Helvellyn Christmas Eve

24th December 2006
Patterdale
Photo Gallery
The blanket of freezing fog cloaking Penrith and Ullswater gave no indication of the fantastic weather up above. Luckily I made the effort to head up the hill, and despite the late start still had time for a circuit of Helvellyn and St Sunday Crag. Once out of the cloud, conditions were like warm spring sunshine.

Moffat Run

22nd December 2006
Moffatdale
12 miles
Went for a pleasant if slightly mirky jog round the Moffatdale hills with Damon and Crispin taking in the main summits of White Coomb and Hart Fell.

Falkland Trail Race

16th December 2006
Falkland, Fife
6 miles
Results
Found this race incredibly tough for some reason. Felt like I had the handbrake on for most of the race. Finished way down in 28th place in 38:46. First 3 were Al Hart (HBT), Lars Ottemoller and Mark Johnston (both City of Edinburgh) who all finished in less than 35 minutes. First lady was Julia Henderson of Helenburgh in 41:04.

Simonside Cairns

10th December 2006
Rothbury, Northumberland
11 miles, 1900ft
Results  |  John's Report
Travelled south across the border to Northumberland with Haddington-based fellow Englishman John Telfer. Luckily the weather was far better than the torrential rain and gales I left behind in Glasgow. Pottered round the Simonside Cairns race for the 6th year in a row. Felt OK for the first 200 metres, but then the first steep tarmac hill drained my legs of any life. Picked up later when we hit the forest tracks, and passed several folk, but they all passed me straight back as soon as we hit the steep heathery climb to Simonside.

Managed OK after that until the final long farm track, where I could only coast along in neutral waiting for the finish, and so had no answer when Dave Armstrong sauntered past with half a mile to go.

I finished 12th in 1:28:29, which was 9 seconds quicker than last year. Nick Swinburn of NFR won the race in a new record time of 1:14:34. This was 28 seconds faster than the previous record set by Morgan Donnelly in 2001. First lady was Rachel Vincent of Tynedale in 1:31:21.

West Districts Cross Country

9th December 2006, East Kilbride
Results:  Men  |  Women
Not quite as muddy and horrific as Dunbartonshire (Kirkintilloch) Cross Country couple of weeks ago, although still pretty muddy and boggy in places. But that's what cross country is all about. A couple of tough climbs on each lap, but generally pretty runnable terrain. Just failed to catch David Riach at the finish, finishing 1 place and 6 seconds behind him. Don Reid was next Westie finisher, getting the better of Dave Calder on this occasion. I'll need to wait to see the results to remember all the other Westies, but I remember seeing Hamilton, John Donnelly, Alan Anderson and Graeme Orr all running.

In the Westies ladies race I think Cat finished ahead of Jane, despite Jane having a huge lead on the first lap. Muffy and Pauline completed the team.