Running for the day

Bluebells and Gorse

Duchray bridge

Loch Ard

At last a morning fit for summer. It was light at 5am and the skies looked promising. For the last three years I have managed to run over a thousand miles but this year is proving more difficult. January started well but then a fortnight in London when running is more of a trial than a trail. February and early March saw me laid low with a virus. April and May were both interrupted by work, holidays and hill walking and now it is June. In reality the weather has just been brawly inclement and not conducive to morning exercise and I seem to have lost the will to run in the evenings

But today was a given day and I was out by 8:30am on my regular trail run over the river, through the forest and past the lochans and lochs. The air was still but had a glorious freshness about it so that when I came to the 7 kilometre mark, instead of turning for home I decided to add on another loop to make a 15 kilometre run. This was the longest run of the year and on the best day of the year so far. The river Forth was still high from the weekend rains but the trails had dried out and for the first time in months there were no puddles to vault over.

The vegetation is about 2 or 3 weeks behind normal, the bluebells are still in full colour and the deciduous trees are wearing their early bright green foliage. I met only one other person out on the trails but disturbed a buzzard feeding on some prey and almost collided with a deer that was grazing close to the path. A Jay squawked at me as it flitted along in frenzied style. Contrary to any logic the run did not tire me but inspired me to cut the lawns and then to go for a cycle ride. Summer oh summer at last.