If it's Sunday it must be Arthur's Seat!

Well that was some week!. Basically we stretched ourselves so far this week that the days all seemed to merge into one another. We started and finished the week on Arthur’s seat. Last Monday we headed back to Arthur’s seat clutching our ‘hot of the press’ choreography routine for the next Super Sunday. We had no time to lose, we now had our two colours to concentrate on. I had Pink and Blue and Moira had Green and Red. So the plan for the Monday evening session was to try out our new colours.

Following on from the weekends downpours the underfoot conditions were pretty wet and far from ideal. The plan as always was to get round the new colour and familiarise ourselves with the route i.e without the actions. On the whole the training was quite straightforward and we seemed to get round the new colour quite successfully. However, once again my ankle started to play up and I was forced to hobble off the hill after finishing the last legs of the Blue route.

The following day it was back to The Jammy’s tour and a first jogscotland Challenge in Peebles. The drive to the Borders, thankfully, featured the return of that unfamiliar yellow ball in the sky! Striding up to registration we were greeted by fellow run leader, Cat, who was handing out leaflets for Run-4-it. Peebles was a huge success for The Jammy’s in that we had 17 runners taking part. I was struggling with my injury and contemplated pulling out but this was to be my 42nd consecutive JogScotland challenge. The course involves two loops along the side of the tweed, crossing the tweed four times in total. As it turned it wasn’t a PB course, it was 500 metres too long! The Jammys once again scooped the community group prize, the 2^nd and 3^rd female prize and the 3^rd male prize. Yes, Moira managed yet another 3^rd prize.

Wednesday saw the Jammy tour roll into Glasgow, a place where we have struggled to make an impression in the past. Again I was in two minds about running. It was heartening to see JammyHenshite and JammyKatie join the tour for the Glasgow challenge. As always Glasgow proved a fast course, however, I was just glad to get round as the ankle appeared to be getting worse. At the end I took advantage of the Nuffield Health physiotherapists that were on hand to provide quick taster massages etc. Eventually the physiotherapist set to work on my ankle and inflicted pain at one particular point which did appear to alleviate something. I emerged from the tent only to discover The Jammys had managed to get their hands on the Community prize for Glasgow – a first for the Jammys. JammyKenyian and JammyMadge also managed to record a PB.

Moira was out on Thursday training but I opted for a rest day ahead of the planned running at the weekend.  Saturday morning arrived and it was off for our weekly dose of parkrun. I was running and Moira was volunteering or should I say she was patiently waiting on the gang of four catching up to 49 parkruns. The pain had shifted the front of the ankle but I still managed to finish the 5K in a shade under 23 minutes, one minute slower than my average. I had booked an appointment with Grant McLullich so that he could take a further look at the ankle. The result - yet more exercises to do in my rehabilitation process. There was an afternoon trip to Sweatshop in Glasgow where Gavin fitted us up with new running shoes, so that’s us sorted for another 500 miles.

Suddenly the Speed of Light Super Sunday was upon us once more. Nerves set in as we drove into Edinburgh. A new choreography to perform and 30 runners to ensure would have a good time. Our preparation was limited but at least we had managed up on the hill to scout out the routes earlier in the week, surely that would stand us in good stead. As the run leaders gathered, the team ethos took over, after all we were all in this together – united we stand! The nerves evaporated as soon as you got the light suit on – showtime! Before too long the runners allocated to your session were seeking you out and so the briefing could bring. Catriona and I were straight into it, you wouldn’t have known it was our first time working together. The weather this time round was much kinder to us even if the underfoot conditions did prove testing. After the afternoons sessions over-running we were starting off at leg 3 so it was straight to our home from home – Hub3.  I don’t know why but time slipped away so quickly and before long we were heading back for a suit change. The second session benefited from the falling darkness and with it the luminescence of the light suits. It’s always the same, put a runner in a light suit and their face lights up, it’s incredible to see. Once again time ran away for us and it was soon time to come off the hill. You are left with the feeling – can’t wait for August!