Gerrof my land

So the Edinburgh Festival is over, well the fringe is and that's what brings most of the people to town. As i ran to gym on Monday morning around 5.30am, i saw hoardes of people making their way home. Bruntsfield links was awash with people clearly squeezing every last drop out of the late drinking hours. Nearly every bench had people on them, i had to check my watch to see if I'd inadvertently slept til lunchtime. Tuesday night Phil returned from Chamonix with a nasty cough, He was having a stop over in Edinburgh so we caught up over a drink or five and talked running and stuff, and talked and talked (and he coughed)

Yesterday i got the bus home as i wasn't feeling too great(Phil's bigs?) now those of you who are my facebook friends will have seen my many bus rants over past few weeks. I was therefore stunned to get on bus, go upstairs and find this.  > > > >

It's like someone has got a big human dyson and sucked everyone out the city in one day. Or maybe aliens have taken them all away. Whichever it is it's almost eeerily quiet compared to craziness of past few weeks.

When i run home i usually run by the Canal, it's lovely and quiet so no one around to bother me. Because bother me they do.

Today i ran my old route as Natalia called me at work as i was about to leave and said she'd left her house keys, so i kindly said I'd run her way home and deliver them, save the day and all that. Old route is St Andrews Square-Princes St- Lothian Road- Bruntsfield- Morningside. All very busy roads, made worse by schools finishing and narrow pavements last 2 miles which are scattered with signs for cafes etc.

So, i was prepared for a bit of a bun fight. Off i went along Princes st, wow. There was space to run, i only had to stop once when a bus came along and everyone moved and blocked pavement. Things got a bit different as i headed up Lothian Road, pavements still fairly quiet but no one wanted to move. Didn't matter that they could see me, they clearly though they had far more right to be on that pavement than me, and that i should jump on road onto oncoming traffic to get out their way. Tossers.

Why is that? Why as runners do we get scowled at by non runners? we're not bloody inconveniencing them are we? I'd understand if i was on a bike on a pavement, or a skateboard, but no, I'm only running and if I'm running then i must therefore be scowled at. Pavements are for walking you know. Of course not everyone is like that, plenty people so move. Some grudgingly, some with a smile. It's mostly middle ages woman that don't move for some reason. Most odd.

Cant believe it's September tomorrow. Where's the year gone? This month i've managed to get my mileage back up to a fairly respectable mileage of 170miles. And i've gone to gym 10times, only one more Ultra penned in (Glen Ogle/Ben Fogle) & perhaps 2 Marathons. This scare me a bit. Havent done a Marathon since last November, not entirely sure how i'll do. I suppose i'll have to go fit in a long run somewhere too? hmmm

 Oh and it's really dark when i get up in the mornings now. Not sure what that has to do with anything but it just popped into my head.