Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon

There was a blizzard outside when I got up at 7am, and although it didn't look serious enough to put the event in doubt, I still had a quick look at the web site just in case. I got to the Playdrome in plenty of time to get one of the buses to the start, and the weather had improved a bit by the time of the race, although it was still quite windy. A few of us went on a jog around the first mile or so. My original plan for the race had been to try to stick to 5:50/mile but I had decided to aim for 5:45 and see how I got on. The field spread out soon after the start and I was just behind the third- and fourth-placed runners, with first and second gradually receding into the distance. We maintained a pace not far away from 5:45 for the first few miles and a gap began to open up behind us. I began to lose contact with the other two as we approached Dumbarton, although I was still around 23:00 at 4 miles. We had been running with a mild headwind or crosswind since the start, and the first time it disappeared was beside Dumbarton Central. My pace still seemed OK and there was a left turn approaching the 7-mile mark which gave me a chance to look back, and it looked like the next runner was another Garscube Harrier about a minute behind.

When we reached the A82 I immediately thought I had taken a wrong turn, as I couldn't see anyone ahead of me, and I stopped for a second in a panic, at which point the two runners immediately ahead of me emerged from a bus stop concealed by shrubbery where they had been following the pavement. The 8-mile mark was soon afterwards and it looked like my pace had dropped, but I was back on schedule by the next marker, despite the ninth mile containing one of the few notable climbs on the route, so I think the markers were maybe just a bit out. On 10 miles I was around 57:30 as planned and in no real danger of failing to beat my time from Helensburgh in August. Just after 11 miles we took a wide line over a roundabout and I had another look back, to see a Gala Harrier closing in fast. Gala's vest is like Garscube's but green instead of blue, and it's difficult to tell them apart in the distance. Within another half mile I had been overtaken, with little prospect of increasing my pace. Fifth place would have given me an individual prize so this was quite disappointing. By the time I reached the the footpath between Singer Road and North Avenue, the gap was already insurmountable. I had another look back at this point, and there was nobody to be seen, so I probably coasted a little towards the end, finishing in 1:15:27.

I stayed on for the presentation as we reckoned that Marco, Joe and I had won the Dunbartonshire team prize for Garscube, which we had, as well as the prize for second team overall. I was also surprised to get the individual prize for 5th place after all, as one of the earlier finishers had won the M40 prize.

In the later afternoon I went out for a slow 2.5-mile recovery run via Queen Margaret Drive, and it took me about a mile to loosen up a bit. My right hamstring was particularly tight, although not injured. Weekly total: 38 miles.