After going to see Liz Locheads Perfect Days at the Festival Theatre Pitlochry yesterday, Ive had a near-perfect one myself today. Were staying in a very-well appointed caravan at Tummel Bridge in Perthshire. Im two weeks in to a sixteen-week training period for the Glasgow Half Marathon, and finding the target paces challenging. Id planned to run nine miles in under 68 minutes either yesterday or today, but felt too tired yesterday, when I was ratty and uncommunicative. And anxious. Where could I run? In theory, running alongside Loch Tummel should be easy, because the road next to water should be flat, right? Alas, in practice, the road undulates up and down, punishingly. It would be great as a scenic run, but a challenge too far with a pace target. A quick quint at the OS map last night showed there might be a better way. I still felt lethargic, stiff and tired when I woke up today, but set out anyway, while Helen opted for a more sedate swim. You can see the route I took here. connect.garmin/modern/activity/530650961 The first mile took some willpower. I hadnt really warmed up, and the path took me uphill though forest paths, which were as uneven as they were beautiful. I made bargains with myself - allow a slower pace to make up for the gradient, to make up for how washed out I was feeling, because nothing is set in stone and targets are artefacts. Knowing I had that freedom kept me going, despite the seductive possibility of stopping, and I managed to maintain pace up the hill. After a mile and a half, I saw possibly the most beautiful site I could have imagined - a tarmac path alongside an artificial aqueduct linking Loch Tummel and Dunalastair Reservoir. Id known there was a body of water that Id be running alongside from the map, but Id had no idea it would be so man-made and flat. I now had a chance to stop worrying and concentrate on keeping the pace, accompanied by a self-indulgent playlist. It was heaven. The happy hormones were released, Id shaken myself out of my lethargy, and the exercise had followed a rewarding dramatic structure of jeopardy and effort followed by accomplishment and satisfaction. The aqueduct path continued to reward me - it took me west to the dams at the head of Dunalastair, and then back east to where Id joined it. I carried on east and came to the natural end of the path, looking down into Tummel Valley where a genuinely beautiful avenue of pylons, looking like a ski-lift, flows down into the valley, the generation of green energy all around me in harmony with the natural landscape. The length of the path was perfect - without having to tuck on any extra little loops, Id covered my nine miles. The forest path back down to Tummel Bridge was predictable, unthreatening, and best of all, downhill. In the entire course of the run, I encountered two men and a dog, and not a single motor vehicle. And I hit the target time, which melted an iceberg of fear and uncertainty, and makes the next fourteen weeks seem like something to relish rather than conquer. It really doesnt get any better. Runs like this are what I run for. Its the training that forms the bulk of the experiences - the races are just celebratory laps of honour. That built a base for the rest of the day. Reunited with Helen, I swapped running shoes for walking boots and we went to explore the wooded hills south of Loch Rannoch, covered the same sort of distance, but with a few more hills and at a far more leisurely pace. Having been turning my senses and awareness on with mindfulness meditation, the experience made me feel blessed to be alive, aware and present in the moment. It was the best walk Ive ever been on. Sometimes I share things on here when Im feeling disaffected, upset, or disappointed. I dont feel like that today.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 18:44:04 +0000
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