Red Moss Revolution 24/06/09
The conditions were so perfect I haven't yet found the words to go with the pictures but if any of the Porties who attended wish to fill that gap feel free....
Here is Douglas's report...
Being temporarily without a car I decided to abandon club night and take the opportunity of a local race. I was dropped off at Harlaw reservoir so I could jog the mile or so to the start at Threipmuir car park. I need a long warm-up at the best of times but when the first half-mile takes in a brutal climb and is followed by another four uphill kilometres without relief, it’s essential.
Threipmuir car park on race night is where midges go on their holidays. Like Ryanair passengers homing in on Faliraki they have two things in mind, drink and sex, in that order. The drink they want most of all is hot, sweaty, semi-naked runner’s blood and yes, the female of the species only consents to romance at short notice when she has drunk her fill.
Perfect weather and scenery straight from the Scotsman calendar attracted a record entry, so much so that late arrivals had numbers scrawled on their forearms. There was a good turnout from Porty too, following Peter’s promotion of the race on our website.
I set out from the back and pretty much stayed there until we’d followed the long sheep track up the western slope of Hare Hill, all very much like a fell race in Yorkshire. At this point it gets interesting with a fast, tussocky descent on a vague track which suddenly goes over a precipice into the Green Cleuch. I was wearing a pair of Adidas Hill shoes I’ve hardly used and the grip on the grassy descent made a huge difference. Unfortunately, on stony tracks the hard, thin soles didn’t offer much protection. But then again, nobody does hill-running for comfort. I managed to make up several places on the downhill before wading into the knee-level bog. Up a short, sharp climb on scree and then down another long, fast sheep track to the reservoir and back to the start where the midges were lining up for dessert.
This sort of terrain profile suits me, getting the hard bits over in the first half of the race, but I was feeling more lethargic than the others after the 7 hills and couldn’t catch Graham Porteous who had made a lot of ground on me going uphill although was in my sights towards the end. Peter smashed his second pb in 4 days - obviously on top form - and Lynn Morrice is clearly making her mark in the club rankings.
Lovely course, £3 entry fee and a good crowd of hearty regulars surely makes the Red Moss race a candidate for next year’s club championship. And the best thing is, Bert would have to get his shoes covered in glaur.
Report Douglas Young
Lucy was first woman
Kathleen had to race from the 44 bus up the hill to the start line.
Lucy in her new car
Lynn travelled by bike there and back.
Ian McManus on his 100th Hill Race in 3 years
Cath went a bit off course but got round eventually
2 minute pb
SHR report and results to follow here
