Water of Leith Half Marathon

Peter and Richard had agreed to take over organising this race from Jim Bruce this year so we assumed we would  be too busy to run the race. The race already has a well established team of people who do all the various bits however so in the end there wasn't that much that seemed to be needing doing, and we did run it. It had been snowing over night and there was much that could go wrong and couldn't be controlled, so I for one was glad that a number of people had pulled out. All the fewer people to fall down dead, faint, fall and break themselves, get run over by traffic, drown in the water of Leith or get lost. I guess I don't have the right temperament for organising a race!

At the time I was still hoping that the Borders XC would go ahead so I was trying to save myself to some extent for that. Running 13+ miles probably isn't very good prep. for anything but what I did was wear Skins and other warm clothing which I knew would take the edge off my ability to race but would keep my muscles nice and warm and comfortable. I hadn't had much sleep the 2 nights preceding the race and so was frankly puzzled when my alarm went off at 7am on Saturday. Had I set it by mistake? It took a little while to realise it was set so I could get up and race.

There had been a pretty radical transition over night - Edinburgh was now nice and white! A shame for Peter's efforts the day before out making white flour arrows on the route. There were the odd traces of them in the lower reaches of the course but of most there was no trace. Someone had been out with red paint marking the 1st bit of the course - and this was nice and clear except there was a wee man in a tiny snow-plough snow-ploughing the pavements! He gave me a nasty look for running on the pavements and I gave him a nasty look for obliterating our race markings...

My handicap was unachievable so there were no real temptations to try to race at all. I let my companions go  (starting with the same handicap as me) right at the start of the race and had about the 1st 5 miles of the race all to myself. The sun had come out and I was glad I was running and not marshalling. The snow was pretty good underfoot, not very slippy. Much better than a couple of years ago when the course was seriously icy and there were quite a number of nasty scrapes and injuries. I think Lucy got dragged by Kipper a bit and got a scraped leg, but that was the only injury I heard of.

After 5 miles people started to come past me in dribs and drabs at first and then later clumps! I could hardly contain myself in the last 2 miles when Michael Geogheghan announced that I was 49th! Yeehah.

The last mile or so was the slippiest and most treacherous of the whole course so I rather unexcitingly stopped and had a walk in the last 100 metres or so.

A major disappointment of the day was that the cakes and homebakes for the finish were held up in Perth and never made it to Edinburgh. A couple of half pints of Guinness in the Waterline were nearly as good though and it was good fun chatting to fellow Porties. I later made up for the lack of cake in my life at Peter's mum's 80th birthday party with banoffee pie and cheesecake, followed by birthday cake. Not sure if its a hangover from drinking I'm experiencing today or some kind of sugar hangover. (Also, cos it was so cold it was difficult to drink anything to rehydrate. I take it fizzy white and red wine doesn't really do that?)

Hungover and a bit photophobic today just in time for some dazzling running in the snow and sunshine.

Water of Leith Half Marathon

Yesterday was the Water of Leith half marathon. The event for me was coloured by it having been the Portobello Running Club xmas night out the night before. I thought about not drinking, but not for very long. I managed to stick to only Guinness and wine, with mineral water at times. I have no idea how much I had. It really was a good night out. Its amazing how having been running with people makes you feel at ease with them even if you've never had a proper conversation.

So we were in bed just before 2 am and alarm clocks set for 7 am.

7 am did not feel very promising. I had a headache and could still taste wine. It never occurred to me not to run though.

We were meeting in Leith to get a bus up to Balerno. Peter and I did the best job we could to improve our physical state and walk jogged down to the bus, there to meet Richard and Ben who were in similar condition. Also there were many familiar faces from Heb3 races. Peter and Ben knew more of them than me.

The W.O.L half is a small invitational affair which keeps the organisational hassle to a minimum. Its run as a handicap race so that there are not too many runners all charging down the water of Leith at the same time as this route is also littered with dog-walkers, mountain bikers, and families with small children.

At Balerno we set off on a sheet of ice and there were stretches of ice for the whole route making the going very hairy and slow at times. Some people managed to clock good times despite the surface conditions. Maybe a different style of running or a different mind-set.

I kept a close eye on my condition as I ran, the challenge being to push as hard as I could without getting into hangover trouble - particularly gastric trouble. As it was I was scared to drink any of the juice I had brought in case it upset the fragile balance within. By the end my legs were crampy but otherwise I was alright. Slower than I would want to be.

Its not really a half-marathon. Varying Garmins give it as somewhere between 13.5 and 13.8 miles.

The sunny, icy cold weather was enjoyable to run in. Its been a nice time for running this last week. Today we're back to warmer, darker, windier weather.

The photos below were sent to us by Lynn Hanley, who thought my blurriness might be as a result of my drinking the night before. I sharpened them up in a way not approved by Peter, but I quite like them. I think the light in the trees looks like a Turner painting.