Going Long (it was all yellow)

My longest run before London: 22 miles
What not to do the day before: race.

Guess what I did... On the 4th April I took part in the Scottish National Road Relays at Livingston. Just over 5k, but even that is not advisable before a long run. Although the bizarre man in the waterproof orange jumpsuit 2 miles in was worth the race. Worryingly he had a camera, even more worryingly (or less??) he had a policeman standing next to him. All enquiries have so far led nowhere.

Because of the race I decided to treat myself to a flat route. There is only one flat route: St Andrews, Guardbridge, Leuchars, Tentsmuir, Leuchars, Guardbridge, St Andrews. I don't really like out-and-back runs (you spend 1/2 the run feeling like you're going the wrong way) and, the loop around Tentsmuir forest aside, that is exactly what this was.

There was little en route entertainment - marching RAF soldiers (who heckled me and got heckled right back), Ben (sponsor him here) on his way home from his run, and my iPod. I don't use the iPod on roads, so switched it on in the forest. The first track was 'Yellow' by Coldplay. Coldplay and motivational are rarely happy bedfellows. Clearly I had clickwheeled the wrong playlist. I had meant to play the listing 'High Voltage'.

That said, it got me thinking: right now in Scotland, it really is ALL YELLOW:


So, the next weekend, for my 18-miler, I found a nice hill to run up. That was much more interesting. But it was still All Yellow:


Occasionally the endless carpet of yellow gorse was broken by mere splashes of yellow at the roadside.


Even a harmless picture of lambs was invaded:



I ran across the shoulder of higher ground that dips down towards the sea on three sides and saw Lots of Interesting Things.

Interesting Things tend to make me start pondering how to save the World, or at least the United Kingdom. Latest plan: total nuclear disarmament. Fill the penis-envy void by spending the spared money on buying everyone a really nice car. Simple. What's the point in lining up row on row of impossibly appalling weapons that no civilised country should ever actually use?

If these new cars were all made in Britain we get ointment for the credit sores. Bonus.

Anyway, the meandering thoughts meandered me down the valley to Kemback, the most idyllic place in Fife. Pictures speak louder (and in my case, probably more succinctly)...



There is only one downside to Kemback, there is a Really Big Hill between it and St Andrews.

But there are some stunning views:

and... at the risk of sounding like a dog, faced with anything from a walk to a biscuit:
My Favourite:

Highland Coos!


Long is the way, and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light - John Milton, Paradise Lost