Matriculation

As the intro describes, I would like to cross the line first, however, my personal goal is to beat my previous times. Last time I entered with practically no training at all, and still got a reasonable time.

I've been mostly doing cycle training, though going up the odd hill has also been on the agenda.

Last week I totally failed to do any training, but I did manage to draw up a route plan for a day trip to Arran ... this week the weather looked too bad for a solo trip there, so I went on my "36km with a huge hill to climb" bike route. I was scared that I'd be slower than my first time round on it (1h30m) but I got the same time, despite it being windy and rainy :-) I still need to get in some 50km rides to make sure I'm able to manage the 46km ... I suspect adding a loop around Blairskaith and Torrance might work .. time to get out the route planner!

Hopefully the weather will be nice enough for Arran next week ... after all, some of my training is going to be interrupted by a trip to Glencoe to matriculate Colin in to the team!

M

I do

At the end of the Highland Cross last year Colin's first words were pretty much "I'll beat you next year" - if that's not a commitment to enter then I don't know what is. However I really don't actually remember replying "I do" to the question about whether or not I wanted to enter, never the less it seems that I must take my place amongst the family team and try yet again to beat that family record my Mother set all those years ago.

This time last year I was just recovering from a really bad case of laryngitis, I'd hardly managed any running or cycling at all, Colin and I were living in Dunblane.... and I was Colin's girlfriend.

This year, we are better prepared, we've been out on the hill a lot, out running, we're living in Kippen... and I am not only Colin's Fiance but the wedding is only 3 weeks away! Doesn't a lot move on in a year :O)

So I suppose I should try and quickly bring you up to speed of the events since the last Highland Cross.

Colin and I moved to Kippen in July last year, it is a fabulous little village just West of Stirling. We have the Gargunnock's out the back of the flat and as we walk through the village we can see The Trossachs and Ben Lomond. For two people so passionate about the hills we really couldn't ask for more. 

Around the same time as moving flat we went on holiday to France, where Colin popped the magic question which will result me in saying those magic words "I do" in just a few weeks time. It was a magical holiday and when we returned we had just as magical a time looking around our favourite hill locations for the perfect spot to get married. 

As anyone who has every tried to organise a wedding will know the most crucial thing is the date - however for us we really didn't want a June wedding, partly because of those incessant scottish beasties known as the midge, and partly because we knew we wanted to enter the Highland Cross. However we also didn't want a winter wedding as we had visions of none of the guests being able to get there! With all of this in mind and if we were going to have any sort of a holiday around the wedding then we really needed to set a date in early May. So thus, in a weird sort of way, we planned our wedding around The Highland Cross.. I wonder I how often that has happened?!

So when we finally got confirmation of our places through the post it was a particularly increased vigour that we started our training this year... after all I also have to fit into the outfit for the day! Thus as I start my blog today I am in the particularly strange position of being able to say I've just come in from a 10 mile run up the hill behind the house. I'm sure I couldn't have said that at all this time last year!

We've a lot to do over the next few weeks, not just for the wedding, but we are hoping to be fit enough to be able to do the running section before the big day so that it won't matter so much if we enjoy ourselves properly on the wedding and mini moon! So the next few weeks for me are all about running, cycling, eating healthily, and trying to make myself look as fit and healthy as I can. Do I think it possible I hear you ask? <grin>...  "I do"!