Thanks to various Cambuslang members for the photos in this post.
It would be true to say I was far better prepared for this year's National than the 2012 edition. However, that didn't mean I wasn't still extremely nervous. So nervous, I couldn't focus on anything the night before so went to bed so early, I ended up getting over 12 hours sleep. I guess I needed it. Dry weather all week meant the Callendar Park course was exactly to my liking, the polar opposite of Inverkip which I'll call the "unaussprechlich." I could just say the unmentionable but unaussprechlich sounds as nasty as my experience that horrible December afternoon. Any German speakers can correct my spelling or choice of adjective.
Sometimes inspiration comes from the unlikiest of sources. Confession time, I'm a bit of a Bruce Springsteen fan and gave his "Born to Run" album an airing on the way to Falkirk. I'm also (don't laugh) partial to watching WWE wrestling. The night before the race I watched their Elimination Chamber pay per view event. Now I know as well as the next person that this stuff is scripted yet one of the announcers made a great comment about how to win a "Chamber" match- survive. You can't win it in the first 4 minutes but you can lose it. I applied that analogy to the National. It's 3 laps, a total of 12km. It can't be won in the first lap but with a foolish start it can be lost. It made sense. I toed the line with that thought in mind. A former professional wrestler reading from a script had set my race plan.
A field of over 500 runners, including 23 Cambuslang Harriers, set off over the first hill following the grassy circuit to the boating pond. I aimed to stay out of trouble, let those with the adrenaline rushes get it out their systems then come to the fore. It couldn't be won on the first lap but it could be lost. Round the boating pond to the hill through the trees, I was probably in the teens but well in touch in good company. 5 Central runners headed me as did our Ethiopian Wegene Tafese. 6 to count for the team contest so it looked like a fight for silver. I needed to be ahead of Wegene to keep the club championship alive. Tall order. Still, I was moving very well and slowly picking people off as we crossed the ditch where the Antonine Wall once stood.
Above: tracking Andrew Crichton (number 228) and Michael Deason (just outside the photo) across the ditch on lap one.
Up the hill towards the flats I overtook and pulled away from Andrew Crichton (Edinburgh) and Michael Deason (Shettleston). Michael bettered me in Armagh 9 days earlier so I took this as an indication of my form. I headed into the second circuit on the cusp of the top 10. As you'll see later, there were no mugs among those ahead of me. The group around me kept evolving. I resisted the temptation to surge up any hills. It wasn't worth the risk. The key was to survive as a wise former wrestler once said.
Above: looking a little drastic on the second lap sandwiched between Murray Strain (number 465) and Alex Hendry (116).
I was starting to to and fro with Alex Hendry (Central), an accomplished athlete who has had my scalp convincingly many times. After crossing the ditch a second time, my Dad was at the foot of the hill. He whispered the following encouragement:- "you versus Cena on the last lap." A private joke between us but I knew exactly what he meant and it gave the required motivation. Incredibly, I finished the second lap in 7th place. I looked at the runners ahead and thought of who was behind me. I was working hard and hurting but knew at the same time I was having a blinder. Cambuslang's David Cooney, Jim Orr, Charlie Thomson and others made it clear at different points of the course.
Into the third lap, I felt the wheels coming off. Sean Fontana (VP City of Glasgow), Douglas Selman (Corstorphine) and Alex Hendry all passed me before I'd circled the boating pond. I really didn't want the good work to come undone. Wegene had pulled away towards victory so I couldn't influence that. I endeavoured to keep my form until the hill through the trees. I took the hill strongly, pulling back a place on Alex Hendry and moving into 9th. Heading towards the ditch, I knew there were 3 hills left. I had a second wind. Time to gamble. If it didn't pay off, at least there wasn't far to go. I threw myself down the ditch and up the other end surging hard on the flat for a few strides, hoping this would give me breathing space on Alex and anyone else behind. Next hill towards the flats, encouraged by Calderglen's Alan Derrick, same thing. I was knackered. There comes a point though when adrenaline takes over. Next hill, same again then along the flat down the dip into the finishing straight. I rediscovered the sprint from 2011 which brought me into the finish in 9th place in 39:38, 1 second adrift of Dougie Selman. Alex finished 10th 7 seconds later. Wegene became Scottish Cross Country and Cambuslang Club Champion in one fell swoop with a time of 38:41. Only 64 seconds separated the first 10 finishers. It had been a fantastic race which I now feel proud to have been part of and humbled to have earned a top 10 finish in. Here is how those 10 finished:-
1 Wegene Tafese (M Sen) Ron Hill Cambuslang H 38:41
2 Robbie Simpson (M Sen) Deeside AC 38:55
3 Joe Symonds (M Sen) Hunters Bog Trotters 39:00
4 Scott McDonald (M Sen) Central AC 39:12
5 Sean Fontana (M Sen) VP-Glasgow AC 39:12
6 Murray Strain (M Sen) Hunters Bog Trotters 39:15
7 Alastair Hay (M Sen) Central AC 39:17
8 Douglas Selman (M Sen) Corstorphine AAC 39:37
9 Stuart Gibson (M Sen) Ron Hill Cambuslang H 39:38
In the team stakes, Wegene, myself, Iain MacCorquodale (19th), David Munro (26th), Ben Hukins (28th) and Kerry-Liam Wilson (32nd) took the team silver medals for Cambuslang behind Central and ahead of Corstorphine. However, there were many great performances throughout our ranks. For example, Scott Hunter posted a personal best National performance while Alistair Campbell posted a sound debut in the senior race with 71st position and our 9th finisher.
Above: team silver medallists, left to right- Iain MacCorquodale, myself, David Munro, Wegene Tafese, Ben Hukins. Missing from the photo is Kerry-Liam Wilson.
An overview of Cambuslang's achievements on a superb day can be found here on our website courtesy of chairman David Cooney.
Incidentally, I opted for Mumford and Sons for the journey home. Additionally, in another significant achievement, a few hours later at 1am, I managed to chase and catch a bus along the length of Argyle Street, Glasgow to get home from the post race celebrations. The bus couldn't be caught in the first street length but it could have been lost. The pre-race plan paid off again.
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