Gland, woods, hills and a rocket

I'd been trying to hook up with a friend of a friend since I got here and today we managed it.

We headed straight uphill right through the vineyard behind Stuart's house, as it might not have been steep enough to go on the road. First km was a struggle, but by the second I'd just go used to the 6% incline, which compared to some of the hills around here is ok. After 3km we turned as we had hit the top. The paths were ok, if a little muddy. Stuart was kind enough to go easy on me with the uphill sections, but he let rip on the downhills, I could just about keep up and any faster would have been dangerous with all the branches and roots lying around.

Nearly came a cropper as I was running alongside him when he called a sharp left into someone's garden while I'd committed my self to the more likely route of down the road!

We were chatting about running in London and it turns out Stuart is an ex-rocket, who knows Neil. How weird is that, he was there until 2006 so we only just missed each other, although I'm sure Stuart was more of a B kinnda guy.

We go past a sign that says Gland 2km and and I can see what I think is his place. His Garmin reports that we're under distance and so after checking out his hill rep hill we flypast the house and add on a little tour of Vich to get us up to 9km in 45mins. Not a bad easy run, considering terrain, conditions, and my general lack of training.

Kenny's hatricks of dumps

Frosty dark morning as we headed off into the frost gloom. Ken was worrying about the ice that wasn't there before we started, but little did he know that would be the least of his worries at mile five.

Shade over 8 minute miles out uphill and then up to just over 7s on the down bit of the Nicky line towards Rebourn. Lovely bright red sunrise behind the treeline was pretty special. Spotted a guy out in front and pick it up through 3 to 4 miles to catch him. Nicely done as a group.

Paths were frosty but clear, however Ken suddenly vanished at round mile five. I turned around to see him flapping in a ditch at the side of the field. He'd stepped on a stone that popped out of the ground in the frost and it had turned his ankle and over he went. He popped back up like Zebidee assuring us he was fine and had not had a drink since August 2008. One beer and he's anyone's I reckon. Dump number 1. 200 yards later and Ken declares he needs a system dump, too much vegetable stew the night before and he'd not managed to empty it all out before we set off. Dump number 2.

We hit the hill and mark out the reps - half mile up (and another half mile down), footpath sign after the ford and single tree after the kink at the top. Two minute recovery at the bottom is probably too much as hrt recovered way down to 110s.

First
Climb, 4:42, 140-160bpm
Desent, 3:28, 155-149bpm, 7.01min/miles

Second
Climb, 3:52, 120-160, 7.49min/miles
Descent, 3:20, 157-146, 6.41

Third
Climb, 4:04, 120-160, 8.13min/mile
No descent - run home from here.

To see the hill reps at around mile six check out the elevation profile here.



And the hatrick? Well, we dumped him on the home leg, although he tanked it back down the common to pull some of that back.

Great fun and learnt some more about how we're still not pushing hard enough on the down hills in terms of speed and heart rate. Recovery is getting faster and hoping the interval sessions will show some speed again soon.

Achrannie out and back

Having not run since being Ginstered last Tuesday I felt the need to get out. Only time I could fit it in was before daylight so I could still get my fitness massage in that I had booked for 9am.

Planned the route with the OS map and was out out to the end of Brodick. The contours on the map looked tight but when I hit the hills thats when it becomes real and yes lots of lines means steep! Not as steep as Goat Fell (high mountain behind the hotel) but still enough to drop the pace to 10 minute miles just to keep moving. The freezing wind and pitch darkness slowed me down too.

Made it to the end of the road, three out and up and the lump of rock ahead might have been Holy Isle - my cue to turn back. Then the track truned to a path and the pink glow of dawn not enough to risk it onwards. About turn and felt the need for speed and clocked 6:30s down the hill back to Brodick. Could not even hold sevens on the flat, but light enough now to get home safely and with 15 to spare be fore the fitness massage. Which, by the way was rather good and I felt it was well deserved!

Turned out checking the OS map on the ferry back to the mainland that the lump of rock was indeed the Holy Isle!