Edinburgh Parkrun

The Parkrun series has made it to Edinburgh and this was the 6th one. I went along with fellow runners, Marc, Julia, Jamie and Katherine, all up from London for the weekend. They all did the race (with Katherine power walking it!). A great flat, out and back course!

Distance: 5km

Time: 19:22 (PB!)

Position: 43rd (2nd female)

Although I won't be able to make another one of these this year, I hope to make them more regular in the new year, a good way to keep some speed over the winter months.

Ratho Aerial Assault Course

To mark my 30th birthday, I thought I would have a new kind of challenge...one which would help me overcome my fear of heights. There are two schools of thought in facing your fears. One...to start gently, introducing yourself to whatever your fear may be a bit at a time, until you are no longer frightened. Or two....jumping in at the deep end and obliterating it completely. I went for the latter of the two, deciding to attempt (along with some poor unsuspecting friends) the aerial assault course at Ratho Climbing Centre just outside Edinburgh. Here it is when the BBC sports correspondent gave it a go: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7743250.stm

So, along with me I had Susan and Nick (accomplished rock climbers), Emma (a recent recruit to rock climbing), Gillian, Dean and Kerry (very brave runners!), Alison (my hiking buddy who I one day hope to climb/abseil the Inn Pinn with), and Heather (Alison's poor unsuspecting friend who thought she was coming along for a climbing taster session!).

I found stepping off the 100ft drop and swinging across to the other side to start the assault course suprisingly ok! I think that was largely due to 5 others going before me and witnessing them getting to the other side alive! This gave me confidence. Then the aerial assault course began!! At first it was really scary, but once I realised that even if I let go, I was still going to be hanging securely (albeit 100ft off the floor) in my harness, then I started to find the whole experience less frightening and more enjoyable. We all made it round, and by the end I was feeling really comfortable with the height.

I'm looking forward to trying rock climbing next....watch this space!

Stirling XC, Scottish Relay Champs and Allan Scally Relays

As usual, it's been a few weeks since I last updated my blog, so I've done a few races now. The cross country season kicked off with the East District XC League. A beautiful day and a beautiful course around Stirling University. We had the Wallace Monument peering down at us from one direction and the Ochil Hills on the other. They were a welcome distraction from the hills and rough terrain of the race. It was a shock to the system after a season of road running. Finished 33rd in 26min11s. A good day for CAAC ladies team, think we were 5th overall.

The following weekend was the Scottish National XC relay champs in Cumbernauld. I was in one of two CAAC ladies teams. I went off first leg, handed over to Megan, with Susan bringing us home. We came 29th in a total time of 56min 51. A tough course! Somehow, I'd managed to forget from last year how many times we have to run down the hill and then back up it! Less muddy that last year though!

We got a rest from off-road this weekend with the Allan Scally Relays near Glasgow. These relays are quite historic in Scottish road running, the first one having been held in 1928. 4x4.8 miles for the men and 3 times round for the women. For the first time in all those years, the course was on a different route this year. It was a twisty route, and although the first mile was all downhill, that meant the inevitable gradual uphill for the remainding 3.8 miles. It was history in the making for CAAC ladies, as we had the first ever ladies team taking part in the event. We were made up of myself on first leg, Susan second and Corrie third. We finished in 8th position overall, so very pleased with that, and only 4 seconds difference between our 3 times, amazing!

Next challenge coming up is likely to involve HEIGHTS!!!! Watch this space..... (I think I may need my head examining!)

Berlin, Glasgow, Stirling....and Inverness

Well it's been far too long since I last updated my blog, and since the last entry I've had various races, mostly 10k's and my times have been steadily improving.

First one was in Berlin. Myself and Jamie, Katherine and CP headed to Germany to watch the World Athletics Champs. Totally inspiring, but weather was too hot for me for any kind of fast time. Finished in around 45 mins, but enjoyed the beautiful course and especially the atmosphere of finishing under the Brandenburg Gate!

Glasgow half was slightly less scenic (only just!). However, the cool weather and slight rain made for pleasant conditions. Lots of CAACers took part making it an enjoyable day out! 1hr38.20. A PB so very pleased.

Then Stirling 10k I decided would be my best chance of beating my 10k PB which had stood for over a year. A flat course and conditions were perfect. I set off way too fast though and paid for it in the middle section, but I managed to hang on for that elusive sub 43 minute! Ran 42:50.

After spending over a year trying to get a sub 43 minute 10k, I then managed a sub 42 in 2 weeks! The Inverness 10k was a largely downhill or flat course, so getting some quick early kilometres was easier. The last few km's were into a bit of a headwind, but otherwise more perfect running conditions and I finished in 41:48.

I think that will be it from me for the road running season this year now. Next comes a winter of hills, mud and cross countries. First one will be the East District XC league in Stirling. Someone told me XC's were good for you!! I hope they're right!

Forth Road Bridge 10k

Last Sunday Dave, Martin and I ran in a very rainy Forth Bridge 10k - brilliant race! A race report can be found on my running club

website: http://www.caac.org.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=1771

The Tour of Fife

Last week I took part in what must be one of my favourite events of all time – the Tour of Fife. The idea of this event is that you compete in 5 races, in 5 days, in 5 different locations around Fife. Your cumulative time gets added up each day, and dictates your position at the end of the tour! Much like the Tour de France, but without the yellow jersey. A team of 8 CAACers took part in this event. Nick who is injured, was team photographer and supporter and it was great seeing him popping up all over the courses!

29th July - The Chicken Run, Strathmiglo
This was a 5 mile out and back race, so called because the course took us past a chicken farm. The course was described at mostly flat, although the 1 mile uphill at the start made me wonder whether Fife runners had a different perception of the term ‘flat’ I felt strong on this run, and gave it my best shot (trying to forget this was only the first of five!).
Time: 34mins 52s

30th July – The Chariots of Fire Beach run, St. Andrews
A 4 mile race along the beach where they filmed Chariots of Fire. This was a tough one I found, with every type of sand being run over at some point. This was also an out and back course, so once again we could wave and shout out words of encouragement to fellow club members along the way. The run out was mostly against the wind, so it was a welcome change on the return. You could see St. Andrews in the distance on the run back, though it never looked to be getting any closer.
Time: 27mins:24sec
No run along the beach would be complete without a dip in the North Sea! This also doubled up as an ice bath for those weary muscles. This was a great night!

31st July – The ‘Up Hell’ Time Trial, Lomond Hills
It does exactly what it says on the box! You get paired off and a couple of runners head up the East Lomond Hill at 30 second intervals. It is 1.5 miles straight up! Despite the beautiful weather of the two previous nights, it all changed for this race. Cold, wet and very foggy! This said, I think it added to the whole atmosphere of the race. Katherine was up visiting this weekend, and I felt sorry leaving her at the top with a waterproof and brolly!!
I was paired up with Dean. The head to head didn’t last long though, as he sped up the hill. The unrelenting uphill grind makes this a tough race, but believe it or not I enjoyed every minute of it, especially as I reached the summit and saw the various supporters. First of all Katherine and then the CAAC crew! Coach Dave and family were dressed up in King of the Mountains gear complete with cowbells and clappers. They really helped get us all up the final stages of the hill. Then with the finish line appearing out of the mist, out came the Devil in true Tour style! The lactic acid was burning in the legs over the last 100m but it was worth it!
Time: 14mins 26s

1st August, Run Forrest Run, Tentsmuir Forest
With less than 24 hours to recover between races, this was always going to be a tough one! However, the lead up to the race added to its toughness. A blockage on the road leading to the Forth Bridge meant that we got stuck in very heavy traffic. Nick managed to get the organisers to push the start time back by 15minutes which was a saviour! However, the drive up was a tad stressful to say the least, and I’m not sure Katherine was too keen on her rally driving experience! Anyway, we got there in the nick of time. I parked up, got into my kit, quick nip behind a bush, and then ran to the start line! This was set to be a 5 mile race, 2 laps of a very beautiful forest! The sun was shining and it was hot! The midgies seemed to like it! With all the adrenaline pumping round me following the recent high speed car journey, I set off quite fast, covering the first mile in 6min30. I wondered whether I would be able to keep it up. The first lap was fine. The second lap however was very tough. I think many around me were also suffering from the heat and accumulation of races! Many other CAACers, despite finding it tough, had really good runs, with a couple of PBs thrown in! I crossed the line and collapsed in a heap! Only one to go…
Time: 35mins 45sec
The post race festivities were great! Picnic in the sun, complete with birthday cake and bubbly for Grant’s birthday! Some mad ones went for a dip on the ocean. Katherine and I settled for a nice walk along the beach followed by a trip to St. Andrews. Another great day!

2nd August – Arso Vertitus, Falklands
The final race of the Tour. And apparently they’d left the toughest till last! They weren’t wrong! A 4 mile race taking in 2 slightly different loops. The run involved some road, some off-road, some steep uphill including steps, some steep downhill, a run under a waterfall, and a pitch black tunnel! Not bad for 4 miles of running. It was indeed tough, but the course was beautiful, and the views of Fife once you made it up the hill were pretty spectacular. The last mile was all downhill, and I tried my best to close down a Carnegie runner on the home straight. She just got me on the sprint finish. I crossed the line feeling extremely pleased that I, and all the other CAACers had completed the Tour of Fife!
Time: 30min01sec

FINAL RESULT: 2hrs 22:28
Position: 72nd overall (13th woman)

The end of the Tour was marked with a cake eating extravaganza and prize giving. CAAC did great, with individual prizes for Gillian, Susan and Grant!

Thanks guys for a memorable tour – I’ll definitely be back for more next year!!

Musselburgh 10K and Nairn's Hill Race

A quick update of the weekend's races. Saturday started off with the Musselburgh 10km. I headed down there with fellow EYW Gareth, and a handful of other CAACers. Sunny morning, perfect conditions for a run. The course went out along the coast, with beautiful views back along to Edinburgh and ahead to Berwick Law. I head out trying to run each kilometre in 4:15 to try and get a sub 43min, but it wasn't to be. Final time of 43min45sec.

Not much time for the legs to recover before the Nairn's Hill Race on Sunday. This hill race was set up as part of The Gathering http://www.clangathering.org/ ; the world's largest clan meeting and Highland Games. The course involved running 2 laps of a quite challenging course around Holyrood Park. This was my first taste of hill running, and although as I was running round I swore I would not be making a habit of hill racing, on reflection I actually quite enjoyed it! I learnt that running down steep sections of downhill is actually much harder work than going up hill, and my calf muscles are still making me aware of that fact 2 days later.

The weekend of races has been followed by 2 days of rest ready for the Tour of Fife (5 races in 5 days) which start tomorrow night. Almost as glam as the Tour de France, but not quite. Watch this space for full write up later on in the week.

Another 2 miler in the Meadows

I gave the 2 miler another go at the Meadows on Wednesday. Was hoping to dip under the 13 minute mark on this occassion. I went through the first lap in 6:21, which was quicker than the previous weeks. I was feeling strong. As I came into the final straight the time looked good so I gave it one last push to the line. Time: 12min55 secs. Position: 4th woman

Looking forward to a busy week of racing ahead - Musselburgh 10k tomorrow, Holyrood Hill race on Sunday, and the infamous Tour of Fife starting on Wednesday. Can't wait!

Meadows 2 miler

This was my second attempt at the Meadows Self Transcedence 2 mile race, and I'm glad to say it was a marked improvement on last time. I managed to take 22 seconds off. The improvement came in my ability to stick to the same pace on the second lap without slowing down lots. I felt strong and even managed a sprint finish with an HBT runner at the end. Anyone who's familiar with the HBT chants, will know it was a satisfying victory :-)

Time: 13:04 Position: 3rd

I'll be aiming for a sub 13 minutes next time!

Rocks, Hills and Gardens

It has been a good while since I've updated my blog, so I've done 3 races since the last entry.
The first was the Black Rock 5 taking place in Kinghorn, Fife. This was my first run at the event. It takes place on a Friday evening, everyone gets the train over to Kinghorn. The race starts near the village and after a brief spell on the road, moves onto the beach, all the way out to the 'Black Rock'. Depending on the tide, there is a certain amount of running through the water. I think this year was relatively tame, with it only coming up to my shins. Having just recovered from tonsilitis the week before I took this run easy, but the atmosphere was fantastic. I finished the run in 35min23s. The race finishes up a steep hill, but more importantly, outside a pub so you are handed a beer as soon as you cross the line. After a quick wipedown in wet wipes (nice) and a change of clothes it was off to the chippy for a fish supper and the pub for more beer. Then everyone piled onto the last train back to Edinburgh (complete with crates of beer!). A great event.
The next race was the Edinburgh Seven Hills on June 21st. Another new one for me, and equally as unique! This involved running over the seven hills of Edinburgh - Castle Hill, Corstorphine Hill, Craiglockart Hill, Braid Hill, Blackford Hill, Arthurs Seat and Carlton Hill. The hills must be run over in this order, but the way in which you get there is up to you, i.e. there are no marshals. However, this does not include getting the bus as an option! haha! The route is just under 15 miles in total. I'd done a few recce runs in the weeks before and had actually walked the entire route beforehand too so I was sure not to get lost. I absolutely loved it, and enjoyed watching all the confused tourists and pedestrians wondering what was going on with all these runners taking over the streets. I felt good the majority of the way round, only really struggling after I came down Arthurs Seat. Fortunately there was only one hill left at this point! I finished in a time of 2hrs34:13 which I was very pleased with.
Finally, and much more recently, last night I competed in the JogScotland 5km Challenge in the Botanic Gardens. I'd not really been to the gardens before, and it's usually out of bounds to runners. I entered race 2 of the evening. Got round in 20:47, only 7 seconds off my PB, and managed 2nd female so as well as the great goody bag I also got a Run4It prize bag including a buff, Puma bag, water bottle and jelly beans. Really enjoyed it!
So a few races done this summer and lots more to come....Musselburgh 10k will possibly be the next one, followed by the Tour of Fife, Berlin 10k and the Glasgow half marathon! A few more Munros to be ticked off in the next few weeks too. Ben Lomond this Sunday - number 40.

Penicuik 10k

Myself, Dean, Gillian and Martin were the only CAACers at the Penicuik 10k. I really enjoyed the race, although I'd definately describe this as my most 'eventful' 10k. The first km is flat but then the next 3km are all uphill, a steep hill at first and then a gradual incline for the remainder. My legs felt good, although I was concerned that a knee niggle I have at the moment would appear at some point. I was glad of the flat section after the hill. The weather conditions were however, some of the worst I've raced in I think. Cold, rain, wind and more wind. So much so, that at just under 4 miles, a strong gust blew my cap off into an adjacent field. It was my favourite cap from the London marathon and I wasn't leaving it in Penicuik!! So I made my way over the wire fence, into the field, retreived my hat and got back onto the course. The two women I'd just spent the last couple of km's closing down, overtook me once more and I had some catching up to do! I still felt strong, but the knee pain started to make itself known and the last couple of miles were very painful. Fortunately, the last section was mostly downhill and so I pushed on till the end. I finished in a time of 45:46 which I was pleased with considering the conditions and slight detour. We were all very cold by the end of the race, but were rewarded with a shiny medal, a hot drink and all the home baking we could eat!!

Self Transcencence 2 mile

The Self Transcencence Summer Race Series takes place each week in the Meadows. http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/uk/races/edinburgh. Races range from 1 mile to 5km. The idea is that you do them each week and try and improve on your time over the summer. I took part in my first one last Wednesday along with many other CAAC runners.
Distance: 2 miles Time: 13min26 sec
Something to improve on over the summer. A good mid-week speed session. Also discovered that a 2 mile race is actually harder than I expected!

Balmoral weekend

Last weekend I travelled up to Balmoral with fellow Corstorphine AAC members to take part in the Tartan Balmoral 10k. The race is mainly offroad and has an infamous hill a few kilometres in. It was a very popular event (over 1000 entries in the 10k) and the sun was shining.

I started alongside fellow CAAC runners (some even sporting kilts). The first few km's were along flat road, but the hill soon approaches with a friendly sign informing us 'Beware of Hill Ahead'. It was indeed a hill - I was glad to hear the bagpipers in the distance marking the runners' arrival at the top. The plus side of running up a hill of course is the downhill which follows, but I think my legs were already shot and I decided to cruise down and enjoy the scenery as much as possible.
I finished in a time of 48min11, so not my fastest time by any means, but pleased nonetheless and even happier with the nice t-shirt and chunky medal I was presented with on crossing the line. There were some really good club performances, with Keith winning the event, Grant first vet, and a few PBs!!The evening was spent celebrating the various victories in the pub. The next day involved an epic day of hill walking! 21 miles in total - 2 Munros (Ben Mheadhoinm 1182m and Beinn a' Chaorainn, 1083m), bringing my total to 34 - I'm on course for 50 by August.
A really great weekend!! Next weekend....rest!

Two weeks on

Two weeks have passed since the big day and I'm pleased to say I've been taking it easy (running wise!) I'm enjoying having the extra time to do other things, such as walking, swimming and seeing friends! I had a great Easter break with some great walking in Northumberland and Hadrian's Wall, a part of the UK I'd always wanted to visit.

Today the running shoes were back on for a 5.5 mile run with fellow club runners and neighbours Dean and Gillian, who will be running the London marathon next Sunday. It was great to be out running again. Despite 2 weeks rest, the legs weren't feeling as bouncy as I'd hoped, with my old knee injury giving a bit of a niggle in the last mile or so. Nothing a bit of ice and massage won't sort out though.

So, with the marathon out of the way and training down at the track now back on, I'm raring to go, with a summer of 'shorter' races! Here is my hopeful 'to do' list so far:

25th April: Balmoral 10K
9th May: Penicuik 10K
22nd May: Black Rock 5 (running along beaches, through water and up hills apparently!)
25th May: The Rigg Race (approx 6 miles)
21st June: Edinburgh 7 Hills (14 miles taking in all 7 hills around Edinburgh - no set route, the shortest you can find basically!) http://www.seven-hills.org.uk/
12th July: Girvan Half Marathon
29th June - 2nd August: Tour of Fife (5 races in 5 days! Phew!)

So a few things to aim for over the summer. I hope to make the most of the Scottish Hills this summer too and bag a few more of those Munros :-)
Any other marathons? Well, definately...but I think I'll wait till at least a year has passed for that!

Paris Marathon, 5th April 2009

The day was finally here, April 5th 2009, the day of the Paris Marathon. I had a fantastic weekend, made so much better by all the amazing supporters who came to see myself and Julia run.

We all arrived on the Friday and checked into L'Hotel Pacific, just a mile from the Eiffel Tower. After heading to the Expo to pick up our numbers, we enjoyed some of the Parisian bars and had a nice meal at a classic French restaurant. On Saturday, Julia and I mostly relaxed, chilling out by the Eiffel Tower and making sure we ate lots of carbs for next day's run!

We were up at 6:30am on race day. I'd taken all the necessary equipment to make porridge in my hotel room (yes, I even packed my own kettle!). After breakfast was down, we headed to the Arc de Triomphe. My dad came along with us, which was great as he was able to take lots of pictures to capture the atmosphere of the day. After much queuing (for baggage and toilets) we just made it to the start in time. Unfortunately we were a long way off our starting pen (the 3:45 slot), and had to push our way forwards. We got to the back of the 4:30 start pen, so spent the majority of the marathon overtaking people. Possibly a good mental tactic however!! The race was brilliant, a great atmosphere, and we saw our family and friends five times along the route in total, which provided a real boost in the later miles. We were aiming for 8:25/mile. We managed the first few in just under that, but unfortunately a blockage at the first water stop meant we were stood still for 2 minutes, making that one a 10:19 mile!! We had some catching up to do, but wanted to make sure we didn't overdo it in the early miles and pay for it later. We went through the half marathon in 1:52:20, only 20 seconds off target for a 3:45 marathon. I felt strong throughout the race, my legs only really started to hurt with about 5 miles to go. Julia and I ran together for most of the race. Unfortunately we got separated with about 3 miles to go at a busy water station.
The home straight to the finishing line was great, I put on a little (very little!) burst to the finish and was very pleased with my final time of 3:48:36!! A PB by 1 hour and 7 minutes, can't complain with that!! Julia came in just after in 3:51 :-).
Even better, we have raised over £2000 between us for Pancreatic Cancer UK!! A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped make that total possible!
If you'd still like to, it's not too late to sponsor me: http://www.justgiving.com/jokirbyparis

So, what next....
Well, recovery has been the name of the game this week, with just 1 mile or running and a bit of swimming. I'm itching to get back running again though (who'd have thought it a few weeks back!). I have lots more races planned for the summer (albeit shorter ones!), the next one being the Balmoral 10k in only a couple of weekends time. And I'm already contemplating my next marathon, haha.... not for a while yet mind!!

One week to go!

So, only one week to go till the big day. I'm in the middle of my 2 week 'taper' and have been feeling the benefits of the drop in milage. Less fatigue...more strength. Having said that, I did a 'short' 12 miles this morning (in beautiful sunshine!) and developed a niggle in my left calf, which has proved to be quite sore, so I've been hobbling around this afternoon. Hopefully some ice and an easier week this week will clear it up for the big day. I'm sure everything will be in order as we step onto the start line of the Champs Elysees at 8:45am (local time) on Sunday, April 5th!! I'm starting to get very excited about race day, and am looking forward to running the course with fellow marathon runner Julia, and of course seeing our many wonderful supporters along the way. Throughout the training, the aim of the marathon has been to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, and raise as much money as possible for Pancreatic Cancer UK. A HUGE thank you to all of my sponsors so far. Julia and I have already raised over £1000 between the two of us, which is excellent news for the charity!

You can still sponsor me on: http://www.justgiving.com/jokirbyparis Or if you'd like to read about the charity and what it's all about, you can do so on: http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

One week to go....bring it on!!!

Inverness Half Marathon and more long runs

So I went down South for the first weekend in March to take part in the Mad March 20 in Dorset with Paris marathon buddie Julia. This would be one of our only training runs together, as up until now we've only been 'virtual' training buddies. I'd had a tough week of training in the preceding week, and had started getting a little niggle in my left hip flexor. I decided to try a little run on the Saturday to see how it was fairing, only to find I could only manage 2 miles until the pain became too much. After much thought, I decided to do the sensible thing and pull out of the 20 mile 'race'. I went along to support Julia and Marc (who was running the 10 mile race) and we had a good day, they both ran really well. The following week I cut the miles back a little and I think the rest did me good, because come the weekend and the Inverness Half Marathon I was ready and raring to go!!

The weather was pretty changeable in Inverness. Wind and rain the night before, snow and sleet in the morning, then sunshine, then more snow!! I'd gone up with several other club members so there was a good atmosphere at the start, despite having to be pushed out into the sleet to the start line! The course was really nice. It started along the banks of the river Ness, we then crossed over, past the Inverness Castle and then along the river. The rest of the race is a mixture of woodland, roads, housing estates, but the race finishes back along the river and into the athletics stadium where we ran a loop of the track before crossing the line. I was aiming for a personal best if I could, particularly wanting to run under 1hr40mins. That would mean an average of 7:35 per mile. I set of with Gillian, although after a few hundred metres I looked down at my watch and realised we were doing 6:30 per mile. A bit quicker than I was planning!! I knew I wouldn't stay with her for long, so I dropped down the pace. The quicker first mile paid off though, as there were some toughy hillier ones to come. I felt strong round the whole course, the marathon training from the last 3 months was definately paying off. The last mile was back into a headwind, at which point the sleet shower was setting off again, making it all the more painful. I entered the stadium on 1hr38... would I make it!! I crossed the line in 1hr39:19. A new personal best. I was very pleased!!

Since then this week has involved a speed session with the club, a longish run (very painful), followed by a massage (even more painful!), and a tempo run. Today I set off early in the morning with fellow marathon runners Dean and Gillian to do a 20 mile run. This is my furthest run of the training program, as I'm back down to 18 next weekend! We set off at 8:30am. The sun was shining, and the first half was mostly flat and downhill, with the wind in our backs. We ran down to Musselburgh along the coast and beyond. At some points we decided we would just run 20 miles and get the bus back, to avoid the hills and very strong headwind on the way back. However, we realised there would be no buses that went back to Edinburgh if we carried on for 20 miles, so we had no choice but to turn round and head back. The second half was tough to say the least!! But we made it - just over 20 miles in 3hours and 1 minute!!

Just one more week of tough training and then I begin my 2 week taper to the Paris marathon...

Long Runs and a cycle to Falkirk

With 6 weeks left now till the Paris marathon, I'm entering the peak of my training, with weekends taken up with long runs and week days incorporating slightly longer runs also. I have now completed long runs of 18 miles and 19 miles and to be honest, both felt quite good! Despite a few minutes of intense calf pain on returning to my flat, the runs themselves felt good, and no injuries have presented themselves (more than the odd niggle here and there). I am encouraged by these longer runs and feel I can tackle the 'Mad March 20' in Dorset with Julia next weekend with confidence. Watch this space for a full race round up next weekend, along with the Inverness half marathon which will be the weekend after!

Other than running, I've made some space for a bit of cycling too. Myself and Dan had quite an adventure yesterday, with our 33 mile ride from Edinburgh to the Falkirk Wheel. Neither of us had been to the wheel before (a massive boat lift connecting the Union Canal to the Forth and Clyde Canal), nor had we been further than about 10 miles along the canal, so it was fun to explore! We took a leisurely pace., largely dictated by strong head winds and tired legs! There was beautiful scenery along the way, and a slightly scary tunnel about 1 mile long which has to be walked through as is so dark!! We then caught the train back to Edinburgh (didn't fancy the 33 mile cycle back!). A really good route, will have to make it all the way to Glasgow next time!

Bishopbriggs 10K

It's been a little while since I updated my training / racing blog. So far 2009 has been going well for me in terms of marathon training. I still have no injuries (touch wood), and the odd niggles seem to come and go without causing too many problems. My longest weekend run is still only 15 miles, so I will wait to see how things progress over the next few weeks as I gradually increase the milage.

On Saturday January 17th, myself and Dan headed across to Bishopbriggs (just outside Glasgow) for the Jack Crawford 10K race. The weather forecast wasn't looking too good, with a severe gale warning for the afternoon in Western Scotland. Fortunately though, the bad weather just held off till after the event. The course followed the Forth Clyde canal towpath. A really nice route, although a bit narrow and muddy in parts. A hard weeks training meant that this race felt a bit tougher than usual, but I think the longer runs had paid off as the distance felt quite short. I came through in a time of 44:58 which I was very pleased with. My training plan has me down for doing a sub 47 minute 10k at this point to be on track for the 3:45 marathon - so far so good.

A big thank you for all the sponsorship I have had from so many of you so far for Pancreatic Cancer UK. This money will make a huge difference to many people. Many thanks. http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

Bushy Park 5km Time Trial - New Years Day!

Well, I've very much enjoyed the Xmas and New Year holidays. I'm 3 weeks into my official 16-week training plan and all is going well so far. My longest weekend run to date is 14 miles (aiming for 15 today!). The Xmas holidays have provided lots of quality time to get out for training runs which has been great (fuelled by mince pies!). I've managed to meet up with Paris marathon training buddie Julia too. On Xmas Eve we did (along with our friends Katherine and Jamie) our traditional Xmas Eve run around QE park. We normally finish the run with a cup of tea and mince pie, but this year went for the more traditional McMuffin breakfast! haha!

On New Years Day myself, Katherine and Julia (and Marc who ran with Julia) entered the Bushy Park 5km Time Trail. Yes, it was at 9am on New Year's Day - madness. Beautiful course and perfect running conditions. So we started 2009 the way we meant to carry on! Katherine won the race! I was third in 21:19. Not a PB, but not bad for New Year's day and a hard week of training. Julia ran a PB which she was very pleased with!! I will carry on with the training schedule...XC race and 10km race in Glasgow to come next!