Summer Summary (Winter drawers on.)
With the light disappearing earlier and Wednesday evening sessions moving back to the Bowling Club on the Prom I guess that's the Summer over.
Just a couple of weeks ago Mary and I were splashing about in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean having been running in 90' heat earlier in the day. We had a brilliant holiday in Portland, Maine, visiting our friends of the Trail Monster Running club, but I've been so busy since returning I haven't had the time to write up the couple of events we competed in over there.
We timed our trip to coincide with the Bradbury Mountain Breaker a nine mile hilly trail run through the trees and over a variety of surfaces round Bradbury Mountain, a hill similar in proportion to Arthur's Seat, near Portland. The race was one of a series organised with great skill by Ian with whom we were staying, so we were out on the course the day after we arrived pegging out markers in preparation for the race the following day.
Steep hills in 90' heat. (No pressure, seeing the number Ian gave me.)Next day and up sharpish to get everything prepared so that the race could be started early to beat the worst of the hot weather. It was still approaching 90' by the time we kicked off, though happily most of the route was in the shade of the trees. The course went round the hill and back with three climbs per lap and 2 laps. I was towards the front of the race at the off and pretty much stayed in second place after the initial flurry. I really enjoyed the first lap though I thought I could maybe hear the guy behind (last year's winner) occasionally, which gave me some focus. I couldn't see anything of the young lad up ahead. There was good support round the constantly undulating trails and having seen the course the day before, knew when the worst of the difficult ground was coming. I was wearing an ankle support to protect the sprain from the week previous at Largo Law, hoping not to make it worse. Second lap was tough. I managed round okay though maybe held back a fraction on the last steep and fast descent – after taking a look to see if there was anybody close by. I crossed the line in 70 minutes in second place, a minute ahead of the number 3. Mary was second in her age group.
After the prize giving we went to a cottage that has been in Ian's family since it was built, at Sunset Point, and had a Barbecue with beers and swam in the sea. It was totally brilliant.
Just a brilliant venue for the post race beers - 20 yards from the sea.
The Trail Monsters have a weekly meet on Tuesday evenings at Twin Brook recreation grounds running the trails round the extremities of the playing fields then doing a barefoot warm down afterwards on the grass. Again the sun was shining and the trails were drier than they had been all season: the wet early Summer caused great amounts of mud and swamp before. It looked again like we had chosen just the right time for our trip. A great session left us feeling limber for the weekly Back Cove 5k the following day.
Start of the 5k; although I moved up to 2nd for the first mile I finished about where I am here.
Mary also ran a comparatively slow time but she wasn't taking prisoners here at the finish.Much like the Parkruns in Glasgow and soon to be established here (see link off front page), Portland has a weekly Wednesday 5k race throughout the Summer months round Back Cove: a running specific dusty dirt path round a sheltered bay, with markers every quarter mile and drinking fountains, which is constantly used by joggers and dog walkers. It is flat with only a slight rise over the bridge (at mile 2) at the neck of the bay; but the heat and low traction path made for slowish times. It was 88 degrees when we started at 7pm. Also we still had the race in our legs from Sunday. Enough excuses. I started at the front and kept in touch with the front runner for a while. The first mile was okay but about mile 2, maybe sooner, I was passed by a series of well tanned young dudes with shirts off managing to cope with the heat better than myself. By this time my mouth was dust dry and I was soaked in sweat. Mile 2 was very hard and hot and I settled into a slower pace hoping not to drop any further than 5th. I could still see the 4 ahead but I was gasping and could feel my heart pounding in the heat. Up over the bridge which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be then along to the finish. No heroics just chugged over the line in 18.31, in 5th place possibly a pw. I kept returning to the water barrels and must have drunk several pints before jogging across town to Ian and Emma's.
Our excellent hosts also took us on a couple of terrific trail runs in the following days, one through a very jungly route partly used by snowmobilers in the winter and the other a state park that took us up a couple of hills with glorious views out across lakes, to a hill completely covered in very tasty blueberries. With the weather so idyllic we had a splendid holiday and look forward to visiting again.
Cameron Mountain - a smallish hill entirely covered in blueberries.
After a few hours running we flopped into the warm lake.When I got back every spare moment for the next 2 weeks was spent making the video and processing the photos taken over there. As well as thinking about marathon training. We had been neglecting the calendar (Loch Ness on 4th October) and were now concerned about the number of long runs we could fit in before October. So much so that when the Ben Nevis race looked like being a wash out (it was very wet – very well done to Bernie Devoy who nevertheless still managed 1.56) we decided to get a long run in here rather than lose another weekend to a damp slither up and down the big hill. One of Mary's less enjoyable training plans was to run round Arthur's Seat until fatigue and darkness drove us home. Due to work considerations this started at 7pm and by 9 we were running in the dark with aching legs and tired souls. We ran independently and I was anticipating lapping Mary about 6th time round. However possibly due to a chill wind necessitating a couple of toilet stops I ran 6 laps without seeing Mary. (Last 2 or 3 in the dark with just the fireworks of the tattoo for company and illumination.) She had called a halt to it after lap 5 but arrived home only a minute before myself. If memory serves I think Andrew Jeske holds the record for most loops in one (mad) go. Was it really 8?
Just heard from Gerry S. - in an email bringing us up to date with his exploits he was saying that after a pretty good run at a damp Glasgow Half – 1.20.59 – he took the Bellahouston Club vet championship (5th overall). This is no mean feat as they have a very strong club. Well done Gerry and good to see an ex Porty shining at Bella. (I've just put a photo of him beside that report.)
Another interesting weekend for Scott Ferguson as he races the 44 mile Ayr riverside ultra today, then (I think) a 10 miler carrying a ridiculously heavy Bergen over some army assault course tomorrow. Don't think Monday will be his best ever day at work. If he lasts that long.
And so into the Autumn. Low sun, long shadows, orange leaves on the trees and a crisp chill in the air. Good running weather. Remember to return to the Bowling Club on the 23rd where Gordon will no doubt have us run round that blessed golf course and Bert will be racing the troops up and down the Prom. I'm looking forwards to it already.
Report and photos pb
Also race pics thanks to David Colby Young
Film here
Emma, Mary and Ian
I didn't wear long trousers for the whole holiday.
Good to see so much of the sun over there.
