After a ‘rest’ night on Monday i.e cleaning my neglected house & mowing the lawn before the rain comes (by eck all this training fairly zaps all your spare time!), I agreed to meet Claire on Tuesday to put together a list of things to take for our Walking Trip (to add to the already compiled spreadsheet with the itinerary, the daily mileage and the accommodation details).

I went on to walkjogrun.net and created a new 13 mile route “Tour de Glasgow Parcs du Sud half marathon”, committed it to memory, packed diluting juice, dogs leads, dog harnesses (we’ll come back to that later), iPhone arm band, iPod and headphones and remembered my heart rate monitor this time.  Then, thinking of nutrition I googled sports drinks / gels / energy bars to see if I’d be able to buy them on the way to Claire’s.  Sadly they seem to be buy on line options only so I wondered how I’d get enough carbs, fluid and electrolytes on my evening jog.  “LIGHTBULB moment!” In my medicine cupboard there were sachets of Dioralyte (usually for use after a deli beli to replace lost water and body salts)!  Brilliant!  Two sachets added to my litre water bottle of diluted blackcurrent juice, a quick taste – ‘Yup can taste the salts in here but not too hideous’ and that was me ready to go!

Dogs -> Car -> Claire’s house…  we arrived about 6.20 p.m. but by the time she changed, we filled the new handled running drinks bottle that she gave me as a gift, carried her bike and the trailer down the stairs and hooked it all up it was nearer 7 p.m.  Still muggy and warm after today’s thunderstorms but not too hot and sunny like my last expedition.  I gave her a general route overview and she pointed out that with the trailer we’d have to alter the route so she could go along one way streets – in the right direction!   Sorted… route altered we left her flat and headed out to Terregles Avenue in Pollokshields, South Glasgow.

As is customary, we stopped off for some dog toilet stops and a tightening of hair bands before getting on our way and into a stride.  With Claire on her bike and with trailer, the dogs were very interested to keep an eye on where she was and were constantly turning round and nearly running into lamp posts!  I felt good tonight… much better than the last jog and definitely less congested with the cold than I had done over the last week.   ’13 miles…  YES I CAN DO THIS!’ I thought with confidence and a bounce in my step… easy does it…

So we arrived at Park 1 – Maxwell Park, entering by the Pollokshields Burgh Hall and continued round to the wee pond.  I promptly encouraged Candy and Winnie in for a quick dip and then was covered in muddy water as they shook themselves (they were both on leads so no escaping the shower).   We left the park and crossed the road to Sprinkell Avenue which goes up and over a hill then along to a cycle path and down to Park 2 – Pollok Country Park rugby club and golf club entrance.   Winnie was constantly pulling back looking for Claire who was still back up the hill behind us pacing herself to stay well back.  Meanwhile we were overtaken by a couple of thin fit ladies who look like they do marathons all the time… note to self ‘one day that will be me!’

More pipers and rugby players today but it was a lot easier to keep going and jog at a steady pace – definitely feeling better.  Past the playing fields and the golf course, through the woods towards the river and let the dogs off to release some energy since they were still pulling a bit..  Candy didn’t need any encouragement to go down to the river for a swim and a drink but Winnie was more hesitant.  Claire took the dogs leads and I jogged on past Pollok House and round by the stables courtyard where we happened across an elephant!  Just a wooden carving thankfully as the dogs were doing a lot of wrestling and chasing each other full of mischief!

Quick photo opportunity stop then onwards along the river, past the cricket ground and out of the Pollokshaws Road entrance, turned right and headed up towards the Round Toll House roundabout which gets lit up all different colours at night.  Here we headed straight on, through Thornliebank and turned left at the garage then crossed the main road and into Park 3 – Roukenglen.   We entered via the garden centre car park and jogged up to the pond, went round to the right of the pond where I captured Claire and the dogs on camera:

Candy can sniff out a tennis ball at 50 paces so it was no surprise that she’d found one for me to throw in the pond for another cooling down dunk!  Winnie, once again was hesitant at going near the water so a gentle help with my foot got her in to belly deep!

This marked just over half way and from my route planning I knew that once I as up at the hill next to Whitecraigs train station, I’d achieved the highest point on the run an the next bit was downhill yipee =).  That wee hill in Roukenglen park, by the way was a mental challenge! I was nodding an willing myself on to get up there but the hardest hill was still to come…

We picked up pace down the A77 or Ayr Road past some belters of massive houses (why you’d want to spend millions to have an amazing house next to a dual carriage way and with a train line behind you escapes me!).  It was so much easier running downhill, across the round about and on to Fenwick Road.  However, I was conscious that Candy was not going at the same canter and was getting tired.  Without further ado I shouted to Claire to get the dog chariot ready!  We harnessed her and attached her inside the (child) trailer then recommenced running… only 5 miles to go now.   Winnie was none to chuffed!  For the next mile Winnie pulled me backwards looking to see where Candy and Claire were (even after they overtook us!).  As we passed Wholefoods in Giffnock I noted a bike pump outside for customer use – handy for future cycling trips!  At the lights, Winnie and I ran on only to hear cries from Candy back in the trailer.  From experience we’ve discovered that Candy, like her mum, likes to be at the front and is very competitive! If she can see someone in front of her there are a lot of vocal complaints!  Half a kilometer later and I’d run out of patience with Winnie pulling me backwards so by the 9th mile, we donned her harness and clipped her in next to Candy and off they went towed by Claire!   Poor Claire realised how heavy they were and bowed out of doing the rest of the route with me and wisely decided to trail them back to her flat via Kilmarnock road.

Undeterred, I went through Park 4 – Newlands at a slower pace and really felt the legs tighter so I drank more of the electrolyte solution (I highly recommend having a support team carrying more supplies – it was a life saver today!).  Out of the park I slowed to a walk to catch my breath then pushed on up a short incline.  I turned right then left and headed down a short decline and got my first glimpse of the challenge ahead…  MILLBRAE ROAD!  I took it easy on the approach and mentally prepared myself…  “come on Lorna… you can do this…” and so I did – I managed to jog slowly all the way to the top before having a little recovery walk and a few gulps of my remaining juice.  Yikes… TIGHT CALVES!  That was hard work! I rounded the roundabout and passed alongside Park 5 – Queens Park before deciding that I’d been valiant enough for one day and the ‘lap of honor’ i.e. one mile lap of Queens Park before heading home could wait for another day.  Before I knew it I was pressing Claire’s buzzer – I’d made it… now whats for dinner?? Man, I need a shower!

My Strava app tells the truth.. EPIC Suffer Score! My highest rating so far!

Just shy of 12 miles, I’m happy with these results – I’m in good standing for achieving my goals… roll on more training and my holiday walk!