Thursday 30 April 2015

5k video

https://vimeo.com/126437940

Scottish 5K champs

A good turn out of Moorfoot vests at the Run and become, Scottish 5k champs at Silverknowes last night. The wind was up and the temperature was down made the flat course pretty hard going, saying that,  the course record was broking by GB vest Callum Hawkins in a time of 14:19. He was in full flow on the home straight when most of us were running towards the turn, magic to watch. This was a high class field with 9 runners under 15 mins, 28 under 16 mins and 178 beating the 19 min mark.
In form Craig Rendle was first Moorfoot home in a time of 17:04, Sam MacNeil 17:32, Darin Dougal  17:43, myself ( Coxy) 17:54 and Scott McDonald 18:32. Local runner Dean Whiteford who traveled through with the boys came in 16:59.
A few emails pinging about today and cross checking of gps watches, have came to the conclusion that the course was slightly long, made no difference to myself, but anyone chasing to brake certain times may have been disappointed.
Full results : http://www.winningtimeuk.com/index.php?page=results&event=374&sort=rank&offset=4

Monday 27 April 2015

Highlander Mountain Marathon 2015

This year's Highlander Mountain Marathon was held in the Assynt area - a stunningly scenic wilderness of bog and rock on the west coast, north of Ullapool. This is the land of Ben More Assynt, Suilven, Canisp, Quinaig, Stac Pollaidh for the mountain aficionado...

Northern corrie of Ben More Assynt - day1
Despite the warm spring sunshine and above average temperatures of last week, the forecast was for snow...

Team Moorfoot Eddie/Kenny (A class)

Day1
Snow down to road level on way to start and thermometer dropping - intermittent sleet and hail - full winter kit off and on between the squalls - sunshine one minute, blast of rather large hailstones the next, incredible spindrift higher up...

A tough day on the hill - was hating bog and peat hags until we came across endless large boulder fields of jagged rocks  (come back peat hags, all is forgiven..) - not much running happening...
Eddie's normal 'diesel-like engine' was misfiring a bit..
Some time made up crossing some higher snow fields in the higher corries, then more jagged stuff and the inevitable bog and peat hags again.

But, no major navigation errors - day1 completed in 9.5 hours (ouch!) - just over 30Km and 1600m climbing
Back to base camp, somewhat chilled to the bone, for three rounds of pasta, a beer and then into the tent, where I luxuriated in my combo of  slightly heaver than the average sleeping bag and half kilo (I weighed it!) of Thermarest sleeping mat...the slightly more weight conscious competitor lying shivering but smug in the knowledge that their sleeping paraphernalia was 300g lighter...

Canisp - day2

Day2
More snow on the hills overnight, but the 'forecast' meant to be better...
Up at 0530 to use the heated marquee to dry out a few items ahead of another long day.

0700 start - river crossing (shin deep), before we had even picked up our course map and course details...
Snow line entered after about ten minutes (ie. beyond the first bog) and then it went all dark, and pretty much for the rest of the day it snowed - not as windy as day1, but incessant, big, wet sleety flakes...and really cold...

Organiser Alex Keith keeping warm out on course in his bivvy bag

Five and a half hours in, just after summiting the saddle of Suilven (650m) in several inches of snow, we made the decision to 'retire' at the next control point - realizing that we were probably not up for a ten hourer....
As it was, it was still about 5 miles back to the finish, and the best bogs kept for the home run - we were back in around 8 hours after starting. Not sure of the distance, but didn't feel like much less than day1 !

An epic weekend - winners of A class were under 11 hours over the two days - amazing...
Only eight of nineteen completed the A-class course - many other teams retired on day2 also.

Slight delays on the road home (stuck behind snow ploughs on the A9) but home in the day light.

Really tough terrain, but great location and superb organisation - looking forward to 2016....

Sunday 26 April 2015

Juniors Excel on East Lomond

Sunshine, wind, some light rain and even some sleet and hail made for some tough conditions today at this year’s East Lomond Hill race run by Fife AC and the 5-strong Moorfoot contingent came away with 3 wins, a 2nd and a 3rd.

It's a tough old climb to the summit and Holly Hobbs, still in P5, took on much older competitors in the U13's up and down race and came home 3rd overall, with only two boys ahead of her, and a comfortable winner of the girls race in 14.25.

Big sis Beth, the U13G record holder from 2014, stepped up to the U15G category and ran well for 3rd in the one lap 2.8km race in a time of 17.26, a time which would have won that race last year.

Ethan Elder charged down from the summit and held on well for a win in 15.42 in the U15B race over the same lap and Mairi Wallace was 2nd in the U17W two-lap 5.6km race in 34.04, 46 seconds inside the previous course record.

All the above will still be eligible to race in the same age-groups next year.

The final win of the day came from Lucas Cheskin in the U20M 3-lap race, 53 seconds ahead of Gav Bryson from Gala.

Well done all. #toughasoldboots

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Why do you run?


I've been thinking about why I run and was wanting to capture the thoughts of some other runners. We've got a good age range at the club and quite a mix of on-road versus off-road runners. 

If you've got time and are willing to write it down then ping me an email [jpanichol@gmail.com)

Why do you run? This can be as long or as short as you like. 
What is your favourite run / race?
Where do you draw your motivation from? 

I'm going to compile this from a variety of sources and will share the output when I've got enough.

Paul Nichol..

Eastgate Film Thursday 23rd

Message from Lucy...........Emma Guy is showing a film at the Eastgate on Thursday evening 7.30pm - Brit Rock - about 3 athletes - climber, MTBiker and a fell runner - trying to run all the fells in the Lakes in as short a time as possible.
It looks very good - some amazing photography and also some good northern humour!!
Tickets only £6.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Blizzard and bogs in the Cheviots



Prompted by an email from Andy Cox I ventured south of the Border for the Cheviot Horseshoe race (9.5miles, 2800ft).  Poor start after getting lost in the lanes of Northumberland and arriving with only 5minutes to register and get changed. Full waterproofs from the word go, rain quickly turned to sleet and then snow as we climbed Cheviot.  Major erosion issues up on the tops where the route joined the Pennine Way - if you left the made up stone track you disappeared (literally) in the bog. The return leg of the horseshoe was all off piste and required a mixture of skill and luck to avoid being swallowed up by the peat. The snow added to the fun! 
Winning time was 1:30mins, I finished in 1:51 (24th) out of a field of 84.

full results

Sunday 12 April 2015

Roound the hoouSes 10k

Myself, Craig and Darin headed through to Grangemouth today to take part in the ever popular 10k road race (Over 950 signed up). Something a bit different for myself, being a good couple of years since I last ran one. It was pretty perfect running conditions and the course was very flat, which made, I dare say it, running along a road quite pleasureable.

A massive PB for Craig, coming in 45th place, 35:31, Darin, 63rd, 36:10 and Coxy, 78th, 36:46 PB

Full results
http://www.winningtime.co.uk/index.php?page=results&event=346&sort=rank&offset=2

Adkins Raid on Coledale

While coach Gregor enjoyed Many Clouds, Jacob and Scout enjoyed a day in the sun at Braithwaite near Keswick in the Lake District on Saturday in the Coledale Horseshoe fell race in a field of 249 runners. Advertised at 13.7k/915m, snow on the tops meant the amended route being used but it remained long and tough. Scout made it two wins in three years in the women's race, coming home 23rd overall in 1.18.38. That was nearly 6 minutes faster than 2013 when the same snow-amended route was used. Jacob was 5th to the top of Grisedale Pike in illustrious company with GB Internationalists Rickie Lightfoot and Rob Jebb still in sight, lost a few places on the rough descent, picked up on the next climb to 7th, then dropped a few places again on the long descent to the finish, coming home 11th in the end in 1.12.54. Lightfoot won in 1.06.49.

Sunday 5 April 2015

Liverpool Half Marathon 2015

A bit  slow on this post but I did the Liverpool Half Marathon last Sunday. A flat course, no wind but a bit twisty and turny and raining throughout. However I was delighted with a new PB 1:21.20 so cannot complain. My goal is to go sub 80 mins before I turn 40 (this July) so heading the right way. Since then I have gone down with the flu so I need to get back to training fairly soon it that is going to happen. Colin
 




Saturday 4 April 2015

Dunbar 10K 2015

Five years since I last did this race, and a while since I ran a road race of any length, so this was going to be interesting, even with a winter season of Tuesday night endurance interval sessions completed.
Had a plan, stuck to it, paced the hill quite well, but fell back a bit on the long drag into the wind just after the half way point; rallied a bit in the run in and was relatively pleased with my finishing time despite falling the wrong side of forty mins  (33rd 40:10).

Good to see Darin Dougal out in action again  - feeling his age he said, but still putting in a relatively strong time (12th 36:41)..and also Tuesday night regular Robert Wilson who put in a sold 46:10

Results





Thursday 2 April 2015

3 Eildons 10 mile trail race

Great new race for 2015 organised by the "Melrose races" team (10.5 miles , 540m) . Really varied course with a proper hill run to start (up the 3 Eildons), scenic trail running through woodlands & fields, a long stretch on the banks of the Tweed and an odd bit of road thrown in (which I did not appreciate).
There were seven Moorfoot entries from the field of 100 runners (capped). There looks to have been a good tussle between the Moorfoot top guns  - Andy appears to be paying the price for too many exotic winter holidays allowing the old boys to beat him to the line,

Wull Hynd -  1:19:47 (3rd place)
Darin Dougal - 1:20:03 (4th place)
Andrew Cox - 1:20:37 (5th place).
We need to lobby for team prize next year !!
also rans:-
Eddie Balfour - 1:30 (19th place)
Alan Elder - 1:39 (37th place)

DNF (Mike McGovern - pulled up with calf injury whilst in pole position)
DNS (Tom Hobbs - child minding duties)

full results