early start, early finish

4th December

Despite running about 10 miles a week or fewer, I signed up for this Carnethy based romp from Hillend over the hills to West Linton then down the trails and roads to Peebles. It was a Graham Nash led 30miler and I was largely drawn to it due to the names on the sign up list. I did say to them I wasn't going along if it was BAD weather. I have done this route many times (in either direction) and even in a race (the notorious Thieves Ultra.) I know what it is like on a day when the rain lashes down for most of the daylight hours and had no wish to repeat that experience, no matter the quality of camaraderie.

The forecast changed from iffy to dry and so I packed my stuff the night before, then got up in the middle of the dark night to catch a bus to Fairmilehead for 7.57am. The bus was a bit late in appearing, possibly due to Tram works in Leith Walk, and I considered getting alternative buses to Morningside and just running the rest. But didn't fancy starting the day standing around in the cold with soaking kit. I held out for the number 11 and it arrived about 9mins late, then made up half of that on the way. I hoped that getting to the Steading for 8.10am would be the single hardest part of the day. And mostly it was.

There was a good crowd signed up - about 14 or 15 plus Mark and dug Barra who were just coming along as far as the first few miles. We also bumped into Stewart, Michael, and Dessie who were doing a few Pentland Hills (with one more runner) and set off just in front of us.

We went up to the ski slope and then up to Allermuir. The fairly cloudless sky and dawn appearing was all very pleasant and I was glad to be running. The pace was sociable and I felt not as much out-my-depth as I thought I would. We could even see the elite team of 4 up ahead. There was a regroup at the top of Allermuir and photos and it was good to be alive.

Black Hill
(might the politically correct suggest a name change?)

There was a bit of wetness between Black and Bell's Hill. The stream at the bottom of the valley. We took it turn to jump the gap and I tried to photograph everyone's efforts. There might have been an occasional damp foot, though few of us still had dry feet. Nobody went in or fell. 

Both the view behind and in front were borderline spectacular. The day seemed to be defying the rather crappy overcast forecast. However it was not to last that much longer. 

the Bore Stane

Graham told us all about the Bore Stane. It marks the boundaries of all the areas around here. I wasn't paying attention in class (again) so can't tell you if this (below) the only Stane I could see, was the said stane, or whether the stane was metaphorical and/or hidden by the heather. I did enjoy chatting to various folk along the way which made the first 10 miles whiz by.

This is the last photo, taken moments later, approaching North Esk Reservoir. From this point the drizzle started to fall continuously. I put a poly bag round my camera in the mistaken belief the rain might go off before the end of the day. It did not so the next 6 or 7 miles passed without photos. It was not such heavy rain that I put on a waterproof. Perhaps another mistake. I hate running in a waterproof as the trapped sweat makes you just as wet. But my top layer - an Alpkit jumper - got pretty damp through, and I began to feel cold when we stopped running.

We ran down to Carlops then along the road a short distance and crossed back to take the singularly long and depressing gravel dirt trail to West Linton. I have run this in the rain before. It seems to go uphill in both directions and is a long time getting there. (Just checked and both ends rise substantially to a midpoint high, which accounts for it going up hill in ether direction.)

There is a pleasant drop into West Linton and if you take the left hand trail it delivers you directly to the Gordon Arms pub. We all stopped for refreshments except for Michelle who hates the cooling and seizing up and then starting again feeling crocked. She was off to the coop for refreshments then carrying on, focussed on the running more than the refreshments. I was already forming a desertion plan so focussed on refreshments in the pub. I was not happy about the potential for running the rest of the daylight hours in crap weather. I asked Nick to check his phone for the weather forecast. It had significantly deteriorated and now told a story of wind, snow and rain. We stepped outside for a second opinion and sure enough there was rain and misery in the air. It was an easy decision to make and at no point did I regret it.

We went back into the pub and had another pint till the Edinburgh bus came 30minutes later and caught it home. I felt a tiny twinge of guilt about being a softie and not just manning up, but there is little to no joy to be had by running in the snow and drizzle for 3 or 4 hrs then trying to get dry and warm in a pub before catching a chilly bus home in the dark. All the buses are going about with open windows due to covid although I imagine common sense would prevail in cold weather. We had run about 17 of the original 30 mile plan. The best of the run is in those 17 miles and there was little to be gained by carrying on in poor weather.

the view on the bus

out the bus window

This was a photo Mike took later in the run.

And that is the problem with setting up a run a couple of weeks before it happens. You can't count on the weather being good. When I spent 4.5 years doing a 30 miler once a month, every month, sometimes more than one, I lived by the forecast and didn't plan a big run without looking at what the weather would be. There were still occasional days of running in poor conditions. But I know which I enjoyed more.

Nick and I took a bit of a risk heading into the wastelands of the Lammermuirs to find the crash site of a WW2 aircraft flown into the ground by Tony La Gruta. That was a long and memorable run on the second last day of the year, in nearly white out conditions at points and more than 30 miles of slip and slide in a barren landcscape. Link here. 

I have done running in bad weather, and prefer good. There has to be a good reason to run in soaking wet clothes in drizzle and today there was not one I could find. I was surprised Nick bailed as well. He is generally younger, fitter and keener than myself, and could easily have slogged out the necessary slog. As could I have despite my low mileage weeks of late. But maybe I swayed him with my talk. 

17miles from Fairmilehead, over 4.5hrs

I was glad to get off the bus after what seemed an age of sitting in damp clothes and run home from the bus station, just about getting warm again, before a hot shower and dinner. You can get too much of a good thing! Thanks to Graham for putting this run together and nice to see all the folk along the run - some I haven't spoken to in far too long. Fingers crossed for better weather on next one.