Scottish Athletics National Masters C.C.C.,Hawick 1.2.14

National Masters C.C.C., Hawick,1.2.14

You’ve gotta say……”It’s not fair”.What?  Oh, just to be contentious from the start.

You will have seen the results, heard all the anecdotes, so that’s it then, I’m off. Get back here and relate a true and accurate, reasoned account of the day. Well, that ain’t going to happen.

Suffice to say,to repeat………It was cross country, but not as we know it Jim.  It was cold,no freezing to worse, wet,turning to sleet,great hilly course and if you were wearing long spikes you’d have been laughing. So, who was laughing and who was spitting and snarling their way around the course. Well, start of the second lap and hope your scribe did not snarl too much at the welcome support from the ladies……”Only one lap to go”……Ha, ha, ha, they chortled , having an all “mothers and fathers of a riot”, as yer man tried to get some traction. Hey, ho.

Oh, come on it could’nt have been that bad,could it? No, it was worse.Well, for example, ladies race finished and a shout “MEDIC”. Men finished and some were the same……..yes, hypothermic. Let’s hope they recovered. Seriously, I would say that Semple was bordering on the negligent in not keeping his Buffalo jacket ON for the race.(Only for fear of the stringent rules…..”Where’s your number?”).   Even our Mr. Brennan, and Mr. Struthers may just have admitted to “a slight chill”.  Also, our Dave C. seemed to be coping manfully, as he just cruised past , relentlessly easing along the course that he loves, that is all cross country, easing along in what to him is just mere weather to be crushed asunder,  on his way onward and upward.

So, who was there ? We had Pat, Helen, Sharon, and Pauline.( Pauline running for another club that of course we cannot mention.) Dave C., Chris, JohnQ., John H., and your scribe. We all seemed  to well, no, positively wonderfully, let’s state it how it really was. From the incipient carnage there, to finish in one piece was really a result. If, naturally, a few “For goodness sakes”, as we tried to get fresh tops on before quickly dashing off into the slush-filled roads.

John Q was our driver for the day ……..thought we may need to stop to light a fire at the roadside as John was shivering so much. No, it’s just that we were going from Lane 1 to Lane 3 with every shiver. No, no, that was uncalled for.  John did sterling work all day , getting us there and back safely and getting that Gazebo up and down. (Think it blew away in the gales, at least once, then we were on point duty holding it down. See what you missed?)

Thank you to John for picking us Hyndlanders  up and dropping us off at the door. As this was Celtic Connections night it was a very rapid turnaround  . In fact Sharon tells me she did’nt even have time for dinner.  Well, you can’t have that, I mean can you? Then after dashing to the pub before going on to The Arches, she is accosted by this woman who is part of a 40^th Birthday Celebration, who wants to know age, occupation, running, what you had for dinner?etc. etc. As I turn back from the bar there she is doing her accosting………I blame JD. Clearly, it was his place to protect Sharon from these ministrations.

That was before the Didely, didely. Oh, look out…….you’ve done it now boy.

No, Flook were great, we all had a marvellous night. Only to say, some of us after all the fine Jigs, can we please  have some singing. Just a song, even unaccompanied, oh for goodness sake. That great , unique , small voice inside.

Thanks again Guys for a great day in Hawick and in Glasgow at the gig.