July saw me running through the drought-stricken English Lake District.
Leaving the level shores of Windermere behind, a few days of steep climb north of Ambleside slowed me down. Steady scenic progress past Rydal Water and Grasmere led gradually to Derwent Water and Keswick before I gave my tired legs a few days' rest near Wordsworth's home beside the River Cocker.
There I took a few days off to test my ancient roadbike on the classic ascent of the Honister Pass, before kicking my heels again towards the classic golf links beside the Solway Firth at Silloth and onwards to Carlisle.
July ended just across the Scottish border, not far outside Gretna. Five months remain to traverse the whole of Caledonia, but with far too many unscheduled diversions behind me and some R&R planned ahead in August, the years' road ahead still looks much more short than long.
July 2010 distance run: 88 miles
July 2010 days run: 17
2010 to date: 706 miles
2010 days run: 120
Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at start of June: 90 kg
Weight at end of June: 89.8 kg (higher resolution scales rather than any real weight loss).
Time to catch up on August: a solid month of northward progress, spent running mostly through the wilds of the Scottish Southern Uplands.
A couple of excursions along the way -- firstly to the magnificent Southerness golf links on the shores of the Solway Firth, opposite Silloth where I played last month. The course is a McKenzie Ross 1947 design and a rare modern linksland classic. It was grey, cool and windy on the day -- just perfect for the task.
After a long couple of weeks running through the middle of nowhere, finally I reached the sea at Girvan, famous to geologists worldwide for the obducted ophiolite complex exposed along the Scottish west coast.
Between Girvan and Ballantrae the seashore outcrops reveal a piece of ancient uplifted oceanic crust, complete with spectacular pillow basalts, representing a fragment of the long-dead Iapetus Ocean. This ancient seaway between the palaeocontinents of Laurentia, Baltica and Avalonia once separated Scotland and England, some half a billion years before Scottish Nationalism was invented and at least 250 million years before the Atlantic Ocean was even thought of.
The last days of August took me northwards along the Firth of Clyde. I ended the month a dozen miles north of Turnberry, in the pretty seaside village of Dunure, an undiscovered Scottish gem complete with its fine pub and perfect ruined castle.
As I loped towards the harbour on the 31st August for my much-deserved pint of Tennents' lager, the sun was shining, the air clear and the view across the blue Firth towards Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran as brae and bonny as any tired rockhound of a runner could possibly wish for.
August 2010 distance run: 120 miles
August 2010 days run: 19
2010 to date: 826 miles
2010 days run: 140
Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at end of July: 89.8 kg
Weight at end of August: 90.2 kg (it's all solid muscle, though).
Starting beside the Firth of Clyde at Dunure, I spent the early days of the month tramping the classic links of the Ayrshire coast, from the British Open course at Troon to my own personal favourite at Western Gailes where views of the Isle of Arran glint enticingly through massive sand dunes higher than skyscrapers.
From here it was time to fire northwards as swift and strong as a two-iron cut through the wind. My route took me right through the heart of Glasgow and onwards across the lowlands to Stirling, where I camped overnight beneath the floodlit castle.
By the end of September I was resting just south of Perth, looking forward to a rare chance to catch a home game at St Johnstone. Last time I was there was for a 1-1 home draw against Raith Rovers, with a St Johnstone goal scored by the excellent (and aptly-named) Jason Scotland.
September 2010 distance run: 107 miles
September 2010 days run: 19
2010 to date: 933 miles
2010 days run: 159
Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at end of August: 90.2 kg
Weight at end of September: 90.6 kg (400g of haggis, eaten in a single meal).
I set out from Perth, along the silv'ry Firth of Tay to Dundee, past Rabbie Burns' statue and Captain Scott's good ship Discovery, and then marvelling at the jack-up oil rigs laid up for poor weather by the dockside.
Northwards beside the North Sea to Montrose, with a quick stop for an Arbroath Smokie kipper, I followed the east coast relentlessly, up past grey slate Stonehaven, through the very heart of Aberdeen and out of the Granite City to my favourite eating stop beside the River Ythan at the Udny Arms in Newburgh.
After a quick run across the links, I headed west and uphill into the highlands, where month end saw me with the Grampians in sight in wild Scottish forest not far from Huntly.
October 2010 distance run: 125 miles
October 2010 days run: 22 (the most days run in any month this year)
2010 to date: 1058 miles
2010 days run: 181
Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at end of September: 90.6 kg
Weight at end of October: 89.6 kg (1 kg lost per 125 miles run is admittedly not a high rate of attrition).
November was a hilly month, set fast (or rather, slow) across the frozen slopes of the Grampians. Long days spent trekking west towards Elgin with the Siberian draughts behind me, and then northwards into softly falling snow to reach the sea at Nairn.
From there I headed gratefully along the sheltered shores of the Moray Firth and then across the Beauly Firth via the mighty bridge at Inverness.
The month ended in the dark depths of a Scottish winter's night. After an hour spent shiveringly shovelling a snowhole in the wilds of the Black Isle, finally I started hitching. The time had come to abandon my frosted trainers and ice-bound socks beside the road in fair exchange for the warm embrace of the Cromarty Arms just a few miles ahead...
November 2010 distance run: 121 miles
November 2010 days run: 22
2010 to date: 1172 miles
2010 days run: 203
Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at end of October: 89.6 kg
Weight at end of November: 91.4 kg (all of October's weight loss blown away, and then some).
December began with an aching head and a rueful jog south out of Cromarty into a painfully chilly dawn. The thermometer was plumbing -20 C as I limped back a few weary miles to collect my glaciated running kit buried deep within a Scottish snowdrift.
By the time the Royal Burgh came back in sight and a plate of haggis and neeps had been dispatched for breakfast, I found no appetite remaining for the long lope west beside the Cromarty Firth to regain the A9, and so instead I hitched a brief lift aboard the gently rusting Cromarty Rose to reach the northern bank.
And there I was in Nigg. Well.
The month dragged northwards. Across another giant bridge, I paid homage in the fleeting northern daylight to Royal Dornoch, and then skirted Skelbo Castle and found time to run across the famous links at Golspie.
There I rested up four days, gathering strength for the final fortnight as I left Sutherland behind me, with only Caithness still left to run. I toiled on beside the coast in appalling weather through Helmsdale, Brora and Dunbeath, finally and reluctantly seeking shelter again by heading inland, avoiding Wick with its famous shoreline tidal swimming pool (unlikely to be used). The route was a few miles longer along the A9, but the change of tack brought welcome relief from the endless blizzards blowing in across the Moray Firth.
Christmas Day was spent in Thurso, and on Boxing Day morning I caught the morning ferry to Orkney out of Scrabster, lunching in Stromness before returning to the mainland for the home stretch.
This morning, New Year's Eve, began at the Queen Mother's much-beloved Castle Mey, her favourite bagpiper roused bright and early to greet the dawn on the last day of this long journey.
Just eight miles east to go, along flat, silent roads, with a North Sea swell rising wild to my left and a strong headwind in my face. It was perfect running.
Finally, just before dusk, I limped wearily into John O'Groats just after 3 pm, to catch a malt whisky and reflect on the long road behind me from Cornwall.
December 2010 distance run: 121 miles
December 2010 days run: 20
2010 final total: 1294 miles
2010 days run: 223
Weight at 01 Jan 2010: 95 kg
Weight at end of November: 91.4 kg
Weight at 31 December: 89.6 kg
Running average: 3.54 miles per day
Average run: 5.80 miles
(31-12-2010, 04:51 PM)Nigel Wrote: Finally, just before dusk, I limped wearily into John O'Groats just after 3 pm, to catch a malt whisky and reflect on the long road behind me from Cornwall.
December 2010 distance run: 121 miles
December 2010 days run: 20
2010 final total: 1294 miles
2010 days run: 223
Well done sir! Am glad you flew the flag for RC - a long hard slog finally over. Many congratulations, especially after many of us lost our way and left you to run on alone!
(31-12-2010, 04:51 PM)Nigel Wrote: Finally, just before dusk, I limped wearily into John O'Groats just after 3 pm, to catch a malt whisky and reflect on the long road behind me from Cornwall.
December 2010 distance run: 121 miles
December 2010 days run: 20
2010 final total: 1294 miles
2010 days run: 223
Well done sir! Am glad you flew the flag for RC - a long hard slog finally over. Many congratulations, especially after many of us lost our way and left you to run on alone!
Yes, well done Nigel. A very impressive year's mileage. Almost as impressive is that you accessed MapMyRun at least 12 times.
My own year's total was a mere 479 miles; well short of the target. You've been putting in some serious sessions there. Will this fitness be put to use in the competitive arena in the near future?
Brilliant stuff Nigel, I lost my way with the b****y software, but only accomplished approx 650 miles for the year anyway so would have been stranded somewhere along the track. I blame it on the Old Legs, maybe I'll change my name??
