By the beginning of August, I was in a "race yourself fit" type mode which I hoped would pay off for my two target races. Being in such a mode gave me a reason to return to Dundonald, an old favourite with several appearances to my name over a 12 year period. A 7.30pm start gave me more leeway than the previous week and I arrived more relaxed with time to spare.
More on the setting and race route can be found in my blog post on 6 August 2011. A sizeable field of almost 200 runners set off along Dundonald's main street for the first half climb into Symington. I started relatively conservatively, not wishing to blow a gasket on the first climb, slowly moving into 2nd place by the 2km point. An unknown runner in a yellow vest was clear ahead of me and taking a bit longer to catch. I suspected it may have been the previous year's winner David Phee but couldn't be sure.
Eventually, around the 3km, I caught him and made an effort to pull away to no avail. Things essentially remained that way for the rest of the race. I completed the hilly first half in 17:06, preparing myself for a relentless assault on the flat, downhill second 5km. So too did the mystery man. He stuck to me like glue. I had one last trick- run hard up the hill to the castle and run hard off the top to the finish. A tactic I learned from reading about Robert de Castella. Part one (running hard up the hill) worked to perfection. Part two (running hard off the top) not so much as I ran the finish out myself rather than my opponent who overtook me on the blind side on the way to victory.
Above: approaching the finish. Photo courtesy of Kenny Phillips.
I came through the finish in a new course best of 32:08 having run 15:02 for the second half and it not being enough for first place. On exchanging handshakes, the mystery man turned out to be Matthew Gunby of Woodford Green, an Australian born Englishman who has just moved to Edinburgh. Learning that his 10km best is 29:42 made me feel better about myself. He pipped me here by 3 seconds.
In the other results, Bellahouston Road Runner Craig Reid secured a second consecutive midweek 3rd place in Ayrshire, clocking 34:46. Fellow Cambuslang Harrier James Healey sampled the Dundonald experience for the first time and was rewarded for heeding my pre-race pep talk with a time of 36:52. In the ladies competition, Melissa Wylie (Dumbarton) took the honours with 40:10 ahead of Laura Wallace (40:16), one of a large turnout from Ayr Seaforth. Laura McGarrity (Troon) took 3rd with 40:25 in a keenly contested race.
I definitely won't leave it another 3 years before I return to this idyllic corner of Ayrshire. I may have said it before but look out for this little gem in the calendar and put it in your race plans.
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