24/2/09 – Bishopbriggs

Distance: 8.37km/ 5.20miles
Altitude: 76m/ 250ft
Temp: 8°C/ 46°F
Weather: Bright

Today I finally opt to revisit a training run I used to use occasionally (I only ran occasionally in those days) as a student. It takes me down to the canal and east to Cadder on the north towpath, then turns past Cadder church along a short access road, onto a footpath past Cadder Golf Club and onto the banks of the Kelvin River. A small footbridge crosses the river and the path takes a long straight route between fields, ending in the village of Balmore. The return is only varied by running on the south bank of the canal, but the route is still pleasantly rural and off road while the paths are in good condition.

23/2/09 – Glasgow Green

Distance: 8.08km/ 5.02miles
Altitude: 6m/ 20ft
Temp: 10°C/ 50°F
Weather: Mild

A pleasant night for a hash run, and a good venue in the spectacular Templeton Building (pictured) on Glasgow Green (a riverside park).



We begin by running down to the pedestrian river bridge but trail actually heads east along the river. Several checks keep us guessing but basically we follow the river until we reach Shawfield Drive where we do cross, running past Shawfield Stadium (greyhound racing), turning right into the Gorbals and crossing Rutherglen Road to follow several steets whose houses have recently been demolished (shades of the Glasgow of my youth).

Trail continues into the thoroughly redeveloped and gentrified Hutchesontown (I'd have been running fast here in the 80s!) and we zig-zag around the flats, coming out at Albert Bridge to cross back to the north side of the Clyde. From here we cut back onto Glasgow Green for the run in to West brewery and Bar. All in all a great night to run and a fine trail.

22/2/09 - Kirkintilloch

Distance: 13.71km/ 8.52miles
Altitude: 62m/ 206ft
Temp: 9°C/ 48°F
Weather: Bright and breezy

A bright and sometimes sunny day for my first Scottish race since slogging around the school cross-country course in the early 80's (I was not much of a runner then), but the cold wind will not be fun in our faces. The course crisscrosses a series of ridges on small roads SE of the town so there is almost no flat ground (the organizer mentions that several runners reckon this the toughest course for a Scottish road race... but he mentions this after we run), just 12 hills to get up and down. The headwind is also tough as we run west from 2.5-6km, but we get some help on the eastbound return. I keep quite an even pace, though a number of runners pass me on the ups as the miles go by (more hill training needed I guess) and towards the end I find myself just ahead of the first woman runner. This spurs me on for the final 2km into the wind and a final downhill for 500m allows us all to finish looking good.

Overall I feel pretty good and happy with a time of 52:20 (25th of 179 in a field with many good club runners from the West of Scotland). The start is 1.2 km from the parking so I enjoy a nice gentle warmdown jog back to the car.

21/2/09 - Bishopbriggs

Distance: 9.24km/ 5.74miles
Altitude: 76m/ 250ft
Temp: 8°C/ 46°F
Weather: Overcast and mild

Another run to look at former haunts, with the intention to go easy as I'm racing tomorrow. I start down around Westfields (I can just about remember when this was fields but the houses look old now!) and past the Leisuredrome. Today I take the south towpath of the canal west and see that an area of scrub and woodland on Bishopbriggs Golf Course land where I spent many of my pre-teen days has been obliterated to extend the course. The best feature here was a “burning bing”, a slag heap where the pressure of the waste material led to a slow burn deep inside: dig into it and the hole was hot which is very cool when you are 9 or 10. Sadly it was razed years ago.

Again I continue to the power lines, past some fishermen settling down for the day with a good fire going, and return back to the Leisuredrome, over the road and continue on the towpath to Cadder. I return via the usual boring run on Kirkintilloch Road and am surprised to find I ran over 9km.

20/2/09 - Dingwall

Distance: 5.41km/ 3.36miles
Altitude: 2m/ 6ft
Temp: 6°C/ 43°F
Weather: Dreich (dull and drizzly for the non Scots)

I have a short time to run from our friend Stewart's house before driving over to look at potential jobs, and the location is excellent. However the weather is distinctly Scottish!. A trail leads down to the Cromarty Firth and south along the coast (beach would glorify the mud flats a bit) towards the village of Pitglassie. Another track cuts over the railway back to the main Inverness road and I return north into the town with a last stretch down the attractive main street.

18/2/09 - Dufftown: 6 distilleries and a castle

Distance: 7.85km/ 4.88miles
Altitude: 252m/ 818ft
Temp: 7°C/ 45°F
Weather: overcast, mild

We stop for a night in our northern travels in Dufftown, the self styled capital of the whisky industry. True to this designation my run takes me down past the Glenfiddich Distillery, doubling back at the edge of town close to Balvenie, then back past Balvenie Castle with Parkmore Distillery on the left. A right along the River Fiddich brings me past Glendullan and Mortlach before I double back into town at Dufftown Distillery. On a second shorter loop I take a dirt footpath up the hill past the castle and over through some woods (where I run back and forth trying to keep to an unmarked trail) before dropping back into the town.

Glenfiddich Distillery

Balvenie Castle

Dufftown Distillery

16/2/09 – Two runs

Bishopbriggs
Distance: 3.96km/ 2.46miles
Altitude: 76m/ 250ft
Temp: 6°C/ 43°F
Weather: Overcast

A short run to pick up our new car over past Auchinairn. Singularly uneventful

Glasgow (Hyndland)
Distance: 6.3km/ 3.9miles
Altitude: 5m/ 16ft
Temp: 7°C/ 45°F
Weather: night, mild

Our first hash run since returning to the UK and it does not disappoint. We begin just down the road from Tim's alma mater Glasgow University, at the Lismore bar on Dumbarton road. The run begins by taking us down to the river walk before zig-zagging up through residential areas of the west end, passing through Hyndland Station, crossing a couple of small parks and bringing us back down the hill to the bar.

14/2/09 - Bishopbriggs

Distance: 13.93km/ 8.66miles
Altitude: 76m/ 250ft
Temp: 5°C/ 41°F
Weather: overcast, damp

Today the legs are feeling the effects of the recent increase in mileage so I decide to see how I feel as I go along. The start is delayed by watching a dull and error strewn first half of the France vs Scotland Rugby international, prompting me to avoid the second half. Once on the road I head past the local rugby club to see if they are playing (no, maybe the scheduled game was called off due to the recent cold, or the desire to see the game on the TV) before getting lost for a while in a maze of streets behind the ground and finally escaping to the main road. From here I run out of town towards the neighbouring village of Torrance, picking up the canal part way for a run back along the towpath.

Feeling good I continue for a while past my turn for home at the Leisure Centre (now the Leisuredrome) on the towpath, can't ever remember being on this side of the canal before. The area to my north used to be the town landfill, but with it now capped this is probably a better route than it used to be! Overhead electric cables allow me to turn while being able to identify where I am on a map and the final run home takes in a new set of streets near my boyhood home.

13/2/09 - Bishopbriggs

Distance: 10.92km/ 6.79miles
Altitude: 76m/ 250ft
Temp: 5°C/ 41°F
Weather: overcast, slushy

Today's route is designed to take a look at a car we are buying, running through the centre of Bishopbriggs, over a hill to Auchinairn and along a long straight road to the easternmost part of Bishopbriggs, an area which was all fields when I last lived here. The return brought me past the building site that will be the new Bishopbriggs Academy (successor to the High School I attended) and home past another selection of the suburban streets where I grew up.

12/2/09 - Bishopbriggs

Distance: 8.15km/ 5.06miles
Altitude: 76m/ 250 feet
Temp: 5°C/ 41°F
Weather: Overcast and drizzle

Having survived an overnight flight from the US via Dublin I took the chance to run for the first time in over 20 years in my home town of Bishopbriggs. Surprisingly there was more snow (or at least slush) around here than when we left the US and not every pavement had been cleared, but generally progress was much easier than around Endwell even with wetter feet. I also had to sign on with a doctor so first stop was the surgery in the middle of Bishopbriggs before I meandered around a series of familiar streets out to Cadder where I could pick up the old canal towpath for a while before a final stretch through residential streets.

Felt pretty good in the cool damp weather, and despite forgetting the I-pod I could take my mind off the distance by checking out old haunts. Left achilles is still grumbling, but otherwise I'm fit.

11/2/09 – Wilton CT

Distance: 5.05miles/ 8.13km
Altitude: 335 feet/ 102m
Temp: 61°F/ 16°C
Weather: sunny

A glorious day for New England in the winter with warmth and sun. There is little ice left underfoot but the roads are pretty wet. Again to avoid the narrow roads in the area I repeat my last route here, running the 1.2 mile semicircle on the side roads around our friends' house out and back a couple of times.

8/2/09 – Skaneateles NY

Distance: 2.93miles/ 4.72km
Altitude: 884 feet/ 270m
Temp: 30°F/ -1°C
Weather: clear

I take the chance for a short run around dusk while we are spending a night with friends at a nice spa on the edge of this pretty New York town. The other option was an upmarket hot-tub so I think I'm showing dedication. Conditions are not ideal as the sidewalks are not well cleared other than on the main street right in town so I run east through town and a little way beyond, then double back with an extra loop through a cemetery with cleared roads.

Nice views of sunset colors over the frozen Skaneateles Lake, but I am not tempted to jog on the ice despite seeing an ice fisherman a short distance away and plenty of footprints.

2/5/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 7.05miles/ 11.34km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 14°F/ -10°C
Weather: overcast, windy

A really cold day and I resort to the full fleece balaclava again. Conditions are similar to yesterday with a little less snow, a little more cold and a stronger wind. At one point I see a guy with his thumb out ahead trying to hitch a ride, but the car that pulls up is a State Trooper (State Police). I can't hear what is said with my earphones in but he prospective hitchhiker quickly and without fuss drops to his knees and puts his hands on his head. Last I see he's being cuffed, so I guess he was wanted for something.

More soon.

2/4/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 7.05miles/ 11.34km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 18°F/ -8°C
Weather: overcast, breezy

It is a cold day but not as bad as forecast. I have missed a few days as the cold made a comeback with plenty of coughing, but with symptoms abating it is time to get out again. I take my new favorite long route and weather conditions are OK other than on Hooper Road which seems to funnel the wind. Some recent light snow has covered the sidewalks which makes footing tough where people have not cleared... the new snow is OK but it obscures the older ice and hides the clear dry patches I've depended on.

1/30/09 – Wilton CT

Distance: 5.05 miles/ 8.13km
Altitude: 335 feet/ 102m
Temp: 30°F/ -1°C
Weather: Some sun

We have finally got rid of our possessions to the shippers and have a day to relax so I venture out for a run on a day that is warmer than we've had recently. I can't be bothered with negotiating the narrow rural roads around our friends' house so I plot a 1.2 mile semi-circle on residential streets nearby. Two repeats out and back with a short extra stretch will give me the required 5 miles. The route actually proves to have a good mix of hills and flats to compensate for the repetition, and the patches of melting ice where the sun has warmed does not prove to difficult to negotiate. The pelvic pain is minimal too.

1/27/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 7.05 miles/ 11.34km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 17°F/ -9°C
Weather: Sunny and crisp

1/26/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 5.67 miles/ 9.12km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 18°F/ -8°C
Weather: Sunny and crisp

1/19/09 – Washington DC

Distance: 3.4 miles/ 5.47km
Altitude: 66 feet/ 20m
Temp: 32°F/ 0°C
Weather: Clouds and sun

1/17/09 – Newark NJ

Distance: 4.97miles/ 8.0km
Altitude: 30feet/ 9m
Temp: 18°F/ -8°C
Weather: Overcast

1/16/09 – Harrison NJ

Distance: 4.03 miles/ 6.48km
Altitude: 30feet/ 9m
Temp: 11°F/ -13°C
Weather: Night, very cold

1/14/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 6.16 miles/ 9.92km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 14°F/ -11°C
Weather: Overcast, cold

1/10/09 – Mechanicsburg PA

Distance: 2.5 miles/ 4km
Altitude: 446 feet/ 136m
Temp: 30°F/ -1°C
Weather: Overcast, snow

Our first hash run of the year. The ride down to southern PA passed through some serious snow but the promised storm never really arrives with us. The run is cross country and extremely stop-start with a number of beer and liquor stops which really exacerbated my hip muscle and by the end I had to limp along slowly.

More soon.

1/9/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 5.67 miles/ 9.12km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 18°F/ -8°C
Weather: Cloudy, threatening snow

1/6/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 6.97 miles/ 11.22km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 18°F/ -8°C
Weather: Cloudy with snow flurries

1/4/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 3.6 miles/ 5.8km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 32°F/ 0°C
Weather: Clouds and sun

A better day for running, except that with some melting ice it is actually more difficult to spot the patches of dry pavement that are guaranteed ice free. I run along the ridge from Tracy's parents' and then on a steep downhill before cutting down steps and onto the High School grounds. A short uphill brings me out on Farm to Market Road and a gentle run downhill then flat on Hooper Road back to Country Club. I do a detour round an extra block for an extra half mile then get the usual tough uphill finish on Country Club. Feeling OK after the long run yesterday other than a sore muscle in my left pelvis. Maybe I tweaked it a bit slipping and sliding a couple of times yesterday.

1/3/09 – Endwell NY

Distance: 8.22 miles/ 13.23km
Altitude: 846 feet/ 258m
Temp: 22°F/ -6°C
Weather: Overcast

Two days into the New Year and I finally sum up the energy to get out in the cold and work off some of the calorie consumption from the festive season. My plan is to try and keep my mileage a little above 2008, which will be a challenge initially as we were in New Zealand in the middle of summer at the time and I got in regular mileage (training for the Canberra Marathon in mid-April) until we began traveling in mid-February.

I set out on a route I've used quite a bit which features enough stretches where the natives clear the sidewalks outside their homes, and today while there are areas of ice it is cold and dry enough to step in the clear gaps between the ice even where the shoveling was pretty inefficient. This takes me down Country Club Road into Endicott, and over several small hills before I extend the mileage by climbing at the end of the road with views over the old IBM plant. From here I drop down towards the railway and follow it to Rt 26, taking a left onto the main street, cleverly called Main Street. This is largely well cleared and I backtrack on the same road several miles back to Endwell, turning onto Hooper road for a good climb and ending with the seriously steep climb to Tracy's parents' road.

I'm not feeling at my fittest, maybe it's the holidays, the cold weather and the altitude, but I'm glad to get in a good long run. And the weather could be worse!

Why Blog About Running?

The obvious reason is that a lot of other people I know are doing it, and like me I'm sure their idea is to provide some extra impetus in sticking to a training program, or at least to get out and put in enough miles in to reach the next goal. I'm currently encouraging myself to train properly for the Edinburgh (Scotland) marathon at the end of May, with a short term goal to survive the worst of the winter running as much mileage as I can be bothered with in January and February followed by adopting a prescribed 3 month schedule in March, April and May. I have never run in the New York winter before and expect I'll need as much encouragement as I can get before we fly to Scotland on Feb 11th.

Had I bothered to blog my last training schedule for the New York Marathon in November it might have made for more interesting reading. We were traveling in Australia, first up the east coast, then through the outback, along the South Coast, over to Sydney then home to New York via Hawaii, and a month traveling up and down the west coast of the US. Final preparation was completed while visiting friends and family in the Midwest and it certainly gave me variety when I rarely ran in the same locality twice. The whole schedule went very well until I succumbed to a bad cold a week before the race. So now I know I can run a similar marathon time (3:03:02) when sick but well prepared as I did healthy but with more limited preparation in two previous shots at the distance.

I'm not someone who loves running per se, but I do enjoy being fit, seeing a bit of the world as I pass by and catching up with podcasts and music on the I-pod while I'm pounding the road. So I'm certainly not going to be forced inside by the New York cold, though a lot of snow might be a problem. My goal is to fit in a half marathon in March/ April in the UK, then try and run under 3 hours in Edinburgh. It is supposed to be a fast course so lets hope I can combine a good preparation with staying healthy up until the day.

As I start this blog I'm reasonably fit: after the Marathon on November 2nd I took 18 days off then did a couple of gentle runs in Virginia, a few trails with assorted Hash House Harrier groups in Florida (in increasingly warm weather) and finally four very nice warm runs while staying north of Tampa. A couple of runs near Philadelphia reminded me that it's winter, then a couple of New York outings went OK before I “enjoyed” a run in Endwell in driving snow (file under “it seemed like a good idea at the time”). A couple of more gentle runs to build an appetite at Xmas and a long slog around the woods near Ithaca bring us to a couple of days after New Year...