IT’S a far cry from lovely Loch Long in Argyll to New York’s East River, which is spanned by the Brooklyn Bridge which I aim to cross as part of my marathon adventure.
But on Saturday I geared up for the City That Never Sleeps by undertaking a 13-mile trek from Ardgartan on the shores of the loch, along what is locally known as "the Arrochar Alps" through to Inverlughas on Loch Lomondside. It was a spectacular walk, through a magnificent mountain backdrop, dropping down to the hydro dam on the shores of Loch Lomond, then being taken to the cool-down area at the spectacular Portavadie Marina.
It was enjoyable but gruelling, but at the finish it gave me a reminder of how I’d feel at the halfway point of the New York Marathon. My wife Anne comes from the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll — often called "the secret peninsula" and I love its walking trails.
Although work schedules interfered with some of my weekday training — yes, I know I should get the mileage in my legs — the lochside trek followed a five-mile midweek walk through leafy areas of Inverness.
I have thought ahead to this week and have devised a walk from Lochardil down to the Black Bridge, across to Grant Street and through the Carse to the Canal at Clachnaharry. From there I will head up the canal banks all the way to Dochgarroch, crossing the lock gates there and back to Inverness on the other side of the canal, finishing at the Highland Rugby Club ground at Canal Park. That should get my lungs going well!
The canal banks will be particularly welcomed by my four-year-old Jack Russell terrier Jill who requires to be kept on a lead when I am training in the city streets and who much prefers running free in the countryside with me plodding along in pursuit.
I also had a session last week with John McCreadie, Caley Thistle’s impressive physiotherapist, and his advice on various marathon-related issues proved invaluable. I did not realise, for instance, how important is your choice of socks to wear in a 26-mile event. I will be implementing his various suggestions and he has given me a specific walking programme timetabled through to my departure to New York. I’ve assured John I’ll do my best to stick to it.
One tip I’ll certainly be taking is his advice to take the trainers and socks I will use for the marathon on board the transatlantic flight as hand luggage. John tells me many new marathon entrants have had a major setback when their in-hold luggage is delayed and they have to scratch around for kit and compete in gear that has not been broken in. That can be disastrous for the feet!
I’m feeling fighting fit and up for the challenge of a trek around the skyscrapers. With two weeks to go, it is an important stage in my preparation and I’m determined to get in the mileage. The marathon actually begins at 2am UK time so that’s another adjustment I’ll have to make as we fly to the Big Apple on the Friday and the event is on the Sunday, so I hope jet lag isn’t a factor.
It’s all about fund-raising to give Raigmore Hospital a new world-class children’s facility, something our ARCHIE Foundation team is working hard at to reach our £1 million target. I’m busy raising more cash through my marathon sponsorship — as long as I make halfway, they pay me — and my fellow walker Catriona Cameron and our seven Inverness-based ARCHIE runners are busy in dual efforts to simultaneously improve fitness and raise as much as we can to help the appeal.
New York isn’t going to be easy for a portly guy like me. Of course, I could take a leaf from Rob Sloan. He’s the guy who ran the Kielder Marathon then caught a bus for the last six miles to finish third! Talk of hard neck, and it was good that he was discovered — but not till after he’d got his medal.
I don’t know how far I’ll get when I set out from Central Park, but I know it will be down to my own sweat and feet, however sore!
