Famous Grouse 10k Creiff 11th July

by **madscotsbloke** » Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:49 pm

Hi all,

Having a pop at this one on Sunday, entries still available on the day (£10) and well worth doing.

http://www.strathearnharriers.org.uk/Crieff10k

Race report, especially for you Ninja, will follow :lol:

MSB

by **madscotsbloke** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:00 pm

Ow!!

The legs are fair throbbing this morning after the Famous Grouse 10k yesterday.

finished mid field (249 completed it) in 53 minutes and 10 seconds (official time) although I started my garmin going over the line and stopped it as I crossed the finish for 53 minutes and 2 seconds

, either way delighted with my run.

I will post a more in depth report later tonight, (Ninja, I bet yer fair champin' at the bit noo eh?) :lol:

MSB

by **Ninja Mania** » Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:55 pm

Canna wait, its the wee stories, the wee if's and but's, that make it all worth while.

by **madscotsbloke** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:03 pm

This 10k is one that I remember from the first year that I got into running against the clock. It’s less of a conventional 10k, more of a trail race, with a healthy mix of Hill race thrown in for good measure. I last ran it in 2008 when I managed 55m53s, which at that point was a 10k best for me. My main concerns this year were underfoot conditions so the torrential rain on the way up to Crieff on the Saturday night was just what I needed to settle any nerves!!! :roll:

Down to register (wasn’t confident enough to pre-enter!!) at just after 10am, quick look around to see if there were any familiar faces (or arch enemies) and there were a few, and then back to the car for final preparations. A friend of ours, Suzie, from Crieff had decided to “have a go at this 10k thing” (what a choice of first 10k!!!) so most of the pre-race banter was trying to calm her nerves. I gave her 3 pearls of wisdom:

1. Try to keep the legs moving on the climb up to 3km because a lot of people will walk there so you will pick up some time, and, more importantly, it’s better for the legs

2. Try to nip to the loo before the start as there is nothing worse than running 10k with a full bladder and lastly

3. Remember that people WILL pass you, so not to get too depressed about it.

She seemed to take this on board and continued to get ready for the race. About 10 minutes to go and we headed across Morrison Academy playing fields towards the start. I suddenly realised that I hadn’t followed my own advice as far as point 2. was concerned and trotted down to the clubhouse. I returned to the start where everyone was getting ready for the off. Jules shouted me over for a photo and it was only then we realised that Suzie was nowhere to be seen. The Piper fired up and within a couple of seconds we were off, Garmin started over the line and a quick look over my shoulder to see if Suzie had appeared. I could barely make out her pink running top running back from the Clubhouse towards the start, a full 200 metres behind the last runner. Her insistence to follow my directions to a tee meant that satisfying point 2. had definitely taken point 3. out of the equation!!!
The first 1km starts along the playing fields and then the route starts the climb up Laggan Hill, pretty much a steady climb from 1km to 3km. My legs are already very heavy and at the steepest part of the climb a couple of guys in front of me, who looked strong up until then, slowed to a walk. The temptation to do the same was enormous but I lifted the knees and pushed on to the top, feeling all the better for that small mental victory. The descent on the other side of the Hill is steep, slippy and covered in tree roots. I am mindful of faster runners who want past and only have to shout at 2 ladies in front for fear of “skittling” them on the way down (I must invest in a pair of trail shoes!).

Once down the last of the slippery hills (only one runner with a twisted ankle, amazingly) we turn sharp left past a water stop. I don’t usually take on water during a 10k as I belch for Scotland for about the next 2k but I was really warm by now so the water was distributed evenly between down my throat and over my head. As we headed away from the water stop I started to feel really knackered and with a check of the Garmin I realised why!!! The guy who I had tailed down the last of the downhill section was running sub 4 minute km’s. Fair enough I thought, see you at the finish, and dropped back to just under 5’s.

The run along the river was nice but it was getting harder to maintain a pace as the legs got heavy and the lungs started to struggle to keep up so it was nice to turn away from the river bank and up onto the road again and past the 9km marker. Got a couple of shouts of encouragement from familiar voices and lifted the legs for one last attack. As you turn into the playing fields for the finish it looks likesucha short distance....... but it takes forever to get there!!! Final piece of encouragement comes when a spectator shouts at the runner behind me “ come on!! You’ll get that guy in the white (Me), he’s DONE IN!!!” well, with that I kicked again and made sure that they only got to find out how “Done In” I was when they lined up behind me for their goodie bag!! Over the line in 53m 02s on the Garmin (official time slightly slower at 53m 10s).

Thoroughly enjoyable race (its amazing how quickly you forget about the Hill!!!) and one I will pop in the diary for next year without a second thought. Suzie managed to overcome the Famous Grouse in 1hour 6 minutes, which, for her first 10k is pretty damn good. She will do fine in her next few, after all they are all going to be easy compared to this!

by **Ninja Mania** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:29 pm

Gavin, what can I say, 1stly well done, super time. 2ndly good, (no great), wee write up, There is always someting special in reading back race reports, especially one's you have done yourself. 4th Gen once told me that one of the most important and enjoyable parts of running is keeping a note book on all your run's, I'm afraid I just do Garmin.
You made it sound an enjoyable wee run, and another one to tell the grand children in years to come.
Well done again btw.