Today was the Carnethy Hill Running Club Junior-Senior relay, which involves teams of 3, one of whom is a junior member of the CHRC who cuts off down a gully before final push to the ridgeline of Turnhouse Hill. Four teams set off. As Alan and myself (Al), our team name was ‘You can call me Al.’ Jenna ignored this with good grace.
We marched up to the start point on one of the knolls below Turnhouse and the teams set off. I’ve not been getting much running in of late and soon felt the burn while Jenna and Al made steady progress up to the point where Jenna turned off to leave us. My advice to ‘handrail’ the drystane dyke down to the path was criticised in the post-race debrief by Jenna.
Alan and I slogged up the slope to the ridgeline and I turned northwards over the ridge for the tussocky descent to a key Pentlands landmark: ‘The Biscuit Van.’ New fell shoes got their first proper trial and I made it down with no slips, trips or tumbles. Once on the flatter ground, I was able to build up a bit of speed.
Alan, who was running the longer leg, beat me back and we finished 3rd overall. A grand few hours out.
I am a palaeobiologist in my early 40's carrying out research work. I am based in Scotland.
Hills of Hame 
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