Rich's excursion to Scotland

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!

The riding and running at the beginning were good preparation for the long ride at the end of the holiday. I had chosen a route which included loads of hills, as well as what turned out to be some great views across the Langmuir Hills. It was chilly at 0630 when I set off, but I soon realised that staying warm wasn’t going to be an issue as after only 15 miles I hit some long steep hills which had me up on the pedals and working hard; a sign of things to come! The 105 mile ride included four 17% climbs, which meant I was actually relieved to find a climb in the latter part of the ride that was ‘only 14%’. Thankfully the ride, along with all of the rides I did in Scotland, was puncture-free, which is always good for morale J.

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!!