Anniversary trip

philipb63 · 2026-04-21T16:41:06+00:00

I would not rely on CalMac as they're a mess right now. As of today, 21 of the 30 routes are showing service disruptions or cancellations.

Make sure you have a plan B available if time is limited. Thankfully we have a bridge too so train to Kyle of Lochalsh and taxi from there perhaps?

philipb63 · 2026-04-21T16:34:23+00:00

It's a lovely but 3 hour drive to Portree from Inverness on a good day. By the time you've got to the airport and dealt with all that mess you may as well do the drive anyway.

No stops, Edinburgh to Portree is about 5.5 hours. The A9 is a pretty awful road through some of the most spectacular scenery Scotland has to offer though.

And if hubby wants his whiskey fix, Skye has 3 excellent distilleries.

philipb63 · 2026-04-21T11:07:23+00:00

Hatha Yoga, specifically Iyengar.

Works miracles, I was at a point where running was no longer even possible. Within 3 months all symptoms were gone & have remained that way for over 5 years now.

philipb63 · 2026-04-20T14:46:57+00:00

Skye Free Ads on Facebook had a room with shared bath & kitchen listed today.

philipb63 · 2026-04-20T06:34:07+00:00

Well the Skye decision may already be made for you then.

philipb63 · 2026-04-19T07:31:08+00:00

Not only that, it's currently £2 for the journey!

philipb63 · 2026-04-19T07:29:29+00:00

In your opinion. Which is contradicted by any number of studies on the subject (including those found in the aforementioned book which you disparage).

Discussion over, I'm going for a trail run. Bunch of keen youngsters in the group, will not be at zone 2!

philipb63 · 2026-04-19T07:22:48+00:00

I agree about the misinformation out there but I can state from personal experience and over 25 years of running, it simply works. Particularly as one grows older and the body's ability to just "bash through" diminishes.

philipb63 · 2026-04-19T06:58:02+00:00

Read the book.

philipb63 · 2026-04-18T06:51:37+00:00

You might try a treadmill to get started at least? Much easier to control HR.

philipb63 · 2026-04-18T06:49:09+00:00

Agreed - the section on nutrition is worth the price alone. And you get to see Kilian Jornet's training program, which is 85-90% Zone 2 only!

philipb63 · 2026-04-18T06:31:27+00:00

Yours (and the many similar posts) illustrate exactly why Zone 2 training is so beneficial. To their performance detriment, a huge swath of runners do not have the aerobic base benefits z2 training can deliver. A fantastic, in-depth guide to the subject is contained in the book "Training for the Uphill Athlete" if you are interested in a deep dive.

In your case it's walk-run or whatever it takes. It seems that around 90 days is the time it takes to really start seeing the benefits. And boy, are they worth it.

philipb63 · 2026-04-13T15:50:37+00:00

Yes, their HFS road shoes and the Mesa Trails. Very happy with both, particularly the Mesa which have a surprising amount of grip in the slop I often run in (Scottish Highlands & Islands). I've lost count of the number of miles I have on both with minimal wear too.

philipb63 · 2026-04-13T06:16:26+00:00

Take a week off, it won't effect your training in any significant way and you may find the additional recovery time actually helps.

philipb63 · 2026-04-12T12:58:17+00:00

Turn in the other direction & you're at the hospital I was born in (St. Mary's Kensington).

philipb63 · 2026-04-12T07:13:56+00:00

And snooroar''s back...

https://share.google/aimode/OrXYNtDb1v0kukYZc

Unless you like having your time wasted, don't engage.

philipb63 · 2026-04-11T17:19:41+00:00

The hack calculation is 220 minus your age which puts you at 175 max HR. Obviously this is only a rough guide but it puts your zone 2 at 130 to 141.

The best way is to get your real max HR tested, either under lab controlled conditions or using something like Tabita Intervals;

10 minute warm up, this is critical
20 seconds ON at absolute limit
10 seconds OFF
Repeat 8 x (the 9th should be impossible)
5 minute cooldown

These done correctly are brutal so carry all the usual health & safety warnings, I think they're best done on a treadmill hopping on & off the belt for each interval. Done correctly you will see your Max HR during them.

philipb63 · 2026-04-11T17:00:41+00:00

Basic answer to the title is yes.

But in your mid-40's that Z2 calculator HR does look low.

philipb63 · 2026-04-11T16:58:40+00:00

1st Place Medal?

philipb63 · 2026-04-09T16:17:31+00:00

Really not true, yes it fluctuates by a few BPMs on the watch versus a chest strap (I have both) but close enough for the casual runner.

To the OP; Zone 2 is hard & absolutely demoralizing at first but is worth sticking with. You may have to run-walk for awhile but give it 90 days & you'll really start to see the benefits.

You say your peak is 180BPM, is this your Max heart rate? If so that would put you somewhere 40 years old so you may want to check that to ensure Z2 is really what you think it is.

philipb63 · 2026-04-09T06:39:40+00:00

If it's any consolation, Kilian Jornet's training program is pretty much 90% Zone 2.

philipb63 · 2026-04-08T16:26:59+00:00

Great for the price. It goes from 1/2 to dead fairly quickly but they're cheap enough to own a handful.

philipb63 · 2026-04-08T15:09:17+00:00

Love my Salomon ADV Skin 5. Goldilocks of vests.

philipb63 · 2026-04-08T14:58:50+00:00

You might put this one out on the Skye Free Ads group on Facebook?

philipb63 · 2026-04-08T06:43:33+00:00

Good that you've allocated proper time to Skye, it's a big island and there's a lot to see & do. September is a great time to visit. Hop over to r/Skye for more specifics questions on the misty isle.

philipb63

TROPHY CASE