Out now on the club journal page here!
Archives for November 2014
Borders Cross Country – Peebles
Perfect running conditions today for the Borders Cross Country Series in Peebles. The route includes a fast run by the river, a proper hill, a steep and rooty descent, and the usual slightly random loops and zigzags apparently loved by XC runners. I counted about 20 Carnethies, plus at least one undercover Carnethy runner. Mike Reid bagged the top spot, chased by Andy Fallas in second position. Charlotte Morgan was second lady after Diane Lauder. The course was ideal for lazy photographers with the runners passing by five times within a two minute walkable radius.
Umpteen photos and provisional results.
Mary
This was my first X country race in about 10 years and I didn’t really know what to expect. It was great fun with lots of Carnethy and Penicuik friends running and cheering us on. Looking forward to the next race at Chirnside.
Margaret Forrest
Wed training
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| The short run: A toddle along to visit Craigmillar Castle. We haven’t heard from the medium run group, though we observed that Gordon arrived back without them. Willie Gibson will be giving a radio interview at lunchtime to discuss the missing group. | Fast Run: 8.3m, 1 hr 28 min, 2,328ft ascent/descent. A slightly different run for the fast group from usual this week. Following on from Saturdays 7 Hills & 7 Beers, Jim decided he wanted to refine the route to its optimum to get the record at some future date. So it was off to recce different routes to Braid Hill and Blackford Hill via licensed premises. The group started with 9, and off we went to Braid Hills Hotel via Blackford Hill, but we soon managed to lose 1 in the Hermitage. Then it was Braid Hill, Blackford Hill, Braid Hills Hotel, Braid Hill, Braid Hills Hotel, Blackford Hill, I think. All good hill training. At some point we lost Matt D, so that was us down to 7. Back at KB Stewarts 80/ was on tap. Nice. Next week we’ll do a long run to the Pentlands. Graham Nash A contrived route of: 3 different ascents of Blackford, 2 different ascents of Braids, all in a bid to find the fastest pub stop between the hills. Results inconclusive. We started with 9 people, and finished with 7 people. Willie Gibson will be giving a radio interview at lunchtime to discuss the missing two runners. Jim |
7Beers report
It’s an idea that’s been bouncing around for a while now, pretty much since I heard about it a couple of years back. Information was slight, at best, but it was roughly this: The 7 Hills race route, with a 7 pints from different pubs on the way. The time to beat was 4hours, set back in ’87, but beyond that nothing much was known. With a boring winter break approaching it seemed like a good idea for a day out (i.e. running and drinking), so a few folk suggested we had a pop including Graham. Sounds good! A bit more digging, and the record for it was set at 4hrs 3mins and 57s by a pair from Livingston and District AC: Mark Adams and Jim McTaggart. As they completed as a pair, we thought it only correct that it should be attempted in pairs so Graham and I paired for a record attempt. The target was set, we chose a random Saturday when we were free (22nd Nov), and set about planning a route. We also opened the suggestion out to the club, thinking nobody would be interested anyway and to just assume it would only be us out there.
Read moreCarnethy Ladies Run
This evening eight Carnethy Ladies (including Bill) ran from Margaret’s house in Colinton along the Water of Leith to Woodhall Farm, then south to Tiphereth. We then followed the route of the Circo Edinburgh over the old golf course at Torphin Hill to Bonaly and White Hill. Next we ran down to the new Centenary Wood which was planted by the Woodland Trust with the help of the local community in remembrance of the First World War. There are four of these newly planted woods in the UK and this is Scotland’s wood. Taking the path under the bypass, we ran past the building site which used to be the Army Polofield and then through the Covenanters’s Wood to Margaret’s back garden. Green (spinach) and red (butter bean and tomato) soup was followed with apple (from Carnethy’s Murdo) and bramble (from the Polofield) crumble. Many thanks to everyone who made this a really enjoyable evening!
Margaret
Bowhill Duathlon (The Short Race)
The 13th Bowhill Duathlon Series kicked off with the Short event, at the Bowhill Estate in perfect conditions. When I say perfect, it was still a total mudfest, but the organisers didn’t have to cope with the snow and howling winds of previous years.
The Short is an eyeballs out effort with (unusually) the run first, followed by the bike. Carnethy was represented by myself, Nick Williamson (competing in his first duathlon), Adam Anderson, Mark Hartree, Kate Crowe (along with hubby Des, representing Dundee Hawkhill) and Alan Renville. Roy and Jesse Dahl were nowhere to be seen, and have probably grown tired of winning the relay. 😉
The run was a muddy 4km-ish of everything: rough trackless and variable forest tracks, paths and twin track, with occasional branches, brashings and fallen trees. Transition was in the stables area and thereafter the (very muddy) bike route (a combination of red, blue and green trails) encompassed good forest road, grassy/trackless areas, a singletrack path with exposed roots and a slippery bridge and several sharp bends and off-camber sections, ending in a tarmac climb into the estate road of about 6.5km.
Nick Williamson had a tremendous race to finish 2nd overall and 1st in his category (in his first duathlon – don’t you just hate some people?), with Adam Anderson just holding me off for second Carnethy, followed by Alan Renville, Mark Hartree and Kate Crowe.
As usual, a great day out and I think a few spaces may be left for the Medium and Long – sign up if you know what’s good for you! Results
Mike Lynch
Junior run
A quiet junior run today, possibly due to our late notification of the temporary change of day. Apologies for that! Lacking both company and a plan, we footled around St Anthony’s chapel, the shady dry dam, and over to the little crags above hunters bog, before finally coming to rest at haggis knowe. We rested lizard-like on the rocks there for a while, before heading to the Commie pool for a swim. Back again on the 6th December.
Leap!
Mary
The 7Beers challenge
The sun shone on the righteous yesterday as eight teams took on the 7beers challenge: the 7 hills of Edinburgh route with a pint between each summit. Hot favourites Jim Hardie and Graham Nash lost out to Chris Henty and Gordon Cameron who set an astonishing record of 3:08. How is that even possible?? Gordon has divulged at least some of the secrets to their success:
“Chris Henty & I started off with 2 other teams and made a dash for the Ensign Ewart having first taken part in a Royal Mile buskers show where Chris had to run off with the flaming torch! After a swift IPA it was Castle Esplanade where we opted out of the Gardens route even though the gate was open and headed down Castle Terrace on to Haymarket and Roseburn for another IPA at the Hampton Hotel at Murrayfield. Up to the tower on Corstorphine where Mike and Neil had set out plates of treats and then on towards Craiglockart narrowly missing a tram for another IPA at The Pub by ASDA. We were just leaving when Fraser and Gio arrived so we hotfooted it to the summit and on to the Braids Hotel. We were just finishing our 4th IPA on the balcony in the sun when we spotted Gio and Fraser in Braid Burn Park so we dashed up the the top of the Braids and then back via the clubhouse to the Buckstone where we met Jim and Graham and Rachel’s team of 3. After a swift Ossian we amazed them by confirming we had already been to the Braids, On to Blackford and then round the church as the allotments gate was locked. Pint of Best in Swaneys and the squeeze through Pollock gate took us up Arthurs Seat which was packed out on the top. Bum slide down and on to the Kilderkin for pint 7 – Gold XPA and the a mad dash up Jacobs ladder to the trig on Calton – to finish in 3.08.48. The only detour we had made from the optimum route was Braids to Blackford but we avoided getting our feet wet! We hung about for half an hour eating and admiring the view and were just about to leave when a couple more teams arrived – Jim and Graham in 3.13 TBC. We all adjourned to the Kilderkin for a well deserved first pee of many and a few more pints as other teams passed through on their way to the finish including Mary & Matt (4.31) and Shane and Sean. After that my memory is a bit fuzzy but I did make it home somehow!”
Gordon Cameron
Matt and Mary Lye’s vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zshQFUeJyzM
Mike Lynch’s photos on Corstorphine Hill here. Chris Henty’s photos above!
Sean’s report –
When I saw Jim’s facebook post announcing that someone who sounded an awful lot like Shane Bouchier was looking for a 7 Hills and 7 Beers partner I thought it sounded like a good match. It turns out it was because neither of us Iet the fact that we were in a race disturb our enjoyment of a leisurely run on a sunny afternoon and a bit of chat while relaxing over seven pints of ale.
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