Thank you Sharon for great photos
Last Wednesday evening saw me huffing and puffing up Dumyat – this time as part of Dumyat Hill Race – it’s been on the tick list for a number of years but either sense has prevailed or I’ve not been around to it – this time sense didn’t prevail, I didn’t have an excuse not to do it and I’d already coughed up the grand total of £7.10 to enter, so needs must and all that.
It was a beautiful warm day and I was already sweating by the time I cycled to the start point at the University – was this really a good idea. However I’d got there in plenty of time and by the time the race headed off it was a perfect temperature for running.
Before entering I checked out the slowest times from the previous year – I believe it was someone dressed up as a minion – they took 1hr and 51min – based on this I knew I wouldn’t be last unless something went very badly wrong! I also knew I wouldn’t be first – the fastest time stands at an incredible 32 min and 23 sec!
Dumyat is a great wee hill and only 4 miles from my house so I regularly cycle out to Logie Kirk, abandon the bike, and walk or run up it – usually a mix of both. The route I take is about 1/2 a mile short of the race route and I’ve got it down to just under 1 hr and 4 minutes so I’d reckon I’d be all right on the night.
As you can tell there are some (in fact lots) of incredibly fast hill runners doing this race – by the time I’m about 3/4’s of the way up they are already flying back down towards the finish line – they must have nerves of steel.
Well I huffed and puffed up and teetered back down and made it in 1hr, 7 mins and 2 secs and hope to do it again next year – and all good practice for the Nairnshire Challenge (duathlon) next week.
I was back up Dumyat yesterday – took a slower pace and got a few photos on the way up and a nice blether with a couple at the top.
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