Hill Communication

Challenge 10 of 12 brought with it 10k in the form of the incredibly hilly Great Edinburgh Run. As we near the end of our year of fun, friends and torture I have to keep reminding myself why we are putting ourselves through all of this physical and mental anguish!

• Cystic Fibrosis is one of the UK’s most common life-threatening inherited diseases, caused by a single defective gene that clogs internal organs with thick sticky mucus resulting in chronic infections and inflammation in the lungs and difficulty digesting food.
• Each week five babies are born with cystic fibrosis and two young people die – 90% from lung damage. Only half of those living with cystic fibrosis are likely to live past 41 years of age, although improvements in treatments mean a baby born today is expected to live even longer.
• The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the UK’s only national charity dealing with all aspects of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). It funds research to treat and cure CF and aims to ensure appropriate clinical care and support for people with cystic fibrosis.

So a fantastic cause and worth every effort and more. No average 10k, though. Even Freya Murray-Ross (who finished second) referred to the course as ‘pretty tough’. This is the woman that was the first British athlete home in the London Olympic marathon event in a time of 2:32:14, so she knows what she is talking about!




Roz and I were joined at the start in Holyrood Park by Ainsley, Bronwen and Fro. All smiles before the hills and the tarmac took their toll! The FCF team also had friends Fee, Finlay, Menzies and Sarah running – so quite a crew.




At least we had a great day for it. The atmosphere was good with the required Mr Motivator warm up, blaring music and far too many people penned into the fenced area at the start.





The course began with a long climb up Queen's Drive then down past Duddingston Loch before turning around and heaading back the way you had come. All very scenic but very crowded on the narrow roads, you had to be nimble and sure footed so many of us were in trouble!

Once you ran out and past the Commonwealth Pool, down the Pleasance and up to the Canongate to run part of the iconic Royal Mile. Now, at this stage we were approaching 7km. Feeling okay. Buoyed by the crowd and entering the final third. However, it was here we ran up Abbeyhill and into the long, hard 1km climb on Regent Road. If it hadn't been for our cheering team of Susie, Simon and wee Nina we would've been in trouble but the extra support gave the required boost to push us on.

The race ended, thankfully, with a steady descent back into Holyrood where the race began. Everyone put in a cracking effort, just finishing off the podium - by a few hundred places.

We decided to end the run with the usual and professional warm down, a pint and pub grub. Challenge 10 of 12 completed with great enthusiasm all round, such a pleasure to be joined by even more people in raising money and awareness for the CF Trust: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/FCF

As always, thank yous go out to many people - the whole FCF running crew, the Hardings for coming out in support and all the sponsorship we have received to our growing number of fundraising team pages.

November brings the tandem bike cycle around the 7 hills of Edinburgh - in late Victorian dress. No, don't ask us what we were thinking, just look forward to the photos and promote our stupidity to family and friends.

Only 2 challenges to go!!!

Thanks again everyone.

Bri.