Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
On The Road
by Russell Turner - 21:59 on 14 June 2025
I could have made the trip to Leeds for the 10k in one go – it’s just a smidge under 400 miles if you follow Google’s direct route – but what’s the fun in that? Instead, I boosted Premier Inn’s profits by booking a halfway stay, both up and down, at Glasgow Stepps, as well as at the Leeds City premises, opposite the Leeds Arena.
This meant that I could bimble along back roads, not worrying about time or the occasional wrong turn. It was almost like being back on Kawasaki San.
Yesterday found me managing to avoid the A9 for almost the whole distance between Inverness and Dunblane, instead enjoying some (mostly) quiet roads – several I’d not been on since my biking days – and some spectacular scenery. One navigational error sent me 25 miles the wrong way (and back), from Laggan to Roy Bridge, but as I’d not been on the Monarch of the Glen road for years I’ll class that as a bonus. And the sun shone.
Today began not quite so promising: no cooked breakfast because of ongoing Premier Inn renovations, just complimentary fruit and pastries. The weather had changed too: grey, rainy and cool with thunder forecast for later. I didn’t care; Mrs Google guided me on to the M74, then after bypassing Hamilton and Larkhall I diverted to the old main road that runs more or less parallel with the motorway. This was for pleasure, with a bonus of avoiding several roadworks and some serious spray: the rain was now bucketing down. My car-as-a-bike trip had definite benefits.
After a particularly impressive thunderclap, associated lightning and torrential rain, I pulled in to update Matchgirl, boast of my fine route planning and allow a couple of bedraggled bikers to pass me. Five minutes after resuming I got my comeuppance when faced with a Road Closed sign and serious coneage – nothing was getting past. A diversion, which must have been in place for a while, took me along even smaller roads, running with water, until I came out in Moffat where suddenly the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the temperature began to rise. I was also able to return to the back road, despite the nagging of Mrs Google who kept trying to lure me on to the motorway.
Leeds City Centre Premier Inn – not subtle.
From there until Gretna was a pleasure, with little traffic and good roads: like motoring used to be in the olden days before everyone had a car. I rejoined the motorway there, to bypass Carlisle and Penrith, and found roadworks within ten minutes. Further on, I foolishly accepted Mrs Google’s offer of an alternative, time-saving route, which I guessed was avoiding more road repairs or an accident. Instead, she was determined to end my bimbling and get me on the A66. I resisted. She’d given up by the time I reached Sedbergh and began the traverse of Wensleydale.
Food continued to be challenging. I’d stopped at the posh services in Tebay, where I’d happy memories of a good feed, and been disappointed by what was on offer. Now in Masham, looking forward to fruit cake and cheese at the market square cafe, I was told that service was over and only ice-cream available. The other cafe was in the process of shutting for the day – at five past four!
Grumbling, I gave Mrs Google her head and allowed her to lead me the rest of the way, even unmuting her to help pick a route through city centre streets. I couldn’t have done it without her. By now the weather was sultry plus windy – not promising for tomorrow – so I decided to relax and eat in Premier Inn’s in house restaurant. Except, at 7pm, service was taking a break until 8.30 because the only chef in residence was a trainee. More grumbling, and a short walk to the local Pizza Express.
There’s good news to finish: the strong wind forecast for tomorrow morning has been downgraded to 9mph, gusting to a mere 24mph, and the ‘feels like’ temperature at 9am, when the race starts, is only 14º – 8º less than I saw at some points today. Sub-1hr might be a stretch but I’m expecting a pleasant run. Fingers crossed.
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