5k

11th of 12 races in this years club competition, another good turnout, 16 club members and 2 guests, starting in groups roughly in pace order helps to keep the effort level up as you gradually catch and pass a few. Nice night for running, cool, clear with only a light breeze. Set off on 6:40 pace, probably lost 10 seconds to that by the end and finished 4th just under 21 minutes.

Luss and the 3LW

Took a while to get moving, after lunch before I got out the door and drove to Luss. Beinn Dubh, Mid Hill and Coille eughain hill, 9 miles or so.

Looking over Inchlonaig to Conic Hill

Slippy in places on the way up and wet n windy on top, chilly with only a light jacket on today, time to layer up. Nice run around the corries to Mid hill, descent slippy at the bottom. Slow trudge up CE Hill, didn't hang around once on top as the rain stung my face. Managed to avoid the worst of the sludge at the bottom of the Paps, slow one today, 2 hours 50. Sunday, layered up, leggings, thermal, real jacket, gloves, the lot, went for a run over the first part of the Three Lochs Way from the Vale to Helensburgh, Stoneymollan to start then some muddy track through the forest, sneaked over Killoeter on a nice path before a swampy detour up Ben Bowie wind swept and wet.

View from Ben Bowie, Helensburgh is somewhere down there.

Well made track once we left Ben Bowie wound its way down into the back of Craigendoran, ran along East Clyde St then up Colquhoun St, picked up a lift back to the Vale from the top of Helensburgh, about 12 miles today. Saturday's pictures here, Sunday's misty offering here.

10 Mile Handicap

Change of scene this weekend, 10th race in this years club GP an undulating 10 mile handicap road race round the Horseshoe, good turn out, 28 runners all in, 22 of us club members. Set off in reverse order to your predicted time, ranging from 2 hours to just over 1 hour. Started too fast as usual settling down with a wee rest after a couple of miles. Catching people who started earlier from two miles, not caught by those behind until about 7 miles when some of the faster runners came past. Finished in 76 minutes  my fastest for a few years.

Ben Ime

Clear blue sky for today's run up Ben Ime from Succoth, 10 miles and 4000' of ascent. Tee shirt and shorts to start up the gradual zig zags, across the forest road and more zig zags, a bit steeper, still running, past the Narnain Boulders up to Bealach a'Mhaim, still running, up the boggy SE ridge and on to the summit ridge, still running, reached the top with only a few stops, 2500' to put on my Helly and a few pictures on the way. Superb views to the Clyde estuary and Ben Nevis.

Easy run back to Succoth, finished inside 2 1/2 hours. Sunday cool down round Balloch Park and the out and back to Whinney Hill, nice n easy and a few more pictures.

More pictures from Saturday here, pictures from Sunday here.

Ben Venue

A relatively new race first run in 2009, short course run due to bad weather, 2010 the original planned course, since then a slightly longer course. About 90 set off today, first faller 20 yards up the road with a chunk out his knee, ouch. The first couple of miles on trails and forest roads, undulating up of course. Steep trudge up Ben Venue's shoulder to the top for a rocky boggy ridge run down past Creag a' Bheallach then back up the ridge on narrow trods, a few route choices especially in the mist. Steep grassy drop to get off the hill, a mixture of run, fall and slide, onto forest roads and tracks for 2 miles of undulating downhill finishing the 8 1/2 miles and 2800' in 1 hour 50. Good running today, cool, sunny, not much wind, a small shower to cool me down at just the right time. Tea, coffee, sandwiches and cakes stacked in the race marquee made for a pleasant finish. Sunday 5 mile cool down run over Carman Muir.