7 hills recce

I nearly went along to Haddington 10k yesterday but the threat of another rainy race kept me indoors and I caught up with some other stuff. Even forgot to go for a run, and then it started raining in earnest.

With the forecast suggesting (wrongly yet again) that it would be rainy later on it seemed an ideal day to catch up with the troops, recce-ing the 7 hills; kick-off 9am. Good to get 14 or 15 miles before midday and while the sun was shining.

bet this gets milked a lot at the weekends

Being a Sunday run we followed Bert's dictum of "you won't be left behind (as long as you can keep up.)" While waiting at Clermiston Tower it became apparent Zoe, Robert and Andrew hadn't bothered with that check point.

We caught the missing threesome at the bridge over the canal.

Craiglockhart wasn't too bad - too dry and it's very slippy, too wet and and it's a mudslide

Impressed at Craig's bag of FRUIT - not haribo or jelly babies. Nutritious!

To raise flagging spirits Andrew showed us how to descend to the Hermitage stream at top speed. He had already showed us how to cut the corner off the Lang Linn Path (possibly the only worthwhile short cut of the day) saving 10 seconds or so, but now he selflessly charged headlong off the switchback trail down to the river landing on the path like a sack of potatoes. Just to give us a laugh! What a guy!

Gav was saying how he (Andrew) now looked like a Persil advert. 

On Blackford Hill we bumped into my pals Judith, and sons Ben and Jake, also running the course. Jake (haven't seen him since he went off to university in London, currently doing phd) joined our squad and ran with us back to Calton hill. 

Limbo through the rails or up and over. 

The former is preferable (for me) on race day as a jump down can set off cramp.

There has been debate about the quickest way over Arthur's Seat. Up the steps over the Haunch (the way I've always gone) or up the Gutted Haddie and diretissimo groove which we did today. I must go and time both although I suspect neither is greatly advantageous over the other and today's route has less room for error.

Steve was feeling last weekend's German marathon in his legs before we got out of Holyrood.

Great route and great day for it.

mr stupid forgot to start the garmin until the castle