The Flying Beetroot: Scotland The Brave And The Fast

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The Flying Beetroot was given the day off today and the Flying Thistle ran in her place.

The Flying Thistle

Today was the 12th annual New York City Scotland Run in Central Park to launch a week of Scottish activities during Scotland Week. Ten kilometres, more than 8,000 runners, bagpipers, highland dancers and the blue and white of St Andrew’s cross everywhere you looked (even the bagels handed out at the end of the race were blue and white).

The start line
Highland dancers and a pipe band.
As dancers, they’d probably finish quicker than I would.
Donnie Jack, Scottish Affairs Counsellor for the Americas
It was a tad chilly.
Ready, Set, GO!

I didn’t have an official previous race time so I was in the last (slowest) group. This had the advantage of giving me lots of people to pass which can only be good for your ego.

Certainly an experience for a fun run newbie from a provincial city in Australia.

I loved it. And ran a pretty good time given I wasn’t busting myself to break any records. It was technically my Sunday training run and I was just there to have fun.

There were all sorts of runners:

  • The This Could Be Fun Non-Trainers who were walking by the first hill half a mile into the race.
  • The Weaving All Over The Road Slow Runners who drove me up the wall.
  • The I Didn’t Think I’d Get This Hot In A Winter Jacket Strippers. Really?
  • The Let’s Get Into It Scots in their kilts, hats and scarves. That would be me. I wore my father’s Buchanan clan glengarry with great (and somewhat emotional) pride.
Scotland 10km Run 2015
Here I am (55m 47s later).
With my support crew.

Most definitely one of my favourite memories to take home from our visit to the Big Apple.

The Flying Thistle is now retired and the Flying Beetroot is back on track to meet that Half Marathon challenge next weekend.

 

 

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43 thoughts on “The Flying Beetroot: Scotland The Brave And The Fast”

  3. Congratulations on your run and you look fabulous in that hat! I admire anyone who can run a race and finish as that would never be me.

    PS: I would like to know if there were any walking weavers wearing a winter coat and a kilt.

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  5. Awesome! And I’m so happy to see a pic of you finally. You look TOTALLY different than I thought you would! How strange the pictures we create in our mind, huh? Am glad for the return of the Flying Beetroot, but was nice to meet the Flying Thistle this time too!

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  7. Bloody well done, my red-haired friend ! ( ? )
    Are you stuffed ? No, you won’t be, because you didn’t push yourself to ridiculous lengths.
    Your father’s glengarry … how simply wonderful to have it. I have nothing of my father’s. Maybe you should wear it always when running, as a talisman. Why not ? – how he would love the idea !
    I send you love.

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  11. Congratulations! I love racing in other cities … it is such a great way to experience someplace new 🙂 Glad to hear your New York run was a highlight!! I’m still trying to picture blue and white bagels though.

    Safe trip home, rest well and best of luck next weekend!

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  12. Well done you! Love the hair and love the hat 🙂 But what fascinated me the most were the statistics – so many runners over 70 yrs!! OMG! I just hope that I can still WALK when I am that age.

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