I had the pleasure of meeting Hamish in the build up to the recent Lairig Ghru race, and have been following his running for a little while. I was delighted when he agreed to be in the marathon spotlight. Hamish, a student physiotherapist, has pushed on from a 3:45 marathon to some very dizzy heights and he’s not finished yet. A lovely read, and if you need a reason to have 20 pairs of trainers “Hamish said so”. Thanks Hamish and good luck with your future racing and in the physio world.
Ultra / Marathons completed?
4
3 at the Lairig Ghru Race and 1 Loch Ness marathon. The first Lairig Ghru and the Loch Ness Marathon (2012 & 2013) were run before I took running seriously and were both as much of a slog as you’d expect from someone running less than 10 miles per week. In 2012 I ran the Lairig Ghru in 4:56:02, coming 71st, and returned in 2017 as a competitive runner finishing 2nd in 3:15:17.
PB Marathon time?
Loch Ness Marathon 2013 – 3:45:24. This is still the only road marathon I’ve run to date but in the future I’m sure I’ll put the training in and target a solid time.
Running Highlights?
Making the highly competitive Scotland East team for British Inter county XC in 2017 was a real highlight! Unfortunately, I had a pretty terrible race on the day but it showed me what I was capable of achieving in running. Representing Scotland North at UK inter counties fell championships 2017 and 2018 have also been great experiences!
Greatest Running Achievement?
Greatest achievement has to be winning the Scottish U23 hill running championship in 2016. I didn’t actually feel the race went very well so the race I have been most happy with was the Lairig Ghru Race 2017. My race plan worked brilliantly and I felt great from start to finish and was only beaten by the phenomenal Murray Strain!
Favourite trail and why?
Pressendye is definitely my favourite trail for training. With a 3 mile climb to the top it’s perfect for any type of hill session and once at the top there’s plenty more routes to choose from giving as much elevation and distance as you want on varying technical trails. I run up this hill 2-3 times per week and with the rarity of seeing anyone else on the hill I claim it as “my hill”. If I had to choose my favourite race, it would be Goatfell Hill Race on the Isle of Arran.
Worst running memory and why?
My worst running memory is very recent and was 3 days ago at the 2018 Lairig Ghru Race. I’d trained hard for this race and wanted to go one better than my 2017 2nd place and felt great going in to the race. I was leading the race until mile 16 where the wheels started to fall off and, in the heat, dehydration and cramp started to kick in whilst crossing the infamous boulder field a the Pools of Dee. From this point on I was running through pure misery and I’m not entirely sure how I managed to still finish on the Podium in 3rd place. A lot of lessons learned from this to take forward in to future races and training.
Training plan ? 80:20, Pfitz, Hal Higdon or other?
I have never followed anything more than a vague mental plan structured around a goal “A” race. I am currently looking at the possibility getting myself a coach as I think a bit more structure within my training could unlock some more potential.
Funniest Training Moment?
My ability to get lost whether doing a race recce or in a race itself seems to be a running joke. I think I could actually get lost running in a straight line! Most notably when I managed to get lost at the 2017 Ring of Steall Skyrace which is flagged the whole way around which resulted leaving the Glen Nevis check point and arriving there for a second time 20 minutes later. (Number 32)
Crisps or Chocolate?
Chocolate! Hiding my abs since 1994.
Hydration & Nutrition snack of choice on long runs?
Pre-race is either Crunchy Nut or Coco Pops. I’ve had some excellent runs on the back of this scientifically proven race fuel!
Long run hydration is a combination of Active Root energy drink and Torq gels. I’m not a big fan of anything solid when running and Active Root and Torq gels are both nice and gentle on the stomach. I think my race fueling strategy is something I need to work on to really get the best results.
Shoes – minimal or maximal – type ?
I rotate about 20 pairs of running different shoes. You can’t help but build a collection when working at Run 4 It! My general rule of thumb though is minimal for racing and sessions, maximal for easy runs.
Some of my racing favourites are the Salomon SLAB Sense 6, Inov8 Xtalon, Adidas Adios 3. Easy runs are split between various shoes but two of my favourites are the Nike Pegasus and the Hoka One One Speedgoat.
What is your Mantra?
I don’t really have a mantra but I think consistency is key. You still go through peaks and troughs but each peak generally gets a bit higher showing the training is paying off!
Fly Solo or flock together? ( Run in a group or on your own)
I do a lot of solo running especially for my long training runs however I love using the Metro lads to push me on through a speedy interval session.
Terrain – trail, track or tarmac?
Trail for sure! The constantly changing terrain makes it much more fun to run!
Top tip for #projectRUN ?
Find your jam! Having fun is absolutely key for me and there’s so many ways to vary running to make it enjoyable. Trails, road, track, hills, even beaches! Fartlek, tempo, intervals, hill reps. Run in groups or solo. Use the different terrains and sessions to your advantage and mix it up if you need to!
Thanks again Hamish a great Blog and good luck with the training.
Run Long and Prosper
James
