wet weekend

13th June
With the weather being too shite for butterflies the only thing left was a (fast) run. Mary decided a couple days before that we might attempt Roly's challenge of a half marathon round the Queen's Drive. Four laps. In the drizzle. The troops reluctantly signed up. (Why would anyone do that course unless you loved hills?) I had done a single lap at eyeballs out pace a few weeks before and recorded 22mins. I thought maybe 25 min laps would be the fastest I could manage without having a near death experience. It's a virtual event so you can do it when you like (before October). Go to facebook group page "Arthur's Seat marathon and half marathon challenge". People had been posting some fast times so I was not looking forward to a virtual whipping.

Mary and I had once run laps of Holyrood as marathon training. The most I could stomach was 6 and it was such fun (10 or 11 years ago?) I have never been back for more than about 2. One of the few things you can use to improve matters is take a friend. Nick was also not terribly keen and had scoffed a cheese plate late the previous night as a kind of bad preparation. I was surprised it didn't make a reappearance. 

The good thing about the weather was we wouldn't need drinks to offset the scorching sun. I only carried a small waterproof camera to take bad impressionistic photos. Mary wore a mini-backpack to carry her top layer. She set off a bit ahead of Nick and I knowing she would take a bit longer. I was still rubbing the sleep out my eyes and setting my gps. We set off at a brisk but not outlandish pace and chatted at times during the first lap. This was a good pacing strategy rather than going up that first hill like the hundred yard dash.

We all went clockwise for the first lap. We overtook Mary going up the hill to Dunsapie Loch. With the light being so poor the photos were rubbish; the camera often took a moment to hum and haw about exposure by which time it was on the way back to pointing at the ground. It was a relief to get the first climb out the way. Although we were not even halfway round the lap I counted off each lap from the top of the hill as that was the crux of every circuit.

We saw Keith H as we were setting off. He was doing a few laps to count off some miles during his virtual WHW race. Like all events since March the real thing was cancelled, but a virtual 95 miler was held over the 9.5 days around the same time. Most times we passed Keith I'd take a poor photo while shouting out hellos. John B was out on his bike and gave us some welcome cheer on lap 1 or maybe 2. It was just into the long downhill stretch that goes from above the Commie Pool roundabout right the way down to Holyrood. This was the only stretch where I took the lead from Nick. And only on the first couple of laps. He would lead the ascent. I would spend the lochside flat catching him up, then draw a little ahead on the downhill. He would go a little cautiously on that section as he had done some quad/hamstring damage during his middle-of-the-night attempt from the other week, and was being less cavalier this time. He'd quickly get ahead again on the climb. 

not the photo I had aimed for

At some point Mary changed direction and did a lap or 2 in the opposite direction. This was fun as we got to shout at each other in passing a few times. I think we might just have lapped her if we had all gone in the same direction as she was finishing her 3rd lap as we were finishing our last. On one occasion I was confused as I was chugging up that hateful hill. I could see Mary descending and got the camera ready to take a pic. Meanwhile the woman in fluro top on my left shouted hello as well which my addled brain couldn't quite fathom. It was Eleanor and presumably just coincidence and not that she had joined Mary as pacer.

another marvelous shot

At various points we also saw Andrew and Unda who had braved the damp weather for a photo safari although I don't think there much wildlife out and about. I told Andrew that that was the fourth and final lap (I was delirious and rambling by this point) "before we go to a pub for a beer". He said there weren't any open. Technically he was right as the Iona Bar wasn't opening till 2pm. I had noticed they were doing a take-away service recently.

In fact it had been notorious on facebook, particularly the I Love Leith page. I suppose inevitable. They had been serving 1lt or 2pint plastic disposable mugs filled with beer for £6. No entry to the premises, and please don't congregate round the front door. I first saw this and thought that it was pretty poor (not within the guidelines surely!) then did a u-turn and thought it was enterprising of the owners to do some business and hey those 2pint mugs of beer look sweet! I hadn't got around to buying one but knew Nick would be up for it. The problem occurs when a small crowd does start to congregate and there are no toilets available and folk start to get a bit lashed. Luckily it all happens down the other end of Iona St and we were blissfully aware of the shouting and pissing in the street.

Meanwhile Nick pulled away on the final lap and while I slowed slightly he sped up putting 3 minutes between us. That cheese plate certainly did the job! I tried to keep the pace going but might have slowed a bit. Also there was slight difficulties with my gps. I push twice to get the mileage readout up on the screen. I either pushed once or 3 times and got the time, it initially said 12 something then 13 something but that was the hour of the day not the distance. Of course I wasn't stopping to read it. Nick had said the full 4 laps to point of start was over 13.1 miles but I wasn't absolutely certain of it hence the need to see the distance on my Suunto. (He uses a Garmin, and no they don't measure exactly the same.) When I crossed the "line" I pushed stop but later realised it was fractionally under the full distance. So, the same distance as Nick ran but Mr Suunto says 13.04. I was just over 1hr34 so using my average pace on a running calculator determined that my time, if I had run 13.1 in Suunto miles, would be 1.34.32. Nick was saying he'd vouch for the distance but I had already pulled Roy's leg about taking the wrong line and going on the grass so I thought I best not be anything other than squeaky clean. I'm sure if Roy chose to do it again and stick to the pavement it might actually be faster rather than doing the cross country version. He also did it on a very windy day. 

Gio avoiding the limelight

We bumped into Gio while waiting for Mary. We did another lap to catch up with her. I knew she would not want noisy pacers so we held back, chatting to Gio and A&U who had come down to St Margaret's Loch. And gave her too much of a head start. I thought we would catch her but even though we weren't that slow she still finished ahead of us. We were all fairly pleased with the times we had run. Or maybe just pleased the pain had stopped. It's been so long since I last raced I had forgotten that heady mix of pain, stiff legs and satisfaction you get from a race. You know you have tested your limits. I seemed to be averaging about 23.38 per lap which is way faster than I thought I would manage, and they were all similar enough, suggesting decent pacing. Nick had had a scorching second half and last lap running 1.31. While it was fun in a kind of glad that's over way, I am not terribly keen on doing the marathon 8 lap version. You can get too much of a good thing.

4 full laps
only rules are 13.1 miles (direction optional) stay on tarmac/pavement

singing the blues

Sat 6th June

Nick came round for a street coffee and cake and socially distanced run. Mary chose the route which was to go through town and out to Corstorphine. There are now lots of places opening for take away services. I noticed the Iona St Bar at the end of our street is opening at certain times with varied results. £6 for a 2 pint disposable plastic mug of beer is not bad (even though supermarket beer is still a better deal.) The trouble is the locals congregate - even though there are signs saying not to. The beer makes everyone a bit rowdy (and forget social distancing) and since they are not contained things easily get out of hand. Toilet facilities are not available which results in people improvising. It all goes downhill from there (according to social media.) 20-odd years ago we nearly put an offer in on the flat above the pub. I'm so glad we didn't. We are though greatly enjoying the lack of football fans coming down our street (as would happen every game at Easter Road) shouting abuse and taking up all the parking. 

Van Helsing and Robinson Crusoe

We ran along the main road and then turned right into Corstorphine Hill Park

The Zoo is not open currently but you can see some of the animals from Corstorphine Hill. I think they are one of the many businesses feeling the pinch and missing the hefty entry fees (about £20 per person) due to lockdown. It is strange to think how some businesses have cruised through lockdown or even been boosted by it (bicycle shops have been busier than normal) while others - hairdressers, cafes etc. have been doing no business whatsoever. I have been enjoying working less (and running, cycling and butterfly hunting more) though am doing enough to pay the monthly bills. If the weather hadn't been so good I'd be working more. I have never felt bored or wondered what to do - there's always more music to play, more photos to take, or runs to do. I am just beginning to feel a bit fitter and more enthusiastic about running again after something of a lay off during Winter and into Spring. It is so much harder to lose a bit of flab the older you get.

giving us the finger

After the hill and zoo we had no particular route in mind so Nick took us through Mary Erskine's school grounds (where his daughters went) and out the other side into Blackhall.

This bus stop at the Esso garage is where I waited to catch a bus into school every day of secondary. Generally I was late as it was a mile walk to get there; usually with violin, swim kit, physics and maths books and ten minutes late. This was back in the day when children weren't taxi-ed to school in 4x4s. That said, in the last year or 2 of school I would often get a lift from Richard Green a friendly teacher and mentor in the art department. He would drive past the bus stop in his Cortina and if he saw me would pull over and give me a lift. Quite a brave move for an openly gay teacher to arrive into school with a non-related pupil sat in the front seat of his car of a morning. The art department was the place in school I was happiest and Richard was one of a great team of teachers there when I attended, who helped me get into art school and shaped my life. I was greatly saddened to hear recently through social media contacts that Richard died in the Aids epidemic of the 80s/90s.

Orchard Park

where Mary stayed as a youngster when she first came to Edinburgh

If you want a laugh look at the price tags on wedding dresses.
It's almost like they thought their customers must be imbeciles?

Great to catch up with Nick and have a good run round town. Just under 10 miles and since the weather got progressively warmer and brighter I reckoned there might a few butterflies out in Holyrood. It is not great at the weekends as there is loads of people there, however the butterfly spots are off the beaten track and avoid the busier places. 

I returned to place I had seen the common blue and sure enough there he was again, and in amongst half a dozen Argus as well. I tried to get a better photo of the Small Copper who lives round there but didn't really do that justice.

mother shipton moth

lots of small heath about

I then went up from the stone trap venue to the top of the radical road where I'd seen the second common blue appear a while ago. There was one there (or maybe 2) and I took a number of photos of it and the other butterflies that hang about there - small heaths and small coppers.

Then a couple of days later on Monday8th, the weather did a similar thing; going from overcast and cool, to cloudless blue skies with the sun warming small patches of sheltered ground. I went for a run late in the day (butterfly wise) about 3.30 getting to the stone trap about 3.45. The blue was there briefly but there was also a chilly wind keeping things low to the ground and shaking the grass stems and butterflies as I tried to photograph them. Not ideal conditions. I then ran to the Rad Rd barriers to see if that was more sheltered meeting Phil on the way. It was a good call as I found my first female Common Blue of the year. They tend to stay close to the ground and hide away so as a result are that bit more rare and tricky to find. I found this one at the top of a stem of grass sunning itself. Really glad I decided on the off-chance to pop out for "a run". 

NBA

small heath

stray tortoiseshell

grasshopper nymph

I ran home really happy with an unexpected haul of sunny photos. Nice to bump into Phil again on the way home and Ken who had been at the stone trap. This Spring and early Summer weather has been brilliant for running and butterflies.

Just over Abbeyhill and I met a guy walking his 2 polecats. I stopped to take a couple of photos and (remembering Richard Whitely getting bitten by a ferret on tv) asked did they bite. They didn't though I was somewhat cautious. Ferrets are domesticated polecats. These 2 (you don't need a licence to keep them) came from a rescue centre and seemed healthy and well looked after.