Toon & Country (2 very different races in Northern England)

The Lakeland trails series takes in a number of trail races in and around (unsurprisingly) the Lake District between March and October each year ranging from 5k to 100k. I had opted for the 15k trail challenge as i thought this would be good training the week before the Great North run the following weekend. As described on their website, the 15km Derwentwater Trail Challenge is a circuit along well marked and marshalled footpaths and bridleways, taking in panoramic views of Derwentwater, the surrounding peaks of Skiddaw and Blencathra and the northern fells.

Views along the route

The course starts off with a flat circuit of the cricket ground and a slight incline begins to take you out of Keswick and into forest trails. This turns out to be a much needed warmup before what is to follow which is essentially 7km of uphill jog and at several points walk for the majority, including myself. The highest point of the course at 400m is finally reached at the 8km mark. The hard slog which preceded is made worthwhile by the stunning views and at this point it was encouraging for me to see a good few hundred people snaking up the hill behind me. A couple of well timed hill reps at harriers training must have helped. The remaining 7k is pretty much downhill all the way with a much needed water and jelly baby stop at 11k. This was a relief for the legs up until the 12k mark where I was starting to find the now steep downhill sections taking their toll. This then flattens out for the last 1.5km which brings you back to the finish area and some much appreciated cheers from the spectators.

After collecting the memento t-shirt and changing, it was a (slow) wander through the town for a pub lunch to refuel. On the way back I checked the event tent to check results to learn that I had finished 69th out of around 500 in a time of 1:33:48. The winner was none other than the founder of the Lakeland trail series Graham Patten of Ambleside AC who finished in 1:14:27, (maybe he knows a shortcut?).

Glad to be in the home straight

For anyone thinking of doing a trail run and able to make a day of it i can recommend doing one of the Lakeland trail races, in particular the ones in Keswick which is a nice place to have a wander. They’re also well organised and the scenery is stunning, though it helps if it’s not raining I’m sure.

Exactly one week later I was headed south of the border again for the Great North Run.
We got parked as near as we could for picking up wristbands for the metro on Sunday, which happened to be the Hilton (we weren’t staying there or anywhere in Newcastle for that matter due to the hugely inflated hotel prices during the GNR weekend!). Unknown to us this was where the elite athletes were based going by the various signs and security in the hotel. This was backed up by spotting Lynsey Sharp in the reception who I later learned was taking part in the City games that day.

Arrived in Newcastle where the junior and 5k races were taking place next to the Tyne

After carb loading at pizza express (any excuse), it was back to the Hilton to pick up the car and head to our hotel some 13 miles out at a small place called Houghton le Spring (it’s not as posh as it sounds trust me!). While Tanya was validating the parking at the reception a woman in the queue next to her politely said that she wasn’t skipping the queue but picking up a message. This turned out to be Gabby Logan (not Gabby Roslin as Tanya thought she was called).

After getting parked at South Shields and travelling down on the packed metro to Newcastle, it was time to follow the line of runners and supporters making their way down to the start line about half a mile way. As usual with events of this size, too many people and not enough loos, time to join the queue! With only about 10 mins to the start I was anxious to get down to the first entrance into the orange wave section. After stopping briefly to re-tie my laces before joining the mass of runners, on looking up they had closed the gap in the fence I was going to go in so I had to go another 50 yards or so back. Unknown to me Tanya had waited at the start to take a few photos before heading for the metro back to South Shields. She managed to get a few shots just before the elite men started.

Mo before winning the race for a 4^th time, closely followed by Jake Robertson, only 6 seconds behind

It was some 12 minutes before I crossed the start line. The mass of runners spreads out a little before compacting again at the Tyne bridge where the Red Arrows flew overhead, an impressive sight! This combined with lots of cheering spectators along this part of the route and you feel like you’re part of something special. I’ve never run the London marathon but I’d imagine it’s on a similar scale. After the buzz of the first couple of miles, the next 3 climb steadily as you start to make your way out of the city centre. Despite this there is still a huge spectator presence and this is basically the case for the entire 13.1 miles! Along the way it was impressive and almost moving to see so many people running for a charity that is important to them. There was also a fair share running in fancy dress, a sumo wrestler and unicorn being 2 that I remember.

The only downside I found was with it being such a popular event it is difficult to get into a good rhythm with most of the route feeling quite crowded with runners and i found myself having to look for gaps to get into a better position on many occasions.

I was feeling fairly good at 7 miles and averaging just under 8 min/mile pace. The course undulates until about 10.5 miles where it goes uphill again until 12 miles. At this point i was starting to tire and my pace dropped a little. It’s not until the top of the hill that you see the beach at South Shields which is the backdrop of for the last mile which starts steeply downhill before quickly flattening out.

I crossed the line in 1:45:08. Had hoped to be a minute or two quicker but pleased with my effort overall. Shortly after the below photo the beer tent was (eventually) tracked down. You’d think they’d put it nearer the finish line!

I really enjoyed my first Great North Run and I’ve signed up for the 2018 reminder, so who knows maybe again next year. Thanks to my wife Tanya for doing all the driving to and from both races

and taking photos.

Paul Rooney

Houston Road Relay 2017

Due to Houston changing their date after we had to commit to the TTC accommodation booking, the George Cummings (Houston) Road Relays are not in the Grand Prix this year as many of the club and Grand Prix regulars are on the TTC. However, there are enough Harriers not doing the TTC that we should be able to get a few teams at Houston and support Kilbarchan AAC's long standing event.

The George Cummings Road Relays are to be held at Houston Renfrewshire on Saturday 07 October 2017 at 2:30pm.

Leave your name here if you wish to do the relay. Names received so far are here. As both Russell and I are on the TTC, we will need a volunteer to collect the money and enter the teams on the day (I will post the teams on the blog after training on Thursday 5th October).
Alan

Details as follows:

THE GEORGE CUMMINGS RELAYS 

SAL Permitted 

Open Road Relay race (register on the day) 

on SATURDAY 7th October 2017 

at Houston, starting 2.30pm 

Men’s teams of 4, compete for the George Cummings Trophy 

Women’s teams of 3 for the Trust Inn Trophy 

Declarations at Houston Church Hall, Main Street, Houston, by 2.00pm please. 

Men’s Team of 4 x 2.7 ML (£20 per team) 

Women Team of 3 x 2.7 ML (£15 per team) 

(non SA members £2 extra) 

Prizes to first six men’s teams and first three women’s teams 

First Vets teams, men and women 

Travel from Glasgow by M8 and then the Johnstone bypass (signposted Irvine. A737), off at Johnstone, turn right, through mini roundabouts, 600m straight through roundabout and follow road approx 2ml to large roundabout, turn left, 1st right, across  roundabout down the Main Street in Houston, the church hall is about 50 metres on the left. 

On the advice of the police there will be limited parking in Houston Village. Please follow the parking 

signs to Gryffe High School, which is 400m from the venue. 

Further information from John Rodger 07719 781776 

Staged by 

KILBARCHAN AMATEUR ATHLETIC CLUB

WEST DISTRICT XC RELAY

This years West District XC relays will take place at Hamilton Park race course on Oct 15th.
Start times are 12.40 for Ladies and 13.40 for men.
Distance is 4k per leg
Cost will be £5 per head and should be paid before race day.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR SA REGISTRATION IS UP TO DATE.
I need names by Thursday 28th Sept as this is pre entry.
If you wish entered please leave your name HERE.
Those already entered are listed HERE.

TTC Dinner Menu Choices - If you want fed fill it in!

All menu choices have now been received. Thanks All!
Alan

For the two Harriers still to fill in their TTC dinner menu choices (you know who you are!), can you please make your choices before the end of Sunday, 1st October please. If you have lost the e-mail sent out to all participants on 3rd September, here are the links to the form and the menu:

on-line form
Lade Inn Menu

It would help greatly if you could fill this in this weekend rather than leaving it to the last minute such that I have one less thing to organise the week of the Training Camp (when I am away with work).

I never thought I would see the day when we couldn't get Harriers to respond quickly to a choice of food (or drink)!
Alan

Run Mhor- Hidden Glen 10K

4 Harriers set off on Saturday morning to compete in an off road 10K just outside Balquidder. I
wasn’t entirely sure what to expect as we drove along a single track road which appeared to be
never ending. On arrival we were met by several friendly marshalls who directed us to a ‘car park’ I
use this term loosely as it was a large grass field on the side of a steep hill. The registration area was
an old converted barn and to our surprise had been converted into venue for music bands and
weddings (hint hint Kirsty!!)

The race was set off in waves and the 1 st 2K was an out and back route along a single track road. I
found myself running on my own as the 1 st pack were pushing the pace and we still had a long way to go. The next section was where the race really began as we entered the Glen and started to climb up to the high point at 6K. The conditions under foot were hard going and were a mixture of off road
trails with deep puddles. I heard a piper in the distance and I knew we were approaching the turn.
At this point I was sitting in 8 th place. The next section was a mad dash downhill and I remember
Kenny’s advice about just letting go (easier said than done). I must admit that running downhill on an off road trail is not my favourite thing!! I was quickly passed by 2 runners and tried to keep with
them but they quickly disappeared into the distance. The final section was about 1K back onto the
road and I felt much better and managed to make up some distance on the runners who had
previously passed me.

I finished the race and I don’t think I could have ran any faster. Next home was Kirsty, Graham and
then Sandy. We quickly headed over to the bar for our free pint. Graham and I then tucked into BBQ
Pork burgers whilst Sandi and Kirsty has chips. We all agreed it was a fantastic event, a great
atmosphere and we would definitely be back next year.

Graham and I headed home whilst Sandy, Kirsty, Callum and Winston the dog headed for a post-race
party and the local camping site. Early reports indicate a shortage of Wine and Prosecco in the
Callander area.

A big thank you to support from Callum, Winston and Louise Beveridge.

The results were as follows:

Mark Saez 41.32 10 th place
Stuart Douglas 42:06 13 th place
Kirsty Wilson 51:11 58 th pace
Graham Rammage 51:37 61 st place
Sandy Hayden 58:38 160 th place

A total of 400 runners finished
Mark

Cumbernauld 10k

I have written this race report in two parts. Firstly in terms of the general race organisation and race itself as I was not the only Harrier who took part in this race.

So having done the North Ayrshire 10K two weeks ago I moved on to the Cumbernauld 10K. Also following the same path were Lorraine Buchanan, Sharon Gregg and Julie Thomson.

From when I arrived at the school allocated for parking it was evident this was well organised with marshals directing you to a car park spot and it was well sign posted for the 10 minute work to Broadwood Stadium.

Approaching the stadium the pipe band were playing and it gave a general feeling of what you would expect at a 'big city race'.  As well as the 10k there was a 3k race, races for primary school aged kids (I think there may have been junior Harriers who placed at this - Richard may have more about this on the junior blog) and a 1 mile victory walk. Generally a good race for families to attend.  The races start in the stadium (on the football pitch) and spectators can sit in the stands.

This is one of the few races I have done lately where part of it is run on closed roads with the race heading out of the stadium, along closed roads towards the Irn Bru factory. The race in the first half is flat with a slight downhill after the Irn Bru factory.  There are a few road junctions you come to but the police were marshalling these and stopped the traffic - yet again not something you see in too many smaller races these days. The second half of the race remained relatively flat with a couple of small gradients. The last 3 kilometres are run around scenic Broadwood Loch and the race finishes in the stadium on the football pitch. All in a very good course for a PB. Well supported throughout by the locals and this also helped to make it a good race.

This is the second race I have done this year which North Lanarkshire Council have organised and I have to say I have been very well impressed by the organisation.  The price to enter this race was only £13 (there may even have been early bird prices) and was well worth the money for all I have described above.

As I mentioned above Lorraine, Sharon, Julie T and myself have now done the North Ayrshire 10K and Cumbernauld 10K before moving on in a fortnight to the Great Scottish Run and then the cross country. Can I just say well done to all three of them! As I remarked to them at Cumbernauld it is good to see them out racing and good to see so many of the women's section out racing in general.

Race Results (all chip times):

Sharon Gregg - 47:40
Julie Thomson - 53:07
Lorraine Buchanan - 58:05

Footnote: My Cumbernuld 10K

At the North Ayrshire 10K two weeks ago I came close to a first sub-40 minute 10K with a time of 40.00. As this weekend came around I wondered if I would possibly achieve it at Cumbernauld. This would be my third 10K since the 23rd August ( I ran 40.36 at the Marymass 10K that day) and there was also the doubt that maybe it was too much racing over a short period of time.  With the course being flat I was a bit concerned I may go off too fast and not have the hilly sections I love which can help to conserve energy for later parts of the race.

Result - I led the race from the start and was 'over the moon' to cross the line in 39:26 (chip time).
Julie

LINLITHGOW 10K

Dear Club Secretary,

The 25th edition of the Linlithgow 10K Road Race, organised by Linlithgow Athletic Club, will take place at 2.30pm on Sunday 8th October 2017.
The race starts on Linlithgow High Street and finishes in the historic Linlithgow Palace Peel area.
Technical T-shirts with the 2017 logo design will be presented to all finishers at the finish. There will be a range of individual and team prizes. We're hoping to see as many club runners as possible this year to increase competition for the club prizes!

There is also a 1.9k fun run for juniors aged 8-15, so it promises to be a great family day out.

Entries are available at
https://www.entrycentral.com/ccw-linlithgow-10k
https://www.entrycentral.com/CCW-Linlithgow-Junior-Fun-Run

Hope to see you on 8th October.
Graeme Lawson, Race Director.

The new Chatelherault

For those of us, myself included, who haven't been down to Chatelherault for a while. Wow, what a transformation...an old and a new image.

The City of Stirling 10k

On a Saturday night somewhere about a month ago Neil Green and his family were at our house having a very convivial evening, yes, there might have a beer involved or a glass of wine but nothing in excess. Somewhere along the proceedings Neil sneaked in to the chat that he had entered the City of Stirling 10k, his first competitive 10k in 5 years! Well, an occasion I couldn’t miss I thought and it would be a shame not to optimize car space so I merrily dug out the computer and immediately went on line to secure a spot.

After both our entries were done and dusted (we were both late entries, pick up number on the day routine) we set about a very (very) brief run in training plan. A fortnight of some longish runs and a handful of 6 milers and some lung burning efforts for me was all I could squeeze in and for Neil it was a continuation of his solid block of recent decent running, which in some weeks has seen him clock 60 miles.

So as set as we were ever going, we set off Stirling bound on the day of the race. With the weather forecast ominous at best, the wipers on the car got a good workout on the way there – a prelude to the conditions we were about to run in perhaps? Upon arrival at the Forthbank Stadium, and having been efficiently marshaled to a car parking space, amazingly we seemed to be experiencing the eye of the storm, clear sky, no rain and very pleasant conditions.

Collecting our numbers from the sports complex, it was clear that this was a fiercely competed event with what seemed like everyone who was anyone in our little community being there and ready to give it their all.

It was encouraging for us to soon realise we were not the only Harriers taking part on the day with the black and yella being donned by Russell Couper and Stuart Waugh too although somewhere along the line Neil had managed to acquire an extra large vest. Stuart’s daughter Lynsey had also thrown her hat in the ring and was giving it a go as well. And keeping it firmly in the family, Lewis and Ashleigh were going in the 2k event.

Neil and I set off down the road on a warm up only to see Louise Beveridge running the other way – out on her Sunday run and routing her past where all the hullaballoo was going on. Anyway – we stopped and chatted for a few minutes and she explained to us that her journey back to running is going well although she’s taking everything in bite-size chunks, one step at a time.

Warmed up and ready to race, we took our places among the melee of runners waiting to start, me electing to start with Stuart and Lynsey and Neil deciding to start with the guys who have names instead of numbers pinned to them! As it happened he later told me that he started about five rows from the front.

Poised and ready to go, watches primed, stretching the Achilles, pre-race breathing exercises on the go, rain coming on again, waiting for the shunt forward - the starter seemed to have fallen asleep. The time of the start came and went and then we saw what must be every race organiser’s worst nightmare (apart from runners going the wrong way) – the inflatable Start/ Finish arch suddenly and surprisingly deflated and sat in a heap across the start line with 1200 runners behind it about to stampede! Anyway, the guys from Central quickly tried to put another ten bob bit in the generator without success so reverted to pulling out the archways anchor points on the ground and hastily bundled it to one side. A cheer went up from the running contingent, the starter did his thing and we were off!

The start involved some bobbing and weaving and some turning to and fro, eventually leading to the main road and on to the course proper. The first mile found us doing the usual routine of finding a nice pace whilst dodging the slower runners who after 400m were out of puff despite having had visions of emulating Sir Mo.

I started with Stuart thinking that my recent 10k outings would be around his times but found that after the first mile I felt a bit stronger than I expected and started to peel away. Neil on the other hand, it would seem, was taking his recent Parkrun form to the extreme and momentarily must have forgotten he was running in a 10k instead of a 5. He went through the first mile in 5.45 whilst I could have had time to stop for a roll and sausage, completing the first mile in a little less than 7 minutes.

As the race progressed I managed to maintain the pace and completed the first 5k in 21.02 whilst Neil went through in a little over 18 minutes. For me, and given my recent viral challenges this pace was comfortable and I managed to keep it going all the way to the line coming home in 42.02, a full two and half minutes quicker than three weeks ago at Paisley! Neil admitted that he had gone too quickly over the initial stages and faded as the race progressed. Later he reflected that with little to no race form his pace judgment and racing form needed a bit of honing in, commenting that if he had taken the first 5k easier he probably would have finished with a quicker time than the 38.18 he clocked. At the end we all met up and exchanged views of the course, the event and our own individual performances. We all agreed it was a well-run event (barring the deflating arch). Stuart commented that he was a bit indifferent about his performance on the day, saying that after a mile he knew it was not going to be the run he hoping for. Nonetheless, he still put in a sub 45-minute effort and came home 14th in his age category. Russell on the other hand was quite pleased with his effort, mentioning that he was more or less treating this as practice for events coming up, most notably our grueling training camp!

The course itself was good if not a little twisty and turny. At about 6k there’s a hairpin turn setting the runners off on the way back but going round the cone totally demolishes your stride and rhythm. Other than that and a small climb about 8k the course is largely flat and quick.

Thanks to Louise Beveridge for her cheers out on the course and of course the Waugh’s and the Moir’s for their shouts too.

Oh – and the inflatable arch I hear you ask – well as we approached the finish I heard a runner just behind me shout “oh the wonders of Viagra!” Yip, they had it standing tall again just in time for the finish!

So here are the scores;

Neil Green 38.18 153rd
Martin Howell 42.02 275th
Stuart Waugh 44.29 349th
Russell Couper 58.00 668th

Lynsey Moir 51.07 536th

Martin

Masters XC Scotland Team Trial - Tollcross Park

The SVHC provided an early start to this year's cross country season on Saturday afternoon, holding the Scotland Team Trial for the British & Irish Masters International Cross Country being held in Derry, Northern Ireland later in November.

On an overcast afternoon interspersed with occasional light showers, competitors lined up for two races. The ladies and over 65 men raced over 6k (3 laps) at 1pm whereas the M35 and over men raced over 8k (4 laps) at 2pm. The rules for selection were simple, half of each age group team (F35/M35, F40/M40, F45/F45, etc all the way up to F75/M75 this year) would be selected on age group position during the trial (e.g. for those age groups which have a team of 6 in the international, the first 3 in that age group in the trial would be selected). The other half of each age group team would be selected on evidence of current form, whether competing in the trial or not.

The course was the same fantastic course within Tollcross Park as used for the trial and the international last year. There were no complaints as the course provided a mixture of flat stretches, short, steep banks and longer climbs and descents, all with the benefit of lush, mud-free grass underfoot.

Our only competitor in the 6k race was Stuart Waugh in the M65 category. I believe this age group consists of a team of 4 and therefore automatic qualification (first 2) would be very tough with former British champion Andy McLinden of Hamilton Harriers now joined by Frank Hurley, a newcomer to this age group but another British medalist in previous years, both racing. However, as it turns out, both of these M65's were beaten by Tony Martin of Falkland Trail Runners in a very tight finish between him and Frank Hurley. Indeed, it looks like Andy McLinden must have dropped out during the race as he does not appear in the results, despite challenging for the M65 lead in the early stages. This placed Stuart as 8th M65 (28:18) in an age group that seemed to have Scots from all over the UK travelling to compete for the limited places. There were competitors from Highland Hill Runners, Keith & District, Bure Valley (?), Morpeth Harriers, Springburn Harriers and Falkirk Victoria as well as Calderglen and the other clubs mentioned. Great to see so many fighting for a place in the team.

The same was not true of the ladies 6k event and this was definitely an opportunity missed by Calderglen ladies (and those from many other clubs) for Scotland selection and the experience and confidence that this builds. The F35 age group was competing for 3 places in a team of 6. There were only three F35's competing, at least one of which could have been beaten by several of our Calderglen F35's. The situation was even more clear cut in the F40 race. Again this was a competition for 3 of the places in a team of 6. In this case there were only 2 F40's competing, so automatic selection guaranteed for a third runner if they were there and put in a reasonable performance. As I have said recently at the club in relation to West District XC relays (for which there has been an outstanding response by the way!), these opportunities only come around once per year and are less frequent if you also put in the requirement to be fit and injury free, so they have to be taken. An individual or team championship medal or Scotland vest stays with you forever whereas a voucher or goody bag at some random road race is soon forgotten. You've got to be in it to win it as the saying goes.

The second race for M35's and above was a very competitive affair indeed. Andy Henderson (M60) and I (M50) were the only Calderglen competitors as Richard Lawton had to pull out in the morning with an injury. The M50 age group comprises a team of 6 so again I was battling for a first three place as I had managed the past two years. As the race numbers start with the first two digits of each age group (e.g. 5077 for me) and as numbers were worn front and back, identification of who I was up against was very clear. Having missed the National Trail Race due to illness and hardly raced in recent months, this was the last chance saloon for me. I knew that Jim Buchanan of Dumfries, a regular in the M50 team, was not competing today, but had probably done enough in finishing a close 2nd M50 in the National Trail Race to another runner from Dundee who was not here today either. That left Dennis Williams of Shettleston who had finished 3rd at the trail championships and was here. Then the M50's all started to appear out of the woodwork, most notable of which was Bobby Quinn of Kilbarchan, the quality Scottish distance athlete of his era who's senior international career was cut short before it began when he was hit by a motor bike whilst out training 30 years ago. I was at university with him at that time and well remember it. However, although not reaching the heights he might have internationally as a result, he has won the National cross country championships many times and won the British & Irish Masters XC outright on his one previous appearance about 10 years ago. So that was one of the 3 x M50 places gone! I also spotted Michael McLoone of Greenock, who also regularly qualifies for the team and a few other fast looking M50's I did not recognise. This was going to be difficult given my recent relatively poor form and illnesses. However, there is nothing I like better than a good hard race and that is what I got!

My plan was to hang off the initial pace, which is usually too fast, and then to try to move through on laps 3 and 4. For the first lap this seemed to work. I couldn't see Bobby Quinn, who was presumably right up the front but I could see 4 other M50's between 2 and 20 m in front of me, with Dennis Williams being the closest. Nothing really changed on lap 2. I had to fend off Andy Ronald of Falkirk Victoria who appeared half way around lap 2 but I managed that fine, leaving me close behind Dennis Williams but still about 20 metres behind the next 2 M50's who were closely grouped with another M50 in between Dennis and them. Things didn't go well on lap 3 though as I felt weak and slipped back about 10 or 15m behind Dennis. When we started to hit the wide open playing fields part way into the 4th lap, I focused on relaxing and lengthening my stride, stabilising the gap. To my surprise, at the first steep bank on the furthest away part of the course, the gap closed suddenly. The chance of catching Dennis was improving. The thought then was if I should catch him and sit on his shoulder or not. As that was only going to give me 5th position, that was not really an option. The best tactic in that situation is to catch, accelerate past and keep going and that is what I did, quickly opening a large gap according to the shouts I was getting from the spectators who knew me. I was also catching the 3 M50's ahead, especially as we hit the final ascent 200m from the finish. But there was not enough distance left and 5th was my final position in 28:04. This is only about 18 seconds slower than I ran in the international the same course a year ago, so not too bad. I had opened a 7 second gap on Dennis and was 22 secs, 7 secs and 4 seconds behind the 2nd, 3rd and 4th M50's respectively. Impressively, Bobby Quinn was 4th overall in 26:12. Different class! Just as impressively, the race was won by M45 Scott Brember of Central AC in 25:33. I am pretty sure he won the Killin 10k which I did a few weeks ago. I will have to wait and see if I am selected for one of the 3 discretionary places but it does look a little unlikely given the current form of at least two others who were not there.

The most uncomfortable position to be in these age group races is in the oldest age group in a particular race as with natural aging, it is inevitable that you will end up near the back, even if you are competitive within your age group. This was the case with Andy Henderson in the M60 age group (2 to qualify for a team of 4 I think). This was another well contested age group with Paul Thomson of Cambuslang confirming his form to win the age group in 29:15. The competitors were also far traveled for this one with runners from as far as Dumfries and Stornoway joining the ranks of central belt club runners. Andy was 9th M60 in 34:14 and was happy enough to win a race long tussle with another in his age group.

Well done to Stuart and Andy for battling strongly on a great cross country course and thanks to SVHC for a well set out course and impeccable organisation, all for a £2 entry fee for SVHC members.

Full results are here, including a photo of Stuart from a previous National XC at Falkirk!
Alan

The rain in North Ayshire falls mainly on...

Millport!

Gerry Mullen and his wife Celia joined Alison and I for a weekend of drinking and running (strictly in that order, we are athletes after all!) doon the watter in sunny Millport last weekend and it certainly lived up to it's name on the Saturday.
After a lengthy sleep following a two-pub crawl (including karaoke) the night before we spent the middle part of the day exploring the island in the car followed by a cycle round the race route on hired bikes (Celia brought her own) while Alison opted for a wander round the cafes and charity shops in the town.
The three wannabe Chris Froomes had almost reached the sanctuary of the cafe at Fintry Bay when Gerry suddenly realised he had left his safety helmet at the monument near the top of the island during a brief stop. While he headed back north to retrieve said helmet Celia and I, without much sympathy it has to be said, sat and soaked up the sun with hot chocolate topped with cream, delicious.

Gerry holding the offending helmet while I rock the sexy 'troosers inside the socks' look

Hot chocolates, in more ways than one - it was a scorcher!

Gin and beer was later consumed in the garden before heading to Frasers Bar for a pub meal followed by a relatively early night (early when compared with the night before, 2am!).

We woke up on Sunday morning to howling wind rattling the window panes very soon followed by driving rain, no pbs today then (more on that later). A goodly proportion of Gerry's family then proceeded to disembark from the by now very busy ferry, firstly Michael with his three lovely girls soon followed by brother Ross with his wife and two children. For a while the flat was teeming with bodies but, after collecting our race numbers, the four of us managed to get Alison's sister's flat to ourselves to change and, in my case, to also mislay almost everything I needed. I realised I was unusually nervous, probably due to having had only two weeks training following my two month layoff since the WHWR.

A trio of Mullens - Ross, Michael and Gerry. Note Michael's gloves, Scotland in September!

We walked/ran along the seafront towards the Garrison but, just ten minutes before the start, were forced to take shelter by the sheer ferocity of the storm that engulfed the town. Us big, brave runners huddled in doorways and under shop canopies to shelter from the elements. Finally we could make our way along and find Kay Conneff who had also travelled down to take part. Such was the nature of the weather there were swathes of blue skies by the time the race got underway. The organisers managed to surprise the majority of the field by firing the starting gun while most of us were standing chatting! We barely managed the customary handshakes and well wishes before we were quickly away. 

Just after the slightly chaotic start

I started very cautiously as my left knee, although much improved, is still not quite fully operational but felt able to pick up the pace. At the three mile marker I was pleasantly surprised to find my time was bang on target for 90 minutes, my pre-race stab in the dark prediction. Sadly the cycling fun of the day before had taken it's toll on my quads and from there on they were in a state of mild, but constant, cramp. The good news was that for the remainder of the race the discomfort in my legs and lungs completely overshadowed any pain from the knee, I was grateful for small mercies.

Ross told me later he tried to stay with the leaders (he ran a 5:30 first mile!) but after a couple of miles wisely eased back and let them go. In the photograph below he was actually in seventeenth place but while he was smiling and waving to his wife and children number 164 sneaked past him in the run to the line. Down the years the holy grail for many club runners has been to run a sub-60 minute ten miler and Ross has now joined that band, running 59:56 for both a pb and an enviable milestone. Time to get (yet) another Mullen signed up to Calderglen Harriers?

Ross storming home in 18th place

Kay saying 'what the ****?' as a bus pulls out in front of her ruining her sprint finish. Please note there is no truth to the rumour she had just got off said bus!

Gerry working hard along the front

Michael waving to his girls (and his mum!) 

Me, easing down over the last hundred yards, relieved to have no-one chasing me.

Race statistics;

18th Ross Mullen 59.56 (pb and second unattached runner)
94th Kay Conneff 73.02 (leading harrier)
145th Gerry Mullen 79.13
221st Michael Mullen 88.58 (pb and a huge18 minute improvement on last year's Brampton time)
259th David Searil 92.56 (running this race for the seventeenth and slowest-ever time)

There were 343 finishers

Postscript. Gerry and I decided not to repeat our post-race swim of a previous Millport race many years ago as the Clyde Coastguard might have become involved, such were the waves.

Photos courtesy of Celia and Michael Mullen, Sandra Hunter and the ubiquitous Kenny Phillips

Cross Country Training

Our annual return to the mud of Brancumhall starts on Monday 25th September and continues at fortnightly intervals thereafter until the National Cross Country in Falkirk in late February. Cross country training develops the strength that serves us all in good stead whether we decide to use that strength racing on the country or on the roads and trails.

For those new to the Brancumhall sessions, turn up at the club as normal for Monday training but in addition to your road shoes, bring a pair of trail shoes or XC spikes. These will be transported to Brancumhall for you in a car. We run to Brancumhall and back again after the session. The sessions are on the grass perimeter of football pitches and are reasonably flat. The main issue is that the going underfoot is soft. I expect it will be particularly soft this year given the wet summer.

A further opportunity for regular cross country training is provided by the start of the Glasgow Endurance Squad  cross country sessions which are held at a different park in Glasgow on Saturday mornings every fortnight from 21st October through to just before the national. I have regularly participated in these sessions over the past 20 years and they are very worthwhile, although they are geared towards faster runners. These are good sessions for the juniors too.

The sessions for this year are:
Saturday 21 October Bellahouston Park; Saturday 4 November Pollok Park; Saturday 18 November Tollcross Park; Thursday 28 December Bellahouston Park; Saturday 20 January Pollok Park;  Saturday 10 February Tollcross Park

All sessions start at 10:30 sharp. There is a Facebook page where you can find further details (especially of last minute cancellations or changes in venue which do occasionally happen). See here.

The sessions are detailed as follows:

The GAA Winter endurance sessions for 2017-18 are listed below. All athletes should be warmed up and ready to start the session at 10:30am sharp. For more information, please contact glasgowathleticsassociation@gmail.com

• Saturday 21st October 2017 Bellahouston Park (meet at Pitch & Putt) Up to 8 x 3 mins with 90s recovery
• Saturday 4th November 2017 Pollock Park (meet at trenches excavations near Burrell Car Park) 10 min tempo , 10 x 1 min with 1 min recovery, 10 min tempo
• Saturday 18th November 2017 Tollcross Park (meet at the top of the hill) Up to 8 x 4 mins with 2 mins rec
• Thursday 28th December 2017 Bellahouston Park Up to 10 x 3 mins with 90s recovery
• Saturday 20th January 2018 Pollock Park 
• 10 min tempo, 10 x 1min with 1 min recovery, 10 min tempo
• Saturday 10th February 2018 Tollcross Park Up to 10 x 4 mins with 2 mins recovery

September Auldhouse Time Trial

We had a great turnout of 19 Harriers for the final Auldhouse 5k TT of the season last Thursday evening. Although the weather had been horrendous through the afternoon, the rain eased slightly for the start and had stopped completely by the time the 5k was finished. However, the runners still had darkness, deep puddles and a strong headwind along Leaburn Road to contend with.

Fast times could not be expected on such a night so those who achieved season's bests or personal bests are to be especially congratulated. Fastest time of the night went to Mark Saez (18:46), only slightly down on his best earlier in the season whilst fastest lady was Julie Beveridge (20:00), also slightly down on her course best this season. Those setting season's bests or personal bests were Billy Buchanan (23:27), showing that he is returning well from injury, Kay Conneff (22:05), continuing to improve and work out how to judge the pace, Russell Couper (27:32), a season's best as he gradually overcomes various injuries and set backs, Emma Craig (21:40), after only a month at the club, another massive 5k PB, Robert Dewar (23:23), his first Auldhouse 5k, Allan McLellan (21:22), a big step forward as he works out how to manage his hip injury and is back in regular training and Eddie Reid (21:36), also having got over an injury which has held him back all through the summer.

Well done to everyone for great efforts in difficult conditions. At least we had the warmth of the Auldhouse Arms for a brief refreshment to warm us up.

The full results are here and all previous times are summarised here.
Alan

North Ayrshire AC 10k - Sunday 3rd September

I thought I would start this race report by reflecting on the strength in depth we now have in the women's section of the Harriers in that we had 6 women out running this race and it was not even a Grand Prix event. I personally think it is great not just at this race but across a whole lot of races lately (and forthcoming races) to see so many of the women's section out racing.

This race is now in it's third year and is organised by North Ayrshire Athletic Club.  The race starts on the Athletics track at St Matthew's Academy Saltcoats. From there it heads towards the promenade and kilometres 2-5 / 5.5 are run along the promenade making for a flat start.  Due to the close proximity of the towns you start in Saltcoats, run into Adrossan back into Saltcoats and touch the edge of New Stevenson. After 5km you come off the promenade and run along the edge of the road before coming by the golf course. At this point you have a small hill to climb over a bridge. The final stages are flat again as you run along the tarmac section of the old railway line. After you arrive back at the athletics track you have a complete lap of the track before finishing.

This year there was a light drizzle to begin with but when you got onto the promenade you were running into a head wind the whole way to the turn at 5K. This made for tough conditions in the first half of the race.

This race is well organised from the registration right through to marshalling people out off the track when they have finished. NAAC had an inflatable bar at the end (I was informed pints were only £2) and also a prosecco tent (glass of prosecco £3). Judging by the pictures on Facabook I think some of the Harriers visited the inflatable bar. I wish I had too!

Thanks to all those out supporting today - my mum and dad, The Buchanans - Andrew, Ben, Sophie and Charlotte, and Dot.

Results below (I have marked PBs where I know it was a PB. Please say if I have missed anyone). All times are chip times as this race starts you in small waves and gun times are a bit inaccurate for some people. (Full results on Stuweb.co.uk)

Julie Beveridge - 40.00 (PB) (2nd Female)
Karen Allen - 43.26
John Boyd - 47.29
Sharon Gregg - 50.02
John McBride - 52.29
Julie Thomson - 53.28 (PB)
Allison Johnston - 56.06 (PB)
Lorraine Buchanan - 56.55 (PB)

Julie Beveridge

National Trail Championships - Strathmiglo, Fife

It seems not to matter when this championship race is held, the weather is always fine. Today was a scorcher and provided perfect conditions for the National Trail Championships, run over a 10km, "undulating" course through the forest trails of Falkland Estate. As with last year, the event started and finished just outside Strathmiglo, running back towards Falkland on some very severe ascents and descents. Some forestry work meant that the start had moved further up the trail than last year and an extra bit had been added in to the return loop at the far end to make the distance up.

I had hoped to run today and defend the M50 championship won last year, but a steadily worsening sinus infection through the week resulting in dizziness and jelly legs during the pre-race warm up, accompanied by an unusual rush of common sense meant that I was reduced to photographer duties, supporting Joanne McEvoy and Frances Ferguson who were Calderglen's only representatives in this stunning race. A big disappointment for me as I have not raced much this year and this was one of my main targets.

The 10km race was preceded by a number of junior races over shorter distances. As the start/finish for these races was further down the trail than the 10k start, this apparently caught a few of the seniors out who had to make a mad dash up a very steep trail to the actual start of the 10k race just before the start! However, for those who knew where the start was, the benefit this year was that much of the initial climb was taken out with the race starting nearer the top of the first hill.

The race started at 2pm prompt and the large field was soon strung out. It was good to see Kevan Harvey well up from the off and regular medalist, Robert Gilroy still challenging for the overall medals and clearly leading the M40 field. Joanne McEvoy found herself leading a group from early on. The severe descents were more of a surprise to Joanne than the uphills but with several good race performances behind her in recent months, Joanne had the experience to pace it right and finished very strongly in 47:06 and 19th position overall.

Frances had just jetted back from two weeks in the sun on Monday and would be glad to see that the usual weekend wind and rain was absent. However, a natural reduction in training whilst on holiday had de-conditioned Frances' Achilles tendons and she was in a bit of discomfort from the off. Despite that Frances put in a strong performance, finishing 34th overall and 5th F50 in 51:35. Unfortunately we did not have a full team out (4 to count) so did not feature there. Maybe next year we can get a strong ladies' team or two out as we have the strength in depth in the club to do so and national medals were there for the taking.

Well done to Joanne and Frances. Another memorable race in Fife!
Alan

Harriers Down Under - City2Surf

A familiar sight - David in full flight

After we arrived in Sydney it proved quite difficult to get in to a routine with the running firstly trying to adjust to the heat, the new job, new routines and everything else. Plus the first half of this year was caught up with a whole pile of stuff to deal with including the small matter of having to apply much earlier than expected for permanent residency after Mr Turnbell the PM decided to come over all Trump-ian and re-write the rules for immigration by abolishing the visa route we arrived on. So I had set myself the task of running the Sydney marathon in September and wasn’t anywhere close to having a good running routine, even though I was getting out a fair bit. I had even started running to work to try and get some regularity in the routine.

Howden Australia decided they would pay for a batch entry to the City2Surf race and offered up places to the staff who wanted to take part. The City2Surf, as the name suggests goes 14k from Sydney CBD to the beach at Bondi - probably best think of it as Brampton 2 Carlisle with 83,000 people running, the sun shining and finishing along the Troon 10k finish….that’s the best description I’ve come up with yet. I started to realise perhaps I was finding my competitive edge again when the start list was emailed round everyone telling them which wave each person was in. I was the only one of 20 who had bothered to pre-qualify for a faster wave...

So on the day we decided to take the train into town for the start - mainly because Shirley wouldn’t have a chance of driving the routes in time with all the closures etc. I got off at Town Hall so that I could use the mile or so from there as a warm up while Shirley, Louise and Gavin connected to the stop nearest the start. I was slightly concerned as I was going along that there seemed to be no one else on the streets - OK it was 8.30 am but surely there should be some other people making their way? I climbed a hill towards where I thought it was starting and could hear that noise you get from a PA on race day so I knew I was near and then as I reached the top suddenly there were thousands of people everywhere. It took a bit of time to find my wave as the street names meant nothing but I got there in good time and joined the “throng”.

My wave was basically people expecting to finish in under 90 minutes -but not fast enough for the elite group which is a pretty wide band. That seemed a bit weird beforehand but after the race and seeing what 80k runners looks like it made more sense. So I started out reasonable cautiously but knowing I should be able to deliver a solid run, if not fast, over the distance as I had got some good mileage in over the winter. My aim was to be steady for the first 6.2k, work up the 1.5k climb known as Heartbreak Hill (it is long!) and then push into the last 6.2 for a negative split getting home in under 70 minutes. I was managing to hold just under 4:30 per kilometre through the start and while the first 2k was quite annoying trying to get past the people who were already walking (grrrr…) after that I was quite enjoying the fact that I was steadily passing people the whole time. I reached the start of the climb in 27:18 and then started the 1.6k continuous climb really feeling pretty strong but a bit unsure what to expect. I have to say the climb was fantastic! Come back Rouken Glen 10k all is forgiven! It was really tough but it was fantastic as I went past soooo many people on that climb and reached the top in 7:34 - my pace only slowing to 4:44 average. I do recall briefly thinking what an amazing view we had out over the coast and sea from up there and what a nice place it would be to live but then the adrenaline surged and I started racing again! Just like old times :)

Is it Troon?

I had been slightly misled as the last 6.1 still has a fair bit of uphill and level before a very steep drop through the last 1.5k into Bondi where it makes a rounded right turn onto the beach front and finishes along the front like the Troon 10k. I was delighted to know I was way ahead of my sub 70 target as my pace for the last 6k was 4:27 per km - almost identical to the first six. My finishing time was recorded at 62:09 which 2,224th of the 70k finishers (Top 3.3% of finishers according to their site!). I was particularly pleased in the offical results to see how much more strongly I had performed relative to the field in the second half of the race.

Split Point	Split Time	S/Rank	Race Time	R/Rank	Activity	Dist.	Pace	Speed
Start to Heartbreak Hill	00:27:18	3483	00:27:18	3483	RUN	6.20	04:24	13.62
Heartbreak Hill	00:07:35	1336	00:34:54	2742	RUN	1.60	04:44	12.64
Heartbreak Hill to Bondi	00:27:15	1844	01:02:09	2244	RUN	6.11	04:27	13.45

Post race was very different from anything I’d experienced. Shirley and I knew the post race routines and managed to find each other after the race but only to find they had stationed themselves at the wrong start wave, and arrived just after I’d crossed the finishing line. Nonetheless it was good to know they were around even if they weren’t actually watching me run! But there were so many people it was incredible. We all went off and found a restaurant where we had some pizza (late breakfast/early lunch???) and then wandered back up the beach to get back to Bondi Junction train station. The noise everywhere was incredible as by now the next wave was in and every bar, cafe, restaurant, ice cream shop, pavement, you name it was just full of finishers talking, laughing and enjoying the experience. The shuttle bus service was continuous with 10 buses loading at a time to get you to the station - amazing logistics.

In true Harriers fashion, I did the obligatory shoes off and into the sea routine. Gavin came with me and has now reached the age where his eyes nearly popped out his head when two young ladies removed their shorts as well as shoes and went in for a paddle post race….(i had resisted that particular temptation you’ll be glad to know) and then we were handed Ice Cones as well as your traditional bottle of water. Aye, welcome to Australia….now for the marathon in 2 weeks which I suspect will not be such a happy outcome! Training has not been as complete as it was for Dublin - sorely missing the company of the Harriers and Ian in that regard.
David

Jesus Christ Superstar

Hiya,

it's show time again. I spend my summers directing and producing musicals so for anyone who fancies a non-running social event please come along to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the Palace Theatre in Kilmarnock.

The show runs from Tuesday the 26th to Saturday the 30th of September and tickets cost £15/17. You can drop me a message or leave a comment below, no money required until the week before the show.

Thanks so much,

Ruth