CARFRAEMILL

One of my favourite runs of the year last night.

Again we were kindly invited by HELP to join them for the annual Carfraemill to Gifford run (note: its not a race).
Met up outside the Goblin Ha’ in Gifford after six then we got bussed to the start just outside the Carfraemill Hotel.
Conditions were perfect last night and a nice change after the torrential rain that we had last year.
It wasn’t too warm or muggy, what little wind there was was in our favour for the whole route – and it was dry.
Set off as a group for the first mile or so, but I soon found myself drifting off the front of the field (not racing – just “drifting off the front”).
It’s about two and a half miles on a nice tarmac road through the hills before you get to the first climb just after Dodcleugh.
From there it’s a couple of miles up and over the Lammermuirs on a mixture of paths, tracks and rocky roads.
Because it’s been a dry summer though the paths were all very firm and the running was fairly easy.
The view when you get to the top of the climb, between Lammer Law and Bleak Law, out over the Forth towards the Bass Rock is fantastic – but if your seriously “not racing” you probably won’t have  a lot of time to admire it.
Managed to do the downhill sections a bit more easily this year (again because the paths were dry and in good condition). Then when you get to about Longyester it’s a really nice, and really fast, gentle descent from the foothills into Gifford. On this part last night I really felt good and just couldn’t get any quicker.
Got back a couple of minutes quicker than my “PB” for the route (can or “should” you have  a PB for a “not a race”?).

Evening was rounded off with a really nice meal in the Goblin Ha’. It's recently changed hands and, if last nights meal was anything to go by, I can heartily recomend it.

Thanks to the guys at HELP.

 

 

 

Did a very slow and very stiff “daft o’clock” recovery run this morning. Shuffled along Seafield Road like an old man.

Looking forward now to some serious LSSD runs (Lombardy, Slow, Sedate, Distance). Nothing serious just enough to negate the pasta, risotto and pizza intake).