Fling recovery week

I had planned to do some work at my folks house for the first part of last week then to relocate to their caravan in Callander for the second part of the week and the bank holiday weekend. The idea was to continue working, but in more pleasant surroundings (a view of Ben Ledi out the caravan window), do a nice 8 mile recovery run along the banks of Loch Venachar in the Invertrossachs Estate then a run up a munro. However, a bloomin' cold started up and didn't disappear until the bank holiday Monday so I had to settle with only doing the 8 mile run. Boo. No munros for me and I'll be heading back dawwwn saarff to Milton Keynes shortly. Most disappointing. I might try to run up Meikle Bin in the campsies this evening instead as it isn't very far away and is a nice wee run.

Colds do have the most annoying habit of appearing just when you don't want them to. I don't get very many of them but when I do get them they always occur at awkward times, when I've planned some running. I can't help feel that my fitness diminishes for every planned day of running that I lose, even though I know this to be nonsense. Recovery helps just as much, but not for the 'have I trained enough?' anxieties.

I don't have access to Sport Tracks just now do can't do the stats bit for the 8 mile run but it went well. A bit sweaty, which I think was due to the cold but my legs felt fine after the Fling. A bit tight in my calves which I'll have stripped out when I see my physio next week.

Incidentally, Tim Downie has written an interesting blog on the potentially disastrous effects of having a mid-race massage. See here - http://whw08.blogspot.com/2008/05/musings-on-massage.html . I agree with his analysis of what happened to the runner - massage releasing toxins from muscles and causing renal failure. Not good.

Instead of running up a munro I had to go to the nearby Lade Inn Real Ale Shop and sample a range of tasty Scottish beers (ah it was a difficult choice) including ...

Harviestoun Old Engine Oil - very tasty, strong (> 6%) stout
Loch Fyne Highlander - very tasty malty ale
William Brothers Grozet - nice, chilled, citrusy golden beer with bogmyrtle and gooseberry!
Cairngorms Trade Winds - very nice golden ale
Cairngorms Black Gold - lovely stout
Brig O'Allan 80/- - quite nice 80/-
Atlas Latitude - lovely golden ale
Cairngorms Nessie - quite nice dark beer
Lade Inn Lade Out - lovely dark beer
Lade In Way Lade - lovely golden ale
Harviestoun Schiehallion - refreshing cold lagery beer for hot days

You might notice that I have few criticisms for beer. Its great. But out of the various ones I tried I must say the Loch Fyne and Cairngorms brewery beers were the best.