Club Training Thursday 17th September

As we enter the winter season of building endurance and strength, it is never too early for a Harriers' traditional route, the 4 hills. So that is what it is tonight. This is between 9 and 10 miles but feels tougher due to the (at least) 4 hills. Start off easy until reaching East Mains Rd (immediately after Market Hill) and then for every subsequent hill pick up the effort on the uphill part to a steady effort, easing back at the top of the hill. There are more than 4 hills on the route ranging from short, sharp hills (Dunedin) to longer drags (Lickprivick). Keep the effort the same irrespective of the length of the hill. This means not going too hard on the shorter hills. There are obvious cut-off's for those who are not ready for approximately 10 miles, specifically when reaching the Queensway, taking the direct route back to the club from there cuts off a few miles and hills.

Alan

Club Training Monday 14th September

Monday's session is a reintroduction to Langlands Place and some 5k paced reps. It's just a short session to get us started. As Langlands Place is pretty flat, it provides the perfect opportunity to focus on good running form and perfect, even pacing (unless its windy).

The session is 10 x 200m at 5k pace with 200m jog recovery (i.e. half of Langlands Place per rep and the other half jog recovery before turning around and repeating on the way back along Langlands Place. Warm-up and cool down via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys.

Note that next Monday will be the first of the fortnightly Brancumhall XC sessions if there is enough interest.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 10th September

Thursday's session sees a return to the winter night venues. This week it is Carron Place for a threshold session. The warm-up is via Murray Roundabout and Kelvin Rd, Stroud Rd and Singer Rd to the post box on Carron Place.

Then it is 6 x 1 lap reps at threshold with a 2 minute jog recovery. Continue jogging round the lap on your recovery and your next rep starts and ends wherever you are after 2 minutes of jogging. As we are back on the pavements for the Singer Rd stretch of each rep and that is traditionally poorly lit and rough under foot, be very careful and don't run too close together so you can see where you are putting your feet.

The cool down is up Singer Rd to Greenhills Rd and back to the club via Strathaven Rd.

Alan

Club Training Monday 7th September

Monday's session is the final session on the country roads for this year. It is 6 x 1 minute hill reps at Langlands Hill with a jog down recovery.  The objective is the same as always..... Consistency! Reach the same point on the hill on each rep. Take the usual direct route via Sainsburys to the start and on the way back. Wear something bright to be safe.

On Thursday, we are on a threshold session at Carron Place.

Alan

WEST DISTRICT XC RELAYS

 This years West District XC relays will be held in Kilmarnock at the Athletics arena on 10th Oct

The junior races will be a mix of u/14, u/16, u/18 in that order although they can step up one age group

U/20, seniors and masters will run together in the same teams

Young females @ 11.00am (3 x 2.8k legs), Young males @ 11.45am  (3 x 2.8k legs)

Ladies @ 13.00 (3 x 4k  legs) and Men @ 14.15 (4 x 4k  legs)

Cost is £21 for a junior team and £8.50 for u/20, senior and masters per head. 

Payment should be made at the same time as adding your name.

If you want to race i need names by Tuesday 22nd Sept

Please make sure your SA number is valid on the 22nd Sept and race day 10th Oct. The system does not allow entry if not.

Please register your name HERE. Those registered are listed HERE

Club Training Thursday 3rd September - Auldhouse 5k TT

It's the final Auldhouse TT of the season. This one will be at least partially in the dark, so do please wear bright, reflective clothing and bring a head torch. This final one starts and finishes in Auldhouse rather than at Langlands although it is the same loop as usual. The different start/finish is a test of your pace judgement as the big hill comes just before the finish rather than half way around. Do you save something for that or not?

Please fill in the training registration form as this will form the start list uploaded to the timing app. We have had a brilliant participation in the Auldhouse 5k series this year, so let's finish on a high too.

Alan

Club Training Monday 31st August

As mentioned last week, the session this Monday is another hill rep session on Langlands hill. The session is 8 x 45 seconds with a jog down recovery. This is a slight progression in total training volume compared to the session 10 days or so ago. As usual, the aim is absolute consistency during each rep i.e. constant pace from start to finish of each 45 seconds and consistency between reps i.e. reaching the same point on the hill at the end of each 45 seconds. The warm-up/cool-down is the direct route from/to the club via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys. Before the session starts, do a few gentle acceleration strides over about 50m along the flat road at the bottom of the hill towards Park Farm.

Thursday's session is the final Auldhouse 5k of the year. This is the dark one which starts and finishes in Auldhouse rather than Langlands but otherwise follows the usual loop in the usual direction. Time to get your head torches and reflective tops looked out.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 27th August

Thursday's session is a longish, easy run which for almost the final time also makes use of the roads around Auldhouse. The route is initially the same as Monday's run, so Strathaven Rd, Sainsburys, Langlands Club House to Auldhouse Cross. However, turn right at Auldhouse Cross, past the new houses and back to Greenhills Rd. Turn left and head up Greenhills Rd (on the right hand side of the road) to Greenhills roundabout. Turn right and down Lickprivick and back to the club via Murray Rd. This should be an easy, conversational run. As light will be fading by the end, be particularly careful about where you are putting your feet on the wonderful pavements of EK. No fallers please!

Next week we will be on hill reps on Monday and the final Auldhouse TT on Thursday.

Alan

Club Training Monday 24th August

Monday's session is making the most of the fading light with a run that briefly heads into the country. The session is 8 x 3 minutes at 5k race effort with a 2:30 jog recovery (note the reduced recovery). Head along Strathaven Rd and round by Sainsburys to the Langlands junction where the reps start. The first rep passes Langlands club house, heading towards Auldhouse. Go straight through Auldhouse Cross and the turn right past the kennels. Follow Shields Rd to Greenhills Rd and head back to Strathaven Rd and the club.

It's quite a short run overall but the important part of the session is the repetition series. Keep the effort consistent although the pace will vary depending on the hills.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 20th August

Thursday's session is the start of our strength endurance block, initially using the hill at Langlands. After a direct warm-up there via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys, the session is 10 x 30 sec hill reps with a jog down recovery. To do the session to perfection, every rep should take you to the same place on the hill; no prizes for saving it all to the last couple of reps to sprint up the hill. It is not a race; everyone has their own level of effort that they can maintain consistently for 10 reps. Cool down via the reverse of the warm-up.

Alan

Club Training Monday 17th August - Chatelherault - the final one for 2026

Thursday's session is, unfortunately, the final Chatelherault of this year due to failing daylight. Because of that, we must start the session 20 minutes earlier i.e. start heading from the car park to the start at 19:10 sharp and start the first pack off with minimal delay. Furthermore, if it is a very overcast night, then miss out the last loop through the woods and continue down the tarmac path to the start/finish at the bridge. The faster packs will probably be OK to do the loop through the woods.

Due to the fading light, the efforts are in the first half only before crossing the gorge at the green bridge before the log jam. The second half is an easy, recovery run. The session is 2 minutes on at threshold, 2 minutes off (jog), starting from the left turn at the top of the short hill after going onto the path off of the first stone bridge. The efforts end at the top of the steep, long descent down to the green bridge before the log jam. As it is 2 minutes at threshold rather than 5k or 10k pace, they should feel quite comfortable.

It is probably a little early for me to make it through on time, so just start if I am not there.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 13th August

Making the most of the light nights, Thursday's run is a long, steady run in the country. This week's "steady" is something a little slower than half marathon effort, so quite a bit easier than 10k effort and definitely easier than threshold. The route is through the glen and up onto Strathaven Rd at the Crutherland and across onto the back roads. Keep the pace easy until you get to our usual effort corner and then pick it up a little to steady. Follow the road to the junction at Leaburn Rd and then turn left and immediately right and continue climbing. Turn right at the first junction and carry on along the top road. Carry straight through the cross-roads and just follow the top road as it eventually turns right and leads back to Leaburn Rd. Turn right and left and down the dip and up to Auldhouse cross. Turn right and return to the club via Langlands and Sainsburys.

Alan

Club Training Monday 10th August

I can't under emphasise how big an impact threshold sessions have on our fitness as long as they are not done too frequently. Whereas last Monday's uphill threshold at Chatelherault consisted of many, relatively short threshold efforts with long recoveries, this Monday's session is more structured and uses reps of longer duration. The session is 4 x 6 minutes at threshold with 2 minutes jog recovery, remembering that threshold is a level of effort and not a specific pace when the sessions are on hilly roads.

The route is a warm-up to the bottom of the hill just after the Auldhouse 5k start line via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys. From there run past Park Farm to Leaburn Rd, turn right and keep going along Leaburn Rd until it turns downhill. At the bottom of the hill, turn right and then left past the kennels and along Shields Rd back to Greenhills Rd and back to the club. Should be a good night weatherwise.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 6th August - Auldhouse TT

It is time for the August Auldhouse 5km Time Trial and it looks like this will be the best night of the week weatherwise with mild temperatures although still quite windy. This is the final daylight edition of the TT and a chance to aim for perfect pacing based on your experience of the previous 3 months. Please register for training as usual on the registration form as this pack list will be imported into the timing software in advance.

I'll see you there.

Alan

Club Training Monday 3rd August - Chatelherault

Unfortunately, this is the second last Chatelherault session of this year as "the nights are fair drawing in". For this one the intention is to do the uphill fartlek session where on every hill that is more than say 20m long pick the pace up a little bit to a threshold type effort and then relax back down to an easy pace over the top of each hill. The first such effort starts as usual once we are over the first stone bridge.. This will probably be the last effort session of the year at Chatelherault as the failing light on the final session will probably mean that we need to take it a bit easy to see where we are putting our feet.

As usual, select "Training Venue" on registration app if going direct to Chatelherault or select "EKSC" if leaving from the sports club.

For those who were racing 10k+ on Saturday/Sunday, treat it as an easy run.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 30th July

Thursday's session is a return to some light reps at 10k pace/effort. The session is 10 x 2 minutes with a 2 minute jog recovery during which regroup as far as is possible.

The warm-up is through the glen to Strathaven Rd, up to the Crutherland and then across the road to the backroad. Start the session at the usual 90 degree left hand corner. At Leaburn Rd turn right and continue to the second junction on the right, down the dip and up to Auldhouse Cross. Turn right and return to the club via Langlands and Sainsburys.

Alan

Club Training Monday 27th July

After a good 4 week block of club sessions where every session has involved some sort of effort, Monday's run is a more relaxed, steady run (i.e. not conversational easy but not as fast as threshold either; think something like half marathon to marathon effort). The route is one we did a couple of weeks ago and is a route that I like, not that I have done it for years. This is what we used to call "The Studios" run. So, its out Greenhills Rd to the fingerposts and then along Shields Rd, taking the second on the right at the bottom of the hill and then first left and follow that country road as it winds and climbs back up to a 90 degree left hand bend which then leads back to Auldhouse Cross a few km later. Carry on through Auldhouse cross and back to the club via Langlands and Sainsburys. As we enter our last month of country road runs, make the most of it!

Alan

Club Training Thursday 23rd July

As I try to make our training such that we are regularly exposed to the full range of paces relevant to improving our race ability over the 5k to marathon range, Thursday's session is back onto the faster pace drop-down session of 2 x 3 minutes, 2 x 2 minutes, 2 x 1 minute and 2 x 30 seconds with the pace increasing as the reps get shorter, starting off with 10k pace for the 3 minute efforts, 5k pace for the 2 minute efforts, 3k pace for the 1 minute efforts and a bit faster again for the 30 second efforts. The jog recoveries equal the duration of the preceding rep. If the rep is up a steep hill, then rather than, for example, 10k pace for the rep, it should be 10k race effort ie don't try to maintain the same pace up the hill. 

The warm up is via Sainsburys to Langlands club house junction. Start the first rep there heading past the club house and into Auldhouse. Straight through Auldhouse cross and turn right at the Kennels. Carry on along Shields Rd to the fingerposts and then double back on yourself past the new houses heading back towards Auldhouse Cross. Turn left at Auldhouse Cross and back to Langlands and back to the club via Sainsburys. A little bit of a variation on familiar roads.

Alan

Club Training Monday 20th July - Chatelherault

Monday's Chatelherault session is a threshold session again, which means very controlled only slightly uncomfortable efforts. However, this week, the efforts are broken up into 3 minute segments with one minute jog recoveries. The session starts after crossing the stone bridge and continues for 8 reps. Most of the reps should be done before the log jam, although as usual, one of the reps will probably coincide with the log jam!

Please select "Training Venue" on the registration form if going direct to Chatelherault for 19:30 or select "EKSC" if leaving from the sports club at 19:00.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 16th July

Thursday's session is a little bit different to our usual longish rep session being based on distance per rep rather than time. The session will be carried out over two laps of the Auldhouse 5k course and therefore involves a variety of hills and flatter sections. The warm-up is the usual warm-up via Sainsburys to the start of the 5k loop. The session is alternating 1km at 10k race effort, 1km float (i.e. take the foot off the gas and run slightly easier but not easy conversational). The mathematicians amongst you will have worked out that over two laps of the 5k course, this will result in 5 x 1km at 10k race effort and 5 x 1km float. It's a tough session but should be less tough than running a 10k race if you pace it correctly.

Alan