Perfect 10! 
7:37pm, 11th Jan 2025 | 25 Comments
Blog by HappyG(rrr)
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From my training log of this morning's run...
This was a Perfect 10! Or 10 out of 10 if you will!
Maiden's Cleuch looking south to Glencorse reservoir in Edinburgh's Pentland Hills
Parkruns were off, I've done a couple of short runs this week at work and made it to gym twice. So generally getting off to a better start this year. I want to get into habit of doing longer weekend runs. I've been doing it by adding on after parkrun. Which means a park, or other parkrun type location. But this week I've been looking at the snow covered hills out of the windows at home and work and being frustrated at not being able to go out. Really wanted to do some ski touring. But niece was due to come to us for a few hours this afternoon to give my sis some respite, so I had a 13.30 deadline. Couldn't go up to the ski areas. So I went for a compromise. Down to my old haunt of The Pentland Hills outside Edinburgh. I can see them from the house and looked like a decent amount of snow. And some posts from Harmeny Pentland Runner friends showing some nice snowy conditions.
So I packed all the necessaries - hat, gloves, bumbag with phone, snack, foil blanket, extra layers and looked out both sets of spikes - Kahtoola micro (the big ones) and nano spikes. The nanos have been most useful recently, so expected to use those. Some dry things in case I was particularly wet or cold after. Set off 40 min drive, drive was fine until snow on roads once I got to Balerno. It really is its own wee micro climate. With parked cars in thick snow, the last roads were effectively single file which means waiting for any coming traffic. Not good if you're trying to a run at it. Also if you have to pull over into a patch of thick snow! Fortunately my all climate tyres work well and no dramas. At car park before 09.00 and there were already only about a dozen spaces left. Nice chat to a couple of runners just returning, who said conditions were great, though they had only been round the nearest reservoir and I was going a bit further. The standard 8.5 mile loop that was my favourite when the Pentlands were my regular playground.
I set off and conditions were perfect. -2C, and probably had been -4C overnight. It hadn't snowed for several days, so it was all packed snow with ice on top. They must have had 5-10cm here. It was 20cm in various drifts. The spikes were working perfectly, so grip was confident, no slipping, even on solid ice patches where water had run across and frozen. Lots of lovely people out despite the earlyish start - a few dogs, a couple of lads on touring skis (had a good chat with them!), and as I got to the Kissing Gate at top of Maiden's Cleuch, the first wee climb, a chap on a mountain bike. I said "lovely day" and he said "we've got the best of it" and I recognised a twang of NE and asked where he was from. Ellon, my home town. Turns out we went to same school and his younger sister was my best mate's girlfriend. I'd been to a New Year's party at his house, in probably 1984 or 1985! Small world! Great to chat to him.
The rest of the run was just brilliant. Chatting to tourists, dog walkers, oh, another running pal who I haven't seen for a year or so (my wife says I could could get dropped on a desert island and find someone I know!). The sun had just come up as I started and was perfect light for the wonderful snowy conditions. Stunning. I'll link a few pics.
No ill effects from 10 miles. I look forward to increasing distance from here. But in terms of quality, I don't think runs get much better than this!
Love n stuff!
G
This was a Perfect 10! Or 10 out of 10 if you will!
Maiden's Cleuch looking south to Glencorse reservoir in Edinburgh's Pentland Hills
Parkruns were off, I've done a couple of short runs this week at work and made it to gym twice. So generally getting off to a better start this year. I want to get into habit of doing longer weekend runs. I've been doing it by adding on after parkrun. Which means a park, or other parkrun type location. But this week I've been looking at the snow covered hills out of the windows at home and work and being frustrated at not being able to go out. Really wanted to do some ski touring. But niece was due to come to us for a few hours this afternoon to give my sis some respite, so I had a 13.30 deadline. Couldn't go up to the ski areas. So I went for a compromise. Down to my old haunt of The Pentland Hills outside Edinburgh. I can see them from the house and looked like a decent amount of snow. And some posts from Harmeny Pentland Runner friends showing some nice snowy conditions.
So I packed all the necessaries - hat, gloves, bumbag with phone, snack, foil blanket, extra layers and looked out both sets of spikes - Kahtoola micro (the big ones) and nano spikes. The nanos have been most useful recently, so expected to use those. Some dry things in case I was particularly wet or cold after. Set off 40 min drive, drive was fine until snow on roads once I got to Balerno. It really is its own wee micro climate. With parked cars in thick snow, the last roads were effectively single file which means waiting for any coming traffic. Not good if you're trying to a run at it. Also if you have to pull over into a patch of thick snow! Fortunately my all climate tyres work well and no dramas. At car park before 09.00 and there were already only about a dozen spaces left. Nice chat to a couple of runners just returning, who said conditions were great, though they had only been round the nearest reservoir and I was going a bit further. The standard 8.5 mile loop that was my favourite when the Pentlands were my regular playground.
I set off and conditions were perfect. -2C, and probably had been -4C overnight. It hadn't snowed for several days, so it was all packed snow with ice on top. They must have had 5-10cm here. It was 20cm in various drifts. The spikes were working perfectly, so grip was confident, no slipping, even on solid ice patches where water had run across and frozen. Lots of lovely people out despite the earlyish start - a few dogs, a couple of lads on touring skis (had a good chat with them!), and as I got to the Kissing Gate at top of Maiden's Cleuch, the first wee climb, a chap on a mountain bike. I said "lovely day" and he said "we've got the best of it" and I recognised a twang of NE and asked where he was from. Ellon, my home town. Turns out we went to same school and his younger sister was my best mate's girlfriend. I'd been to a New Year's party at his house, in probably 1984 or 1985! Small world! Great to chat to him.
The rest of the run was just brilliant. Chatting to tourists, dog walkers, oh, another running pal who I haven't seen for a year or so (my wife says I could could get dropped on a desert island and find someone I know!). The sun had just come up as I started and was perfect light for the wonderful snowy conditions. Stunning. I'll link a few pics.
No ill effects from 10 miles. I look forward to increasing distance from here. But in terms of quality, I don't think runs get much better than this!
Love n stuff!
G
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Started running 07 after a nasty mountain bike accident end of 06 (a week in hospital and a spot of plastic surgery) put me off mountain biking. (See fetcheveryone.com/gallery-showphoto.php?id19442 for gruesome detail!) Decided running on 2 feet couldn't be as dangerous! Edinburgh Marathon 08 was the goal. Joined a club, did some training, got injured, got physio'd and fixed. Did it in 3:42. Pleased with the time. Loved the experience. But most of all I love the feeling of running, the camaraderie of the club and the lovely, lovely land of fetch. You are all wonderful! heart Update: Fetch Festive Calendar wanted an update. Errr, I'm not a parsnip. There you go.heart
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