I’m writing this at the end of ‘cutback week’. It pretty much involved dialing back the Saturday miles a little bit but I didn’t cut back on anything else, including the chocolate milk or the peanuts. But the seven miler was a lot of fun, as was the rest of week because I ran most of it with my pals. Two midweek 10ks with Gav, who will be on the plane with me and toeing the line in Chicago too and then with David whose gentle jog is now my tempo run! And then Saturday with Mike, Lesley, Susan and John it was the Lochore Meadows parkrun, plus another loop of the loch and then we added an 8th mile along the Pit Road to hit Susan’s Glasgow half marathon training plan. The miles definitely pass a lot quicker when you are running with your friends. I’ve been told that I need to be running these runs at conversational pace and I’ve chatted away on all three of those…but you should see the looks I get from walkers when I’m chatting away to myself on solo runs (and I do this regularly just to see if I’m still pacing it ok). 

As I sit here looking at July’s training plan, particularly the long runs, it’s starting to feel like we are getting down to business. 13, 15, 16, 12 mile long runs. The next time I’m due to run 8 miles on a Saturday again is the week AFTER the marathon as part of the cool-down! And in August the miles just keep on climbing. I’ve got company on a few of these long runs in July, where I’m heading for what I hope will be a midgie-free couple of runs around Loch Leven. I’m also off to Killin, a place that I absolutely love, for one of those weekends and that’s the 16 miler. Solo. Eek. I’ve only ran about the village a few times and never that distance, so I’m trying to plan a route that isn’t too hilly. In 2019, I was due to run the Glen Ogle Ultra up there, but then there was a little matter of a chance to go and work and live for Chicago three months (and I’ll bore you with the Chicago story in another blog) so there’s unfinished business up there…and maybe one for next year!

I mentioned in the last post that I was running the Milnathort Dash, my first race in about two and half years – I think Devilla Forest trail run in 2020 before everything locked down was the last. It matched the training plan but if I’m being really honest, I entered because it’s a great wee race organised by a local club, you know loads of the runners…and they do a post-race buffet with home baking. It had been overcast the entire day and just as I was packing up at work to get ready, I noticed the sun had come out. Of course it had. The last time I ran this race, it was boiling and I was convinced I was going to faint about 2 miles in. Similar conditions this year, but it was all about pacing not racing this year. Pretty steady up the hill – it’s about 250m hill climb to start (it feels a lot longer) levels off for a bit, before a steady climb up to the farm. I started near the back, settled in and enjoyed the first few kms. By the time we made the turn for the farm, I was feeling pretty good and making my way through the field. I haven’t done a lot of hill work as part of the programme. I actually haven’t done any hill work as part of the programme, but I still feel quite comfortable and able to maintain an ok pace on the climbs. I used to love hill running, so maybe there’s still a bit left in the legs. It’s only a 5.2 mile course, but it has a water station and what a welcome sight it is/was, and it also signifies the start of the downhill finish. The plan asked for a 5m tempo and for the 2^nd half of the race at least, I gave it as much tempo as I could. Managed to gain a few more places on the downhill and then I put the burners on for the finish…I could clearly smell the buffet. My time was considerably slower than previous races, but I was delighted with how the run had gone and I enjoyed the sandwiches, home baking and a blether with pals afterwards. I even stopped off on the way home for a big bottle of chocolate milk (THE best post-run recovery drink whether it’s scientifically proven or not). As well as appealing for sponsors for my charity through the blog, if there’s any chocolate milk brands out there that want to supply me with bottles of the stuff, I’ll gladly decorate this blog in your logo! 😃

So just a wee short post to keep me honest and keep me scribbling. Thanks to everyone who has mentioned the blog or dropped me a wee message about it, it’s lovely to hear that people are enjoying it. Any wee share, like or comment is appreciated and who knows, a delicious chocolate milk producer could see the blog as a result and become the Official Chocolate Milk Partner of Team Chicken Legs.  Speaking of sponsors, I’ve still got some boxes free for the first 30 sponsors. For the price of a coffee or a pint, you could grab yourself a mile of the race (you don’t need to run an actual mile if you don’t want to) and help support the great work of RMHC. Right, there’s a six miler to kick off week 6, so I’m lacing up and heading out. Have a good week!