A double header weekend. It was the local Parkrun on Saturday on a hilly wee course in Morpeth. This saw me finish in just over 21 minutes in my new expensive Asics trainers. Boing, boing.
Sunday: After bailing out of the Ibis Budget in Dundee first thing, we arrived at the Scout Hall in Birnam with plenty of time to spare and I got my number from Andy Douglas who was helping out. Organised by ProTay, Sharon told me this title race was her baby. She advised that it was a tough wee course. We had a wander to the Gallery at the heart of the village and sat outside with a cuppa. The sun was out, albeit there was a cool breeze. I doubted that the wind would be an issue running through the woods. I had both road shoes and studs with me, but gambled that the course would be sufficiently dry for the former. I have also been training in road shoes up on Simonside on the edge of the Cheviots and feel happy enough with them on gravel.
Around 70 had pre-entered for this off-road 10k and there were a good lot from Cambuslang, Edinburgh AC and Central and a smattering of others from around and about. There is, questionably, no awards for M60/W60s vets for this race. I find that odd considering that there were more over 50's entered than there were seniors. Needs sorting.
Around 55 lined up at noon and were sent on our way into the wilderness. The course was a mix of wide gravel forest track, short bouldery 'technical' sections and narrow winding cut-throughs across grass, fern lined leafy and sun dappled glades. All in all, very nice.
The first bouldery section downhill saw me getting past a few including Dave Thom who was picking his way down the stones. It takes me a good while to get my heart rate up, even after a warm up. Thom passed me after a mile or so. I tried to stay with him but dropped back a little. I was then caught by an Edinburgh AC runner Phillip as I was catching his clubmate at the same time. Janet Dunbar, also sporting the blue and white vest caught up with me and suddenly we had a wee posse, all sweltering and struggling with the very uppy-downy course. It was then a Fife runner, Aitken who came past. I realised I was slipping down the rankings and had better dig in. I regained this wee group on the descents, but spent the ascents clawing my way at the back and holding on for grim death. Extreme yo-yoing.
I have developed rather an unwelcome death-rattle, the rasping type cough that old men have sometimes when running and while it doesn't bother me so much, it does announce your presence to your competitors in front. Its not something to nurture. Not any sort of advantage.
After around 7k, it crossed my mind that I should let the posse go, but I was buoyed up by the faint hope that the last mile might be bouldery and could suit me, and, going by the earlier observations, some of the other runners were clearly not descenders and not at all comfortable running on the rockier stuff. The marshalls were out where needed and included Des C and Angela M.
Sure enough, as we turned right I recognised the rocky path that forms the back end of the Birnam Hill Race and was instantly rejuvenated, leaving my would-be captors at speed. I even had the temerity to catch Louisa Brown of Garscube who had been well ahead as well as gaining on Phillip of Edinburgh who had passed me early in the race. With a kilometre to go it was back into the forest on the track and I checked back a couple of times as my heart and internal organs were in meltdown, but there was no-one behind and I allowed myself to breeze to the finish feeling that I had at least salvaged some pride in what could have been a very lowly result. Forty eight minutes, 33rd and 7th O50 and a choc ice afterwards was my reward. We were soon in the car and heading south to get back for the Blaydon race where my taxi and photographic duties awaited. Good day out. Photos by Mrs Mac. Link to Fotos - https://photos.app.goo.gl/odUEEWrXfpnNTijPA
