Creag Dhubh 2006

The five keen souls who braved the drive north on Friday or Saturday were rewarded with another fast, hot and sunny race half way up Creag Dhubh. Brian, Elspeth, Donald, Jane and I were there. Plus Lynne with the camera and Rani very nervous at the starting guns, cannons and bagpipes! The sun wouldn't stay in and Brian threatened to move to Iceland for some decent weather.

There was a large field of around 200 as this was a SHR and FRA championship race, and all the big guns were out (ha ha). In the end the English men seem to have outclassed the Scots, though to everyone's surprise the men's record didn't fall, which shows what a good record it is. However Angela Mudge confirmed that she really is in a different class to everyone else this year, winning again, in a record again! She must be getting bored of this.

For the rest of us mortals the race began after a confusing head count with a random bang and we were off for a run around the track before starting the steeplechase, leaving by ducking under a barrier and hopping over a fence. Two more fences, a low, rocky river and a steep climb up the sidings and over a crash barrier finally brought us to the hill. By now I already felt heavy. I am really learning that I don't like the heat this year. The first half of the hill was runnable though with not many passing places. The odd person passed me in my plod, Elspeth quite early on and Donald as the hill kicked up. Luckily he also warned me of a loose shoe lace and so more passed as I stopped to refasten. The hill was very steep and slow now and the leaders were already crashing down a few meters away. I saw Donald and Elspeth climbing ahead, and Brian coming down, but must have missed Jane, sorry.

After climbing through the crags and recovering from the disappointment of a false summit I finally reached the top and a slight breeze, before gratefully beginning the descent. At first bounding off path, through the heather, gained me a couple of places. Then as the path got steeper passing became nigh on impossible, though I did crash past another runner on a bend. I am sure I remember Simon Bailey had been sprinting at this point but I don't know how.

As the ground flattened slightly everyone worked harder. Donald had been in my sights for a while now and I chased him and a couple more down before fixing my sights on Elspeth's back. Hitting the farm track again, mouth parched and wishing I had worn a hat, I saw my other shoe lace was now loose. I really must learn to tie shoe laces! I tried to lift my legs faster and closed to around 20 feet of Elspeth by the river where she seemed to stumble, but I couldn't get any closer than that as lactic acid and fear of losing my shoe held me back slightly.

Afterwards all the Westies seemed happy chatting. Brian seemed to have his own body weight in whiskey though the rest of us got a miniature each! Lynne said Simon Bailey was back so soon she thought he had turned back for some reason! Due to a trembling dog I didn't hang around but the others may fill us in on times or placings. Lynne and I camped over and enjoyed actually getting to the top of the hill the next day. All in all a good run out, maybe more fun when less crowded and more passable, but good Westies league points for those who were there. Plus Brian made his entry for the beer barrel belly I was trying to claim as my own and would look good in a crop top, while Elspeth was the only Westie actually to wear one.

Posted by Jason Kaushal on Mon 7 Aug 2006 | 2 comments

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