7 Hills Race and Challenge 18/6/06
It was a good race for seeing other Porties this year, - though they didn't all look so pleased to be seeing me! Who would have thought, 5 miles into the race I would hear a loud sigh behind me and strangely I KNEW that this was the sigh of Karen Young. Apparently she'd followed Jim Buick off Corstorphine hill and ended up somewhere far-flung. Then Jim Buick passed me - and then a bit down the road he passed me again! What was this man doing? Perhaps a decoy for City of Edinburgh?
At Craiglockhart Hill (East), to my surprise, at the top of the hill were Gillian McKelvie and Scott Jarvie. Two more Porties I wouldn't expect to see after the first 5 minutes of a race until the end...I think Gillian also had trouble coming off Corstorphine Hill and ended up at Queen Margaret's College.
At Blackford Hill I turned a corner and saw a whole flock of Porties - or a swarm - I'm not sure of the collective. I'd caught up with some of the challengers at last. Jim Buick (yes he'd re-emerged from somewhere) asked me if we were going to have an AGM.
I must say I'm rather cynical about some of the “short-cuts” people were taking. I'd see people dive up lanes and into the undergrowth only to see them emerge a while later - either not far up ahead of me or even re-passing me. I was being rather staid - sticking to paths I knew with no acrobatics, even if I had to go a little further and it was working out okay. My first 10 miles ( roughly between Braid Hills and Blackford Hill) went well in just over 1hrs 30 mins. For me, averaging 9 min/miles on such a hilly course seemed pretty good. After this my feet, toes and achilles tendons started up a continual rumble of complaint and that slowed me down. Its hard to run when you don't want your feet to touch the ground.
A slightly stupid ( in retrospect) route off Arthur's seat might have cost me a couple of minutes but over all I was pretty happy with this year's race. Better than last year! The rhubarb tart was delicious. Karen Young was still 3rd lady despite putting in a few extra miles. Never mind Karen it shows you're in great form.
It was nice to do a quicker time than Richard Dennis as he has been making a habit of beating me lately.
Apparently Douglas Young did an exciting vault over the barbed wire at Pollock Halls, followed by a long drop and a commando roll, finally emerging unscathed and continuing. Maybe I have been being too staid. I noticed towards the top of Arthur's seat that there was a rather exposed bit of slippery scrambling and for a few minutes the fear of slipping down the hill drowned out the pain in my feet. Maybe the short-cuts are just a useful distraction. Maybe next year it's the super-heroes route!
Report Mary Hunter
Serious faces at the challenge start.
A reflective tale – from the Coach
Firstly, I was extremely pleased to see so many PRC tops lined up at the start of the Race and Challenge (well I assumed that a good number of PRC tops started the Race because many passed me on the way to the finish). As a super-vet (so it said on the entry form), I felt more like a vet with less of the ‘super’ more like ‘stupor’ particularly at the finish which throughout the race kept getting further and further away. At the start I was heartened to have the comradeship of many PRC members th
at quickly reduced to John (Forker) and me – a mere 100 years plus of prime running stock however if we were cattle we would be converted to lean ‘mince’ – this would be very apt for our combined style of running.
Calton Hill to the Castle Esplanade approximately 1 mile and Hill no. 1, was a doddle, then the long drag to Corstorphine Hill some 2.6 miles to the West which always seems longer, maybe it’s the incline on Ravelston Dykes Lane section to the Hill that makes it seem longer. Anyway I thought I was safe and followed a 60 plus year old women along the Dykes Road. As she moved further away, gaining speed with every stride, I reassessed my options, lets face it what options, just stay with the programme and get to Hill no 2.
On the descent from Corstorphine Hill I again followed two female runners, the last time I did that was 2003 and ended up running through a bank of nettles which produced some loud swearing to the dismay of Sunday walkers. After successfully negotiating, St John’s Road and the Forestry Commission Lane it was time to traverse back some 3.5 miles to Craiglockhart, Hill no 3.
After reaching the top it was time for a well earned drink. Looking south-East was the Braids, Hill no. 4 some 1.5 miles distant - it was time to run. (well in my condition, run was very optimistic) On entering the Bridle Path at the Braids I was overtaken by the front three true runners of the Race, who eventually took the first three places. (they seemed to be on a down-hill section, while I was evidently on an up-hill section) This section felt steeper than last week’s training run, anyway with a little determination and a lot of perspiration (I know it’s not original) I managed to reach the Trig-point. From that viewpoint if I had the inclination or the desire I would have marvelled the sights of Edinburgh and beyond, instead I took a deep breath and ventured North to Blackford, Hill no. 5 one mile distant.
While traversing the Golf Course I teamed up with a co-runner and started the descent through the gorse towards the Hermitage. I again knew my place and let the real Race runners through at which point I thought I would out-do them and preceded to somersault into the Gorse. This caused a little consternation from my fellow runner, however after he realised I was uninjured (only my pride) he began to jest at my expense. This was not contained solely to the runners but the water station helpers gave me a ‘style-score’ out of ten, most embarrassing. The less said about the drop-down to the Braid Burn and rise the better – suffice to say it was a messy business - bloody dogs. The Council in their wisdom thought that it was a good idea to reconfigure the grass hill into steps and drag the ‘Giant Causeway’ to Corbie Craig (part of Blackford Hill) - well that’s what I named it, as I ascended.
At the top of Blackford I had this nagging feeling that something was on my mind, something big, slippery, and dangerous ah yes it was Arthur’s Seat some 2.5 miles North/East, Hill no. 6 – the Master. (well I spelt it and said it differently in my head). By this time my knee was saying, ‘hello are you not finished yet?’ The route to Arthur’s Seat was uneventful until Graeme striding past gave me good moral support which reinvigorated me to grin and bear it. On entering the Park ‘Mount Fuji’ appeared through the rain where a ‘snake’ of competitors laced the hill from top to bottom. This is what it’s all about getting to the top. After dragging, sliding and kneeing the rain soaked rocks into submission I finally reached the top and pondered for a short time on how best to descend without head butting the rocks on my way down. Reaching the bottom, approximately half a mile, I crossed Queen’s Drive and was heartened to see other travellers in the same condition I was, until I realised it was the walkers on the Great Scottish Walk.
Not far to go now, just half a mile tops, however it could have been a half marathon the condition I was in - I just wanted to finish. Just at the entrance to Calton Hill off Regent Road, on the incline the dulcet tones of Jim Scott were heard. We exchange a few words and compared blood and dirt samples until Jim decided to sprint to the finish. I, after a great deal of thought decided to do likewise and so in my mind I sprinted like Seb Coe, but in reality it was a medium to fast walk.
From the steps at the finish to the tent I really appreciated the support from fellow competitors and club members which in a strange way made the pain for that moment disappear and made it all worthwhile giving me renewed impetus for running – thanks to all.
Enough of that, and congratulation to all who took part - the club was well represented both in the Race and Challenge. Remember the Race is a challenge and the Challenge is a race.
Report Gordon MacKenzie
Werner's legs; the result of several short cuts
Third lady (and furthest travelled)
Rab wins a towel for running the 7 Hills just a week after the marathon.Photos Peter Buchanan, Fiona Mayfield
Results here
