Over the years I have published almost 300 blogs and they have all had some type of photos in them to accompany my blurbs. Now I’m not one of those insta runners, I don’t set up pics, I don’t have people that come along to races to take pictures of me, so to embellish my amateur scribbles I have always depended on others. At the bottom of each blog I thank those that I have pinched pictures from and I have absolutely no doubt that if I went through each blog and counted up the amount of thank yous then first by a long way would be Kenny Phillips. I remember doing the Bella 10k back in 2013 when I was trying to find my way back into the sport and Stevie Wylie sent me a copy of a picture that Kenny Phillips had taken of me. He had taken pictures of everyone in the race and they were free.  I, like many others, took it for granted that when we raced Kenny would be there, rain or shine with a wee memento of our race for us and for all these years he was. It took me a few years to even discover who Kenny was and it was only this week that I found out more about him as he sadly passed at the age of 94. Up until the end he was out snapping and sharing, many folk I know spoke to him at Paisley 10k last week and he was in fine form. I hope he realised how much the photos etc meant to us, and as I said it’s only this week that I found out more about the man which you can read here.  

http://www.scottishdistancerunninghistory.scot/kenny-phillips-the-runner/

So it was him who was responsible for the Stewarton XC races that I dreaded as a nipper running for Hamilton Harriers.

From me I just want to say a big thank you and I wish I had taken the time to thank you properly in person and get to know you like so many of my fellow running community did. Kenny will be missed and is a big loss to the world of Scottish Athletics. RIP Kenny.

Back in the racing world this week was the Monument Mile for me. I love the event. It’s a great atmosphere. It has running, and fire. A series of mile races on the track and has grown from strength to strength over the years. Last year it was a big aim for me, and I worked and trained hard to try to go sub 5 which I did in 4.55. This year? It’s no secret that I don’t train with my old track group anymore and accordingly I have rarely raced track and certainly haven’t trained on the track with the same type of intensity or speed. I still decided to do it though but was neither up or down about it. I have block of 10ks coming up with a few potential track races as well that had been booked a while back, so while I am happy that my general fitness is good the speed I wasn’t so sure about. I simply haven’t been racing. So I have no idea about my shape, especially over the short stuff. I was in a 5 minute heat so my simple plan was to try and get carried round and take it from there. Fitz from my club for some reason was in my heat. He’s slightly better than me therefore the matching here was akin to Danny Devito boxing Muhammed Ali but we would all let him go and win the highly sought after cap whilst the rest of us fought for his crumbs.

Conditions were mixed. There was no wind and it wasn’t too warm but the early shift had attracted the rain and I was drookit before we even lined up. Being held on the starting line whilst the photo finish set up was rebooted didn’t help either and seeing that the lap clock wasn’t working either wasn’t going to help but these are all just wee annoyances rather than anything. I wouldn’t say any of it affected my run and I certainly wasn’t going to blame my sore throat either unlike a young Norwegian with better hair than me. I’m ranked the big outsider and start way out in position 12, and by the time I get to the inside after the gun goes Fitz is already away and has taken a couple of others with him. Am I being tactical hanging back? Conserving energy? Nah simply don’t have it in the legs, no excuses. Three away, the rest of us packing and I’m at the front of the pack pulling them along. Not what I wanted to do. Through the first lap and I have no idea of the time, the clock isn’t working and the crowd are that loud I can’t hear what the timer is shouting. All I can do is try and find a groove. No one is going to help me and the other 3 are well away. Fair enough but I have no real idea of my pace.  Through 800 and 3 still away, and I have shed my group with the exception of Jessica of Aberdeen who is matching me stride for stride. I *think* I hear a split of 2.35/ 2.36 here which is way down on last year and likely to bring me in around 5.10 so really not quite going to plan.  Lap 3 and I try to push a bit and with just over a lap to go I overtake 3^rd with Jessica still on my tail. I’m starting to run more freely now and the last lap is under 70 as I come home in 5.02. The commentator says I’m like a rocket. Not the first time I have been called a rocket to be fair but this is more complimentary this time.

Full event is here, our race is from 2 hours 29.

Listen, I really enjoyed it but had hoped to be a little sharper. No excuses though, if it isn’t there it isn’t there. Bit of reflecting over the weekend and decision taken to have an early finish to what has been a very short track season anyway. No point stressing over the likes of a 3000 when I am not where I would like to be. Concentrate on the forthcoming 10ks and hopefully by the end there might be a decent one in legs, if not at least I’ll have fun trying. Hopefully that way I’ll be in decent shape for the start of the XC season.

The songs:

Camera Shy by Cosmic Rough Riders, because it’s a cracking wee tune, and because I was always too shy to speak to Mr Photos himself. Secondly face the flames by the Wiseguys because Stirling had fire.

Big thanks for the photos here to Alan Ramage and Bobby Gavin.