Graduation (and a race)
On the day of my PhD graduation I was able to introduce my parents to two of the people who have had the most influence over the last few years of my life: my thesis supervisor and my coach. It got me thinking about how important people are in each other's lives. A simple suggestion can change the course of your life:
In my first term at (undergrad) University one of the professors, Joad, asked if I was planning on continuing on to a PhD. I had to look up "PhD"...
In my first year at St Andrews, Steven R, suggested I join Fife AC...
I wonder if either of them remember, or realise how profound the impact was.
You can be set off in a new direction, but it's the people along the way who keep you on that path. I've met some fantastic people both in academia and athletics so I was delighted to be able to introduce so many of them to my parents on Thursday.
After the ceremony - which included an honorary for, and excellent speech by, Lyse Doucet (BBC chief international correspondent) - we headed for the Glass House for lunch. The briefest visit to the Garden Party and then we headed home to get my race kit.
We had planned on the traditional graduation dinner but plans fell through when my supervisor's daughter was selected to run with the torch on the Queen's baton relay. Pretty cool! I had, half-jokingly, suggested that we go to the Sandy Slither instead. Dad heard the bit about 'ends at a pub' and thought it sounded a great idea. No British pubs in Spain (well, not any he'd want to go in).
We saw the torch go along Anstruther harbour, where there was also a Scottish Police convention.
The baton was late so the (sparse) onlookers had plenty of time to tease the policeman "get a lot of trouble in Anstruther do you?" The police outnumbered the 'crowd'. By covering so many streets in a small town the relay had thinned the crowd to a scattering of people, which seemed a shame.
I knocked back an espresso in the Waterfront Hotel then we headed for Lower Largo. I was pretty excited to have my parents at a race, meeting all my running pals :)
The tide seemed higher than two years ago, not a lot of beach to run on at the Largo end. Warming up I saw Peter Buchanan who writes the 'Best Part of the Day' blog and told him it was his fault I had converted to off road running and signed up for an ultra. Seriously read his blog regularly for a year or so and you too will be planning runs with an OS map and signing up for an ultra...
After a brief warning about the steps off the cliff top we were off. I didn't hold back as I knew we would come on the bottle neck really fast, then the stiff headwind forced a decision about whether to push on a bit too hard. Not wanting to be out on my own I slotted in behind Brian Cruickshanks for most of the first beach. Then we sloshed through the burn and up through the gap in the trees and onto a firm trail.
I love the bit in the middle of the Sandy Slither - the bit that isn't beach - it's great running, my favourite, and the scenery is zen-like, awesome. I overtook one of the guys at the small bridge and was feeling pretty good. I don't like the climb up the steps and running off the top is briefly excruciating while the quads try to clear the acid. Then I was running free again and looking forward to the descent...
It was lucky I'd opened up a small gap along the top as I caught my shoe in a loop of grass right at the top of the stone steps (the very same we were warned about!). I thudded down on my knees, toppled forward thumping my arm out then, finally engaging my brain, rolled away from the cliff and into the grass. I grabbed handfuls, slowed my fall and got up. Each footfall of the very slow descent felt like I was getting whacked in the knees. Man after man flew by me and there was nothing I could do. I was almost crying with the frustration, or the loss of that sense of 'running free' which I had had just seconds before. I struggled to get going again but then we had a short section of grass before dropping back onto the final beach and I started feeling happy again. Running into the headwind on the final beach I could see two figures on the wall. I knew it was my Mum and Dad and it really lifted me. I felt strong again over the final stretch and super happy to win in front of my parents, who haven't seen me race since school (they have tried, but that's another story!).
I went for a brief warm down with Jen and Halina before heading back, feeling very out of sorts. I was shaking and feeling a bit battered. I think maybe the fall had set off my mast cells but I had also been unwell earlier in the week so I don't know what was responsible. In any case I had picked up by the prize giving.
Results
Photos
Peter's Blog [Warning: may turn you into a long distance trail runner]
In my first term at (undergrad) University one of the professors, Joad, asked if I was planning on continuing on to a PhD. I had to look up "PhD"...
In my first year at St Andrews, Steven R, suggested I join Fife AC...
I wonder if either of them remember, or realise how profound the impact was.
You can be set off in a new direction, but it's the people along the way who keep you on that path. I've met some fantastic people both in academia and athletics so I was delighted to be able to introduce so many of them to my parents on Thursday.
 |
| Graduated! With Mum and Dad Photo: random sucker |
We had planned on the traditional graduation dinner but plans fell through when my supervisor's daughter was selected to run with the torch on the Queen's baton relay. Pretty cool! I had, half-jokingly, suggested that we go to the Sandy Slither instead. Dad heard the bit about 'ends at a pub' and thought it sounded a great idea. No British pubs in Spain (well, not any he'd want to go in).
We saw the torch go along Anstruther harbour, where there was also a Scottish Police convention.
I knocked back an espresso in the Waterfront Hotel then we headed for Lower Largo. I was pretty excited to have my parents at a race, meeting all my running pals :)
 |
| Chatting and stretching a pre-stitch Photo: Lizzie Mullins |
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| Serious Boys at the start Photo: Lizzie Mullins |
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| Pre-race brief from The Professor Photo: Lizzie Mullins |
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| Fife Boys Photo: Lizzie Mullins |
After a brief warning about the steps off the cliff top we were off. I didn't hold back as I knew we would come on the bottle neck really fast, then the stiff headwind forced a decision about whether to push on a bit too hard. Not wanting to be out on my own I slotted in behind Brian Cruickshanks for most of the first beach. Then we sloshed through the burn and up through the gap in the trees and onto a firm trail.
.JPG) |
| Happy on the hard stuff (and with knees intact) Photo: Pete Bracegirdle |
It was lucky I'd opened up a small gap along the top as I caught my shoe in a loop of grass right at the top of the stone steps (the very same we were warned about!). I thudded down on my knees, toppled forward thumping my arm out then, finally engaging my brain, rolled away from the cliff and into the grass. I grabbed handfuls, slowed my fall and got up. Each footfall of the very slow descent felt like I was getting whacked in the knees. Man after man flew by me and there was nothing I could do. I was almost crying with the frustration, or the loss of that sense of 'running free' which I had had just seconds before. I struggled to get going again but then we had a short section of grass before dropping back onto the final beach and I started feeling happy again. Running into the headwind on the final beach I could see two figures on the wall. I knew it was my Mum and Dad and it really lifted me. I felt strong again over the final stretch and super happy to win in front of my parents, who haven't seen me race since school (they have tried, but that's another story!).
 |
| The sand was pretty deep so I stayed a foot above it... Photo: John Mill |
I went for a brief warm down with Jen and Halina before heading back, feeling very out of sorts. I was shaking and feeling a bit battered. I think maybe the fall had set off my mast cells but I had also been unwell earlier in the week so I don't know what was responsible. In any case I had picked up by the prize giving.
Results
Photos
Peter's Blog [Warning: may turn you into a long distance trail runner]
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