Kilpatricks

Kilpatrick Hill race tonight, 6 miles with 1400' of ascent, 125 runners, their biggest field yet. Set off up the road trying not to lose too much distance on the rest. Onto the hill and decided to try to run the whole route rather than mix walking and running. Ran nice n easy up the hill, keeping my breathing in check, yo yoing the jog walkers, onto the moor feeling fine for the steady run past loch Humphrey and over moorland to the tricky wee path along Greenside reservoir, eased up the Slacks, steep at first then not so steep, good fun jogging past gasping walkers, passed the Trig point in 51 minutes, brakes off for the run back down the Kilpatrick Braes to finish inside 63 minutes.

Jura

Managed to secure a late entry, the 33rd running, the 40th anniversary of the first race and the 30th anniversary of its resurrection  in 1983, buy the book by Donald Booth, any profits will go to the Jura care home.

Getting there,

home for the weekend,

race sequence,

homeward bound,

More pictures here.

My third attempt at this fascinating race, I finished in 172nd place in 5 hours 52, about 215 started with 205 finishers, the first was 3 hours 19 the last was probably about 7 hours, results will appear here on the race website.

More cakes than you can shake a stick at on a fine weekend with time to relax, run and enjoy island life.

Goat Fell

200 plus runners in the third race in this year's SHR Championship, a medium at 8 miles with 2900' of ascent. Started in Brodick on roads going towards Brodick Castle Estate, turning into the grounds of the Estate, onto the hill path after 1 1/2 miles. The path runnable as it undulates up through forest, a bit too warm with thermal top and vest. Soon enough we pop out the trees onto the rocky mountain path winding its way across towards GF's eastern shoulder, we turn west, walking and scrambling now as the ground gets a bit steeper, more exposed, wind, rain and the runners in front bombing past complicate the climb up the slabby ridge. Round the trig point, no views today, running back down, carefully at first down the steep bouldery ground. Pick up speed as the gradient eases the runner in front holds me up for a few minutes, too risky to pass as we negotiate the rough boulders, ease past down a wider slab then I can relax and pick up the pace again, its a fun full concentration descent as you cross back towards the forest track, eyes constantly scanning the boulders ahead for your next foot placement, only glancing up to pick a line past a runner or hillwalker. Good fast running through the forest then its 1 1/2 miles on the road back to Brodick finishing in 129th place in 1 hour 58 to tea, sandwiches and cakes before the Calmac ferry back to Ardrossan. Loads of pictures, here, here, here & here.

Luss

Heart is willing but the legs are week. Thought about a few hills in Arrochar this morning, thankfully I changed my mind and went to Luss instead. Plan was for a run up Beinn Dubh along to Mid Hill across Glen Luss up Coille-eughain hill returning to the foot of the glen down the Paps. It took longer to reach Beinn Dubh's summit today than to get up and down in last weeks race. Skylarks on the way up, cold and wet on top, good run along the ridge and over Mid Hill, on the way down I left the wind and rain behind and it didin't take too much thought to give CE Hill a miss, easy jog down the road to finish 7 or 8 miles with 2400' of ascent in just under 2 hours.

Ben Lomond

New start and finish this year, apparently Stirling Council no longer allow us to run along the road, health and safety? Short run along the track then straight up the tourist path, tried to keep a nice steady tempo jogging up the track walking some of the steeper and rocky parts. Kept this going until we are directed off path after the 2nd gate, quick walk mode and not losing any places which is good, even passed a couple on the upper part before rejoining the path and back into jog mode. Jacket on as we plod up in damp and windy conditions. Walk the climb up to the summit ridge then jog the ridge and up the last wee steep turning round the trig in just under 70 mins. Run back along the ridge to the drop off avoiding the tourist path down a steep grassy bank, slows me down a bit and I'm overtaken at the bottom, onto the path easy running, round the first corner another guy comes past, tuck in and follow him down to the next grassy sections where he pulls away a couple of hundred yards, off the grass and back on to the path and my legs feel done. Run down towards the bad step and I start to pick up speed again, tiptoe through then run hard reeling in the two in front down the rocky helter skelter towards the finish. Cross the line inside 1:44.

Dumyat and a 10k, Midweek racing

After last weeks stormy Stuc a calm Wednesday evening race up an down Dumyat, it was the 40th aniversary of the race, 250 plus set off, over 100 less than last year. My target was to finish inside 50 minutes. No queues at the hole in the wa' this year and no Bluebells in the woods either. Kept to a steady slow jog on the way up including where I usually walk, only walking up two rocky bits, wheeled round the trig in 32 minutes something, concentration required on the way down to avoid runners coming up and in trying to keep the intensity high, its too easy to relax and cruise down thinking this is as fast as I can go. Soon I'm crossing the style onto the muddy path twisting and sliding through the woods, feet slapping down the tarmac hill before the short wee stress inducing uphill track towards the back of the uni grounds before a welcome gradual descent to finish in 50:22. Thursday night was the Club 10k, following the old Vale 10k route except starting and finishing at the LC. Numbers slightly down this year, 14 against 18 probably due to the proximity of the Kintyre Way race on Satrurday. Three groups set off, 60 mins+, 45-60mins, sub 45 mins, I chose the last one, not that I would break 45 mins tonight, my target was to beat last nights time. The rest of my group drifted away off in front and I tried to keep a steady pace, quads a bit tender. Round Lomond Shores and into Balloch Park my group disappeared off ahead but I started to catch the earlier group giving me something to chase. Picked off a few on the way through Jamestown to the Bonhill bridge. Finished just over 49 mins in 6th place.

Stuc A'Chroin 5000

2nd race in this years SHR championship and the SAL Championship Hill Race as well. The Stuc 14 miles and 5000' of ascent over rough mountain tracks. 206 set off from Strathyre only 193 finished today. The rain started as we were on the two mile run up the forest track towards the hill and stayed for most of the race reinforced by the wind as we climbed each of the ups that help make this race a tough classic. The marshals were stars assisting troubled runners and handing out water, jelly baby's and encouragement in testing conditions. The warm up continues through the forest onto the hill and the traverse towards Glen Ample, a boggy delight. A couple of hundred yards behind a running friend, just up for a run, not the race, fell and broke his wrist as he jogged along, a trip to the Vale Fracture Unit for us after the race. The drop into GA reverts to its usual straight down one this year, across the marshy valley to Beinn Each's climb, starts with a series of steep ups with a few 10 yard flattish sections to break it up. Up we go on a narrow overgrown trod beside an old fence,  Heather and fence posts are all used to help pull me up. We pass a few marshals before and after a short traverse across some cliffs then its onto the upper part, more exposed to the wind, jacket and gloves on to keep me safe and comfortable. Really wet and windy at the top, more marshals with water and sweets. Hesitant on the run down onto the ridge to the Stuc, unfamiliar and slippy in the mist. The ridge is two miles of rock hopping, the first mile undulating, the second undulates a bit more, up a thousand feet. The front runners pass on their way back down.Its survival stuff now, freezing, gale force winds, a mixture of driving rain and sleet, must buy a decent pair of gloves. A hypothermic runner passes me being helped off by two others, a bit more focus on taking care today means I don't notice the uphills so much, through a series of climbs and I'm soon at the last steep rocky section, someone takes a tumble coming back down, thankfully only superficial damage and they get up able to continue. Round the cairn and turn for the relative calm of Bealach nan Cabar, can't seem to push as hard as I would like and tiptoe down the muddy, rocky and snow covered ridge. A slight slip and the resultant blow of rock on shin slows me down for a while, happily the Bealach soon comes in to view and with it the drop back down Glen Ample's grassy slopes. Good fun along the narrow muddy track in the rain with only the short slippy drop to the valley floor to hold back on. Steady walk out Glen Ample's steep slope then running again across the boggy moor. Drop down in to the forest and a poor route choice, the wrong side of a tree, puts me in a deep bog, pull myself out, shoes still on and run through the forest to the track for the last two miles back down to finish in 3 hours 48. A big thanks goes to the 40 or 50 marshals who looked after us runners for hours in the freezing rain, all of them cheery and supportive. This was the 25th anniversary of the Stuc, my 10th, here's hoping for a few more.