Regroup, Replan, Re... oh f*** it
You know that saying: "Be stubborn about your goals, and flexible about your methods" .... Well here's my chance to put it to the test.
It's been mixed emotions this week. Having successfully managed Glasgow to Edinburgh in April, and Lairig Ghru in June, I thought it was about time I began some proper hill running. After all, I'd need some experience before I apply for the Everest Marathon next year to raise money for veteran's charity, HorseBack UK.
So I entered the Two Breweries Hill Race - an 18 mile Grade A hill race in the Scottish Borders. I brushed up on my map reading skills, did a test run with map and compass in the middle of nowhere, prepared everything well in advance, and thought (thought!) I'd trained well. I didn't even have any running injuries coming into this race! That never happens!
But it wasn't to be. Hill runners reading this will roll their eyes (and most likely glean a very slight hint of satisfaction) when reading the rest of this.
I was not ready for the severity of those hills! Like, at all. I had thought, very naively, I would be able to power up a section at a time, catch my breath and regroup on the downhills and the flats, and be ready for the next steep climb each time they came up. Think again, Shauney! The downhills were shockingly steep and took almost as much work to get down as they did to get up. As I slid down a good few meters of one on my arse, I considered just lying on my side, giving myself a shove and rolling at speed would be easier. And the flats? By the time I reached the top of Huddleshope Heights, where you could say it was a lot flatter, I could barely stay upright against the wind and rain. One checkpoint later, the marshals were lying down, peeking out of their hoods, probably willing me to move goddamn faster because they desperately wanted to go home! I reached 11 miles, soaked to my knickers even through waterproofs, something close to tinnitus in my ears, and hands frozen to the shape of the map case I was carrying. "Flip this for an idea" (or words to that effect) was all that was going through my head and I gratefully - if not gracefully - retired.
I wasn't alone, 18 of us retired from the race, but even without the terrible conditions I would have been hard pushed to make the cut off times for each checkpoint. Hats off to the runners who power through these races and manage them in shockingly fast times. If anything was going to show me my training had been poor at best, this did!
However, enough with the negatives, there are many positives to be taken from this god-awful experience! My map reading and navigational skills have improved no end, which is a miracle in itself for the girl who thought France was directly across from Scotland for long enough. And, despite vowing to never step foot on another hill again as I face-planted the heather and rocks for the third time, I quickly found myself eyeing up every hill the next day and murmuring threatening statements at them like "I'm gonna have you....". My will power has been increased ten fold! It's also shown me my approach to this whole thing is going to have to change. The Grade A hill races are not for throwing yourself into, as I've discovered, but that doesn't mean I can't get some hill experience! I'm heading up my first Munros soon (pictures to follow!), and with this and the race experience I've gathered so far, I'll chance my luck with an application into the Everest Marathon. If it doesn't happen in 2017, I'll just try again in 2019.... flexible methods are something this whole thing is teaching me right now, whether I like it or not...
It's been mixed emotions this week. Having successfully managed Glasgow to Edinburgh in April, and Lairig Ghru in June, I thought it was about time I began some proper hill running. After all, I'd need some experience before I apply for the Everest Marathon next year to raise money for veteran's charity, HorseBack UK.
So I entered the Two Breweries Hill Race - an 18 mile Grade A hill race in the Scottish Borders. I brushed up on my map reading skills, did a test run with map and compass in the middle of nowhere, prepared everything well in advance, and thought (thought!) I'd trained well. I didn't even have any running injuries coming into this race! That never happens!
But it wasn't to be. Hill runners reading this will roll their eyes (and most likely glean a very slight hint of satisfaction) when reading the rest of this.
I was not ready for the severity of those hills! Like, at all. I had thought, very naively, I would be able to power up a section at a time, catch my breath and regroup on the downhills and the flats, and be ready for the next steep climb each time they came up. Think again, Shauney! The downhills were shockingly steep and took almost as much work to get down as they did to get up. As I slid down a good few meters of one on my arse, I considered just lying on my side, giving myself a shove and rolling at speed would be easier. And the flats? By the time I reached the top of Huddleshope Heights, where you could say it was a lot flatter, I could barely stay upright against the wind and rain. One checkpoint later, the marshals were lying down, peeking out of their hoods, probably willing me to move goddamn faster because they desperately wanted to go home! I reached 11 miles, soaked to my knickers even through waterproofs, something close to tinnitus in my ears, and hands frozen to the shape of the map case I was carrying. "Flip this for an idea" (or words to that effect) was all that was going through my head and I gratefully - if not gracefully - retired.
I wasn't alone, 18 of us retired from the race, but even without the terrible conditions I would have been hard pushed to make the cut off times for each checkpoint. Hats off to the runners who power through these races and manage them in shockingly fast times. If anything was going to show me my training had been poor at best, this did!
However, enough with the negatives, there are many positives to be taken from this god-awful experience! My map reading and navigational skills have improved no end, which is a miracle in itself for the girl who thought France was directly across from Scotland for long enough. And, despite vowing to never step foot on another hill again as I face-planted the heather and rocks for the third time, I quickly found myself eyeing up every hill the next day and murmuring threatening statements at them like "I'm gonna have you....". My will power has been increased ten fold! It's also shown me my approach to this whole thing is going to have to change. The Grade A hill races are not for throwing yourself into, as I've discovered, but that doesn't mean I can't get some hill experience! I'm heading up my first Munros soon (pictures to follow!), and with this and the race experience I've gathered so far, I'll chance my luck with an application into the Everest Marathon. If it doesn't happen in 2017, I'll just try again in 2019.... flexible methods are something this whole thing is teaching me right now, whether I like it or not...
Go Shauney !!! You'll get there, don't give up :)
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