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| Descending Monk's Rig |
Another day when the morning run didn't materialise and I had to resort to a late afternoon outing. But I was determined to get in to the hills where, leaving at 16:00, the light was beautiful and the wind starting to die down. Left Ninemileburn and took the more sheltered route up to the Kips Col. Managed to fall flat on my face in the mud when my shoe caught on a staple when jumping off a stile. Felt very sluggish on the way up: Ninemileburn gives quite a brutal start and my stomach was still digesting lunchtime's salmon. Felt better on the last bit of the climb above the col and stretched out on the run down to Gutterford.
Maintained a good pace up Cock Rig and over the rough ground down to the Bore Stane. The run over Kitchen Moss was very wet and I fell once. The studs wearing out on my shoes also doesn't help. By the time I reached the drove road the wind had largely dropped and the silence and late afternoon light were wonderful. Such a privilege to have such a large space all to myself. Started to feel a bit tired on the run up the drove road and Cap Law. Descending Monk's Rig is always a pleasure and, even after all this winter's rain, it is firm, runnable and beautifully green. The gradient is perfect: runnable on the ascent and not so steep that it's hard to go flat out on the descent. All in all, this was a satisfying 14km (540m climb) in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Back home for a quick showe then off into town to watch El Classico with Spanish colleagues. This morning I'm a bit stiff with a slight ache in the right Achilles. Not a problem, I think.
Not the best of training venues, but at least I got out on a beautiful and very windy Sunday morning, and before breakfast! Out with the strong westerly wind, I flew to the castle and then up to the NW point where there is a tall square pyramidal stone navigation beacon. Turned into the wind for a while before heading south again. Eventually had to turn back into the wind and made it to the village for breakfast. All of 7km with 50m climb! The walk on/off the island (5.5km each way) with a light rucksack probably also counts as training. All in a week when my LAMM partner admitted to having had two 2.5 hour runs! The end of the teaching term can't come soon enough.
After three weeks of almost complete inactivity due to a visitor in the house who needed entertaining at weekends, I got out for a run just before dusk on Sunday. The only real exercise in the interim had been five hours' skiing at Glenshee, which gave my knees a good work-out.
The standard circuit when I only have half an hour to spare goes from the house up and across a field to the edge of the Penicuik Estate, round an undulating woodland path, along the estate drive, round the back of the old house, downhill across grass to the North Esk, along its bank most of the way back to Penicuik then up a steep woodland track to rejoin the field. It's only 5.25km with 140m climb but, taken at a good pace (c26min on Sunday) it requires sufficient effort to keep some semblance of muscle tone. Doesn't do much for stamina, though!
After three weeks of almost complete inactivity due to a visitor in the house who needed entertaining at weekends, I got out for a run just before dusk on Sunday. The only real exercise in the interim had been five hours' skiing at Glenshee, which gave my knees a good work-out.