Sunday 29 November 2009

Sunday 29/11

Time: 35mins
Distance: 4.30miles
Pace: 8.05min/mile

Didn't have too much time to do this run today, as I got up early and was busy working, then needed to be somewhere by 12. Was planning on doing a long run but just didn't have enough time! As a compromise I did try to make this a fairly quick run. Felt tried at the start so it's probably a negative split, but did find some energy towards the end and really did pick it up afterwards.

Couldn't believe how cold it is today! Feels really xmassy though. Was wandering through the village last night and with the fog and all the xmas lights on it just looked so nice!

Saturday 28/11

Time: ~19mins
Distance: ~2miles

Did this run with my dad this morning, he's just getting back into running and felt it on this run as we did a route with a hilly start. Cut it a bit short towards the end but he went out on Sunday and ended up doing a fairly good run farther than me! Was good to get a wee chat in.

I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning out my car before meeting a friend for a late lunch. Was so cold my fingers almost froze!!

Thursday 26 November 2009

Thursday 26/11

Distance: 2.45miles
Pace: 8.05min/mile

Have been in Inverness for the past few days for a wee holiday. Think I'm getting over a slight cold so was just taking it easy. Had a great time - the weather wasn't nearly as bad up there. It's insane here!

This was just a wee run I did when I got back from the train station today. Wanted to go through the woods but it was getting dark really quickly so couldn't really go too far. Tried to keep as fast a pace as possible.

Also ran into the school kids coming out. Was bashed in the shoulder by some walking towards me. Seriously - are teenagers inherently rude? I don't want to make sweeping generalisations but I'm fairly sure at 16/17/18 years old if I was walking 4 abreast on a narrow pavement I would have moved to let someone past who was walking towards me. Any trouble I have had while running (besides some stupid dogs and their owners) has been with teenage children. And I call them children because I think only a child would lack the common courtesy I witnessed today. Doesn't help that I get so angered by it that I generally say something which always surprises them...shouldn't let them get to me I s'pose. Is it just me or does this happen to many runners? I'd hate to think I look that vulnerable! (:

Sunday 22 November 2009

Sunday 22/11

Time: 1hr 6mins 30secs
Distance: 8.1miles
Pace: 8.11min/mile (~8.20/8.00 split)

What a fantastic run! Woke up really late (I hate doing that) and did some work then headed out mid afternoon and just went as far as I felt. Ran through the woods around my estate then onto WHW and up to waterworks and back via the village. Saw lots of walkers and cyclists out which was nice. Got back just in time though as it got REALLY dark suddenly and did begin raining quite badly.

Adding to my "list of top-class songs" I have another which would be in top 10 probably, at least top 20.



This song is so incredibly sad, if you actually listen to the lyrics they cry out solitude and a broken heart. Despite that, I think the song is quite uplifting in a way - each of the instruments adds something and I think violins will make any song stand out. Enjoy!!

Friday 20/11

Time: 56mins
Distance: 6.35miles
Pace: 8.45min/mile

This turned out to be very exciting. I ran along the path at the back of Murray Park - the Rangers training ground. Normally there is a little stream which runs alongside the path but due to the presistant rain over the past few days, the river had completely burst its banks! Add to that, the field on the other side of the little path is at the bottom of a huge grassy hill with a road at the top. The water had built up so high in the field that the little path was no more than about 2m gap along the middle of the two floods.

To be honest, it was quite dangerous in retrospect as they were both pretty deep. They did, however, cross at one point and I had to take of my shoes and socks and wade across a fairly deep puddle. I warned some walkers I met at the other end but they seemed to be having none of it. Perhaps they thought I was exaggerating but there's no way you could get past without being almost knee-deep in muddy water. Oh the excitement.

Add to that, on Wednesday I was driving on Maryhill Road. Oh my - did anybody else see that flood past Garscube roundabout?? I drove into it and had to completely re-think my actions. The broken down car at the other end did nothing for my confidence, and I can rememeber a mechanic once telling me that his sister wrote off the engine of a brand new Merc by speeding through a deep puddle.

So, of course, me being the spoon I am put on my reverse light and hoped those behind me (everyone was in the outer lane of the carriageway) would accomodate. Luckily a white van man had stopped quite far back and I reversed back onto the other side. I couldn't belive all the people driving through the puddle! If they'd stopped in the middle and opened their doors the car would have been flooded with water, that's how bad it was. I sat there for a while and then merged back into the flow.

Whether it's legal or not I bumped up onto the central reservation and drove past it. All the cars behind me did likewise which i felt quite proud of =D What a nightmare! Though it was pretty fun, I must admit!

Wednesday 18 November 2009

Wednesday 18/11

Time: 33mins 30secs
Distance: 4.05miles
Pace: 8.20min/mile (8.16, 8.30, 8.20, 8.00 - plus little sprint at end)

What a fantastic run! Very fortunately I have some time off so managed to get out about midday today and just do a short circuit through Milngavie and Bearsden. I included 3 fairly large hills (taking me over 2 mins to run up) in this run and tried to keep my pace as fast as I could on those hills. Quite tough on the second one! (Hence the slower 2nd mile)


Not too shabby! I'm currently trying to sort out files for transfer on my new laptop (she's a beaut!) and in my attempts I have been looking at my music. I think I may have a rough draft of my top 3 songs of all time. I will probably change my mind before the transfer is complete (not on number one though!!) but currently my list is (click on the songs to hear 'em and please comment if you like!!):

2 & 3. Mountains - Biffy Clyro OMFGALMIGHTY this song is so immense, seriously. I can't listen to it without getting goosebumps all over my body.
"Nothing lasts forever, except you and me
You are my mountain, you are my sea"
Seriously. It's sick, I love it so much.

The Further I slide - Badly Drawn Boy Sadly the only link i could get to this song which wasn't live was a Christiano Ronaldo music video (...he's pretty damn fit anyway, enjoy ;D) This song is so beautiful and so uplifting. Don't think you can beat Badly Drawn Boy for his awesome style of obscure instrumentals and fab lyrics.

1. The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit Whaw. Just whaw. This is and remains my all time favourite song. There are songs I listen to more, and songs which I'd recommend to others before this one, but I will always come back to it - especially when I'm running. It's so F*cking powerful (excuse my french) and just evokes such happiness within me, seriously! Listening to the lyrics too, they are awesome. I read them almost like a poem, or a very simple, kind of warped, "childlike" fairytale:

A cripple walks amongst you all you tired human beings
He's got all the things a cripple has
Not working arms and legs
And vital parts fall from his system
And dissolve in Scottish rain
Vitally he doesn't miss them
He's too fucked up to care
Well, is that you in front of me?
Coming back for even more of exactly the same
You must be a masochist to love a modern leper
On his last leg
On his last leg
Well, I crippled your heart a hundred times
And still can't work out why
You see, I've got this disease I can't shake
And I'm just rattling through life
Well, this is how we do things now
Yeah, this is how the modern stay scared
So I cut out all the good stuff
Yeah, I cut off my foot to spite my leg
Well, is that you in front of me?
Coming back for even more of exactly the same
You must be a masochist to love a modern leper
On his last leg
Well, I am ill
But I'm not dead
And I don't know which of those I prefer
Because that limb which I have lost
Well, it was the only thing holding me up
Holding me up
Well, I'm lying on the ground now
Walking through the only door
Well, I have lost my eyesight
Like I said I would
But I still know
That that is you in front of me
And you are back for even more of exactly the same
Well, are you a masochist to love a modern leper
On his last leg
And you are not ill
And I'm not dead
Doesn't that make us the perfect pair?
Just you and me
We'll start again
And you can tell me all about what you did today
What you did today

It's so obviously about a man who is so wrapped up in his own world that he has completely abused the trust and love of those around him. He obviously cares very much for one girl in particular, and yet he continually ignores and abuses her love due to selfish acts/destructive behaviour or whatever. A few people think it's about drugs, a man who is addicted but I really don't think so. (I mean, come on, they said "Run" by Snow Patrol was about drugs - pfft) Anyway, that's my take on it. "You are not ill and I'm not dead - doesn't that make us the perfect pair?" - Seriously, can you beat lyrics like this? It's so poetic because it's so remniscent of so many modern day relationships where anything and everything gets in the way of seeing what's truly important. She's not ill - she isn't crazy to want to be with him even though he's probably a bit selfish at times (aren't we all?). He's not dead - he may be partially destroyed inside but if you're not dead there's nothing to stop you trying to better yourself. It DOES make them the perfect pair. In the end he's obviously realised this and is willing to change - "Just you and me, we'll start again and you can tell me all about what you did today"

Excuse the small sermon above, but at the end of the day listening to these 3 songs whilst surrounded by my closest friends and family would be the ultimate bliss for me. Listening to "Mountains" whilst trying my hardest to push it up the final hill of today's run REALLY made this run 10/10 for me. =D

Tuesday 17/11

Type: Cycle
Distance: ~16 miles

Went out on WHW this morning with Derek - just to the Beech Tree and back to my house. The WHW was SOO muddy! All that orangey clay on the big downhill after the Carbeth Huts. Derek almost went a*se over elbow at one point as well (tut tut - and he says I need to be more confident on the bike!), but luckily he just sort of went head first into a divet of mud and stood for about a minute with the tail end of his bike in the air. Ah, t'was a funny sight to behold.

Arrived at the Beech tree with numb everything to find it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during the winter, so just turned around and came back. How exciting! Was a good cycle and I was happy to get use out my bike (EXTREMELY glad I didn't buy a really expensive one as all my biking friends would have had me do!) though the gears aren't changing too well. Just meant I had to really push it in a high gear on the uphills. All part of the fun ;D

Sunday 15 November 2009

Sunday 15/11

Haven't been on here for a while as I've been pretty busy - it all seems to be happening at once! Got a start date for my new job (end of the month), got a new laptop (It's so fast!!), finishing off at my part time job and was away in Leeds this weekend for a friend's 50th. Travelled down on the Friday with Derek and my sister and met up with my parents who were already down there. Was a great weekend.

On Saturday we looked at a David Hockney exhibit and ate at the "Salts Diner". I'm not sure whether I can say with all honesty I like Hockney's work. It's a bit simplistic for my tastes. I know that's maybe the appeal, but as an artist myself (not to sound too pretentious) but I feel I could do something much nicer myself! Anyway, was nice to spend the day out as a family for a change. We are normally too busy caught up in our own lives to get together and do something like that. Had a lovely meal that night too. I did miss doing a run today but I have to say it was nice to be able to have too non-carb meals - mexican and indian - on weekend nights without having to worry about being under fuelled for a run the next day!

So here's the runs for the week:

Friday 13/11

Distance: 3.55miles
Time: ~28mins
Pace: ~8min/mile

Same route as last 2 runs - through woods at the back of the estate and down main road to the other woods. Did this with Derek just before we drove to Leeds. The heavens opened towards the end though!

Wednesday 11/11

Distance: 3.55miles
Time: ~29mins
Pace: ~8.25 min/mile

Same run as yesterday - I do love this route! It's just nice enough for a short run and you can speed right up on the main road at the end. (Cheating slightly as it's a downhill...)

Tuesday 10/11


Distance: 3.55miles
Time: ~30mins
Pace: ~8.40 min/mile

Did this slowly as I just wanted to keep my legs loose after the run yesterday, plus the weather was pretty terrible for the past wee while.

Saturday 7 November 2009

Saturday 7/11

Time: 1hr 28min 48sec
Distance: 10.75miles
Pace: ~8.20min/mile

This was a really great run, though quite hilly and I was very tired at the end. I am convinced my Nike+ is broken now. I stopped and walked up the Kyber Pass (just at the end of the first strech of WHW) and it isn't reflected in my speed at all. It has also underestimated my distance, so I had to use mapmyrun and the above is a very average speed. Like I say, I walked the big hill at the start but for an equally long strech I had a huge downhill where my speed was very quick indeed. Found the end of the run very hard going - maybe because I'd included quite a big ascent right at the start?



Friday 6/11

Distance: 3.04miles
Pace: 8.25min/mile (8.40, 9.00, 8.00)

Slept until midday today! Couldn't believe it. I was off work so didn't have to get up for anything - and boy, did I take advantage of that!

Thursday 5 November 2009

Another thing!

Oh, and there's something else I forgot about which is just hilarious. At work today I was setting up a printer and while I was waiting for all the stuff to load I was (yes, shun me) listening to some good old christmas tunes on youtube. I stumbled across this and it is just fantastic. Enjoy! I may be starting my christmas shopping tomorrow now I'm in the mood...

Thursday 5/11 - No run

No run today. Was planning to but was at hospital this morning getting more treatment on my feet and boy, are they sore now. I can barely put weight on my left heel let alone run on it. I'm off tomorrow morning, just have some bits and bobs to do tomorrow afternoon and was planning to head out on the WHW, but will have to see how my feet are.

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Tuesday 3/11

Time: 33min 37 sec
Distance: 4.04miles
Pace: 8.18min/mile (8.30, 8.40, 8.35, 7.15)

Got back from Inverness this morning. Was a great trip - very relaxing. I was so tired I slept in quite long most of the days! Fortunately, it was a lot drier up there (except Sunday when it was frequent, persistent rain) so managed to get out and about quite a lot. Ran yesterday but was itching to get out today, especially while it was still semi-light.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure my Nike+ is averaging my runs properly. The above splits are what my pace was on the mile markers. It fluctuated a little in between but really picked up towards the end. I was pushing it but wasn't sprinting though, and it was a huge uphill!! Is this normal? I don't know if paces should be increasing, decreasing or staying roughly the same at mile splits...I know it depends on what kind of session you're doing, but mine are generally the same (except (hill) sprints and long runs)!! Maybe that's something I should be working on...

On that note I am on the reserve list for Devil of the Highlands in August next year. Figure 9 months is a suitable time to prepare/psychologically prep myself =D

Monday 2/11

Time: 1hr 5mins 35 secs
Distance: 7.72miles
Pace: 8.29min/mile (8.56, 8.20, 7.35, 7.45, 8.50, 8.30, 8.11, 8.15)

Did this run in Inverness with my boyfriend. Was really great - we went out the back roads towards Nairnside and kept up a good pace. I think it's really interesting to compare the speed chart to the elevation profile:





As you can see (I feel like I should have a pointer), there was a big uphill at the beginning which made both our breaths burn the back of our throat, but we did manage to get a good pace on that hill. My bf and I have been talking about doing the Highland Fling race as a relay team - him, my friend who did the Great Scottish Run this year and me. I'd be looking at a 10/10/33 mile split...that way I'd still feel I was doing an ultra and they wouldn't need to train too hard to run it. I actually don't even know if you're allowed to just split the route yourself like that or if the relay teams have set markers they take over from one another from. More research is required I think...