It’s a choice at the moment - ice or mud. We took advantage of an absent customer to run part of the Skyline yesterday. A lovely run in the Pentlands, currently being contested as somewhere we have the right to run.
Even my vocal new best friend oot the back pheasant has sensibly decided to stay sheltered. Is this a new #Storm or just the climate change enhanced #Darkcember new normal?
And it is dry! A short 8.5 run, we will walk it this afternoon to collect some of the bottles and cans that lazy bar stewards throw from their car windows.
But dry with a wee nip in the air. Road, but the dug took a brief dip in the Teviot to get of some of the grime a Collie just can't help collecting at this time of the year.
Bit of time to kill before we pick up my partner from Edinburgh. So we ran up to Fatlips Tower (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatlips_Castle) the origin of the name is not straightforward.
Road to the base and then track and road back. Cold (but the heating in the cottage is kaput) and a low mist hung over the hills. The dug returned to the scene of early reading experiments.
17k relaxed and back to huddle round the fire in the kitchen.
Snow is here got out and ran up to the Souther Upland way from Selkirk (we have done the whole of the long distane path in setions).
Extremely quiet, another runner with her dugs and a cyclist with hers as well the only people we saw. Just the wind and the crunch of feet (6 of them) on the snow. Mainly tracks with 1k of road.
It has all got a wee bit cold. We might even need to share the bedroom with 2 kits, a dug and a puppy jut to keep up the temperature 🤦♀️ (just joking, the mogs would never have that).
But good surfaces and a lovely sky. Moon over the Mintos and while carried, no head torch needed
13k road with a little squidgy c/o a passing horse.
A heavy frost and thick ice on parts of the road but a wonderful hat and gloved run. Up and over the Mintos, easier and fast on the way up than down! Once upon a time I would have torn down, but experience, a very steep descent and age have caught up with me!
A neighbour has planted more than 4k of new hedges which is good to see and I’ll enjoy watching them grow.
A glorious Tuesday, so I worked from 5 and then took a chunk out of the day to run #StMarysLoch. Arrived to come across 2 fishermen having a fry up to the dulcet tones of Dark Side of the Moon. The dug scored a sausage and a fried egg from one negligent diner.
Began with 8k on the road to #Harestanes and then paths through woods moorland to get to the memorial near Ancrum. The second (the first fell down although not much is known about why now). The view from the top (key available at the estate office) is fantastic. What is more a nice cafe and a great ice cream shop sits on the estate and a good pub in Ancrum. A note with flowers in ALT text. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterloo_Monument #running#ScottishBorders#Collie#DogsOfMastodon
After a truly depressing couple of weeks, there was nothing to do but get out for a decent time away from things (and a mobile telephone signal). We shot round the Ettrick Horseshoe - a mixture of tracks, paths and tricky (to run on) tussocks. Spongey underfoot and very wet feet. But it helped.
People don't believe how easy it is to get wilderness in The Borders.
16.7k and despite looming clouds, only wet feet and legs.
After a morning so wet I contemplated a snorkel and water wings for the dug, it dried very quickly - even if we did run through water on the way round our regular circuit through Minto. There was even the bonus of a little solar activity.
Getting away from the madness of ‘British' government and general doom and gloom, I got out at lunchtime. My partner's turn with the pup (she needs very gentle ‘running in’ - the pup that is 🤣).
Up round the Mintos and back via Liliesleaf. 17.5k, mainly road, but very very quiet ones.
I had forgotten how difficult it is to get a puppy to run with you. The big dug is on a proper run, and as per, I get the dug training 🤣 - apparently because I am good at it! But it was dry at lunchtime
Across to the Teviot and back via Ruberslaw. Mixed road and track (with breakfast once I checked them). No rain, but it is looking ominous for the afternoon. 18k in total, mixed road and tracks.
We walked this morning, the rain was so heavy that I booted up and even put the dugs high viz jacket on (he hates it until he gets out probably because he rightly thinks he looks an eejit and doesn’t want anyone to see him in it which they don’t at night).
Entering into the spirit (probably helped by imbibed spirits of our guests) dug attempted to woo the cat. His claws were not out when he swiped him (he generally sees the dug as a harmless oaf, useful for a bit of warmth on a cold day).
The dug is not impressed by one part of the annual Halloween display put on by folks at Hornshole (between Denholm and Hawick). He admitted to one of the cats when we got back that he was wondering whether this was meant to be a terrible warning - eat your vittles or else.
The rain having come for what we were hoped was a short stay has decided it likes us so much it will hang around a little. Full waterproofs - back very hot and thweaty. Luckily the dug does not suffer from sugar mouse syndrome although the pup is very uncertain (he's just walking short distances at the moment). Abandoned ideas for a swim at Cauldshiels - it’s too miserable getting out of the wetsuits. 14.5k, mixed track and road.