Tag: Tarbert

Just Browsin’….

Just Browsin’….

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I had another lazy day, to recover from the Perth Kilt Run on Saturday. As usual, running/jogging wasn’t too far from my mind…

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After I wrote my review of the Perth Kilt Run, I found myself browsing more races between now and the end of the year.  Yes, I know I have the TT10K on Saturday. Then I have the Great Scottish Run (10k) in October, and the Mo-Running 10k in November. But, I was just looking….

Before I knew it, I had signed up for my fourth ‘inaugural’ event of the year (the first was The Color Run UK event in London, the second was the RnR Dublin, the third is this Saturday’s TT10K), and my FIRST EVER trail run: The CowalFest 5k.

Now, I have never done a trail race. Ever. This Saturday’s TT10K has two trail sections, and so that will be my first proper off-road run.  I do have trail running shoes, but I mostly wear these when it is raining, to keep my feet dry! Now, they are going to be put through their paces! This run takes place as part of CowalFest, which was originally a walking festival, but it has now branched out into other sports, including cycling and now running. The run takes place in Benmore Botanic Gardens, so it should be beautiful!

I'm pretty sure this is what the trail run will be like...
I’m pretty sure this is what the trail run will be like…

@TheWelshWookie and I have registered for the 5k cause we’re too scared to sign up for the 10k to see how we get on, I’m sure it’ll be an experience! This run is a week after the GSR, so it’ll be another pair of back-to-back weekends of running!

Today’s stats:

Run: no run, but I did go for a 5k walk instead 🙂

Time: I didn’t time it, but I think it was about 50 mins or so

Trainers: FreeRuns

Weather: Sunny

Favourite  radio track of the day: a little bit of Dario G. This would be good for a warm up/cool down too, I reckon 😉

As I said in my blog title, I was just browsin’, but that can be dangerous! Now that I’ve signed up for my 9th run of the year, I’m now on the lookout to make it a round ten…..

I also came across this while browsin’, and it made me chuckle… 😉

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Today’s life lesson: Always lean forward in a sprint finish- Christine Ohuruogu did, and it won her Gold for the 400m at the World Champs in Moscow today. Go girl!

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What do you find yourself browsin’, and spendin’ on when on the internet?

Next New Nikes?

Next New Nikes?

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today, I’ve been very domesticated again, catching up on the laundry.

I also went for a short run, to stretch my legs from Monday, and to prepare for Saturday.

Today’s stats:

Run: 2 miles

Time: 20:03

Trainers: LunarRacers

Weather: Warm, and sunny

First running track of the day: Black eyed Peas, I Gotta Feeling

You all know that I’m a pretty big fan of Nike trainers, they really suit my running jogging:

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So, I’m sure you’ll allow me to get a little excited over the new Nike free runs:

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These look so, sooooo comfortable! Just like socks with trainer soles!

What do you think of them?

It’s Nice to Have Time Off :)

It’s Nice to Have Time Off :)

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

As I say, in today’s post title, it’s nice to have some time off (so much so, I’m saying it twice!). I finished work at lunchtime today, and I’m off until Monday. I guess that makes today my Friday, then?

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Today’s stats:

Run: No running for me today, as it’s taper time, I’m working on stretching, so I’ll do some yoga and some NTC stretching later.

Time: 30 mins walk, 30 mins yoga, 15 mins stretching

One yoga track I plan to listen to today:  Wonderful Life, Black. Very chill.

So, like the rest of the UK, we’ve had a thunder shower this morning, but only one, fortunately!

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This was the view from my office window today, as the rain started to pour down! 😦 It’s still very warm outside, and by the time I arrived home at around 12.30, the rain had stopped 🙂

@TheWelshWookie and I have been for a walk this afternoon, along the harbour and down to the ferry terminal. Of course, we had to pop into the cafe for coffee and cake!

I’ve had a lovely, lazy afternoon, reading this month’s copy of Women’s Running magazine, which arrived yesterday:

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There’s an interesting article in it about stretching, particularly in warm ups, and whether they are beneficial, or potentially problematic:

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For me, it depends on the length of the run. If it’s a shortie, I’ll really just do a warm-up jog. If it’s a longer run, I’ll start with a set of dynamic stretches: knee highs, butt kicks, and a short warm-up jog. I’ll usually finish my run with a walk home, followed by Kara Goucher’s running stretches from NTC. This seems to work well for me, and I’ve been fortunate in staying injury free (here’s hoping this continues!).

Today’s life lesson: It’s usually sensible to wear a jacket when rain showers are forecast…..

What’s your view of stretching, before or after a run?

New Socks n Tracks

New Socks n Tracks

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Well, I’ve started off the week with every good intention, with a 5k run, which @TheWelshWookie did with me.

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Today’s stats:

Run: 5k run

Time: 32:02:57 so much for my planned tempo run!

Trainers: LunarRacers

Weather: Warm, and sunny, but cooler than last week

Newest running track of the day: Avicii, Levels

I left my run until later, heading out at around 7pm. I’m really glad I did that, as the sun was still shining, it was warm, but much cooler that it has been all week. I just ran my usual harbour route, which I love. As I walked back along the harbour, there were a few clouds, which was lovely to see. I took a couple of snaps (you’ll be used to this view by now!)

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I had two new purchases, which I tried out tonight. First were my new socks from the Color Run. No, they aren’t compression socks, but I wanted to give them a try anyway:

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My second newbie was a new album I had downloaded from iTunes over the weekend, #HolidayAnthems, which I love. I listened to it driving home from my meeting in Dunoon today, and again while out running! 😀

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It definitely kept me going tonight!

Today’s life lesson: sometimes, the male of the species can be reasonably domesticated…. which is a pleasant surprise (and means no excuses for the future)!

Have you tried out anything new on a recent run?

Village Jogging

Village Jogging

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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I had planned to head out for an early run to beat the heat, but I’m afraid that the sun and the heat beat me to it!

Today’s stats:

Run: 7 mile ‘long’ run: definitely tapering now!

Time: 1:10:57 Given the heat, that’s Ok with me.

Trainers: LunarGlides

Weather: Sunny, hot, humid

First running track of the day: Jimmy Somerville- this reminds me of a teacher I had at school, who loved him!

As it is the Tarbert Traditional Boat Festival, I thought that the village would be busy, but it was much busier than I expected, for 9.30am! As I ran along the harbour, past the pontoons, there were lots of walkers, people heading for breakfast, walking dogs, enjoying the early morning sun. There were also lots of people setting up their stalls for the festival later today: the whole area was a hive of activity!

As I headed off of the path, and up onto Garvel Road, I managed to take this picture, and when you see it you wouldn’t know that the village was busy:

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Gorgeous!

As I headed back toward the harbour for the second time, I saw that the pontoons had filled up with lots more traditional boats than there were on Thursday night when I was last down by the harbour.

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Last week I asked, is there always something going on in Tarbert? Definitely yes! 😀

There are loads of activities planned for the day, including climbing the greasy pole. The prize for the highest climber is a bottle of whisky: I’m not even sure I could do it with it still laying flat!

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By the time I reached home I understood for the first time ever what is meant by the phrase ‘sweat pouring off you’. It was! But I’ve showered, rehydrated, and refuelled on some Thai red curry:

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I hope you all have a good run today, and a fab weekend!

Today’s life lesson: jogging in and out of walkers, saunterers and cyclists is not a good look, when you have no co-ordination 😉

What’s your favourite food to refuel with?

Is It The Weekend Yet?

Is It The Weekend Yet?

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

Evening, all!

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Well, I made a bit of a silly mistake tonight: Usually I go for a wee run as soon as I finish work, mainly because if I didn’t go then I wouldn’t bother that suits me best. Tonight, it was overcast, and about 22 degrees when I got home. I thought I‘d be smart, and wait a couple of hours before running, in the hope that the temperature dropped a little. Big mistake. The sun actually came out, and was beating down on me for all of my ‘speed’ session, and the temperature had actually increased! 😮

Oh, well.

Today’s stats:

Run: 5K slow speed session. 

I did: 1K warm up jog; followed by 6x 300 metre sprints/200 metre recovery walk. I finished up with a 1K so-called ‘cool’ down

Time: 32:56

Trainers: Lunar Racers

Weather: bright and very sunshiny! Again! Woop Woop!

Best running track of the day: Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. It kicked in just when I needed it!

So, as we head towards another weekend, there’s another event on in the fantastic village where I live. It’s the Tarbert Traditional Boat Festival, which kicks off tomorrow night 😀

There are quite a few boats in already, and while I ran along by the pontoons, I could hear fiddle music filling the air, which was lovely!

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The village was pretty busy for a Thursday evening, with people eating at tables outside the cafes, and strolling along the harbour, enjoying the view and the weather. It looks like we’re in for another cracking weekend!

Today’s life lesson: Sometimes I say things to try to make things better, and end up doing the opposite. Mental note- think through what I say before I say it!

What have you said, and instantly regretted?

A Castle Walk

A Castle Walk

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

Hope you’ve all had a Happy Hump Day today- here’s some Wednesday Wit in case you haven’t… it sums up how I feel after a weekend of excess! 😀

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Today’s stats:

Run: Nope, not today. It was a strength day, so I did NTC’s 45 minute Intermediate Get Strong. It was tough! I’ll do a 15 minute stretch later, too.

Time: 45 mins

Best track while doing high-knees:  Soak Up The Sun, Sheryl Crow. Very appropriate today!

As the warm, sunny weather is continuing, I headed out for a walk after dinner. Tonight, I took a stroll around Tarbert Castle, which overlooks the village. Would you like to see it?

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It has recently undergone quite a bit of restoration work: it dates back to Robert the Bruce’s time.

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Here’s a picture of the harbour through one of the windows:

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Here’s the views across the village and out towards Loch Fyne from the Castle:

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Beautiful, huh?

If you’d like to know more, visit http://www.tarbertcastle.info/

Today’s life lesson: Move the coffee table before you do planks and press ups; you’re less likely to bang your head 😉

What’s the best viewpoint in your town or village?

Fly Over

Fly Over

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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So, it’s Saturday, and today @TheWelshWookie is away for a fortnight. We started this morning with a Strawberry and Pineapple protein smoothie, and while he headed out to meet his cadets, I headed out for my run.

Today’s stats:

Run: 9 mile long run: with three weeks until the RnR Dublin half, the taper starts now!

Time: 1:28:39 I’m pretty happy with this 😉

Trainers: LunarRacers

Weather: Warm, but cloudy- the sun burned through the cloud, and broke through just as I finished

First running track of the day: Kanye West – Stronger

The village was quite busy this morning, with lots of visitors around. The harbour itself had loads of boats coming in and heading out:

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It’s the Tarbert Raft Race today, and it looks like they’ll have perfect weather for it. There was quite a bit of hustle and bustle, with people preparing for the event:

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Is there always something going on in Tarbert I hear you ask? Well, yes- quite often there is! 😀

When I reached the mid-point of my run this morning, a sea plane flew overhead:

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It circled right around the village, then headed back out over Loch Fyne. Sorry for the grainy pic, I was trying to run and take a pic at the same time!

Now, I’m going to finish packing, and start the first leg of my journey to London for the Color Run UK tomorrow- squee! I’m so excited!

Today’s life lesson: when you put your lunch in the oven, don’t forget about it. Burnt tortilla pizza is not good.

Has anything surprising stopped you in your tracks during a run before?

Outdoor Gym :)

Outdoor Gym :)

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Well, tonight, I came home from work to find that @TheWelshWookie had my dinner waiting for me. 😀 He had made a fabulous turkey curry. Deee-lish!

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But it meant that I was too full to do and looking for any excuse to get out of doing my strength training as planned. So, instead I went for a lovely walk in the sunshine. It was too gorgeous a night to waste indoors doing strength training anyway 😉

We live about 14 miles away from the nearest ‘normal’ gym, which is located in Lochgilphead. That means that any strength training I do is at home, using bits and pieces of light equipment I’ve picked up over time: dumbbells, resistance bands, swiss ball, mat, etc. I mostly do NTC training, so that’s about all of the equipment I need. But in Tarbert, we are very lucky; we have a secret weapon: an Outdoor Gym!

I took some pictures of it this evening, to let you see it:

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There’s even a table tennis table, and some basketball hoops:

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There are picnic tables located nearby, and a glorious view of the harbour:

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When I arrived home, I thought I’d better begin to pack for the Color Run UK in London this weekend. I’m deciding what to take with me…

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And right now, I’m brushing my wig, trying to make it look presentable! 😮

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Today’s Life Lesson: Don’t wear brand new sandals to work before breaking them in first. Ouch!

What surprises does your home village/town/city have?

Sticky-Speed-Session *Squee!*

Sticky-Speed-Session *Squee!*

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

Evening, folks, and a Happy Hump Day to you all!

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Today’s stats:

Run: 2.7 mile sticky, sweaty speed session. Lovely, huh?

I did: 1 mile warm up jog; followed by 7x 30 second sprints/30 second recovery walk. I then walked/jogged home, but I’m not too sure how far that was! 

Time: 28:56

Trainers: Lunar Racers

Weather: bright and very sunshiny! Again! Woop Woop!

Best running track of the day: Matinee, Franz Ferdinand. I love this. It reminds me of a former boss I had 🙂

I’d had a meeting in Helensburgh today, so I’d spent about 4 hours cooped up in the car, driving, so it felt great to stretch my legs tonight. I knew it would be hot, after last night, but I think I was better prepared for it tonight! I think it was around the 25 degree mark again. Hot (for here!)

I fancied a change of scenery, so instead of running along the village harbour I headed out to the West Loch, and ran down to that harbour instead.

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It made a lovely change, but is quite a short run, on its own. The first mile is downhill, then it flattens out a bit to the harbour itself, and the final mile home is back uphill, which was tough, but what I needed! I felt great, hence the *squee* in the title, even though I was icky and sticky with suncream….again! 😮

I also took a pic of this old sign, which I thought was quite quaint:

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Today’s life lesson: carry your camera, or have your iPhone to hand when you’re driving, ready to pull in and take a snap. I saw the paddle steamer The Waverley today, but didn’t get a pic of it 😦

Which photo opportunities have you missed?