Tinto Hill Race 8/11/08
Team TintoOne word for this one. Painful. I seem to have invoked a selective memory as regards to hill running, as I approached this race blissfully unaware of the levels of pain I was about to experience.
Michael - just out the right of the photo - with the quality end of the field
Not that there is no such thing as pleasure in pain but I paid the price for my over confidence here and crashed and burned before I’d even run a half way up the mountain.
The race itself is very simple. Up and down Tinto hill. Registration was in Symington, a small town fairly near Lanark and about a 5 minute drive from the start.
Jethro shows how its done.Weather wasn’t too bad, but visibility at the top of Tinto wasn’t great by any means, saying that, even if visibility had been excellent I suspect I was in no position to appreciate it.
I felt that seeing this was ‘only’ 4.4 miles it was a good idea to start off like a bat out of hell. However, within these 4.4 miles is 1500 feet of ascent which is guaranteed to slow anyone down.
I headed off up the hill in high spirits of another good performance following good runs in my last two races. The first small section went ok but hill races are unrelenting and soon enough I found myself grinding to a halt with alarming regularity. Half way up the mountain I was a tired man and by this point people were passing me. Onward and upward I went and although I found it near impossible to stay running for longer than 1 minute periods, I struggled on. Pretty near the top Peter caught up with me. I immediately knew this was his day and not mine, as he has clearly spent longer than I have running up mountains recently. However, I knuckled down determined to achieve the moral victory of beating Peter to the top. Which I did….. Just.
Start / FinishNow just for the easy descent I thought…..not so. See this is the problem with hill running is that the word ‘easy’ doesn’t enter anyone’s vocabulary and as Peter shot past into the distance I desperately tried to control my breathing and get down the mountain in one piece. A whole procession of people past me on the decent which wasn’t good for the morale but at least I knew it would all be over soon.
Indeed it was and believe me I was a happy man to see the finish line.
Anne and Stuart from Dunbar
This is actually a really good race and there was a very good turnout. I tend to favour races that are a wee bit longer than this but running this taught me a valuable lesson as regards how to approach hill running.
Derek J of Lomond - have you ever seen anyone so pleased to hurt their arm?
George had a bit of a spill also...
taking a dive before the gate on the descent - not something every 69 year old would relish.I really think hill running is a sport for the mentally insane and I will gladly put myself in that category and this is definitely a race I would look to do again next year just for the simplicity of it.
The post Christmas race target is very much the Carnethy 5 in February which I remember as being brilliant (possibly another case of a selective memory) but I will need to get my act together between now and then if I’m going to put in a good performance there.
Anyhow, congratulations to Peter, Douglas and Tony for taking part and also to the organisers for an excellent race.
Report Michael Geoghegan
Results here
Photos pb,
Action photos - many thanks to SHR photographers (possibly Ian and Anne Nimmo, I had my eyes on the ground) more great shots here
SHR website hereThe way Michael ran at the cross country I was surprised to catch up with him towards the top of the hill. Surprised and pleased given his great runs recently. However if you haven't done regular hill training this one will catch you out. I took 27.55 to get to the top but only 11.30 to come down the same path, reaching the finish about the time Douglas was reaching the summit. However 15 minutes later he crossed the line. Both of us felt the results of steaming downhill - legs like planks for a couple of days, especially through the thighs and glutes. I was slower this year by well over two minutes: there was a stiff breeze in our faces on the way up, nearly blowing us over at the top, and the ground was very soggy in parts.
However its a great race and I will be putting it forward to be a contender for a PRC club championship race next year. It would be useful if everyone can think about which races would be appropriate as we have to have a list by Awards Night. We are looking for 9 races preferably reasonably local of different lengths and type, that you have enjoyed. You could use the previous championship pages (accessed from current page) for reference and also Reports to remind you of some events. I took a risk sending us all to the Sandy Slither this year (last year torrential rain made a grim night of it) and the folk that went said it was one of the highlights of the racing calendar, so don't feel you have to limit your ideas to the commonplace. Email any suggestions - otherwise my nine hillruns will be going up!
pb
