Olympic Challenge Day 12 : 6 mile cycle, 143 down, 62 miles to go

Summary:
  Cycle, 6.2 miles
  Total 143 miles
  Distance to go:  62 miles, 1 miles behind schedule.

Today I planned to do an Olympic Distance Triathlon, aiming to get up and to the Callander's Mclaran Leisure Centre for 8am start in the pool.  First hiccup was getting a broken nights sleep, and rising late and tired rather than fresh.  I got myself hurried breakfast and heading out the door on this Black Beauty:

This alas is not my bike, but one loaned to me for the occasion by the very generous Maz Frater of Skiddle. Thanks Maz :-)

I headed off on the bike to the Leisure Centre and after getting most of the way their realized that I had forgotten to transfer over my bike lock and that I'd left my carefully prepared home-made energy drink in the fridge.  So I turned around and headed home, shuffled into the house like an embarrassed lamb and collected my goodies and then back to the McLaran.  A few more miles on my bike prior to the the Triathlon but no great harm done.

I arrived at the Leisure Centre at 9:10am and when I was just about to pay got informed that I'd only be able to length till 9:30am as an event was taken over the pool till 12:00, and I'd only have half a 20m pool to work with.  If I was an Olympic Triathlete this might have been long enough but not a rather inept swimmer like me, I needed at least 50 minutes to complete the required 1500m.

Dejected I headed back home with my tail behind my legs like a scolded and unloved puppy.  It was strike three for the day, in theory I could come back at 12 and have another attempt but my heart was no longer in it.  With long endurance events like an Olympic Distance Triathlon your head really has to be in it 100%.

The rest of the morning I felt really tired and lethargic, struggling even to do basic DIY work back at home.  A poor nights sleep, disappointment at not putting away the Triathlon and perhaps some lingering fatigue from the Marathon two days before might be reason enough for feeling a little out of salts.   I took a break from the DIY to watch the final cycling lap of the Mens's Olympic Triathlon and watched the Brownlee brothers bring home Gold and Bronze.  What an antidote,  awesome job Alistair and Jonny!

Tomorrow the weather looks ideal so will make a second attempt at my first Triathlon.

Olympic Challenge Day 11 : 4 mile run, 137 down, 68 miles to go

Summary:
  Run, 4.2 miles, Average HR 141, 0:36, 332 Calories
  Total 137 miles
  Distance to go:  68 miles, 4 miles ahead of schedule.

Had a good nights sleep and awoke fresh and remarkable ache free, actually less aches and pains than day before the Sunday's Marathon.  My left plantar fascia has given almost no pain today, absolutely no complaints from my calves and quads either.  The only little niggles I've had today have been my right knee and left hip flexor.  I can't quite believe how well my body has coped, it's completely like I did a gently 4 mile run yesterday, not a hilly marathon.

The run today was a short out and back past Keltie Bridge along the old railway line.  The run takes you past a mature forestry plantation, I've included two photo's of different parts of the woodland as it illustrates just how much difference a little bit irregularity in the tree positioning can make to the biodiversity.  To the first a few small breaks in the trees allows enough light in for a range of plant life to get a toehold, and along with these extra plants will be extra animals too.

Contrast to the more regular and densely packed trees just a hundred yards further along.  The further you get from the track the less light and less variety and vitality of plant life, of course less animals too.

Finally on getting back into Callander, welcomed by the ever present Ben Ledi, alas also holiday traffic... still I guess I can't keep the lovely Trossachs all to myself!

Olympic Challenge Day 10, Marathon run, 133 miles down, 72 to go

Summary:
  Run, 26.2 miles, Average HR 145, 4:18, 2560 Calories
  Total 133 miles
  Distance to go:  72 miles, 13 miles ahead of schedule.

Modulen IBD Marathon day!!

Quick post with photo's taken today.

Olympic Challenge Day 8 & 9 : 5.6 mile run, 1.7 mile cycle, 107 miles down, 98 to go

Day 8 Summary:
    Run 6 milles, Average HR 150, Calories 496
    Cycle 6.4 miles
  Day 9:

Winding down for Marathon day so did half daily quote running and half cycling. 

My left plantar fascia (on the underside of the foot) was a little tight and sore during the day before the run but didn't cause any problems during run, and after run not more sore so pleased that continue to run at an easy doesn't appear to be exacerbating the problem .   Sitting down seems to let the soft tissue all tighten up so when getting up from sitting it's a bit sore but then eases off.

Day 9 Summary:

    Run 4.2 miles, Average HR 142, Time 0:36, Calories 335
    Run/Walk with Ellen on bike, 1.4 miles, Time 0:17
    Cycle with Ellen 1.6 miles, Time 10:0

    Total 107 miles
    Distance to go: 98 miles, 1 miles behind of schedule.
Day before marathon day so took today easy, doing a 4 mile circuit around Callander, taking in the Meadows:

 And the high street including St. Kellogs at the town centre:

Plantar fascia generally improved on previous days which is encouraging but still getting tightness and soreness after sitting for a while.  During run have a few strides where pain would ebb and flow but overall it wasn't a problem, still a concern though - with 24 hours to go before running a hilly marathon.

In the afternoon took Ellen swimming at the Leisure Centre then up to Maz Frater to borrow her road bike for the upcoming Olympic Distance Triathlon.  Maz calls the bike her baby and having road it the mile and half home I certainly appreciate why one would be so found of it - it's silky smooth to ride, just glides along effortlessly.

The ride how was made a little more exciting by the storm cell moving in from the north, with lightening hitting down to the north and thunder rumbling Ellen and I had to leave and race home, we averaged 10mph which Ellen was chuffed to bits with.  Just seconds after getting back in started rain, and within ten minutes it was torrential with thunder and lightening so it really did just get back in time!  The photo below doesn't quite do just to just how ominous the storm cell was.

Olympic Challenge Day 7 : 6.7 mile run, 2.5 mile cycle 87 down, 118 to go

Summary:
  Run, 6.7 miles, Average HR 145, 0:57
  Cycle 2.5 miles, 0:13 
  Total 87.66 miles
  Distance to go: 118 miles, 3 miles ahead of schedule.

I awoke to beautiful blue skies, perfect reason for an easy run around one of my favourite running routes - the Four Bridges, so I got up and sneaked downstairs in a attempt to not wake the family.

Whilst walking around the house my right plantar fascia was now uncomfortable, while my left had eased off - a complete reversal from the previous day which had be puzzled and frustrated in equal measure.  The discomfort eased off with a bit of fascia release using my foam roller and I felt reasonable confident a six miler wouldn't cause problems.

I headed off at a very gently pace, keeping my HR in the low 140's on flats, and under 155 on hills, my feet felt fine in my Neo Trails.  Two miles I descend down the track through Cohillan woods and saw a tiny cloud out in the Valley, just hanging their at my height, a bizarre sight to see between the trees.

Passing from the south side of the valley to north side takes you to trail that goes under Samson's putting stone, an attempt to capture the scene looking back eastwards towards Callander didn't quite work as the HTC One S's panoramic shot mode obvious doesn't handle the different stitching well when the individual photo's exposure times varies significant.  The central shot was heading towards the sun so I think it was a big ask for a perfect panoramic shot.

I heading up the trail and came up to cattle so I slowed as they were near the Trail, one of them stopped right in the middle of trail looking right at me.  I approach very slowly, even more slowly once I realized it was a bull. Once I stood still he eventually moved on.  It was too close for me to comfortable take a photo of him, I really didn't want to spook him and if I did I wanted to be ready to leg it downhill.  I did get photo of one his pals once he passed.

  

The return leg back through Callander was rather less eventually, the sleepy high street that I went through half an hour earlier was now busier.  Sunny days like this are essential for the health of the town centre, the tourist trade being so fickle weather wise.  

Passing the shell of the empty Julian Graves shop was disheartening though, another casualty of the recession, and one of my most visited shops - no more almonds, liquorish and beetroot juice treats :-|

My planter fascia were fine during the run, but through day have founded them uncomfortable after sitting down for any prolonged amount of time.  Curiously my right foot now seems fine and my left foot is really sore at points.  I can't fathom why the pain is shifting, I guess the fascia and surrounding tissue are all healing and swelling and rightness is ebbing and flowing as I go through the day. 

In the afternoon I went into town to pick up a parcel and some light shopping so topped up my total for the day with 2 1/2 miles of cycling.

I'm now one week down, and have done a total of 87 miles, so I'm 4 miles ahead of my schedule of averaging 12 miles per day.  The injury niggles are a real concern though, my plan was to run a Marathon this Sunday, three days away, but with niggles from the Hill Race still not settling I'm not confident that I'll be able to complete a Marathon without causing a real injury.  If the niggles don't settle in the next two days I'll adjust my plan, perhaps doing two Olympic Triathlon's and then a Marathon would be easier on my body than doing a Marathon, then Triathlon then Marathon.  Will just have to keep things easy of the next two days and see how things pan out.

Olympic Challenge Day 6 : 16 mile cycle, 78 down, 127 to go

Summary:
  Cycle, 16.7 miles, 1:25,  Average HR 126, Calories 650
  Total 78 miles  Distance to go: 127 miles

The forecast for the whole day was rain so when I awoke at 7am and the rain was off I quickly made the decision to head out quickly before the rain came on.  My plantar fascia in both feet were a little tender so I headed out on the bike.  Cloud base was low, engulfing even the crags but at least it was dry for now.

My route for the day goes south from Callander along the Mollands straight (A81) then east to Deanstoun along the B8032, then along the main road back to A84 towards Callander, through Buchany then off on a small back round to Keltie Bridge and Callander, a 16 mile circuit that takes in rolling farmland and hill farms.

As I headed out along the Mollands straight I tucked myself down into low profile aerodynamic position, head down, back flat, arms tucked in.  Thoughts were with Bradley Wiggens and Chris Frome's big day at the Olympic Cycle Time Trials, at that point it was still four hours before the race.  Now writing up the blog I now that they delivered in style, at twice the speeds I was able to attain!

In the final 5 miles the weather started looking more active, not just low cloud but now with rain storms forming and heading towards me.  I snapped a photo of the looming rain and then headed up the hill, my own time trial - a race to keep dry!

Heading west it was pretty clear that low cloud and rain was where Ben Ledi should have been, and Callander likely in rain as well.

2 miles out from Callander I got to the top of the hill and then had a thundering downhill ride into Keltie Bridge.  I hit 30mph on the bumpy, stony and potholed road, exhilarating and just a little terrifying - yeehaaa!!!

Watching the Time Trails later was pretty humbling - it took a steep downhill to get me and my mountain bike up to speeds that Bradley and co. were averaging on the flat over a 44km course.   Pretty awesome what humans can achieve with a heap load of talent and dedication.

Olympic Challenge Day 5 : 13.2 miles run, 3.9 miles walk, 61 miles down, 144 to go.

Summary:
  Run, 13.2 miles, 1:52,  Average HR 148, Calories 1133
  Walk 3.9 miles, 1:30
  Total 61 miles
  Distance to go: 144 miles

Sun was shinning today, light cumulus drifted up high and light breeze, a simply wonderful day for a gentle long run along the shores of Loch Venachar so I headed out for one my half marathon distance loops to take in the sights. 

All morning I was still stiff from the hill race two days previous, in particular my glutes ached particular on going up/down stairs and during the run the discomfort of running so soon after a hard race made itself known particular on the down hills.  My right Achilles was also a little uncomfortable but as the miles ticked by the discomfort eased off and I able to cruise along and easy pace without problem.

My heart rate after a couple of weeks being a bit elevated during runs was settling lower which was nice to see.  The stress of having an unwell child and visits to hospitals all has its effect, one of which showed up in my resting HR all my HR during training runs.  A couple of weeks with everyone at home and getting better has reduced  stress levels all round and with it the suppression of my aerobic fitness markers such as HR for a given speed and calories per mile.  Not quite back to where I was just before the Highland Fling back in April but not far short.

Once back home I felt generally pretty good but on taking off my Roclite 295's and starting to walk around barefoot I got shooting pains from the underside of my left foot, I have on occasional had a few niggles from my plantar fascia but none for many months.  I had slight discomfort from my right  plantar fascia as well.  I stood on my foam roller to message and stretch out the tension but still they remained sore. 

After dinner Ellen, my youngest daughter, aged 8, and I went on a walk up along the route of the Callander Highland Games Junior Hill Race.  Ellen had been keen to do it having heard about the Junior event running up to the Highland Games.  She didn't fancy entering the 4 mile hill race, but really wanted to see the route so off we went.   My plantar fascia was still aching so I wore my Vivobarefoot Neo Trail shoes, without doubt the most comfortable shoe I own and perhaps have ever worn. The Neo Trails have next to no support of course and very little sole between my own sole and stony trails - might sound sore for someone with an inflamed plantar fascia but it's great for an all round foot massage.

Two miles into the walk we turned off the official Junior route and follow the Senior route down to the new Bracklin Bridge.
 

An experiment with the front facing camera on my HTC Ones S didn't come out well, just too low resolution, foggy and blurry, but... it's a fun and cute picture so I've included it :-)

The view from the bridge was a delight in so many ways!

On the return trip Ellen spotted one Roe Deer in the woods that watched us from behind the tree trunks.  Then further along we saw another right in the middle of the rrail we had been on just half an hour before on the way up to Bracklin Falls. The Deer just watched us and we watched it for a couple of minutes.  I had a chance to get the phone out to take some more photos, but alas the ones zoomed in using digital just didn't cut it, so you'll have to do with the wide angle view.

We eventually left the Deer to enjoy the wood on it's own and heading downhill back homeward.  Less than a hundreds metres down the trail Ellen spotted something tiny moving across the trail - a small frog, I tried to capture it on the trail but it's camoflage was just to good to pick it out in the evening light.  It was daft enough to jump onto my hand so I was lucky to get this quick short of it before it left off into the undergrowth.

Ellen was chuffed to bits about seeing the wildlife and the erudite comment that sometimes you see amazing things when you don't look for them but if you try too hard often you don't see anything.

The walk did my sore feet a bit of good, but still they were uncomfortable heading to bed. As much as I really enjoyed the run along Loch Venachar in the sun, and the lovely walk in the evening with Ellen the prospect on injury halting my Olympic Challenge was a worry.