HIde

21st November 2013
Wed training

One of the biggest turnouts of the year last night as the new Introductory group joined the Fasties, the Socials and the Phil & Chrises, who turned up late, formed a sub-group and somehow found themselves in a graveyard - "I'm not surprised we didn't see anybody else in the graveyard, but quite impressive we saw nobody on Arthur's Seat, assuming everybody really went there" - Phil. Well in spite of Jim's assertion of no GPS we now have the evidence, and it certainly looks like they did go!
The new Introductory group led by Andy Lennie went well with a pleasant trot up to the top of Blackford Hill, then around the Hermitage. Finding that was not a muddy enough introduction to off road running we took the path at the edge of the golf course and were liberally indulged, with the added bonus of deep puddles. Perfectly timed at an hour and 4.2 miles. Hope you enjoyed it!
Digby
“So, where are we going then?”, asks the baying fast group. No idea. We started with Willie’s group through KB, and with the hint of a plan we took off. Round the back of Cameron Toll, a quick trespass of prestonfield, then onto Queens Park. I couldn’t think of anything, so decided to link-up all my favourite wee trods round Queens Park that we tend not to use: The wooded path down to St Margaret’s Loch, the steep ascent of Whinny Hill from St Margaret’s Loch car park, round the back of Dunsapie, and the cliffy path round Crow Hill ("if you're going to fall, try to fall to the *left*"). In between, we took-in the summit of Arthurs Seat and Crow hill. A speedy jaunt back through Craigmillar and Inch Park. Hours of choreography and planning meetings with Willie paid off, as we regrouped nicely with his group on the final stretch to KB. No GPS, I think, which is probably a good thing as the route wouldn’t make much sense when seen on a map. Just under 10miles.
Jim
Follow all the routes on the new super complicated map!

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31st October 2013
Wed training

Social group - Single Braids Trail Race
In the absence of Willie our plan was to recce the Alternative Carnethy 5 Braids trail race route. With the Run of the Mill race still in my legs I managed not to start off "like a bat out of hell" this time. We started the course at the observatory and had two casualties in fairly short order. Euan slipped on the glithery mud coming off Blackford Hill and perversely found something abrasive to skin his knee, and Michael aggravated his knee injury descending the steps forcing retiral. The rest of us survived and some even managed a bit of a sprint finish, before crossing the golf course to a welcome pint.
Digby
Fast group - Double Braids Trail Race 
With the launch this week of next years Double Cateran Trail Ultra Marathon (2 x 55miles = 110miles), we thought we'd see what it was like to run a route one way, return to the start and reverse the route. Okay so the Braids Trail Race is only 5.5 miles not 55, but it is winter.
I reckon we took 47minutes for the first lap and 48.5minutes for the second lap, reasonably consistent. Interestingly we took slight route variations each way. We concluded the Double Cateran would be harder, as it starts and finishes at a pub, and the temptation to go for a pint at the end of the first lap would be too much.  
Graham

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25th October 2013
Wednesday Night KB Run

Fast Group - Lost in Oxgangs, Temporarily.
12.3miles, 2hrs, 2,400ft ascent/descent
8 fastish types tonight, and the first ever "lady" in the group. With clear skies, a Pentland beckoned and we thought we'd try a new route to get there via the Braid Burn. We missed the link path at the end of Oxgangs Terrace to the Dreghorn Link and did an extra loop - all good training. Eventually we reached the base of Allermuir and took the long pull up the NW ridge. A very cold wind was blowing across the summit. A fast descent down towards Swanston and then for some major nettle stinging around Mortonhall before the Braids. We were greeted with a huge orange moon rise over the city as we approached Liberton Tower. Round the field and then a sneaky short cut (courtesy of Willie) onto the golf course off Liberton Brae to KB.
Graham Nash
Social Group - The Hospital Run
8.5 miles, 1:51, 971 ft ascent/descent
As the fasties headed across the golf course, Gordon chased them hard thinking it was some fast social runners, as he failed to catch them and gave up, the rest of us caught up and put him right.
There was a large group of 16 runners as we regrouped on Blackford summit and headed for the Astley Ainslie Hospital. The across morningside to The Royal Edinburgh Hospital. The gate had a mixture of climbers and limbo dancers going over and under it before heading for Graiglockhart East and then through Craiglockhart Hydropathic and War Hospital (Now Napier Uni) before climbing the gorse path to Craiglockhart West.
Then through Greenbank past Firhill and round the grounds of The City Hospital then back through the Hermitage and home for some well earned beer.
Willie Gibson

HIde

10th October 2013
Wed Training

Social group 7.18 miles
With Willie off celebrating Cathy's birthday (happy birthday Cathy!), I blinked in the unaccustomed glare of expectant eyeballs. No problem. We set off to do a circuit of: a skip, some unexplored and seldom visited alleyways at KB, and other odd bits of hither and yon. However with Helen at my side exerting a steadying influence we finally made it to Arthur's seat via Craigmillar Castle and the back way into the park, naturally failing to find the usual gate. The lights of the fast group flashed like beacons on the summit, the lights of Edinburgh and the stars were clear in the cold air. We picked our way over Crow hill and down the scary steps to negotiate the Pollock halls squeeze and back for beer, in a more or less sensible direction.
Digby
Fast group 8.4miles, 1hr 31min 1,930ft ascent/descent
7 in both the the fast and social groups tonight, nothing too hard, as many are racing Man(or) Mouse this weekend, so Arthur's Seat was the objective. But which way to get there? We ended up crossing Prestonfield golf course but couldn't find the route over the wall onto the innocent railway. We ended up scaling a 50ft (estimated height) wall to reach a bridge over the Braid Burn. Next was the climb to towards Dunsapie, which had us scrambling through crags and gorse. Eventually we made Arthur's seat summit, a cold northerly wind was blowing, Chris Henty bailed out shortly after with a stubbed toe. The remaining 6 headed along the Crags to St Margaret's Well and then the return to KB via the Pollock Halls Gate Squeeze. We passed 3 pubs en route, and managed to not go in any of them. Progress.
Graham Nash

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19th September 2013
Wed Training

Fast Group, 11.4 miles, 2,800ft, 1hr 48m (inc. scientific experiment & beer stop)
The moon was looking BIG tonight, so it must be close, or was it? According to our Astronomer member, its all an illusion, and if you stick your head between your legs, and look at it upside down it looks smaller. So in the interests of science, four of us headed to Caerketton to check it out. The moon may have looked smaller upside down, but one thing was certain it was cold on the tops, and getting dark. A sprint down to The Steading in failing light, to warm ourselves with alcohol, before a nettle stinging run back via Mortonhall and Liberton Castle to KB. 
More info here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question491.htm
Graham Nash

Social group, 6.9 miles
The moon looked big to us too, so to prove that it was, we got Willy to stick HIS head between his legs. But we didn't think that made the moon look any different, and we carried on with being surprised that it had got dark. Having slightly mocked Michael for sporting a head torch, we felt suitably abashed as we stumbled about in the trees. Nice to have the KB bar open again albeit short of our favourite pint.
Digby

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30th May 2013
Wed training

Holyrood Park was swarming with Carnethies last night. Four disparate factions made their way in various directions around Arthur's Seat: the Cool Originals headed up by Willie, the Seven Hill Splitters led by Gordon, the Fast Drinkers led astray by Nasher and the One Man Waggle Dancing Wilkinson. Our routes intertwined in the manner of a rather unspectacular Speed of Light Show, and then dozens of us headed off to the pub to discuss how to support Graham's Ramsay Round, because It Would Be Rude Not To (© Oz Oswald).
Mary
Threads of runners criss crossed Arthur's Seat as Gordon lead a very mini recce of the 7 hills, Willy lead an clockwise circuit, and the fast runners popped up everywhere. A fox watched in disbelief as hordes of Carnethies variously popped through the portcullis gate at Pollock Halls or scaled the wall, and a relieved duck stood about when it should have been making itself scarce.
Digby

8.3miles, 2,100ft ascent, 
7 headed for Arthurs Seat last night. 8 returned. A warm, balmy night; good running over the crags to Whinny Hill (some debate about the highest point) then on to Arthurs seat. Descent via Crow Hill to Dunsapie, where we met a fraction of the other group. Beer was mentioned, and Matt Jones joined us for a cheeky half in the Sheeps Heid before tarmac bashing back to KB via the Innocent Railway tunnel.
Graham Nash

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25th May 2013
Wed training

11.7 miles, 2,650ft of ascent, 2 Pentlands,1 pint
The Pentlands looked good tonight, so 5 of us jogged via Hermitage and Swanston to pick up the path from last weeks handicap route up Green Craig and onto Allermuir where we met 2 bemused walkers clad in full winter goretex suits. It was a bit breezy so we trotted on to Caerketton as the hail came on, followed by a fast descent to the Steading. With Andy being away, we sneaked in for a pint of Stewarts IPA. Perfection. Bellys full of beer we returned to KB via Mortonhall to find the bar out of Stewarts IPA. Well worth the run to the Steading then.
Graham Nash

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9th May 2013
Wed Training

No fast group today. We headed off to explore the Edmonstone policies and the Drum Estate, but were nearly foiled by the new road being built to the rear of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Local knowledge in the form of Heather was roundly ignored and we threaded a long and devious route trying to find a way around the high fencing ending up going past the Jack Kane centre, which would not look out of place as a fortress in a war zone (which I suppose it is really), and eventually back onto track and over the hill to the Drum, looking lush in the evening sunshine. Through Gilmerton via Ellen's Glen and back to KB where the bar had decided to close unsociably at 9pm.
Digby

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1st May 2013
May Day Wed Training

It being a lovely evening (and how long have we been waiting for that?), and Willy being away, I badgered and pestered until we had a consensus on Caerketton. Since I wouldn't be able to lead from a long way behind, Oz stepped, nay skipped to the front and took us through the Hermitage, up the Braidburn park and via Swanston to the foot of the hill where we finally managed to shoo away the 'fast' group who were showing little inclination to live up to their name. Given 3 options of difficulty we chose to go up by the screes and were amply rewarded by the view, and a discussion on terminally obsessive categories of Scottish hill bagging. We returned via Mortonhall and happily the bar was still serving. A good long run.
Digby

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25th April 2013
Wednesday Training Run

As Andy and Graham were otherwise engaged, I took the faster group for a wee holiday from Andy’s usual punishing pace. Things didn’t look too promising in the first mile, the 9 that started had been reduced to 8 with Euan Innes apparently going feral in the Hermitage woods. Some discussion about what to do followed and we all agreed that he would probably survive, perhaps the native animals will find him and rear him as their own, so we trotted on. The route took us over Blackford, and Braids, then round Mortonhall, back over the braids to the Blackford arête where we met the others, Blackford summit again and then a sprint back to KB for a refreshing and well deserved pint. A few wrong turns on the way, but who cares. About 9.5 miles, I reckon that’s enough, all in glorious dry weather. Thankfully Euan survived, and can now speak fluent 'squirrel'.
Jim Hardie

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11th April 2013
Wed training - Arthur's Seat

Social group: we finally found a more sensible way out of Castlebrae High School sqeezing through railings instead of a near impossible scrape under the gates. Though it poses the question of how on earth the railings were bent out of shape in the first place given that the push came from the side away from the road. Other imponderables included the vexed question of whether you couldn't see running downhill because the tears are bounced out of your eyes or whether they are caused by the sudden wind, and whether Ibuprofen gel was more effective applied locally or eaten.
From the top there was another attempt to settle the fastest way off - over Nether Hill and down the steps, or down to the right and contouring round on the fast track. The former won, but as they didn't go over the Nether top, it doesn't count!
The tricky gate into Pollock Halls provided the usual amusement and then to KB where the major disappointment of the night came as they were about to close, early, and only those foregoing a shower managed to get a hurried pint.
Fast group: Well semi-fast, as Andy is competing in the British Champs in NI at the weekend and wanted to go easy. Anyway I haven't heard anything from them so either Andy is travelling, or they are still on Arthur's Seat somewhere.
Digby

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Wed training

Social group: Oh the luxury of daylight at last, and cold, still, pleasant conditions. Though we more or less missed a lovely sunset on our fairly low level run out to Dreghorn via the Hermitage and back via the Braids. Richard turned up late and formed a group of one, and did catch the light show from Blackford hill.
Fast group: 10.6 miles out to the top of Allermuir where we caught a brilliant red sunset before a cautious descent on slippery snow and a fast run back to KB
Richard group: I did Blackford, Braids, Blackford again, then across the golf course where some golfer still playing in half-darkness was trepidatious about solo Carnethy runners..

HIde

Wed training

Social group:
A test of memory last night as we attempted the golf course sprints without the old master, who has found marginally more snow in the alps. Gordon did very well however and got us to the golf course without getting muddy, which is an achievement in itself, and found all the holes and tees in the right order. We weren't much help in this as none of us had been paying attention the last time. We weren't very sprinty but had a relaxed run of a very decent length. Cody distinguished himself again and celebrated reaching the 18th tee with a traditional fertility ceremony.
Digby
Fast group:
Five of us headed off, nearly in daylight, a promise of things to come.  We starting off with the traditional climb up Blackford then on to the golf course. You could tell that none of us were golfers as we hooked shots, stumbled into the rough and generally struggled to find the hole (or sometimes even the tee!) We finished up Blackford by a interesting new route. Only Euan made it to the 19th.
Euan Boyd

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Wed training

Fast group:
Seven of us followed Andy off into the dusk including new guy Thomas, for Blackford Hill and then Braid Hill, where we met the slower group, whilst marking our territory. Not hanging about long we sped off for a tempo circuit around Mortonhall through the crispy snow avoiding all the ropes, then back over Braid Hill, pausing to refuel with a Jelly Baby, before a long speedy ascent of Blackford Hill, where we managed to lose Simon before heading back to KB for some excellent Stewarts Copper Cascade. 
Graham Nash
Slow group:
Lots of faces tonight, glowing in the moonlight. Properly wet and muddy for a change as we circuited the golf courses. The lights of the fast group approached at an angle, like a ship passing in the night they ghosted through us and onwards. Cody's glowing collar a green spark following an equally mysterious course, until he started being A VERY DIRTY BOY.

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Wed training - golf course sprints

Slow group 6.76 miles (10.9k) - After a bit of indecision about what to do golf course sprints was settled on. A large group with a few new faces set out and failed to get muddy. Willy, you are losing your grip! Under the stars (and an amber aurora warning) we charged about the place, and I limped along behind. The will-o-the-wisp lights of the fast group now here, now there, and the rather more strident ones of the driving range definitely there, blinding us down the hill. The Carnethy secateurs are going to have to be bought out again to ease the scratchy passage back after the exciting bridge crossing - the fast group cheated and climbed another hill.
Digby
Fast group 8.4 miles (13.5k) - we had the earlier tee off time, but after a few holes struggled to find the correct playing sequence, some dodgy caddieing meant we were playing some holes backwards. Around hole 6 or 7 we saw the slower group, led by an Old Master, and sensing they wanted to play through, we picked up our game. Matt ended up in the rough and headed back to KB for an early bath, or maybe he knew they only had a few pints of Black IPA left at the bar. The back nine holes, or was it eleven, were played at a furious pace and after holing the 18th, we headed back to the clubhouse via Blackford Hill. 
Graham Nash

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5th July 2012
Carnethies in the wash, or Wed training

It being rather warm and sweaty a lot of runners gathered for a mass washing and the Craiglockharts were chosen. Starting off in a light drizzle, by the time we got to Napier University the shower was cranked up to full and we stood under a tree for a bit, but the tree was faulty so we moved on, water streaming down and mud working its way up we squelched around to contemplate the great mud wall of Craiglockhart, behind the sports centre. The challenge was to ascend without using hands and unlikely as it looked, it was less slippery than we imagined. Most took a longer diversion and it would have been impossible without good studs anyway. By the time we got back to Blackford hill though the compulsory foot bath at the tennis courts we were treated to a fine display of layered mist and cloud and a glimpse of the Pentlands. In the interests of research Chris kept his test waterproof jacket on the whole way round, and showed no obvious signs of suffering, though whether he was any drier inside it was doubtful! GPX download
Digby

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31st May 2012
Wed Training

In the absence of Willy, Michael got to play Willy-for-the-day, and led the team to Arthur's Seat with only slight route dissent in the ranks. But the amorphous organism kept regrouping and successfully gained the misty summit for a snap - in spite of getting itself into the situation once again of having to climb the big gates out of the School at Craigmillar. Will we ever learn? No, of course not! The possibility of golfers still being active we took the Pollok Halls gate challenge which all successfully passed. Nick's trim figure slipping through with microns to spare. Returning to KB the eagerly anticipated pint was denied us as the bar had just shut.
Digby

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9th May 2012
Wednesday Training

Encouraged by thoughts of bluebells and summery weather, neither of which materialised (though it was quite a nice evening), we set off for Colinton Dell. At Redford Bank road (?) Willy posed the unusual question - "anyone know where we are?". As no-one did, we turned left, which was a good choice. Colinton Dell was delightful, green and echoing with birdsong. Cody tried to drink the river dry, and I was tempted to follow, being excruciatingly thirsty. We emerged at Slateford Rd and transferred to the canal path for a spell, then up the very steep slope behind Craiglockhart Sport Centre, famed for Bill's 'ice axe' ascents using two screwdrivers. Avoiding the golf course and its late golfers we ascended the south face of the quarry by the arete, greeting climbers along the way. Not Mary's first choice of route! And so to beer.
Digby

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22 March 2012
Wed training - Hospitalisation

With the talk being cancelled, it was time to take advantage and do a longer run.
After waiting for Matt and choosing what shoes to wear we took our last chance before the light nights to head to Blackford summit via the golf course. Heading down the steep descent to the duck pond we thought to recover so we went to The Astley Ainslie Hospital.
“The Astley Ainslie Institution, for the relief and behoof of the convalescents of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh".
Suitably recovered Gordon set off at a stupidly fast pace for The Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
“The foundation of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital was triggered by the death in Bedlam, at the age of 24, of the poet Robert Fergusson. His medical attendant Dr Andrew Duncan, was so moved by the poet's plight that he resolved to fund a hospital in Edinburgh where the mentally ill could be humanely looked after”
Once I caught up with the group and found them being humanely looked after we scaled or squirmed across the massive gates and headed for The Craiglockhart Hospital
“In 1877, the estate became the property of the Craiglockhart Hydropathic Company, who set about building a hydropathic institute. The Hydropathic was built in the Italian style. Craiglockhart remained as a hydropathic, until the advent of the First World War. Between 1916 and 1919 the building was used as a military psychiatric hospital for the treatment of shell-shocked officers.”
We wound our way through the myriad paths towards the summit the ground was unusually firm so we could not say that it was truly Hydro- path-ic, but after a pleasant view over the city we were fully recovered so headed for Wester Craiglockhart and then on the The City Hospital
“In 1903 the City Fever Hospital moved to its present site at Colinton Mains, where it became the City Hospital for Infectious Diseases.”
We ran round the hospital at a fever pace and then headed for Braids (the long way round). A couple of hungry runners asked the shortest route back. We were getting tired.
After another golf course crossing we summited Braid and headed for home.
A long run (9.8 miles with 1600ft ascent) and luckily none of us needed hospitalisation, but a good few of us took some medicine in the KB Bar.
Willy Gibson

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7th March 2012
Wed training - human golf
Before it gets too light and conventional golfers rule the roost we enrolled old and welcomed new members for a round of human golf. The full moon shone a bright light en route, and Willy engaged in a determined effort to dim the head bound rivals, with a good degree of success, and the spectral band wove around to the first tee on the Braid Hills course. While Willy called the shots on each hole - par, distance, sandtraps - Gordon was running an astronomy class, pointing out the unusual sight of Mars, Jupiter and Venus simultaneously visible in between the occasional snow shower. We managed to avoid the sandtraps and after 18 very brisk holes we were definitely looking to the next round - in KB, and a hot shower! Map
Digby

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29th Mar 2012
Wed training - Arthur's Seat
(Openstreetmap) or OS 50k map
A good long run on a fine night with something of a return to a long standing ethic of minimal head torch use. A dash through the badlands of Craigmillar, and for the first time ever finding an open exit from the playing fields at the back of Holyrood High School (will we ever find it again?), brought us to the back of Dunsapie Crag after a determined attempt by Willy to find us some mud in the maze of tracks in the mini woodlands adjacent to the park. Then it was a reverse of the route we usually run on a Monday lunchtime - up the long ascent to Crow Hill (to find a shivering Matt), over to Arthur's Seat, down to Whinny Hill (with some dispute about the high point - allegedly another top, verified by Bill Gauld and a spirit level!) then led down the slippery gorse & scree descent by Gordon and finally the haul up & over Salisbury Crags. Total ascent around 1700ft and 8.43 miles.
Digby

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22nd February 2012
Wed Training Run & Winter Talk No. 5

We thought we did rather well to get a 4 mile run in on a breezy mild night before the talk. Any heroic thoughts were gradually whittled away as Jonathan Whitehead related to us the epic Dragon's Back race from south to north through Wales which he took part in some years ago, in a legendary time of hard man runners (and the very occasional hard lady), equipped only with a pair of Walshes and beetling sideburns. 220 miles in all over 5 days virtually unsupported. Basically a list of possibly manned checkpoints strung across the country. How you got to them was up to you to work out, as was how you ate, drank and survived. The only comfort at the end of the day a communal tent and a bucket of warm water supplied by the paras.
Swinging to the modern era guest speaker Stuart MacLeod is involved in organising a new triathlon race equal to the Ironman events. His own preference for triathlon racing is the Olympic category (1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run), and he detailed his training for this, along with a lot of interesting observations about the whole triathlon 'industry'.
The 'warm up act' Willie Mykura inspired us with the many and varied ways in which green energy for the home can be a warm up act. All of which he seems to be trying out himself! And expect to see a video shortly of how to make your bum burn, after a reprise of Graham Nash's demo.
Digby

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15th February 2012
The Pentland run with a Matt finish
or map
The weather looked good, mild for the time of year, the lunchtime run didn't happen, must be time to hit a Pentland from KB.
The email had gone out and as I arrived at KB spirits were high, there were a couple of new faces, but all were keen for my plan. Then Gordon arrived. "Too far" he said, well he is the President so of course we ignored him.
We set off as Matt Grove arrived on his bike, he asked for my car keys so he could put his gear in my car, "NO WAY" with his record on keys. I left the boot open for him to shut we told him the route and headed off.
At the summit of Braid we heard him about half a mile behind but headed on.
Andy and Chris turned back at Frogstone Road while the rest of us headed up Caerketton from The Steading. A stunning evening to be atop a Pentland. The descent of the screes was great and we had a fast run back to KB.
About a minute after our return Matt turned up, and so did Matt (Grove and Davis). The second Matt had been even later and they had followed us round all the way, though hidden by their torchlessness.
A great run of some 10.4 miles (and a very respectable ascent in total of 2100ft) and a lot of happy faces at the end! Where we went - map
Willie Gibson

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1st December 2011
Wednesday Training
Last night's run was less earth wind & fire than mud, wind & headtorches. Not many turned up, whether because the weather was foul, or because Willy couldn't send out the usual email, we don't know. We squelched off to do a reverse Mortonhall, which sounds like a move out of Mornington Crescent. Michael Nowicki joined us for the first time as a fledged Carnethy; he's about to run from London to Edinburgh, so we look forward to reports on this major undertaking. Worn shoes let him down twice - literally - and I also fell on the golf course, as the ground inexplicably disappeared from under me. Heading back towards the driving range, whose lights could easily be mistaken for Jonathan's torch, two huge black Baskervillainous hounds emerged from Meadowhead farm red eyes flashing, or maybe it was collars, to have a jolly good bark & menace - but fortunately it was just wind & fire. Oddly the wind was blowing a hooly on the north side of the Braids and funneling up the Braidburn Valley, but hardly noticeable anywhere else. Where we went
Digby

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24th November 2011
Wednesday Training
Some swithering about routes as there was a sports shop opening with inducements to temp us away to Hermiston, including a £300 prize for the club with most members attending. There were certainly a lot of Carnethies there, so fingers crossed. In the end Willy opted for a normal run and I alone zoomed back from the jamboree to join the gang on a visit to the Craiglockharts, going contrarywise and along the Braid Burn instead of through the old hospital grounds at Colinton, which induced a feeling of newness to those disoriented. Returning, James Hardie and I cheated and chose the road at Greenbank Drive instead of the long, dark & slightly treacherous mystery green alley. We rebelled again as Willy decided some mortification of the flesh was in order to gain Blackford Hill so we took the steps and circled the trig point wondering where the rest were. Some time later voices and the sound of man on gorse was heard and a tattered and sorry group emerged with difficulty from the snarly hillside. So back to KB for soothing potions. Where we went - map
Digby

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3rd November 2011
Off Road On Road - A Different Wednesday Run
After a run up Scald Law at lunchtime my hill legs fancied a rest, so selfish as ever I suggested a less hilly route than usual.
We headed for Inch Park and past the allotments towards Craigmillar and then on towards Craigmillar Castle. The tracks were a bit more tarmaced than I remembered but with a bit of weaving around we managed to pass the castle mainly on grass and decended to the Royal Infimary.
Aftrer a discussion on distance we headed up Moredunvale Road to Ellens Glen and then all the way to the A701 where we did a recce of a bit of The World Famous International Club Pub Run (23 December this year!), heading across crunchy stubble fields to Mortonhall and The Stable Bar (not stopping) and on to KB. 9.5 mile in about 1hour:50minutes.
A bit faster and longer than usual but it was almost a road run, apart from the mud and the fields.


Willie Gibson