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Week 6
Day 26
Day 26 and another 4 miles ticked off. I’m getting there…slowly…but I’m definitely getting there!
Today’s route took me past Conon Bridge and through Newton Ferintosh and Newton Kinkell, mostly down the A835, it not being the longest of runs today.
The current Gaelic name for Conon Bridge (Scottish Gaelic: Drochaid Sguideil) is likely a neologism: the bridge was not built until the early 19th century and some early gravestones show the name sgudal or scuddle. One suggested source for the name is the Old Norse “sku dal”, meaning valley of the fine views.
The runs are still going well – I’m not exactly pushing myself too hard here, running most days for at most just over an hour; some days a lot less. I’m hopefull that by the end of next week I’ll be over a fifth of the way through this slightly insane challenge I’ve set myself!
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual run.
Day 27
Day 27 and I managed to get a run in at lunchtime and another one in after I’d signed off for the day, giving me a total of 6 miles for the day today.
So the day’s route took me along the A835 to Tore – crossing the dreaded A9 (not a nice road to walk along I can tell you) – before heading down a lane that, coincidentally, I walked up on day 63 of my LEJOG from Inverness to Evanton. I didn’t realise that when I was plotting the route for this virtual run!
The lane took me past Arpafeelie, eventually meeting up with the A9 for a short stretch before heading down into North Kessock, ending the day’s miles just before Kessock Bridge. So close to Inverness!
So it’s taken me just over 5 weeks of running to [almost] reach the point where it took me 7 days to walk to John O’Groats. Okay, I’ve a taken a slightly more round-the-houses route (it was only 119 miles I walked in those 7 days) but I suppose it’s not bad considering I’m doing this around work and everything else?
Oh, and I broke through 150 miles today – whoop!
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual run.
Day 28
Day 28 and just the one 5 mile run after work today. Originally I was trying to get 6 miles a day covered but it looks as though I’m averaging 5 miles a day on this little run so far, so maybe that’s a better target to aim for?
Today I crossed the Beauly Firth on the Kessock Bridge – something I’ll never forget walking across back on my LEJOG walk – and another short section along the A9 before coming off and heading through the Raigmore Estate and Inshes, finishing up in Milton of Leys.
Prior to 1982, travellers north of Inverness had the choice of the Kessock Ferry or a journey via Beauly. Kessock Bridge was designed by German engineer Hellmut Homberg and is similar to a bridge across the Rhine in Düsseldorf. Construction on the bridge began in 1976, with completion and opening in 1982.
Kessock Bridge is the southernmost of the “Three Firths” crossings (Beauly, Cromarty and Dornoch), and to protect it against any potential seismic activity of the Great Glen Fault, the bridge includes seismic buffers in its construction.
Today’s run was also done as part of the One Run Global 24 hour global run, with 15,033 runners from 195 countries all moving (running, walking, whatever) for one hour at 7pm their local time. Proud to have taken part in such an awesome undertaking!
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual run.
Day 29
Day 29 and another 5 mile run; more would have been better but I’ve not been feeling great these past few days and I’m beginning to feel pretty run down.
After making my way out of Milton of Leys I had a stretch along the A9 (not a nice road at all!) before coming off just past Daviot onto the B9154 and into Craggie, where the day’s run finished.
As ever with these little places I couldn’t find anything of interest to add here so I guess that’s it for this run’s update?
Route
Route Video
Below you can see a video of the route, showing Google Street View images from along the route.
Photos
Some photos from my virtual run.
