Yesterday I became a vet. Not the animal kind with their hands up cows but the one that has grey hair and is rapidly losing his teeth. Yes the running one. To be honest the vet category is a bit of a grey area (get it). I think that in road running I am classed as a vet but to be honest they are all big softies. No offence I am part of the road runners fraternity too but compared to other off shoots of the sport we are.
The real men (and woman) do hill running and cross countries and in their eyes I am still a youngster. 40 is the magic age of a vet when racing these nutters.
In case you hadn't guessed I am now 35. Inbetween two of lives milestones, well past it if you play football but as one of my pals pointed out. I can still run further than my age.
Anyway I was up early and decided to do a run that was two years in the planning. I have always wondered at the possibility of running up the Kilpatrick hills and then over to the Whangie and back. What better day than my birthday to give it a go.
After waking up and receiving some wonderful pressies from Debbie and Cairn which included a new pair of X-Talon Hill running shoes (I am trying to get into hill running), a magic mouse (you need to be a geek for this one), some running gear (t-shirt, arm warmers and gloves) I was off to meet Joe for our run.
(Miss this bit if you don't want the techy details of our run)..
The run started at Hardgate. We would take the Cochno road up to Greenside Reservoir. Over the dam and then up the Slacks. Down to Loch Humphrey and then over to Duncolm. Down from Duncolm and then over the bog to Burncrooks Reservoir. Then up to the Whangie. Now down past the Queens View to the Stockimuir Road. We then took some tracks to avoid having to run the main road before joining the tracks at the Carbeth Huts and then over to the West Highland Way. Taking the WHW as far as Mugdock wood and then taking the road back to the Stockie. Then on to the right of way over Douglas Muir to Faifley and then back to Hardgate.
Altogether it was 19 miles and 2,500 feet of ascent/descent. Three hours three minutes of running but with all our stops to enjoy the view the total time was closer to 3:45.
Joe is a road runner and did very well on the run. We took our time and walked when we had to. It was a great laugh and we were absolutely mankie when we got back to the car. A really good route and one that I am sure I will do again and again.
Our route. Forgot to start the watch at the beginning so it isn't a full loop
When I got home from the run I ate a full pizza. (hey it was my birthday) and I still felt hungry afterward. But I was saving myself for later.
I spent the afternoon watching Battlestar Galactica and Debbie let me?? Yeah I had a great birthday.
Then it was off for something to eat. Debbie was taking me to Yen in the Rotunda for Teppanyaki. It was absolutely fantastic. I really would recommend it to everyone. Eight courses, all brilliant and all cooked in front of you by a fab chef and showman. He kept us entertained and fed the whole time.
I had a great birthday. Thank you to everyone that wished me all the best and thank you to Debbie for making it fantastic.
6 comments:
Wow, that run is longer, higher, tougher, boggier, hillier. You are growing up young man!
I hope I can try this one sometime.
You had a fab birthday by all accounts, and welcome to the 35-40 year olds.
My 36th birthday was last Thursday (12th - what date was yours?) and I had a run planned but work got in the way boo. No battlestar galactica either boo.
But I did get a copy of the Joss Naylor biography signed by Joss himself, and lots of micro-brewery beer. Yeehah.
Marco
I quite fancy having a go at that route myself. How was the navigation? Any particularly "awkward" bits I should look out for?
Hey guys,
Thank you for all your birthday wishes. :-)
Brian - My birthday is the 15th so you are 1 year and 3 days older than me. Old man.
Thomas/Graeme - We are planning to hopefully do this run again in the next couple of weeks and you would be both more than welcome.
Graeme - If you want to email me (marco(at)consani.co.uk) then I can send you the GPX file of the route and go over where the boggy bits are. Navigation was all fine as the day was clear although it may be harder if it was bad weather and the cloud was in. Send me an email and I can go over it.
Marco
Looks like you had a top day mate .. When I saw you were a Vet I thought "He can't be 40 !" Phew .. Happy Birthday fellow Scorpios ! Mine is on Friday.. And I am a Vet in the Off road sense (would you have guessed :-) !
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