Training Log Archive: bradc

A nice lunch pre-lunch jaunt up to the Gathering Stane to loosen the legs off and generate some sort of appetite for all that Mum-generated roast chicken and trimmings, mmmm.

The legs felt fine. The back felt fine. The brain felt fine, albeit a little tired after a sleepless night mulling over the excellent but thought-provoking "The Reader", as seen on a last night's rare escape to the flicks (highly recommended, novel duly ordered today on waterstones.com). Sadly the waistline didn't feel fine after the Xmas excesses. Lettuce leaves for dinner for me for the rest of January.

Regretfully spurning the Callendar Crags race in order to keep the injury recovery on track, B, J and I headed off to Comrie to have a wee run from Cathy & Doug's. Doug's still not running, after months of a really bad chest infection (poor bloke), but Cathy led B & I up through the woods. After we reached the track junction at the top I ran on and did my own thing whilst they turned onto the track and ran home. I popped up to the Melville Monument, then did a dog-leg up onto the hill behind it, at which point my calves started complaining. I ignored them and ran down to the rickety bridge and back to Comrie along the river, then through the back of the village to C&D's. A glorious day to be out!

Very tight calves today - a rest day duly required.

Deanston, River Teith Woods and Wood of Doune with Dixie. A very easy recovery trot for two recovering injured blokes! Very pleasant, pootling alongside the river, late on a glorious afternoon. Sun dipping below the horizon, and just enough light left to get through the wood at the end without more injury! Grand stuff.

Another lovely, cold day - and this time a slightly earlier start, but still not enough time for us to do all of Beinn a' Ghlo. The idea was to head out to the furthermost hill, Carn nan Gabhar, which Beccy still had to bag, and then come back over the other two tops. Unfortunately it took us three hours to get to the remote top, due to the distance and our slow pace - tiredness, blisters and very rough, frozen ground. We came down to the col en route to the next munro but time was against us, so it was down the valley and back along the outward track, at frog march pace... drag. Knee and calf in bad shape well before the end.

Another fine day, and another couple of Munros: this time, Creise and Meall a' Bhuiridh (sp?). It was overcast en route, but we got lucky and the cloud cleared, giving us fantastic views from the top. There was a bit of a breeze today, but not at all unpleasant.

The route we chose up was exciting - up the shoulder of Stob a' Ghlas Choire, which would have had some nice scrambly bits had there not been so much water ice. Hard work, but it did mean that we got to use our crampons, and it was more pleasant than my experiences here last time, when I fell through a cornice and had to make my own way off the hill because I couldn't get back up to the ridge!

My back was very sore at the start of the walk but after about half an hour of walking we had a pit stop and, when putting my rucksack back on, I heard an almighty crack from the base of my spine and it all seemed to be much better after that! [Postscript, Tuesday - ow, perhaps it wasn't that good a crack after all...]