Ronnie Cairns Running

Picture by: Ken Clark

I have just had a very busy week with the annual Cowal Highland Gathering where I am chairman and have just celebrated my 25^th year of being involved in an official capacity with the Gathering. My involvement with the gathering was long before this as I had many happy years as a competitor in both the solo piping events and with the pipe band but now my piping days are long gone and last year I did take part as a competitor again, this time in the 5k road race and this year I was back again to try and better last years effort.

I spent all day on the games field and then rushed down after we finished to take part in the race. After wearing kilt brogues all day it was a relief to get into my running shoes to get going.

Arriving just in time to get registered and get a warm-up and jog, it was down to the start line. There were good number of runners taking part with a good quality field of club runners present and some of our friends here from Canada and the USA who were visiting the games. (Pictured below, our Canadian & American friends)

Picture by: Archie Reid

(Above pictures by Ken Clark)

The direction of the race was changes this year and started at the Coal Pier out to Hunters Quay and back. A nice flat course so we new we were in for some good times.

For me, well all I was looking for was a personal best and pushed out trying to maintain a pace of 8.50 min miles. On the last half mile I really had to keep my concentration, which was hard as I passed people I knew and acknowledged their support. I dug deep and came over the finish line in a respectable 27mins 32 seconds which beat my PB by over a minute and seven minutes off my time from last year, so a job well done and all the training with Hawkins Running paid off.

This is now my tenth race with one more to go raising money for the Yorkhill Children’s Charity. My next race is the Great Scottish Run, which will be held in Glasgow in October.

Pictured here with my No1 fan, grandson Rory who came to cheer me on.

Thanks to Archie Ferguson for this picture.

I had a great day out at the Bute Highland Games, this weekend, catching up with some old friends and also taking part in the Bute 10k road race. The race was very well attended with 160 runners taking part. We had a great send-off and ran round the games field and then onto the road, which took us down into the town and along the promenade to Port Bannantyne and back. I always enjoy my day out at the Bute Games and this year was no exception but it was better taking part rather than just being a spectator.

We had great support out on the course with everyone cheering on the runners as they passed and the marshals looking after us on the the way. As I ran back into the town and started the short climb back to the games park I was overtaken by a woman who had some reserves left for that last push only to hear some people outside a local pub shout over to me “Go on Big-Yin, you can take her” If only I had it in me! I gritted my teeth and pushed on up the hill and back onto the track and onto the finishing straight, where everyone got a great reception from the crowds as they crossed the finish line.

My first Bute 10k was over and I enjoyed every minute of it, or all 58 minutes and 54 seconds of it, which was a personal best by just over 2 minutes.

This was my 9^th race, this year, raising money for the Yorkhill Children’s Charity and I was joined by my son Iain and we both ran personal bests, Iain finished in 37 minutes which pleased our coach Derek Hawkins from Hawkins Running, who came over to Bute to see us race, so a good day all-round for Hawkins Running and http://www.dunoonhillrunners.org.ukDunoon Hill Runners.

My next race is the Cowal Games 5k on Thursday and then my final race of the year The Great Scottish Run, Half Marathon in October.

So far I have managed to raise £2,413.75 for my charity and I know I can do better with your help, so if you have not had the chance to sponsor me, please do so at https://www.justgiving.com/ronniecairnsrunning

I had a great fathers day today and spent it running in the Men’s 10k in Glasgow. The highlight was being able to run over the Kingston Bridge I but never realised what a climb it was up and over. There were over 1500 men took part in the race today and everything went well and was very well organised. The race started at the Riverside Transport Museum and headed East along by the SECC, then around Finnieston onto St Vincent Street and down and over the Kingston Bridge, it then swung East and back over the river onto Argyll Street, up Buchanan Street and along past George Square. On leaving George Square it was back down to cross the river for the third time and through the Gorbals before crossing back over and on to the finish at Glasgow Green. I got my race tactics wrong today, not realising that the first 5k was rather hilly I went out a bit fast, which caught up with me on the second part of the race so much so that I started to feel a recurring injury come back and had to walk through the drinks station at George Square, loosing a bit of time. I however made it through and I reached Glasgow Green where the Yorkhill Childrens Charity Volunteer’s were out giving their support, which was a real boost to me through the final stage. As I turned into the finishing straight the atmosphere was great, with everyone cheering and supporting the runners. I crossed the line, looked at my time and realised that I had taken 20 seconds off my personal best so all was not in vain. That’s my fifth race in six weeks so its now time for a bit of recovery and believe me I need it. My next scheduled race is Bute Highland Games 10k in August but in the meantime I will be continuing my training schedule with Hawkins Running and continuing to raise money for Yorkhill Children’s Charity. Please support my efforts by going to my JustGiving page and making a donation if you have not had time to do so. I really appreciate the great support I have had so far. https://www.justgiving.com/ronniecairnsrunning

This morning I completed the Vale of Leven 10k. I was in two minds about taking part in the race as I had a very busy Friday and Saturday, not getting home till late in the evening and have just recovered from Man-Flu and all the men reading this will realise what that takes out of you! All that said and done, I managed to pull myself out of bed early this morning and head for Lomond Shores, where the race started. This was the final race in the Polaroid Series and again very well organised with a big entry. The race route took us into Balloch Park with a reasonable steep climb at the beginning but then round and out into Balloch and back along the picturesque canal side to the finish at Lomond Shores. I have really enjoyed taking part in the Polaroid series and must thank the organisers for all the hard work they have done and especially the marshals at every race who were always on hand to direct us and give encouragement to everyone as they made there way round the course. I look forward to taking part again next year. Oh! It looks as although I have committed myself to keep running after my ten-race challenge raising money for the Yorkhill Childrens Charity is completed. Since I have started running, I have been buying running magazines, listening to running podcasts and reading running blogs to learn about training, injury prevention and leading a healthy lifestyle and diet. I recently read a very compelling article on the benefits of having a plant based diet but on the way back from the race today I stopped at the burger van at the top of the Rest And Be Thankful for a coffee and a bacon roll and as I munched through the bacon roll all thoughts of plant-based diets were banished from my mind. If I can go out and run a 10k, I should not feel guilty about having one of the pleasures in life! I would like to thank my sponsor for this race, Argyll Financial Services Limited for their support in helping me raise funds for the Yorkhill Childrens Charity and don’t forget if you would like to help, please go to my Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/ronniecairnsrunning

That my second event of ten now completed for my fund raising campaign for Yorkhill Children’s Charity. I just got back from a weeks family holiday in Disney Paris, where I must have walked miles only to fly in at 10.30pm last night and then join the Kiltwalk this morning. As you can see by the picture there is no better way to finish that with Pasta and a Pint!
If you would like to make a donation to my Yorkhill, then please go to my JustGiving page – www.justgiving.com/ronniecairnsrunning