A fantastic start to the 2016 hill race calendar. The race starts at the Broughton Brewery with a road crossing then its over a stonewall any way you can, cross playing fields avoiding falling over the playground equipment, over a fence, wade river (rather deep this year due to all the rain we have had in December) , wade a marsh, then up through fields before hitting the base of the hill. Straight up this and turn to slip and slide back down, then back across the field and river for a final dash along the road to the village hall. At the finish most of us had a dip in the river to clean off our shoes and cool our muscles. Then its inside for soup and rolls. Andrea, Gillian, Duncan, Stuart and young Lewis (doing the junior race) managed to win themselves some beer as well. Nice to see Bill and Dave there too. Results:

15 Stuart Sanderson 0:19:41
18 Duncan Ball 0:20:24
31 Rob Wilson 0:22:04
36 Gillian Cairns 0:22:59
43 Alan Dunbar 0:23:53
62 Rachael Campbell 0:26:50
64 Andrea Wilson 0:26:53
65 Sadie Kemp 0:26:55
74 Susie Maxwell 0:28:47
84 Gilly Marshall 0:32:59
86 Kirsty Loudon 0:36:18

This race is a flat 4 miles along the Portobello Promenade, the Start and Finish are both close to Tumbles. After the Start the route goes to the old start at the Dog and Cat Home, turns, goes all the way to the usual turn at Joppa, then back to Tumbles to Finish. Its a lovely way to start a new year of running and we were especially fortunate with the weather which was cool and calm. The results:

50 24:24 Yan Horsburgh
96 26:22 Amy Kerr
107 26:53 Michael Greens
138 28:15 Rachel Mcgavin
140 28:15 Rachel Drummond
156 28:44 Sadie Kemp
274 35:06 Dyane Harvey

After the weather we had on the days leading up to the race I was rather concerned we might get a soaking, but on the day the weather was cool and breezy although on the whole dry. This couldnt be said for the ground underfoot which was saturated to the point of turning some of the paths into streams. The route takes you from reservoir to reservoir, starting and ending on the shore of Threipmuir. You pass, Loganlea, Glencorse, Bonaly, Torduff, Clubbiedean and Harlaw reservoirs before returning to the starting point at Threipmuir Farm where food is laid on. The spread is fantastic with a big pot of soup bubbling on an open fire and an expansive array of cakes. The fire was also burning in the farmhouse so you could get changed out of your wet things in comfort and there is now a composting toilet (an addition since last year) where there was even the luxury of scented candles.

Results:
72 2:05:57 Sadie Kemp
81 2:11:40 Alan Thornburrow
92 2:39:28 Andrew Briggs

Penicuik Junior Band were playing at the Scottish Youth Championships in Perth on Saturday and I was needed as a minder. On the same day the East District Cross Country was in Alloa – and Alloa is on the way to Perth, isn’t it? Well it was for me.

Met Dave to get my number and Rachel Campbell who was the entire women’s team;  I was the entire men’s team. I had no idea how long the route was but was warned that it was a very hilly and muddy course. It certainly was – ankle-deep mud, steep slopes and sharp turns – and that was before we even left the grounds of the school. Once we got out of the school grounds things improved, if you like lots of mud, deep puddles, steep hills and tree root-strewn paths: it was great fun. About half way round the second lap I was wondering if it was a two or a three lap race and then the first of the front runners passed me on his third round. Lapped! Oh the shame! My target for the race had been not to be lapped  and what zip I had in my legs (not a lot) went when that happened. So I set myself a new target of keeping the number of lappers in single figures. That target slipped pretty quickly to be replaced by target number three: to keep the number of lappers below 20 – made it! By virtue of a lung-bursting run down the treacherously slippery field, I started my third lap with only (!) 19 runners having passed me. Third lap passed without incident (other than me falling flat on my face in a puddle) and I managed to put in a storming last 100m, pity about the other 8,500. Hot showers afterwards and hot food as well: no bacon rolls, but very tasty cheese toasties.

Great run, great day out and Penicuik Junior Band got a Silver Award at the Scottish.

I drove up with my friend from Harmeny on Friday night, we were staying with one of her club mates who very handily lives in Killin. Unfortunately my friend was no longer running but she came along to help marshall and cheer me on. I registered in the hall on the Friday evening and it was good to get it out the way and get my drop bags handed in, it meant I could sleep in a bit longer come the morning.

The race started at 8am and about 7.30 we left the house for the 5 min walk to the start. I met up with Vicky and before long we were getting our briefing and to the sound of bagpipes our race began. We ran through the village and over the bridge by the Falls of Dochart, just after the Falls the route heads into the woods and then u.  I had been warned that it climbs for the first few miles and I had planned to take it a bit easier here, especially since I was not sure how my legs would hold up having run Jedburgh Three Peaks just a fortnight before, but I was feeling good and kept a fairly good pace up as we climbed higher along the wide trails through the woods.  After about 4-5 miles the path started dropping down again and we were soon crossing the A85 and arriving at CP1, We were now onto the old railway line that runs parallel to the road, it was not long before we were crossing the Glen Ogle Viaduct.  The scenery here was just stunning with the clouds low on the hills.  I was surprised at my pace along this section and I was thinking to myself that even though it looked flat, I must be heading downhill.

I was worried I was going too fast and that I might blow up later on, but although I took it down a bit, I was still running strongly and felt I was getting into my stride.  At the end of the railway section there were some steep little switchbacks as the route drops down, there was a little wooded section that the path twists and turns through, the rain that was forecast was starting to fall and was slowly  getting heavier and heavier, luckily CP2 was just around the corner and as well as stocking up my supplies, I pulled out my waterproofs and I was on my way again.  We were now on a B road that headed up to Balquhidder the rain was falling fairly heavily now and there were huge amounts of water on the road that I was doing my best to avoid.  There were a few steep hills here and I started to do a bit of walk/running to try and conserve a bit of energy.  There were also loads of fallen leaves on the road that were now wet and soggy and a bit of a slip hazard. I chatted with a few folk on this section, but was still pushing on so did not stay with anyone too long. As we reached Strathyre and the shoogly bridge (not a patch on the Jedburgh shoogly bridge!) CP3 was waiting.  The path cut into some more woods and headed steeply up, for about 2 miles we just seemed to climb higher and higher and although not running, I marched up them, what goes up has to come down and it was a great feeling to get running again.

Before long the loop that we had been on came back onto our original path and I was at CP4 (which had also been CP2) I knew that I now only had about 10 miles left and I was feeling good, the rain had stopped, I took off my waterproof and was feeling energised. As we hit the railway line again I realised I was indeed heading uphill and my legs were starting to feel tired, Since I updated my phone I lost all my music so have occasionally been using Alan’s iPod, I try not to listen to music in races, but I felt I needed a bit of a lift to carry me through so I put my headphones on and spent the next few miles listening to a strange eclectic mix of music that had me laughing and singing away and trying to ignore the pain I was starting to feel in my IT bands. I was pleased as I was still running and reeling people in and passing them and it is the strongest I have felt at this stage in an ultra. CP5 appeared before me and I was crossing the road and I knew I only had a few miles left. I thought we would be heading up to take the same route back as we came on but instead of going up we were directed onto the cycle path and downhill.  At first I thought yes! Downhill!, but very quickly I changed my mind as my IT bands were now screaming and I was struggling to run at all, the last few miles felt the longest of the race and I was trying hard to keep running but had to keep walking as it was so sore.

Eventually we came out of the woods back onto the road by the Falls of Dochart I knew I only had about a mile left so I turned the music up to try drown out the pain sensors and vowed not to walk again until I crossed the line, there were lots of people in the village cheering us on and any cars passing were tooting their horns, the organisers had cruelly put a lap of the park in before getting to the finishing arch, but there was someone just behind me and I was determined not to let them pass so I put as much of a sprint on as I could muster to cross the line. The organisers put on a great race with the usual cheery encouraging marshalls, sadly we were not staying for the ceilidh that was put on that night but it sounds like if was a great night!

I would recommend Glen Ogle to anyone wanting to step up from marathon distance, a good mix of trail and road not too flat, not too hilly and some stunning scenery.

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After a forecast of wind and rain it was a relief to arrive at the foot of Tinto hill to cold but dry weather. The top of the hill was shrouded in cloud and when we reached the summit there was a bit of snow just to make things more interesting. Another great turnout for harriers, some first timers to Tinto and for some a first hill race. Thanks to Michael Philp for coming along to cheer us on and take some pics. Smiles all round and back to Symington for hot soup and tea.

Distance 7 km
Climb 460 m

9 244 00:39:03.530 Stuart Sanderson
36 245 00:40:57.170 Mike Brooks
68 210 00:43:37.330 Yan Horsburgh
85 212 00:45:18.810 Michael Greens
97 178 00:46:04.460 Gillian Cairns
140 181 00:49:06.900 Andrew McDermott
155 177 00:50:54.430 Amy Kerr
165 179 00:51:45.690 Jan Dawson
178 211 00:53:06.250 Sadie Kemp
185 208 00:53:31 Christopher Downie
190 169 00:54:29 Alan Thornburrow
199 174 00:56:02 Tracy Philp
213 175 00:58:20 Rachel McGavin
221 167 00:59:57 Sean Swindells

Entering this epic race seemed like a good idea many months ago, but on the day I had the fear, big time! It was an amazing Harriers turnout, with Stuart, Mike, Rob, Yan, Jan, Al, Sadie, Chris and Andrew, plus Alan in the wrong vest ;-). Rob and Mike were clearly readying themselves for their personal battle, and Rob seemed keen for Jan and I to also do battle, adding to my general fear! As we got to the start, the misty cloud increased and Caerketton disappeared briefly. Thankfully, it was to clear up quite quickly once we got going. I don’t think I’ve experienced quite such a busy start to a hill race, and it seemed painfully slow going for a while. However, that’s probably what saved my wee legs later on.

The first part of the race over Caerkertton, Allermuir and then Castlelaw was very comfortable and as the sun broke through, it seemed like the perfect day for a Pentlands run. My gang and Sandra with Calum were waiting at the foot of the Castlelaw descent with some much appreciated cow bell ringing and shouts of encouragement. Then down towards Flotterstone, passing another lovely group of supporters with Mark S. Jan came flying past me down the Tarmac track, and I thought I’d never see her again on route, but as we headed up Turnhouse, I passed her again, trying very hard not to think about battling! I’m not keen on that climb, and although I was really enjoying the run, the sight of some of what lay ahead made me wonder what on earth I was doing there. (Thanks to Elizabeth too for coming out to support us, looking fabulous!) However, after that brief panic, Turnhouse, Carnethy, Scald Law and South Black were done, and it was on to the two Kips. By this time, the legs were feeling a bit wobbly on the downhills so I was glad to see some flat running ahead and the water station at the Drove road. After grabbing a random selection of snacks, I stuffed down a fruit bar on the move and kept running (scared if I stopped I might lose momentum!). So, on to part 2 of the race.

The climb up Hare hill seemed ok, and at this point there was a small group of us and a bit of entertaining chat going on, which really helped. However, as we approached the heather and bog on the way to Black Hill, I realised I was going to lose my new found friends as my legs are just too damn short to leap and keep pace. This was the first point I thought I might be in trouble, but thankfully with the way well marked, I caught up and was fine for the climb ahead. It was frankly a big relief to take the right route across Black Hill, having gone a bit wrong on two previous attempts! Then there was some more downwards slippering and sliding and off up Bell’s hill. Which was too steep – and my first experience of properly cramping calves. I’d been really feeling pretty good until this point, but oh deary me, that was not fun. I managed to keep my legs moving but my pace was slower and I struggled a bit on the descent from Harbour hill – but was kept going by the crazy but amazing shouts of encouragement echoing across the cleuch from Susie, her boys and Gord, and Andrea! Completely crazy, the lot of them, but so very welcome! Andrea then ran with me for some time and kept my mind off the cramps setting in. From that point, I knew I didn’t have much more to do, and managed with a struggle up Capelaw and then to Allermuir (I have never been so glad to see that gate!). Thanks to Duncan for his support here too!.

From there, I could already hear shouting, and as I headed on, the crazy shouts from Amy, Tracy, Michael, Rachel and Bert kept me moving while cramp rippled through my poor done in legs. To shouts of ‘I loooove yoooou’ from Amy and co, I tried to muster together something resembling a smile, and to keep running with some degree of style, but think I failed on both counts. Scott and my boys plus Calum H were there again for support and more cow bell ringing. I was so relieved then to head to the final descent. Which should have made for a straightforward finish….but oh no, not for me. Despite running this hill every week all summer for hill reps etc, I decided to abandon all common sense and follow others who clearly like me couldn’t follow a simple sign saying ‘way to finish’. Instead, we ran down by the fence, had to climb over it, and dive through chest high grass. This resulted in me losing my footing, falling headfirst into the grass and both calves going into full cramp. If it hadn’t been for a fellow runner stopping and stretching out both my legs, I’d probably still be there. Don’t know who he was or what club he runs for, but I am so grateful!

So, no elegant finish but at least I did finish, phew. Stuart, Mike and Rob were in – apparently Amy’s declarations of love distracted poor Rob and lost him his battle with Mike :-). Jan was close behind me, and we saw our fellow Harriers in, including Chris and Andrew crossing the finish together.

36 Stuart 3:05:09
68 Mike 3:19:27
70 Rob 3:20:42 PB
123 Yan 3:35:16
156 Gillian 3:46:09
170 Jan 3:49:43
204 Alasdair 4:02:13
213 Sadie 4:05:27 PB
238 Alan 4:25:24 (in wrong vest)
253 Andrew 4:38:19
254 Chris D 4:38:19

I loved this race!! Well done to all of my fellow Harriers, what a brilliant day!

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Great afternoon supporting the Penicuik Harriers running the Pentland Skyline today!  I gave out 40 gels, bottles of water, 6 hugs and all the encouragement and support I could, so much so some of the runners thought me, Gord and the boyss were an official checkpoint 🙂
Had a fab chat with Charlie Ramsay (Running Royalty) and met some really nice folk all there supporting their friends just like me 🙂
Credit goes to Calum who played a football match and then jumped on his bike to help his Mum support the Harriers !!

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The race starts at Hallhill Healthy Living Centre and is a multi terrain route taking in farm tracks, quiet rural roads and trail. There is a nice uphill section towards ‘Doon hill’ and some lovely views out to bass rock as you head round the course. There was a nice buffet with soup and sandwiches at the end and we all got a goody bag with a medal and a Dunbar running club buff.

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Out of 55 runners:
Position, time, cat place

17 1:14:30 Craig Davenport 8
21 1:16:54 Michael Greens 6
31 1:23:23 Sadie Kemp 3
39 1:28:27 Melanie Dunbar 4

To say I was excited about running this marathon would have been an understatement. It was my Christmas present from Mark so had been a long time in the planning. I’ve only ever run one marathon before and that was over 11 years ago, before I’d had three babies, and was prepared for with the minimum amount of training required to finish. This one was a different story altogether!

The buzz created by all our wonderful London Marathoners in April this year really inspired me to give this one my best shot. I had picked a pretty hard-core training plan, which I ended up adapting after a few weeks as it was just too tiring. But with the beautiful Pentlands on my doorstep, and some great route advice from Susie, I made sure I was prepared for the notoriously hilly route of the Loch Ness Marathon.

The day itself was superb. The sun was shining but the temperature stayed below 15°C. The bus ride to the start got everyone buzzing. Despite a ridiculous queue for the toilets at the start line, I made it to the correct pen in good time for the gun. I was there with my colleague and running buddy from National Museums Scotland, Ines Castellano. After an obligatory selfie and the start line we lined up, started to run, then quickly went our separate ways – “See you in 26 miles!”

People bleat and moan about the ‘beast of a hill’ at mile 19, but they neglect to tell you about the numerous smaller hills between 3 and 8! Still, no problem for a Penicuik harrier, or so I thought. I bounded up and down those hills all gazelle-like, feeling strong and full of beans. I weaved in and out of the crowd, passing and passing until the throng spread out and I could settle into a good pace (goal = 8-min-mile). All was going well, the scenery absolutely stunning, the waves of Loch Ness lapping on the shore, the steady thud of feet hitting the ground. Urquhart Castle hove into view then seemed to take forever to pass. And all the way along trees gave welcome shelter from the sun and any wind.

I passed the half-way point at 1:38ish, and felt sure my 3.5 hour goal was in reach. I ran beside a Carnethy vest for a mile or so, chatting about the Skyline, which we agreed would probably hurt more than this! Then at mile 17 the fatigue set in at the tops of my legs. Some comical knee raises help loosen things off, and as I approached the ‘beast’ at mile 19 I put my head down and tried not to look towards the brow of the hill. A lot of runners were walking at this point, and it was hard not to feel just a wee bit smug as I ran past them – all that hill training is worth it after all! But then, as I was looking at the runner ahead of me I felt as though I had something in my eye. Wiped at it but no luck. Then the familiar ‘aura’ of an approaching migraine came into view. Great! This could go one of two ways – this is the end for me as I’ll probably be sick and have to pull out, or the pain elsewhere in my body will cancel it out before it comes to anything. I still have 6 miles to go!! Luckily the latter happened, and despite not being able to see very well for a few miles, it didn’t stop me.

At mile 23 we were heading back into Inverness and my quads were screaming (those hills at the start got me after all). I stopped for a few seconds to check the damage and quickly realised that if I didn’t start running again soon they would probably seize up altogether. Everything, even my arms hurt at this stage. This never happened in 21 miles through the Pentlands! I slowed my pace down a wee bit, which helped. Then at mile 24 I could hear the roar of the crowds at the finish line. The spectators were out offering jelly babies and water and bags of praise and encouragement. I was trying hard to smile but my bottom lip was quivering and I wanted to burst into tears. I repeated a mantra in my head that one of my colleagues had written on my Justgiving page – ‘run with love’ – and thought about all the money I’d raised for the hospital that looked after my best friend (who died in May this year). On the approach to the finish line along the River Ness there were some knowing glances from other runners as we ran through the agony. I never thought the sight of an enormous inflatable Nessie would be so welcome! The event DJ, Brian Burnett, called out my name as I approached and I crossed the line in 3:26:49 – under target! I wanted to cheer and cry at the same time, so did a comedy combination of both. Apparently I was only 3 places behind our very own Yan Horsburgh, but sadly didn’t see him. Also missed ‘Wonder-Mummy’ Vicky at the finish area but managed a quick chat on the phone.

After forcing down some rank chicken stew from the runners food tent, inspecting the treats on offer in my goody bag (tin of soup, various snacks, banana and a beetroot drink) and grabbing a nice hot shower at the Bught Park campsite* it was homeward bound. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay awake long enough to see the ‘blood moon’ eclipse that night so planned nothing more strenuous than getting Chinese food and drinking a cold glass of beer (or two) that evening. Got home in time to catch the kids still awake and got a heroes welcome.

All in all, a fantastic race, very well organised and incomparable scenery-wise. Knocking 38 minutes off my marathon record was just icing on the cake. Would I do another? Maybe. Vicky informs me I now qualify for a ‘good for age’ entry in London…

Results:

Jan     3:26:49
Yan:    3:28:09
Vicky:  5:39:01

At the Loch Ness Marathon start with Ines from Edinburgh Running Network

* I can highly recommend staying here if you’re planning on running this – the bus pick-up is right next to the site and it was only £16 per night for a pitch and car.

It was a dark time and war was raging in the West, but all could be saved if the magical Harrier’s vest could be carried from the peaceful Vale of Tranquil Traquair to a battle torn Broughton.

Three Penicuik warriors were entrusted with the magical purple and white vest: Sadie “the Painted Lady”, Old “pensioner” Mick and the spritely youth Rob 🙂 . 31 kilometres and 1500 metres of soaring hills, deep bogs and thick humid woodland lay ahead for our intrepid heroes. As the horn of doom sounded, the warriors were off. Rob and Mick took the lead leaving Sadie as back-up in case they did not make it. Battling a marauding pack of more than a 100 Orcs, Rob took an initial lead but was soon passed by the old-timer as they headed up into the hills. Through head high bracken and ankle grabbing heather Rob kept Mick in sight but could never quite catch him.

After 8 kms, Rob was passed by the 1^st Orc lady (damn!) which emboldened him to up his pace. On the steep never-ending plunge down into Glen Sax, Rob saw Old Mick struggling to fight through the deep heather, and again he upped his pace to finally pass the old man through the deep waters of the Sax Burn. Up, up, up did the track go for what seemed like an eternity, but from Hundleshope the route levelled out and Rob kept his lead and slowly knocked out one Orc after another. While climbing up Stob Law the Great Downie Chris was seen beating his chest shouting encouragement to all the weary Harriers passing by. Respite followed on the descent into the Manor Water Valley with kindly strangers offering strange chewy gifts which glued your teeth together. Resisting these temptations, Rob battled on and entered the dark forest of Whitelaw Hill.

All was still and the temperature rose to sticky humid heights. The only sound was the wheezing and sighing (and farts) of the Orcs climbing the hill. Trying not to gag in the noxious atmosphere, Rob plunged on, eating his Elven Cadbury’s muesli bars to provide sustenance for the trials ahead. On reaching the top, the canopy opened and the sudden fresh air cleared Rob’s foggy poisoned mind and with renewed energy, Rob started the descent back down into the Tweed Valley.

Great dangers prevail in the Valley. 600 meters of road must one initially travel. Easy I hear you say – but alas the Siren Masseuses of Stobo are awaiting weary runners with promises of spas and massages. If you enter, you will never be seen again! Rob focussed ahead ignoring their flaunts – thinking “I’ll see Melanie next week!”

And so our intrepid travellers entered the final stages of the journey. The track from Stobo is gentle, well paved and somehow impossible to run. What happened to my legs Rob thought? They have turned to lead. Struggling on, he consumed many mouthfuls of water and ate several Elven bars. Nothing seemed to work and after about 2 kms, the wheezing noise of Old Mick came up behind him followed by a few Orcs. Rob waved the old timer on his way but tried to keep up. Only one hurdle now lay ahead – Trahenna.

Trahenna, in ancient Middle Earth Gaelic means, “BeeeeeeeeeP Steep Hill” – placed here by the tyrants of Scottish Athletics as a final single finger salute to all travellers through this region. The lead up to the base of the hill is an area of deep rushes, grass and bog where unsuspecting individuals can get sucked down to the pits of hell. Rob picked his way well, and with the extra energy from his Elven bars, soon passed Mike and the Orcs. The hill seemed to get steeper and steeper with no end in sight. With each step, Rob’s legs got heavier, as if in a dream, the top never seemed to get nearer. Near the top, members of the enemy Clan Carnethy were taunting the travellers by taking pictures, laughing and shouting that it looked like a war zone! Rob swore revenge, but that would be for another day. He had to keep going. Finally, on reach the summit, there was only 3 kilometres to go – all downhill. Mike was not far behind, so Rob gritted his teeth, took the brakes off and plunged down. Over fences and skidding down steep slopes, Rob avoided cramps and somehow kept up right. At any minute he expected Old Mick to pass him. Rob hit the final road into Broughton and battled the final weary kilometre to cross the line and soak his vest in the Broughton Ale of peace.

The battle was over, but where was Mike? In the distance, Rob heard the tortured screams of a poor soul. Had Mike finally succumbed to the Orcs? In a Hollywood like ending, with swells of emotional music, Old Mick stumbled over the horizon, staggered the final few 100 meters and collapsed over the line with a grimace of pain. He been bitten by the Evil Crampus on Trahenna, but had battled on nevertheless.

Half an hour later, we see our heroes in yonder village hall partaking in merriment, food and beer. The Painted Lady enters the hall – a nervous silence falls – and then she smiles and says, “Want to run the Dunbar 10 mile next week?”

Total Battle: 118 Orcs and 3 Harriers

42^nd: Spritely Rob – 3:52:12

48^th: Old Mick – 3:55:40

94^th: The Painted Lady – 4:40:20

http://www.scottishhillracing.co.uk/RunnerDetails.aspx?RunnerID=R3164

It did feel rather odd that with a lifelong tie to Applecross, I had never entered the Applecross Duathlon – a run / ride combo, organised by the legendary Gerry McPartlin and now in it’s 12th year! However, my good pal Kirsty Loudon decided that 2015 was the year that at least two Penicuik Harriers were going to show their faces at this fabled event. How times have changed since the it first took place. Like with so many others, although it is in a remote location which involves lots of driving, it has become hugely popular with the 165 places being snapped up ever so fast at the beginning of June. Thankfully, we both made it in but there it lay until late August I started to think I should maybe do something about it. I mean, I can run 9 miles over similar hilly/rough ground in 95 mins and ride 17 miles in 52 minutes so what can possibly go wrong? Let me tell you . . .

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I was encouraged to have a go at the Peebles Duathlon and was much frustrated by really bad cramp for most of the bike ride. Research told me that this was not at all uncommon and practice was most likely the way out of this.

Undeterred, Kirsty and my daughter, Jennifer, set off north last Friday. My brother in law David Warner, was parked up in his motorhome not far past the transition point and we left our bikes with him. We finally reached our race base camp (complete with 1 ¼ mile walk on rough track in the dark) after 22:00 hours – deep sleep ensued.

Saturday morning, registration complete, we parked up at start ready for Kirsty to set off on the Challenge event. This is designed for people who are not sure they will complete the distance within 3 ½ hours or maybe want a little less pressure. It starts 1 hour before the race itself. Today, the weather was near perfect with broad cloud cover and a light breeze.

Race was stuffed full of powerful lean beans and they duly shot off up the glen. I was managing a reasonable pace but quickly realised that I was amongst (OK, far behind) some very fit runners. No matter, the scenery is second to none and once on the high ground you get stunning views north to Torridon. That said, the last mile of the run is on the road with a nasty uphill to transition – the slide had started for me.

Sat down to change kit and felt massive cramp setting in. Managed to set off but just as in Peebles, my calves alternately went into spasm. Eventually had to hop off and stretch for 5 minutes before setting off again. This made all the worse because I was missing out on the amazing view across the Inner Sound to Raasay and Skye and also because the breeze was now quite a stiff headwind. Finally crawled into Applecross, narrowly avoiding being last in race – oh the indignity!

To be fair, there was a great deal to be happy about. The scenery is just awesome and the weather was kind. In terms of great achievements, my brother in law (David Warner, a former open winner) won the super vet race, my sister in law (Jill Morrow) won the women’s veteran class (for the 3rd time), my niece (Beth Morrow) set a new best time for her age (13 years) and Kirsty did good in the challenge – still smiling at the end. Me, well I was heard to mutter something about running The Fling being easier than this as I crawled over the line. I was in fantastic company with these guys plus Jennifer, Stephen (other brother in law) and Hugh (nephew), we ate gorgeous lamb and chicken curries and washed this down with fine wine in front of a peat fire. All this at my beloved Applecross.

Rolled back down the hill on Sunday with the obligatory stops at Ralia (coffee) and Dunkeld (chips) and parked up with no less than 570 miles on the clock and a 05:30 hours start on Monday morning. This race comes highly recommended – entries open Saturday June 4th 2016 at 09:00 hours – be there! Would I do this again? Well possibly, but for now my duathlon career is most definitely on hold. The hunger for the main mission is nawing at me and I must forever keep my focus on this and nothing else!

Another great turn-out for the harriers. This was the first time I had done this race and it was very enjoyable, it is chip timed and there is a real buzz about the town. We got parked nice and early and picked up our numbers giving us plenty of time to grab a coffee,and indulge in some pre-race dancing to the tune of Pitbull’s ‘Don’t stop the party’ kindly played as a request by Grapevine radio.

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The route is mostly on road apart from a stretch by the water that is on track. There are some hills but nothing too drastic. The route is well marshalled and there were lots of people cheering us on as we ran. There were t-shirts, caramel wafers, bananas and water at the finish. 🙂

Results: Position, name, chip time, finish time.

26 Yan Horsburgh 00:38:58 00:39:03 +00:07:31
43 Derek NEWPORT 00:40:40 00:40:44 +00:09:12
58 Duncan BALL 00:41:49 00:41:53 +00:10:21
150 Sadie KEMP 00:46:43 00:46:54 +00:15:22
174 Rachael McGavin 00:47:17 00:47:34 +00:16:02
177 Melanie DUNBAR 00:47:23 00:47:41 +00:16:09
188 Pamela NEWPORT 00:47:47 00:48:03 +00:16:31
203 Michael GREENS 00:48:39 00:48:45 +00:17:13
220 Michael PHILP 00:49:10 00:49:27 +00:17:55
343 Julie YOUNG 00:54:51 00:55:05 +00:23:33
383 Dyane HARVEY 00:57:03 00:57:22 +00:25:50

Well done to Pamela on coming third in her category FEMALE”V50″

I went along to support this race as running downhill really isn’t my forte. I had a lovely walk up and down Caerketton and enjoyed watching the runners fly past me at breakneck speed on the down hill.

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results:
25 Michael Greens 06:34
41 Chris Downie 07:10
Well done guys 🙂

The prize giving was a lot of fun and most people didn’t seem to have a clue why they had won something. It was done like a raffle so the prizes were very random. There was also a junior race and bags of haribo were thrown into the crowd much to everyone’s delight. A very fun event indeed and it only cost a pound to enter!