Theresas training

Last Thursday Sheila Morrison and I presented “coach”
Ian Rowlands with some essential Christmas presents
designed to help him keep warm on the cold winter
evenings when he is timing us running round and round
in circles. Sheila had lovingly prepared a huge
Christmas cake, with copious amounts of alcohol with
it. We also gifted some hand warmers (very good –
have used them myself at freezing afternoons at the
rugby) and a whisky miniature. Even though we gave
this to Ian before the session, he didn’t go any
easier on us…. The session was 4x400m in 3mins,
2x800m in 6mins and then a mile. I’ve been feeling
really tired (Christmas stress is still getting too
me) so plodded my way round. Not sure what happened
to Sheila Morrison but she was flying round.
Something has awakened the competitive spirit, just
need to figure out what it was and get rid of it, so I
can start beating her again.

Saturday morning Sheila Morrison and I went out for a
10mile run with hills. We set out from Belhaven
running up to Spott via Eweford and Wester Broomhouse.
We then ran past the second ford up to Pitcox and
back along to Eweford. It was freezing cold weather –
3 layers, gloves and ear warmers on all the way round
– but beautiful, clear weather. Much nicer than the
rather wet long runs we have been having recently.

On Sunday Sheila Morrison and I were both marshalling
at the Dunbar cross country and had decided that we
would go for a light run after this. Sheila had
prepared a lovely home made pizza that would fuel us
for our run, although I think everyone thought we were
a bit odd taking a picnic with us for marshalling. I
am convinced marshalling is harder than actually
running – at least when you are running you just
follow the person in front as they know where they are
going, and you keep warm throughout! After the race
Sheila and I tried to follow the adult course but I
think we managed to cut it a bit short. I was finding
it all a bit tough anyway after our efforts on
Saturday.

Tuesday night was a town run, and after a bit of a
brisk start Sheila Morrison was feeling a bit nauseous
so we cut it short. Sheila Kerr, Sheila Morrison and
I walked back to Halhill, just in time to be caught
out by Clarissa! Not sure what was wrong with Sheila
but I’m sure it must be something to do with Ivan’s
(her husband) return from brief travel overseas and
them going out on a “date” the night before
(apparently watching a bit of a dodgy movie and dinner
– hmmmm.) After a quick shower all the runners got
together for a few sandwiches, pizza and other nibbles
over a few drinks. It was a lovely night (well apart
from the fact we hadn’t managed to burn off many
calories prior to stuffing more in…..)

Anne made us all lovely homemade chocolates – Brian
and I ate them last night. They were gorgeous. I
think there is a business opportunity there
somewhere……..

And Ian was given another present – a cap in Dunbar
colours with Coach emblazoned on the front. At least
we’ll be able to see him coming.

Tonight was another interval session, with Anne taking
us. We did 4x400m in 3 mins, 2x800m in 6mins and
another 4x400m in 3 mins. Again Sheila was flying
round – she bet me on the 2nd and 3rd 400m sessions
and on both the 400m. Even more worrying was that her
best time on the 400m was about 20 secs faster than
her slowest. Weird. Just goes to show I was right
about her not really putting the effort in previously.
Wonder if she’ll go back to the coffee morning
approach?

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# posted by user : 1:06 PM  0 comments

What a disastrous week! I am so not coping with the
pre Christmas stress. The trains have been a
nightmare for the last week. Last Tuesday morning on
my daily commute the Dunbar train was 25 mins late in
the morning. Now daily I catch two trains and a bus
and when everything runs to time I only arrive 15 mins
early so this was not a good start. On arrival at
Haymarket I had to then figure out the best train to
get me nearest to work as possible and this was the
Glenrothes train. Glenrothes train was on the display
screen as next train on the platform and Glenrothes
train was announced. On getting on the train, train
doors closing and train doors moving away the ticket
inspector decided to tell us that this was not the
Glenrothes train but the Inverness train.
Unfortunately not stopping where we need to (South
Gyle) but first stop being Inverkeithing. On arrival
at Inverkeithing I was so hacked off with the farcical
trip that I just hopped in a taxi with another person
who had got on the wrong train (there were a few of
us) and headed off to work. Not the best start to the
day…..

And it only got worse from there. Tuesday nights run
was a bit dodgy to say the least. We headed out for
the usual Tuesday night town run, and it was the first
Tuesday of the month we started with the men. Only
Sheila Morrison and I couldn’t keep up at all. We
were both totally done in from galloping like goats at
the weekend, ended up cutting the town run short and
also walking parts of it. Bit of a crap run really,
only made slightly better by the fact that other
people were complaining of sore legs following the
goats gallop too!

Thursday night’s interval training went a bit better.
Usual warm up, followed by 8x600m in 5 minutes.
Sheila and I managed to complete the set, although
running at quite a steady pace rather than full out
effort. I am so tired from being busy at work (and
due to transport problems had been getting up ultra
early to get 07:19 train from Newcraighall straight
out to Edinburgh Park). Felt ok during and after the
session which was a bit of a confidence booster.

And then Sunday………oh dear. Sunday was the annual
festive runs. Club members choose to run either the
10k or half marathon route and the idea is that you
set off at the appropriate time to finish at 12:00.
Following the run there is soup and sandwiches to help
recovery. Sheila Morrison and I were running the half
– in an attempt to keep our mileage up. I bullied
Sheila into putting an estimated time of 2.05 to
complete (which was my pb for the year on roads but 5
mins slower than Sheila’s pb). Good job I did.
Didn’t feel great on the way round at all – problems
catching my breath again. Also hip was being a bit
painful. Not good. We stopped for a quick breather
about halfway round at the top of the hill, had some
lucozade juice and jooster sweets to keep us going but
it was a struggle. Eventually made it round in just
under 2.15. But at least we did it!

The route is a lovely route from Halhill through John
Muir Country Park, onto the North Berwick road,
running towards North Berwick passed the turning for
Tyninghame and up the hill and then taking a left turn
again up a hill towards a mast. From here you head
into Lawhead, back down to Knowes farm, along to the
North Berwick road and then retrace your steps through
John Muir Country Park and back to Halhill. It was a
beautiful morning for the run and the event went
smoothly – bit of a shame about my running!
Tonight we went out for a town run again – Val is back
from Oz, so there was Anne, Sheila Morrison, Sheila
Kerr, Lindsay and myself. Sheila Kerr is just back
after injury (although she ran the 10k on Sunday, then
went to a balance ball class on Sunday pm, followed by
a stint on the exercise bike, then circuit training
last night). So no wonder Sheila Kerr was tired! We
cut it a bit short and then I ran round and found the
others to trot back to Halhill with….only to realise
I’d left my car keys and mobile in Sheila Kerr’s
jacket and had to get a lift to her house so I could
get home…..

Roll on Christmas…..

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# posted by user : 1:17 PM  0 comments

I’m so tired now after the goats’ gallop near
Gifford….more about that later. Will do the week
review first….

Last Monday I didn’t stick to my original plan as it
was dark, frosty and cold when we got to Peebles.
Instead I slept for a couple of hours in the car, to
overcome the unnecessarily early start that Brian made
me have that morning. Then later I drove to Peebles
and did a short run along the back road to Kailzie
gardens and back to the car. It was about 4 miles
again but not bad for the third day on the trot.

Tuesday night was club night, with a low turnout for
the women with only me, Sheila Morrison, Lindsay and
Anne running. We headed out for a tour of West Barnes
first of all to view the Christmas decorations and
lights and then up the back road, round the harbour,
round Walker homes and back along Kellie Road.

Thursday night was the handicap 5km again – and guess
what????? I won again!!!!! Don’t quite know how I
managed that – I could barely breathe on the way round
but I was determined to catch all of those that headed
off before me. Somehow don’t think I’ll be winning
this one again for sometime though…

After the run on Thursday the ladies headed off to the
Indian for our Christmas Party night. The wine was
flowing well (although the water did seem a bit
confused when he picked up a bottle from our table
that they didn’t sell there….how odd!). Too much
food, wine and toblerone was had by all.

Saturday was a day off this week due to the Goats’
Gallop taking place on the Sunday. Now when I first
mentioned the Goats’ Gallop to Karen she said on that
will be hilly then…I don’t know why I didn’t pick that
up. Even when Anne said that it was going over Lammer
Law, I didn’t twig that this meant it would be up a
big hill….it was only when reviewing the Dunbar
Running Club news section that I got that I would be
running over a big hill….oops. For anyone who has
been following this diary you will know that me and
hills are not the best of friends, certainly not when
I’m attempting to go a bit faster than slow speed….

So the Haddington and Dunbar runners taking part in
the run met up at the Goblin Ha’ in Gifford at 10am
and headed out to the start point at Longyester farm
cottages. The ladies set off slightly earlier than
the men, but not by much. I was knackered after 5
minutes of running, and was finding the breathing a
bit difficult (something to do with the cold air – or
perhaps the altitude!). Yep, the hill is big. I
walked up most of it. Don’t think that was a bad idea
though. Got to a gate near the top and ran round the
cairn – the highest point in East Lothian apparently.
Then we started to run downhill. To say it was wet
underfoot is a bit of an understatement. We started
running through a drainage channel, with freezing cold
water running down with us. Then we had to bound
across the heather – I was behind Sheila and she was
bounding. I was more tripping through the heather!

After a few minutes of this we came to a standstill at
what I can only describe as a cliff. Now the men will
have run down this – Sheila and I couldn’t decide on
the best route so ended up sliding down bits on our
bums and then tripping down. When we got to the
bottom we were surrounded by slipping mossy grass and
ice cold burns, but at least we had a path to follow.
The scenery was beautiful – heathery hills, burns and
then we ran alongside Hope reservoir. Sheila’s
stomach was rumbling audibly so she had to slurp down
some lovely blackcurrant energy gel. I had a quick
slurp too – consistency and taste was terrible, not
sure it worked but apart from that it was great!

We carried on trotting past the reservoir, running
through a number (at least 4) burns of freezing cold
water before we joined the road again. And then there
were more hills…….only tiny hills in comparison to the
first one but at this stage of the run they felt
pretty tough. Fantastic at the finish though –
especially when we received some Starburst – just what
we needed after that.

If only someone had told me we were going fell running
I would have been so much better prepared (ha ha ha)

Will I run it again next year? Wait and see….

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# posted by user : 9:55 AM  0 comments