BUPA Great Edinburgh International & Inter-District XC

Quite possibly the biggest and best cross-country meet in the world this year (outside of the World Championships in Amman, Jordan this March) and I earned a spot in the race, running for the Scottish West District squad. Fifty Scottish club and university runners were selected to compete in a field otherwise consisting of ueber-elites. It was a privilege to be a part of it, and it will surely be one of my most memorable races ever.

To give you an idea of how amazing it was (and how ridiculously over my head I was!) at today's 8.9 kilometer cross-country race, let me introduce you to the competition. First, we have Zeresenay Tadese: World XC Champion in 2006, 3-time World Half-Marathon Champion, Olympic Bronze Medalist at 10,000 meters, with personal bests of 12:59 in the 5,000, 26:37 in the 10,000, and 58:59 in the half.

Then we have Eliud Kipchoge, shown here (at age 18!) out-kicking none other than Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele for the World Championship 5,000 meter title. PB's of 12:46 for 5,000 and 26:49 for 10,000 meters.
(getty images)
Next, another Kenyan runner shown here winning the Junior title at World Cross Country, Augustine Choge. PB's of 12:53 over 5,000 and 7:28 over 3,000 meters.
(getty images)
And though he was out due to injury this year, the man who won this race the past three years, and whose credentials make him perhaps the greatest distance runner ever, Kenenisa Bekele: world record holder at both 5,000 (12:37) and 10,000 meters (26:17), Olympic Champion in the 10,000 in 2004 and in both the 10,000 and 5,000 in 2008, bearer of 12 World XC titles!
(getty images)


The American presence was sparse (partly due to the USA half-marathon championships next weekend), but the highlight of my day by far, was meeting Ed and Jorge Torres, chatting a bit (mostly me going on like a giddy school girl about how big a 'super fan' I was), and running some strides alongside them. Additionally, I brushed shoulders with Andrew Lemoncello, Sergey Lebid, and Andy Baddeley. That is, until they started running (and I started to redefine my idea of what it means to run, and run fast).

In short, the competition was analogous to my high school basketball team, the Canby Lancers, facing the '95-96 Chicago Bulls in the United Center. The conclusion was, needless to say, fore drawn.

Despite wanting to 'run my own race' and avoid going out at a suicide pace, I let the excitement pull me through the first 1500 meters at a pace that would make the remaining 7 km hurt. By the 2nd kilometer, a large pack consisting of Easties and Unis mostly, drove right past me. The remainder of the race was hanging on desperately, cursing the 25 mph winds, falling further and further behind the field - ugh.

The leaders early on (The Eritreans running for the Weegies would, like me, pay a heavy price for their aggressive start):


About a mile into the race, I am already feeling the burn and peeling off the back of the pack:
The leaders going up Haggis Knowe for the first of four times:
My first pass up the Haggis. Despite appearances, there are still a few runners behind me at this point - though I was definitely back in the "hinterland," where the air is seemingly thinner, the mud thicker, and the hills steeper. That photographer almost beat me up the hill actually:Haggis Knowe, part 2, with a lead group consisting of Boniface Kiprop (bib #18), eventual winner Abebe Dinkesa (bib #11 in the red shorts), Zeresenay Tadese (bib #1), Eliud Kipchoge (bib #2), Mang'ata Ndiwa (bib #15):
Me on Haggis Knowe, parts 2...3...4... (can I walk now?!):
Result: 8.9 kilometers in 32:32 for 61st place overall. The winner, Dinkesa, a relatively unheralded Ethiopian, ran a time of 26:51. Our West District team - led by the 4 Eritrean transplants and rounded out with the efforts of Chris Mackay, Paul Sorrie, Jethro Lennox, and eventually me) won with 33 points over the East's 64 and the University's 83.

Running Log: 3,000 miles

Hooray!  I achieved (though just barely) my goal of logging 3,000 miles in 2008 - 3,029 miles to be precise.  For 2009, I would like to increase my mileage another 10%.  However, I would also like to finish my thesis, so we'll see!  

Lake District: Helvellyn

Our bed & breakfast, the Maple Bank guest house in Braithwaite (near Keswick), had a great view of Skiddaw (the 4th highest peak in the Lake District at 3054 feet).  We were delighted to wake up to clear, albeit cold, skies.  Our plan for the day was to walk up Helvellyn, the 3rd highest peak in the Lakes at 3118 feet, which Wordsworth allegedly walked when he was 70 years old.

Britt and Jack in front of the Maple Bank guest house:
A scenic morning drive to the lake Ullswater and the village of Glenridding brought us to the start of our hike:

Looking back over Glenridding and Ullswater:


Britt and Jack near the first minor top of Mires Beck:
The path to Helvellyn:
Britt in front of Helvellyn:
Jack boldly awaits the toughest climb of his short dog-life - our traverse of the Striding Edge:

Me, beginning our walk along Striding Edge:
What a good little scrambler!
Britt, on edge:
Me, on edge:
Looking back along the ridge:
Britt & Jack on top of the world:
Jack, at the cairn:
After descending along Swirral Edge, we came to our pastoral end:

Lake District: Wordsworth and Gingerbread

The village of Grasmere was our first stop upon arriving in the English Lake District (me being a Wordsworth scholar and all).  Grasmere was precisely the picturesque, mountain-nestled, tourist-swarmed village I had imagined.  The quiet of the hills greatly softened the buzz of the village:

Grasmere's famous gingerbread - a flat, dense and gooey bar, coated in fairy dust, with a strong ginger zing:
And everything Wordsworth:
Oswald church, Wordsworth's place of worship:

Wordsworth and his family are buried in the church cemetery:

We ended our tour of Grasmere at Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth museum:

Garscube Christmas Ceilidh

Every holiday season the Garscube harriers come together in a beautiful expression of camaraderie and cohesion - and nothing expresses this so beautifully as Scottish catering - mmmm, sandwich triangles, the essence of cohesion. Just as Garscube sticks together, so do the spongy slices with their generous mortar of butter and mayonnaise:
The boys:
The gals:
Heather & Davie:
Britt & Me:
Natasha & Stephen:
Lesley & Jon:Danny & Alison:
And no Scottish party is complete without the ceilidh band and dance!
The pledge:
The turn:
...more turning
...and then some more turning
Finally, the prestige:
Now, that's Garscube magic:
And that's Garscube closing down the bar:

B.O.W.W.O.W.

Beer of the Week:

"Blackfriar" scotch ale from Inveralmond brewery - at 7.0% ABV - is a smooth, malty ale (though surprisingly light on body and mouthfeel) with roasted, chocolate, and caramel notes balanced with a dried apple and raisin fruitiness. And hoppy for a scotch ale.

Whisky of the Week:

"Singleton" 12-year from Dufftown distillery (Speyside) had decent malt and spice up front, warm and chewy with some smokiness, finishing bitterly and somewhat abruptly with a harsh burn for a whisky at 40% ABV. Imbibed at our local whisky pub, "Uisge Beatha" (ISH ke bah), along with the folk songs of local singers and musicians.

B.O.W.W.O.W.

Beer of the Week:

Now that the winter season is upon us like a wet, black cloak, the b.o.w.'s will be primarily the darker, heavier stouts, scotch ales, and barley wines (as opposed to the crisp blonde summer ales).  "Ca'Canny" is a porter-style ale at 5.2% ABV from the Kelburn brewing company. Outstanding coffee and chocolate richness with a deep fruity aftertaste - just like the label says (and they're not exaggerating)!

Whisky of the Week:

"Bruichladdich" 12-year, another whisky from my favorite region, Islay.  Subtle for an Islay malt since this one is unpeated.  Green fruits (pear/apple) and vanilla are predominant.  Full malty sweetness.

Dunbartonshire and West District Cross Country

Dunbartonshire AAA Cross Country Championships:

A beautifully sunny and crisp morning on the hilly fields outside of Kirkintilloch, a town circa 10 miles northeast of Glasgow. Scottish cross country is often run in the country, literally - not on the manicured golf courses of American cross country. Dunbartonshires were thus held in a local farmer's wheat stubble. The snow-dusted Campsie fells (i.e. hills) to the north completed the pastoral mis-en-scene. (Photos courtesy of fellow Scottish running blogger, Chris Upson):
A picture of what Wordsworth would call "glad animal movement" - a random Scottish youth flows with the wheat stubble, over the sheep scat, and along the thorny hedgerows:

The adult race was approximately 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles, and consisted of three loops with a non-trivial hill bisecting the course. The cruelty of the course designers had the runners cross up and down this hill 4 or 5 times per loop, making for 15 solid climbs up the muddy slope. Below is Garscube mate Rob McLennan tackling one of said hills: Garscube Harrier, Joe McKnight:
Garscube harrier and fellow running blogger, Marco Consani:

The Garscube Harriers ran a brilliant race, taking the Dunbartonshire team championship with a mere 22 points (with Dumbarton and Helensburgh coming in a distant 2nd and 3rd with 84 points and 85 points respectively). Individually, I emerged victorious (in a time of 36:47) over 17-year-old 1500 meter specialist Sean Fontana and recent Glasgow transplant, a fellow bearded American and former University of New Mexico athlete, Mike Deason. Other Garscube scorers were Danny Price (6th), Toby Messanger (7th), and Dave Robertson (8th).

West District Cross Country:

The week after Dunbartonshire brought the highly competitive West Districts, which includes all the top club runners in the west of Scotland - undoubtedly the strongest of the three districts in Scotland (in terms of depth). My goal going into the race was a top 20 finish - ambitious considering the quality of athletes, led by the Shettleston harrier's Eritrean contingent who have recently competed at World Cross Country championships!

The 10 kilometer course was flatter, firmer, and thus much faster than the previous weekend's slop-fest. From the start of the race, I latched onto the purple vest of Bellahouston harrier Kenny Richmond, a top 20 finisher from last year. Near the end of the first lap (of three), since I was feeling comfortable at the pace, I decided to move past Kenny and very gradually worked my way up the field - not so much chasing the chaps ahead of me as holding off the other chasers, one of whom turned out to be the American running for Glasgow Uni, Mike Deason. Deason sat right on my heels for the second lap and seemed to be much more relaxed than me at that point - as witnessed by the photo below!

Mike apparently found more humor in the act of dodging an angry dog that was loose on the course, which happened just before this photo was taken I believe. On the third and final lap, Mike decided to make his move. I was determined not to let him get away, so I dug deep and let him pull me along, overtaking a few more runners in the process. Coming into the final stretch, I was a few meters back and unleashed my kick. After going by Mike fairly authoritatively, and with him seeming to concede by uttering "nice race man," I began to doubt whether we were indeed approaching the finish or whether the course had another zig-zag (and perhaps another 200 meters) remaining. Upon easing off for fear I had kicked too soon, Mike again overtook me as we came upon the finishing area. I was not able to regain momentum, and we came across the line in 32:56 - he in 14th position and me in 15th. I was very pleased with the overall effort if not with the result of my duel with Deason. Garscube, despite our missing a few runners on the day, finished a respectable 7th place in the senior mens competition.

See Debbie's slideshow for more coverage of the West District race!