Running 3:20:00 [3] 26.4 km (7:35 / km) +600m 6:48 / km
Well this must be one of the grittiest runs I've done in a long time. Plan was for the Auchenhove skyline from KH house. 7 of us in total, 4 of whom had raced last night, so I thought I should be in ok company. Felt just dreadful from the start, but told myself it would improve once I got warmed up. It was a stunning morning (both moonset and sunrise), a few cms of snow, and good company helps a lot. So I dug in and brought up the rear most of the way, but did feel a bit brighter by the top of Craiglich. We lost our line heading off the end of the ridge to the first road crossing and had a fair bit of felled / windblow / gorse tramping before we escaped. At Lumphanan we were a good bit behind time so 4 folk headed back by the roads while I continued towards Dess with KH (on a mission) and ME. V appreciative of Js date slice when we stopped in at home and I v nearly had a refusal to go back out again. But my car had to be retrieved at some point so I continued with them along the DW and then up towards Mortlich. That was going to be a hill too far for me though, so I left the girls at the col and turned down the track to return to the start point by the low track / road option. Bit of an epic.
