Castle Dracula, or The night I shat it while running.

Having only been out twice in the last two weeks it was imperative I made it out tonight for a run.  I knew it was going to be heavy going and so it proved when I nipped up the dirt road and onto the canal path. I was planning on hitting the viaduct, taking a few snaps for the blog and heading home.  I was thinking maybe 4 miles or so.  As I trudged along the path, trying hit hit my stride I was aware of my achilles and ankles giving me pain.  Some pains were sharp and sudden, others were a dull ache.  As I became more and more mindful of these pains I started to feel it all over my body.  My usual knee issues started again and I could feel the effects of my gardening from the weekend across the tops of my shoulders.  With this in mind I decided not to go too far and came off the canal at the first opportunity. 

As it turns out it was a dogging spot picnic area beside a busy road.  A very busy road.  As I skipped across the road to avoid juggernaughts that tanked up and down the road I realised that I was only going to be out for a couple of miles.  Running on the even tarmac seems to have a beneficial effect as the pains subsided.  Perhaps I had just sufficiently warmed up by that point.  As I headed down to Lathallan roundabout I noticed the track that leads up to the remains of Lathallan House.  It's an abandoned house that I, despite living in the area all my life, have only just noticed in the last few years.  It's apparently an urban exploration area so decided to take a quick run up to see it.

The path had a gate pulled across it that I expertly nipped through without losing too much pace. I didn't give the fact it may have been shut for a reason a seconds thought.  It was only then I realised the wind had picked up and the sun had dropped behind the clouds.  Then I noticed the cows in the fields looking at me.  Then I saw these:

For some reason I started to feel very isolated but, maybe because of the cattle and sheep, I felt like I was being watched.  The path twisted up and around a little hill that partially hides the house.  As I jogged up it I thought to myself that I was disappearing from view of the roads.  It was at this stage I took my headphones out and dropped the pace.  Especially as the path tunnelled down through some overgrown bushes and trees.

Now I've seen plenty slasher flicks in my time so decided to pause my workout and tread carefully when I suddenly encountered this:

Lathallen House was suddenly in front of me.  It's seen better days, with it's roof caved in and rubbish strewn across the grounds.  I gingerly approached the front of the house and got so close before 20-30 black crows launched themselves skyward. They poured out of bushes and broken windows and half scared me to death.  I grabbed my phone and took a couple of pictures without moving any further forward.

I crept back towards the path before..for some reason, I decided to walk round the back.  There was a couple of outhouses of some kind, half demolished and full of debris.

When I turned the corner past the crumbling rumble I saw Lathallan House in it's entirety.  It is quite a building and it struck me that it is a crime the the council have let it fall into ruin.  Not that their decision to accept toxic waste from the Olympic site into the nearby landfill site would do a rejuvinated Lathallan House any favours. 

While I stood there in peaceful silence I heard a crack, like a stone crashing off stone from a height.  I was rooted to the spot, looking at all the doors and windows and then all around me.  Having had a previous run in with a drunken tramp while running I was fully expecting to see some tramp swinging at me.  Instead of running for it I was walking really slowly, eyes peeled, watching every bush and broken building for animals or worse.  I got back round to the front of the house and decided to leg it, especially past the hut on the path.  As I ran down the winding path back to the main road I must have turned round at least 15 times.  To be honest I was expecting to see Leatherface, swinging his chainsaw. 

I made it onto the main road before turning round for one last look and realised that the gate I had climbed through was open...

Not even being home settled my nerves, I was seriously spooked.  Then, when downloading the photos off my camera I also found something that made me think WTF is that!?  It's probably a reflection on old, dimpled glass or just low resolution pixels due to my phone's camera, or maybe it's something else.

As always, please stop by www.justgiving.com/Dcumming to donate to Save The Children.  I'll definately be there at the start line, unless I feel the urge to explore anymore mysterious ruins between now and September.

Doodle time

Stainrod Is God

It's been a while but my third FFC design is now on the site.  It appears to be another Stainrod shirt.  More to follow...

I've updated my X-Wing design after someone bought a sticker version.  The transparent file used when submitting my t-shirt designs is of no use for the sticker.  I've added the black background basically.

Available at Redbubble

Back on the road

I hit the roads again tonight after an 8 day break.  Pains in my legs and ankles have been bothering me and I've just been knackered so it was a struggle tonight.  I started at the park and headed out to mt Brother's with his birthday present.  I ran through town and to his house in Tamfourhill.  I got pretty chewed up by midges when I stopped in his garden.

Present delivered and at halfway point i headed up to the canal.  It was quiet so it felt like a good place to up the pace but the tiredness and pains in my lower legs told me to slow it down.

I left the canal at Falkirk High before it heads into the tunnel.  From there it's a quick run over to the Callander Park.  With the sun setting behind me it was a fantastic place to finish my run.  It was 8.50pm and the sun was still hot on my back.

I think that over the years I've neglected the park.  It was my underage drinking den, a place to get warmed up with some Orange Mad Dog before hitting The Penthouse and other such dives. 

As I run past Callander House it really put me in the mood for the first Falkirk Parkrun.  It's at 9.30am on 16th July (a Saturday morning).  Details can be found here

As I came to the end of my run I was shaken out of my idyllic state in a distinctly Falkirk fashion.  There was a guy whose dog had crapped on the path and instead of picking it up in a bag, looked left, then right before kicking it onto the grass.

You stay classy Falkirk.

As with the previous updates, here's the begging sign off - www.justgiving.com/dcumming

Doodle time - Are your men on the right pills?

Training Update - The Forth Road Bridge Conquered!

This week's training run took us 60 seconds into deepest, darkest Fife.  Fear not, I have since showered.  Setting off at 7.45 to pick up Ross in Falkirk we made it through in good time and set off from between the Road and Rail bridges in South Queensferry.  I was having second thoughts about running through the town and up over the bridge when I saw it from the car park.

My fears were put into perspective when I thought of the charity absailers who were due to tackle the Rail bridge later that day.

My legs felt like they could snap at any minute.  I played Hockey during the week and it had left me feeling stiffer than Ryan Giggs at the Nuts christmas party.  My ankles especially felt like they could fracture.  The cobbles of South Queensferry didn't help.

Surprisingly, the hill that awaited us as we left the town was my saving grace.  I don't tend to have a problem with hills.  I think it might be something to do with growing up on the murderous Wallacestone Brae.  Having loosened off a bit we got down onto the path that leads to the bridge.  It doesn't look like it when you drive over the bridge but it's on quite the long, steady incline.  And it's long.  It felt like an eternity to me before we reached even halfway.  Then before we knew it we were in Fife...but not for long.  I paused my Nike+ for a quick breather and we got back onto the bridge.  Going back seemed much quicker.  Having said that, I still got the willys running too close to the barrier. 

It was only when we stopped briefly when we came off the bridge I realised I had forgotten to turn my Nike+ back on, resulting in 1.3 miles being lost.

Back through Queensferry was over in next to no time and there was even a little sprint finish.  All in all, a great run.  It's always great to try out new routes.

My fundraising is also off the mark.  You can find my justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/Dcumming

Training Update - Falkirk to Wallacestone and back

6 miles in 55 mins.  Not too bad as the first 3 miles was up hill.  Gradual at first then quickly getting steep as we approached Reddingmuirhead.

After a small breather it was a gentle jog down the slope as we entered Wallacestone.  I grew up in Wallacestone so know all about tackling the dreaded Brae.  There's a reason the prison officers from Polmont Young Offenders Institute run the Brae to keep fit.  If you can manage the Brae you can take anything on.

It's a beast that get's steeper the nearer you get to the top.  It takes it's name from the first Battle of Falkirk.  As Wallace retreated from the English the hill apparently gave him the perfect vantage point to survey the damage. 


No one is really sure where that battle actually took place but it's a safe bet he'd have ben able to see wherever it was fought.

The views from the top are worth the hard slog uphill.  On a clear day you can see the Forth Bridges to the east, Stirling Castle and Wallace's Monument to the north and at night the sky is lit up by the petrochemical plant in Grangemouth.

I think I may have broken an arse cheek running back down the hill though.  You really need to put the brakes on or you'll end up in a field at the bottom. 

Well worth the effort on a nice day though. 

You can donate to Save The Children by visiting www.justgiving.com/dcumming 

The training gets serious

Another early Sunday start tomorrow.  It's the Polmont to Falkirk to Wallacestone and back run that will probably finish me for good.  Check out the gradient.  I know I've been told the Glasgow Half Marathon has inclines but perhaps this beast is a bit much. 

If you are at all interested I'm running it for Save the Children - you can sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/DCumming

Lifeboxset.com

Here's a cool link to lifeboxset.com It appears to be a Spanish site and they have listed 10 must have Star Wars t-shirts. My X-Wing design is the final entry on their list. In my book that makes me either 10th or 1st.

I'm happy to be tenth.

Here's a link to the page but be warned, it's in Spanish.

http://www.lifeboxset.com/shuffle/10-playeras-de-star-wars-que-debes-tener/