Having skived off running for a month, I was wondering if this was really a run for me. Fortunately, having put my name in the box, I left it too late to wimp out. Gordon was ‘fresh’ back from Goatfell on Sunday, and sporting a fine new top. Perfectly suited to the evening’s conditions he insisted. Despite being 5 deg C warmer than yesterday, Julia wasn’t entirely convinced, but we all agreed it was shorts weather.
Thus a dozen of us set off as if for Swanston hill reps, with Phillipa noting she’d never been through the T wood before. There followed a short debate about the name. Something to do with the golf course, or originally a Darjeeling plantation your scribe wondered. But no. “It looks like a T from any direction”. If I were being picky, I might point out that would be “any direction except from above”. However, I bow to a greater wisdom that says “T wood” is catchier than “+ wood“.
Does this look like a “T” to you?
After a zig and a zag by the ski slope, we carried up and over Caerketton to Allermuir. While the rate of ascent proved too much for a couple of runners, the remainder enjoyed a warm and gentle wind at the top of Allermuir. Just enough to cool you down.
Allermuir. Even Amber’s smiling.
Gordon hit the perfect note by then steering us round Castlelaw and down to the “Glencose door” the gentle way. After the semi-suicidal route of the recent handicap, this met with universal approval.
A postcard from the Glencorse door
Briefly running alongside the reservoir, some were heard to suggest a wee dip might be nice. Terrible as it was to miss this chance to turn warm body parts to ice, we instead took a sharp right back up the hill. Here there was a split in opinion about how many hills was a good number to climb of an evening. Gordon and the Enthusiasts, a little known 70s prog rock band, took off to add Bells and Harbour. Oliver and the Mere Mortals, a session band rumoured to have played on the OGWT, swung north-west to claim Capelaw and also snuck in Green Craig in the vain hope of being able to say they’d done one Gordon hadn’t. They woz spotted though, so that ploy didn’t work.
The last section took us on a favourite route home, where another photo op presented itself. The response to “give me some action” wasn’t quite that expected. The last of the animation sequence (if it works) required the more detailed “give me some running action”. It was that sort of night. 7 miles and 4 hills in, and still all smiles.
“Give me some action”
About this point the Mere Mortals realised they had donned virtual bunny suits. The Enthusiasts were gaining on them. Engaging downhill overdrive, the Mortals made it home without being overtaken. Not that it was a race, of course.
One of the routes: A bit more than 8 miles and 1700′
Taking the politicians’ approach and answering my own question: “Does it get any better? “No, I don’t think it does”.
Thanks again to everyone who joined in, and to Gordon for organising us.
Pete Cain