The Shelter Stone

I’d been to Lochnagar, Càrn a’ Choire Bhòidheach, Càrn an t-Sagairt Mòr, Cairn Bannoch, and Broad Cairn several times over the years, but I hadn’t yet visited them all in one continuous circuit.

I’ve watched two of this year’s films on the Reel Rock film festival, So far, the one that’s entertained me the most is Jirishanca.

I finished reading M John Harrison’s novel Empty Space a couple of weeks ago.

Bought yesterday.

Aberdeen.

The last time I needed first aid after a race was a month ago.

There was a morning while in bed, while drinking my coffee, that I remembered to do my daily Duolingo practice early, so as to take advantage of the XP bonus I received the night before, while, to complete the streak of days going, I frantically finished a

Way back in April I entered the Bristow 15 Mile Trail Race.

What if I reinvented myself as a visual artist or a photographer of a musician of some description instead of whatever kind of [failed] writer I am now.

It was the second day of summer at the beach.

Distance: 37.31 km.

I spent the weekend travelling on foot from Braemar to Ballater via Lochnagar.

Last week I wrote a brief report on the I ran last Sunday in a book community I belong to and someone asked if I’d read any literature related to running.

Better service will resume in a few weeks once the 15-mile race and its anxieties has passed.

Last Thursday’s run up Clachnaben and yesterday’s run out to the Corrour bothy have left me questioning why I’m taking part in the Bristow 15 Mile race again.

I started writing this sat on the KLM flight to Amsterdam watching the islands south of Oslo move beneath the clouds.

From top to bottom, but with a disordered chronology: Baron Bagge, Alexander Lernet-Holenia La Jetee, Chris Darke The Ship Who Sang, Anne McCaffery Weather For Hillwalkers, Malcolm Thomas A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, George Saunders Pietr the Latvian,…

I watched this on Friday evening and the meaningful thoughts on that weekend’s two ten-mile runs were mostly reflecting on this film, especially the paraphrasing of Borges that Maria Cranor provides at the end.

It’s probably more because I’m English than frustratingly post-modern in my politics, but I can’t abide a very specific sub-genre of Scottish outdoors social media post.

For the last six months, most, if not all, of my personal writing has been a series of extensive notes and recollections of the various trips I’ve taken into the forests & hills.

I’ve taken to visiting a local library in the evenings after work to write.

I’m ashamed of how long it took me to read this.

Yesterday, as part of my preparation for a race at the end of April, I drove out to Keiloch for another long run on the Balmoral estate.

I stood on the Land Rover track out towards Loch Einich contemplating my second failed long run in seven days.

This arrived today just before my lunch break and while deep in the trench of post weekend trip blues.

Monday afternoon.

Released yesterday, this film by Jeff Pelletier documents his month long trip to England to recce and run the Bob Graham round of 42 Lakeland peaks in celebration of his forty-second birthday.

Yesterday, I hooked up a decades old DVD player to my desk speakers because I’ve a collection of CDs that I’ve not listened to since moving up to Aberdeen.

Most of his films start with the words “Hi, I’m Hainbach and it’s good to have you back.”

Yesterday, for the second January in a row, I failed to reach the summit of Lochnagar.

I’m changing into my running clothes after work.

Strava recorded that I ran 2,399.3 km in 2023.

Aberdeen. 57.1499° N, 2.0938° W.

Here are two posts from Instagram about two days spent alone running in the mountains copy & pasted together with minimal edits.

On Thursday, my socialist space friends shared thanks with each other on the Discord we inhabit.

This was an almost perfect weekend for me.

E & I are in the bedroom.

Adapted from various notes.

A rare not running post.

Last week I ran 51km.

Dear Reader, Last night I added the email subscription widget to the sidebar.

COMING SOON: Two professional skiers, two new mothers, one sponsorship.

I went out at lunch yesterday to attempt a threshold run at the beach.

It must be just an annoying coincidence, but last year as I approached the point where I’d ran 1000 miles in the calendar year I got sick.

Saturday July 29th.

I’m planning a long run in the mountains.

I survived the necroforest

I’m not going to complain about or downplay how the Metro 10K race went for me.

On Wednesday I ordered two different ultralight poop trowels and some other items from ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk, and I even paid for twenty-four hour delivery.

Hijinks with a hire car on the Saturday discovered at the beach.