Falkirk.. Tough Gig!

 

Today I was intending to do 6 miles or so to bring my mileage for the week up to 40 miles. Instead, I have dug out the laptop and pinched someone’s can of coke and, reclining on the bed, I feel that after yesterdays exertions, I probably deserve a rest. I am recovering from panning myself at Falkirks Callendar Park where 600 runners had similar vainglorious ideas at the Scottish National Cross Country Champs. I was ready to stake my claim for the Senior Mens title. Ok, maybe not, but after hirpling around Lanark last year at the short course, I wondered if I could improve. True, my fitness is not anywhere near what it was in late 2021. I had little work on then and was effectively a professional athlete. However, running at the Royal Signals Relays last weekend I clocked 13:31 compared to 13:14 last time around, so I’m not too far away from full fitness. More to the point there are no serious aches or pains.  Falkirk was a 3 lapper and I was clad in the purple and white of Bellahouston Road Runners, my first outing in their hard-to-miss colours. My short spell with the Falkland outfit didn’t amount to anything. They are not affiliated to Scottish Athletics. When Cat (aka Speedy joe) and Ant invited me to join the Glasgow club, I thought it a very decent offer and graciously accepted.

Back to yesterday. It was busy and plenty folk milling around, the tent enclosure a sea of colour and babble.  I jogged around the course with my wee camcorder recording Speedy joe running the womens race. She finished 10^th. In the mens race I ran well enough around the undulating course, losing only a handful of places in the last mile as I ran out of juice. 300th or so out of 600,. In my early 50’s this would have been mid-table mediocrity, but now it’s mid-table success. I am at the wrong end of the over 50’s  and have started rather worryingly to check where I finished compared to the over 60’s. I was buoyed up by Speedy joe’s performance in the womens race. I was well supported by the spectators every lap as I ran…’come on Cats dad’ they chanted, and then probably looked at each other in a bemused fashion, shrugging.  However, I came away from the race without a medal and with an image from the portaloos which I can’t unsee ...those things should be replaced by a ditch at these events.  It must be less offensive.

We made short work of coming back down the road and celebrated with a pint and a Chinese from 'Salty Joes'. I even had enough energy to wash my shoes and grease and replace my spikes.  I have, at last, finished my Mortlach 2007 malt. It was very good indeed. So I dug out the slightly less exotic  Knockando and poured myself a wee dram. Medicinal you understand. Perfectly acceptable, but I’ll be saving up for another old Mortlach when it becomes available again.  

I knocked out a 65 mile week a fortnight ago when we enjoyed a week at La Santa in Lanzarote. It was only the wind that stifled some of the outdoor activities, but it was nice to laze around in seventy degrees heat and enjoy the balmy evening trails. 

I was intending to run the Meadows marathon in preparation for the Perth 50k next weekend. However, when I thought about the petrol and chunky entry fee, I decided against completing the credit card entry form. I will, instead, run the local cross country next weekend at Alnwick and perhaps, if I’ve enough energy, trot around the Simonside Cairns fell race on the Sunday. The latter is an eleven miler with 1500ft of ascent and, hopefully, with a bowl of broth at the Newcastle Hotel at the end.  All this for a tenner. I dare say 90 minutes riding the tufty grasses and sinkholes of the Cheviots will be a useful workout.   

On the book front I am currently enjoying Liz Giffords ‘Lost lights of St Kilda’, after grinding my way through ‘the Last Snow’ by Stina Jackson, which I found slow. In the end I found myself ambivalent to the fate of the various characters. This was preceded by Ray Chandlers ‘the Big Sleep’, a 1939 ditty which was largely what I had expected.  Anyway, its an easy mileage week this week so we will see what next weekend brings.