Lomonds of Fife Hill Race

Peter decided to take it easy for this one and document the journey.

So we did it! Haddington Half followed by Lomonds of Fife. I am very pleased at how well I seem to have coped with it. I guess the Cape Wrath Challenge earlier in the year and the recent Tour of Fife has done something in terms of helping us to handle multiple days racing.

Anyway, I'm getting ahead. Slept through my alarm but woke up 10 minutes later. Sleepy and tired. Did think about just going and taking photos but once I was up I didn't feel too bad. The main mood in the house, I would say, was good-natured sleepiness. Yesterday had certainly taken any nervous edge off us. We set off a bit late after fuzzily fussing around trying to get ready, but we didn't worry and we got a parking spot and were soon registered and on our way to the new race start.

There was a veritable flock of Porties this year; Paul, Peter and I (Peter, Paul and Mary) as it has been for a couple of years now, but also Michael Nowicki, Gillian McKelvie and Michael Geoghegan who had stealthily snuck up from Englandshire and surprised us. He surprised us even more by wearing his road trainers as he'd forgotten his off-roaders. Well we wouldn't want things getting too easy would we? Rumour has it he was slipping and sliding coming off East Lomond - Peter suggested that maybe next year he should do it in roller skates...He was well up there anyway.

It was good to have Paul E. back in our midst after cracking a rib and having to back off for a while after the 7 hills. Good to have Gillian along too. For a warm up we walked up the cycle path to the start talking about the Himalayas and I had kind of forgotten we were going to race soon, which was fine by me. I had no idea how my body was going to respond to this race but I was feeling cheerful which is usually a good sign that I'm okay.

For those that don't know the route was changed this year as the farmer who normally lets the runners park in a field had put his foot down and said no. Much of it was part of the old route but there were going to be a couple of different bits. One plus was that we didn't have to go to the top of West Lomond as many times. I guess a minus was that there was quite a lot of running in narrow trods and contouring, especially after the Maiden Castle - or whatever its called - which is actually just a shaggy hump of grass. This made my ankles hurt like billy-o. My right ankle's been sore since the Maddy Moss Hill Race's endless contouring downhill on little narrow trods that cause those of us with long feet and a Charlie Chaplin style no end of bother. My left ankle is now nearly as sore as after the spectacular vertiginous bum-slide we headed back up the hill and then did the same contour/descent as in the 3rd leg of the Devil's burden. I have never been able to make any sense of this and today wasn't any different. I stumbled along losing ground, muttering to myself and finding nowhere to run. I walked straight into a boulder which was sore and pointless.

I am all out of sequence which kind of fits with the mood of the day. Jablonski was out and despite his protest that Largo Law was his longest run in a long time he was looking stronger and although we exchanged places a few times I knew he was going to sort me out on the bumslide and then the nasty rough stuff back to the forest paths. Judith Dobson was out testing the route for the first time and I was surprised and pleased to keep her behind me...

After an age lost on that final contour we were back into the woods and it was shady, there was a good path and not too far to go. All the kind of things that make you feel  a whole lot better. I was in a happy mood running down through the trees to the finish. Gillian and Paul arrived in shortly afterwards. We had cups of tea and went home! Oh yeah and there was a prize-giving. I haven't got all the mens' positions straight but I know Tom Bowie came a popular 1st V60 to much applause. I think Mark Harris won and Colin Donnelly was certainly in there - a name I hadn't heard in a while. Adrian Davies was 1st V40. Apologies anyone I got wrong or I've missed out. Again I'm hazy on the detail of the ladies' prizes except there were two unattached runners in the top three. Megan Mowbray was one of the top three but I'm not sure which one. What I am sure of is Hilary Ritchie came 1st V40 and Phyllis Mitchell was 1st V50.

A great day out, a great race and Gillian and I agreed that the roast chicken crisps we had at the end were the best we'd ever tasted.

Haddington Half Marathon 2011

A wee handful of photos from today there'll be more on the Porty site.

I had no intention of doing this race which is why Peter and I went for a 12+ miler round Aberlady etc. yesterday - and very nice it was too. We sat in the van after as the rain started to come down and Peter ate three Worcester Sauce crisp rolls while I tried to eat a Mullerlight strawberry fruit corner yoghurt with a milky bar. These cherished moments are what running is all about. Anyway; that brought my mileage up to 58 miles for the week which is by far the highest mileage week I'd done in ages. My plan was to cycle around Haddington today and take pictures, like last year - and keep something in the tank for the Lomonds of Fife race tomorrow. We wouldn't have been going anywhere near Haddington except Peter's had this persistent feeling that he has some good race times in him which you can only really nail down with a road race.

And when I got up this morning that was still the plan. I even went to the trouble on Thursday of at long last taking my winter gnarly tyres off my bike and replacing them with my summer slicks. I also shuffled around lithium batteries so my cycle computer would be working. But then I thought about how detached I felt last year at the the end when everyone had raced and I'd been caught up with phoning ambulances and all that malarkey. Entertaining as that was it wasn't racing. And for the first time in a very long time I found myself WANTING to do a half marathon. So while Peter was out getting a racing haircut and finally picking up the newly engraved team trophy for last year's Moray Marathon so it can go back to the organisers, I got changed into my racing kit. The decision was made.

Off to Haddington we went and the sun was out. No surprise. This is the hot half marathon. There were many Porties already there when we arrived, which was a bit of a surprise as we were really quite early. Knowing that we were entering on the day we didn't want to risk getting caught out and not getting in.
I felt a bit stiff as I went in search of loos but soon eased off. There was the usual pre-race nervous chat...and we were off! How to play it? I didn't know. I don't think I've run a half marathon this year. I think I ran a bunch of disappointing one's last year until I couldn't really stand the distance anymore. It was hillier than I'd remembered, which was all to the good really - and we were out of town and into the countryside quicker than I expected. Everything was looking very harvest lovely. I was doing my best not to get caught up in trying to run faster than I am able and then feeling disappointed when I can't sustain it. I tried to run with an appreciation for how it was good to be out running on a supported course, much faster than usual, in the company of other runners, on a lovely sunny afternoon in August! I partially managed this.

The miles took their time ticking over but I was feeling okay. I spent a bit of running time with other Porties - 1st Alan Aitchison and then Sandy MacDonald. In the distance - but not that far in the distance I could see Helena Sim, who I spent most of the Tour of Fife chasing. I tried to keep some kind of contact and the distance didn't seem to be extending too much. Sometimes I felt I could run more aggressively and other times it was just a rather lame hanging in there feeling overwhelmed by the task ahead! At around mile 9 (the details are hazy here) ( my head was baking by increments) Aileen Ross drew level with me. I tried to raise the pace - (I'm always concerned just in case there's a team prize place at stake). I did raise the pace, but I didn't want to and didn't feel confident that I could sustain it. Perhaps because of this I caught up to Helena Sim who I tried to encourage. She was telling me before the race that this is her first race out as a V50 and she was a bit disappointed that that put her in the over 45s category rather than a 50s category. Helena's a very good example of what's good about running. You'd never guess she was 50 by the way she looks or by her attitude. She's buoyant and she's very funny so it was with SOME regret that I went past her.

The last few miles were a confusing, hot muddle of trying to speed up and trying not to slow down. I think Aileen had disappeared for a while - I couldn't hear her anyway but as we were coming in for landing; coming into the town and near to the sweep down the hill and into the field and finish and all that, there was unmistakeably women's breathing right behind  me. It could have been Aileen or Helena - or indeed someone else - it made me work very hard all the way to the line anyway. I was profoundly glad to stop and get something to drink. I was crusted with salt as were most of the other folk I spoke to.

Peter had run a stormer and was moderately spaced out and on another planet. He brought home a  bronze Masters East District Championships medal and a 3rd share of a big box of beers (which we are drinking). Gareth and Johnny were the other Porty team members. Willie won something too - I couldn't hear what it was - maybe 1st O50. I think Shery might have been 3rd lady and won an East District medal too? I couldn't hear so well as I was sat on the grass eating sandwiches and a bit far back from the prize-giving. The ladies - Shery, Yana? and  Emily won the ladies team  prizes and got a bottle of wine each. So a good day for the Porties.

Eek its 8 O'clock and I'm sitting drinking Hobgoblin beer and blogging - maybe better stretch and have a shower and get something to eat for tomorrow is the Lomonds of Fife Hill Race. Some numbers here - I have unthinkingly run 72 miles for the week. That wasn't really a plan. And that was race no. 30 for this year.

Rejuvenation

1st stop, Seton Sands

Next weekend's challenge - The Lomonds of Fife

Fred Flintstone?

It being a nice day, and me not having any work this week (huzzah!), I decided to try another long run and see if it would go any better this time. Right from the start my legs felt almost unnaturally good given they got a fair thrashing yesterday. It didn't hurt that I had a good following breeze, the temperature seemed  lower today and it was a little over-cast. I tried to rein in my optimism afraid of having another real stinker of a long run but 8 or so miles into it I was starting to feel confident that it was going to go well after all. I decided to give Prestonpans a miss for refreshments as it keeps weirding me out. I pressed on to the more salubrious Seton Sands where I got a nice filter coffee and a caramel slice. (I know, I know, I don't need 5 cakes on a plate - but am I to live like a puritan, eschewing all earthly pleasures?.) Disaster was only just averted as at the very last moment I spotted the little dog who was just about to lick my caramel slice as I was distracted taking pictures of the Lomonds of Fife.

I had a walk along the front at Seton Sands to let the coffee go down and then set off on the paths beside the beach. Nature has been going a little wild since I was last along. I guess all this sun and rain has been good for something. I took photos of a tiny fraction of it all but it was burgeoning and the usually fairly well defined path was overgrown at times. My pace slowed because I was off-road but still there was no sign of the aching stiff-leggedness I was struggling with last Wednesday. Pretty soon I was in Aberlady and thought I better make sure I had plenty energy reserves. (yeah  I know, shoosh). Chocolate raisins went down well. It took discipline to put the bag away. Mango flavoured Lipton's tea also went down really well.

I went round the shore beyond Aberlady but headed back in-land at Gullane as the tide was now tight up against the shore. Since I had to run on the pavement I tried to inject a bit more pace and to my surprise my legs responded. I wasn't flying or anything but I was able to pick it up. I had my ipod along and was enjoying listening to Amy Winehouse. Its a shame her music went so much on the back-burner - she's got (had) an amazing voice. If you forget everything you know or have read and just listen to her voice - oh well I've already said it - its amazing. It was giving me chills. Or maybe it was the combo of coffee, caramel slice, tablet, chocolate raisins and Lipton Tea ...

I got a bit of a funny feeling right knee in Dirleton so stopped and stretched and backed off a bit - it would be a pity to run straight into an injury. Still, I wasn't particularly tired. I ran on to the Co-op in the centre of North Berwick taking me up to 24 miles, and had a cold drink.

There were "youths" on the train on the way home but even this couldn't spoil my happy buzz. I don't know what was different about today. Maybe the cooler temperatures, lower humidity, being better dressed for the occasion, favourable wind and recent proximity to Graham Henry all helped me, but it was a relief to get out there and actually enjoy it. Another mile down the road from the station took me up to 25 for today. And that will have to do as preparation for the Speyside Way Race as its in less than 2 weeks now.