Gullane Run with Michael and a shout out to Rich.

I'm trying to study again, so I mustn't tarry long here. I've just been out a quick run and I need to get some lunch and then a shower and then get some serious reading done - not falling asleep on the sofa. That would be counter-productive in so many different ways...

Anyway, we had Michael G along as a special guest on the Gullane run yesterday. Running with Michael is always dangerous because his enthusiasm for all things running is so infectious that by the end of the run you can  find you have agreed in principle to all manner of races.

By the end of the run yesterday we were thinking quite seriously about the Hoy Half Marathon next year. And what Foxtrail winter races to do. And maybe parkruns. And maybe the Stirling Marathon. Michael was trying to get me thinking about doing ANOTHER Carnethy 5, which is just cruel.

After the usual 6 mile circuit we arrived back at the van and we were weighing up whether to go for a swim or not. The temperature had dropped however, and the sea looked a bit cold and uninviting. Michael wasn't enjoying the prospect of trying to see if he could squirm his way into my spare wetsuit. It's a bit big for me, but Michael is just all round taller and musclier than me, so it would have been a squeeze. We went a loop round through the woods and back along the shore instead and took it up to just under 10 miles.

On a completely different note I've been saddened by reading in one of my favourite blogs - Running Around of the author's on-going story of getting depressed, going to the doctor's, getting antidepressants and then having a reaction to the antidepressants which is probably worse than the original problem. There's no contact details on his blog so - just in case you happen to be reading this Rich, there are lots of different ways of thinking about and approaching depression, and talking therapy and antidepressants have just about equal results in clinical trials. Your GP should know this, but not all of them do. If you wanted to discuss it, just email me. I'm a mental health nurse. I could maybe point you in helpful directions....and, I love your blog. Your love for your running and the beautiful places it takes you to shines through...