Running, cycling and other adventures

Marrakech Half Marathon, Morocco

2012-02-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was big event number one of 2012 - the Marrakech Half Marathon. Susan and I headed off on our flight to Morocco on Friday and arrived that evening. We were whisked away in a taxi to the Medina in Marrakech, and a man came to meet us at the car park and took us to our riad (traditional Moroccon hotel). The narrow streets were full of people walking, on bikes, scooters, the odd car! It was the hustle and bustle I'd imagined. The door to our riad was hidden away in a corner, but as soon as you stepped off the busy street you were in a world of peace and tranquility. After venturing out for dinner of tajine and couscous we headed back for a good night's sleep. The Saturday we headed to the Marathon village to collect our race numbers, and we had an explore around to get our bearings. Really enjoyed visiting the souks, but the amount of hassle you get to buy stuff is something else!! We went to a nice restaurant by our riad for dinner. We wanted to make sure we had something 'safe' and not experiment the night before the race. We had some really tasty salad and chicken/vegetable coucous - just what was needed. The mint tea which is traditionally drank in Morocco was very tasty too.

The next morning the riad staff brought us some hot water to our room and we made our porridge pots. My half was at 8:30am and Susan's marathon at 9am. The temperature in Morocco isn't actually that warm in January, and at that time of the morning still fairly cold! We jogged down to the start and I managed to squeeze myself somewhere near the front of the mass of runners. Fortunately it was a chip number so the timer didn't start till I crossed the line. The first mile was quite chaotic - lots of people everywhere. But then as the miles rolled by the field opened up a bit. There were some long, straight roads which meant I could get into a good rythmn and get some quicker miles in. I felt pretty good and considering my ankle problems in the weeks leading up to the race I was pleased with how I felt. I didn't see many other women around me till about mile 7 or 8 when I spotted a couple in front of me. This spurred me on to pick up the pace a bit and I managed to reel one of them in. It was great running in these new and different surroundings, quite an experience. The last couple of miles were a bit of a struggle as the sun was coming out, but I hung in there to finish 23rd woman (out of 603 apparently!) and in a time of 1hr34:36. Pleased with that as only around 45 seconds slower than my PB. Susan did really well in some hot conditions to finish 30th woman in the marathon in a time of 3hr59.58, so just getting under the 4 hours! Even better I'm up to £500 on my fundraising efforts for Pancreatic Cancer UK, so a massive thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far!

The next day we headed out on a day trip to the Atlas mountains which were fantastic - would love to go back there some day and hike up Mount Toubkal!
Next race is the Portsmouth Half marathon in a couple of weekends time - hoping to go a bit quicker if I can!

2012 - the year ahead

2012-01-08T02:16:00.000-08:00

So 2011 is well and truly over. I enjoyed a great New Year weekend with Rosie and Martyn and spent the last day of the year exploring the beautiful Dorset coast on foot, and the first day of 2012 mountain biking in some pretty challenging conditions!! 2011 has been a good one - not as many PBs as the previous year, but did manage to get my half marathon time down to 1hr33, and in the meantime got to visit another of the Outer Hebrides islands, this time in the form of the Isle of Lewis. One of the highlights of the year has to be my week of trekking in the Julian Alps in Slovenia. What a fantastic country and amazing hiking to be done. Has left me wanting to explore more of Eastern Europe. Another highlight was the Avebury - Stone Henge 26 mile trek I did with my Dad to raise money for Help for Heroes in the summer. The furthest my Dad had ever walked and a great achievement, especially in the hot conditions we had that day!

So, here I am in 2012 and I have some exciting challenges and adventures for the coming year. On 22nd December last year, I was lucky enough to win a Corstorphine AAC 'club entry' place for the London Marathon, along with Jillian Hogg. Many other CAACers have also got an entry due to having a 'good for age' or 'championship' place. So on April 22nd I will be on the start line of the London marathon and I can't wait! I'm following a 16-week training plan which started last Monday - week 1 almost done and so far so good. A long way to go though! I will be running not only for Corstorphine AAC, but also for the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK, and I will post further details of this soon. So in the meantime, I have the following plans in the coming year....

January 29th - Marrakech Half Marathon, Morocco
Susan and I are heading to Africa for a bit of a warm weather race. I will be doing the half and Susan the full marathon. Training for this is going well. No idea how the temperature will affect our running, but looking forward to a very exciting race in very different surroundings.

February 12th - Portsmouth Half Marathon
Two weeks later I'll be heading back to my home city to give the Portsmouth half marathon a go. I originally thought this might be a fast course seeing as it is flat along the coast, but have since found out part of the race is along the shingle beach. Looking forward to it though, and support from family, friends and previous training buddies will be great!

March 11th -18th - Snow shoe trek, Southern Alps, France
My legs will have a rest from running this week, and I will swap my trainer for snow shoes. Heading to the Southern Alps in France with Alison to trek hut to hut across some beautiful Alpine mountains! Haven't tried snow shoeing before! Should be great fun!

March 31st - Coniston 14
I have long wanted to give this race a go, so have decided that this is the year. Along with a few fellow runners I will be heading to the Lake District to do this scenic run.

April 22nd - London Marathon
The big day!!

16th September - Spire to Spire Trek
Last year it was 26 miles to Stone Henge to raise money for Help for Heroes, this year, my Dad and I will be walking 26 miles from Winchester Cathedral to Salisbury Cathedral. Another great challenge and a chance to explore another part of the UK. Being in September, it hopefully won't be as hot as last year's walk!

In between these I hope to have some great training runs and other smaller local races. Here's to a great 2012 and best of luck to everyone in their dreams for this year, whatever they may be! Watch out 2012 - I'm coming to get you!!

Eastleigh Parkrun - New Years Eve

2012-01-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

I decided to give the Eastleigh parkrun a go on New Years Eve. As I was on my way to stay with Rosie and Martyn for the weekend, I did it en route to Poole. It's quite different to Edinburgh parkrun. This one is off road and is three laps of the University of Southampton playing fields. There had been quite a lot of rain the previous few days and the ground was pretty muddy and slippy. Wasn't too sure how I'd go in my road shoes! My Garmin battery had died so I was running without the aid of the pacer on my watch to see how I was getting on. I have to admit, I struggled on some sections to get any kind of grip, especially around the corners. I also wasn't feeling as sharp as previous runs. Perhaps the week of mince pies and Xmas puddings was coming back to haunt me! I crossed the line in 32nd (3rd woman) in a time of 21:39. So not the best of times, but given the conditions and my footwear, probably not as bad as it sounds. A good training session and really enjoyed a new route. I will definitely do it again when back down south!

The Wrekin

2011-12-26T12:48:00.000-08:00

Well, it may not be a Munro - but today me and my Dad made it up the highest hill in Shropshire - the Wrekin. Standing at 407m above the Shropshire Plain, it's an old volcanic rock. It doesn't look like much from the bottom, but does become quite steep as you continue to climb. Great views at the top, seeing as far as Wales! A great Boxing Day walk and judging by the number of people we met on the way down, it would seem to be a popular pre-lunch walk in the area.

Snowy Edinburgh Parkrun

2011-12-14T00:37:00.000-08:00

I woke up on Saturday morning to a snow covered Edinburgh. My parents were up visiting for the weekend and so my Dad kindly drove me to the parkrun, as I don't think I'd have been braving the 8 miles on my bike otherwise. It was beautiful down at Cramond that morning. This would be my first running of the parkrun in snowy conditions. The field was somewhat depleted with only 87 runners turning up. The ground was a bit trickier to run on that usual, but otherwise conditions were good. I headed off at the usual pace and felt much stronger in the latter half of the race than a few weeks previous. I had a girl about 10m ahead of me in my sights. But turns out she started off a bit too quickly and I went past her at about half way. Tried to pick off a couple more people in the last couple of kilometres and felt strong. The time was a bit slower than usual, 20:09, but given the conditions, fairly pleased with that. My next parkrun is to be in the sunny south over the holidays, hoping to try Eastleigh parkrun near Southampton on New Years Eve.

Haddington - Duns - Haddington

2011-11-20T01:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, me and Susan put the bikes in the car and drove over to Haddington for a day of cycling. We'd been planning this cycle for a while, but today the conditions were perfect. Clear skies, fantastic views, not too windy and pretty mild for November. After finding a spot to leave the car in Haddington we got the bikes ready and headed on our way, south out of the town. The route had been described as hilly - and it wasn't wrong. Within a few miles we were heading up some fairly steep climbs, a bit of a shock to the legs. However, they soon got used to it, and we managed to marvel at the great views as the route took us out into the beautiful countryside of the Lammermuir hills. We were heading for the first village of Garvald, and then onto Longformacus. We almost had a slight navigational error at Whiteadder Resevoir, but noticed just in time and turned back on to the correct route. Longformacus had been described in the route instructions as "the only sign of life on the long road to Duns". I think this was a slight exagerration, as there was "no sign of life". We stopped at the village bus stop and fired up the stove to make a cup of coffee. No buses, nor people went by during this time! I think a couple of cars perhaps went by later on. The peace and tranquility of this cycle was brilliant. Most of the time we had the road to ourselves and could either just listen to the breeze, grouse and turning of the tyres, and in the case of the hills, our heavy breathing. We made it to Duns in time for lunch, and found ourselves the local pub, the Black Bull, where we had a drink and refuelled. This was 29 miles, so we had the same to do now in reverse. The ride back was 'slightly' easier as I think we did more climbing on the way out. We also enjoyed a beautiful sunset in the last stretch. However, the last 20 minutes we were in the dark, but this added its own bit of adventure. We reached the car after 58 miles. My legs were making it known that they'd been working hard today, but I loved ever minute of it. More cycles to come I hope!

Edinburgh Parkrun 12/11/11

2011-11-16T00:34:00.000-08:00

It's been far too long since I last wrote an update in my blog. Hopefully that will change, as I have lots of exciting things coming up over the next few months.
But I'll start with my Edinburgh parkrun last Saturday. My running had taken a bit of a dip over the summer due to one thing and another, but I'm finally getting my running mojo back and getting some better training in. I thought I would test my level of fitness with a trip down to Cramond for the 5km time trial. It was a beautiful sunny morning, so I jumped onto the bike and cycled the 8 miles to the start. You can't beat Cramond promenade on a crisp sunny morning.
I started off at a fairly fast pace - went through the first km in 3:40. I wanted to start off fast and just see how long I could keep it going. I had a couple other girls around me which was good to keep me going. I could feel my lack of speed endurance in the last couple of km's. I usually start overtaking people at this point, but not today!
There was a sprint between me and girl from Portobello right to the line, complete with dip finish! Not sure who got it, but my delay in walking through the funnel to get my token meant I was given 3rd lady anyhow. Not that it mattered, as I was pleased to go sub 20, in 19:49. Something to build on in the next few weeks. I'd like to get closer to the low 19's before too long.
Susan and I have entered the Marrekech half marathon on January 29th (Susan the full marathon), so the training has begun.

Slovenia - Julian Alps Traverse

2011-09-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

On 11th September I flew out to Slovenia (a country I'd wanted to visit for several years) for a week of hiking. A 5 day traverse of the Julian Alps including a summit hike to the top of Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain.

Due to a delayed flight it was 2am by the time we all arrived at the Hotel Krim at Lake Bled. The following morning I woke up bright and early however, excited about meeting my fellow hikers (I'd met most on the plane, but a few were left to arrive). Everyone seemed really friendly, there were 16 of us in total. I was slightly outnumbered, with only one other female, Inge from Denmark in the group. The two guides were local Slovenians Miha and David.

Day 1
On our first day we just did a day walk in the Karavanke mountain range. This was approx. 6 miles and was a warm up to stretch the legs and get ready for what was ahead. There was a thunder storm in the valley during the morning, but fortunately it reached us just as we were in the mountain hut having lunch. Luckily that was to be the only rain we had that week! We spent that night in a local mountain hut where we had our first opportunity to sample the local food. Then it was time to pack our rucksacks for the next 5 days. Along with the helmet and harness we needed for the Triglav, we had to pack as lightly as possible for the 5 days in the mountains. Easier said than done, but we all managed it. It felt very heavy when I tried it on, but I figured I'd get used to it as the week progressed.

Day 2
We left the Ljubelj Valley and drove over to the Lake Bohinj and into the Triglav National Park where we would start our trek. We climbed up through the tree line (nicely sheltered from the heat). We picked up the trail of the Seven Lakes, which took us to the beautiful Black Lake. Our base for the night was Dom na Komni, a large hut giving spectacular views of Bohinj Lake from the bedrooms.

Day 3
I woke to my alarm at 5:30am and an orange glow coming from the window. I jumped out of bed to see a beautiful sunrise over the lake, which was covered in a mist of cloud - what a view! After a hearty breakfast of cereal, bread and jam we headed off for the second day of our traverse. We headed through the Triglav Seven Lakes valley, passing numerous spectacular lakes along the route, the highlight being Kidney Lake where we paused for lunch. We carried on climbing up, we were now above the tree line and the scenery was almost lunar like. This was a hard section of the walk, with a relentless climb up to the plateau. At the top though we were rewarded with a view of Triglav - it was totally clear today. We arrived at our most basic of mountain huts that evening, but also one of the most cosy! There was drama that evening, as one of the guys on our trip had pure exhaustion and couldn't complete the walk. The guides had to rescue him and they came in through the dark several hours later carrying him. He was taken off the mountain via helicopter the next day!

Julian Alps - Slovenia from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Day 4
Today was suppossed to be our summit attempt to the highest point in Slovenia, but ironically it was totally cloudy today. We walked a couple of hours to a higher mountain hut and sat there for several hours waiting for the weather to clear. Unfortunately it didn't, so the decision was made to cross over to the highest mountain hut in Slovenia, spend the night there, and attempt the climb tomorrow if the weather had improved.

Day 5
We woke up this morning, to the clearest day of the trip! A big storm overnight had cleared the air, making it one of the best days for the summit attempt. I headed out outside and ran around like a small child on Xmas day taking photos of the sunrise and spectacular views. This, I thought, was going to be a day to remember! And it was... the climb to the top was a bit of a scramble / via ferrata at times, but never particularly scary. I felt like a tiny dot on the Earth as I was above all the other mountains in the area, above the clouds and even above the helicopter flying around dropping off supplies to the huts. We all reached the top and could see as far as Austria, the Italian Dolomites, and all the mountains we had traversed to arrive at the top! What an amazing day. It took us 1.5 hours to get back down. We had 15 minutes to grab our stuff and then we had an 8 hour hike ahead of us that day. It was a tough day, but one of the best ever!

Day 6
A small day walk of around 3 hours today with small packs. It was a pleasant change, and we were able to look out to the range we'd walked on the day previous. Then it was back to the mini-bus to head back to Bled. What an amazing trip - Slovenia is a beautiful country and I can't wait to explore more of that part of the world.

Creag Mhor and Beinn Heasgarnich

2011-08-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

It had been 4 months since I was last in the Scottish hills, so when I saw the chance to get two new Munros with Richard and fellow EYW's this weekend I jumped at the chance. We left Edinburgh at 8am in the pouring rain, but by the time we arrived at the start point, just past Killin, the rain had stopped and the skies were clearing.

We had a fairly long walk in (about 4-5 miles) along a track and then we cut off to the right and straight up the ascent of Munro number one, Creag Mhor, standing at 1049m. It was a tough ascent, and I could feel my legs working hard. One most of the climbing was done, there was a flat section followed by a last push to the top. The views all the way up were fantastic, we could see for miles around. And when the sun came out it was perfect. We reached the summit after 3hr20min of hiking, and had a well deserved lunch while enjoying the views.

It was then a fairly big descent, back down to around 650m off the back of the mountain and then a steep climb to our second Munro of the day. Again the climb was quite relentless, but then we hit a flat section with a gradual climb of around 100m in altitude before reaching the top of Beinn Heasgarnich. All around we could see rain on the tops of the other hills, but our hill seemed to have a ray of sunshine on its summit. We reached the top (1078m) just before the cloud cover came in. It was quite cold at the top, so we didn't stay too long. We dropped off the side in search of the path we came in on. The descent was long, but not as severe as some previous hills I've done. As we reached the path, the sun was shining and was the warmest it had been all day. The walk back out along the track felt longer than it had on the way in (it always does) and my legs were feeling it by the end.

We covered just over 16 miles in total, and had a fantastic day in the hills. We then had time for a drink in the pub in Killin before the drive home. A great day!

Mountain biking at Mabie and Ae

2011-08-16T11:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I crossed two things off my wish list. 1) To try out sleeping in a wooden pod, and 2) To mountain bike some more of Scotland's 7 Stanes mountain bike trails.

A group of us headed down to Mabie near Dumfries on Friday night to our wooden pod where we would be staying the weekend. There were 4 of us staying in there, with Nick and Susan choosing to pitch a tent outside. The pod was cozy to say the least, but it was nice not to have to put up a tent, and made for a comfy place to sit in the evenings. We were right by the Mabie Forest trails and also the Mabie House Hotel, which had weddings on each night we were there.

It rained heavily throughout the night, and was still raining on Saturday morning, ensuring that the trails at Mabie would be nice and muddy. Once Gillian had fixed herself up with a hire bike we headed off on the 10km blue route. A good warm up to get us all used to being on the bikes. After a quick scone and tea at the cafe, with then headed out on the red Pheonix route, 24km this time, and much more tricky descents. Great fun! We were covered in mud by the end of it. A warm shower followed by dinner in the Mabie house hotel (the biggest plate of Gammon and pineapple I've ever seen!) was well appreciated.

The next day, the sun was shining and after packing up the car, we headed north slightly to Ae. This is another 7 stanes venue also with various routes. The red route - the Ae Line was 26km, so we just headed straight for that. Susan did parts of the blue route and met us at various points. I loved this trail as it was so varied and the scenery was fantastic. It started in the woods, but had some exposed bits too, the best bit being 'The Edge' which featured a single track with a drop on the side down to the river, and great views. The finale, Omega man had some exciting dowhill sections, which were exciting, though hard work at the end of a weekend of biking.

Really enjoyed the weekend of biking and looking forward to trying out the remaining mountain bike trails!

The Ae Line from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Caerketton Hill Race

2011-08-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was Dean's birthday, and he decided he's like to do the Caerketton Hill Race in the Pentlands, followed by a few drinks in The Steading. I thought I'd step out of my comfort zone and join Dean and the others for this hill race. It may only be a 1.5 mile race, but it starts at Hillend ski slope and heads straight up to the summit of Caerketton and back down again with 800ft of ascent. I headed off at a steady jog, but soon broke into a fast hike up the hill. I was about two-thirds back in the field and was pleased to reach the summit. The conditions were pretty rough at the top, strong wind, rain and not much of a view. Was it really August? There was a nice flat section whee I managed to pick off a few people. Then it arrived: the descent! Most will know of my tendency to sprain / break ankles and so I was making a steady descent down. I was overtaken by many a runner sliding down on their backsides at great speeds! With my fellow CAACers all safely back down, I finally crossed the line in 22:49 in 73rd place (out of 77!). Both ankles intact and not last - success! Now time for the pub!

Tour of Fife 2011

2011-08-05T00:07:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd give the infamous Tour of Fife another go this year, having completed it in 2009. Five races in five days...a sure way to get you fit! There were a couple of new races this year along with the old favourites, and a record number of CAACers taking part.

Race 1: The Black Hill Race, Falkland
The first race of the series started on the Falkland estate - a 5 mile hill race round the tracks and up and down the hills. It had been a few days since I'd been running, and my legs felt fresh. I ran with Gillian for a little while, but soon realised she was running at a pace I wouldn't be able to hold. I tried my best to hold my position as high as possible among the women. I was fine going up the hills, though my downhill often lets me down, and a couple went past me. Was a really sunny evening, a bit muggy, but great conditions. Not often I run in sunglasses in Scotland.
Time: 36:47

Race 2: Hill of Tarvit, Ceres
This race was described as an undulating trail race. It was 3 laps of the estate of Hill of Tarvit, a really nice stately home and grounds. The great thing about racing is seeing places you probably wouldn't have thought to have gone to otherwise. It had rained lots during the day, so it was much cooler and better for running. The first lap felt tough, as there was indeed a couple of hills. However, this was followed by some flat and a great run through the forest which was great fun! Laps 2 and 3 felt much better, and i really enjoyed the course.
Time: 34:59

Race 3: The Up Hell Time Trial
This is a regular feature in the Tour. You get paired with another runner and start at the bottom of the Lomond hill. Then you head off uphill approx 1.5 miles straight up as fast as you can! It's the most painful of all the races. Your legs are burning, your lungs are screaming. And just when you think it can't get any steeper...it does. Fortunately there is a CAAC fan club complete with cow bells and polka dot jerseys to get you up the last bit. This hurt a lot more this year than I remember...perhaps because i ran it almost a minute quicker, or perhaps because I was dressed up as a cow, complete with socks and mask! Either way, I was glad to have reached the top, and enjoyed cheering on the remaining CAACers up the hill!
Time: 13:39

Race 4: Chariots of Fire Beach Race, St Andrews
Another regular of the Tour, this race starts on West Sands in St Andrews. You run out along the beach for around 2 miles plus, then turn round and come back. Depending on the tides, depends on how hard / soft / slippy the sand is. Fortunately the sand stayed hard for quite some time, although as we neared the turning point it started to become quite deep and then very slippy! For an added twist this year, the race organisers decided to put a post in the sea which we had to run round. For short people like me, this went up to about my knees, but for everyone, it ensured your trainers were wet through and heavy for the remainder of the race. Despite feeling quite tired in the build up to the race, I felt strong during it, and felt good coming back towards St Andrews, and managed to pick off a couple of people at the end. Unfortunately, some of the girls I needed to beat were ahead of me though. Really enjoyed the run though, and the thought of camping and a BBQ later that evening...
Time: 29:58

Race 5: The Chicken Run, Strathmiglo
The final race of the Tour. This one started in a field in Strathmiglo and was an out and back, which featured, yet again, another hill. Though of course, you are rewarded with a downhill on the return. I again really enjoyed this course and I tried my best to keep as close to the other girls around me as possible. 5 days of racing and camping were starting to take its toll, but I felt I finished strongly. I really enjoyed the Tour - it's a unique event!
Time: 36:27

Overall position: 52nd
Female position: 7th
Overall time: 2hr31:50

(Photos courtesty of roadrunpics)

Run & Become 20th Anniversary 2 miler

2011-07-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

This was the usual Meadows 2 miler, but with added fun last Wednesday, as it was the 20th Anniversary of Run and Become. There were loads of people running and lots of prizes in the 20 theme. Great turn out by CAAC - we managed 20 runners, bagging ourselves a team prize for reaching the target number. Perfect running conditions - warm and no wind. Relatively pleased with my time (exact same time as previous) given my lack of short fast stuff recently. Still a way to go to get my sub 12 minutes though! Lower down in the positions given the extra runners. Really fun evening though, and great atmosphere. This time next week will be the start of the Tour of Fife!

Time: 12:23
Position: 7th

The Famous Grouse Crieff 10k

2011-07-14T04:21:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Corrie and I headed up to Crieff for the Famous Grouse 10k. Neither of us had done the race before or even been to Crieff so we were keen to see what it was like. After missing the junction on the motorway to Stirling, we made our way cross country to Linlithgow and eventually found our way back onto the M9. We arrived with 20 minutes to spare, just enough time to get our numbers, listen to the race briefing and make our way to the start. The website had described the race as multi-terrain with 350m of ascent. And it wasn’t wrong. After heading out of the playing fields we headed onto a trail and began the uphill slog. It was in some ways similar to the Balmoral 10k, with a piper at the top to signal our arrival! Though not as steep as Balmoral, the uphill seemed to go on just as long, if not longer, making the first few kilometres pretty tough. I was in a good position. I knew Edel from Lothian Runners was way ahead and I’d never catch her. I’d been past a girl going up the start of the hill, and I couldn’t see any other girls ahead, so by my reckoning I must have been in second. The race continued through some beautiful scenery, and the weather was good, so I was trying to admire some of the surrounding landscapes while paying attention to what was underfoot. With about 1.5km to go I made the mistake of looking round to check who was behind. I spotted a girl hot on my heels. She caught me up not long after and I just couldn’t keep with her pace. She opened up a gap of around 20m. As we made our way back into the playing fields for the finish I picked up the pace to try and catch her. For a moment I thought I might be in with a chance. But she too picked up the pace – I came in 3rd by around 10 seconds. My finishing time was 44:11. My slowest 10k time for a while, and evidence of what a tough course this is. However, I very much enjoyed it and thought this was a unique 10k which I’d definitely do again. The finishing ‘goody bag’ comprised a miniature bottle of whisky and a whisky glass. And I got £30 and a picture with The Famous Grouse himself for my 3rd place efforts. Corrie enjoyed her run too and even more so her picture with the Famous Grouse. Fellow CAACer Nigel also had a storming run coming in the top 10!

Help for Heroes Challenge – Avebury to Stonehenge

2011-06-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

On June 26^th, my Dad and I took part in the Help for Heroes Avebury to Stonehenge Challenge – 26 miles of walking through the Wiltshire countryside and Salisbury Plains to raise money for the charity. We headed over the night before and checked into our Travelodge. I managed to get a good night’s sleep, and was excited about the day ahead when the alarm went off at 5:20am! We headed to Larkhill and parked the car. There were loads of other walkers there waiting for the bus to take us to the start. On arrival, we donned our t-shirts, picked up our packed lunch, and headed off. It was 7:30am, it was warm but misty. We’d been warned it could end up being the hottest day of the year so far, so we had sun cream at the ready!

The first few miles took us through some beautiful, undulating Wiltshire countryside. Very different to the Scottish scenery I’ve become used to, but equally as stunning. We passed numerous poppy fields. We headed past the chalk horse and along the Kennett and Avon canal. The first water station was at 7 miles, and was well stocked with jelly babies, cereal bars and water. We carried on through varying terrain. The half way point was conveniently at lunch time, so we got some shade in a barn sitting on a haystack and refuelled. There was also a pub, so we popped in for a quick drink before carrying on up the hill. We were feeling the heat at this point and there was not much shade.

At around mile 15 we entered Salisbury Plains – army training ground. Not ordinarily open to the general public, it had been opened especially for us to cross. There was no shelter here at all, and the chalk road made for some hot and relentless conditions. We arrived at the next water station at mile 17. We noticed a few people tending to blisters and others starting to look weary. The support from the Help for Heroes staff along the way was great and we were all very well looked after.

It was to be another 4 miles to the next (and final) water station. Again, the path offered no shelter. By the time we arrived my Dad was feeling pretty tired and had developed some nasty blisters. We dressed them with compede but they were pretty bad. My Dad decided he would stop at this point. I felt so bad; perhaps we should have just left the blisters, rather than try and treat them. He told me to go on without him, but I didn’t like leaving him. He assured me he’d be ok, and so I set off for the last 5 miles alone. I felt sad to be continuing without him, and was battling in my head whether I’d done the right thing. I set off at a fast pace – I just wanted to be at the finish now! Two minutes later, my phone rings. It’s my Dad…. “Wait up…I’m behind you…I’m carrying on!” I turned around to see my Dad hobbling across Salisbury Plain…I welled up with pride! Within a few moments we were reunited and continued the last 5 miles to the end. It was tough, energy levels were on zero, but we made it. We crossed the finish line just over 10 hours later, with Stonehenge looming over us in the distance. We’d done it!! We were handed our medals and certificates. What a great challenge and fundraising event! We’ll definitely be back for another one next year!

Mile 26 - the end is in sight! from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Edinburgh Seven Hills

2011-06-20T09:11:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the Edinburgh Seven Hills Race. The idea of this race is to get to the top of all seven hills in Edinburgh in the correct order in the fastest time possible. There is no set route and there are no marshals. The only rule is you must run / walk between them, no bikes, buses, taxis allowed! The race starts at the top of Calton Hill…the order is then as follows: Castle Hill, Corstorphine, Craiglockart, Braid, Blackford, Arthur’s Seat and then back to the top of Calton Hill. I’d done this event a couple of years ago, but had taken part in ‘The Challenge’ which starts off half an hour before and is for those who don’t want to race it. This year, I went in for ‘The Race’, along with a few other CAACers. I was a bit unsure on how I would do fitness wise. I’d done a few reccies with the club, but I hadn’t done as many longer runs of late as I probably should. We set of at 10:15 and the mass of runners headed down Calton Hill and invaded North Bridge and the Royal Mile to head up to the Castle. It makes me smile when all the tourists stand in complete shock as a bunch of 200 odd runners stampede up the road. For once, runners are in the majority, and buses and cars have to stop in their tracks as we run up the road!

Getting to the top of the Royal Mile to the Castle is fairly easy – fresh legs, buzz of the start of the race etc… Then it’s off down through Princes Street Gardens. I noticed a few people heading off in the other direction, which perhaps might have been a better idea. I duly followed the mass heading down the middle of the gardens, sliding about in the mud, getting wet feet and getting stung by nettles. By the time I’d got to the path at the bottom I was a feeling a bit sore to say the least, but it was a good stretch now along the road to Corstorphine Hill, so I got into a rhythm. Neil and Susan were on their bikes and they picked me up in the West End. It was nice to have some support along this section.

I think I was in third at this point and, but heading up Corstorphine I was overtaken by a girl from Edinburgh AC and then back down Kaimes Road, a girl from Porty (the eventual 3^rd place woman) came flying past. I picked up the pace to try and claw them both back. I managed to catch up with Edi AC on Craiglockart, but perhaps pushed it a bit too hard, as by the time I got to the top (pulled up by cheers from Dean, Gillian and Chris O’Brien) I definitely had jelly legs! Another girl overtook me on the way to Braids and I was in need of some energy. Definitely learnt a lesson in this race – always carry energy gels! The short cut through the Hermitage to Blackford was very muddy and slippery. I didn’t actually see any other runners go this way, but I think it worked out quite well as I gained a bit of time on my fellow female competitors (although had very muddy hands as a consequence!). I was pleased to get to the top of Blackford, but then the realisation hits you of what is left when you look across to Arthur’s Seat towering in the distance. My energy levels were pretty low at this point as I trundled my way to Holyrood Park. As I approached Arthur’s Seat I went off to the right, but later regretted this, as I think this was a longer route up to the top. I was relieved to have a guy at the top punch the clip into my number as contemplated the descent. I don’t really remember which way I came down, I just looked for the safest route. As I got to the bottom my left calf cramped up. I’ve never had cramp during a race before and it wasn’t pleasant. I had to stop and stretch, it just got worse! I tried to keep moving – this didn’t help either. As I hopped down the path I spotted Neil, Susan and Dean. Unfortunately they saw me at a rather low point, I was in considerable pain. I stopped, took an energy gel and pushed on for the last bit. Fortunately I managed to shake off the cramp for the last bit and I followed the other runners up the last section to Calton Hill. I looked at my watch as I crossed the line. 2:17:22. I’d beaten my time by almost 20 minutes – very happy. I was 7^th woman overall which I was also pleased with. Perhaps next year with a bit more training I could push myself further up the field.

A traditional post race drink in the Guildford Arms with my fellow CAACers – a tough day, but always a lot of fun!

CAAC 5

2011-06-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Scott W, who was whizzing round the course on his new bike

It is that time of year again when Corstorphine host the CAAC 5 - 5 miles of undulating country lanes. Having marshalled the last couple of years, I thought I'd don the black and white vest and join a whole host of other CAACers for this years race. We were lucky to have a dry night having experienced some heavy showers earlier on in the day.

With an 'on your mark, set go' from Martin the field was off. I somehow got a swept along with the field and thought perhaps I'd gone off too fast with a 6:00 min first mile. My second was in 6:25...hmm, 12:25 for 2 miles (my PB round the Meadows for this distance is only 12:18!) Would I be suffering later on I wondered? Turns out, yes I would!! I tried to keep with Gillian and Derek as best I could. Gillian started to pull away and I could feel Derek starting to creep forward too. I seemed to gain on runners on the uphill sections, but failed at running fast downhill. With a mile and half to go there was one last hill, and it's safe to say my legs had turned to jelly. I tried as hard as I could to keep the pace going and was glad of the downhill section in the final stages. Thanks to a few cheers from the marshals and Susan on her bike, I made it round in a PB of 32mins. Pleased with the run, and the CAAC team spirit was great. Some great performances from the men! Not enough to scoop the team men and women's prizes away from HBT this year though...

Stornoway Half Marathon

2011-05-30T09:31:00.001-07:00

The weather forecast was predicting heavy rain and wind all weekend. With the prospect of a ferry crossing, 2 nights in a tent, and a half marathon, we were undecided whether or not to go. I'm glad we did, as an awesome weekend was had!!

We drove up to Ullapool on the Friday and met with the others to head over on the ferry. High winds were forecast, but we were pleasantly surprised by how calm it felt. After tucking into our pre-race dinner and Caribbean tea cake, it wasn't long at all until we docked at Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis. We registered for the race and bought out post race ceilidh tickets and then it was off to the Laxdale campsite to set up our tents. We were lucky to get them up in time before the rain started.

The next morning we had our pre-race breakfast and headed down to the start of the race. Just 5 minutes before the start the rain came pouring down and was so heavy and cold that it took your breath away!! I felt sorry for Neil, who at this point, was starting to question my / his sanity. I reminded him of the post race buffet and curry we'd be having later on to try and make him feel better?! Not sure how much it worked! The on and off rain and sunshine was to be the theme of the day. We set off at 10am and the first mile was downhill so was good to get the legs turning. I actually felt quite good and went through the first mile in 6:50, much quicker than I normally do for a half marathon. Dean and Gillian headed off into the distance (I didn't even see Keith). I really enjoyed the course, it was a mixture of running through the town, and along the coast and through the grounds of Lews Castle. Some parts were trail and slightly undulating, so it was tough in places, but I really enjoyed it. I knew I must be fairly high up the field but not sure where. I had a lady from Helensburgh not far behind me, so once I'd heard from a marshal I was 3rd woman, I was determined to keep pushing the pace and maintain my position. I had a tough time through mile 9 and 10, but an energy gel perked me up a little and I just crossed off the miles to the finish. I came in at 1:33:49, a PB, really pleased. Keith had some in first male, Dean 11th, and Gillian 2nd lady! A good result for all. We jogged back to cheer on Neil. He'd unfortunately had problems with his ITB band which was causing him a lot of pain. He completed the race though and was smiling as he crossed the line! A very much deserved medal!!

With the race completed, it was time for the post race buffet and cake extravaganza, prizegiving (possibly the best prizes ever, Lewis Chessmen, and a black pudding spot prize!), pool and jacuzzi, curry, pub and ceilidh!! As always the island hospitality it second to none, with the race organisers taking us on a mini-bus tour of the island on the Sunday before the ferry home. It was pouring with rain, but that didn't stop them showing us their island with pride.

A great weekend, and I look forward to going back there again, maybe one day when the sun is shining :-).

Meadows 1 mile

2011-05-26T23:42:00.000-07:00

A quick one on Wednesday - a lap of the Meadows as fast as possible! There was hardly any wind compared to last week, and conditions were good. Blasted off a bit too fast perhaps (glancing down at my Garmin it read average pace 5:22/mile). It caught up with me about half way round, but managed to hang on for 3rd place (thanks to frantic shouts from Grant and BC!! "There's a girl right behind you...here she comes!!! Run!!")

Time: 5:45 (PB)
Position: 3rd

Another 2 miler

2011-05-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Quite a few of the usual CAAC boys turned up for the second 2 miler at the Meadows. It was blowing a gale on Wednesday evening. The direction of the wind made the second lap and finishing straight hard work. My legs were a bit tight from last night's track session. I felt ok, but my time was reflected by the conditions. A fair bit of work to do if I'm going to get under 12 minutes this year.

Position: 3rd woman
Time: 12:50

Self Transcendence Meadows 2 miler

2011-05-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night was race number one of the 2011 Self Transcendence Edinburgh race series and it kicked off with a 2 miler. There was a good CAAC turn out, including Pilky, BC and Dave from Moray’s squad, along with the Pegsters and Mike A. I was the only CAAC lady on this occasion. I was wondering how the legs would feel after the week of hill walking. I’d just done an easy 4 mile jog last night rather than track to ease them back in gently. Was a slight shock to the system being back in such a fast race, and my right ankle was feeling a bit peculiar on the second lap, but I was pleased with how the run went, only 5 seconds off my fastest time last year. A good base to improve on over the summer. My aim is still to get a sub 12 minute before 2011 is out!

Position: 4^th woman

Time: 12:23

Gairich (919m)

2011-05-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Sunday was the last full day in our cottage and we decided to finish off the week with a final Munro, this time heading to Gairich, a solitary Munro between Glen Kingie and Loch Quoich. I think this may have been the hottest day of the holidays so far. This looked like an ‘easy’ hike in the book, only 780m of ascent and 10 miles of walking. All relative after the long walks we’d been doing in the week!

The walk started by crossing a rather impressive dam, and then over some boggy ground. I think most of the time this section would be a nightmare to get across, but given the time of year and dry weather we’d been having, it was relatively straightforward. There was a path all the way to the top, and the ascent was gradual to begin with, with a last steep push to the top. It took us just under 3 hours to get to the summit and we met lots of walkers on their way down as we neared the top. We had our lunch on the summit enjoying yet more stunning views. The descent was much quicker and easier than other walks this week. We were back to the car by 6pm, which worked out perfectly for stopping at the Cluanie Inn for our dinner. The Cluanie burger with chips for Neil and the Venison burger with chips for me! Dinner never tasted so good!!!

By the end our week, Neil has reached 96 Munros, so hoping to reach the century later this month!

The South Glen Shiel Ridge (the day of 7 Munros)

2011-05-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

After a couple of days rest and recuperation (whisky tasting on Skye, a gentle coastal walk in Applecross and seafood dinner in Plockton), the big day had arrived! Neil and I had discussed wanting to do this walk for some time, so we were excited about the day that lay ahead. We’d managed to coincide it with the day of the Royal Wedding (not on purpose), but both of us were pretty happy to just catch the highlights that evening. We watched the build up on BBC as we tucked into our breakfast, and then packed the car (complete with bikes) ready to head off.

We parked the car just up the road from the battle of Glen Shiel, donned our walking gear and jumped on the bikes. We had a 6 mile cycle (mostly uphill) up the road to reach the Cluanie Inn, the start of our walk. My legs were feeling fairly fresh as I started cycling up the road. I very much enjoyed cycling along; occasionally looking up to my right to see the spectacular sight of the Glen Shiel Ridge, and realising that very soon we’d be hiking back across it. I spotted a sign ahead, Cluanie Inn 400m ahead – we’d almost made it, the bike ride felt much easier than I’d been expecting. After a quick photo and locking up the bikes, we headed off on the walk.

The first 4 miles is a gradual ascent along a very good stalkers path. The ascent then rises more steeply and the first Munro is reached with relative ease. It was great to reach the top. Another couple of people were at the top, it appeared they had come from another direction and were probably only doing a small section of the ridge that day. They were the last people we saw on the ridge all day! Maybe we were the only ones missing the wedding after all?! The views were slightly hazier than previous days, but either way, we couldn’t complain, we could still see as far as the eye could see! Quite a daunting prospect when we could see the ridge which lay ahead of us. The hike to the next one was fairly straightforward and took us no time at all, however getting between two and three was quite tough, with a bit of a hill in between which added to the challenge. The sun continued to shine throughout, though it was pretty windy at times, almost sweeping you off your feet on occasions! It was great to get to number six and see where we’d come from. We had a quick check of the map to see which our last hill was. At this point we were pleased to see it was the closer of the two we could see before us. We had a last push to the top of Munro number seven for the day! And felt a great sense of achievement on getting to it! The sun was starting to go down, and once again the light off the surrounding landscape was spectacular. After revelling in the joy of having completed the South Glen Shiel Ridge, our thoughts turned towards the next part, getting down! The start of the descent felt pretty good – my legs must have become stronger after the Saddle a few days before I thought. But then about half way down the fatigue started to work its way in! A few mini-eggs later and I had a return of energy, but there comes a point when no amount of mini-eggs will restore the energy levels! Again, we could spot the red dot of our car on the road. The last little bit was through some boggy woodland which made for some hard walking, but we made it. Back on solid tarmac, we headed back to car. It was 8:45pm. We drove back to the Cluanie Inn to pick up our bikes and then headed back to the cottage. It was time for some pasta and to catch the Royal Wedding highlights on TV. Another fantastic day!

The Saddle (1010m) and Sgurr na Sgine (946m)

2011-05-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

After a great weekend in Braemar with CAAC for the Balmoral 10k, Neil and I drove across to the West, where we had a cottage booked in a small place called Conchra – just off the main road a few miles past Eilan Donan Castle. It was a great base for our week and perfectly placed for our planned adventures. The first of which was a Munro double, the Saddle and Sgurr na Sgine – 2 adjacent hills, with the first, the Saddle incorporating the Forcan Ridge, a great scramble. We couldn’t have wished for a more perfect day weather and view wise. The first part of the walk involved following a stalkers path up to the ridge before the scramble began. I really enjoyed the challenge of the scramble, and felt quite safe throughout, as there were some good hand holds and rocks to support yourself on. There were routes around to avoid the scramble if wanted, but as pointed out in the Munro book ‘this would defeat the object of the ascent’. I was pleased to see the cairn come into view on the last section – a hard climb, but one of my favourites to date. We enjoyed our lunch on the summit before continuing onto hill number two for the day.

There was a fair drop between the two hills and a challenging rocky descent off the Saddle. We arrived at the top of Sgurr na Sgine when the light off the hills was beginning to look quite spectacular. We could see across to Syke, Knoydart, the South Glen Shiel Ridge to mention a few. After spending a bit of time on the summit, (this was number 60 for me) we started the walk down. The route followed a ridge for a way, then back up a bit before the real descent began. I could see our car; it was a tiny red dot, some 900m below us! I’m never a fan of the descent, although my Leki walking poles which I got last birthday are proving to be invaluable, especially with keeping my ankles intact! Neil recently got some walking poles too and is feeling the benefits. I enjoyed watching the sun setting over the surrounding mountains on the way down; the ever changing colours were beautiful. We spotted a couple of wild campers who had pitched their tents along the way. I envied them, as I looked down on what we still had to do to get back to the car! We arrived back to the car with weary legs, but I have to say, one of my favourite ever hill walks. I’ll remember this one for some time.

Lochnagar 5

2011-05-03T23:22:00.001-07:00

On last year's Balmoral trip we attempted to do the Lochnagar 5, but the weather was against us, and we only managed one of the 5 Munros on this loop. This year, the weather was with us and we decided to give it another go. We went the opposite way round this year, meaning we had a longer walk in to the first hill, but a much more gradual ascent. With this being an 18 mile hike, it was nice to get some of the easier miles in early on, rather than face a long walk out at the end. The sun was shining, with great views, and loads of fun walking round as a big group. We reached summit number one with ease, and then continued round, ticking each one off as we went and admiring the stunning scenery at each one. With a food / easter egg stop on each summit too! A few of the CAACers who'd gone off ahead made a slight error and headed in the wrong direction at one point. Tom, Keith and Dave therefore had to break into a bit of hillrunning to bag that Munro and rejoin the group, while a few of the others decided they would miss that one out. It looked like Tom could have run around the whole loop! The grand finale was Lochnagar - where we could look back at where we'd come from.

Really enjoyed this hillwalk and a good start to the week of hillwalking Neil and I had planned for the week ahead...

Balmoral 10k 2011

2011-05-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

This was the third year I headed up to Balmoral with fellow CAACers to do the Balmoral 10k. and this time Neil came along too. It would be the start of a week's long holiday in Scotland. After loading up the car with all our gear in the morning, we headed off to Braemar. The CAACers stayed in the bunkhouse, but Neil and I stayed in a B&B just up the road which turned out to be a little gem of a place, which we'll certainly be returning too!

The race seemed busier than previous years, I think it's become more and more popular. The gun went and we all piled across the start line. The first few kilometres are merely a formality, as you wait in anticipation for the start of 'the hill'. Before I knew it, it was upon us, and I started the long climb to the top, listening out for the piper at the top. This was definitely the best I'd ever felt on the hill, though I was still pleased to get to the top knowing the hard work was done and the rest was mostly downhill. I had a bit of a battle with a girl from Aberdeen, unfortunately what I made up on the uphills, she always cruised passed me on the downhills, so she just got me at the end. Pleased with my position of 7th woman, and time of 42:33, my quickest on this course to date. Neil had not done as much training as he would have liked for this race, but nonetheless had a really good run, coming in at 45:59. There were great CAAC performances all round, Grant won first vet and Dean dipped under 40 minutes. Some of the CAACers ran back to Braemar, while the rest of us took the car or cycled, before getting ready for our night in the Fife Arms. Another great 10k in Balmoral.

National Road Relays, Livingston

2011-04-08T01:59:00.000-07:00

(Kerry leading off the women's team - photo courtesy of roadrunpics)

With the XC season over with well and truly now, last weekend was the turn of the National Road Relay Champs, taking place in Livingston. For some reason, this event didn't seem to have the prestige of the National XC, with far fewer teams from across Scotland taking part. Not sure why Livingston is chosen as a venue for these champs, but nonetheless, this was my first outing and I was looking forward to it. The women's team consisted of Kerry off first on a 'short' leg (3.2 miles), then Susan second on the 'long' (5.8 miles), then me on another short, and Gillian anchoring us on the final long leg. Both Kerry and Susan had great runs, putting us in a good position. I set off at a good pace, as did everyone, with it being slightly downhill and in front of all the supporters. Then you turn the corner, hit the hill and the wind! Took my about half a mile to really get going in my running, but once I did I felt good and there were female runners in front of me at even spaces which I could work on drawing in and picking off. I overtook about 5 women which I was pleased with. Handed over to Gillian who took over another 9, so overall we finished in 8th, so a great result for the women!
Another great team event, it was great fun cheering on the several men's teams. The A team coming in 4th, and the highlight being the Mike A having a sprint finish on the last leg for the Vets. Our day out in Livingston was finished off with a trip to Cotswold Outdoors and Wagamamas for dinner -what more could you want from a sunny Sunday day out! ;-)

First Parkrun of 2011

2011-03-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Headed out to Cramond for my first run of the parkrun for 2011 and since it's been adjusted to the 'correct' distance. Apparently, it was 80m short before! After a quick jog from the car to the start and a bit of a stretch the starter called us off! I'd managed to get myself fairly near the start as it's quite easy to get boxed in there. Felt good and was in sight of Chris Peggie, so thought I'd try and keep the gap as small as I could between us. He pulled away, but it was good to have him in my sights. Last couple of km's I felt fairly strong and wasn't as blusterly down there as usual.
Came in at 19:25, 2nd female. Comparable to my previous times on the shorter course, and very pleased considering the lack of speedwork have been doing of late. Some nights on the track should help sharpen things up. 22 dead for Neil, so a good first outing from him also. Let the road race season begin!!

Mountain biking at Glentress

2011-03-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

A bit of fun at Glentress on a Saturday afternoon....

Jo on Electric Blue from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Neil going over the bridge @ Glentress from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Scottish XC Champs 2011, Callender Park, Falkirk

2011-02-24T11:03:00.001-08:00

I ran this course for the first time last year and absolutely loved it, so I was pleased to hear it was at the same venue for 2011. Conditions, however were quite different, with last year's hard ground and frost being replaced with squidgy paths and mud. We had a team of 8 women this year (the highest ever apparently!) We set off alongside a couple hundred other women sporting our white CAAC vests (though they didn't stay white for long). I felt good going up the first hill, but everything after that felt like hard work. Some great support from the men all the way round which really helped. I finished in 69th position in a time of 35min03. This was half a minute slower than last year and I was down on my position. I was slightly disappointed as felt I'd been running well so far this year. Great runs by all the CAAC ladies, some of whom were making their race debut and we finished with a team position of 10th overall.
It was then off for a warm down and a jog around the course to cheer on the CAAC men! Love this race for the club atmosphere, you can't beat it!
(Above picture courtesy of roadrunpics)

Learning to Ski, Les Orres

2011-02-10T23:58:00.000-08:00

Beginning of February I spent 2 weeks in France, visiting family and the south staying with Neil who's working out here at the moment. After travelling across France from La Roche Sur Yon down to Gap (via car, plane and train). Neil was at the platform to greet me and we got into our Renault Megane to continue to journey to Hotel Le Lac in Embrum. We were all set for a weekend of skiing! Having only sampled Southampton ski slope and an icy Cairn gorm so far in my downhill skiing repetoire, I was very excited to be getting a true Alpine experience. We had a lesson booked for the following morning. Complete with all the ski gear we headed up for our first lesson with Bruno. I'd only done snow plough before, or 'chaisse neige', but Neil had already got pretty good at the parallel turns in his previous trips up there. We had the great lesson and I felt my balance was improving (although had had a few tumbles along the way). It was then time for lunch, at which point I noticed the boots I had on were waaaaay to tight, and I'd actually lost feeling in both my feet, and my calves were cramping up!! I could barely stand up, let alone walk....or ski!! So it was back down to the ski hire shop for the next size up and that was much better. The afternoon was spent trying a few different runs (some easier than other) and was a lot of fun, and by the end of the day I was starting to get the concept of parallel turns. After a good day of skiing, it was back to the hotel for a bit of 6 Nations rugby. I donned my French shirt (sorry Neil ;-)) and watched the France vs Scotland game, before heading to the hotel restaurant for the perfect apres ski meal - La Raclette. All the cheese you could ask for, along with potatoes and cured meats.

Day 2 on the slopes I felt much more like I knew what I was doing. Firstly, I wore less layers! Turns out the French Alps get more sun that the Scottish Highlands?? haha! We had another lesson at midday, so had an hour or so to have a bit of a practice. first This time we had Rico. He was great, and by the end of the lesson I was managing the parallel turns so much better. After a lunch of panini and orangina, and a bit of souvenir shopping, we headed back onto the slopes ready to try our new found skills! Neil even made it onto a red run by the end of the day (with only one fall!) and I finally managed to get down La Fontaine with no falls and both skiis on my feet! I was loving it, and was sad when 5pm came and the chair lifts closed down.

Trying to get my parallel turns! from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Neil heading down La Fontaine from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

We rounded the day off with a lovely coffee and then got in the car ready for the journey back to Aix en Provence. An amazing weekend, and I can't wait to get skiing again! We'll definitely need to hit the slopes of Scotland before the snow disappears!

Trent Park 5km Handicap

2011-01-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

This weekend I headed down to London for my goddaughter’s 1^st birthday. Her mum being an avid runner (and Jorjia surely due to follow in her mum’s footsteps very soon), we decided to give the Trent Park 5km handicap race a go before the afternoon’s party celebrations! This race is organised by Trent Park running club on the last Saturday of every month, and was the first time I’d given it a go. Katherine had last tried it only a few months after having given birth to Jorjia but her times have been getting faster ever since! Having not done this race before I told them a recent 5km time and was instructed I’d be setting off 15 minutes after the first runner. Katherine was going off after 14 minutes so would have a minute over me. The course was mostly off road through the park, with lots of up hills and down hills. A really nice course, though the cold weather made it hard to warm up in the early kilometres. The final 1.5km was along the tarmac, before doubling back to the finish. I could see Katherine as we crossed each other on the route back, she was running well and there was no danger of me catching her up! Katherine finished in a great time of 20:28, her quickest since Jorjia’s arrival. I came in only 10 seconds faster – she’s hot on my heels once again! I really enjoyed this run. Then it was time for a quick cappuccino in the café and off to make sandwiches and set up ready for the party. With 18 babies arriving I was wondering whether the 5km was going to be the easy part of the day…..???

East District XC Champs, Livingston

2011-01-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of rain and wind battering my bedroom window. Hmm, a usual XC weather day then. The race wasn't till early afternoon, so had the morning to relax and prepare for the impending mudfest!! The CAAC female contingent headed to Livingston in Corrie's mini. We actually managed to find the place by luck!

After a bit of a warm up, we got into vest and shorts and lined up at the start of the Senior Women's race. The first section was very muddy and against a strong head wind, and there were some icy bits to contend with too. However, once into the woods, it was more like trail running and I felt I got a good rhythmn going. The ups and downs felt good and I was managing to pick off a few on the uphills, and trying my best to maintain it on the downhill sections. There was some great support from the CAAC men all the way round the course which really helped in the tough conditions.

I felt strong over the second lap (though wouldn't have wanted to have done a third!). I managed to get one last HBT runner in the final metres to finish in 30th position. Gillian and Corrie both had great runs too, but unfortunately missing a 4th runner we couldn't figure in the team positions. Hopefully we can get a full squad out for the Nationals next month.

Some Snowy Running

2011-01-11T08:40:00.000-08:00

Running through the Hermitage from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Running up a snowy Blackford Hill from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Reflection on 2010 – Looking ahead to 2011

2011-01-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

This time last year I wrote a similar blog entry with my aims and objectives for 2010. Looking back over them, I’m pleased to say that many can be ticked off – and although a few I’m still working towards, I feel I’m making progress and can happily carry them over to the coming year.

With regards to my running objectives, I was really pleased to reach two big mile stones, sub 19min 5km and a sub 40min 10k. I was affected by injury earlier on in the year (plantar fasciitis) which I thought might put an end to my season before it had properly begun, but with some chiro treatment, a 2 week break from running, and some exercises I was able to shift it. I’d hoped to get closer to my half marathon benchmark of 1hr30, but had to settle for 1hr34 at the Wolverhampton half (taking 4 mins off my previous best of 1hr 38). However, I felt great at the end of this race, which makes me think that I have more to get out of this distance. This year’s target will therefore be sub 1hr30 for the half. My 5km and 10km PB’s were hard work, so I’d now like to run these kinds of times more consistently.

Other aims I’d had were to learn to ski and XC ski – both of these I did (the downhill lesson being on New Year’s eve!). I’d also hoped to get better at rock climbing. I managed a lesson at the Edinburgh University climbing wall during the summer where I definitely increased my confidence on the wall. However, time (and temperatures at Ratho!) didn’t allow me to do much otherwise. Something to keep for the future.

I’d also made a plan to reach 75 Munros by the end of 2010. However, by the end of the year I was on a mere 53, so a fair bit off on that one. There are just aren't enough weekends in the year! Having bagged one Munro already this year though, I’m going to carry this aim over to 2011. So hopefully when I sit down to write this entry next New Year, I’ll be on 75 or more! With Neil hoping to get to the century this year, if I stick with him I should be on target! We had a great weekend in the Lake District for Rosie’s 30^th and did Scarfel Pike, so I’d love to get down to the Lakes and do more hills there. It’s not really much further away than going up north to the Highlands.

Highlights of 2010 for me were XC skiing in Norway – a fantastic country and scenery. I think ski touring might be the next thing to try. The Barra Half Marathon – what an amazing place and great atmosphere for a race. I’m inspired to do more Outer Hebrides races! The Rat Race – possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also one of the most fun and rewarding. I’m hoping my fellow CAAC Attack team members will be up for a similar race this year.

So, with all this in mind, my aims for 2011 are:

Run sub 12 min 2 miles

Run sub 19min 5km and sub 40min 10km more consistently

Sub 1hr30min half marathon

PB at 10 miles (perhaps Lasswade) – I haven’t run a 10 mile race in a long while and would be interested to see what I could get

Run the Edinburgh 7 Hills race (only done challenge so far and missed race last year due to injury) and improve on my previous time

Reach 75 Munros

Hike some Lake District Hills

Run at least one (possibly two) of the Outer Hebrides half marathons. Stornoway Half marathon is number one on the list, with Benbecula and Skye other possibilities.

Wish list (runs/things I’d like to do if get the chance, but not all this year!!): Northumberland Coastal run, Lakeland Trail run, Coniston 14, Nottingham half marathon (this one for nostalgia rather than scenery), Kilomathon, The Inn Pinn (plus other 2 Munros on Skye I’m missing)

Snowy Running, Munro-ing and Skis

2011-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

Happy new year to all!

The Christmas and New Year holidays have been great – it’s always nice to have two weeks where you have the time to relax, spend quality time with family and friends and do lots of fun activities – all fuelled by mince pies and mulled wine!

With all the snow in the build up to Xmas, I was able to get out on lots of snowy runs. Highlights were the Springvalley Harriers Xmas run, where a good group of us went running in the Hermitage and over Braid Hill with Santa hats and head torches, followed by many cakes back at Springvalley. A perfect way to kick off Xmas! Then on Xmas Eve, myself, Neil, Dean, Gillian, Susan and Keith headed off for a morning run over the same route followed by a hearty breakfast in the pub. Over the Xmas holidays down in Wolverhampton I was able to get some good runs in to keep me ticking over aswell as a lovely 7 mile walk with my Dad on the 27^th. There was still a lot of snow on the ground and I was amazed at how rural and beautiful the area was behind my grandparents house.

After a great Xmas with my family I headed back up North to meet Neil in Dunblane at his parents’ house, and from there we continued up to Inverness to stay with Neil’s sister Eilidh in Inverness for Hogmanay. The plan was to do a bit of hill walking and some skiing over this time, and we had a great time! We drove up on the 30^th, and stopped to do a Munro off the road from Dalwhinnie - Geal Charn (926m). We’d been expecting lots of snow given the amount that had fallen in December, but there had obviously been a big thaw so it was more wet than snow. This was a fairly short walk in terms of elevation, only being at 926m and starting just over 300m from the car, so an ideal hill to do on the way to Inverness. We got all geared up – ice axe and crampons at the ready and headed off up the path. However, we were chatting away and then realised we were going up the wrong way – fortunately we hadn’t gone too far at this point, we’d just added an extra mile round loop to the walk. We soon got back on track and climbed gradually up the hill. Some good views till nearer the top when the cloud came in. We reached the summit at 2pm – Munro number 53 for me. Neil still needs to count how many he’s on, but somewhere in the 80s we think. With the short days at the moment, it was pretty dark by the time we got back to the car, but we got some great glimpses of views on the way down when the clouds cleared for a moment. The final Munro of 2010 was done.

On New Year’s Eve, myself, Neil and Eilidh headed to Aviemore for a ski lesson. We had to be at the ski school at 8:30am so it was an early start. We got kitted up and drove up to the ski car park. Turns out New Year’s Eve is a busy time for ski lessons, so we had a fairly big group, and the queues were big to get up Cain Gorm on the funicular. By the time we got going it was gone 11am. We did some basic skills before breaking for lunch. We were glad to have brought our own picnic given the amount of people in the Ptarmigan restaurant – though those chips did smell nice!! After lunch we were back on the slopes for the afternoon session, we got into snow ploughs and we all started getting the hang of it. I really felt my XC skiing from earlier on in the year was helping me with my balance, it felt much easier with the bigger, sturdier downhill skis. Learning to use the ski lift was good fun, and once we mastered that we just went up and down trying to perfect our downhill skills in the last half hour. It was pretty icy and the visibility was poor, but as the instructor said “If you learn to ski in Scotland, you can ski anywhere!” Unfortunately, we had to stop around 3:45 just as we were getting into it, and we caught the last funicular of 2010 back down to the car park. A great day and I can’t wait to get back on some skis very soon!

After a day of rest and recuperation on January 1^st (aka film watching marathon) we headed back to the mountains. We decided to do a couple of Munros on the road to Kintail. This was a bigger climb than the previous Munro, with a lot of the height gain covered early on. We managed to find a slightly more forgiving climb further round the mountain which was fine. We enjoyed the amazing views of the South Glen Shiel Ridge as we climbed higher and higher. At around 750m we felt a drop in the temperature and there were bigger patches of ice and snow. We had ice axes with us, but given the conditions the previous time, we didn’t have our crampons. Big mistake and lesson learnt - always carry crampons in the winter!! On reaching the plateau we had a quick stop to put on some extra layers. At this point two other hill walkers popped out from the other side of the hill. They caught us up just at the final push to the summit. As I glanced over to say hello, I realised one of the guys was “Mountain Goat” aka Martin Hulme from CAAC!! We’d seen nobody else all day and then here was Martin on a hill in the middle of Scotland, miles from Edinburgh!! Small world. Our meeting was nicely timed to have lunch together at the top of A’Chralaig (1120m). Martin and his hiking buddy had the big crampons so they were back down the mountain very quickly, as opposed to mine and Neil’s more steady descent. We decided to miss the second Munro given the ice and the time of day. A real shame, but a good excuse to go back another day. We took the steeper route down and could see the Claunie Inn in the distance looking very inviting. We got back to the car just before dark and headed to the pub for a well deserved coffee to warm us up. Turns out the Claunie Inn do a very nice latte! A great start to the Munro-ing year!

EYW Xmas Pentlands Walk

2010-12-05T05:57:00.001-08:00

This weekend was the Edinburgh Young Walkers (EYW) Xmas walk and dinner. The original plan had been to head to Melrose to do the Eildon Hills. However, given the amount of snow which had fallen this week, the roads weren't the safest, so we opted for a jaunt to the Pentlands instead! I was looking forward to seeing how snowy the Pentland were....and I wasn't disappointed. We started at the Flotterstone Inn car park and headed up the first hill of the usual loop. The sun was making the hills look a beautiful orange colour and the snow was indeed thick. The higher we got, the more spectacular the views and the deeper the snow. The final climb to the top of the hill was tough going, with the snow up to our knees!

We had great views from the top and had time for a bit of a coffee stop while looking over the snow covered land around. I started to feel the cold big time at this point and made the decision to cut back down with a few others while the rest of the group pushed on to the next one.
Any thoughts of getting down quickly were dashed as we were faced with some of the deepest snow I've ever know. We couldn't walk across it as we just fell through, and it was too powdery to slide down. We were trying to reach the main path to the resevoir at the bottom, which took us well over an hour of effort. With a mixture of rolling, walking, sliding (both head and feet first) and falling we made it back onto the path! Me and Ellis powered it back along the path to the Flotterstone in an attempt to warm up, while the other two made an EYW snowman. I was glad to get into the warm pub for a hot coffee. I still marvel at the fact only 10 minutes drive from my front door I can have a day in the hills like this...amazing!!

The EYW Xmas dinner at the Spoon Cafe later was a welcome feast...Xmas is officially here :-).

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Week 22nd - 28th November

2010-11-21T00:27:00.001-08:00

This week, 22nd - 28th November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness week
http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

As well as this blog being a record of adventures I get up to, I also want it to be a way of raising awareness of this terrible disease and where I can, to raise funds for the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK, for whom myself and Julia ran the Paris marathon for last year, while raising over £3000. Pancreatic cancer is the 5th most common cause of cancer death in the UK. By raising public awareness we can ensure that more research goes into improving early detection & diagnosis of this often missed cancer.

As many of you will already know, my mum has lived with pancreatic cancer and its effects for several years and has continued to impress doctors with her amazing ability to fight back! She recently described her story for the charity website which I will post up on my site once it goes live! This weekend I will be doing my weekend activities in the charity colours of purple and making my own donation to Pancreatic Cancer UK. I'd like to encourage others to visit the website, read about the disease and its symptoms, aswell as the progress which is being made in its treatment, and the stories of those who have been affected by it. If you'd like to make a donation to the charity during the awareness week, or any other time, you can do by following the link on the website. http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

I plan to do a few events for PCUK in 2011, and am currently deciding on what these might be. I would like to do a few varied events in my PCUK t-shirt while raising money and awareness.

Current ideas include:
A cycling sportive (long distance cycle event)
The Inn Pinn in the Cuillins (a rock climb to the top of Scotland's most difficult Munro, followed by an abseil over the other side)
Two Out Hebrides half marathons in a week (cycling from one to the other in between)

If you have a chance this week, check out the website, pass it on to your family and friends. Spread the word... Thanks!

Meall Ghaordaiah

2010-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

So this weekend I got back out onto the hills. It feels like ages since I've been hillwalking, and it was nice to be up a Munro - number 52 this time. With my fellow Mountain Adventurer away working in France, I signed up for this walk with EYW, led by Richard. This hill is just a few miles from Killin, so not too long a drive to get to. We could see a few bits of snow higher up on the hills as we approached, though the tops were covered in cloud, so couldn't see too high.

This hike was a chance to try out my new walking poles and super duper mittens which I'd been given for my birthday the week before. They were great!! The walk up was fairly straightforward, with a path to follow up most of the way. This then disappeared nearer to the top and there was more and more snow. Some of the snow was covering rather large holes, so on many occassions I'd find myself up to my knees in snow with my foot in a puddle below. Thank goodness for the waterproof boots and gaiters, haha!

The summit (1039m) was pretty cold, so lunch was a quick affair. The sun did try and break through though and the clouds blew past on occassions to give us some spectacular views. The descent was great fun in the snow and we could look out onto the snowy mountains ahead. A post walk hot chocolate was had in the Killin Hotel to round off a great day. I really enjoyed being back in the hills and am hungry for more this winter!

At the summit of Meall Ghaordaiah (1039m) - check out the snow!

National XC Relay Champs, 2010

2010-10-25T13:42:00.001-07:00

This is my third write up of the National XC Relay Champs since starting my blog in 2008. This year, my team was the same as 2009 - myself, Megan and Susan. After 24 hours of non-stop rain before the race, I thought it was going to turn into a bit of a misery fest! However, the sun came out, and although cold and 'slushy' underfoot, it made for perfect XC conditions. I was on first leg, so got to start in the stampede. As usual we headed up the hill and started the ups and downs of this course. It never gets any easier! BC's tactical cheering along the course was very welcome! I felt I kept up fairly well up the pack for the first part of the race, and although the leaders stretched out more, I was pleased to bring the first leg in in 26th place, and I was especially pleased to have run 17:04, taking just under 2 mins off last year's time. Megan took over and ran really well, she managed to take another 2 girls and moved us up to 24th. The anchor leg was taken over by Susan. I'd got up enough energy to run around the course and cheer her on at this point and was pleased to see her taking over even more girls! We finished in 22nd place, in a time of 53:21. That smashed our time of 56:51 from last year!

We could then relax and watch the guys run their race! And what a race it was! Silver medal for the Vets, 5th place for the CAAC A team! And so many great performances by everyone, not to mention all the juniors at the start of the afternoon. This tough course is always so much fun with the CAAC team spirit throughout the day! Will next year manage to be a rain free day too...we shall have to wait and see!

East District XC Relay Champs, Prestonpans

2010-10-11T01:46:00.000-07:00

The first XC of the season kicked off at the weekend with the East District XC Relay Champs in Prestonpans last Saturday. We had a record number of CAACers taking part this year with loads of juniors, 2 womens teams and 8 mens teams. I was in a team with Gillian and Megan.

Gillian headed off with the stampede (sporting her new "go-faster" socks) to bring us in well up the field. I was on second - I started off fast in the excitement, and then realised I probably wouldn't be able to maintain the 5:45 min/mile average my Garmin was displaying, so I slowed it down after the first couple hundered metres!?! This was my first run of this course, and although not the most inspiring of routes, I quite liked it for it's flat, ankle friendly nature. I treaded carefully in the ploughed field out towards the far end of the course as to keep both ankles intact, but felt I could push out along the other sections. I managed to overtake a couple of girls, though one Gala girl got past me too. I handed over to Megan for the final leg. She ran a strong race and we finished in 13th position out of 31 teams, so we were pleased with that! Not quite the bronze medal of the senior men or the Vets gold, but we'll work on it for next year ;-).

13th Corstorphine AAC "A"
Gillian Carr 13 15:57 15:57
Jo Kirby 11 31:58 16:01
Megan Smith 13 49:13 17:15

Really enjoy the CAAC team spirit for these types of events, and I'm looking forward to the Nationals in Cumbernauld in a fortnight's time!

5km / 10km Challenge

2010-09-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

In January of this year I set out a few aims, one of which was to run sub 19 minutes for the 5km, the other was to run sub 40 1okm. Things have come together and I'm pleased to say that I can cross these two aims off the list with 18:58 at the recent Edinburgh parkrun, and 39:16 at Inverness half! Neil had a great run in Inverness too, chopping another 30 seconds off his time, and is now down to 43:03. Looking at the rest of my 2010 aims, I'm still not as close to the half marathon time I would have liked, so may try and get another half in before the year is out. Now, I've just got to get those extra 24 Munros I'd planned...!?!

I'm looking forward to a few cross countries over the next few months - starting with the East District XC Relays in Prestonpans this weekend. CAAC will be out in force!

Pedal for Scotland 2010

2010-09-22T00:33:00.001-07:00

On September 12^th, myself, Neil, Dean and Gillian (aka Springvalley Riders) and fellow CAACer Susan, cycled the 51 miles from Glasgow to Edinburgh – otherwise known as Pedal for Scotland. This would be the second time I had done this event and was looking forward to it! The neighbours of Springvalley got a rude awakening as we got bikes ready and left at 6:30am on the Sunday morning. We pedalled the 5 miles down to Victoria Park to join the queue for our bus to Glasgow. We could already see that there were many more cyclists than in previous years, as we waited for about an hour just to get on. Plenty of time for Dean to cover his new baby in bubble wrap though! Once at the other end, we eagerly waited for our bikes and joined another queue to get across the start line. This one was much quicker and before we knew it we were off!! We started on Glasgow Green and overtook a few people on Penny Farthings in the first few miles – rather them than me! Once out of the hustle of the city we were onto quieter roads. We were disappointed by the fact the first feed station had run out of food, and the home baking station had a queue a mile long! We decided to push on through to Linlithgow Palace for our lunch, were we would be over half way. We were really lucky with the weather which was sunny most of the way. Neil was enjoying his new road tyres which he’d put on his bike the night before and was cruising along. Unfortunately the two of us got separated from the others at one point and missed out on the giant chocolate muffins at Kirklingston! However, we made up for it with a nice drink at the Cramond Brigg pub with only 6 miles to go. As you can tell, speed was not the aim of the game on this occasion! The last push to the finish line was good, and I for one felt the 51 miles as being much easier than two years ago. We all enjoyed receiving our Pedal for Scotland medal and goody bag at the finish. However, the 5 miles cycling back home were still tough!

There is now a 100 mile Sportive running on the same day, dare we enter this one next year….time will tell.

Final Meadows 2 miler

2010-09-22T00:31:00.000-07:00

The final Meadows 2 miler took place a couple of weeks ago so I was keen to improve on my time, which had remained unchanged since last year. I was pleased to knock off around 15 seconds to come in second at 12:18. Next year I’ll definitely be aiming for that elusive sub 12 minutes!

Wolverhampton Half Marathon

2010-09-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

One of my aims for 2010 has been to get a PB in the half marathon - so while many other CAACers were in Glasgow, I headed south to England, to take part in the Wolverhampton Half Marathon. The reason for me choosing this race is that I have family who live there, and so I combined a visit to see them, with the half marathon, which quite conveniently followed many of the roads I am used to running along while down there.

I was feeling confident after last weekend's 10k in Perth and so decided to aim for around 1hr35 as a good target. The race started nice and early at 9:15am. A 19.5km cycle race went off first, then the marathon relay runners, and then the marathon and half marathon runners. There were no start pens so I decided to get as close to the front as I could. That way I wouldn't get boxed in and I could keep an eye on my position. I felt good over the first few miles and did them in just over 7minutes. I was going at a slightly faster pace than I'd planned, but I felt good. The route was good, fairly flat, on closed roads and some even on cycle paths and pedestrian areas. I had the added bonus of having a family fan club at mile 9, which was the ideal boost at this point. I could see my grandparents, Auntie Jan, and Joyce and Reg on the corner and their cheers were very welcome!! I wasn't sure what position I was in at that point, but I'd overtaken a few girls, so thought I must be quite high up. I overtook another at mile 11. One girl was right on my shouldler with only 1.5 miles to go, so I picked up the pace and lost her on a small hill. Someone shouted to me to say I was in second, but third was just behind, so with 400m to go I just went for it. I crossed the line in second place in a new PB of 1hr34:39. Really pleased!!! Felt good all the way round and feel like I have more in me for a half marathon. A great race, and even better being presented with my prize...by the Mayor of Wolverhampton no less ;-). I can safely say I was the only person in a Scottish club vest, and the guy on the loud speaker gave up trying to pronounce Corstorphine which made me laugh!

A good fast course, nice medal, t-shirt, and a Gregg's goodie bag! What more could I want!

Perth 10k

2010-08-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday myself, Neil and two of my friends from Southampton, Nick and Hannah, headed up to do the Perth 10k. It was a nice sunny day but it was blowing a gale! The race starts off on the track at Perth Grammar School, we run a couple of laps and then follow the river before doing a couple of laps of the Inch. Part of the Inch was fairly sheltered, but as soon as we turned back it was like hitting a brick wall. I felt strong from the start and decided to start off steady and try and maintain it, rather than go off too fast like I usually do!

The course was really scenic and the marshals were very encouraging. I had wondered what position I might be in, when one of the marshals told me I was third lady. I could see 2nd just ahead of me (as well as Nick) so I tried my best to close them both down, but they were just out of reach. I came through in a PB of 41min 36 seconds, which was unexpected and I was really pleased with.
Nick came in just ahead in 41:32. Neil also got a huge PB by 3 minutes, coming in at 43:35!! A great run from Hannah too, who is coming back from injury. I think they may well have been the only Southampton AC runners to have run the Perth 10K.
After the race we headed into Perth for a well deserved pub lunch! What a great race! I'm now feeling confident for my attempt at a PB in the Wolverhampton Half Marathon this weekend!

Edinburgh Parkrun #4

2010-08-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning I headed down to Cramond with Neil, and a couple of Neil's friends up from London to have a go at the parkrun. It had been 5 months since the last time we did one, and with a frustrating summer of injury I was interested to see how I would get on.

I started off a bit far back in the pack and was frustratingly boxed in for the first few 100metres, but once I got a gap I managed to get in a good fast couple of first kilometres. They felt pretty easy, perhaps I hadn't lost as much fitness as I thought?! Neil was running just behind me, and I was pretty confident he'd be on for a PB today!

As we approached the corner to head back down the promenade, it became clear why the previous 2.5km had felt easy - it was the strong wind pushing us along which we were now having to run against on the way back. The next couple of km's were just a push to the end. I still felt fairly good, and was pleased to go sub 20, in 19:55 (4th woman). Neil was close with a big PB of 20:30. And Duncan and Sapna also both had PBs, so a successful morning all round!
Off to Falko for a German style breakfast and the morning was complete :-).
Now looking forward to the Perth 10k this coming weekend.

The Rat Race

2010-07-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend myself, Nick and Susan took part in the Rat Race. A 2-day adventure race around Edinburgh. We were: Team CAAC Attack.

Saturday was the Mean Streets - an orienteering event around the streets of Edinburgh involving various tasks along the way. As well as the 14 miles of running involved getting round the course, we also had to hula hoop, BMX, dress up like a sumo wrestler and roll down a hill, walk a tight rope and various other crazy things!! The big point earner was having your head shaved, which Nick bravely did - a whole 40 points earned there! We finished day 1 in 2nd place in the mixed teams. Very pleased with that!

Day 2 was the Nine to Five. This was a much bigger day, and coupled with the previous day's efforts I think has been one of my toughest challenges to date! After planning our route, the gun went off at 9am and the competition began. We had 8 hours to get round as much of the course as we could. It started with an orienteering event around Princes Streets Gardens. You had to gather information around the gardens, in order to access your bikes in the compound. We got our bikes and headed off. We headed first to Napier University for an orienteering event. Then it was off to the dry ski slope for some tubing down the slope, and then the mountain biking started in earnest across the Pentlands. Up a huge hill, which most people could only push their bikes up! We were rewarded with an awesome downhill on the other side. The cycling was tough all day, lots of hills, and just when you thought you couldn't get up any more hills, they'd throw in a few more. The day had a mixture of via ferrata across a viaduct, abseiling down a bridge, kayaking in the Firth, rolling barrals of beers, rolling ourselves down a hill, more orienteering! We covered 56 miles on the second day, and we pushed ourselves as hard as we could all day.!We only missed the very last check point - in hindsight we maybe should have gone for it and would have paid off despite the time penalty.
We finished 8th overall, and 4th mixed team. We were all really pleased with our placing, and although such a tough event, had an amazing time! I think CAAC Attack may be back for more next year!! With a bit of training maybe we'll be challenging Team Buff ;-)

http://www.ratraceadventure.com/page419.asp

Back to the Meadows for 2 miles

2010-07-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

After a fair old rest from running with my sore foot, I seem to have been making progress, and was pleased to have got round the Barrathon the other week. I have since made a comeback to track training at the club, and although still in a bit of pain, I feel I can keep on top of things with ice, massage and stretching. So, without further ado, I headed down to the Meadows for my first 2 mile Self Transendence of the year. Now, it's July, but nevertheless, it was pouring down with rain. Conditions were far from perfect for this first outing, but I thought whatever time I get this week, things can only improve the following week. A small but select crowd turned up for the run, including fellow CAACers Chris and BC, with Neil, Dean and Mike offering much needed cheers. I was a bit dubious as to how I would get on, but all things considered, pleased with my run, hopefully will get closer to my PB of 12:32 at the next attempt.

Distance: 2 miles
Position: 5th
Time: 12min 57s

Now having 2 days rest before this weekend's adventure - the RAT RACE!!!

Barrathon

2010-07-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

Last Friday myself, Neil and 6 other CAACers headed off to the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides to take part (amongst other things) in the Barrathon – a half marathon which involves a complete loop of the island. After various close misses (Scott and Kerry had to abandon the bikes in order to get on the ferry) we all made it on board. Now usually it’s a fairly decent sized ferry which heads across the Minch to Barra, but the usual boat was out of action and so we got the much smaller Islay ferry instead! We quickly got seated in the cafeteria and had our pre-race meal. However, things were about to get rough! The waves became bigger and one by one we started to give in to the sea sickness. It was relentless, with the total time to sail to Barra being over 6 hours! We arrived in Barra gone 11pm still feeling ill and dehydrated. Not the best preparation for a half marathon, but at least we made it!

The next morning was sunny and although still feeling a bit fragile, a night's rest and a bowl of porridge and we were good to go! We all ran the half the next morning. Neil managed to get a late entry and the two of us ran round the course together. Having not trained properly in the last month and a half because of my foot troubles we decided to just take it easy round the course and not pay attention to how fast we were going. We had a really enjoyable run (apart from the mammoth hill at the end) and came through in 1:48:25 which I was pleased with given the circumstances. Even better, my foot seemed to have survived and didn't seem to get any worse from the race. The rest of the CAACers all ran really well and brushed aside the previous day’s illness to collect several prizes and good times! The race was followed by a buffet and ceilidh in the evening. A true Hebridean experience!

The following morning was supposed to be a sea kayaking adventure. However, high winds put a stop to that and so we cycled over to Vatersay instead. Another small island beneath Barra connected by a causeway. The winds were very strong (first time I’ve actually had to pedal to get down a hill!), but we also had moments of sunshine. We arrived at what must be one of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland! Some of us went in for a dip, but the sea wasn’t as warm as it looked!! We finished off the cycle with a drink in the most Westerly bar in Europe! We turned up soaked from head to toe, and the bar lady gave us a towel to dry off!

Fortunately the ferry ride home was far calmer and we made it back to Oban with no problems. Really enjoyed my first trip to the Outer Hebrides and hope to return next year to complete some more half marathons in the Hebridean series! Perhaps Stornoway and Benbecula!

The Munro Half Century

2010-06-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend saw a visit to Glen Coe and completion of Munros 49 and 50. These were Creise and Meall 'a Bhuiridh respectively. Perfect conditions weather wise - could see top of Ben Nevis and surrounding mountains all day long! A longer walk than first anticipated, finished off with a river crossing, but a fantastic day of walking. Hope we get lots more summer days like this!

Foot problems have meant running has taken a back seat at the mo, but I'm hoping a few weeks rest, alongside treatment will mean I'll be back before too long.

Cairngorms Camping – Bynack More (Munro # 48)

2010-05-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

The summer seems to have arrived – hurrah!

On Friday night Neil and I loaded up the car and headed up to the Cairngorms for a weekend of camping, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors. We had a good journey and were appreciating the fact it doesn’t get dark till around 10pm now! We arrived at Rothiemurchus at around 11pm, but unfortunately the campsite we had originally hoped for was full when we arrived. So we continued onto the next one, just 5 miles down the road. The gate was closed, so we parked up outside and started taking our tent to a spot. We were stopped in our tracks by a woman in a yellow jacket who said we couldn’t pitch our tent at that time of the night! (Despite the campsite still looking fairly lively!) What were we to do...? All other campsites were full…there was a Hilton down the road?! I popped in to check availability – a room for the night was going to be £160, but she could do us deal and have it at the bargain price of £110!! We declined. Perhaps MacDonalds would be better….they only had the executive suite left at £136. The Cairngorms Hotel was only £60 apparently, but they were fully booked! So it was now midnight and we had nowhere to stay. We couldn’t wild camp as there were no camping signs all over the place. Eventually, Neil’s sister Eilidh (who lives in Inverness) had a surprise visit at 1am!!!

So on Saturday morning (after a lie in!) we headed back down to Rothiemurchus and pitched our tent. A beautiful location with a fantastic view of the Cairngorm Mountains. After a bit of lunch we headed off for our walk. We decided to go for Bynack More – a Munro at 1090m. This one had a relatively long and steady walk in and the amazing weather meant we had fantastic views all around. Lochan Uaine on the way up is a gorgeous bit of green water which makes you feel like you’re in a smaller version of the Canadian Rockies! The ascent is gradual until around 800m and then it is a push to the top, with some quite interesting stone stacks. We spotted a friendly ptarmigan sat on the top of one of them. We reached the top at around 5:30pm and had the summit to ourselves. Munro #48 for me and #80 for Neil. We could see across to Cairn Gorm and surrounding mountains, still covered with a fair bit of snow. The walk down was quicker and we were back at our tent by 8:30pm. Then it was time to light up the stove and have our ‘al fresco’ dinner – perfect!

Sunday was a more relaxed day. We sampled Aviemore’s finest latte in the Mountain Café, had lunch on the riverbank at Rothiemurchus and did a small walk at the Falls of Bruar. Weekends like this just confirm what a beautiful place Scotland is…looking forward to many more Scottish adventures this summer.

Plantar Fascitiis

2010-05-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

A trip to the podiatrist on Wednesday confirmed that my foot troubles are indeed plantar fascitiis. Fortunately, I have presented with it early, so with a routine of exercises, stretching, ice and a bit of cross training, the podiatrist seems to think it could be gone in 4 weeks. Not ideal timing with the Dunfermline Half, Edinburgh 7 Hills and Barrathon coming up, but at least I now have a plan of action. I need to get my new shiny bike soon, as apparently cycling is good for it!

Time to Self Transcend

2010-05-05T04:52:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday Neil and I, and a host of CAACers headed down to the Meadows for the first of the Self Transcendence races. The opening night was a 5km. With it's many corners to negotiate, it's not as fast as the Edinburgh parkrun course, but I was hoping to get as close to my time there as possible. I tried to keep with Chris P and Gillian for as long as possible, but couldn't keep with their pace after the first lap - this one hurt!
Time: 20:06
Position: 4th woman
I was disappointed not to get sub 20 on this occassion, but looking back at last year's times, this is my quickest time for that course, so can't complain. Something to work on over the summer. Neil stormed home in a big PB of 21:14 - I'd better watch my back!

Training is now starting in earnest for the Dunfermline Half marathon and Edinburgh 7 hills, only 6 and 7 weeks away respectively. Kicked off with a long run around Holyrood Park on Sunday and a great track session last night. Blackford hill recce on the schedule for tonight. Keeping an eye on foot pain, suspect I might have plantar fasciitis, so podiatry appointment made.

Balmoral 2010

2010-04-27T05:18:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Last Saturday I headed up to Balmoral with my fellow CAACers for the 2010 trip away to Balmoral, which takes in the Balmoral 10k, hill walking and perhaps a drink or two! I got into the loaded up Micra with Dean and Gillian and we headed on our way! After a brief stop at the bunkhouse to drop off our things and have a bit of lunch, it was off to the Balmoral Estate for the 10k and its infamous hill. This year I decided to don the preferred racing attire for this event - a kilt! I decided to take a more steady pace for the start of this race. The first 3km's are flat, but the next 1.5km are anything but! Gillian disappeared off into the horizon and left the remainding CAAC ladies battling it out. The hill was tough - my legs were burning. I was relieved to hear the bagpipes signalling the arrival at the top! I then very much enjoyed the downhill sections which followed! I finished in 10th position (female) in a time of 44min dead, so a 4 minute improvement on last year's time! (Though I had run a marathon 2 weeks before that one, so perhaps not a fair comparison!). I felt much stronger on this occasion though. Prizes for Keith (2nd!), Grant (1st Vet) and Susan (3rd Vet). Everyone had a great run! For some fellow CAACers, the 10k race simply wasn't enough and a few crazy ones ran the 10 miles back to the bunkhouse. All back safe and sound we headed to the Fife Arms for some 'top quality' dinner and discoteque action!

Day 2

The day of the hill walk! We headed to Lochnagar for a bit of Munro bagging. There was talk of doing the whole 5 Munro loop, but we would see how the conditions were fairing when we got to the top of the first one. Conditions were fairly wet and windy as we headed up to the top of Cac Carn Beag (Lochnagar) which stands at 1155m. Despite its height the walk up was fairly gradual, with only one really steep section towards the top. On arrival at the top we were looking over the edge for Nick and Susan who had decided to snow climb up the side rather than walk up! They appeared whilst we were having our lunch by the cairn, much to our relief!

The conditions were a white out as we left the summit and so we decided rather than carry on to the next Munro, to dedicate some time to some sledging action!! A mixture of slegdes, sit mats and plastic bags were used to slide down the snow! As we descended some more, the sun came out and the views opened up - stunning scenery. A beautiful waterfall even resulted in Nick going for an early, albeit cold shower!! A tame walk by previous CAAC hill walk standards, but a really enjoyable one! We even made it back to the car before dark!?!

Day 3

Time to go home....but the fun wasn't over yet. We drove to Pitlochry for lunch at the Moulin Inn. But before that, we thought we'd work up an appetite by heading up Ben Vrackie (Corbett, 841m). As we headed up (about 20 minutes in), I realised I'd left my camera perched by a tree near the bottom. I decided to run back down and fetch it, so was playing catch up with the group thereafter. They are fast enough at the best of times!! So I had a fast walk up there and down!! The sun was out and the views spectacular!! Some of the others decided to run back down the hill. We all met up at the pub after for some well deserved food. A great end to a great weekend.

Thanks to you all for such a fun weekend!!!

Spring is in the Air

2010-04-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

The clocks have changed and spring is here, though it's felt a bit confusing with snow one weekend, sunshine the next, and cold and rain (and ash!) the weekend after! April has been a great one so far, with a few adventures / events to report. First of all was Rosie's 30th birthday which took place in the Lakes - the challenge being to climb England's highest peak, Scarfell Pike (977m). We all did this on a beautiful day with stunning scenery and had fun sledging down on the way back. Our Lakes trip also included some mountain biking at Whinlatter which was very muddy and snowy but a lot of fun!

Last weekend was the Gala 10k, first 10k of the year. A lovely hot day for this one. -43:01 for me and 46:34 on Neil's 10k debut. PB's for Scott and Corrie too!

Then this weekend was the first event of the CAAC Scratch Attack - the Spring Handicap. Managed to get round the 6 mile course in 42.01, and felt much better than I did on last weekend's run. Was 11th in total, with Nick picking up the victory cup!

Unfortunately next week's skiing lessons at Hillend have been cancelled due to a lack of people. Apparently 2 people isn't enough to run a course!? :-( So we'll have to wait till the snow returns for some downhill action.

Cross Country Skiing, Norway

2010-03-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

On March 14th, myself, Alison and Susan headed to Norway for a week of XC skiing. Susan had done a bit of downhill before, but putting on skis was new to me and Alison. We were in for an exciting week!

We landed at Oslo airport and were met by Mary from Exodus and met up with the rest of our group. It was a 3.5 hour coach trip to our final destination of Kvitavatn (in the Telemark region). We could see the scenery for the first part of the journey, but then the night drew in and it was dark as we headed up higher into the mountains to our resort. All the little Norwegian houses looked so cozy in the snow.
On arrival we had dinner (3 course yummy meal) and then a briefing on the week ahead. The accomodation was great. Little bunkrooms which held 4 people in each.

Day 1:
After a nice bowl of porridge (yey!) we were kitted out with our gear, skis, poles and boots and then we waxed them up. There are loads of different waxes depending on the temperature and type of snow. We were split into groups (beginner and intermediate). Me and Alison were in the beginner group with Dutch instructor Ilse. We spent the morning learning various skills in the ski school. The Herring Bone was a tough one for me! After lunch it was back out for more skills, and then Sue (from Edinburgh Walkers) took the 3 of us out for a trip along the Fiolet and Orange XC loops. After another 3 course dinner, we had a talk on ski waxing. Every evening, Exodus put on a different talk or video on which was great.

Day 2:
Got up early and did a run with Susan around the Orange 5. The light on the mountains was so beautiful at that time. We got a funny look from the piste man, but hopefully he wasn't too annoyed with our little footsteps through his newly pisted tracks!?!
Back on the skis we did some more skills. Could feel my technique improving from yesterday. In the afternoon we went round the Fiolet loop as a group. Then a a few of us did the Orange 5. Dinner was pear and celery soup, fish and fruit crumble. All great food after a day of XC skiing! Our talk was on cold weather injuries! Some gruesome photos!

Day 3:
Another early morning run with Susan, this time going anticlockwise around the Orange 5. The running was tough on the snow, but a good way to loosen off all the aches and pains from the previous day's skiing! We had a whole day out on the skis today. Did a mixture of the Green route and some XC today. Ilse took us up a bit higher and we got an amazing view down towards Rjukan, and the valley where the heavy water plant from World War II was. Me and Alison went round the Fiolet route a few times when we got back for a bit of a practice. Heroes of Telemark video in the evening.

Day 4:
We changed instructors today and me and Alison had Mary, the English instructor. We went out for a full day again and had a really great time. Did just over 9 miles in total, and covered lots of different terrains. Over the hills, across the lake, through the trees. Was a really great day. Sue came along with us too. Cross country ski racing DVD for the evening entertainment.

Day 5:
Alison and I joined the intermediate group today for a whole day of adventure (back with Ilse). The best day yet! The weather was fantastic and we headed up into the hills. Some fantastic views and a really great bunch of people to be skiing with. At the highest point Susan donned the CAAC vest for a picture. I waited for a slightly warmer, more sheltered spot at lunch to pose for my picture. We had the Kvitavatn quiz for the evening entertainment, and our team 'Jamie's Angles' came 3rd (out of 4). Did you know that A-ha were the first Norwegian band to get a UK number one :-).

Day 6:
Final day of adventure and we headed our with Ilse for the most challenging day yet. The snow conditions were not the best. Very crunchy on the top and soft underneath, and higher up on the slopes it was very icy, which made for some tricky traverses on the skis. Today required a lot more concentration and leg work, but felt like quite a achievement after a week's tuition from our great instructors to have been able to do it! When we got back to the resort we had to clean our skiis, which involves a fair bit of elbow grease and the use of a hot iron! It was then over to the main house for our final dinner of chilli con carne and pancakes for pudding. The Danish XC Ski championships were taking place the next day, so the place was buzzing with Danes! We then settled down for an evening of Exodus picture slide show, a Norwegian beer and a final chat with our fellow skiers.What a fantastic week! Felt I learnt so much and have got a real taste for XC skiing. I'll definitely be doing some more! Met some great people over in Norway and the scenery is stunning! Can't believe Oslo is only 1.5 hours away on the plane from Edinburgh! Back home now and wish I was still out there, but looking forward to my downhill lessons at Hillend starting next month. I'll be back somewhere snowy next winter for some more adventures!

Edinburgh Parkrun #3

2010-03-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Position: 2nd

Time: 19:08
Last Saturday I took part in my third Edinburgh parkrun, and Neil also made his parkrun debut! I've been lucky with the conditions at these events so far as all three have been fairly sunny, calm days. There was a slight wind in our backs on the way out, so good to get in a couple of fast few kilometres at the start. My aim was just to go out as fast as possible and see how long I could keep it going. My aim is a sub 19 minute this year, so I wanted to get as close to that as I could. I realised in the last kilometre I wouldn't quite make it, but nonetheless was pleased with my PB taking off 14 seconds! Neil really enjoyed his first parkrun and is catching the running bug. A great time of 22min15! After a nice warm down, it was off to Costa for that well deserved coffee and piece of cake. Hope to run another parkrun in the next few weeks.

Next big adventure coming soon....cross country skiing in Norway...watch this space!!

Scottish National XC Championships, Callendar Park, Falkirk

2010-02-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

The end of the XC season was marked with the grande finale, the Scottish Cross Country Champs in Callendar Park in Falkirk. This was my first running of the event, and what a great day it was. Great weather, great club atmosphere and a really good course. 2 laps (3 for the boys!) of ups and downs, mud and trail. It made for a varied route, but felt somewhat easier than the recent Borders race! I set off at what I felt was a comfortable pace and was up higher in the field than I expected. Ran some of the way with fellow CAACer Gillian, but she was too strong for me on the 2nd lap. Other CAAC ladies were Megan, Kerry and Jillian, and we managed 8th team which was a great effort! Really helped having the fellow club cheers along the route complete with cow bells! Felt like a Winter Olympics event!

Distance: 8km
Position: 52nd
Time: 32mins 31sec

Winner of the women's event was Freya Murray, clearly in a league of her own!

Edinburgh Parkrun

2010-02-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

My second attempt at the Edinburgh parkrun. Love this course! Bit rainy, but not too windy, so good running conditions. Will try to do one of these a month to keep the speed going.
Time: 19:31
Position: 1st woman

Border XC - Berwick upon Tweed

2010-02-04T03:54:00.000-08:00

The first month of 2010 has been a good one. Training has been going well, I've enjoyed lots of running in the snow, and I've discovered some nice new training routes in Edinburgh. My favourite being the Dalmeny Estate (thanks Susan!). Starting at Cramond Brigg pub there is a beautiful out and back route to South Queensferry entirely off road. There and back is just under 11 miles, so perfect for a longer Sunday run.

Last Sunday I tried my first ever infamous Borders XC Race. This one was just across the border in England at Berwick upon Tweed. The drive down itself is great on a sunny day (which it was), as you follow the road along the coast. Not to mention the drive past the Cedar Cafe (complete with stop on the way back!).

The race lived up to its expectations. It started on soft sand, then moved to hard sand (and sea, plus wooden hurdles!), then onto slippery rocks, then up some steps, up a hill, up and down muddy hills, over sheets of ice.....then turn round and do it all again! I was going for safety rather than speed on this one, and was just pleased to make it round uninjured. I was pleased with my 6th woman (4th SW) position and a time of 36:47 for the 4.5 miles.

A great day out with all my fellow CAACers who all ran very well. Also enjoyed my huge lasagne on the way home. Though I might opt for the flat concrete of Edinburgh Parkrun this weekend ;-)

Goodbye 2009...Hello 2010

2010-01-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

With 2009 officially over and 2010 about to begin, it's time to reflect on the year gone by and look forward to the year ahead.

By far, the highlight of 2009 was the Paris marathon. Months of training resulted in massive PB's for myself and Julia, and more importantly, we raised over £3000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK, a charity I hold close to my heart. The remainder of the year included lots of smaller, more local races, and I continued to improve steadily throughout the summer and winter months, thanks to a great bunch of fellow CAACers to train with.

Over the Xmas holidays I've competed in two further races. The Fullers Charity Pub to Pub race, which raised money for the Rocky Appeal at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth. I also ran the Bushy Park parkrun this morning, to bring in the new year. A race report can be found on my club website on: http://caac.org.uk/caac_cms/node/1001967

2009 was a good year running wise and I achieved many of the things I wanted. 2010 has lots of new and exciting events to aim for, places to visit, and PB's to reach. I hope to continue to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer through PCUK and raise more money over the year. As my mum gets ready to embark on yet another course of chemotherapy treatment, I continue drawing from her amazing courage and strength. She continues to inspire me on a daily basis. I'm fortunate to have amazing friends and family, who are all of the opinion that life if for living and every opportunity must be taken to enjoy it!

With this in mind....here are my hopes for 2010, and I can't wait to get started....

Learn to ski (in Hillend)
Learn to cross-country ski (in Norway! 14th-21st March)
Get better at indoor rock climbing
Sub 19 minute 5km
Sub 40minute 10km
1hr30min (or better) half marathon
Reach 75 Munros (I'm currently on 46)

Races I plan / would like to do so far:

Glentress Duathlon (24th January)
Scottish XC Champs (20th February)
Balmoral 10k (24th April)
Barra Half marathon (3rd June)
Kilomathon (3rd October) http://www.kilomathon.com/?scotland

plus various cross countries, Borders series and anything else which comes my way...

I look forward to sharing these experiences with my fellow crazy friends. See you all soon!

Happy 2010!!!
Jo
http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

Edinburgh Parkrun

2009-11-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-17T08:50:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-09T00:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-15T03:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-14T08:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-23T01:25:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-04T01:59:00.000-08:00

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!

Race and training update

2008-12-03T05:06:00.000-08:00

Since the half marathon a few weeks ago, my race calender has been quite empty. This has been fine though, as it has allowed me to try and get over the various niggles I've had the last few weeks with no added pressure. It's only a couple of weeks now till my 16 week training plan officially starts. I have a few races in the diary for then:

Saturday 17th January: Jack Crawford 10km, Bishopbriggs

Sunday 1st March: Mad March 20, Dorset

Sunday 8th March: Inverness Half Marathon

Buchlyvie Half Marathon

2008-11-16T11:38:00.000-08:00

It's been a couple of weeks since my last blog update. Since then I've been upping the miles a bit, reaching a weekly total of 32.5 miles the week before last. However, the slight increase in miles caused a temporary Achilles heel problem after last Sunday's 11 mile run. I therefore mostly rested it this week, with only swimming and one short run before today's race - The Buchlyvie Half Marathon.

Buchlyvie is a small village near Stirling, the race entry therefore quite small at only 250 runners. The conditions today were perfect for running. Sunny and cool (but not too cold). A proper crisp winter's day. The course itself was an out and back course, following a disused railway line, meaning that it was also flat! A beautiful course, mostly off-road and through woodland, especially nice this time of year with the autumnal leaves. I felt good throughout, average sub 8 minute miles all the way round. I tried to run at a consistent pace and felt strong over the last few miles picking off as many of the other runners as I could. The Achilles heel problem seemed to have disappeared, although my knee (which I've had problems with before) was making itself known in the last couple of miles. Nothing a quick trip to the chiropractor won't sort out! I was aiming to run under 1hr 45mins. I finished in a time of 1hr42min35s, so was very pleased. The last half a mile of the race was round a very muddy field, felt more like a XC than a road race! I was grateful to be handed a nice chunky medal and food goody bag at the finish. I'm pleased to say, the marathon training is on track!!

National XC Relays Champs (and Tinto)

2008-10-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the theme for this weekend was mud, rain, cold, mud and wind! Oh and did I mention mud?? Saturday was the Scottish Cross Country Champs in Cumbernauld. 3x4000m (4 legs for the men) around a country park. Conditions were 'difficult' to say the least. There had been heavy rain overnight and throughout the morning. Along with that were very strong winds! The nature of the race also meant that the later runners were going over well trodden, churned up paths. I was in a team with fellow club members Gillian and Megan. I was on the third and final leg. Having sprained my ankle the week previous, this was my first run in over a week. With a heavily strapped up ankle I ran carefully around the course with no problems. This was also my first XC race in almost 4 years, and despite the tough conditions I really enjoyed it!! Cross countries will feature highly in my weekend running over the next few months, so I think the washing machine will be working overtime! All good marathon preparation i'm sure?!?

No long run today. Instead, I went back out into the elements and climbed Tinto...a hill in the Scottish Borders. As we drove south, we thought it would be a repeat of yesterday with the rain pounding down, but fortunately the skies cleared for a few hours, and we had good views all around! Back to long runs next Sunday!

Burma 5K, Long Runs & Balerno Ladies Triathlon!

2008-10-11T12:52:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a busy week racing and training wise! I kicked off last Saturday with the 'Run for Relief in Burma' 5K race. A great race around the Meadows in Edinburgh. Nice and flat, so normally would be good PB race, but it was very windy, so no chance of that!! Did a time of 21:10, so not quite the sub 20 minutes I was going for. Was enough to take first senior woman though, so I was very pleased....think that's the first race I've ever won!!

Then on Sunday I decided I would start the first of my 'long runs'. With 6 months till the marathon now (sounds a long time, but it's not!), I want to start building up the miles between now and Xmas, so that it's not such a shock to the system in January when I get going on my training plan. So...I did 9 miles along the canal with no ill effects. Lovely sunny weather to spur me along, and being along the canal....it was flat!! The rest of the week's training involved more of the tough stuff on the hills on Tuesday followed by circuits, and a long run around Holyrood Park (more hills!) on Wednesday.

Today was the Balerno Ladies Triathlon. Gillian was entered, and I was on a 'waiting list' but I thought I'd hedge my bets and see if I could take the place of a 'no show' on the day. Balerno is about 7 miles outside Edinburgh City, so it was a good warm up on the bikes just to get to the start! The sun was shining today, a perfect day for a triathlon. I managed to wangle my way into the race, although the only free spot was in the fastest swim heat!! As long as I agreed to move to one side when the fast girls wanted to get past, I was allowed to do it! So I did!

The race was a super sprint - 400m swim, 6 mile cycle, 3 mile run. However, don't let those short distances fool you into thinking it was easy! Bike route seemed to be mostly uphill and the run route off road and bumpy, and somewhat undulating also!! Gillian went off in the second heat. She had a great swim, really good technique. I went off in heat 4 - way to fast! Being in with the speedy girls scared me a bit and I payed for it over the last few lengths! haha! The bike route followed the same route as the Rigg Race we'd run earlier in the year, so we knew the route well. Nice views of the Pentlands to take your mind off any pain! Legs were fairly wobbly at transition and I got cramp in my leg for the first 2 miles of the run. Was ok by mile 3 though, haha!! The run was great, with the finishing straight having the words 'Girl Power' emblazoned on the tarmac! It was quite a girly affair - flowers for the winners, and a bar of soap and socks in a pink ribbon for all finishers! Brilliant!

My results were as follows:

Position: 21st

Swim: 0:08:50 (37)

Bike: 0:30:37 (31)

Run: 0:25:45 (12)

Total: 1:05:12

This was my last triathlon of the season. Another long run tomorrow (it is Sunday after all!) and then the cross countries start next weekend..... watch this space for the mud report!

http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

Norham 10K

2008-10-01T02:15:00.000-07:00

I hadn't run a 10km race for a few months, so was looking forward to this one. It had the novelty value of starting in England, crossing over to Scotland and finishing back in England. Norham is a nice little village right on the border. It made me laugh how the race crosses over a bridge, you see a sign saying 'Welcome to Scotland' and then head straight up a hill....haha! Typical!

I went along to the race with quite a few fellow club members who all had a great run (as you can see from the selection of prizes in the picture!). I finished the race in 45min 36s. Not the quickest of times, but I blame the hills! Our women's team also came 2nd, so a bottle of wine for us each which is always nice! A few more winter hill training sessions this week and I'm now looking forward now to my flat 5km race on Saturday.

Paris entered!!

2008-09-25T04:32:00.001-07:00

The entries for the Paris Marathon opened last week, and I am now officially signed up! Number 23123, that's me! No turning back now. I plan to build up my running training between now and Xmas and start a 'proper' 12 week schedule come the new year. Winter training at the running club started this week, with hill training in the dark, followed by circuits in the gym. The winter is well and truly here, cross countries to follow shortly!
I have a few more races in the coming weeks...

28th September - Norham 10km (starts in England, crosses into Scotland, and finishes back in England)

4th October - Burma 5km - The Meadows, Edinburgh. Charity run raising awareness of the plight in Burma http://www.runforburma.org/articles/show/1

11th October - Balerno Ladies Triathlon

I will be setting up my donation page for the Paris marathon soon, watch this space.
http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/

Pedal for Scotland

2008-09-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

My alarm went off at 5:30am on Sunday morning, 14th September. It was still dark outside but it was time to get up as myself and Dean and Gillian would be taking on 'Pedal for Scotland', a 55 mile bike ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh. We set off from home on the first part of our journey, about 5 miles away in Victoria Park in Edinburgh. He we loaded our bikes onto a lorry and got on the bus to Glasgow, along with many other riders taking part in the event. On arriving in Glasgow we were reunited with our bikes and we made our way to the start line. It was quite chilly to start with, but at least it was dry and the sun was out! The organisers set groups of cyclists off every minute or so. We led out our group of cyclists as we set off through the streets of Glasgow. What an amazing feeling to have cyclists as the majority on the roads, pushing cars out of the way! Great!

We reached the first station after about 8 miles. We stocked up on a few essentials and then carried on along the course. The second 'feed station' at mile 23 included home baking which seemed to go down pretty well with all the cyclists. We of course felt obliged to try some home baked treats! At just over 30 miles we reached

Linlithgow Palace. We were making good progress, with the previous section being quite flat, allowing us to get some fast speeds. The route was a mixture of quiet roads and cycle paths, with some great views along the way. We could see the Forth Bridges in the distance as we headed towards South Queensferry, cycling at times along some beautiful woodland roads. Passing under the Forth Road Bridge and into South Queensferry, we were at 47 miles and had just under 10 miles to go. The hills were becoming a little more challenging now! The final section followed the cycle path into Victoria Park, where we'd set off from early that morning. As we passed under the footbridge, the path narrowed and was lined with people cheering as we covered the last few hundred metres and crossed the finish line! We did it, Glasgow to Edinburgh by bike, and we were handed shiny medals. What a great day!!! We just had to cycle home now! Thanks to Dean and Gillian for being great cycling buddies! I reckon Edinburgh to St. Andrews next year!

The Cuillin - Isle of Skye

2008-08-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

For those of you not familiar with the Cuillin, here is a bit of info about them to start with. The Cuillin are a range of rocky mountains on the Isle of Skye. The summits of the Cuillin are bare rock, jagged in outline and with steep cliffs and deep cut corries and gullies. All twelve Munros (mountains over 3000ft) on Skye are Black Cuillin peaks.

The aim of this challenge, was to reach the summit of all 12 Munros.

Day 1 Earlier on in the year, when myself and my friend Alison booked our week to climb the Cuillin, we thought we'd be pretty safe weather wise to go for a week in late August. How wrong we were! After the long drive to Skye on Saturday, we woke up early on the Sunday morning, excited and ready for day one of our challenge!! The sky was grey, and there had been torrential rain and strong winds the night before. Oh well, this was only day one, surely things were set to improve. We drove to Glen Brittle Hostel and met our guide, George Yeomans. A veritable mountain dude - has hiked all over the world, knows the Cuillin like the back of his hand, and is a member of the Skye Mountain Rescue Team...we were in safe hands. Our plan for our first day in the mountains was three Munros, Sgurr na Banachdich (965m), Sgurr a Greadaidh (975m) and Sgurr a Mhadaidh (918m). The climb to the first summit was a steady hike, just 2.5 hours in total. The first one was 'bagged', only a bit wet! Getting to the next two summits was a little more challenging, with the ropes being needed to get across some of the trickier parts. We got the next two summits with no problems, although unfortunately the heavy cloud meant we had zero views from the top. Three down, 9 to go!

Day 2 The weather was still pretty poor, so George decided we would tackle Bla Bheinn (928m). This one sits on its own, away from the main ridge, so it was just going to be the one summit today. We battled our way up the side, against the rain and strong winds. The winds were so strong that it would actually blow us a few steps back at times! No ropes needed this time, just a steady hike to the top. Unfortunately, the cloud cover meant no views at the top once again. However, 15 minutes or so off the summit and on our way back down, the clouds cleared and the sun shone (if only we'd reached the summit a few moments later). We managed to find a break in the rocks and glimpsed a view of the North End of the Cuillin. Stunning! We also had a nice rainbow appear...the sun continued to shine on our descent....maybe the weather was taking a turn after all!

Day 3 We were wrong...the weather wasn't improving...it was getting worse! The plan for the third day was another three Munros. This time it was to be Sgurr nan Eag (924m), Sgurr Dubh Mor (944m) and Sgurr Alasdair (992m). When we set off, there was low cloud cover, but no rain, so the climb was pleasant. However, about 1 hour in, the rain started and it didn't stop. We got the first two summits and finished off with 'Big Al', the highest of the summits in the Cuillin. The fun part involved coming back down, which involved going down 'The Great Stone Shoot'. A mass of stones and rock, that you can literally just slide down. Much quicker than coming up, but not that great if you are wanting to keep your boots looking nice! haha! This was a long day, we got back to the car at 7:30pm, having set off at 9am that morning. We came across the campsite shop just before reaching the car. After fighting our way through the midgies (Scots will know what I mean!), we dived in to reward ourselves with a chocolate Magnum. I've never tasted anything so good! Despite the poor conditions, we were still on track for our 12 summits.

Day 4 Rest day today. Me and Alison went to the Old Man of Storr and did a 'smallish' hike. Still raining...but some nice views on the way down! I bumped into someone from Portsmouth Triathletes I hadn't seen in about 4 years on my way down! Small world.

Day 5 Today the plan was to do 2 Munros: Sgurr Mhic Choinnich (948m) and the Sgurr Dearg (the Inaccessible Pinnacle) (986m). The In Pinn, as it is known, is a rock climb up the one side, and an abseil off the other...we had all the gear and were raring to go. The weather again was pretty horrendous. We set off in the rain. Was quite a long steady climb to the ridge, and then a long traverse along it to get to the first summit. The rain was lashing down and the winds were easily reaching 40mph. Our guide decided that to attempt the In Pinn would be scary, not to mention dangerous. As he put it 'It's the type of conditions I go out to rescue people in!' We had to accept defeat as Mother Nature told to head back down the mountain. A shame...we weren't going to manage all 12 summits this trip.

Day 6 Our final day on the Cuillin, and we were to attempt the final three Munros up on the North end; Bruach na Frithe (958m), Am Basteir (934m) and Sgurr nan Gillean (964m). The sun was actually out (as were the midgies) as we set off, and we felt a glimmer of confidence that we would manage all three. The hike to the top of Bruach na Frithe took us around 2.5 hours. The last 100m or so took us along the ridge to the cairn. It was here that we realised that the mountain had been protecting us from the strong winds on our way up. Gusts of around 50mph were pounding down on us as we made the final effort to the cairn. In the picture, me and Alison are showing our pink t-shirts, which we'd been saving for a sunny day, this was the only show they got!It was to be too dangerous to go for the final two summits today. They, along with the In Pinn would have to wait for another day.

So, a total of nine Munros done in what can only be described as a challenging week!! A real shame to not have managed them all, but you can't argue with the weather! Alison and myself are already discussing a trip next year to finish them off. A sunny weekend, with hopefully some views too!

Wolverhampton Triathlon

2008-08-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

After a night of torrential rain, I woke up at the crack of dawn to beautiful sunshine. A bowl of porridge and a bottle of lucozade later, I felt ready to go!

I arrived at Chasewater Resevoir and racked my bike in the transition area, and lay everything out ready for the change from swim to bike and bike to run! I put on my wet suit and swim hat and headed over to the lake with the rest of the competitors! I was a little nervous as I stepped into the lake...this would be my first race with an open water swim. The pool seemed so much more appealing as I stepped into the cold, murky water. After a bit of a warm up though I soon got used to it. There was a fair bit of hanging around as the marshals got into place and the automatic chip timing system was prepared, but after 5 minutes or so the horn sounded and we were off!

As I predicted, the first few minutes were quite hectic. People swimming into eachother, hitting eachother over the head etc.. as we headed out to the first buoy. But as the field spread out a bit I was able to get into a rhythm. I finished the swim in 29:28 which I was very pleased with, quicker than the times I had done in training. The adrenaline of the competition must have been kicking in. Then straight into transition, a bit of a battle getting the wetsuit off and then off out onto the 40km bike ride.

The route was an out and back course, with two loops. Some of the top guys lapped me on the bike course. They looked pretty impressive in their streamlined helmets and very expensive bikes!! I felt good on the bike, and my training around Edinburgh's Holyrood Park came in handy, as most of the 'hills' seemed ok!?! I came through the bike course in 1:36:29.

Then onto the run! During my last triathlon I really felt my legs wobble as I transferred from the bike to the run, but this time they felt much better. It took me a couple of kilometres to get into my stride, but thereafter, I felt strong on the run. It was a flat course, twice around the lake. I could see the girl who'd gone past me on the cycle about 100m ahead of me, so I made it my mission to catch her up. I managed to claw past her with a couple of kilometres to go, which spurred me on for the last part of the race.

I finished the run in 54:25, giving me an overall time of 3:04:08, which I was very pleased with. I really enjoyed my first Olympic distance triathlon, was such a buzz! Was great having my family there watching and cheering me on too, made it so much better! I reckon a sub 3 hours is in me for next time!!

2 days to go!

2008-08-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

Only two days to go until event number one - the Wolverhampton Olympic Distance Triathlon. A mixture of excitement and nerves now. This race will involve a 1500m swim (in a lake), a 40km cycle, and then a 10km run to finish off with. Having only ever previously done Sprint distance triathlons (half the distance), this will be a new experience, but one I'm really looking forward too. I've had a final few easy training sessions this week, not to mention a weeks worth of amazing athletes to watch in the Olympics, so I'm feeling motivated and ready to go! Bring it on....!

It Starts Here...

2008-08-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been contemplating starting a blog for a while! There are three main reasons for me starting this. Firstly, it will be a personal catalogue of my various adventures; something to look back on in years to come. Secondly, it will be a place for me to ramble on about my training, thoughts, excitements, fears etc... as I complete various events in my build up to the Paris Marathon next year. Thirdly, and most importantly I would like this to be a way of transferring some of my crazy activities into positive outcomes; raising awareness of pancreatic cancer and raising money towards it's research.

For those of you who know me and my family, you will know all about the inspiration that is my Mum! Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (for the second time) in 2003, she continues to show the disease who's boss!! We always tell her she's a 'Tough Cookie'. This of course, is a massive understatement - she is truly amazing! As is my dad who is always by her side. She inspires me in all I do, and the following events will be no exception. I reckon....if a bit of self-inflicted pain on my part, can go anyway towards helping the suffering of people affected by the disease...then it's a small gesture I'm only too willing to do.

So....over the next 9 months, I will be carrying out a selection of "Challenges", the grand finale being the Paris Marathon on April 5th, 2009. I plan to run the marathon for the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK. I will set up a dedicated donation page in January 2009, when my training will be in full swing. In the meantime, details of the charity can be found at http://www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/. You can donate on this page at any time.

This blog will track my preparations between now and then, and will report on my other adventures along the way. At the moment, these are as follows (more will no doubt be added in due course):

August 17th 2008 - Wolverhampton Olympic Distance Triathlon
August 24rd - 29th - Traversing the Cuillin Range, Isle of Skye
September 3rd - Self Transcedence 5km
September 13th - Edinburgh Sprint Triathlon
September 14th - Pedal for Scotland (49 mile cycle from Glasgow to Edinburgh) http://www.pedalforscotland.org/

April 5th 2009 - PARIS MARATHON !!!

As you can see, the first event is only a week away...so watch this space! Happy reading...