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Sunday 28 May 2017

Dechmont Law 10k Trail Race 2017

I originally posted this back at the end of March.

For all those Harriers out there that like to plan ahead (I'm one of them!), the 14th Grand Prix race is the Dechmont Law 10k Trail Race in Livingston. The date has now been confirmed to be Sunday 11th June at 12pm and costing £10 or £8 for Scottish Athletic members (SAL number required). Entries close on 9th June on Q-buster.

See link to Q-buster page: https://q-buster.co.uk/dechmont-10k-3'5k-trail-races-11th-june-2017

Richard

Saturday 27 May 2017

Land O'Burns 10k Road Race

All but one of the Harriers before the start
I can't remember ever having such perfect weather for a mid-week evening race in Scotland, but with temperatures still in the mid twenties and not a breath of wind, 9 Harriers lined up for the annual Land O'Burns 10k road race in Ayr on Wednesday evening. This was another race in the Harriers' Grand Prix series. A few more Harriers would have been running but for last minute changes in arrangements or illness. A great turnout nonetheless for a midweek race.

The course starts off dangerously flat, tempting a fast pace in the beginning but undulates enough through the middle to catch those out who started too fast before a very flat, fast final km finishing in the playing fields at the old race course.

Julie Beveridge in the final km
Our fastest runner on the night was Andrew J Buchanan, running here for the first time and perhaps being caught out slightly with too fast a start but still recording a respectable time of 37:44. First of our high performing ladies was Julie Beveridge, finishing 2nd lady overall and setting a fantastic new pb of 40:36. Julie is gradually closing in on that 40 minute 10k target.
Charlie McDougall

Charlie McDougall continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best M65's in the UK with a fantastic time of 43:09, winning the over 60 category comfortably. Making a steady return to form, Frances Ferguson recorded a strong 44:47. It won't be long until Frances is back down in the low 40's. Frances finished as second F50. Having just completed the Stirling Marathon on Sunday in a new pb, I don't know how Kay Conneff was able to race a 10k on the Wednesday (I certainly couldn't have). Kay recorded a fine time of 45:07 and was first F40.
Kay Conneff in the early stages
Gordon McInally continues to train hard (running and on the bike) and this was demonstrated with another strong performance, finishing in 47:34. After a chip timing mishap (possibly timing chips were swapped over accidentally), Colin Banks' time was confirmed as 53:41 as Colin continues to get back into running after some months of absence during the Winter. Sandy Hayden is also building up a consistent base of training after a succession of set backs, recording a time of 54:38. Finally, Russell Couper was nursing a niggling tendon pain in his knee so did well to record a time of 57:06.

Still not tempted to put a Harriers' vest on, Marion O' Connor had a fantastic run, winning the F50 category in 44:21.
Marion O' Connor approaches the finish
Thanks to all the Harriers who turned out to support and take photos. Davie Searil took a load of photos out on the course which you can view in this album. You can view the rest of my photos here.
Alan

Wednesday 24 May 2017

Ultra update



As I haven’t written any race reports this year I thought a brief (it is, it is!) update on the ultra season was due. Also thought I'd get this on the blog before the Land O'Burns race report rather than push it off the 'front' page afterwards.
D33, Aberdeen 11th March
Despite professing to dislike this flat, out and back course Ruth and Jim had entered the race only a couple of weeks before to ‘get some racing miles in’. Jim would be unable to run the Fling and so they had both entered an alternative event, the Cateran Trail, and had decided to take part in this season-opener as well.
Like the route the race was fairly dull and uneventful, all the more so because Alison was prevented from driving along the course performing her usual super-supporter duties due to her worsening cataracts. A useful start to the year though as a race always forces you to push harder than any training run.
Three harriers hanging around in the park, photo credit to Alison
Jim was easily the fastest harrier on the day coming home in 5.14.53, followed by myself in 5.47.17 and Ruth in 6.15.53. I am pleased to report that, for once, the beer given out at the finish was actually a proper beer and not the lager-masquerading-as-beer handed out in recent years, win-win - I might well be tempted back for a seventh consecutive year in 2018.

Keilder Ultra, Saturday 8th April 
This was another substitute for missing the Fling so Ruth, Jim and families made a weekend of it over the border (just!) at the Keilder Ultra. This early in the season they chose the shortest of the distances available, 50k, but are already trying to persuade me to do one of the longer ones next year, the 80k or the 100k.
Some of the quotes from them afterwards were 'incredibly hilly and muddy', 'more of a tough mudder than a footrace', 'dense pine forest', 'boggy moss and peat', 'tough on the legs', 'no path, just markers', 'steep uphills' - I think we get the drift...Sounds like a fabulous training run and some great weather too once the sun broke through the mist and cloud.
Jim's concentration clearly slipped on the run-in to the finish and Ruth took full advantage by coming home as as leading harrier in 6.53.10 with Jim following in 6.53.13


Great Tartan Skidaddle, Callander 15th April
Having run the Loch Katrine marathon in the meantime I rolled up to Callander again for the second Skidaddle ultra. Unlike last year I turned up in good time (no mad dash to register), collected my number and boarded the bus for the start at Inversnaid Pier.
As seems to happens to me every year around this time the ascents are a severe reminder that I haven’t done enough hillwork in preparation for the bigger races to come. My quads cramped quite badly at times but I persevered and eventually finished in 6.03.53, taking three minutes off my time from 2016. What most pleased me was that I was able to manage a (very slow) 11 miles round Chatelherault two days later, a good sign!    
I couldn't resist adding this photo of me and a wee pal, Scooby, during the Loch Katrine marathon. Photo courtesy of Scooby's mum, Lois Simpson.
Looking almost speedy here 
Highland Fling, Milngavie 29th April
This was my fifth consecutive Fling and sadly nowhere near my best. Ever have one of those days where you wish you hadn’t bothered? This was one of those, my quads were tight and stiff from the off, with the hamstrings following suit by the time I left Inversnaid which left me toughing it out for the remaining 20 miles – and when my left hip flexor also started giving me gip I was left taking painkillers like sweeties! Not really, but a couple certainly helped.
Looking back I was pleased that at no point did it cross my mind to drop out, which would probably have been the sensible solution, and consequently managed my longest ‘training’ run of the year so far in 13.27.12. 
Ian Rae however, having felt his foot was improving during the build up, managed to tweak it again just a few weeks prior to the race. Not that I saw much of him that day as he was delighted to come home in 11.44.30, an excellent time in the circumstances and a great boost to his hopes for the big one in June. 
Coming over Conic Hill
Ian finishing on the red carpet at Tyndrum





















Cateran Trail, Spittal of Glenshee 13th May
This fabulous low-key race involves a two night stay at Gulabin hostel which provides a great atmosphere for the runners having chatted to many faces, old and new, the night before. The start is at 7am on the other side of the main road and is the beginning of a (very) roughly circular, clockwise route up and down the hills of this part of Perthshire.
The Cateran Trail

A good omen for the harriers at the start. 
This race only allows 140 entrants in total, with much less turning up on the day, so the start is quite daunting to slower runners like me.
Precisely one hundred starters...gulp
 
Daunted, us? Naw

The three of us ran every step of the way together, a novel experience for us all. Jim and I both had bad spells which the other two were able to pull us through. Ruth, it should be noted, ran strongly all day and professed later to having thoroughly enjoyed herself. We were fortunate to have ideal running weather, cool and slighly damp although obviously not so great for supporters or marshalls. Did I mention the hills? When asked later I reckoned it's hillier than the Fling, with most of them not as steep but way, way longer. 
The checkpoints are particularly strong on themes which some marshalls took further than others...
The three Js - Julie, John and Jenni

A noteable highlight came when I, as Jim's watch had long since packed up, announced to the others that we had just completed 53 miles. This was highly significant as they were moving into unknown territory by running further than either of them had run before. Thinking about that I realised that, if I completed the race, the 55 miles would be the fourth longest I had ever done, only beaten by two WHWs and the Great Glen.
As harriers we are all familiar with shouts from the front of the group such as 'car', 'feet', 'stay left', 'mind your head', etc, but on this particular day I heard a new one from Ruth - 'slug!' Owing to the weather the trail was hoaching with big, juicy black ones. I always go out of my way not to step on anything, including slugs, but I've never been warned about them in advance!
The last section from Enochdu, in particular, seemed to go on up into the mist forever although allowance should be made for the 49 miles already in our legs and a four and a half mile climb really shouldn't be allowed at this stage of an event!
Finally topping the bealach we were rewarded with this view of the finish, only one and a half miles away and downhill!    
At last!

We were kept on our toes by the sight of a female runner we had been chatting to earlier on in the day remorselessly closing us down - the significance of the effort we all put in at this point was not to be realised until later. We finished the race as we started, side by side, in a time of 13 hours, 19 minutes and 1 second - sadly no photographs were taken at the line. 

Another noteable event of the day (apart from the male marshall in evening gown) occured in the marquee soon after we finished when Jim stood up too quickly, turned white and sat back down again speedily. The tent was full of newly-trained (only a few weeks before) first aiders, all eager to put their recent training into practice. Jim was soon cocooned in foil blankets and surrounded by folk wearing green bibs but was able to walk back to the hostel unaided - I believe the prospect of a left-over bottle of D33 beer may have had a revitalising effect!

Having showered and eaten we were made aware that the last runner was in and the prizegiving was imminent so we made our way back over to the marquee opposite. The highlight of our weekend came when Ruth was announced as second FV50 and was called to the front to be awarded her finishers' quaich, see below.

 
Her stunned expression was something to behold, telling us she thought at first that there must have been another Ruth Kelly in the field! Proof of her achievement is in the prize list below, a hand-written photographed piece of A4 - another example of the old school nature of this event.

Note the name immediately below Ruth, the 3rd FV50, only two minutes behind! Yes, this was the lady who had been chasing us over the final few miles - had we not dug deep Ruth would only have been third. I think she owes us big-time Jim!


All in all a great weekend away (thanks Alison, Majella and Kevin), one that will bring happy memories to mind many years from now. I'm very glad to say that any other runs between now and the 24th June will be noticeably shorter, the hard work is over until then.  

Stirling Great Scottish Marathon, 21st April 
As usual with me I had to go and run one race too far and this was it. My body had been feeling depleted in the week leading up to it despite me taking things very easily and woke up on Sunday morning with a little niggle in my throat. Hey, I paid £55 to enter this race - I'm damned well going to run it, I thought, and also justified taking part also by the fact that my chest and breathing seemed normal. 
As things turned out I was well under my predicted time of 4:30 - 5:00 and was delighted, not only with my time of 4:16:28, but with the consistency of my running. Four 10k splits with a difference of less than 2:30, and it would have been much less were it not for an extended toilet break during the first and slowest 10k. Overall considerably faster than my two most recent marathons, Loch Katrine and Dublin, and with 108 hilly race miles in my legs from the previous three weeks. As I type this I am sniffing and snuffling and desperately hoping I haven't passed it on to Sandy who seems to be struggling to make the Land O'Burns 10k tonight, hope you make it!       

Still to come...
I'd like to add here that I don't have the words to express how much I am looking forward to being one of four harriers on the start line at 01:00 on the 24th June at the underpass in Milngavie - I know it doesn't happen often but words do fail me. Think I might have a wee greet instead, come the day...I'm just a big softie really.

Tuesday 23 May 2017

Land O Burns 10k

The Harriers are on tour in masses. After 9 invaded Stirling on Sunday, the entry list on Entry Central we have 10 Harriers invading Ayr tomorrow night for the Ayr Seaforth annual Land O Burns 10k.
https://www.entrycentral.com/LandOBurns10K

Good luck to everyone racing and look forward to reading the report and good performances.

Richard

Stirling Marathon - a hill of a course!

Months of hard training, friendly rivalry and psychological warfare eventually culminated in the first ever Stirling Great Scottish Marathon on Sunday 21st May. Many Harriers had been attracted by the prospect of a new marathon only a short drive up the road and the more you asked, the more you found out had actually entered it. I was one of them.

In 1986, after my third Glasgow Marathon in a row, each one slightly slower than the last and each time slightly more injured on the start line than the time before, at the tender age of 21, I decided to "retire" from marathon running by mutual agreement with every single mile of the event to focus on the shorter, faster stuff that I had been better at (or longer stuff as long as it wasn't on the roads)! Everything was fine for another 31 years and I wasn't even tempted to reverse my decision. Then they had to go and announce a marathon on my home patch and I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

The extra incentive was that maybe I could also set a PB. I haven't set a PB at any distance for maybe 20 years and it's not going to happen at my age at any of the shorter standard distances. However my very first marathon in 1984 was my fastest one. 3:03 and some seconds was my time then I think. Didn't really think much about times back then. I knew more than most in the club that Stirling wasn't a flat course as I had spent my whole life travelling around these local roads but a sub 3 might just be possible. Even a sub 3:03 would do. 33 years after I set my PB! Or maybe I had left it a few years too late. Time would quite literally tell. So I was one of the 9 Harriers who were standing full of nervous tension in Blair Drummond Safari Park on an overcast but mild Sunday morning with thousands of other runners. A pair of giraffes looked on with interest from their field.

After a stress-free journey to the safari park on a fleet of double decker buses from near the finish in Stirling, Davie Searil, Kenny Leinster, Kay Conneff, Kirsty Wilson, Paul Rooney, Jim Holmes, Richard Lawton, Eddie Reid and myself looked as ready as we would ever be. We also caught up with several experienced former Harriers ready to take on the challenge; Gerry McParland, Ivan Field and George Haining were the ones I spotted but there were probably more. We headed to the start pens. I was lucky enough to be in the sparsely populated "fast-paced club runners" pen where I got the chance to shake the hand of an inspirational legend from my teenage running years, Zola Bud, who was lined up beside me on the start line. Liz McColgan was at the other end of the start line but I had already experienced her elbows in road races in the 1990's so gave her a wide berth. Wee Rab Gilroy tapped me on the shoulder and said "awright Alan!" and once again I was back in my usual race environment. Then Brendan Foster gave the start signal and we were off (excuse the name dropping. It won't happen again).

To cut an already long story short, I made the fatal mistake of changing my race plan on the start-line. Sub 3 was my target but my plan was to take it just 5 seconds per km inside 3 hour pace for as long as possible and then push in the final 10k if I could. The training and particularly the long runs suggested I would be comfortable at that pace and could go another 5 seconds/km faster if I had to. But as this was effectively my first marathon all over again, I would be sensible. Then Gerry said, "och you'll be well inside 3. Let's run together". So we did. I knew after 5/6k when we hit the first of the longer uphill drags that I was working too hard and eased back a wee bit but the cumulative damage was being done and I kept drifting on to a much faster than required pace every time we hit a flat or downhill bit (see the post script at the end for details). I was fine until about 30/32km and began to tighten up but was still moving fast enough for comfortably sub 3. Then we were in to the two and a half undulating laps of Stirling city centre in pouring rain. The bit that finished me was a steep descent in and a steep climb out of pedestrian underpass crossing a roundabout on the last lap. On exiting the underpass my left hamstring cramped suddenly and I stopped dead. A quick stretch and I carried on but only for 100m and the same thing happened. I thought the race was over for me. Another, longer stretch and I started again but with a very short stride. The quads had seized whilst I was stopped so I was hardly moving at all, dropping minutes per km. I could see now that I would not make the sub-3 target and sub 3:03 was looking marginal too. The last lap was confusing as there were so many lapped runners and the mind was wandering but eventually I joined the quiet lane to the finish line and saw the clock drifting onward with a lot of 3's on display 3:03:37 apparently.

Now, the problem is my PB is 3:03 and some seconds I think. I can't remember what those some seconds are but have a feeling they are a single digit, so I have probably missed a PB. I am sure the finish line photo from 1984 is at home in Callander somewhere; just got to find it. It would have been so much easier if I had just managed 3:02! The conditions had been perfect. Maybe the rain dampened the spirits in the final stages but it did no harm to the time. The hills were where they have always been, so no surprises there. I trained on even bigger hills. It was just the "40 years of racing" brain seemed to have been left at home.

The crowds were fantastic; every farm road end was decorated and families were out cheering. Blair Drummond, Deanston, Doune, Dunblane, Bridge of Allan and Causewayhead were mobbed. Stirling town centre was like a stage on a cycle race at the narrow bits. It was fantastic.  And the best thing was all the Harriers who kept popping up all over the course to shout their support on a day that ended up not being that great for supporting weatherwise. There were shouts, cheers, photos and all sorts going on. Thanks to you all.

The course might have been tough but it didn't prevent a whole load of fine times and even PB's from the other 8 Harriers. Davie Searil always deserves a special mention. A week after a 50 odd mile ultra trail race, Davie is out there running a marathon on the road. A speed session for an ultra runner just to keep ticking over before the 96 mile WHW in a month! Davie recorded 4:16:28. Paul Rooney maybe hasn't been at the club much recently but has been quietly putting the miles in over the months and was rewarded with a 3:55:52. Training had been going so well for Richard Lawton until he upped the long runs to around 20 miles a month or so ago and then the body started to break. First a back problem and then a calf. So he lined up with some concerns over whether he would finish. But there was no problem (at least no more than the rest of us were experiencing!) and Richard recorded a debut marathon time of 3:48:46. Then the ladies (wee) Kirsty Wilson and Kay Conneff who had trained a lot together, were going to run together and hopefully both get PB's together! Kirsty has done 3 or 4 marathons previously before joining the Harriers and had yet to break 4 hours. Kay was buoyed up by the fact that she already had a qualifying time for London in the bag and could just go for the PB today, aiming for sub 3:45. So different expectations but the same motivation. Improvements. I don't know who big Kirsty Wilson is but I doubt she can run as fast as wee Kirsty Wilson who smashed her PB with a fantastic 3:44:10. Kay and Kirsty did run together but eventually Kay's endurance took over and Kay went on to set a new PB of 3:41:15. Well done to the ladies who said "what hills?" to the course. And then Jim Holmes. Another one like me who had run marathons bh (before Harriers) and had said "never again" but he fell for it too. Despite a lot of training interruptions due to midweek work travel, golf outings, parties, gigs, etc (I'm obviously taking this running lark too seriously), Jim stayed close to his target and was delighted with the time of 3:36:55. Eddie Reid has been on a long comeback trail from some long term running injuries but now has eventually got consistency back into his training and felt able to add to his illustrious major marathon track record (London, Boston, Amsterdam, Dublin and Lochaber to name a few) with several times well below 3 hours. However, PB's were not in Eddie's plan this time. It was a case of proving he could withstand the training again and run a solid race which he did. Eddie finished in 3:24:37. The times will come again on a flatter course now that he has that foundation to build on again. Finally, the cheeky monkey who escaped from the safari park and just kept going, Kenny Leinster. Master of psychological warfare in the months before the race, Kenny really had to back up the talk with the walk on race day. And he did. Kenny has got better and better with every marathon in the past couple of years despite not being a spring chicken (he's a monkey remember).  At Amsterdam he improved on his Dublin performance but could he do the same on a hilly Stirling course? Yes was the answer with a fine PB of 3:22:10, taking some minutes off his Amsterdam time I believe and setting a club Bronze M55 performance award standard in the process. Not only that, Kenny was second M55 in the race! Well done to Kenny. Maybe his coach did tell him something useful in Portugal after all or maybe it was the industrial quantities of beetroot juice he has been consuming recently. To round out the Harriers' times, as noted above I was 3:03:37 which was second M50, 95th overall and was a club silver M50 performance standard. I don't know who else of the Harriers besides Kenny, Kay and Kirsty set PB's during the race so please do let us know (if your name doesn't start with a K, it seems unlikely you got a PB).

What a great time by my "pace maker" Gerry McParland. He kept the pace going after I dropped off at 19/20 miles and finished in 2:54:11 as 3rd M45. Well done Gerry.

There are many, many photos on Facebook. Hopefully we can gather together a few for the blog too. Let me know if you have any (but preferably not of me in the final lap!).

Finally, the post script. One of the wind ups we had with Kenny in the weeks before the race was about performance awards and the fact that Kenny still needed to set a standard in 3 different race distances to get an award. Getting one in the marathon alone was not enough. Kenny joked he would do it at Stirling going through at least 3 of the distances in standard award times (5k, 10k, 10mile, Half marathon and marathon). We all encouraged him to hammer the first 5k and just hold on to hit that target. Well, what have I just gone and done. My splits for Stirling (5k and 10 mile are off my Garmin as there was no timing mat there so do not count) were:

  • 5k 19:46 (unofficial M50 bronze)
  • 10k 38:36 (M50 bronze)
  • 10 mile 64:02 (unofficial M50 silver)
  • Half Marathon 1:24:29 (M50 silver)
  • Marathon 03:03:37 (M50 silver)


That is NOT AN EXAMPLE OF A WELL PACED MARATHON! But at least I don't have to bother doing any more races this year as the performance award is in the bag :-)
Alan

Saturday 13 May 2017

Lifts for Stirling

Kenny is holding a brief meeting after training on Thursday to make arrangements for those travelling through to Stirling on Sunday who may wish to car share. Shouldn't take long (the meeting, not the marathon) - can probably do it during the post-run stretching.
Alan

Victoria park parkrun

TGE POLICE CORDON IS LIFTED AND THE RUN IS ON.

I will be at the park to take any jokers that are being played. Please see me before the start.

Russell

Friday 12 May 2017

Victoria Park parkrun

Due to a police incident in Victoria Park this afternoon, it may be necessary for the parkrun to be cancelled tomorrow. Please check the VP parkrun FB page or web page for updates.
Alan

Running longer...

Three harriers are currently  travelling north to Spittal of Glenshee for tomorrow's Cateran trail ultra. I thought I'd give a wee shout out to Ruth and Jim as this hilly, boggy 55 miler will be further than either of them has run before. All the best guys and I hope to be with you both every step of the way, even when we get lost!

Thursday 4 May 2017

First Auldhouse 5k Time Trial of 2017

On an evening when we got the sun but not the warmth, 17 Harriers (plus a handful on recovery or pre-race gentle runs) turned out for the first individual 5km time trial of the year. The hilly course had the added difficulty of a strong head wind in the final mile but that did not prevent some excellent times. Fastest time of the night was Andrew J Buchanan, just back from a holiday (really warm weather training) in Australia and equaling his course best of 18:28.

Setting a new course best and new course record for the women, Julie Beveridge was in second place overall with a time of 19:47. What a fantastic result, highlighting the benefit of a solid block of high volume marathon training on shorter race performances too.

Also setting a pb (and also recently back from holiday), Gordon McInally improved by about 20 seconds to set a time of 23:21. Not just back from holiday but setting a massive pb was Michael Mullen, taking minutes out of his previous time to finish in 23:45.

In a noteworthy battle, First of the Fergusons was Frances in 22:15, only 1 second ahead of husband Geo. Frances is really getting back to her previous form.

First timers tonight were Kay Conneff in 23:09 and Anne McLellan in 26:42, both setting targets to beat next month. For the avoidance of doubt, Eddie Reid, Jim Holmes, Kay Conneff and Paul Rooney were under instruction to simulate marathon pace having been asked to warm up with a really fast run out to the start. Hence the 5k times are slower than you might usually expect from them.

Well done to all. Full results are here and you can view all the previous results from the menu on the left of the blog page or here.
Alan