Monday, 1 February 2010

Beinglas to Tyndrum

While Thomas, Marco and Richie were running from Drymen to Beinglas I parked the car at the Drover's and ran to Tyndrum. I had planned to also run back but decided against it as I was not only feeling completely exhausted when I reached Auchtertyre but felt my right knee getting sorer on the downhills.
In my excuse we had only just returned from our skiing trip the night before and I had noticed my right knee towards the end of the skiing week. There was no particular injury but maybe just too much pressure on the knee from all the skiing. It is my ITB I think.
Anyway, I had a great run in crisp cold sunshine. This was the only part of the Way I had not ran on, and from our walking a few years ago I had forgotten how many uphill sections there are. And how long the path winds through the forest above Crianlarich. I was so glad I had read Ian's blog about how to approach cows as of course they were all waiting for me on the mud-frozen path. I approached giving myself a pep talk on looking confident enough, until a small calf got scared and started to run all over the place. I was expecting the other cows to go mad as well but luckily they just stood still and I quickly disappeared up the path.

I reached Tyndrum after 2:45min. I then joined a long queue at the Green Welly where a bus-load of people had just arrived. The soup was delicious and after getting warmed up I started to eye up potential lifts. I did not have to wait long when 2 girls arrived at the petrol station and agreed to give me a lift to Beinglas. They were on their way back to Manchester from Skye and were planning to stop at the Drover's for lunch. Perfect. So after more chatting in the pub and some coffees it was time to look out for the boys. They arrived at 15.15 and we were back in the pub for more soup and chips.

This was probably our last skiing trip for a few years as downhill skiing and running don't go together so well. I was keeping my fingers crossed the whole week that Thomas would not pick up any injury. He also feels that the skiing does not fit into his training regime at all. So while this has been an annual trip with friends it looks as if we are pulling out. So here are a few pictures from our last trip, snow conditions were perfect by the way!


7 comments:

Kaz said...

Good for you Silke. I love the forest section above Crainlarich, but yes the bit from Beinn Glass has a surprising number of ups that do hurt a little after 40 miles.

Agh - no more skiing - how could you - like a knife through my heart - I was practically born on skis (no joke - I learned at 1.5 yrs of age and did my first race at 4!) and I'll take all the niggles the sport will throw at me. I think the only thing that comes a tiny bit close to the adrenaline rush of hooning down a snowy mountain on a pair of planks is perhaps trying to hoon down a scree slope in innovates! Totally gutted not to be able to ski this year, but can't wait to teach the wee one - not long - only a year and a half to wait! Hee hee!

I'm sure the knee will ease off in a few days.

Kaz

John Kynaston said...

Good run Silke and great photos.

I look forward to seeing the rest in a few weeks.

JK

Andy Cole said...

Hey Silke, don't stop ski-ing!! I always try to get in a week or so of downhill and a week touring (which is half downhill anyway) each year - I don't think it makes any difference to the running and I wouldn't miss it. Knees can be sorted out - mine were bad twenty years ago but OK now. (And well done on the run, all that up and down stuff in the forest is my least favourite bit of the whole WHW!)

Debs M-C said...

Hope your knee is better soon x

Debs M-C said...

Hope your knee is better soon x

Silke said...

Thanks for your comments. And maybe - if my husband is reading this blog - he might just change his mind and agree to another week of skiing next year! If not I might have to go on my own ... :-)

Thomas said...

Darling,
since I do not want to lie to you I have to tell you the trouth: No I do not enjoy skiing anymore. I cannot help it.
However if you really enjoy it that much as you are saying I will happily go for another week next year.