my longest run yet and other events

It has been a good week again.  Work has been busy but thoroughly enjoyable.  The weather has been more mixed but that hasn't mattered really.  14yos had his last week in school before the summer holidays and seems to have settled in really well.
I did a 5 mile forest run with my friend Marie on Tuesday evening which was good.  My hip seems to have fully recovered now so I am pleased with that.
The highlight of the week was yesterday.  All the younger children were either going to camp for a week or staying with a friend.  We set off early on Saturday morning to drop them off to make the journey to the camp and then Rick and I headed up north to Balmaha so we could do a long run on the West Highland Way.  We had a wonderful day.  We set off from Balmaha together, although of course didn't stay together. We were to run for 5 hours - 2.5 out and 2.5 back.  It is quite a tough run - lots of rocky ascents and descents as well as some lovely stretches right along the shore.

This picture is one of the first I took where you run near a campsite next to the loch.  This view is north.

This view is south from the same spot.  The weather was ideal for me running.  It wasn't too hot but it didn't actually rain at all.  At first I wondered if the cloud would be low so I would miss the views but that wasn't the case.

The photo above is the only one I got of any part of me.  I meant to ask Rick to take a photo of me at the finish but I was so shattered I forgot.  I also forgot that I can turn my phone around and take a photo of myself but then it might not have been a pretty sight!

This photo is just after quite a rocky steep ascent which wasn't at all easy.  When I was going through these forest areas, quite alone, the sounds of the birds were amazing - some I really could not identify.  It was almost like the sounds of a rainforest.  The wild flowers were lovely too.  I cannot really describe how much I loved this run.  There were a number of walkers out although there were long periods where I didn't see anyone.

I ran out for 8.75 miles and then back again.  This photo is just before my turn around point. The midges were out in force but they left me alone until I stopped.  I had my 2 pieces of cadburys dairy milk here and then pushed on to the turn around point.

Running back past the lake I took this photo when I had my cereal bar but didn't stop long - had to out run those midges!!

On the stretch above I didn't see anyone for around 6 miles and it was a wonderful feeling to be out alone in these conditions.  The views were lovely although by this time the mist was starting to come down.  There was lots of thinking time which I enjoy and I sure do love heading out alone and just doing what I can, enjoying the solitude and the beauty of creation.  The West Highland Way is a wonderful place - almost magical in parts - away from the campsites and visitors centres - and I would love the opportunity to run more of it.  One thing I have decided is that, for now, I just want to go on my own long runs, probably while Rick is training.  I am so busy with work and it is not fair on the children for me to devote serious training days, and actually, I was feeling the pressure of that.  So I made the decision that I will just run without the pressure of doing an official race.  Therefore, I will marshal at Rick's ultras and try and run some training runs at the same time as him for the sheer pleasure of it.  Next year I will run in a relay on the West Highland Way and take it from there.  Pressure off and enjoyment on!