When I heard that this year’s family holiday was to Scotland, one word came to mind... HILLS!
We were to spend two weeks just over the Scottish border on the east coast, 6 miles from Berwick-Upon-Tweed. I had decided that although I was probably due a bit of a rest after just finishing my dissertation, the opportunity was too great to not fit some training in as well. The plan was to go on a number of rides which would build up in distance over the two weeks, as well as doing some long distance runs with a weighted daysack in preparation for my participation in the OMM (Original Mountain Marathon) in October with Trevor Aslan.
My first training session consisted of a 30 mile ride in the rain to orientate myself, find some nice roads, and of course to pick up the Sunday paper for my dad. Over the next 10 days I went on a number of rides from, 40-60 miles in length, and really got a taste of some real hills, especially in comparison with the “hills” which are few and far between when training in Norfolk!
From my rides I had found some nice routes which were quiet, had great views, and would therefore be ideal for running. After a few days in the saddle it was time for a run, so after raiding the “store cupboard essentials” for some tins of beans to use as weight (and emergency rations), I set off for what turned out to be a two hour run. This was slightly longer than intended, partly due to the slight issue of a ford which was 3.5ft high due to the recent rain. Now I love a challenge as much as the next man, but common sense stepped in just in time!

As well as all the training, I did actually manage to have a holiday, with some of the highlights being the Edinburgh Festival, a chilly swim in the sea at Bamburgh, a few visits to The Barrels Ale House in Berwick, and walking across the causeway at low tide to Holy Island. All in all it was a fantastic holiday, which included some valuable training. Bring on the VTCC!!
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