Long Slow Snow Run

Inspired by Richie Cunningham's remark the other day that he'd run 20 miles and this was about equivalent to twice as much in June I decided to go and try to do a long run despite the ever deepening snow. After a bit of head scratching we decided on catching the train to North Berwick and making our way back because this gives lots of different options depending how its going, nice off-road with a bail-out bus never far away if it all goes horribly wrong.

The train was a bit late setting off because apparently the staff were having difficulty making it to the train. In NB it was dreich but we were warmly dressed and pretty soon started enjoying the spectacle of everything under snow. I tried to see running through the deep slush on the pavements as strength training and be patient with it - but we hopped onto the road whenever it was quiet. We wanted to get a couple of miles along the road and then head along the John Muir Way to Gullane.

At Gullane it was time for a food stop already - it was hard work and we were both hungry  so we had some Orkney fudge and some Stoat flapjack bars and coffee standing in the doorway of a kitchen shop as the snow strafed the graveyard across the way.

As soon as we got down to Gullane Beach things took an upturn - whether it was the sugar and caffeine hit or the beautiful scenery or a bit of both. It was good to get far from the road - and some of the beach running must have been the easiest outdoor running to be had in Scotland today.

Time was moving on however and we didn't have long til sunset so we had to press on. At Aberlady we decided to keep going as long as we could before we got completely benighted. It was hard work breaking through several inches of snow all the way. At one of the car parks at Longniddry we came across a man with an alsatian who's Volvo was stuck in the ice. We helped him to move his car forwards a bit, but as soon as he went to reverse to get back out of the car park he slid back into the same place he'd got stuck in in the 1st place. It didn't seem likely we could do much more with no spade and darkness full upon us. He turned down offers of the use of my phone, preferring to go and see a friend up the road who might be able to help him. We made the last of the way to Seton Sands in the dark, where there was a no.26 bus sitting waiting for us! (We could have gone further but the pavements were both hard work and boring so we decided to call it a day.)

15 miles altogether today - and it took us a bit over 3hrs. 12 minute miling! Impressive. I think I'll be sore tomorrow...