Ben Venue

(Posted on behalf of Val Houston)

Sorry this is late, but where were the Westies for the relatively local Ben Venue race last Saturday?

It is a great wee route with a bit of everything, fast track, rough steep hill, some ridge navigation and its share of boggy patches to grab your leg when you least need it.  The views are superb, and the weather fantastic (welI suppose I cant always guarantee that).  It is also seamlessly organised and there is always a great tea and cake spread afterwards.  In addition, it is in aid of the Mountain Rescue, so come on Westies, get it in your diary for next year.  There was a really disappointing turnout of a mere 25ish runners, it would be sad if it dropped off the calendar.

So Lorna, George and I took advantage of the day and set off in team formation up the early part of tracks.  On the hill, it turned more in to surviving the rough drag up.  In a bid not to do any more climbing than necessary I went off on a bit of a recce of alternative routes – a recce of the recce would have been a better idea, but it was a lovely day.  I quite enjoyed the dodging along the ridge trying to find the best route, but tired legs were ready to head down, and once the first steepish bit is done it is a fast descent on forestry tracks.  I was suitably pooped by the time the last wee up and over confronted me, so shuffled on over to the finish and happily tucked in to the delicious sandwiches and tray bakes. 

Smiles all round for our Westies trio.  Lorna had another good run to make it a female 1,2 and the three of us won the team prize, which they did as mixed result. – cheers!  Please come out and support it next year.