Dollar Hill Race 31/07/10
Johnny, Michael G, Michael N, Tony, (+ Carnegie)Tony again gave myself and family a lift to the race, there we met Michael G and Johny L from the club. We all had a chat before the race started and had some good banter going.
So the race set off with a very fast pace, Michael G and Johnny L just disappeared and it turned out they had great results. I thought the first climb was complete murder and then I thought my god this cannot get any worse. So I was right the others were alot easier. I really enjoyed this race, but one thing I know is that my climbing needs to improve in a big way as descending is no problem.
There will be more hill races for me such as two breweries, manor hill, pentland skyline etc this year. All I can do is learn from every race and in the mean time train in the Pentlands and do road races also. There's no dought about it that hill racing is hard as hell, but I really enjoy it and it gives me satisfaction. After I quit triathlons this year, I thought maybe nothing will give me the same satisfaction as finishing a triathlon, I was wrong hill racing gives me plenty satisfaction and the desire to improve.
Also a massive well done to Michael G, Johny L and Tony in their race.
Report and photos Michael Nowicki
This report from the other Michael...
Ran the Dollar Hill Race last Saturday. I have to say this race probably goes down in my top 3 ever, not in terms of performance, but simply because it was just a top race. The race is run over the Ochils with the first miles at a pretty severe gradient and the rest of the race providing a real war of attrition.
This year was a British championship race, so the calibre of runner was above average, and as a result the start was a pretty full-on affair, with congestion a major issue at the start. However once you’re out of the woods (literally), there’s no place to hide as the ascent to hill 1 (Saddle Hill) is a killer. By this point Johnny was well past me and at the top the racing really got underway, the next 45 minutes or so was spent exchanging places with such well known celebrities as ‘girl from English club’ and ‘guy who was at Turnhouse….or was it the Parkrun’, but I had a great time being overtaken before reasserting myself (usually on the climbs) and then being overtaken again. The weather was fairly overcast but very runable.
As the race followed its looped course, we headed for home and it was easy for the mind to wander, but it was important not to forget there was a descent to come so as I focused on the unenviable task of throwing myself down a mountain I was confronted by another, fairly substantial, ascent. This threw me a little as obviously consulting a map prior to running a hill race was a step too far for this organisationally challenged runner, but as soon as I reached the top and began the final descent, a whole procession of runners who’d obviously been hiding behind me the entire race thought now was the point to show themselves. The descent didn’t go too badly though, as I managed to keep a couple of runners from getting too far ahead, did pass one runner who’d obviously hurt himself, a genuinely unenviable position to be in.
Eventually we got back to the woods and it became obvious the end was near, the last 500m or so was tarmac before crossing the finish at Dollar academy, did get overtaken with the finish in sight which wasn’t ideal but I’ll live to fight another day.
Annoyingly I had to exit Dollar very quickly in order to get back to Edinburgh and work with a world of people who are unsympathetic to the demands of hill running. This was most disappointing because there did seem to be a large variety of cakes and buns on display which I’m sure I could have helped dismantle.
Happy enough with my performance though (1.31, 19 minutes behind the winner), especially considering the quality of field. I can rarely remember a race I enjoyed so much from start to finish.
This really is a phenomenally good race. An hour and a half of running in the mountains is a fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Superbly organised, I really couldn’t fault it. Really big thanks go to the marshals on each of the hills, and all the people who helped out. Next up for me will either be the Haddington half or the Lomonds of Fife hill race, life is full of difficult choices! Congratulations to all who took part, especially Johnny, Michael and Tony who made up the Portobello representation on the day.
Report Michael Geoghegan
SHR report and results
Porty Young Guns!
