1st for the year, No Answers here...

So I have not written this year, but have been busy getting back into the way of Zen and work and all of that.. A lot of excess in the festive period for me, combined with some running and playing with my girls and stuff, but still a lot of drinking and running amok... So as per usual, with the beginning of the new year, I put all of that behind me and give it all up until I get to the Lochaber Leisure Centre in Fort William.. Only this year it is slightly different as I am going to Aus for my nieces wedding in 12 days time.. So I reckon there might be a few Emu Bitters and a Cab Sav or 2 awaiting me .. Will just have to work a little bit harder when I come back..

The weather has been a belter, great snow which made running great on the most part.. Really enjoyed running along on the crisp white stuff.. It's all gone now of course, but I did manage 4 or 5 middle to longish runs in the deep snow which were belters. Tuesday this week I went out with Ian, Adrian and Norm for our regular run... coming down the road off Arthurs seat with nothing to skid on was absolutely cracking, the benefits of the last few weeks were evident..

I had the great privilege to give a bit of a chat at the WHW Inspiration and Training night on Wed night.. I really enjoyed the speakers, esp the Q&A session at the end and Dave Wallace at the start.. What a guy, 5 times winner in the 80's and a man with a single minded commitment to not only competing but winning.. Even now at the age of 59 you could see the fire that burned, and I reckon there were only 2 or 3 people in the room that would have been able to take him on.. Amazing stuff and so far removed from my mindset that I found it so interesting.. I enjoyed giving my talk, even if afterwards I thought of all the things I couldve shouldve wouldve said but I guess having an Aussie accent and putting in a few expletives is guaranteed to get a laugh or 2...

But I have often thought that there is maybe too much information out there which can confuse and conflict so it is always wise to take everything with a grain or bucket of salt.. None of the early runners or even the best of the latter runners had a book on what to do, they just worked it out for themselves, made mistakes, ran like buggery and tried again.. I recently spoke to Jez and he said something about a "competitor" in the Western States who used very liberal interpretations of the rules to gain every possible advantage... So each year they change the rules... I guess the point is that no matter what food, training, gel, shoe, legging, hydration pack or whatever you use, you still have to run a fuck of a long way, so ultimately you have to work out what is best for you and there is no-one who can give you the answer...

Just back from my Tuesday run .. Tops.. But that followed on from a great weekend of running ... Bloody hell it was tops....Saturday me, Norman and Carrie left Edinburgh at 6AM, picking up Ian King on the way and getting to the Green Wellie not much after 8:00.. A little bit early for the 9:30 start, but we had allowed extra time in case of bad roads.. Ian B met us there and off we went, meeting up with Jamie at Kingshouse.. What followed was 8 and 1/2 hours of pute brilliance.. A little icy to start going up to the Devils and I had the first fall (but landed well I must say !) ... The path up the Devils was cracking, and the views from the top... Well see for yourself



Slippy down the other side, but we made it down to Kinlochleven to meet George, Karen, Mark, Flip and Dino on their way south. - George the bloody legend in shorts on his way to doing the full 95 miles. We did just a little marathon, and finished coming down the Devils in a great hurry, skipping down through the now softened snow which SOOOO good.. Then a run on the Sunday with Dave Waterman and Lee - only the 2nd or 3rd time we have shared running time together.. Gotta love it when a Fireman comes to your house and you get an impromptu fire inspection..

Bugger me, started this 2 weeks ago and still have not finished it.. Final run in Scotland for the next 3 weeks - leave on Wed.. Reckon I can cope with the 30C temperature diferential ?

This morning went out with Carrie - Norman having called off because the drunken bum spent a night on the piss.. So he missed out on a run along the Water of Leith to Roseburn, along to Costorphine Hill as the morning sun started breaking through the low sky.. As we went along the ridge, the sun pierced the trees and it was just magical. Down and across Queensferry Rd, onto the path behind Royal High to Barnton and then onto the River Almond down to Cramond.. The river was flowing quite strong, a Heron having a great early morning fish.. The running top, nice chat just trundling along at 8 and 1/2 min miles.. We got to Cramond and the tide was all the way out so I asked Carrie if she wanted to go out to the island.. Which we did, running along the Causeway to the hill on the island. Standing there at 9:15AM on a Sunday morning with piercing blue sky we had a full 360 Panarama of Eastern Scotland. All the way down the Forth to Bass Rock in Nth Berwick, around to Arthurs Seat, the Castle and then the Pentlands. Panning North to the Forth Bridges, the snow covered tops of the Ochils and the view over to Fife... It doesn't get much better than that for a start to the day, or a finish to a month at the start of the year ..

Go well .. Am off to drink beer and catch up with family and mates, and be Uncle Keith, and maybe have a run or 2.. And a swim ... and maybe a glass of red wine.. and a swim.. and a beer .. ooohh better have a barby ! Cheers - KH

Support

Weekly running total - Monday out with Norman up Costorphine hill (twice) for a wee blast before he does Loch Ness. Wednesday a little trot with Ian Beattie - up some steps on the Water of Leith and then C. Hill again.. Both Ian and Norman are doing Loch Ness, and they are in fine fettle - hope it goes well for them ! Today a lazy 4 miler at lunch time with Ian King and others from work along the Water of Leith.. So a good few days... and only a few glasses of wine in between !! (well a bottle of Campo Viejo Rioja !! over 2 nights ...

Last weekend I had the privilege of having my suppport crew and families (minus Stuart McCormack) from this years little adventure around for a barby. this is the beast - my mate Mike made it - it is TOPS !!



We had the best weather and I really enjoyed getting the Big Barby out and cooking up for the 30 or so people who were there.. A few beers were had, and then a few wines.. And then a few more wines.. Luckily there were more sensible heads that prevailed when I wanted to set off a few fireworks..

So for Mike Johnson, John Kennedy, Merv Jones, Gary Haywood, Kristin Mitchell. Matt Stoner, Mike Smith, Norman Duncan and Stuart McCormack (who unfortunately could not be there), this one is for you ... Also thanks to Shirl, Kirsty, Caroline who are always there and Sandy, Zak, Ben, Anne, Pauline, Alex, Luke, Eloise, Anne Marie, Matt, Rachel, Jarrad, Alison, Brody, Jasmine, Sheena, Jenny, Katie and Laura, Shirley, and David and Trish Ruxton, thanks for a great day and also for lending me a mate for a day or 2 !

So I am doing this run
Do you want to come
And support me in this dream
It's a bit of a long way
And it is all about me
and what I want to do
What, you can make it
How did I get a friend like you ?

I am running
And
I can only do what I do
because you are there
and I will never forget

The miles are mounting
the midges are biting and annoying
the hell out of you
sitting in your car and I
am running

And then I get to where you are
and I see you and my eyes well up
when I see the bowl of porrige
or can of coke
or just the smile
I have made this goal
done that last mile
when I was feeling like shit
and needing you just to be there
for me
and I will never forget
that I am running which is a
privilege
and I owe it to you

And this is all about me
in this most selfish dream
and then towards the end
we share some miles
you keep me going through the dips
and pacing me, chatting away
I don't recall much of what you say
I can't save it for another day
but you are there
and I am running

which means
We are running
I am the legs
You are the engine, driving
Every step I take
Every mile
Ever bloody rock I kick
or hill I climb
I can't stop
not when we have come this far
We would only have to come back another day
To do it all again

And you have not given up
you are lying and tell me how good I look
In the moments that we share
when I ask for 'the thing' I need
You know the one
it's the, you know
it's at the bottom of the pack
you know - I am sure it's there
oh you've found it
no excuses then
you've done your bit
so I must do mine
Until the end
and we have done
what we set out to do
Only at the end
can we stop..

and now it is all over
and many months hence
So I did this bit of a run
and so did you
and supported me in this dream
It was a bit of a long way
And maybe it started off as all about me
and what I want to do
But we made it
And I am glad that I have a friend like you