Need Your Help Please

So things have been going rather well at moment. The trail shoes have been out after being locked away for a few months and I managed to get in a couple of 10ks on lunch breaks which was great. I was just plodding along the roads as the trails are still way too snowy for running. I hate road running but its all I can do at the moment so I will have to make do with it. A few minor niggles in my knee and my shins appeared but all to be expected. Nothing spectacular on the runs just a couple of 50 mins 10ks , will have them back down to nearer the 40 mins mark pretty easily by the end of the month but no point rushing anything just need to get the miles back in my legs.

The Cascadias are back out

I also managed a quick Cosmiques Arete lap on another lunch with Laurent. We skied over to the start and climbed the route back up to the station. Great conditions on it at the moment with the most snow on it I have ever seen. Was good to be back up high(3600m - 3800m) doing some cardio work and even though we were really only up for a total of 2 hours including waiting time on the lift I felt absolutely fine on the ridge with regards to the altitude.

Lunbreaks! Laurent at the first abseil

Now back to work

On another note , I have decided I am going to run Leadville for a Charity. It is something I always get asked when I enter races. People always ask if I am running for a charity and to be honest normally I don’t. Now I am all for Charities and everything they do but I used to feel that running under a charity would be another pressure to deal with and I would not like to fail them but since this is such a big event for me then I thought I will try make some money for a good cause. I have chosen to run for Chest , Heart and Stroke Scotland. My Gran passed away after suffering a Stroke and a very close friend of mines Father died a few years back from a Heart Attack so I feel this is the best Charity to support. The link to my sponsorship page is on this blog , just click the Chest , Heart and Stroke logo and you will be directed straight to my page. Any pennies you have spare would be very much appreciated.

I will soon be getting a little section in the Scottish Running Guide magazine to promote my run courtesy of CHSS who have a column in the magazine and are happy to use it up just for me very soon. Also the kind people of Inverclyde National Sports Centre particularly Jamie who I have been in contact with are going to help me out by also promoting me on their website which is great and also offered me use of facilities if need be. I grew up my whole life using the sports centre which is only a few minutes from my parents house in Largs. I went there to play Football , Basketball and use the gym. I also worked a fair bit up there coaching Basketball for North Ayrshire Leisure a few years back so its great that Inverclyde can help me out a little bit.

It has been rather mild lately in Chamonix so I will be getting out for another few runs this week before the snow arrives back and it will be back to ski touring for my fitness.

Finally as of the moment I do not have many races this year set up before Leadville. I am back in Scotland for 10 days in May and I will be running the Kintyre Way Ultra with my work collegue Laurent. There are 2 races , one of 107km and one of 54km. We have chosen to just run the 54km , I would have loved to run the full 107 but feel its just too close to the end of winter season to go for it. Really looking forward to it. I have also entered the Chamonix Vertical KM which is the end of June , it is pretty much a race from Chamonix Town Centre to the top of the Planpraz bubble so straight up 1000m(running straight up a munro) as fast as possible not really Leadville training but more a bit of fun. Last Years winner the awesome Killian Jornet won it in an incredible 34 mins! If I can get sub 50mins I will be happy. I would like to fit in another 50-60km at some point over the summer and will have a look around although most races here are on weekends when I work which is a problem but I am pretty confident my training days will be nice a long in this awesome playground that is Chamonix.