I’m an old man and I don’t remember many things very well. For some reason 4 has always been my lucky number, and I can’t recall why or even recall a time when it has actually been lucky for me. It’s traditionally the worst running position to finish in, out of the medals, no one remembers the 4th placers. Yer the wee lad that isn’t good enough for the podium, seen as a failure, and I have had a lot of those 4th places over the years, both individually and team wise. But doing this blog back to front today, as disjointed as my head is prone to being, and I am watching the presentation of the M50 medals. There’s nothing for 4th and indeed that’s where I have finished, but I am applauding the 3 quality runners who have earned that podium place. Probably every other time I have missed out I have been hard on myself, I should have done this, or that, I didn’t fight enough, I’ve let my team down etc etc but today I have given everything I had and finished 4th in a solo national XC event, my best position ever over the country and that includes when I was a nipper. Talking to the Colin the Cambuslang Yoda afterwards, who had just won another national title, he hit the nail in the head about how I was feeling, he said “hopefully you are happy but not satisfied.” I really like that.

I’d come into this off the back of a good run at the relays. It was a day where everything had gone right for me. The conditions and course suited me and the hills and little bit of mud levelled the playing field between the whippets and myself so I was able to take them on a bit more. This one was going to be pancake flat. It’s a speed course and with conditions drying up it looked like the ground would remain firm too. I last ran it in 2018 and clocked 15.01 for 24th in my age group, but I know I am a better runner now than I was then. The 50s field itself was very strong and looking at it to be honest finishing top 10 would be an achievement, not that I was going to be content with aiming there, but going for a good run and ending up there wouldn’t be disappointing. Top 10 and sub 14.30 was aim 1, if all went right I thought I could possibly go sub 14 and if I could do that then maybe I could be around the sharp end in the top 5. Ambitious without being stressed and fixated. This was going to be a bit of fun, and hopefully I could go out hard and try and hold on. Over 500 of us on that line and when we started it was like a Deep heat smelling stampede of multi coloured wildebeest. Elbows, fallers, the whole shaboodle.

Stunning action shot by Bobby Gavin at thatonemoment

My plan of going out hard was fine, but already I see loads of M50s going out harder. I simply couldn’t keep up the pace. I went through the first k in around 3.22 and there must be around 9 or 10 M50s away from me already. I’m not running badly, I’m running how I want to run, but these guys are simply running better and I can’t compete.

The plan was to try and stabilise around 3.30 for the next couple of k and by and large I was there and coming into the last k the legs and lungs were burning but I felt I had another gear. Nothing to lose, let’s try kicking out.

Coming up to the last section of zig zags with maybe 600m to go and I can see my pal Alan from Corstorphine maybe in a semi catchable position. I haven’t been near him in over a year but I know he is just coming back from a lay off , so his normally strong finish may not quite be there yet, so he gives me a target. As I chase him down I realise I am passing other 50s, really good runners, I pass a couple then manage to catch Alan just off the last bend and at the same time manage to edge ahead of Nick of Garscube.

There’s nothing else in the legs as I cross the line and I hear the announcer saying I am in the medals. But I know I’m not unless there have been more drop outs. I’m confused for a minute until I can clearly establish the top three and then get the chance to congratulate and applaud them.

Davie G has his third title in 3 years, simply outstanding. Track specialists Dan and Cammy have both had sensational runs for silver and bronze, aye the course suited them, but you still have to bring your A game with you and these guys have ran it perfectly. And here’s me, with nothing left in my legs I have finished 4th in a national XC event having taken well over a minute off my previous course PB and smashed my 14 minute target. I have finished ahead of some fantastic runners both in my age group and in other age groups. 8th to 4th in the last 200m is no mean feat. What a buzz that race was, tough but brilliant fun. There is nothing more on the day I could have done. I have run as well as, in fact better than, I thought I could. The head is happy, aye head, I’m happy up here. And I go back to my chat with Colin. I’m happy but not satisfied. I ran to the best of what I have, and finished where I deserved to finish, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want more and there is nothing wrong with that. My competitive spirit is alive, even over cross country and that’s a good thing. At the end of the road season I was fed up, flat and pretty much finished in my head. And now I am happy, but not satisfied. A good place to be as I go into my winter training block.

Thanks to Bobby Gavin (thatonemoment), Jennifer Beattie, Daniel Doherty’s pals (I stole your pics Daniel, sorry, ah it was GGH Ladies captain Lynne Harrison) for the pics. This was a great race at Lanark and brilliantly held by Law and District, thank you for this. See you all out there again sometime.

For the song have a daft one from Royksopp, and why not? It’s added to the playlist.