Stornoway Half Marathon 29/05/10
First of 5 Western Isle Half Marathons that comprise the Heb3 race series.
Its a long haul to Stornoway. 215 miles drive Edinburgh to Ullapool, then a 3hr ferry across the Minch. It was also a long haul to get through the week's work ending on Thursday night after 1am finishing a project that was delivered Friday on the way to pick up Richard on the way out of town. The upside is that not everyone has the stomach for such travelling and there is a greater chance of glory at the prize giving. This is often unkindly referred to as pot hunting; however there is more to the Heb3s than silverware and black puddings. Last year the weather was unusually glorious for the final 2 events and this left an unrealistic memory of sunshine and Calmac ferries awash with tanned runners in shorts, drinks in hand. Of course you can still do this in the rain but its not as pleasant.
Come to think of it I've never seen the grass in the Stornoway campsite dry. Following on from the roasting we got last weekend I was about to pack flip flops and sun screen then remembered the Laxdale campsite and replaced them with goretex'd hiking shoes and midgy repellant. Sure enough it rained a lot of Friday and nearly all Saturday. I sort of forget this is North of Ullapool and nine out of ten times I have been to Ullapool and north it has been raining. Although this is Marc Grierson weather for running I prefer sunshine.
The race starts downhill and so any thoughts of pacing go out the window. After a 5.40 first mile – which is quite measured really, we run 6 miles round the town. This is neither as flat nor fast as I remembered it and I begin to struggle. I drop off the back of the 2nd pack which contains Martin Ferguson. I had noticed the start line was peppered with a larger number of quality runners than usual and ideas of pot hunting were thrown out there and then. Well at least I won't have to carry that shield home and pay for more engraving.
On the run out of town - castle grounds in the background.
Andy McMahon
On the coastal path near the graveyard.
Into the castle grounds and I am trying to stay the same distance behind a red shirt but failing. I like this part of the race as it is on pretty paths through the trees and if it wasn't raining would be lovely. But it is raining and every now and then someone else comes past. I try not to let this dampen my spirits but I can't kid myself this is going well. Andy McMahon comes past with an HBT. I was hoping they were 10k-ers. Andy says something which I don't hear properly but re-imagine as derogatory. Earlier Colin Feechan went past and said 'tough day' or something. I re-interpreted this as “you're having a tough day loser!” Paranoia.
Mary being overhauled by a 10k-er who kindly announced she was a 10k-er. (Well mannered here.)
Jim Bruce: recently swapped Edinburgh for LewisMaybe its the tiredness creeping in but having placed well in previous years and now dropping swiftly out of the top ten I find I am losing the will the live. And yet as we come off the paths onto the road I draw level with Andy before he goes off after Jonny his team mate. Must be the kiss of death as after he passes Jonny in about a mile or two Jonny gives up the ghost and starts walking at that last sharp rise – a hundred yards long and about 60 high before the path levels out for the sweep into the finish. I have regained composure and a couple of places. I enjoyed going past Colin again remembering the last time we ran together was at the WoL half where he seemed to insist on making us both run like maniacs, can't think why. Anyway he was breathing hard and I thought he won't be putting up a fight. I didn't say tough day as I went past. The last mile or so goes on for ages as the harbour path winds along past several picturesque bays before taking a sharp right and a 50 yard dash to the line. (1.23, 2 mins slower than last year.)
Glad to be done. Ivor was seconds behind and Richard just a few minutes, doing a pb to bookend my pw. I made towards the showers but hung on at the finish line to applaud Mary coming in about as below par as myself. I think we need a holiday.
Curious plaque boasting postponement - builders! huh?After a good hot shower we trundled to prize-giving and a very good spread of sandwiches, soups and cakes. I restricted intake as I felt I was on slimmers rations till I put in a few hard training sessions and retrieved some kind of form. Less work, less food, more speed training etc. HBT did a good job of removing the prizes with Wrights, Dave and Megan numbers one, man and wife. And team prize. (£300 cash.) I was very glad I hadn't rallied a PRC team in search of that bounty as we would not have come close. Andy J from Stornoway looked disappointed with second (after a glorious win last year) even though he ran a pb (1.15). Stornoway had brought out the troops including first o/50 who had been in the 2nd pack and held on 3 minutes better than I. Martin Ferguson was first o/40 by a long way and I can only hope he loses the dates for the subsequent Heb3 events! Much to my surprise I got 3rd o/40 – a Lewis chessman and a legendary Black Pudding.
Full of the joys!
Sad to relate this was nearly enough to patch up the tattered ego and I then felt up to the subsequent task of heading back to the campsite for a recuperative beer and restorative lie down. Andrew H, Mary and I sat in a perfunctory gang-hut while the soft rain fell on the tents. Then after 40 winks trudged back down the couple of miles into town.
IainOne of the highlights of the weekend was getting in touch with Iain, a pal from Art School ('79~'83) I hadn't communicated with in 27 years. (We were in our early 20s at the time.) I had heard Iain was teaching and living in Stornoway and managed to contact him through the internet. So we had a fun couple of hours catch-up over a meal in the art centre (highly recommended) before we called in past the ceilidh before heading tentward.
Saturday evening and the rain finally stops.
Next day and the forecast sunshine eventually turned up in time to dry the tents which we packed up and took to the ferry. Although we had planned a small holiday we decided to return home and catch up with some sleep and various chores before Benbecula this weekend. Time to get in shape.
Lewis chessmen lurking in the castle grounds.
Report and photos pb
Action photos: many thanks Gavin from Stornoway more here...
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Gavin.Earons
Results and SRAC website here
Mary's Blog here
Helensburgh report here
Joy of Calmac
