Bingo, buffets and better days

August 9, 2023 / Steven Birrell / Leave a comment

I’m just back from a short break in Berwick. I really needed it. I only realised how much when I was driving home with a smile on my face. A smile that’s been posted missing quite a bit lately, but it was an ever present over the weekend, including on the daily runs along the coast. A few days of not thinking about much in particular, living in the moment and enjoying being a father, son, cousin and nephew. Where the biggest worry was whether or not ball number 3 would get drawn in the bingo and deliver the winnings that would no doubt be redistributed back to its owner through one of the many machines in the neighbouring arcade.

I don’t think it’s a particularly smart way to train, but I’ve found myself packing my runs into consecutive days these last few weeks, sometimes through necessity, sometimes to see if the legs can handle it or to see how I recover (or don’t). I got up and ran every morning that I was away, waving to the early morning golfers on the fairways of Magdalene Fields, wishing good morning to the dog walkers joining me for the out and back to the Lighthouse on Berwick Pier, before heading over the old bridge to hug the coastal path into Spittal village and along its lovely Promenade before making the turn for home with the promise of a cooked breakfast uppermost in my mind.

The first mile of any run these days is tough going as is the thought of that first mile in my head before I start. But once I’m up and running, things loosen off, the breathing settles down and I’m feeling pretty good out there. My pace ranges from 9min miles to 10.15(ish) maybe going a little bit quicker during parkruns, but as these have now been incorporated into longer runs, I’m less inclined to push the pace. Over the next few weeks, I can see the 10min miles becoming more frequent than the 9s, maybe even drifting into the 11s. I’ve made little adjustments to my gait. It feels like there is a lot less heel striking and less slumping, but more mid foot / front foot striking seems to put increased pressure on my calf and achilles. So I’m using the Stair Stepper at the gym for my cross training, building in heel raises and dips to the workout. I’m glad there’s not a mirror in front of the machine though, as after 45 minutes both me and the machine are a sweaty mess. Apart from the usual suspects, the Chicken Legs are feeling pretty strong, the Stair Stepper seems to be working, but everything from the waist up needs a fair bit of work. I’m carrying way too much weight and have been for a while. I hardly drink anymore and cutting out booze during a training block is actually really easy for me. I wish I could say the same for the over indulgent scranning and whereas I once ran to keep the weight that I’d lost, off, it’s not as easy to shift these days – but I don’t do myself many favours if I’m being totally honest. I’ve got plans for a more disciplined nutrition plan when the school holidays are over and I know I really need to commit to being better over these next three months (and beyond).

As much as I really enjoy the race, after running the Milnathort Dash my knee and achilles felt trashed and I promised myself (my knee and achilles in particular) that there would be no more intense, short races or indeed anything that would pass for ‘speed work. I know there will be people who read this that say speed work is an important part of training for any runner and can be as relevant for ultra marathons as it is for shorter distances but I no longer feel like I get any benefit from this type of running…or at least if I do it comes at a cost. I do get plenty of pain during and afterwards and while that was once something I’d gladly endure in the pursuit of times and PBs, it’s not the carrot it once was. I made one exception, largely motivated by the excellent post-race buffet (I was in fat burning mode, give me a break here! 😊) and turned up to race at the Brig Bash, a few weeks after Milnathort. I went off way too fast (standard), feeling a bit jelly legged after a mile, but figured I may as well commit and get on with it. It was quite muggy and ordinarily I wouldn’t be bothered about water for a 5 miler, but I was gutted when I realised I’d ran past a wee supply of bottles at the side of the course. I felt like I had a decent 2^nd half of the race, I was catching up with runners in front of me, and wasn’t being passed by anyone behind me but I was having to work hard for it. One of my club mates took a nasty tumble with about 400m to go, so I stopped to check they were ok and got them back on their feet (they finished strongly to take one of the age category prizes!). As I turned the corner for the straight I had a wee sprint with another runner and when I spotted the clock and the chance to go under 39 minutes, found another gear and kicked for home…and the buffet – outstanding job from Perth Road Runners. But no short, intense, fast racing for the foreseeable – no matter how good the buffet is.

On a whim, I entered the The Meedies Running Club’s 24 hour relay event….no, I didn’t do the full thing! It’s a great wee event that I’d recommend to everyone because you can effectively make the race whatever you want it to be. The Meedies RC have someone out at all times on the course during the 24 hours (that’s the relay element of it) but anyone can enter for the bargain price of a tenner (plus a donation for the local foodbank too if you are able to). It’s a 3.2 mile lap of Lochore Meadows so anyone who has run the parkrun will be familiar with most of the route (but it’s not the same route). I ended up doing a half marathon on the Friday night (completely unprepared for it) and then stopped for burger and a cake and watched as the runners heading off into the night. I’d ran with a couple who were using it as prep for the Glen Mhor 24 and also for a short time with the eventual race winner who was aiming for, and achieved his goal of clocking up 100 miles. But there were runners out there with all different targets. I came back the next morning and got a 10k done before volunteering at parkrun, then got a final 5k done afterwards and called it a day at that. If the Chicken Legs are still hanging in there next year, I’ve said I’ll give it another crack and see how far I can cover…but there’s a lot of miles to be clocked before thinking about that. For now, trying to build in a bit of routine to my training, adding in some strength work and getting the long runs in rather than lots of 7s and 8s is the plan for the next few weeks.

And I’m still waiting on number 3 to be called at the bingo.

The Maranoia Monologue

October 2, 2022 / Steven Birrell / Leave a comment

Well sports fans, a week to go and this is probably the last scribbles before the big day. Everyone talks about the ‘maranoia’ that comes with taper time and this boy has had his share of it this week. I haven’t had the doubts about feeling I need to do more miles, but I have felt every ache and pain that has probably been there for the last 18 weeks…they just a bit more obvious now. First run of the week it was like my legs were frightened to run. I was trying to go out at 9:30-9:40 steady pace for six miles, but struggled to get under 10 minute miles so just chilled out and went with the flow. The other two runs this week (an 8 and a 6) have been much better, although towards the end of Friday night’s run I felt a wee ping in my foot. There’s been a bit sharpness and discomfort in it since then, nothing major, but there is a bit bruising there. I’ve reached for the frozen peas and I’ll probably take it easy for the rest of the weekend and stick to the swimming, hopefully giving it a chance to settle down. I’ve probably more to lose at this stage doing another 8 miles than I have to gain from it fitness wise, so for once, I’ll be sensible…well, that’s the plan at the time I write this. A wee wave of maranoia and I’ll no doubt be lacing up and getting out.

Speaking about lacing up, I had a great bit of customer service from the Brooks team. The shoes I’d been running in for this training block had started to breakdown around the heel. I sent them a few photos and my mileage and they offered to send a replacement pair which arrived a few days later! Can’t ask for better than that. With these being technically a free pair of shoes, does this make me a sponsored athlete? 😊 (still waiting on the chocolate milk sponsor, and there’s still time!!). That said, they did send a replacement pair that are a ½ size bigger…and it could be the maranoia talking but I do think it makes a difference and they aren’t as comfy a fit. I’ve done about four runs with them and I am tempted to go back to what I know for race day and use the older pair.

A few people have asked me what my ambitions are for the race. It feels like I’m giving the equivalent answer to the football manager saying ‘we’re taking one game at a time and not thinking about the championship’ when I tell them that I’m just hoping to get round and enjoy the experience. But that is the truth and I’ve been nothing but honest on here – probably too much. Just getting the chance to run these streets again is a prize in itself, and the fact that I’m getting to run the marathon course, well that’s the icing on a very nice cake.

A few days after my 40^th birthday, I found myself in a taxi heading down the Kennedy Expressway. I’d just spent the weekend with the family in a lovely wee farmhouse on the outskirts of Arbroath (and spent the morning of my birthday running around a freezing cold but cool Montrose parkrun route). As soon as the city skyline came into view, I was a starstruck wee pup, a similar feeling to when I rocked up in New York as a wide-eyed 15 year old heading off on a school exchange programme. The cab dropped me off in the West Loop and I had no idea at the time how big an influence that neighborhood and the city would have on my life in the years that followed. The next day, jetlagged but wide awake, I stuck my trainers on and went exploring. In my head, it felt like a Rocky montage, running underneath the L trainline surrounded by meat warehouses. To anyone else, it probably looked every bit like a breathless wee Scottish guy plodding along half asleep, turning blue with the cold with snot frozen to his face (sorry if you’re having your tea reading this). And if I wasn’t breathless before it, that first time you cross the bridge on Lake, head down the stairs on to the River Walk and then under the Franklin Street bridge to see the city towering above you on both sides is a sight to take anyone’s breath away (I have a million photos from this spot and none of them remotely do it justice). And don’t even get me started on when you run a bit further along the River Walk and head south (or north) along the Lakefront. Magical. A few years later, I spent a few months living in Chicago – an incredible time in my life, but a time where I spent a lot of it on my own, the family were back in Scotland (but did come to visit for an unforgettable few days). Every neighborhood and place I know about in Chicago, I know about because I’ve ran there, or I’ve ran to somewhere near there, or went out with no plan but to explore. And when I was running here, I never felt alone…I felt at home. I remember the night before Thanksgiving, everyone was clearly getting ready for the holidays but the entire city seemed empty. From the minute I left my apartment, along the river walk and down along the lake towards the Shedd aquarium, I was lucky if I saw a handful of people. There’s a set of raised steps like an ampitheatre that hug that part of lake and you can ‘pick a lane’ and head round toward the Planetarium (to a spot they call the best view in the city) and then down to the tiny but tranquil 12^th Street Beach near Northerly Island. The only noise you could hear in this massive city was the water lapping against the shore…and a random group of lads singing and filming a music video!!!! (it was baltic, they must have been frozen). Apart from the band, I felt like I had the entire city to myself and just drank it all in. You hear people talking about the living in the moment – I’m not very good at that. Nostalgia is a spiders web that I’ll regularly and willingly trap myself in and whilst you could say it’s sensible in some ways, I probably also look too far down the line and wonder what the future holds. But for that run at Thanksgiving and indeed for every run in Chicago, I lived in the moment. From the early visits, when I was never sure if I’d ever visit the place again, or when I lived there knowing it was for a set period of time, I made the most of the playground that was on my doorstep and savored every run. I should probably be a bit more like that in other aspects of my life.

I won’t have the city to myself this time next week, but I’m still determined to live in that moment and try to enjoy as much of the experience as I can. That’s not the same as saying I’m not going to work hard; I’m going there to graft. Like the 20 mile runs, I respect the marathon distance…I maybe respect it a bit too much. Fitness wise, there’s bits of me think I could put in 9-9.30 minute miles consistently, sometimes even feeling a bit quicker. But if my knees could talk (and sometimes they feel like they can scream) they’d tell me to stick to a safer, slower more conservative pace 9:45-10 and they’ll try to get me round in one piece – and I’m erring on the side of caution. So ‘the plan’ at this point, is to try and find a clear lane to get into a bit of a rhythm (the blue line would be ideal), not get carried away by the crowds and atmosphere, get the first hour in the legs, then the first half in and then just see how I’m feeling. Aye there’s a ton of things that could go wrong on the day and ‘the wall’ could come at any time when you least expect it. If it does, and I’m sure it will, I’ll deal with it when it comes. But the days of being the ‘eyeballs out runner’ who goes out hard and tries to hang on – sometimes successfully, but always painfully – are probably over, and I’m ok with that.

So team, I think that’s about it. The Chicago Marathon app is available on all good app stores and you can track the Chicken Legs dot by following runner 35283 (my lucky number, what were the chances!). A big thanks again to everyone who has supported me over the last few months in so many different ways…including all of you who have been reading this. I’m not the runner I once was but for the first time in a long time, I feel a wee bit like a runner again. And that’s enough. It’s more than enough.

When I checked in to the Ace hotel in the West Loop – now no longer there, the digital radio had this station called 93XRT as the default station. It was my kind of station and my kind of music. When I moved into my apartment, the first thing I did was get the radio tuned in. The breakfast host, an incredible broadcaster called Lin Brehmer who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, would regularly feature a song ‘from home’, and every time it came up, the volume was cranked right up before heading out the door for the day. “In a big country, dreams stay with you”. Let’s go Chicago!

A few wee updates…

September 13, 2022 / Steven Birrell / Leave a comment

Hiya pals! There’s been a lot going on since we caught up last. But rather than bore you with an essay or thesis, I’ve scribbled a few updates instead…so you’ll get bored with a series of short paragraphs instead. A sprint not a marathon, if you will!

Fundraising – Let’s start with the big news first (don’t stop reading after this bit though!). Thanks to incredible generosity of family, friends, colleagues and fellow runners, I’ve reached and passed my fundraising target for RMHC and my bib for the race is secured (check out the pinned post for all the mile sponsors). This money will help support some incredible work that the charity does to help keep families close when children are receiving treatment in hospital, and they need each other most. I’ve had the pleasure to work with the charity for 15 years and it will be a privilege to be representing Team RMHC in a few weeks’ time. I’m also really grateful to them, for giving me the opportunity to run the dream race and get back to running in a city where I feel at home.

I’ve always said that support isn’t just financial and there’s an ever-growing squad of people, who have been invaluable in helping to get me ready for this. Training partners, Strava kudos givers, blog readers, car horn beepers and wavers when I’m out running and even my mate who lets me turn his garden into a drink and fuel stop at a weekend – you are all part of Team Chicken Legs (whether you want to be or not) and I appreciate every bit of support you’ve given me.

A number of ‘Firsts’ – Since I was last here, I’ve had my first ever visit to the lovely city of Cologne and in the last week or so, it’s been the first runs in the rain (that I can remember) since training started 15 weeks ago.

And a quick shout out to my first sponsor, Terry. Terry started running during lockdown and has recently been upping the mileage on his solo runs, 5ks > 5 miles > 10ks > 10 miles and completed his first solo half marathon distance run the other day. Brilliant to see – well done again mate!

Cologne was SO warm when I was there, and I made the big mistake of thinking that it would’ve cooled down a bit when I set out after work about 5pm for a sight-seeing recce run (the best way to discover a city IMO). I took a little water bottle, but 40 minutes in, not only was it nearly empty, it felt like drinking warm water from the tap! Every other run after that was done in the morning before the sun came up, but it’s a great city to run where my routes would take in the stunning Cathedral, crisscross the bridges across the Rhine (including the rail bridge, the length of which is covered – and I mean covered in padlocks) and the massive Rheinpark (home of a parkrun) that runs along the banks of the river.

Up until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t recall the last time it had rained, or when I’d ran in the rain. Of course, the first time it happened recently was during a storm and the second time coincided with my longest continuous run ever – the 20 miler!

The weekend long runs have been going pretty well; fitness wise I’ve felt pretty strong, I’ve been recovering from them quickly and the knee pain is a bit hit or miss but has been manageable. I’ve been doing variations of loops of Dunfermline and whilst it can be a bit repetitive, it does allow me to set up drinks stops at different points and I don’t have to carry a lot of food or drinks with me.

The 20 miler was going to be a solo run and I woke up feeling rotten and lethargic, not helped by hearing the rain battering against my window. I started off conservatively, showing respect to the distance ahead – maybe too much respect in hindsight – and took the first hour pretty slowly. I ditched the waterproof jacket that turned out not to be waterproof and tried to kick on from mile 7 and up the pace…but it just wasn’t happening. At mile 10, everything felt really labored and while the splits don’t show any big drop off in times, I was having to work hard to keep it going. That feeling lasted a few miles but I found a second wind for the last five miles and felt pretty comfortable on the home straight, helped by the fact that rain had stopped and I was drying out a bit. I’ve not read too much into those horrible middle miles or dwelt on it too much since. There’s every chance I’ll have highs and lows on race day and it’s all about managing them as it happens, not getting carried away with the highs, not getting too despondent with the lows. But as you can see from the photo, I was happy to enter the 20 zone!

Here’s the waterproof jacket that isn’t waterproof.

Auchterarder Half Marathon: It seems like a long time since I ran in a half marathon race (even if we are doing those distances and then some, most weekends) On Sunday, Gav and I travelled to picturesque Perthshire for the Auchterarder Half Marathon, part of their weekend running festival. The plan had 13 miles scheduled, so it was perfect timing and would make a nice wee change from laps of Scotland’s newest (ancient) city. It’s a class wee race and I’ll be back again next year all going well. A field of about 250 runners, about 100 of whom were doing the ‘double dare’ with the 10k on Saturday and the half on Sunday, really well organised with friendly marshals all of the way along the route. I’d heard about the ‘profile’ of the route (but didnt look at it before the race) and Gav pointed out on the drive up that it looked like a fair bit of climbing after half-way. We’d agreed that this was definitely a training run, nothing crazy, just go out and enjoy it and we stuck to that…for at least 10 miles. First six miles was a really gentle downhill, felt really comfortable but we knew that what goes down, has to come back up and I was bracing myself for the climbs…but they were actually fine. A few of them were short and steep but you could always see the end of them, so just needed to get the arms driving for a bit and up we went. We got running alongside Rhona from the Perth Road Runners and got chatting – and that always helps take your mind off the hills. By about 10 miles, we knew we had a couple of miles of gradual uphill towards the finish but we could get under 2 hours if we upped the pace a bit….so we did (Gav and I blame each other for this idea). We were moving through the field and it’s great for the confidence to find a change of gear that late in a race. With a fairly generous downhill bit on the last mile, we clocked our fastest mile of the race, finishing in 1:58:26

Treating myself to the ‘good stuff’ post race…still no chocolate milk sponsor! 😦

I’m a big fan of the brilliant Young Hearts Run Free podcast so it was great to meet presenters John and Steven who were both part of the (excellent) race crew – John kindly added Big Country’s ‘In A Big Country’ to the pre-race playlist at my request, helping put that wee spring in my step. We also got chatting to Scotland’s legendary amateur weatherman, Windy Wilson, who is also heading for Chicago (Windy in the Windy City – perfect!) to take part in his fourth of the big six marathons. The long-range forecast (not Windy’s) for October has Chicago cloudy and 15 degrees (ish) for race day – which would be perfect, but I’m not going to get hung up on the weather. I’ve ran in Chicago on warm days, rainy days and bitterly baltic days so I’m looking forward to it come rain, hail or shine (well, Cologne type weather would actually be brutal, so none of that).

So it’s just a really long blog post with bold paragraph headings isn’t it? Aye, sorry about that! Less than four weeks to go, the chicken legs are holding up but have their moments. One more ‘long’ long run this week and then it eases off. At this stage, I’m listening to my legs, trying to stick to the plan, but not beholden to it if I think I need a day or two off between now and October 9^th!

Cheers to everyone for your continued support, you’re all stars.

The Tin Man’s Loch Leven adventures

July 21, 2022 / Steven Birrell / Leave a comment

In the last few weeks I’ve jokingly referred to myself as the Tin Man as I creak and crunch along the road of this marathon adventure. After my 15 miler (my longest run since the ‘accidental marathon’) I was feeling a bit like Metal Mickey (one for kids of a certain age) and more in need of a pint of WD40 than a litre of chocolate milk.

A few weeks ago, I cramped up towards the end of my swim but loosened it off and thought no more about it. I woke up the next morning with my calf was in bits and feeling really sore. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was struggling to get up the stairs, I would’ve laughed at the irony of getting injured during the session that is supposed to have the least impact on your body. I had a 6 mile run scheduled in the plan but as the day went on I decided there was no way I should be going anywhere on it, even at an easy pace. So I took a few days off and foam rollered it to within an inch of its life to get myself ready for the first ‘half marathon’ long run of the training block. A timely note from charity noted that this is the point in the plan where runners are prone to picking up injuries. Having ignored the signs from my body loads of times before, a rare fleeting moment of common sense kicked in and I gave myself that extra recovery day.

My two most recent long runs have been on the trails around Loch Leven. As far as training grounds go, it’s definitely one my favourites. A near 12 mile trail around the Loch, passing little beaches, lavender fields, the nature reserve, the Castle (the story of Mary Queen of Scots being imprisoned on the island and escaping is one of the few things I remember from High School history) and a fair bit of woodland, as well as being surrounded by the hills that I used to enjoy running and climbing – and hopefully I can get back to that again soon. The scenery definitely helps the miles pass a bit quicker, although the heat these last few weeks has definitely tried to play a part in making the miles feel harder! Many of my fellow Team RMHC team mates have said they are jealous of the views from my runs but then they show me photos of Chicago and the jealousy is quickly reciprocated!

Mike and Lesley joined me for the half marathon and then last Saturday I added a few more miles and did a 15 mile solo session, starting and finishing at Kinross High School (the finish line for the Loch Leven half marathon, a magic wee race that I’d recommend to anyone). The half was great, really enjoyed the company and the laughs going round. I’d worn compression socks as a bit of a comfort blanket for the calf but in the end it gave me no trouble and we got out early enough to miss the ‘worse’ of the sun (or the best, depending on whether or not you’re running or sunbathing). I celebrated with chocolate milk – still no sponsor – and a trip to Hunter’s of Kinross, the local butchers that make amazing pies. I’m a runner that does a half marathon and then eats and recovers like they’ve just run an ultra!

While I was looking forward to the 15 miles, I was also a wee bit anxious about it too. I think I’m going to feel like that for all of my long runs between now and October, especially when I make the step up in miles. Not anxious in terms of whether or not I can do it – I’m confident I’ve got the tank for it – but there’s still a wee voice at the back of my head asking if my body can sustain the training and the impact it’s having. It’s quite a strange feeling because this is also the first time in a long time, maybe since I was in Chicago in 2019, that I feel like a runner again – as opposed to someone who occasionally runs. Running feels like a positive influence on my life again. There’s definition and tone in parts of my body that haven’t had definition and tone for quite some time. Sadly, there are other parts that remain toneless and probably will for the foreseeable but the weight is heading in the right direction, even if the preferred vest for race day remains a bit ‘snug’. And I’ve managed to get back into that state of mind when I’m out running where I can either use the time to completely clear the head of everything or it can become a productive time to think; coming up with ideas, getting myself organised…and occasionally a few ideas for this blog will pop into my head that I hopefully remember later on. It’s a really nice choice to have and there’s a time and a place for both.

But then there’s that wee voice…(there’s always a ‘but’ even though my mum taught me never to start sentences with But…sorry mum). I know this is common for marathoners, but every wee ache or pain or bit of tightness or tenderness is suddenly exaggerated ten-fold. I’m even waking up with new wee pains or feeling new aches on rest days. Those parts of my legs that I said I wouldn’t talk about are still letting me know they really don’t like this running lark – the left one especially (you’re supposed to be the good one and I’ve now decided you are the naughty one). Sometimes they will let me know early doors and then give me a break later on whereas other times, they lull me into a false sense of security, we get miles into the run and then boom, remember us!!! I was listening to the Young Hearts Run Free podcast last night where a runner was talking about ‘learning to suffer’. He was talking about suffering during races, but I think I’ve just started my learning for Chicago a bit early.

I went off on a wee bit of detour there and probably shared more about the inner workings of my head than I was planning to…so back to the 15 miler. Like the half the week before, I paced it really well. Looking through all the splits there’s a consistency there, a relatively gentle first few miles to warm up, start feeling comfortable three or four miles in and then settling in to a consistent rhythm and form, trying not to sink into the hips the further into the run I go. I’m taking gels and two wee bottles of water with me on the long runs now and I planted a sports drink along the route behind a tree, hoping that a dog wouldn’t come along and pee on it before I got there. At thirteen miles in, I felt great…but at fourteen miles as I made my way back to the school, I felt burst – it was like flicking a switch. I started feeling some twinges in my lower back that impacted my breathing for a little bit, but it didn’t last too long. It was however, a reminder that it’s not just your legs you need to worry about during the longer runs and indeed the race itself. I have tried to work hard on my form, trying to be efficient, strong and consistent and I definitely feel that there’s been improvements. One of my running pals who is a physio commented favorably on my form the other week but as another in our group less generously pointed out, I’m probably just the best of a bad bunch. 😊

I’m finishing this post during a relatively ‘easy’ week 8, a few 5 mile runs and a 5 mile interval session but even with Scotland avoiding the worst of the heatwave (and it really is the worst, there’s nothing remotely positive about record highs) those runs on Monday and Tuesday were hard going. Tonight was supposed to be a 5m tempo, but I was really sluggish, lethargic and quite frankly fed up when I started and plodded the first two miles before getting a bit of second wind. I made the turn for home, committed to upping and sustaining the pace and felt strong all the way back. From two 9.50 ish miles to start to finishing with a 8.08 4^th mile then a 7.33 5^th mile! Delighted with that.

Tomorrow I head up to one of my favourite places in Scotland, Killin, for a few days. Mostly to spend a bit time with my pals, recharge and have a laugh but there’s also a small matter of a 16 mile long run on Saturday morning. As tempting as it is to do an out and back route given the stunning scenery along Glen Ogle, I’ve plotted an 8 mile route in and out of the village to do 2 loops. A loop course allows me to place a few drinks on the route and again hope that dogs don’t spot them when out for their morning walk.

Finally, I’m not going to spam everyone with loads of sponsor requests, support comes in many forms, not just financial and I appreciate all of it. But someone did point out to me that the panel with my sponsorship link only appears in the desktop version of the blog not the mobile (thank you for the feedback). So if anyone is interested and able to sponsor me, you can do so over here http://support.rmhc.org/goto/birrell and there’s still some spaces left on my wee grid to become an official mile sponsor for Team Chicken Legs!

Have a good weekend when you get there!

Week Three in Warsaw

June 22, 2022 / Steven Birrell / Leave a comment

Dzień dobry from Warsaw (well, I’m back home now, but I did start thinking about this blog post and scribbling when I was out there, so it still counts).

I’m fortunate that I get to do a little bit of travelling with my work and having spent the last few years in my little studio at home, it’s been great to get back out and spend time with colleagues in person. I find it quite energizing and it’s just as well that I do because last week I needed all the energy I could get for week 3 of training, including the longest, long run so far. It was my first trip to Warsaw and like Madrid a few weeks ago, I’m hoping it won’t be my last. I was working Wednesday through until Friday lunchtime (we get Friday afternoons off during the summer – ‘Summer Fridays’ are the best!) and then I decided to stay on for a bit sightseeing, coming back early (very early) on Sunday morning.

I had to move some of the training sessions around a bit with Wednesday effectively being a ‘rest day’ due to the travelling and work but as you’ll see, I think I more than made up for it! According to my plan, I had a 5 mile easy run to do on Thursday so got out nice and early for a route that took in the beautiful Saxon Gardens (the oldest public park in the city), down towards the towering (and polarising) Palace of Culture and Science and then back along to the gorgeous Old Town where I was staying…and straight into an amazing steam room and swimming pool that was a wee bit different to what I’m used to at my local leisure centre. My room had a balcony within a courtyard which was not only great to work from, it was perfect for washing and drying out my running gear…although it slightly lowered the tone of the neighbourhood. Hey, you can take the boy out of Fife…

Fridays are rest days and a bit of time to recover before Saturday’s 9 miler would’ve made a lot of sense. Dear reader, I must confess…I did not rest. From the Castle in the Old Town you can see across the river towards the stunning Stadion Narodowy and I’m a big fan of stadiums…I like them more than rest days. So up early again, and like Madrid, the streets of the Old Town that were bustling the previous evening, were pretty much empty and I had the place to myself as I made my way down to the Vistula River. The stadium is built on a platform that makes it visible for miles around, but at mid-level there’s a massive concourse that is exactly 1km loop – it’s even marked out for cyclists, runners and skaters (and there was plenty of all three). So a quick loop, few photos and then back across the bridge and along the Vistula which has cycle paths and pedestrian lanes all the way along it back to the Old Town. Stunning run on a stunning morning and even at 7am it was hot. So OF COURSE, I had to cool down in that pool again and then go for a nice (big) breakfast.

After finishing up work at lunchtime I checked out of the amazing hotel with their equally amazing Spa and made my way to a more modest abode for the next two nights, well positioned not far from the Palace of Culture and Science with a straight road down towards the stadium (yes, I’d go there again…two more times) and the parkrun that I’d be doing the next day. That was essentially the start of a day of walking. I walked everywhere. Down to the Łazienki Royal Park (Warsaw’s biggest park and yes, I’ll use the word stunning once more), around the outside of the Legia Warsaw stadium, trips into the Old Town for a wander round Saxon Park (and to look longingly through the windows of the old hotel) into the market square for dinner and then a nice walk back to the Spa less, but very comfortable new hotel. As I look at the Apple Watch entry for Friday it tells me I did 43,776 steps and covered 34.8km. A relaxing, easy ‘rest day’…

Saturday morning I wake up early with a rare, sensible thought to fuel and hydrate before heading out. Bananas, Haribo bears, a Mars bar and some water later and I’m walking back down toward the Nardowy which is a stone’s throw from the Park Skaryszewski, the location of the city’s 1^st parkrun, Warszawa-Praga. It’s certainly the first time I’ve ever walked to parkrun past a nightclub that was still in full flow at 8am and I felt for the neighbours living upstairs from the clearly non-soundproofed venue. In hindsight, as nice as the walk was, I’m not sure I needed a 2 mile warm up in that heat, especially when I discovered the bus later in the day and it cost me the grand sum of 40p! I said hello and got my photo with the lovely volunteer team and spoke to a few fellow tourists from South Africa and Ireland. I’m not saying anything revelatory here, but the social side of parkrun is brilliant, you rock up to a park as a complete stranger and within a few minutes you get chatting to other runners. I ended up running with Ronan who was on holiday and we had a good blether about marathons and training as we ran round and I soaked up all the advice I could. I probably ran a bit quicker than I was intending (25.31) and it caught up with me later in the run, but I enjoy parkrun far more when I’m running with someone. A flat, potentially fast route of two and half loops with a nice long straight to finish…along with a wee bit of madeira cake to top up the fuel.

Waving goodbye to the team and runners in Skaryszewski park, another loop of the stadium (I’d go back later in the day for the full tour) and then south along the Vistula towards the Legia stadium that sits on the edge of the park. The heat along the river was brutal and I had to call on an emergency handful of congealed Haribo bears. Once in the park, the tree cover made it a bit easier although looking at the mile splits you can see me started to fade from 5 onwards. It certainly wasn’t conversational pace by the end so I know I’ll need to pace the longer runs better and I might need to stop trying to combine a parkrun into them, but I’ll see how it goes. There was a track beside the Legia sports centre, so a lap of that was added in, before taking in some of the landmarks of the park including the Chopin statue and finishing in the neighbouring Ujazdowski park to make sure Strava didn’t trick me out of my nine miles with an 8.9!

Devastated to find that the ice cream kiosk that I’ve strategically finished at is still not open, so headed to a shop where I bought about 5 litres of drinks to keep me company on the 2 mile walk back to the hotel. So 13 miles in the bank…before doing even more walking and sightseeing for the rest of the day. As I climbed into my bed on Saturday night ahead of a 3am alarm call, my watch told me we’d clocked up 49,596 and a ridiculous 42.3km…so there’s potentially a marathon in these chicken legs! Sunday? Sunday was definitely a rest day.

Are you still here? Wow, you deserve a medal for getting through this one, thanks for sticking with me! The patella straps for the knees are definitely working. It might be placebo, it might be a ‘comfort blanket’, but they feel…better. There’s still discomfort but they seem to give me a bit more support and reassurance, so we will stick with them. Week 4 includes my first race in a few years, the Milnathort Dash. It’s a great race organised by a local club and has an amazing post race buffet that usually includes some home baking. The route, especially in the heat, is a toughie, big uphill start (where they have a prize for the King and Queen of the Hill) and challenging first half, then an easier downhill second half. I have no plans to race it but I will try to run at a tempo a bit quicker than training runs (the plan fits perfectly, as a 5m tempo is included this week)…and I’ll try not to eat too much at the buffet. But I like buffets even more than I like stadiums, so no promises 😊