EDCC Stirling 17/10/09
Douglas's report first...
The club championship moved on to Stirling last weekend with the East District Cross Country event. In the rather gallant, old-fashioned way of cross-country, the ladies run with junior boys while strong, sweaty men run an extra lap, on this occasion adding up to 9K instead of 6. Also, the ladies run an hour earlier so they can get back and make their man’s tea, as is only proper.
So it was that four Porty ladies arrived on the delightful campus of Stirling university escorted by a group of twelve men, enough to enter two teams. I arrived late on the campus having mistakenly followed the signs saying “Stirling” that take you through the centre of town. The university is on the other side and by the time I parked up the ladies had already run and I had about twenty minutes to get to the start. I parked up and I had a map but it had no scale and as I discovered, the campus is huge and there was a lake between where I was and where I had to be. After two misdirections I arrived at the start after running across a golf-course, with six minutes to spare, covered in sweat but at least well warmed up.
By now I felt up for running, but there was just one more thing: a forty-minute race and a bottle of drink already swigged might prove incompatible. Scott said that there were long queues at the single gents so not to bother, but Gillian, who like Shelagh has a radar-like WC locating sense, took me to a lavvy that she’d discovered, looking as though it might be in the ladies’ changing area, but actually wasn’t.
I darted in with less than three minutes to the off and pulled the door shut behind me. I then looked down to find the door handle in my hand and a door, behind which a stack of gold ingots would be perfectly safe. I kicked and hammered and yelled and at last someone came and shouted through the armoured panel: “Oh this again; you need a special screwdriver. I’ll call maintenance”
In my desperation I tried to dismantle the cistern which had a lever handle and a square rod similar to that of a door latch, but it was rusted on and I had failed to pack a phillips screwdriver and a spanner in my kit. After about fifteen minutes a security man arrived and pried the door open. “Must get that fixed,” was the general opinion of the staff.
Released into the fresh air, I was just in time to see Johnnie complete his first lap.
Afterwards, I discovered that a full litre of water had run out of my water-bottle into my bag and soaked everything, including towel, money and mobile phone. Looking on the bright side, if I had run the race I would have come in last for the club and at least I didn’t crash my car on the way home and die in a flaming wreck, which counts as a plus.
Report Douglas Young
Photos Mary and Peter
Results here
Excellent photos (incl. loads of Porties) taken by David for roadrunpics here
Mary's blogFILM HERE
Peter's version...
I had been looking forward to the cross country, although in the months since last season I had forgotten just how hard it is. Part of that brutality is just so many quality runners ahead of you in the field making it appear easy as they glide across the turfy ground while you lollop clumsily across the same, and they disappear into the distance.
Ideal conditions for the first outing with the sun blazing from blue skies, little wind and a nice cool day. The mostly dry course had a couple of spots where the mud was just visible but you could avoid this by the time the field thinned on the second and third lap. I hadn't run Stirling before: the course going round the outskirts of the campus over on the east side. Lots of undulations but nothing sustained or insurmountable. So I can't really say why it felt at times pretty hellish.
After running across from the one side of the course to the other taking photos of the ladies event I was well warmed up. I made sure I got towards the front at the start and sprinted off well up the field for most of the first lap. I was remembering Gillian saying watch out for the big hole which had floored her near the tree over by the far side when I stepped badly into a smaller but quite well disguised hole just as the course went round the far buildings. It jarred the ankle I had twanged at Largo Law a while back and I had to slow to a hobble as 10 or 12 runners flew by. As the pain subsided I was able to pick up the pace again but it robbed me of the confidence to run flat out over the lumpy bits, particularly down hill.
The course was really very picturesque finishing each lap through the trees below the slopes of Dumyat. I think I did just over 10½ minutes for the first lap, and about 11 each for the next 2. I found it hard going but the endurance events of late kept me steady. Half way round the last lap, brainless from exertion, I lost count and thought we might still have a lap to go. Considerable relief to remember we were on number three.
The course swept up hill as we neared the finishing funnel and I struggled to keep up with the gathering impetus of the dash for the line. Just glad to be done. It was great to see so many PRC vests turn out for the cross country, and hopefully the kind weather and course will have lulled everyone into coming along to a few more of these off roaders. Mind you sometimes the horizontal sleet and knee deep mud makes a more memorable experience. Next one Dunfermline on 22nd November which last year included exactly those conditions. See you there.
Big thanks to Alex J, Martin H and all the folk whose hard work means we only have to turn up and run, then drive home leaving others to gather in the course markings etc.
pb.
