Thursday 29 April 2010

Sponsored Stair Climb in aid of the Disabled Access at the Old Parish Church

Pic - artists impression of access ramp to Church (and Courthouse )

I have been approached in my Moorfoot capacity to see if we can enter a team (or teams) for a sponsored stair climb at the old Parish Church to raise funds for the new access ramp.


The idea is to do a loop of the front steps, up the south stairs, across the balcony, down the south stairs, back down the front steps, as many times as we can in one hour (ie. hill reps) to raise sponsorship money for the access ramp (which believe it or not costs £100,000 !!!)

The 'how high can we climb' theme should appeal - 51 laps equates to a Venlaw; 64 laps equates to a 'Cademuir'; I'm hoping we might achieve a 'Lee Pen' (79 laps).

The event takes place on Saturday 15th May between 10:00am and 10:00pm.

You can particpate at any time during these hours - if there is enough support, we can perhaps coordinate a suitable time slot and have a small social event afterwards....

Very suitable for Moorfoot children (it is not a race - it's a sponsored walk) - tea, coffee, juice and biscuits served afterwards to all participants....

Please let me know if you can support this, and I will provide you with a sponsorship form - this is a good chance for the Moorfoots to do some 'community' work....

Regards...

Kenny

Wednesday 28 April 2010

Upcoming Races

Next batch of races with planned Moorfoot participation listed below....something for everyone in here I think...

Peebles 3 Bridges Race (~5K handicap RR) - Sunday 2-May
(This is a counter in the Moorfoot Championship Series !!!)

Penicuik 10K RR - Saturday 8-May

Muckletoon Doctor's Race (Langholm, 8 mile RR) - Sunday 9-May

Gypsy Glen Hill Race (~5 mile 1000' Hill Race) - Wednesday 19-May
(This is a counter in the Moorfoot Championship Series !!!)

Yetholm Hill Race (~8 miles 2,500' Hill Race) - Sunday 6-June

Costorphine AAC 5 mile RR - Wednesday 9-June

Let me know if there are any other races you are planning to attend, and are looking for folk to join you...

Anyone Free for a Cademuir Time-Trial with Scout Friday 30th April?

Gregor Nicholson has asked if anyone can help Scout Adkin by accompanying her on a “time-trial” up and down Cademuir this Friday evening as part of her prep for the Scottish Junior Hill Race Championship at Ben Lomond. She has missed a bit of training over the last 2 months and has not had the opportunity of any warm-up hill races which this Friday evening’s run is intended to replicate.


Meet up Tanta by the gate leading onto the open hillside for a 7.30pm “race” start or contact Gregor on 07545 322750.

The intended route follows the John Buchan Way, ascends to the top of Cademuir, turns and descends back to the “saddle” between the two summits, back up the steep path adjacent to the forest, then straight down to finish at the starting point.

Thanks...Gergor

Monday 26 April 2010

Moorfoots at Bog & Burn Series and Mull Monsterette

Fuelled with the good company and lovely food last Sunday, Ive run a couple of hill races in the last week.


Wednesday night saw the first Bog and Burn counter, the Kaim Hill Race at Fairlie. It was a fine sunny evening and the normally boggy hill was quite dry. I finished tenth in a field of 63.

Saturday was the Mull Monsterette, a race only held every two years. It's a fantastic course, starting on the shore and taking in five tops, each higher than the previous one and finishing with Ben More and a fast descent via walker's path and moor from over 3000 feet down to sea level. I finished seventh in a small but select field of 19.

Results here

I'm planning on doing as many of the Wednesday nights Bog and Burn series as I can manage so if anyone else is going and wants to share transport, let me know. Also got some Saturday races in May (Stuc a Chroin(maybe), Ben Lomond and Goatfell.

Cheers...
Russell Anderson

Monday 19 April 2010

More Moorfoot Race Results...

Tom McNaughton does the Chris Hoy Edinburgh Half Marathon in 1:26:42



















Mike Reid takes an 8th place at the Hunter Bog Trot...

Moorfoots at Lochaber Marathon

Well done to Johnny for a PB at the Lochaber Marathon is a shade over three hours...

Hi. I ran the Lochaber Marathon yesterday.

Just missed out on my sub 3 target although I'm not sure what I could or would have done differently. Truth be told, I was super confident right up until the wheels (marginally) fell off. I had a great taper, felt good all week and the conditions were grand (though a wee bit of sun and wind appeared from about halfway but nothing to bother about).

I went out super conservative, hit my first 2 miles in 6:55 and 6:53. A lot of people charged out *very* fast, it was amazing to see. I think I was about 50th after the first mile or so, then I didn't get passed again and finished about 26th I believe.

My pace was very easy, barely breathing, legs felt good, holding it was no problem. One issue was that my Garmin was reporting the miles slightly long, and after the first couple, the mile markers started getting further away from the mile alerts. Ended up at 26:32, made pacing a bit awkward but nothing that made a difference. I thought I was running 6:48-50 miles but I was actually running 6:50-52 which didn't leave me much leeway.

Started passing people steadily from about mile 8, I think. Hit halfway at 1:29:50, which was cutting it very close but I figured I felt good and was running easy, so I was confident of managing my plan of picking up the pace about 5-10 seconds a mile from mile 20.

Got to mile 20, after passing quite a few more, hitting my marks, then almost every mile from 20-24 has a bit of a climb, nothing major, just enough to make you feel it. Ran about 10 seconds slow for a couple and started feeling it, wasn't worried though. Then I started to steadily slow down and ran the next 3 or 4 in 7:10ish but my legs were on the edge and I just couldn't pick it up, as hard as I tried. My brain was addled by then as well and I was having trouble working out what my splits would need to be to get it back.

I was still passing a few but the whole race, I ran on my own. I don't remember running beside anybody at any point after the first mile! It's a long way on your own.

By mile 24/25, I knew the game was up - had to run impossible splits for the last couple but subconsciously knew I couldn't. Last mile was about 30 odd seconds slow, not helped by a couple of steep rises where I almost lost it!

So, disappointing but considering my previous PB was 3:53, I can't complain. I honestly don't know what I could have done differently. I trained hard and well, tapered properly, didn't miss many sessions, got to the start in good shape, paced my race pretty well (if a touch slow, could have done with a couple more seconds a mile for the first half but the mile markers confused me a bit), had enough gels and water in the race but just couldn't get it done. The only thing I could have done was HTFU but try as I might, it just wasn't happening.

I now know what it takes to get it done. I have a Good For Age entry to London next year, so I'm probably going to aim to run a blinder there next year.

Johnny

Sunday 18 April 2010

Scottish Athletics Level 1 Officials Course

Please find attached details of a Level 1 Assistant Officials course being held in Tweedbank on Friday May 28th at 4.00pm - 9.30pm.
The level 1 Assistant Officials Award will help you to develop skills and enable you to assist qualified officials at your club/group and athletics events.

Contact me if you are interested in going...

Regards...

Gregor Nicholson

01721 722 281 (B)
07545 322 750 (M)
GJN@MACSinsport.co.uk
http://www.macsinsport.co.uk/

John Buchan Way Club Run

Ten Moorfoots completed the John Buchan Way run this Sunday, in slightly cool and showery conditions. The first twenty minutes or so were cold on the exposed flesh, but once warmed up and out of the wind a bit, it was actually ideal running conditions, with the trails still very hard and dry in most places.

The 12 miles from Broughton Place (yes, we drove up the track as far as we could before we started) to the edge of Peebles took just under the two hour mark, at a 'sociable' pace.

Big thanks to Colin and Kirsty for the outward logistics, and Kirsty, Eilidh, Mhairi and Alison for the soup, sarnies and cake at the end - a grand day out !

We'll perhaps try and do something similar in a month or so - perhaps Traquair to St Mary's Loch (Glen Cafe ?) - watch the Blogger for more details....

Moorfoots at Offa's Orror (Wales)

Pic - Tom ignoring the speed limit at the Chepstow Harriers' Offa's Orror 2010 20K Trail Race

Tom Hobbs recently competed in the Chepstow Harriers' 20K trail race  in Wales on the return from his family holidays in the West Country, finishing in a very respectable 4th place.

Looks like an interesting race - more details here...

Similar type of race soon at Glen Nevis mid May - details here...

Sunday 11 April 2010

Moorfoots at Gala 10K

Pic - Kenny,struggling to hold his drink again, picks up the Men's team prize for the Moorfoots...

It has been a Saturday of 'firsts' - first proper sunny weather, first applications of sun cream, first insect bite on my leg...

...and it continued on Sunday at the Gala 10K, the first race in the inaugral Moorfoot Club Championship Series.

A field of ~130 runners assembled at Netherdale in perfect conditions, to race over the fast and flat course, including six Moorfoots.

First Moorfoot home was Edinburgh based Mike Reid, in a fast 34' time taking fourth place, with Mike McGovern a minute back in a low  35', in another neck and neck race with local runner Darin Dougal (Darin winning this time by a few seconds). Third counter for the 'team' was Kenny Davidson in a PB of 38:37 (26th place) - (Ed. first time I've been a 'counter' !!) and enough somehow to bag the Men's team first prize !!

Julia continued her good form, with a 40' run, getting closer to her sub-40 goal, and losing out on the LV35 prize by only a couple of seconds.

Rhoda MacPherson, running her first race as  a Moorfoot, ran a PB of 46', and Dave Wardman returned to form breaking the 50' barrier and taking some 90secs off his time for 10K from Dunbar last week.

Official results still to be published on Gala Harriers website...

...and the final 'first' of this weekend - first day back at work tomorrow after my week off !!

Further details of the rules and positions in the Moorfoot Club Championship Series to be published by Colin - watch the blogger for more details...

Saturday 3 April 2010

Moorfoots at Dunbar 10K

Pic - Tom 'suffering' for the Moorfoot cause on the final sprint..
A new course this year for the Dunbar 10K Boundary Race, and pleasant (dare we say it) 'Spring' conditions met the Moorfoot contingent at the coast.
The new course used a network of quiet roads inland from the town, with one 'big hill' breaking up the otherwise relatively flat course.

Wull Hynd led for a while, but had to settle for third (by only a few seconds), in a very impressive time of 35:26. Not far behind, Tom Hobbs recorded a time of 36:14 for 6th place, in a time that he thinks may have been a 'Personal Best' (the Hobbs race annals to be researched tonight...)

Mike McGovern, struggling a bit with cold, was third 'counter' for the team in 37:18 (15th), but is was the Portobello 'massif' who had the slightly better placings to take the team prize.

Elsewhere in the 250+ field, Kenny recorded a 'jammy' sub-40 (39:53, 35th) despite his own watch recording a few seconds more than 40 mins. Pushing hard for a sub-40 in 2010, Julia came home in 42:11 (58th) to pick up the Ladies Vet runner up prize (well done! - I have your trophy and voucher). And finally, it was great to see Edinburgh based Moorfoot Dave Wardman, who was making one of his first race outings of 2010, putting down an early season marker in 51:29 (161st).

Also running strongly, was local runner Darin Dougal, who finished in 4th (36:04).

Good course-side support again provided by the Hobbs and Davidson girls....

Provisional results here...

Well done to Dunbar Running Club for another well run event on their new course - hope to see you at the Moorfoot Beltane 10K in June....