Capitulation at Manor Water Hill Race

I think I've ran the Manor Water Hill Race twice. I'm sure I could check if I was bothered. Certainly, I recall arriving late one time and seeing the back of the pack disappear over the ridge. 

My abiding memory of this race is of a 'moor' run, a long ascent, a nice long descent and spending an inordinate amount of time during both trying to find good ground dodging around patches of peaty mud, mats of rushy grass and mattresses of spongy sphagnum. 

 This time, as we drove up past Gala, we were hampered by axes of foreign lorries, shuffling grimbles in their old cars and regiments of horsey people and their steeds on the road. I swear that the many sets of temporary traffic lights were slung off the wagon the night before to slow us down. It took us over two hours to get to Kirkton Manor up by Peebles and a wee bit longer to find the new race HQ. 

They parked us in a field, which, in my book, is a recipe for trouble when the claggs in, and the rain is out. 

We had our kit checked and I remarked how thin the field was. There were 60 pre-entered. The pre-race count made it 49. or was that 46? In the M60 category Gilmore from Carnethy was there. He's had a good season and I had my work cut out for me on this 9.3 mile, 2000ft affair. I also spied Plummer from Hartfell who is also handy. I've had a passable one and my weights dropping, so it could be interesting. 

There had been some rain an hour before and the sky promised more at any time. But the sun made an appearance at the pre-race briefing. We were advised to 'stick close to the wall and fence'. Its an out and back affair. 'Not too much of a navigational challenge' I mused.

I had had a decent breakfast of porridge and a banana in the car, but little else. I bumped knuckles with Speedy and off we went. We kicked off up along the path and within five hundred yards I was already falling behind Gilmore. Not a great start. I sat in with two younger runners as we turned left and began the ascent proper and stuck to my task for a mile or two. But Gilmore, who like me, slowed to a walk on the ascents, began a slow advance. My wee posse split and I invited myself out the back. It was a slow death. Death by slog. Grassy, boggy slog. I counted 40 seconds at the next feature as I ran-walked. I entertained myself with thoughts of a death defying descent after the turn to snatch V60 victory. But I was deluded. In the low sun, all I could see were disappearing silhouettes making their way up and over the difficult boggy ground.

I spent the third and fourth mile alone in the wind, picking my way through the sinuous field of broken dry heather roots, a brittle forest of calf high jagged sticks that had been exposed by a farmers hedge cutter. They stuck up just high enough to force everyone to lift their legs just that little bit higher with every step. I adopted a 10 second walk, 10 second run strategy to keep my sanity. This seemed to work for a while as I overtook the runner ahead. But, like a kid in a car, all I could hear in my mind was 'are we nearly there, yet?'

Near the turn, at a hill top called 'The Scrape', the runners in front started to come back down and with the path being so narrow, I was nearly mashed twice by the faster path-huggers descending at speed. Speedy looked relaxed as she passed me and shortly after the tall Carnethy vet came past with 3 or 4 behind him. I realised the game was up. To add insult to injury, it had began to hail at the top. Horizontal hail. We love that shit. The lone marshall at the top must have been brassicks and I thanked him. Upon turning, I realised that there were about 10 runners within a minute of me and quite the coachload.  Better get my skates on.

I wish I could tell you that I careered downhill like a runaway juggernaut, but I lost a place immediately to the lad I had passed near the top and he made effective use of gravity. After 7 miles I realised that I was slowing badly. At 8 miles I wasn't even sure I was going the right way. I seemed to have been running downhill for a long time. The landscape was unfamiliar. There was no one is sight. All the hills ahead looked the same. 

I glanced back and saw that I was about to be overhauled by a women runner. As she glided past, she gave me some encouragement; which was nice. 

She was descending with some certainty. I tried to up my game, but my body was an empty larder. I had become a shuffling grimble. The reserves had gone and the last packet of biscuits had been snaffled. I was running on empty. Low blood sugar is a bummer. You begin to feel a bit light headed and I was going all daffy duck. I was completely daffy ducked.

We turned right and passed the last marshall. I had already fallen about 20 seconds behind the young lady. It was back along the gravel path, pockmarked with cattle hooves. More rain. More puddles. Would this ever end?  With four hundred to go, I looked back and saw Hartfell bloke tracking me. I could feel his laser eyes. That was just enough of a 'kick up the erse' I needed to find the last vestige of a spark and I just got to the line before another place was lost.  

The hail had returned and it was blowing a hooly outside the finish tent. All I could think about was getting a pie from Greggs. Saddo. That, and managing to get the car out of the wet field. Depriving Speedy of her moment of glory at the presentation, we left immediately to run along the wet road to the field to retrieve the car. Thankfully we got it out onto the road. Relief. Speedy remarked that she had begun to get concerned at how long it was taking for me to get to the finish. 

During my laboured descent, it had dawned on me that this sort of affair was a great long grassy slog, like Sedbergh in many ways and that my short fast-twitch muscles were lost on these type of affairs. They are designed for something more dynamic, like the sharp twisty turns of a rocky Goatfell or Lomond. Maybe I should stick to that type of course. 

We made it to Greggs in Peebles. I am ashamed to admit to succumbing to greasy pie and tea. Shortly afterwards, I couldn't stop myself turning right at the Metropolis that is Galashiels for a box of salty chips and a hamburger smelling of fish at McDonalds. No wonder I can't get up the hills!                   

Pacey at Thropton & Blyth

I was fair delighted with my parkrun a fortnight ago. I don't like to commit before I have to, but when I awoke on the Saturday, there wasnt a breath of wind and the sun was stretching. I dug out the fancy trainers and headphones and took off to Blyth. I had enjoyed the Thropton Show Race near Rothbury the weekend before and wanted to check my form. I havent been sub-20 for 2 years, though I've got close a couple of times. 

At Thropton, there were the usual suspects. No McCall, but I did see the Murray of Teviotdale. He got the better of me at Eildon, and I thought, what with this being my local training hill-range, I fancied my chances. 

I skulked away at the back of the pack as the organiser said whatever they say, and we were piped out by the wee band. For some odd reason, I ended up in front of Teviot man as we left the show field and my presence was no longer a surprise.  More skulking practice required. I shouldn't have been too concerned, however, as the bridge and road began to rise after a mile, I pulled away and latched onto 2 leggy types who, being larger, were making comparatively slow work of the hill. At the top of the crag I got away from one, the other took a better line through the heather and it took me a mile to catch him. As we came out of the forest, a NFR runner appeared from nowhere 80 yards ahead  - he had clearly taken a short-cut. Somewhat irked, I encouraged my running buddy to speed up, but he mumbled that he was tired. 'So is the guy in front', I yelled, and tried to appeal to his sense of justice. He had ran out of juice tho.

I cracked on, weaving through the gorse and got the farmhouse road turning at Tosson where suddenly there were 4 in front. It turned out that 3 had taken a wrong turn and had only just got back on the course. The last mile is across a field and along the river, then across another field, down the road and back into the showfield, and with no-one around me, I could have jogged in, but I still beat myself up like a dolt. It was a good run and I'd enjoyed it. 

Speedy did well and was 3rd behind Mens winner Nick Swinburn. Teviot man came back a few minutes later after I'd finished - he said he'd lost his mojo recently and couldn't find top gear. We've all been there.  No prize other than a shared tray of 4 quid chips - its not a good show unless you're getting mercilessly fleeced for hot food. 

Anyway, I digress. Last Saturday. Blyth. All I needed was a pacer and low and behold, there was a 20 minute pacer present with a 20 in big numerals on his bib. Around 400 lined up. 

After the start around 6 were close to Pacer Chris, including me and a leggy 14 year old. He cranked out a good first 2km, then apologised for going a little fast and slowed, at which point I felt better. After 3km, there was only the youngster and me clinging to him like flailing limpets. At 4km he started talking again but my brain was in neutral and the frothy slaaver was coming out of the mouth as the lung department struggled.  I wanted to slow, but my head said no. My headphones made me look like some hate figure out of Doctor Who.

With 400m to go he peeled off and the young lady launched herself. This was fine as the final bit is flat and it gave me a new target and I crossed the line in 19.29 - Wowza; chicken dinner. With that in the back pocket, I've put my name down for the Ribble Valley 10k in December - supposed to be a flat course. 

In the meantime, its back to normal with a run out this weekend at Manor Water. It'll be boggy, given the blidy weather over the last 2 days, but that's showbiz.

    

Giants Causeway Trail Half Marathon

Well, as I sit nursing the gap in my gum that used to house my favourite molar, I have time to reflect on last weekends activity. The tooth extraction should have happened last Tuesday, but the dentist checked my running schedule and postponed the delight. Armed with that news, I positively bounced out the door feeling like I'd won the pools and treated myself to chips and curry sauce. Oh yes, I know a celebration when I see one. The postponement was chiefly down to our trip to Portrush at the north end of Northern Ireland to take part in the Giants Causeway off-road half marathon (https://www.26extreme.com/take-part/causeway-coast-marathon-events2024/) . Originally, I had planned to do a European event this year, but with one thing and another, this was as far as I had got. 

The flights from Newcastle to Belfast were a tenner each, but with baggage of more than a snuff-box in size, it was gonna cost twenty grand for Me and Marg. The ferry was an extra ton, but offered us more flexibility, albeit that we would have to suffer the A75 to Stranraer. Twice.  Speedy decided to come along and also dipped her hand into her pocket for fifty notes for the entry - I know, pretty steep. That's the price of running tourism, however. 

We arrived at the ferry port with 15 minutes to spare, the A75 having been shut for a 2 lorry smash. It was plain sailing to Belfast and a quick getaway to Portrush, only an hours drive up the dual carriageway. We were in our digs by six and had time for a jog around the town. The Friday saw us out for a longer run then brunch and Bert n' Bobs in Port Stewart. We nipped across to Coleraine around lunchtime for a poke around and coffee and returned later in the afternoon to Portrush for a pint in the toetie Harbour Bar, moving to the back room with the fire on and 4 tables occupied in a room no bigger than your kitchen. Class. I could have stayed there all evening. The promise of pasta and apple tart beckoned though, and it was an early night as the wind began to pick up.  

The Causeway Events include an Ultra, a Marathon, a Half and a 10k. The aim is to set them off at staggered times so that everyone crosses the line at around 3-4pm. We saw the 100 or so Ultra-runners first thing running along the promenade having left Port Stewart at 7am. The weather was blustery but mild. Speedy said it was warm. 

We took the car to Portballintrae and after a coffee in the Bayview Hotel (nice toilets; recommended), we jogged down to the race HQ where the 8 double deckers were waiting for the 400 or so half marathoners (21k for you metric types). There were plenty of tourists, but mostly irish runners. We were bussed to Balintoy. As the buses arrived and spewed their eager cargo onto the cliffs, the faces of the folk who were set to leave the place fell and they were stuck for 15 minutes. 

The coastline here is mega. Its where some of Game of Thrones was filmed. The Iron Islands, I am reliably informed. 

Soon enough we were off. The route follows the coastline and there were early stretches of sandy beach, a small seaweed covered boulder field under the cliffs and some narrow gravel and grassy paths that hugged the cliff edge. The field began to thin and I was making some progress, feeling too warm as the wind eased and the sun emerged from behind the clouds. I stopped too often to snap and video the route with Marg's go-pro. However, there was an old gadgie ahead and I didn't want to lose him. After 3 miles I passed him and fell in with a wee group ahead. However, the ability needed to take short drops and rises at speed seemed to be lacking with many and I cracked on, dropping in then behind a tall leggy bloke who looked like Andy Murray, at least from behind. He set a good steady pace.

At the 6 mile mark, we encountered the 10k runners who had just started. There were significant bottle necks in places with kissing gates and styles, but I had decided early on that it was best just to crack on, so I ditched etiquette as I hurdled fences and gingerly eased my tackle over barbed wire where it was ready to pounce. I lost Andy Murray in the melee. 

I began to feel tired around 10 miles. However, with plenty of bodies ahead and the nuances of the course to deal with, I had little time to think about fatigue and before I knew it, I was on the beach and down the gravel to the finish.  It was 20th for me and a pretty good result that means nothing to nobody. No world cup points here. Speedy managed a win against some very handy runners and finished 6th. Marg worked hard to come in a little later and we repaired to Larne for a slap up feed and a good nights kip. 

Sunday morning was a jog up the Antrim Coast in the early morning sunshine. Excellent work all. 

 

Border & Bridges Triathlon

Some time ago my cousin challenged me to a triathlon. Being in a jovial and lubricated mood, I was happy to thrust out my hand and accept. I thought he'd forgotten all about this, but last week he appeared out of the foggy abyss that's Whats-up and said he'd entered a half ironman in Shropshire. Its not until June next year.

Now, you should understand that I have never taken part in a Triathlon. True, I had a short lived duathlon career when I took part in the Morpeth Duathlon 10 years ago and took 2nd M50 place, which was nice. I also qualified for the World Age group thingy, but I had no intention of trying to repeat the run-bike-run affair in a tropical climate with strange food and insects with compound swiveling eyes and unknown intentions. 

Mulling over the Shropshire event and whether I actually, seriously, had the will to do a long swim-bike-run which would take around 6 hours or so, I thought that I should try a short event, at least, to see how my swimming has come on. 

I dusted off the time trial bike and spent 52 greenbacks on the entry for the Borders and Bridges Sprint Tri. I also paid eight quid for a day licence. The Tri', comprising a 500m swim, 22km bike and 5.7km run was centred on Berwick Leisure Centre. There were around 70 entrants and I guessed it would be worth a look. I know parts of the area quite well and knew that the bike course and run course weren't flat. 

I was up and about at 5.45am. Soon me and a eager band of groupies were off up the road at 6.30am. It was a grey still day, but not cold. Arriving at race HQ there was a distinct lack of shopper bike, mountain bike or anything that looked like it had previously belonged to Dorothy out of the Wizard of Oz, or for that matter, the wicked witch of the east. The competitors all looked pretty geared up. 

At the sign on, I was asked for my Licence. Apparently it was an attachment to the email from entry-central. Who knew? So Speedy had to liaise with Lornie back home to find passwords and what not. What a chew on. Anyway, I got in and got togged up. I had brought the naff bike pump so I had to make knew friends and scrounge a pump and fresh air for the tyres. After the briefing, I asked where my coloured cap for the swim was to be found. The marshall said it was in my bag that I received at the sign on. The bag was back in the car. So with 5 minutes before the swim I had to jog to the car to retrieve my white cap - I could have just tippexed my head, I guess - same effect. 

We had 5 or 6 in a lane and I was last off. I was concerned that I might be too slow for my fellow swimmers, but I need not have worried. The pace was all over the place. According to a source the duffers all go first, so that's good to know. I was out after 11 minutes and then spent nearly 3 minutes waving to the crowd and meeting and greeting at T1 (transition 1). Someone commented that this could be the most laid back transition they'd seen and I thought I'd better get a shifty on. 

Once on the bike I knew the routine and having been hardly on the bike in a good wee while, I had to apply myself. I was, however, positively looking forward to the steepish climb out of the Chainbridge and caught 2 riders at this point. The three of us jockeyed back and forth until the end when I pulled out some time on a short clip and arrived ahead, back at base. Taking just over the minute for my T2, I was off and gone down into Berwick where Speedy was just finishing her training session. The last kilometre was a slog back up the hill, but I crossed the line with no dramas other than a mild heave, which, by know I have come to expect when I'm in the red.  

Pleased to have finished in 24th spot and 1st vintage (whatever that means?). While I sort of enjoyed the new challenge and was pleased with the swim, I wasn't won over by the sport. If I do another it will also be a short distance sprint affair. However, no complaints to the organisers or marshalls - there's a lot of coming and going in one of these events. My brain and bod are frazzled.   

 

Lomonds of Fife Hill Race (2024)

Meeting friends on the Friday night, it was a couple of beers and a curry. We wandered up the Corbett Farragon the next day. It was a hoot with everyone falling into the clagg at some point or other. However, by the time I got back to the celebrated plastic bridge in Feldy, I had clocked up 22km of walking and was hobbling. 

We dined out again that evening and it was another late-ish night. All this was hardly the preparation for the Lomonds of Fife Hill Race on Sunday, a tasty romp across the heather and along the tourist track beside Sleepy Strathmiglo. 

Speedy and Ant had come up from Morpeth and were camped out in Dundee on the Saturday night, so I swung round to collect them and we sped down to the village hall arriving in good time. I scrounged a cup of tea (what am I like!) before the crowds appeared but was still feeling groggy from Saturday's exploits. It was coolish but there was no sign of rain, so it was a single layer affair. I spied Adrian Davis arriving, but only in his capacity, thankfully, as a marshall. 

There was an early start for some of the slower runners and around 10 or 12 left twenty minutes before the official start. The remaining 50 or so runners lined up as the sun broke out and we began the long trog up through the woods and across the moors to the East Lomond. 

I fell in with a woman from Carnethy and, feeling heavy and sluggish, I sat in for the first 3 miles. Speedy passed us in the other direction in 5th place as we began the first ascent. It was back down to the water station and then into the headwind along the tourist track. I began to feel better as we worked our way west and left the young Lomond runner and the Carnethy; but she was still shadowing me. 

I grafted up the West Lomond and the marshalls were positive, upbeat and windswept at the top. I passed a runner who looked like she'd run out of steam and fixed onto a Falkland runner ahead. However after the turn around the Bunnet Stane it was back up and along a sheep path. As we traversed the side of the hill, I wasn't sure where we were to descend and fannied about, initially dropping halfway down the slope, but then, when I looked back up to the path, I saw Carnethy woman and another runner running level with me. She was wearing mitts I thought she looked like she knew where she was going, so I changed direction and began to work my way back up to the path. By the time I got there she was away, her mitts no doubt used to fend off the gorse as she dropped down a narrow ravine. I followed but with less certainty and experienced 'death by gorse'. Suitably inoculated, I eventually arrived, bloodied, on the lower path . Carnethy was away ahead with 40 seconds or so on me. Worse still, there were another 2 runners descending parallel with me and they hit the path 30 metres in front. One was a v60 for sure - they must have gone further along the sheep path - it also seemed a good line they were taking. 

Disgusted with my antics, I ramped up the speed and caught both runners as we entered the woods. I caught Carnethy's Michelle in the last mile and crossed the line an exhausted mess in 1:59 for this 11 miler.  I was 4 minutes down on the Falkland runner. How could I have lost so much time? 

Speedy broke the course record finishing in 1:38, but she had also spent too long looking for a good line of descent.  The prize giving was curtailed as a runner had fainted after becoming dehydrated, but he was fine after a trip to the Hospital. If I do that race again I'm deffo going to spend a random morning seeking the best line down the hill. First v60 - but only by a whisker and after a mega-effort in the last mile. Its no wonder I am preferring swimming at the mo! 

        

Balmullo Trail Race: Caketastic

 

The original idea last winter was to be up in Fife or Perthshire for some long weekends this summer. In order to make this a reality we looked for a wee but-n' -ben somewhere around there to use as a base. To date that objective hasn't yet been achieved, but it doesn't mean you can't still go awol at work on Thursday and take off.  I had the running and cycling gear and a road bike in the car as I hoofed my way up north around lunchtime. I got to Dundee around 3pm and checked in at the Hotel. They had offered us a free room and breakfast (after we used it last year after a race and had an awful night on mattresses that were shot (or should have been)). 

As I lay on the crisp white sheet-ed king size bed with a cuppa, I scrolled down the race calendar. I noticed that the Balmullo Trail Race was on that evening.  It was only 10 miles or so from where I was. This race was the last of the Fife summer series. I texted Fife's Ken, the organiser, to see if I could get a late entry. I received a warmly worded invite and so it was, a trip over the bridge for the 5 mile trail race. 

The Tay Bridge was down to single lanes and this delayed me by 20 minutes. However, I arrived in enough time after a short detour to Guardbridge - I'd obviously been given the wrong postcode.  It was warm but breezy. I paid my four quid and warmed up. Unusually good value. There were plenty from the Fife, Falkland and Kinross clubs in the 90 strong field. 

Looking at the setting for the race, it appeared that it was a hill race in disguise and the first 2 miles were all up. But that meant that the last 2 miles would be all down. After passing a few including vet Tony Martin, I stuck with a tall fife runner in red T-shirt. He had a big stride but like me, he was making the ascent hard work. I took the phone camera and grabbed a few snaps on the way up. At the turn I was still with the Fife lad. I expected him to pull away and capitalize on his size and stride on the way down, but he waved me on soon after and I focused on the runner ahead. 

As on the way out, it was a varied surface on the way back, a mix of grass, road and gravel tracks and I crossed the line in 38 minutes for 26th place. After getting changed in the car, I wandered into the Burnside Hall and was confronted with a cake table that looked like it was out of a cartoon - it went on forever and was heaving with sugary delights. I had a tea and some lovely frosted Madeira cake and, after thanking the organisers, I left. 

The following morning, after a 5 mile jog around Dundee City Centre, I returned to the hotel for a fry up. I know, its not athletes food. Picking up my phone, I found a text from Fife Ken saying I had won a bottle of wine and he could drop it off if I was based locally. Now that's service. Not being much of a wine drinker, I thanked him and asked him to redistribute it. The day was spent in Perth and then it was up to Aberfeldy to meet friends.  Top Stuff.

The Lowther Trail Race

There was some mid-week discussion as to whether the Lowther Trail Race was something that me and Speedy fancied. I remembered the castle, but couldn't remember the course. At 13 miles, I should have had. 

I had a vague notion of running along a slowly rising long draggy and wide gravel path and another mental snapshot of a section of wet reedy grass and a river crossing, but beyond that I was stumped. I checked the results and found my name down in a set of results from 2017. Surely I had blogged about it. However, on checking the blog, there was no mention. What did all this amnesia mean? Was it a good sign? 

There were no entries on the day, but the pre-entries were held open until the night before the event, so on Saturday lunchtime we committed the 13 quid each and checked the forecast. It looked like it could be a hot one. A quid a mile. Thats more like it.

My time in 2017 was just under the 2 hours so I had an idea that if I finished around 2 hours or so it would be acceptable. We left the house around 8am and drove to the Estate. Until recently the Castle facade and some low walls were all that remained of the buildings, but someone has recently put in a bit of money and its changed since I last didn't remember it. 

We got our numbers and used the communal cafe toilets. Very avant garde I must say. A set of non gender assigned cubicles. People were visibly confused. We initially had bumbags, but after checking that there were actually water-stops, we ditched these and decided to travel light. 

It was, after all, a trail race. There were around 150 or so present and I reminded Speedy to take the first 3 miles super steady what with the mercury rising and the skies clearing to reveal strong warm sunshine...who knew...summer!?  

We took off down the grassy slope heading away from the Castle onto a wide estate path and then past a church and old bridge. Half the congregation were peering over the low stone wall and the kids hanging off the iron gate in their best sunday gear, watching the stream of misfits take on the best the Lowther Estate could throw at us. We ran through Askham village and then the road began to rise - yes, here it was, the long draggy gravel path. 

The path rose for around 3 miles before we were confronted on the ridge with a stunning view of Pooley Bridge and the north end of Ullswater. It was awesome, and had I not been chewing on trying to track a spidery looking old gadgie 15 seconds ahead, I might have stopped and taken a photo. 

On the way down off the ridge it became grassier with more heather as we crossed the moor. I sat in with a high stepping tall runner who looked like he was out for a jog. Lolloping across the heather. Needless to say I wasn't lolloping and he soon lolloped his way ahead. After around 5 miles spidery gadgie had extended his lead on me and I relinquished any hope of catching him. This put me in a better mood and after a water stop at 6 mile and the river crossing at 8 miles (squelch, squelch) I took some comfort in there being less mileage ahead than there was behind. At around 9 mile, we came to a craggy outcrop and I decided to take a couple of snaps. I asked the runners behind to look lively and make it look like they were enjoying themselves: click. The wee group ahead fragmented over the next mile and toward the end there were a few runners caught and a few passed by. The ones that I caught were down to a shuffle and had clearly overcooked it in the early stages. It was 1:57 and 3rd M60 over the line. A short sprint was required when an Eden Runner had the temerity to try and pass me. I had to snap myself out of my dreamlike heat riven plod-bubble and he soon ate my shorts. 

Speedy did well for 2nd to Hannah Russell. We all collected a bottle of beer. The prize-winners collected a further 3 bottles - I commented that this was probably not something that should continue - giving alcohol out to athletes. What hope is there for the next olympics. A gold medal and a bottle of brown ale? Anyway, consider yourself updated.