Club Training Monday 17th August - Chatelherault - the final one for 2026

Thursday's session is, unfortunately, the final Chatelherault of this year due to failing daylight. Because of that, we must start the session 20 minutes earlier i.e. start heading from the car park to the start at 19:10 sharp and start the first pack off with minimal delay. Furthermore, if it is a very overcast night, then miss out the last loop through the woods and continue down the tarmac path to the start/finish at the bridge. The faster packs will probably be OK to do the loop through the woods.

Due to the fading light, the efforts are in the first half only before crossing the gorge at the green bridge before the log jam. The second half is an easy, recovery run. The session is 2 minutes on at threshold, 2 minutes off (jog), starting from the left turn at the top of the short hill after going onto the path off of the first stone bridge. The efforts end at the top of the steep, long descent down to the green bridge before the log jam. As it is 2 minutes at threshold rather than 5k or 10k pace, they should feel quite comfortable.

It is probably a little early for me to make it through on time, so just start if I am not there.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 13th August

Making the most of the light nights, Thursday's run is a long, steady run in the country. This week's "steady" is something a little slower than half marathon effort, so quite a bit easier than 10k effort and definitely easier than threshold. The route is through the glen and up onto Strathaven Rd at the Crutherland and across onto the back roads. Keep the pace easy until you get to our usual effort corner and then pick it up a little to steady. Follow the road to the junction at Leaburn Rd and then turn left and immediately right and continue climbing. Turn right at the first junction and carry on along the top road. Carry straight through the cross-roads and just follow the top road as it eventually turns right and leads back to Leaburn Rd. Turn right and left and down the dip and up to Auldhouse cross. Turn right and return to the club via Langlands and Sainsburys.

Alan

Club Training Monday 10th August

I can't under emphasise how big an impact threshold sessions have on our fitness as long as they are not done too frequently. Whereas last Monday's uphill threshold at Chatelherault consisted of many, relatively short threshold efforts with long recoveries, this Monday's session is more structured and uses reps of longer duration. The session is 4 x 6 minutes at threshold with 2 minutes jog recovery, remembering that threshold is a level of effort and not a specific pace when the sessions are on hilly roads.

The route is a warm-up to the bottom of the hill just after the Auldhouse 5k start line via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys. From there run past Park Farm to Leaburn Rd, turn right and keep going along Leaburn Rd until it turns downhill. At the bottom of the hill, turn right and then left past the kennels and along Shields Rd back to Greenhills Rd and back to the club. Should be a good night weatherwise.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 6th August - Auldhouse TT

It is time for the August Auldhouse 5km Time Trial and it looks like this will be the best night of the week weatherwise with mild temperatures although still quite windy. This is the final daylight edition of the TT and a chance to aim for perfect pacing based on your experience of the previous 3 months. Please register for training as usual on the registration form as this pack list will be imported into the timing software in advance.

I'll see you there.

Alan

Club Training Monday 3rd August - Chatelherault

Unfortunately, this is the second last Chatelherault session of this year as "the nights are fair drawing in". For this one the intention is to do the uphill fartlek session where on every hill that is more than say 20m long pick the pace up a little bit to a threshold type effort and then relax back down to an easy pace over the top of each hill. The first such effort starts as usual once we are over the first stone bridge.. This will probably be the last effort session of the year at Chatelherault as the failing light on the final session will probably mean that we need to take it a bit easy to see where we are putting our feet.

As usual, select "Training Venue" on registration app if going direct to Chatelherault or select "EKSC" if leaving from the sports club.

For those who were racing 10k+ on Saturday/Sunday, treat it as an easy run.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 30th July

Thursday's session is a return to some light reps at 10k pace/effort. The session is 10 x 2 minutes with a 2 minute jog recovery during which regroup as far as is possible.

The warm-up is through the glen to Strathaven Rd, up to the Crutherland and then across the road to the backroad. Start the session at the usual 90 degree left hand corner. At Leaburn Rd turn right and continue to the second junction on the right, down the dip and up to Auldhouse Cross. Turn right and return to the club via Langlands and Sainsburys.

Alan

Club Training Monday 27th July

After a good 4 week block of club sessions where every session has involved some sort of effort, Monday's run is a more relaxed, steady run (i.e. not conversational easy but not as fast as threshold either; think something like half marathon to marathon effort). The route is one we did a couple of weeks ago and is a route that I like, not that I have done it for years. This is what we used to call "The Studios" run. So, its out Greenhills Rd to the fingerposts and then along Shields Rd, taking the second on the right at the bottom of the hill and then first left and follow that country road as it winds and climbs back up to a 90 degree left hand bend which then leads back to Auldhouse Cross a few km later. Carry on through Auldhouse cross and back to the club via Langlands and Sainsburys. As we enter our last month of country road runs, make the most of it!

Alan