Training

September 27, 2021

The road back (part 5) – Recovery

Recovery, the last step in the cycle of returning to a more normal routine: train; race; rest; recover then repeat. I have managed to nail the train, race and rest steps, but the recovery step has been somewhat confounding which has prompted me to ask a few questions of myself.
February 15, 2021

We need rest days: be more Tallulah

I’m currently in diminishing return territory: but how? I am struggling to add that extra mile to my longer long and adding a couple of reps to my hill and speed intervals. My cadence on the spin bike has dropped. Like many other runners at the moment, I am not doing long miles or racing. So what is going on?
December 4, 2018

The hibernation factor

I knew there was a reason why I don’t normally line up events for January and February and why my mileage goes down over the winter. It’s the I just want to rest on my summer laurels, kick back, reduce the mileage and lie about in the warmth and get fat factor. This bear just wants to coorie in and hibernate.

July 30, 2018

An A – Z of Glasgow

When someone mentions an A-Z of Glasgow I am immediately transported back to when I first came to the city well over thirty years ago and armed myself with the trusty A-Z of Glasgow map book. That’s what you did back in the days before internet, mobile phones and google maps.

November 7, 2014

It’s November and it’s groundhog day

Hmm, I seem to have been here before?

It is early November and  there is a bed with a pile of kit laid out;  a pile assorted electronics; a folder with itineraries; insurance docs passport and currency out and a large empty  holdall on the floor.  The intended destination: Chile.

August 28, 2013

Balmedie Beach Run Report: Antarctic Odyssey Rehearsal Part 1

The week commencing 19th August was going to be my Antarctic Odyssey rehearsal week, and as such a fairly epic and momentous week for me. It was another milestone in my preparations. The objectives for the week were: to test my ability to run long distance on a surface similar to the Antarctic snow; test the nutrition plans; test my recovery rates; hit a new weekly mileage total. The keynote activities were to be a 20 – 21 mile beach run on the Wednesday and the Speyside Way Ultra on the Saturday.

August 16, 2013

Going for that lean, mean running machine approach

With only 14 weeks to go there is light at the end of the training tunnel, but things are getting tough as my training starts to peak. I have had a tired and hungry week so far this week. A 6 mile beach run on over 24 hours without food due to bad timing on one of my fast days was tough; and the planned easy session the following day (2nd fast day) was cut short as the energy just was not there.