It's a time of year for tours. One of the world's most gruelling sporting challenges, the Tour de France, took place in July. Football clubs are on "pre-season tours." In Scottish running circles, the Tour of Fife took place, 5 races in 5 days for those taking up the challenge.
More locally, the Tour of Clydeside took place comprising 4 races in 5 nights, Wednesday being a rest day, in and around the Glasgow area. The final race was a 10k in Glasgow's Pollok Park. Athletes can enter any one race individually. Looking to give my fitness a quick jolt, I decided to toddle along to Glasgow's South Side even though I ran Dundonald only 2 nights earlier. Well, it got me out the house. On Thursday I did an easy 4.25 mile run then had a bath to ease my legs in preparation. A 5000m track race opportunity was on offer at Scotstoun but one, I didn't quite feel fit enough and two, I felt it was a little soon after the Scottish Championship disappointment to do another.
I turned up at the Cartha Rugby Club end of Pollok Park to enter, met Ian Goudie again who was also having another race outing (he's in the 40s for the year) and a couple of new Cambuslang athletes. 3 for a team, magic. I knew one of them, Shaz, but hate to say I've forgotten the other's name. I'll get there with it. I also saw another clubmate for the first time since the week before the Bristol 10k in May, Kirsty Grant.
Let me tell you a little about Kirsty. We first met in July 2010 when I decided to put a face to the person who always replied to my posts on the Cambuslang online forum. We started going a few training runs when it suited, such as me wanting a recovery run and her someone to push her on. All went well until January. Not many people will know that Kirsty then fell ill with a potentially fatal illness. I was texting her one day, the next, she was hospitalised, just like that. It is a tribute to her fighting spirit that she is running again and not a million miles from where she was. She's a great friend and one of my biggest supporters. If you have wondered who sent me the card before the Home Countries cross country, here is your answer. Anytime I'm racing, I can set my watch for Kirsty's good luck text arriving.
I lined up with various folk onto their 4th race of the week. Kirkintilloch's David Gardner had a healthy lead in the series over his clubmate Gavin Harvie who in turn had only a slender advantage over Chris Upson of Westerlands. I felt like the rider in the Tour de France peleton going out for the one off stage win. The thankfully flat course took you through Pollok Park, out the other end onto the street back towards the Rugby Club. That was one lap and you ran it twice.
Above: the start. Thanks to my Dad for taking the photo.
I eased into the race to see how my legs felt. They were okay and I gradually built up a lead. I saw plenty arrows but no kilometre or mile markers so I concentrated on putting in as much effort as possible. The point from exiting Pollok Park until re-entering at the rugby club felt very long. I got a nice cheer as I completed the first lap. A quick time check showed it had taken me 15:43. A lot faster than it felt. I aimed for no spectacular second half collapses. My legs got heavier and the speed bumps started feeling like hills. I seemed to get out the park a bit quicker this time and entered the long drag back to the finish. With my legs tiring, I focussed on lengthening my stride and my arm movement. Eventually I saw the arrow directing me into the park. I was then sent left towards the rugby fields and the finish line. The second lap took me 16:11 to give me a winning time of 31:54. With no car to follow, it had been mainly me against the clock. In those circumstances, the result was pleasing.
I jogged back out to support some other runners. I cheered on Ian Goudie and Calderglen's Stephen Phimister then saw Kirsty. I knew she had a bad time at the previous night's race. After offering some encouragement, she looked at me, smiled and seemed to ask if I had won. I replied "you seem okay" and answered her question in the affirmative. I completed my warm down while chatting to series runner up Gavin Harvie, chatted to the other Cambuslang runners then showered before heading into the bar. There was no prize for winning other than some soup, tea and what looked like black bun. I asked Stephen Phimister about what it was like to race 4 nights out of 5, said my goodbyes to a few folk and headed home pleased with another good night's work.
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