Hill Running for Fun and Profit

Well, you've been blown away on the track, the cameradarie of the showers
at cross-country gets you down , your legs are wrecked running marathons,
there's only one thing left. Someone famous once said "Hill running is the
last refuge of a scoundrel". So hill-running it is.

Looking back at all the cross-country venues over the past few years,
Alloa, Hawick , Galashiels etc, it's not that much of a hop to hill
running.
The only real difference is that the hills are a bit steeper and you have
to run to the top (and of course back down), and the runners look scruffier.
Yes hill running is hard on your kit.

So how do you start? The Scottish Hill Running Association publish a
calendar . The season starts with the Carnethy 5 in February and finishes
with Tinto in November. The break is to allow the weather to get really
bad, but even in June at 2500 ft it can still snow. There are plenty of
races to chose from. The races are graded according to "climb and length".
Don't be deceived by Category A Short; this generally means "almost
vertical". Good ones to start with are "Caerketton" and the "Hunter's Bog
Trot". Purists shun Largo Law and North Berwick Law as they have too much
road, but these are a fairly reasonable introduction and not too much of a
culture shock.

My first experience was Carnethy (bad choice). I set off eyeballs out up to
the bottom of Scald Law only to come to a virtual halt after 20 yards
climb. I was passed by droves including a weather-beaten gnarled old man in
a woolly hat, legs like tree trunks  with bandages round his knees ,saying
"Aye stick in son " Hard to believe he was only 35 - yes hill running ages
you. By the time I got to the top my achilles tendons were numb. However I
survived and actually enjoyed the run down the scree on Carnethy (that's
banned now). I've had a go at quite a few now but I've not really got much
better. A good target is 60 minutes. My PW is 75 - the year of the
blizzard.

The first thing to consider, naturally -what do I wear ? Well you have to
look the part. For footware, the Walsh PB has become a de facto standard
(these are blue), there are also various lookalikes (these are green). All
types  have funny rubbery pointed studs that make runnning on road a bit
strange but are ideal for running over stoney and grassy terrain ( also
good for the Braid hill X country -another virtual hill race). The rest of
the outfit has to be as garrish as possible. Multi coloured leggings under
flourescent shorts. Club vest over a blue Helly. And a hat that makes a
statement. I think the reason for the colourful outfits is to make it easy
for the rescue services to find you. It's hard to believe that I've run up
Ben Nevis in little more than shorts, a teashirt and trainers (don't try
this at home).
In some races it is mandatory to carry full waterproof body cover -yes even
in June. Some of the races require a map, compass and whistle -and you
should be able to use them -(you blow into the end with the hole)

 To train properly for hill races (I don't) you must run over the hills as
often as possible. We are very fortunate in Edinburgh for hills, in fact it
is difficult to avoid them. Arthur's Seat,  Blackford Hill etc etc. And of
course the Pentlands. It is hard to believe it was possible to hold two
prestigious hill-running events about a mile from a major city centre. (The
Bog-Trot and the World Championships). The Seven Hills race round Edinburgh
is another one -no need to carry a Mars bar , just pop into the Wimpey at
the West End.

Running up hills, or more usually scrambling up with your hands on your
knees, is needed to build up thigh muscles. Running down in training helps
overcome the fear of falling over - this is the hardest part for me . I
tend to brake on my heels and end up with wrecked legs or blisters. I'm
told you are supposed to lean forward in a controlled fall with your arms
going like windmills (aye that'll be right). The strangest sensation is
coming off a very long descent and then trying to run on the flat (the wooden
legs effect).

If you are not put off by the "easy" hill races, have a go at at some of
the tougher ones, such as the Pentand Skyline, which you can practice for
quite easily. I personally prefer my hills to have a bit of grass on them
(for falling over), so I tend to stick to these. The Merrick Hill Race is a
fairly stiff one but it is mostly grass.  They supply copious details of
the route, so graphic I have to wear full body cover when reading them "
..ascend the Fell of  Eschoncan a short but steep climb of 673ft
immediately adjacent to the car park via a path cut through the bracken
..the ground on Eschoncan and Bennan is very rough, with thick  tussac
grass". It doesn't get any better, however the view from the top of Ben
Yellary into the saddle and up the Merrick is spectacular, as is the view
up the Doon Valley from the summit -unless of course it's thick mist (the
race instructions say "in poor visibility keep the wall in sight")

I can't comment on the "Bens of Jura" or "Stuc a Chroin" I don't imagine
there's much grass at the top of these. Tinto is a cracker, it's runnable
to the top up the tourist path, the descent however is tricky (no grass).
My best is 8th to the top and 20th to the finish.
I have run Ben Nevis once, this one is certainly not for beginners. The
ascent is hard - 5miles, sea-level to 4400ft. One of the biggest problems
is fending of the loose boulders that the runners ahead of you have
thoughtfully dislodged. The descent is unimaginable. Even when you get down
to "grass level" it is still difficult, the technique here is to slide
down, so don't wear your good shorts.
The run in on the road is serious "wooden legs". I doubt if I will do this
one again. However you may find it to your liking.

There are quite few long distance point-point hill races. I did the "Two
Breweries" 18 miles and about 4000 ft last year. I can honestly say this is
the toughest race I' ve ever done, that includes the "Lairig Ghru" and The
Blairgowrie Half. The only thing that got me through was a handful of jelly
babies from Charlie Love on the last ascent of Trahenna. It was crazy, I
was craving for sugar and couldn't eat the Mars bar in my bum bag in case i
got checked at the end (I suppose I could have kept the wrapper as
evidence) This year I'll take a bag of jelly beans, carbo load and not go
off with Adam Ward and Dermott McGonnigall- unfortunately I will miss the
sparkling repartee.

So have go at hill running it certainly can be fun - I lied about the
profit.