Musselburgh Festival 6 Mile Race 30/7/05
All that early morning rain; nearly didn't bother. Memories of struggling to keep up with Bert and Ben over the turfy ground - and failing.
However Mary was up for it so we went along to support what is, after all, a local race. The course begins and ends on the race track at Musselburgh. Looking at the mud-splattered jockeys I'd say the going was soft to good.
There was a strong Portobello contingent. The pace at the start felt okay and I felt pretty good as we fell into line. Marc Thomson was back racing after a few years break but sadly a back problem forced him to retire before halfway.
The route leaves the back-straight to double round the lagoons a couple of times. A lively breeze met us head on along the coast before the shelter through the trees. And a stretch of tarmac going back to the cinder-path that runs alongside the track. Clocked miles on my watch varied wildly from a windy 6.57 at mile four, to an unlikely 5.11 for the last.
A couple of miles in and I was wondering where Gerry and Willie were. John Blair was spectating with his daughter Samantha (who has been running very well) and informed me Gerry was next in line. I continued and on the second time around John told me I was holding my lead over Gerry. With less than a mile to go I focussed on the straightest line up the gravelly path avoiding puddles and staying off the grass where possible. Rounding the corner I saw the finish and gave it everything, managing to come fourth and stay just ahead of Gerry. Behind him Willie was giving Alan Brown a lesson in sprint finishes. I know about this as he did the same to me on Wednesday evening. Shame there was no team prize.....
There was quite a gang of PRCers at the finish. Only one woman though. And if Scott's son Mark is planning on more races we'll be expecting to see him in Portobello colours.
Good medal; surreal goody bag. I like a medal, it underlines the heroic nature of knocking your pan in. The goody bag included notepad, pencil and sharpener. Have your homework ready for marking on Wednesday.
click on photos to enlarge
Peter Buchanan 35.21
Gerrard Scullion 35.36
Willie Jarvie 36.03
Mark Picksley 36.49
Stephen Maley 37.35
Graham Henry 37.41
Scott Jarvie 37.48
Moray Paterson 38.01
Ricky Fraser 38.08
Tom Watson 39.48
John Forker 43.29
Alan Aitchison 44.26
Mary Hunter 45.19Full results here
Report and photos Peter Buchanan
Donkey Brae 31/7/05Lucky I had my notepad and sharpened pencil to pass the time writing up Musselburgh on the train the next morning to Aberdour. The rail bridge was closed and a coach trip crossing the Forth turned the usual brief zip over to Fife into a somewhat longer affair. [By the way if anyone else wants to write up races don't feel it would be cramping my style. All contributions to the usual address or hand them over at club night.]
Now I'm not particularly superstitious - although every time I say that, my lucky safety pins lose some of their magic - but as I wanted to reproduce something like yesterday's form I tried to stick to exactly the same routine this morning, from input to outfit. This is, of course, the road to halfwit isla
nd, as performance is largely a reflection of training, not of specious woolgathering. Oh oh, there goes the lustre off my special pins. (The Jarvies were also racing for the second time that weekend but had forgotten to wash their running vests and ran in non-regulation sports tops tsk tsk. Scott suggested I use the magic of digital technology to photoshop in the correct vests on the photos. Mmm.) While warming up, I was a little concerned about how tired my legs felt after a day at the races. Willie reported his legs were feeling heavy as well. This was of considerable consolation.
I was deep in conversation with Mike Leiberman - back racing for the first time since Black Rock and a dodgy hamstring - when the race started. I think he said he was fine but I couldn't be sure as someone was making a racket with an air horn. This gave me the additional challenge of running round the midpackers to get towards the front before the funnel of Donkey Brae, which some folk insi
st on going down at less than full tilt. The first couple of miles were grim and I was glad when my system's pain relief programme fired up and let me chug round the pretty coastal route in only a mildly uncomfortable haze. There seemed to be a random amount of mile markers out, leading you to believe you were maybe having a very bad patch, before realising you've gone 2 miles since the last one.
Up the steep but short brae of the title, round 2 sides of the grassy field and straight into the beer tent for re-hydration. The second medal of the weekend and a good day in the sunshine; but I need another weekend off to recover from this one.
Report and photos Peter Buchanan
Full results here
