Club Training Monday 1st September

With a good number of the club racing at Grangemouth on Sunday, Monday's run is a short, post-race run. The sun is setting too early to go far into the country (which we will be doing on Thursday for the Auldhouse 5kTT). Lets run out to Langlands and then to Auldhouse. Turn right at the cross through the new houses back to Greenhills Rd. Turn right on Greenhills Rd and back to the club via Strathaven Rd. For those who were not racing on Sunday, feel free to add on an extra loop to NEL roundabout, Churchill Avenue to Lidl, up to Whitemoss Roundabout and back to the club via NEL roundabout again. Take it easy throughout.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 28th August

Thursday is another variation and slight progression on our Threshold Thursday theme. The session is 6 x 6 minutes at threshold with a 2 minute jog recovery. We are getting in to a serious total amount of threshold effort in this session with 36 minutes of effort. Given that theoretically, threshold is the effort you could sustain for about an hour in a race situation, then it is expected that towards the end of this session things will be getting a little bit uncomfortable. We are also likely to be lacking daylight. Therefore, this session is partially in the country and partially on the Sainsburys loop.

The route starts the same as Monday night with a warm-up via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys to the Langlands Club House junction. The first rep starts there and heads past the clubhouse to Auldhouse. For those arriving first in Auldhouse, do a complete U-turn at Auldhouse Cross and head back to Langlands via the same route. As everyone else meets the faster runners on their way back, turn around when they pass you and head back to Langlands. The session then completes with laps of the Sainsburys Loop in a clockwise direction. 

As always, listen to your body and try to run to a constant effort, not a constant pace. Going uphill you will be slower than you will going downhill. It is knowing that feeling and where you can push to that makes you a better racer. There is no point looking at the pace on a watch during a race if the course is going up and down, into the wind, out of the wind, on grass, on road, in mud, etc. It is all about being able to know the feeling of effort and where your limit is given that you know the approximate amount of time a race will take and how long you have to sustain that effort for.

Alan

Club Training Monday 25th August

Monday's session builds a little on what we have been doing through the Summer with a familiar session but with reduced recoveries. This is where we find out if the pace of the reps has been in the correct range or if we have to ease back a little to be consistent throughout the session.

The session is 8 x 3 minutes at about 5k effort with a 2 minute jog recovery (note the shorter recovery). If possible, do try to regroup all the packs during the recovery although this will be a little bit more difficult to achieve.

The route starts off in the country to catch the last of the light nights before heading back on the street lit pavements. Run out to the Langlands junction via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys. The first rep starts at the junction and then heads past the Langlands Club House to Auldhouse. Carry on through Auldhouse Cross and turn right past the Kennels. Carry on along Shields Rd to the fingerposts and Greenhills Rd. Turn right at the roundabout at the top of the hill and head down the hill to Sainsburys, following the Sainsburys loop in an anti-clockwise direction. If the reps are finished, then turn right at Greenhills Rd and back to the club via Strathaven Rd.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 21st August

We continue to work on speed as the Autumn racing season approaches. Thursday is the first of the Langlands hill rep sessions. Make the most of the daylight and run out to Langlands via the Glen. The session is 12 x 30 seconds hill reps with a jog down recovery. These should be quite a hard effort. Definitely not sprinting but running fast at something around 5k pace (rather than effort). Focus on a powerful stride using the session to develop strength and power in the legs rather than trying to run up the hill efficiently. After the session, take the direct route back via Sainsburys and Strathaven Rd.

Alan

Club Training Monday 18th August - Chatelherault

Monday is the final Chatelherault of the season unfortunately. As the weather is forecast to be spectacular again tomorrow, we should have plenty of light to start at the usual time (19:30) and finish safely (if it turns out overcast, then we will finish down the tarmac drive rather than taking the left turn back into the woods at the end).

The session is the uphill threshold with easier running in between the hills. The first hill at threshold will be the short one off of the stone bridge.

As usual, select "Training Venue" if going direct to Chatelherault and select "EKSC" if going to the Sports Club first for a lift or to give a lift.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 14th August

The middle of August has arrived already! Thursday is a threshold Thursday. For this one we should be operating at the lower end of threshold which means finishing each and every rep feeling quite fresh and able to easily carry on at the same effort for a considerable time.

The session is 4 x 8 minutes at threshold with a 2:30 jog recovery. The route is out through the glen to Langlands. Start the first rep at the junction and head past the club house and continue on to Auldhouse. Carry on through Audlhouse Cross and turn right past the kennels and onwards to Shields Rd. Continue to Greenhills Rd and return to the club via Strathaven Rd. Light is beginning to fade unfortunately.

Remember that Monday will be our final Chatelherault of this year.

Alan

Not the TTC Sunday Run

As mentioned a couple of months ago, the Trossachs Training Camp is not possible this year due to lack of accommodation. We will instead do a long Sunday run in the Trossachs on Sunday 14th  September, followed by a lunch. Rather than Callander, the runs will be on the other side of the Trossachs in Aberfoyle (Loch Ard Forest). This location gives me a wider range of short and long loops such that none of the packs have to do an out and back route. I suggest we start the runs at 10:00 on 14th September. I shall announce the meeting point in Aberfoyle and confirm the start time once I have decided the various routes.

To allow me to plan the different routes, I need to gather names to work out how many packs there will be and what length of routes we need. The longest loop for the faster packs will be 21 to 24km (depending on where we start). The shorter loops can be 10 to 12km (or even shorter if needed) and intermediate routes somewhere in between are also possible. All the routes will be predominantly on forestry commission gravel roads for which your normal road shoes will be perfect.

After the run, the plan is to have lunch in Aberfoyle or at the Lade Inn. If it is wet (unlikely in the Trossachs), then the best idea may be to return to Callander for a shower at the McLaren Leisure Centre and then go for lunch at the Lade Inn. 

The pack leaders will be joining me for a recce of the routes the weekend before as the trails will be new to everyone (except me). What could possibly go wrong!

Please leave your name in this form if you are intending to go and also indicate if you will stay for lunch. Any questions, then let me know.

Alan

Club Training Monday 11th August 2025

 Monday's session is out on the country roads. We are starting to re-introduce some faster speeds, having built some power with the recent hill rep sessions (more of those to come but not at Auldhouse due to lack of light).

The session is 3 x 3 minutes at 5k pace (3 minute jog recoveries), 3 x 2 minutes at slightly faster than 5k pace (2 minute jog recoveries) and 3 x 1 minutes, slightly faster again (1 minute jog recoveries).

The route is out the glen to the Crutherland, cross over and start the reps at our usual 90 degree corner on the back road. Turn left on Leaburn Rd and then immediately right to continue up the hill to the next junction on the right. Turn right at the junction and follow the top road along to the cross-roads. Turn right and head back down the hill to Leaburn Rd. Turn left and then right down past Park Farm and back to the club via Sainsburys and Strathaven Rd.

Be particularly careful about controlling the effort level such that there is a noticeable step up in effort as the reps get shorter. As the 3 minute efforts are predominantly uphill (sorry for that), the pace will be slower than 5k on the flat but imagine you were running an uphill section in a 5k race and think of the effort level rather than the pace. The later, shorter reps will be predominantly downhill, so try to let yourself go a bit, particularly on the 1 minute reps.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 7th August - Auldhouse TT

Thursday's session is the final daylight Auldhouse 5k TT for this year. The conditions look reasonable; mild, dry with a moderate wind from the West as usual. As always, the intention of the 5kTT is not to get a PB (difficult on that course) but to practice pace judgement as the course is typical of many of the races we do with a range of uphills, downhills and faster flat sections.

Please use the club training registration form as this will form the start list for the race.

Alan

Club Training Monday 4th August - NOT Chatelherault

Given the forecast for strong winds throughout today, it is likely that the risk of falling trees and branches will still be high by this evening, although the peak winds should have fizzled out by 19:30. Therefore, the venue is changing to the streets of EK rather than Chatelherault. This will be exposed to the wind but I am trying to keep the route on main streets avoiding overhanging trees as far as possible. Do be vigilant for trip hazards caused by fallen debris, so do not run too close to the person in front so you can see what is coming up.

The route reps will be on the Stewartfield loop. Warm-up down Churchill Avenue, past the railway station and up into Stewartfield. Climb up to the T-junction at the mini-roundabout at the top of Stewartfield Rd and cross over to the pavement. The first rep starts here in a clockwise direction around the Stewartfield loop. The session is as intended, 6 x 6 minutes at threshold, 2 minutes jog recovery. As threshold is a level of effort rather than a pace, it does not matter that it is windy. When running into the wind, the pace will be slower at threshold effort and vice versa with a tail wind.

Alan

Unfortunately we are approaching the end of our 2025 Chatelherault season. Probably just one more after this week. The session is once again 6 x 6 minutes at threshold with 2 minutes jog recovery, starting the first rep from the far side of the stone bridge. This purpose of the session is to develop the ability to operate with a sustained discomfort and to push the point at which that discomfort starts (breathing elevated, two or three words can be spoken at a time) to a higher speed. This takes months of regular threshold sessions to make the physiological changes and this is indeed why threshold sessions are a regular part of our training throughout the year.

As usual, select "training venue" on the registration form if going direct to Chatelherault, otherwise select "EKSC" if giving or needing a lift from the sports club.

Alan