Alloa Half Marathon

After what seemed like summer had arrived in Scotland on Saturday, Sunday turned out to be a brisk reminder that the old saying 'Ne'er cast a clout till May is oot' are wise words to heed in March in Scotland.

We got changed in the pub car park with bare backsides being the order of the day. I can confirm that I did not personally touch the Vaseline tub but I cannot say the same for the others. Toilet facilities were thanks to local Asda superstore, so apologies to any late morning shoppers who used the facilities after us. It was all in all a bit boy scout at the start but its a small provincial race with limited facilities. In any case I'm a hardy soul and the local constabulary were busy elsewhere. So no permanent damage done.

In what can only be described as a brisk wind with very scattered sunny spots we set off at 10am from the start. It wasn't a huge field and it was only 1 minute on the clock as I went under the start gate. Timing chips were in use for the first time this year so no worries on what time you get through at the start. Initially the race was through the streets of Alloa and the locals were out in force, mostly still in their pyjamas and a few still sporting what looked like wee hangovers from the night before. Plenty of vocal support en route from the locals was greatly appreciated.

I had avoided all but purely medicinal alcohol intake over the weekend despite the usual fantastic hospitality at the McDonald's Hotel. I particularly liked the Racers Menu but might skip the Rangers game on my next stay after a gut wrenching 2-2 draw at Ibrox on Saturday reminding me that its not all cups and pies being one of the people these days. In fact its very few cups and too many pies by the looks of many of the regulars. If you get the chance to stay at McDonald towers I can recommend the Lasagne, Spicy Crisps and the post race cans of Stella Artois. Breakfast in bed is also available but i don't want to say too much in case Brownie gets wind of it...

As ever my initial pace was too high but I wasn't as pumped up as I was at Glasgow in Sept and after about 5k I settled into a normal pace but I could not tell accurately as my Sunnto Watch/Foot Pod was over measuring my speed and distance by about 25%. The other issue was that all distance signs were sporadic at best and only in miles and I do all my training in KM's. So mental arithmetic approximations were required. That particular exercise got much harder as the race went on and the hills got steeper.

Once out of town heading towards Tillicoutry we were sheltered from the wind and it was mainly downhill and it was a real cruise, the sun was warmer out of the wind and it was great. Stu and I ran together for a long way cracking jokes and feeling great. The views onto the hills were magnificent after having been in the flatlands of Belgium so long, a wee bit of homesickness certainly creeping in as the clouds scudded over the hills . I seem to definately struggle with pace going downhill and was passed very often on the downhill sections only to drag them back on the uphill parts. I don't know why. It might be a technique thing.

The left turn in Tillicoutry onto the long straight section along the foot of the hills was eye watering, not because of the views but because of the wind... it was howling down there and we were taking turns hiding behind each other. Its a long long straight of maybe 7km and right into the teeth of the wind the whole way. A business opportunity selling long sleeved vests halfway along might turn a few quid at next years race.

I took a small sip of water in Alva and it threw me for about 3km. I ended up losing my concentration, coughing a fair bit and then losing my rhythm in general. I think a mix of the wind and that water moment meant I was never really back on top form again and from there on(6 mile mark) in it was a grind to the end. I'll be running dry in future by stocking up at the start and will use the bike stage to stock up during the Triathlon.

A few long hills back into Alloa proved a test too far for quite a few runners and I saw a dozen or so folk walking. However it wasn't the popular choice and most folks just kept plodding up there. I can certainly say it tested me deeply on the final 6-7km.

I finished in 1:46 which is 3 minutes faster than my Glasgow time but still outside my pre race target of under 1:45. Overall it was a hard session and I'd rate it an 8 out of 10 regarding level of required effort.

A good lesson for me with 11 weeks to go that I clearly need to up the pace on my training regime, if its at all possible. Its definately going to be a lot lot harder to finish than I can currently imagine. I'm slowly easing the 6 hour target out as a possibility and am trying to focus on finishing which after Sunday's grind will in itself be a tough enough challenge.

Stuart 'The Sniff' McDonald finished in a very tidy and youthful 1:42 and special plaudits to Chico "Crunchie/Dairy Milk/ Turkish Delight" Murphy for his 1:53 finish after a training regime lasting less than 2 weeks pre race.....I'm not sure the 10K and Birthday party the day before was of any benefit.....

Overall I had a really great time with the guys and I'm told The Crunchie is looking for the next challenge.....I wait with trepidation although a decision isn't expected soon if previous form is anything to go by.