Sunny Pentlands

At last the sun has come out! It still seemed quite cold as I left the house so I was wearing a long-sleeved top over a vest, but I needn't have worried. As soon as I got going I was warm and the long-sleeved top came off. There was a bit of a sharp easterly which was quite refreshing really. Peter's not great in the hills with his duff foot and he has NVA (dances in light-suits) today so I went to the Pentlands solo. Not a bad thing. Had a sing-song in the van without anyone objecting.

I went up to the Red Moss car park, which was hoaching. There was something on. There was a tent with a sign up about beavers which I just accepted at the time and am only now questioning. There surely aren't beavers up at Red Moss?...Just googled it and I think its something to do with the scouts. How disappointing.

I ran up the Drove road and up and over the kips and then up to the top of Scald Law. Took too many similar pictures but it was so nice to see blue sky. Then I went down to the Howe and down the side of Black Hill a la the Red Moss Revolution. The Pentlands were pretty wet anyway but the side of Black Hill is a quagmire, and it wasn't nice running at all. Its rutted, rocky and filthy these days. I guess that's erosion.

By the time I got to the reservoir at the bottom  I was pretty thirsty and despite there being water everywhere I didn't really trust any of it for drinking. I knew I had a bottle of juice which would be warming nicely in the van. I can see a day, though, when I might want to swim outside again. The water looked lovely.

8.5 hilly miles and my ankle was fine. Its a while since I climbed anything so steep. Future challenges are closing in. Dechmont Law 10k in a few weeks. Maybe Michael G's uphill race? The 7 hills is also looming. We're signed up for the Tour of Fife again, and for the Aviemore Half in October and also the Southside 6 in November, which is 16 miles in Glasgow not 6. I think the 6 is the number of parks it goes through. I'm sure there are other things but I can't think of them.

Oh well. Sunday evening. I should probably put a wash on or something...