So although I did a lot this weekend, I was not really photo-happy, so this is going to be a boring almost pictureless post ok? But I have a lot to say to keep reading please!
Friday
What a productive day Friday was! I had a KILLER 5km set in the pool before work, which included (150/100/50)xTEN @ 400m race pace and hardly any rest! This was followed by a morning of lots of work and meetings, then without even thinking it was 12pm and I had to get ready for the Metro Proms 3k race at the beach!
Keith did it too so we went in his car and, although I was sooooo tired from the morning swim session, I thought it would be a good low key race to just see how fast I can run after being injured for 7ish weeks and no one will notice. After stupid Friday lunchtime traffic, we got there with about 3 minutes to spare, I picked up my bib, did about 100m with Marie and my non-warmed up legs headed to the start line. Little did I know super speedster runners like Jenny Bannerman and Fiona Rudkin (or do I call you Brian now that you just got MARRIED?! YAY!) were going to be there!! I ended up coming 4th in 11.28, which I’ll take. Tired legs + little sleep + no warm up + lack of running in 2 months (can you tell I’m making up lots of excuses and being a massive drama queen?!) = hopefully lots to improve on for next time! My pace was slower than the 10k race I did in Paisley the day before my injury appeared – oops!
After work, I met the super speedy runners Marie Baxter and Tammy Wilson in Pizza Express for a catch up! Marie’s last race was the Culloden 10k where she nearly beat her OWN course record in wind that nearly blew her tiny self away, and Tammy just ROCKED the New York Marathon in 3.10 in hurricane style winds!!! #myheroes! Anyway, I only had a drink as I had a work dinner, but it was great to hear all their stories and we NEED to meet up again for longer next time! I hope you’re reading girls!
Then it was on to Granite Park (I was being taken out by one of our shipbrokers as a thanks for the work we do with them!) for scallops, fillet steak, apple crumble cheesecake and copious amounts of wine I can’t even pronounce! It was lots of fun, but I didn’t stay out with them for drinks afterwards as I was meeting some more friends for drinks and a dance later (I may sound popular but this NEVER happens!)!
Saturday
After a few hours sleep, I woke up really early and couldn’t get back to sleep (stupid body clock getting used to 5am starts). I decided to get up at about 8am and saw this on my hand:
(“Nox Friday” – I couldn’t turn down the free entry)
It reminded me I am a freak and need to learn to sleep in if I’ve been up late dancing! Anyway, what does any normal person do the morning after a heavy day’s training, a demanding day at work and a night out? Blast out 15 miles, throwing in a parkrun @ Hazlehead in the process, of course! My legs were tired but I was happy to get in 3 miles @ faster than mara pace in the park run as part of the long run! A couple hours later I was home and Kyle was still in bed with a sore head – light weight!
I’d like to mention how AMAZING everyone was at Hazlehead that morning! It was a gorgeous morning and I was so happy when an equally gorgeous runner came up to me at the end and mentioned the blog, as well as the runner who shouted “love your blog!” at me while I was running, so I am ECSTATIC people actually enjoy my random ramblings!! Thanks for the support everyone!
The rest of the day included a walk around Newton Dee (one of the campuses of the charity I was working with last week), lunch at the Cults Cafe (have pizza there when you get a chance!!), and trip to Run4It to see if we could spend some of the vouchers we have collected from different races (I think we’re going to buy headtorches!).
After that, Kyle decided he could finally manage a work out (again, light weight!) so I agreed to go aquajogging with him! Apart from the day after doing both the 5k and 10k at Balmoral earlier in the year, when I ended up falling down stairs and in A&E, and Kyle dragging me and my crutches to the pool a couple days later to aquajog so I could stay fit and manage to race the Edinburgh marathon, I hadn’t really aquajogged before. Boy, was it hard! We did 2 lengths fast, 1/2 length easy for half an hour and I felt like I’d done a proper sesh (each length took us about 3mins so pretend it was half mile repeats with 2mins recov!), then I swam 1km easy and we hit the sauna!
Sunday
Sunday was so much fun! Kyle and I took Stuart (who just BEASTED the Glen Clova half marathon the previous day!) to Scolty to meet Callum (another ridiculously fast runner!) for what I was told would be an easy run followed by cake at Raemoir Garden Centre. If you ever want to get me on a run, bribe me with cake.
We were a little late in meeting Callum because there was a Remembrance Sunday parade on in Banchory:
(bagpipers taking over the high street – it was lovely to watch!)
Anyway, back to the run. This was not the case. Scolty is a stunning hill. Please note, a HILL. The 1st couple miles were sub 7 min pace. Maybe if I was back to my running fit self (yes, I realise I train a lot but I haven’t properly ran in a good while!) I could have kept up, but my post-15-miler-legs and having been injured for what seemed like FOREVER (exaggerating drama queen alert again) decided to let them go ahead while I watched from afar! When we got to the top, we wanted a pic but noone brought their phones, so Stu flirted with a dogwalker to take a pic of us, saying he’d add her on Facebook to get it….smooth Macdougall…smooth. So, in that case, pic to follow!
12 miles and 90 mins later I was glad to be finished, and we piled our drenched muddy feet into Kyle’s car. Despite me being the organised one, packing a change of clothes and footwear, the lads didn’t and they were too soaked to get cake. Next time, I will be packing spares for everyone!
Instead, we had afternoon tea in Dobbies after a long shower (I was freeeeezing), and we bumped into Keith and Mum, so followed them back to their house to wash Kyle’s car (it smelled like running and hills), and eat more of their food.
(yuuummmmm!!!)
All in all, the weekend was awesome and I’m so glad I can run again!
Questions for you:
Prettiest place you’ve been running?
Highlight of your weekend?
Debbie Moore Tris 
Oh, I hear you with the race-after-injury thing for sure. So much harder than it used to be! I hope you get all the cake you want next time.
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but you ROCKED your 5k!! and you are so disciplined with your exercises in the morning! I need to work on these…!
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The highlight of my weekend was running in the first snow of the year. My running buddy and I agreed today that the campus we run on (Cornell) is so beautiful all year round. We ran around sunset today and the light coming through the clouds reflected off the lake was really beautiful (and romantic 😉 I could have run all day!
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Snow?!?!! Wow!!! I hope we get some (only a little though!) this year…it makes me feel more festive and runs are more beautiful! Sounds amazing I want a run like that soon!!!
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