TTC 2017 - an Autumn Appointment

Finally, we are ready to start taking names for the TTC 2017. The training camp is somewhat later this year due to the venue being fully booked through September even before the end of last year. The dates for your diary are Friday 6th October to Sunday 8th October 2017. Once again we are at the Leny Estate log cabins, a venue that proved to be very popular last year.

The event is open to Harriers and non-Harriers alike on a first come first served basis with entry form completed and payment. Further details on our web site here or go straight to the on-line entry form here (on-line entry preferred).

The list of confirmed entries is here (the list is manually updated after the deposit received).

See Eddie at the club with your payments.

Download the brochure and printable entry form here.
Alan

Ladies Dig up Prizes at Dechmont Law!

After a day of heavy showers on the Saturday, the Dechmont Law 10k trail race took place in almost perfect running conditions. Only the strong wind could have caused problems but as most of the course is on trails through the woods, the wind was hardly felt.

Nine Harriers lined up for the 10k eager to emulate the performance of Lewis Moir who had won the youngsters' 2.5k earlier in the morning. After an initial, undulating 3k circuit of the hilltop woods, the course headed north and down towards the M8 motorway where a steep little pedestrian bridge lead to the Woodland Trust's North Wood and some fine trails through ancient Scots Pine.

Andrew J Buchanan was following advice this week and started off steady with a view to finishing strongly rather than vice versa. This strategy worked fine although, even with an easier pace at the start, the eventual climb from halfway back up to the finish is always difficult. Andrew finished in 16th place in 41:56.

Julie Beveridge is in great form now, following up a consistent period of marathon training with the addition of some speed work in recent weeks. Julie was competing in a very strong ladies' field in which she finished 4th in a time of 44:43. Joanne McEvoy ran a well paced race and was closing up on Julie in the final km, finishing within sight of Julie in 45:12.

Jim Holmes still has the Stirling Marathon in his legs and was lacking his usual sprint in the final downhill 100m. However Jim managed to split the Calderglen ladies, finishing in 47:25.

Kay Conneff shows no signs of slowing up despite racing virtually every weekend since the Stirling Marathon and doing another marathon (on Arran) this coming weekend. This was Kay's first time on this course so every twist and turn revealed another surprise. Kay finished in 47:46.

Although Frances Ferguson set a 5k personal best at Victoria Park parkrun last weekend, a virus has been slowing her up this week. Frances struggled more than usual but still recorded a respectable 49:09 for this tough 10k.

Gordon McInally knew exactly what to expect having done the race last year. However, the main benefit was another year of training under the belt which resulted in Gordon taking almost a minute off his time to finish in 51:02.

First timer, John Boyd, is struggling with knee problems and awaiting an operation. The run did at least temporarily ease the knee off a bit allowing John to focus on "enjoying" the course. John finished in 54:54.

Russell Couper is another one with knee tendonitis but it takes more than that to cause Russell to miss a Grand Prix race! Hopefully Russell has not done himself even more damage, finishing in 65:59.

The final surprise was that Calderglen won the ladies' team prize, a great result in a strong field. However, the surprise was not the winning but what they won, a hanging basket each! Well done ladies.

More photos in this album. Full results are here.
Alan

WHW 2017

A comprehensive set of photos recording adventures and misadventures courtesy of Gordon is now on-line here.

We had an earlier than usual start this year, not helped by road closures which delayed our bleary eyed start at Milngavie. Sandy Hayden took the brave pill and started us off on this years relay, followed by a turbo charged Michael Mullen who handed over to the day tripper Frances Maxwell who had to rush back to attend a wedding in EK. Andy Henderson had the first longer leg and while the rest of us used our combined intelligence to play" get the frisbee out of the tree" in Balmaha, Andy had the opportunity to see the sun rising on Loch Lomond from Conic Hill.

Sandy took another early leg, showing her return to form and handed over to George Stewart at Millarrochy Bay. George is in training for his support role in the WHW race in a few weeks time and this deceptively steep leg saw him finish strongly to hand over to Davie Watt, waiting like a coiled spring to run the legendary lochside leg.

The Caledonian Challenge was  on this weekend and this combined with  the holiday weekend meant that both the running route and the driving routes were busy. The drive round to Benn Glass farm became a bit of a race and we arrived just in time for Davie to hand over to Joanne McAvoy. Davie looking slightly the worse for wear after a fall while dodging the tourists ambling along  the lochside.
Joanne had a strong run in the blistering sunshine despite tending to a dazed Andy who had accompanied her on the leg and had bumped his head on one of the tunnels under the railwayline. It was an eventful day so far and the first aid kit had been well used already.

Eddie Reid turned on his marathon power to beat the bus to the road at Ewich where Kenny Leinster dragged his battered legs to Tyndrum to set Russell Couper on the path to Bridge of Orchy. Russell has had a few weeks to recover from his London Marathon exploits and his good form was evident in his strength on this leg. Jim Holmes had a fast run on the steep climb up and down  to Inveroran and handed over to a vasly improved Gordon McInally who had a  strong climb over the Rannoch Moor and finished strongly as he descended down to Blackrock Cottage for a well deserved drink.

Following Eddie's example Jim Holmes had a quick sprint to The Kingshouse handing over to Colin Banks who had a consistent run through Glencoe to the Devils Staircase where Gerry Mullen was waiting to run this leg for the 47th time. Gerry delivered as ever and while awaiting his arrival Eddie briefed Allan McLellan on his high route to the wilderness that is Lundavra. It should come as no surprise then that while we were engulfed in a cloud of midges Allan was knocking on doors, and asking strangers the way to Fort Willam. Not content with getting lost, when he appeared he was bloodied and bruised having had a tumble on the long  route to the middle of nowhere. As we all scanned our watches and worked out if we would have time for a swim Geo Ferguson had a storming run on the final leg.

This wasn't our fastest running of the WHW but we were all relieved to reach the Ben Nevis hotel and have a good meal, a refreshing drink and the chance to relive the highs and lows of a long tiring day.

The breakfast at the Ben Nevis never fails and we all did our best to ensure there was food left before heading south with a quick stop to watch the downhill mountain bike race at Glencoe.
It was a tired bus full that arrived in EK, the journey enlivened by tales of Colin's  aspirations in the property market.

Good running, good weather and good company. Another hard work and fun weekend for Calderglen Harriers.
Kenny

Auldhouse 5k Time Trial - Wet for June!

Despite the persistent drizzle, 18 Harriers lined up for the June edition of our Auldhouse 5km Time Trial. Fastest time of the night was Mark Saez in 18:33. This was a course best for Mark. Fastest lady was Julie Beveridge, second overall in 19:53. There were many fantastic times including a strong debut performance from Kirsty Wilson of 21:49. Kay Conneff also set a course best with 22:12, an improvement of almost a minute on May's TT. Gordon McInally continues to eat away at his records, setting a course best time of 00:22:54, whilst Allan McLellan set his fastest (official) time since his comeback to running with 21:40. Karen Allen is really getting back to form, taking one and a half minutes off May's time and setting her fastest time since 2014 with 21:42. Stuart Waugh ran his fastest time on this course of the year with 22:22 and is also returning to great form.

The results are here. The full Auldhouse TT results summary going back through all the events will be updated over the weekend and then available to view using the menu to the left of the blog.
Alan

Dechmont Law 10k Trail Race 2017

I originally posted this back at the end of March.

For all those Harriers out there that like to plan ahead (I'm one of them!), the 14th Grand Prix race is the Dechmont Law 10k Trail Race in Livingston. The date has now been confirmed to be Sunday 11th June at 12pm and costing £10 or £8 for Scottish Athletic members (SAL number required). Entries close on 9th June on Q-buster.

See link to Q-buster page: https://q-buster.co.uk/dechmont-10k-3'5k-trail-races-11th-june-2017

Richard

Land O'Burns 10k Road Race

All but one of the Harriers before the start

I can't remember ever having such perfect weather for a mid-week evening race in Scotland, but with temperatures still in the mid twenties and not a breath of wind, 9 Harriers lined up for the annual Land O'Burns 10k road race in Ayr on Wednesday evening. This was another race in the Harriers' Grand Prix series. A few more Harriers would have been running but for last minute changes in arrangements or illness. A great turnout nonetheless for a midweek race.

The course starts off dangerously flat, tempting a fast pace in the beginning but undulates enough through the middle to catch those out who started too fast before a very flat, fast final km finishing in the playing fields at the old race course.

Julie Beveridge in the final km

Our fastest runner on the night was Andrew J Buchanan, running here for the first time and perhaps being caught out slightly with too fast a start but still recording a respectable time of 37:44. First of our high performing ladies was Julie Beveridge, finishing 2nd lady overall and setting a fantastic new pb of 40:36. Julie is gradually closing in on that 40 minute 10k target.

Charlie McDougall

Charlie McDougall continues to demonstrate that he is one of the best M65's in the UK with a fantastic time of 43:09, winning the over 60 category comfortably. Making a steady return to form, Frances Ferguson recorded a strong 44:47. It won't be long until Frances is back down in the low 40's. Frances finished as second F50. Having just completed the Stirling Marathon on Sunday in a new pb, I don't know how Kay Conneff was able to race a 10k on the Wednesday (I certainly couldn't have). Kay recorded a fine time of 45:07 and was first F40.

Kay Conneff in the early stages

Gordon McInally continues to train hard (running and on the bike) and this was demonstrated with another strong performance, finishing in 47:34. After a chip timing mishap (possibly timing chips were swapped over accidentally), Colin Banks' time was confirmed as 53:41 as Colin continues to get back into running after some months of absence during the Winter. Sandy Hayden is also building up a consistent base of training after a succession of set backs, recording a time of 54:38. Finally, Russell Couper was nursing a niggling tendon pain in his knee so did well to record a time of 57:06.

Still not tempted to put a Harriers' vest on, Marion O' Connor had a fantastic run, winning the F50 category in 44:21.

Marion O' Connor approaches the finish

Thanks to all the Harriers who turned out to support and take photos. Davie Searil took a load of photos out on the course which you can view in this album. You can view the rest of my photos here.
Alan

Ultra update

As I haven’t written any race reports this year I thought a brief (it is, it is!) update on the ultra season was due. Also thought I'd get this on the blog before the Land O'Burns race report rather than push it off the 'front' page afterwards.

D33, Aberdeen 11th March

Despite professing to dislike this flat, out and back course Ruth and Jim had entered the race only a couple of weeks before to ‘get some racing miles in’. Jim would be unable to run the Fling and so they had both entered an alternative event, the Cateran Trail, and had decided to take part in this season-opener as well.

Like the route the race was fairly dull and uneventful, all the more so because Alison was prevented from driving along the course performing her usual super-supporter duties due to her worsening cataracts. A useful start to the year though as a race always forces you to push harder than any training run.

Three harriers hanging around in the park, photo credit to Alison

Jim was easily the fastest harrier on the day coming home in 5.14.53, followed by myself in 5.47.17 and Ruth in 6.15.53. I am pleased to report that, for once, the beer given out at the finish was actually a proper beer and not the lager-masquerading-as-beer handed out in recent years, win-win - I might well be tempted back for a seventh consecutive year in 2018.

Keilder Ultra, Saturday 8th April 
This was another substitute for missing the Fling so Ruth, Jim and families made a weekend of it over the border (just!) at the Keilder Ultra. This early in the season they chose the shortest of the distances available, 50k, but are already trying to persuade me to do one of the longer ones next year, the 80k or the 100k.
Some of the quotes from them afterwards were 'incredibly hilly and muddy', 'more of a tough mudder than a footrace', 'dense pine forest', 'boggy moss and peat', 'tough on the legs', 'no path, just markers', 'steep uphills' - I think we get the drift...Sounds like a fabulous training run and some great weather too once the sun broke through the mist and cloud.
Jim's concentration clearly slipped on the run-in to the finish and Ruth took full advantage by coming home as as leading harrier in 6.53.10 with Jim following in 6.53.13

Great Tartan Skidaddle, Callander 15th April

Having run the Loch Katrine marathon in the meantime I rolled up to Callander again for the second Skidaddle ultra. Unlike last year I turned up in good time (no mad dash to register), collected my number and boarded the bus for the start at Inversnaid Pier.

As seems to happens to me every year around this time the ascents are a severe reminder that I haven’t done enough hillwork in preparation for the bigger races to come. My quads cramped quite badly at times but I persevered and eventually finished in 6.03.53, taking three minutes off my time from 2016. What most pleased me was that I was able to manage a (very slow) 11 miles round Chatelherault two days later, a good sign!    

I couldn't resist adding this photo of me and a wee pal, Scooby, during the Loch Katrine marathon. Photo courtesy of Scooby's mum, Lois Simpson.

Looking almost speedy here 

Highland Fling, Milngavie 29th April
This was my fifth consecutive Fling and sadly nowhere near my best. Ever have one of those days where you wish you hadn’t bothered? This was one of those, my quads were tight and stiff from the off, with the hamstrings following suit by the time I left Inversnaid which left me toughing it out for the remaining 20 miles – and when my left hip flexor also started giving me gip I was left taking painkillers like sweeties! Not really, but a couple certainly helped.

Looking back I was pleased that at no point did it cross my mind to drop out, which would probably have been the sensible solution, and consequently managed my longest ‘training’ run of the year so far in 13.27.12. 
Ian Rae however, having felt his foot was improving during the build up, managed to tweak it again just a few weeks prior to the race. Not that I saw much of him that day as he was delighted to come home in 11.44.30, an excellent time in the circumstances and a great boost to his hopes for the big one in June. 

Coming over Conic Hill

Ian finishing on the red carpet at Tyndrum

Cateran Trail, Spittal of Glenshee 13th May
This fabulous low-key race involves a two night stay at Gulabin hostel which provides a great atmosphere for the runners having chatted to many faces, old and new, the night before. The start is at 7am on the other side of the main road and is the beginning of a (very) roughly circular, clockwise route up and down the hills of this part of Perthshire.

The Cateran Trail

A good omen for the harriers at the start. 
This race only allows 140 entrants in total, with much less turning up on the day, so the start is quite daunting to slower runners like me.

Precisely one hundred starters...gulp

 

Daunted, us? Naw

The three of us ran every step of the way together, a novel experience for us all. Jim and I both had bad spells which the other two were able to pull us through. Ruth, it should be noted, ran strongly all day and professed later to having thoroughly enjoyed herself. We were fortunate to have ideal running weather, cool and slighly damp although obviously not so great for supporters or marshalls. Did I mention the hills? When asked later I reckoned it's hillier than the Fling, with most of them not as steep but way, way longer. 
The checkpoints are particularly strong on themes which some marshalls took further than others...

The three Js - Julie, John and Jenni

A noteable highlight came when I, as Jim's watch had long since packed up, announced to the others that we had just completed 53 miles. This was highly significant as they were moving into unknown territory by running further than either of them had run before. Thinking about that I realised that, if I completed the race, the 55 miles would be the fourth longest I had ever done, only beaten by two WHWs and the Great Glen.
As harriers we are all familiar with shouts from the front of the group such as 'car', 'feet', 'stay left', 'mind your head', etc, but on this particular day I heard a new one from Ruth - 'slug!' Owing to the weather the trail was hoaching with big, juicy black ones. I always go out of my way not to step on anything, including slugs, but I've never been warned about them in advance!
The last section from Enochdu, in particular, seemed to go on up into the mist forever although allowance should be made for the 49 miles already in our legs and a four and a half mile climb really shouldn't be allowed at this stage of an event!
Finally topping the bealach we were rewarded with this view of the finish, only one and a half miles away and downhill!    

At last!

We were kept on our toes by the sight of a female runner we had been chatting to earlier on in the day remorselessly closing us down - the significance of the effort we all put in at this point was not to be realised until later. We finished the race as we started, side by side, in a time of 13 hours, 19 minutes and 1 second - sadly no photographs were taken at the line. 

Another noteable event of the day (apart from the male marshall in evening gown) occured in the marquee soon after we finished when Jim stood up too quickly, turned white and sat back down again speedily. The tent was full of newly-trained (only a few weeks before) first aiders, all eager to put their recent training into practice. Jim was soon cocooned in foil blankets and surrounded by folk wearing green bibs but was able to walk back to the hostel unaided - I believe the prospect of a left-over bottle of D33 beer may have had a revitalising effect!

Having showered and eaten we were made aware that the last runner was in and the prizegiving was imminent so we made our way back over to the marquee opposite. The highlight of our weekend came when Ruth was announced as second FV50 and was called to the front to be awarded her finishers' quaich, see below.

 

Her stunned expression was something to behold, telling us she thought at first that there must have been another Ruth Kelly in the field! Proof of her achievement is in the prize list below, a hand-written photographed piece of A4 - another example of the old school nature of this event.

Note the name immediately below Ruth, the 3rd FV50, only two minutes behind! Yes, this was the lady who had been chasing us over the final few miles - had we not dug deep Ruth would only have been third. I think she owes us big-time Jim!


All in all a great weekend away (thanks Alison, Majella and Kevin), one that will bring happy memories to mind many years from now. I'm very glad to say that any other runs between now and the 24th June will be noticeably shorter, the hard work is over until then.  

Stirling Great Scottish Marathon, 21st April 
As usual with me I had to go and run one race too far and this was it. My body had been feeling depleted in the week leading up to it despite me taking things very easily and woke up on Sunday morning with a little niggle in my throat. Hey, I paid £55 to enter this race - I'm damned well going to run it, I thought, and also justified taking part also by the fact that my chest and breathing seemed normal. 
As things turned out I was well under my predicted time of 4:30 - 5:00 and was delighted, not only with my time of 4:16:28, but with the consistency of my running. Four 10k splits with a difference of less than 2:30, and it would have been much less were it not for an extended toilet break during the first and slowest 10k. Overall considerably faster than my two most recent marathons, Loch Katrine and Dublin, and with 108 hilly race miles in my legs from the previous three weeks. As I type this I am sniffing and snuffling and desperately hoping I haven't passed it on to Sandy who seems to be struggling to make the Land O'Burns 10k tonight, hope you make it!       

Still to come...
I'd like to add here that I don't have the words to express how much I am looking forward to being one of four harriers on the start line at 01:00 on the 24th June at the underpass in Milngavie - I know it doesn't happen often but words do fail me. Think I might have a wee greet instead, come the day...I'm just a big softie really.