Creag Mhor and Beinn Heasgarnich

It had been 4 months since I was last in the Scottish hills, so when I saw the chance to get two new Munros with Richard and fellow EYW's this weekend I jumped at the chance. We left Edinburgh at 8am in the pouring rain, but by the time we arrived at the start point, just past Killin, the rain had stopped and the skies were clearing.

We had a fairly long walk in (about 4-5 miles) along a track and then we cut off to the right and straight up the ascent of Munro number one, Creag Mhor, standing at 1049m. It was a tough ascent, and I could feel my legs working hard. One most of the climbing was done, there was a flat section followed by a last push to the top. The views all the way up were fantastic, we could see for miles around. And when the sun came out it was perfect. We reached the summit after 3hr20min of hiking, and had a well deserved lunch while enjoying the views.

It was then a fairly big descent, back down to around 650m off the back of the mountain and then a steep climb to our second Munro of the day. Again the climb was quite relentless, but then we hit a flat section with a gradual climb of around 100m in altitude before reaching the top of Beinn Heasgarnich. All around we could see rain on the tops of the other hills, but our hill seemed to have a ray of sunshine on its summit. We reached the top (1078m) just before the cloud cover came in. It was quite cold at the top, so we didn't stay too long. We dropped off the side in search of the path we came in on. The descent was long, but not as severe as some previous hills I've done. As we reached the path, the sun was shining and was the warmest it had been all day. The walk back out along the track felt longer than it had on the way in (it always does) and my legs were feeling it by the end.

We covered just over 16 miles in total, and had a fantastic day in the hills. We then had time for a drink in the pub in Killin before the drive home. A great day!

Mountain biking at Mabie and Ae

Last weekend I crossed two things off my wish list. 1) To try out sleeping in a wooden pod, and 2) To mountain bike some more of Scotland's 7 Stanes mountain bike trails.

A group of us headed down to Mabie near Dumfries on Friday night to our wooden pod where we would be staying the weekend. There were 4 of us staying in there, with Nick and Susan choosing to pitch a tent outside. The pod was cozy to say the least, but it was nice not to have to put up a tent, and made for a comfy place to sit in the evenings. We were right by the Mabie Forest trails and also the Mabie House Hotel, which had weddings on each night we were there.

It rained heavily throughout the night, and was still raining on Saturday morning, ensuring that the trails at Mabie would be nice and muddy. Once Gillian had fixed herself up with a hire bike we headed off on the 10km blue route. A good warm up to get us all used to being on the bikes. After a quick scone and tea at the cafe, with then headed out on the red Pheonix route, 24km this time, and much more tricky descents. Great fun! We were covered in mud by the end of it. A warm shower followed by dinner in the Mabie house hotel (the biggest plate of Gammon and pineapple I've ever seen!) was well appreciated.

The next day, the sun was shining and after packing up the car, we headed north slightly to Ae. This is another 7 stanes venue also with various routes. The red route - the Ae Line was 26km, so we just headed straight for that. Susan did parts of the blue route and met us at various points. I loved this trail as it was so varied and the scenery was fantastic. It started in the woods, but had some exposed bits too, the best bit being 'The Edge' which featured a single track with a drop on the side down to the river, and great views. The finale, Omega man had some exciting dowhill sections, which were exciting, though hard work at the end of a weekend of biking.

Really enjoyed the weekend of biking and looking forward to trying out the remaining mountain bike trails!

The Ae Line from Jo Kirby on Vimeo.

Caerketton Hill Race

Last Wednesday was Dean's birthday, and he decided he's like to do the Caerketton Hill Race in the Pentlands, followed by a few drinks in The Steading. I thought I'd step out of my comfort zone and join Dean and the others for this hill race. It may only be a 1.5 mile race, but it starts at Hillend ski slope and heads straight up to the summit of Caerketton and back down again with 800ft of ascent. I headed off at a steady jog, but soon broke into a fast hike up the hill. I was about two-thirds back in the field and was pleased to reach the summit. The conditions were pretty rough at the top, strong wind, rain and not much of a view. Was it really August? There was a nice flat section whee I managed to pick off a few people. Then it arrived: the descent! Most will know of my tendency to sprain / break ankles and so I was making a steady descent down. I was overtaken by many a runner sliding down on their backsides at great speeds! With my fellow CAACers all safely back down, I finally crossed the line in 22:49 in 73rd place (out of 77!). Both ankles intact and not last - success! Now time for the pub!

Tour of Fife 2011

I thought I'd give the infamous Tour of Fife another go this year, having completed it in 2009. Five races in five days...a sure way to get you fit! There were a couple of new races this year along with the old favourites, and a record number of CAACers taking part.

Race 1: The Black Hill Race, Falkland
The first race of the series started on the Falkland estate - a 5 mile hill race round the tracks and up and down the hills. It had been a few days since I'd been running, and my legs felt fresh. I ran with Gillian for a little while, but soon realised she was running at a pace I wouldn't be able to hold. I tried my best to hold my position as high as possible among the women. I was fine going up the hills, though my downhill often lets me down, and a couple went past me. Was a really sunny evening, a bit muggy, but great conditions. Not often I run in sunglasses in Scotland.
Time: 36:47

Race 2: Hill of Tarvit, Ceres
This race was described as an undulating trail race. It was 3 laps of the estate of Hill of Tarvit, a really nice stately home and grounds. The great thing about racing is seeing places you probably wouldn't have thought to have gone to otherwise. It had rained lots during the day, so it was much cooler and better for running. The first lap felt tough, as there was indeed a couple of hills. However, this was followed by some flat and a great run through the forest which was great fun! Laps 2 and 3 felt much better, and i really enjoyed the course.
Time: 34:59

Race 3: The Up Hell Time Trial
This is a regular feature in the Tour. You get paired with another runner and start at the bottom of the Lomond hill. Then you head off uphill approx 1.5 miles straight up as fast as you can! It's the most painful of all the races. Your legs are burning, your lungs are screaming. And just when you think it can't get any steeper...it does. Fortunately there is a CAAC fan club complete with cow bells and polka dot jerseys to get you up the last bit. This hurt a lot more this year than I remember...perhaps because i ran it almost a minute quicker, or perhaps because I was dressed up as a cow, complete with socks and mask! Either way, I was glad to have reached the top, and enjoyed cheering on the remaining CAACers up the hill!
Time: 13:39

Race 4: Chariots of Fire Beach Race, St Andrews
Another regular of the Tour, this race starts on West Sands in St Andrews. You run out along the beach for around 2 miles plus, then turn round and come back. Depending on the tides, depends on how hard / soft / slippy the sand is. Fortunately the sand stayed hard for quite some time, although as we neared the turning point it started to become quite deep and then very slippy! For an added twist this year, the race organisers decided to put a post in the sea which we had to run round. For short people like me, this went up to about my knees, but for everyone, it ensured your trainers were wet through and heavy for the remainder of the race. Despite feeling quite tired in the build up to the race, I felt strong during it, and felt good coming back towards St Andrews, and managed to pick off a couple of people at the end. Unfortunately, some of the girls I needed to beat were ahead of me though. Really enjoyed the run though, and the thought of camping and a BBQ later that evening...
Time: 29:58

Race 5: The Chicken Run, Strathmiglo
The final race of the Tour. This one started in a field in Strathmiglo and was an out and back, which featured, yet again, another hill. Though of course, you are rewarded with a downhill on the return. I again really enjoyed this course and I tried my best to keep as close to the other girls around me as possible. 5 days of racing and camping were starting to take its toll, but I felt I finished strongly. I really enjoyed the Tour - it's a unique event!
Time: 36:27

Overall position: 52nd
Female position: 7th
Overall time: 2hr31:50

(Photos courtesty of roadrunpics)