College_Boy

Getting back onto training after 2 months of faffing. County Champs X-C on Saturday (not as muddy as I was expecting) followed by 3 hours in the hills on Sunday (slippier than expected and almost made a right tit of myself descending one hill right in front of a large group of walkers!) A bit of stretching last night and the legs don't feel as bad as I thought they might.

l've linked to quite a few FB pages but find the generic ultra running pages are just full of the same repetitive questions about kit (shoes, packs, waterproofs headtorches etc.). However race specific pages are far better - such as the West Highland Way and the Highland Fling. The Fling would be good for you as its at a similar time of year to the Keswick race. The WHW has links to podcasts by previous runners which you may find useful. Possibly find some local ultras (Hardmoors is probably the closest) as this could give you local runners for support / training routes. I've not really looked into training plans as I've a mate who's given me lots of advice. I then generated my own plan around other commitments. Something my mate did for the WHW was to train long over 4 consecutive days then the rest of the week was recovery. For the fling I tailored this to 2 long days over the weekend ( one 15-20 and the other 20+ but off-road/hilly), a long run mid week and then a hill or speed rep session. I'll dig out the plans I had for the Fling and last years WHW (I started train for this but didn't get through the ballot).

in5omniac don't worry about the transition if you are an experienced runner, and it sounds that you are. I've never run a 'marathon' but have now completed 5 ultras while my previous longest race was only 18m. You're only looking at a few extra miles but it will be hillier and rougher terrain than you are used to. The second half will be mentally tough as you will need to focus on the track when your legs are tired - I keep being asked if the views were nice but honestly I only ever see the path ahead. Assuming that you'll train properly the 2 biggest issues I find are mental toughness and the ability to eat during the race. Eat little but often and start during the first hour - don't rely on gels but proper food. I really struggle to eat but found fresh fruit on my last one went down well. Keep yourself hydrated and that you are getting enough salt into you - I struggled badly with cramp during my first and while I'm getting better I've not quite mastered it. I've now got salt capsules to carry with me and take them at intervals during the race and when I feel any cramp coming on. However try out different products as they can affect your stomach and mean that you don't feel like eating, which can be a big problem. I carry a lot of sweets with me (jellies, jelly beans - the small ones - dried fruit like apricots etc). Find out the terrain of the race, how hilly and what surfaces it covers and find some training runs that will replicate it (if possible get down and reccie the route). Looking briefly at the website its more undulating with two bigger rises rather than full mountains climbs. This will also give you a good idea to what you need to wear on your feet. Also make sure your clothing is comfortable - nothing more painful than chaffing shorts! I use some anti-chaffing gel but also loads of baby oil. I cover my feet with this as well and never have a problem with blisters. Get yourself a realistic training plan and try and make it varied, long / short, fast / slow, off road / on road, hilly/flat. I've really struggled with some niggly injuries since I started Ultras which appear down to lack of core strength (I basically have none!) so try and add some gym type work in. Get your entry in and start your training ASAP as 8 weeks wont be enough. You'll need a few weeks to recover from Seville and a few weeks to taper so get the training done pre-Seville. But most of all enjoy it (if not during at least afterwards!) Good luck. Keep us updated!

All too late for intervention to save the industry. Just wait and see the Scottish Gov. being landed with the bill for site remediation. And in 20 years time the sites will either still be derelict or large housing estates and not a job in sight.

and what are the odds of McGhee getting the job............

Tiree Ultra - I like the look of that.

I think a lot of it comes down to mental strength and the ability to just keep moving and switching off you mind from running, which probably comes from running for 30 years. I find it easier to switch off when running on my own, especially in an Ultra, when everyone's pace is constantly changing, although catching back up when having being dropped is quite a nice feeling. You also have to bear in mind that, on a very hilly race like Lakes in a Day, the hills aren't run but walked albeit at a fast pace. I trained well, hard, and long for The Fling in April but then really struggled to get much in before The Devil in August and then only had a couple of long runs late August, then not a lot of training during September. But having run the distance before game me the confidence it was then just about how long it would take. I could probably knock off an hour if I had trained well for it, but probably not much more as I don't descend well.

Tried to enter this years but got balloted out, with a bit of 'luck' I'll get in next year. I'll possibly then think about giving ultras up.....

Ran the' Lakes in a Day' Ultra on Saturday. 50 miles, 4000m assent from Caldbeck in the north of the Lake District to Cartmel in the south. 3/4 of the climb was done in the first half of the race with a long slow climb up the and then fairly steep decent off Blencathra followed by an assent of Helvellyn and then Fairfield. Took 12h 28min for 23rd place. First big decent killed my toes which meant every other decent was very painful, even fairly gentle downhills were excruciating. The last 7.5m were done in the dark and took 1h 45min. When I finished the back marker was only just reaching halfway who had another 12h of running/walking in the dark. Got a nice Vulcan Bomber flypast as I came off Fairfield as well, although it was only a fleeting glimpse as I stumbled over rocks and into peat bogs! Still struggling to walk, and will be for a few more days and a few toe nails look like they're gonners!

I'm in need for a few suggestions for links to on-line sites as all my links from last season are either blocked or now 'require registration'.

I'm constantly running through bogs, rivers, streams etc. and I wouldn't want to do it in a pair of goretex. Different in walking boots where you are unlikely to go deep enough for water to go over the higher ankle.

Do not go for goretex - once the water is in its not coming out. Water doesn't just come through the shoe but in over the ankle. What you need is a shoe that lets water out easily and lets you feet dry quickly. Salamon are certainly a very good make (I use crossmax cr2 and have done for trail races up to 53m) Decide if its more open fell / mud you will be running on (go for a fell shoe like Salamon speedcross or Muddyclaw which have more grip but less cushioning) or if its more track / trail (go for something with more cushioning but more grip than a road shoe). Plenty of makes for trail shoes along with Salamon such as Asics, NB. Hokas are a popular make but they look like clown shoes.

What's wrong with a kilt?

What was the question that he was responding to and did it refer to the referendum?

Well done Sir! Its the marshalling that makes it the race it is. I went through Inversnaid around 5.20 (11.20am). The marshal who helped me couldn't have done any more or been any more efficient - certainly as good as my mate who was supporting at the other checkpoints. I hope he enjoyed the chocolate mike, chocolate crepe and other goodies I left. The relay must be fun if your a decent runner as there are so many people to pass, but its the full fling you should aim for!

Highland Fling completed for a 2nd time. Knocked nearly 1h off last years time but just failed in getting under 9h by 1min and 38sec. Happy with the run though and the conditions were just fantastic, especially considering what they were like on Sunday.

2nd Highland Fling Ultra for me tomorrow - As long as the really heavy rain holds off it should be perfect conditions, although some of the rocks may be a tad slippy and the start line a bit cold at 6am! Drop bags all ready and full of stuff I know I wont eat, but got to pack it just in case.

If you can manage the 22/23 miles twice go for that rather than making your first long run a couple of miles shorter. It will not only give you the fitness but also the confidence you can go the distance. General I'd say 3 weeks as well but everybody is different. I gave myself around 4 weeks last year for my longest race yet, but it turned out to be more an abrupt stop rather than a taper and found that was way too long and paid the price. This year it will be 3 weeks with a proper taper.

Possibly its the coaching that's being found out - Physical and runners - Its like school football! Why do we persist in going to just win games rather than develop talent and a team? Do you think the coaching of the U18's at Barca or Madrid even entertain the same thoughts? No its about talent and skill, not about being able to knock your opponent off the ball then run like a headless chicken.

I've run a few Highland Games races and they're great fun. There are usually a few decent runners at the front and then every man and his dog, usually a few of which are in fancy dress. The decent runners have also probably run all the track races as well and they still bugger off into the distance.

I wouldn't run XC's in anything other than spikes as I love their lightweight flexibility, plus there is so little to them they don't hold much water / mud. However they only have spikes at the front and the heels don't offer much grip. I've got a pair which have probably the most grip and its pretty poor - but this tends to only be a problem going down hill. I do know a lot of runners who wear fell shoes for XC. They tend to be lightweight(but not as light as spikes) but have the advantage of studs right across forefoot and heel. Men's races are always the last one which is fine by me as the more mud there is the better!

Ran 28m last weekend along the toughest terrain of the WHW - Rowardennan to Beinglas Farm and back. Should have been under 5h but a slight detour along the lower unmade path added another 30 painful minutes on. Weather was nice and the views (when you could actually glance up from the trail) were fantastic. But turning around and knowing you have it all to go back over again is torturous. But also knowing that in 10 weeks I need to be able to add another 25m on…ouch

Goatfell on Arran, usually mid May so probably on the 16th this year. Train to ardrosson, ferry across, start/finish is about 0.5m from the terminal. 10m race, with first / last mile on flat road, starts at sea level so you get the full 874m climb over 4m! Nice race if decent weather and having to get the ferry makes it a bit of a novelty.

I have a stop watch and I know my route before I go out. If I'm somewhere new I look at maps and know where I'm going. When I come back I write my route / times in a diary. Recon I've saved by self at least a 100 quid and I don't have to wait for a satellite to come over head before I can run! Lovely 3h (17m, 1000m climb) run round the Moffat hills this morning and even a bit of snow falling on the tops!

Cambusnethan Priory - http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/ref_no/1561 (actually its a cracking website for all at risk buildings across Scotland) Looking through the Buildings at Risk Register it appears a series of objections to planning permissions (especially the ones when it was in good condition) has left the building to end up as its is now. How many buildings have been lost because the proposed development didn't protect the building only for the bulding to then end up as a ruin and eventually be demolished!