Tracey's Triathlon Tales

Another "wee" triathlon  completed as part of my prep for the Big Ones. Just a cheeky wee Sprint Triathlon in Peebles. This event was my first ever tri so it was nice to go back and have another go....or so I thought! After a rather late night playing with the Edinburgh Concert Band  in our summer Concert,  followed by *ahem* just the "one" pint! I got up at 6 am to get my stuff together then head down. If was pouring when I got there ensuring my gear in transition got totally soaked and it didnt stop till I'd finished the cycle and the run. My feet were proper squelching!  But....I did it....a wee bit slow  (no surprise ) but after a strong coffee and a wee afternoon nap. ....all was well! Just need to do it all again next weekend for the first  open water tri of the year.......noooooooooo!
 

Moonwalk Scotland

Moonwalk Scotland - 11 June to 12 June 2016

On the evening of the 11 June Rhona and I headed into Edinburgh to take part in my second challenge, The Moonwalk Scotland. The Full Moon. We got there around 8.30pm and headed into the Moonwalk Village. The excitement was building, it had a real carnival atmosphere. First we were met by a drum band. Really got the atmosphere going.

Once we were in the huge Moonwalk tent we exchanged our food token for a yummy tray of pasta and a piece of flapjack. Took this photo of Rhona, who said that her face is a mixture of exhaustion and fear! Often the look of a rookie marathoner!

Shortly after we got our pasta a celidh fusion band called "Bahookie" took to the stage and began to entertain us. Some of the fused songs were a bit dodgy but it was loud, cheerful and gave us all something to focus on other than the 26.2 miles ahead.

We nipped outside before it would start to get dark and braved the cold to get our photo taken in our bra! It wasn't warm I can tell you! But it was great fun to be part of the tartan revolution! 

 Rhona looking slightly more                                                                                                               chirpy than she did at the end!

Before we knew where we were the sky began to darken and the time to start walking came that bit closer. I would love to say that this photograph was a real lucky chance that the moon came out over Holyrood Palace but it wasn't, there was a huge moon tethered to the ground. Made for a great photograph though!

Back inside we took a quick selfie, as you can see our faces show just how tired we were becoming. By this point it was around 10.30pm. The tent was really filling up by this point. It was a real inspirational place, there were participants who were very young taking part in the New Moon (6 miles) to the Half Moon (13.1 miles), the Full Moon (26.2 miles) and the Over the Moon (52 miles). There were women and men of all shapes, sizes and ages. It was marvellous that all (including the men) wore their decorated bras (the trademark of the Moonwalk) regardless of their shape or size. It was a celebration of our breasts!  And how much we want to come together to find a cure for breast cancer.

Outside it was starting to get quite dark, the moon was looking stunning over the start line. The excitement was starting to build as were the queues for the toilets!

After a fun warm up with the legendary "Roy" (no idea who Roy was never mind why he was legendary!) a lone piper came on and played "500 miles" by the Proclaimers. Our cue to head outside to the start line. Took this fabby photo of Rhona in her decorated bra before a wee old woman came along and started to dress her because "you are going to be freezing without a coat dear". Hee hee.

What followed was the toughest 26.2 miles I think I have ever covered! Walking is tougher than running in my opinion! No idea why it just is. The toughest bit for me was the walk at around 1.30am in the morning through Ravelston and Cramond where it was dark, quiet and it felt really long. We did have two very funny moments though. At one point around Ravelston there was a lovely wee old drunk man, singing and eating chips standing beside the marshalls, they were so sweet to him and just let him sing. The second moment was in Cramond where a group of four guys were walking along slightly drunk. Two of them were in front of the others with two a little further behind. One guy tripped up and landed flat on his face, he hopped up and said to his pal "thank goodness the guys didn't see that", his pal laughed and said "no but the whole of the Moonwalk did!" one very red faced young man skulked off with his friend killing himself laughing. 

The walk down to Silverknowes was very hard as it was very dark and it felt like it went on forever, as we got down to the Foreshore we passed a van with two young guys in yellow vests dancing to D J Casper Cha Cha Slide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3rH0PHVzyk. They were in time and dancing the moves perfectly, they were a very welcome relief after the darkness. They got a huge cheer as we passed. That took us down to the seafront, where it suddenly got very cold again. 

We then walked all the way along Seafield Road to Portobello onto the Prom, it was lovely as the sky had lightened and the dawn chorus was beginning. This lifted everyone's spirits. Mine too, I had found the dark bit really hard. The walk back up to the park was very tough. The last four miles skirted back and forth around Arthurs Seat. Rhona was finding it very tough from about 19 miles but she hung on in there and after a low point of a few miles she perked herself up and strode confidently to the end. She made me laugh at one point in the last 3 miles saying "we have been within half a mile of the finish three times and they keep taking us somewhere else". We got to the point where we were taking bets on where we might go next. But finally, the park was in sight and we were almost at 26 miles. Then we were there. We were finished. We had completed the Moonwalk Scotland. It was hard, but rewarding in the end. Walking through the night was definitely the hard bit for me, but we did it. And we got our medals, which a particularly blingy! Thanks for walking with me Rhona, you are a very strong young woman, I was very proud of you. 

  Two weary finishers!

That is most definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I am really proud of myself. Training for Glencoe has already begun, I am on week 2 of my 16 training schedule. I am sure it will be equally difficult but at least I will be back within my comfort zone and running again!!

don't worry, be happy 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/2T3T2

Bras at the ready!

Well now. Here I am just a few hours away from the start of the Moonwalk Scotland. And after several weeks of summer, true to form, Scottish weather has returned! Although it is still warm(ish) so absolutely no idea what to wear, other than my brightly decorated bra (designed by the HNC Early Education students at Edinburgh College) and my purple kilt!

Rhona too has a bespoke design from the students, as she is swirling her kilt along with me.

This afternoon Rhona and I will have a wee snooze, carbo load, get our numbers pinned onto our kilt and then head into Moonwalk Village for the pre-race Ceilidh.

So whilst you are snoozing and snoring away in your beds think of us walking around Edinburgh in our underwear!!!

Pre and post report with Photographs on Monday (might need to sleep tomorrow).

And a big shout out to Tracey who is competing (sorry completing) in the Peebles Triathlon tomorrow morning (where all of this nonsense started with Two Tackle Three). Go Tracey.

  There's your mexican wave!!!

don't worry, be happy .

Hills, hills and more hills - The Windermere Half Marathon - Challenge 1!

After a slightly dodgy beginning with Ally Bally and a perished fuel line, finally Windermere Half Marathon was in sight! A beautiful sunny evening and Hazel, Rhona and I headed to Brathay to register for the half marathon. Brathay in Ambleside is such a beautiful place, right on the banks of Lake Windermere.

Last year Hazel and I ran the marathon so there was a slight pang of "wish we were doing the marathon again" as we saw some of the 10 in 10 runners sitting enjoying the sunshine. But still, my marathon is still to come (in fact 2 one walking one running).

We collected our bags, bought our t-shirts, bagged our free beer! and then headed down to the lake for a short photo shoot. It has to be done.

After a nice evening meal and a wander around the town we headed to bed, numbers at the ready, for our early start.

 Our race didn't start until 10.30am but we had an awesome friend, Christ (Rents) Renton from Fetch Everyone who for a fourth time was tackling the 10 in 10. This is the marathon route, which I can vouch for being one of the hardest routes I have ever run, round Lake Windermere, and he does it ten days in a row. He is one incredible man! It was a privilege to watch him start his final lap (they call them laps - 26.2 miles laps - bonkers!!!). 

Then it was our turn. We were led down to the start line by an amazing band of drummers. Completely got the adrenaline running, the sound of the beating drums. Hazel and I don't get to run that often (Hazel is a hang sight faster than I am but Hazel graciously said she would run with me and we could have a catch up).

So the gun went, a real starters pistol, much to the shock and surprise of us all! We headed off up the first hill. The first of many! The half marathon followed the marathon route to 7 miles and then turned around. Which in our heads meant that it would be down hill on the way back, The marathon felt like up hill all the way last year! Oh how wrong we were. We forgot that the route was massive undulating hills, up and down, up and down. So by the time we got to the turn around point, we knew we were in for a tough second half. And the sun came out, it was roasting. Made running hard, hot work but the views were absolutely worth it. We were coming back up the hill into Hawkshead and Hazel shouted out "Oh look an Osprey", now there are Osprey's in the Lake District so it absolutely, probably was an osprey but at the point all I could see were my feet and the road as I was absolutely spent and just hanging on. Hazel is an amazing runner and I was most definitely holding her back, but we are best pals and it was great to hang onto her for just a bit longer, we don't see each other that often! And that is my excuse for taking ages!!!

After many marshalls and spectators telling us that it wasn't much longer now (like we had no idea how far we still had left to run??? We knew exactly how far we still had to run) and my favourite "this is the last hill", "not it isn't!!!" we finally got to the last corner, with one hill into Brathay left to go. Just as we rounded the corner we passed a Mum and a child (who must have been about 3 in a buggy). The little boy gave us a big smile and said "just around the corner and you are finished". We laughed, thinking there is a child that has been at races since he was born. And then as we got around the corner we said "he was right, first person not to lie to us!". 

I am not a fast runner any more, never was really, but I have a wealth of miles and races in my legs, around 30,000 miles since I started running, my strength is just to keep going. It has helped me mentally in all areas of my life, so my goal for this run was to keep going, not to stop and walk. I have had a tough three years and keeping going is all I have been able to do. But in my races I have succumbed to run/walking but for The Yard, I wanted this one to be a challenge, get me back to being a proper runner. And I did it!!!! I did not walk one single mile of those hills. And let me tell you it was very, very hard. But to get back to AB and a cup of tea (after the one Rhona and Hazel went and bought me) was bliss. To let you know just how hard it was. I lay down on the grass when I got back and then felt very lightheaded until I had been fed tea, sat in the shade and ate flapjack. I gave it everything out there in Windermere.

I need tea....

I've had tea.....

That was really hard work, but it was great!

Medal 1 - challenge 1, two to go!!!!

So that was my first challenge of Two Tackle Three Take Two. The next one is the Moonwalk. Obviously the moonwalk is for Breast Cancer which is close to my heart to, but I have other things going on for fundraising for that, but absolutely wanted to include it in my three challenges, walking 26.2 miles is no mean feat! Especially when I should be sleeping! My lovely daughter, Rhona is joining me for that one. I am really kind of terrified about this one. Running 26.2 miles is something I know I can do, which is why challenge three is such a tough marathon, but walking it is going into the unknown for me. So please if you are impressed, inspired or just think I am plain daft, bonkers, crazy then if you can spare a pound or two please go to our justgiving site.

It must be nearly Tracey's turn for a challenge!!!

don't worry, be happy :)

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/2T3T2?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=2T3T2&utm_campaign=pfp-share

Tracey's Triathlon Tale

Off I scooted for a nice wee trip to Aberfeldy this weekend. This will be the sight of my second challenge.....the big one! The half Ironman.  The weather was fab, lovely and sunny and only a wee bit windy. My swim was good (for me) and so close to being under 20 mins I think I can start to believe that one day....maybe I could do it!  The bike route was great and I felt really strong especially on the way back as I passed 3 people!! Then the run....oh dear! Up a near vertical mountain for 2 and a half km with a very cruel run round a traffic cone at the top which, quite frankly, wasn't necessary at all!  A good race though! Might even go back in August to do a wee bit further!

Tracey's Triathlon Training Tales

Today was a beautiful day for a 7.3 mile run....so that's what I did! Me and my friend, Fiona, who is doing her own set of challenges this year are half of the 'Completers Not Competers' relay team for the Hairy Haggis marathon along with Jane and Fiona's cousin Elaine. So this morning we ran across the Forth Road Bridge in beautiful sunshine. Fiona's not a runner but she is doing really well in building up her distances. We stopped a few times to take photos and to chat to various people. ...it's amazing who you meet! One guy on a bike with a huge trailer ...:what's inside?" I ask " a tuba" he replies....of course!! He is cycling from John O'groats to Lands End trailing his tuba and playing whenever he can! And you think our challenges are madness! ! I get a bit childlike when I see these magnificent structures and there is something so special about crossing over them, driving,  cycling or running....it never gets old!

Hills, hills and more hills.

I think me and Tracey might have had separation anxiety when we decided to revisit Two Tackle Three! Tracey going off to her new job and we had to make sure that we would be able to keep in touch! So unlike normal people who agree to meet for a glass of wine and a blether once a month we signed up for stupidly hard challenges! Well, why change the habit of a lifetime?

So naturally right after I resurrected the Blog my training almost ground to a bit of a halt. No excuses just lazy. I have however managed to fit in some sort of training so here it all is!

Keswick Half Marathon

I was due a 14 mile training mile but on the Saturday night I was looking at the events page in the running magazine and I noticed that it was the Keswick Half Marathon on the Sunday. So naturally the right thing to do was drive all the way down in the morning, enter the race on the day and go and run/walk 13.2 miles.

It wasn't an easy run but it was fun, and stunning as always. I met a woman on the way around who was at least 74! She was amazing, she had been a winner in her 40's and was still a fabulous runner. We talked about how running and walking were very different motions. She made the point that running is a forward motion action whereas walking, as she said, involves making every step as an individual step which is much harder. Which makes perfect sense, pay attention next time to your running motion. We chatted for ages, she was fascinating. 

After the race, Rhona and I had a lovely lunch along at Grange before coming back up the road to Penicuik.

The following weekend Rhona and I took Ally Bally up to Aberfoyle to the David Marshall Lodge and took Kobi for a long 12 mile walk up in the hills of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The weather in Penicuik was not great but we could see on the weather forecast that the temperature was going to hit the 20's in Aberfoyle. So we filled AB with loads of food and tea and headed up the M9. 

The weather was stunning, we had a lovely walk, might have gotten a little bit lost but eventually found our way back to the Lodge and had a iced biscuit and a drink of juice. Beautiful views from the top of the hill. 

So that brings me to today, Friday the 13th! A three mile walk followed by a 750m swim. Going down to Windermere next weekend to run the Half Marathon with Hazel, the first of my challenges. 

Between then and now I have to try and get out for an 18 mile training walk for the Moonwalk! Lots more blogging to come.

Jane

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