Month: August 2013

My Year So Far in Race Numbers

My Year So Far in Race Numbers

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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Now that I have a short break before my next official race, and with a week before my autumn 10k training begins properly, I’m feeling a little nostalgic and retrospect.

As part of this, I’ve dug out my bibs for my official runs this year.

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Two 5ks, two 10ks, two half marathons 😉

When I think back to 30th December last year, when I decided to run my first half marathon, I had no idea how addicted to involved in running I would become. I had no idea what this year would bring, in terms of travel, runs, and such a lot of fun!

Not a lot of planning went into any of these- most were booked on a whim, and there’s no sign of this changing, since I signed @TheWelshWookie and I up for his first half marathon: the Rock ‘n’ Roll Madrid half in April 2014! It looks like autumn/winter 2013 and 2014 will be filled with similar surprises!

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I still have four races this year- who knows if there will be any more?

Raining in Rothesay

Raining in Rothesay

by TartanJogger ♥ 3 Comments

Today, I found myself in Rothesay. But it was raining.  Bleugh!

The sun was, however, breaking through the cloud over Portavadie first thing this morning:

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I have only ever been to Rothesay once before, and I was hoping to see the Isle of Bute in glorious sunshine, but it wasn’t to be.

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The trip involved two ferry journeys:

1. From Tarbert to Portavadie

2. From Colintraive to Rhubodach

On the drive from Colintraive to Portavadie, I pulled in quickly at Tighnabruaich Viewpoint to take a quick photo, but headed off again pretty quickly to catch my ferry home.

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Maybe my third trip- whenever that may be- will be sunny!

Today’s Stats:

Run: 2 miles, and it felt pretty good

Time: 20:09

Weather: Glorious sunshine

Trainers: Nike FreeRuns +5

This was not part of my running playlist, but it has been stuck in my head all day….

Today’s Life Lesson: take two photocopies of everything. One will go astray….

Did you use any public transport today?

Skipness Castle Walk

Skipness Castle Walk

by TartanJogger ♥ 6 Comments

After the TT10K yesterday, I have given my legs a wee rest- no run today. Instead, @TheWelshWookie and I went for a walk around Skipness Castle. Skipness is a small village, located a few miles south of Tarbert. Although it is nearby, it has been a while since we’d been there.

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I haven’t really tried out the camera feature on my Asus Iconia, and so we decided that a visit to Skipness Castle might put it through its paces.

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We were delighted to see that the Castle has had a lot of work done since we last visited, and you can now go inside part of the castle, where the interior rooms have been restored with floorboards, so that you can better imagine what it would have been like to live and work there.

You can even go onto the roof, which offers some pretty good views of the Isle of Arran. It’ll be spectacular on a sunny day!

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We walked up a track road, and found this lovely building, newly restored:

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And, of course, we stopped off at Stonefield Farm & Coffee Shop on the way home. @TheWelshWookie had cheesecake; I had Cranachan Sponge. Yum!

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Over the coming week, I’m busy on a couple of evenings, so I’ll be keeping my running light- ready to start my 10K training in earnest next week, preparing for the GSR 10K in October.

A Terrific TT10K

A Terrific TT10K

by TartanJogger ♥ 6 Comments

I did it! I ran the TT10K, and I loved it!

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I survived my third run in 12 days!

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The weather was very kind to us: it did, unexpectedly, involve some sunshine.

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Yes, I found both off-road sections pretty tough, as they were both uphill, but what an amazing sense of achievement!

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I’m pretty pleased with my time, considering the course, and I was definitely helped along by the really positive marshals and fantastic support.

We’ve been to the Village Hall, to take part in the Tarbert Harbour Authority Centenary Celebrations, and partied with free beer and BBQ! I wish all races ended like this!

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I’ll post a full race report soon, but for now, the hot tub is calling; and I actually have a mud-related blister to tend to (there’s a new experience for me!).

Who’s up for next year? You’d be crazy to miss this one from your calendar!

Today’s Stats:

Run: 10K race: hilly, part road and part trail

Time: 1:06:00 or so. Forgot to end my run on my Nike+ SportWatch GPS at the finish line!

Weather: Cloudy with sunny spells, warm and humid

Trainers: LunarFly +3 GTX

Motivating running track today: This track played just as I got onto the Castle Loop- it’s one of my Power Songs. I LOVE it. And I needed it!

Today’s Life Lesson: Even older trainers and socks can still cause blisters, especially when caked in mud!

What was your first off-road run?

TT10K Tomorrow!

TT10K Tomorrow!

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

It’s the night before is the inaugural Tarbert 10k run, the TT10k.

It’s also Friday.

It’s also sunny, which wasn’t forecast.

Woop Woop!

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@TheWelshWookie and I went for a short run, mainly to look like runners when we visited the registration marquee because it was such a lovely evening, and I wanted to have a wee stretch/limber before tomorrow.

I took some pictures, just to show how gorgeous it is tonight. The forecast for tomorrow is torrential rain and high winds, so I wanted something to compare with my photos tomorrow!

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We then went to the registration marquee, and I collected my bib for tomorrow:

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It was lovely, being greeted by the ‘caution, runners’ signs on my way home!

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I’m now organised, and ready for tomorrow.

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Bring it on!

Today’s Stats:

Run: 2.5 miles, slow and steady

Time: 27:32

Weather: Glorious sunshine

Trainers: Lunarglides

First running track today: this will get stuck in your brain!

Today’s Life Lesson: if you see me standing in a queue at the supermarket, join a different queue. I’m likely to be in the slow moving one.

What’s the weather forecast for you tomorrow?

Rockin’ and Rollin’ into 2014

Rockin’ and Rollin’ into 2014

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Evening, all!

Are you fed up with me titling my blogs with words ending in -in’ this week? I promise this will be the last. Ok, at least I think it will, so I’d better retract that promise, just in case!

After signing up for the Zombie Night Run UK event this morning, as a Zombie, I’ve been excited all day, thinking about it. Now that I know where it is (it’s still a secret, except for those who have entered early 😉 ) and I’ve decided to be a chaser rather than be chased, I’m looking forward to it! It also comes at the end of a week’s holiday for me, so it’ll be something to look forward to.

And when I arrived home from work tonight, I found that another amazing run has been announced.

Drum roll please………………………………………………..

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2014 will be the inaugural Rock and Roll Liverpool Marathon and Half! Woop! Woop!

@TheWelshWookie and I have already been considering dreaming about the possibility of doing the RnR Madrid run next year. I’ll more than likely do Edinburgh, and I’d love to go back to Dublin, too!

Does this mean a possible 3 or 4 RnR events might be on the cards for us?

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Ooooh, decisions, decisions! Whatever I decide, I’ll be looking to add another of these to my collection:

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Today’s stats

Run: ANOTHER run-less day…. I need to get that sorted soon! Stretching (and eating) instead 😉

Favourite Stretching Track today: an old Coldplay fave

Today’s life lesson: think before you speak. That’s all.

Have you planned any runs for 2014 yet?

Zombie Night Run UK

Zombie Night Run UK

by TartanJogger ♥ 1 Comment

Ok. I’ve taken the plunge. Early entries opened today for the Zombie Night Run UK. And I’VE SIGNED UP! 😮

@TheWelshWookie and I have signed up as zombies. Better to chase than be chased, I reckon!

Eeeek!

Anyone joining us?

Getting Ready for TT10K

Getting Ready for TT10K

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This Saturday is the inaugural Tarbert 10k run, the TT10k.

I can’t wait!

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There are two runs: the 5k kicks off the day at 10am, followed by the 10k at 11am.

One thing that I’m really, really looking forward to is that I know the route well.  Pretty much every step of it.

But I know it will be challenging: two parts of the run are off road, on trails, which is totally new for me. I’ve never done an official run on a trail before! Also, it has hills. Pretty sizeable hills.

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OK, so maybe not quite a mountain, but still:

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The view from Tarbert Castle
The view from the High Road
The view from the High Road

It’s definitely high enough for me!

Saturday also marks the 100th anniversary of Tarbert Harbour Authority! So, we have another fun filled weekend ahead, including a village barbeque after both runs. The organisation that has gone into setting up this event has been brilliant, and I’m sure it’ll all go very well, as the people behind the run really have put in loads of work, and obviously care about making this a great event for participants, marshals, volunteers, locals and visitors.

Here’s an idea of the route:

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It’ll be worth it, for views like this:

Here's my usual running route.
Here’s my usual running route.

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Today’s Stats:

Run: Not today, planning on some strength training

Favourite track from today: on of my most favourite songs ever!

With all of this running talk, I forgot my important news: I’m an Auntie again! 😀

My sis had a gorgeous baby boy yesterday, he arrived weighing 7lb 14oz, and looks just like his brothers! My family now has a rugby sevens team: seven boys, no girls!

Can’t wait to meet him!

Today’s Life Lesson: as soon as you walk away from your desk, you can guarantee that an important call will come through, and you’ll miss it….

Does your village/town/city have any running events?

Dabblin’

Dabblin’

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I wrote about browsin’. Today I’m writing abut dabblin’.

Dabblin’ in what? I hear you ask….

Dabblin’ in making my first ever video clip, and uploading it to YouTube. Woo Hoo! Go, me! Learning a new techie skill! I didn’t just upload it to the website in the ‘normal’ way: I uploaded it directly from my iPhone. Who knew?

I'm such a technophobe at times!
I’m such a technophobe at times!

And, so, what’s this major, artistic masterpiece I have lovingly crafted and edited together with skill and determination?

Erm….. it’s a wee clip of two boats that I filmed when out on my walk yesterday. 😉

Would it seem more exciting if I told you that one boat, a fishing boat called Seaspray overtakes the other, Silver Buccaneer?

Would you like to see it? Aww shucks, go on, then…….

Yay!

On another note, I found my race result from the RnR Dublin:

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Today’s stats

Run: just a shortie, 2 miles. @TheWelshWookie came with me, to test out his knees, after Saturday

Time:  21:27 nice and slow

Trainers: Nike LunarFly +3 GTX

Weather: Cloudy

Favourite track from today’s run: Cannae beat a bit of DJ Sammy

Today’s Life Lesson: When sneaking out a fire exit you intend to sneak back in, remember to jam it open first….

What new skill have you tried recently?

To Zombie Night Run, or Not?

To Zombie Night Run, or Not?

by TartanJogger ♥ 3 Comments

I’m seriously tempted to sign up for the Zombie Night Run UK: an 8K night run, being chased through a forest, in the dark, by zombies! 

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It includes obstacles, and will involve mud, bogs, water, etc. but ends in an After Dead party!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zombie-Night-Run-UK/539371296123594

http://www.zombienightrun.co.uk

Part of me knows that this will be a brilliant running experience; but another part of me knows I’ll be screaming my head off if I do it!

What do you think? Sign up, or not?