Rowardennan-almost Inversnaid

OK So it has been noted that I haven't blogged for a wee while! I have however been running..so that's ok I think!
I have run around the local streets in the rain a few times and I've gotten very wet and deserving of much coffee and cake.
On 23rd of October Karen and I decided to drive out to Rowardennan and run almost to Inversnaid and back...almost cause we were limiting ourselves to 12 miles and we figured the whole distance would be 14.


In the week leading up to this Karen was off on holiday and she had done a substantial amount of research regarding our commitment to the Fling...never one to do things by halves!! And so as I rolled up..at her door..a bit late, missing a few items of clothing and a camel back full of water assembled wrongly. Karen was well prepared, she'd done the home work and had a camel back full of Nuun (cola flavoured), a 'bunch' of grapes, granola bars for the end and our very delicious favourite brand of hot chocolate.

Now this may sound excessive for a wee 12 miler and we have run this distance and more with a wee hand bottle but we decided to train as we plan to do the race..and get used to running with a bit of juice and whatever else we decide to test run.

And so that's what we did. We set off and hit the trail..a fairly undulating bit of the route (more so cause I had remembered it as pretty flat) and it was a bit drizzly...perfect for running. We took it easy as speed is not our focus and despite gasping up the 'inclines' at first we soon got into it, loving being out doing our long run on a Friday..while the rest of the world were at work or school.

The grapes were a big hit..and the Nuun was surprisingly good too..for marathons and training we've always used the sis gels...(or as we call them sensation breaks!) they do the job but I'm not sure I could stomach a whole 53 miles on them!!

When u get to the turning point on an out and back run in a location like Loch Lomond there's a temptation to carry on..it's just so beautiful and fresh and you feel so good...on this occasion there was further reason as a keen looking guy had agilely picked his way along the path behind us and caught up with a certain amount of ease. I wasn't surprised to find that he was a crazy man called Murdo (the other one) and by crazy I mean it in the nicest possible way..in the way that my friends have been calling me crazy woman since I told them about the race...ok they may have a point..but I mean that Murdo was instantly recognizable as a whw race regular. Underplaying his achievements..just out for a wee stroll kind of chat...yea right!!

Anyway we were so busy chatting to him we over shot a bit. The look on his face when we turned just half a mile shy of Inversnaid was a picture...like 'how can u get so close and turn here?'


Worry not..we will return and do it soon....and more. And hope to bump into Murdo...BTW

And so we returned just making it to the car b4 a really heavy downpour, steamin the windows up with the hot chocolate and munching on granola. Fabtastic.
13 miles in all.