What's wrong with reading a book?

It was The Big Weekend last week. And none of these images come from it. Because the fair weather didn't arrive as hoped, though it was fair at the World Duathlon Championships in Edinburgh on the day after the Ben Race. Kenny Riddle won his category, which makes him world class. He is a good friend of No Fuss and the team went over to Edinburgh to see him crowned. Another friend, Graham White, did well too. The Belgians, hand in hand, won the Elite - 1st, 2nd and 3rd, with the older of these two men pushing the younger over the line to take gold. It was fun for the No Fusser's to watch instead of organise.

Then it was back to Fort William to prepare for The Big Triathlon, Half Triathlon, Tour De Ben Nevis, and Highland Warrior Triathlon.......all on the same weekend.

I nipped up the Ben before work on Friday to stash pork pies, peanut butter sandwiches, juice and blueberries. It rained most of the way and the wind howled aboot. I had an hour to get dried out and into work for a long late shift.

Spook and team worked 18 hours a day for the most part. I went back up the Ben on Saturday with Graham White, thankfully a little tired from the Duathlon Championships, so that there was some hope of me keeping up. WE went through the usual irrational panic that the leader would get to the top before us, even though they were swimming around the loch and cycling around the glen before tackling the big hill. We'd planned an easy pace, but ended up taking short cuts with big rucksacks (full of dry clothes for keeping warm at the top), and hearts lowping. We got to the top the usual hour before the 1st participant, and had time to hide behind cairns and get out of wet clothes and into dry ones. Hopping about in bare feet, on sharp granite, trying to get woolly tights over wet feet, without exposing oneself to the masses in the mist was a bit of a trial. I'm not sure if Graham had the woolly tights issue or not, I couldn't see in the murk. We chose a side of the mountain each and I got most of the contents of my wardrobe onto my body - eventually.

We had about 6 hours up there, permanently in the mist, with about an hour or so of heavy rain at the end, but we were warmed by the efforts of the athletes, and the appreciation for pork pies and berries at the top of the hill. We were joined after a while, by Jonathon, who is in the rescue team. He was great company and was a pleasure to walk off the hill with, full of stories from the Ben, strolling as if going down the high street. Which was just as well, as after the prize giving, which he went to with his partner, Emma, (who'd done the half tri,) they got called out on a rescue and had to walk all the way back up The Ben at 10pm, returning at 6am!!!!

I lay in a heap at home, with creaking knees.

All the events were a big success and there were lot's of happy people.

I am happy because despite all the heavy, and by now cold, rain, my tomatoes which have been suffering a drought in the polytunnel because no one has stopped long enough to water them, have still turned red. Although none of them taste as amazingly good as Maggie's did from the Wanaka sunshine.