After Tom commenting on my projected time for the Highland Fling and looking at the times of runners whom I know to be faster than me from last Fling I've checked over the spreadsheet I knocked up from my WHWR times. And yes, I'd not summed up the right range of cells - the spreadsheet was wrong. I'll be lucky to do sub-10 running at 10 - 12 mins/ miles and definitely won't be anywhere near sub-9. Oh well ... I thought I was good for a second there ... ;-)
Reckon I'll be about 10:30 for the Fling including break times en route.
The Clay Way #FKT
4 months ago
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4 comments:
Brian, just looking at the 2007 splits of the WHWRace. You were placed quite well up to Kingshouse. What happened? Why did you not finish?
If you don't mind me asking.
Thomas
No problem asking at all. I had a minor hamstring tweak a few weeks before the race and didn't think anything of it. During the race I was running well but it got gradually stiffer and stiffer and sorer and sorer until descending into Kinlochleven I was in serious pain and unable to bend my leg more than a few degrees. Torn calf muscle. I have since been diagnosed with a substantially weaker right ham and glute which is why I got the tweak and why it basically resulted in my leg giving out. This is being sorted with physio treatment and strengthening exercises.
But I will be very risk averse during tapering this year - any injury can kill your chances. Making it to Kinlochleven in 20.5 hours is no guarantee of a finish!
Thanks Brian, I need to think about that. I do have weak hamstrings myself. I had a few physio treatments as well which were successful in the short term. I also have started strengthening exercises. I can run 42 miles and surely even more but 95 miles is a much more serious business.
Cheers,
Thomas
Yes, I agree. I can run 40 or 50 mile ultras fine, and I think you can get away with injuries over that kind of distance. But if you have any injury at all there's a very good chance it'll come out, probably disastrously so, over a 95 mile distance. My advice would be make sure you are injury free going into the race and have no underlying niggling problems.
I've had niggling problems with my right ham for years and it was having to drop out at 81 miles last year that made me really push the physio to diagnose and provide treatment. I am seeing the benefits in the gym where my right leg strength is now catching up with the left. All good!
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