Arran Coastal Trail Race (Week 29 - 2 to go)

Arran Coastal Trail Race (nr the end)

I feel I should start with the end of the week (yesterday) as I am still buzzing from completing challenge 2, the Arran coastal trail race.  I’m still in my pj’s as I write, and am planning a very quiet day today as I have some aches and pains in various places – not all expected, i.e., my ribs are a bit sore and upper right arm.  Goodness knows why.

New route and scenery at Carradale (looking towards Arran)

But the week in general has been good and really positive (Laura likes me being positive).  I started with a tempo pace run on a new route (in Carradale) so I’d nothing to compare my time to, and added some sandy beach in, and a steep up with the aim of mimicking Saturday’s race route.  But the main thing was I really enjoyed it.

Taking photo's of Watson is just an excuse for a rest!

Then on Tuesday I did an easy trail run with Julie and her dog Misty.  This was very slow, with lots of stops to have a chat, not to mention strapping up Watson’s leg as he went lame part way round.  We timed this run perfectly, cool wind but sunny.  Within 5 minutes of being home the heavens opened with sleet and strong winds (as had been forecast).

Julie and Misty coming up the hill

Before I knew it Saturday morning loomed along with the nervous stomach and bladder.  Before the race the weather kept changing and everyone was revising how many layers to wear.  I know I get hot, so braved down to a t-shirt to set off; a decision which proved right for me.  I also carried my backpack with water, spare layers and everything I have to carry on the Goatfell race – after all this is a training run for that event. Any excess weight was stripped out, so no camera or phone and no dog food.  My aims today were simple, not to be last, to test what I ate in the morning ‘sat well’ and was sufficient for the run, and to test my chosen combination of socks and calf sleeves.

Watson, sporting a new left boot

I have to say the race was tough.  The start on soft sand was a killer before heading off across the golf course and down a steep section (my time to overtake), a lovely narrow path for a couple of km before turning steeply up onto the Kings caves circular path.  The steep up was a walk for me (and everyone else going up at the same time) before setting off running again on the nice forest path. Through the carpark and water station – I didn’t have to stop as I was carrying my own, and round the far side of the forest path. This is where I felt my training kicking in.  Runners were stopping and walking and I was able to start overtaking as my stamina had obviously improved. The steep down was lovely (my favourite bits) before hitting the pebble beach – oh this felt twice as long as it really was and then through the caves before re-joining the nice coast path again.  Resuming a steady pace before a walk through a very boggy bit (just a short recovery time for me) and then under the cliffs.  This was quite difficult on tired legs and I went slower than I probably needed to make sure I didn’t trip, as an injury at this stage of my training would be quite devastating.  Then a messy bit of grass, sand, pebbles, up, down and through the gate, more scrambly rock and onto a grass path before hitting the crippling last kilometre of sand.   And it was all over.

Coastal Race - before we started

Well I certainly wasn’t last, and completed it faster than I expected even though the terrain (especially under the cliff) was harder than anticipated.  My breakfast and mid morning snack worked well but I still need a food top up when out running but most important I will definitely not be running in the socks I wore!  Very pretty but bloody expensive and kept slipping, so by the end the balls of my feet were tender something I’ve not suffered with before.  Maybe it was the harder terrain and increased foot movement that made them slip – they had seemed ok on shorter easier runs.  But useful to know and I have time to really test another combination.

So three weeks to go before race day – feeling good.

Thanks to Chris Hogge for letting me have the pictures for the blog.

Weeks activity 24^th – 30^th  April:

Sunday – Trail run tempo pace 5.14k / 81m height gain

Monday – Rest day

Tuesday – Trail easy run 5.55k / 118m height gain

Wednesday – Rest day

Thursday – Rest day

Friday – Rest day

Saturday – Coastal trail race 12k / 178m height gain

(Goatfell Race 15.5km / 870m)