Tooty Frooties and a long run

Going across to the Vale to meet Geraldine for our long run I had enough time to pop into the shops for the papers and found that Tooty Frooties have made a comeback following a campaign to bring back various sweets resulting in Wispas making a comeback too. The even better news is that they (Tooty Frooties) have no artificial colour or flavours and made with fruit juice. I tend to think the ones I ate way back in the day would have been full of EEs. Two packs went in the Camelbak pocket and Geraldine and I shared some at the halfway point in our run - and then my darling wife snaffled the remaining pack on my return home.
Anyway to the run. Elaine had e-mailed me wanting company at 9am but couldn't make 8 whilst Jimmy, who might have been coming, I knew,wouldn't want to run as late as 9. So it turned out just the two of us and we agreed to run along the west bank of the loch, through the Carrick Golf course and through Loch Lomond Golf club, all on public access paths I hasten to add. This is a run that Jim Robertson uses often but as it is mainly flat on footpaths had not been used by the A team, (or me!) The run takes us through Christie park for a short distance, the Main St and then where the Polaroid 10k turns into Lomond Shores, we continue up the Old Luss Road Duck Bay, follows the A82 on the cycle path then turns right at the Arden Roundabout down to the Inchmurrin Ferry and turns onto the Carrick on a well maintained path. How the other half live for a mile or so then back onto the A82 but only for 50 yards or so before going through the small gate at the big ornamental gates into Rossdhu Estate and through the Ross Park on a rougher trail which was muddy in places. Back along the road to the ornamental gates, whilst chewing on the Tooty Frooties then back through the Carrick returning the say way other than going through Cameron House Hotel saving the wee hill for the last couple of miles. 2 and 1/2 hours at a nice pace with good company and a lot better than last Saturday's dismal effort.

Only 4 runs this week for my mileage. Knowing I had a long run today I took Friday as a rest day, not because I felt I needed it, but because I didn't want to increase my weekly mileage by too much in a week. I'll do that gradually, with an easy week every three or four weeks depending on how I feel. I'll probably work hard next week too and then the first week of my hols as I'll have plenty of leisure time to relax and ease off the second week, prior to running the Stirling 10k on my return.
Heard from Dario yesterday and I have been accepted into The Race, so I obviously satisfied the Great Lord Dario as to my abilities and potential. It's a lot of pressure off the Fling, but in no way changes my programme which is aimed at getting plenty of miles into the tank before December and getting more structured from then on. One bonus is that so many of the club are aiming at the two races and we can train together a few time a week. When I did my marathon training last year it was good to progressively build an additional longer run of about 8-12 miles on club nights to back up the "long run" at the weekends. Some of my best training runs were on Tuesdays, and I know I wouldn't have done so well in London without them.
Now I'm sitting watching the 100m semis with laptop on knee. What a shame for the sprinters that they don't get to do what we get to do!!