Back in June Billy and I signed up for the Applecross Duathlon – the price (£6) and the timing (Edinburgh September weekend plus our 20th wedding anniversary!) were right. But we all know what happens to the best laid plans. Billy ended up doing the timekeeping for most of the handicap races rather than running them due to injury over the summer and only managed a few runs out with Willie’s old and broken group (Willie’s words not mine!) prior to the race. I on the other hand completed all the handicaps bar Arthur’s Seat as I developed a dodgy knee just days before. So when race day arrived Billy dropped from the race to the challenge and I became support crew.
The duathlon comprises a 9 mile (471m ascent) off road run followed by a 15 mile (538m ascent) road cycle and is a well organised low profile race, although many folk had travelled quite a way to get here. The campsite we were staying in was waterlogged. It had seemingly rained every day for the previous 3 weeks. Conditions on the run promised to be interesting! But Billy was upbeat and set off at 12.30 with our friend who is a professed road runner and was definitely out of her comfort zone.
There were frequent rain showers but the sun did shine at times and at least the cycle wasn’t straight into a headwind as is often the case. Only the junior record was broken and as Stewart Whitlie wasn’t taking part this year there were no Carnethies on the podium! We did spot one other Carnethy but he wasn’t listed as Carnethy in the results so I didn’t get his name!
Cakes and tea were held In the village hall afterwards and a good time appeared to have been had by all. We will definitely be back.
Dorothy Elliott