Lairig Ghru race

Went up to Braemar for this 28 mile race yesterday. Quite a good turnout including Kate Jenkins fresh from winning the WHW race last week and competing in the Arrochar alps race on Saturday!!!The race takes you out along Deeside. Really nice running and scenery for about 10M. Then it all changes as the path becomes v rough for about the next 9 miles. The Lairig Ghru itself is absolutely stunning but I was too busy looking at the next rock on the path to admire it much.The boulder fields are horrendous broken up by some snowfields which were great as I could actually run on them. After that (2850 feet) you go down on v rough tracks for a few miles. I was passed by quite a few at this stage.About 7m from the end Rothiemurchis forest is entered which is really lovely with the bonus of lovely forest tracks to run on. I did reel a few in but was struggling with cramp which slowed me down quite a bit.The end is in Aviemore high st.I finished in 4h 37m which I was quite happy with overall. Dont know my position yetI'm really glad to have done this race but wont be doing it again as it just doesnt play to my strengths.

Not sure

I have been planning to do the Lairig ghru race for some time. In fact its a race I've been meaning to do for years but something always happens to prevent it.
Thursday I did my last run and fely a definite tweak in the left calf and yesterday I felt really cr*p. Feel a bit better today but not sure whether to go to Braemar or not. Its a long way to turn round after a few miles.
Last weekend I ran the inaugural Orchill Rd race. It was supposed to be 10M but was 1/4 mile short. I came 8th in 64.45 and won a £50 voucher for an outfit called doitoutdoors!! Sounds dodgy but I will be doing some flyfishing with them at some point.

A great week off

Last week I took a week off work. We had some friends to stay for the 1st half of the week and last Monday Aidan and I went off to do the last 2 mamores for me which were binain beag and mor. We had stunning weather and I can honestly say it was one of the best days on the hills I can remember. We had stunning views across to nevis and finished in about 7.5 hrs.
Last wed was the Lang Toun 10K. I think 14 harriers did this. I had been feeling off colour all day so wasnt in a great state of mind for the start. Several Glasgow Uni students turned up and went off at a crazy pace. I decided to take it easy and started passing people by 1K. After about 4K I had finished passing people and despite feeling pretty knackered held my position to finish 1st vet in 40.17. Not a great time but hey.
The day after I was up at 5.45 to head off north for 3 days.
The 1st day I drove to Glen Cannich(4hrs) and parked below Loch Mullardoch dam to do 4 Munros and 20m. It was a superb day again. I headed up to Carn nan Gobhar and was soon sweating heavily. This was a problem because I was soon out of water and getting v thirsty. After Sgurr lapaich I met a walker who gave me a liter of water and I was soon able to fill up from a burn. The 3rd munro an rabaichan like the one before was big (1150m) and a long ridge. Then a craggy descent to the last bealach of the day and up to an socach. I wasnt sure which way to come off and picked the wrong way and ended up amonst peat hags. Finally what I had hoped was a nice run along the loch for 6m was anything but. There was barely a path and it was hard going. I finished at 8.30 tired but happy.
I B&bd in Inverness and abandoned ideas of Ben Wyvis and headed over to Gairloch for the harriers weekend.
Again we were blessed with great weather. Phil and I canoed around an island and saw all sorts including a couple of otters.
On Saturday 8 of us ran/walked slioch in 4.5 hrs. A tremendous day out although the descent was not to my liking. What a great hill though.
Sunday we did a tortoise and hare thing which I had the good fortune to win with Fiona which was nice then I headed back home v tired but happy.
A post script is I woke on Monday with a v sore L hamstring. I've no idea how that happened but it looks like a few days off.