The 7 Hills of Edinburgh 15/06/08
A hard week's work was enough to dissuade me from Traprain Law Race yesterday, (unlike mad-dog Henry) knowing it could be the spoiler of both my targets at the 7 Hills today: to go under 2 hrs and give George a run for his money. Last couple of years the proximity of the marathon and/or long races has resulted in sub-standard performances, but this year's date's gave 3 weeks recovery and the possibility of finishing strongly rather than being tied up by cramping calves. So I decided to miss Traprain in favour of all eggs in the 7 hills basket. Then an unexpected Saturday job robbed me of the downtime I'd planned. I hadn't run since club midweek and was beginning to feel a bit edgy about the whole thing.
The Challengers set off
However the weather was nearly ideal and a pair of online purchased trail shoes had arrived in time to test run beforehand so I felt the fates were encouraging. I had recced the course in road shoes and being dry it felt like a good option. But trail shoes would give me better purchase on the off road sections.
When we arrived at Calton Hill it seemed the race, if anything, had attracted a bigger crowd this year. Maybe the fine weather. The Challenge was set off and we had 30 minutes to warm up and queue for the portaloos. We were set off in the opposite direction to normal as there was roadworks being carried out on the normal route off Calton hill down to Waterloo Place. So both races headed East rather than West, and down the road rather than the stairs towards Princes St and the left turn up the bridges. This year for a change I ducked right, through that shopping arcade beyond the Scotsman Hotel and up a close onto the High Street, possibly shaving a second or 2 off my time.
Amanda applies whitewash to keep her legs from tanning.This race is all about route choice and it certainly helps to be local and have the option to try alternative strategies. Some felt putting last week's photo-recce on the website was making it too easy for folk but no matter how familiar you are with the course it is still a formidable task and there is always the intriguing possibility of improving on the accepted route. I also think there's something a bit elitist about not sharing local knowledge with those from out-of-town who don't have the same opportunity to rehearse the course. Besides not everyone pays attention to the details on the website. Ben chose to ignore (or didn't notice) the advice about the close-to-the-fence-route up to Blackford trig point wading through forests of angry nettles.
Craiglockhart
Although we had a slower start to this year's course off Calton Hill, the gate at the Castle Esplanade was open. Good news (to gain the time lost) as we piled through after the first checkpoint. Ben was just a couple of yards ahead of me and impressed by the shortcut I took under a railing before dropping quickly past quite a few runners single filing down the grassy zig zags before crossing the railway bridge. I was suddenly way ahead and even though Ben had run a great race the day before at Skye Half (4th place) he was no time in drawing up level again. Its always fun to see the surprised looks of the general public as a group of maniacs belt through the gardens, up to Princes St and round the West End.
The next section – out Belford Rd and Ravelston Dykes is one long gruelling road bash and the distance between Ben (now running alongside Mark Picksley (ex-PRC)) and myself grew before the welcome turn off up to Corstorphine Hill. Its always something of a Bermuda Triangle this area. This year Brian Marshall (2nd last year) was coming up from the wrong direction having taken a wrong turn one presumes – I didn't see his name in the finishers list. Last few years I have taken slightly different routes each time but last week confirmed that its probably better to return to the water-table after the checkpoint than the temptation to turn hard right and run down that more rubbly track which leads to tarmac rather than the more easy going dirt track down to the main Corstorphine Road. I saw Ben and Mark turn hard right but they were out of earshot. I saw them pretty much for the last time way down the road ahead so it obviously didn't hold them up much. I also saw George just behind as I was leaving Clermiston Tower and wondered how long it would take for him to close the 30 seconds between us.
The good thing about this race is as you progress the course becomes more off road exciting so you can tick off every stretch of hard flat stuff as you go, looking forward to the hilly fun bits. Corstorphine to Craiglockhart is a pain in the asphalt though by now there is the fun of passing the tail end of the Challenge field and giving them a rousing shout or 2. Saw Chris M back marker for the club just before Chesser Avenue. Ran on auto pilot watching the fast boys go past when George caught up and we ran into Craiglockhart centre together. However he then sprang up that dirt hill “like a flipping gazelle” was nearly the phrase in my head as I watched him overtake the guy ahead. I think he had a good lead by the top though I was busy trying to bite the top off a caffeine gel which I'd greased up with sweaty fingers before the water station and queue for the clippers at the checkpoint. I didn't panic as its such a long race the seconds don't really count. Then again if you do 2.00.54 as I did in 2005 they probably do. So I put a bit of oomph into the delightful downhill through the trees and paid attention on Greenbank Drive not to miss the wee lane which I ran past last year in a runners dwam. George was about 20 yards ahead and looking solid. If his up-hillabilities continued I'd be lucky to stick with him. I dropped maybe a further hundred yards crossing the Braidburn and up to the water station before the Braids Hill wondering if he was up to speed with the route over the golf course, through the Hermitage and up to Blackford Hill. As we crossed the fairway he seemed very far ahead and uncatchable.
This year the recce had encouraged me to go left when we hit the dangerous ground at the Hermitage. I took note of the runners ahead – all doing the “straight ahead / veer right, down the slippery slope though the river option” – and took the longer but more runnable route left. A pleasant fast diagonal descent to the riverside path puts you near to the bridge then a relatively easy mudslide (hurray the trail shoes) up to a stile crossing into that field. All the previously ahead dudes appeared behind and to my amusement I saw George clamber over the fence 30 yrds ahead looking like he may have been for a wet-footed jungly experience down there.
Blackford Hill steps
The approach to Arthur's Seat
Ascent of the Seat starts bottom right and continues through top left.I then tried to be clever about an alternative route Graham had noticed last week up to Blackford trig point but didn't make any further ground on those around me. Clipped my number as Coach Gordon did his, exchanged pleasantries and set off down the hill wondering if there would be any sign of the terrible cramps that had blighted the last 2 years – obviously the proximity of the marathon being the cause. (I hoped.) Didn't rush too much but kept it steady and somewhere about the allotments I was on George's heels. We ran together for a bit but he had pulled away again by the turn off at the Old Bell pub. He had asked was I going Round or Over and for a while I didn't understand until he mentioned the turnstile. I had avoided this last year as my legs were twitching with spasms of cramp and a heavy jump down could have set them off. Douglas had advised it was an optimum route choice so I thought since the legs felt okay and I had scaled it the week before without incident that I would go through the student grounds and sure enough it wasn't too difficult a problem. (I was interested to see others squeeze through the horizontal gaps in the turnstile which didn't look particularly feasible or fun and could have resulted in doing yourself a mischief.)
Looking over to the entrance of the park I saw I had gained maybe a hundred yards over George and although my first thought was “well that went well” or words to that effect, I then thought how gutted George must be seeing a less strong runner triumph through cheating, I mean better route choice. Another very welcome water station then that awful stepped route up the hill. I must have passed into limbo for this part – a handy technique when there's something unpleasant going on – as I got to the top and clipped my number and George hadn't overtaken, having started the steps 2 seconds behind.
I was then very grateful for the grippy outsoles of the trail shoes as I descended the well rehearsed grassy dirt trail route down to Hunter's Bog and on to that ugly Parliament building. (A big cement turd no matter how fancy and irregular is still a big cement turd.) Enjoyed jumping the corner of the wee foot baths they have there. I was feeling good – no cramp and looking at my watch realised there was a fighting chance of making both my targets. The last 2 hills are a grind but all the hills I've been running last couple of years made them less arduous than previous years and I enjoyed stumbling past the many Challengers as we turned the corner and puffed up the last hill and over the line. (1.57.29 a pb) It worried me a little that we were finishing, unusually, on an uphill, but from what I'd seen George didn't seem well placed for a late challenge. Unknown to me he went wrong off Arthur's Seat and only just managed in ahead of Scott who was hot on his heels but couldn't pip him at the post this time. There's no doubt we all have an invigorating effect on each others running. Glad it was my turn to triumph today!
Mary was navigator for Paul today
Paul reminded me of something I had seen an advert for recently...
How Ben did such an amazing time for his first (and probably not optimally navigated) attempt at this race the day after another serious race I don't know. Some years that kind of a time would have won one of the Top Seven prizes but today there was a strong field and he placed a respectable 9th. I have to say probably my cheating (route finding skills) allowed me to finish ahead of Mark Picksley who continued his good run, but often starts so strongly that he runs out of steam along the way. Didn't even see where I went past him otherwise I would have shouted something inflammatory (now he runs in a Falkirk vest.)
The team chat while Ben hones his Jeff Goldblum impression...
uncannyMary navigated Paul round the course and subsequently he enjoyed a different sort of experience this year. (Shorter and much quicker.) And quite a few pbs. Scott F benefiting from our recce, a jubilant Karen adding this to a string of recent personal bests and loads more. Richard was another who raced the Skye "half" yesterday and still managed a substantial pb today.
Amanda did tremendously well taking 3rd lady at her first attempt, and another welcome return to form was Gillian who won first o/45 prize. Scott Balfour for once didn't go past me but did win the o/60 prize. He said something about starting training now but my guess is he never really stops. Lastly a quick mention for some of those who did the challenge when they could manage the race. Its the same course but you could be in line for winning a prize or being part of a team. Might as well do the race?
Lets see what the alchohol content is...
The club had 2 teams: Sporty Porty who came a superb 4th and Portobello Beauties 10th.
Thanks to all the water stationers, quiche-makers, marshals and Alan Lawson for making this one of the highlights of the running year. Thumbs up. Highly recommended.
Report pb
Photos pb, Fiona Mayfield
Results here
Photos here
Here is Lynn upstaging the 7 Hills, still in her outfit from doing the Moonwalk last night.
