Harris Half Marathon 7/07/07 (Heb 5)
The teamThe Heb 3 ended this weekend with the final race on Harris. I was fairly nervous about this one as I was on target for a series prize if I could manage a decent performance. “Wee buns”, I hear everyone chant, but I’ve never run two half marathons in seven days before and was worried the old legs might go on strike. Also, there was word of a terrible four-mile hill, far worse than the likes of Barra last weekend.
Portyland
A strong PRC team turned up again and Porty Land swelled in numbers to welcome two new members. Seasoned Heb-3 runner, Richard ‘Hotel’ Dennis left the butler at home for a weekend under canvas and Scott Ferguson was persuaded (in exchange for a marathon from me) to try an island race. Home for the weekend was Uig campsite on Skye, from where we took the ferry to Tarbet for the day.
Rumours were rife onboard that the leading Heb-3 lady, Elaine Phipps (Forres) was ill and possibly not running – we’d seen her the night before in not too great shape. Unfortunately this meant even more pressure – maybe I could actually catch her six-minute lead. Cue another trip to the ladies.
Chimps tea partyAfter registration we had a while to warm up / support the local economy by shopping / visit the ladies / worry, before jumping on the coaches which ferried us to the start line. The scenery in this part of the world is quite simply stunning and the weather was playing ball for once so it promised to be a good race. I scrutinised the hill as we drove over and down it, identifying where I could recover and more importantly where the actual summit lay. Maybe this wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
The buses abandoned us at 13.1 miles down the West coast and before we knew it we were off after them at a slick pace. Julia Henderson was hot favourite to win the ladies race and did not delay in getting out front - a very impressive performance. I meanwhile got stuck in a game of tag with Elaine for second place. Groan. I could tell that I was stronger on the uphill but I just couldn’t shake her off on the flat. Oh well, I comforted myself. There’s four miles of BIG hill coming, surely she won’t manage that and then I just have to hang on for the last few miles.
Sure enough, I pulled away on the hill and was delighted to get to the summit at mile nine in second place and still on course for 1:30. This is where things started to fall apart. Yes, I’d reached the top but it wasn’t quite downhill that I was experiencing. I couldn’t see anything that resembled the finish either. I realise now I had spent far too much time analysing the hill. This was not a nine mile race. Four miles, is still quite a distance and there were a few undulations to come.
By mile 11 I was really hurting and feeling very far from home. Elaine had run a tremendous race despite her illness and overtook me. I take my hat off to her. But worse was still to come. An HBT lady came thundering past CHATTING to her running partner. Boy, I really hate the psychological element of racing. The last mile has to be the hardest mile I’ve run so far (although I’m not sure it was technically running that I was doing – more of a stagger). Unfortunately, that mile lasted about nine minutes. Bang went 1:30.
All in all, once I’d recovered with a post-race swim and had some food, I felt a bit more philosophical about the whole thing. I think this was a really important race for me. You can’t expect to get better without pushing yourself and inevitably that means making mistakes. Training is great. Reading running books and talking with other runners help too. But some lessons have to be learnt the hard way. For what it’s worth, here’s my key learning points from Harris (I’ll be referring to them next year)
Just because you’ve reached the top of the hill, doesn’t mean the race is over – four miles downhill does not mean it’s in the bag.
In a similar vein, don’t overanalyse one part of a race. There are 13.1 miles in a half marathon and there’s no getting away from that.
I need to do more endurance & hill training.
Take the pins out of your new racing vest before shoving it to the bottom of your rucksack. Rust stains are tough to remove.
Well done everyone else on an excellent performance on Harris. The men had a tough race for the Heb 3 team prize. They had gone into Harris over 2 minutes down on Forres but stormed home to secure third, fourth and fifth place and with it the overall team prize. Ben held onto to his second place in the series and Mary secured third in her age category.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed competing in the Heb 3 and am well smitten. Time now though to deliver on my bargain with Scott. Loch Ness, here I come.
Report Amanda Henderson
Julia managed to encourage fellow Helensburgh Babes along who ran off with the team prize.
Julia was first lady.
Richard christens his new shirt
Mary and Richard with Portobello Fan Club cyclist.Peter's Report
Top marks to Mary for driving the 550 miles there and back without incident. We took the Glencoe route because although slower, it is spectacular, and the A9 isn't.
Glencoe
I had been dreading this race; last 2 years I found the hill very hard going and had no reason to suspect otherwise this time. Ben was full of the usual positive vibes but after a hard week's work and too little sleep I was really just looking to the finish and hoping I wouldn't ruin our team's chances. Forres were a couple of minutes ahead in the series but had been busy self-harming at other major events. Toby and Elaine were just back from the Comrades and Graeme had twisted his ankle at the Highland Cross. Ben and I had figured that our success or otherwise lay with Graeme and how well his recovery went. 2 years ago Graeme ran with me to the hill then sped away leaving me standing. If he was on form this year then they could hold on to their lead. Jim Bruce came to our table to remind us of this on the ferry crossing - just in case we were thinking of not giving it 100%.
Glengarry
Rannoch MoorThe crossing was smooth and we had a second breakfast - trying to keep stoked but not too heavy for the start at 1pm. All too soon we were set off and I quickly forgot my worries; getting stuck into the first few undulating sub6 miles. Ray from HBT took the lead from the word go leaving Ben and Toby to battle for second and a group of three of us following behind. Jon Rathjen (also HBT), Graeme from Forres and myself. Graeme asked Jon where Ivor was - Ivor ran strongly at Barra the week before but tends to come through later on after the hills take their toll. I anticipated seeing him on the big hill, and possibly Willie and many others. Jon replied he wasn't sure but felt we were going into nosebleed territory. I hoped Willie was doing fine - I had the feeling he slept little more than 30 minutes per night while camping. But he never complained and seemed to be enjoying his first Heb3 experience.
We belted along the road following the amazing beaches and to my surprise the wind turned out to be to our backs as we began the hill at mile 5. We crossed a cattle grid with the water station on the far side this year (an improvement) and as we began to climb I said to Graeme (who looked to be running with no sign of injury) “well this is where we part company.” I expected him to pull away and with him, the team prize. He replied “On you go” and I was dumb struck as he fell back almost immediately. Obviously he was well off form and in pain. We had been going right at the top of my pace and I knew he'd be feeling gutted at having to concede the race.
Richard upgraded from Hotelling to Camping this trip.I carried on and tried to keep shoulder to shoulder with Jon who was powering up the hill. There was nothing between us but I was realising something wonderful. Without the wind cooling the wet vest on my front I was able to run this monster hill rather than crawl up it being overtaken by everyone. It probably helped that we have been doing loads of hills big and small recently, but I began to feel like I could do this race. I began to feel ....like Ben!
We could still see Ben up ahead - a sure sign he was not back to full fitness, but at the same time he was running beside Toby which takes some doing. Toby's bid for the Heb3 was never really in danger this year; especially with Ben below par.
I noticed all of the mile markers and lots more of the scenery this year; a sure sign I was having a much better time than either of the last 2 years. (Curiously though I was 20 secs slower than last year.) I had taken note on the coach to the start, of all the key points of the race - the last ascent to the summit through a channel of rock etc. and tried to kick away from Jon towards the top. He stuck with me for such a long way and I began to think of the week previous doing a very similar dance with Ivor round Barra. On that occasion the headwind had done me in and Ivor had gone cavorting down the last hill away from me, his asymmetric arm movements taking him off to the finish line and a well won first vet prize. This week though the wind was more favourable and as we ran over the top then down the first of many steep hills back to sea-level I felt a few yards open up and I moved into a definite lead. It wasn't over yet though and I could hear his footsteps right behind.
Just as we came past the 3 miles to go marker we had to run past 2 runners and a lady cyclist. I shouted a hearty hello to them loud enough for Jon to hear. I did my best to make it sound untroubled; as if I was just out for a stroll and lifting my hat to fellow road users. In reality I could barely catch my breath but I think it worked as I didn't see quite so much of Jon after that. The ladies had started the course an hour early, concerned they would take too long if starting with the rest of us. They needn't have worried - although it's a daunting course they finished in a respectable time. We met up later.
Meanwhile my heart was singing and I was fairly sure I could hold fourth place to the line. I tried to keep the pace strong and nearly enjoyed zooming down the hills and round the final corner to the road that comes down the side of Tarbert and onto the last flat 200 yards to the finish at the sports centre. I was just beginning to feel uncatchable when Willie flew past. That was the first time I had seen him since the start and he was going so fast he left me standing. Any grief about losing first vet was replaced by hope for the team prize. Ivor had also been creeping up the field and been similarly impressed by Willie's finish. Willie said he had got mixed up about mile markers and started his finish line dash a couple of miles from home. Once started he felt compelled to continue and somehow did a hundred yard dash for 2 miles. What a man - and what a finish to his Heb3.
So it all turned out well - in fact really well. We had a bigger than ever team and many of the prizes came our way. Amanda sadly dropped from 2nd to 4th in the closing stages of the race but over the Heb3 series came second lady overall, something she omitted from her report. Mary came in faster than the woman who was given 3rd vet but didn't receive the cup. She did however win 3rd vet in the Heb3 (Not bad considering we were in the US for the first 2 races.) Ben triumphed over injury and kept Toby working right up to the last hill. Ben got 3rd for Harris and 2nd for the Heb3. Willie took 1st vet for Harris and I got 2nd vet as well as 3rd vet for the Heb3. As a team Ben, Willie and I won 24 cans of lager for the Harris Half managing to beat a strong HBT team, and also won the Heb3 team prize of a shield and £200. Congratulations to Toby and Elaine who won the individual Heb3s.
Willie "never touch a drop" Jarvie
This year as well as excellent tech t-shirts all Heb3ers were given beergoggles I mean sunglasses.Then it was off to the pub to celebrate where we bumped into the hour-early ladies from the course. It turns out they are fans of the PRC website and knew our names - they had been checking out the past reports of Heb3s as they are slowly working their way round the various halfs, doing one a year. This year it was Harris. They seemed full of fun and modestly turned down our invitation to come along on a Wednesday night to training sessions. Very nice to see you ladies and if you want to send in your own report and/or photos we can include it here.
Many beers were drunk. Some of the winning lagers even made it back to the campsite. There was a ceilidh on the boat and Mary's camera on “party mode” captured the atmosphere nicely. It was a dry night so we were able to sit round the picnic table in the campsite where we opened champagne and wine and made far too much noise. The gallant losers Forres joined us and we sat about talking nonsense for ages.
Jim Bruce sports this years t-shirt
Davie Hearn - Buckfast and sea-swims at 68.
Another Heb3 over. Big thanks to Jim Bruce who oversees the events, and all the organisers of the individual races.The smaller scale of the events makes for a warmth and camaraderie that offsets the slightly more arduous travel arrangements. The post race food and facilities outshine most of the mainland races and the welcome and friendliness of the organisers, as well as the generous prizes is outstanding. Highly recommended. We will be back.
Report Peter Buchanan
Once you pop you can't stop.
"Mrs Ben's" eyes popping out her hat
Hey dudes its darkPhotos pb, Mary, Amanda, Alison
Results for Harris and Heb3 here
Latest: There is a report on the Forres website here (see "What's New" then a few stories down the page.) They are particularly kind about us! Here is the majority of it... Seven members of the Western Chapter travelled out to Harris for the final race in the Hebridean Series of Half Marathons. The weather was overcast and a little blustery, but stayed mostly dry and a pleasant temperature for the race. Toby Laver (who was leading the Men's Series) did what was needed, matching closest rival Ben Kemp (Portobello) round the first 11 miles, and then pulling away on the final climb to finish ahead of his nearest challenger in the Series and finishing 2nd in the race.
Elaine Phipps who was still recovering from The Comrades, was very doubtful about the race, setting off half expecting not to finish, eventually crossed the finish line in 3rd place in 1:31, literally staggering across the line before being helped away. This was enough for her to clinch the Women's Series ahead of Portobello's Amanda Henderson, by around 7 minutes.
The Harriers missed out on the overall team prize, to Portobello (also last year's team winners), who won deservedly at the end, with a blinding team effort at Harris. The Harriers team went into the final race with a 2:28 lead in the team competition, but with Toby and Elaine still recovering from Comrades and both Graeme and Adrian carrying injuries, they were always going to struggle and were well beaten in the end.
Portobello have been a really decent bunch all through the series both last year and this and the friendly rivalry that has built up between the two clubs has added a lot to the enjoyment of the races, (to the extent that a lot of the Harriers ended up camping with them at Uig assisting them drink their winnings on Saturday evening).Also just in are some photos from Andrew Henderson. I don't know if I really needed to be reminded of Willie cruising past in such detail but there you go....
Thanks Andrew for these images. Rumour has it that after 7 years of unsuccessful cajoling from Julia, PRC and Helensburgh, Andrew has finally done something of a u-turn and started running. Sadly this may mean fewer great action photos on this website.
