Mounds of Opportunity

Hills. Discuss.

Now I do not mean this in a philosophical way. I mean, what is there not to like about hills? Their majesty. Their beauty. Their decoration of the countryside. Their ever changing colours. Their dominance of the landscape. You know, their, you know, hilliness knows no bounds.

No what I am meaning here is not admiring their beauty from afar, their magnificent ability to host a lovely picnic on a warm summer’s day, or their dramatic contribution to Scotland. What I am talking here is about how flipping difficult it is to run up them.

“those who loathe them”

I tend to find that hills divide runners. There are those who love them – the fell, hill and trail runners who think nothing more of lobbing on a pair of trainers and dashing up them like a mountain goat on steroids. There are those who hate them – the track and tarmac runners who like nothing more than a nice bit of flat road to get their endorphin fix. And then there are those who loathe them. Every single damn one of them. Every single damn time they need to run up any of them. Hey, each to their own.

Now I have to confess that I am very much among the tarmac runners here, but I also have a deep appreciation of the benefits these mounds of opportunity can bring to any run. Great for boosting endurance. Good for testing form. Great to be incorporated into a training programme as a way of mixing things up along the way. All good. However, there are times, and this is a bit of a confession, where I slip, quite happily, into the loathe contingent. Mostly when I have to run up the damn things, but I am also trapped by my own damnation. Because there are few things better than when you actually reach the top. Let me expand on this.

“I really benefited”

At our jogscotland club, we organise hill reps one night of the week. This is outwith our regular runs and usually a small group of people attend to spend twenty minutes running up and down one of the multitude of hills around where we live. We are not lacking for hills in this part of Aberdeen! When I was training for the Rotterdam Marathon, I incorporated this session into my regular training plan and found I really benefited, as I would combine this session with running to and from wherever it was held.

But during the twenty minutes itself, well, to be frank, it is a bit like hell. Everyone goes at their own pace, so there is no pressure on anyone to run faster or go further, but even so, running up hills is not easy. And so this week, after an absence of a few months, I took the plunge and went to the reps again. This seemed like a good idea at the time, but I had reckoned without Storm Agnes.

“questioning our sanity”

It had two impacts. Firstly, the rain was near biblical when I left my house to run the relatively short distance down to where the reps were going to be so I got totally soaked through almost instantly. Secondly, the impact of this biblical rain was, not surprisingly, that only one other person showed up; my friend Susan. As we met, after briefly questioning our sanity for having even left our houses in this monsoon level of downpour and gusting winds, we decided we were wet anyway so would just go for it. So we did.

The faces said it all

As you can tell from our cheery expressions, it was a truly joyous twenty minutes but we did it. We did not die. We got totally soaked – I mean, I was totally soaked before I had got past the end of my street. And, without a doubt, the best thing about it? The hot shower when I got back to the house. I honestly cannot recall being that wet on a run. Miserable.

But there was a glow simply from doing it. That was undeniable. That curious thing of doing something that at the time was grim – other than Susan’s company – but then once it is done, you appreciate the effort it took to get through it.

This was then repeated on Saturday, when I planned out a long run which would involve climbing up a couple of the biggest hills in the city. You might question why plan a route like this, when you know that there will be parts when it will be awful? Firstly, not all of it was awful, as I started with some beautiful riverside views.

The River Don near Grandholme

But some of it would be tough, and to be honest, It was precisely because there would be parts that would be awful that made it a challenge. There would be parts where I would have to dig deep. There would be parts where I would question my sanity as my lungs burned and my legs ached. But every runner knows that this is only temporary. The pain will stop. The breathing will settle. The legs will recover and flow freely again. All just by making it to the top.

Lumpy would be a fair description of te run

For me, reaching the top is not the end of it. For me, reaching the top is when the recovery starts. Not by stopping – like I see so many other runners do – but by continuing to run. As the heartrate falls and the effort eases from the maximum, the running gets easier. It gets better. The breathing begins to settle into a smoother rhythm than before and while there is always the tiredness, there is the knowledge that it is done. Now it does not matter if you have to walk or take the pace off, the truth is that I have never yet come across a hill where I did not get to the top simply by continuing to move forward, regardless of the pace at which I was moving.

One of the trail sections on the run

Now, did I hate it at times? Yes. Did I loathe it at times? Yes. Did I consider stopping? Of course I did. But did I stop? No. And that was because, despite everything which my body was doing, I had resolved in my head that I was going to continue. Because it would not be my body that would force me to stop, it would be my head demanding it. And I was determined to ignore those demands, to put those demands into another compartment of my brain as I went up those hills, and to focus on one thing. Getting up the damn thing.

“I really need to concentrate”

Going up hills can also involve another thing – and yes, that is coming back down them. The ironic thing about this is that, I find, this is where I really need to concentrate because I worry that, while the effort is easy, this is actually a dangerous time where a trip, slip or fall could really have a major impact. Running downhill can be a chance to gain time, but for me it is about – on a long run at least – conserving energy and preparing for what lies ahead.

I ended up at seventeen miles for my run – further than I was anticipating – and that felt really good. My longest run, I think, since I did Rotterdam back in April. The Falkirk Half Marathon is only a few weeks away now, so this was a big confidence boost for that. Also, the cooler temperatures are much more my kind of thing too, another positive from the day. Now, let’s plan a run along the pan flat beachfront……

Chills and Hills

Time may be a great healer, but I find when it comes to running, rest is a pretty good one too. Taking a break has great restorative powers, even if I do feel like my fitness is draining away with every day I am not running.

After I felt the tweak in my hamstring when I was running down in London a couple of weeks ago, my only solution was to take a few days off. I was still pretty busy with work, had a lot of walking around London still to do on the Saturday and Sunday, so it was time to lay off the running for a bit and see how things panned out. I also deployed that old favourite – Deep Heat – as part of the recovery process.

“going to a gym class is just not my thing”

Not running can be really frustrating, but it is just part of the overall fitness experience, and yes, of course, I realise that there are plenty of other activities I could be doing, other than running, to keep me in shape. But the truth of the matter is, to put it bluntly, I do not like anything other form of exercise remotely as much as I enjoy running. For me, going to a gym class is just not my thing. It is not for me the joy of being shouted at in a darkened room by someone half my age – though I recognise that for others, then that is very much their groove. And good luck to them. We are all the same, precisely because we are all different.

“taking time off was the right thing to do”

I could still feel my thigh niggling a bit in the days after I was in London. This was what definitely made me think that this was not just a simple cramp – my initial thought on the day because it had been so warm – so taking time off was the right thing to do. I also knew that my next work trip was to Amsterdam, so this would give me a chance to get back out running and running on the flat, so it would be a reasonably gentle re-introduction.

Amsterdam in September has been a regular fixture in my calendar for more than ten years now – due to attending a large trade show there, except for the Covid years of 2020 and 2021 – and this has included stupidly early long runs when I have been training for events (a 4.50am 11 miler particularly stands out).

The Rijksmuseum has been a regular view on my Amsterdam runs over the years

This time around I had only planned to run a few 5kms and it was great to run with my friend Anna on one of the days and enjoy running alongside the canals and through the Rijksmuseum district. I would confess to being nervous, and a little anxious to see how my thigh held up , but thankfully there were no ill effects from the run, or from standing up at the show for a few days.

With Anna at the Rijksmuseum

I got out three mornings when I was there – thunder and lightning put paid to our plan to run on the last day but that was ok – and it was so nice to be back out in the early morning in the quiet streets before the bikes, trams, cars and pedestrians are all adding to the bustle of the morning rush hour.

The Skinny Bridge on one of my early morning runs

But the flat streets of Amsterdam are one thing, the hills of Bridge of Don where I live are another matter. Happy that my leg was holding up ok, it was back to my JogScotland routine this week and I had one of my best runs in months on Tuesday night. A combination of cooler temperatures, a bit of rain, and, if I am brutally honest, a bit of a more positive outlook (probably because of the conditions) all worked in my favour and I felt strong, even on the hilly sections of the run. It is amazing what a change in the weather and attitude can bring.

“going outside the comfort zone is good”

I took that positivity into a weekend run with my friend Susan. I have mentioned before that I intend to run an ultra marathon next year, so I have decided to embrace trail running a bit more than previously. I am quite tall, so I do feel I am bit like Bambi on ice when I run off road, constantly looking down to ensure that I do not topple offer in a “timberrrrrr” like fashion. But hey, I guess going outside of the comfort zone is good, right?

These felt very weird

I have even bought trail shoes to help, wearing them in around the house during the week, where, to be frank, it felt like I was wandering about with a pair of football boots!! They have serious treads on them and feel a bit strange compared to my normal running shoes. Combining that with my recent purchase of a running backpack, this truly is not me at all.

On Saturday morning we headed out to get in a half marathon with a fair bit of elevation and a bunch of off-road sections to try things out. Thirteen miles and around a thousand feet of elevation later, and a pile of jabby nettle stings to keep my legs interested, I was relieved to get through it.

The views were great, when I looked up of course

The backpack was fine, though still a work in progress to get it really fitted properly and not chafing, the shoes were good, and I survived. It was a beautiful morning and we enjoyed some nice views. Well, when I managed to lift my head up from constantly looking down at my feet, concerned that I was going to trip over at any random moment.

A few ups and downs on the run

I know that thirteen miles is a far cry from an ultra, and I still have a massive learning curve to go through before I approach that distance, it felt like an important step; a change of approach and attitude, which will serve me well in the longer term. Now it is a case of keeping things going and hoping to avoid injury at every turn.

Melting

General view of the weather this summer? Well it has been a bit rubbish hasn’t it? That was what made the weather last week really stand out. Here we were, first week of September, and it was boiling.

In Aberdeen we had our warmest day of the year, and this also coincided with me making a work trip to London over the course of the weekend. Melting? You bet I was. And so I wanted to put something together about the impact which weather can have on running. Well that was the intention anyway, but then something else intervened. I picked up an injury.

I had decided that I would run early on Saturday morning – mostly because I was working at 8.30am but also because of the heat – and I worked out a nice route which would take me from Canary Wharf (where I was staying) round to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge and then back. That would be a little more than 10k, and nice prep for a half marathon distance run I was planning to do on Sunday.

I left where I was staying before 6am, thinking that the run, plus some stops for photos would take me around an hour and ten minutes or so. Plenty of time to get back, cool down, get showered and then off out to work. The first part of the run went great, even though I was running through more streets than I had reckoned as I discovered that the Thames Path, at various points, is blocked by access to flats so you need to run along some main roads for a bit.

The view as I set off on the run

Initally this was all fine, even if – despite the early hour – it was already becoming pretty humid and a bit uncomfortable for running (in my opinion, but bear in mind my opinion is based on running in the cooler climes of Aberdeen). As I reached the Tower of London, at about three and a half miles in, I was already drenched in sweat, so I was happy to turn around, along the river for a bit, and begin the road back.

On Tower Bridge at the halfway point

My route back was slightly different, as I was determined to follow the route of the river as much as I could, and when I came off the path, I was running through quiet side streets rather than the main road which I had been on previously. Conscious of not getting lost – an occupational hazard for me as you will know if you have read my posts in the past – I was very aware of my surroundings and looking for little landmarks I could recall from my route out.

A gorgeous sunrise as I headed back East

I also had the knowledge that as long as I kept the river to my right, I would get back to Canary Wharf one way or another. I was running along a very non-descript road along what had been a very flat course, certainly way flatter than I am used to in Aberdeen, when I felt a sharp sting in my right thigh. It was not at the back of my thigh, more to the side, but it forced me to stop.

Such was the heat, I initially put this down to a bit of cramp. I tried stretching it out but could still feel it, however, I still had a couple of miles to go so did not really have much choice other than to slow down and keep heading back to the hotel. It did not stop me running, but it did feel a bit uncomfortable for sure.

Back at the hotel, I could still feel it as a bit of a niggle, and to be honest, that is how it has stayed for a few days. I have decided not to run for a few days – putting paid to my half marathon plan on Sunday – and I am at the stage now where I believe a short run is in order to test things out.

For work, this week I am heading to Amsterdam, so the pan flat roads around the canals will be where I am headed to test out the thigh with a few gentle miles to see how things go.

I know that injury is part of the deal when you run a lot, and I have had my share of them over the past few years (plus I am not getting any younger) but there are frustrating when they come along, just as I was anticipating better autumn temperatures and things cooling down. However, being cautious is the right approach and taking things easy is definitely the plan for when I come back.

Let’s hope it is just a minor tweak, it certainly is not painful in any way now or feel like it is getting worse. We shall see.

Challenge Yourself

After the past few weeks, steady progress is all I am looking for now. In fact, not even steady progress, just a bit of stability in my running would be good, but I definitely feel like I am leaving the negativity behind and moving to a better place.

For some time now, I have been thinking about new challenges and different things to do to remain motivated to run. I have enjoyed the local races I have done this year and continue to look out for others, but as we head towards the Autumn marathon season – good luck to everyone training for one in the next couple of months – I want to look beyond this and towards the Spring of next year.

Why am I looking so far ahead rather than focusing on the next few months? It is because I feel like preparing for an ultra marathon, going beyond the marathon distance which I have always felt was the ultimate distance challenge. In many ways I still think the marathon is the ultimate distance challenge, certainly when it comes to doing a race and aiming for a particular time, and I think an ultra will be something else. It will be a very personal thing to get through.

“You feel it”

Running means more to the individual than it does to anyone else. You feel it. You endure it. You know what it takes to get through it. You alone are aware of every element that goes into it – the training, the preparation, the hours of effort, the sacrifices along the way. No one else really can appreciate that as keenly as you do yourself. I think this is why runners often want to speak to other runners to talk about their experience, as only really other runners can truly appreciate it (and also that other runners are likely to be more interested in it too!!).

All of this plays into why I would want to do an ultra. For all of the reasons above and many more. I need to caveat all of this by saying, that while I do hae a specific event in mind, it is some months until registration opens and some months before the training would begin in earnest, but it is definitely part of the reason why, even now when I am not training for anything specifically, I am, in my own head, beginning to get prepared.

It is one of the reasons why, in the past three weeks, I have run a half marathon distance, a fifteen mile run and then a solo eight and half mile run. I want to go into the training programme with a great base already in my legs. And then it is in the hands of the running gods to stay healthy through the training process to even make it to the start line.

“competitive eating”

I have also invested in a hydration running pack as well. For all of my running, for longer distances, I have run carrying a bottle. A few people have asked me about this and whether it feels uncomfortable but to be honest I am just so used to it that I never even think about it. Now I need to get used to a different approach, though with the rucksack on, it does open up the opportunity to take much more in the way of snacks with me! I have often thought that ultra running was akin to competitive eating, so now is my opportunity to find out for real.

I did my first run with the backpack this week, and it did feel really weird. I think I need to work out the best fit for me, as it seemed to move around a lot while I was running, so this will be a bit of trial and error over the coming weeks to figure it all out. If anyone is interested, I went for the Salomon Agile 12 backpack, which is incredibly light, and no this was not gifted.

Out for my first run in the new kit

I should also say that I am not a fan of trail running. I much prefer running on tarmac and on roads, so I need to get my head around that a bit more, plus the fact that walking breaks will also be part of the plan. This will change my approach to running a bit, where I have always tried to avoid walking – both in training and in races – unless I absolutely have to. Now, it will be an integral part of ensuring I get through an event. But what I would say was that my run this morning on trails along the river was so beautiful that perhaps my aversion to trail running could be overcome.

Now it is still very early days, and I am still working through my reaction to that run a few weeks back, the impact of which still lingers a bit. and you can read about here. I have had a very positive reaction from friends who have spoken to me about it and that has given me a lot of positivity to channel into my running once more. I am very lucky to have a very supportive bunch of running friends and I am truly grateful for them.

My immediate focus is on reaching nine hundred running miles for the year, which, fingers crossed, I should hit this week. That in itself still boggles my head a little bit, given that a few years back I would never have imagined I would run anything like that kind of distance ever, but it is a reflection of consistency, not giving up and being determined. And I guess all of those qualities and more will be needed if I am to get through the ultra challenge which, all things being equal, will lie ahead through the winter and into early Spring.

I have no idea how things will go. I have no idea if I will be able to achieve it. But I am willing to try, to take that first step along the road, and that is as important as anything else.