ark loyal

So a team is going to win the Scottish cup first the first time in their history this year...

I made it out to Victoria Parkrun this morning too. First Parkrun this year, got round in 19:56 which is about 20s outside my PB, but as you said that was over the slightly longer course (though it still measures short of the 5k by my watch!) and it also involved a quick pit stop on lap 3 to retie a shoelace that had worked its way loose. Overall I'm reasonably happy with that. I've been concentrating more on upping my mileage than pace since the last time I ran a 5k, thankfully the knee problem I suffered with at Alloa seems to have all but disappeared and stood up well to the first test at pace today. The plan is to test it with some serious distance tomorrow and if it holds up to that I'll only have lost a week off my Edinburgh training plan.

I had a bit of a shocker too. Got round in 1:45 (I had hoped to push 1:35). I picked up a knee knock at fives a couple of weeks back and it flared up pretty badly towards the end of a 20 miler last weekend and it's been bothering me ever since. I'll have to get reacquainted with my foam roller and take it easy over the next week and hope it clears up quickly enough not to effect my training for Edinburgh too much. Great event though and a perfect day for it.

I done the Strathaven Striders Run with the Wind half Marathon this morning. Testing course and conditions, the best part of the first 6 miles being a fairly steady climb into a pretty stiff breeze and reasonably exposed throughout. Think I just sneaked under 1:42 so just a few minutes off my best and I ran most of it around my target marathon pace before opening up a bit towards the end and feel like there was a bit more left in the tank at the end. Alloa up next for me so I'll hopefully take a bit off my PB there.

I use a garmin HRM-run. I don't think there's much difference between it and the premium strap other than the metrics it gives. I barley notice it's there. I had a polar before which rubbed a little and gave my a bit of irritation after long runs but the straps were fairly similar. The HRM-run won't give you the running dynamics through your device and to be honest the only one it can other than HR that's of any use is the cadence which I think your watch will give anyway. You could probably go into a running store an have a look at what they have and see what's feels most comfortable.

It's one I always recommend. They've just put out their most popular stories in the last few episodes so a good time for anyone interested to see how they like it.

https://www.facebook.com/Today-on-things-that-never-happened-553645944785035/

Its basically 3 or 4 real life stories with a link to whatever the given topic of the show is. This week was about propaganda and included a story on the Colombian government using an advertising agency to encourage FARC members to disarm, a school musical, twitter users unwittingly being used for propaganda and how the Chinese government dealt with Tianamen square.

This American life and Radiolab are probably my favorites at the moments. The stuff podcasts (how stuff works, stuff they don't want you to know, techstuff etc.) are good too depending on the subject matter. As is Caustic soda. Marc Maron, Richard Herring and Scroobious Pip can be worth a listen depending on the guest. Mystery hour, No such thing as a fish and Answer me this are usually worth a listen too. All the football stuffs been covered pretty recently on here. The world football phone in stands out for me as far as they're concerned.

My numbers are a bit funny. For some reason strava counts any hikes I've uploaded towards my running totals while ignoring any milage covered for games of fives I upload from my vivofit. I have; Distance - 1078 miles Time - 158hr 43mins Elevation - 49,029ft (probably minus about 25 to 30,000ft of hiking) Runs - 234 Fair play to all the Marcothoners. I've really struggled for motivation to get out recently. I went under the 20 minute barrier at parkrun in the middle of November and decided to have a couple weeks rest which has more or less turned into a month aside from the odd run here and there. The weather hasn't helped much. I'll probably just coast to the end of the year now before the serious marathon training starts in the new year. Doing the great winter run in Edinburgh in January so I'll probably get a fright there!

https://www.facebook.com/events/515805371915311/

Planning on doing the loch Katrine half too. Done the 10k this year. Really limited spaces and generally sells out the day it opens so keep an eye out for that. Should be between Xmas an new year.

I've seen that Yasso 800s are good for training for a marathon and can help predict your goal time. That you should be capable of runing 10x repeats of 800m in as many minutes and seconds of that of your goal time in hours and minutes (ie. marathon goal time of 3hr 30 min = running each 800 in 3mins 30 seconds). With 400m recoveries in between. Anyone put that into practice?

1:37:48 for me at the GSR half today. 30 seconds off taking 10 minutes of last years time which was my target. Can't complain about that. Now targeting a sub 20 5k by the end of the year before the training begins for the Edinburgh Marathon next year.

A no for me too. Edinburgh was always my backup so that'll be my first marathon. Looks like a pretty quick course too.

We done the very same thing at the weekend!

I was up that neck of the woods on Saturday. Done Ben Oss and Dubhchraig. Boggy going. Looks like you choose the right day. The wind forecast had made me go for the Saturday as its forecast seemed like it would be ok. Unfortunately though it was well wide of the mark and the summits were in cloud all day and we got a couple of soakings. Did you go up from Dalrigh? I done Garbh Bheinn above Kinlochleven a couple of weeks ago and it was a great wee hill probably much overlooked due to its more popular neighbors but one of the most enjoyable I've done this year.

I've not done it, but I thought there was a Munro at either end which can be bagged individually in order to aviod the trickier sections of the ridge. I've not managed to get out much this year as I'm a very fair-weather walker. Done Narnain and Ime via A'Chrois and the 5 sisters of Kintail. Heading up to Ballachulish for the next couple of days but the weathers looking pretty grim. Might get the chance for a shorter walk though.

They've just posted on facebook that the 10k will start at 09:45 and the hm at 11:30.

The HM was off at 11 last year. Think the 10k was an hour before it.

Done the mens 10k in Glasgow today. Provisional time of 44:09. I ran Balfron at the end of May in 44:15 over what was probably a tougher course, but I'm happy because I've really struggled with training since then and I was alot more comfortable today (running -ve splits) and last time out I felt like I was about to crash out. My watch measured todays course a tenth of a mile long (strava says i ran 10k in 42:53) and talking to other runners they had the same results. Will probably sign up for the HM at the great Scottish run and find a 10k somewhere between now and then to keep things ticking over.

I actually do a bit of yoga. It's quite relaxing so I tend not to get as pissed off and bored with it in the house. I swim a lot and find it benefits that as there's a few good posed that help to open up the back, shoulders and chest. It's very useful for running too, particularly for recovery although often routines will have planks and stuff to improve strength. Loads of videos on you tube geared for runners.

I find strength work incredibly tedious and boring therefore never manage to stick to doing it with and kind of regularity. So I'm thinking of maybe signing up for a class a the gym to help motivate me a bit for it. Anyone got any advice on which classes might be best for runners? I'm thinking probably body conditioning, kettlebells or pilates.