fatbikes and airplanes

Last weekend threatened to be fine but never really materialised into anything. It was good to spend both days doing low pressure runs with Mary and laying off the racing but the forecast sunshine didn't really appear and it stayed mostly chilly and overcast. Shame as it was one of the big weekends of the year for our fatbiking pals.

We parked the car in Longniddry Station with the plan to run to NB then catch the train back. The weather was looking like the sun was going to come out in the late afternoon early evening so in a last minute change of plan I took the bigger camera. 

Running out to the beach at Aberlady we saw the tyre prints left by Europe's largest gathering of fatbikes, the Forth Fat weekend, organised by Bruce and pals. (I must get one of these bikes.)

This photo by Markus Stitz
Further details of Forth Fat at Coastkid's Blog and also Markus's Blog

We didn't manage to witness the spectacle of all those bikes - they were probably in the pub by the time we got out running, but as the weather was improving all day I think we chose the right time to run.

Spot of yoga anyone?

We got to just beyond Gullane and Mary pointed out the wind seemed (contrary to the forecast) to be in our face and was making the going tougher than it should be. She wisely suggested we turn around and retreat the way we had come rather than head to NB. We were about half way. Neither of us were feeling particularly great or full of beans so we headed back. Right then the camera battery ran out. That kind of summed up the day. There was pressure to get finished and head back to town to do a quick run round Tesco's before having a bite to eat, a quick shower and jumping back into the car to head to a party in Pencaitland. Tim's 50th. An old drinking pal of ours from way back, he now runs and I saw him the last couple of weekends as he also ran E2NB and the Winton 10k. While it was fun to catch up with folk, some I hadn't seen in 20 years, the music drowned out any attempts at intelligent conversation and we were home for about midnight. So some things do change.

Next day and a quick run round the airport route. Not to chase away a hangover since I'd only had 3 drinks. Again we waited till the rain went off. Not quite as good as the last time we were there - some muddy patches due to all the rain, and the sun was not out as much. However lots of wild garlic and a huge amount of Ryan Air and Easy Jet flights coming in from the North East due to wind direction. Which meant directly overhead. The sound from the jet engines just above the trees every 15 minutes lends an air of excitement and we were both much jollier by the end of the circuit. I have put a garmin map up here to show the folk who expressed an interest, the actual route. Normally we would set out from Cramond Inn car park but today, to cut out the boring estuary bit, Mary parked up near the weir. Which made the total distance about 6.5 miles. 

Alan Aitch's worst nightmare. (Dog-licked-my-hand scenario...)

I wasn't sure whether these folk holding onto their mutts as we go past is a good thing or indicative of a bad thing. Could have been much worse. Pretty sure the black one was licking it's chops while contemplating how nice it would be to eat Mary, but other than slobber on my shorts (it's a good look - dry dog slobber on one's shorts) as I pretended to be friends, they were no problem. Quite why anyone needs three Gt Danes in the same household is beyond me. (The black one lives elsewhere. Probably can't stand the whiff.) 

With the wind blowing towards us from the airstrip we got the elevating aroma of jet fuel adding to the more natural highs of the outdoors and the garlic.

The route follows the road for a brief half mile then turns left back down towards the river.

I was trying to take photos as close as possible to Mary's ear while running without her noticing. (I know, asking for trouble!)

I took loads of photos as we bombed down here.
(And they all came out rubbish! Not enough light and the flash wasn't doing it either.)

Mary was breaking in her new Inov-8s which she bought for Goatfell this Saturday!

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