Ben Ledi hill race

Results

A really perfect day for the Ben Ledi race on Saturday. I couldn’t do the Scolty trip so looked for an alternative. Then persuaded fairly new Westie Dawn to come along too, only her 3rd hill race and her second was the Kilps on Wednesday night! This girls going for it.

We headed up to the start/finish, which wasn’t the usual tourist path as there are lots of works on the hill. Then spotted another yellow and black W vest which was Lizzie, another reasonably new recruit who was driving / supporting her partner in the City to Summit race and whilst on the way up stopped off for a wee race! It was good to have some Westies company.

It turned out to be a great circular route, up a forest road then a long downhill to join the tourist path which always leaves you thinking what goes down – must go up…..Anyway back onto the tourist path and I had forgotten that BL is a fairly stiff climb, so just hung in, pacing it out in a little tussel with a lady and a chap close by, I made it my goal just to get up there ahead of them and not let anyone else passed. It was a gorgeous day and the short glimpses taken of the views were worth every moment of pain.

I need to learn to run faster on the steeper downhill sections and my tracker couple came flying past me on the way down. The guy was too quick but I hung on to the lady copying her easy running style and pushing myself on, great fun and a fab route through the Stank Glen (I think that’s what its called.). I passed her again once the gradient was gentler and went for it on the path to the finish, so I was happy with my 1.34 time. No idea how this compares as results not out yet but was jollied to win a medal for 3rd Vet wummin, Michelle Hetherington being 1 and don’t know 2nd. The Prasad family of course won both ladies and mens in super fast times.

Michelle Hetherington was commenting admiringly that she was never going to beat our own Val H….as she was just too good.

Lizzie came in a couple of minutes after me and Dawn not far behind that, to our super enthusisatic Westies cheering, defo won the ladies team prize, even though there wasn’t one!

It was only a small race of 50 or so and most club runners were no doubt Scoltying but it was a fantastic event. Tea and lovely cake in the field afterwards and great friendly chat with everyone completed a superb day out.

Well done Dawn and Lizzie for getting out there and trying out another hill race, c’mon the growing Westie Wummins team.

Hope everyone had a great race at Scolty yesterday.