The Fling - Part 3

Balmaha, i love that place. We stayed here (oak tree inn) on an amazing weekend in January but i wont digress...

Came running down hill and smeone asked my number, came through trees to round of applause and lots of smiley faces. Drop bag was handed t me and the marshalls took my bottle and filled it with water, what bloody excellant service, top work, didn't have to wat at all. I took water, fresh bottle lucozade, ate half muller rice and took my ickle tuna roll with me. Waving goodbye with big smile on my face i headed off past Oak tree inn *sigh* and along the road past beautiful loch lomond

Along wee flat bit then before tooo long it was climb time again...climb up and up then down again back to lochside and sandy beaches which aint easy to run along on tired legs that's for sure.

All way through race my phone kept beeping with good luck and well done messages (clealry people following on fetch! :o)) this really really helped, thank you everyone who sent one, you all rock.

i was smiling from ear to ear loving it, look at those pics, what's not to love?

More climbing ensued, back into foresty trails, the sun came out and shone down thruogh the trees making it even more magical. few undulations, lots more climbing and i got this view, my god i love this place.

More undulations & some lovely trails as it started to head back down again through more forests, have i mentioned that i love this place? before too long i was back on the road, passing by rowardennan hotel and into checkpoint 2> 4hrs 56mins. bonza! I didn't have a drop bag for here so i just flashed my bts again and waved goodbye as i started the climb out behind the youth hostel. It seemed to go on forever this part, then it was uppy downybits before the real hard work started. It's fair to say this is part a lot of runners hate, cause it's nigh on impossible to run in many parts, personally i love it. Smiling as i picked my way through trees, rocks and god knows what , this terrain certainly throws a few obstacles in our way. Just as well that was the ONLY thing i was ever good at on sports day at school!

Sometimes it really is quite perilous and one foot wrong and splash, you'll be in Loch Lomond! At point point i was clambering over a rock bigger than 5 of me and a guy stepped to side to let me pass, as i passed he said "number?" i thought it was bit odd as he didn't look like he had anything to do with race but i said 145! He said to me, no i meant your phone number! :-o I speeded up a bit after that.

Before too long inversnaid was upon us,it was packed full of tourists either waiting on boat trips or just off them, they were giving us bemused looks as we ran bedraggled and smiling (well i was!) through thr crowds towards drop bag area. drop bag ready again by brilliant marshalls, water bottle filled and lucozade replenished. I ate half a muller rice and took my tuna roll with me again.Oh and stopped off at loo, wehey, real toilets. Ony stop i took as well.

Onwards and upwards, literally. :) And before too long it's time to look over your shoulder and bid farewell to stunning Loch Lomond and focus on getting to Bein Glas farm, and the last checkpoint. Passed fair few walkers and smiled and said morning/afternoon etc to them, quite a few of them said to me "oh, its good to see someone still smiling!" I was still loving it, i'd had no bad points so far and was expecting it like tons of bricks any minute!

It didn't happen. I kept sight of a girl that i'd caught up with after first checkpoint, and she was just slightly ahead of me whole way. I took bit of tumble on approach to bein glas farm down a bit of gully, i remember Simon laughing at me on training run as i nearly feell down and i only bloody went and did it! Luckily it wasn't a massivley steep one and i grabbed onto grass and hauled myself back up, and laughed at myself and of that last time we were there.At that point *dont stop beleiving* came on my ipod and i almost cried wth emotion. Girl in front (Catherine) and girl behind (dunno) bth asked me how far it was til Farm, 5 more mins i said! And at that point again was a bit choked up, thinking back to last yr and cheering everyone through, thnking, oh my god, they look well fucked! I knew Susan would be there and i speeded up a bit bounding across as i saw wigwams and shouting "are we there yet? " as i climbed over the stile and ran into Susan's arms. Suprised to see Steve here too (llama) and got massive hug frm him too, fabtastic. Was so wrapped up that i didn't even spot the Harmeny lot all waiting for relay changeover, sorry! (and thanks for great pics)

Checkpoint3 > last checkpoint 8hrs 13 mins! oh my god, i was so happy.