short and fat, I mean fast

 

With no races being held these days it is easy to relax to the point where one is not bothering to do any speedwork. Imagine that! Anyway I started going back to PRC sessions on a Wednesday evening, and to Alan's group in Inverleith, which provides a 2 mile warm up to get there then usually about 25~45 minutes of trying to keep up with younger faster runners, then 2 miles limp home. The change of scene to Inverleith Park, less than a mile from where I grew up, is injecting an enthusiasm I thought I'd lost and the speedwork makes Weds evening dinners taste better.

This Wednesday (16th Dec.) I went out earlier in the day to run round Holyrood with Mary to get what little daylight was on offer. And if I took it easy I could always do a double session later. Unfortunately I got caught up in the fun of 4mins fast 3 mins recovery (and re-group with coach Hunter) and did a fairly vigorous blast during the 4 minutes tempo. Oh well I can always call off the later session.

nearly daylight.

I had a feeling we'd be seeing the otter today. We had been past a couple of times with no sign of it so statistically we were due a sighting this time or next. (It seems to be in Dunsapie about 1 in 4 times we run past, maybe 1 in 3.)

Sure enough it was there but had already done the meet and greet on the shore line with Ken and the small crowd who had been there 5 mins earlier. It was still out in the middle of the loch but didn't bother coming close enough to get better shots and the light was crap. It was too cold to be standing about, so after a brief chat with Ken we headed off.

Back down at St Margaret's Loch we stopped to take pics of the birds and a squirrel who was enjoying the birdseed scattered there. There was a crow doing some dubious activity. It was making a clicking/clucking noise - more gutteral and throaty than their usual cawing. Then jumping onto the back of a swan and trying to pull out feathers. The swan, not the brightest of pondside creatures, largely ignored it, and the crow tried to do this several times. Presumably it was feeling the cold and looking to line its nest with some insulating white downy feathers. It had a cheeky look about it and I couldn't help but think it was using its superior intelligence to somehow take advantage. But I don't think it was just doing it out of boredom and to tease the swan.

bad crow?!

collecting down to feather a nest?

tufted duck

9 miles and the first 2hrs running of the day

About 6.10pm I decided to message Alan to let him know I wouldn't be attending the PRC session. Unfortunately it was relay teams of 3 and it looked like there was just the right number of folk if I turned up. They'd be one short if I didn't go. Dammit. I threw on yet more running kit (sometimes the biggest hassle is doing the laundry) and limped out the door. I'd left it a bit late and had to sprint the 2 miles to Inverleith Pk. I'd taken the (B) camera to distract me from the pain. 

When you use the flash it removes most of the background so I thought it might be better to turn the flash off. Unfortunately everyone was running too fast and I just got blurry and impressionistic photos. It was good session. Each person in a team of 3 ran 20 legs. Up the hill next to the pond and towards the centre point. Then back down.  About 200m either way? I think I clocked about 35secs in the downhill direction and 43 in the uphill. There were (exactly) 4 teams and places swapped about as folk flagged, encouraging everyone to give it 100%. The first 10 seemed to take ages but the second 10 flew by in a sweaty blur. My team did not win! But we all had fun. Well done and thanks to Alan coming up with these sessions.

Having survived Wednesday I thought I'd go along the following night to the Carnethy Wintervals session at Holyrood. I have been meaning to go along for a few weeks now but would often run during the day or the places (2 groups of 15) would all be taken. The weather was good so I signed up and went along. As soon as I got out the flat the rain started. I began to regret taking the A camera along. I felt I could improve on the PRC photos by taking my better camera, although with wet slippy grass underfoot and being dark it was a risk. I wore hill shoes but the steep descents on slippy grass were deadly and I heard a couple of runners hit the deck while we were out. I was fairly cautious and stayed on my feet, just.

7pm Thurs

not seasonal snow but rain over St M's Loch

I had gone along because I noticed the session was the 12 Hills of Christmas, a somewhat contrived run around 12 uphill efforts, some short, some longer. Eoin's idea I think, though I had signed up for Alex's group as I knew more folk in that. Eoin led off and we followed, after giving him plenty time to get distanced. I never found out if Alex knew exactly the course we were to take or whether it was just an approximation. (We never got close to Eoin's group again but caught glimpses of them in the distance!) Either way it was plenty taxing and hilly and I quickly lost count of the hills and regularly, exactly where we were. We utilised the whole park (and more) apart from Salisbury Crags, perhaps wise given the potentially fatal drop offs.

The many headtorches and bigger sensor of the A camera made for better photos. I had to carry it in a poly bag as it was nearly continual drizzle. This was my first Wintervals session since lockdown and my hill-fitness was pretty rubbish. Also I wasn't feeling particularly fresh after the 2 sessions the day before. However I managed not to disgrace myself.

Nicola texting her Spanish Class to say she'd not be habla-ing español tonight

I think towards the end of the session the guys at the front were just making up where we'd go next. I knew once we got up to Nether Hill we must be nearly finished. I was keeping an eye on the time. Eoin had said in the email we "should be done before 8pm". I noticed as we came off the summit of Arthur's Seat in strong wind and rain it was 8.15pm. I'd had plenty, and was a little concerned Mary would be imagining my rain washed corpse in Hunters Bog or below the Crags. In fact she wasn't the least bothered when I got home 2hrs3mins after setting off at 6.40. And probably the most dangerous thing I did all night was the solo run off the summit and leaving the group to find my own way home. I think they were about to do the last hill (yet again.) My cup was full and I felt dinner calling.

A's Seat summit in wind and rain.

12-ish Hill of Christmas

Here is Eoin's complete list of which I missed (at least) the final one...

1. Haggis from St Margaret's loch
2. St Anthony's Chapel from the NW corner of the loch
3. Up the scree chute from the Dry Dam
4. 1/4 Mile from the road at Queen's Drive
5. Climb from near play park to wall out of Meadowfield
6. Dunsapie from the north side
7. Whinny from the loch via Monday h'cap line
8. Steep climb up to Piper's Walk plateau
9. Crow (reverse of Mon h'cap descent towards Dunsapie)
10. Nether from NE
11. Seat from Nether
12. Steep climb out of the bottom of the Dry Dam