First year taking part in the Scottish Hill runners Bog and Burn race series. I’d planned to do more by unfortunately only managed three. They are all fab.
11/5/22 Great evening for the Dumyat hill race. Sun was shining, runners were smiling and the hill awaited. I have run this hill lots (usually to kill time when child was swimming) but never raced it. It’s very much a ‘what goes up must come down’ run. Starting off going through the woods with bluebells everywhere a gate climb leads onto the hill. As far as the eye could see runners were making their way up the hill. The front runners were on fire and flying down whilst I still had 1 km to go to the top. Quick loo of the trig and then back down. I didn’t get a chance to take in the stunning views (they really are good!) or properly say hello to my mate who was at the summit (sorry, heard voice, took while for brain to engage and by the time I realised it was you I was heading back downhill). The down was fast and I was paying attention to make sure I didn’t fall (I stayed upright). Onwards to the finish and done in 49mins. Lovely to see so many fellow Westerlands Cross Country Club runners.
25/5/22 tonight it was the Westerlands Cross Country Club Kilpatricks Kaper race. What a week getting to this point, small person decided to share her sickness bug with me on Monday. I was sure I was dying and it’s not often I take myself back to bed for the day but it was called for. Yesterday I was back trying to eat but for some reason chocolate doesn’t taste good (I must still be ill) and generally felt a bit fuzzy. Today I was back on it until I got the call that hubby wouldn’t be home in time due to work. Argh, frantic phone calls and managed to find someone to look after the girls so I could race. I made the start line! Race brief turned into a 3,2,1 go, it was blowing a hoolie, I forgot how much up hill was involved, never gone round a trig so quickly and then fast downhill. I felt like someone was behind me in the last 200m so ran as fast as my little legs would go. Result….1st FV 40 and prize was bottle of beer and punnet of peaches. Can’t beat it!
13/7/22 Cairn Table hill race tonight. First race since the WHW race and slightly shorter…only 7km! Totally new race down in Muirkirk so a wee road trip with my fellow Westies. It was very much an up and down race to the cairn. Great trail up with bog, gravel, grass, stile and much more. I knew I was running to the trig/cairn at the top but there was also a cheeky cairn mid way which I had in my sights as the turn…then I looked up and saw the real turn far away up the hill. As I got nearer the top the cloud came down making the views simply non existently stunning. I had to tie my shoe lace 3 times on the way up, I need to get better at the double knots. The down hill is always my favourite bit and it was fast to the finish. Done in 46mins and 3rd female FV40.
