whw 19.02.10

whw 19.02.10
A cold winters morning.

Saturday 13 February 2010

CLYDESDALE HARRIERS CC CHAMPS



I woke up this morning and had great difficulty in trying to stand never mind walk or run and with the club cc champs being held at 2pm i knew it was going to be tough going. After my breakfast and pain killers i started to get ready for my race.

I only ever wear my club vest once a year and this is the day, the main reason i dont wear it more often is its not that practical to wear a vest when your out for hours during a ultra.

My brother derek picked me up at 1pm and we set of to the race, the most special thing for me in this event is i get to see runners who i have known the most of my life and that is kind of special for me.

At 2pm the race started and the course was very tough indeed with a few comments like this will be easy as its a short race doesnt really mean much as during my ultras i walk up the hills while eating and drinking so a hilly short course with heavy heavy legs is a bit of a nightmare, but i really enjoyed the banter and i managed to finish the 3 laps of the course with only 1 near fall going down hill.
I would like to thank all the helpers, supporters and course markers for all there hard work on the day and i do think it will be a good cc relay course though id expect it will be tough on the kids races.
WHW TRAINING RUN

11/02/10 Drymen to rowerdennan to drymen 30miles

Started off at 07.30 at car park in drymen and headed onto the whw route, weather was very cold but dry and the bonus was that it was light when i started. Managed to run all the way to conic hill, managed to get halfway up conic untill i had to walk, there was a fair bit of ice going up but none going down. At the top of conic came the wonderfull views of loch lomond ahead and of Ben Lomond to the right with snow on top with the morning sunlight streaming down it was well worth the 05.15 start in the morning to get the sleeper train to dalmuir, then the first balloch train at 06.21 then the 309 bus from balloch to drymen so i could start my run at 07.30.

Balmaha to rowerdennan - sun was bright and the underfoot conditions were good, i had forgot that this bit just seems to go up and down the whole way but it was just so scenic that you just stop every so often to get such wonderfull views. Stopped just passed the hotel at rowerdennan as this was the 15mile point just before the turn off point for the youth hostel. It was at this point that i noticed that i forgot my flat coke drink that i was looking forward to and also forgot my mobile so could phone home to let the family know i was ok.

Rowerdennan to balmaha - headed back to balmaha knowing that i had all those hills to look forward too and a bit worried i might not have enough fluid to last to drymen. Stopped at about half way back and took a pain killer and was nearly sick- mental note to myself take more of a drink when trying to swallow paracetamol tablets.

Balmaha to drymen - started past the car park at balmaha and headed to the bottom of conic hill then came to the steps and my legs just couldnt keep going so managed to walk as fast as you can then turned a corner to see the steep grassy slope going up conic at which point i thought i was going to cry! but wasnt till i was on the grass slopes with thighs like lead, back breaking and i wonder how a ex-track runner is doing this (i didnt even like cross country when i was younger). Once i reached the top of conic i managed to break into a stuttering run jog down hill, half way down i met two young girls going up who looked as they were fairly fresh compared to the old git trying to run down. Managed to run all the way through the forrest and arrive at drymen feeling good at getting to my finishing point.
Having just missed the bus by 10 minutes, i went for a pint and sat in front of an open fire till the next bus !

TIMES DURING RUN - 15miles 3hrs 38min 22sec .
30miles 7hrs 27min 41sec.

Total distance 30.35miles in 7hrs 35min 34sec.