Calderglen Ladies' Night Out

Calderglen's ladies are having a night out on Saturday 15th October, meeting at the big clock in Central Station for 18:30. Please confirm your attendance to Sandy Hayden directly at the club or leave a comment on this blog post. Any questions, speak to Sandy.
Alan

Linlithgow 10k

...Linlithgow we do not have a problem...certainly not with the weather. Having headed east on both Saturday and Sunday it looks like I found the best of the weather over the weekend.  In fact once I got going at Linlithgow it was quite mild for running although there was a head wind in places.

This race is becoming a firm fixture in my calendar each year with this now being the fourth time in five years I had run this so I was well aware of what to expect from the course.

This race starts in the high street. The start is a gradual incline up the road before turning right and heading across the M9 motorway.  This first part of the race is run on roads making it very wide and allowing for plenty of space for running (the high street is shut for about half an hour).  At about 1 mile in you have what can be compared to the 'Auldhouse dip' to contend with. From here you proceed through Linlithgow Bridge before working your way back to the top end of the high street. I would say that this is a gradual incline particularly as you approach the high street. At this point you are about 4K into the race. From here you head to Linlithgow loch and run round the perimeter of the loch (about 1k of the race is run around the loch). The surface at this point is trail and is narrow in places although I have never found it a problem though for overtaking. After exiting the loch side you head up a small hill and work your way round country lanes, similar to Auldhouse. This takes in about 1-1.5 miles. By which time you have worked your way around to the opposite end of the high street to which you started. The finish line is just off the high street, at the Peel, at the foot of Linlithgow Palace and beside the loch (opposite side to what you had run around).

Linlithgow Athletic Club do advertise this race as being undulating and quite challenging. It is a chip timed race and there is also a 2km kids race.

My finishing time was 41.38 (fourth female).

Julie

Brancumhall Cross Country Training Sessions

Postponed for a fortnight. Due to the horrendous, torrential rain today, I see no point ploughing through mud and turning a required quality session into a slog. We will be on the road tonight.
Alan

The Bramcumhall cross country sessions start next Monday 26th September and continue at fortnightly intervals until further notice or unless otherwise cancelled here on the blog. Turn up at the club as usual but if you have a change of footwear for running on soft, muddy grass, then bring it (e.g. trail shoes or XC spikes). We will transport the off road shoes down to Brancumhall football pitches for you.
Alan

Houston, we've got a problem............

Sandy & Alison steam around the first turn.

........ the WEATHER!!!! What happened to the traditional, fine early Autumn day we usually enjoy at the George Cummings Memorial Road Relay in Houston! The Met Office severe weather warning for wind and rain was spot on unfortunately. At least it was mild. However on the (very) bright side, Calderglen had two and a bit men's teams and two complete ladies teams in action. This is going to be a great season for Calderglen ladies as we could so easily have had 3 or 4 teams out today.

We were glad that Kevan Harvey had been persuaded to take part today and he led the men's A team off with a fantastic 14:29 in 16th position on leg 1. Our former member, Stuart Gibson, had meanwhile won the first leg giving Cambuslang a reasonable lead. However, this was short lived as host club Kilbarchan AAC had one of their two Olympian brothers, Calum Hawkins, on leg 2, who absolutely destroyed the field, setting the fastest lap of the day (12:08), a full minute faster than anyone else and setting up a lead that they would never lose. Kevan handed over to Andrew Buchanan who was making a family day out of it with wife Lorraine also running and the kids supporting enthusiastically, despite the weather. Andrew completed the lap in 16:05, a strong time in the conditions, keeping the team inside the top 20. Richard Lawton was somewhat thrown in to the deep end of leg 3 but still managed to run a good time of 18:57, a bit down on last year despite being in really good form now. That was just down to the conditions. Gordon McInally was a first timer here and his target was a sub-20. He comfortably achieved this despite the loneliness of the last leg runner, finishing in 19:33, the team finishing a creditable 33rd in a high quality field.

Kevan strides away with a mile to go.

Our ladies' A team was led off by Alison Lessells who has run this course several times previously. The conditions were against everyone today but Alison was only very slightly down on last year, finishing in 19:25 in 16th position. Frances Maxwell is just getting back to hard training after a series of injuries so is not yet back at her sharpest. Frances' time was 20:15 (15th position), about 90 seconds down on last year. That form will come back. The final leg for the ladies was taken by Kay Conneff who split Alison and Frances with a time of 19:49, her first run here (and delighted to be sharing the course with Calum Hawkins!) bringing the team home in an excellent 14th position.

Charlie, a class act in motion

Our men's B team was a vets team (40+) but we certainly spanned the decades, fielding Mark Saez (43), Charlie McDougall (67), Davie Watt (55) and Alan Derrick (51). Anyway, the old guys did well. Mark set a time of 16:05, just 2 seconds outside his previous best set in 2014 to place the team 36th. Charlie McDougall found his lack of weight a real problem in the second half, running straight into the wind but still set an exceptional time of 17:23 (35th position), only slightly down on last year which was run in much better conditions. Davie Watt has had a few accidents and illnesses this year but, battered and bruised or not, you can always rely on Davie to set a fast time. Davie ran a fantastic 15:15, quite a bit slower than last year but fast all things considered, bringing the team up to 25th. Finally, I set off on the last leg feeling quite lethargic due to too much standing about. I completed the lap in 15:50, 25 seconds down on my last run here 3 years ago. I passed a few and was not past by anyone, so brought the team up to 21st position and 3rd veteran team overall. Russell Couper was one of the few Harriers performing well in the conditions, running solo on leg 1 and setting a time of 22:16, his fastest for some years. Well done Russell.

Monique was not even on the TTC but still has the perfect forward lean to start

Our ladies B team was a team of complete first timers. Fast starting Sandy Hayden led the team off enthusiastically, completing the lap injury free (a relief nowadays) in a time of 21:39. This was Monique Duffy's first race in a Harriers vest but you would never know as Monique performed like an experienced relay runner, pacing it well to finish in 21:58 on a very spread out second leg. Lorraine Buchanan was really keen to do this short, sharp race and there were no sign of nerves as she maintained good form all the way to the end (I know she was running well as I passed her on the final hill!), finishing in 22:44. A very well grouped team.

Lorraine moving well through the cross.

This was not a day for spectators but it was great that so many of the runners lined the course in the start finish area and could be seen and heard cheering us all on in difficult conditions. Hopefully the weather improves as the season progresses. There are some wishy washy photos from me, supplemented by some photos taken by Frances out on the course here.

Grand Prix and Scratch Championships also updated and available via the usual link in the menu on the left. Tight at the top.

Alan

Houston Teams 2016

Teams and running order for the road relay tomorrow are listed here.

There are some leaving from the club at 12:30, sharing cars. We would like everyone in Houston for 1:30 at the latest, allowing us to enter all the teams with confidence and time for an easy jog around the lap to warm up. However, if you are going to be late, leave a comment on this blog post, call or text me or Russell. Don't forget your club vest (Russell is going to bring some for those who need them).

The parking is usually in the Gryffe High School (Old Bridge of Weir Rd, Houston PA6 7EB) about 200m from registration. Registration is at Houston Church Hall, Main Street, Houston PA6 7EL.

Should be a good one!
Alan

West District XC Relays

This years West District XC Relays will be held in Kilmalcolm on Sat 8th Oct.
Women start at 12.30pm with the men at 1.30pm.
Cost is £5 per head and should be paid in advance.
Due to this being pre entry I need names by Thursday 22nd Sept.
If you wish entered please leave your name and SA number HERE.
Those entered are listed HERE.

George Cummings Road Relay

On Saturday 24th Sept we have the first relay of the season with the George Cummings relays at Houston. Teams of 4 for men and 3 for women over legs of 2.7miles.
Entry is £5 per head and should be paid in advance.
Start time is 2.30pm.
Names should be submitted by Thursday 22nd Sept to allow the running order to be selected.
If you wish entered please leave your name and SA number HERE.
Those already entered are listed HERE.

The Adventure Show

22.09.16
Stop Press: The Adventure Show Special is now scheduled for Sunday 2nd Ocdtober at 16:50 on BBC1 - the following is from TAS facebook page;

Finally... the West Highland Way Race Adventure Show. Sunday, 2 October @ 1650 on BBC1 Scotland and all the usual places. IMPORTANT: BBC 1 this time, so see the full glory/agony in High Definition. BBC Scotland were keen to get it shown as soon as possible and although the time is earlier than usual, it does mean you can access it on the iPlayer sooner rather than later. And, yes, your comments throughout the past week have been noted. 
For me that means run the Great Scottish Run half marathon, settle down to watch two hours of coverage of that and then watch The Adventure Show, all with a glass of something and the TV remote in hand (not to change the channel just to make sure no-one else does!)

18.09.16
Some of you may have noticed that tonight's scheduled Adventure Show was postponed due to an overrun in the Davis Cup (a tennis match takes what it takes, it never over-runs!), clearly TAS was in the schedules as a potential sacrifice should the tennis last longer than they hoped. I have no information on when the programme will eventually be shown other than it should be in the next fortnight - I'll post here when I find out.

Just to give a wee mention for The Adventure Show Special which is all about this years' West Highland Way Race. It's on BBC2 Scotland this coming Sunday at seven pm. If it makes you more likely to watch then I'll assure you I'm not in it, think they must have been following the fast folk!

There is a three minute clip of the programme available at this link

The West Highland Way

The latest club member to do the West Highland Way is none other than our very own Secretary, Hugh Simpson. In the company of wife Liz and pal Frank he walked from Milngavie to Fort William, finishing the 96 mile route the weekend before last. Despite a few difficulties along the way, the dreaded 'lochside' where Frank had a nasty fall, the Drovers Inn being double-booked (a blessing in disguise as it turned out) and going off-course (uphill!) while heading up Glen Falloch by all accounts they seem to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Hugh told me the first photo below (of their actual finish) is typical of the weather encountered along the route and, being Scotland during the summer, the other was taken the day after their epic journey had been completed.

Huge congratulations to them all for persevering and completing the entire West Highland Way.

Scottish Masters XC Team Trial - Tollcross Park

Stuart Waugh striding out

I don't think I have ever been sun burned at a Scottish cross country race, so Saturday afternoon in a gloriously warm Tollcross Park was a first. Four Harriers (Stuart Waugh, Andy Henderson, Russell Couper and myself) were out, answering the call to Scottish Veteran Harriers members to race for their place in the Scotland team for this year's British & Irish Masters Cross Country International which this year is hosted by Scotland and will be in Tollcross Park on 12th November. The selection criteria were clear; for those age groups consisting of a 6 man team (M35, M40, M45, M50), the first three in the trial would be selected, the remaining three being chosen at the selectors' discretion. For the age groups consisting of a 4 man team (M55, M60, M65, M70 and M75), the first two in the trial would be selected and the remaining two would be chosen at the discretion of the selectors. The ladies and M65 and above competed over 6km (3 laps of the course) whereas the other age groups competed over an 8km course (4 laps).

At 1pm Stuart lined up in a competitive field for a very fast downhill start. The organisers had done well to avoid the biggest, steepest hills in Tollcross Park such that the lap was merely undulating; rarely flat but certainly not mountaineering! I have a feeling that the British & Irish Masters will love this course, unlike the very severe test in Bellahouston Park 4 years ago. Stuart started quite fast, leading a handful of his age group contenders. The fast start soon strung the field out and by the end of the first lap it was very much a procession with places more or less established. At the finish, Stuart was in 5th position in his age group in a time of 27:01. As this is only Stuart's second race for months, he will get sharper with every race, so there is still time to make an impression on the selectors.

I had strained my calf on the TTC mountain bike recce two weeks ago and had been struggling all week since the TTC, just jogging on grass to keep some fitness. A scheduled massage session on Saturday morning was my last hope to get the calf eased off enough to race. A light, pre-race warm-up leg massage on all but the injured calf was carried out in expert style by Grant McLullich at The Treatment Hub in Hamilton (remember that Harriers get a 10% discount from Grant). When he moved on to the right calf, he immediately noticed that the soleus was extremely tight and he worked on this much harder. This did the trick as I was able to move and stretch the calf pain free on jumping down from the table! A big thanks to Grant.

As the temperature climbed another degree or so, the field for the 8k race lined up for a 2pm start. This was also a very competitive field and I could see many of the M50's I am usually in contention with for team selection. As I had not run in spikes since the National in February, I thought I might just run in road shoes as the course was firm and I was worried about my calf. However, I could feel the calf when striding out in road shoes on the warm-up. A quick change to spikes and a few fast sprints proved that the flatter, lower sole of the spikes was changing the load on my calf and there was no pain. So spikes it was. With a brief explanation of the course, we were soon off, charging downhill. Given that at least half the field were in age groups younger than me, my plan was to let them all go at the start and then gradually pick off those in my age group who had started too fast. By about half way around the first lap, I could see 5 or 6 M50's in front of me (age identified by a number on their back) and I was able to cruise past two of them to take me into 5th place. By the end of the lap, I had moved through into 4th place. However, half way around the second lap, I began to feel very light headed and slowed a lot, being re-passed by two M50's who established a 10m gap. I held the gap for the rest of the lap and through all of the third lap. To my relief, as we started the 4th lap, I began to close up on the two who had passed me and went straight past and away on the first slight climb. I was then closing in on one and two ahead who had now separated from each other. A short while later, I was past number 2 and closing very gradually on the leader. The last 200m consisted of a long, curving climb and then a flat 50m to the finish. I was closing fast on the hill but it flattened and the sprint for the line started just too soon for me to catch the leader, Jim Buchanan of Dumfries Running Club who crossed the line 5 seconds in front of me. However, I was happy to have done enough to satisfy the selection criteria (although we will not be officially advised of selection for another two weeks). I crossed the line in 29:44. Meanwhile, Russell had problems with a knee pain and decided to stop a few laps in. This meant he could cheer me on which was much appreciated. Also lending vocal support on the course were Alison and Rebecca who popped up at various places around the lap. Stuart and Maud were giving me accurate updates on my position each time I passed them which was extremely useful as it was impossible to know if another M50 had made a big break early on and was out of sight. Andy Henderson was making his race comeback here and did well to finish 5th M60 in 35:11. Better to make your comeback in glorious sunshine than freezing wind and rain for sure.

I cannot guarantee selection for the team but I can guarantee that the weather in November will not be as hot as it was yesterday!
Alan

TTC 2016 - International Training Camp!

17/09/2016 Thore's photo album is at this link.

13/09/2016 Eddie's photos added to the album (link at end of post)

The 10th annual Trossachs Training Camp also had a number of firsts. First time in the Leny Estate log cabins and first time we had an international participation with four Swedish friends (who I know through work) travelling over from Gothenburg just for the TTC. We also had a full house with 32 signed up (although one had to withdraw at the last minute) and the only thing that looked like spoiling the party was the weather forecast for Friday evening.

Billy Buchanan at the family seat

Unfortunately the forecast proved to be correct with wind and rain of monsoon proportions arriving as the afternoon progressed. By the time we had gathered for the first run, the weather was horrendous (another first for a Friday evening TTC run!). Fortunately, Billy Buchanan's arrival was somewhat delayed and although he encouraged us by phone to go without him, there was no way he was going to be allowed to sit in comfort in his cabin whilst we battled the elements. By the time Billy arrived, the rain seemed to have eased slightly, so off we set half an hour late. The easing rain was only an illusion though and we were soon soaked and fighting a very strong wind. The rivers and burns were all in spate and worsening by the minute. The first run involved three different routes; Russell's pack had a low level route of about 6k down by the river (perhaps not the best option in the conditions!), Frances took her pack on a 10k route around Bochastle, Invertrossachs Road and the (by now flooded) Meadows, Eddie and I took our packs on a high level 11k route (extremely exposed) along the Falls of Leny and up the Ben Ledi path to return via the high level forest road to Bochastle. Everyone was definitely ready for a hot shower (if they could work out how to operate it) in their luxury cabins and a hearty dinner at the Lade Inn after that! Although the cabins were only a short walk from the Lade Inn, we reverted to cars due to the weather. We were then treated to the usual extremely high standard of food served by Frank Park and family. We also had the rare sight of seeing someone who could genuinely call 6 foot 6 David Herbertson "wee man" as the young waiter was a genuine 7 feet tall! The good news was that by the time we left the Lade Inn, stars were visible in the sky (drinking after a hard run can have that effect!).

Stephen Phimister having fun up the Crags

The next morning dawned clear and sunny and the forecast was for this to remain. Perfect! The morning runs were all hill runs of varying severity. Russell and his pack were on a 10k run to the Bracklinn Falls and back whereas the rest of us headed further upwards and onwards to the hills high above the Bracklinn Glen. From there we descended on the single track road, Frances' pack continuing down the road and back through Callander via the "High Road" for a total of about 12.5k whilst Eddie and I climbed yet higher off-road with our packs and up to the 1897 Queen Victoria cairn atop the Callander Crags for a 15k run. This was true hill running with muck, myre and rocks to cross on the way to the top. Knowing that Eddie had never been up the Crags, I was a little concerned that he might find a new route up (aka, get lost), so was planning on waiting on his pack before ascending. At this point Julie Beveridge made the brilliant suggestion that we should turn around and run back downhill to meet Eddie rather than just standing. This was not a popular suggestion with Stephen Phimister who had the counter suggestion that Julie keep her ideas to herself in future! Of course, I preferred Julie's suggestion.

Alison Lessells strings out the pack at the top

Having collected Eddie and his pack we ascended at our own pace. The view from the top was fantastic prompting many photos, not least from Thore, Mats and Ljote who were truly impressed with the Trossachs scenery (although the climb was tougher than they were used to). It was then time to practice fast, rough descending, a Stephen Phimister specialty. Some were less confident than others but everyone seemed to enjoy letting gravity take the strain for a while.

With temperatures now hitting 20C, the afternoon was shaping up nicely for the running form and core stability sessions. Surprisingly we seemed to be at a warm weather training camp in Scotland and a few of us ended up with slight sun burn! This we did not expect.

Post-lunch sun bathing at cabin Ferguson

Stable cores!

The running form session was well received (particularly when I tripped over a rope ladder demonstrating a drill) and gave a few participants some pointers for improvement. I was particularly pleased that my Swedish friend Johan, who had arrived with arthritis in the knee and a medical recommendation not to run, found that modifying his running style resulted in no pain in his knee and he completed all the sessions except the long Sunday run (which he did on a mountain bike) . Hopefully he can continue to make good progress when back in Sweden. Eddie then proceed to torture one and all with a series of excellent core stability exercises, culminating in a demonstration of his own core strength with a fine head stand.

The afternoon sessions ended with a light, introduction to threshold running on the "flat" railway line, a short distance from the cabins. After a few more hours of relaxation, it was time to head to the Lade Inn for dinner, this time in much better weather. The evening culminated with a surprise speech and presentation by Johan on behalf of his 3 friends and club (Tupp).  We were all truly humbled by Johan's speech and his kind words about the friendliness and welcome they received from Calderglen Harriers and, of course, the fantastic running. Myself, Frances, Russell and Eddie were presented with club pins and pendant which we were delighted to receive. Kenny then thanked us all for our efforts and we were off to the cabins (raining again, much to our surprise) to rest before an early morning start for the long runs.

My pack. Not even stopping for a photo!

Despite overnight rain, Sunday morning was dry and slightly overcast, perfect for the long runs. at 7:30 I drove Russell and his pack out to Brig O' Turk for an 8.5 mile run back to base along the south side of Loch Vennachar. Meanwhile, everyone else gathered for an 8am departure on the 16 mile "Loop O' the Loch". The first half on the south side is reasonably easy but the second half is a different story with a steep climb to start and then a roller coaster course at high level back towards Kilmahog. This was a run that tested everyone in one way or another but one that we managed through the motivation of Frances and Eddie and the sensible advice they gave to their packs during the run. I, on the other hand, gave my pack (Julie, Stephen and David), one 3 minute rest at half way. More than enough for such a quality pack, completing the 16 miles in around 2:17.

Frances' pack on completion of the long run

TTC 2016 concluded with another excellent buffet lunch from Cafe Albert and we were quickly showered, tidied up and gone. Despite some worries about how the new accommodation would work out, what problems the lack of a communal hall and eating area would give us and some concerns about the extra distance added to the long runs, the weekend went remarkably smoothly. This would not be possible without the calm, considerate and considerable assistance that Eddie, Frances and Russell give to me before, during and after the event and I cannot thank them enough for taking the strain off me at a time when I am under a lot of stress away from running. I was delighted that my four Swedish friends Johan, Thore, Mats and Ljote (actually a Norwegian) had such a great time and were made to feel so welcome by all the Harriers. I think we can expect an invite to Gothenburg in the near future for the GTC! Finally, I must thank all the Harriers from Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights for their sheer enjoyment and enthusiasm through the weekend. That's what makes the effort worth while. We all enjoyed the new venue and most likely we can say "We'll be Back"!

A few photos of the weekend are here. I shall add more as I receive them.

Alan

Fun in Motion!

Shall we move up to the North Wing next year?

Training at Sports Club Tonight

Due to lack of daylight, Chatelherault is finished for this year. Training is at the Sports Club from now on.
Alan

North Ayrshire 10k

A small bunch of Harriers headed down the coast to Saltcoats for the North Ayrshire 10K. This is the second year of this race hosted by North Ayrshire Athletic Club.  The race takes in the three towns of Saltcoats, Ardrossan and Stevenson. The course used this year was slightly different to that in 2015 but it was due to part of the promenade being shut last year. The course used this year was the original route intended for the race and is likely that this will be one for future years.  This race is set off in 'waves' i.e under 40 minutes were set off first. I was in the second 'wave' which was 40-45 minutes and this started a minute after the first 'wave'. This race is chip timed so despite starting later your time does not start until you cross the line.

The race starts on the running track and you run around the track before exiting the track and heading towards the promenade. The course is mainly flat although there were two notable hills with the first one half a mile in as we went over the railway bridge at Ardrossan South Beach. After that it was onto the promenade and you run the length of the promenade for about 4 kilometres. You then come to the new section of the promenade and you pass the water station on the way out and back (you run up to a cone and turn back). After this you leave the promenade and head along towards a golf course before a turn and up and over the second of the two hills. The final two kilometres are run along the old railway line and then you arrive back onto the track. Once back on the track you run pass the finish line and then you have a complete lap of the track before you finish.

All in this is a good organised race. There are a lot of marshals out on the course and NAAC have a traffic management company who stop the traffic at two points in the race where you need to cross roads. Although all four of us agreed that the weather was a bit too warm for our liking today.

Race results (all chip time):

Julie Beveridge : 41.06 (second female)
Marion O'Connor : 44.47 (1st Vet 50 female)
John Boyd : 46.51
Gordon McInally : 47.57

Julie

TTC - Some Final Arrangements

One week to go before the big weekend up the Trossachs! So a few final details.

1. THE VENUE IS DIFFERENT TO PREVIOUS YEARS! We are staying in the Leny Estate Log Cabins. The entrance to Leny Estate is on the main road (A84) between Callander and Kilmahog about 150m before the first of the woolen mills (the one with the highland cows in the field for the tourists). The estate entrance is on the right hand side as you head towards Kilmahog from Callander and is totally hidden. You don't see it until you are at it as it is located on a slight kink in the road to the right. A white cottage marks the entrance to the estate. Here is a link to a map showing the entrance to the estate:
Leny Estate from Callander

This is a dangerous entrance on a busy main road. Drive slowly out of Callander so as not to miss it. The cabins are at the end of the drive which is about a half mile long and uphill (nice start/end to all the runs! Think positive).

2. Do not arrive before 4pm on Friday afternoon. There are no permanent staff or reception at Leny Estate. I have to pick up all the keys for the cabins from the estate manager earlier in the day and will be there at 4pm onwards to allocate rooms and keys. So look for me.

3. We have managed to squeeze everyone in who wanted to go to the TTC. This has been a bit of a jigsaw puzzle fitting people in to each cabin (couples in double rooms, others in twin rooms and one person per cabin on a very large sofa bed). I have a plan! You need to see me to find out exactly which cabin and which bed in each cabin you have been allocated.

4. The cabins are somewhat more luxurious and better equipped than our previous venue. Unfortunately, unlike previous years, I have a long list of terms and conditions and payment penalties to adhere to. Don't remove or move anything between cabins and be careful otherwise we will be charged.

5. Safety. All of our runs and walks to/from the Lade Inn will involve crossing the A84 at the estate entrance to join the footpath on the other side of the road. You have to cross this road 3 times just to get to the Lade Inn. This is a very busy road. Please always use the footpaths and be extremely careful crossing the road especially given that the estate entrance is on a blind bend.

6. What to bring:

• Any special medication you need.
• Running gear for 4 or 5 separate sessions over the weekend. If its wet, you will need more gear. Check the forecast. Maybe bring some old newspaper to put in your running shoes overnight on the off chance (!) it is raining.
• All of the runs are on a mixture of trail and tarmac. I would say that road shoes are fine on all of the routes but some of you may also wish to bring trail shoes if you have them. The Saturday morning runs are likely to be predominantly trail.
• We don't have a communal hall for indoor sessions this time. However, weather dependent, we will be doing some outdoor core and stretching routines. Please bring a yoga mat or beach towel to put on the grass for these sessions. Do not use the towels from the cabins for this (see point 4 above).
• The cabins do have towels in the bathrooms but you may wish to bring your own extra towels given the number of sessions and showers (hopefully) we will be having.
• One of the cabins will be set aside as the main breakfast area. We have bought a selection of the basic cereals, porridge, bread, milk, marmalade, etc which will be available for you to come and prepare your breakfast and have either there or back in your own cabin. If you have any very special breakfast preferences, then please bring that yourself. Referring to point 4 again, please keep the cutlery, dishes etc in the cabin to which it belongs.
• We will have bottles of water with us, primarily for post run re-hydration. If you think you need any special gels for the runs, then please bring your own. We will be doing 3 to 6 miles on Friday, 5 to 10 miles on Saturday morning, 3 to 5 miles on Saturday afternoon and 8 to 17 miles on Sunday morning. You shouldn't really need gels during any of these runs except perhaps the longest route on the Sunday.
• Everyone has made their menu choices for dinner. They are listed here. If you spot any mistakes or have a change of appetite, then please let me know today (Saturday). I will be transferring this to the Lade Inn pre-order form tomorrow and sending off to them Sunday night.
• Buffet lunches are provided as usual. As with the breakfasts, the buffet will be set up outside or inside one of the cabins for you to help yourself and take back to your own cabin. The caterers will bring their own cutlery and dishes so please do not mix up with that which belongs to the cabins.
• We are bringing communal tea, coffee, milk and biscuits.
• Further information will be given out prior to each run and if there are any further updates, they will be added to this blog post through the week. If you have any questions, then ask me or put a comment on this blog post.

This is going to be a great weekend, so be prepared to enjoy yourself!
Alan

September in the Rain - Final Auldhouse 5k Time Trial

Seventeen tough Harriers lined up on what felt like a Winter's night of driving rain and strong winds to run the final Auldhouse 5k time trial of the year on Thursday 1st September. This one starts and finishes in Auldhouse and can provide the opportunity for fast conditions as the final hill is right at the end of the loop so no need to save anything in that last climb. However, this was not a night for times. Despite that some of the Harriers excelled.

Biggest improver of the season, Ian McKenzie absolutely smashed his season opener of 25:09 by two minutes, finishing in 23:08, a seasons best by 36 seconds. This was only Iain Tomb's third run around the course so his improvement is very much part of a learning experience, Iain improving by 2 seconds to set the fastest time of the night in an excellent 18:25. Jim Holmes came close to his season's best, just missing out by 4 seconds in 21:10. Given the conditions, he can probably count that as an improvement.

I didn't get a chance to report on the August race, so although the weather conditions were against Charlie McDougall bettering his time in September (he ran a still amazing 20:19), I've got to point out that Charlie's season's best of 19:51 set in August was at that time the 7th equal fastest time in the UK in 2016 for an M65. We can be pretty certain that few if any of the top 6 times were set on courses as tough as the Auldhouse loop. So well done Charlie.

Alison Lessells was our fastest lady on the night in her first time trial of the season. Alison ran a strong 22:47 and is getting back to form. Unfortunately Colin Banks strained a calf shortly after the start. Hopefully he stopped in time and is not seriously injured.

Well done to all for braving unpleasant conditions. A big thanks to Frances for the warm car on the finish line to shelter in and for transporting the walking wounded back to the club.

The overall summary of Auldhouse times is now up to date via the usual link in the menu or here and you can see the individual race timings:
Click here for results
Alan