Highland Fling Photos and Report

Ian celebrates his PB.

A glorious day was had by all along the bottom half of the West Highland Way as 3 Harriers' relay teams and one individual competed in the 53 mile Highland Fling from Milngavie to Tyndrum. The irrepressible Ian Rae was predicting a PW pre-race but instead achieved a personal best by 15 minutes for the 53 miles in energy sapping heat, finishing in an excellent 10:21:36 in 102nd position overall and 33rd M40. There were a total of 358 finishers out of more than 400 starters on this very tough day in the hills.

Full results are here.

Three quarters of the ladies team on the podium.

Our ladies team of Genevieve, Joanne, Sandra and Frances all ran brilliantly to come home in 3rd position, only a few minutes behind second place. Genevieve is very familiar with the first leg and so had no problem bringing the ladies through to Drymen as 3rd team in a time of 1:38:28 (chip time 1:39:07) for the 13 miles. At this stage we were 2 minutes down on second place (By the Way we're going to Fly the Way -BTWWGTFTW). Joanne was next up on her favourite leg from Drymen to Rowardennan via Conic Hill. Another very hilly 13 or 14 miles. This Joanne completed in 2:20:35 (chip time). As always the Calderglen preparation was impeccable, even to the extent that we had Joanne practice tripping during our course recce a few months ago. Joanne managed two falls during the race, so extra points for that (and two skint knees). At this stage BTWWGRFTW had moved into the lead ahead of Fife Wifies and we were still in the hunt in third. On the tortuous third leg from Rowardennan to Bein Glas Farm along the side of Loch Lomond we had Sandra making a very welcome return to racing after an absence of 18 months or so. There's nothing like an easy come back race to get you back into it and this was nothing like an easy come back race! Sandra finished in 2:51:52 (chip time) and most importantly finished in good shape and enjoyed the run. We were still in third place at this stage and only 14:58 down on second place. So Frances had a target for the last leg to the finish at Tyndrum and she ran brilliantly on the predominantly up-hill 12-mile leg. Frances completed the course in 1:51:02 (chip time), closing in to within three and a half minutes of second place but earning a well deserved third place for the team. Hopefully it is a good omen that with Sandra back racing the ladies start winning team prizes again.

Stuart, Alan and Eddie collect the third place prize.

Our men's A team of Stuart, Jim, Eddie and Alan were also a strong third in the men's relay. Stuart established our finishing position on the first leg, completing it in 1:33:21 (chipped) with Breen team and Bella Road Runners 13 and 10 minutes ahead respectively. Jim Holmes had camped out overnight with the family and so was no doubt used to the discomfort he was about to experience on the run to Rowardennan! Jim completed in 2:14:46 (chip) maintaining a ten minute gap to second (Breen Team had now lost the lead) but only 41 seconds ahead of 4th (Top Dogs). Eddie volunteered for the lochside leg and was the only one to actually get involved in a head to head race, passing the 2nd placed Breen Team but also being overhauled by Top Dogs to remain in third place, finishing in 2:05:37, only 4:14 down on second. Meanwhile I had to make a last minute visit to the toilet and caused a minor panic by not being present when Eddie came in. I emerged totally refreshed and was certainly more relaxed than our support team (sorry Geo) as I took off on the last leg. It was a steady run and I was unaware what the gaps were or what position we were in. I finished in 1:30:11 (chip time was 1:31:04) and 4:46 down on second place.

Our men's second team of Russell, Andy, Grant and George were all pleased with their runs, except George who's highlight of the day was just before his run as captured on the photo below........ Russell was slightly ahead of his predicted time and ran a very even pace to finish leg 1 in 2:05:31 (chip). Andy had to be very careful not to fall (due to breaking his ribs in a fall 3 months ago) on the rugged leg 2 and thankfully stayed upright to finish in 2:24:30. Grant had never run the lochside before (probably best not to know!) and ran a fine 2:28:52. Finally George had kind of psyched himself out pre-race and admits to struggling on the uphill last leg which he completed in 2:04:24. Well done to all.

All my pictures are in this album. A few more have now been added from Frances.

You've either got it or you've haven't. A complete stranger is drawn in.

Big Turn Out for Chatelherault

A fantastic turn out for our first Chatelherault of the year and everyone seemed to find their way from the car park (I think!). It seems that the short walk/jog to the start helped warm everyone up nicely and many personal bests were achieved. As usual and for a bit of fun, please record your time and any (polite!) comments using this form. You can see all the times and comments from this year and last year here.

Alan

Chatelherault Kicks off on Monday 25th April

As announced, we start our fortnightly visits to Chatelherault tomorrow. Due to the popularity of this training session we are going to park in the official Chatelherault Car Park. Please do not park in Old Avon Bridge Road as in previous years. Carry on on the A72 for about 1km beyond the street where we used to park and turn right at the traffic lights into Chatelherault. Follow the drive for about 800m until just before the road turns left up towards Chatelherault House. At this point you will see a small car park in a field on your right (visible just above the word "Chatelherault" in the map below). Use that if it is open otherwise use one of the other car parks on the left hand side. Jog the 500-600m along the tarmac path that usually forms part of our route and follow that down past the kennels to the bridge over the river where we usually start/finish. We will meet on the bridge. Be there ready to run at 7:30pm. If you need a lift then meet at the Sports Club changed and ready to leave at 7:00pm. See you there!
Alan

View Larger Map

London Marathon Report - G.R.

I woke on Sunday to a slightly overcast and cool morning - ideal Marathon running weather (I thought).
David Wardrope managed to meet me at my hotel in Greenwich and we were able to walk the mile-or-so through Greenwich park to the Blue Start on Blackheath. This gave us a chance to soak up the atmosphere of the event and help to keep the butterflies at bay.

Once on the heath we disposed of our bags and before long we we ready to take to our pens (both of us in pen 3)
(Disaster for me was narrowly averted the day before when David noticed I had been assigned Pen 9 (for runners expecting to finish in up to 7hrs 30min!).
A bit of polite pleading at the help-desk saw me changed to pen 3.
It appears my predicted time of 3:30 had been keyed in as 5:30. If anyone is applying next year watch your handwriting!!!!!

A few minutes before the start the pens began to move forward and once in position we were lucky to find ourselves just a hundred metres or so off the start-line.
I just had time to wish David good luck before the horn blew and we were off.... then we stopped... then we were off again... and so on.
The first mile was, not surprisingly, very congested but I think I only lost a couple of minutes at the most off my time here.

The next 6 miles went by really quickly and I was enjoying the atmosphere of the event - the support from the crowds was fantastic and the noise was overwhelming.
Around the 7 mile mark the weather was starting to heat up. After my previous experience in the Edinburgh Marathon the last thing I wanted was another hot one.
I tried not to let the increasing heat bother me too much and was careful to take water on at every second water station - I ran with the bottle taking small sips as I went.

Tower Bridge then appeared and I was able to run over it when it was not too crowded so I could really enjoy this part of the course.
The halfway point was soon after and I was delighted to still be on pace and not feeling too bad.

Around about the 14 mile mark I was lucky enough to see the Elite Men pass on my left before I headed into the Isle of Dogs for the last 10 miles.
I was starting too feel the effort now but I tried to stay focused. The heat was getting quite intense and already many runners were walking and I saw quite a few people receiving medical attention by the side of the road.
Memories of the Edinburgh Marathon last year flooded back and for a second I felt like walking but managed to re-focus and set my sights on Canary Wharf towering in the distance.

I thought I'd enjoy Canary Wharf but I found it claustrophobic and annoying the way you have to weave in and out of the buildings - perhaps it took my mind of the pain though!

Once out of the Wharf the 20 mile marker appeared - my Garmin was playing up a bit, but after a bit of quick arithmetic, I realised I was still running as planned. Only 6 more miles - easy!?!
Everyone says the last six miles of a marathon are the hardest and this was to be no exception - I remember little of the route as I concentrated on my running. I took the last of my gels and dug in.

Onto the embankment and I knew I was nearly there - I had put my name on my vest and this really paid off here. People shouting my name really helped keep me going.
Finally Birdcage walk and 800 metres to go! The sound was deafening and I managed to take in the view of Buckingham Palace on my left as I turned the corner onto the Mall.
I had no sprint finish in me today but I knew I'd be under my target time of 3:30 so coasted over the line and was delighted with my time of 3hrs 27minutes and 59seconds.

I loved the whole experience of the London Marathon - yes, it's too busy but the atmosphere is out of this world.
This was my first time in London too and what a way to see the sights!

I'd love to run London again but before I do I think I'll try a smaller (COOLER) one - hopefully I still have a faster Marathon to come. 


Graham Ramage

DeafBlind Canal Bank 10k

A tight competition between Scot, Stephen and Eddie

Ten harriers travelled to Bishopbriggs on Saturday for the Deafblind Canal Bank 10K, the 12th race in the Grand Prix series.  The omens for myself weren't good the day before the race when I dropped a full jar of marmalade on my wee toe, making it painful to run. Then Coach AD text me to say that he was unable to make the race. I responded with sympathy and disappointment before promptly texting Russell to tell him I wanted to play my joker!!!

Arriving at the Leisuredome, Mandy was almost traumatised at the sight of a harrier getting changed in the car park!! A harriers vest and white underpants was not a good look!  I'll save the person's blushes and not name them but all I'll say is it wasn't Frances (but she did overtake them early in the race!!!).  Not sure why there was a need for a quick change in the car park but, as it is the transition area for the forthcoming Bishopbriggs Triathlon, maybe he was getting some last minute practise!

The course itself is not conducive to fast times but you would be hard pressed to find a more scenic race in the Glasgow area.  It is strange that times are so slow as, apart from one brutal climb late in the race, the course is relatively flat.  Maybe it's because the course is mainly off-road along the canal bank and, according to some of our GPS techno geeks, the route was slightly longer than 10K.

Martin takes the win!

Within 400m of the race starting, I found myself in the alien position of being in the lead and decided to just enjoy it while it lasted. The first 3K loop takes you back to the Leisuredome, where most of the spectators were waiting to cheer on all the runners.  The support was fantastic with people shouting to me that I was going to win.  Suddenly I felt the pressure not to let them down & the negative thoughts started to creep in that my lead was being reduced.  Thankfully though, I didn't do a Rory McIlroy and have a triple bogey, although my nose was a bit runny by the end!! I was delighted to hold on to my lead and win with a time of 36.59. Completing a fantastic double for the harriers, and enjoying her first race win, Frances was first lady home in a time of 44.05.

Second harrier home was Stephen Reilly who managed a respectable 40.10 despite nursing a hangover from a 3am finish the night before!  Scot Hill wasn't far behind Stephen but missed out on the household bragging rights for a few weeks with a time of 40.25, a good sign though that Scot is returning to form.

Coming in between Stephen and Scot, and splitting the family duel, was Stephen Phimister who, after a sudden change of child minding plans, unexpectedly found himself able to race!  Not before he'd polished off a Saturday morning fry up though!  Impressively he still somehow managed to pull off a good time of 40.15 despite a full stomach!!

Stuart Waugh delivered another vintage time of 41.25. He was closely followed by Jim Holmes who achieved a superb PB for the course of 41.31. Despite a calf injury and illness, Eddie Reid bravely soldiered to a time of 42.17.  George "Pants" Stewart crossed the line in approximately 46 minutes and proceeded to explain to all the harriers he had a problem with the wind but did confirm his pants were still white!!! Russell was delighted to finish ahead of schedule in a time of 52.05.  He was pleased as this was big improvement on his performance at last week's race.     

Frances on her way to victory

The day was only slightly marred when Eddie mistook my well earned goodie bag as a dustbin for his banana skins and rubbish!!!  Thankfully my goodies were retrieved intact!

All in all it was a great turn out of the harriers for a very good cause.  The high turnout from Calderglen was commented on by both the race organisers and the Provost, who started the race.
Some photos to follow courtesy of Geo and Mandy. Thanks to Sandra, Maud, Mandy, Geo and Irene for their support.

Very well done to all and thanks to Martin for a great race report. Photos from Kenny Phillips and Mandy are all here.

LONDON MARATHON RESULTS

Results are in for the London Marathon. Graham Ramage ran 3:27:59 and David Wardrope ran 4:00:48. Good runs from them both and well done to them. We shall get a full report from them this week hopefully.

Good Luck to the Marathon Men!

All the best to David and Graham in the London Marathon tomorrow. Have a good one and keep the heid! I'm sure all the Harriers will be looking out for the Calderglen vests on the box.
Alan

Tom Scott 10 Mile Road Race

Strathclyde Park saw 4 Harriers and 1 former Harrier line up in scorching conditions on
Sunday to compete in the Tom Scott 10 Mile Road Race.

The course was the usual inner and outer loop of the park and again the runners were met with
an angry pack of dog walkers and cyclists who were less than happy that the park had been
taken over by runners for a couple of hours.

The weather certainly didn’t help today. As we lined up at the start the temperature was
rising. Think the mercury hit 26 degrees! There was a slight breeze as we made our way
back towards the Boathouse but this didn’t last long.

The first Harrier home was Billy Buchanan in a time of 1hr 13.42 followed by Frances
Maxwell in a time of 1hr 14.44. Not far behind was Julie Beveridge on her first outing to the
Tom Scott finishing in a time of 1hr 16.00. John McBride was next to finish in a time of 1hr
24.19 with Russell completing in a time of 1hr 40.50. Former Harrier Andrew Buchanan had
travelled down to EK for the weekend and ran a respectable 1hr 3.32.

The conditions certainly did not suit everyone as could be seen by the unhappy red faces at
the end of the race.

Thanks to Frances for the race report and well done to all, particularly Billy and Frances who both achieved Calderglen age group bronze performance standards with their times. Photos will soon be available on the excellent www.roadrunpics.com web site.

Chatelherault Training 2011

Monday 25th April is not just Easter Monday, it is also the start of Chatelherault training for this year. For those new to the club, starting from the above date and every second Monday through to the end of August we train at Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton rather than at EK Sports Club. The session is an undulating route of around 7 miles through the forest trails with only a few hundred metres on tarmac; so very easy on the legs. You can check all the dates using the Calderglen Events Calendar in the menu on the left.

Due to some resident complaints about parking last year, I suggest that we meet in the official Chatelherault Car Park, the entrance to which is about 1km further along the A72/Carlisle Road from where we used to park. Continue along the A72 to the traffic lights in Ferniegair and turn right into the park The map below shows where to go. As usual, if you need a lift then turn up at EK Sports Club changed and ready to go at 7pm and you will get a lift. Otherwise, go direct to Chatelherault ready to run at 7:30pm.

If you need some inspiration, here are the times and comments from last year.


View Larger Map

Remaining Grand Prix Races

Its a busy time of year for races and other Calderglen Events (Highland Fling, West Highland Way Relay, Trail Race) so I have tried to spread the remaining races out at around 2 week intervals and avoiding the above biggies! So here we go:

Saturday April 16th - Deaf Blind 10k at Bishopbriggs Leisuredome
Wednesday May 25th - Ayr Land O' Burns 10k (pre-entry recommended www.entrycentral.com)
Sunday June 5th - Rouken Glen Greaves Sports 10k (Pre-entry only at www.q-buster.co.uk)
Saturday 18th June - Strathclyde parkrun 5k (need to register with parkrun in advance)
Thursday 30th June - Vertical Mile (just need to be there!)

Alan

Grand Prix Updated after Race 11

The Grand Prix and Club Championship scores have been updated to include Alloa. We have now reached 11 races and some of the men will be throwing away their worst scores from now on. Eddie and Frances are stretching away in both championships but there are plenty of jokers piling up behind them, so all could change!

The next Grand Prix race is the DeafBlind Scotland 10k at Bishopbriggs on 16th April.

Alan

National 6 + 4 Stage Relay - A Windy Day!

Julie running well on leg 3 (photo courtesy of Kenny Phillips)

The sun shone but the wind blew at Livingston this afternoon as an enthusiastic squad of Harriers assembled for the National Road Relay Championships. This is the first time the race has been held on a Sunday and also a later than normal start time but this did not affect the strength of the field, in fact, if anything the quality was higher, particularly in the veteran teams.

For the first time in many years we were able to field a full team of ladies with Mary Goldsmith getting the team off to a good start on the 3.15 mile leg finishing in 24:07 in 32nd position before departing with equal haste to Mothers' Day celebrations. Meanwhile Frances Maxwell was off on the long leg of 5.85 miles, battling against the wind for much of the course to record a time of 42:33, only 25 seconds slower than last year despite the wind and making up a rake of places to finish in 25th. Julie Beveridge was a first timer at this event but is gaining in race experience all the time and so handled the relatively solo effort on leg 3 in a fine time of 22:00 brining the team up to 23rd. Finally Joanne McEvoy had the double trouble of a slightly dodgy hamstring and wind of a different kind on the last leg but was thankfully back to full strength and was making up plenty of places in the first half before an upset tummy reduced her pace considerably. Despite this Joanne made up one place to bring the team home in 22nd in a time of 45:59. Well done to the ladies.

The men's vets team were under a bit of pressure to go for three in a row having won the bronze medal at this event the past two years. As Davy Watt had not recovered from a a month of illnesses, then once again Jim Holmes was introduced to the team unexpectedly last Wednesday and had a few sleepless nights absorbing the pressure! Jim took the first leg again which had returned to the traditional lap (bridge repairs required a different end to the lap last year) and probably had the best run of any of the Harriers, recording his fastest ever time on this route (20:09) bringing the club in 40th overall and we thought 6th vets team. Martin Duthie was on leg 2, the long leg and was disappointed at the end when he finished in 34:55, pulling the team up to 32nd. Martin confirmed that the strong winds in the first half seemed to be in your face no matter how many corners you turned. At this point we were completely unsure of our position in the vets competition as it was clear that once again the rule that all vets teams must be identified by a large and clear V on their number was only being loosely applied. So we thought we were maybe 5th or 6th at this point. Charlie MacDougall had his first try at the short leg and surely there would be no faster M60 in the field, recording our team's fastest short leg time of 18:59 and 31st position (again 5th or 6th vets team). Ian Hughes made his 6-stage debut with a last minute switch to a long leg and took off like a bat out of hell on the slight downhill, wind assisted start, coming home in 35:49 in 27th position. Eddie Reid was on the penultimate leg this year and feeling a bit under the weather. Still, Eddie recorded a solid 19:32 (25th position and 6th vets team). Finally, having missed the whole week training due to virus, I set off on the last leg struggling more than I have in any race for a long time. My breathing was never under control as I battled into the wind and inevitably when I turned out of the wind and downhill in the second half, a stich started to come on with about two miles to go. I managed to hold it off for a while but with 1.5 miles to go it paralysed my breathing and I struggled to the finish at reduced pace and with virtually no breath to the line in 34:16 in 24th position and 6th vets team, a minute or so slower than my last outing on this leg. Amazingly our total time was only 14 seconds slower than last year when we won the bronze, confirming the higher vets standard this year. Well done to the team for rising to the challenge!

Our men's second team was incomplete this year due to various illnesses but still ran enthusiastically. Colin Banks was on leg 1 recording 22:06. The experience of Gerry Mullen was called on for leg 2 which he despatched in 40:50. Andy Henderson is only just back to running a bit harder following his broken ribs and so was pleased to record 20:56. Finally, Russell Couper had a stress free 4th leg (except that he was desperate to stay in front of our ladies team, which he did!). Russell finished in 48:55, some 3 minutes faster than last year so very well done to Russell and the rest of the team (There is no truth to the rumour that Russell spiked Joanne's sports drink with baked beans prior to the start to ensure his victory!).

Some photos to follow courtesy of Frances. Thanks to Mandy and Sandra for their support for the duration of this long afternoon! Just received, photos of all the Harriers in action from Kenny Phillips.
Alan