Club Training Monday 2nd March

It is always difficult to know how hard to train in the week between two races. However, with the Scally being a relatively short but all out 5k race, only a few days of recovery are required and it is more important to have an easier session on Thursday to conserve strength ahead of what is a hilly 5 mile race at Glasgow Uni's  Garscube sports complex on the coming Saturday. That's a long way of saying Monday's session is not a post-race run!

The session is 5 x 6 minutes at threshold (controlled discomfort) with a 2 minute jog recovery. For a change, the session is running laps at Carron Place in an anti-clockwise direction. This circuit provides a good mixture of slight uphill, flat and gentle downhill which gives good opportunities to work out what threshold effort should feel like; i.e. the effort stays the same but the pace reduces on uphills, increases on the flat and increases a bit more on the downhill. The objective is not to maintain a constant pace but to maintain a constant effort, in the same way that you would in a race. A few minutes in to each rep, the breathing should start to be uncomfortable and if asked, only a few words could be spoken. The effort will be something like 10 mile to half-marathon race effort and definitely not as hard as 5k effort for all those who ran so well at the Scally.

Alan

ALLAN SCALLY ROAD RELAYS

 Updated 15.31

Please be there for 11.30 at the latest

This Saturday were off to Glasgow Green for the Allan Scally road relays.

4 x 5k legs with a start time of Noon. The start is at the football centre end of the park but down by the Clyde. Note for those that have been before that the Start is about 100m downstream from the old Start.

Teams are as follows

Ladies A   1 Emma Carroll, 2Frances Ferguson,  3 Lorraine Buchanan,  4 Lisa Greer

Ladies B   1 Elaine Bell,  2  Louise Higgins   3+4 spare

MV40    1 Colin Banks,     2+3+4 spare  

MV50    1  Stephen Phimister,  2  Robert Gibson,  3  Gerry Connolly,   4 Gordon McInally

Sen M A    1   Andrew Higgins,  2 Scott Hair,  3   Jason Grant  4  Andrew Buchanan

Sen M B    1  James Nugent,  2  George Ferguson  3  Andrew Rycroft  4 Russell Couper

There is a few spare places if anyone else wants entered also if anyone can no longer make it please let me know asap as i need to go on and reregister the teams.

Russell

Club Training Thursday 26th February

Thursday's session is a pre-Scally run and is one of the usual, simple pre-race run routes with strides. The route is down the Queensway to KFC then along West Mains Rd and on to Lidl and back up Churchill Avenue and Strathaven Rd to the club.

From the Queensway fit in 6 x 50m gradual accelerations to 5k pace, hold that pace 10 seconds and then decelerate to an easy, conversational pace. Do these on flat or downhill sections of the run. Decide within your packs when to start each acceleration.

Alan

Renfrewshire Road Races - Greenock

Congratulations to Andrew and Charlotte Buchanan who won silver medals for non affiliated Renfrewshire clubs in the Renfrewshire Clubs Road Race Championships in Greenock on 8th Feb. Andrew was 2nd in the MV40 category in his 5 mile race and Charlotte 2nd in the U13 girls race.

 

National XC Championships

Luca MacArthur

 It was perfect running weather at Callander Park in Falkirk on Saturday for the National XC championships.  It was calm, about 10 degrees and dry/drizzly for the most part though there were a few heavy rain showers during the senior men’s race.

First up was Charlotte Buchanan in the U13 girls 3.4K race, Charlotte had a strong run finishing in 14:09 in 38th position from a field of 132. Luca MacArthur was next to run in the U13 boys 3.4K race. Luca also ran well finishing in 16:27. Our next junior athlete was Hamish Anderson in the U15 boys 4.3k race who also had a great run finishing in 15:36 in 30th place from 99. Well done to our 3 junior athletes.

Charlotte Buchanan

The senior ladies race was next up and there was a lot of interest in this one with Laura Muir taking part for the first time in 14 years. 10k is a step up in distance from her usual 1500m, however her class shone through to take the title by a 13 second margin with Scout Adkin in 2nd place. Laura also showed what a true role model she is taking time to sign Charlottes vest for her and answer questions before the race. Further back in the field, Alison, Frances, Claire and Lorraine were hoping not to be lapped by Laura on the 3 lap course. The sticky muddy section at the bottom of the first hill claimed Claire’s shoe on the first lap forcing her to stop to get it back on. Alison, Claire and Frances were delighted to get round the 2 laps before Laura came round to the finish. Alison was first harrier back in 51:06,
followed by Frances in 53:10 with Claire taking on a 10k cross country for the first time not far behind in 53:53. Lorraine Buchanan was glad to get to the finish and get a hard run in finishing in 67:36. 

The next race with harriers interest was the U20 ladies who had a 7.6k course, consisting of 1 short lap and 2long. Rachel McPhillips felt her hamstring tight on the way round, however still ran strongly to finish in 37:07.

Russells Shoe

The senior men’s race was next up, where we had 7 runners on the start line. Unfortunately Iain MacLean pulled out injured on the first lap. Jordan Stewart had a great run, cheered on by his dog in harriers colours, showing he’s back to his good form finishing the 10k race in 37:57. Jason Grant was the next harrier in finishing in 46:37, with Andrew Buchanan not too far behind in 47:30 then another short distance behind was Andrew Higgins in 48:16. Richard Lawton was running here for the first time in several years and finished in 56:40. Russell Couper was the star of the day, with his shoes falling apart on the 2nd lap he opted to take them off to stop them flapping about and ran the final lap barefoot! Not easy in the mud, with Russell falling 4 times on this lap. Never the less he battled to the finish, finishing in a time of 71:28. Well done Russell and team harriers!

Thanks to Louise, Alan, Kevin and Jordan’s girlfriend for coming along to support and Robert Pattinson for marshalling, your shouts at the far end of the course were much appreciated. Thanks also to Lorraine, Andrew B and Frances for coming for the first junior race and staying all day for the end of the senior men’s race as is a long day. And finally thanks to the bakers Frances and Andrew H for the home baking.

Club Training Monday 23rd February

Monday's session is a light session at Langlands Place with the aim of allowing those who ran at the National the chance to recover whilst also promoting a quicker, lighter cadence to get the neural system fired up before the Scally on Saturday where it looks like we will have a good turnout from the club.

The session is 10 x 200m at 3k to 5k pace with 200m jog recovery. Focus on good running form throughout the session. Don't strain, run fast and relaxed. Try to lock this feeling into your memory and replicate it during the Scally. i.e. don't strain, particularly the further into the race you are. You will find that if you focus on form and relaxing the more tired you feel, the faster and more efficiently you will run.

Thursday's session will also be a short pre-race run with strides.

Alan

NATIONAL 6+4 STAGE ROAD RELAY

This years 6+4 stage relay will again be held in Livingston on the 21st March.

This is a great day out supporting you club mates and seeing some of the top athletes in the country.

Start time is 11.30 for the men and 11.40 for the women.

Teams are 6 for men and 4 for women and legs are run with alternate distances of 3.15m and 5.8m.

If we have more names we will run partial teams too so everyone that wants to run can

Entrants MUST be members of Scottish Athletics as this is a National championship.

Cost is £7 per head and should be paid before race day.

Entrants must be born before 31/08/2008

I need names by Tuesday 3rd March.

If you wish entered please leave your name HERE. Those registered are listed HERE.