Old dog, new trick

Well, not so much a new trick as a new route and a renewed enthusiasm for running.

This year has been a bit of a washout runningwise so far. I sorely miss my normal fitness at this time of year and knowing how far "behind" I am with my fitness demotivated me and made it even harder to regain what I consider my "normal" fitness for the time of year.

Yesterday's run did a lot to remind me that running isn't always about winning, beating the clock or personal bests but is about learning to enjoy what you do, at whatever level you can do it.

I've lived in this part of Ayr for 20 years now and never seriously considered running up this hill from home. There's very little in the way of established tracks, quite a lot of fences, gates and ditches, and some very boggy bits.

It was a lovely sunny day and as we climbed the hill we were treated to the sound of skylarks as we ran/walked, surely one of the most evocative sounds of our countryside.



Although it looks fairly straightforward on the GPS track, like a lot of hills, whilst you on it you can't see where you're headed, particularly coming down but this only added to the fun and we finished tired, muddy but happy and the end of our run.

If your running is in a bit of a rut I can highly recommend pulling on your trail shoes and getting off the beaten track. You might be surprised at the fun that you've been missing out on.

If you live in the area and would like to join me for a run up the Carrick hill drop me a line.