A Grand Day Out
Devil's Burden Relay Hill Race 24/01/09
Lynn's report first...
I think it was the name that attracted me in the first place, intrigued I started to find out about it. As soon as I mentioned it to Cath she was hooked and we went about and got a team together. You need 6 people to run 4 legs, legs one and three being run in pairs, (this should have set alarm bells ringing!). Janis and Louise were soon conscripted and then Mary and Amanda joined us (thank heavens) to do the longest and most difficult leg. Once the boys realised the girls had got a team together the gauntlet was thrown down and Peter got his team organised.
My worries grew as we read the complicated instructions, full body cover, compass, whistle, map, hat and gloves must be carried and runners must be able to read a map should the weather close in.....help! As a directionally challenged person I thought there's no way I'm running on my own or I'd still be up in the hills come spring! The logistics of running the relay seemed to be a mathematical puzzle, how to get runners to their start points and pick them up at the end of their leg. We finally worked it out and it turned out that the actual running bit was the easiest part of the day!
As it was the weather was cold and bright and our confidence was restored. Cath and I set off in very icy conditions to run up East Lomond and down again, about 4.4 miles, we stayed with most runners going up but we need to practise going down hill with confidence, frustrating watching everyone disappear into the distance. The views were spectacular from the top though and we could see the rest of the route ahead that the team had to tackle, West Lomond and Bishops Hill. As we came off the hill runners who had already finished were now turning round to run back to Falkland! Bert and Paul cheered us on as we hurtled (in our dreams) down the last bit to hand over to Louise. She set off and we got into the car and sped towards the next point. Janis bravely drove Lou's car on the very skitey roads and we tried to work out how to open windows, find the de-mister and not get lost (a challenge I know!). We arrived at the bottom of Bishop Hill in time to see Amanda and Mary waiting for Lou, where was she? We weren't too worried as Cath had quite accurately worked out our respective times. Lou appeared and the girls set off, our true hill runners!
Excellent job the changeover marshals at legs 2 / 3
Starting leg 3Onto Strathmiglo for the final leg, the village hall was open and cosy so we set ourselves up in a corner with flasks and cake and waited for our team. Just a little concerned as the weather had closed in on the tops and runners coming down were reporting blizzards and difficulties finding checkpoints. Janis was waiting to run the final (or glory) leg and we had to keep plying her with tea to keep her warm. Amanda and Mary duly arrived after a few adventures, I'll let them tell the story! Janis headed off into the distance and we thawed out the girls in our makeshift cafe before they headed off to chase Janis back to Falkland to get in some extra miles.
Finishing leg 3
Back in Falkland much welcome soup was had and we listened to a bit of the prize giving but there wasn't a category for us (Old Ladies team with recurring injuries, Mary and Amanda excepted!) so we went in search of the finish line and to see Janis run in followed by Amanda and Mary. By now it was wet and miserable but everyone was home safe and we did it! We came 106 out of 111 teams of which we are proud (in spite of our laughing husbands!)
As Cath said as we were slithering down the hill on our bums worrying about being last , "We are winners over those folk sitting at home on their sofas, at least we are out having a go." And do you know the wise woman was right!
Thanks to Lou for driving us everywhere, to Amanda and Mary for helping our team not to be last! And thanks to the boys team for their encouragement and laughing with us and not at us!
Report Lynn Hanley
Michael tells his story...
I have to say I do like this race and I've been pretty keen since about October to run this and the Carnethy 5 before doing a disappearing act to the other side of the world and although the logistics of running it are difficult I still thought it was a good day out.
I ran leg 3 with Peter and it was a not-so proverbial game of 2 halves, with me enjoying the best of the climbs, and Peter showing his strength descending. Leg 3 goes from Scotlandwell to Strathmiglo over Bishop Hill and West Lomond. The ground and weather were extremely variable throughout the route but I still managed to enjoy most of it. Although I suspect Peter had more in his legs approaching Strathmiglo than myself. I love running in Fife and running up West Lomond, which is visible from the M90, is something I always enjoy.
Starting up leg 3I must apologise to Scott in particular, but also the rest of the team, for the late arrival at the third leg. Which was, if not partially my fault, then entirely my fault although in the grand scheme of things it didn't cost us much more than our pride.
End of leg 3After the run, Peter and I ran back to Falkland at a leisurely pace. This was also enjoyable as the route is very runnable and provided a good warm down.
Congratulations to all who took part and the organisers for what is a great race.
Report Michael Geoghegan
Peter's version...
A long time ago in a far distant galaxy, I used to hang out with some Kinross Road Runners. They would put in teams for the Devil's Burden Relay Race and a couple of times I made up numbers running with them. I really like the Lomond Hills and having recced or raced all of the legs of the relay I was inclined to encourage Porties to put a team forward when I joined PRC. However the first time I tried there were a couple of stand-downs shortly before the race and you really need dedication for the logistics to work. So I gave up the idea, until Cath and Lynn declared an interest and set the whole thing in motion. Michael had been asking about the possibility of doing this race but I was reluctant to take on the job. However since the girls seemed to be getting a team together with the minimum of fuss maybe it was possible.
On the first of January a few of us did a recce of some of the course, and the weather was so fine it made the whole thing seem like a good idea.
After the report went up a few less-than-usual-suspects asked if they could be a part of the team. The opportunity to engage Bert in a hill run was too good to pass up. (Rumour has it in the past he has taken hill training sessions in the Meadows.) So Bert and Paul Edwards would run leg one: although a sizeable hill to climb right out the blocks, the leg would not be too difficult to navigate as they would be within visual contact of the team ahead in all but white out conditions.
The view from Falkland looking up East LomondScott F was volunteered for leg 2; a long steady climb up to the top of the hill followed by a break neck descent to the third team, Michael and myself for the notorious leg 3. Before passing on to Willie – our anchor man to sprint home the undulating trail of leg 4.
The hike up East LomondAs all the legs are point to point, each being a section (roughly a quarter) of a large loop round the Lomond Hills, transportation becomes an issue and you must get your team in place to receive the baton (in this case an orienteering-like sheet of paper to be clipped at checkpoints) at the right time.
Mary chats to Derek Jablonski at the start.I put a list of suggested times on the website to be at the changeover points (for the men's team). These were remarkably accurate despite the conditions and all that might have transpired. First we were all to meet at Falkland pre-race to get our numbers. Everyone, I'm very pleased to say, arrived in perfect time on the morning (except Mary and myself who were last to arrive – talk about leading by example.) You can imagine the fracas of over 100 teams (600 runners) collecting numbers, milling about, finding parking places and making sure they had all the requisite kit, before we then watched the leg 1 runners set off up the near vertical ascent of East Lomond.
Angela leads the startline round the corner off the iceThey were going to set off from the car park which was a sheet of ice until a couple of the front runners suggested they all walk round the corner and set off there. Sense prevailed and we all went round the corner where a rather orderly shuffle set off up the hill. We hoped Bert wouldn't be traumatised by the steep ground. Paul had bought shoes specially for the race and Bert had his retreaded road-shoe-specials on. Road shoe uppers with a Walsh-like sole fitted.
Bert on a hill!
On the way up
On the way down. Bert and Paul 11th and 12th from bottom of pictureWillie's plan was initially to hang around for a bit then run his fourth leg in reverse in time to turn around and take the baton from Michael and I at Strathmiglo. The rest of the male team with Amanda and Mary got into the car Scott and Amanda had hired and drove Scott to the leg 2 start. When we got there Scott got warmed up while Michael and I watched the front runners appear. Mary and Amanda stayed in the car. After a while Bert and Paul chugged up the last hill of their stretch reporting much enjoyment and handing over the clip sheet to Scott who tore off at a great rate of knots. I followed him up to the end of the road taking photos then ran back the 3 minutes to the car. When I got there Amanda, Mary and I all said in unison, “Where's Michael?”
Paul and Bert finish leg 1
Scott starts leg 2
I sprinted back to the changeover which was a mass of runners and officials and cars coming and going, found Michael who thought I hadn't left and hadn't realised the urgency of getting underway. We sprinted back to the car and then sped along to Scotlandwell the next village nearest the changeover for legs 2 and 3. There was an air of panic and I should have been putting on my number and shoes but they were in the boot. We knew the car park at Scotlandwell would be oversubscribed so parked down the road a bit. I had forgotten the time estimates of each leg but knew Scott probably would be towards the end of this shorter leg. I nearly stopped to put on my mini-gaitors and cue up the Garmin I had borrowed, then thought better of it, jammed everything into my bumbag thinking I would sort it out at the changeover waiting for Scott, then Michael and I legged it along the road and up the steep path to the crossover point.
The descent at the end of leg 2
There was a good crowd gathered and I just had time to go for a rather public call of nature before I heard my name being shouted by Scott who had already arrived in having run a stormer of a leg. (Nothing like trying to catch Elke Schmidt (Bella) to improve your time.)(2 minutes faster than the results show, he was penalised for our tardiness!) So with no time to collect ourselves Michael and I belted shamefaced up the nearly vertical hill. There were only really 2 MUSTs for today – arrive at Falkland early to collect numbers, and more importantly be at your checkpoint to meet your team mate coming in. I had failed on both counts and it was a reminder why I prefer normal races with less responsibilities – if you stuff up, its only yourself that you let down.
On the drive over from Falkland to Scotlandwell I took these pictures.
Michael was also feeling the weight of responsibility and to compensate shot up the hill like a rat up a drainpipe. I struggled to keep up. This is the same ground covered in the Bishop Hill race so I was familiar with it and tried to shout ahead to Michael to take the zig zags. 2 reasons; the vertical direttissima was turning into a mud and leaf litter slide that gave no purchase and 2, if I continued up it at that rate I'd puke. We took the zig zags and jogged up till the ground levels off and you can think about catching your breath. I was still feeling a bit light headed though and couldn't catch up with Michael who remained 25 yards ahead following the pairs of runners through the gate and along the edge of the hill. This wasn't the route I'd recced nor was there any sign of any checkpoint around here. Everyone was heading along instead of diagonally up and I worried that we might all miss a checkpoint near the top of the hill. Would we all be disqualified? I encouraged Michael to gain height and as we met a couple of other guys I asked if they had been through any checkpoints. What I really wanted to ask was “do you know what you're doing? If so can you hold my hand and talk me through it?” but sometimes its prudent not to put all your cards on the table. Especially if you get advice or directions and then immediately overtake the correspondent. Probably not good form.
Late startNow we were on the level running along the edge of the plateau, I could just about match Michael's pace though was still foaming like a horse. I noticed the Garmin had finally spoken to some satellites and granted a signal. I was going at 92% of max heart rate which was pretty much what it showed for most of the leg. But it felt like more.
However since we hadn't seen any checkpoints I reckoned we would be disqualified and probably get dishonourable discharges from the SHR. I limped along behind, feeling rather dismal and lost. In the past we would run along the top of the plateau hop over a wall then find the checkpoint at a small cairn on top of an otherwise negligible hummock. When we recced said hummock there was a recently added top string of barbed wire which made that route less inviting.
Top of West Lomond (Image by Alan Young.)As we ran I looked behind to see if others were following or whether our gang were maybe just going it alone – the worst 10 navigators of the day. As I looked behind I got an unexpected view of a glider really close by noiselessly riding the rising air of the hill front.
After a while (during which I took the first fall of the day slipping off some really steep frosty contouring – luckily Michael didn't see this otherwise he might have been ruing partnering someone old enough to be his father,) we came to a gate. Holy Moly a checkpoint! So all these blighters did know what they were doing. I was the only fool on the hill. I had the paper and for the first time looked at it – rows of boxes with numbers from maybe 1 to 24 - then at the checkpoint: number 92. Okay there's not enough oxygen in my brain to work out this krypton factor teaser, just clip a random box. I'm pretty sure that unless we're catching the PRC helicopter off the top of West Lomond we're not in the running for a top twenty spot and I bet they're not even going to be looking at those sheets with any more scrutiny than the “kit checks.”
StrathmigloThe general feel was a swing to the right and up onto a small hummock with a cairn and well well its that checkpoint of old. I began to feel more chipper and realised those were the 2 checkpoints (the gate checkpoint to make us go round the wall and barbed wire rather than over) before the long haul over to West Lomond and we might not be disqualified after all. As we descended by now blindly following the dudes ahead (I had given up any pretence of following the route I had run on previous occasions,) my joy turned to sadness as I realised Amanda and Mary might get into trouble trying to square the recce we had done with the reality. Also the landscape up here was resembling an Arctic Tundra and you wouldn't want to stand around looking at maps for any length of time. One of the problems had been not enough detailed contour lines on the scale of the maps we were using. Another was we were crap at navigation.
Leg 3West Lomond rose directly ahead and after some vigorous heathery bog snorkling and very rough ground travel we crossed a gate and joined a track I'd actually been on before. As we hiked over the turfy icy ground and began to ascend the hill I gave the paper to Michael assuming he'd be at the top before me. I also had to stop to tie the lace the heather had untied. I made a bad overly hasty job of it with cold gloved fingers cursing that I hadn't time to put on the mini-gaiters in my bumbag before the start which would've kept the laces from catching in the heather. Those thoughts and the joys of overtaking quite a few teams going up the hill passed the time until I caught up with Michael who was trying to figure out where box 91 was on the scoresheet. I think I might have suggested it was 16 upside down but that didn't account for the previous 92. Alan Young was taking photos at the summit which was very generous as you wouldn't want to hang around long in the mild blizzard that was coating everything in white.
We left the top chasing a couple of guys in yellow shirts who led us down a very steep incline through patches of snow that were frosted on top and hurt your shins. Michael took a headlong dive, I asked was he okay and he replied “perfect,” a strange choice of word but maybe just the cold and exertion. Maybe he was enjoying it. I certainly began to feel better about things now we were heading downhill and as we got lower suddenly the ground way below became visible and the white / grey landscape turned back into colour. We shot down a very steep chute; I sat down on one foot and sledged for a bit going as fast as those taking short fast steps downhill. We dropped like stones then bore right to cross a small stream. Folk seemed to be stopping for a drink which I thought needless but as we approached it turned out they were clipping their cards. John Blair-Fish was just ahead and set off contouring quite high along the next section which is a long diagonal descent to the stile at the woods. Some drop down right away others continue along high. I was now leading and felt the best use of the height we had was to take a diagonal line dropping every now and then 50 yards then continuing along on that level. We made good progress to the stile where Michael expressed relief that the descent was over. A Fife junior asked if we had seen his teammate.
Willie setting off on leg 4This was part of the course I hadn't recced and thought it would be a gentle slope down to the changeover. Instead it went on for ages along really squelched up muddy tractor trails before at last undulating a bit then dropping down to Strathmiglo. Just before the end Willie Gibson shouted to stay left and I was thinking it wasn't that busy until I realised nearly too late that the steeply descending tarmac was slick with ice and we were going at it full tilt.
The end was in sight though we still managed to take a last couple of teams in the last few hundred yards. I passed Derek Jablonski and ribbed him a bit, glad to be handing over to Willie who was waiting for us. Also waiting to run the last leg for Musselburgh was Rachel's man who tried to induce even greater shame by suggesting Scott had been waiting 5 minutes at Scotlandwell. In fact it had been only a couple and since (once the dust settled) the team ahead of us was way more than this, we didn't even drop a place. Scott was very generous about the incident saying it turned out better than most of the scenarios he had in his head at the time.
The finish line at FalklandMichael and I jogged back round to Falkland not realising the Porty Ladies had set up a restaurant in the hall in Strathmiglo. After a bit of waiting around in deteriorating weather Janis, then Mary and Amanda returned to Falkland and the teams congratulated each other and had some excellent soup before heading home. A long day out for a short run but a good team building effort and something on which to build. Well done the girls for their inspiration and for getting the first Portobello teams into this logistically challenging event. Thanks to the marshals for being out there in that weather.
Fired up by the day Scott and Amanda came round to ours for a Bad Burns Supper – where no poetry was read, no lassies toasted, but haggis and whisky (and wine and beer) were consumed. Frankly I think the philandering drunk and evicter of field mice is overrated. Here is an example...
My love is like a red, red Ferrari Testarossa,
that's parkéd by the dunes;
My love is like a Glenmorangie
and a pint glass of McEwansNext weekend is the multi-terrain wetlands tour of
Forfar, your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Not to be missed.Report pb
Photos pb, Mary, Lynn, SHR website, Fife AC
More SHR photos
More Fife AC photos
Many thanks to both Fife AC and SHR whose websites I plundered for a lot of the excellent images on this page. Well worth a visit to see the rest of the photos.
Results here Mens team were 31st out of 111 - a good result.
