Continuing to focus on sessions specific to shorter race-pace on the XC sessions, Monday is 5 x 1 lap at 5k race effort with a 90 seconds stand/jog in circles recovery (so each rep starts at the same place). If underfoot conditions are softer than previous weeks, then the pace may be slower for the same level of effort.
Alan
Thursday's session is a light session to get the legs spinning over pre-race (GU 5 mile road race). The session is at Langlands Place with the usual warm-up via Strathaven Road and Sainsburys. The session is then 16 x 200m (i.e half of Langlands Place) at 5k pace with a 200m jog recovery (i.e continue jogging on to the end of Langlands Place and turn around to start the next rep). Try to remain consistent on every rep and relax with good running style (tall posture, high knees, light, consistent foot strike, elbows at 90 degrees and arms sweeping gently past the hips). Cool down via Greenhills Rd and Strathaven Rd.
Alan
This year the National short course XC will be held at Kirkcaldy High School on Sat 2nd November.
This is 4k the same as the relays but instead a straight race with a mass start.
Ladies start at 13.30 and Men at 14.00.
Cost is £9.50 per head and should be paid in advance for adult races.
Cost of junior races is £8.00 per head
U/15 girls and boys compete over 2k with races starting at noon
U/17 girls and boys compete over 3k with races starting at 12.40
Please make sure your SA number is up to date.
I need names by Tuesday 15th Oct
If you wish entered please leave your name HERE. Those already registered are listed HERE.
Monday's run is a fairly long easy post-race run. If you were racing the half marathon, keep the pace on this very easy and conversational. For those who were running the shorter races over the weekend, this run is to build endurance in preparation for the increasing distance of races we have coming up, culminating in Brampton. The route is Queensway to the Holiday Inn, Stewartfield bypass to Morrisons and then onto Stewartfield Crescent as far as Stewartfield Rd. Follow the lane parallel to Stewartfield Rd to West Mains Rd, then through the village to Lidls, up Avondale and back to the club.
Thursday's session will be short, quick reps at Langlands Place.
Alan
Today was the West District xc relays in Kilmarnock. The event was poorly attended with it being the same weekend as the Great Scottish run. Ive never seen this venue so dry even a part of the course known as the swamp which explains what it is was bone dry with not even any softness in the ground. Never the less we had some fine performances particularly from some of our juniors. First race up was the girls race for a 3 leg relay of u/13, u/15, u17 First up was Charlotte Buchanan and in an incomplete team Jessica Prior with Charlotte running 11.21 and putting the team in 6th place and Jessica running 13.41. Next up was Sophie Lewandowski running 12.19 followed by Aimee Creasy running 13.51 for a final placing of 29th. Onto the next event and the boys this time with one complete team running for us. Off on leg 1 was Hamish Anderson running 10.20 also putting the boys into an early 6th place. On the 2nd leg we had Gavin Boyd looking to further his experience of racing xc with a fine performance of 13.20 and onto the final leg with Francis Santangeli running 10.46 and bringing the team home in 23rd place.
Onto the Ladies race and we had one complete team of 3. On leg one we had Julia Pechlof looking for a wee burst with her legs before next weeks Budapest marathon and finishing with 17.11 handing over to Alison Lessells who matched Julias run with a time of 17.15. Onto leg 3 and Lorraine Buchanan coming back from a bit of a lay off running a time of 23.02 and bringing the team home in 31st.
With the Mens race to finish off the day we had a complete team of 4 and a single leg runner. On leg 1 we had Andrew Buchanan posting a great time of 15.07 with Russell Couper running the single leg in 20.49. Onto leg 2 and we had Kai Wheeler whos been showing great progress in training lately showing what hard work can do by beating his coach with a time of 15.01. Onto leg 3 and we had Jim Mearns returning to the shorter distances with a time of 17.38 handing over to Kenny Leinster putting in his usual strong and steady performance finishing with 18.07 and placing the team 30th.
A good days racing from everyone setting us up for a good Autumn/Winter season.
Please find below the teams and running order for the XC 5th Oct Kilmarnock
Venue is the athletics arena in Kilmarnock
Young females team 104 C Buchanan, S Lewandowski, A Creasey
team 105 J Prior
Young males team 205 H Anderson, G Boyd, F Santangeli
Senior females team 265 J Pechlof, A Lessells, L Buchanan
Senior males Team 6 A Buchanan, K Wheeler, J Mearns, K Leinster
Team 7 R Couper
Declarations and number pickup before 10.15 for young females and 11.00 for young males races start at 11.00 and 11.45 for those 2 events
Declaration and number pickup before 12.15 for females and 13.30 for males with races at 13.00 and 14.15 for those 2 events
Andrew and Lorraine will pick up the junior numbers and Russell will pick up the senior numbers
Apologies for the delay in posting this; I was very late home from work yesterday.
Thursday's run is a pre-race run given that there are multiple races this weekend (West XCR, GSR 10k and half marathon). As with any pre-race run, this should not be a plod. The idea is to do a short run that won't fatigue you but does keep the muscles firing at the same rhythm as race pace otherwise there is a tendency to feel lethargic on race day as the muscle memory has slightly forgotten how to run smoothly and quickly.
The route is Club, Queensway, MacDonalds, West Mains, Village, Lidl, Avondale, Club. From the Queensway, use the downhill of flat sections onwards to pick up the pace from easy (not a plod!) to your target race pace (which will vary depending on whether it is XCR, 10k or half) for 200m. Fit 6 of those strides into the run and be finished before you arrive at Avondale. Decide within your pack when to start each rep. Don't leave it too late!
Alan
