Australia calling

I returned home on Tuesday morning at 9am and was out running nine miles by lunchtime, i wasn't long in when the phone went, my mate Stu  from Oz on to say that he saw my acceptance for the WHW, as we chatted he tells me that he has also got a place but is waiting on confirmation for a place in the Western States Race which is confirmed in December and is run around the same time as the WHW (he's keeping his options open) so we will wait to see which race he takes up.

Central Park

My first weekend without running in several months, i had booked a 40th birthday surprise for my wife Angela by taking her to New York, we flew out on Friday 12th November so i knew that no running was going to take place, the guys of course said you can't do new york and not run Central Park, i said no its a proper rest, i will just enjoy the place. We did the bus tour including Liberty Iisland and the Empire State Building along with the other sites,Ground Zero, the Rockerfeller Centre and Fith Avenue shopping. on Sunday we went to Central Park, Angela wanted to do the Horse and Carriage and i wanted to see John Lennons Memorial, so off we went, the Weather was fantastic all weekend and as we drove through the park i could not believe the number of people running,cycling, on rollerblades and the people being driven round like us, oh how i wished i had stuck a pair of shoes in the case, but at least i returned home with a memorable time and a short rest from running.

WHW Confirmation

What a wait it has been to find out if my application was going to be accepted, i wasn't sure whether i would need to run a qualifier or not but after some words of encouragement from the forum my e-mail form stan arrived to say that i was being given a place so now i can enjoy whats left of this year and look forward to 2011.

1st - 7th November (update)

I have managed four runs in the first seven days of November, it was good to continue with my long run yesterday, i headed out to Drymen and back, my total distance being twenty four miles in a time of  three hours and twenty minutes on the whw, today i did sixteen considering the month of October was poor i am pleased, i will loose a weekend next week as i will be in New York celebrating my wife's 40th birthday, i think i can afford to take it off or i would not be forgiven. My plan is to get back on the way in  a few weeks time and take the mileage up to thirty, fifteen out and back and try to build on this each month. if anybody wants a run on the way in the next few weeks then drop me a line via my website and we can meet up.

What happened in October

I don't know where to start after my build up for the RAW i thought this would be the springboard through the winter but i must say i have went flat, with only 13 runs i didn't even do 50% of the month, the only Conciliation was that i managed good Sunday runs

2nd October - Forth & Clyde Canal out to the Union canal and back - 38 Miles
9th October - Run Round the Glasgow Boundary - 27.5 Miles
16th October - The Stride - 33 Miles
23rd October - Sunday Run with the Nicholson Guys - 25 Miles
30th/31st - Working (not really an excuse)

take it in your Stride

I decided that i should start to get some speed in my legs, i have no current plans to compete for my club in the relays at present but now is as good a time to get started. I did three tempo runs during the week and on Saturday i decided to run the stride to Strathclyde Park but after taking a few wrong turns and hitting the 20 Mile mark well before the park i decided to about turn as i could feel the mid-week in my legs and i still had to get back home, i suppose it has to be expected after my tempo runs.



Monday- Rest
Tuesday - 7 Miles Tempo- 7.49,7.04,6.52, 6.42,6.40,6.44 and 6.28
Wednesday - 9 Miles Tempo - 7.05,6.52,6.49,6.44,6.13,6.03,6.14,6.11 and 6.25
Thursday - 5 Miles Tempo - 6.31,6.04,5.59,5.51 and 5.44
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Long Run - 33 Miles - See map
Sunday

Total Mileage for week

Topsy Turvey

What a week  i have had, not much to say, i only managed to get 61 miles

Monday  4th October- Rest
Tuesday  5th October - 11 Miles
Wednesday 6thOctober - DNR
Thursday 7th October - Rest
Friday   8th October - 10 Miles
Saturday 9th October - 27.5 - see map
Sunday  10th October - 13 Miles

West Highland Way 2011

Well it has been eight days since the West Highland Way Race opened for entries, with a further four weeks waiting time to see if i have been successful in getting a place but at least it gives you a buzz of excitement, well back the usual stuff, since my last race of the season, the River Ayr Challenge i took a few days off then started back with 7 miles on the Tuesday followed by 13 miles on the Friday i don't normally run on the Friday but as i was working the weekend, this would give me a couple of runs in the legs.
 I decided as it was holiday Monday i would head for the Forth and Clyde so off i went at 06:30 and manage to put in 31 miles, the following day i rested then did 10.5 on Wednesday, rested again on Thursday, then ran Friday the same as my Wednesday run, i went back on to the Forth and Clyde Canal on Saturday and took it out to the Union, just up the hill from the Falkirk Wheel, after a juice and a bite to eat i was off heading home, it started to rain as i came back in to Kirkie and my watch ran out of charge showing 31 miles, i new in my legs that i had over done it today as i got to 35 miles i decided to walk and run finishing off the last 3 miles, giving me a total of 38 miles. Sunday was a easy run from the Nicholson Centre with Sam, as he had just returned from a Marathon so we did 13 Miles. Over the week i had completed my most mileage in a long time by doing 103, no wonder i was tired! it was my own fault because i had given my self 2 set days off, Monday and Friday but i broke that rule due to working the weekend and the public holiday Monday, i will not do this in future.