Lammermuirs Loop

Yesterday was a day of mixed fortunes. The sun was out. We thought maybe Peter would get finished work early and we would head out to the Lammermuirs to try a hard 20 or so miler on Peter's foot. As it turned out Peter got home early but not that early and to cut a long story short it was after 4pm by the time we parked up at the Blinkbonny woods. I had been feeling increasingly flat and tired as we drove out there and this wasn't helped by P having necked some coffee and chattering away about how amazing everything was.

Getting out the car I felt tired and achy. This wasn't good!

The first 2 miles are uphill and were into the wind yesterday. Plenty time to ease into the thing. By the top of the hill I was sure I wasn't going to run 20 miles and suggested we head left down a fair looking track that looked as though it might take us to the Hope Reservoir. It was very dry and the warm wind was blowing. The trail was white and dusty, feeling more like we were in Spain or America than in East Lothian. The novelty of going a different way cheered me up vastly. I thought part of the lethargy I'd been suffering from was sheer boredom. I felt okay now. The long, long downhill didn't hurt this.

Peter wanted to double back round the other side of the reservoir to extend the route and keep us off road but I wanted to just carry on, see how it all worked out and not commit myself to some long slog on more difficult terrain. I just felt like I needed to get back so pushed my agenda.

The trail joined nicely onto small country roads and took us back round to the road up to Blinkbonny. For the last half a mile I felt really wiped out. Total miles 8.5.

We drove home on small back roads and soaked up how good everything was looking in the sunshine. By the time I got home my stomach was feeling distinctly dodgy and has been so ever since. I'll spare you the details. I am trying not to be panicked by the thought of my glory leg in the marathon tomorrow. This'll entail standing around for a few hours before setting off for the finish. I need to be well by then! So while Peter is off to the Pentlands with Michael G. (They've planned it so they get the very hottest part of the day), I am lounging around in pyjama chic, reading, drinking and snoozing.