WHW Bus Pick-up Times

The minibus will do the rounds early on the Saturday morning of the WHW relay according to the following schedule:

Anne/Alan/Michael        4:00am          St Leonards Rd

Frances/Geo/Richard      4:10am          Queensway

Billy/Kenny                    4:15am           Murray Rd

Jim                                  4:15am           Kelvin Rd

Gerry/Gordon                 4:20am           Stroud Rd

Chris/Davie/Kevin         4:25am           Greenhills Rd Morrisons

Julia/Jacqueline              4:30am           Greenhills Square

Any complaints/questions/regrets, see Eddie!

Alan

Club Training Thursday 28th April

Thursday's session has a 10k focus. The session is 6 x 4 minutes at 10k pace with a 2 minute jog (pack regroup) recovery. For those with a recent 10k under your belt, you should know the pace/effort to aim for. Ideally program the interval session into your watch so that the splits are accurately recorded.

Carry out the session starting the first rep at the bottom of the steep hill at Langlands and from there following the Auldhouse 5k loop. When you get to the finish of the 5k, continue back towards the Sainsburys loop and use the Sainsburys loop in a clockwise direction to finish the last rep or two.

The warm-up is along the Strathaven Road and around by Sainsburys to Langlands.

Alan

Club Training Monday 25th April

Monday sees our long-awaited return to our fortnightly session at Chatelherault Country Park. For those who have not participated in a Harriers training run at Chatelherault before, either go direct to the car park off to the right of the main drive from the main entrance at Fernigair Rd (see the post from last week for a map) ready to run at 7:30pm or be at EK Sports Club at 7pm sharp to share cars to Chatelherault. If you are going direct to Chatelerhault, select the "Training Venue" option on the training registration form; if you are going from the Sports Club, select the "EKSC" option. This will give us an idea of how many cars and who to wait on before the packs start their runs. It is particularly important that everyone sticks to their designated packs for this run as we have lost people on this route before (even Harriers who have been there motre than once). Please do not race and do not drop anyone from your pack. In selecting the packs, I aim to have at least two members of each pack who I know are very familiar with the 7 mile lap of Chatelherault. Could everyone please check the published pack list and hence know who is expected to turn up.

The Chatelherault lap is a steady pack run. Even at an easy pace, this lap builds stamina and strength; it is not about speed.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 21st April

Thursday's session is a town & country easy run. It is particularly important to stick to designated packs such that people aren't hanging on to a pack that is too fast for them or on the other hand having too easy a run.

The route is through the Glen to Langlands, past the golf course club house and on to Auldhouse. Right turn at Auldhouse Cross and on through the new houses to the fingerpost and then Greenhills Rd. Turn left up to Greenhills roundabout, down Lickprivick and back to the club via The Murray Rd, Crooked Lum, etc.

Alan 

Chatelherault Training Starts Next Monday

Our fortnightly training session at Chatelherault Country Park recommences on Monday 25th April and fortnightly thereafter, the final session (daylight allowing) being on Monday 29th August. It was 2019 we were last there for club training so goodness knows what the 7 mile loop looks like now!

This is a 7 mile undulating loop on trails. Meet in the car park (see the centre of this Google Map) on the right hand side of the drive when entering Chatelherault Country Park off the Fernigair Road entrance at 7:30pm ready to run. For those without transport, meet at EK Sports Club ready to leave at 7pm and some of the Harriers will come by to give you a lift to Chatelherault.

Alan

Round the Houses 10k Race Report

No doubt impacted by the Easter holiday weekend and a few injuries/illnesses, we had only 6 Harriers running in Grangemouth today (well actually 1 x GU Hare & Hound + 5 x Calderglen Harriers as the university had first claim over Chris today). This event was also the British Masters 10k Championship and hence there were also championship medals up for grabs for those over the age of 35.

First Harrier across the line was Chris McCarron in the guise of a GU Hare & Hound in an excellent time of 36:45. Chris told me he was aiming for sub-36 and was just on for that at half way but faded a little in the second half. Still a good step forward and 6th in the Scottish University Championships.

Next across the line and returning from illness so not race fit and sensibly not pushing to the limit was Julie Beveridge in a time of 44:16 which not only led our ladies F35 team to silver in the British Masters championship but also the W40 bronze in the British Masters championship. Well done Julie.

The four remaining Harriers were extremely well matched from the start but Frances Ferguson and Gordon McInally were particularly close throughout with Gordon doing his usual close shadowing of Frances. Unfortunately, Frances tweaked a calf muscle on the short, sharp ascent over a footbridge and this somewhat slowed her during the second half. However, it was only within the final km that Gordon caught and passed Frances, recording his second fastest 10k time ever of 46:20. Meanwhile Frances was rolling back the years with a 20 year rejuvenation at the registration desk to qualify as a counter in our F35 to F44 team and all without the aid of a plastic surgeon. Makes the entry fee look like very good value!  Frances finished in 46:23 and was second counter in our silver medal winning F35 team and also achieved a 10k silver performance standard to add to an already impressive season.

Jim Holmes is not yet back into full, consistent training and was disappointed in how he faded in the second half of the race. Still, the race would be another good training session and Jim will benefit from that. Jim's time was 46:51. Alison Lessells is also not back into full training and used this race as a reality check. Still, not a bad reality check when it comes with a British Masters silver team medal, an individual W35 silver medal and a time of 47:50 which Alison will take many minutes off when she gets back into consistent training.

Russell Couper resisted the temptation to run for now and joined me in cheering the Harriers on.

Well done all. As I said in the post announcing this race, you've got to be in it to win it and our ladies proved that once again. both individually and as a team. So be confident, be competitive, support your club and get your names down for our future Grand Prix races.

There are a load of photos in this album.

Full open race results here.

Full BMAF Championship results here.

BMAF individual and team medalists here.

Alan

Club Training Monday 18th April

Monday's session is a return to an old favourite, the 3 minute out and back reps with stand still recoveries. The session starts at the main gate into Sainsbury's distribution centre. The first 3 minute effort starts at the gate and then follow the Sainsbury's loop on the pavement in a clockwise direction for 3 minutes at 5k pace. Stop and stand still where your 3 minutes finishes and rest for 1 minute. Then turn around and run back for 3 minutes in the opposite direction at the same pace. If paced correctly, then everyone should finish at the gate into Sainsburys where the first rep started. Do 6 x 3 minutes in total (i.e. 3 pairs of out and backs). The juniors should manage all of this session.

Take the usual warm-up along the Strathaven Rd and then around to the Sainsbury main gate. Those who were racing yesterday, just do the session at an easier pace than 5k race pace.

Alan

STRATHAVEN HALF MARATHON

 For those wishing to take part in the Run with the wind Strathaven half the entries are nearly full so get in quick. This is a Grand Prix event.

ROUND THE HOUSES GRANGEMOUTH 10K

 For those racing on Sunday I will be there to take note of any jokers (havent decided if i will take a saunter round the course) For those entered through the BMAF remember that you collect your number from the BMAF table and not the general registration tables. If anyones not going can you let me know so we can register whos in what team as we need to register these too.

Russell

2022 MEMBERSHIP FEES

 Were now well into April and weve still got many that have still to renew their membership fees. Please can you make arrangements to bring your fees up to date. If anyone has any issues please feel free to talk to me if you need a different arrangement. If you no longer intend to keep your membership if you could let me know.

Russell

Club Training Thursday 14th April

This week's Thursday run is also a 10k preparation run ahead of the Grangemouth 10k this Sunday.  The session is a continuous easy run with 2 x 5 mins at 10k pace with 3 minute jog in between. The route is as follows:

Strathaven Rd to NEL Roundabout and then down the Queensway. At the Debenhams roundabout, use the underpasses to transfer across onto the left hand side of the Queensway. Then start a 5 minute 10k pace effort in your pack all the way down the Queensway to the roundabout at the junction with Hairmyres Rd where you turn left and then left again at the next roundabout onto Westwood Rd. When your 5 minute effort is finished, jog for 3 minutes. Then go into a second 5 minute effort at 10k pace along Westwood Rd. Turn left at Murrayhill and continue to the Debenhams roundabout. This time turn right through the underpasses back onto the Queensway and back up to the NEL roundabout and back to the club.

Given the wide range of abilities and the relatively long reps, it is important to run in the assigned packs so that nobody gets isolated.

Alan

WHW WEEKEND

 The bus is now full for the WHW relay run. Frances needs the balance by 14th April. Anyone wanting to do a bank transfer should contact Frances for details.

Manchester Marathon 2022

In total, there were 8 Harriers competing in the marathon. This included 2 first timers and 2 PB’s. The team included Gerry McParland (2:58:31), Ian Rae (3:46:16), Julie Thomson (3:59:24, even though Strava made it faster because she did an extra half mile), John Mullen (4:07:55), Carly Reid (4:24:34), Anne McLellan (4:29:56) and me (4:52:52). Both Julie and Anne recorded a PB. Kevin Farmer also competed but realised 6 miles in that he did not have another 20 miles in him at that point. Just as well he realised at 6 and not 16. That would have been a very long walk home. Kevin had done some great training runs; it is just a shame he did not get to finish the last wee bit. Always another marathon Kevin. In more disappointing news, Richard Beaton (dad) tested positive for Coronavirus on the Tuesday before the race and was unable to run or join us. Silver lining though, Carly and I got a free room since he didn’t have free cancelation. At least he got a lovely £400 t-shirt and finished the run training for Keswick half Iron Man in the summer. 

The 26.2-mile course involved a lot of out and back which I personally don’t like too much in a race. Its hard seeing faster people nearly finished when you still have half a race to go. The good thing was that it gave lots of us a chance to shout a hello when we saw another black and yellow vest which is always nice to see. 

Our day ended with dinner in the Salford Quays Harvester, and I got my roast dinner I had been going on and on about to poor Julie for weeks. I just think it is nice to have a goal. 

Another special well done to a new Harrier recruit, Emma Hughes, and her partner Big John Elerby who are dad and I’s training partners from G72 Tri. They ran together in Emma’s first (and not last) marathon in 4:37:26. Emma has President McLellan’s permission to join, and she plans

For me, this was a day I was dreading. I hated the training, I hated the anticipation, and I hated the pressure of it. Luckily for me, the first 20 miles of the race were actually not too bad. I consulted with Coach Alan beforehand and was given a plan to help me get through it. The plan was to run 3 miles and walk for 5 minutes, forcing me to recover (a little), refuel and take some water. I did this the full time until I saw the long awaited 20-mile post. And then I was angry it didn’t say 26 miles. Who cares, it’s over and I had a fab weekend. 

A very big thank you to everyone who accompanied every one of us on our long runs. They would be miserable to do alone. Special thanks to Starky who would often do my long run and then join Julie for hers the same weekend. Ultra-running is mad, but it makes them good cheerleaders. Thank you to everyone for their constant support and kind messages to us all. We were very touched. 

Enjoy a lovely picture of my dog wearing my medal and carrying my welcome home present, keys.

Morgan

 

Club Training Monday 11th April

On Monday we are back on the 10k race preparation phase of training. The session has an option for the juniors who are in attendance.

The session once again returns to the Calderglen Harriers 400m track i.e. Langlands Place and is 6 x 800m at 10k pace with 1 minute static recoveries (or jog around in the vicinity of the start/finish area, whatever helps you recover best). As the total distance is less than half race distance, once again I will say that you should finish feeling like you could do a lot more and not hammer yourself into the ground, which is the main error that most non-club and club runners make, believing that the more wasted you are at the end of a session, the more the session has done for you. Mistake!!! All that achieves is reduces the volume of training you can do through the week as it takes much longer to recover. Consistent aerobic volume of training is what makes the real difference to race performance. Furthermore, doing the reps too fast most likely leads to starting the race too fast and blowing up as you are not tuned into the proper race pace. 

The juniors should do 4 x 800m and then jog about until the seniors finish their session.

A reminder of what 10k pace is over 800m:

• 34:00 10k = 2:42 per 800m
• 36:00 10k = 2:52 per 800m
• 38:00 10k = 3:02 per 800m
• 40:00 10k =   3:12 per 800m
• 42:00 10k = 3:21 per 800m
• 45:00 10k = 3:36 per 800m
• 50:00 10k = 4:00 per 800m
• 55:00 10k = 4:24 per 800m
• 60:00 10k = 4:48 per 800m

Know what pace you should be running in advance of the session and take some satisfaction from hitting the target pace and not just going as fast as you can.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 7th April

Continuing with this recovery week, Thursday's run is an easy run down the Queensway to the Holiday Inn and then along the Stewartfield bypass to Kingsgate and back up the Kingsway. As always, easy runs should be genuinely easy so that the hard runs can be hard. So take it easy.

Alan

Club Training Monday 4th April

The time has come for a recovery week. Monday's session is an easy pack run from the club to the Murray roundabout and then all the way along the Murray Rd to the Westwood Rd and then turn right towards the Queensway and back up the Queensway to the club.

Remember that training is back to a 19:30 start.

Alan