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After Promising myself i was going to do a bit of walking this year and after a false start with Tinto earlier in the year I got off my ass and did Ben Lomond on Saturday......and i wont be climbing another hill for a while!!!!!
Firstly I need to say...I'm an idiot and i didnt reasearch enough or prepare well enough to do this hill!
The fitness i thought i had built up over the last few weeks with a lot of long walks on the flat was quickly made a mockery off when i started off a bit too fast at the bottom. I quickly had to adjust my pace and stride so started to take it easier with fewer breaks. All was going well and I got to the top in around 2hrs 45 min. I had expected to be alot quicker than this and was quite dissapointed...but on reflection keeping my slighlty injured knee in good condition while dragging my 19 stone up there it was quite satisfying to get to the top atall!!!
The way down was a different matter. I decided to do the loop thus making it longer than i needed to.
Keeping the knee good on the way down was a nearly impossible. I'm actually slower coming down than going up half the time. I just kept it steady with a few more breaks than on the way up!!! my knee being the main brake to my progress. Apart from that the way down did seem a bit more extreme than i was expecting. Dont really know waht i was expecting but that wasnt it!!!
I think I will be waiting till ive lost a few more pounds to before i tackle another climb.
So 2 days after i did it...i'm in agony, my knee is as bad as it was and I've got some nice photos
But I'm really please with myself and tho i might not have realised it at the time I loved every minute of it!!