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Running – the obsession

Featuredby Glenn Tait 13 Comments

Originally posted on Run Spud Run!:
As many people know I’m a little obsessed with running. It has become part of my life in a big way. To show my…

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Running, Ultramarathon, Video/Film, Weightloss

Strava PRs…

January 22, 2020by Glenn Tait Leave a comment

Me, like quite a lot of runners and cyclists are on Strava. I’ve been on it since the early days, I can’t remember when but I remember when that was […]

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Running

North Isle of Mull in Winter

January 19, 2020by Glenn Tait Leave a comment

North Mull We spent Hogmanay on the Isle of Mull. A winter retreat to a remote part of the country. Not too remote, we stayed in Tobermory, a relatively busy […]

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adventure, Cycling, Holiday, Running, Swim

Where has the running gone…

December 23, 2019by Glenn Tait Leave a comment

Where has all the running gone I often blog when I’m injured. Call it a release of sorts. I picked up a dodgy foot/ ankle in a race at the […]

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Running

Heightened senses returning to running

September 28, 2019by Glenn Tait 1 Comment

Returning from injury is always done tentatively. Do you risk it? Stepping out the door my senses were sharp, feeling everything. My toes, my metatarsals, my knees, everything. Every ache, […]

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injury, Running

Why am I running 100km?

July 16, 2019by Glenn Tait 1 Comment

Well, it’ll actually be around 105km by the time I’m complete. The simple answer to this is because I want to. I’ve never ran this distance before in any shape […]

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Running

Remembering the running tricks

May 28, 2019by Glenn Tait 1 Comment

I’ve become a sloppy runner. I don’t know if others who run ultras get like this or if it is just me but I don’t really have a training plan, […]

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Running

Running the length of Scotland

April 27, 2019by Glenn Tait 3 Comments

482miles / 770 km 119hours of running 18 different days over 11 Months 21000m of ascent. Running the length of Scotland. Little did I know that when I signed up […]

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Cape Wrath Ultra, Running, Trail Running

Running Scotland

April 16, 2019by Glenn Tait 2 Comments

Little did I know that when I signed up to run the Cape Wrath Ultra that it would lead to many more adventures and personal challenges. I met some wonderful […]

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Cape Wrath Ultra, Running, Ultramarathon

Running St Cuthbert’s Way

March 13, 2019by Glenn Tait Leave a comment

4 years ago!

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Running

Wee film of West Highland Way run

December 2, 2018by Glenn Tait Leave a comment
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Running

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It’s the start of another week. This is week 3 of my updated training schedule, a schedule that I’ve made up myself and hopefully will stick too. It’s not ideal that I’m suffering with a cold. An annoying cough but otherwise ok it meant I didn’t go out on a “massive” sesh this weekend. Two small easy paced runs instead . A massive sesh these days to me is a jaunt up the hills for 10-15kms. I’m taking it easy and building my base ready for the months to come. These easy paced runs were 5km and zone 2/3. My training is consisting of 3 runs, 1 swim per week and as many cycle commutes as possible. Plus a cycle at the weekend all being well. My goal is to build to 21km run over 2 months for my long runs with as much height as possible in that. In swimming, I hope to do a triathlon again this year but I’m not committing until I’ve managed to use up my 10swims I bought in advance from Edinburgh Leisure and I’ve proven I can stick to a regime. There’s one I’ve got my eye on but not committing. I was recently asked by a person I don’t know but who follows me on instagram* what I did for a job and how I kept having adventures? The truth is my adventures have waned of late due to injury and work. This new regime is planned around work. I usually travel a few days per week, flying around the UK, or taking the train. I try to fit my training around this either by taking my kit away, running home from the airport / train station or cycling to and from the airport/ train station. I always have my weekends so that’s super handy as I can rely on training then. *(long way round to say follower. But that sounds pretentious and weird for me) It’s all about planning and sticking to the plan. I’m also on a calorie deficit to shed some winter weight that was getting a bit out of control. My plan is to be 70kg by June, I know though, that losing weight and ultra training doesn’t go hand in hand but I will try! My progress is 2.5kg in 3 weeks. I’ll probably lose 0.5kg per week all being well. This is how I do my planning: at the start of the week I plan my meals, plan my training days around the work travel and then plan my training I’ll do on those days.
Sometimes you just got to go with the wind. Or lean on it for help. Either way it was breezy up on top today. Good run with @_andys today #pentlands #fun #run #trail #getoutside #wind #hills #clag
Strava PRs Me, like quite a lot of runners and cyclists are on Strava. I’ve been on it since the early days, I can’t remember when but I remember when that was it was easy to get KoMs around Edinburgh and beyond. I used to make segments and hunt them down. Getting a KoM was a bit of a boost for an amateur runner. I’ve never ever got a KoM for cycling, not even top 10 or probably top 50! Back then PRs were a plenty too, I’d get that notification that I gained many Prs and perhaps som top 10 trophies too. Also when KoM were stolen I’d quickly log in to see who took it and more often or not it would be a guy in a tri suit with GBR written on it as their avatar. And I’d be Ok with that though secretly thinking that proper athletes should have a separate list. Anyway, fast forward many years and I’m still on Strava. The past few years when I went into ultras they number of PRs on each run would reduce with maybe a bronze of a silver thrown in as I naturally slowed down. What also happened was that I became an easy zone 2 runner. Though running for long times are zone 2, none of the runs hurt in the way that zone 5 hurts. These runs I’d just get tired. Returning from injury I’m still reluctant to get into longer distances but I am doing more zone 3/4/5 runs and lo and behold the gold PRs are starting to appear again. Encouraging really that I am able to beat past self times and that speed is still something I can do. At the ripe age of 36 there is still some speed in these legs. I am good that I never compare myself to others and I don’t feel disheartened that there may be 1633 people faster than me over segments. I feel happy if I am beating my own times. It makes me feel like I could get some PBS over the usual distances. Though I do have some good PBs I’m proud of so I think it may be hard to get them. Plus they’re on tarmac so I’d have to transition back to the road. Trail is where my heart is. I’m torn though. Do I try to run short but fast or get back to going long? I do know though that running shorter... cont in blog #strava #blog #runnerblog #fun #run #beauty #scotland #getoutside
Finally plucked up the courage to get into the sea. The wind was strong, hail stoning on and off and then periods of sun. We hiked a few miles to this northern beach on Mull with some faith the bay may be protected from the strong westerly. The tide was low but waves were still strong with one beach very rocky. This beach seemed ok with a long wash. I changed and tentatively entered the water. The waves rushed in and I was knee deep, the sea brought in sea weed and shells on each wave. The outward wave was strong. Pulling me into the sand and toward the sea. It wasn’t ideal conditions. With no one but Andy around and definitely no life belts I decided it wasn’t a good idea to swim so I kept my feet on the sand edging further into the sea. Eventually bobbing with the inward wave up to my neck. The seaweed would build up around my legs as the waves pulled back into the sea. Eventually strong enough to pull me over. On the next wave I would have been submerged so I retreated to be safe. Thankfully I managed to dry and change before the next hail storm. Refreshing and bracing. #wildswimming #looneydook #abitlate #mull #isleofmull #dip #scotland #sea #waves #triathlon #cold #openwater #swimming #fun
First picture 2010, after losing some weight. Last picture 2019 after losing some baby face. 😃😂 2010-2019 the last decade has seen me start running properly, I ran my first marathon in 2010, my first Triathlon in 2012, first Ironman in 2013, first ultra marathon in 2015 and many other challenges. I’ve gained weight, and gained memories. Probably lost my baby face for good. Here’s to 2020 and the next decade of challenges! #decade #challenges #decadechallenge #fun
Christmas running top made its debut this year in the snowy Pentlands. A few hills in weather was fun. #running #fun #snow #hills #beauty #christmasjumper
Hills! Mountains! High places! #throwback to all these amazing runs. Nothing better than ascending to get a view. Or even in the clag the process of going up is epic. I need more ascents in my life!! #tht #throwbackthursday #hills #mountains #high #running #ultrarunning #ironman #getoutside #beauty #free #therapy #exercisemotivation
A lesson in resilience... it’s been a while since I’ve felt the burn in my chest. Perhaps it was the oxygen sapping wind or perhaps and more likely it was unfitness. Weeks of drinking, binging and junk food. Weeks of injury induced rest. I just needed to feel the rain and wind on my red raw face so I headed up into the hills to get me some weather related discomfort. Therapy comes in different guises and this is mine. Not only have I finished feeling beaten, pebble dashed and cold but i also feel alive. The climbs into the wind were tough, the wind doing its best to slow me down, the river that was the path soggy and soft underfoot slowing my progress further but I made the top. Pushing through the pain and realising the injured ankle was doing ok was a good feeling. As I sit with that aching good feeling of used muscles in the warmth of my home I know it feels even more cosy because I was out there in the elements having fun. #run #trail #wind #rain #scotland #elements #pentlands #edinburgh #getoutside #feelalive #fun #type2fun
The rain had been on all day. My injured ankle getting rested meant I couldn’t or shouldn’t run. Opting for a walk in the woods instead. Full waterproof gear on and I was good to go. The mist was hanging in the trees. Eerily still. Rain falling through the damp autumnal canopy to fall on wet decaying leaves. The tower gloomy and bold. Silhouetted trees flank it’s sides. This hill was in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped. It certainly looked the part today. It was good to get out in the fresh air and the local clag of Edinburgh. Even if it was a little damp. It makes wine, an open fire and home more cosy. #injury #tower #injuredrunner #beware #edinburgh #corstorphine #walk #mist #clag #monochrome
Cool autumn damp runs are back. It was a familiar feeling bursting the lungs with cool fresh air running up the Pentlands at first light. A distant memory being relived. The crisp air is a contrast to the humid air in Japan. Ran a bit of the @ratracehq Ultra Tour of Edinburgh. What a great course it is and reminds me how lucky we are to live in Edinburgh with all these amazing places to run! #run #pentlands #ultra #edinburgh
It sounds cliché and it probably is but the rugby does bring people together (plus alcohol helps)! We had nothing but great hospitality and good vibes coming from the Japanese and other fans. The rugby was amazing, atmosphere at all matches we went to was great, before during and after. We had a great night even away from the rugby where we got talking in small bar in Osaka to locals with broken English we got chatting around Japan, their food and drink. Before we knew it he was ordering us local foods where the barman cooked it in front of us and served it. It tasted amazing. We bought them drinks back. Then came Sake, Shoucyuu, and Japanese Whiskey. The culmination in the hospitality came when after they’d gone we found out he had paid our bill. Absolutely awesome experience. The Japan vs Scotland game was the best atmosphere I’ve witnessed at a rugby match. Both teams passionate but the Japanese outnumbered the Scots and their chants were deafening. The ladies next to Andy would cheer but then bow to Andy apologising for celebrating when they were losing. The venues and areas around them were great too. Street vendors, volunteers, and fans from different nationalities all having a good time! Brilliant experience at the rugby and Japan were great hosts. It’ll be Strange to be watching from home on Saturday morning, sober! #rwc2019 #rugby #tokyo #osaka #shizuoka #japan #beer
Japan. You were epic. Even though the Typhoon came through and adjusted our plans we had the best time in Japan. We will return. Here’s a few picture of our trip. #rugbyworldcup #rwc2019 #japan #hakone #fuji #hakone #osaka #kyoto #yokohama #tokyo #shizuoka #hiroshima #travel #rugby #england #scotland #typhoonhagibis #trail

My posts

  • Strava PRs…
  • North Isle of Mull in Winter
  • Where has the running gone…
  • Heightened senses returning to running
  • Why am I running 100km?

What i've been blethering on about

adventure Arthur's Seat Cape Wrath Ultra Cycling Feldenkrais Holiday injury ironman ITBS marathon Non-Triathlon Pentland Hills National Park Pilates Race Report Running Swim SwimRun Trail Running Triathlon Ultra Ultramarathon Uncategorized Video/Film Weightloss
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The Unintentional Ultra Runner

Raw Trail Running

trail running, training, science, plant based, minimalism

This Vet Runs

Marathon running veterinary surgeon breaking the silence around pregnancy loss

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Running for my life

My blog about raising boys, student nursing, running and mental health

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cat h. bradley

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#Britbirdvancity judging and ranting since 19.........

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Follow me on my adventures.

Mark All My Words

First-Person Nature + Culture Photojournalism

thechroniclesofsuperdaz

The quest for a sub-3hour marathon!

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Running for Charity - Biting Off More Than I Can Chew - Marathons and More

JPruns

Running to train for my first marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland

Live Healthy and Well

A healthy lifestyle blog that brings you the best, most trusted resources created by real experts to help you achieve the best version of yourself

We Who Run

for the love of running and fitness

alanstenson.com

Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Stock Trader and Horse Rider

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