I am back on my skates - yeah!
Having completed my 1st ultra I have bathed in my glory ever since and not run at all!
This is why I call myself a reluctant runner. I don't "need" to run, I am quite happy if I don't. I recovered fairly quickly, but realized that it was only a few weeks to go until my Berlin Skate Marathon and I had only been on skates 3 times this year due to all the running. So 4 days after the Devil I was back for a short skating session and have been skating ever since as long as I have got time and the weather is good enough. This is the downside of skating, you can't do it in bad weather so not a sport recommended for Scotland.
I was then off to Germany for a week where I had 2 great skates in glorious sunshine with stops at a beer garden! I visited friends and family, followed by a weekend in London for the Christening of my god-daughter. I also met up with one of my friends in Germany who has been bravely battling breast cancer over the past 7 months with chemotherapy, an operation and then radiotherapy. Now there is a "race" for which you need all the physical and mental determination imaginable.
I am hoping to finally get under 2 hours in the Marathon, I have tried 3 times but each time it was raining and you were just glad to arrive at the finish in one piece. So there are 3 other Glasgow skaters going and we have joined a pace-line for a 1:50 finish. Quite ambitious, but if it is dry it might just be possible. Fitness wise I should be o.k. but I still have to train up some of my muscle groups that are needed for the skating.
I have also decided not to run the HM in Glasgow because I realized that there was no way I could fit in enough running at the same time. As I was hoping for a PB (incidentally also sub 1:50 :-) ) I would have had to do some serious sessions. So just now it is all about skating. I hope to reach my dream time so that I can lay the skating to rest a bit and just do it for fun and cross training during the summer and not with a time target in my mind.
Instead of the HM we will go up to Fort William to watch the Ben Nevis Race - something I have wanted to do for the past 2 years but it always clashes with the HM. I just can't imagine how these guys are getting up and down there so fast, so I must see for myself.
After Berlin I will take up running again and hope to get some experience in cross country running later in the year with the club. I am also looking forward to a few trail runs, maybe as part of the training runs. But I won't plan too much ahead and enter races early on in the next year as I get too entangled in training plans etc. I want to just "go with the flow", run and see where it leads me.
In my euphoria after the Devil I was going to go for the "triple crown"! I quickly came back to reality and realized that it involves sooo much training! So I will definitely not even attempt to get into the WHWR next year. Also I guess there will be a very large number of previous runners who want to do it next year in memory of Dario. And so they should. And I would not want to take away a place. And of course I just have to be there when Thomas gets to the finish line. I think I will deserve that moment as much as he does!
But if you look closely you will (soon - hopefully) find my name on the entry list of next year's Devil! The race and route is too nice to be missed! Maybe I can even get under 9 hours?!
6 comments:
I like your new picture!
I can't get my head round the skating bit but I look forward to hearing that you made it under 2hrs. At least that's one race that Thomas can't pace you in!
JK
Hi Silke,
Good luck at the Berlin Skate marathon. Sounds like hard work but great fun. I've been in cycling paceline's and I can imagine how great it must be on skates too when everyone's doing their turn and it just feels so smooth and rythmic (but tough!)
I'll look out for you at Ben Nevis. I've a couple of already crocked ankles and have kind of missed much training (excuses in early) but I hope to get up and down safely at least after falling badly and breaking my hand last year before limping to the finish. It's a classic event. Try and get up to the half way point and watch the kamikaze descending down the 'Green wall'.
I'm sure you'll manage it next year.
Cheers,
Bob Allison
Thanks Bob for your comment! Yes, we will be watching our for you. But where exactly is the "Green Wall"? We're not too sure where the downhill route is exactly, but thought of going up somewhere to the half way point.
Silke
Silke,
The race route can be found here.
http://scottishhillracing.co.uk/RaceDetails.aspx?RaceID=RA-0098
You can either park at the Ben Nevis Inn (pub, prob busy!) or the main Ben car park in Glen Nevis and cross the river by footbridge to pick up the path.
The race starts in New Town Park 1:00pm (pipers), comes along the single track road for about 1 mile(opposite side of river from Glen Nevis road) passes the Ben Nevis Inn/Achintee farm, then follows the Tourist path to approx halfway. (See map on Scottish hill racing site). Where the race path then splits. The runners go up the left fork and come back down the right. This coincides with the path becoming rougher(up) and the down bit (grassy/boggy/some boulders) back to the fork is the green wall. The higher up you go past this fork into the second half of the race it gets totally bouldery and scree covered and some mental running down boulder piles is required.
The fork area allows you to observe on the up and then folk sliding back down the only grass/boggy bit into the red burn and back up onto the Tourist path....then hammer down that as best as your tired rubber legs and detatched brain will allow. Trying not to trip and fall when the gravity speeds you downwards like Usain Bolt!!!
After spectating a nice beer awaits you when you walk back down to the bottom of the path and the Ben Nevis Inn. By then I'll hopefully have staggered back along the road and collapsed in a heap on the finish park grass. I may even make it to the beer tent.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can be of anymore help.
I hope you have a great day out and the weather is kind to us.
All the best,
Bob
Bob, thank you very much for the details. And good luck to you for the race! No broken bones or head injuries please!
See you on Saturday.
Silke
Thanks Silke.
You're welcome, happy to help.
This is my 8th Ben and last year was the only (serious) mishap. I'm trying to put it at the back of my mind.
Hope I spot you but I must also pay attention to where my feet are landing!
Cheers,
Bob
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