debbie had arrange a garscube harriers outing - a run on the kilpatrick hills! had been thinking about doing this for a while! tho mo [sunday running buddy] and i discussed it on a weekly basis when i was marathon training we never got round to fitting one in; plus i was a bit terrified i'd injure myself prior to the race! But having been a lazy sod recently and only running about 15 - 20 miles a week at present and most of this done on sat and sunday i offered myself up for the sacrifice - and mo too!!
now after i decided yes i am going, i did wonder what i'd talked myself and mo into! debs said we'd have to keep up with the lads as they know the route which got me worried before i'd even got to bed sat night. i was relying on the fact that mo knew where she was going and andrew said if i get lost there is only one way to go - down!! so i decided that if i couldn't keep up it wouldn't matter!
of course that didn't stop the irritable bowel 3 times before i left on sunday morn! picking mo up i parked where i had been told. no one had arrived so we thought we were in the wrong place when mo recognised someone from the club parking beside us. not long after, jill arrived. i was happy to hear her legs were sore from racing the day before so was hoping that i wouldn't be left behind. mo reassured me she had hardly run either studying to become dr mo, so i was feeling quite good about it - for a few seconds. then the lads came - hoards of elite runners and fast boys from the club. i could hear my irritable bowel asking me what the feck i was doing there when debs arrived with her pal who won the west highland way running it in less than 20hours!! boy i was way out of my comfort zone!!
we started off before i had a chance to change my mind!! it was a nice gradual incline and just when i got comfortable with the pace - it got steeper!! argh my thighs screamed as i pounded uphill bringing up the rear. must admit tho was glad when debs pulled away as her see thru leggings were a bit too much - debs do wear some undies - your perfectly shaped ass made me feel extremely inferior!! ah the beauty of youth! i struggle to keep mine from sliding down my thighs as they are genetically and ageingly inclined!
mo, jill and i stopped to take in the view! what a day! we couldn't have asked for better weather. and although a bit of ice here and there it was dry underfoot - which was just as well since we all had pretty new trainers on!
mo reassured debs and the gang that we knew where we were and would climb up to the reservoir then go back down the route we came up. debbie and the rest were doing a longer route past the reservoir and down another part and back along the road - a total of 9 or 10 miles.
We dropped our pace slightly and let them go off ahead and mo, jill and i continued to the reservoir - stopping again for a photo opportunity - then headed back. in total it was about 6.5 for us. my garmin packed in after a mile but jill had hers. i didn't ask the time as some things you are better just not knowing!! but for a first attempt back at the hills i liked it!! in fact mo and i are planning some more!
a nice change! it is amazing to have all these wonderful running routes at our doorstep - in fact i am sure i can even get to the kilpatrick hills from my doorstep! will certainly try it one of these days!
