Saturday 5 September 2009

Today's the day

I don't like blogging without adding in at least one photo. Its the images that do the talking. You jsut scan over the text, right? Well, this morning it would be hard to take a photo that wasn't damaging to the local tourist industry. I could be living in the flat lands for all the view of the surrounding mountains will show. And that's assuming that you can keep the lashing rain off the lens.

A grand day for the Ben Nevis Race then!

In an hour or so I'll be heading off to the Fort. The race starts at 1pm from the Claggan Park, so now's about the time to be eating those slow release oats and topping up the hydration levels. And perhaps one last peak at the Mountain Weather Forecast to see if this is all going to pass by noon, revealing a showery, yet bright, early afternoon.

Oh dear! Showers merging to give periods of continuous rain, especially across the mountains of Lochaber. Wind increasing to 60mph over the highest tops. Not much chance of a sun tan today! Oh, what to wear?!

I've got a miniature of whisky for wee Willie Anderson who has, for the last 40 years, stood at the top of Gardyloo Gully, ensuring a safe passage for the runners. He was certainly there when I first ran Ben Nevis in 1988. But today is his last I'm now wondering whether my fingers will be capable of extracting the gift from my bum bag. Or whether I'll be crawling at that point.

So, final preparations... Into the zone... I am a machine, I am a machine, I am a machine,...

Catch you later!

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