Alloa Half Marathon

The start of the 2019 Alloa Half - the winner in Fife vest

What fantastic weather to run a race in! This was my deferred entry to the Alloa Half from 2018, when I had entered it as a training race for the Copenhagen Marathon six weeks later. Unfortunately, the famous Beast from the East (polar continental) air mass blew in from Russia and the race was cancelled due to ice and freezing winds.

Finally the date had arrived for my deferred entry and thankfully the weather was kind. When I pulled up in the chaotic King Street car park, the sky was blue, the air temp was 5C and there was no wind. After a quick look at the 3D map the race organisers had provided, I found my way to registration and orientated myself with the start/finish line.

Back to the car to pin on my number (incorporated chip) and tog up. Plenty of others doing the same and lots of club vests. At 09:45 I decided to head over to the start and had a wee jog to warm up. The starting pen was already busy so I squeezed my way towards the archway, eventually stopping about 50metres short among people who looked capable.

There was a good countdown to the starting gun from 5 minutes out and within a minute or so I was over the line and jogging. The great thing about larger races (~1800 runners here) is that they get permission to close the roads. This means a wider area to run in and less jostling at the start. Unfortunately, the first mile or so is a loop around a residential area of Alloa, where there were a lot of cars parked (quite rightly). But it made the track narrower, and for a long time I was on the pavement.

Eventually the field started to thin out in to one lane width and I found myself amongst runners at a similar pace as me, although I was definitely working hard to maintain it. Watching the miles beep by on the watch, I was heartened to see 6min20ish on average.

I am in this picture, but it requires a magnifying glass

We hurtled down  the hill into Tillicoultry, passing the Sterling furniture place and then turning sharp left onto the A91 and ascend the main street towards the second water station at 9km where I chose to stop, drink and stuff a gel down my throat. Onwards to the looooonggg straight road towards Alva and then Menstrie. I managed to hold my pace, but there were still some stronger runners coming through.

At Menstrie we left the road briefly onto a cyclepath, then back onto the road for the main hill of the route climbing gradually up for 500m up to a large roundabout. There were many supporters here, cheering us on. Gently downhill through Tullibody left turn towards the final water station where I stopped again to hydrate from the wee Strathmore bottles. I was pretty nackered at this point, not really worrying about my position anymore, just trying to survive.

Another long incline, and then fast running downhill towards Alloa and the finish, well marked at 400m out etc. The finish was a 'sprint' towards the big yellow archway and I was spent over the line.

01:33:11 237/1816

KB5 Road Race

Whilst searching for results and information about the GU5 race in February, I came across this reciprocal race organised by the Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds club. With a minimal entry fee (£7) and a good, logical route, I happily entered.

As per usual, the best laid plans were overturned with a dump of snow on the Saturday morning between 03:00 and 10:00. It turned to rain soon after and turned to sloppy wet slush. When I reached the King's Buildings car park at 11:30, there was a mixture of deep puddles, tarmac and rutted slush on the pavements.

On the way to registration in the Common Room, there was a mixture of hardy shorts-and-vests and full covered runners. Not so many old duffers like me, but that was to be expected for a Uni race. At 11:55 I found my way to the start line where after the usual short briefing we were off.

Wet tarmac for the first 200m out of the campus, and then left onto the slushy pavement heading towards Blackford. There were some very fast runners in this field and I soon found myself amongst the old duffers, some females and larger young males. After a mile or so, I felt my shoelace loosening which was unusual. I couldn't run the race like that so took the decision to duck into a bus shelter to retie.

I lost about 5places in doing so, most of which I had already overtaken so I knew I'd be able to claw them back. We had to climb round the side of Blackford up the wide Midmar Drive and had to keep to the road due to the pavement slush. On the climb to the Braid Hills hotel, I finally managed to regain my position before the shoelace stop.

The route turned east onto Braid Farm road and the runners were spread out. Despite the race marshal asking us to run on the pavement (in the slush), we stayed on the clearer tarmac road for a short while, before the narrower carriageway meant we were forced into the pavement slush. It was heavy going, and I was only able to keep running due to being in a race. If I'd been alone, I would have surely taken a break.

There was a sharp left into Alnwickhill Road and I was overtaken by a vested HBT runner wearing a wide brimmed sun hat and long grey socks as we sploshed down the steep brae. Onto Liberton Brae for some more downhill and then into Mayfield Road for the final climb back towards the King's Buildings.

I had managed to keep my position, but the lack of overtaking indicated a fast field. I got through the finish and returned straight to the car.

No idea of my result since the organisers don't seem to think that important to publish, even 2weeks after the race.

Fox Trail Race#6

After returning from Norway, perhaps unrelated, I was struck down with 'flu and sweated in my bed for a weekend. The following Saturday I was scheduled to run in the Foxtrail Race#4. The good doctor said that was not gonna happen. I contacted the Fox Lake email and they kindly allowed me to defer to the final race of the series in March.

As a bonus, I discovered it was going to be a rematch of the first race back in November which was run in a gale. That would give me a PB target to beat, plus I'd be familiar with the route and be able to pace myself. Arriving in the car park at 08:30, I had plenty of time to pick up my number and prepare for the race. There's a 5km race that sets off ten minutes before the main race, so I watched them warming up.

The weather was dry, a light breeze but warm enough for shorts and t-shirt. At the start line, I was please to see Roger Peppiette lining up. I had just managed to beat him in November in the first race, so I would be able to use him as an indicator of my pace this time round.

Off we went with a clang of the bell, and quite quickly I sensed Roger was going strong (or I was slow) as he headed into the distance, reaching at least 100m in the lead after 2km. I kept him in sight though trying hard not to lose too many places.

As we reached the park in Dunbar, I noticed the route had slightly changed by avoiding the copse of trees we'd had to negotiate in November; presumably adjusted on safety grounds as there were a few branches you could run into. There was the usual clash of racers as we changed direction over the bridge running past the tail runners and canicross teams.

I struggled across the looser sand section and lost three or four places, Roger now a yellow speck ahead. Into the forest at halfway, and south to the sharp right-hander I remembered from the first race where I could see Nigel gaining on me. At the turn, I noticed Roger and his followers had gone the wrong way, contrary to the signage. I stopped and mumbled to the woman behind me that they had gone the wrong way and pointed at the sign. We both continued running the race route, and then shouted through the trees over to the wrong-wayers.

Whether they heard us was quickly forgotten as we were now following no-one with no more runners in view ahead. An odd feeling - thankfully I could remember the route otherwise I'd be dithering.

Whilst running the narrower coastal path, we chatted and she revealed she was the leading woman and was desperate to keep it that way. I let her overtake, but kept on her heels as far as I could. Leaving the fields and into the trees, one of the marshals let her know she had 40m on the 2nd place female. She asked me how far to the finish - "500metres!" I shouted. She cranked up the pace and was a long way ahead over the finish line.

I got my PB 58:19, and came in 16th of 190.

2019 Races

Date	Race	Dist(km)	Surface	Time	Position	Percent*	Price
05/01/19	Polar Night Half-Marathon	21.27	Ice!	1hr40:59	103/938	10.9	£50
16/02/19	GU 5mile road race	7.89	Tarmac	00:34:20	87/195	44.6	£9
02/03/19	Foxtrail Race#6	13	Trail	00:58:13	16/190	8.42	£17
16/03/19	KB5 road race	7.9	Slush	00:34:36			£7
31/03/19	Alloa Half	21.15	Tarmac	01:33:11	237/1816	13.0	£27
28/04/19	Balmoral 15 Mile Trail	23.62	Trail	01:53:13**	107/965	11.0	£26
12/05/19	Saltire Trail Race	10.59	Trail	00:48:16	5/66	7.5	£11.25
20/05/19	Balerno Rigg Race	9.45	Road	00:39:40	25/188	13.2	£10.25
26/05/19	Cateran Trail Run	18.48	Trail	01:33:13	6 / 71	8.4	£12
05/06/19	CAAC5	8.05	Road	00:33:21**	78 / 223	34.9	£6
09/06/19	Cheviot Trail Race	21.08	Trail	01:53:17	9 / 136	6.6	£12
16/06/19	7Hills	22.8	Road	02:08:41**	49 / 210	23.3	£7
3/07/19	Tain 10K	9.98	Road	40:59	12 / 103	11.6	£12
6/07/19	Glamaig	6.2	Bog	01:21:16	54 / 102	52.9	£4
27/07/19	FW Trail Half	21.99	Trail	01:40:48	6 / 136	4.4	£29.50
11/08/19	Lowther Trail Race	21.16	Trail	01:46:20	37 / 190	19.4	£15.50
8/9/19	Islay Half Marathon	42.2	Road	03:21:57	6 / 37	16.2	£30
28/9/19	Two Breweries Trail Race	30.7	Everything	03:57:21	72 / 179	40	£15.00
05/10/19	Penicuik House Trail Race	9.6	Trail	00:45:02	7 / 78	8.9	£10
02/11/19	Foxtrail Race#1	12.78	Trail	00:57:12**	23/242	9.5	£20
14/12/19	Foxtrail Race#3	15.4	Trail	01:13:58	31/218	14.2	£20

*lower percent generally means better performance
**PB