White Rose Cycle

SUNDAY 19 JULY 2009
85 miles 2225 metres

Moira and I headed down to Yorkshire to cycle the medium route of the White Rose Sportive. We joined in at lunchtime at Dent after a nice lunch, and avoided the black clouds and rain that had appeared earlier. A couple of miles of warm up along Dentdale and then we were up Deepdale and Kingsdale for the first of the "double arrow" climbs along this lovely valley, a total of 1000 feet. A fast swooping descent took us down into Ingleton, then Clapham and Austwick along nice country lanes. There was a lovely section next along to Helwith Bridge and Langcliffe, near Settle. We had another double arrow climb out of here up on the the moors to Malham Tarn, and another one along the way to Arncliffe. Kettlewell provided a nice lunch stop at half way, before the dreaded Park Rash double arrow, which had me giving it 100% effort just to grind my way up in the granny ring.

A long long descent then followed down to Leyburn, where the drag against the wind to Castle Bolton and Hawes took it out of us. At Hawes we headed up the lovely Widdale valley to Newby Head Moss, our final climb before descending into Dentdale. Thinking last food order were 9pm we hoofed it as best we could getting back into Dent at 8.40pm, only to miss out on the 8.30pm food deadline. A pint of ale and packet of crisps kept us going till we could get to Sedbergh for a Chinese carry out. Another hour in the car took us to our lovely pub in Low Row for a sound night's sleep and hearty breakfast next day. A fab day's cycling in amazing scenery, but boy do you have to work on those hills!

White Rose website

Maddy Moss Hill Race

WEDNESDAY 15 JULY 2009
10km 680 metres

A belter of a mid-week race - great location, great pub after and lots of friendly faces. My blisters from Melantee had seemingly healed up, and after a power snooze in the car I was ready as ever for this tough assault course from Tillicoultry up the Ochils and back. The steep start got me puffing and panting immediately as runners jostled for space amongst the ferns, bracken and boulders. We all found the correct path this year over to the foot of the Law and were warmed up for the power-walking slog up to the top. I settled into a steady rhythm and was passed by only a few people on the way to the top, including Graham Kelly early on, who I managed to hang onto for most of the climb. The legs felt no too bad, though in this race I tend to climb well only to be passed on the runnable stuff on the descent.

Over The Law Steffen came past and I tracked him closely through the gloom to the summit of Ben Cleuch in about 37mins, where the real race started. My wee legs then tried their sterling best to hang on to Steffen and others in front, and to hold off Murdo, Dave Rogers, Lisa and the massed hordes behind me. I had a reasonable trot along to Andrew Gannell only losing a few places, trying to take in the cracking views that were unfolding around me as the sun made a fleeting appearance down in the glens below. The descent to the eponymous Maddy Moss is a little belter and no more places were squandered here fortunately.

However, what then lay ahead was the last mile down the narrow snaking ditch of a track where I usually flounder a bit, paying for my earlier uphill excesses. I let a few fliers pass me early on and then Saturday’s blister and some dodgy guts started making their unwelcome presence known. The concentration required to stay on the descent path in its more ditch-like upper half had blotted these things out, but on the lower half I just had to wave Dave past, bowing to his superior descending skills as I wimped out on the rockier parts.

I hared off after him to no avail, and was also soon caught by Ellie and, oh no -Dave Duncan! I thought I had done enough to hold off my old adversary but he nipped past me in the bracken as I was tip-toeing down. The last hundred metres are steep and slippery but, despite thinking only of a gut-relieving trip to the bushes, I managed to just hold off a fast finishing Murdo to record 67mins 10secs - a mere 10mins slower than 1999. No time for chit-chat at the finish as I was feeling decidedly ropey internally and headed straight for the hidden sanctuary of some high bracken, only reappearing a good 10 minutes later feeling a bit more human. A quick wet-wipe-wash in the car had me feelong fresh as a daisy and then into the Woolpack Inn for some rehydration. A lovely evening’s entertainment. Well done to all the Westies and thanks to Ochil Hillrunners for organising it all.

Melantee Hill Race

SATURDAY 11 JULY 2009
4 miles 460 metres ascent

It was left to a small but select band of Westies men to uphold the honour of the black and gold at this crazy little upstart of a race in Fort William. The 3 hour drive through road works and caravans, spying the gorgeous mountains all around while marooned in a car, had not set me up in the best of moods for racing, though I chilled out a bit upon arrival in the sweltering sunshine and the company of friends. Only Brian B Don and Manny were there to make up the team amongst 100 or so other SHR Championship chasers. This is a brutal little race, a dash round the shinty park followed by a quarter mile track and then - boom - straight up 1500 feet of near vertical grassy slope. Power walking was the name of the day as I inched my way past runners to the summit. The views were stupendous and it was tempting to sit down right there and just take it all in. Alas, it was a race after all so it was straight back down for the near suicidal descent, where I held my position well before passing a few runners on the track at the bottom. I paid for the dry hot descent with a cracking blister on my heel but I deemed it worth it as I was chuffed with my run and finished 28th of 107 runners in 40mins 45secs. Manny had a great run well ahead of me, and Brian ran well too but Don pulled out early on. A nice cold pint of Hebridean Gold with Manny, Brenda, Davy Duncan and Christine rounded things off nicely.

Results

Ben Loyal - Manny's Final Corbett

FRIDAY 3 JULY 2009

A grand day out on Ben Loyal for Manny's final Corbett in his amazing 10 week epic journey.

http://corbettrun.blogspot.com/

Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhugaill and Meall Horn

THURSDAY 2 JULY 2009

I had the early shift on Meallan Liath Coire Mhic Dhugaill and Meall Horn in hot sunny conditions. Dave and Donald took over for Foinavon and Arkle in thunder and lightning.

Ben Leoid

WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2009

Up in the far north west to help Manny Gorman on his amazing Corbett Run. I bagged Ben Leoid, but was too early for Manny coming over from Glas Bheinn, so I had a snooze on the summit before the rain drove me back down. Then the others headed for Ben Hee.

Wanlockhead Cycle

SUNDAY 28 JUNE 2009
55 miles 1050 metres ascent

With tired legs after the Arrochar Alps Hill Race on saturday, I eased them off, sort of, with a lovely 55 mile cycle from Abington via the Dalveen Pass to Drumlanrig Castle and up the Mennock Pass all the way to the 720 metre Lowther Hill radar station