Another good run

Another long and fast run. From Gourock up to the Hills behind Loch Thom. I pushed hard up the hill almost in the heart rate max zone and was curious if I could still manage to keep the effort and speed high on the way back. And I did. I am very pleased with that run and enjoyed every minute of it. Positive again was the total absence of my hamstring niggle.



18.6 miles in 2:14:24. Avg pace 7.13/mile. Avg HR 150. 300m ascent

Ruta Grav

WTF is Ruta Grav I hear you asking. Has he gone mad again?

Here is the story:
Whilst visiting a retired GP with an interest in alternative medicine (some call her a witch) my beloved wife asked casually for a miracle cure for her husband's hamstrings. No problem said the witch... and gave Silke a little white envelope containing a few tiny pills...

Those pills were of course a homoeopathic remedy. Called Ruta Grav 30c.

That was several months ago. September last year I think. Desperate for any help I took one of them. The effect was alarming. My whole body went sore and I had to lay down with a splitting headache. I never touched any of those pills again. For obvious reasons.

But the story is not over. One week before the WHW Race my hamstrings were so sore that I was again grasping at straws. Physio sessions did not provide any relief. The Magic Stick did not really help and even my home-made Pole device was not helping. It was actually getting worse and worse. So I decided to try Ruta Grav again... I had consulted my sister (she is a believer in those kind of alternative remedies) and she suggested "if you get ANY reaction from those pills THEY ACTUALLY WORK. These are no pain killers. But maybe a cure. Get through the first days of pain and relief might follow".

I do not blame those little pills for my race disaster. Though I did restart them only 4 days prior to the race (I must admit: against the advice of my wife who prefers to stick with her "school medicine", especially so close to race day) and continued to have headaches and muscle aching throughout my run - maybe a sign that they were in fact working?! Now a few weeks after the 70 miles and after 3 weeks of Ruta Grav my hamstrings are almost as new. I can run fast again without problems. A miracle.
Yesterday I clocked a PB on my favourite training run the "Loch Thom Round". 15.5 miles including a stiff climb up to the Loch at half way. The previous "record" is a few years old and was produced in perfect conditions when I was at the peak of my speedwork. 1 hour and 44 minutes and I never thought I could break that one.

Yesterday I managed a 1:42 in quite windy conditions. With a moderate avg heart rate of 155 this is hard to believe. Maybe I wake up now and it was only a dream...

15.5 Miles. Avg HR 155, avg 6.37/mile

Musings* on the Devil's...

Musings© is a Tim Downie trademark.

The Devil o' the Highlands follows the West Highland Way from Tyndrum to Fort William. Over a distance of 43 Miles according to the website. The race will start in four weeks from now.

I have done the route twice in training and those runs have been among the best running experiences of my life. My first attempt was last August when I decided on short notice to go for a very long run in the highlands and picked that route. Silke supported me and I finished that run in about 8 hours and 30 minutes. I had never run more than a marathon distance before so that was at that time the longest run of my life. And I enjoyed every minute of it!
I did the same route again as part of the John Kynaston training series. This time much faster and again I enjoyed every minute.

3 weeks after my WHW Race Waterloo the running virus has got me again and my legs feel not too bad actually. To be honest my legs feel even better than the weeks before the WHW Race. And to put all my cards on the table I have started with actual SPEEDWORK!

Sure I still have to do some more training to get myself into shape for the Devil's but I am optimistic. There won't be any 4 weeks taper (taper from what?).
I will build up miles and speed from now until one week before the race and then I'll taper down.

I cannot wait!