Thursday, August 30, 2007
Whinney Hill Sun 26th Aug
In preparation for Ben Nevis next Saturday went for an easy run through Christie, Argyll & Balloch Park, leaving Balloch Park out the back on the track to Whinney Hill for a seat overlooking Inchmurrin. Reversed the route on the way home, out for just over 96 mins.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Lomonds of Fife Sun 19th Aug
New race for me and one of the 6 races in this years Scottish Hill Runners Championship. The race is over 11 miles and about 3400' of ascent over and around East & West Lomond (WL twice). Not huge hills, West Lomond is just over 1700' and East just under 1400' with a few miles of undulating terrain in between and as they are surrounded by flat ground attracting a glider trying to catch the updraughts.
Championship status means a large field and usually someone to follow in poor visibility, about 130 entrants but good weather as well, bright, cool, with the sun breaking through at the end.
The race started with a run up towards WL across a couple of fields to reach the hill and a walk to the top, the leaders streaming back down past as you toil. About turn at the top and half way back down hang a right for a descending traverse across streep slopes taking you to the start of an undulating forrest track for 2 or 3 miles.
A narrow path on the right was marked for the next climb, a zig zag path / stream through the forrest, just about runnable for me. No time to stop and look at the sign on the old tower as you get to the top of the steep track onto a twisting wet boggy run up and down (mostly up) through trees popping out on a moor 2/3 of the way to East Lomond.
Unusually for a hill race a water station and then a short descent on forrest road before the Climb up EL. A short steep sheep track gives way to a runnable farm track, a mixture of stones and 2 foot deep bogs to cath the unwary. As you approach EL its back onto narrow steeper hill paths, a few minutes effort and you're on top.
The return route to WL via an old Hill Fort (now a square mound of grass) is clear as you start the descent from EL back to the water station where you leave the safety of the farm track and head over tussock and soaking ground to the Fort followed by a strength sapping climb back up to the track. The track winds its way up towards WL and as usual the last climb is v steep with a hang glider about to take off as I reach the top.
The descent of WL is infamous, a runnable 1/4 mile or so then over a fence to the top of a near vertical green slope. No chance of staying upright so sit and slide down at a fair rate. Luckily no thistles on this "path". Its a few minutes before the slope eases and I can stand and run back through the fields to the finish in just over 2 hours 20 mins.
Jogged the mile or two back to Strathmiglo village hall, changed and the usual Fife post race hospitality. Tea, biscuits etc.
Championship status means a large field and usually someone to follow in poor visibility, about 130 entrants but good weather as well, bright, cool, with the sun breaking through at the end.
The race started with a run up towards WL across a couple of fields to reach the hill and a walk to the top, the leaders streaming back down past as you toil. About turn at the top and half way back down hang a right for a descending traverse across streep slopes taking you to the start of an undulating forrest track for 2 or 3 miles.
A narrow path on the right was marked for the next climb, a zig zag path / stream through the forrest, just about runnable for me. No time to stop and look at the sign on the old tower as you get to the top of the steep track onto a twisting wet boggy run up and down (mostly up) through trees popping out on a moor 2/3 of the way to East Lomond.
Unusually for a hill race a water station and then a short descent on forrest road before the Climb up EL. A short steep sheep track gives way to a runnable farm track, a mixture of stones and 2 foot deep bogs to cath the unwary. As you approach EL its back onto narrow steeper hill paths, a few minutes effort and you're on top.
The return route to WL via an old Hill Fort (now a square mound of grass) is clear as you start the descent from EL back to the water station where you leave the safety of the farm track and head over tussock and soaking ground to the Fort followed by a strength sapping climb back up to the track. The track winds its way up towards WL and as usual the last climb is v steep with a hang glider about to take off as I reach the top.
The descent of WL is infamous, a runnable 1/4 mile or so then over a fence to the top of a near vertical green slope. No chance of staying upright so sit and slide down at a fair rate. Luckily no thistles on this "path". Its a few minutes before the slope eases and I can stand and run back through the fields to the finish in just over 2 hours 20 mins.
Jogged the mile or two back to Strathmiglo village hall, changed and the usual Fife post race hospitality. Tea, biscuits etc.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Luss Horseshoe Sun 12th Aug
Started off with the usual run up Beinn Dubh and along the broad ridge round the Corries and back down to the top of Glen Luss via mid hill.
Instead of a jog back down the Glen Luss road crossed over and ran up to the saddle between the 2 tops of Coille-eughain Hill, from here ran down towards Loch Lomond over the suitably named paps working a sheep track/path through the head high bracken and tussocks. To finish managed to pick up the path to a small bridge over Luss water which comes out at the bottom of Glen Luss.
All in 9 miles and about 3500' of ascent in just under 3 hours.
Coill-e hill was a nice alternative to the road and also a better workout particularly after 2 weeks of Lossiemouth excess!
Instead of a jog back down the Glen Luss road crossed over and ran up to the saddle between the 2 tops of Coille-eughain Hill, from here ran down towards Loch Lomond over the suitably named paps working a sheep track/path through the head high bracken and tussocks. To finish managed to pick up the path to a small bridge over Luss water which comes out at the bottom of Glen Luss.
All in 9 miles and about 3500' of ascent in just under 3 hours.
Coill-e hill was a nice alternative to the road and also a better workout particularly after 2 weeks of Lossiemouth excess!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Lossie Beach Runs to 9th Aug
On holiday at Lossiemouth and after the Ben Rinnes race had a relaxing fortnight at Silver Sands campsite. A run along the 3 mile beach every couple of days followed by a swim in the N Sea to keep things ticking over. A few pics to follow in the galleria.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Ben Rinnes Sat 28th July
60 runners took part in this years Ben Rinnes 5 Tops Hill Race, 14 miles long with 4900' of ascent. My third attempt at this race run from the Dufftown Highland games. The route goes over Little Conval and Meikle Conval before Ben Rinnes, returning to the games field via the same 2 Convals as on the way out.
Cold wet and windy so chose a long sleeved thermal and light shower jacket to keep the wind off. Target was to get as close as possible to 3 hours which was too optimistic with current fitness and in the wet conditions which had turned the Convals a bit mushy.
Kept it steady to start with hopefully conserving energy for the Convals on the way back. Hit the road after the Convals on the way out in 1 hour and then a 47 minute ascent of Ben Rinnes, descent back to the road in 22 mins, finished in 3:13:49, just over a minute down on previous best.
Good race with plenty of runnable terrain but the cold wind/rain combined with the soft ground made it a bit harder this year. The new path up and down Ben Rinnes probably a bit slower as you have to keep to the zig zags to minimise erosion instead of the usual straight down charge.
Cold wet and windy so chose a long sleeved thermal and light shower jacket to keep the wind off. Target was to get as close as possible to 3 hours which was too optimistic with current fitness and in the wet conditions which had turned the Convals a bit mushy.
Kept it steady to start with hopefully conserving energy for the Convals on the way back. Hit the road after the Convals on the way out in 1 hour and then a 47 minute ascent of Ben Rinnes, descent back to the road in 22 mins, finished in 3:13:49, just over a minute down on previous best.
Good race with plenty of runnable terrain but the cold wind/rain combined with the soft ground made it a bit harder this year. The new path up and down Ben Rinnes probably a bit slower as you have to keep to the zig zags to minimise erosion instead of the usual straight down charge.
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