7th July
If you did nothing when the weather was poor you'd only be out half the time in Scotland. It has been a pretty decent Spring and early Summer but there are days when you struggle to find the joy. I think since I started getting serious about butterflies I have adopted their policy of only coming alive when the sun is out. So what do you do on a stubbornly overcast day? I can't remember whose idea running to Cammo was but if it was Mary's it was probably to visit the Falls Cafe, Cramond. I still carried the camera and took photos but on a dull day you are swimming against the tide.
If you did nothing when the weather was poor you'd only be out half the time in Scotland. It has been a pretty decent Spring and early Summer but there are days when you struggle to find the joy. I think since I started getting serious about butterflies I have adopted their policy of only coming alive when the sun is out. So what do you do on a stubbornly overcast day? I can't remember whose idea running to Cammo was but if it was Mary's it was probably to visit the Falls Cafe, Cramond. I still carried the camera and took photos but on a dull day you are swimming against the tide.
We saw this amazing bush blooming on the way up the cycle path.
Just one butterfly today, a red admiral who hadn't seen the forecast.
mini ponies near Dowie's Mill Lane
Mary was going to have us turn around about Cramond Brig but I suggested another mile or 2 and we agreed to go up the Almond to the grotto bridge cross over and return via Cammo. It took the mileage up to 16.5 total and the uncertainty added interest; not being absolutely sure of where the path went on the other side of the river.
Cramond, just out of shot
dead rat sans head
These runs usually go very well and chatty for about 8 miles, then the conversation trails off about 10. About 12 you are not advised to say anything other than asking directions, and after 14 keep your distance, your head down and say nothing.
The cafe was open so we had a San Pellegrino and scone. The staff in there are kind of odd and I seem to remember the scones were more chewy than light and fluffy but that that was exactly to my liking. We took far more photos in the flat light than was ever required while snacking. Legs weren't looking forward to the long haul along the prom. Unsurprisingly photos weren't taken to savour and recall the ordeal.
Mrs Mallard and offspring.
giant metal thing in sky!
what can it be?
buzzy bumble
16.5 miles
It can't have been that bad because we were out again next day (8th July) and off to the park to warm up then do some hill reps. Still taking pics in the duff light. Either it brightened later or we just ran so hard it seemed like it did. I think it was Mary came up with the idea of a long extended warm up before doing a high intensity work out. Which means running up the crags (at lower intensity) or wherever first for a while before risking full steam ahead. I'm not sure if I'd always go and do a session like this without Mary. She quite likes a structure rather than just running fast for a bit till you feel you'd like to stop. Which is more what I find myself doing. I do enjoy a Mary coached session though, and probably work harder on account of it.
bird's eye view
Michael working hard at the Carnethy Handicap
So after a good old warm up we found ourselves at the bottom of the tourist path from Dunsapie car park pointing up towards the shoulder/summit. The plan was to run a triangle; up to the corner then down a different path, and back along the tarmac to the start. (A Coach Gordon special from long ago PRC workouts.) Mary suggested 3 reps continuous with slight recovery on the downhill. I thought I'd try and do 4 and catch Mary doing her third on my fourth. This would give me a target. It worked out about 2 mins up and 1 back down. On the first I set off quite quickly instantly making a gap between M and I which she resented so pushed quite hard. At the top of lap 1, I turned and was quite surprised to see Mary only 20 yards behind. That would make lapping her tougher than I thought. However I knew her strength was going up hill (certainly not mine) and that I'd gain more ground on the descents.
4 climbs and just over 11 mins later I caught up to Mary who stood stopped at the high point. I felt I could have caught her if she did the final descent but her foot was a little achy so we called it a day. It's funny how in just 11 short minutes you can get so close to a coronary. I lay on the grass breathing like I'd just summitted Everest. Good game. And although you don't feel great while puffing uphill, far from it, you do feel exceptional after you stop. A mix of relief and also a high from running your engine at max.
4 climbs and just over 11 mins later I caught up to Mary who stood stopped at the high point. I felt I could have caught her if she did the final descent but her foot was a little achy so we called it a day. It's funny how in just 11 short minutes you can get so close to a coronary. I lay on the grass breathing like I'd just summitted Everest. Good game. And although you don't feel great while puffing uphill, far from it, you do feel exceptional after you stop. A mix of relief and also a high from running your engine at max.
Torrent by Hoka - good light trail shoe for up to 18 miles
Mary had not been able to get the idea of an ice cream out her head. It had been placed there not by Mr Whippy but Nicola Duncan and Catherine Cowie who had recommended it as an ideal ultra foodstuff. Surely independent testing was required. We generally don't give in to such base instincts much, but it's nice to indulge now and again. I wasn't bothered on this occasion which is weird as I have a bad and compelling sugar addiction. I think the jury was out as we only had a mile to run home which was not long enough to see how the "most expensive ice cream in Edinburgh" (quote from Shery) behaved. More testing required obvs.
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