Kaim Hill Race

Back from Mumbai for a few days to sort out a visa issue and managed to sneak in the race at Kaim. A decent turnout of 11 Westies lined up at the lamp post for the start, in distinctly cool and breezy conditions.

I set off at what I thought was a fairly conservative pace, only to discover that my limited training and complete lack of hill fitness would reduce to me a walk on the track, after only a few hundred metres. It was clearly going to be a struggle! Val H breezed past me before the stream crossing, but I dug in and managed to stay just behind her most of the way to the summit. I started to pay for the pace near the top and shortly after rounding the trig point I realised that my legs had absolutely nothing in them. My thanks to Helen for her rather optimistic encouragement that I could catch Val, but it wasn’t going to happen. Val disappeared into the distance and I ended up losing a couple of places on the way down, while I flailed hopelessly through the heather.

I finally dragged my heavy legs over the line in 41:34, a full four and half minutes slower than a couple of years ago! Clearly my training regime in India needs some work, as the intensive sessions on the sun lounger and the large amounts of curry obviously aren’t cutting it. Still, however painful it might have been, it beats the hell out of sitting in a hotel room.

On the wider Westies front; a fine run from Val H to win the women’s race, Pauline and Helen were one/two in the F50, Murdo was third M50, Graham B bagged second M60 and there was a first race sighting of Val B for a many a month. They still take an age to do the prize giving, but it’s a fun wee race and well worth a visit.

Results

1. Lloyd Taggart 29:04
14. Owen O’Neill 36:32
22. Conor O’Meara 39:25
25. Val Houston 40:09
26. Murdo MacLeod 40:12
33. Rob McQuater 41:34
51. Stuart Burns 46:18
52. Val Brunton 46:28
55. Pauline McAdam 46:43
57. Helen MacPherson 47:23
67. Pat McLaughlin 61:59
68. Graham Benny 66:48