Turf Zone – LawheadBurn
Penicuik this evening, to partake in the ESOC FTT#15, though I don’t actually know what that stands for, the latter part anyway, the FTT*. There was a good turn out with 11 intrepid turfers braving the wilds of Penicuik, some on their trusty bicycles and some choosing the slog their way round on foot. Personally, none of this walking/running for me, far too much like hard work, I prefer the bicycle, in this instance my Brompton G Line, aka Mr Orange.
For this event I decided to cycle from Bonnyrigg, doing my bit to save the planet by leaving the car at home, though with the thought in the back of my head that this might not be a good idea as I’ll need to cycle home again after a potentially strenuous event. Which start point to select was on my mind as I pedalled my way along the old railway path to Penicuik and knowing how hilly the town is, decided to head for high ground, at zone LawheadBurn (above), maintain some height as long as possible, then drop down towards the finish area at the Craigie hotel as the event progresses, aiming to take my final zones right next to the base at the Craigie hotel.
My plan worked well enough, not too many ascents, descents and re-ascents and was delighted to find myself making good progress, though unsure of where I was positioned in the rankings. Not that I saw myself winning, not even remotely and not against the likes of Mega-turfers Aibo and JammyDognut. It was only later that I recalled you can see the leader board in the League section of the turf app. Not sure I’d have the time to stop and check my position anyway, to be honest. At one point I had to turn off the “zone lost” notification as I was losing zones to turfer ElsieSpanner and others at a tremendous rate and was finding it rather annoying and off putting.
The competitors gathered afterwards at the Craigie hotel for the photo shoot and winners’ awards ceremony with prizes of bargain chocolates handed out by organiser Hodge. You can view the full results list here. managed to finish in 4th myself so pleased with that.
- ESOC KisaKat – first junior finisher.
- JammyDognut – first on bike.
- EdMedic23 – first on foot.
EdMedic23 also won an additional special award for working out the theme behind the naming convention for the event zones, and that was based on Hodges’ 150 birds seen within 10k of Penicuik, though only ESOC members knew about that which seems a tad unfair as those prize chocolates looked rather enticing. ESOC KisaKat was onto a good thing as the only junior competitor.
A few well-earned drinks were consumed at the hotel, hopefully the non-alcoholic kind for those who were driving home. Personally, I don’t drink alcohol, not for any particular reason, just that I don’t enjoy it. Might be worth pointing out that the legal limit in Scotland is 22 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol in 100 ml of breath which means one alcoholic drink could put you over the limit. Anyway, a very enjoyable evening with a good number of zones well spread across town. Well done to all who attended and supported Hodge’s event in Penicuik and what bargain Hodge had arranged with the weather God’s for a non-rainy day must remain a mystery.
Must really get that Bonnyrigg event started though I’ll have to request another event creating account as I’ve lost mine. Think I was overjealous when deleting old emails. Cycled back down to Bonnyrigg with turfer MuttsCycles, the new rubbery/gravel surface coating making for a smooth ride. Looking forward to future events.
*FTT = Foot Turf Tuesday. Thanks Hodge.
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