KB 5 Mile Road Race 2025

 

It was another crazy mini-adventure. A couple of weeks ago I got the train up to Edinburgh. I left my change of clothes in a locker at the bus station and had myself a gallus wee 10 mile jog around the place picking up the old Meadowbank Velodrome (no longer there), Duddingston, Portobello and Leith. The rain fair pelted it down as I tried to make the best of it. Somewhere along the way I came across a big roundabout with an underpass. There were a couple of gents under one of the bridge decks and you could smell the exotic baccie before you saw the figures. I elected to go around the other way, but couldn't find a way out and ended up running past them. After that, strangely, my run became much more enjoyable. Anyway, I digress. 

This time around I did the same, taking the train north and lofting my wee bag into a locker. I jogged down the 2 kilometres to the Kings Buildings somewhere on Mayfield Road. It was pretty chilly and I had a new towel which I bought at Primark (£3.50), 2 lightweight tops and my Mizuno road shoes. 

It was quite a job to find the race HQ in the myriad of buildings. Once inside the correct building, we were directed through a series of corridors and down stairs, through doors and into the bowels of the intelligentia. The wee warm room in the Maths department served as race HQ. There were a couple of young people handing out numbers. The running variety, that is. I marveled at the various equations left on the white board. Complex and murderous algebra that I never dreamt existed.  Vectors and Eigen values. You know...all THAT stuff (raising eyebrow emoji). After a short time, I grew weary of the linear transformation business and sat down to put on my shoes and pin on my number. I kept my tights on. It was a 2 layer day. 

There was a slow stream of runners appearing, and as we amassed at the start, I estimated around 40. Quite a disappointing field, size wise. I wasn't feeling the love and started slowly. After a mile or so I warmed to my task and continued over the cracked slabs, dodging cars, dogs and loose wet leaves on the pavement. I passed a couple of guys from Lothian and, at the 3 mile mark, I caught a lone Forres runner. She looked like she'd started a bit too fast. 

I careered around the Braids and was feeling o.k., but around 4 miles I heard some heavy breathing behind me and it was one of the Lothian guys tracking me down. He passed me and I couldn't respond up the final long drag back into the University complex. He took 15 seconds out of me at the end. However, I was pleased to go sub-7 for the first time since I broke my foot, finishing in around 34 minutes. The top 3 got a box of Fox's biscuits.  

I jogged part way back toward the City Centre, then dived into a cafe for salad and chips, a cuppa and a warm-up. Later, I wandered down Broughton Road for a pint - once I'd changed my clothing and warmed up. I was still wearing my towel around my shoulders. They really are effective at keeping your neck warm and the heat in, but I believe its a look that's been left in the 70's. Do I care?  Probably not.

Got a busy train back at five in the evening.  No results yet. My pet hate; but we live in hope.