Running warm up/down 20:00 [2] 4.0 km (5:00 / km)
shoes: Asics Gel Enduro Attact WR
Couple of laps plus strides. I was properly cold, had to do my first lap with 4 layers on to get warm.
Running race (Edinburgh Intl XC) 28:04 [5] 8.45 km (3:19 / km) +100m 3:08 / km
shoes: Asics Hyper LD
3rd Scot.
I think this is the 5th time I've run this race. It's always a great experience but it doesn't get any easier. It's not a great course, but it is a tough one. An all out sprint at the start followed by 3.5 soul destroying laps on the flat before you get to the first climb up Haggis Knowe, and then you discover that what is usually an insignificant bump at the start of the Bog Trot or on a Monday night run has transformed into a huge mountain. And then you have to climb it another two times...
I felt dreadful on the first three laps this time. Lack of proper racing & the blistering opening (3 minutes for the first km - fancy some of that ₪?) meant I was feeling pretty heavy. I had to trust that the other scots I was hanging onto had also gone out a bit hard and sure enough, the pace started to the drop. After 2.5 laps I started to feel able to push on a bit though, and I started to move past people. There were three West vests just ahead - Andrew Douglas, Calum Hawkins and an Eritrean - when we got to the hill, and I was leading a group of my East teammates. There were a few GBR kids who'd got a bit excited at the start flying back with the reverse lights on...
The Eritrean stepped off the course on the hill - maybe he couldnt face Hunters Bog? - leaving two targets. I pulled up to Calum on the next lap and had a tussle with him on the 2nd hill which continued for the bulk of the final lap which Andrew was cruising about 30m ahead. On the last climb up the Knowe Calum tried to get in front, a few elbows put him back in his place and then I literally sprinted up the rest of the hill to get clear of him. The start od the descent was always going to hurt after that but you don't think about that at the time. Suddenly I was close to Andrew for the first time in the race - no point holding back down the hill this time - give it some - hes coming backwards, doesn't realise I'm gonna catch him - too late, on his shoulder with 50m to go - keep kicking - got him! Cross the line! Then Ginger Jackson told me I'd taken bronze in the inter district race - I guess it was worth the sprint then!