Cour Loop

I stopped here to have a pear and water. I looked up the track and I saw a serious looking athlete running towards me. Serious; not wrapped up like me against the rain, more clad like an Olympic long distance runner and with a gait that suggested focus and determination with each stride. I felt I needed to step well aside should I interfere with a PB time she was chasing, almost avoiding making eye contact.
How surprised I was when she just stopped for a wee blether. She had been to Intake 7 and was now heading back to Spean.I commented about her ferocious pace just then but she explained it was mostly downhill at that stage. A minute later she was off again.
With how wet the ground had become I feared the slippery Cour side track. I have twice had falls on the bike and one was there in a muddy rut. I returned by the outward route which actually added 1k to my total distance.