D33 17th March 2012

Saturday 17th March saw the first race of the Scottish Ultra Marathon season in the D33 in Aberdeen.. This was the 3rd running of this race and has growing year on year with 192 taken to the start line... It was a chilly start but the sun was up and was looking like another stunning day. I stayed the Friady night in Aberdeen with the other Kirky Krazies, Ada, Terry, Susan and Alice... This was Terry and Ada first Ultra Marathon this time last year and both came back as part of their training towards the WHW Race in June. As usual we run our own race and I assume the my normal place at the start right at the back and soon we were off.. Anything better the last years 6hrs.25mins would do me.. as this was only my 3rd race since helicopter Saturday in 2011... I ran the first 2mile with Colin Knox a good friend I first met in 2009 Highland Fling Race as we ran the last 12miles together. Colin pushed on as I slowed to take my jacket off and I settled into my game plan of 6mph which is a bit fast for me as I would normally stick to 5mph.. after about 14miles I could feel my legs becoming tight and know good food was a must at the halfway mark. I was met by Susan and Alice who handed me my muler rice and salted crisps both of which came to my rescue.. as I reach the halfway mark 15mins up on the year before... After leaving Banchory it took till around 23miles before the food kicked in and I could run again I was at 23.7 miles in 3hrs.25mins all of a sudden I notice with a bit of luck I was on for 5hr.30min finish which would just be the "dugs nuts" as they say.. with that I pushed on and noticed I was catch a few runners.. over the next 6miles I would pass another 6 runners who were all feeling the effects of a very warm day and a difficult flat course... with 3miles to go I notice a sign saying 3miles to Duthie Park and the finish line... after 1/4 of a mile I came across another sign Duthie Park 3mile.. I was now getting my toys ready to be thrown out the pram... but worse was to come... in another 1/4 of a mile another sign appeared Duthie Park 3miles... I now know someone was taken the piss... which was compounded yet again with another sign now saying 2.5mile to Duthie Park... I had now lost the will to live.. as I was at 5hrs. 15mins with 3miles to go... Over the last 3mile I lost 2 places.. On reaching the park I could see Ian who I meet with earlier in the day really struggling... I shouted to keep going as he was only 6oom from the finish which seem to give him a lift as he took to his heels and legged it to the finish 10sec in front of me.. all in all it was a great day for the Kirky Krazies... Terry finished in a stunning 4hr.47mins.. 30min PB, Ada finishing in 5hrs.15min...5min PB and myself 5hrs.55mins.. 30min PB... Its now onwards and upward for this years Highland Fling on the 28th April... Time to get the monkey of last year off my back...

Training Days..(A Day Out For The Loonies)

Well the Kirky Krazies have been training hard this winter with Ada,Terry,Linda,Alan and myself all doing the WHW Race in June the first race of season will be the D33 a cheeky wee race we all done last year...

Recently Ada and I ran the Glen Ogle Race Route as our last long run..which was a stunning day after snow had been forecast..

Drovers to Bridge O Orchy

Another day out for the Kirky Krazies with Terry, Ada and myself heading out on a planned 24 mile run from Drovers to Tyndrum and back. The weather had been cold for a couple weeks with snow and frost/ice. The trail was hard with large areas of ice which made things real interesting.. Ada was finding things hard going due to the conditions under foot and Terry and I tipped toed along..

On the drop into Auchertyer the route got very icy and with that we had the idea rather than run back to the Drovers we would carry on to Bridge O Orchy and get the bus back.... with that we searched Tyndrum for a bus time table to see when the next bus was... but had no joy... but with one phone call to Terrys wife Susan.. She confirmed that the next bus was 3.05pm we had 2.5hr to do 7 miles.. which meant we would have plenty of time for a beer in the Bridge O Orchy Hotel before the bus came...

When the bus arrived we thought we were not going to get on as the driver only had five seats and they were booked.. It turned out that the people who booked them were getting on at the Drovers so we were ok to get on... the thought of another 3hrs in the pub before the next bus came would have been a nightmare..

Milngavie to Balmaha and Back...

Myself and Ada Stewart had a mad moment of thought and decided to run from Milngavie to Balmaha on Friday night and set off about 6.30pm... It was wet windy and real hard work. Ada has not done a lot of night running with a head torch so it was going to be interesting... As Ada has fallen on the WHW Route twice now in daylight and I really feared for her but she went at her own pace... 9 mile into the run I heard a loud bang and turned round to fined Ada in a heap.. She had only gone and fallen over again... but no damage was done... We carried on and soon arrived in Drymen at just over 12 mile... We had been notified that the route from here to Blamaha was blocked with trees so we ran the last 4 miles along the road to Balmaha.... As the Camper van that Susan and Alice were driving down had not arrived we went straight to the pub and waited till they arrived..

I had arranged to have lunch at the Oaktree in Balamha with my wife but at the last minuet she couldnt make it... which left me with the prospect of a return run back to Milngavie which I was not looking forward to as the weather was very very poor, high winds and driving rain... but this time I ran back over Conic Hill and through Garadhban Forest... On the whole I need to be please 38 mile run... 68 mile for the week... so rest week well over due..

Kirky Krazies

Sunday seen another run of the Kriky Krazies.... With Linda joining us for the first time this winter. Susan was not up for a 20mile run so she opted to run with another group from our club.. Terry, Ada, Linda and myself set off on the Lenzie loop... We leave Kirkintilloch Sport Centre and head to Milton of Campsie then to Lennoxtown along the old railway line and then on to Strathblane... from there the route heads up hill towards Mugdoch Park before heading to Baldernoch and along Tower Rd to Torrance then picking up the canal and the short return to Kirkintilloch.. But there was to be a shock to the system when we gathered to find that it was -4oc which would caused issues with sweating later on. Linda and I run the first 10mile together as she had not ran this distance for along time... It was a steady 20mile for us all and I finished 8mins quicker than I had done before...

New Years Eve Run

The Kriky Krazies set off on another jollies on the West Highland Way from Balmaha to Rowardennan... Ada, Terry, Susan and Annmarie joined this wee 15 mile run which is quite challenging due to the rolling hills... This was Annmaries first run with the Kirky Krazies and first run on the WHW...

Annmarie became our entertainment for the day as we watch her dance round muddy puddles, flooded rivers and climb some cheeky hills...



The 3 girls are not the best at running down hills which they admit them self as Ada has had 2 bad falls on the WHW in 7 month(You would think she would learn)..

But we all stuck together to have great end of year run... which ended with us in the pub yet again...

Christmas Eve Run

Arranged a wee training run for the "Kirky Krazies" but due to the time of year it was only Terry, Ada and myself that set off on the 15 mile run from Milngavie to Beech Tree and back.

The plan was to run out to the Beech Tree and have coffee and beacon buttys but it wasnt to be as the Beech Tree snack bar had closed for the winter(I do wish they had put that on there website..)..

The weather was overcast with showers but very mild... On the return Ada and Terry were about 5mins in front as I messed about with my Ipod...

As I came over a small hill I should have been able to see them but they had disappeared... The route takes a small dip and this is were I found Ada and Terry... Ada had only gone and fallen... doing some damage in the process..

Cut hands, Cut chin(5 stitches required), Cut to her thigh which turned to a 10" Bruise... all in all not the way you want to finish your pre Christmas run...

But hey ho... Ada is a touch old burd....