The 2012 Tour

I’ve only caught bits and pieces of the Olympics on the telly over the past few days as I’ve been too busy enjoying a much more important event on the Milne’s sporting calendar; The Tour of Fife 2012! OK, so it might sound a bit daft that a wee running event is more important than the Olympic Games but, ocht, it’s all relative! As I explained in a fairly lengthy blog post last year, the Tour is unique and this year we, once again, thoroughly enjoyed everything that it had to offer. There are actually many similarities between the Tour and the Olympics: it’s a gathering of fantastic athletes in an atmosphere of mutual respect; team spirit; friendly camaraderie; and gutsy determination to win a med... I mean, a mug. Yup, the Tour definitely has much of all the good stuff that the Olympics has to offer (with none of the nonsense that’s made me feel a bit let down by London 2012; ridiculously inflated ticket prices, a disgraceful number of empty seats, Gary Linekar’s hapless commentating skills, the commercialism, the politics etc etc...), albeit on a much smaller – but no less emotive – scale. Having said all of that, I've just watched the GB men's gymnastic team win a Bronze medal and was in tears! Gymnastics was very much my sport, as a youngster, and our coaches used to tell us that gymnasts from the UK would never reach the Olympics as the Brits simply couldn't compete with the likes of the Eastern Europeans. Just goes to show, you should never say never.....

Yup, definitely stick to running dear......

Anyway, back to the Tour! Just like last year, Alex and Ross competed and I clapped and cheered (it’s an important job you know!) Just like last year, the Tour consisted of 5 gruelling races on 5 consecutive days around the beautiful Fife countryside and coast line. Just like last year, the sun shone! Hooray! And, just like last year, Alex and I made the most of it and camped up in Gemma’s student digs in St Andrews, combining the Tour with a short break from work. Lovely! (And, just like last year, poor old Ross couldn’t get time off from his summer job and had to drive up and down for most of the Tour. He did, however, manage to stay up over the final couple of days over the weekend.) 


Ross running up Hell...

The weather was perfect for all five of the Tour races. Well, maybe not perfect for the Up Hell Time Trial as the wind pushing against them made the final stretch up the hill extremely tough for the runners. Brian, the Tour organiser, scooshing them with a super soaker while dressed as a devil (after completing the run himself..) added to their misery – but both the wind and the devil were gloriously defeated to see every one of the starters complete the race. (From a lowly spectator’s perspective; it was absolutely baltic up there! What an eejit I was to wear my flip-flops. Don’t think my wee toes have ever been so cold...but, it was all worth it to be one of the many supporters cheering the runners on as they battled against the gradient and the wind to complete the Blue Riband event of the Tour!) 

The chat and banter between the runners and the supporters – not only at each race, but also on various blogs – was brilliant. Aw man, I laughed out loud when I read this wee snippet – written by one of the runners - after the first event: “The warm evening had me sweating buckets and when an older looking guy (my age group?) from Central edged by, I couldn't keep up with him..” The blog’s writer was last year’s M45 age group winner, Peter Buchanan from Portobello Running Club and that “older looking guy” he referred to was Alex - who was indeed in the same age group! Now, Alex has always looked older than his age (ever since he was the first in our year at school to start shaving...), but I think in recent years everyone else has caught up! Alex has looked over 40 since he was about 25, but I happen to think my old man’s wearing pretty well! Anyway, it gave rise to a great deal of ribbing from me and Ross and some good competition between Alex and Peter as the Tour progressed.

Portobello Pete being chased by my old man....

Alex managed to hold Peter off to win the sprightly young age category of V45! (And I do mean sprightly young age; there were runners taking part in age categories right up to V70. I salute them all!) Ross isn’t as fit as he was during the Tour last year, but he still enjoyed the event. It was the founder of the modern Olympic movement that said: “it’s not the winning, it’s the taking part that counts...The important thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” Wise words, but not always ones that young athletes want to hear or understand. I’m delighted that my kids have inherited their Dad’s attitude to his sport: don’t make up silly excuses if you don’t do well (the old, “I was wearing the wrong shoes” doesn’t go down well in our house..); don’t give up on something you enjoy doing just because you’re not the best at it; just because you’re not the best doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try your best – then, who knows, one day you just might be the best...; treat your fellow competitors the way you’d like to be treated yourself; be a good representative of your club and wear your club colours with pride (even if your vest’s a bit washed out and looks like an old yellow duster...); and, the one learned from his old coach - the legend that was Shettletston Harrier’s Alex Naylor - and the one that’s not so easy to stick to, ‘run fast, get to the front and don’t let anyone pass you’...Yup, simple really... Anyway, it was great, as ever, to see Alex and Ross competing together alongside members of many other great Scottish athletics clubs. All (well, most of them anyway) wearing their club vests with pride, but supporting and encouraging their rivals regardless of club, age, gender or how far ahead or behind they were in the Tour rankings! 

The organising club, Fife AC, put so much effort in to making this such a great event (with the best post-race spread of cakes I think I’ve ever seen!) and I’m already looking forward to cheering on Alex, Ross and all the other Tourists next July. I can't run anymore, but I still love being part of the running fraternity. And the Tour of Fife is a perfect example of why that's so.

(p.s. Many thanks to Fife AC for some fantastic photos - and reminding me of the quote by de Coubertin!)

Running; here, there and everywhere!

I think I’ve mentioned more than a few times on my wee blog how much I love that my family are involved in the sport of running. I miss running myself, but I love that I can still be part of the scene in a more sedate supporting role! This weekend was a case in point. While some of our friends from Central AC were ensconced (and doing extremely well) in the Scottish National Championships in Glasgow, the Milne boys were competing in the more laid-back events of the Gargunnock Hill Race, the Balmoral Half Marathon and the St Andrews Chariots of Fire 5k Beach Race! And the Milne girls were providing the vitally important ‘cheering on’ support! Here’s how our weekend panned out:

1. Gemma, Ross and I left home in the early evening of Friday to head up to the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel. We couldn’t have picked a nicer night for the drive up north; how lucky are we to live in Scotland?! The hotel was really busy and we’d obviously been given the last two ‘we only give out these rooms when the hotels fit to bursting’ rooms. Skanky with no hot water, but it didn’t really matter. Cheap and cheerful was all we needed and the entertaining goings-on of the hapless staff more than made up for any shortcomings with the rooms!

2. The three of us left on Saturday morning (after almost breaking a tooth on the bacon..) to drive to Balmoral. More beautiful scenery to admire and enjoy; how lucky are we to live in Scotland?!

3. In the meantime, while we were on the road to Balmoral, Alex was running up and around the Gargunnock Hills setting up the course for the Gargunnock Hill Race. Rucksack on his back, big bag of signs, tape, mallet and pegs in his hand. My hero.

4. The three of us spent most of the day in the beautiful grounds of Balmoral. Ross ran in the SJP Balmoral Half Marathon and came in 2nd. He didn’t retain the title he won last year, but thoroughly enjoyed the event all the same. Gemma and I thoroughly enjoyed the local butcher’s barbequed burgers and cheering the runners in.

5. Alex and Gordon, meantime, took part in the 5th Gargunnock Hill Race. This is an event close to our hearts as it’s run in memory of a dear friend, David Hay. Alex came in 3rd and Gordon had a great run too, winning a bet with his former boss and picking up all the tips from the local pub as his just reward.

6. We left Balmoral to drive to St Andrews for a night in Gemma’s student flat.

7. Alex, in the meantime, left Stirling on board a train to Dundee. If things had gone to plan, he would’ve arrived in Dundee in time to catch the train to Leuchars. We would’ve collected him from Leuchars before heading off for dinner in St Andrews. Unfortunately, his train hit a cow. Fortunately, no-one on the train was injured. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the cow...

8. We collected Alex from the train station in Dundee before heading off, late, for dinner in St Andrews.

9. Gordon stayed at home and enjoyed an 'empty' with his pals. I can’t report too much on how that went as 'what happens in the empty stays in the empty'. Suffice to say that the house was in one piece when we arrived home and, so far, I’ve received no complaints from the neighbours...

10. On Sunday Alex and Ross competed in the St Andrews Chariots of Fire 5k Beach Race. Ross came in 3rd and Alex followed on in 5th. They were first and second last year, but they thoroughly enjoyed the event and the atmosphere all the same. Gemma and I thoroughly enjoyed cheering them, and some of our friends from Central AC, on.

It was absolutely baltic on St Andrews beach so the post-race BBQ was abandoned in favour of an earlier journey home.

11. We arrived home. Absolutely knackered after our mini tour of Scotland, but feeling very very good!

Lots of things in a busy weekend - and chatting to Des and Jennie!

I’ve got up this morning feeling happy knackered and looking forward to another busy week ahead.

Saturday was spent up in St Andrews with Gemma and Alex supporting Ross in the Scottish Uni Cross Country Championships. He had a brilliant run and I was so proud to see him coming in as a counter for the Strathclyde team – the cherry on the cake was a silver medal for his efforts! Being up there on Gemma’s ‘Uni’ home turf somehow made the day even more special and we really enjoyed spending time with her over a chatty lunch after the race. I was spoiled, having Gemma at home for a full week a couple of weeks ago, and the house has been feeling too empty ever since.

Saturday night was spent in Larbert singing with the choir at a gig to raise funds for Kidney Research. One of the girls in the choir, Pauline, had arranged the evening to celebrate a family success story. Her gorgeous wee niece had received the gift of a kidney from her own Dad - Pauline’s brother - just over a year ago. The night was made so much more special by being able to see a successful result of the fantastic work that renal units do every day. And, aw man, the Bellshill Sally Army Brass Band were playing too. I love the sound of a big brass band, but they were in a league of their own! Honest – they were brilliant! They did spine-tingling renditions of things like the music from Lion King, Andrew Lloyd Webber songs and the most beautiful version of My Love is Like a Red Red Rose. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the hall. I never could’ve imagined that I would write a blog post about how good it made me feel to be sharing a stage with the Salvation Army on a Saturday night! I love life’s unexpected moments of lovliness! Great car-chat on the way home with my buddy, Christine, topped off a fabulous night.

Most of Sunday was spent in front of the computer doing some work for a charity placement scheme I’m applying for, but I had a lovely break from it in the afternoon to sing with the choir at the switching on of the Christmas lights in Stirling. Annie had been told, by the organisers, that only a few people could stand up on the stage so my wee section – the low harmony group – were up there, undercover, with Annie. It felt really weird looking over to the rest of the choir - standing in a cordoned off area outside in the intermittent rain - and just not being all together. As ever, we just all got on with it and Annie made sure we made the best of a difficult arrangement – it certainly can’t have been easy for her, having to coordinate us all while we were spread all around. However, as professional as ever, she just got on with it and made the very best of the difficult situation. We always sing live, with no recorded backing tracks or anything like that, and that can sometimes make things much more testing – especially in an outside environment, or when there aren’t enough microphones provided – but if the Heart of Scotland choir are asked to perform, they perform live. That can make the performance technically much more challenging, but Annie and Jane are never afraid to meet those challenges head on.

It was the first gig that Ross has made it along to. I felt so great when I saw him standing there, out in the rain, looking knackered (he’d had a late night out celebrating the events of the day before with his running pals), supporting his auld maw doing her wee thing. And, he’d really enjoyed it -even with the sound issues at some points during our set - he heard enough to give us a big seal of approval! To round off the excitement, I had a hug and a chat with Des and Jennie!! You know who I mean? They do the Breakfast Show on Capital Radio. Anyway, when we came down off the wee stage, they were standing waiting to go on. I made a bit of an arse of myself (remember, the endorphins are always flowing when you sing, so I was a wee bit over-excited!) by being a wee bit over-zealous in my chat to them, but they were really lovely and humoured me by chatting and telling me they thought the choir sounded brilliant! Feeling brave with the confidence that feeling great gives you, I said, “Aw, that’s so great! I’m so glad you liked it. So, when can we come on your show then?” Des told me to email him the details and, as long as we could sing something modern, he’d see what he could do! Ocht, maybe he was just humouring me, but it was so nice of him to spend the time to chat! I had a bit of a mild panic later, thinking about how it’s not my place to go telling folk we’ll perform for them – but hopefully Annie and Jane didn’t mind too much – especially if we do manage to get a wee slot on Capital, or even a wee plug for our concert in a few weeks at the Albert Halls in Stirling! (10th of December, if you’d like to come along!)

Back at home, a nice meal with the family (except Gemma) followed by the completion – in the wee small hours – of my placement application topped off a really great weekend. I’m heading out for a busy day of bits and bobs shortly, but first, I think I’ll send that email to Des and Jennie – just in case they were serious about having a wee visit from a great choir with a big heart to their studios. And, let’s face it, nothing ventured......

The Tour of Fife

The Tour de France attracts millions of spectators worldwide every year, in both the fanatic crowds of folk that stand and line the whole route and through the live broadcasts on the telly. The vast majority of those viewers won’t be cyclists themselves but you don’t have to be a cyclist to enjoy watching the spectacle of the Tour. I can testify to that, having been an excited spectator standing at the roadside in years gone by; I know nothing about cycling but I was thoroughly wrapped up in the atmosphere and loved every moment of the whole thing. Much of the attraction doesn’t lie with that moment or two when you see the cyclists whizzing past; it’s all about the build-up, the tension, the camaraderie, the rivalry, the final sprint to the finish each day and the post-tour celebrations. It’s not quite on the same scale, but the same can be said for a wee local running event, called the Tour of Fife!

Now, you’ve probably not heard of the Tour of Fife as it’s obviously a much smaller affair than the Tour de France but the beautiful settings and scenery, the enthusiasm of a small bunch of supporters, the sheer guts and determination displayed by the athletes, the time and effort put in by the organisers and the quality of home-made baking at the post-tour celebrations all combine to put this event - for sheer feel-good factor - right up there alongside its famous cycling counterpart! It’s a series of five races held over five consecutive days and has to be one of the most unique events on the Scottish running calendar. The sport of running depends heavily on volunteers from local clubs organising races and the team at Fife AC certainly do their bit. Not only do they organise more races than any other club (in fact, they put many other Scottish clubs to shame!), the events that they do organise are done with unbridled efficiency and enthusiasm, which are two of the most vital ingredients for a successful sporting event. (It was also a guy from Fife AC that organised the Chariots of Fire Beach Race back in May.)

This is the first year that Alex and Ross have entered the Tour, and we weren’t quite sure what to expect when we pulled in to the car park of Falkland Community Centre on the first night last Wednesday. Falkland, by the way, is gorgeous; it’s a wee picturesque medieval village and it’s as if someone, about three hundred years ago, drew a big circle round the centre of it and wrote ‘Do Not Touch’ in big letters. For once, the planners seem to have paid heed ever since. Anyway, shortly after arriving, we met up with a few of our club mates. Although only four members of Central AC had signed up for the Tour, they made a great wee representative group of each of the age categories. There was Ross (an under 20), Lewis Millar (a senior), Alex (a young vet), and Bill Gault (an older vet).  Lewis is a fantastic runner. He was in his late teens when we joined the club around nine years ago and we’ve enjoyed watching his attitude and performances mature over the years since. Like most of Central’s elite athletes, he’s now a great role model for the youngsters and he’s played a big part in supporting Ross over this past year or so. As far as the Tour was concerned, we were looking forward to seeing Lewis – hopefully - regain the series title, which he won the last time he took part in 2009.

As the boys went off to collect their numbers the car park soon filled up with an eclectic bunch of runners getting ready to do their thing. I couldn’t help smiling at the sight of men in suits - having driven there straight from work - piling out of their cars, stripping off, pulling on their vests, greeting their club mates then rubbing Vaseline between their thighs and on their nipples (yes, you did read that right) to complete the transformation from businessman to running man!  



Getting ready to Go

After registration, we headed up, in the early evening sunshine, to the grounds of the majestic Falkland House School for the start of the first race of the Tour. And, what a lovely place it was to start the whole thing off! The school’s a bit reminiscent of a mini-Hogwarts and the surrounding field’s home to a big family of inquisitive horses (adorable wee foals included).  I love the buzz around the start line of a race; the athletes gradually gathering together to form a big huddle, most of them proudly wearing their own Club’s colours, heads bobbing up and down as they jump around to keep warm, looking down to check that their numbers are pinned on securely and bending over to check that their laces are tied tightly, some breaking out for a last gasp stride or stretch, then all shaking hands and a last bit of banter before quietening down, leaning forward, putting a finger to the ‘start’ button on their watches and waiting for the gun (or hooter, or even voice shouting ‘Go’!)

The first race of the Tour – the Black Hill Race - got off to a brilliant start. What a sight it was; 160 or so runners flying off down the sweeping driveway accompanied by horses and foals galloping alongside them till the runners disappeared off into the woods and the hilly trail beyond. From a spectator’s perspective, there wasn’t much else to see, so I enjoyed blethering to Bill’s wife and daughter for twenty eight minutes or so when, to our delight, we spotted the distinctive yellow and blue of the Central vest running back up the driveway towards the finish line. Lewis’s bid to take the Tour title had got off to a flying start with a comfortable win. From then on, we cheered in a steady stream of runners as they battled their way up the drive to cross the finish line. I hadn’t really known what to expect, as far as placing was concerned, for Ross but I was over the moon to see him come round the corner in fourth place overall and first placed junior. Alex (‘that was bloody torture’) and Bill got off to good ‘Tour’ starts too, with their own private battles going on further down the field. It’s not all that long ago that Alex was coming in ahead of Ross in the longer races and it makes me so proud to watch Ross now doing what Alex used to do for him; run back down the field or hang around at the finish line to cheer his auld Dad in! The boys went off to ease their muscles off in the cool wee stream running through the Estate while I stayed on to give the tail end competitors a clap in as they finished. Running, like cycling, for most people is about keeping fit, being part of a brilliant community and achieving your own personal goals, whether that means coming first, last or somewhere in between. The placings might be different, but the sense of personal achievement’s just the same, whether you’re up there on the leader board, in the midst of the pelaton or bringing up the rear.

Since the races were all around the same area in Fife, Alex and I had decided to make a wee holiday of it, so, after a wander along one of the woodland trails, we headed up to St Andrews to stay for a few nights (where, incidentally, f***ing seagulls, as told previously, meant that we didn’t get the best night’s sleep while on tour!). Ross couldn’t take time off work, so we said our goodbye’s before he drove off back home to Stirling.



Lewis and the yellow vest

Thursday night’s event was another trail race - this time in the beautiful grounds of Hill of Tarvit Mansion House near Ceres - but this time not so hilly and more of a spectator-friendly affair, with the route taking the runners three times round a mile and a half loop. There was a similar atmosphere on the second night but, noticeably more ‘Hello’s’ and ‘How’re you doin’s?’. One of the nicest things about the ‘consecutive night’ factor was that faces became more than just familiar and we all, runners and supporters alike, got to know each other a wee bit better as the Tour progressed. When Lewis arrived, he was presented with the Tour Leader’s yellow vest! Brilliant! Lewis was a bit peeved that he’d gone home and needlessly washed his club vest – unlike his junior club mate, who’d decided that, in a similar vein to some of the golfers during the Open who don’t shave for the duration of the competition, it would be unlucky to wash his vest during the Tour! Well seen his mother was on her holidays in St Andrews instead of being at home to insist that his manky vest got washed!


Start line Day Two

 As the runners gathered at the start line, we were all pretty amused to see one of those wee green John Deer’s coming up the hill towards us. You know what I mean? It’s like a sort of posh person’s beach buggy. As it drew closer, we were even more amused to see an elderly chap, who looked like he’d stepped out of some kind of time-warp, driving said buggy. He pulled up to the side of the gathered runners and we got to see him in his full glory. He was wearing tartan plus fours, a tweed jacket, bow-tie and bunnet, yellow socks and a yellow checked waist-coat (think Rupert the Bear) and Brogues. In his hand was a very old hickory golf club. Aw man, it was brilliant! So, out he steps from his carriage and wanders over to chat to the gathered runners and organisers. It turned out that he’d been invited along to start the race. I never did find out exactly who he was, but he was very obviously associated with the National Trust’s Tarvit Estate in some way. He gave a really interesting wee spiel, explaining that the Kingarrock Golf Course was owned by the family that owned the mansion house back in the early 1900’s and that it had been closed during the war so that the land could be used for much-needed crops. The 9-hole course was restored and re-opened in 2008 – but it’s a golf course with a difference! It’s a public course (he told the runners they’d be welcomed along for a game whilst wearing their running gear – I loved that!) but all players are provided with original hickory clubs and an old golf bag. I couldn’t resist having a wee look on the website and just loved some of the descriptions of what to expect: staff will provide you with a “Spoon, Driving Iron, Mid Mashie, Mashie Niblick and Putter, together with helpful advice on play ... the more gentle sport will be rekindled in the most beautiful of Scottish settings.” It almost made me want to go play golf..!

Anyway, back to the Tour. The old chap in the plus fours started the race off and, again, it was a fantastic sight as the runners charged off down the hill then disappeared off in to the woods. This time, however, they’d pass the same spot another two times before sprinting to the finish, and it was possible to move around from one part of the route to another, so there were ample opportunities for cheering them all on. Now, I’ve been a Race Director, runner, supporter and race marshal on many different occasions so counting how many laps have passed should be a straightforward process for me. So, how I managed to be standing like an eejit waiting for Ross to pass me one more time – when he’d already passed me three times - is still a mystery! (I must take this opportunity to publicly apologise to the poor marshal that I got angry with for not keeping me right when I asked him if the leading runners had another lap to go; “No, they’re on their last lap now. They won’t pass here again” he said. I made the mistake of saying, “Are you sure, I thought they had another one to go?” He said, “Hm, yes, I think you might be right.” So, I stood there, right beside him, like an eejit, waiting for my son to pass one more time before I sprinted over to see him finish. It wasn’t until Roberta - Bill’s wife – shouted over, “Hey Jane! Why are you not over at the finish?! You’ve just missed Ross coming in third! What a brilliant run!”, that I realised my mistake. Needless to say, being the say-what-you-think kind of person I am, the poor marshal got a wee bit of an ear-bashing – but I did immediately apologise to the poor soul, and I’m doing it again right now, publicly; mainly because I don’t want to be banned from next year’s Tour for bad behaviour!)



Alex and Ross after the finish I missed!

I didn’t even make it over to the finish in time to see Alex come in, which was also pretty frustrating, but it was good to hear that he’d felt better during this race than the last one, and he’d managed to push himself a bit further up the board. He was sitting in a very respectable peloton position! Lewis ran another blinder to extend his leading position and Ross had a great race to take third overall and retain his position as leading junior. Further down the field, Bill Gault had also had a good race – despite having both knees fairly heavily strapped. We were keeping a wee eye on the Over 65 category as we knew that Bill was in with a good chance of winning.  It was really easy to keep track of all the results for the duration of the Tour thanks to the lively and informative forum on the Fife AC website. Results, reports, the leader board and terrific photos were posted really quickly after each race so that everyone could keep up to date with their times and positions.

So, that was the second race over. It had been another great night and we made our way back to St Andrews knackered (it’s hard work this spectating lark) but full of chat and looking forward to the next stage of the Tour. Ross went off in the opposite direction back to Stirling as he, again, had to work the next day.



Brian, the devilish race organiser

The Tour wouldn’t have been the Tour without an uphill Time Trial event – and what an event. On Friday night we drove from St Andrews to the outskirts of Falkland then drove for one and a half miles up a very steep and never-ending tarmac hill to the East Lomond car park. After a wee while of standing and admiring the tremendous view at the top, the Tour participants jogged the mile and a half down to the bottom of the hill.  Then, they were set off in pairs, every 30 seconds, to run against the clock back up to the top again. The aptly named ‘Up Hell Time Trial’ is described as the Alpe d’Huez of the Tour. Not being an expert on the Tour de France, I had to ask what the Alpe d’Huez was and, in doing so, discovered that the comparison’s perfect. It’s one of the killer mountain stages in the cycling Tour and it’s also renowned for the antics of the over-enthusiastic spectators, sort of like a Glastonbury Festival for cycling enthusiasts! Similarly, the ‘Up Hell Time Trial’ is an absolute killer stage in the Tour of Fife and is renowned for the supportive spectators and the antics of the Tour organiser! Dressed as a red devil, and sporting a big water pistol and very loud air horn, Brian charged up and down the hill in the back of a bright red Smart car convertible. While the rest of us spectators were clapping, shouting and cheering the runners on as loudly as we could to help them up the absolute killer of a hill, Brian was jeering at them, scooshing them with water and blasting them with his air horn! And, the runners all seemed to love it – it was good fun (well, it was for me standing half way up the hill watching) and it seemed to take their minds off the task in hand for a wee spell.

Getting ready for battle on the hill!

The list showing who each runner was paired with for the time trial had been posted on the forum during the day. We’d assumed that the pairings would be based on times from the first two nights, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that Alex and Ross had been paired together. I thought it was brilliant that they’d set off at the bottom of the hill at the same time – even though I knew there’d be a bit of a gap between them at the top! Ross had a fantastic run and was only two seconds off the junior record for the event. Aw, I was so proud of him. Lewis looked to me as if he was just out for a wee jog when he passed – it was a fantastic display and he too was only a few seconds off the senior record (which is held by Andrew Lemoncello – the talented Scottish athlete who’ll hopefully be flying the flag for us in the marathon at the 2012 Olympics). I was hoarse by the end of the evening from shouting encouragement to all of the athletes – I was totally in awe of every one of them. What an achievement to run up that bloody horrible hill, especially after running a hill race and trail race the two night’s previously. Brilliant!

Ross came back to stay at the flat with us for the rest of the Tour – as his working week was over – so we had a really lovely meal out after the time trial; enjoying a few beers and catching up on all the chat from the previous three nights. We were all looking forward to the fourth race – the St Andrews Beach Race - mainly because we have such happy memories of the event that the boys took part in earlier on in the year, but also because it was the only race in the Tour that we wouldn’t have to drive to! 




Ross and Bryan sprinting to the finish

The race on Saturday was a straightforward 4.25 mile out and back race along the gorgeous west sands of St Andrews. Just like the Chariots race in May, it was a spectacular sight – this time on a beautiful sunny evening – to watch the runners disappear along the beach then gradually, twenty minutes or so later, appear back, first as wee specks in the distance. Lewis won this fourth event, comfortably again, and Ross – with me shouting like a banshee – managed to come in ahead of the excellent runner from Corstorphine AAC,  Bryan Clark, who’d finished in front of Ross in every race so far. It was a terrific achievement and, failing a fall or such like, guaranteed him third place in the Tour overall and first Under 20 spot. Alex felt he’d had a really good run, but was a wee bit disappointed when he saw the results. The difficulty with being in the peloton is that there are too many runners to keep track of and it’s not easy to see who’s doing what round about you. I was as proud of him as ever though. Bill Gault almost pulled out of this event at the last minute as his knee was really playing up but, as would’ve been the case with most of the mad running fraternity, he decided to give it a go. He did incredibly well considering the pain he was clearly in – and I’m sure the obligatory dip in the sea felt great afterwards.

It was with a bit of a heavy heart that we made our way to Strathmiglo the next day for the last event of the Tour. It was a bit sad, not only because the Tour was nearly finished and it had been such a fantastic experience, but because our wee holiday was nearly over too! Just like the first race, this wasn’t a great one for spectators till the very end – but it was still lovely to chat to all the folk standing round about, especially Brian (the devil) whose enthusiasm is totally infectious. If only every athletic club could have a Brian in its ranks!



Nearly all done!

The last race was called The Twisted Chicken Run. I have absolutely no idea why. Alex tells me there wasn’t a chicken in sight, and the route didn’t really twist as such – I’m sure there’s probably a good reason for it, but I forgot to ask on the day and I can’t seem to find any clues anywhere on the website. The runners lined up at the bottom of a hay field then ran for just over 5 miles – the route took them up onto a trail then up a steep hill before striding it out the same way back down. It was fun watching the runners tearing down the last stretch at the side of the field to the finish. Lewis finished the Tour just as he’d started, with a comfortable win, and Ross had yet another superb run to come in third. Alex came flying down the hill with a huge grin on his face – possibly because he knew I was taking his photo, but probably because he knew he didn’t have to race again the next day! We hung on to cheer Bill down the hill before heading in to the local community centre for possibly the best post-race spread of yummy cakes and sandwiches I’ve ever seen. (The spread was really just for the runners; I did offer a spectator’s donation but the lovely lady serving the tea said the spectators were just as important as the athletes. It’s not really true, but I delved unashamedly into the cakes anyway!)

The prize-giving ‘ceremony’ was really lovely. No big winner’s podium or champagne getting sprayed around the room; just one of the guys from Fife AC saying a few humorous words of thanks, paying a fitting wee tribute to a member of the running community who was supposed to take part in the Tour but who sadly died earlier on this year, then announcing the winners of each age group and presenting them with their prizes. Although Ross was first junior, he was presented with the overall third prize (which suited him down to the ground as I’m quite sure the junior prize wouldn’t have included a case of cider!!) and I was just chuffed to bits for him. Bill had managed to hold on to first place in the ‘over 65’ category and received a well-deserved cheer when he hobbled up to collect his prize. And Lewis was such a worthy winner of the Tour – he’s the first to have won it twice and, hopefully, he’ll be back next year to defend his title. Although Alex didn’t win a prize in the ‘over 45’ category, he wasn’t left out of the Central prize-winning team as he was awarded a spot prize of a wee dinky key-ring and skipped cap! It was a big haul of prizes for such a wee team and they all did their club really proud.

As for this lowly spectator, well, I loved every minute of it (apart from missing the finish on Day Two!). I’m so proud of Ross but his achievement was just an added bonus to what would’ve been a thoroughly enjoyable event no matter what place either him or Alex had finished in. It’s back to that thing of simply thoroughly enjoying spending time with like-minded people, watching folk push themselves to beyond what they thought were their limits and, basically, having some really good fun! The boys are mad keen to compete in the Tour of Fife again in 2012 – and the thought of that alone is enough to make me feel really good! Vive le Tour!




Ross and his biggest fan!

Team Central

Justifying Gemma's rent

If you have young kids and you have any inkling at all that they might end up going to University, the best advice I could give you is: START SAVING!! Now, before I go any further, I should stress that - as far as my kids are concerned - I wouldn’t have things any other way (Gemma’s going into her third year at St Andrews, Ross is about to start his first at Strathclyde and Gordon doesn’t know what he wants to do when he leaves school), but it doesn’t change the fact that this further education lark’s an expensive business! We’re extremely proud of how hard Gemma and Ross both work at their respective jobs to help pay their way but, like most parents nowadays, we still have to make a hefty contribution to make studying at Uni possible.

One of the biggest expenses is the accommodation fee and it’s especially frustrating that many student flats have a twelve month tenancy contract. Letting agencies and private landlords know that students scrabble for accommodation and, to save the owners the hassle of looking for short-term lets over the summer months, they often set up 12 month leases - knowing full-well that the vast majority of students won’t be occupying the flat over those summer months. Fair enough I suppose; they don’t owe the students anything and they know they have a captive market. Consequently, we’re still making rent payments for a flat that Gemma moved out of 2 months ago. Shorter leases are sometimes available (such as in the flat Gemma’s going into next term) but what we’ve found is that this is simply balanced out by a much higher monthly rent being charged.

Anyway, to make this all little less galling, Alex and I have taken a few days off work and are having a wee break - staying in Gemma’s student flat. If work work wasn’t so hectic at the moment, we would’ve used the flat a bit more often over the summer but, still, it’s lovely just to have these few days away. Even better, we’re mixing our little holiday with a series of races that Alex and Ross are competing in called The Tour of Fife; five races over the course of five days held in different parts of Fife. It started on Wednesday night with a hill race, was followed on Thursday night with a trail race, Friday was the ‘Alpe d’Huez’ Time trial Event’ (just like in the Tour de France – are you getting it?!), tonight’s the St Andrews Beach Race and it finishes with the Twisted Chicken Run (don’t ask as I don’t yet know why it’s called that!) on Sunday. Just like the real ‘Tour’, all the competitors have to do all the races, there’s a leader board and a yellow vest – it’s brilliant fun and deserves a blog post of its own; so, watch this space!

Anyway, back to our wee holiday. We arrived late on Wednesday evening – straight from the first race on the Tour - and, after making up the mattress (we’re in a student flat remember – no such luxury as a bed!) we hit the sack. The flat’s in an old tenement-style building and is, generally, a bit shabby. However, the room that Gemma rented is a modern attic conversion with fantastic velux windows. If you open them up and stand on your tippy-toes, the vista across St Andrews Bay is pretty awesome. What’s not so awesome however - we discovered at four o’clock in the morning - is the sound of the squawking f***ing (and I meant that quite literally folks) seagull orgy that’s going on a few feet above your head! One of them even had the audacity, every now and then, to take a break from his activities (a kind of cigarette break, I suppose) to wander over to the velux, look through the glass - down at us lying on the mattress staring straight back up - then peck on the window, as if to say, ‘Haw You! What you doin? Why you there? You not student. You old gits. Why you awake? Dadada...dadada....dadada.... and so it went on till he went back to join his squawking f***ing pals. By six thirty we’d given up trying to get any sleep, so we headed out for a walk in the early morning sunshine instead.

After a delicious big Scottish breakfast in a lovely wee Scottish Deli, we stepped back outside, ready for a lazy day on the beach. Unfortunately though, while we’d been recharging our batteries, the clouds had gathered, the sun had disappeared and the heavens had opened. So, following a quick change from sandals to sensible shoes, we headed off for a morning of rainy day activities! There’s always a positive slant; if it hadn’t been for the rain, we would never have ventured in to the St Andrews University Museum, and we’d have missed a wee gem. I learnt such a lot of really interesting stuff about Scotland’s oldest University. For instance, I didn’t know that St Andrews Uni was the first in the UK to accept female students, and I would never have thought that it was the first European University to teach in English rather than Latin. It has such a reputation for being stuffy and sticking to old traditions – but it is (and turns out always has been) quite a progressive and, to a greater extent than I thought, pretty inclusive place.

The rest of the day was spent lazily reading and snoozing before the second race of the Tour in the evening. Another great night spent with a fantastic bunch of folk from the running fraternity followed and, fortunately, we were both so knackered by the time we got back to the flat that no amount of frivolity by our feathered friends could keep us awake.

Yesterday was dry. Hooray! We started the day with a walk down by the harbour. Predictably, when we got to the end of the pier, Alex said, ‘I should’ve brought the fishing gear’. Now, our garage is full of high-falutin fishing rods, reels, feathery things and bits of lead, but every time we go away anywhere in Scotland, Alex forgets to pack them. Then, every time we’re away, he says, ‘Should’ve brought the fishing gear’. Then we go and find a wee shop that sells cheap wee rods and reels. Then, we go somewhere for Alex to fish, for me to read (or write), and for him not to catch any fish. And that’s pretty much how it went yesterday! It was absolutely baltic and Alex didn’t catch any fish. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed sitting, wrapped up like a Granny, doing my thing and watching Alex be a wee boy yet again.

The sun came out, at last, in the afternoon – long after the fishing had been abandoned – so we spent it lazing around just watching the world (and some really poncy looking golfers) go by!   The third race in the series was another fantastic event, made even better by the fact that Ross was coming straight from it to join us for the rest of our stay in St Andrews. It means that all chat now is based around running, beer, grub and running – with lots of laughs in between!

This morning finds me sitting in Starbucks in Market Street (as it has free internet access!), rattling up this wee blog post. Ross and Alex are sitting opposite me, laughing and comparing notes over the races in the Tour so far. It’s been a lovely morning; our good friends, Elaine and Eric, happen to be up in St Andrews at the moment too, so we met up with them earlier for breakfast, then had a wander to a local speciality beer shop to stock up for the post-race celebrations later, before stopping off for a quick cuppa and internet fix!

So, that’s a wee run down of my few days holiday in St Andrews so far – nothing wildly exciting, no tropical sunshine, no lounging on a sunbed by the Mediterranean Sea (sighs longingly...), but it’s been brilliant. Not even those frisky seagulls have spoiled it – and justifying paying that extra rent on Gemma’s student flat has definitely made me feel great!