double race weekend

It's a while since I did a double race weekend. And it may be considerably longer before I get carried away like that again. Actually it wasn't quite that bad; it was mainly getting out of bed on Sunday for race 2 that was unpleasant. 

First up, and an old favourite, the Water of Leith "Half". I used to organise this one but passed on those responsibilities to Angus and Andy who have taken the event forward with gusto, largely following the existing format of a handicap point-to-point from Balerno down through town to The Shore following the Water of Leith. It usually works out nearer 14 than 13miles, so isn't really a half marathon. And the route changes to accommodate whatever diversions block the riverside trails.

Great to see Al and Angus, through from the West

We met down at The Shore and the bus picked us up and drove us to Balerno. It was so different to the years when I organised this: I'd be worrying that the bus wouldn't arrive, that we'd leave before everyone arrived, that things would go wrong. This year I was really relaxed by comparison and could see some of those same tensions in Angus and Andy throughout the day. No surprise as the whole setting-off-folk-in-the-correct-order, from slowest to fastest, takes a bit of organising while everyone goes for last minute comfort breaks in the trees. 

Angus had been given a cruel handicap and was starting after Rachel!

I'm not sure how he ended up so penalised (about 20mins shy of the estimate!)

but he should get a much better starting time next year

good to see some Porties there this year

I caught Lee before the bridge at Lanark Rd (didn't catch Sarah)

Angus - cheery at Lanark Rd

I had given my estimated time as 1.26 as this was my time last year. I was in reasonable form and thought, hoped, a few days of running every day with some short sprints might get me back to that fitness level. I had asked to start with Nick, but then he emailed the organisers to say since putting in his entry he had run 1.22 at Jedburgh. Luckily Angus, who was setting the handicaps forgot to move my start time as well as Nick's so he ended up starting a few minutes after I did. I asked could Nicola, Nick and I start at the same time but the spreadsheets were all in place and changing stuff at this late stage would mess up the results. Nicola started thirty seconds after I did and Nick and Ben Fox started another few mins after that. Last year I ran the whole way with Nick and we worked well together. This time I ran with the fear of being overhauled by Nicola, but was fairly sure Nick wouldn't gain 4 minutes on me. 

Emily and Jim just after Roseburn

I started fast. I tried not to spend myself in the first half but the gradient is steepest in the first 6 or 7 and I noticed I averaged 6.10 pace for the first 6 miles. Right enough the second half was harder and slower although seeing folk up ahead gives you lots of targets to pick off as you descend through Murrayfield, Roseburn, Stockbridge and Powdehall. Mile ten (Murrayfield to Roseburn) was 7.10 pace, the rest were all under 7mins.

I found the last couple of miles tough, just trying to keep the pace going. I overtook a number of folk but was slower than my estimate, crossing the line in 1.28 for the 13.6 miles. (I went through the half marathon distance in 1.25.) Nicola was hot on my heels having made up the start time difference. Nick also had made up loads of time but again was slower than last year. Maybe if we had run together we would have spurred each other on?

Ben Fox: fastest time on the day

Eric and Lynda provided a tremendous spread of soups and homebakes

Nick gets a spot prize for honesty!

Sarah's team were second team

results are sent out
so this is as much as I could get a screen shot of

Tempting to repair trashed legs with pints at the pub after prizegiving. But important to remember we had signed up for the Braids 10k Tail Race the following day. We had a few drinks then walked home. 

Sunday's race only started at 9.45am which seems civilised until you realise to get parked and to registration at 8.45 means getting up before 7am. Which on a gloomy winter morning was deeply unappealing. I only just managed this, my body still trashed from the WoL race, and felt like poop all the way to the start line. Really grumpy, really stiff. I was so NOT in the mood for banter and warm up aerobics so ran down the Hermitage valley, catching sight of a dipper. Like a lucky talisman this cheered me up considerably. After a few strides which left me puffing like an asthmatic pensioner, I reluctantly joined the start line. It was an interesting crowd running, it seemed more gym-based and triathlon than the usual runners-only crew you might find at the average 10k. Also there were many who disrespected the unwritten rule of line up in approx the order you will finish. So there was quite a bit of zig-zagging past the slow people in the first 100 yards. Honestly! 

The 5k and 10k were started at the same time. Nicola, also doing the 10k and also saying she was feeling the race from the day before, set off at a decent pace and I kept her in my sights till the first steep uphill. I knew if she could beat me on the downhill WoL I stood no chance keeping up on this very hilly course. (I was right!) Her power to weight leaves me gasping on the hills, I know this from the Thursday night she came to hill reps. In the photo below I am one place behind Rachel, who was doing the 5k. Although I nipped ahead before the path narrowed onto the riverside singletrack, which I wasn't sure was a good idea. The girl in pink just behind, Natalie, stayed with me the whole race, going ahead on the climbs.

Although I had felt dreadful all morning up to the start, once we got going some of the stiffness loosened off and I actually began to (nearly) enjoy it. Or at least the sense of foreboding and pain got less bad. Also, although Nicola disappeared off into the distance, there were a couple of other decent runners, (Mark from hill reps) who were about the same part of the field. Roy and Neil had not come past, as anticipated. Maybe things weren't going so badly? I was pleased to get past the first killer climb up from Blackford duck pond towards the observatory, round the single-track then up to the trig point (highest point on route) without a cardiac incident. The climbs were equally spaced with flat or downhill between where you could catch your breath and maybe retake the couple of places dropped to better climbers. So began the to-and-fro with Natalie. I was pretty sure the long downhills towards the end would favour me, but I tried my best to keep close on the long uphills. 

I was glad I wore hill shoes. I had planned on Hoka Speedgoats but since I had scuffed my left big toe knuckle in them the day before I wore a compeed plaster under hill shoes. Less cushion but more grip which was useful on the quite muddy course. It was good to see a few known faces while running. Totally unexpected was Michael G, mostly down south these days, out on a training run in the opposite direction to the course. Also Mike and Gordon marshalling. They were rewarded with buffs and free entry to another Scurry event. Good bribery!

race profile showing highest point at Blackford Hill

After running along the riverside to Howe Dean Path came the second long haul uphill. A more gradual ascent although a brutal start on a muddy steep slope, before a long ascent past the Lang Linn Path. Natalie got ahead, or close by but I enjoyed turning, knowing the rest was a long downhill followed by a sprint quarter mile to the finish. Looking at my gps I see the total distance was 6.33 but the Suunto tends to give you more miles than Garmin. It was never going to be a pb course so distance is not terribly important. In fact I was surprised they got 6 miles out of the course, which was done by covering just about every runnable trail in the area with lots of doubling back and going end-to-end. It didn't feel contrived though and what with the recovery between hills felt like a really well thought-out route. I particularly enjoyed the last mile. A rolling section along the top of the Hermitage before it dropped steeply down into the valley. Then a sharp turn and blast for the line. I seemed to have more left than those around when we hit the flat. I noticed my gps said 5.30m/miling as I overtook the dude who had been uncatchably ahead for the last 2 miles, and I finally eased away from Natalie (having heard her footfalls too close behind on the descent). I was very surprised and pleased to make it into tenth place. No sign of Roy and the other Porties before the line, again a surprise, although to be fair to Roy he was suffering from a cold. He also started way down the field and may have been blocked in on the initial paths. Just under 46minutes reflects the hilly course. Only the winner posted a sub40 time. 

looks a bit convoluted but made more sense when running it

Starts at arrow heads West then clockwise.

Rather than stand about in the cold I went to warm down with Mary down the river to look for dippers. We didn't find any, possibly all the noise and folk running past having scared them off. However I felt I had had more than my fair share of good luck. 

In summary this was an excellent event. The Active Root folk were there handing out their product (allegedly warm drinks as well but that was gone by the time I enquired) and best of all we got a free buff as memento, rather than a medal. Excellent idea.

In fact it was so good it annoyed me. First; look at the design, as worn above by Mike and Peter the organiser. It is striking; one colour out of black using a simple design/logo. It works well and looks great. I have several black buffs in a similar format and it is the best route to a handsome accessory. When PRC were about to order new buffs a while back I used a Bob Still design to propose a one colour out of black design because the Porty buff in club colours was pretty poor. (As modelled by Alan and Lorenzo above.) It's not awful, just there has been no thought put into it, like it was designed over the phone without regard to font or layout; presumably someone said make it stripes of club colours and write blah blah blah on it in the font you already have on screen. Foolishly I checked for approval before getting new buffs printed and the amount of negative feedback and squabbling that it triggered (angry emoji! really?) made me drop the whole thing and walk away. Design by committee literally proving why it is a disparaging term. So take note PRC. Here is how you make a great looking buff. One colour out of black. Not coming to a running club near you anytime soon.

However, back to the Braids! I believe there were spot prizes handed out. Sadly there didn't seem to be age group prizes and Mary and I and all the over 50s (and 60s etc) were grouped into the "40"s age group cat. If I were to change anything about this race it might be this and the early start - not for me you know, but the people who come from further afield! (OK mainly for me!) On the upside there was a table of homebakes that came very close to rivalling Eric and Lynda's which made up for lack of age group prizes. Extremely well marked and marshalled and a great testing course. So another great event from the Scurry team. Look out for their next event which goes online tonight and is based around Corstorphine Hill, another fave place to run. I am looking forward to that already. I just hope it is not the same weekend as anything else. I definitely felt a bit knackered from a double race weekend and it took some time to recover and return to normal. To say nothing of catching up with this blog.

same story no website to link to for results
so this is the screen shot of as many as I could get