Summer Series #1

not quite a Mo-Bot?

First one under the belt and a healthy turn out of 10 runners. This run clashed with the final Trail Run of the season, my apologies for this folks...just had it in my head that trail runs were on Sundays...never mind. Here are a couple of snaps. Hopefully more runners will turn out as the summer rolls on...

I must admit to feeling a few pangs of jealousy today but at least I'm able to swim and cycle now so I'm not losing fitness entirely. This injury is proving to be a bit of a pest and it may be months before I'm back running. For once in my life I'm listening to the advice that I'm being given by people who know better.

Impaled, yet again...

I've been putting off posting anything up as everyone ( well, anyone ) who reads this blog will be tired of hearing about my seemingly never ending catalogue of injuries. Well, sorry folks but brace yourself for the latest installment.....once again I've fallen on my scissors.

this happens a lot

This ankle problem has been bugging me for some time and I was becoming distressed by the fact that I couldn't prevent myself from "turning" it....this seemed to be happening again and again when I was out running and not just on rough terrain either....hills in particular seem to be my nemesis.

Anyway having hurt it on a hill session and resting it completely for a couple of weeks I turned it badly again whilst out running on the Sibster road....funnily enough I wasn't actually running at the time as we had stepped into the verge to allow a car to pass...it was as I was coming back off the grass verge that I caught my foot and my ankle went sideways (see illustration).

Very painful but no swelling. A visit to A&E was in order and I was instructed to lay of the running for six weeks to allow things to settle and heal. Once I was back on my feet I organised a visit to the Physio who quickly ascertained at the whole area around my ankle joint was extremely unstable (as I couldn't stand on my left leg without falling over!) and that some rehabilitation exercises were in order. I asked if swimming would be okay as I've been keen to get back into he pool for some time....no problem with swimming....just don't kick too hard (no danger of that happening! I'm reknowned for having a passive leg kick and fellow triathletes often complain of getting no "tow" behind me). So rehab starts.

taken 26/3/13

Tuesday last and I'm still walking fairly gingerly, feeling a niggle mid calf and going easy. I go to Wick High School to coach kids basketball. I'm explaining to the boys that they need to vary the pace of things a little, everything is 100 mph...slow down....slow down....I take the ball and am walking....walking mind you....up the court.

BOOM! ankle explodes. I go down in a heap. Ankle swollen out like a tennis ball. Back to A&E....they ask to see my season ticket before entering. My visit leaves me in plaster for a week.

So here we are today. Plaster came off yesterday and the ankle still looks fairly swollen and bruised.

SQUARE ONE....yet again.....never mind, there's always the summer to look forward to. I'll be back in the pool before long towing a pool buoy and I'll get on the bike at some point. I reckon I must have used up all my bad luck by now...
2014 will be my year!!!

Winter Series #5

On the clocks again tonight....wish I was running....this is just tedious and infuriating.

Breathe in for four through your nose.....and out for four through your mouth.....repeat

Okay that's slightly better. Twelve protagonists this evening and a couple of very handy personal bests were achieved. Fiona Bremner who is deep into her marathon training and running better than ever sliced a minute and a half off hers for a 41.35 and Lewis Campbell obliterated his 40+ run of last month with a 36.42. Excellent achievement for both....congratulations well deserved.

Injury update: still have discomfort to the outside of my lower leg, round the back of my ankle bone and into the middle of my foot (fifth metatarsal). Have tried running and seem to be okay when on smooth, flat surfaces...anything uneven, with the remotest chance I could turn an ankle, proves to be a disaster. Anyone who has experience of this kind of thing please get in touch...I'm going spare....the fancy name for this, I believe, is peroneal tendonitis...

Breathe......breathe......breathe.......

Fair Fa' Your Honest Sonsie Face....

"Overwhelming" was the word I used earlier this morning to describe the number of runners who turned out for this year's annual Haggis Bash. 35 runners in total....absolutely brilliant.

I did tell a wee white fib in saying that we only usually got about 10 or 12 people turning up....we had 22 last year, which was fantastic.....but 35!!....wow!

Beautiful morning at Wick Riverside....clear blue skies making things nice and nippy. The numbers were swollen this morning by a healthy contingent of NHH runners through from Thurso and by many ladies from the "beginners" running group in Wick. I do not intend to insult the girls by calling them "beginners", it was just good to see so many of them (and others) there doing the Haggis Bash for the first time.

I will admit to suffering some wide eyed terror as I emerged from the railway tunnel and made my way down the path behind the swing park at the Riverside. Terror as I wondered how on earth, being the sole timekeeper, I would be able to keep tabs on so many runners and ensure I counted the laps and gave accurate times.

I needn't have worried. Help was at hand.....

Guid Neebors

As always with the Haggis Bash it's not about winning and losing it's about, as Alistair said, celebrating friendships through running. There was a good sense of camaraderie at the starting line today and a blanket start of 35 on the narrow Riverside path was something to behold.

The Haggis Bash is a "pursuit" type of run where runners can cover 1,2,3,4 or the maximum 5 laps...your distance being set by the front runner and how quickly he makes his/or her ( see, I'm learning Valerie ) way through the field.

I won't go into times or placings here...check the local press for those soon. Joe Spencer was crowned Great Chieftain of the Puddin' Race by coming home in first place...GFOB ( good friend of blog)  a battered, bloodied and bruised Bryan Newlands picked up the neep for endeavour.

Our hosts for the day.....

The event was rounded off superbly when Elizabeth and Michael Sutherland produced, from their rucksac, a bottle of Old Pulteney Liqueur and a bottle of OP 12 year old Malt. Most of the assembled crew partook of the barley bree and shared a few stories before heading home. A fine end to a fine morning.

The last words are left to the National Bard.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn, 
Each man a glass in hand; 
And may his great posterity 
Ne'er fail in old Scotland! 

Broken Down (again!)

When you hit a certain age.....okay there are those who seem to be lucky....but nevertheless when you hit a certain age you are very lucky if you manage to run without any aches, pains and niggles. The very title of this blog signifies that. I've been progressing quite well over the last month or so. I've been very careful not to overdo things and have slowly been building my running and fitness back up. Okay, I've had a pain in the outside of my left foot but it seems to go away when I'm running so I've chosen to ignore it...sort of....well, I've spoken to the Physio who's put me on the list...so the concern is there, in the back of my head. Anyway, as I said I've been going fairly cannily until Thursday night when I tried to put a wee bit of speed on going up the short hill at Harbour Terrace.

Bad move.

I hit the ground as though I'd been taken out by a sniper who had been positioned at the top of the brae. Was able to walk afterwards and the pain isn't as bad as was at first. Just the latest in what seems to be a never ending series of set-backs. Right now there is a dull, throbbing ache just above my ankle bone, running up my leg muscle. As we all do I headed straight for Dr. Google but found that I didn't like what he seemed to be saying, given the symptoms, so got out of there quickly and will just rest for a wee while.

Those damned scissors!

Means I'm going to miss the Thurso Moors trail run tomorrow which sounds as though it may be a gloriously guttery one. If you are going and you are reading this, have a good run.

Caption Competition

My favourite photo from the NHH website for the Dunnet Beach Run...I think it was Robert MacDonald who managed to capture the lesser spotted Newlands in full flight.....all contributions gladly received.

Saturday Long Run

Good turn out on Saturday morning for the long run.

As you can see it turned out to be a bit of a magical mystery tour and gave us a bit of everything. The wind was pretty gusty and we tried to make sure we weren't exposed to it all the time. The group shrank in size after about the 10K mark....at the Service Bridge....six of us then added on another few miles first heading into the teeth of the wind around the North Head before treating ourselves to a more sheltered route back towards the riverside.

Lewis Campbell, who has just recently joined up with the group, had only ever run 10K before this run so well done to him....that's a big "UP"...we probably shouldn't have let him increase by so much but he's young and keen and we are all envious of his youth. Well done Lewis.

I was pleased with the fact that I managed to run for 1hr 30+ and felt perfectly fine. I should have had a wee energy bar to nibble on at about half way but forgot to stick one in the pocket. Tiredness started to bite in Willowbank on the home stretch and fortunately Danny was on hand with a fistful of raisins to see me over the hump.

Good run, great turn out...hopefully things will take off from here.

If you have an idea for a run feel free to step up and say.... just ensure that there are plenty places for folks to cut off should they need to.

Winter Series #4

SIXTEEN RUNNERS!

Great start to the New Year...now we start to build.

Nice to see Plum back tonight, he's had a sore time of it with a painful achilles injury...not the kind of injury that goes away quickly....still, ran steadily for his first race in a while....well done Plum.

FIVE PBs tonight...that's excellent considering we've just waded through the "season to be jolly"....Lewis Campbell and Jamie Simpson recorded their first times which are automatics.....Willie MacDonald and Allan Tait who have been  running consistently throughout the winter have their pay-off, both finishing strongly and Danny Miller slashed 1 minute 13 seconds off last months time which is a massive jump and just rewards for all the hard work he has put in over the past month....he was also paced by the "taskmaster"...I know that hurts Danny...I've been there myself!

So what about yours truly?

Well. I wanted to break 40 and ended up breaking 39 (just) which pleases me no end. I was pulled along by Willie, Allan and Jamie for the outward leg and although we fragmented a bit on the inward half we all finished within a minute of each other. I was blowing a bit as I finished but recovered fairly quickly, which is pleasing.

It's all good at the moment...need to get into these hill reps and long runs.....carrying a stone in my saddle bags which is excessive. Here's to a hard month!!

Dunnet Beach/Forest Trail Run....Winter Series #4

Managed to get my sorry backside across to Castletown for the trail run on Sunday morning. Lovely morning for a run and I had consigned myself to the fact that it would be a slow plod...this didn't stop me from setting off at 8 minute pace....brisk for me over the 7 mile distance and which after mile one was hit on the head hard. I really enjoyed running down the beach but found the climb up into Dunnet Forest a bit hard at this stage of the game...still, what doesn't kill you etc etc. Having negotiated the short descent it was back onto the beach, skirting around the incoming tide before arriving safely back at the Heritage Centre in a few ticks over the hour.

Yes, slow, but absolutely no pain in the legs today......so I should be able to work a bit harder on Tuesday...

Which segues me nicely onto the Winter Series....Jeepers! Race #4 already!!!

Looking back I seem to have run 38.11 in October...that's a bit of a mystery to me and don't see myself getting anywhere near that having missed a fair bit of training through illness since then but will look to break 40 mins if at all possible. Hopefully we'll get a decent turn out and I'll try to manage the handicap system a bit more accurately. Looking forward to it.

It's good to be enjoying the running again.

Winter Series #3

Monthly entries?.......unacceptable!

If the truth be told I've buried myself in other things whilst trying to get rid of these bugs.....otherwise the stir craziness would have completely consumed me. The good news ( for me at least) is that I had a couple of short runs over the weekend and the chest seems to be totally clear.......let's go!

Onto tonight's time trial....good turn out of 11 runners on a cold old night.....not cold enough for frost or ice but still chilly enough to numb the extremities should you be consigned to timing duties....bah!!

Fantastic to see Norman Bremner there tonight. This man is an example to us all.

16.25 for a run of approximately 1.6 miles and already thinking about shaving some time off that in the new year. More power to you Norman.

Three PBs. Well done Ryan, Bob and Danny.

This Sunday sees the North Highland Harriers trail run series continue with the Holborn run...see their website for details....next Saturday is the Cliff Course run starting from the Train Station in Wick.