Dounans

Photo: Not only is Isla a great youth worker, she is a DJ too and plays John Denver's "Take me home" to clear the dance floor at the end of the night and gives everyone a lime Twister ice lolly. How kind!

Photo: P7 Campers ready to go home

Just a note of a few other things that have been and gone but worth a mention. Here's the first.

Primary 7 Camp took place straight after the marathon. This was my 5th visit to the Dounans Centre in Aberfoyle, and this time with 146 kids. The camp brings together all the primary 7's (that is kids in their last year of primary school) from the local schools so they get to know each other in preparation for going to secondary school in August. It is a great idea and as some of the schools are in hill billy country and quite isolated, this is really good for them. Every year I have been to Dounans there has been a change of staff, except who Isla started the same year as me. She is by far one of the most gifted youth workers I have worked with and is able to get the most out of the hardest, most horrible or damaged kids. Pity she isn't working for the church! Being a charity it struggles to employ people on long term contracts so people come and go, but I am glad to discover she has a permanent contract now. Anyway, Andrew was there with all his mates so I had a ball seeing them doing all the activities. I had a go of the crate climb, which is stacking up Irn Bru crates as high as you can, and standing on top of them. I only managed 12. As always there was a meal every 3 and half hours. I managed to put back on 3 of the 6 lbs I lost in marathon training with a full English every day and more. The other great thing about Dounans this time of year is the colours. An early morning walk up to the David Marshal Lodge in Aberfolye is well worth it to see the mist rise above the autumn coloured trees. Priceless and worth the trudge up a hill.

Saturdays should always be like this

Photo: Some people unsuccessfully trying to surf at Belhaven



Photo: Running in the Lammermuirs, with that beautiful wind farm behind me.

It's Saturday and for the first time ever this year we had nothing to go to, nothing organised and so the day was all ours. First things first...get a lie in bed. Then one or two chores I have been putting off, like hanging out the washing, dismantling Isabelle's old bed. What a great autumn day, sun shining and not a bit of wind. We headed down to Belhaven Bay via the John Muir Country Park. There was a great swell in the sea so it was really good surfing waves, and loads of people were trying to do just that. I reckon at least 40 people, highlighting the growing craze it is. Most of them were unable to stand up and surf, so it was more the sport of getting wet and falling over, but still entertaining to watch. I had a quick wander up the beach to see if any of the migrating terns were still around. They usually screech at us and swoop at the dog, but there was no sign of them so they must have gone.
The next treat was enjoying a feast of pies. My post marathon diet is whatever I want it to be. I've been off the pies for a while now, partly because of my strict athletic training regime...but mainly because the pie shop had shut down. Now a new one has opened I tried a couple of their wares out...with beans! Then we watched Rocky IV with the lads. I like it when they choose to watch my kind of films, and they weren't disappointed with this no brainer. Emma decided to go and watch the women's hockey,and the kids went out playing in the street or something like that. I decided to go for a run up in the hills. It was too nice a day to stay in, so I headed high for some rays and a run. From Halls I headed up to the tops over moorland, distrubing a few grouse on the way. Black ones too. The landscape is dominated by the imposing sight of the wind turbines. Loads of them are scarring the landscape of the Lammermuir Hills, but I felt drwan to have a closer look. This area is Emma's dads old farm, Aikengall. Strange to see it so different. I then ran through marshes and heather to Pressmenan Woods near Stenton. It was a good run as it was lots of up and down steep hills (good practice for the cross country races). Eventually I headed back to Halls and enjoyed the rest of the sun. One of the things I love about runs around Dunbar is that we often see deer. Whilst they are very common, it is always good to see them. Because I was in such a remote bit today I caught them out and actually found myself running alongside them at times. Loads of buzzards out too, so a good run.
The evening is now being rounded off with curry, beer, Yorkie Cookies and Sensations. Rocky III and later Rocky V, but the real no brainer of X Factor is on now, which is why I am doing this.

Tomorrow this life of Riley continues with maybe a run first thing, followed by Andrew's footy match (an opportunity to shout out Rocky motivational phrases). Then the big game. Dunbar vs Glasgow Rangers. Yes you heard right, Rangers! They are playing Dunbar for a charity match and whilst they are not going to play their first team, a couple of first team players are expected to make an appearance. Andrew is ball boying, and I am going to join the near 1000 people heading to the New Countess ground (I nearly said stadium but that was getting carried away). To round off the weekend, I have the joy of knowing it is half term, so the holiday continues.

The Loch Ness Marathon 2009: A Runners Report

My approach to marathon running is that training for it should not be allowed to eat into my life too much, and that if I was going to do one, it had to be in a good time. Of course to get a good time means putting in more effort, which could use up time I would rather spend with family, watching telly or lying in bed. However, my casual running had been improving with minimal effort, so I decided that with a bit more commitment I could probably achieve a reasonable time for a marathon, and I was looking for a new running challenge to keep me focused. As the Loch Ness Marathon is so well organised and is a long run I would like to do anyway, I decided to go for it.

Training: I looked around for a suitable training programme. They all promise the earth but not all fitted around my life. I opted for Hal Higson’s Intermediate 2 programme. It’s not based on achieving a particular time, but challenges you to push a bit further. It also fitted in well with my life. It was the first time I had followed a guide, and it was very helpful in keeping me going. It involved a long un on Sunday and 2 medium sized ones, plus 2 rest days. Not too time consuming.

Diet: Until the last 2-3 weeks I didn’t really have much of one. Then it was lots of pasta, rice, potatoes and water. I cut the coffee and had less wine, ate loads and loads of everything. The training was burning off my weight, despite eating a lot of food. I think I lost around 5-6 llbs in the final stage of training. Not a pretty sight, given how light weight I was already.

The Baxters Loch Ness Marathon registration was fairly straight forward but lacked a good expo. Hardly anything on offer, and lets face it we have come to expect a goody bag or free t-shirt and pen. All that was on offer was some over priced running gear that desperate runners were snapping up in the belief it might make them run faster. I am sure it does, but at those prices I would hope so. Later we went to the pasta party for pasta and baked potatoes, and a chance to mill around all the other runners.

Race day arrived and as the race is a point-to-point race, we all needed transporting to the start near Fort Augustus by bus. This is included in the price. We boarded our bus at 7.30 am, but unfortunately there was over an hour wait before it left, as not enough buses had turned up for the 3000 runners. Eventually people were crammed on buses, standing for the 50minute journey through winding roads of stunning Highland scenery. The conversations are all about running, and I did my best to get into a zone. It was not the best lead up to a race.

Eventually the buses arrive in the middle of who knows where? There is a party atmosphere as runners realise they have made it to the start and there are enough portaloos to cope with the thousands of people who were by now desperate for a pee. Tea, coffee and water were also being served and a running commentary and music calmed everyone down. There are loads of baggage buses too so no worries about bringing loads of kit for the end of the race.

The starting area had the usual signs for your predicted time, but it seemed like almost everyone was stood behind the 3 hour mark, and only a few in the 100 meters of space leading up to the start line. I decided to go forward amongst the faster runners. Then a pipe band marches through the runners, adding a special moment to the event, and then the hooter blows and the race starts.

Miles 1-5: This early stretch of the race is overall downhill. But don’t let that trick you into thinking it is easy going. It is undulating and winding. I went off with Ian & Stuart from the club. 2 experienced marathon runners who were going slower than the 3 hour pace I had on my pace band. “Maybe they were having an off day?” I thought, and foolishly crept ahead. I also broke my own rules and went faster than my band pace which would later cost me dearly.

Miles 6-16: This next stretch of the course is mainly flat, with a few climbs and drops here and there. It runs along the edge of the Loch and is overloaded with drinks stations of water and Lucozade. The great views of the Loch and the mountains are a pleasant distraction.

Mile 17-18: This is a significant part of the course because it is all uphill. At the point of a race when your legs are working hard and feeling it, a hill arrives to make them work harder. By now I was beginning to rapidly lose my speed on each mile and my pace was way off what I wanted. At 14, Ian and Stuart had passed me, which was no surprise really. My enthusiastic start was now costing me valuable minutes, not just seconds.

Mile 19-24: With the Loch now behind you, you follow the River Ness through a more residential area, which means the crowds are out to encourage you along, offering jelly babies and words of support. As you break away from the Loch, try and look back at the view. There is a photographer there so take a moment if you can to look over your shoulder at the view.

Miles 24-26.2: This is the last part of the race which I think is mentally the most challenging. You know that the stadium is just across the river from you, but the u-turn you make as you cross the bridge is a long haul. By this point I was pretty much exhausted. I was nursing cramps in my hamstrings, but knew I had to keep the legs moving. Then as you run around the stadium, there is a sharp right into it, on to grass. The turn and change of terrain gave me cramp just 100 meters away from the finish. I managed to get it together enough to run in to the cheering crowds at a 3 hour 13 time. It was way off my planned time and I felt a little bit annoyed with myself for not sticking to my original race plan. I think if I had gone at a 3:10 pace, I would have actually finished quicker. Never mind, lesson learnt. I also think that the cold I had picked up the previous weekend was still creating some difficulties as some fairly chunky stuff was getting coughed up as I ran.

Post Race: Straight after finishing I went and had a massage. This was very good and made me appreciate how much of a hammering a marathon gives your body. Make sure you take a tenner for the cost of it. I had more Lucozade and water, plus a meal (complementary for all runners). Things were sore but I was coping. It was around 3 hours later that I was suddenly hit by a fever, yet felt really cold and shivery. I could hardly move, but once I ate a sausage supper and had some painkillers I felt better again. I’d be interested in hearing what caused that. Was it the cold or a virus being made more acute by fatigue? I don’t know, but it was pretty horrible and completely floored me for a couple of hours.

Well that’s about it. If you are thinking of doing a marathon, then this is one I recommend. It is an event where runners are looked after and where for the cost of entering, you get good value and a slightly different experience than some city races. Plus a t-shirt and a goody bag full of useful stuff rather than the litter of promotional fliers many races stuff in them. Make a weekend of it though and see the sites, and enjoy the place.

The Loch Ness Marathon 2009

Thank goodness that’s over. After weeks of training, watching what I eat and increasingly being pre occupied by it, I have finally completed my first marathon.

Having dumped the kids with Emma’s mum for the weekend we set off for Inverness on the early morning train, making use of the crazy pricing of train fares. £6 to travel less than 30 miles to Edinburgh, £10 to travel from there, hundreds of mile to Inverness on one of the more picturesque train journeys you can get in the UK. We were kept entertained by the loo. Somehow people couldn’t work out how to lock it, so it was good fun watching people open the door and discovering someone sat helpless on the loo. I opened it and a Chinese man was sat on it.

On arrival we booked into our hotel. Located near the docks I was worried that it might be the work premises of those ladies who are involved in one of the oldest professions! Fortunately it was clean and there was little sign of nervous looking gentlemen booking in under false names.

Then it was time to register at the Festival of Running. As these expo’s go it was pretty rubbish. No free T-shirts, pens or anything else for that matter. Just over priced running gear and a few charity stalls. We met Emma’s cousin Rhona and the crew for the pasta party where we ‘carbed up’ for the next day. Rhona was going to be my nearest rival, as we frequently have come close in recent races, and this was going to be both our first marathons.

Race day arrived and we joined 3000 other nervous runners at 7.30 am to board the buses for the long journey to the start near Fort Augustus. We sat on the bus and waited...and waited and waited. After an hour I decided to nip into the bushes for a pee. Would you believe it, mid flow the buses started up and started moving. It was an extreme version of the scenario ‘you wait for a bus for ages and then 3 come at once’. The difference being 25 buses left at once! With a few dribbles on my trainers I got back on. You can imagine the excitement on the bus. I began to appreciate how big an event this was. Apparently the Loch Ness Marathon was voted one of the top10 to run in the world, which explained the number of non Scottish people around me. An American, a French bloke, some Germans and some weird sounding folk from Blackburn, Lancashire! It was an impressive, if not surreal sight to see a convoy of all these buses travelling through the winding roads of the highlands, through some breathtaking scenery. Then you arrive in the middle of nowhere and join the queue for the portaloos. I disobeyed the rule of not peeing in the bushes, and paid for it by standing in a marsh and soaking my trainers. Not a good start. Then a pipe band marches through to the start, and the horn blows and we were off!

(At this point I will do a separate report on the race itself for the benefit of any marathon runners looking for snippets of info on the course and event. See The Loch Ness Marathon: Runners Report)

Here is an abridged version of it. Basically I had 2 minds about what pace to go at. Having had a bad cold the week before I was doubtful of getting near to 3 hours and thought maybe 3: 10. But I started to run with Ian & Stuart (2 very experienced marathon runners from Dunbar). After 4 or 5 miles I realised I was going at the 3 hour pace and they were beginning to slow a little, so I pushed ahead. I kept that pace, but then they both passed me at around 14 miles, and soon after I paid the price for a hasty start. My splits were getting worse and worse and by 18 miles I was not enjoying myself. I got stuck in a mental rut of negativity, feeling the pain and struggling. At 24.5 miles the final blow came of Rhona passing me as I was pulled up stretching with cramp. From thereon it was just a case of trying to keep the legs moving and finish. The last mile is mentally very tough. It skirts around the Queen Park stadium, before a sharp right into it. Here with less than 100 meters to go, I got severe cramp and had to stop again, before restoring my dignity and finally finishing with a time of 3 hours and 13 minutes.

I was initially disappointed with my time. I had hoped for better but I think the lack of experience showed. I actually think I would have been quicker and feeling fitter if I had set myself a 3:10 pace. However, the results put me in 127th place, which might give me a best of age position for London. So on reflection for a first marathon it wasn’t too bad. Emma did very well. Nursing an ankle injury from the summer fell race, she smashed her PB by 9 minutes with a 3:47. Rhona got 3:10 and was 10th woman and 2nd in her age group, so she deservedly got a prize.

Post race I was feeling very sore, which was partly eased by a vigorous massage. But at night my body was in shock. I was burning hot with a fever, especially my legs, but shivering cold. I was wrecked! But, a mouthful of pain killers and a sausage supper from the chippy over the road made all the difference.

After a good nights sleep we made full use of the pool and Jacuzzi, and got every penny’s worth of the hotel breakfast. 3 visits to the food bar replenished all the lost energy from the marathon. Back on the train, the scenery was even better as snow had fallen in the Cairngorms. A great way to round of the weekend. Will I do it again? Maybe...or maybe a different one.