Woke up early for the drive to Colyumbridge from Braemar and was dropped off at the trailhead just after 9 AM. Though still relatively early, the clouds had burned off and it was clear that it was going to be an unusually warm and sunny day. Headed out on the path and the occasional livestock gates were a great reminder to start easy. The first three miles were gently uphill, but kick up at mile four. Once you've climbed out of the beautiful pine forest, you get incredible views of the pass. It can be hard to remember to take a look because the trail requires a good amount of attention and is challenging to run with any consistency. Around mile 5 I had my first Skratch chews and was feeling well-fueled.
The trail gets steadily rockier as you approach mile 7. I took a quick break to grab water from the stream around this time to get some respite from the rock hopping. The water was wonderfully cool. I treated it with my SteriPen and set off. You're rarely that far from water throughout the trail, so it's easy to stop as needed. The boulder fields were somewhat tough to navigate, but trust the GPS and it'll put you on the trail once you're through. I was feeling tired and ready for some easier trail. After mile 10 the trail does begin to point downhill and the rocks become easier to run through. I had another bag of chews, felt a second wind, and picked up the pace downhill. For most of the second half of the run, you can see at least a mile or two ahead of you, which depending on your mental state can be inspiring or crushing.
The last 4 or 5 miles are gently rolling double track on (currently) dust trail. The temps had continued to climb and the exposed dirt road felt like the last place I'd want to be. I wanted to be able to push down this easier stretch but just didn't have it in my legs. I made one more water stop about 4 miles from the finish and was very excited to see the parking lot and my ride home waiting.