I watched my little sister Christine, the runner in the family, fade away and die of the terrible disease and made a mental note to support it in future years. However when I awoke on Sunday I had a quick look at the MND web site and noticed that the race started at 10.00am and you could register on the day. I got my things together stopped at an ATM to get race fee funds and headed out towards Strathclyde Park, in the car this time. I got there at about 9:50 but soon discovered that the races commenced at 11.00am and it was registration that started at 10.00!
Because of my injury I decided to register for the four mile run, rather than the six mile one. I met up with Graeme Aitken and later Karen Quinn, Francis Thompson and Andrew Scott and his running partner. Graeme had also opted for the shorter run but most others including Scott Hastings, were doing the six miler. Graeme has been a regular at this event and filled me in with regards to the course and the standard of participants. The vast majority of which were wearing white MND t-shirts, many with pictures of lost loved ones pinned to them.
My Run
Both runs started together and I lined up with 630 others alongside Scott Hastings and just in front of Graeme. As the whistle sounded a group of runners, including a number of over keen youngsters sprinted off. I wasn’t that far behind them but I had decided to run n the grass as far as possible to protect my ankle. However it wasn’t long until I had caught a few of the youngsters as we made our way along the sunny loch side. I was a bit surprised when the first marshal directed us away from the loch and around the football pitches, where a group of runners (jog Scotland?) were training. As my Garmin bleeped to indicate the first mile, in 7:07, Graeme overtook me. I hung on behind him but the culmination of my sore ankle; a lack of training; yesterday’s race and cycle and last night’s alcohol was taking its toll, I was therefore more than pleasantly surprised to run the second mile in 7:02. However I was aware of a woman running behind me and I wasn’t too surprised when her she, wearing her Hamilton AC vest, overtook me just before the water station. I noticed that neither she nor Graeme took any water but I had my sensible head on and decided that taking the time to have a drink of water wouldn’t spoil my run. Unfortunately not long after this, despite ensuring that I had double knotted them, one of my laces came loose. I stopped at a bench and retied it before making my way up the only real hill on the course. It was then down hill, along past the beach, onto the road and along to the left in front of the Water sports Centre to the finish line. I was making some ground on Lindz but Graeme was finishing really strongly. To the cheers of well wishers I crossed the line in a time of 28:08. Garmin revealed that the third mile had taking 7:36 and the final one 6:23! My GPS also pointed out that the last ‘mile’ was only 0.89 long. I had finished in seventh place and first MV50+, although there wasn’t any official times or a prize for me, the winners on the day were all of those who had taken part and MND Scotland for the fantastic work that they do for such a well deserving cause.
No Pain No Gain?
I and a runner from East Kilbride Rugby Club were the first finishers to take up the ‘kind’ offer of a free post race massage. He obviously doesn’t practice yoga and he screamed his poor little eyes out as the masseuse went to work on him. I just about survived without screaming.
Sunday Brunch
After the usual post race banter, I gave Graeme a lift back to Glasgow before heading home with the Sunday paper for a well deserved brunch and siesta.
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