Great Scottish Run (Scottish Half Marathon Championships)

"Things get clear when I feel free / When whatever's next comes easily"

It was my third trip to Glasgow that week, on the tuesday I had been to a meeting at 200 St Vincent Street. Dragging my small wheeled suitcase behind me from Queen Street Station I reflected on the fact that the opening mile of the coming race was up a pretty steep hill. After the meeting I headed out to do my training session. I ran along the river to Glasgow Green, where the stands and marquees were beginning to go up. Excitement and nerves wrecked the session, but in a good way.

I headed back to Glasgow on the Saturday, feeling tired and achy. My muscles had tightened up after thursday's sprint session even though I had bailed out halfway through.

I woke early on Sunday, despite the late start to the race and the fact that I was staying about 100m from George Square. I had a really slow jog, gradually ramping it up then running through the dynamic warm up. We were penned fairly early. Once the warm up music started thumping out across George Square the club athletes started getting antsy and before long escaped up the course to jog out the nerves.

Once we finally got going I found St Vincent Street flattened out under the influence of adrenaline, a quick look at my watch showed we had dipped under 5 minute mile pace so I eased right off. From the top of St Vincent's Street the course dropped quickly down to the river. Then it was zigzagging across to Pollock Park, with 4.5 miles under my feet I realised I was running very comfortably and opened up down Haggs Road, moving up through three groups as we turned into the park. There were lots of supporters in the park, and pipers too.

Singing the Happy Song

I was so happy to be running well after the disaster of Stirling (short version: mast cells degranulated). I saw a super cute terrier just by the five mile mark, from where the main climbs began, undulating up to the highest point of the course (45m, not that high!). Out of the park and along the B768 I fell into step with a tall guy who I stayed with, more or less, for most of the rest of the run. We did a good job of looking ahead and taking the straightest lines. Then it was into a big headwind towards Bellahouston Park, I enjoyed running in the park, the venue of the Scottish 4K cross country champs. I lost my new friend in the park but caught back up as we left it. Then I was on my own for a while, running and smiling. On Govan Road I passed one of the elite women who growled in exasperation, which was a bit surprising...

Once over the bridge the wind was pretty blustery on the riverside, but I realised I was going to run under my 85 minute target and still felt pretty good. I heard, then saw Jenny T with about 300m to go and set off for home. With 300m still to run - and into a headwind - this was a bit ambitious. I was briefly confused by the multiple clocks at the finish, reading the time for the different staggered starts.

Horological Confusion

I passed under the finish gantry in 83 minutes 25 seconds, feeling completely overwhelmed, but very happy. A massive PB and no mast cell issues. It's the first time I've been aware of my ill health working for me (psychologically) in a race - I was so happy that I was running well despite the arthritis and mastocytosis that I kept running better. Smile when you run, it's legal and you'll go faster. Unless you're sprinting, or running less than a mile, then breathing is probably more important.

Megan had decided to race despite having run the Loch Ness Marathon (and come second in a PB) the weekend before. Along with Katie and Amie we had a pretty strong team. We ended up on the same points as VP Glasgow in the team competition but were awarded the gold medals on count back. This was pretty unbelievable as their team consisted of Susan Partridge, Beth Potter and Sarah Potter!

Fife Results:
Megan 78.02
Katie 81.33
Me 83.25
Amie 86.15

Derek, who is a T46 athlete, ran an astonishing 73.03

I owe a huge debt of thanks to the Mastocytosis UK support group - and Christelle in particular. We have all been struggling with a Europe-wide shortage of Ketotifen (a mast cell stabiliser), and the miserable, disastrous race at Stirling had shown me just how bad things could be. It had been like going back to the year I didn't - couldn't - run a single mile.

I had felt so low after Stirling, I'd even listened to all my old Manic Street Preachers albums back to back. But there's a line in 'So why so sad?' that had caught hold even then: "but I'll stick myself together again..." It's a strange song, the lyrics at once redeeming and regressing, filled with hope then claiming it's a lie. I think Nicky, James and Sean need to take up running. Running is freedom.

So why so sad?

Things get clear when I feel free
When whatever's next comes easily
When gentle hands give life to me
When your eyes fill with tiny tears

When Im this still you are my life
When Im this still you are my life

So at ease in the midnight sky
So at ease in the midnight sky

But my insides will look like war
My insides will look like war

Paralysed except through my thought

So why so sad
You live and you love
So why so sad
Dependent on above
Searching for the dead sea scrolls
So why, so why so sad

My smile as real as a hyenas
My smile as real as a hyenas

Burns an expressway to my skull
Burns an expressway to my skull

But Ill stick myself together again
Spirit so low that I no longer pretend

So why so sad
You live and you love
So why so sad
Dependent on above
Searching for the dead sea scrolls
So why, so why so sad

So why so sad
You live and you love
So why so sad
Dependent on above
Searching for the dead sea scrolls
So why, so why so sad
So why, so why so sad
So why, so why so sad
So why, so why so sad