Pride and falls and stuff

Well I've just comprehensively demonstrated that the Marcothon breeds insanity. Spent a good deal of last night being very sick and the remainder ... well we'll not go into that. Total food today 1x cuppa tea, lots of water, 2x bits toast and marmite and a good many strawberry fruit pastilles (youngest daughter considers them food of the devil). By afternoon though I was beginning to think that I was feeling better and I couldn't give up after 29 days and Debbie had kindly defined the run by time as well as distance! So out we went. 00:26:17 and 2.71 miles and Reiver says he wasn't really running but hey it counts and only one more to go!

Robertson's Rule

Never was Robertson's rule ("However little you feel like running once you're out you never regret it") so comprehensively proved. Lying on a settee full of leftovers, wet, windy and thawing outside. Seriously considering breaking my Marcothon. Unwillingly hauled myself and a sleeping dog out for a wild, exhilarating blast of a run along the beach and around Royal Troon. Fantastic!

Dumyat - South Face

Cracking run at lunch today with Reiver. We tackled the "South Face" of Dumyat going up between the buttresses. Not fast enough for Reiver but a good hard climb for me. Hard snow and glassy ice in shaded bits but otherwise really good running. We came down off the back of Dumyat and round by the east along the head dyke. Bright and sunny with no wind. A fantastic run!

Early Morning on Arthur's Seat

Did an all night shift in the Resilience Room. When I came out at 6 it was very clear and crisp and AS standing out like it was day. Ran from Regent Road down to Holyrood and up the Hunter's Bog path. Had the place to myself and it was breathtaking. Hard packed snow but pretty runable and you could see for miles. Think I was a bit spaced pre breakfast and having been up for over 24 hours but what a magic run!

Marcothon Day 7

Day 7 and once again the challenge was schedule rather than the run itself which was a slowish 3.36 miles at 00:29:09 over a lovely white Royal Troon in the dark! Up from London last night on a very slow train to Edinburgh. Straight into an all night shift in the Emergency Room and then into a hotel for a few hours sleep. Dark by the time I got in but a cracking run that I'd usually have skipped. I'm hooked on this.

Marcothon Day 4

Another short one. Just over 3 miles but more fun this time over the golf courses and the dunes with Reiver! No snow in Ayrshire.

Marcothon Day 3

OK - frantic day at work and weather steadily getting worse so rushed out of building at half three to get the run in. Forgot watch but know route along Broomielaw so over 3 miles. Wind sleet and getting dark. Snow and ice underfoot. Whose idea was this insane enterprise? On the bright side the Broomielaw dancer is back in her winter woollies and wellies!

Marcothon

The Marcothon is a scheme dreamt up by the Consanis to repeat Marco's month of running last November. In order top spice things up this time it is happening in December and they've challenged a group of folk to play as well.

A run is defined as at least 3 miles or 25 minutes of running. All the better for starting out during the current cold snap!

My record can be found at the Marcothon Tab above. I'm in London twice next week and already working out how on earth to manage the runs!

Busy on the Law

Six o'clock on a Tuesday evening in the Ochils. My OHR colleagues busy elsewhere. There were five runners on the Law. Granted it was a lovely evening but surely that's verging on congested for midweek?

Two Inns Race 2010

Saturday 21st August 2010 saw a group of 37 runners gather in the car park of the Creagan Inn for the inaugural Two Inns Race. The weather was kind with a blustery south westerly at our backs for most of the way and for the most part clear views. Underfoot the race is hard work and there are a number of significant climbs. Fraochaidh was covered in cloud but the top was easily found by following the fence to a very cheery pair of Mountain Rescue marshals. The views, already awesome, cleared up completely after that and with the Aonach Eagach as a backdrop Sgorr a Choise looked so spectacular it was almost possible to enjoy the fact that we had to climb the damn thing. The last mile over the hill park west of the Clachaig has attracted much comment. I had almost started to walk it but the lady behind me wasn't about to enter that kind of truce and so I was bound to crash my way through like all the rest. Top marks to Linda MacEwan for a cracking new race and to the Mountain Rescue marshals who were very efficient and unremittingly encouraging. The Clachaig was an inspired finish and the pint of An Teallach in hand within five minutes of the finish made for the perfect end to a very fine day indeed even if my wretched dog was too busy making eyes at a Labrador bitch to even realise that I'd finished.