The Walker With Heart

As I've said in other places, it's been a poor year in running terms.  I started the year with a form of viral bronchial infection, moved through fighting my lack of umpph, then just as things were settling down I got sent flying by a berk on a bike and have ended up with a permanently scarred knee, and then as things were getting better again, an infected elbow.  However, I managed to do all but one of my planned runs, and also fitted in two long distance paths - the Speyside Way and St Cuthbert's Way.  Mad Dog 5: Game of Bones… The run with the same title as a porn version of Game of Thrones… It’s a classic, the run, not the film…  Cambridge Half… The run with my mad friends and their mad friends – and they’re all lovely… as is the traditional scotch egg the day before the run, and free (non-alcoholic) beer at the finish National Trust Night Run – the run was around a Tudor estate, and the medal glows in the dark… need I say more? ...

It's been a bad year for running... Between hideous coughs that threatened to make my lungs come up, smashed and bloody knees and a general nagging feeling of being blurgh my running, by my standards hasn't been brilliant... However, my fastest half marathon on the hills of Liverpool, two other halves that showed what I could do without much training... an obstacle color run... and a lot of fun. Which did lead to an interesting chat with my cardiologist, I don't think he's met many runners who sit there and say "I've had a bad year of running... but that means three half marathons, a handful of 10k's... oh and a couple of long distance paths". Knowing what I can do means this year does hurt, a bit... A marathon downgraded to a 16 miler due to the knee and then a DNS due to the migraine hurts in terms of a run not done. However, it's still three half marathons, two long distance paths walked and a lot of fun - and I can remember the years wh...

There is something special about crossing things, the transition between one state and another, not being in one place or another... in this case plenty of interesting river crossings, a pilgrims path across a causeway and the border between Scotland and England. The Great North Run, that fixed point in space and time I return to for the craic if not in expectation of running well, has crossing - the magnificence of the Tyne Bridge, the switch from motorway to A road (trust me, you might not notice but your legs do) and from land to sea as you finish on the coast. Following the knee incident, I've not been able to run much, if anything... So, the plan for the GNR was to get around - and I did.  Sunburned and battered from the congestion but I got around.  Not fast, but ok for me on a baking hot day with no training. Then it was back to the caravan, and set the alarms for before dawn - five hours travelling to Melrose was only downside of my plan to go straight from run t...

There is a good reason to leave the blogging of a long walk a week and a bit, the highs are less high and the lows are less low.  The born-tired weariness has left the body, the blisters are well on the way to healing, and the clothes are in the wash... So, I have notes from each day and some bits I will be emailing the guidebook people and the mapping people... Day 1 - Aviemore to Nethy Bridge 12 miles, a gloriously sunny day that was only marred by Scotrail being very uncomfortable and late. A simple walk along a disused railway, alongside a working steam rain (to Boat of Garten) and then a wander through Caledonian forest and plantations.  The views in places were superb... Looking back there was still snow in the corries of the mountains, and as I wandered I saw my first deer of the week. The walking was easy trails, navigation was fine - apart from the pylons having moved since the book was written... Nethy Bridge took me to the Lazy Duck hostel, imagine ...