Tag: positive thinking

The Great Post Lockdown Walk

The Great Post Lockdown Walk

by TartanJogger ♥ 1 Comment

On Saturday, 22nd May, Tony and I joined business leaders from different industries all over the UK to walk at least 30k. The aim of #TheGreatPostWalkdownWalk was to raise money and awareness and to support emerging leadership talent through the new Ritrovo app (find out more at http://www.myritrivo.com) which will give people the opportunity to hear leadership stories and benefit from mentoring from across many industries.

My plan was to follow the Kintyre Way from Clachan to Tarbert with a couple of short diversions to make up the mileage. We had planned to do 26.2 miles as achieving that marathon distance would be a huge personal achievement- and to help highlight that you can always set audacious goals and achieve them.

Tony and I set off at 5.30am, and we were ready to set off from Clachan at 6am.

Although it was cold and very windy, the sun certainly made a big difference to my motivation! The sun was still low as we set off uphill and through woodland filled with bluebells.

Only a month ago, the underfoot conditions for this initial 10 mile section were good, but after some rain over the past two weeks, that had all changed. The ground was soft which was kind on the joints, but hard going at times as it was muddy, boggy and very wet. My feet were soaked before we reached the first mile marker!

The first milestone was reaching Loch Ciaran, which is stunning. This photo doesn’t do it justice, but it is one of my favourite spots. I thought about all of the Kierans and Kieras out there as we passed it:

Next up, we followed the rough rocky track uphill and down, meandering across country, but keeping an eye out for the sharp left turn that I know is easy to miss. We spotted it easily today however, as the marker was visible, having the heather trimmed back for the Kintyre Way Ultra a fortnight ago.

We continued climbing across heathland until we got to Lochan Fraoich, which is a really special spot, affording a first real glimpse back across to the Paps of Jura to the west, and also over to the Isle of Arran in the East. It shows the beauty of that spot when you can see both, and it was the perfect day for it.

Next up is a long, boggy section across open moorland where the wind was a challenge. The walking is quite hard going with a narrow path and very little dry ground at times, but that’s all part of the challenge. We met a man who was sitting on a hillock, where he’d been since 4.30am to watch the sunrise over Arran. It was also a joy to hear the cuckoos, and to see the sheep, and the deer.

Before we knew it, we’d reached the kissing gate and the small bridge that makes a return to heathland, all uphill for a while, but I knew it was worth the climb, as at the top we were rewarded with absolutely stunning views over to Arran.

The trail dips down along a rough track back to the main road, which took us past Claonaig ferry terminal, where the MV Catriona was just in:

We continued another two miles along the single track road, taking in the beautiful, rugged coastline which later revealed the golden beach as we approached Skipness.

We walked through the village, and passed the start of the next section of the Kintyre Way, to add on some extra mileage. We made our way along the road to Skipness Castle, passing some gorgeous wild garlic, with the scent heavy in the air.

We soon reached the stunning Skipness Castle which is a favourite spot for us. Nearby, there is Skipness smokehouse just behind it which sells amazing smoked salmon and mackerel, and Skipness Seafood Cabin is also there, but unfortunately isn’t yet reopened. If you are ever in Kintyre, it is absolutely worth a visit- I can highly recommend sitting outside in the sun with local scallops and a glass of white wine…

Anyway, we didn’t have time to explore the castle, or to climb up to its parapets to see the views to Arran, and instead we walked down to St Brendan’s Chapel to have a look at some of the ancient gravestones.

After having our sandwiches as we walked, we headed back into Skipness village to pick up the trail back to Tarbert. Be warned, the first mile out of Skipness is a long uphill climb and can be quite a challenge after the flat of the road into Skipness! I had forgotten quite how much of this section is on a rough track, with lots of water by the side of the trail, with tinkling waterfalls – I would loved to have dipped my feet into them after all of the walking!

As we reached the next section which is open fields, we sneaked a peak back to Arran as a reminder of how far we had already come:

The next section is a mix of heathland and open moorland, where the wind remained quite challenging. The underfoot conditions were nowhere near as bad as the first half, but it was very muddy in parts, especially on what should have been a grassy path.

Eventually we reached the forestry road, and I knew we were only about four miles from Tarbert. The good thing about this section is that the views of Loch Fyne get closer, and we could watch the fishing boats and the lochs out there. We could also see one of our favourite places to visit and stay, Portavadie Marina, and I could really do with an overnight stay and a spa day very soon!

Before we knew it, we had reached the cut off for Tarbert, which would take us down to the village. The sight of the Cairn was definitely cheering!

My legs were feeling really tired at this point, which was about 23 miles in and we took the descent down very carefully indeed. Tired legs plus steep sections is not a good combination! Anyway, we kept going, and finally reached our destination: Tarbert Castle. We didn’t stop to take many photos, but it’s a beautiful area to explore, with the castle, the surrounding areas of archeological significance and the amazing woodland walk filled with secret exhibits. To know more, you will have to visit!

As we descended into the village we still had a mile and a half to do, so we took a walk around the harbour just to reach our goal. The tide was out (the harbour always looks bonny with the tide in) and the thought of a sit down kept us going!

Our first stop was to celebrate: we finished our 26.2 miles right outside the Corner House pub! Woo hoo, we did it! And of course, we just had to celebrate with a beer, and it was our first visit to the Corner House since pubs were allowed to reopen a week or so ago. It was just what we needed to celebrate!

Our stats:

Distance: 26.38m

Elevation: 3,268ft

Time: 10h 17m 28s

And here is the route:

This was a wonderful experience, with participants all over the UK connecting and sharing their experiences across the weekend, sharing photos, motivation and celebratory pics when they were done! It formed a really positive group of professionals who truly embody the principles behind the project- working together, offering support and motivation, keeping each other moving forward. It was a pleasure and privilege to be part of the group!

When’s the next one? ☺️

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

My workouts this week were (almost) all reigned back in advance of the Great Post Lockdown Walk which we did on Saturday. Rather than takeover this with an outline of how that went, I’ll post separately later today.

This big headline from this past week was getting back to in person classes with Jacqui! Woo hoo!

Monday:

I started off the week with a short harbour run, just to keep the legs moving. I still have my May Accumulator running, and as it’s the final Great Run online event I want to finish strong, before taking a week or so away from running.

We then had Fitness Pilates with hand weights online in the evening, and I was really glad I was able to join live.

Distance: 3m

Time: 31m 16s

Elevation: 115ft

Pace: 10.24/m

Tuesday:

We had a post- work walk out to the West Loch, on what was a lovely evening.

Distance: 3.36m

Wednesday:

I had a triple threat day! 🙌

I had time at lunch to get a run in, and I knew this might be my final run of the week, but I kept it short, with another venture to the West Loch.

Distance: 2.63m

Time: 30m 2s

Elevation: 180ft

Pace: 11.23/m

I was then really excited to get back to in-person classes with Jacqui. She had managed to secure the marquee at the harbour, and had two classes: a half hour Booty Blast class followed by an hour of Fitness Pilates. I had told myself that I’d take it easy and not overdo the class, but I can’t help myself and threw myself into both classes!🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

Friday:

I did a short walk, just to keep the legs moving in advance of the longer walk. I was excited!

Saturday:

The big day…. 26.2 miles, woo hoo! More to follow on a separate post👌🏻

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I’m starting this week with a feeling of satisfaction and of achievement after Saturday’s Kintyre Way Ultra Relay in almost wintery weather: the word I heard over and over again to describe it was ‘brutal’ which is as accurate as you can get!

But before we get to that, here’s how the rest of the week shaped up.

Monday:

The week started off incredibly wet and windy which was not the best for a bank holiday! I think that gave the Kintyre Way a good dose of watering which helped contribute to the underfoot conditions later in the week.

We had some running about to do, including a trip to Inveraray so I didn’t do much meaningful exercise. Just a couple of short walks.

Tuesday:

A day in the office meant I packed my running gear in the off chance I could get out for a lunch run. I headed up the hill in lovely sunshine, though it was cold! I felt that the hill was a little easier than the last time I ran it so I was pleased about that.

Distance: 2.5m

Time: 30m 3s

Elevation: 289ft

Pace: 12.04/m

Wednesday:

Another lunchtime run for me, I was trying to avoid the rain that was forecast for later in the day. In line with my plans, I kept the distance and time short and tried to keep my pace slow. The training is done, so the aim is to keep the legs and body moving without risking injury that comes with overtraining or last minute panicking.

Distance: 2.64m

Time: 30m 3s

Elevation: 325ft

Pace: 11.22/m

Thursday:

No pictures today, I did some active recovery walks across the day both at work and also after work. I managed a step tally of over 13,000 without too much trouble.

Friday:

The day was bright and sunny, which no doubt fooled a lot into thinking we’d be treated to the same on race day! It was lovely to see the village busy up with visitors and there were plenty of runners around. I headed to the harbour just for a short shake out run, which was a pretty decent pace actually!

Distance: 3m

Time: 31m 56s

Elevation: 56ft

Pace: 10.27/m

Saturday:

The day arrived and with it the weather started off calm and dry. But we all knew what was coming! as we were running as a relay team, Alison, Deirdre and I had to meet and register together at Tayinloan from where Alison would get our relay underway. I was up next but not for a couple of hours.

As we arrived at Tayinloan the rain was just starting and the wind had most definitely made an appearance, it looked like we weren’t going to be blessed with the same weather as last year at all. After Deirdre and I saw Alison safely over the start line I headed home to get ready, with buff, gloves, waterproofs, long sleeved top and even my thermal running tights back out. Who would have thought I’d need those in May!

Tony drove me to the handover point in Clachan to meet Alison coming in. I was grateful for my dryrobe while I was waiting! When Alison arrived, describing her section as absolutely brutal, I just thought I’d better get my head down and get this done!

You might remember that we recce’d this part only a couple of weeks ago and the conditions underfoot were good, with only a few boggy spots. Well, that changed from the offset, with the wood trail section muddy right from the start. And that was the theme for the next couple of hours, with driving rain, big muddy or boggy underfoot conditions continuously and strong winds. Boy, was it cold! It made for hard going on the legs and on the mind!

As I emerged along the side of Loch Ciaran, I was struck by the water’s surface which had been glass like last time, but was very different today!

Next up was a trail section which is very well known to me, and is drier underfoot. At this point, at about 4 miles in, I just decided to enjoy every second of this. I met a lady who was dropping out but looked safe on her own as she was on her way to meet the medic.

As I made my way through the lovely heathland and around the lochs, there was no sign of the Isle of Jura behind me or of Arran before me- both were well and truly hidden by cloud cover today!

The next section I knew was going to be tough, as it was open moor across the highest part of this section. It is usually pretty windy and boggy and the day’s conditions just topped anything I’d experienced on this part before. The clouds dropped, visibility was poor and the rain turned to hailstones which were driven by the winds right into my face. The wind also meant that moving forward was pretty difficult! Looking back at my stats, though, I was moving at a pace over difficult terrain – lots of bogs and rocky outcrops with ankle twisting hillocks everywhere but I somehow managed 11 minute miles!

Finally I reached the kissing gate which I knew marked the uphill climb right before the descent to the road towards Claonaig. It was pretty energy sapping, but knowing that the downhill was coming helped boost the mood!

It was disappointing that the cloud cover was so intense that there wasn’t even a glimpse of Arran, but I just recalled the glorious views from a couple of weeks ago instead.

I was fortunate to only pass one vehicle on the road, and when I reached the turn off for Skipness it was with mixed feelings that I headed back off the road and uphill again. In previous years the route was continuous road to Skipness which I know is mentally tough and hard on the legs. So I tried to keep that in mind as I climbed once again up a steep-ish track and along an unfamiliar trail I’ve never run before. I could see a runner ahead and tried to keep her in my sights, which really helped with the motivation!

After another mile or so we were dipping back down and there we were, at the handover point where I wished Deirdre good luck and told her to just enjoy it.

The hills, mud, rain, wind, cold and hail were certainly challenging but I absolutely loved it!

I had parked my car in Skipness the night before, so walked to collect it, and after a pretty muddy shower I felt a bit more human again!

Before I knew it we were heading down to the finish line to cheer Deirdre over and to celebrate our achievement!

And, we managed to take over 12 minutes off our time from last year- woo hoo! In glorious sunshine (but wind) last year we ran it in 7h 40m 18s, this year even in that weather we achieved 7h 28m 2s🙌

Distance: 12.1m

Time: 2h 47m 52s

Elevation: 1,516ft

Pace: 13.53/m

I just loved it!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Over the past week, I’ve wound down my running quite a bit. No, I haven’t exactly been tapering, not for 10 miles, but I have been trying to learn lessons from last experience, not taking small risks of injury and trying to avoid over training. I know only too well the temptation of getting in more- more distance, more speed, more hills. But at this late stage and with the KWU relay less than a week away the work is all done. And the best thing to do is to play safe, relax, trust your training and look forward to the big day!

Monday-

I had already decided to run no further than 5k on any day over the next couple of weeks. So, to start the week, I took an early lunch break and made the most of that decision by doing a regular three miles around the harbour.

Distance: 3m

Time: 32m 35s

Elevation: 49ft

Pace: 10.52/m

Tuesday-

We had time for an evening stroll, again around the harbour. I did consider heading to a trail but we opted instead to just enjoy the views (and to fit in a visit to the shop!)

Distance: 3m

Wednesday:

Mid week brought some wet weather with it, which was a change from the sun we’ve been used to! I did manage to avoid a deluge, and it made for big skies.

Distance: 3m

Time: 32m 46s

Elevation: 46ft

Pace: 10.55/m

Thursday:

I spent the day in the office, and so had the opportunity at lunchtime to go for a trail walk, it was such a perfect day for it.

As I was walking and not running I started to climb up to Dun Mor, but stopped myself and turned back, realising that there was no point in taking a stupid risk with another scramble that I could easily enjoy another day!

Distance: 3.18m

Time: 58m 14s

Elevation: 364ft

Friday-

On the last day of April I finished my April accumulator with run 16/16to the West Loch and back. Slow and steady, trying to keep the heart rate low.

Distance: 2.65m

Time: 30m 5s

Elevation: 95ft

Pace: 11.21/s

Sunday-

Today I started the last of the Great Run Solo Accumulators, and this challenge is to have 15 runs PLUS complete four weekly steps. This week’s step is ‘Back on Track’, to celebrate tracks reopening we were challenged to run a mile as fast as you can.

Now, taking into account that I have the Kintyre Way Ultra Relay this week I was obviously not going to push too hard and risk injury. Neither did I want to leave it until later in the week to complete it, so I headed to the harbour, where the walkway is fast and flat- it’s probably as close to a track as we’d get in the village!

I did a half mile warm up, a mile as fast as I could comfortably hold without being stupid and so I wasn’t pushing myself too much, followed by a half mile cool down.

Turns out that my mile pace was 9.30/m – I’m pretty happy with that!

Distance: 2m

Time: 20m 58s

Elevation: 46ft

Pace: 10.28/m

The plan for the rest of the week is to keep running, but keep the distances short and to keep making smart choices to avoid injury! I’m really looking forward to Saturday. The weather forecast isn’t too encouraging, but it’s a bit too far away to be sure of that.

This training cycle has been a lot of fun, helped along by the Great Run Solo challenges, so I’m not sure why I’m going to do and how I’ll stay on track with no future races booked and no online challenges. At least we have the Leadership Journey 26 mile walk at the end of May. More about that soon!

Have a good week, all.

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The past week has been incredibly busy, and I’ve really struggled to step away from the desk either at lunchtime or in the evenings, and yet again I haven’t managed to get to any of Jacqui’s classes live. But I know that the pace of life varies, so rather than being too worried about it I’ve just stayed focussed and taken the breaks when I’ve been able to, knowing that not every week is like the one just past.

Here’s how my week went.

Monday-

After Sunday’s long run doing the middle section of the Kintyre Way, I needed to shake out my legs to help with recovery. I had a small gap at lunchtime so took advantage and squeezed in a short run around the harbour. It was also Medal Monday, and my March accumulator medal was delivered!

Distance: 3m

Time: 31m 59s

Elevation: 79ft

Pace: 10.38/m

Tuesday:

I had a busy day in the office, but as Shirley was also in we did fit in a very short 15 minute walk, just enough to get away from the desk. In the evening, Tony and I walked to the West Loch and back, it was a lovely evening.

Distance: 3.4m

Time: 1h 4m 53s

Wednesday-

I only had half an hour to spare, so I found myself heading back to the West Loch for another sunny run.

Distance: 2.68m

Time: 30m 7s

Elevation: 148ft

Pace: 11.13/m

Thursday –

I was short of time again, but managed a quick post work run. I was so rushed that I forgot to take a photo, urgh!

Distance: 3m

Time: 33m 28s

Elevation: 89ft

Pace: 11.08/m

Friday-

After a busy morning, we were able to head through to Glasgow to meet up with family for an outdoor walk, I saw my parents last year, but it has been well over a year since I had seen my sisters so it was well worth the 5 hour drive.

A sunny walk around Kelvingrove Park was just what we needed.

Distance: 2.7m

Saturday-

Tony and I were up and out early to get in a long training walk for the Great Post Lockdown Walk on 22 May. We headed to the timber route, to the old quarry to see stunning views over to Jura. It was beautiful!

Distance: 20.16m

Time: 7h 3m 49s

Elevation: 2,113 ft

Time now to rest and recharge for the week ahead!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Actually, rather than a weekly round up this is a roundup of the last two weeks. We had time off last week and we’re decorating, so I didn’t find time to post! The decorating is done, looking good, and over for another while. Phew!

Monday-

I kick started the week with a short lunchtime run around the harbour, just to shake out the legs after the previous day’s 13.66 mile walk. My legs definitely needed it! I then did Jacqui’s fitness Pilates class in the evening, which was using resistance bands this time. Loved that!

Distance: 3m

Time: 32m 17s

Elevation: 39ft

Pace: 10.45/m

Wednesday-

It was such a lovely, sunny day and the first day of my annual leave (allegedly), and I headed out for a mid morning run to the West Loch. I did Carrick hill, and stopped a few times to chat!

Distance: 3.24m

Time: 37m 24s

Elevation: 223ft

Pace: 11.32/m

Thursday-

It was lovely to be able to head out for a walk at a leisurely pace, with no pressure to be back at the desk, and it was great to see the daffs and the spring flowers in full bloom.

Distance: 4.16m

Time: 1h 9m 7s

Elevation: 187ft

Friday-

It was just lovely to be able to take my time and enjoy the spring sunshine during my morning run.

Distance: 4m

Time: 43m 50s

Elevation: 151ft

Pace: 10.56/m

Saturday-

Today’s run was a special 5k. It rounded off the March Accumulator, but more importantly we completed The Trussell Trust’s Race Against Hunger. No one should be hungry in the UK today and we need to ensure dignified access to food for all, ending reliance on food banks. I ran with Tony and at his pace, it was good to be more reflective.

Distance: 3.1m

Time: 43m 9s

Elevation: 348ft

Pace: 13.56/m

Monday-

After a busy day stripping wallpaper and glassing woodwork, we headed out for a lovely evening stroll to enjoy some fresh air. There was a LOT of stopping and talking tonight!

Distance: 4.55m

Elevation: 167ft

Time: 1h 34m 36s

Tuesday-

Before starting to paper, I pulled on my trainers to make the most of the sunshine. We’ve been so lucky with the weather this week! This was my first run of 2021 wearing a t shirt, woo hoo!

Distance: 4m

Time: 43m 23s

Elevation: 236ft

Pace: 10.50/m

Thursday-

What a stunning day! I had a little more time to enjoy a run so I headed out to the timber route to make the most of the gorgeous day. After the run, we did something I have been thinking about doing for a while- we took the plunge and drove to A’ Chleit beach for a dook! The sun was warm, the sand golden and the water was baltic…. but I loved it!

Distance: 6.5m

Time: 1h 17m 4s

Elevation: 728ft

Pace: 11.51/m

Friday-

With another glorious day in store, we pulled on the trail shoes again and headed to Claonaig to walk a small part of the Kintyre Way. The views over to Arran were just stunning 🤩

Distance: 5m

Time: 1h 57m 8s

Elevation: 712ft

Saturday-

The forecast from tomorrow is for a return to bitter temperatures and perhaps even snow 😳, so we wanted to make the most of the mild weather and sunshine. We had another run around the harbour, then a quick scramble over to Shell Beach for another dook in the water, I think this is our new infatuation!🤣

Distance: 4m

Time: 42m 28s

Elevation: 46ft

Pace: 10.36/m

What a lovely way to spend an Easter Weekend. We always spend it with family so it’s quite a change for us, but the sunshine, water and vitamin D is helping 🌤🐣

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

What a beautiful week, with glorious sunshine and warmer temperatures. It has really felt like spring has sprung as we mark one year since lockdown and restrictions began. I had a little more space in my diary to get some exercise in, so here’s what I did.

Monday-

I had a meeting finish early which meant I had time to fit in a lunchtime run. The weather was lovely, with some light cloud overhead so I thought I’d squeeze in a trail run. I headed to Kintarbert Forest and did the hill and loop there. It was a lovely start to the week!

Later I was also able to join Jacqui’s Fitness Pilates class which was just lovely.

Distance: 3.4m

Time: 45m 19s

Elevation: 630ft

Pace: 13.19/m

Wednesday-

After a busy day on Tuesday when I managed no time for a run, walk or class I was determined to get a decent run in. Working from home gives a little flexibility around this and so I set out to run four miles. But both my legs and my head needed a little more, and so I ended up running 10k instead. Lockdown life isn’t always bad!

Distance: 6.2m

Time: 1h 8m 14s

Elevation: 433ft

Pace: 11/m

Thursday-

After work, we headed out for a walk, to make the most of the remaining sunshine, and I’m very glad we did, it was such a beautiful evening! It took longer than usual as we kept stopping and talking!🤣

Distance: 3.96m

Friday-

I had a wee gap on Friday and squeezed in a three miler, which was slightly faster than I thought it would be!

Distance: 3.01m

Time: 31m 10s

Elevation: 36ft

Pace: 10.21/m

Sunday-

We were up early and on the trail before 7am with a plan! As 21/3/21 is World Down Syndrome Day, we thought we’d walk 21k to celebrate and mark it. Diversity and inclusion is so important for so many people and we need to celebrate and raise the profile of those who need our support.

Distance: 13.66m

Elevation: 1,654ft

Not a bad way to end the week!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

March arrived, not like a lion for a change, but with a hint of spring in the air which was perfect for me as I wasn’t working on Monday. My plan was to get a slightly longer run in to kick start the week, and to get my March Accumulator off with some real bounce.

That’s exactly what happened, and even though the remainder of the week had me finding very short windows for running, I managed to keep on track even with a tough workload. Here’s how my week turned out:

Monday-

I had a long lie and, unusually for me, I had switched my work phone off completely on Sunday night so I wasn’t tempted or distracted by work matters before heading out for a hill run. I had tried to run at Corranbuie on Friday, but couldn’t get parked, so thought I’d try again. The weather was foggy as I headed out, but that soon lifted to leave a beautiful sunny run with blue skies.

Sometimes Corranbuie can seem pretty tough and unrelenting with its continuous climb, but when I reached where the rod joins the Tarbert castle loop I was surprised to find that two miles had ticked by quite unnoticed, so I kept going!

Distance: 8.2 miles

Time: 1h 44m 12s

Elevation: 1,175ft

Pace: 12.43/m

Later on Monday I also logged in live for Jacqui’s Fitness Pilates class, this one was using hand weights. I know I neglect upper body exercise, it makes me feel sick in a way lower body work never does, which is probably a sign to do more!🤣

Tuesday-

My initial plan for Tuesday was to give my legs a bit of a rest, and a full diary during the day meant no time for a walk. Instead I was able to do another of Jacqui’s online sessions, this one was a fab Virtual Powerwalk session, and I just loved it!

Wednesday-

Another very full on day left no time for a daytime run, but I did manage to step away from my desk just before twilight to squeeze in a short run around the harbour before sunset.

Distance: 3m

Time: 33m 10s

Elevation: 79ft

Pace: 11.02/m

Thursday-

Another busy day meant I finally stopped for a break just as most people will have been sitting down for their dinner, but that didn’t stop us from getting a leisurely stroll in before we did the same.

Friday-

Another busy but productive day with no lunchtime run, but it does make such a difference when it is still daylight into the late afternoon and early evening! I wanted a short run, and instead of going to Garvel and then around the harbour (bring a creature of habit), I headed to the concrete first. Small changes can make all of the difference!

Distance: 3m

Time: 32m 4s

Elevation: 85ft

Pace: 10.40m

Saturday-

I had – for some unknown reason – a cup of coffee at 10pm on Friday night 🙈🤯 which meant I had a disturbed sleep, unsurprisingly as the caffeine took over!🤣 So I didn’t have too many expectations for what my Saturday morning run might look like. We headed to the trails up at Cour windfarm, and I had a loose plan that I might do 10k, but would be happy with 4 or more miles given my lack of sleep.

As can sometimes happen, though, I found myself really enjoying the run, listening to my audiobook and watching the deer cross my path ahead. I managed much more than I thought I might, which is great for my Kintyre Way training and for my overall fitness and stamina I suppose!

Distance: 8.1m

Time: 1h 36m 50s

Elevation: 636ft

Pace: 11.57/m

The dry and settled weather this week no doubt played a big part in what felt like a good, solid week of running, especially off the back of last weekend’s four runs in a row (counting Monday). Gotta make the most of it while it’s good- 22.3 miles, 1,975ft.

Not bad indeed!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This week’s theme has been consistency. Consistency in many areas, and one of those areas was with my running plans. So there was no huge uptick in progress or in plans, but consistency is the key to many things, so I’m quite happy now that I reflect back on the past seven days.

Monday-

A double header! It was a lovely bright and crisp day so I ran at lunchtime to make the most of the beautiful winter light. The weather this week has by far been dry, bitterly cold and windy, that is for sure!

Distance: 4 miles

Time: 42m 45s

Elevation: 89ft

Pace: 10.41/m

I also managed to step away from my desk in time to fit in Jacqui’s Fitness Pilates class, which I’m really enjoying, so that was another hour of exercise.

Oh, and it was also ‘Medal Monday’, with my Great Run Solo January Accumulator medal arriving:

Tuesday-

A busy day at work meant I didn’t have time to stop at lunchtime, but as it’s getting slightly lighter in the evenings we are no longer heading out for a walk or run in darkness! These photos were taken from about the same spot- one was taken on my way out around the harbour and the other on my way back.

Distance: 3.54m

Wednesday-

I fancied a change of scenery on Wednesday but didn’t have time to drive to a trail. Instead I decided to do my lunch run along the Kilberry Road. It was nice to change it up a little, but I’d forgotten how much you have to stop and hop off the road to let traffic past!

Distance: 3.1m

Time: 34m 2s

Elevation: 102ft

Pace: 10.57/m

Friday-

This run was bitterly cold, and I saw for myself how the harbour itself had iced up! It’s the first time since 2010 that has happened, I think. It looks more amazing in person than it does in the photos!

Distance: 3m

Time: 32m 14s

Elevation: 85ft

Pace: 10.44/m

Saturday-

I really wanted to get onto a trail for a slightly longer run, but the threat of snow in the sky meant I didn’t want to risk getting myself stuck solo on a trail. I also had some commitments today so didn’t quite have enough time for a trail either. So a run around the harbour was called for, though it was so windy I was running to stand still at times! It reminded me of mile 9 of my first Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Edinburgh when I didn’t the I’d finish because of the wind as I ran up part of Arthur’s Seat. But knowing I’d managed that, I could keep going.

Distance: 4m

Time: 44m 6s

Elevation: 249ft

Pace: 11.00/m

That makes eight runs so far for my February Accumulator, so I’m getting there!

Weekly Workouts

Weekly Workouts

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Let’s start with the positives: I managed more running this week. Woo hoo! But, I didn’t manage to join any of Jacqui’s classes live this week. Boo! I just couldn’t get away from my desk on time. Hopefully this coming week might be a little easier to fit in at least on live class: we’ll see!

I also completed my Great Run Solo January Accumulator, with 24 activities. I’m pretty pleased with that result.

Monday-

I had time for a short lunchtime run, and as we’d had some rainfall that morning I mistakenly thought that the underfoot conditions would be fine. Nope! There was hard packed ice en route to the astroturf, and to say I had to take my time and run very gingerly would be an understatement! It was just beautiful, though.

Distance: 3m

Time: 36m 17s

Elevation: 52ft

Pace: 12.06/m

Wednesday-

I had to venture into the office, but I packed my running gear in the hopes that I’d find time to squeeze in a run. And I did! I headed up Kilmory hill yet again, finding that there were icy patches along the way. It was tough, but worth the effort. And I was glad to be off road.

Distance: 2.73m

Time: 32m 42s

Elevation: 292ft

Pace: 11.57/m

Thursday-

The Welsh Wookie and I were both working from home, and after a morning filled with online meetings, I needed to stretch my legs and take my eyes off of the screen for a while. We went for a damp walk to the West Loch, also doing Carrick Hill while we were down that way. It was very refreshing, if very wet!

Distance: 3.4m

Time: 1h 2m 30s

Elevation: 164ft

Friday-

I was determined to make sure that January didn’t end without another slightly longer run under my belt. I had no scheduled meetings for the afternoon, which gave me some leeway to make the most of Friday to do just that. As the ice had gone, I thought I’d see how the castle loop was faring, which gave me just enough momentum to do 10k, with a mix of trail and road to keep it interesting. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast so was low on fuel, and I think that’s probably why I could it reasonably tough. That and negative splits!

Distance: 6.2m

Time: 1h 13m 12s

Elevation: 377ft

Pace: 11.48/m

Saturday-

We woke up to a gloriously sunny day, and decided that a short trail run to shake out my legs after yesterday’s tired run. It was a little windier than I had expected, but I enjoyed a short trail while listening to my audiobook.

Distance: 3.45m

Time: 40m 49s

Elevation: 472ft

Pace: 11.49/s

So, that was just short of 16 miles of running and well over 1,000 feet of elevation this week. I was glad to be back on some trails, with less roads- I love the harbour, but it gets a little monotonous (and flat) when running and walking it multiple times each week in winter. It feels great to get exploring again!