Spring is sprung, the grass is ris, I wonder where the PB's is?

Fri: Rest

Sat: 2.5mile warm up, Parkrun 5km (17:11), 1.5mile cool down. - 7miles

Broke another inauspicious personal record today - 2 x 17min + 5km's in the same week/year/season/whatever.  A step in the right direction though and the punishing wind on the way out (which yours truly took the brunt of to get the pace moving a wee bit) probably made this time a bit worse than it could have been.  Splits of 3.26, 3.37, 3.30, 3.25 and 3.13.  Parkrun should be an excellent indicator of form over the coming months.

Sun: c.10miles interval training with COB, SOB and Berry watching the 10km and incorporating Arthur's Seat and a Burrito at Illegal Jacks (highly recommended).

Week - 41.2miles

Mon: Rest

Tues: 22 x 400m (alternating pace avg approx 79/94), 4mile warm-up/down – 9.5miles

Wed:  Meadows 2mile (10.39 PW), 3.75miles warm up/cool down – 5.75 miles

Thurs: Rest

Fri: easy hour AM, c.8miles

Sat: AM -  duathlon (pedal to Parkrun, 5km run 16:59 (3.16, 3.34, 3.29, 3.24, 3.16), hard pedal home) inc warm up and down c.4.5miles

PM – 5.5miles easy

Sun:  7 Hills Recce (Craiglockhart to Esplanade 6/7) – 12.6miles

Week total - c.46miles

Bit of a mixed bag this week.  Seems like it has taken forever and it's been a huge amount of effort for a 46mile week.  Another personal worst at the meadows 2mile on Wednesday (although closer percentage wise to BC than the 5km- got to cling to the positives man!).  Another tough Parkrun into a strong headwind but improvement by 12 seconds and then rounded off the week with a pleasant trot around most of the seven hills, taking a few tumbles along the way and confirming that going over the wall is faster than Grant's houdini route through the railings at Pollock!

Mon:  Rest

Tues: 5 x 1km (3.10, 3.09, 3.09, 3.10, 3.07), 5.5mile warm up/down – 8.5miles

Wed:  64mins easy – 9miles

Thurs:  60mins easy hilly – 8.6miles

Fri:  62mins easy – 8.5miles

Sat: 7miles inc Cardiff Parkrun 16:48 (3.15, 3.21, 3.22, 3.24, 3.26), pm 2.5hrs rambling in the Brecon Beacons

Sun:  Rest

Week – 41.6miles

Slightly belated post following an ash cloud prolonged stay in Cardiff over the weekend.  Knew I couldn't make the Meadows this week with a meeting after work and flew to Cardiff for a stag do on Friday afternoon, which meant two early starts Wednesday and Friday.

Managed to keep up the Parkrun attendance though after realising the race is just a mile or so from where we were staying.  Friday was a relatively quiet night out so partook of a rather stacked but pleasant race/run along the river pathway and into Bute Park before heading back the way we'd come.  16:48 was only good enough for 14th in the race but another progression from the week before.

A very sore head (and knee/hand after being attacked by a piece of central Cardiff tarmac) on Sunday morning meant little other than a stroll and recovery pub lunch where we learnt our ash related fate.  Stayed an extra night and had to hire a car to get home so nothing doing on Monday either.  Tuesday has been washed out by knee trouble but things should be back on track on Wednesday.

It's fair to say this week has been something of a washout.  Still recovering from the Cardiff assualt I found myself frustrated and demotivated byt the break in routine.  I consoled myself with the the thought that maybe I'd hit parkrun fresh and continue the SB streak...HA, not likely.  A poor showing saw me back over the 17's - if only I'd hung onto COB for the last km I'd have made it but I faded badly.

The only saving grace was a decent old Sunday run (farthest I've run since January) although the last coule of miles were a struggle and the legs were in much need of a cold bath as soon as I got in.  Glad I took BC's advice at halfway to be careful not to stop too many times as I couldn't afford to fall behind the group!

Mon:  Rest

Tues:  Rest

Wed:  Rest

Thurs: de nada

Fri:  zilch

Sat: Parkrun:  17.01 inc warm up 4.75miles

Sun:  15.3miles, 1:46

Week: 20miles

If last week was a washout this week got me back on track and threw up some positives.

The Rigg Race was done on very tired legs after last Sunday's long un but I'd have regretted not doing it and all in all it was a good indicator of how much work is still to be done (2.35 shy of my PB on the course).

Tuesday was something of a breakthrough as still with tired legs I managed to complete the session on target and more or less progressively.

Friday was one of those days when I just couldn't find any inspiration to run so decided to stick with 5 days running a week and headed out on the bike to prove I can still push myself over 26miles (even if it isn't running!!)

Saturday Parkrun got the season's best trail back on track even though I felt pretty rotten throughout.  Good to get it done.

Rounded off the week with another longer run in the company of Houston, Milne and Bell.  Bit wary of the planned run as last time I ran with Houston and Milne it was, well, the last time I ran before getting crocked.    Houston had it down as "15miles slowish steady pace" so I figured it might still be on the quick side for me.  I think I was the only one of the group with sweat pouring off me but I held it together ok and it was overall a brisker 15miles than last week, legs only just starting to give out by the very end. Good to get out on some unfamiliar trails out by Rosewell

Seeking to further lull certain other members of the club into a false sense of security ahead of next Sunday's 10000m track showdown Milne dropped off the pace towards the end.  Houston, Bell and myself added some extras on to get the full 15 and Milne consoled himself by donning his new, oversized day-glo jacket at the finish - very nice!

Mon: Rigg Race, 5.9miles 34:17.  3.1miles cool down – 9miles

Tues: 6 x1200m with 200m jog (8400m), 4.75miles warm up/down – c.10miles

Wed: Rest

Thurs: 8miles easy

Fri: 26mile blast on the bike.  Tough out to East Calder and Uphall then flew back.

Sat:  AM - Parkrun 16:38 (3.10, 3.24, 3.26, 3.23, 3.15), 5.3miles warm up/down – 8.3miles.  PM – 10miles hilly walk inc 2150ft ascent.

Sun:  15miles steady (1.42).

Week: 50miles (+10)

A solid enough week to keep things going.  Friday night's run was the pick of the bunch I'd say in glorious conditions and feeling pretty strong (compared to recent weeks and months).  A tonne of races coming up in the next few weeks will give a good indiciation of progress.

Mon:  c.7miles easy (no watch)

Tues:  6miles (run to track, warm up with squad, run home and general tootling about)

Wed:  Meadows 5km (16:41) + Warm up/down 4.7miles - total 7.7miles – disappointed with race as felt relaxed for most of it but nothing to respond as Dan Gay came past with about 1km to go. Lap times 5.18, 24, 24 + 35s

Thurs:  Rest

Fri:  10.8miles 4/7 hills recce inc 1800ft ascent.

Sat:  8.4miles easyish with COB

Sun:  10.3miles hilly (sorta 7hills recce)

Week:  50.2miles

Two races in what has felt like a fairly tough week although barely more in terms of mileage than I've been doing of late.  Mixed bag of races.  Felt heavy legged and sluggish going round the CAAC 5 in a course PW by 6 seconds (I'm not counting the fact it was a different course).  Windy conditions were tough but I expected more of myself.  Having been beaten by 20 odd seconds by COB in the CAAC5, Friday's Black Rock 5 saw a reversal of fortunes as I managed to bridge the gap and take a similar amount of time out of COB on the other side - a morale boosting run although may have to put it down to the fact Chris hates running on sand!

20miles covered over the weekend and looking forward to a massage on Monday and an easier week in preparation for the 7Hills.

Mon:  11.1miles moderate with COB

Tues:  5miles easy inc 5x100m strides

Wed:  CAAC 5 (27:27), 3miles warm up, 2 cool down – 10miles

Thurs:  Rest

Fri:  Black Rock 5; 2.5miles warm up/down – 6.8miles

Sat:  8.5miles easy

Sun:  11.4miles moderate pace

Week:  52.8miles

What a glorious week it's been for running.  Still no PB's but some good steps in the right direction.  Dropped to 4 days training this week but two toughish track sessions, a Meadows race, the 7Hills and a steeplechase saw me rack up a decent week.

7hills was very hot and I was pleased enough to be within a few minutes of last year's time.  Both Chris and I had our names down for the chase in Grangemouth in the afternoon and I'm sure both of us were thinking "aye, right" as we climbed Calton Hill to the finish.  However, after refuelling on apple pie and raisins and hanging about for the prize-giving we hightailed it to the track and got there with minutes to spare - probably a good thing as it meant we literally changed into our spikes, switched the numbers on our vests and headed over to the start line (minimal thinking time!).  The last time I did the chase was almost exactly 3 years ago to the day, and the last time I did something this silly was back in'04 when it was the Glasgow Half in the morning and the chase in the afternoon.  Strangely enjoyed it and the laps ticked off quite quickly.  My technique over the barriers left everything to be desired mind you!

A cold that I've been fighting off all week made a bit of a breakthrough on Sunday evening so hopefully I can shake it off and get back on it this week.

Mon:  Rest/Massage

Tues:  6min, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 with 2min jog (1730m, 1430m, 1170m, 890m, 670m, 360m – 6250m), 4miles warm up/down – c.9miles

Wed:  5.6miles warm up inc Blackford Recce; Meadows Mile (4.53), 2.4mile cool down – 9miles.

Thurs:  3miles warm up; 400m jog, 3200m (10.58), 400m jog, 1600m (5.15), 400m jog; 2.3miles cool down – 9 miles.

Fri: Rest, ice bath, stretching

Sat: Rest, stretching

Sun:  7hills (7^th, 1:48.03), 3000m Steeplechase (1B, 11:21.58), 1.6mile cool down – 17.5miles

Week:  44.5miles

Week of total rest.  A cold that had been threatening in the build up to the 7Hills finally saw its chance on Sunday evening and finally broke.  Sneezy, Sniffly, Runny, Achy, Snotty, Wheezy and Grumpy - the seven symptoms of not being able to run because of a persistent cold.  Possibly prolonged due to previous illness and/or recent Yellow Fever jabs.  However had about as much as I could take after a week so got back out running today for an uncomfortable bumpy 7.5miles with COB.

Back on track this week.  Felt pretty awful on Monday's run but by the track sesssion on Thursday was feeling pretty good and finished about 10s behind BC.

Spent Sunday morning on a very wet and windy "Midlothian Running Safari with Matt Bell".  Some say he knows the Roslin trails like the back of his hand.  Others say he just runs aimlessly about making left and right turns willy nilly till he sees something he recognises.  Good to get out in unfamiliar territory regardless and a thoroughly enjoyable trot through the puddles.  Bit of a sting in the tail back up through Roslin Glen and although myself and Matt managed to drop Milne and BC on the hill I was huffing and puffing all the way up - Matt loped along beside me chatting away fairly comfortably!

After a brief French lesson and a BT Vision sales pitch from Milne, we headed back to Edinburgh, although letting BC navigate himself is not the best idea!

Mon:  7.5miles bumpy with COB

Tues:  3.5miles warm up; 1600m in 5mins (5min rec.), then 5 x 1600m in 6mins (45s rec.); short warm down – 10miles

Wed:  6.25miles v.easy-moderate pace – legs tight.

Thurs:  1.3miles warm-up,  12x800m alternating pace (aiming for 3.00 and 2.38 but slipped out to 3.01/2 on 2.40/41 on a few).  34.07 total time.  1.45mile cool down.  8.75miles

Fri:  8.3miles moderate with COB.  Tired legs but so much better than Monday

Sat:  Rest

Sun:  14.5miles moderate with Bell, Milne and BC. 

Week:  55.3miles

Just a wee short week this week but some decent sessions in there and a decent solid block of training behind me now to take a break (of sorts).  Apologies to Milne for not giving him the chance till 1st of August at the earliest to make amends for being dropped twice in two runs.

Mon:  7.75miles inc Arthur’s Seat

Tues:  4.25mile warm up, 4 x 1km (3.02, 3.04, 3.04, 3.08), 1.35mile cool down – 8.1miles

Wed:  1.4miles brisk warm-up (late), 5km meadows (16.42), 1.1miles coll down – 5.6miles

Thurs:  2.5mile warm up; 6min, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 (2min jog rec) – 1790m, 1480m, 1210m, 920m, 630m, 370m (total distance 5.35miles) – 7.85miles

Fri: Travel to Tanzania

Sat: Rest

Sun:  Start climbing Kili

Week:  29.3miles

Sun: Day one.  Pick up from the hotel was at 9am.  Almost immediate disaster as my  camelbak seemed to have leaked almost a litre of water onto the floor.  I thought the bladder was burst at first but then realise something had been resting on the mouthpiece.   We had an hour's transfer to the Marangu Gate where we had to sign in to the National Park - on the way I told our guide we were at the highest point in the UK which caused some hilarity given we were still 500m bleow the height of the park gates!  When we got back to the van there were three black faces peering out from behind a pile of luggaage in the back - porters, although one of them also our cook and another our waiter (don't get excited there was no silver service!).  We then had another 90mins or so along a dirt road, picking up another porter along the way, to the Rongai Gate which is on the other side of the mountain and close to the Kenyan border at 2000m alt.

Some faffing about with luggage and another porter to meet and eventually we set off on the trail through woodland which eventually broke out into high bush.  On the way we learnt the Kili way which is "Pole! Pole!" - slow down.  And when they say slow, they mean slow! One "Pole" just means sorry apparently.  We reached our first camp, at about 2600m, with our tent already up and had a some time to chill out before dinner (candle-lit dinner at that as it was getting late - our "waiter" shoved a candle into the dirt in the porch of our tent for us).

Day Two:  When we woke it was a beautiful clear morning and we had our first sight of the hulk of a mountain way off in the distance - hard to believe we were technically on the mountain at that point.  I hadn't slept too well and had a really sore lower back (I'm really just a camping woos!) but Nick's sleeping back had done me proud keeping me warm, maybe even too warm, all night.

We set off early and made very slow progress.  I was trying to avoid any repeat of the altitude problems I'd had in Peru by drinking every 50m of altitude gain (trusty Suunto serving me well but it did lose it's way a bit on the odd occasion).  This seemed to do the trick but we were also taking Diamox (altitude sickness drug) which is a diaretic so combine that and drinking over 3 litres of fluid a day and...well you get the picture.

We reached the second camp after a picnic lunch stop fairly early so had plenty time to rest up before dinner.  The terrain had now borken out into fairly rocky desert-like stuff and the peak loomed a little bit closer.  Altitude gained:1200m.  It was a pretty quiet camp-site (part of the reason we chose the Rongai route) but that was to be shattered during the night.  After hitting bed at 7.30 I got to sleep quickly and lasted through till about 1am when the wind picked up and buffeted the tent for the rest of night and hardly any further sleep was possible. 

Day three:  A fairly early start for the 900m climb up to Kibo hut at 4700m where several routes converge for the assault on the summit.  The peak was visible for pretty much the whole day and the going was really slow.  Nevertheless we reached Kibo by lunchtime so had all day to rest up before the summit attempt.  By now the surrounding landscape was a lunar desert with the saddle between Uhuru and Mawenzi Peaks (there's another really interesting craggy peak of Kili that you don't see too much called Mawenzi) a dusty plain with no vegetation whatsoever and barely a rock on it's surface. 

We hung about for a bit and chatted to a a few people who had just come down from the summit - the latest of these arrived back to camp about midday or so looking pretty weary.  After that it was time to rest up in tent city before an early dinner and then the cahnce to try and get some sleep before getting up again at 11.30pm for the summit trek.  Fat chance of getting any sleep!  With the tents feet apart and most people excited about the climb or coughing their lungs up with the altitude we didn't really sleep a wink.

Day Four:  Technically still day three, we were up about 11.15 and had a quick tea (no Milo left soa  really sugary tea for me) before starting the summit trek at midnight.  The sky was clear as you like and the stars an awesome sight.  We must have been at the back end of the conga line of head torches making out for the summit, zig-zagging their way accross a massive scree run of volcanic ash and the going was as slow as I've ever walked - sometimes I was barely making a boot's length of distance with my "strides".  However, this is the way to do it.  At this point I had a mile headache but it intensified as the time wore on since walking with your head constantly bowed results in a really stiff neck which didn't help.  Oh yes and we had gone through 5000m too which could have had something to do with it!

At about 5300m Steph started to feel a bit sick - no headache though so she soldiered on.  We'd passed quite a few of the other walkers by now and had some clear ground between us and the next group.  This was a godsend as I was struggling enough the really slow pace but to have a stop start rhythm because of others up ahead was making it even tougher.

As we approached Gilmans's Point the ash scree gave way to a small boulder field, tricy to navigate in the dark and while feeling pretty rotten, and the guides burst out in song which cheered the spirits.  By now I was wondering if Steph would make it beyond Gilman's at 5681m and I'd already questioned whether or not I'd even make it that far.  We both made it though and sat down in the wee rock shelter there for a bit.  Luckily neither of us voiced our concerns about carrying on as I'm sure one would have taken the easy option if the other had suggested it and the guides quickly got us on feet - they wouldn't let us stay stil for long as it was too cold to hang about.  It had taken us 4hr45min to get there and we were pretty frozen. 

So we set off without even questioning them.  It's another 1.5hrs or more round the crater rim to the Peak and maddeninging it starts by going down a bit.  In fact it's fairly undulating for a while before eventually breaking out into tome easy wlaking gentle slopes up.  We could see lights further round the rim where the first group had reached the summit and not long after the sun started to line the cloud with an orange glow.  The head torches could come off by now and we plodded on through the low light.  Around 6.15am we crossed the top of one of the glaciers and then the summit signpost suddenly appeared about 300m off in the distance.  We'd passed about 10 others coming the pther way who'd already summited and byt the time we got there we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  It was quite an emotional experience getting there which took me a bit by surprise - I wouldn't say it was the toughest thing I've done physically (I give that honour to finishing the Dublin marathon on totally trashed legs) but certainly mentally it was very draining and such a relief to finally make it.

After about 20minutes or so on the summit with the sun rising we turned to make our way down.  My head was still throbbing but it was amazing how much faster it was possible to walk - still pretty slow on the undualting up bits back to Gilman's mind you.

We reached camp at 9am and after an hours rest and some juice rose for breakfast.  My head was pounding by now but a combination of Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, Diamox and fresh lifted it - mind you when we started walking the altitude loss probably helped!  Just as we were about to leave our guides casually suggested we go on down to Madara camp (2720m) instead of Harombo (3780m) as it would be much quiter.  Why not, we thought, at least it would leave a really short day to finish.

What we didn't know was that the gradient this was is much shallower so the first stint of over 9km took 2.5hours and the second of 11+km took another 3hours.  We finally reached the camp after walking for 14.5hours including the summit climb and had covered about 30km (I'll take that as my long sunday this week!).

This is still day four and really from trailhead to summit was only about 66hours for us - an extra few days aclimatisation probably wouldn't have gone amiss but we were glad we'd not had too much hanging about in tents to be honest.

Day Five:  After an amazing night's sleep in a hut that our guide blagged for us and a massive breakfast that just kept coming we continued on down the jungle path to the Marangu gate and the finish.

A truly awesome experience although I'm not sure I'd want to put myself through the torture of walking so slow for so long to do something similar again! 

Dean/Gillian - I'm sure you'll read this, don't be put off in any way.  we can meet up in August some time and we'll give you the lowdown.

Great report and well done Tommo and Steph.  Yes it would be good to get a "de-briefing"

Awesome Job !!!!!

Well done and nice write up, though pics or it didn't happen! :-)

t'internet is a bit slow here.  will get some uploaded once I've found one I can suitably photoshop us into!!

Nick, to indulge you...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44970811@N08/sets/72157624563030671

So after the mountain climbing and safari camping (more stiff backed nonsense) we finally had some downtime.  Although downtime for me always incorporates running (it's the best way to see your new surroundings anyway).

Managed 6 runs (all of around 10km) over the last 11 days of the trip but squeezed in a decent pedal, some swimming and more walking too. 

Now back to the grindstone in preparation for Ben Nevis...

Think I'll stop entering races in advance.  After another couple of weeks off running and getting treatment (with another 1 or 2 to come) Ben Nevis is now a pipe dream.  Hammy's tight and not really responding to stretching so resorting to the pain of physio treatment to try and get them sorted. 

I did however enjoy a weekend of cycling the Great Glen Way (77 miles of mostly off-road stuff over 2 days).  This was organised way back but we couldn't have picked a better weekend.  Perfect weather, stunning views, and plenty of pint stops along the way.

If you're ever in Fort William and need a place to stay I couldn't recommend the Invernevis B&B (http://www.invernevis.com/).  The new owners couldn't have been more welcoming - we didn't arrive till 10.30pm but we were hardly in the door before he had a dram in our hands - and were happy to store 4 bikes in the backl porch.  Breakfast was a feast and the place is about the cheapest B&B in town!