Portobello Parkrun
On Saturday I volunteered to scan barcodes at the Portobello Parkrun. They were struggling for volunteers and asked if some of the "faster runners" could maybe scan barcodes after finishing the race. I didn't know what constituted a faster runner but said that I would finish under 21 if that was any help. Apparently that
was any help so I am now officially a Parkrun volunteer.
The race itself was quite slow for me and I was struggling for breath. Kata says I sound like I have a cold and maybe I do but if I do then it's very mild. I ran as fast as I could and only just managed to fulfil my commitment of finishing in under 21 minutes by completing the course in a distinctly unremarkable 20:48. So after having my own barcode scanned and been given a very quick lesson on how it all works (it's not complicated) I scanned the heck out of those barcodes (no doubt my brief experience of working at the checkouts in Lidl was of some use).
Scan the barcode, scan the token, put it in the bucket. Or was it, scan the token, put it in the bucket, then scan the barcode? Or did I have to scan the bucket?
A few people ( 4 or 5) when having their barcodes scanned asked me if I had just ran the race and then started doing this job. When I said 'yes' the response form all but one person was, "Wow, well done, thanks." That was nice. One person however replied, "Really?! I hate you." Ha! At least she was honest.
For the benefit of HBT, here's my post-race ale. East Coast IPA in The Bailey
Volunteering was fun and I will definitely do it again, probably when the club GP is over. I'd encourage everyone to give it a go. There's really nothing to it and of course with no volunteers there is no Parkrun.
Balfron 10k
On Sunday I ran the
Balfron 10k in Killearn. Nah, I'm just kidding, it was in Balfron.
This is the second time I have ran in this event and I enjoyed it so much two years ago that I wanted to do it again. The course is challenging - it's an out and back route and the first 5km is all downhill where you run around a piper and then ran back up the hill to where you started. I would have said that it definitely wasn't a PB course, and I would be right, but I was agonisingly very nearly wrong.
Sunday was a typically Scottish day weather-wise. We have a saying in Scotland that "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes." Never was this saying more appropriate than on Sunday 26th April. When I arrived in Balfron the sun was out and I was too warm wearing my jumper so I took it off and walked from where I'd parked the car to Balfron High School in only my shorts and t-shirt. Once I had my bib and chip, I turned to go back outside only to be confronted with hail stones and what looked like gale force winds! This persisted until just before the start when it eased off a bit into a cold drizzle, and then 5 minutes after the start it was hot again - too hot for running. Ridiculous. And by the way, I'd like to give a special mention to the kind lady who gave me my bib and chip - never before have I received such full and detailed instruction/advice on how to wear my bib and how to attach my chip. Her advice was wall received and I finished the race with both still attached so it was worth it :-)
Wearing my club vest I entered Balfron High School an literally the first person I saw pointed at me and said, "Woah-Hoh! It's a Trotter". I have no idea who the guy was but clearly our fame (or infamy) precedes us. I was the only HBT runner on the start line but I did see some runners from Lothian and possibly one from Portobello so 'The East' was well represented.
Balfron 10k was supported by Mulberry Bush Montessori. My dad repairs their washing machines apparently. Here's a picture of me and dad. Laverty & Kerr for all your washing machine repairs!
The race got underway and after being only briefly held up in traffic at the ninety degree left turn about 100 metres from the start, I was away at a decent pace. The pacing of this race was however, to say the least, erratic. As I said before, the first 5km is downhill, but in that downhill are some slight undulations so my first 1km was completed in 3:50, my second in 4:15, my third in 3:50 (again) and my fourth in 4:25. Knowing that I had to run back uphill, I was concerned about the 4:25 and made an effort to up my pace. First 5km completed, we ran around the traffic cone next to the piper, and started running uphill and back.
Question - is it rude to ignore someone that is talking to you during a race? While I was bending into the climb and pushing forward with all I had, the guy next to me started talking to me. This is essentially how the conversation went;
"
Feels better doesn't it?"
"Uh?"
"Seeing those people running back when we are still running out made me tired, but it feels a lot better to be running back and seeing all those people who are still running out, don't you think?"
"....... Uh huh."
I meant to look for the guy at the end to congratulate him (he ran off ahead of me) and to apologise for my rudeness, but to be honest I forgot. And seriously.....was I rude? I was concentrating on breathing never mind talking. I once heard that the difference between jogging and running is that if you can talk while you are doing it, then you are jogging. Seems as good a definition as any to me, and if that's the case then I was well beaten on Sunday by a jogger.
Shocking pink face and medal. Selfie just shocking.
I made decent progress back up the hill. At 7km the hill was very steep (this is no doubt the 3:50 I recorded at 3km on the way out) and I saw some people starting to walk. Well not me. Despite knowing that it wasn't a PB course, I had secretly calculated what I had to average per kilometre to finish in under 42:30 (4:14) and I was still in with a chance. With 1km to go, a glance at my watch showed 38:28. Damn! I had 4 minutes to complete the last 1km to record a new PB. I *could* do this and if it was flat I would do it, but it wasn't flat, it wasn't flat at all. In fact it was quite steep. I found another gear and passed a number of runners going uphill in the final stretch which is very unlike me. I saw the finish and another glance at my watch showed me that I wasn't going to make it. I had 15 seconds to go and the finish line was too far away. In the end I crossed to line in 42:41 (TBC), 11 seconds off my PB but on a much, much harder course than Stirling where my PB was recorded last September.
I really like this race and I will definitely run it again. Loving the shocking pink medal (it matches my Alloa half-marathon t-shirt). Well done to the event organisers and marshals, and to the people of Balfron who were dotted about the course seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Also, I have never heard noisier or more supportive water stations! Thanks guys.
As an aside, I heard a rumour that there was another racing happening in London on Sunday. The London Marathon? I hear that my club mate, the girl that I wrote about that overtook me during the Men's Cross Country Nationals in Callander Park, finished the London Marathon in 2:40:26 which is mind bogglingly fast. Well done Shona McIntosh.
For the benefit of HBT, here's my post race ale. Green Devil IPA in The 'Tap.
