Wednesday 14 April 2010

Looking forward to the Fling

Well not long to go now to the Highland Fling, a cracker of a race from Milngavie to Tyndrum. I'm going to try to beat my PB of 9:56 by as much as I can manage. Quite how much will, as ever in an ultra, depend partly on training so far (I'm feeling strong) and partly on the day (for how long can I push myself to continue at 09:30 pace or thereabouts?). Let's see. I'll employ the strategy of going out reasonably fast and trying not to slow down, and will be interested to see how my pace changes over the course of the race.

I've got a 10 mile hilly trail run today, a hill repeat session tomorrow, a 13 mile canal / trail run on Friday and an 8 mile 6:45 pace tempo run on Sunday left to do this week. I'll then taper next week with a speed session on Monday and a 7 mile trail run on Wednesday.

Woohoo, getting excited about stoating down this hill already!

12 comments:

"e Brutto" said...

Yeah, its a plan, push it out a bit hopefully with a touch of sun to spur you on.
As an added twist you could try working out your drifting maximum sustainable pulse rate and use that as an alarm, if you have that functionality or just use a mean figure from past runs or have a card with what your minimum pulse rate should be approaching each check point.

graeme reid said...

Best of luck Brian. Given that I'm starting an hour ahead of you (I'm an old guy!) and hoping to get close to 11 hours, we should be finishing around the same time. Race you to the line!

Marco Consani said...

Good luck Brian. See you in a week and a half. Looking forward to the fling and catching up with everyone.

Marco

John Kynaston said...

Have a great race Brian. Make sure you record your splits .... I'll be interested to see how we compare!

As I'm starting two hours before you I'm hoping not to see you on the course!! but look forward to catching up when you finish.

BTW ... that's an interesting taper you have planned for the next week.

"e Brutto" said...

Re: comment on my blog:
"'aight" (The Wire, Baltamore 'ese).
That is the wishful, over stretched family man talking me thinks.
That has already started in the US, far out suburbs have a differential decline rate to closer in housing - both are still declining though.
First symptom of a collapse it is not going to be a gentle turn to a more natural Physiocracy i.e. the entire system works of debt financed by ever increasing flow rates of energy i.e the last 200 + years.
Even switching to coal will not change the underlying economics as coal has a lower EROI ratio.

The outer parts of the irrigation system start to fail first...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physiocracy

http://www.eroei.com/eroei/evaluations/net-energy-list/

Doug

Next year at the Fling I think.

Thomas said...

Brian, you are in good shape and will have a great race. I will start an hour ahead of you with the older folks though.
See you in a week and a couple of days!

Silke said...

Good luck Brian! I will see you when you will overtake me somewhere along the route, probably between Rowardennan an Inversnaid. Silke

"e Brutto" said...

Highland Fling mentioned as requested by "Karen" ~17:33 on Radio 2.
Good luck, wear yourself out so I can keep up;¬)

"e Brutto" said...

Race report if you please!;¬)

"e Brutto" said...

Brian
A gibbering giant correction - connection to Cranfield is via a change at Newport, doh ;¬)

"e Brutto" said...

Remember that book I mentioned I was rereading.

Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson

http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=36510&pageno=33

"For some time after my retreat I rejoiced like a tempest-beaten
sailor at his entrance into the harbour, being delighted with the
sudden change of the noise and hurry of war to stillness and
repose. When the pleasure of novelty went away, I employed my
hours in examining the plants which grow in the valley, and the
minerals which I collected from the rocks. But that inquiry is now
grown tasteless and irksome. I have been for some time unsettled
and distracted: my mind is disturbed with a thousand perplexities
of doubt and vanities of imagination, which hourly prevail upon me,
because I have no opportunities of relaxation or diversion. I am
sometimes ashamed to think that I could not secure myself from vice
but by retiring from the exercise of virtue, and begin to suspect
that I was rather impelled by resentment than led by devotion into
solitude. My fancy riots in scenes of folly, and I lament that I
have lost so much, and have gained so little. In solitude, if I
escape the example of bad men, I want likewise the counsel and
conversation of the good. I have been long comparing the evils
with the advantages of society, and resolve to return into the
world to-morrow. The life of a solitary man will be certainly
miserable, but not certainly devout."

or in popular culture:
...the bright lights of Darrowby;¬)
Season 3, Episode 3: Every Dog His Day...
Original Air Date—12 January 1980
Mr. Biggins tells James about his cowhand, Ned Finch, who goes drinking every night and is drawn to the bright lights of the big city. All James ever sees is an amiable fellow having a quiet drink in his local pub.

"e Brutto" said...

Looking forward literally to to the Grand Union write up.
Woke up with a migraine (pressure change) sorted that out.
I think only a spouse would wait in the rain for perhaps an hour.
I estimated 17:14 - 18:45.
So I didn't, taking it easy feeling a bit fragile.
A bit like the day after a hangover.
Anyway crack on and have an epic run!