Lurgy

The marathon training has been set back just at it's most important time. Somehow I have managed to pick up a cold over the weekend. So far it is only a head cold where snot drips constantly. Having read several pages of advice it seems I should be okay to run as long as it stay above the throat. No aches or pains which is a good sign too...just snot! Lots of advice also suggests going for a run ow might shift it to my chest. So I have opted to stick to doing some core work until it clears a bit. I will stay out of the way of the running club as I don't want to pass it on to the many who are doing the Loch Ness marathon or 10km. Emma however will have to suffer and hope her immune system is less lightweight than mine.

Hawick Half Marathon 2009

As part of my Loch Ness Marathon training I headed over to the Borders town of Hawick for their half marathon. This was an alternative to doing yet another tedious long run, and an opportunity to 'open my legs' a little bit. It was a really small but well organised event, with around 60 runners involved. It is a hilly course, and I read somewhere that you climb a total of almost 2000ft. The hills didn't really hit me that hard as running around here is nearly always hilly, unless you take a coastal run. Hills also mean you get some good views. Hawick is that town we always rush through when we have been traveling south, so I have never really given it much of a look. Fairly early on I was out on my own, with a Perth runner a good distance away in front. He became my target from around mile 6. I did get closer and closer, but never caught him, although 20+ seconds separated us in the end. This course has a really steep drop for about a mile at 6 and half miles, but then you go up again. It is rarely flat, and there are loads of turns.

This was my first race where I went against the marshalls advice and listened to the ipod. It certainly took my mind off the discomfort of race pace, and seemed to speed me up a bit. The result was me getting a new personal best for that distance. I shattered my old one of 1:28:57 with a brand new 1:25:28! Given the hills and twists and turns, I was more than delighted with that time, and pleased to have come in 6th place. More to the point, this was my very first race in the older age category of Veteran. When you reach 40, you stop being a senior and get given the title of someone you'd expect to see in the British Legion. The day rounded off with a buffet (I'd advise against samosa's on an empty stomach unless you are planning a personal gas attack on your family), and some prizes. Rhona (Emma's cousin) got the first lady, and Stuart from the club got 2nd male. Being a small event there was no team prize, which was a shame because we had 3 runners in the top 10. So, this all bodes well for the marathon, which is just 3 weeks away!

Wet All Over

It's been a wet week here in Dunbar. Wednesday was a fine sunny day, but then it started to rain. it stopped on Friday at around 5pm. So lots of water everywhere. Most spectacular was the primary school where the playground flooded. The kids love it and many of them took a dip in the waters. I don't think they realised that the water might include the odd bog spud or two. There was even a photo of it on the national weather. I decided to go for a run because I needed to get a 10 miler in for my training programme. Emma thinks I have gone a bit OCD with it, but I don't want to take any risks and ruin my chances of finishing the marathon. Anyway, once your wet your wet, so running through puddles was a bit of fun. However, up in the hill country, a couple of the fords had burst and at one point I found myself running in water that just stopped short of my dangly bits for 1/4 of a mile. I have a lunch time group that I could not get too because all the roads were closed or gridlocked, including the A1. It's all draining away now so I'm hoping my run tomorrow that takes in the river will be above water, rather than under it.