Ochil 2000's and Ben Lomond

A new race for me and the one to complete my 4 from 6 in this years SHR competition. The blurb says 18 miles and 5000 feet of ascent, in the end I did a wee bit extra and lost half a dozen places with a couple of bad route choices. From the finish at Stirling Uni we are bussed to the start in Glen Devon, the aim to run back covering all the Ochil hills over 2000' plus Dumyat, there's 10 over 2k. Expensive for a hill race at £13, you get a bus trip, use of a Dibber, soup and cake when you finish, showers too. Cloud was down at the start but cleared as we went along. After the first hill, taken very gently, on to familiar ground covering parts of other race routes, Doller, Maddy Moss and the Law Breaker, zig, zag, up, down, a few times, all on too runnable grassy trails. After Ben Cleuch, hill 7, the highest top it was new ground, the first couple continued the theme, runnable, grassy hills, then from Ben Ever to Blairdennon it gradually changes to a pathless tussocky boggy traverse, some good route choices gain me a couple of places for no extra effort, its only half an hour to the top, seems longer, fun starts running off Blairdennon, follow a fence then supposed to turn SE, follow a track and other runners instead, soon back on track going towards Jerah before the last climb up Dumyat, somehow go wrong again following paths and runners, stop for a confab and re-route to the race line, a painful slog back up to the track we should have been on coming out behind several runners I had eased past along the way. Start a painful crampy walk up Dumyat, a couple out ringing cowbells encourage me to run again. Soon back to a walk as the gradient kicks up. Reach the top in 4 hours giving me half an hour to match my 4 to 4 1/2 hour target. No pace just cramp as I run down the rocky trail at the top, eases a bit as the trail gets grassier. Through the woods trying to push on then down the road before grinding slowly uphill on the track alongside the wall, move better after the trail turns downhill and push on to the finish grabbing back a few places as runners come out the woods from all angles. Finished in 4 hours 24, it took awhile to recover. Photos here, here, and here. Sunday, beautiful sunny day, thought about a short run in Glen Douglas, a change of mind when I saw the Ben. There was lots of walkers out so I kept the pace up a bit more than usual and ran where I would have walked, 80 minutes up and 45 down, a bit quicker than my usual training runs.

Duathlon

Club Duathlon today, ten took part this year including three non club members. Everyone set off in reverse order handicapped against last years winning time of 55 minutes. Starts with a run based on our club time trial route, just over 4 miles, just over 28 mins for me. The cycle route is an out and back up Auchencarroch to the 2nd turn off for Gartocharn, 34 minutes for me for the 8+ undulating miles. Second over the line, 4th fastest and 39 seconds inside my handicap time.