There are only two, possibly three Chatelheraults left this year (daylight becoming limited, particularly if the weather continues to be cloudy and wet), make the most of an easy, post-race lap around Chatelherault. Register as per normal entering "Training Venue" if going direct or "EKSC" if you are needing or giving a lift to Chatelherault.
Alan
So this is the actual pre-race run. As per last week, this will be short and flatish with strides. The route is Strathaven Rd to Greenhills Rd to the fingerposts. Shields Rd past the Kennels and turn left to Auldhouse. Auldhouse to Langlands. Langlands to Sainsburys and onwards to the Strathaven Rd and the club.
As with last week, fit in 6 x about 100m accelerations up to 10 mile pace on flat bits of the course. Each person within the pack take a turn in deciding when each 100m section starts and finishes.
Alan
Martin tells me the Glen is very overgrown. Therefore you may want to head to the Crutherland via Crutherland Gate. Do not run on the Strathaven Rd except for the unavoidable short section from the Crutherland Hotel to the back road junction.
Alan
Monday's session is a threshold session but slightly easier than the previous threshold session as the session has been split up into shorter reps. The session is 6 x 5 minutes with 2 minutes jog recovery. Remember that threshold is a level of effort, not a pace. Just because the reps are shorter, do not go faster. Imagine I had said 2 x 15 minutes threshold i.e. still 30 minutes total duration. The effort level for each rep should be the same as if that was the session. So this will be the effort that you could maintain for about 1 hour in race conditions which means somewhere between 10 mile and 10k effort for most in the club.
The route is reasonably flat. Warm-up through the glen, up onto the road at the Crutherland and around to the corner on the back road where we usually start reps. The first rep will be the toughest one with the hill up to Leaburn Rd but remember it is a level of effort, not a pace, so slow right down on the hill to keep the effort constant. Turn right on Leaburn Rd and carry on to the turning for Auldhouse, go down the hill into the dip and up to Auldhouse Cross (again controlling the effort on the uphill). Turn right at Auldhouse Cross and back via Langlands and Sainsburys to the Strathaven Rd and the club.
Alan
Monday is a return to Chatelherault for a standard, easy paced lap this time. It is worth repeating that the constant ups and downs of Chatelherault make every run around there a great training run as even an easy pace requires and develops strength. So don't push the pace this time. Set yourself little challenges. Mine was always to run all the way to the top of the log jam, something that I never failed to do. Your challenge might be to run the first 10 steps for example and then to get at least that far the next time.
Alan
16/07/2023 - Further Update - we have now reached the funding limit for the TTC hotel places (24 places, still subject to confirmation that the hotel can add 2 extra rooms to our booking). Anyone else registering will be put on the waiting list for cancellations, so do please put your name down if you want to be on that list. There usually are some cancellations.
After a record breaking response, we have effectively filled the TTC in less than a week. Thanks to everyone for your support. We are sitting at 18 of the 20 places where registration is complete and deposit or full amount paid with another 4 with registration complete and deposit to be paid. If those 4 could contact Russell to make the deposit payment or to let Russell know if you have paid on-line to the club account.
If anyone not already registered wants to go, please fill in the registration form and make the payment to Russell. In about a week from now, I shall contact the hotel to add more rooms to our booking based on the total number registered. In the unlikely event that the hotel cannot provide extra rooms, we shall of course fully refund the deposit.
See this post on the blog for the link to the registration form.
Alan
It's a threshold Thursday but at the lower end of threshold rather than the gasping out 3 or 4 words end. The session is 5 x 6 minutes at threshold (controlled discomfort, can't hold a conversation but can say 3 or 4 words) with 2 minutes jog recovery. Remember that threshold is a level of effort, not a pace, so the pace will vary for the same effort depending on hills and wind direction. Don't accelerate too fast at the start of each rep as initially threshold will seem too easy, but give it a couple of minutes into each rep and you will know that you are working when the oxygen deficit starts to kick-in.
Warm-up along Strathaven Rd to Sainsburys and start the first effort at Langlands (where the finish line for the Auldhouse TT is). Run towards Auldhouse and turn left at the cross down the steep hill. Turn right on Leaburn Rd and follow it until it bends to the right and down the steep hill. Turn right at the bottom and then left past the kennels and back along Shields Rd to Greenhills Rd. Return to the club via Greenhills Rd and Strathaven Rd.
Alan
11/07/2023 - List of those registered and deposit paid added towards the end of the post.
Although we still have a few details to sort out with regard to the financing, the Trossachs Training Camp weekend is now open for registration. The event is from around 1730 on Friday 8th September to 1200 on Sunday 10th September and once again we are accommodated in the Dreadnought Hotel, Callander. All of the costs have gone up by around 10% so we have a slight increase in the heavily subsidised cost to participants compared to last year. The cost of the weekend is £95/person. The price includes a shared twin room in the hotel, breakfast goods for Sat/Sun which we shall supply (similar to last year), a lunch voucher for Saturday (alright, it's a fiver, not a voucher) for use in a shop or any of the many eateries near the hotel (the hotel's restaurant has recently been leased to a business who are doing breakfasts/lunches/dinners, so that may be an option but note that it is completely separate to the hotel), 2-course dinners Fri/Sat in the Lade Inn (third course available for extra charge) and the TTC T-shirt. We have an initial block of 10 x twin rooms but can expand this if required.
The format will be similar to previous years:
Friday
17:30 approx - easy run.
19:30 - dinner at Lade Inn
Saturday
08:30 - medium length run
early afternoon - strength/conditioning/mobility
late afternoon - rep session in the form of a relay
19:30 - dinner at Lade Inn
Sunday
08:00 - long run
12:00 - last check-out from hotel
The training is suitable for all levels of running ability as we will be split into four separate packs, each with a leader. Once we see who is signed up, we will finalise the routes for each run and for each pack to be certain that everyone will manage. The pack leaders will be doing a recce of the routes a week or two in advance to be (reasonably) sure they know where they are taking you on the runs.
Please fill in this on-line form if you wish to register. To secure a place on the TTC, please fill in the form and pay either a £40 deposit or the full amount (speak to Russell for payment options). The list of those who have registered and payed at least the deposit is here (it will be updated every few days when I have confirmation of payment from Russell). Registration is on a first pay first served basis.
If you have any questions, please drop me an e-mail (w.alan.derrick@gmail.com).
Alan
Through the Summer the faster sessions are alternating between 5k and 10k pace sessions and added to that keeping regular threshold effort sessions going (which are generally slower than 5k/10k pace).
Monday's session is 18 x 90 seconds at 10k pace/effort with a 45 second jog recovery. Most of this session should feel quite relaxed as each effort is quite short. However, towards the end of the session, the short recoveries will start to take effect. It is therefore important not to start off too fast when you are fresh and then fade when the going gets tough towards the end of the session.
The warm-up is through the glen to the corner at the bottom of the hill at Langlands. Start the reps there and continue to Park farm and on to Leaburn Rd. Turn left and then immediately right and climb up to the cross roads. Turn right and follow the road along the top and all the way back down to Leaburn Rd. Turn right and then left, down into the dip and back up to Auldhouse Cross. Go straight through Auldhouse Cross through the new houses to the fingerposts and back via Greenhills Rd to Strathaven Rd.
Finally, some great times at Auldhouse last Thursday with absolute course bests from both Jason Grant and Julie Thomson. The hard and consistent work is paying off!
Alan
Thursday is the July edition of the Auldhouse TT. Please register for training as normal so that we get a ready made start list. The weather conditions are not looking too bad to provide an opportunity for a good time. Let's try to get more runners than time keepers this time (it should take no more than 2 volunteers to start/time this very small event).
A 5k effort is an extremely good training session for speed endurance to do once in a while (not every week but monthly as we do). So make the most of it. The warm-up is via the Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys. The cool down can be through the glen if it is not bouncing with rain.
Alan
Monday is Chatelherault. This week, try to do this as a fartlek session (a mixture of faster and slower sections of varying durations). The plan is to put a harder effort in on the uphill sections, however short or long the uphill section is, and counting the log jam steps as a hill. The warm-up is the first section along the side of the river and across the big bridge and the first effort starts through the gate and uphill away from the bridge. At the top of each uphill section slow right down to a jog and make sure your pack is together until the next uphill section, however far away that is.
Alan
