wet weekend

13th June
With the weather being too shite for butterflies the only thing left was a (fast) run. Mary decided a couple days before that we might attempt Roly's challenge of a half marathon round the Queen's Drive. Four laps. In the drizzle. The troops reluctantly signed up. (Why would anyone do that course unless you loved hills?) I had done a single lap at eyeballs out pace a few weeks before and recorded 22mins. I thought maybe 25 min laps would be the fastest I could manage without having a near death experience. It's a virtual event so you can do it when you like (before October). Go to facebook group page "Arthur's Seat marathon and half marathon challenge". People had been posting some fast times so I was not looking forward to a virtual whipping.

Mary and I had once run laps of Holyrood as marathon training. The most I could stomach was 6 and it was such fun (10 or 11 years ago?) I have never been back for more than about 2. One of the few things you can use to improve matters is take a friend. Nick was also not terribly keen and had scoffed a cheese plate late the previous night as a kind of bad preparation. I was surprised it didn't make a reappearance. 

The good thing about the weather was we wouldn't need drinks to offset the scorching sun. I only carried a small waterproof camera to take bad impressionistic photos. Mary wore a mini-backpack to carry her top layer. She set off a bit ahead of Nick and I knowing she would take a bit longer. I was still rubbing the sleep out my eyes and setting my gps. We set off at a brisk but not outlandish pace and chatted at times during the first lap. This was a good pacing strategy rather than going up that first hill like the hundred yard dash.

We all went clockwise for the first lap. We overtook Mary going up the hill to Dunsapie Loch. With the light being so poor the photos were rubbish; the camera often took a moment to hum and haw about exposure by which time it was on the way back to pointing at the ground. It was a relief to get the first climb out the way. Although we were not even halfway round the lap I counted off each lap from the top of the hill as that was the crux of every circuit.

We saw Keith H as we were setting off. He was doing a few laps to count off some miles during his virtual WHW race. Like all events since March the real thing was cancelled, but a virtual 95 miler was held over the 9.5 days around the same time. Most times we passed Keith I'd take a poor photo while shouting out hellos. John B was out on his bike and gave us some welcome cheer on lap 1 or maybe 2. It was just into the long downhill stretch that goes from above the Commie Pool roundabout right the way down to Holyrood. This was the only stretch where I took the lead from Nick. And only on the first couple of laps. He would lead the ascent. I would spend the lochside flat catching him up, then draw a little ahead on the downhill. He would go a little cautiously on that section as he had done some quad/hamstring damage during his middle-of-the-night attempt from the other week, and was being less cavalier this time. He'd quickly get ahead again on the climb. 

not the photo I had aimed for

At some point Mary changed direction and did a lap or 2 in the opposite direction. This was fun as we got to shout at each other in passing a few times. I think we might just have lapped her if we had all gone in the same direction as she was finishing her 3rd lap as we were finishing our last. On one occasion I was confused as I was chugging up that hateful hill. I could see Mary descending and got the camera ready to take a pic. Meanwhile the woman in fluro top on my left shouted hello as well which my addled brain couldn't quite fathom. It was Eleanor and presumably just coincidence and not that she had joined Mary as pacer.

another marvelous shot

At various points we also saw Andrew and Unda who had braved the damp weather for a photo safari although I don't think there much wildlife out and about. I told Andrew that that was the fourth and final lap (I was delirious and rambling by this point) "before we go to a pub for a beer". He said there weren't any open. Technically he was right as the Iona Bar wasn't opening till 2pm. I had noticed they were doing a take-away service recently.

In fact it had been notorious on facebook, particularly the I Love Leith page. I suppose inevitable. They had been serving 1lt or 2pint plastic disposable mugs filled with beer for £6. No entry to the premises, and please don't congregate round the front door. I first saw this and thought that it was pretty poor (not within the guidelines surely!) then did a u-turn and thought it was enterprising of the owners to do some business and hey those 2pint mugs of beer look sweet! I hadn't got around to buying one but knew Nick would be up for it. The problem occurs when a small crowd does start to congregate and there are no toilets available and folk start to get a bit lashed. Luckily it all happens down the other end of Iona St and we were blissfully aware of the shouting and pissing in the street.

Meanwhile Nick pulled away on the final lap and while I slowed slightly he sped up putting 3 minutes between us. That cheese plate certainly did the job! I tried to keep the pace going but might have slowed a bit. Also there was slight difficulties with my gps. I push twice to get the mileage readout up on the screen. I either pushed once or 3 times and got the time, it initially said 12 something then 13 something but that was the hour of the day not the distance. Of course I wasn't stopping to read it. Nick had said the full 4 laps to point of start was over 13.1 miles but I wasn't absolutely certain of it hence the need to see the distance on my Suunto. (He uses a Garmin, and no they don't measure exactly the same.) When I crossed the "line" I pushed stop but later realised it was fractionally under the full distance. So, the same distance as Nick ran but Mr Suunto says 13.04. I was just over 1hr34 so using my average pace on a running calculator determined that my time, if I had run 13.1 in Suunto miles, would be 1.34.32. Nick was saying he'd vouch for the distance but I had already pulled Roy's leg about taking the wrong line and going on the grass so I thought I best not be anything other than squeaky clean. I'm sure if Roy chose to do it again and stick to the pavement it might actually be faster rather than doing the cross country version. He also did it on a very windy day. 

Gio avoiding the limelight

We bumped into Gio while waiting for Mary. We did another lap to catch up with her. I knew she would not want noisy pacers so we held back, chatting to Gio and A&U who had come down to St Margaret's Loch. And gave her too much of a head start. I thought we would catch her but even though we weren't that slow she still finished ahead of us. We were all fairly pleased with the times we had run. Or maybe just pleased the pain had stopped. It's been so long since I last raced I had forgotten that heady mix of pain, stiff legs and satisfaction you get from a race. You know you have tested your limits. I seemed to be averaging about 23.38 per lap which is way faster than I thought I would manage, and they were all similar enough, suggesting decent pacing. Nick had had a scorching second half and last lap running 1.31. While it was fun in a kind of glad that's over way, I am not terribly keen on doing the marathon 8 lap version. You can get too much of a good thing.

4 full laps
only rules are 13.1 miles (direction optional) stay on tarmac/pavement