Available now on iPlayer. It’s excellent! http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pw6ht
Archives for March 2015
World Tower Running Championships – Doha
I had managed to blag an elite entry to the inaugural World Tower Running Championships at the spectacular Torch building in Doha, Qatar and with the globe’s best tower runners flying in my main aim was to vaguely justify my status, which meant making it through the first heat.
My secondary aim was a re-match against ‘local’ runner Andi Jones. The top 30 men from the first heat (time trial) would progress through to a second heat later that day (also time trial). The combined times from the first races would then determine the positions on a starting grid for the same 30 in a mass start final the following morning.
The fact that I had to assume the recovery position and spent the next hour thinking I was going to puke confirmed I hadn’t left much in the stairwell after heat 1. My official time was 7.08, a depressing 51 seconds behind the leader Piotr Lobodzinski (Poland), but only 8s and one place behind Emmanuele Manzi (who’d beaten me in my only other tower race, in Dubai six weeks earlier), and most importantly 26 seconds ahead of Andi. My time put me in 10th place which was great, although I now started to wonder if I’d gone too hard. This was confirmed in heat 2, just the 30 floors this time, but my legs were still trashed and my time of 3.55 was just enough for 15th place, meaning I slipped one place to 11th on the starting grid for the final and only just maintained my 100% record against Andi (by one second!).
From a Grand Prix style grid the final started with a 200m sprint gently climbing to the hotel lobby where an ornate staircase funneled the runners towards an internal fire escape. It was then up 30 floors, before exiting the stairwell, running half way round the building on a terrace, entering another fire escape and then 20 more floors to finish at the revolving restaurant at the top of the Tower. The pre-race chat of competitor’s track times meant I was glad to be only caught by 3 or 4 on the sprint, but was aware that Andi was right on my shoulder as we entered the staircase. There he stayed for the next 30 floors before I found a kick and pulled away just before the terrace, and then managed to keep pushing and reclaim a few places before reaching the line in 7m38s, 12th place overall, 3rd V40 and 1st Brit! Piotr decimated the field winning in 6.35, while Austrian mountain runner Andrea Mayr narrowly won the ladies race in 7.50.
Simultaneously one of the most enjoyable and painful weekends of my life. Oh, and did I mention I beat Andi Jones?
Paul Faulkner
Results, official write-up and all sorts of other nonsense can be found here: http://towerrunning.com/
3 Eildons 10 Mile Trail Race
A handful of Carnethies ran the inaugural 3 Eildons 10 Mile Trail Race in Melrose on Sunday. The rain held off until I reached the top of the 2nd Eildon and was able to take in the 360 degree vista that was advertised. The guy behind me thought it was a bit odd that I actually spun around to get the full effect. After the three hills it was really a trail race following footpaths and a fair bit of tarmac. At times (particularly when passing through villages) the trail and the marshall’s directions were not always clear. In the end this made it a historic day for me as I was the first Carnethy finisher (thanks to Phil Humphries taking a wrong turn and running a few extra miles). To top it off we had sandwiches, coffee and snacks surrounded by pieces of Scottish Rugby history in the Melrose RFC clubhouse. A fun way to spend a Sunday morning.
Sean Walker
The results for the race have been posted and I now see that there was a significantly faster Carnethy than myself. Neil Pendrich finished 13th overall in 1:29:22 a good 20 minutes before I did (I knew it was too good to be true). Well done to him and all the other Carnethy finishers: Robin Sloan, Phil Humphries, Fiona Mackenzie and Karen Meikle. Full results at https://www.facebook.com/melroseroadraces?fref=ts
Junior Run
Whisky Chaser 2015
More Photos from Mary
Bouncing down through the heather off Castlelaw, with the sweet toffee taste of Strathisla on the tongue and a lively wind nudging us about, I remember thinking, “I bloody love this event…”
But it could have been so different…two days ago the forecast looked grim – heavy rain and strong winds. We haven’t had to invoke the bad weather route for the Chaser yet, but it was looking pretty likely this year. Even as Phil and I went out mid afternoon to stash a couple of whiskies, it was a tad breezy in places, though on the plus side, the rain had stopped. And that turned out to be as bad as it got – the winds eased and the weather gods were kind to us again.
Controversy stalked the start of the event, with dark mutterings of disapproval at there being a Welsh whisky on this year’s list. Still, at least it wasn’t English, which would probably have led to me being lynched. A tradition has evolved that the first whisky is often something a bit different – we’ve had a clearic and a blend in the last couple of years, so Welsh “wysgi” seemed a good option, and pretty well everyone seemed happy with the gentle sweetness of the Madeira finish.
On and up towards Woodhouselee Hill, the multiple possible pronunciations of anCnoc caused debate, particularly between the Scots and Irish Gaelic speakers. Then over the top or around the summit for a regroup at the broken sink, just in time for the awesome sight of Al coming up over the brow in his full plaid!
This was our potential bad weather cut-off point, but all seemed good so we stuck to the script and hit Castlelaw for the sherried richness of the aforementioned Strathisla. A mere handful of miles from the Knockdhu distillery (makers of anCnoc), but a world of difference in the taste, much to Digby’s appreciation, though unfortunately not Bob’s, as I forgot to give him any…oops…sorry Bob!
The group spread out en route to Allermuir, but the canniest stayed close to Chairman Willie, who was bearing the next bottle. Matt and Neil found a great sheltered dip on the Edinburgh side of the hill for our Tullibardine Burgundy cask, which had a noticeable rose tint to it. Cody was impressed with the sheltered spot as well and happily noshed the toilet roll and contents already there, whilst the rest of us enjoyed some distant sunshine lighting up Leith.
With the day cooling off, it was a quick trot over Caerketton and down to another sheltered rocky hollow on the far side of the fort, for the peaty blast of an Islay Port Charlotte. The strongest whisky both in flavour and strength, it drank much more easily than its 50% ABV and was beautifully smooth, though it did seem to reduce Mary to a state where she was unable to say anything other than, “Hospitals! Hospitals!”.
All done, we dashed down to the Steading for a good feed and a blether by the fire… I’d been wondering whether the Chaser had run its course and should be retired so that someone else can create something in its place, but this suggestion met with mild disagreement, so it’ll be back in 2016…huge thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed it, and for the positive comments, and hope to see you at the next one!
And a final thanks to Phil H and Willie for helping carry whiskies up, and also Phil Y and Al for helping bring the empties back.
Oz
Whisky No1 – Penderyn 46% from Wales. A surprise and very nice indeed! Just to make sure, I had another one. Mmmm. I was right. And so to stop no. 2 in the trees near Boghall. Whiskies consumed 2, distance run 1.9m – breathaliser result: 100mg, way over the limit (which for those of you who don’t know, Mary, is 50mg in Scotland)!
Whisky No2 – AnCnoc 12yo 40% from Speyside. Another pleasant whisky to get us into the swing of things, and about which I remember little. Well I remember little of anything with much clarity from now on. And so to stop no. 3 huddling down in the heather out of the wind on Castlelaw. Whiskies consumed 3, distance run 2.9m – breathaliser result: well well, down to 90mg. Exercise is good for you!
Whisky No3 – Strathisla 12yo 40% also from Speyside and produced very close to the previous. In spite of rapidly failing senses this was a lovely complex whisky and very different to the AnCnoc. I may just possibly have had another one after chasing Oz down. He was not going to get away. And so to stop no. 4 somewhere or other. Definitely still in the Pentlands. Whiskies consumed 4 or 5, distance run 4m, some of it in circles – breathaliser result: 140mg. Now we’re talking.
Whisky No4 – Tullibardine 43% from the Southern Highlands. I have every reason to believe it was delicious. I know it was delicious. It WAS delicious. Mmmm! And so to stop no. 5, a haven in the gorse. A place to revisit. I liked it a lot. We saw the moon. Whiskies consumed 5 or 6, distance run 5.3m – breathaliser result: 150mg. Note to self. Don’t drive.
Whisky No5 – Bruichladdich 50% from Islay. The big hitter. Going out on a bang with a lovely peaty salty whisky typical of the isles. How yummy. A determined pursuit of Oz won me another snifter. There were toasts to Oz and the other genius who invented the run – Andy Millard. And finally back to the Steading for food and a steadier. Whiskies consumed 7 or 8, distance run 6m – breathaliser result: at this point the machine threw up it’s hands in despair. Numbers just don’t go this high so it settled for “HI”, and a lot of flashing; well a car with a big X over it. I don’t think it was a cheery greeting.
So what have we learned today boys and girls? I think we all know… Don’t miss next year’s Whisky Chaser!
Digby
– oh and it’s still reading 50mg this morning!
Birnam Hill Race
Big turnout for the Club and SHR champs race. The wind blew away the rain and the sun even made an appearance. A really attractive route that is worth revisiting when you have time to enjoy it. This race scores high on the cake rating but slightly chaotic arrangements made for a late start. Results here
See the rest of Nick’s photos here and a video of the race here
Running a Round on the Braids
With the last of the dark nights comes the Club “Round of Golf”.
The 7pm group headed off for Braids No1 ans then ran from tee to green in 18 different length sprints. Meanwhile at 7:30 the easy group of 8 headed directly to tee No 11 and ran in an effort to stay ahead of the others. By the 16th tee we could see the head torches on hole 14 and so we waited on the 17th Green to appplaud the leaders onto the green.
After a short blether the main group headed for the 18th while we ran along the path to the 10th to complete our 9 holes.~Then it was straight back to KB and the 19th hole (or the 10th). The nice Stewarts Ale was not on tap (and is going for good!), but bottles of Orkney beer made up for that.
Willie Gibson
Beinn Bhan Bash
I found myself up at Fort William Friday with work catching up with colleagues and enjoying the craic. It so happened that this race was on too. So feeling a bit better than I have of late, agreed to enter to blow away the cobwebs. A nice meandering fire road helped ease us into the race until popping out onto the hillside and the climb proper. I wasn’t sure if it was the beer or residual lurgy but I was leaking like a sieve in the perfect spring weather. I managed to hold my own, even catch up a bit to the turn around, where by I then lost time and ground on the steeper part of the descent until the gradient eased a bit. The track back seemingly gaining a few more bends than on the way up. Nice friendly race and hopefully a start to getting back into things.
http://lochaberac.co.uk/beinn-bahn-photos/
Matt Davis
Results – LAC Beinn Bhan Bash 2015