Bennachie Hill Race

Another new race for me and what cracker! Despite the perpetually sore Achilles these days I ran ok at Ben Venue last week, had a good run during the week and then had a wee5 mile flat loosener on Saturday in the rain. A very big field had gathered for this exceptionally well organised race and the weather did not disappoint even though it was miserable when we left Kingussie in the morning. It’s a fast uphill start on a forest track to spread the group out, then out onto the hill proper where the real racing begins. Runable every step of the way, so it was hard going to keep pace or catch bods in front on magic narrow heathery and peaty trods. At the first top you carry on along a board ridge still on narrow technical running but every nook and cranny is superbly flagged or marshalled with shouts of encouragement all along. At the second top the trod turns into a major path network, which while easy to run on, is not as interesting and more painful. I had settles into 7th place and easily keeping tabs on the group of 3 in front, all killing each other for an edge, so I let them. The long views allowed me to spy the leader Kyle Grieg way out in front by a good 60 seconds from Alec Keith and Rob Wilby. The route shows a 4k flattish run in and the word was it was mixed technical terrain before a final forest track flog to the line. My trap was set. I intended jumping the 3 in front with a couple of k to go. BANG! WTF!? Oh, my calf just popped “Ouch, that hurts a wee bit!” is what I think I said. Had to stop. Bugger, bollocks, aaargh, hop hop trot hop, got going again very slowly..hop, eventually managing to get steam up to a jog, I threw all race plans in the bin and reverted to survival, trotteinghome losing 4 or 5 places along the way. In the last mile a pack of 5 or 6 slavering wolves were hunting me down and I had to put a bit of effort in to keep them at bay and when I finally stopped at the line my leg shrivelling up in pain. Ho hum.

Duncan managed to finish 4th in his age category in the junior races, or in his “pint half-empty” take on it, he finish second last…he finished, and he didn’t get crocked like his Paw, fine.

Brenny trundled round, beating her own pessimism of 2hours by coming home in about 1.47, but most importantly really enjoyed the route. Result.

It’s a fine race route and even a cracking walking route, so if you have considered it I would certainly recommend it for next year – I’ll be there for some unfinished business…

ps – the buns and tea after were superb!