The start is very friendly: you start when you want to start.

Graeme, Craig and myself set off with Julie from HELP and Neil from Dunbar (we had persuaded Alex to give us a five minute head start). The first few miles are relatively flat along a tarmac road. After about fifteen minutes, the hills in front loom up at you. Already I had lost 20m or so our small pack. The first hill takes a zig zag line. I took the direct approach, cutting the corner, making up ground and overtaking the pelaton. Severe puffing now. The route continues rising into the Lammermuirs, on good tracks. Graeme was now out in front and I was just trying to keep him in sight. Craig was somewhere behind. I kept on waiting for Alex to storm past. We passed some of the early starters, then crested a hill, to see all of East Lothian and the Firth of Forth in front of us. Totally stunning for at least two seconds, then you have to concentrate 100% on the tricky descent. The track is really loose and broken up. After a long time the track gives way to tarmac. Graeme had built up a good 150m lead on me. I looked back briefly to see a couple of red shirts, possibly Craig and Julie coming off the hill behind us. Much as tried I couldn’t quite reel Graeme in. We were both overtaken in the last mile by Julie who went storming past. I was chuffed with my time, finishing three minutes quicker than last year. Craig came in four minutes later. For once we all finished in front of Alex.

The evening was rounded off by a splendid meal in the Goblin Ha’ (although Alex did some fine winging about the lack of chips on this plate). We’ll be back.

Gordon