3rd Oct
After many's a year of weekday birthdays, my 58th finally landed on a Saturday, Hurray! It was also one of the wettest days of the year, Booo! The dismal forecast had been totally accurate and unswerving with its message of doom several days in advance, so I'd had a while to brace myself for this and meet it head on. There was no point in planning something pretty or scenic. And there were only a couple of days left to do Roly's Arthur Seat challenge, so I decided to give that another bash. A few months ago Roly came up with a half/marathon challenge. 4 laps of Holyrood Park's undulating road makes a half marathon, 8 a marathon, (give or take.) He invited runners to post their times. Either direction or both. As many times as you like.
After many's a year of weekday birthdays, my 58th finally landed on a Saturday, Hurray! It was also one of the wettest days of the year, Booo! The dismal forecast had been totally accurate and unswerving with its message of doom several days in advance, so I'd had a while to brace myself for this and meet it head on. There was no point in planning something pretty or scenic. And there were only a couple of days left to do Roly's Arthur Seat challenge, so I decided to give that another bash. A few months ago Roly came up with a half/marathon challenge. 4 laps of Holyrood Park's undulating road makes a half marathon, 8 a marathon, (give or take.) He invited runners to post their times. Either direction or both. As many times as you like.
and they're off
About May I did one lap at maximum. It took 22 minutes and I nearly had to catch a taxi home such was the damage done. I was none too impressed having done a 19minute lap long ago in the mists of time. It took a while to get the courage up to face the humiliation of attempting 4 laps. For anyone not familiar, the Queen's Drive is super hilly and 4 laps is likely to add 5 minutes or more to a flat half marathon time.
Mid-June Nick, Mary and I had done the half distance one drizzly weekend and it wasn't quite as bad as I had worried it would be. It helped to have Nick alongside for the first 2.5 laps and he pulled ahead for the rest while I coasted in for a 1.34. Mary had been doing reverse laps so we had waved hello as we passed. Mary did the same this time - doing 3 laps to my 4. We saw each other just under 2 times per lap though as my brainpower crashed due to effort I was never quite sure when to anticipate seeing her next. We both carried waterproof cameras (it lashed down the whole way) but with the light so utterly crap very few of the photos are worth posting. It was fun to gasp hello each lap. Mary wasn't racing so was under less pressure to burst herself.
I had forgotten to start my stop watch when I started my suunto, so was unaware of my time for the first lap until much later. I would have been gobsmacked to realise it was a few seconds under 22mins, so faster than that single lap back in May which nearly killed me. Obviously the training I'd been doing with PRC and alone had tangibly improved my fitness. Due to the hills both up and down you never really have a sense of how things are going until you know your pace for a whole lap. I felt good for the first 2 laps and only started to flag during the third and fourth. I was slowing by around 30s+ each lap. First lap 22ish, then 22½, then 23 then 24. When I passed Dunsapie Loch on lap 4 I noticed a small happy crowd taking photos and realised the otter must be making an appearance. I passed Mary shortly after that and shouted to her the otter was at Dunsapie. It gave me a lift and I considered going back up to the Loch as a warm down. It took my mind off the torture I was now enduring, trying to belt down the hill to Dynamic Earth and the Parliament buildings and that barrier that marked the finish.
1.31½ which was 2½ mins quicker than last time in June. And in really poor conditions. I was happy with the improvement. Although it felt like an effort equal to the last time, my legs were absolutely trashed for 3 days after, which didn't happen in June. I think the cold rain chilled my quads which then took a hammering on the long hill down past the Commie Pool roundabout. I ran the next day but it did little to relieve the damaged quads and tight calfs.
And yes, I waited for Mary to appear and we traipsed back up to Dunsapie and took photos of the otter in the rain. We were both totally soaked through and it was not a great idea to stand about getting chilled. But nice to see how un-scared the otter was, poking its head out the water and taking a keen interest in all the funny humans standing in the rain.
1.31½ which was 2½ mins quicker than last time in June. And in really poor conditions. I was happy with the improvement. Although it felt like an effort equal to the last time, my legs were absolutely trashed for 3 days after, which didn't happen in June. I think the cold rain chilled my quads which then took a hammering on the long hill down past the Commie Pool roundabout. I ran the next day but it did little to relieve the damaged quads and tight calfs.
And yes, I waited for Mary to appear and we traipsed back up to Dunsapie and took photos of the otter in the rain. We were both totally soaked through and it was not a great idea to stand about getting chilled. But nice to see how un-scared the otter was, poking its head out the water and taking a keen interest in all the funny humans standing in the rain.
I was nearly hypothermic on the way home and had to go straight there and get in a hot shower rather than go with Mary via the shop for essentials. The shower worked magic and I was filled with a sense of hard work well done by the time I was drinking the birthday wine Mary had bought. All in all the best way to spend a grimly miserable wet birthday.
Roly made these excellent medals to mark the challenge.
How good are they?!!!
orange = fast descent, green = slow climb
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