A bloody impressive run

So along with a lot of WHW Family and some new friends I ran the Highland Fling at the weekend. That is the subject of a different post. I feel privileged to know Rachel who ran the London Marathon at the weekend. She is my mate Mikes sister in law and this is a post for her..

Rachel had run a marathon a few years back and did a good honest time, no world beater sure, but an achievement like all marathons are. In 2007 Rachel and her husband David were pregnant with twins. However, Rachel went into labour at 23 weeks. They lost the little boy, Finlay, but Eilidh (who was 1lb when she was born!) was a wee fighter and is now a happy and healthy 2 and a half year old. However, because she was so early, her eyesight was damaged and, despite numerous operations when she was only months old, she's completely blind in one eye and only sees partially out of the other.

So like so many people Rachel ran in London at the weekend for her chosen charity LOOK which helps and supports visually impaired children and their families. Only for Rachel it was a little bit more than just another marathon. Less than a year ago Rachel had open heart surgery. She crossed the line yesterday in a little over 6 hours - "a little bit disappointed because she had to walk a bit "

A bloody impressive run...

Some of us can wonder why
and moan and cry
about the path our life has taken
then there are those that just crack on
do what they do
lest a moment be forsaken..

http://www.justgiving.com/racheljohnstone1

33 x 3 + 33

It was all about the numbers... At the start of March I went back on my pre WHW race sabatical and gave up beer, wine and all things alcoholic.. I also thought I would get a bit of running in and put myself in some sort of shape for the efforts of the next few months.. And there was the little matter of unfinished business from the attempted Marcothon of December.. You know, the running every day (at least 3 miles ) for a month .. I gor to 22 in December when a combination of a couple of slight tumbles and some sort of attack of the frilly blouse stopped me in my tracks..

It is a lot easier in March, but even so, getting in 31 x 3 mile runs requires a little bit of focus .. But in the last 6 weeks I watched "Running the Sahara" about 3 blokes running 8000 miles across the Sahara (117 days, non stop), Eddy Izzard (a tubby British transvestite comedian ) doing 43 marathons the length of Britain in 7 weeks, or William Sichel running 1609 times around a 1k track in Athens in 13 days to come 2nd in the World 1000 mile race (not bad for a 53 y.o bloke ), so it was not really that much of an effort..

So anyway, 31 x 3 mile runs (minimum ) is what I did .. With a couple of decent ones in there as well. A nice 18 miler up in the Pentlands in the last of the snow (so we thought) with Norman and a cracking 36 miler from Balmaha to Beinglas and back again on a glorious March spring day which topped off a 75 mile week.. Then back to the grind of getting up at 6:15 to get in a run before work...

So some things that I learnt from running every day even for a month.. It is a good mental challenge but it does become a bit of a grind just to tick off a run for the sake of putting a 1 in a diary.. And even with just a short run, you need to give yourself a day off to let niggles go away and the body and mind to relax.. Well at least for me.. But the routine is great and it definitely has given me a good base for the next couple of months.

So I got to 28 , clocks have gone forward, ya beauty !! Easy street now, until winter had its last (???) stab ... Sleet, rain, torrential downpours, floods on the Water of Leith.. Went out on Tuesday with Adrian and made our way up the Water of Leith, except the W.O.L was coming down on us - knee deep and hoarsing it down the path.. And another nice dunping of snow on the Pentlands .. But made it to 31 so job done.. Until I worked out that another 2 would bring me up to 33, and I had a little matter of ther D33 on the day after.. So I did them too..

The D33side way (http://deesidewayultra.webnode.com/) is a cracker.. A tenner to enter, cake, beer, jam sandwiches and a choccy medal at the finish.. Great company and very very flat which is not really to my liking (I need hills to walk on and stretch my legs ) but a great day out.. I ran ok for me, 2:34 for the half way, finished in 5:18 so pretty happy with that .. Grant Jeans won it in a sensational 3:34... When he passed me (it is an out and back course ) he was going like someone doing a 5k.. Really impressive..

Today I had a day off, even though I worked out that another 19 runs would bring me to 53 runs in a row.. Which is a nice number before doing a little 53 miler in 20 days time.. Tomorrow some stretches, and I might not run as well...

All change

So went to Aus, came back.. Had an absolutly cracking time but of course it seems so long ago, even though it was only 3 weeks ago today that I was on the beach having my last run, swim with the girls, a chat to my mate, put my best boy to rest on the sands he and we loved so much and then a bomber of EB to finish the trip and the long but fun travel back home.

It seemed to have been such a short time but so much done. Caught up with mates, spent time with Mum and Dad and my big Sis, had a run or 2, and best of all had time with just me and the girls, what a hoot, sleeping in the same room, chatting away, go to sleep, yeah but Dad, What ? go to sleep, looking at stars on the beach and just chilling being we 3

Back to home, to the cold but brilliant sunshine and the hills gleaming, back to my empty flat and the reality and the quiet too much, back to my work of 6 years but only for a week till the end of that without a card or even much of a goodbye but lots of good memories and a few beers and some friends, the last weekend of February and some cracking runs, a wine or 2 then goodbye to that too..

2 days looking, till the Yes that I was waiting for, then 3 days off, some runs, a brekky and driving a big digger at my mates, new job awaits, new challenge and a kick in the arse of comfort and complacency and some more runs and stretches a canal and some sunshine running and bright and starting again as is my world at the moment so lets see how it goes, all change and thats 4 weeks..

It IS all about the beach - A Very Special Day in Aus..

So this morning I was due to leave my sister Karens house and go further south for 2 nights.. But then my middle niece (and most closest in age to my darlings ) had another day off.. So we went down to the beach with the girls winging all the way about how cold it was (+28C) and how they didn't want a swim..

After a little 5 k trot on the totally empty beach, including a k or so with my nephew Hayden, we decided that we would stay another night... And then we went for a swim... Not really much else to say except what followed was about an hour of pure bliss and a day that I will never forget..

Some days like time
can pass with a frequency and familiarity
that only leaves the ticking of the clock
in your soul

Some days will shine in the now
and the future
and will always be the perfect day
and yes they may only be 1 or 3
but when they are at the end
it is not with sadness that we sleep
or for their brevity that we weep
but we rejoice for all they were
and we remember for time
and be happy
until the next we meet...

For my big sis Karen, her great husband Glenn, Hayden, Rosie... Thanks for a great few days - Uncle Keith, Kirsty and Caroline.

It's not just about beaches

Yesterday had a top day with Sis, the girls and my niece and nephew... Went down to see the dolphins but they did not come in... We then went for a little drive in the country.. Ended up in the very picturesque Fergusson Valley, just past Dardanup... Bit of a twilight zone moment, ended up in Gnome Town.. Not sure of the population - but at least in the 100's.. Enjoy

Beach Runs 2 and 3

So a week on from my last run out to Cramond I am having another little trot to the beach.. Instead of the glorious panorama of East Scotland and the Firth of Forth, I have Point Peron, near Rockingham Perth.. Cracking run with my mate Kingy. From 2C to 24c ...


Wedding was sensational ... Bit of dancing, a few beers, some tears and everyone having a great time.. The bride of course looked absolutely gorgeous..

And then down to my Sister Karens house.. She lives about 150 k south of Perth, just outside of Bunbury .. We are staying here for a couple of days... Barby last night, a few beers, a bottle of 2001 Amberley Estate Cab Merlot.. Then up this morning, just me and 10 k of open beach... I am still buzzing from the swim afterwards, needed the run to get rid of the beers...

Cheers all

1st for the year, No Answers here...

So I have not written this year, but have been busy getting back into the way of Zen and work and all of that.. A lot of excess in the festive period for me, combined with some running and playing with my girls and stuff, but still a lot of drinking and running amok... So as per usual, with the beginning of the new year, I put all of that behind me and give it all up until I get to the Lochaber Leisure Centre in Fort William.. Only this year it is slightly different as I am going to Aus for my nieces wedding in 12 days time.. So I reckon there might be a few Emu Bitters and a Cab Sav or 2 awaiting me .. Will just have to work a little bit harder when I come back..

The weather has been a belter, great snow which made running great on the most part.. Really enjoyed running along on the crisp white stuff.. It's all gone now of course, but I did manage 4 or 5 middle to longish runs in the deep snow which were belters. Tuesday this week I went out with Ian, Adrian and Norm for our regular run... coming down the road off Arthurs seat with nothing to skid on was absolutely cracking, the benefits of the last few weeks were evident..

I had the great privilege to give a bit of a chat at the WHW Inspiration and Training night on Wed night.. I really enjoyed the speakers, esp the Q&A session at the end and Dave Wallace at the start.. What a guy, 5 times winner in the 80's and a man with a single minded commitment to not only competing but winning.. Even now at the age of 59 you could see the fire that burned, and I reckon there were only 2 or 3 people in the room that would have been able to take him on.. Amazing stuff and so far removed from my mindset that I found it so interesting.. I enjoyed giving my talk, even if afterwards I thought of all the things I couldve shouldve wouldve said but I guess having an Aussie accent and putting in a few expletives is guaranteed to get a laugh or 2...

But I have often thought that there is maybe too much information out there which can confuse and conflict so it is always wise to take everything with a grain or bucket of salt.. None of the early runners or even the best of the latter runners had a book on what to do, they just worked it out for themselves, made mistakes, ran like buggery and tried again.. I recently spoke to Jez and he said something about a "competitor" in the Western States who used very liberal interpretations of the rules to gain every possible advantage... So each year they change the rules... I guess the point is that no matter what food, training, gel, shoe, legging, hydration pack or whatever you use, you still have to run a fuck of a long way, so ultimately you have to work out what is best for you and there is no-one who can give you the answer...

Just back from my Tuesday run .. Tops.. But that followed on from a great weekend of running ... Bloody hell it was tops....Saturday me, Norman and Carrie left Edinburgh at 6AM, picking up Ian King on the way and getting to the Green Wellie not much after 8:00.. A little bit early for the 9:30 start, but we had allowed extra time in case of bad roads.. Ian B met us there and off we went, meeting up with Jamie at Kingshouse.. What followed was 8 and 1/2 hours of pute brilliance.. A little icy to start going up to the Devils and I had the first fall (but landed well I must say !) ... The path up the Devils was cracking, and the views from the top... Well see for yourself



Slippy down the other side, but we made it down to Kinlochleven to meet George, Karen, Mark, Flip and Dino on their way south. - George the bloody legend in shorts on his way to doing the full 95 miles. We did just a little marathon, and finished coming down the Devils in a great hurry, skipping down through the now softened snow which SOOOO good.. Then a run on the Sunday with Dave Waterman and Lee - only the 2nd or 3rd time we have shared running time together.. Gotta love it when a Fireman comes to your house and you get an impromptu fire inspection..

Bugger me, started this 2 weeks ago and still have not finished it.. Final run in Scotland for the next 3 weeks - leave on Wed.. Reckon I can cope with the 30C temperature diferential ?

This morning went out with Carrie - Norman having called off because the drunken bum spent a night on the piss.. So he missed out on a run along the Water of Leith to Roseburn, along to Costorphine Hill as the morning sun started breaking through the low sky.. As we went along the ridge, the sun pierced the trees and it was just magical. Down and across Queensferry Rd, onto the path behind Royal High to Barnton and then onto the River Almond down to Cramond.. The river was flowing quite strong, a Heron having a great early morning fish.. The running top, nice chat just trundling along at 8 and 1/2 min miles.. We got to Cramond and the tide was all the way out so I asked Carrie if she wanted to go out to the island.. Which we did, running along the Causeway to the hill on the island. Standing there at 9:15AM on a Sunday morning with piercing blue sky we had a full 360 Panarama of Eastern Scotland. All the way down the Forth to Bass Rock in Nth Berwick, around to Arthurs Seat, the Castle and then the Pentlands. Panning North to the Forth Bridges, the snow covered tops of the Ochils and the view over to Fife... It doesn't get much better than that for a start to the day, or a finish to a month at the start of the year ..

Go well .. Am off to drink beer and catch up with family and mates, and be Uncle Keith, and maybe have a run or 2.. And a swim ... and maybe a glass of red wine.. and a swim.. and a beer .. ooohh better have a barby ! Cheers - KH