Thursday 26 November 2009

Mighty Deerstalker 2010

The date is now confirmed for the 2010 Traquair based Mighty Deerstalker Adventure Race - Saturday 20th March.

Early bird discount (£4 off) if you enter the before 30-November.

More details here....

Some good Moorfoot performances in last years race - check out the Blogger archives....

Moorfoot Christmas Night Out - Saturday 5th Dec

Moorfoot Christmas Night Out - Saturday 5th Dec

Green Tree Hotel Peebles (next to Eastgate Theatre - parking at Station car park behind hotel)

7:00 for 7:30pm

Price of meal will depend on exactly what you order...see you there....

PS - training at Peebles on Sunday 6th December at 10am as normal, but perhaps 'party revellers' can negotiate a slower pace....

Training and Race Dates - December09

November proved to be quite popular for mid-week training despite the wet weather; a couple of successful night-runs, plus some new locations for interval training at Innerleithen and Cardrona…
December is busy again with some extra ‘festive’ events…keep checking the blogger for updates, and note some of the cancelled training sessions and extra races in which interest has been shown...

Note again the Peebles based training on Thursdays with a 5:00pm start....

Sun 29-Nov Borders XC Lauder 12:00 noon
(Also Glentress Duathlon Medium Route 12:00 start also…)

Tues 1-Dec Innerleithen (Hall St) 5:30pm Mile reps x3 over Wells Brae
Thrs 3-Dec Peebles (Gytes) 5:00pm Fartlek Run
Sat 5-Nov Dec Peebles Christmas Night Out (Green Tree Hotel) 7:00 for 7:30pm
Sun 6-Dec Peebles (Gytes)10:00am - easy post night-out run

Tues 8-Dec Innerleithen (Hall St) 5:30pm 2 x 5 x 250m intervals
Thrs 10-Dec Peebles (Gytes) 5:00pm Pre-race run (Fartlek)
Sun 13-Dec Borders XC Dunbar 12:00 noon

Tues 15-Dec Innerleithen (Hall St) 5:30pm Night Run with Headtorches
Thrs 17-Dec Peebles (Gytes) 5:00pm 8 x hill reps at South Park
Sun 20-Dec Innerleithen (Hall St) 10:00am Long steady run (1hr +)

Tues 22-Dec Cardrona (Village Green) 5:30pm 5 x 800m reps
Thrs 24-Dec NO TRAINING
Sat 26-Dec Possible Edinburgh Park Run (5K TT) trip - details TBC
Sun 27-Dec Peebles (Gytes) 10:00am Social run up to Dunslair Mast

Tues 29-Dec Innerleithen (Hall St) 5:30pm 2 x 3 x 400m intervals
Thrs 31-Dec NO TRAINING
Fri 1-Jan Portabello Promathon (4 mile RR)
Sat 2-Jan Greenmantle Dash, Broughton (2 mile 650’ Hill Race)

Monday 23 November 2009

Weekend Roundup 23-November

A few Moorfoots were competing over the weekend 21/22 November.


Darin and Hilary both set PBs in the Edinburgh 5K Parkrun at Silverknowes - looks like a very popular weekly race/time-trial - more details here; more Moorfoots talking about giving it a go; watch the Blogger for further details....


Further north, James was taking in a local XC race in Aberdeenshire at Crathes Castle, coming home in a creditable 4th place.


Lauder round of the Borders XC series next Sunday (29-Nov) and also first round of the Glentress Duathlon Series (also 29-Nov)

Monday 16 November 2009

Social Hill Run - invite from Gala Harriers

Email from Paul Morris at Gala Harriers inviting any Moorfoots who want to join in a hill run up the Gypsy Glen next Saturday (21-Nov) - contact Paul directly for meeting details and last minute arangements (see below)...

"..We'll head out from Gypsy Glen up onto the ridge towards Dun Rig, and head back through Glensax when we've had enough. I would expect we will start running at 9.45am. Those meeting in Gala, swimming pool at 9am as usual. Let me know if you want directions to go straight there. If the weather is really bad we might change venues to Glentress. I will confirm any change by bed time on Friday evening. My mobile number is 077 477 57223, but I'm not that reliable at checking for messages/texts. Paul..."

Moorfoots at Norham BXC Round1

Pic - what mud..?
After the wet and stormy weather on Saturday, it was with some trepidation that we headed to Norham for the kickoff of the Borders XC series, the Norham course being infamous for its 'burn crossings' and 'ploughed fields'.

However, the weather was almost perfect - calm, sunny, actually quite warm - and the underfoot conditions were slippery and challenging in places but not quite the nightmare scenario that Saturdays weather had conjured up.

The good weather brought out the crowds (166 finshers in the senior race, 68 in the juniors) and the Moorfoots were again well represented, but with a few 'regulars' missing through illness and other commitments.

James (24:24 5th), Wull (26:12 17th) and Darin 'the comeback kid' Dougal (26:27 20th) led the Moorfoot team home - not sure the team ranking here yet but strong competition from Corstorphine and Dunbar and Carnethy this year....

The provisional recorded results are a bit 'wonky still' after this, but 'unofficially as yet', next home was Kenny (27:56 xxth ?) ahead of Scout (28:09 46th, first Female Junior and 2nd Female) and then Aegir (28:47 51st)....

Close behind was Carol Moss (28:54 55th) whose strong running was good for 1st in the F45 Category - well done !!

Clive Adkins came back under the 30mins barrier (29:51 64th) followed by Alex (30:28 69th) , whose long trip back from her studies in Stirling was rewarded with a 3rd place in the Female Junior cateory.

Wattie stormed home in 30:56 82nd and Julia stuck to her task in perhaps not her favourite conditions or running terrain, recording a 32:03 (93rd) which was also good for a 3rd place in the F35 Category.

Provisional results here... although they are still a bit wonky.

A few of our runners had not put their club (Moorfoot Runners !!!) on the entry forms so initially they did not get flagged as Moorfoots in the results - I have fed back and had this corrected. Note that this can mess up the Club team and individual category placings you may be eligible for, so make sure you take care in future form filling...
And now with some great pictures courtesy of Ian Nimmo.....

Sunday 8 November 2009

Tuesday Evening Training Opportunity

JUNIOR TUESDAY NIGHT WINTER RUN – help sought.

The Moorfoot Juniors are having a trial of a Tuesday night group run starting from 10 November and are looking for a few seniors to run “shotgun” on the 1.2k loop with the juniors, maybe as an easy warm-down after their own Tuesday night run.

See http://www.moorfootjuniors.org/page4.htm for more info re when, where etc. If you are interested in helping, or are looking for a more modest paced run on a Tuesday night, please contact Gregor Nicholson 01721 723370.

Moorfoots at Tinto

Pic - Wattie (second from left) dressed sensibly for a days hill running in the clouds

A record 295 starters lined up for the annual Tinto Hill Race, on a cool but sunny November afternoon. The recent rain had made the lower slopes a bit muddy and slippery and there was a bit of cloud on the top, but otherwise good conditions for hill runinng.

First Moorfoot home was Mike McGovern in 23rd place (36:32), running well again after some recent chest problems.

Next home, and claiming a number of significant Moorfoot 'scalps', was Scout in a fantastic 40:45, which was good enough for 69th position and second female.

Johnny was close behind in 41:07 (74th) continuing his good performances and Kenny was a minute or so further back in 42:03 (more than 1 minute faster than last year !!).

Alex Campbell bagged a fine 45:04 and well within the top half of the field in 137th place and Wattie brought the Team Moorfoot home in a sub-50 (49:26).

Some strong performances in a strong field and now looking good for the forthcoming Border XC series which starts next week at Norham.

Provisional results here...

Sunday 1 November 2009

Moorfoots Innerleithen Trail Race - Race Report

Pic - yes, it was this wet !!!

The final leg of the Moorfoot Trail Race Club Handicap Series was held on Sunday at the Leithen Valley side of Glentress near Leithen Lodge. Having experienced 'Indian Summer' conditions throughout October, the first day of November, in complete contrast was perhaps the wettest Sunday we have run on this year - very wet, very windy, and generally miserable....

However, thirteen hardy souls ventured out, with the final placings in the three race series still up for grabs over the 7.5 mile course over the forest roads.

First man home was 'hill specialist' Russell, who defended his 80 sec handicap against the main contenders, to take 1st place in the Innerleithen leg and an overall win in the series. Colin chased Russell down all the way round but despite pulling back a minute on handicap, had to be happy with 2nd place on the day - still enough to consolidate an overall second place in the series. Johnny showed some continued good form from his Pentlands Skyline race to secure a 3rd place for both the day and the series.

Other mentions too for Wull and guest runner Graham who started side by side and sportingly finished side by side; Mick, who ran a very commendable sub-1hour time only a week after his Snowdonia Marathon (at least you were used to the weather conditions !!); ..and actually congratulations to everyone who endured the weather - including last, but not least Kirsty who stood around recording the times and serving hot beverages afterwards......

The new Moorfoot jackets were also put through their paces - Mike and Kenny running the full course in their new threads, and can confirm that they are very comfortable, the air-mesh panels seem to work very well at preventing you from 'boiling in the bag' when you are working hard on the hills.

A great wee club series - a big thanks to James and Rachael for the initiative - looking to repeat it again in 2010.

Thoughts or ideas on future formats or courses - leave a comment on the blogger.....

Results here...