Gypsy Glen Hill Race 19/05/10
Tony gave Alex and myself a lift down to Peebles on what turned out to be a delightful balmy May evening. Almost a little too warm to be running up 330m and back but I'd heard a few folk were going and thought I should give this one a try. Tony had described it as a gentle climb and runnable all the way to the top. And it pretty much is, with a nice path all the way up and down although there wasn't much in the way of gentle about the pace.
Alex likes to get to a venue hours before the organisers so Tony was winding him up as we arrived in plenty time to get registered and with about 20 mins to spare to warm up. I puffed around the fields a couple of times feeling a bit sluggish. Although a modest turn out of 70 this was a record number of runners.
We started off in a field next to where the Beltane 10k starts and headed out the playing fields and across the river. Through some more playing fields by the tennis courts (where we would be finishing) and up a couple of roads.
I was feeling okay. Gareth eased past about this point. We were amongst the first 5, though as the hills became steeper I began to drop back through the field. As tarmac became dirt path Gareth moved up to second place. Tony had said the route was all runnable and I tried to remember this as my legs and lungs began to burn. A couple of Carnethies went past and then Graeme Fletcher of Corstorphine who ran a bit ahead then hilariously stopped like he was throwing in the towel, surprised to find a hill in the middle of a hill race. Quite right; what foolishness to be trying to run up a steep grassy path on a warm Wednesday evening. He continued but perhaps with a measure of caution.
Gareth storms towards the finish line.I had read the climb was 330m and imagined this to be about Arthurs Seat size. Wrong! The difference is 80m and it felt much more. And there were several blind summits – I would be thinking 'at last the top' then turn a corner to see yet more. At least the going underfoot was fairly pleasant. There was someone just behind keeping my focus, as the large gap in front I intended to fill as soon as we crested the summit. And with the trail being narrow single track I thought it best to stay ahead of the guy on my shoulder. It took some doing though. The third summit turned out to be the top and it was with great relief that I flopped over and down the path to the far point of the route where we turned to the left and looped below the summit. The ground here was a bit rocky and the least good running of the night before we turned and the trail became broad and smooth.
The footsteps of the next guy died away into the background and I began to recover from the climb as I lengthened my stride and let gravity do its thing. I noticed my time at the turn was 22.45. The harsh up and fast down now combined to give me the beginning of a stitch and I wondered if I had been in too much of a hurry to speed up. I realised my breathing was all over the place as some of the downhills became increasingly vertical. I saw the next guy way ahead but thought he was too distant to catch over such a short race. (13 minutes back down to the finish.) I also saw Tony just ahead of rival Ian on their way up and said 'well done's to the back markers. (Warm evening for learning to hill race.)
First lady Susan Ridley, Graeme Fletcher and Kate JenkinsI tried to stay smooth over the downhill although I was going so fast I nearly missed a bridge over a stream. The Moorfoot just ahead now looked within reasonable distance so I gave it some welly as we rejoined the tarmac thinking this was pretty much the last few hundred yards and he may not like being overtaken so close to the line. I had forgotten there was about a mile left and didn't much enjoy trying to hold onto that sprint down the street, round the corner, up a hill, down to the right and across the playing field to where Toby was taking pictures. He had cycled down with Lynn but was only spectating so I gave him the camera to record things. Top marks to Lynn who had opted to cycle and run. (Bottom marks to Jacqui who had opted for neither!)
Alex enjoying a lovely run.So much for a gentle run – I crossed the line wrung out and gasping, only 1min 20s behind Gareth who had held onto 2nd place. Another great performance from him.
I had been wondering if the overtaken Moorfoot was over 40 and if this mattered. Yes and yes, since at the prize giving I got 3rd o/40. Nice of them to go that far down the numbers, though 1st overall was also in my age group. Earlier in the evening I was mildly disappointed to note the entry had changed from £2 to £5 however the R&Become voucher for a fiver effectively bought me a free entry.
I was very damp and getting cold and fly-covered so (with apologies) went for a shower before Tony finished. A very pleasant course though a pity it was the same night as Kinnoull Hill Race. If I have to make a choice next year my preference would be Kinnoull as after 11 minutes climbing there, you are at the highest point and then spend the rest of the race undulating and zooming around the course, whereas the 22 mins of climbing in Gypsy Glen favours those who do better on the uphill.
Highly recommended though, and thanks to Tony for the lift there and back.
Report pb
Photos Toby Durant
Results here
Lynn: bikey runny superstar!
The warm evening brought out swarms of flies.
