Ochils 2000s Hill Race - 5th lady

This week felt tough. I felt sluggish and slow on Monday after tired legs set in after the weekend, but gradually got better as the week dragged on, good because on Saturday I had my biggest race yet! Its the Ochils 2000s which is traditionally 31km and 1200m ascent. This year though because of forestry and stuff, the route was changed so we had all recorded about 21.5 miles, and 1450m or more of ascent. Reports from other racers reckon thats an extra few miles and few hundred m of ascent on previous years, but this is a new permanent route - was a cracking race. As I drove in to the sports centre, I caught sight of the Ochils for the first time, they look terrifying and awesome when you drive up, cant believe i've never been here before!

Nnnnnervous!	The starting crowd lingering till midday

The day was glorious, and after a bit of kit faff leaving Glasgow I arrived at registration to be presented with a weird looking dibber thing for your finger which was new, and the most strict kit check i've ever seen! Actual checking of kit, and actual turning away of people who didn't have it! Shocking. But then when we started there was definitely some rather small looking bumbags....hehehe thats their call, and today, a calculated risk.

Bus journey from the centre to the start over, with Tarun almost asleep in the bus after no rest the previous night, and a bit of map study, we had a faff-less start. By the time I got up the top of Innerdownie I had no idea how I was going to finish this thing....was knackered and my legs were definitely feeling it! And the dibber thing on my finger was really irritating me! I began eating and drinking on the way up the Kings seat, a bit later than usual but the course is so runnable its actually difficult to find a place where you are walking for a long time to get the stuff down your neck!

Gorgeous Views ...

The race had a few out and back bits to it, out to the Law and Ben Ever, where I only counted two women in front of me so I was excited as I thought I might be up in 3rd place, was a nice motivation! Tarun was there again to egg me on as well, although he wasn't feeling it at all, i'm so glad he made it out :D !! Then the crossing from Ben Ever to Blairdennon....bog bog bog...actually, it wasn't THAT bad, I fell on my face but still, the nav was harder as it was undulating ground, and I caught the lady in front of me so I then didn't have my reference to watch! So at the top of the track, I stopped for a bearing! Reassured, I continued and found the track to the summit and the checkpoint.

From here I started feeling it, I got through another gel somewhere, and tried a bit of real food on the way up but couldn't swallow it - and then had a jelly baby thanks to the marshall at the checkpoint. Picking my way down the hill towards Colsnaur, i'm sure i crossed a fence in the wrong place but couldn't see how else you were supposed to do it. Colsnaur was ok, then got another gel in on the way down the other side, so was feeling pretty well fuelled. Down the track which was taped all the way to Menstrie and then....back up Dumyat...what a kick in the ass that is! Everyone, and I do mean everyone walked up!

Photos: Ochils Hill Runners...	...Dumyat Summit...	...Dumyat view

Got a photo at the top and made the last checkpoint, gave a young lad a high 5 and off I bolted down the hill. Passed a guy not long after the summit, through the forest which was great fun, and then passed another guy on a steep downhill bit of road. Followed a wall round the back of the uni that I never thought would end and then onto campus for a road run finish. Just goes to show that you keep trying to the end and you can still gain a couple of places :D
....and collapse. I summited Dumyat at 3:58:00 and was finished by 4:22:37 so not too bad - the guys reckon the route was longer,  and on the route as it was before I would have for the sub 4hour time I was after, but this is longer by about half hour so i'm happy with that :) Finished feeling surprisingly strong so i'm feeling good for Glencoe ... its almost as if these training runs are harder to be honest!

Oooft. That was a toughy.	The finish line

Waited for Tarun to finish as i'd managed to stay ahead of him and then we both went off for well deserved coffee, shortbread and soup and lots of chat about physics!! lol! So many of the guys were a right laugh and loadsa lovely people once again.

Soaking in the bath...best thing in the world.

No win to report from todays race, nawwwww, but still had a great day and came in 5th of all the ladies, with my closest competitor only 15 mins ahead of me in the end....gotta keep chasing!