A runnery bank holiday weekend

Three-day weekends are pretty awesome, really, and I have a few of them coming up. This weekend was the May Day bank holiday, so Monday off work, and with one week until a 10k race, and 3 weeks until the half marathon, I wanted to do a wee bit of running but not go crazy. Saturday I took as a rest day, and volunteered as parkrun, which was great fun as ever, and good to catch up with some of the regular faces. I got a wee bit of stick for my prolonged absence, but I have my reasons, so good-naturedly shrugged it off. :) After lunch, it struck me that I'd taken quite a few rest days of late, and since I'd be going out to dinner on Saturday night, maybe I should get a little light exercise done. So, off to the pool, 24 laps of the 25m swimming pool, and a 10 minute lie down in the steam room. Felt marvellous afterwards, but a bit twitchy since I'd really not done any running since Tuesday morning and my May races are FAST approaching. Thankfully, along came a 'Sunday Social' group run - at Chatelherault, like last time, a month ago. Although I've done no other trail running since then, I'd hoped I would do a wee bit better this time round... but I woke up with a slight DOMS-hangover in my quads from Thursday's squats session, so I was a little put off albeit generally looking forward to the run. (Yes, I know. Looking forward to it. That's what I said. *lol*)

Another large group of runners this week, and good banter as ever. When we were arriving, Noanie noticed the van of David, one of the guys running, and mused aloud "Where is he? I wonder what mischief he's getting up to?" - getting up to the area we start the run, he's there. What mischief, indeed? ..... "Sarah, I've set a wee incentive for you to get round the trail today. At every half mile, there's a little cake hanging in the tree for you." - errr, what?? Cue much hilarity.

He wasn't joking. :) This is a chocolate-coated mini-doughnut.
Seriously, you can't argue with that!

When we all set off, many of the runners stretched out ahead, and this time I ran/walked in a small group of 5 - running with reasonable posture because I had to hold my head up to scan the trees ahead, haha!! At each half mile (*cough* 0.55-ish miles, really.... false advertising, lmao!) one of the runners slightly ahead would stop and point for me, and on reaching it, untie it and hand it over. The onto the next... There was a few moments of 'what is going on here?' when we realised I was running alongside Noanie who was carrying a plastic bag of dog poo, and I was carrying several small bags with small brown lumps in them - no wonder nobody had removed them from the trees before I reached them! Hilarious - especially when I spotted Helen further up the track ahead of me grabbing the last cake, attaching it to the end of a long stick and run off waving it behind her!!! Hahahaha. I might keep this running thing up, if there's going to be CAKE used as an incentive!!!

As far as the run itself goes, I felt my breathing was much better this month than last, and during the running bits, I felt a wee bit stronger and in control. However I'm also aware I walked a wee bit more than last time - a couple more walk breaks I think, and definitely some walking bits that lasted a little longer. In general, it took me about the same time to complete. The wee hills didn't feel as daunting, and the BIG hill seemed shorter than last time... not sure I'll be able to say that every time I return in future, of course! The comparison of my mile splits is interesting, but doesn't tell me a lot - slower start (like I said, I felt like I controlled myself a wee bit better, not panicking about my speed etc), slower finish, but faster through the hilly middle bit... and I managed an almost-sprint finish this week, when David (who had provided the cakes) grabbed my hand, and Noanie's hand, and pulled us the last 100m up the hill to the finish!


(Click on it to see the chart full size.) Next time - and there will be a next time - I'll try to get in under the hour.

And then before I knew it, it was Bank Holiday Monday, and an early start to head back across to the West, to meet up with Davie and Julie, for a day of fun and banter, and - more importantly - recceing the Clyde Stride ultramarathon route, from the road, so I know how to drive to each checkpoint, and how long it will take me to get from one to the other, etc. I'm supporting Julie in the run, who is all set to cross that finish line of her first ever ultramarathon, after 40 inspirational miles of effort - and I should also get plenty of opportunities to cheer on some other runners I know on the day. I am getting beyond excited about it all, actually, and my summer is shaping up ridiculously well. After the run on Sunday, over tea and cakes and banter, John asked if I would like to join his crew for the West Highland Way Race (95 miles) in late June. It just so happens I have that weekend free, and the chance to support a runner I admire, on a frankly incredible race in an amazing setting, is something I couldn't pass up. I'm in!!