13/10/24 – I would never recommend today. I’d recommend the Carnethy Pentlands skyline race but maybe not the prep to get to the start line…. Alarm set for 0245 to get my eldest to the airport for 0330 for her flight to swim camp. Decisions to be made to drive back home for a couple of hrs sleep then drive to Edinburgh or drive straight there? I decided to drive straight to Harthill services and get a few hrs kip in the van. Only issue was it was freezing so even with the jacket, Dryrobe and dog blanket I still woke up at 0800 not being able to feel my toes and frost outside. Porridge and cuppa to warm me up then decided just to drink to the start.
I’ve never arrived at a start before they had set it up but did this time. I even managed to park about 20m from the start. Result! It was a beautiful clear sky but chilly day meaning I spent about 30mins trying to workout how I was going to layer my clothes. 11am and race started.
The Pentland skyline haves on the Pentland hills above Edinburgh. It didn’t happen in 2023 due to landowner consent issues but Carnethy have done a great job resurrecting it for 2024 with a couple of slight tweeks to miss the land causing the issues. Given I’ve never done it before I would never have known. In typical hill race it just went straight up! It felt like it continued like that for most of it with every up followed by a down. Let’s just say it’s undulating. The ups were hard but loved the downs. Full race was 30km and 1860m elevation but I soon realised most of the climbing was in the first half. I ran with lots of folk and chatted away. It was very much mixed terrain with trail, track, grass and road. The final 2km were the best downhill as knew the end was in sight. I crossed the line in 3hrs 59min but couldn’t get my watch to stop. I’d decided to try use the navigation on it in prep for Cape Wrath but just didn’t know how to end it. I was so glad the van was close to get changed and warmed up. Fab race and really recommend the route!
Now home and had to empty a bedroom before the carpet fitter comes in the morning. No rest for the wicked…
