Petestack Blog

Spent this afternoon up at Outward Bound Loch Eil tree climbing with a group of our first year pupils (who are there for the week), so was still looking for a run when I left at back of 7pm. Thinking time (as much as weather) might be against me to go bagging the fine Corbetts of Sgurr Ghuibhsachain and Sgorr Craobh a’ Chaorainn, I decided just to grab what I could on the mileage front by setting off on an intended 10- or 12-miler from the same start point along the tremendous track down the east side of Loch Shiel, but found the going so good that I ended up doing 16! At 8:28-mile average (8:40 out, so must have come home at 8:16 pace), apparently hitting 5:36 (don’t often go that fast!) at one point and still strong enough at the end to know it had been quite comfortable. So truly a case of grabbing what you can! :-)

Some further thoughts here to follow Thursday’s Pacing by feel post, with a potentially hugely significant conclusion about my optimum WHW pacing strategy. So, to skip briefly over yesterday’s run (Fort to Kinloch by the Lairig Mor after work at an average 9:35 mile pace, and notable only for another soaking plus chance encounters with John O’Neill as I left the Fort and Ian and Sandra coming the other way just north of Blar a’ Chaorainn) to start explaining, here we go… (more…)

So you’re training for a big trail ultra like the West Highland Way Race, have discovered that even what you’d normally class as ‘easy’ pace is not only going to be unsustainable for the duration but disproportionately damaging later if indulged in early, need to find out what’s actually ‘safe’ to run and how to stick to it… but how? (more…)

So it’s May, the big hills are fair game for daylight evening runs again and it’s time to start hitting them during the working week. But, with some truly pish conditions now replacing this April’s (excessively) hot, dry ending, what can you do? (more…)

Having climbed half a dozen times over the past 21 years on the granite slab paradise on its eastern flank and admired its striking profile from all the surrounding Munros, an outing to the summit of Beinn Trilleachan was long overdue. But it took a weekend of such changeable conditions that I was reluctant to go chasing hills further from home to send me down Glen Etive today on a quick Sunday afternoon raid to grab this lovely peak between heavy showers. (more…)

Have to admit I’d consciously avoided the Highland Fling before. Didn’t want to be pitted against my West Highland Way ‘peers’ over the same course earlier the same year, thought I just wouldn’t be fast enough over the shorter distance (53 miles) and didn’t want to deal with the psychology of being found wanting there! (more…)