Run the Blades

Last weekend saw the fourth running of this series with a 10k on the Friday evening and the main events of the half marathon and the 50k ultra the following day. Having missed last year's race due to injury I was pleased just to be lining up on the start line along with 127 others once again including our own Kay Conneff. Kay had a score to settle with this race as, in her first attempt at an ultra distance two years ago, she was forced to DNF due to a knee problem.

The usual nervous pre-race chatter among the turbines

I was talking to the coach of Hamilton Harriers who had just picked up his number for the half when he suddenly told me 'your race is away!' Sure enough, after I wished him all the best in his race and ran over to the start/finish, I was joint last to cross the line! Reasoning that I was using this race purely as training for the Devil O'The Highlands in a fortnight I shrugged off this slight mishap and decided to start even slower than I had intended and see how things panned out.

Damn, there's evidence of my 'late' start! The 'arriere du peloton', as it were

 Having stopped behind a bush for a 'comfort break' a couple of miles in, as is my wont these days, I stepped back out onto the road and started a conversation with a fairly young girl, early twenties I would guess, and heard she was seriously worried about finishing last. Only five or six years ago first-time ultra runners tended to be forty-something but times are a changing indeed. Looking round we couldn't see anyone although I reassured her, I hope, that as we couldn't see the tail runner(s) then there must still be other(s) behind us, maybe just around the bend. How did she get on, I hear you ask? I'm pleased to report that she finished 122nd and was well over an hour ahead of the final finisher.

Meanwhile I gradually made my way through the slower part of the field, keeping my pace nice and steady, and thoroughly enjoyed having conversations here and there as I did so. Approaching the 'turn' near the Ardochrig end of the windfarm, see the right-hand side of the route map above, I thought I spotted Graham Ramage in the distance then realised I could see Charlie McDougall too. Having tried to look like an athlete, briefly, see below, for their photographs I stopped long enough to choose a haribo from G's daughter Eva before turning to head back approximately west in the direction of the visitor centre. Cheers folks, support like that is wonderful and is much appreciated.

Heading for the haribo...

Kay looking strong around the 30k mark

This race gives and takes by being uphill overall to Ardochrig but usually with the wind behind and the opposite on the way back. The EK side of the windfarm has much less forestry and the runners are thereby more exposed to the headwind, at least that was the excuse rattling around in my head as my pace dropped and, later,  my right quad started to cramp. I rationalised that it was the same for everyone and I should just suck it up and get on with it, MTFU in other words.

As usual my competitive instincts began twitching in the latter stages as I was overtaken for the one and only time in the race. I upped the effort, held the gap between these two guys and myself for a while then pushed on past them when they stopped for a drink. As coach would surely recommend I put the hammer down (in ultra terms at least!) and opened a large gap very quickly. By the time I reached the top of the big hill near the finish and paused to look back the only other runner in sight was someone I had passed much earlier but who was now finishing very strongly. Using him as motivation I pushed for the line and came home in 6.03.09, roughly half way between my previous two finishing times in 2015/16. I was 93rd overall, 4th 55 plus and 71st male.

Later I was delighted to hear that Kay had no problems this time around and had her first-ever ultra finish in 5.47.43 for 75th place, 17th female and 7th FV. Congratulations Kay and all the more worthy considering how difficult it has been for you to get the training in this year. At the same time Paul Rooney ran the hilly half marathon in an excellent 1.48.46

The winners were Lee Muir in 3.28.53 and Toni McIntosh of Ayr Seaforth in 4.08.11 and impressively, given the warmth of the day, there was only one dnf so there were 127 finishers. 

Given there were only 44 starters for the ultra in 2015 (no 10k or half then) it's nothing short of astonishing how far this event has come in only four years. There were a total of 1,022 finishers over the three events and the two days and I can highly recommend the organisation, tee shirts, goody bag and brilliant medal (the blades spin round, whee!). All the more so when the same team, Breaking Strain Events, organised a 24 hour race around Arthur's Seat only the weekend before.

Loving the turbine socks. 

The spinning blades

Photo credits to Graham Ramage, Charlie McDougall, Sandra Hunter and Paul Rooney.