Run with the Wind half marathon

A Race of Two Halves

In complete contrast to last weeks’ vest and shorts weather four intrepid harriers made the short journey to Strathaven for the inaugural Run with the Wind half marathon on an icy, windy but dry morning. We had of course all seen the forecasts and were prepared for the worst, Graham Ramage going so far the night before to suggest he might run in duffle coat and balaclava.  While waiting for the race start, in the school hall, he also told me about the bit of kit he hoped to buy when Decathlon begin their spring sale, the Kalenji Electro Warm. Yes, a battery-powered, heated running jacket! I scoffed at the time but had to admit I could have done with one during the second half of the route.

The race began, for me, at a steady pace with my pal Derek Boyd of the AthElite Triathlon club and indeed we would run together for the entire way, alternately pulling each other along as we hit our highs and lows at different times. We did, of course, reach the high point of the course together at Ardochrig which the entire field would have been very glad to attain as most had assumed, as I did, that the first half would be the hardest part today – little did we know. 

We enjoyed the stretch downhill all the way to Leaburn Road where we were met by Graham’s mum and dad and Martin Howell, great to see you guys but cruel, so cruel to be taking photos in front of a puddle reaching right across the road - the only (manly) option was to plough through the middle when, in reality, I really wanted to find the shallower edges. When we subsequently turned into High Cleughern Road we realised the wind had been at our backs until then and were immediately buffeted by gales and increasingly heavy and painful sleet. Within minutes I had lost most of the feeling in my hands and feet and latterly lips and ears too. Despite this we surprised ourselves by picking up the pace in this, much tougher second half probably trying, subconsciously, to get it over with as quickly as possible.


Finally I was pounding down the last road section (if you’ve run the Striders 10k you will be familiar with it) whereas Derek wisely saved a little for the final uphill kick and a last charge across the grass to the finishing line, heading me by a few yards. I came home in 2.01.26 with which I was very pleased given the course, the weather conditions and the fact I had a twenty mile training run only four days before.

All runners thoroughly enjoyed the hot soup and home-made sandwiches on offer back at the school, I personally sampled two cups of lentil and I know for a fact that Ian blagged the very last spicy tomato. Only when Graham suggested we head for home did Julie say, quietly, as only Julie can, that she would hang around a little longer because she ‘thought she might have been first female’. Talk about understatement! The three of us immediately and unanimously said we were waiting for the prize giving however long it took – as Ian so eloquently put it ‘this is the closest I’ll ever get to a medal’.

We cheered lustily as Julie strode up to receive her plaque and bottle of bubbly (if there was a cash prize it was quickly palmed although I don’t blame you Julie, I wouldn’t wave money around us lot either) 

The prize giving photos were shot from Ian’s very modern (for him) Sony Xperia but actually taken by me as Ian managed to take pictures of himself by accident the last time he used it!

Julie won the race in 1.36.09 with Ian close behind in 1.37.43, Graham not far away in 1.41.41 (the obsessive-compulsive in me likes these numbers immensely) with me trailing a long way back.

 

 

 

The overall race was won by Mark Paterson of Motherwell AC in 1.24.29 and there were 212 finishers, an impressive number on such a filthy day

AthElite runners you may know were Derek Stewart in 1.51.11 and my running buddy Derek Boyd in 2.01.20

 

Robbie Rooney, the podiatrist from The Treatment Hub in Hamilton, ran 1.52.21

Postscript; It should be noted that around five o’clock today Graham ran another 7 miles because he had a twenty miler to do on his Brighton marathon training plan. I called him ‘officially nuts’ on facebook, which, coming from an ultra runner, should worry him more than a little.