A long run and a burning sky

Saturday saw my first long run for a while. I decided to go from Drymen to Rowardennan and back, a total of 31 miles which was my first run over 20 miles since October so I wasn't sure how it would all go.

I set off from Drymen at 7:00am in the pitch dark but feeling pretty good and looking forward to the run. As I climbed up through the forest, the sky gradually got lighter and I occassionally glanced back over my shoulder to see any sign of the sun coming up. What I wasn't prepared for was the utterly amazing sunrise that appeared over the period of about 15 minutes just before I got to the bottom of Conic Hill. I kept having to look over my shoulder to see how it was developing and even tried to take a couple of photos with my phone but these do not properly convey the sheer breathtaking view. It is a very humbling feeling to be on your own out in the wilds in the pitch dark and then to have this scene unfolding before you. I can honestly say that at that moment, there was nowhere else in the world I would rather have been.

Up and over Conic Hill and as I was eating some beans in Balmaha carpark I spotted Mags Turnbull getting ready to run to Inversnaid and back. We ran together as far as Rowardennan then went our separate ways. I started to tire on the endless ups and downs along the lochside back to Blamaha but eventually reached the carpark and prepared myself for my second run over Conic Hill. This was the hardest part of the day and as the wind did it's best to blow me off the hill, I put my Ipod on, my head down and pressed on hard until I was over the top. The run down the other side wasn't as bad as I had feared and I managed to keep a reasonable pace all the way back into Drymen, getting back to the car in just over 6 hours.

I am pleased to have got a long run under my belt again and despite the sore legs today, I am eager to plan another one at the end of the month.