"I feel good ne-ne ne-ne ne-ne ne..."

Weather: Alpine blue skies and minus 6 deg C
Tune for today: I've been losing you, A-Ha
Activity: Mountainbike, 20.94km/13 miles, several thousand metres ascent (ok, felt like it, actually only 450)
Comments: I really love Deeside

I woke this morning at 5.30am - which in itself was a struggle as I'd been up till 12.30am working on my West Coast Tour plan and internet pimping my soon-to-be-tourer. Anyway, plans for this morning were to cycle in, dump ruckie at work and then run up Scolty Hill and get back before I start work at 9am. After some buggering about with the bike, getting Jnr up and dressed and repacking my already stuffed 30litre ruckie (spare running kit which gets left at work during week, spares for bike, work clothes and girl stuff), I finally set off at 6.50am. It was obvious straight away that the trail was still a nightmare - deep rutted ice and snow - and so I pulled off of it after a mile and went up over the hill and into the delicious warmth of the rising sun, abandoning all plans for Scolty but formulating new ones for an extended cycle into Banchory. I had two hours to kill after all.

And so over the back hills I went. It was really icy underfoot/wheel - minus 6 deg C this morning but could not have been any more beautiful. An hour and a half, several photo stops, a wander round the hilltop and some al fresco singing later I arrived at work, frozen, but woah feelin' good and glad to be alive!

Click on the photos below to make them full size.

Mount Shade, Clach na Beinn and Peter Hill

Kerloch

Looking down to Banchory with the shoulder of Scolty and onwards to Peter Hill, Baudnacauner, Carnferg and Lochnagar

Morven

Hill of Fare

My footprints

Mount Shade, Clach na Beinn and Scolty (far right)

The forecast is looking ok for tomorrow - 65% cloud but no rain or snow forecast so I'm kind of stuck as what to do with my day off. I have two niggly achillies tendons - which are improving with regular stretching and lashings of Pernaton but still giving me grief and my mates much amusement when I seize up after periods of inactivity - so am hesitant to run anywhere until they settle (which, from experience, they do after a few days of no running). I have £8 in my pocket and a choice of hill, walk or bike...