Beach to Beacon 10K

 

Cape Elizabeth, Maine

Saturday, August 6, 2022

After my two previous attempts to run this race failed, mostly due to the COVID pandemic, the third time (this year) was the charm.  This race typically opens on a spring morning at 7am and sells out in mere minutes.

Cape Elizabeth is about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Westerly, without traffic.  Bib pickup race morning was only allowed if absolutely needed and pre-arranged.  Therefore, ideally one would stay in the Cape Elizabeth vicinity the night before.  But having just recently spent ten days on a European vacation, and now waiting to the last minute, we were looking at hotel prices for the night mostly around the $500 mark.  So we did indeed arrange for bib pickup that morning at the Cape Elizabeth High School, but that would close at 7:15am as would shuttle service from the high school to the race start.  Leaving a buffer of 45 minutes for checking in and showing required COVID-19 vaccination proof, I wasn't interested in leaving Westerly by 3am or earlier.

The compromise between a high hotel or airbnb price and a long morning drive was driving up Friday night and staying in Andover, MA, reducing the Saturday morning drive time down to a more manageable 1.5 hours and the hotel price, even with including a surcharge for Brady, down to a more reasonable price of about $200.  Had a nice pasta dinner (shrimp scampi for me) at a nearby restaurant and got to bed at a reasonable hour.  We were up and out the door right about 5am, and got breakfast sandwiches from Dunkin' on the way.  Not ideal breakfast fare, but good enough for a 10K race.  So far, so good.

Undue stress:  The drive was uneventful until we got onto the Casco Bay Bridge, heading south from Portland towards Cape Elizabeth.  We had only four miles to go, with a straight shot down the main road (Route 77), and the GPS showed an ETA of 6:40am.  Sounds perfect with a buffer built in.  Or so we thought.  The traffic on the bridge came to a stand-still and barely creeped forward, as the ETA kept ticking up minute-by-minute.  It was stop and go the full four miles, and long story short, instead of arriving at 6:40 and being comfortable, we pulled into the high school parking lot at 7:05am (ten minutes before bib pickup was scheduled to close and last scheduled shuttle bus).  I was nervous and worked up.  Fortunately Matthew and I got out as Jana went to park the car.  We ran up to the nearest high school building.  Locked.  We asked a race volunteer where the bib pickup was, and she said she didn't know and directed us to another volunteer across the street.  Off and running.  The second volunteer told us bib pick-up was around the back of the building behind him.  OK, off and running.  Where?  We went completely around the building.  Nothing to be seen.  We came back to the same volunteer and told him we couldn't find the bib pickup.  A third volunteer told us completely different instructions going down in a hill in the opposite direction.  OK, off and running.  The third instruction was the charm. But we only have a few minutes to spare now.  How long is the bib line and will we make the last shuttle bus?  The line was almost nonexistent and we were able to quickly check in and show vaccination proof in order to get our bib.  Ran back up the hill and boarded the bus.  At 7:15am.  Whew!  (Note:  Jana would later tell us she saw runners boarding for at least another twenty minutes, but obviously we didn't know that at the time.)

The bus was quick for the roughly 3-mile trip to the start.  Dropped our bag, went to slightly shorter porta-jon lines, and went for about a 2-mile warm-up.  The lowlight of our warm-up was seeing Full Frontal Nudity Guy, who clearly didn't go far enough away from the road to take care of his stuff.  Temps were in low 70s, but humidity was a drenching 100%.  Glad I had a separate warm-up shirt from my race singlet.  Got back to the bus drop-off point with not a lot of time to spare.  Surprisingly ran into Chris Garvin, as I figured we'd never see him.  We changed into our race singlets, checked in our bags, and the three of us then wove our way through the crowds for the 1/4 mile to near the starting line, and then kind of pushed our way through the crowded corrals.  In a bonehead move, I had put my race hat into the bag and checked it in.  No time or room for strides.  Two minutes to the start.

Mile 1:  I was somewhere around ten rows back in the crowded start.  Based on the difference between my gun time and net time, it only took me six seconds to reach the start line.  I stayed on the far left shoulder for two reasons:  1) it meant less passing and weaving, and 2) there was more shade on the side of the road than in the middle!  I would say I saw the leaders for 1/2 mile, but it would be more accurate to say that I saw the lead vehicle and its big clock for 1/2 mile.  Mile 1 split 5:47.

Mile 2:  Early in this mile, I knew I had no shot of besting my 10K PR (36:22, 2012).  Side note is that it was set at the Christmas 10K in Newport, which is rumored to be a short course, and my Garmin has never recorded more than 6.15 miles on that course.  So should I just drop this particular PR?  I'd rather beat it fair and square on a certified course, and as 36:22 works out to an average 5:51 pace, I feel that's not out of the realm of possibility.

But it is today.  The humidity is doing a number on me and the clammy air is soaking my singlet and shorts.  A young girl flies by me, and I wonder if she will be able to keep that pace.  She will, as the 16-year old finishes in 36:28!  Mile 2 split 5:59.

Mile 3:  This was my favorite mile.  Early in the mile, a roadside band was blasting out Tom Petty's "Running Down a Dream".  Besides have the word "running" in the title, like VH's "Running with the Devil", this song is also very motivating!

While I can't place the exact location here,
I feel reasonably confident it was somewhere
between Mile 0 and Mile 6.  Is that helpful?
---
The few shaded sections were less awful
than the direct sun parts.  But I still look
pretty miserable here and I imagine drenched by now.

The mile is net downhill, and only turns uphill towards the end of the mile.  I felt like I was running pretty fast and surprised to see this mile split was 6-flat.  OK, half-way done.  Hold on and do your best.

Mile 4:  Jana and Brady would be watching during this mile, and try as I might, I never saw them.  I remember being distracted by (or rather attracted to) a water sprinkler on the course right near the high school where they'd be, and that could've been the spot where I missed them.  Just past the high school, the course makes a hard right onto Shore Road and it's nice to see the signs that we're just over two miles away from Fort Williams Park, where the race will end.  Mile 4 split is 6-flat again.

Mile 5:  We get a little respite here with another net downhill mile.  There is about a 50' drop down to the water.  I notice I'm passing some of the same runners that were passing me on short uphills.  I'm drenched and counting down to the finish.  Mile 5 split 5:52.  And that's with the downhill already factored in.  Not great.

Mile 5.  The one place on the course
where it goes right along the water.
(Official race pic)

Mile 6:  My worst mile, by far.  Often in the final mile just knowing the "end is near" is enough incentive for me to push it in hard.  There are a few hills in this mile, and they are only small rollers of not more than 40', but they're enough to do me in.  I feel like so many people are passing me in this final mile.  We turn off into Fort Williams Park, and there is one final small uphill to add insult to injury.  Mile 6 split 6:25.  Yikes.

Finish:  Finally at the Mile 6 marker, the course turns downhill once again as we head towards the water.  I see one guy with gray hair and fearing he may be in my age group, I chase after him.  I catch and pass him, as well as many more.  Much like Vermont, we turn off the pavement for a very short sprint on the grass to the finish line.

Sprinting to the finish.
What kind of bizarre angle is my left
foot at?

Done.

Final results:  37:20 gun time, 37:14 net time. average pace 6:00.  124th overall (out of 5,364 finishers).  2nd in age group (out of 174).  Official results here.

One of those newfangled fancy scoreboards that scans your
bib and then displays your results.

I crossed the finish line, and after catching my breath, asked the older looking guy (whom I passed) his age.  He replies that he is nowhere near as old as I think he is!  Is this because 1) he gets this type of remark often?, or 2) because he looks at me and decides he's nowhere near my old age?  His age is 38.  Boy, was I off on that one.

I try hard to stay out of the sun.  I retrieve my hat for at least some sun protection as we head towards the food offerings.  They are really good!  I come back for watermelon seconds and thirds before continuing on to sample other food.  Chocolate milk!  Delicious and protein rich.  I love it when races have chocolate milk.  I will end up drinking two of these and get two of the small containers of Maine blueberries they are giving away.  Now that is unique!  The only food I did not like was the mango pineapple drink that Dunkin' was giving away.  Made me pucker up.  The ocean floor is very rocky here, but I end up submerging myself in the ocean to cool off, while waiting for awards.

Casco Bay.  With the first of many runners to take to the
water.  This was refreshing!

After picking up my award (a $25 gift certificate to LL Bean), we headed towards the line where buses would bring you back to whatever parking lot you came from.  Only this line was just so long.  So Plan B was a trail run of four miles back to the start.  It should've been fun, but I was beat, we were awkwardly carrying our gear bag, and I was still in racing flats.   Made the best of it, although I felt badly that we really held up Jana and Brady quite a bit.  By the time we get back to the high school. it's after 11am, which means they had been at the high school for four hours now.  Fortunately, they're great supporters.

Random reflections:

• The course is really good.
• The organization and communication is top-notch.  (Well, except for the bib pickup directions miscommunication.)
• The race logistics are pretty difficult, including really congested roads arriving, long lines for buses returning, and difficult to self-seed in a very deep race like this.
• The starting area is non-descript, but more importantly, the finish area is beautiful with the ocean and a lighthouse right there.
• The post-race food was very good.
• Free photos are a great touch.  I run so many races that I seldom purchase race pics anymore unless it's something really phenomenal (like Laugavegur Ultra in Iceland), but I have no problem with the race organizer paying professional photographers out of our race entry fees even though it likely increases the entry price.
• This was one of the most miserable weather conditions I've ever encountered in a race (moderate heat plus drenching 100% humidity) and for that I suffered.  Obviously out of the hands of the race organizer.

Weekly Log 1-Aug to 7-Aug-2022: The Dog Days of Summer

Monday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  Drizzly warm run with Brady and the deerflies.  Burlingame North and North Camp.  Best part was a dip in Watchaug Pond at the docks, where there are never any deerflies.  Water is a little warm, but still feels good.

Tuesday:  1 walk, 10 run

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Weekly WLT mowing crew.  Today was weed-whacking and clearing out an old foundation at Sunny Acres.  All went well until I hit a yellow jacket nest without knowing it.  They let me know they were there, when one bit my arm.  Smacked him, and turned back and saw a torrent of his family was none to happy with me.  Dropped the weed-whacker and ran out of the foundation.  Two more stung me.  Hurt like a mother.  Swelled up pretty good before I was able to clean it up and the swelling went back down.  Had three welts for a couple of days.

Late AM:  Richmond, RI.  Asphalt / dirt road / trail run that Matthew had mapped out.  About 80°F at the start, about 85°F at the end.  Debated taking Brady or not, but once I saw there was a river about every 3 miles or so, went for it.  At every river, he would just lay down and soak, and I let him take all the time he needed.  Once he exited the river and we started running again, he really did fine.  There was one stretch of open sunny uphill asphalt about Mile 9 that he really slowed down on, but I did too, and fortunately the final mile was shaded Arcadia Trail.  Post-run the three of us fully soaked in the nearby Wood River.

Cooling off on a hot day

Just off Arcadia Road.  I never even knew these falls existed.

Wednesday:  9

AM:  Westerly, RI.  Local roads and trails with Brady.  Thrilled that there were no deerflies at Champlin.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Final Fun Run of the year.  Where does the time go?  Was shooting for a sub-18, but ended up with 18:09.  Not the fastest course with 21 turns, and the 80° heat didn't help.  I know, excuses, excuses!

Start of the final fun run of the year.
My stance looks terribly awkward.

Passing through Mile 1

Thursday:  10

Westerly, RI.  Early (6:30am) run on the beach, OAB from Weekapaug Breachway to Watch Hill, with Matthew and Brady.  Ran three miles with shoes before stashing them at the west end of Atlantic Avenue, then barefoot the rest.  Refreshing dip in the ocean at end of run.

Friday:   6

Charlestown, RI.  Run with Matthew at Ninigret Park.  We were limited in our route options, as much of the field was blocked off for the setup of the annual Seafood Festival.  Sweaty mess.  Sick of this weather.

Saturday:  12

Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  Beach to Beacon 10K race, including warm-up and cool-down.  Separate write-up to follow.

Sunday:  14

Charlestown, RI.  Recovery run with Matthew.  Wanted to run an 18-miler, but the weather continues just to be brutal.  When it's 80° or more by 8 or 9am, and then factor in 90% or humidity, this is just a horrible recipe for running.  While there are a few runners who profess to prefer heat and humidity, various scientific studies have shown these conditions, especially at 80 degrees or higher, to have a negative performance factor for runners.  Such was the case today (80°F at start, with 90% humidity).  My legs were already sore from yesterday's race.  When I added the heat and humidity, I just found it harder to breathe, and by Mile 2 my running clothes were pretty much soaked.  Gross.  Matthew had planned out a 14-mile road route CCW around Watchaug Pond and then dipping down into Quonnie.  Fortunately, he had also planned out a stash of drinks and GUs at Miles 8 and 12.  Ice water tastes so refreshing in the heat!  Long soak in Watchaug Pond post-run, and despite the warm water temperature, that felt good as well.

On a more positive note than my whining about the heat and humidity,
today I picked the first two
cucumbers out of our garden this year.  Less work
to just buy them at the store, but something satisfying
about picking your own produce.  And it always tastes better!

  

Weekly mileage:  68

Weekly synopsis:   I would summarize it as a good running week in lousy weather conditions.

Weekly highlight:  Beach to Beacon race.  Not my fastest 10K race and not the time that I was looking for, but not terrible either.

Weekly lowlight:  Terrible weather.  Constant heat and humidity.  I seriously miss the weather in Iceland and have had it with summer weather here.

Blessing of the Fleet 2022

 

Narragansett, RI

Friday, July 29, 2022

This would be my 20th consecutive running of the Blessing of the Fleet!  I've run it in extreme heat, thunderstorms with driving rain, while suffering from rheumatic issues, and even ran the virtual offering in 2020 just to keep the streak going.  Whatever 2022 threw at me during this race, I would not be missing it!

When asked for my time goal in this year's race, I tended to answer that anything sub-63 would be good, when my secret personal goal was really a PR (60:52 in 2015).  So how am I going to get there?  Well, since I'll probably run an extra 1/10 mile out on the course, that really means I'll have to run very close to a 6-flat average pace.  And given that I nearly always slow down a bit on the warmer sections on Route 108 (Miles 5 and 6), I'm going to need to "put some time in the bank" (something generally not recommended) and run closer to 5:50 in the first few miles.

Warm-up:  Arrived at the start with plenty of time (thanks to Jana chauffeuring me and her dealing with finding a parking spot) and leisurely went for a 1.5 mile warm-up.  Caught up with many runners pre-race.  This year, I actually remembered to bring my WTAC singlet, my race bib, and even water.  So far, so good.  It was hot (82°F is far from ideal racing temps), but not sunny and not terribly humid.

Front half:  The days of seeded bibs for the first 100 Blessing runners are unfortunately in the rear-view mirror, so I made sure to be at the starting line five minutes prior to the gun.  Lined up about four rows back, exchanged pleasantries with a few runners, invited teammate Dave in to my cramped and sweltering row, and basically waited for the gun to go off.

As usual once the gun went off, the chaos ensued.  I have learned in the first mile that you will push and get pushed and I am particularly focused on not going down, not getting tripped, and watching out for that sidewalk on the left side of the course as you race down South Pier Road in a thick sea of humanity.  Mile 1 split is a fast (for me) 5:45.  OK, faster than I was looking for; time to settle in.

About 1/2 mile into the race

In Mile 2, I see Dave Principe and Daniel Hawkins just ahead of me.  Both are faster than me, but I make a note to keep Dave at least in my sights, and that helps with the pacing.  Mile 2 split 5:59.  In Mile 3, I catch up to a group that both Principe and Hawkins are running in and run with that group for a while until it breaks up.  I am on the left side of the group and Principe on the far right, so I can't tell how he's doing, but Hawkins is failing the breathing test as he's breathing harder than me.  Mile 3 split 5:54.  OK, so far holding on to the plan with the first 3 miles sub-6.

In Mile 4, I go past Hawkins, but Principe goes ahead of me.  Mile 4 is always slightly slower for me, as we go past Scarborough Beach, and right for a short uphill on Knowlesway.  I definitely lose time here as I run a 6:13.

Mile 5 is often rough with the sun baking you on Route 108.  And unfortunately, the sun has come out now.  But I'm feeling good here and I run what I believe to be my fastest Mile 5 split ever at 5:56, passing Dave Principe in the process.  I know not to count him out, but still I'm optimistic half-way through the race as I am pretty much dead even with my 2015 PR race.

Back half:  Unfortunately my momentum slowed in Mile 6, in the second and final mile on Route 108, my least favorite part of the course.  Busy road, open sun, and hot.  I got re-passed by Dave Principe for the last time and slowed all the way to a 6:16 mile.  At this point, I was still optimistic that I could pick the pace up back close to 6-flat once I turned off 108, as I have sometimes gotten a second wind here, but alas this was not to be.  I felt like I was pushing hard, but the next three miles all came in slow at 6:11, 6:13, and mile 9 was my slowest at 6:20.  Yikes.  What's up with that?

Mile 10 is a fast mile, as 1) it's a gradual but net downhill, and 2) the anticipation of finishing gives me the motivation to nearly sprint.  I run what I believe is my fastest Mile 10 ever at 5:48, but after my slow Miles 6-9, it is not enough.

Sprint to the finish

Final result:  61:01, 2nd (to Principe) in age group out of 162, 73rd overall of 2,112.  Full results here.

Catching up with teammates post-race

I ended up finishing just nine seconds off my all-time PR, so I guess I can't complain too loudly.  I have every intention of coming back next year to have a go at it again.  That will be my final Blessing in my current age group, so while I'll welcome the opportunity to race in a new age group, I'm also cognizant that as I'm pushing sixty my PR chances are diminishing.

Speaking of age, on a positive note, I'm very happy on an age-adjusted basis to have run 3rd overall:

It may not be a perfect system, but it's the only age-grading we have,
and it gives me confidence.

Weekly Log 25-Jul to 31-Jul-2022: Return Home

Monday:  5

Charlestown, RI.  First run back in the US, after being away for ten days.  Dragging a little bit, and feeling a little sick, but wanted to get out there and get back into a routine.  Burlingame South, with a dip in the pond with Brady.

Tuesday:  2 walk, 7 run

Westerly, RI.   Mowing and weed-whacking Shore Road entrance to Winnapaug Farm Preserve.  

Westerly, RI.  Parked at Weekapaug Breachway (plenty of spots still available at 10am!).  Ran Weekapaug roads, before a dip in the ocean at Fenway Beach.  First time running in carbon fiber shoes, New Balance SuperComp Pacer.  Felt fine while running, but leg pain afterwards.  Not sure if related to run or some lingering run down / body aches / sickness during recent travel back to US.

NB SuperComp Pacer, 6.9oz, carbon fiber plate

Wednesday:  6

AM:  Charlestown, RI.  Short and easy run with Brady at Ninigret.

PM:  Westerly, RI.  Fun Run week #9.  Succeeded in running easy.  About 21-flat, easy conversational with Jonny E and Matt S.

Thursday:  5

Westerly, RI.  Easy Wahaneeta / Woody Hill run with Brady.  Deerflies were terrible, but I knew that in advance.  Wahaneeta Pond dredging project almost complete.  12 DFKs.

Friday:  11

Narragansett, RI.  Blessing of the Fleet #20.  Separate write-up to follow.

Saturday:  21 ride, 3 run, 0.5 swim

Charlestown, RI.  Informal triathlon fun with the guys at Watchaug Pond.  Chris planned the bike route, Tom the general logistics, Mike brought ice cold Gatorade to share and cookies post-run, and Tom brought iced tea and cupcakes.  Me?  All I had to do was show up!  Wasn't sure I'd be able to do this after Blessing, but other than the legs a little sore on the bike, all else was good.

Sunday:  10

Charlestown, RI.  Thought about getting out early for a long run, but had already started yesterday at 6:30am, and needed my beauty sleep.  Met up with my out-of-state cousins for a once per year trip to the beach with them to Charlestown's East Beach.  Free admission to all state beaches today for Governor's Bay Day, and even though I was in line 15 minutes before the beach opened, so were many others and I just made it in before the lot filled.  The nearby town beach (Blue Shutters) charges $40 per day on weekends!

After hanging out in the ocean and cavorting 'til 10am, I bid them adieu and went for a Quonnie road run.  Hot and sunny.  Took it slow.

Weekly mileage:  47 run, 2 walk, 21 ride, 0.5 swim

Weekly synopsis:  Low mileage week.  As long as it's the exception and not the rule, it's fine to take a down week now and then.  Thus endeth July.

Weekly highlight:  Blessing of the Fleet #20

Weekly lowlight:  Lingering sickness for a few days early in week.  Caught a cold my last day in Scotland, and it made the flights back uncomfortable especially with sneezing and a runny nose.  Felt off back in the states on Monday and Tuesday, but fine by midweek.

Weekly Log 18-Jul to 24-Jul-2022: Scotland!

Monday:  7

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.  Got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30am from our hotel in Reykjavik, before taking a bus ride for just under an hour to Keflavik Airport and then a two-hour flight to Glasgow.  Upon arriving in Scotland, only then did we learn that there was a heat wave here and instead of the usual highs of upper 60s, we would expect upper 80s for the next couple of days.  Ugh.  Certainly preferred the Icelandic weather with highs in the mid 50s.

The next trial for me was driving.  I had booked a VW Passat 6-speed manual, as not only do I prefer to drive manual, but the automatic was an additional $400 upcharge.  Unfortunately, they had run out of manual cars and only had automatic vehicles left, so for no additional charge I got a Citroen cross-over.  Remember when Citroens were imported into the US and you could see them on US roads?  That was a long time ago.  I digress.  I was not happy at all that I didn't get what I contracted for, but took a deep breath, reminded myself I'm on a family vacation, and did not throw a temper tantrum.  

Immediately upon leaving the airport, I drove up onto my first fear of driving on the "wrong" side of the road:  roundabouts (rotaries).  My fear was unfounded, as it's nearly impossible to go the wrong way on them in the UK, and the yield rules are the same as in the US (you yield to cars already in the rotary).  On the motorway driving the hour or so to Edinburgh, my repeated mistake was drifting to the left.  I remember Seth telling me drifting was an issue and his wife Amanda would yell to correct him (or something like that).  In my case, the car itself would "yell" at me as it had lane assist and a beeping noise would be accommodated by a visual warning that would pop up on the screen to tell me when I was hitting the lane barrier.  Otherwise, it wasn't as nerve wracking as I set myself up for, and by the end of the week I was quite comfortable driving in the UK. 

Late afternoon Matthew and I went out for a run on a mix of city streets, through parks, and mowed grass.  Holyrood Park is really neat and doesn't seem like it should be there in the city limits, but I'm glad it was.  I started out slow in the heat, but at 83°F it really wasn't worse than a hot night in the summer in RI.  There were some nice views in Holyrood Park.  Besides the heat, the only other issue, and it was almost laughable, was when we were running in The Meadows, and not realizing which lane was for what use, we apparently were running on a lane reserved for biking.  Some guy on a bike came up behind us, clanged his bike bell, so we got off and onto the grass and out of his way, and as he went by he yelled out, "Wrong lane, dickheads!".  If he said "wrong lane, guys", I would've said "Sorry", but every country has their a-holes, and we just found one of them here.

First view of Holyrood Park
(The next day the three of us would hike up to Arthur's Seat,
the highest point in this area)

Lots of swans!  Neat view with some historic structure in background.

On the paved path climbing the hill in Holyrood Park,
with nice sea views.

Dinner first night in Scotland:
Sea bass.  Healthy and delicious.

Tuesday:  12 run, 8 walk

AM:  Musselburgh, Scotland, UK.  Took an Uber to the nearby town of Musselburgh, where Matthew and I started our one-way run back to the hotel.  Our driver Ricky was a friendly older chap.  We were trying to get out of the city of Edinburgh, and an already narrow street going under a building up ahead had a very clear sign "Road Closed" and you could see some type of construction going on.  Rather than turning off the road, Ricky just said, "They say the road is closed, but I don't believe them" in his Scottish brogue.  I told him I admired his spirit, but that didn't stop him from the inevitable of having to turn around.

Nearly all of today's run would be paved.  Start of run in Musselburgh,
with a short distance through a field.

Dirt path at the very beginning.
We would spend seven miles along this body of
water, the Firth of Forth.

Short road section, crossing back into Edinburgh

Paved path along the "firth"

Portobello Beach

Nice directional signs along the way

Falls along the "Water of Leith"

PM:  Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.  Edinburgh walking tour with Jana and Matthew.  Used the morning's approach once more, as we took an Uber out and walk back to hotel.  Our driver, David, was quite knowledgeable and helpful, and also gave us some tips for tomorrow's run.

Started our afternoon with a hike up to Arthur's Seat

Along the "Royal Mile":
Holyrood Palace

In front of Edinburgh Castle

The "Great Hall" inside Edinburgh Castle:
built during medieval times in 1511 for King James IV

It doesn't look like much, but this is the oldest remaining 
edifice inside Edinburgh Castle:  St Margaret's Chapel,
built 1130 AD

Inside St. Margaret's Chapel.
Just amazing to realize you're standing inside a 900-
year old building!

Wednesday:  8 run, 2 hike

AM:  Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.  Drove out to Pentland Hills Park, close to Edinburgh, but much more rural.  Parked at a golf course, as I didn't realize there was a "carpark" just down the road designated for the trail users.  Matthew had mapped out a 10-miler, but after a 1,000+ foot climb, we came upon a closed area due to active training use by the military and had to turn around.

Here's the trail we were running,
and here is this guy that wouldn't move.
My first time seeing a Highland Cow, and I have to admit
I was intimidated by his not budging, his horns, and
his staring us down.  I do not want to be gored!
---
We contemplated backing away and going far around
the cow, but in the end we just walked slowly and carefully
past the cow.

Lots of sheep out there.  I was not intimidated by these!

The red flag signified that military training was taking
place and we should not go further

Disappointing not to be able to 
run the route, but then again, I don't
want to be running inside an active firing range!
Do you?

By this time, I was just tired, hungry, and irritable and wanted to be finished.  Matthew had the energy and desire to get 10 miles in, and since I didn't, we compromised, and he added on a bigger loop while I took a short 250' climb to meet him at the top of a small hill where his loop would go.  I then promptly laid down and died.  Or so it felt.  When Matthew arrived, I got my carcass up off the grass and sauntered on, happy that we were on our way back.  Until we reached yet another closed area.  Ugh.  I am done.  Low energy, low motivation.  The way around is back up another hill, and I just don't have it in me, so we part ways and Matthew takes the established path (back uphill) while I foolishly bushwhack my way through chest-high ferns (seriously!) and scrub bushes, so that I don't need to go back uphill and around.  I stopped for a while to snack on some blueberry bushes I found, and then continued on.

Remember to close the animal gates when you run through

Views along the run, and more sheep.

Finally I reached a dirt road that I could see on my watch map would lead me back on a net downhill run back to the golf course.  This just was not my run.  Came in on fumes.  We had missed our hotel breakfast by now, so on the drive back, I stopped at a Costa coffee shop (ubiquitous in the UK) for food and drink replenishment for now.

PM:  Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK.  After checking out of the hotel, we drove north for about three hours, where we would be spending the night in the vicinity of Inverness.  Along the way, we stopped at the "House of Bruar" for a 2-mile round-trip hike to the "Falls of Bruar" and then on the way back bought overpriced chocolates, ice cream, and other indulgences.  Neat place.

Jana and Matthew checking out the menu, before we
ate lunch outdoors at this nice restaurant in the village of
Queensferry

Cullen Skink:
A traditional Scottish soup, with Welsh's smoked haddock, 
potatoes and leeks in a creamy broth.
---
Delicious!  Had never heard of it, but afterwards ordered it
several more times by name with confidence.

Dogs are treated very differently in Scotland vs US.
Roaming freely and playing on beaches and parks, never once did
I encounter an aggressive dog.

The Falls of Bruar.
Not the most impressive falls,
but a nice hike and scenic area.

Thursday:  9 run, 2 hike

AM:  Tornagrain, Scotland, UK.  Most of the places we visited in Scotland were bereft of trees, but here in the Inverness vicinity there were forested areas.  One such area was Lochandinty Wood, where we ran today.  After two days of heat waves, it was so nice to run today in 57°F weather!

Wooded trails!

Start and finish of our run today:
the idyllic village of Tornagrain

PM:  Our destination this evening would be the Isle of Skye, but we took our time getting there as we visited a couple of really cool castles along the way:

Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Scotland:

Urquhart Castle.  Originally a fort dating to the 6th century AD,
most of the ruins shown here are from the 13th through 16th centuries.
 The famous Loch Ness in the background.

What's this?  A trebuchet!
It's a replica based on historical records,
as supposedly no trebuchets from the medieval era
survived to modern times.  Reportedly, the stones
(foreground) weighed about 250 pounds and could
be "thrown" over 200 yards at a speed of
about 125 mph.  Yikes!  I would not want to be
in the way.

One aspect that I really like about this castle
as compared to Edinburgh Castle is that you were
free to go in many of the narrow enclosures
and original stone staircases.

With my better half.  I really maximized my usage
of my Laugavegur Ultramarathon quarter-zip!
Loch Ness in the background, although
no Nessie sightings today.

After visiting Urquhart Castle, we continued toward the Isle of Skye and stopped for lunch at a roadside cafe on the A887 Skye Road:

This place (Redburn Cafe) was fantastic!  Run by a husband and a wife
team (and their friendly Golden Retriever), they served up great food, classic rock
tunes on the radio, and friendly conversation.  I'll take a good mom-and-pop
shop over a big chain any day.
---
There were seats inside, but it was a nice day out, and we elected
to eat outside in a picnic area they had setup.  So what did we have for
lunch?  Yes, Cullen Skink, of course!  And some homemade sandwiches
that hit the spot.

Eilean Donan Castle, near Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland:

13th century castle on a 2-acre island

Fun to explore and walk around

Friday:   5 run, 7 hike

AM:  Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK.  Ran from the "Lealt Falls House" which we stayed at.  The roads here have literally no shoulder, so fortunately after just 1/3 mile, we were able to run off the main road and run on a dirt road with a few farmhouses but zero car traffic while we were on it.

Lealt Falls House, where we spent the night

Along our run this morning

AM:  After our run and breakfast, we checked out and headed for the Old Man of Storr, a nearby and popular hike, perhaps the most popular on the Isle of Skye:

PM: We went to the famed Quiraing to do some more hiking, but between the rain, the biting midges, and our growing hunger, we looked around quickly but didn't stay.

One-lane road at the Quiraing, with near 180-degree turn. 
This road is used for 2-way traffic, and there were quite a few
of these.  There were places to pull off, and cars in each direction just had to judge which
one was closest to the pull-off and should do so.  Occasionally, one car or the other had to
stop and back up to the previous pull-off area, but really no issues.  Drivers would wave
"thank you" to the opposing driver that pulled over, no one got mad, no one honked, no one
gave the middle finger.  
---
Also of note in this pic is the VW Transport.  There were so many of these in Scotland,
many with Germany license plates, and many equipped with pop-up camper packages.
Wouldn't it be really cool to rent one of these and tool around Europe?

Many roads like this, where you have a pull-off spot
before a one-lane road used for both directions
(with zero shoulder)

PM:  After a great lunch in the seaside village of Uig (how do you pronounce "Uig"?), with more Cullen Skink, we headed for our last activity of the day:  the Fairy Pools.

Reminds me of rock-hopping along with Swift River
along the Kancamagus Highway in NH
(well, except for the lush green grass landscape)

It looks inviting, doesn't it?

Saturday:  16 run, 1 hike

AM:  Overnight was our most meager accommodations during the entire trip:  two-bunk beds in Chase the Wild Goose Hostel in Fort William, with European style of shared bathrooms.  Booked on airbnb, it was also our least expensive accommodations by far at US$154.65, and we got there late and left early, so no complaints!

airbnb photo of our hostel room

Went for a solo 6-mile run along the nearby Caledonian Canal:

The few people I saw out on their boats were all
friendly and waved or said Good Morning

Old Boat of Caol,
a/k/a Corpach Shipwreck
---
Constructed in 1975 as a fishing boat for catching herring and mackerel,
her life at sea came to and end in 2011 when she was torn from her
mooring in Fort William by a ferocious storm

Corpach Sea Lock, at the southern end of the
60-mile canal

Most of the part I ran on was unpaved, but manicured.

Had a light serve-yourself continental breakfast and checked out, then headed for the Ben Nevis main trailhead at Glen Nevis Visitor Centre.  Problem:  it's mid-morning now on a Saturday in the summer and there are a lot of other people planning to hike the UK high point.  The parking lot ("carpark" in British vernacular) is completely full, and that includes those cars already jammed at angles where parking spots don't really exist.  You know, Seth had warned me of this, and encouraged me to get going really early.  Alas, the road to failure is paved with good intentions, as I had hoped to get going early, but after long adventure-packed days and not arriving last night until 10pm, the body needed a good night's rest.

So now what, Sherlock?

Started to drive away in search of another trailhead,
and fortunately, just 1/10 mile up the road,
Farmer Brown opened up his field for parking.
He asked if a payment of £5 was OK.  Absolutely!

  

Some parts were very runnable ...

... others not so much*.
---
*Note:  we took this side diversion trail up on the way up;
the main trail was longer but much more runnable, so we took
that coming back down.

One the last clear scenes, before we "disappeared" into the foggy abyss.

In the final mile, often all we could pick out was the
next cairn.

Very close to the summit.  So windy!

Ben Nevis summit!  4,413'
Totally ensconced in the fog.  Cold and wet; was thankful
that I tucked my Laugavegur 66°North Iceland quarter-zip into my pack.

The run down was a blast!  I was not nearly as polite as Matthew, as I ran jumping around and past people on the ragged edge of control.  At one point, with Matthew just behind me on the descent, one woman hiker said, "Well, at least he [Matthew] said 'Excuse me' before he went past us.".  I'm quite sure that was directed at me, and maybe meant for my earshot.  At another point, someone said something loudly to me in a foreign language as I went past them.  Not understanding a word, I took my eyes off the rocks in front of me for just a split second to glance his way, and saw he had a big smile and two thumbs up to me, so I'm assuming it was complimentary.  Another trail runner on his way up gave me plenty of room and plenty of encouragement.  Elapsed time 3:18, moving time 2:42.

Time to leave the Scottish Highlands and head back to Glasgow.  Sigh.  It rained much of that afternoon, but it didn't stop us from going for a short hike in Glencoe Lochan, albeit in raincoats:

Jana on our rainy and final hike

Trees!  Reportedly these are
"North American trees" as planted by a
Scottish lord in the 1890s to please his wife.

Sunday:   8

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

The first few miles were non-descript.

But much of the run was off the road at least,
and along canals.

Kelvingrove Park:  monument to British Victorian-era
General Frederick Roberts

Scenic river within the park.
And more trees, something we didn't see much of 
in the past ten days.

Came back to the hotel (Glasgow Double Tree) and had a great buffet breakfast before checking out and headed to the airport for the trip home.  Flight from Glasgow to Reykjavik, Reykjavik to Boston, and then Amtrak back to Rhode Island, where we picked up a very excited Brady dog from my Mom's house.

I felt badly to leave Brady home while we
went away for 10 days, but maybe I shouldn't, as it
seems he was spoiled while we were away!
(Neighbor's pool)

Weekly mileage totals:  67 run, 20 hike/walk

Weekly synopsis:  Just a fantastic week!  But how could spending a week in Scotland be anything but?!  Every day was adventure packed from morning to evening, we hiked, ran and saw a lot of cool sights, walked through medieval castles, and also managed to get in 87 total miles on foot!

Weekly highlight:  Now this is tough!  Let me break it down a bit:

• Running highlight:  Ben Nevis
• Hiking highlight:  Old Man of Storr
• Historical highlight:  Urquhart Castle
• Food highlight:  Cullen Skink

Weekly lowlight:  Dickhead.  (The guy on the bike path in Edinburgh.)