McANDREW ROAD RELAYS ( CANCELLED )

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
The McAndrew Road Relay will take place on Saturday 19th Sept with a start time of 1pm
Cost will be £5 per head with an additional £2 if your SA number is out of date.
Fee should be paid in advance.
Teams are 4 for men and 3 for Ladies.
Names are required by training on Thursday 17th Sept or beforehand on here.
If you wish entered please leave your name HERE.
Those already entered are listed HERE.

Harriers Racquet Report - 06/09/15

The long awaited and eagerly anticipated (by some) Harriers tennis tournament was blessed by an absolutely glorious morning of blue skies and sunshine; would the assorted Harriers' tennis skills be equally as dazzling!

The answer to this was never in doubt and with Samantha and Liz there to do their official sports photographer roles the proof as they say is in the “pictures”. I think they thought they were on a bonus per picture taken as there are a delightful number of photos to browse through, just make sure you have some time to spare before clicking on the links supplied below. Normally I would put some captions to appropriate photos but in this case words fail me and we could have a caption contest with no problem, quite honestly the mind boggles. On the whole these were definitely not posed but more your actual “action” man /woman scenarios.

Anyway the format was simple, we had 16 professional tennis players, and 4 courts, result – Doubles matches to keep everybody amused at all times, as all were Harriers, (Frank ,Jean and Shirley made associate members of the club for the day) there would be no problems with fitness for the number of matches to be played. It may be the fact that most, if any, rallies were short that there was not too much running in evidence at any one time.

Rules; each player to serve for one service game and at the end of 4 games points awarded for the number of games won. The doubles partnerships were rearranged after each 4 game match and after 7 matches the 8 players with the most points moved into a semi final and final play off.

The initial partnerships were drawn out of the “hat” and after that Eddie did a great job of new pairings, ensuring nobody played with the same partner twice.

Eddie also kept a note of the scores and the running point’s total, so while we were all enjoying ourselves he was left with pressure of keeping things moving according to schedule and mental arithmetic to cope with. As usual Eddie did not disappoint and deserves sincere thanks for his efforts on the day, especially as we know he was desperate to play but had been ruled out by injury.

The initial 16 were whittled down to the 8 for the semi- finals and there were a few surprised and pleased faces when the names were announced.

The crowd of Ruth and Emma swelled by the late arrival of Geo were just delirious with excitement by this time!! Even Sandra was out from her catering duties to be amazed by what was on offer and Samantha and Liz could hardly stop their fingers from clicking in anticipation of what was to come. The cream of the crop was on display, what would be the outcome of this clash of giants from the tennis world.

Well the semis were played in a tense atmosphere, a cauldron of pressure to equal Andy Murray playing for Wimbledon and the finalist turned out to be The Pocket Rockets  - Hugh and Billy against the Boy Band Jim and Phil.

Well the answer would have been in the final photo but one of the Winners was shy of publicity and had to leave sharply, so the answer is that the Boy Band of Jim and Phil were on song and are the worthy Champions of the Harriers Tennis tourney 2015.

A final thanks to Sandra and Eddie for their sterling support on the day. Without you both, things would not have went nearly so smoothly. Also to Samantha and Liz your photos speak volumes to your dedication to your profession. And the final "finally", a huge thanks to Alan McLellan, without whom this tournament would not have taken place. Alan arranged for us to have access to the tennis courts and loaned us rackets and balls, even coaching some of the players (who did not win). Were it not for a cycling injury (see Harriers trying other sports!), he would have been there umpiring too. So a big thanks to Alan.
Billy

Samantha's photos here.
Liz's photos here.
Results:

National Mid-Trail Race - Falkland Estate

Race Elevation Profile added to end of post.
A team of 10 Harriers made what is now a regular journey through to Falkland on Saturday for the National Mid-Trail Race Championships. Summer made a belated appearance with glorious, warm sunshine present for the whole day. With all the Harriers present and registered we headed off for a recce of the start of the course. For the previous two years, this course had been flat or slightly downhill for the first 1 or 2km but this year the race started with 1.5km up a very steep hill on the first loop and then back up that same hill a second time on the second long loop. It would have been a nasty shock if we had not checked out that hill during the warm-up. Unfortunately during that warm-up George Stewart's dodgy calf packed in only 200m into a very gentle jog and his race was over before it had even started. This was a real pity as George is very much a local celebrity on the running scene in Fife as he does so many races over there. Frances Maxwell was our only lady running today and was facing the "15km" course for the first time, the ladies having previously covered a 10km course in this championship. Stephen Phimister, Geo Ferguson and Jim Holmes were also making their first appearances on this course whereas Joe Shiels was making his first appearance in a Harriers' vest; a tough race to make your debut on. Alan Derrick, Russell Couper, Billy Buchanan and Kenny Leinster were back on the course for their second or third times so knew pretty well what was facing them.

At 2pm we were ready for the off but unusually this race did not start behind a line. Instead the start was "neutralised" as the organisers were not allowed to start the race out on the estate road. The starter walked the entire field en-masse from a field through a gate onto the estate road at which point we were allowed to start running as we each passed through the gate. Very unusual! I was aware of 3 or 4 other M50's in the field who were also selected for Scotland so knew this would not be an easy race in my age  group. I therefore decided to start more quickly than I have in recent races to try to get to the narrow path on the first ascent first and not to get blocked in. This strategy seemed to work and I soon found myself in a group of 4 on the ascent with the first two ladies and a younger Cambuslang runner. After the first 1.5km of climbing, the route dived steeply back down a forest path which was reasonable underfoot but still risky at the speed we were descending at. After a long descent, we found ourselves back on the muddy, twisty ascent that had been used in previous years going all the way back up to the same elevation we had just descended.

By this time my group had reduced to three, me and the two ladies. We emerged onto a forest road and immediately turned left and downhill to join the famous beech hedge lined path which took us back to the steep road we had first run up. Then we were back up that first hill again, this time carrying on up beyond the steep downhill path and onto the main forest road climb with which we are very familiar. At this stage one of my main M50 rivals, Jim Buchanan from Dumfries Running Club, breezed onto my shoulder and I knew already that I had overcooked the first loop in my eagerness to get to the first hill first. The pack soon became four as the second lady dropped off but the Cambuslang runner was back with us too. We stuck together all the way along the forest road and on the long descent at the far end but I was only just hanging on on the downhills. We then came to the bit that we all dread, the steep, sandy path (with a fallen tree to jump over this time too) that climbed back to the forest road. We were all power walking on the steepest bit but my quads were done in and I dropped back 10 or 20 seconds behind. As I emerged onto the forest road, I had no problem getting back into my running but the damage was done and I could not close that gap. At 11km, just before the final descent, I was surprised to see Robert Gilroy running towards me with some other leaders and I cursed myself for not checking the course map beforehand. Surely there was not another loop back up this hill again. With less than 4km to go, I could not see how they could fit another loop in so just thought that Robert was so far ahead that he was on a cool down! Wrong. Robert and 3 or 4 others from the leading packs had gone off course somewhere. Oh well, nothing I could do about that.

The final 3km (it turned out the course was 14km rather than 15km) absolutely flew by as it was downhill all the way and the pace hit 5 minute miling. Unfortunately I was only gradually closing the gap to the pack in front who were also flying and my chance of winning the M50 title was gone. Running at that speed over quite a long distance was a real thrill though and soon I was at the sharp 90 degree bend through the farm gate and a further 50m through the field to the finish line. A quick conflab with Jim Buchanan confirmed that he was first M50 and I was second and that a handful of leaders had gone off course so I was also 8th overall, much to my surprise in a time of 56:15.

Behind me Stephen Phimister was having a fine run, despite niggling foot pain and completed the course in 65:09 (the official times from after the first 10 or so are really messed up; this is the time from Stephen's own watch), cheered on by his son and daughter. Jim Holmes demonstrated his returning form, finishing in 65:26 (tbc) and must surely have had Stephen in his sights. Kenny Leinster and Billy Buchanan had a race long tussle with Kenny just about throwing away the win by stopping at the gate rather than running into the field as Billy closed up behind him. Startled into action by our shouts, Kenny somehow got going again and crossed the line just ahead of Billy in 67 minutes (from his own watch) with Billy only seconds behind.

Geo Ferguson really relished the challenge this course posed and, as he has done so often recently, finished powerfully in (time tbc) with Joe Shiels only 5 or 6 seconds behind. Frances Maxwell is also piling in the marathon training miles just now and this was another chance to get some tough miles in the pocket. Frances crossed the line in 73:43. Finally, Russell Couper was having an enjoyable run and certainly looked comfortable enough when I passed him on my way down to the finish. Russell finished in 92:49 (own time), rounding out a great Harriers team performance.

The team of Harriers then made a very impressive sight by conducting our stretching routine on the lawn by the duck pond, a ritual that we all definitely felt the benefit of. From there we walked the short distance back to Falkland Village Hall for the other ritual; a cup of soup and a roll prior to the prize giving. I was then very pleased to receive the Scottish Athletics silver medal in the M50 age group; my first national individual medal, despite having picked up a handful of team medals over the years in the 6-stage and national cross country short course with the Harriers. A big thanks to the Harriers who supported this championship event which so suits the sort of training that we do in Calderglen and Chatelherault; lets see some more out next year. A special mention to Stuart Waugh and the Phimisters for their shouts of support on the course and to George Stewart for his support despite the disappointment of not being able to run himself.
Alan

Race Elevation Profile!

Grand Prix 2015-16

Where does time go? Well this year the Grand Prix is starting a week early due to a re-shuffle of the McAndrew Road Relay to avoid a clash with the Great Scottish Run. Victoria Park Glasgow have worked hard to keep this race going for the best part of 50 years so let us support them again by kicking off our Grand Prix in style with many teams. There is a separate post on the blog to leave your details. So the initial few races in the GP are:
Saturday 19th September McAndrew Road Relay (Jordanhill)
Saturday 26 September George Cummings (Houston) Road Relay
Sunday 11 October West District Cross Country Relays (Hamilton)
Saturday 24 October National Cross Country Relays (Cumbernauld)

All the races are reasonably local, so lets have a strong representation from the men and women of Calderglen Harriers.
Alan

TTC 2015 - Final Instructions

Here are some final instructions (for those who have been before, they are remarkably similar to previous years!). I will put a weather update on this post on Thursday but be prepared for anything.

You can arrive at the Trossachs Backpackers Hostel from 3.30pm onwards (however you won't know what room you are in until I arrive with the sheet at about 4pm). See the separate blog post for directions to the venue. First run will be at 5.30pm prompt. Please be here and ready to run otherwise it is dinner and no run! Let me know if you are not going to make the run (or dinner) on 07867863741. If you are not going to be there at all, then please let me know; I can then re-shuffle the room allocations to make things a bit more spacious.

You will need to bring the following with you;
• 4 run outfits - please check weather and dress appropriately
• Waterproof/water resistant jacket - just in case.
• Running shoes (we strongly recommend you bring a spare pair!)
• Running socks - lots (at least 4 pairs)
• Casual outfit for dinner
• Bedding will be provided but you'll need to bring a towel or two.
• Water bottle and something to put in it e.g. energy drink for Sunday long run
• Your own toiletries
• Any medication you require
• PYJAMAS (the rooms are dorms!!)
• A yoga/gym mat or large towel to lie on when doing the conditioning sessions.

Dinner on the first night is at 7.30pm ....if you're running late.
Allow enough time for travelling, the road can be very busy if you are travelling at rush hour.

There will be a welcome notice at the main reception on this you will find:
1. room information
2. pack information
3. and a reminder of what you've ordered for dinner!

Otherwise, just ask Frances, Eddie, Russell or me when we arrive (at about 4pm). Note that the hostel owners, do not know who is in which rooms, so no point in asking, just wait till I arrive.

Alan

5k at Dusk

Clear skies and mild conditions greeted a large field of Harriers for the final Auldhouse 5k of the season. Fastest time of the night was Martin Howell, with his recent back injury now behind him (where it always was!).

Many were treating this as a pre-race run with the National Trail Race on Saturday and it was interesting to note that a deliberate, easy start led to some of the fastest times of the season by those taking it easy. Pace judgement is the key in distance running. First timers Justine Black and Shona Findlater both had excellent runs on this far from easy course and have now set a benchmark for next year. Full results are here.
Alan

Final Auldhouse 5k TT Tonight!

Unfortunately it's the final one this year but conditions look favourable. This one starts , finishes at and ends up inside The Auldhouse Arms, so please bring some money for a quick drink (soft or otherwise) and bright clothing for the dark run back. Report to the Sports Club well before 7:30pm so I can set up the start list. See you there!
Alan