From Balmaha to Inversnaid and beyond....

My "schedule" has decided it's long run time again so it's off to Balmaha to run to Inversnaid and back. I had initially planned Drymen-Rowardenen and back but following snow this week I didn't fancy going up Conic Hill and after reading Debbie's blog I'm glad I changed my plans.

The whiteout from the window at 7am wasn't reassuring. Ah bugger it I thought, worst case scenario I waste a few quid in fuel.

I arrived at Balmaha in perfect conditions. What was all the fuss about?? Snow? Not here! I got myself organised and set off walking, reminding myself that this was an exercise in time rather than distance, but within a few minutes I was trotting along feeling good.

On my last venture on the WHW it was like Princes St on a Saturday afternoon but today it looked like I had the place to myself. I was definitely going to enjoy this.

During the climb up Craigie Fort I was worried how much of my route would be like this but after the climb down running through the woodland was fabulous. I continued on towards Rowardenen then people! Damn, I was enjoying the solitude. Still, they were only walking and I soon lost then. I caught up with some old biddies who were out walking. They were impressed that I had caught them as they had passed me in the car as I ran through Balmaha (they started at Rowardenen). I said I was going to Inversnaid. They thought that was a long walk. I said I was running. When I said I was coming back to Balmaha they said that was a really long walk. I ran away.

Further along and Alan, a fellow first-time flinger who was also doing same section as me today but considerably faster, caught me up. After a brief chat I let him go on ahead. This section was fantastic and I was finding running easy. As I was heading down into Inversnaid, I met Alan again who decided to run on with me another 20mins past Inversnaid (I wasn't shirking on the 8 hours.) We met 3 ladies who had been going to Crainlarich but were advised against it! Good plan!! Last spotted heading for soup.....

After 20minutes of scrambling among the rocks and getting nowhere fast, we headed back but a couple of miles in despite how runable the section was, I was shocked to see we were doing 9min mile pace. Oh no no no . This was too fast for me. I had already missed 2 fuel breaks and while Alan's fuelling consisted of a slurp of water and a piece of malt loaf from his pocket, mine was a more casual rumage through my rucksack to see what looked appealing, a look about for a photo opportunity, an excuse to walk a few minutes, send random text messages. I let him go.....

A few folk, mostly schmoosing couples, the odd dog, were walking but that was it. Still all mine. In the more challenging uphill sections I kept myself entertained by DJing in my head. It's a rare talent and what a soundtrack! It's a mix of the Throwing Muses, Elbow, Bon Iver, Housemartins, Midlake, Miike Snow, Velvet Underground and the Archers and Pink Panther themes. Pah, who needs ipods.

I met a group of 4 guys at Rowardenen who had heard about this "lone female" from the WHW forum. They were just setting out for Crainlarich. I assured them that conditions towards Inversnaid were fine but didn't fancy their chances further north! They looked like they knew what they were doing tho.

I had a wee dip as I approached Cashel (which I always thought was in Ireland.....) and decided it was time for some more paracetamol. My feet were really aching. My trail shoes have never been out this long and because no training run would be complete without me getting lost, I missed a post and ended up doubling back on myself before realising I was heading north. Once I figured this out and get back on track I start storming along. Oh yes, the painkillers have taken effect.

I stayed on the road too long and had to climb the gate at Milarrochy Bay. Cross training? Balmaha though seems to be a lot further away on the way back and the climb up Craigie Fort takes the life out of me. The Archers/Bon Iver remix provided a welcome distraction and before long Balmaha was in sight. The sun over the Loch Lomond was low and breaking through the clouds between the trees providing another photo opportunity but before I became too complacent I broke into a run along the road then up the hill to the car park to see that I was 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I momentarily contemplated running on then thought that perhaps 33 miles was enough for one day!!

Notes:

• I am pleased to report that my imaginary running stalker(s) have made a reappearance (oxymoron??) They tend to follow me on training runs making sure I keep moving and giving me a kick up the backside when I start flagging.
  

• Today I consumed 1 double decker, half a boost bar, 1 raisin tracker bar (boak....), 1 banana, 1 pkt mini cheddars, 1.5l watery juice and 4 caffeine enriched paracetamol.

• Running on hardcore sucks.

• My sense of direction also sucks.

• I'm far too entertained in my own company. I should get out more :o)
  

I only want to be left to my own ways

*WARNING* THIS BLOG ENTRY CONTAINS EXTREME WHINGEING. PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!

Phew, what a week! Some things that I have learned or become aware of this week are as follows:

1. I don't take kindly to criticism. Okay so I didn't win Carnethy. I wasn't last either. Does that make me a bad person? Does that give anyone the right to criticise my efforts? I'm out there giving it a go and enjoying myself which is a damn sight more than a lot of people. So when somone had a go through the week about how crap I ran, how slow I was and told everyone I was a crap runner, I didn't take it very well. In fact, the following day I was very very annoyed. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a bit of playful banter; what I draw the line at is personal attacks, regardless of how innocent their intention may be. This incident later led to a serious falling out at training on Thursday and frankly at the moment if we didn't cross paths again I'd be happy. I'll get over it though.....
   
   
2. Hill running takes more out of me than I ever thought it would. I have really struggled this week. Sunday was bad, Monday worse although I did manage a painfully slow 5 miles. Tuesday I was able to run a decent-ish tempo run but Wednesday was a non starter. Thursday wasn't too bad but it was only about 4 miles, while Friday's planned 15-20 miler turned into a pitiful 9 and every one of those was hard going. I struggled out of bed at 7am on Saturday morning in an attempt to redeem myself and although it was marginally better, it was still a hard going 10 miles. Still, I'm hoping that running on trashed tired legs is good Fling training??
   
   
3. Some of the kids at Boys Brigade are seriously unfit and overweight!! I took a group of BBs out on Thursday after training. Oh dear.... These are kids aged 11-16 and some of them could hardly do a brisk walk let alone a slow jog. I certainly had my work cut out!! Interestingly, I haven't been invited back....
   
   
4. Lack of sleep is not good for your general well-being. Aren't the winter olympics useful in the wee small hours though?! Next week I'm going to attempt to chill out and sleep more. Yeah, easy peasy....
   
   
5. I have some very good friends.... ...who looked after me after Thursday's meltdown and joined me in a breakaway training run.
   
   
6. I need new jeans - these ones are hinging off me! Who needs weight watchers eh?!

In retrospect, after a good deal of soul searching, a lot of blethering and a bit of screaming, the week has ended relatively calmly. Fingers crossed the running picks up this week after 2 weeks of considerably lower mileage than the previous few weeks. This should hopefully culminate in an 8 hour run on the WHW at the weekend.

So there we go, not even a race to report.....

Perfect weather to fly.....

Carnethy 5 - 6 miles, 2500 ft
Fabienne recommended I do this race. She suggested it would be ideal training for the Fling. So I joined the online queue and got my entry in asap, confident that this was exactly the kind of run that would make my fling training. I bragged about my entry amid stifled sniggers and felt smug that I'd secured an entry while others were on the lengthy waiting list.

I had a conversation with Scott shortly thereafter and he, having done both races last year, laughed that hill running wasn't strictly necessary for the fling and that even he found Carnethy brutal. Oh....

At the start line I was across between hyper and nauseous. I 'joked' to spectators that they could have my number and soon we were off. I was suitably dosed up with paracetamol to assist both my lingering cold and calf pull, both of which have hampered my training all week, but not terribly optimistic about the outcome.

Be under no illusion, this is a tough race. The first climb is hard going while the vicious climb up Carnethy tests even the hardiest fell runners. I managed both successfully, albeit slowly, feeling strong in the sections inbetween. And just when I thought my legs couldn't take any more, along came the final sharp descent down. I bounded down the heather, hopped aboard my imaginery snowboard and glided down the scree, and sat on my backside and slid down the snow. The end in sight, I wasn't about to give up the places I had pulled back on the downhill and belted along the boggy grass to the finish line lungs bursting but full of joy.

It was a glorious day for running in the hills which perhaps helped my enjoyment and I'm told the scenery was good too. That I wouldn't know, I was too busy looking at my feet. But as I sit here some 30 hours later with every ounce of my body aching, I ask myself would I do it again? As soon as my legs recover, just try and stop me.....