Lots of Reflection

I have been reading a lot of other peoples blogs and facebook notes etc and there seems to be quite a bit of nerves, angst, questioning, niggles, pain, motivational mojo missing and general malaise..

Only natural I reckon, we spend so much of our year shaping ourselves to spend a few heartbeats on a 10 m wide, 95 mile corridor in the west of Scotland that the reality of the focus becomes a little intense and the questions come out .. Physical and mental, emotional ..

It is a long road to the start..

So a slight interlude..

How the fuck can 2 blokes who are supposed to be sweeping a 55 mile run in perfect conditions lose the last runner in the race ? Waiting on a stile 350m and a short downhill to the next checkpoint I said to George "Should we wait " "Nahh, it's just downhill, he is just there, we'll go and get a bit of a blether " .. Downhill, past the THREE BIG RED ARROWS POINTING TO THE CHECKPOINT and what we thought would be 10 mins break .. Skip forward 45 mins, phonecalls, Sean out in his car.. Luckily some random folks came past in their car and asked if we had seen a lady walking a dog .. We countered with "Have you seen a short moustachioed bloke wearing shorts and joggers ".. "No.." ... They brought Ray back 10 mins later.. From 3 mile away.. WTF ???? .. 10 miles later..Kirkmichael "Ray, end of the road (20m away) turn RIGHT, then take next LEFT .. Ray goes to the T juntion and turns LEFT "YOUR OTHER RIGHT RAY ! " Bloody funny bloke.. What a great day - 55 miles of cracking weather, views and company ..

Anyway that's it .. Just been watching a Neil Young Doco - he is the Man !!

"Don't let it bring you down, Its only castles burning, find someone who is turning and you will come around "

I've been thinking

In 42 days and 90 mins me and a few other folks will leave Milngavie on a little 95 mile adventure... This will be my 6th time, and I reckon I feel as good at this stage as I ever have. Have a little niggly ankle from the Fling the other week, and my hammy is sore as ever but reckon I will be ok...

So I find myself now thinking .. A lot .. A run up a hill makes me think of the one at 61 miles at Bridge of Orchy, a slight incline the gentle but definite rise up off Rannoch Moor, stairs at work I take, they are the Devils, cobbles and rocks underneath my feet I seek , they are Lairig Moor..

And I keep thinking, isolating the bits of the Way, the tree roots, Darios book, the bothies, the ups and downs, how did I feel this time last year there, what am I going to eat, ahh that where I was running with Eric, or Alyson.. Shit I felt crap there, ahh Carmyle where Mike was waiting for me .. Still thinking and visualising .. I need to get rid of this niggle sure, but I am thinking, the long 13 miles from Kinlochleven, Lundavra and the fire, the forest, the ache of the hill down and the last 2 miles, and the door and the end and goblet number 6..

I am just thinking at the moment, and running, but every run now wherever it is, is another step on the way .. Every day walking into work, each step is another step closer.. It sure is tiring this thinking, can't wait to start the running bit.. But thinking is important, it helps in the doing when your mind is telling you that the Devils is just the stairs at work, the rocks that don't budge are the cobbles on the way to your front door and the door at the end is yours to open as long as you think you can ..