Film Friday is a weekly (when I remember to do it) recommendation of one video to watch this weekend.
There is a famous tongue twister that goes “How much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?”
Try saying it again and again, faster and faster. It’s quite tricky.
I was reminded of it whilst watching this two hour study of one man, his big pike of wood and a lot of chopping. It is strangely calming to watch a man build a shed from scratch over two hours.
Give it a watch and see how long you can keep it on for.
My ideal running route would start at my house and envolve a hill with a nice view that I can get to the top of before getting back in time for lunch.
Luckily, I live next to such a route but I’ve creatred the route so that it starts in Clachan of Campsie at the car park. If I marked the start as my house you would all be popping in to demand to use my loo or have a cup of coffee!
The route can be run in either direction but anti-clockwise is my preferred way as I can start with a nice flat run to warm up before tackling the hill. It’s then mostly downhill from the top with great views down the valley towards Strathblane.
I’ve run it in all weathers. I’ll admit this was one of the harder days. When I left the house the weather was sunny and the sky was blue but by the time I got to the top it was cold, snowy and I couldn’t see a thing.
Film Friday is a weekly (when I remember to do it) recommendation of one video to watch this weekend.
Sean Conway is a British adventurer who was the first man to swim from Lands End to John O’Groats. If you don’t know his story go and check out his books. They are all worth a read.
At the end of last year (2020) he posted this tweet.
“30 unique challenges, 100 days to complete them all. A Celebration of Movement, Training & Running.”
Gary Robbins
This was a challenge that Gary Robbins, a Canadian trail runner, posted to his Instagram feed. Competitors received a badge for each challenge completed. He called it the Summer Solstice Series (http://www.trailseries.ca/cmtr/#details)
I loved the idea but I wanted to make it simpler and quicker. Could it be done in a week and could the challenges be opened up so that anyone could do them whether they are a runner, biker or walker.
So after many hours researching how to make badges I realized I should stop looking at badge and concentrate on the the competition logistics instead. Being inherently lazy I put that off and went back to looking at badges until my triatlon club Glasgow Triathlon Club (https://www.glasgowtriathlonclub.co.uk/) asked “Has anyone got an idea for a club event?” That was my push to create Badgeathlon
The concept is 30 unique challenges, 7 days to complete. A celebration of triathlon and GTC Members.
This was used to track the event and to create a community during the event.
The badge prizes
I posted 23 of the challenges in advance to the facebook group so that everyone would know what to expect in the week. Challenges were as simple as “go for a run” or “Attend a GTC session” to the more complicated “Check the time on your watch, then run/walk/bike for 30 minutes. Look at your watch and see how close you were to 30 minutes”
The remaining seven challenges were announced one at a time on each day of the event.
It was a fun event. I recommend any club give it a try. The key to making it a success is to make uses the facebook page and get people to post to it. The community that creates really drives the event forward.
Badgeathlon Challenges
Proclaimers Badge – Can you walk/run up 500 steps? Use the stairs in your house or your block of flats or find some steps in your local area.
Roger Bannister Badge – During the challenge what was the the time of your fastest mile (running or walking only)
Marianne Vos Badge – During the challenge what was the time of your fastest mile (biking only)
Ben Nevis-ing Badge – Complete 1345m of elevation (run/bike/walk) by the end of the challenge
Night Owl Badge – Complete a run/bike after sunset (this can be indoors)
Beat the sun Badge – Complete a run/bike before sunrise (this can be indoors)
What Weather Badge – Exercise in the rain/snow. There is no mimumum time for this. 1 minute outside will count!
Run Long Badge – What was the longest run you completed during the challenge
Bike Long Badge – What was the longest bike ride you completed during the challenge
Loop de Loop Badge – Go to a football pitch and see how many times you can walk/run around it in 30 minutes.
No watch Badge – Try to exercise for 30 min (running) or 60 min (biking) without looking at your watch whilst you do it. Make a note of start time and then check the end time when you think your time is up.
Weight Up Badge – Complete a weight/yoga/pilates session
GTC Badge – Attend a GTC session or do a GTC virtual run/podcast
Swim Badge – Have a cold shower
Shanti Badge – Immediately after a bike or run session find a quiet spot, lie down and close your eyes for 5 minutes and think of nothing.
Run Streaking Badge – Can you bike,run or walk for at least 3 days in a row.
Unplug Badge – Complete a run/bike session. Don’t upload it to strava or post about it on social media.
Home Run Badge – Get dropped off somewhere away from your home and run/bike back to your home
Trail Badge – Complete a run or a bike ride that is predomininatly off road (the canal path counts as off road or you can use a local park)
Back to the future Badge – Find a 100m flat area and time how long it takes to do it running backwards.
GPS Art Badge – Can you draw a picture in strava (or any mapping software) by running/biking. ( I suggest trying to spell out GTC) If you don’t have GPS then creat GTC art using some other medium song, poem, painting, baking.
Party Badge – As S Club 7 once sang, there ain’t no party like an Badgeathlon party! What one song would you want if you are finishing Iron Man Kona. What song would you want playing as you cross the line? Or imagine a boxer going to the ring and the entrance music blaring out.
Is it art? Badge – You have to post a pic from a bike/run/walk and the image must contain either a mural/graffiti/picture/interesting object and it can have yourself/other people in it.The more imaginative the better! It will be judged on artistic merit.
Rest Day Badge – Badge Fever is a condition that affects badgeaholics when in the pursuit of badge glory. Today – relax, take it easy and recommend a book or a film that you have enjoyed recently.
15 Minutes of Fame – to earn todays badge you have to post a sentence or picture detailing your claim to have had 15 minutes of fame! Maybe you’ve spotted a famous person in your local supermarket, maybe you are an artist/author/musician, maybe you can do a Rubik’s cube in under a minute. No matter how spurious your claim post it up!
Ant n Dec Badge – I’m a triathlete get me outta here! To earn todays badge post a sentence or picture (by midnight) saying where you would love to be swim/bike/runtoday if you could go anywhere. It could be a race/destination. Where ever you want to go as long as you can swim/bike/run.This is also known as the Hilary Glen Badge in honor of her being stuck at home
Post It Badge – To earn the badge you have to post (at least one or as many as you like) pictures or videos to this page from an attempt at one of the badge challenges on the spreadsheet. There are 22 you can choose from and your pic/video can be anything you like as long as it was taken whilst you did the badge. This badge is available until the competition ends on Sunday. You have the rest of the week to earn it.
ILOVETRI Badge – Posting a picture on the theme of “I love triathlon.” It can be a picture of anything swim/bike/run related from your time with GTC. It doesn’t have to a picture of yourself. It can be anything you like just as long as it was taken whilst you’ve been a member of GTC.
Badgeathlon Stats
44 people took part Fastest Mile (run) – 6.50Fastest 100m backwards (run) – 26.62 Fast Mile (bike) – 2 min Longest Run – 15 miles Longest bike – 53 miles Most loops of a football pitch in 30 minutes – 28 Fastest up 50 step – 4 min
7 people got a gold badge for completing all 30 badges 5 people got a pink badge for completing 25 badges 7 people got a red badge for completing 20 badges 7 people got a green badge for completing 15 badges
And the woman beat the men by averaging 21 badges to 18.
The winner of the GTC art was this one because I like the 1980’s neon graffiti vibe.
Meikle comes from the Middle Scottish word “meikle,” “meikle” and “mekill” which meant “great,” or “large. Bin comes from Dusty Bin the star of 1980’s quiz show 3-2-1. Which makes this the only hill in Scotland dedicated to this great icon of our times. NOTE TO SELF: I should learn Gaelic so I can give more accurate explanations.
Yes this was a an actual TV show!
The common route up Meikle Bin is to go from Todholes car park in Carron Valley. I prefer this way which is much off track and a bit more adventurous.
Park at Lecket hill. Run down the road and then follow the path through the forest. Turn right when you come to the only fork in the road. The path will end in a clearing. You want to go diagonally left and through the gap in the trees. Check the ground near here and you should see other footprints and mountain bike tracks from previous travelers.
The ground here is very muddy so I normally walk into the forest on the right hand side and head down between the first and second row of trees where its much drier.
After a few hundred meters it will open up into a valley. Head across the river and follow the fence line. It will lead you to a firetrack path. Turn left and you will see the sign for Meikle bin.
Once you reach the summit head for the trees in the distance. There is a clear track to follow. Head into the forrest and keep following the track. It will open into a clearing. Head straight across and up through the trees. You will eventually reach a fence.
Jump over the fence. Turn right and follow it until it comes to a corner. At this point you’re on your own 🙂 I’v enot found a clear way to lecket hill so please comment below if you have one. I normally turn and head in its general direction and then keep an eye on my mobile phone app (https://maps.me/) so I don’t go too far off course.
Once you reach the hill there is a clear path all the way back to the car.
Film Friday is a weekly (when I remember to do it) recommendation of one video to watch this weekend.
I’ve wanted a drone for years but they were always too expensive and too bulky for what I wanted one for. It needed to be light enough to carry when running and cheap enough that I wouldn’t have to remortgage my house to get one.
The reason why I wanted one is summed up in a video like this. Spectacular camera work makes the awesome riding skills of Danny MacAskill look even better.
This week, as a bonus, here’s a second film to watch. A behind the scenes guide showing how the made the film.
Holehead is the third highest point in the Campsie Fells after Earl’s Seat and the Meikle Bin. The weather radar station is a relatively new structure that was erected in the early 2000’s. It is a replacement for a similar station at Eaglesham which had to be decommissioned when a wind farm was built there.
Normally there is a great view from the top looking down over the Crow Road across to Meikle Bin and over carron valley reservoir but unfortunately not this time.
Murphy law states “what shall go wrong, will go wrong” but I think the trail running equivalent should be Todd’s law – “Whatever can block your view will block your view! When I got to the to the radar station there was nothing to see. It was beautiful clear blue skies for the whole run except the ten minutes I was at the station! Check out the video below to see how fog comes from nowhere to block the view.
This is a great loop that start at the top of the crow road in the Campsie hills. Park at the entrance to the forest trails, follow the path until it take you back to crow road. Run back up crow road until you see the road up to the radar station. When you get to the top follow the stone wall and you will end up back at your car.
A tale of two half’s. The first half was much easier than the second.
Parking
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
There’s a small car park in Clachan of Campise. You can park on the street if the car park is full. It can be busy on a nice day.
Facilities
⭐
Rating: 1 out of 5.
None on the route
Nearest cafe
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
There are cafe’s and a supermarket in Lennoxtown.
Run Surface
90% track. 10% road
Dog Friendly
Sort of – look out for sheep and keep your dog on the lead when you leave the forest as its near a farm. The road up to the radar station is used to graze sheep so even if it looks clear keep your dog on a lead.
This is a great route that will make you feel you are exploring a valley in the wilderness even though you are only 10 minutes from a MacDonald’s fast restaurant.
This route can be done either way but if you’ve not been here before then do it reverse to the way I did it. That way it’s easier to find the bridge over the river.
Start at Calhan of Campsie and take the road up past the Schoenstatt nuns. Take the turn which says “walkers this way”. Walk until you reach the green gate and then come the path and walk along the wall past the stone house. Follow the rough path. It will lead to a small bridge.
On the other side follow the trees up the side of the valley. There is a pile of stones that make a great spot to admire the view. Keep heading up onto the top. From here you want to cut down into the valley to cross the river. The further you walk the less steep the valley becomes so walk as far as you need until you find a spot to come down.
Cross the river and follow the fence. It will rake you to the path that leads down the other side.
They say a picture paints a thousand word so a video must be billions of words! Watch the video and my description will make more sense but remember I’m doing it the opposite way. Play it backwards to see the route as described 🙂
Film Friday is a weekly (when I remember to do it) recomendation of one video to watch this weekend.
This weeks video is the story of Tim Don who broke his neck in an accident just a couple of days before he was due to take part in Iron Man Kona. This is his inspiring story to come back to fitness.
