Kinnoull Hill Race 20/05/09
Having done this Wednesday night special last year I was very keen to do it again this time, however Mary wanted to keep her reserves for Stornoway and so I had, once more, to resort to Public Transport. As I was paying for my ticket I asked about bus times back from Perth. I was told the last bus back left the station at 8.10pm. The race start was 7.30pm.
The journey there was extended by the traffic snarl ups between Barnton and the Forth Bridge but I eventually jumped off the bus 6.45 and jogged across the river to Kinnoull Primary School in plenty time to register (ONLY £2!) then change and jog along to the start line. I kept my eyes peeled for Edinburgh folk – likely candidates for blagging a lift home. Although there were a few Carnethy vests there was nobody I felt I could approach with the offer of my company for the return journey.
As I was warming up I got in tow with Martin Laing and we did a few strides and shared a joke or 2 about Kinnoull Hill being a preferred spot for jumpers wishing to end it all.
Lots of red and white tape keeping runners on course.The gun went and Martin made a comment about someone's shoes making a tapping on the tarmac. I suggested they weren't spikes but tap shoes. Then there was a dash to get onto the narrow path that climbs – at times brutally – for 11 minutes or more to the top of the hill. I tried to gut it out and keep jogging without looking at my watch to see how much we had left. As we crested the hill Martin went past but I caught him as I began to get my breathing under control. We ran together for a few undulations and although I managed to pull away he was never more than a few yards behind.
The course is great fun – once the first climb is dealt with you cruise around the hill, mostly descending with an occasional ascent, crossing the route you came up, doing what felt like figure of eights in and out the sun dappled trees. Very pleasant weather – a warm sunny evening. Some races seem blessed by decent weather others always rainy or cold. There was a yellow (central?) vest ahead which I tried to catch up with getting to within 15 yards at times, and there was Martin behind who would have pounced if I had slowed up, but over the rest of the race I didn't change any places.
I was pleased to see David from Roadrunpics in the woods towards the top of the first ascent taking photos as it was a great evening for it, but also because I had forgotten my camera. I took half a second to enjoy the view from the top up the A/M 90.
As I was closing in on the yellow vest I recognised the exit out the woods, off the dirt hard pack and onto gravel then tarmac for the 100 yards sprint to the line. I looked at my watch and was disappointed to notice I was slower by a few seconds than last year – perhaps the cautious travel over the soft ground on a couple of steep sections, who knows. Anyway it was a reasonable performance and there weren't too many runners ahead catching their breath at the finish line when I crossed. I didn't have the luxury of hanging around though and after a couple of words to Martin who appeared immediately behind (and thankfully didn't find the wherewithal for a challenge to the line,) I grabbed my daysack from the finish line and set off at a good pace towards the bus station. It was maybe a bit over a mile away and I arrived at the stance at 8.07pm climbing aboard in shorts and vest with my number still on. But without any fluids until I got home after a very circuitous route round way too many small towns in Fife. Ran down the road at 9.45 in pelting rain getting home just in time to see Alan Sugar jab his blunt finger and say “yoofiaahed.”
Report pb
Photos Roadrunpics, thanks David.
Results here
Perfect running.
