Men’s (and Women’s) Health 2019

So, keeping with tradition the usual posse of me, Graham Ramage, Stephen Phimister, Mark Saez and joining us this year, Neil Green set off bright and early on Sunday morning to make the short trip, all shoe horned in to Stephen’s car, down the M77 and on to the Glasgow Museum of Transport – the starting point of the Men’s Health 2019 10k.

For four of us this would be our 5th consecutive year taking part in this version of the event (it’s had various route changes, finishing points and other minor details altered) and for Neil this was his maiden outing at the event, buoyed by a very successful showing at last weekends “Roon the Toon” 10k at Kilmarnock.

Eating my porridge before leaving time, Tomasz Schafernaker, the BBC weatherman, was making passing remarks about Central Scotland (and Glasgow in particular) (it seemed he knew I was watching and was talking directly to me!) being in line for some pretty heavy rain, hail and even thunder and lightning! Jeezo. Time to rethink the wardrobe! Anyway, it seemed the aforementioned Tomasz (I’m not writing that surname again!) was on the wind up, other than a fairly heavy shower well in to the race the conditions were ideal.

Arriving nice and early we set about our pre-race routine and you’ll remember me telling you in previous reports that the Transport Museum designate the Ladies toilets as Male toilets given the influx of men taking part – seems obvious, however – at this year’s event there were dozens of women lining up to take part too. I’ll leave you to ponder the politics.

Warm-ups well underway, we bumped in to big John McBride, another serial Men’s Healther and Paul Kane was spotted perched on a bollard having cycled to the event from EK.

Also signed up and taking part were Gerry Mullen and his son Ross and following a brief chat with Gerry we wished each other well and got on with the job in hand.

This event, although growing in size, isn’t an out and out club race, there aren’t many club vests to be spotted although again this year there were more than have been evident in previous years. So, with that said and about 10 minutes until the gun we all slotted in to where we belonged in the grid. Me and Stephen, rather modestly, a good bit back in the Red Wave, Graham a bit further back and Mark and Neil chests against the tape!

BANG – and we were away! Usual route – making sure to take in the cross-country section of the SECC car-park, bloody hell, The Boys From the Blackstuff could make a few Bob seeing to that.

Stephen and I started together but there was no way I was going to hold on to his pace having completed the first mile in 6.20m/m so I backed off and wished him well. Going to be his year in our very good-natured rivalry I guess.

On along the Clydeside, where at exactly the same spot as last year one Mr Ian Tomb came trotting up behind me “I’ve been trying to catch you since the start” Déjà vu! (read last year’s report). Ian it appeared was up for a well-intended blether, me on the other hand, no words, so before long he was on his way in pursuit of Stephen.

As the race sauntered along and just before the turn for the King George V bridge, I spotted Neil at the side of the road, stopped. As I approached he re-joined explaining that after the first mile he felt devoid of any power with nothing in his legs to keep the pace going. He’s been busy with training and racing lately and really pumping in the miles, maybe a total rest is in order. Anyway – fortuitous for me he became my un-official pacer for the remainder of the race!

Through the city centre out towards Glasgow Green where it immediately became apparent that some major changes to the route had been effected. I’ve got to say that the changes made were not for the better as this section of the race involved tight turns, slippery surfaces (this is where Tomasz’s promised squall finally descended upon us) and a 180 degree turn around a cone on a narrow path, not ideal in an event with 2k+ runners trudging along! Anyway, as we reasoned later it was probably to reduce road closures and the ultimate cost of policing the event.

Back in to the merchant City, finish line beckoning, Neil dragging me along like an old coat we managed to get a bit of pace going for the last quarter mile and round the twists and turns eventually crossing over the line together.

Ross was the first Harrier to finish in a splendid show of running, his time a very swift 35.50 and placing 6th overall. Hats off to you Ross!

Mark who was expecting to go well also had a bit of a crash in form running out of gas around the 4 mile mark and came home in a time of 40.05, still, not a disaster!

Stephen, despite thinking that he went 42.05 with which he was a bit non-plussed later confirmed that his time was actually 41.06, so a good performance there and only a few seconds down on last year.

Then me, not having had much training in my legs due to my recent illnesses and a belter of a head cold which came to live with me on Friday, wobbling over the line in 42.48 with Neil.

Gerry was next home in a very respectable 46.39 although we didn’t manage to catch up at the end for a report on how his race went.

Then Graham, who admittedly has struggled to get much running done at all due to other commitments, running home a few seconds shy of 48 minutes in 47.54.

John McBride crossed the line in a steady 54.39 with Paul Kane coming in with a solid 52.49. Ian Tomb showed in the results to have finished with exactly the same time as Stephen (41.06), well done there.

With everyone home safe and sound and with all the racing stories exchanged, we set off on our two- and half-mile jog back to the Transport Museum for our traditional post-race purvey and photo shoot – remember we pose at a different exhibit each year, last year in front of the Ambulance, as though to mock our condition.

This year it was suggested more than once that we should use the Electric Vehicle charging points as a backdrop, such was our depleted energy levels but, in the end, opted for the back of the bus to Auchenshuggle, once again asking a foreign tourist to capture our snap – though this year the fella doing the honours had a bit of a shaky hand and we needed a couple of go’s.

Great fun, great laughs and a brilliant well needed cup of tea at the end of the morning, this is definitely not a 10k for the racing purists among us. The course is tricky in places, not very well marked out at some points and that brilliant section of xc over the car-park make it a bit more of a fun run than a serious racers event.

We enjoy it nonetheless and it gives us a great chance for a catch up, so here’s to next year.
Maybe, all being well and performances meriting it, we’ll pose in front of the fire engine!

Martin.