. Glenshee 9 ~ 21 miles with 5,900 feet of ascent.

8. Ochil 2000s ~ 18 miles with 5,000 feet of ascent.

9. Two Breweries ~ 18 miles with 4,900 feet of ascent.

10. Isle of Jura ~ 16 miles with 7,500 feet of ascent.

11. Pentland Skyline ~ 16 miles with 6,200 feet of ascent.

12. Arrochar Alps ~ 16 miles with 7,900 feet of ascent.

Chalenges, Duathalons and Mountain Marathons

13. Highland Cross Duathalon ~ 20 mile run from Morvich to the head of Loch Affric and then a 30 mile road cycle to Beauly.
14. Corrieyarick Challenge ~ run, cycle or duathalon, 17 mile hill section and 26 mile road section.
15. Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon ~ 2 day event for teams of two where camping equipment must be carried.
16. Highlander Mountain Marathon ~ 2 day event for teams of two where camping equipment must be carried.
17. Great Wilderness Challenge ~ a choice of 7, 13 and 25 mile races.
18. Hebridean Challenge~road bikes, mountain bikes and kayaks are required for this team event.

Have I missed out any? Has anyone competed in them all?! Let me know what you think. . .

I now offer guided walks and walking holidays in the UK in Northumberland, the Pennines, the Lake District, Scotland and further afield.

I'm always keen for outdoor adventures to help people learn the skills to explore! My particular focus is mountain skills such as navigating with a map and compass and wild camping for expeditions.

Find out more

Highland Cross

Letting the other CAACers disappear ahead of me, I took the first four and a half miles at a gentle pace. Then, after crossing a bridge, there was a steep climb. Feeling strong, I kept a steady jog up the hill and took satisfaction in overtaking several people walking including David Law. On a narrow path near the top there was a dramatic waterfall and then the ground levelled. For the next few miles, as far as the Camban Bothy, the ground was undulating and I still felt good and kept up the pace overtaking Dave Henderson.

On flatter and stonier ground I started to get a bit of pain in my knee which checked my pace. In fact I took it easy all the way across the river, past the Youth Hostel and as far as the "Fire Ladies Welcome". (The race was originally devised for firemen and their wives would meet them here.) I wasn't at all tempted by the spread of sandwiches and cakes, but the ambulance truck looked comfortable!

Shaking thoughts of quitting I headed up the notorious Yellow Brick Road. To clear things up, its not yellow, there are no bricks and calling it a road would be a generous lie. What it is is a hard stony track at a steady incline for the length of Loch Affric. I struggled on.

The track continued and eventually became a paved road. I found it harsh to run on this surface and had to walk a few sections. Soon the transition appeared. A kindly bespectacled old local handed me my bike and I changed into my cycle shorts and scoffed a banana. Then I was off to whizz down hill at electrifying near-F1 speeds.

Well not quite. After I had gone a few hundred metres I realised the rear tyre was a bit soft. I stopped, pumped some air in and continued. After a while I heard a clanging sound of metal on road. I stopped again and realised there was a split in the side of the tyre. The tyre must have been damaged when being transported from Inverness. I popped off the wheel and stuck a few patches on the inner tube but there was nothing much I could do to repair the tyre. Fortunately a reasonable amount of air stayed in the Tyre and I managed to get to the end by stopping every quarter of an hour or so to pump it up. A little frustrating but I was just glad to get back to Beauly where a bed, bath, shower, dinner and beer were patiently waiting for me.

It was my third visit to Glen Affric in four weeks. I was there a month ago munro bagging with Alastair, then I was back for the LAMM two weeks ago.

On Sunday, to loosen up the legs, Dave and I headed up a couple of munros in Glen Affirc called Toll Creagach and Tom a'Choinich. We dropped the Tom one along a ridge that looked a bit steep from a distance. Reassured by a dog walker that there was a good path, we followed it and it were glad we did.

LAMM to the Slaughter

We were dropped off by the coach at the Cluanie Inn and I thought I would soon be running up the steep slope I had descended with Alastair a couple of weeks ago. No sooner had we got out of the coach than a marshal herded us into a minibus and we were off again to the real start.

Alex and I competed in the Lowe Alpine Mountain Marathon this weekend. Mystery shrouded the location until last Thursday night. Even then, we only knew that we were going to Kintail, the checkpoints for the route are only disclosed at the start line. After the check point we took on an early steep ascent and even quicker descent. Alex slipped and slid a hundred metres or so down a grassy gully. Thankfully he was mostly unscathed and we continued on our way.

With weighty packs, with compulsory tent and stove, we navigated to the checkpoints, mainly lochans, knolls, stream junctions and, the hardest to find, a spur. Despite a great deal of climbing, often very steep, the course avoided summits. As we ran down the path to the mid camp we spotted the 500 or so tents pitched in the glen like a mini Glastonbury. We washed our legs in the river, found the other CAACers, ate as much cous cous as we could handle and slept.

Alarm Clock

I could easily have slept until the afternoon but the bagpipe player had other ideas and woke us all up at 5am. We packed up the tent breakfasted on flapjacks and picked up the route for day two. Setting off at a reluctant jog we passed the slit trench and the stench of poo spurred us on away up the glen. The weather was glorious and with fantastic views we leapfrogged a South African and San Franciscan pair. We'd overtake them at a run on level ground and they would creep up on us on the hills. With our packs digging into our shoulders and blistered feet we arrived back at Morvich for chili, tea, cake and sunshine!

Meanwhile, Magda went with some friends and climbed Ben Cruachan. I'm a tad envious as Russ and I had to miss this one out due to encroaching darkness (see here). But it will make a good day out on my own at some point!

Hunger

The Hungry Cyclist in Rio

On the hottest day I have ever known in Scotland, I opted out of looking at Inverary Castle with the others and instead ran up Beinn Bhuidhe. I started out along the track in Glen Fyne and took the left fork through Merk Park and up to a col where Merk Burn begins. From there I climbed up north and then reached a flat bit where I managed to run as far as the base of the ridge. Here I walked up a steep gully. I then jogged along the ridge to the summit. The trig point, usually a surefire navigational landmark, was toppled over and incorporated into the cairn. I ran back the same way. I had my shirt off for the whole run. In Scotland.

I met the others at a beach near Bellanoch and we had a bbq, drank beer and enjoyed the sunshine. Sunday was a lying on the beach day and I finished reading The Hungry Cyclist by Tom Kevill-Davies (see thehungrycyclist.com). I have to say, I loved this book.

He rode his bike the scenic route from NYC to Rio, searching for the perfect meal. His route took in the Great lakes, crossing the Rockies, Mexican deserts, a dodgy river journey across a continent and hundreds of miles of Brazilian beach. On the way he tastes bull's testicles, pigs brain, hallucinogenic mushrooms, armadillo, fried piranha cooked outside a brothel and he learns how to barbecue a guinea pig. More often his search for the perfect meal is successful. Throughout the book there are the best recipes from each area he has cycled through. I'm hoping to try making some of his recipes, maybe Ron Don, Pupusas, Fish Tacos or Hangtown Fry, as soon as I can figure out where to get the ingredients. Along the way he met some coluorful characters, such as a Panamanian fireman who thought he was MacGyver and a lycra clad German cyclist whose idea of a good meal was birdseed, jam and bananas.

I think there are two great strengths to this book. Firstly, there is the strong theme of food. With a distinct purpose to his trip, the writing is focused on the next newly discovered dish, and the people who cook and eat it. Many travelogues become a little self indulgent to the point that the author talks only about himself and his problems, and almost ignores his surroundings. This was impossible for Tom because of the second great strength: his superb sense of humour. Often self deprecating and naturally charming, on one occasion I dropped the book laughing.

Mr Cake

Chir Mhor

Under an assumed name I battled my way along the snow covered ridge to the summit of Ben Lomond. The sleet and wind in my face combined to have the effect of someone machine-gunning me with frozen peas. At the summit a marshal, dressed like an arctic explorer, proffered some Jelly Babies and took down my race number. A loop round the cairn and then, with the wind now at my back, I carefully descended the rocky ridge before going for it on the stony path.

The Ben Lomond hill race was an exciting experience, and one that I would have missed if it wasn't for a chance meeting with John from the running club (CAAC) last week at Moy. He couldn't make the race, although he had entered, so I took his place and his name and ran as John O'Hara. John had also organised a lift with his friend Tommy, which I was also able to transfer my way. Tommy, his brother-in-law Malcolm and Martin Hulme all passed me on the way up but I was satisfied to overtake Malcolm at least on the descent. Martin was the 3rd SV. At the fast end, there was some intrigue because an American trail runner had entered and no one knew what he could do. He set off at the start at a crazy fast pace. He has a great all-American name too: Judson Cake. In the end Brian Marshal, from HELP, caught up and overtook, but the contender hung on for a dead-heat mudslide finish. All made for an entertaining organiser's report.

I was happy to get through the race with no pain from shin splints. Nevertheless, after the race, in sunshine (!), I joined a few other nutters cooling their legs off in the loch and then got a bowl of soup in the hotel. Martin mentioned that he was heading to Arran with Ptarmigan Mountaineering Club, and that there was still space on the bus. The club is based around a bus trip to the hills on the first Sunday of each month. Unless you have an irrational fear of coaches (bustophobia?!) its a great idea, and I'd been meaning to come along since Martin told me about it months ago. The three most pertinent advantages as I see them are these.
1) A-to-B walks are possible by picking up the bus at different points. So you are not limited to circular walks to get back to the car.
2) You can read a book, or sleep on the journey.
3) After the walk you can have a beer.

The forecast was for a bright sunny day, so when the ferry arrived it was, of course, raining. Nevertheless, we caught a bus to Sannox and headed of up the glen. We cut up right onto the steep heathery end of Suidhe Fhearghas, tough work. Fortunately, fuelled the cup of tea and bacon sarnie on the ferry, we made short work of the climb. Just in time for another rain shower as we waited for the rest of our party to catch up. The view of the peaks and ridges opened up with Goatfell towering over the rest but outclassed by the shapely Chir Mhor. Along the ridge on the way to Caisteal Abhail there were several granite boulder pinnacles. One of these is followed by a sharply cut bealach called Ceum na Caillich or The Witches Step. Peering over the edge at a precipitous drop, we scrambled down a less ardous alternative.

Martin climbing on a boulder at the Witches Step

With views over the Firth of Clyde, Islay, Jura, Kintyre and Bute surrounding us, not to mention down Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa, we took stock at the summit of Caisteal Abhail. With time (and ferries) waiting for no man, we needed to make a decision whether to attempt the A-chir ridge or drop down to Glen Rosa. Whichever, first we had to go up the absurdly pointy Chir Mhor, Martin called it "the Matterhorn of Arran". We met a photographer catching, no doubt, beautiful shots of peaks hidden behind wispy clouds. Pity he was stood on the best one.

At the turn off for the Glen Rosa path we shunned the easy way and headed off to have a look at the ridge. Initially the scrambling was fairly straight-forward, but it became a little slippery and exposed as we approached the bad step. This, a rock climb, was dripping wet and we skirted around it. Following Beinn a Chliabhan, we dropped, as Dave put it, "at warp factor 10" to the bridge over Glen Rosa Water. Here we met up with a group of Spanish people in the club y he tratado de practicar mi español con ellos. Back in Brodick we had time before the ferry for a swift Arran Sunrise in the pub.

Dave demonstrates the graceful bumslide

The Adventure Show

You've got till Sunday 12th April 2009 to see me running about in the hills in the Adventure Show filmed during the Carnethy 5 hill race.

See here for my post about the race.

A Wet WHW and a Thumps Up for Al's Part 2

Soggy

Yesterday, I put in a long run from Crainlarich to the Falls of Falloch near Inverarnan along the West Highland Way. It rained continuously with the wind in my face all the way there. I then ran back with the wind and rain on my back. Dripping, I joined the girls in the pub for a hot coffee and some sticky toffee pud with custard. Ahh!


Today I finished reading Thunder and Sunshine by Alastair Humphreys. Russ gave me his first book Moods of Future Joy for my birthday last year. The second book completes his low budget journey around the world by bicycle. It is better written than the first book, both in terms of being a more interesting read and having a more fluent pace. In Moods he dwelt, a little too much for my liking, on his own moods, crying, and navel gazing. In Thunder he is more outward looking with great descriptions of the places he travels through and he gets stuck in with a confidence and an upbeat outlook. There are still a tedious number of quotations littered everywhere, but thankfully some humor too. Such as this conversation with a Chinese Dad.

"I life Lady Dee."
"Lady Di?"
"Yes, Lady Dee Die. You life red and white?"
"Yes I like riding a bike."

If you'd like to read it too let me know and I'll post it to you.

Alastair is now raising sponsorship for another challenge, SOUTH, the longest unsupported polar journey in history. Go him!

Carnethy Five

Looking up at Carnethy Hill from the start

Valentines Day Hill Racing

Took part in the Carnethy 5 hill race (results, photos and more photos) on Saturday with 499 other runners. The race is loosely connected to the Battle of Roslin in 1303. The start was quite a thing with bagpipes, flags, swords being swung about and a proper starting gun. Then there was a rumble of 1000 feet pounding the bog as we set off, like a stampede, over the slush and up to the style at Charlie's Loup.

Then we began the long slog up the side of Scald Law. Powered by a romantic breakfast, three more peaks -South Black Hill, East Kip and West Kip- were taken in quite easily. The steep decent off West kip saw many runners trip, cartwheel and slide down on their backsides. All in all a reasonably speedy tactic. The fun continued all the way down to The Howe, but then we had to head back up a grueling last climb to Carnethy Hill. From the summit it was another mad downward dash on snow, rocks, mud, heather, and back across the slushy bog to the finish line.

Hauling myself up to the top of West Kip

Back to the Pentlands

After a night out in town, and a few beers it was quite a struggle to get up to the Red Moss car park for 9:30am to meet up with a group from CAAC. We took in the same hills as in the race the day before, but in a different order. The weather was milder, although there was a fair bit of wind, and a good deal of the snow had now melted into even more slush. Firstly we jogged, at a fair pace, up The Avenue and along the drove road to West Kip. Then we ticked off East Kip, South Black Hill, Scald Law and finally Carnethy. We dropped off the back of Carnethy to Logan Burn, and took a route around the back of Black Hill to Easter Bravelaw Farm, across the reservoir and back to the cars.

CHEESE!! on top of Scald Law

And Then
Magda fancied a bike ride so we peddled off along the old railway line down into Granton and back along the Water of Leith. By this stage the sun had come out and we spent a good proportion of the time avoiding dogs, toddlers and pensioners. Legs are pretty goosed now.

The Barefoot Runner

Just finished reading The Barefoot Runner by Paul Rambali. The book is written in the same form as a novel but is essentially a biography of an Ethiopian runner called Abebe Bikila.

Bikila was the first black African to win an Olympic medal (gold in the 1960 Rome marathon) and, because the shoes they found for him were a poor fit, he ran it barefoot, the way he had been all his life and the way he had trained. Four years later he won the Gold again in Tokyo wearing shoes.

The book also follows the life of his Scandinavian coach Onni Niskanen and Haile Selassie, the last Ethiopian emperor. Niskanen starts his time in Africa as a sports coach but gets heavily involved with the Red Cross and Save the Children as things begin to go pear-shaped in
Ethiopia. Bilika becomes a hero and comes to represent more to his country's people than just a great athlete. The backdrops to the story are Ethiopia's struggles with modernisation and Selassie's downfall. He was desposed by a military junta called the Derg. The country has been a mess of coups, droughts, famine, uprisings, and refugee problems, more or less ever since.

If anyone wants to read it next email me your address and I will send it to you!

Windy Beaches in Dunbar

Borders Cross Country Series continued with a four (and a bit) mile loop around the John Muir Country Park. This started off with a down-wind dash through a water-logged salt marsh, and then we turned into the wind and hit the beach. We followed the wet and compact sand to a loose sandy spit, across a river, and eventually turned out of the wind again and headed back through some woods to the finish line.

Then a group of us turned around and ran it again in reverse. We finished just as the weather deteriorated into a gale. We took shelter and had a good feed, at a farm shop cafe.

Mauled before breakfast

I am getting some nice long runs in over the Christmas break as I am training for the London Marathon now. But, because the days are packed full of visiting relatives and friends, I set the alarm clock for "early o'clock" and headed out across the fields woods.

I ran from Hambledon along the wayfarers walk to Droxford where, beside the River Meon I was ravaged by a little Jack Russell. The little blighter jumped up and nipped me just below the knee. I leaped in the air, and then dived over a fence. I heard nothing approaching an apology from the dogs associated humans!

It just goes to show that a morning run in Hampshire is not without its hazards. Other fates that might have befallen me include; being trampled by Bill Smith's race horses on Cam's Hill, being electrocuted by electric fences, slipping on frosty paths, gored by a bull, or shot by people out shooting pheasants. I reckon I got off lightly.

Right, I'm off for a tetanus jab.

Winter running

Training in winter is hard work. Motivation is low because the evenings are dark and its cold and icy. This is when club nights come into their own.

Last night we went and did 7 reps of a loop of roads on a steep hillside. We worked hard on the climb, pushed-on along the flat bit, changed to slow jogging down the hill and then built up the pace a little on the bottom flat bit. I would never push myself that much if I went out for a run by myself.

I have entered the draw for one of the club places in the London Marathon next year.