Pappert Well Sun 24th Dec

Easy trail run this morning from the Vale Leisure Centre up the Pappert trail with a pause at the trig point and then a wee wander out through the woods for a look over the moors. Very calm once away from the housing estates, no noise or wind just the rhythm of breathing.

Balloch Park Sun 17th Dec

The usual Christmas holiday continued with a Sunday run of less than an hour. Round Balloch Park, avoiding the flooded lochside path up heart attack hill and out the North Gate turning along towards Botourich and coming back in via the new Whinney hill track. Through the Park back to the car park in the Moss O Balloch. Just about freezing, high brocken cloud, snow on the tops of the Luss hills and the Ben.

Stoneymollen Sun 10th Dec

With high winds and rain forecast lazyness and common sense prevailed and after a look out the window confirmed the weather gave up the usual early rise for a well deserved lie in. So it meant another run in the dark, this time leaving after 8 for an anticlockwise loop up the Stoneymollen.

Once off the road and onto the path the headtorch went on to navigate the slippery rocks on the way up. Traverse along the ridge hard work in the mud so took it nice and steady avoiding the sheep and startled by a bird taking off beside my feet. High winds once out from behind the trees so head down and plod on through the bomb crater past the trig point and down through the swamp. The worst part is just before the climb up to the fort as it is trackless and crossed by several ditches which I was lucky enough to avoid.

Slow jog down, back along to the radiomast and then its onto the farm track, hard work done apart from the small climbs up to the road in front of the cemetry.

Run in the Buff and the dark Sun 3rd Dec

Short late Sunday afternoon run, set off just before 4 and ran a clockwise route past the radiomast and on up to the fort. Wind & rain blootering me so on with the Buff in its balaclava mode before crossing Overton & Bromley moors trying to avoid the swamps.

Although getting dark it was easy to spot the path as it was a greasy muddy stripe, ran just beside it on the grass and heather where it was easier to maintain a relatively upright posture most of the time. Had to hurdle over a sheeps skeleton and then the last 3 sunken ditches with only minor emersion (knee deep) and shoes intact.

At the top of the Stoneymollen a break in the clouds and rain meant the moon came out to light the way down this rocky track. Ran along the bypass to Christie Park where the headtorch had to be switched on to find the way in and along the narrow path through the trees and back home. Good run to blow the cobwebs away and get the blood flowing again.

Balloch Park X Country Sat 2nd Dec

Welcome weather window for Saturday mornings 3 lap race round Balloch Park, gone were the gales and downpours of the last few days replaced by damp calm. Suprisingly puddle free with only 3 or 4 patches of gloo.

Scenic course with a good mix of short and long hills along with a few soft bits. The new path along the bottom is a bit easier than the old muddy one but in general the surface underfoot was quite soft & slippy which saps energy from the legs, so no overall gain.

1st lap too quick and suffered with each lap progressively slower to finish in just over 37 mins.