Training Thursday 29th October

Unusually, two sets of faster reps in one week, the purpose being to keep the feeling of pace in the legs. Whereas Monday was quite long, sustained reps at 10k pace, for Thursday's session we will drop the distance/time and up the pace to 5k pace. Recoveries are important in this session; the intention is for the legs to be relatively fresh at the start of each rep. The session is:

1 set of 10 x 70 seconds at 5k pace at Langlands Place. The recovery from each rep is a jog to the end of the straight (i.e. where the 400m usually ends) and then a further minute of standing recovery. The intention here is that the faster packs will get less total recovery than the slower packs as the fast pack will get closer to the end of the 400m straight in 70 seconds than the slower packs.

After the final 1 minute recovery in the first set, take another 4 minutes recovery and then do a second set of 5 x 70 seconds following the same recovery format as in the first set.

The total cumulative rep distance should take the faster runners close to 5k of rep distance.

For the warm-up, run up the Strathaven Road, cross at the mini roundabout and then follow the road around in front of Sainsburys and up the hill to Langlands Place. The recovery should be decided within your pack.

As always, pay particular attention to social distancing rules at all stages of the run (2m to the side, 5m ahead/behind) and keep to your pack whilst recovering at the end of each rep.

Note - to set this up on your watch, probably best to set it as 10 x 70 seconds with an open recovery. When you have jogged to the end of the 400m after each rep, have a look at your watch and wait a further minute beyond the displayed time before starting the next rep (triggered by pressing the lap button).

Alan

Training Monday 26th October

 Continuing with the 10k pace sessions, this week the reps are time based rather than distance.

8 x 4 minutes at 10k pace with 90 second jog recovery (regroup into your socially distanced packs by jogging towards each other during the recoveries).

Use the Carron Place circuit for the reps. For the warm-up, run via the NEL, Murray Roundabout and Kelvin Road as per usual for this circuit. Decide within your pack how far and what route to use back to the club after the session.

Alan

Training Thursday 22nd October

 Following on from the hard session on Monday, Thursday's session is not hard as threshold sessions go. This will be a single 12 minute effort at threshold (3 word effort) during a medium length run. The route is:

Club; Queensway; West Mains Road; East Mains Road; Whirlies; Kingsway; Club

The 12 minute effort should start when you reach East Mains Road and is therefore a slightly uphill effort. After the effort, it is imperative that you re-group into your complete pack and run back to the club together. Refer to the previous post. However, this means that everyone in the pack turns and runs back to the slowest person in the pack.

Remember, stick to your pack, except during the effort and re-group after the effort. Maintain the required social distancing throughout.

Alan

Pack Discipline During Rep Sessions

Your committee asks all members to pay particular attention to the following regarding pack discipline.

Check who is in your pack on the blog link after 18:45 on the day of training.

The packs are selected to satisfy several criteria. Some of these criteria are conflicting to a certain extent (e.g. reduced pack size for Covid 19 social distancing whilst also having enough runners in a pack so that there is less chance of being isolated for safety). You all have a duty to ensure that your pack is following this guidance. Speak to each other during the run (you may have to shout!) to ensure your pack is clear on how to behave.

2 m side-by-side or 5m behind the runner in front (within your pack) to maintain the social distancing guidance specified by Scottish Athletics which allows our sport to continue. This applies during all phases of the training (warm-up, reps, cool down). If you can't imagine what 5 metres looks like, then most of the Harriers are running with a stride length of around1m, so let the person in front get 5 stride lengths ahead of you and you will be doing just fine. If you are passing someone during a rep or passing another pack during the warm-up/cool-down, then pull out 2m to the side and go past when it is safe to do so. If you can't imagine 2m, it is 2 running strides! During the warm-up and cool down when you might be on narrower pavements than during the reps, then running one behind each other at 5m separation is probably the only safe option. Make sure that you are not dropping anyone from your pack during the warm-up and cool-down.

When you arrive at the training venue, once your entire pack is there (some may be going direct to the venue, some may be running from the club) start the session without delay. Do not mingle with other packs. If another pack is there when you arrive, stand well apart from that pack so it doesn't look like a mass gathering.

During the repetition session the fact that each pack contains runners covering a (limited) range of abilities will become apparent as the correct rep pace will be specific to each individual and the faster ones in the pack will naturally stretch away from the slower ones. However, during the recoveries, everyone in your pack must regroup. No exceptions. No "splinter" packs. This is a matter of safety in numbers and concerns have already been raised by members of the club who have been left isolated by their packs during rep sessions. Follow the procedure that has been implemented in the Harriers for the past 30 + years. At the end of each rep, everyone except the last person in the pack turns around and jogs back to the slowest person in your pack. When you reach the slowest person in your pack, turn around and keep jogging onwards toward the faster ones who are still running back to you. Do not stand and wait for the rest of the pack to reach you whether you are at the front or the back; keep moving towards each other. This always worked well when the whole club was training together and should be even easier when you are only regrouping within your pack rather than the full club regrouping.

We cannot control who turns up on any specific training night. Some days you may find yourself as one of the faster ones in your pack, other times you may be one of the slower ones in your pack. The intention is to have 3 to 5 in a pack and covering ability ranges spanning no more than 3 ability "bubbles" (e.g. a pack may contain runners from bubbles 4, 5 and 6, or 5, 6 and 7, etc). However, if you find that you are consistently either struggling to stay within sight of your pack during reps or are running away from your pack during reps, then let me (Alan) know and I will adjust your bubble up or down accordingly for the next session.

Alan

Training Monday 19th October

We continue with the 10k paced sessions this week. The previous 2 sessions of this type have totalled 8km of reps and this week is no different. The session is:

2 sets of 10 x 400m, 30 seconds between reps (standstill), 2 minutes between sets (i.e. 30 seconds after rep number 10 and then a further 1:30 before starting rep 11).

The venue is Langlands Place. For the warm-up, run up Strathaven Road and cross at the roundabout and then turn first left and round past Sainsburys entrance and onwards up the hill to the entrance to Langlands Place. Decide in your pack which way to run back after the session.

Alan

Training Thursday 15th October

Still keeping it simple for this week's session. The session is 2 x 15 minutes at threshold effort with a 5 minute jog recovery in between during which you should regroup into your pack (whilst maintaining all social distancing requirements).

Remember that threshold is a level of effort, not a specific pace, which defines a specific physiological state, that where you just start to breath hard and could maintain for 1 hour during a race. To practice judging that effort, we will use a hilly course (as usual) such that your pace varies depending on the slope but your effort remains constant. We won't venture far from the club for this session. 

Start the reps at Lidl (Atholl House) and head back up Churchill Avenue to the NEL roundabout where you should follow the pavement around to the left along the Kingsway past St Brides school to the Whitemoss roundabout and then left again and down the hill to Lidl's main car park entrance, being very careful crossing the road at the bottom of Avondale and also at the entrance into Lidl. So this is an anti-clockwise circuit of what we could call the LidNEL loop :-)

The warm-up should be EKSC to NEL roundabout then turn right to Whitemoss Roundabout and  then left and down the hill to the Lidl car park entrance where the reps start. Decide within your pack which route to take for the cool down depending on what extra miles you want.

Alan

Training Monday 12th October

A tougher session this week as we return to 10k pace.

5 x 1600m with 2 minute jog recoveries.

Consistency is the name of the game. We will be using the Sainsbury's Loop (clockwise) at the Kelvin for this session which provides a mixture of uphill, downhill and flat sections. This means the pace will vary as you go around the lap but on average, each 1600m effort should take you the same time as you adjust your pace to suit the slope.

For the warm-up, head up the Strathaven Road and cross at the small round about and then first left on Greenhills Road and around to Sainsbury's main gate.

Alan

SCOTTISH ATHLETICS VIRTUAL EVENT

 There will be a virtual event held between Thursday 22nd Oct to Tuesday 27th Oct.

I will enter everyone with a valid SA number so there are a few out of date and some ready to go out of date so if you want to take part get it renewed. I will enter the Juniors we have too incase Richard wants to get them involved

Run Distances

• U11 athletes should run 1km
• U13, U15 and U17 athletes should run 3km
• U20 athletes can opt to run 3K or 10K
• Senior and Masters athletes can opt to run 3km, 10km or a half marathon
• Team results will include the fastest three athletes per club. Team results will combine U13, U15 and U17 results together, and U20, Senior and Masters results will also be considered together. U11s will have their own team leaderboard for teams of 3.

 

Results

• Performances should be submitted online to scottishathletics by the athlete taking part and state time elapsed.
• Athletes in the U15 age group and above are expected to provide a Garmin/Strava link to their run as proof of their performance. Athletes in the U11 and U13 age groups do not need to provide this.
• Athletes must make their runs PUBLIC on their Garmin/Strava profile to allow results scrutiny.
• Performances submitted that do not comply with the rules set out will be marked as non-scoring in the final results

Challenge Rules

• Distances must be run between 00:00 on Day 1 and 23:59 on Day 6 of the challenge.
• 1 attempt per person
• Results must be submitted by 12:00 on Day 7 of the challenge, using the instructions on the entry page. Runs should be named ‘SA Virtual Challenge’
• Strava or Garmin are the only apps that can be used: other running apps are not compatible with the scoring system.

 

Safety

• Athletes MUST avoid popular running/walking routes or busy parks.
• Be considerate to other people by keeping a 2m (minimum) distance at all times when passing.
• Do not drive somewhere to run unless absolutely necessary.
• ALL runs must start and finish at around the same point – either lapped or out and back.

o   Para Wheelchair or Race Runner athletes may submit Point to Point results.  P2P results with a net elevation loss of more than 10m will be subject to a 10sec penalty per 10m of loss.

• Lapped courses must not include laps of less than 1km.
• Runs MUST be completed solo. This ensures equal conditions for all athletes taking part.

 

All current government guidelines regarding physical distancing must be strictly adhered to. Any changes to government guidelines will be implemented immediately

CONTINUATION OF TRAINING

 Due to the extra restrictions for the next 16 days weve had clarification from Scottish Athletics and SportsScotland about what were required to do.

Training is almost unchanged from what weve been doing except for the following.

Social distancing must be maintained during training not just before and after, therefore a 2 metre gap should be maintained when running side by side and a 5 metre gap when running in a line.

The only other change to be aware of is the Sports Club is having to close till the 26th so no toilet facilities will be available. 

Packs should meet in the car park over the next 2 weeks

NATIONAL XC RELAYS (CUMBERNAULD)

 FURTHER UPDATE The event will now take place on the weekend 7th/8th November therefore the deadline for names will be extended to Monday 26th October. Remember were only allowed 3 male and 3 Ladies so if we have more names our selectors will pick whose running. There will be virtual events on too. A reminder that some have got there SA number due for renewal and to enter the number needs to be valid on the day of entry and the date of the event.

UPDATE     The relays will no longer be run as a relay. They will be run in waves of individual bubbles of 30max over 2 days starting 20 mins apart. Wave start times will be advised for each individual in advance. Junior females will run in bubbles on the Saturday morning with Junior males in the afternoon. u/20 senior and master men will run on Sunday morning and the ladies on Sunday afternoon. Only one team from each club in each event and it will be teams of 3 running 3k each.

No spectators allowed but one team manager is allowed. Social distancing must be observed until your in the start pen then you are deemed to be in your bubble. Its also asked once youve ran you should depart. Times from the runners will be added later to create the team time.

There is a plan for the short course xc to go ahead in November but this may be invitational so they are going to set up a virtual event the same weekend as not everyone will be able to take part in this. details to follow.

What will happen now is if you want to be in this please add your name and if we have more than one team our selectors will decide whos running. Everyone with a valid SA number will be entered so they can take part in the virtual event

The plan at the moment is the National XC relays will go ahead at the usual venue in Cumbernauld on Sat 24th Oct.

Assuming this goes ahead i need names of those that want to take part by Tuesday 6th Oct I cant take names after this so if you want to run it get your name down.

Cost  £5

Make sure your SA number is up to date and valid on the 24th Oct

Start times are Ladies 13.00 to 15.00 and men 10.00 to 12.00

If you want entered please add your name HERE

Those already entered are listed HERE

Training Thursday 8th October

Keeping with our 30 minutes of total Thursday threshold effort and also recognising this week as an easier week, the 30 minutes is broken up into 5 x 6 minutes at threshold with 2 minutes jog recovery. Remember that with all training sessions you are trying to adapt a particular physiological system. Running the session faster than intended does not give you more benefit; in fact it probably gives you no benefit as you may be using a different, limited energy process compared to the one we are trying to train and are just knocking your pan in for nothing. Therefore, just because you are only running for 6 minutes at a time rather than 20 minutes as we did last week, do not run any faster than threshold effort (3 word pace). Keep the Heid!

The route for tomorrow is the College Milton Loop as first tested two weeks ago. The route to and from the session is straight along the Queensway and turn into West Mains Road after KFC to enter the industrial estate and the loop. Refer to the post from two weeks ago for a more detailed description of the 2.2km loop.

Alan

COVID-19 restrictions reminder

Hello,

With the Senior Harriers been back for nearly 3 weeks of club training with COVID-19 social restrictions I just wanted to remind people of the rules and procedures that were implemented before we started back.

These were created by myself with guidance and support from Scottish Athletics, our committee and East Kilbride Sport Club COVID Coordinator. 

Before members get complacent please read the rules and procedures again (Alan has put quick links on the blog) now that we are back and ask yourself am I following the rules, do I understand them and do you observe other people not following the rules?  If you have any concerns you can approach me, Russell, Anne, Frances, Alison, Alan, Andy & Lorraine who are all committee members wither it's in person, email, WhatsApp or mobile.

So this brings me onto to my key point.  We have agreed in our rules with East Kilbride Sport Club that when we arrive for training we meet in the club gym and not collate at the front door. Also for members to santise there hands upon entering the East Kilbride Sport Club. The door handle to the sports club is metal and if a lot of people keep touching that and not cleaning their hands you are creating a link for the virus.

The sports club doesn't want groups of people hanging about the door which can be intimidating for other users of the club trying to enter or exit and it only takes 1 person to complain.

Stage 3: Arrive for training

• Please arrive between 7.10pm and 7.30pm maintaining a 2m physical distance from everyone else
• Hygiene - On entering the Sports Club please use hand sanitiser situated in the reception area (between toilet doors)
• Packs - Please meet up with your pack in the club gym area. Male members enter through Gents toilets and female members through Ladies toilets.  Join your pack before and during session. Everyone else maintain a 2m physical distance

Stage 4: Training

• Leaving order will be once all members of your pack have arrived you can go
• Leave a 3 minute gap between packs leaving the Sports Club
• Packs will exit Sports Club through the fire exit door in the gym
• Maintain 2m physical distance with other packs when doing all aspects of your training

All this is for everyones safety.

Thank you for reading and take care,

Richard (COVID-Coordinator)

Training Monday 5th October

 After a month or so of hard Monday 10k pace sessions, this weeks session is lighter and slightly faster with relatively longer recoveries. The following reps are to be run at 5k pace:

2 sets of 8 x 1 minute with 1 minute jog recovery. 4 minutes between sets. 

The venue for the reps is Carron Place. Warm up via the Murray roundabout and Kelvin Road to the factories and Carron Place. The cool down to be decided by each pack.

Alan