Race reports, you wait weeks and weeks (ok, since Chris' Lairig Ghru post last Saturday!) and then two come at once - not only two but two within the same race, sort of.
To explain I entered the first of the above events ( to be held at the John Wright SC athletics track) around eighteen months ago hoping it would be a good test of my readiness to come back to longer-distance racing and ultras in particular. A marathon may seem an extreme method of doing so but I reasoned that, if at any point I felt unwell, dizzy or in pain I could simply stop and be only a short distance from my car (and defibrillator in the Sports Centre, more importantly). As we all know Covid-19 intervened and the event was postponed until March and then to June of this year but the RD, Craig Hamilton, temptingly opened the 2021 event for the very next day - hooking the less-sensible members of our running community such as Ian Rae, ex-harrier Ivan Field and this author. Finally after a fifteen month hiatus the double marathon took place over the weekend of 26th & 27th June although that meant I had to give Billy's Sports Challenge on the Friday night a miss. Playing golf, cricket, rugby, tennis and especially hula hooping didn't seem sensible preparation.
Prior to the start the words of Blur's 'Parklife' were becoming an earworm in my head 'and it's not about you joggers who go round and round and round' - fortunately that stopped one the race got underway.
In all honesty there's not much to report although I have to say it was nice to pull my harriers vest on again and pin a number to it. (I did have a slight moan that the pins were so small I could barely see them let alone push them through a vest and a number - I brought my own the following day). NB Warning, flesh picture to follow. A week past last Saturday the field, all thirty of us as it transpired, assembled at the 200m mark (a marathon is actually 105.5 laps of a standard track (bet you didn't know that - I certainly didn't)) and ran around and around and around and - well, you get the picture. It wasn't a bad day for running but the resurfacing works on Calderwood Road really did not help, billowing clouds of tar-filled smoke blowing across the lanes made even breathing rather unpleasant around the final bend. Fortunately the wind shifted and the workies moved along the road to give us some relief from the stink.
After a while I asked the RD on the way past how many people had started to which he hesitated then replied, 36 or 37. I was puzzled that he didn't immediately know how many had begun such a small race then twigged what I had suspected in the first instance - I was last and he was trying to be kind to me. Aw, bless him. Each time you ran over the finishing line the tracker on my ankle activated a large screen a few meters further on so you could see your time, position, last lap time, fastest lap time, etc. I had noticed I was 30th but only then realised that meant last although, as an ultra runner, I wasn't too concerned as many folk go off too fast.
Being continually lapped by most of the field didn't bother me too much, I guess going in with low expectations helped in that regard and it was nice to interact with everyone in the field especially the front runners who were nothing but encouraging. I was slightly daunted though when I noticed (on both days) there were quite a few Nike Next% shoes in evidence. After a while I stopped looking at the screen and concentrated on keeping my own pace controlled and steady and so was surprised to inadvertently spot after around thirty laps that I was now 29th. With my competitive juices suddenly revitalised I lifted my gaze to check out the opposition around the oval and almost immediately saw the guy I must have passed. Seeing the information on the screen every 400 meters was invaluable as I quickly identified who was in 28th. To cut a long story short I finally finished the race at the giddy height of 27th place in a much faster time than anticipated of 4.34.44. Ian was 22nd in 4.07.46 while Ivan was 16th in an excellent 3.46.55. Unusually for this distance there were no dnfs.
Sadly Sunday dawned with clear blue skies and consequently much higher temperatures. NB another warning, naked flesh picture later. Only 25 runners lined up for this, the 2021 version, seven of whom had run the day before. I felt in control for the first 11 miles but with the day warming up and the previous day's exertions taking their toll struggled the rest of the way eventually having no choice but to run/walk (run the straights and walk the bends) for the final four miles. I was the final finisher, one dnf this time so wasn't last, in 5.38.06. Ian ran 4.29.14 for 17th place and Ivan came home in 4.01.29 for 12th position. It may only have been 26.2 miles but I felt worse than I have after many ultras - utterly spent, I'd had to dig really deep to keep going. However it is done now and I am currently (eight days later) still enjoying not running, eating for Scotland and drinking lots (alcohol mostly!) Big thanks go out to Graeme Lindsay (twice) and Allan MacLellan for coming along and shouting me on from the car park (the closest anyone was allowed under the SLLC Covid rules)
The 2020 race was won by Oliver Reilly of Greenock Glenpark Harriers in 2.50.26 and Rosie Bell in 3.29.34.
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| Saturday male podium |
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| Saturday female podium |
Whereas the 2021 race was a triumph for Rob Soutar in 2.46.17 and the indefatigeable and afore-mentioned Rosie in 3.31.09 - as you can see less than two minutes more than the previous day!
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| Sunday male podium |
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| Sunday female podium |
The 210 ultra, as the RD called it or the double marathon as I would prefer as neither race is an ultra, was won by Richard Goldworthy of the host club in a combined total of 6.25.51 followed by, inevitably, Rosie Bell in 7.00.43 with Ivan in third place on 7.48.25. Ian was 6th in 8.37.00 while I was seventh (and last!) in 10.12.50
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| The double marathon 1, 2 & 3 |
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| Memo to self; when the sun is out and you're wearing your club vest for the first time in ages, apply sun cream. What a clot! |
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| Race bling |
3 comments:
A true test of mental and physical resilience. I have no idea how you managed to get up on Sunday and do it all again. Outstanding
An amazing effort Davie,it is hard enough to run one marathon, to run another the next day takes a certain amount of physical and mental strength. Well done.
Well done once again Davie. Outstanding levels of physical and mental strength, particularly on the Sunday. Hugely inspiring to catch you both days - although the main emotion I felt when walking away on Sunday was sympathy for you in that heat. Brilliant achievement - hope you rest well and slap plenty aftersun on !
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