TTC 2024 Final Arrangements

With only a few days until the TTC all arrangements are in place. For those who have not been on a TTC before, don't worry! We will look after you.

The Venue

We are booked into the Dreadnought Hotel, Station Rd, Callander FK17 8AN. The hotel stands on the corner of Main St (Leny Rd) and Station Rd and cannot be missed. The hotel car park is around the back of the hotel. Drive past the main door of the hotel (with the two lions either side of the door) and then turn left up the narrow alley up the side of the hotel beside the fire escapes. The car park is quite small and there will be other guests, so if possible share cars and park close together (THREE OF THE  HARRIERS (RUSSELL, BILLY & KENNY) ARE IN ANOTHER HOTEL. THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED SEPARATELY BY E-MAIL).

COVID

This is still about. Anyone with symptoms of COVID and/or has a positive test should follow the usual advice and withdraw. There will be other guests in the hotel, so please be respectful and give others adequate space.

Check-In/Check-out

Check-in is from 1600 until 22:30 at the latest (the hotel is not permanently staffed so do not turn up early. It's only the manager so its a bit limited). I will be providing the hotel manager with the rooming list and he will allocate the rooms. I will be there anyway from about 1600 to sort out any issues. As long as one of each pair is there in time to check-in that should be fine. The critical point this year is that we have not got a late check-out. Check-out on Sunday is strictly 11am, otherwise we will be charged for late check-out. The Sunday runs have been adjusted accordingly to make sure that we are back well before the check-out time to have showers etc.

Rooms

The rooms are twin rooms with TV, tea, coffee and a kettle provided. There is an en-suite bath and/or shower in each room and towels. The hotel is a no-smoking establishment. The rooms are all smoke/fire alarmed. Stating the obvious, nobody should bring cooking or other apparatus (e.g. toasters) into the rooms due to the risk of setting off the alarm/sprinkler system (anyone doing so accidentally will be subject to whichever charges the hotel/fire brigade impose).

Dinner

Thanks to those who responded with their dinner choices. I am still waiting on two to respond (and have messaged separately) as the list needs to collated (which takes time and I now have to squeeze that in in the evenings after work) and forwarded to the Lade Inn well in advance of Friday. Dinner is at 19:30 on Friday and Saturday. The Lade Inn is just over 1 mile from the Dreadnought Hotel and there is a pavement the whole way for those who wish to walk. Otherwise we will share cars to/from the Lade Inn. A printed list of who ordered what will be available on each night if you can't remember.

Breakfast

This is a bit of a severe compromise, (the hotel does not have a kitchen they can give us access to for fridges as the bar/restaurant/kitchen has been leased out to a separate business). The hotel does not do breakfasts. So it is the same arrangements as last year. We will provide basic breakfast goods (croissants, marmalade/jam/spread and some porridge pots to which boiling water can be added). We will distribute this from Eddie's room (room number to be advised). Please bring your own plate and cutlery to Eddie's room to collect your breakfast each morning (we will advise the time that Eddie will be "receiving guests"). Bring your own spoon and knife and anything you may require. Return to your room and take your breakfast there. You can of course bring some additional breakfast goods of your own if you have particular preferences but no toasters as this will set off the fire alarms and sprinklers in the rooms!!!! Given the huge size of the portions at the Lade Inn, nobody should really need more than a light, pre-run top-up at breakfast the following morning before or after running. However, for those back in time from the Saturday morning run, I believe the privately run restaurant (McNabs Bar) which now occupies the hotel bar is open for breakfasts (not included in the TTC costs).

Saturday Lunch

Again, a bit of a compromise. We will give everyone a fiver to get your own meal deal from Tesco, the Coop or to spend in any of Callander's many eateries. This has worked well the past two years and the weather should be good for eating al fresco by the riverside. 

T-shirts and Team Photo

The TTC-shirts will be handed out by Frances first thing on the Saturday morning. We will gather outside the hotel for a team photo, resplendent in the T-shirts at about 0815 on Saturday morning. Please be there on time.

The Runs/Sessions

Yes, we will be doing quite a lot of running! All runs are in packs. There are four packs of different abilities. Based on training/injury status, I have drafted initial packs. The pack leaders will be keeping an eye on how everyone is managing and may recommend individuals move up or down a pack before each run. The most important point is that the packs will stick together and nobody will be left on their own. As some of the runs will be "in the middle of nowhere" nobody should run away from their pack if they think it is too slow as the possibility of getting lost is high and we don't have time or energy to go looking for people. Just wait until the next run and you can move up to a faster pack. For those in Eddie's pack, Eddie hasn't done the recce this year as he is in the USA. "What difference will that make to Eddie's navigation" I here you say! Probably none 😁

Your pack leaders will take you through a stretching session after each run. Please do this as it will help ease you off before the next run/session.

 

The first run is on Friday evening, starting at about 17:30. The pre-run briefings will be outside the hotel or in the foyer. If you are going to be late or won't make the Friday run, please let me know in advance (07867863741).

At about 0830 on Saturday, we will do a medium/long run.

Early Saturday afternoon, we will be doing a conditioning, drills and stretching session in the nearby church hall. Please bring a yoga mat or a thick towel as the wooden floor is hard.

On Saturday afternoon we will do a "fun relay" type speed session on grass if the ground has dried out enough. I will also give a brief talk on training if time allows.

At about 0745 on Sunday, we will set off on the longer run. Note that the runs are not weather dependent!

A more detailed timetable will be announced on the Friday evening.

What to Bring

• Cutlery for breakfasts
• Yoga/exercise mat for the conditioning sessions in the church hall.
• Enough running gear for all the runs and sessions. I don't trust any of the forecasts this Summer, so be prepared for warm and/or wet weather. Bring a running jacket (body cover to counteract wind chill and exposure is the main thing here rather than keeping dry) just in case.
• The runs will be on a mixture of road and forestry trails. Road shoes will be fine for most of the runs. The exception is perhaps the "fun relay" which will be on grass. You may wish to bring studded trail shoes for that although road shoes will also be OK if you don't have trail shoes.
• A bum bag or small running back pack to carry gels, water, your jacket and mobile phone for emergencies. Don't bring a big rucksack as that will only handicap you. Only the Sunday run is long enough to require gels/water to be carried.
• Water bottle/carrier and gels if you think you will need them.
• Sunscreen if the forecast looks favourable.
• Glad rags for the Lade Inn dinners.
• Any medication or special food you require (and please let your room mate know where that medication is just in case they have to fetch it for you).

I have probably forgotten something. If you have any questions, please let me know (w.alan.derrick@gmail.com)

Alan