Heriot Watt 5k 21/03/09
Lovely Spring weather (though maybe a little too breezy) for the first 2009 PRC championship race and a good turnout for the Heriot Watt round-the-grounds 5k at the Riccarton Campus. Half tarmac, half trail run, the possibly slightly short course was compensation for the undulations on dirt trails in the second half. The ground was dry and made for reasonably fast times - a few getting pbs.
After crossing the line I ran to get the camera to catch as many PRCers as possible. However the oxygen deficit of the race left me a bit spaced and I'm hoping the best of the day's photographs are still to arrive in. If you want to record your own thoughts about the run email them in. (Newbies and First timers reports especially welcome - it doesn't have to be Shakespeare, in fact preferably not...) Well done to all who ran, particularly those who are also doing Alloa Half marathon tomorrow.
pb.
Results HERE
Some brave souls are running Alloa tomorrow.
Jacqui was past before I managed a photo - sorry Jacqui!
Mary tries to outsprint John Lennon.
Go YP
Fiona and Keith are biking 90 miles or thereabouts (on a tandem) tomorrow,
hoping for less in the way of headwinds (forecast says more) - good luck to them.
Thanks to Sharyn Ramage for taking this team photoHere are some further photos taken by Heather Anderson and a report from Sue Leonard...
After ten months with the club I have finally got around to writing my first report. So here goes. Saturday’s Round the Grounds 5km trail race at Heriot-Watt was the first club championship race of the year and my second race as a Porty vest wearing club member. There was a strong turnout from a number of clubs, including our own, to complement the sprightly young university hares hosting the event.
The sun also put in an appearance after playing hide and seek with the clouds in the torturous hour before the race when nerves were getting the better of a few of us. At last the clock struck one and we were off weaving our way through the bottleneck start where there was a little jostling and perhaps even a few cross words before we spread out and headed down the side of the centre for sport and exercise and out through the grounds. A non-race runner out for his own pleasure disconcertingly whizzed past in the opposite direction making the finish seem a long way off. It was.
As 5km is not my favourite distance, I enjoyed the distraction of changing terrain - an incline or two, a bit of road and some welcome soft ground on the trail through the trees to the end. The usual suspects (Shelagh, Richard, Peter, Gert, Mary et al) all showed me a clean pair of heels early on as I knew they would. Catching them up was never on the cards so I contented myself with overtaking unknown runners every now and then, comforting myself with the fact that I was at least going a bit faster than some others.
Fourteen minutes 20 seconds into the race, a green marker indicated that I had just two kilometres to go. Unable to think and run at the same time I stopped trying to work out how fast I had to go to meet my personal target of finishing in less than 23 minutes. I know from experience that seconds turn into minutes very quickly at the end of a race as the finish line seems to be pulled away as you approach it. For much of the last couple of kilometres, I had been swapping places with a girl half my age. On the run in, though, she just managed to sneak past me. I didn’t have the time or energy to catch her up.
I’ll have to wait to see what my final time was because, as usual, I forgot to stop my watch! It was definitely under 23 minutes, so mission accomplished. Once I had stopped for breath and some much needed water I began to wish I had pushed the girl in green a little more. Maybe next time.
Like the Lasswade 10 miler, much of the enjoyment of the race was due to the spirit of the Porty runners who shared warm ups, banter and smiles before and after the race. Heather came to give her support and take photos, since she is recovering from a reoccurrence of her knee problems and was unable to take part. She acted as bag lady, looking after sweatshirts and keys while we were out in the field and it was much appreciated. This has to be one of best value runs on the calendar. For just £2 we not only got a well marshalled, friendly event, but a bottle of water and a goody bag with jelly beans, a banana and 15% off voucher for Run 4 It into the bargain.
Report Sue Leonard
