Men’s (and Women’s) Health 2019

So, keeping with tradition the usual posse of me, Graham Ramage, Stephen Phimister, Mark Saez and joining us this year, Neil Green set off bright and early on Sunday morning to make the short trip, all shoe horned in to Stephen’s car, down the M77 and on to the Glasgow Museum of Transport – the starting point of the Men’s Health 2019 10k.

For four of us this would be our 5th consecutive year taking part in this version of the event (it’s had various route changes, finishing points and other minor details altered) and for Neil this was his maiden outing at the event, buoyed by a very successful showing at last weekends “Roon the Toon” 10k at Kilmarnock.

Eating my porridge before leaving time, Tomasz Schafernaker, the BBC weatherman, was making passing remarks about Central Scotland (and Glasgow in particular) (it seemed he knew I was watching and was talking directly to me!) being in line for some pretty heavy rain, hail and even thunder and lightning! Jeezo. Time to rethink the wardrobe! Anyway, it seemed the aforementioned Tomasz (I’m not writing that surname again!) was on the wind up, other than a fairly heavy shower well in to the race the conditions were ideal.

Arriving nice and early we set about our pre-race routine and you’ll remember me telling you in previous reports that the Transport Museum designate the Ladies toilets as Male toilets given the influx of men taking part – seems obvious, however – at this year’s event there were dozens of women lining up to take part too. I’ll leave you to ponder the politics.

Warm-ups well underway, we bumped in to big John McBride, another serial Men’s Healther and Paul Kane was spotted perched on a bollard having cycled to the event from EK.

Also signed up and taking part were Gerry Mullen and his son Ross and following a brief chat with Gerry we wished each other well and got on with the job in hand.

This event, although growing in size, isn’t an out and out club race, there aren’t many club vests to be spotted although again this year there were more than have been evident in previous years. So, with that said and about 10 minutes until the gun we all slotted in to where we belonged in the grid. Me and Stephen, rather modestly, a good bit back in the Red Wave, Graham a bit further back and Mark and Neil chests against the tape!

BANG – and we were away! Usual route – making sure to take in the cross-country section of the SECC car-park, bloody hell, The Boys From the Blackstuff could make a few Bob seeing to that.

Stephen and I started together but there was no way I was going to hold on to his pace having completed the first mile in 6.20m/m so I backed off and wished him well. Going to be his year in our very good-natured rivalry I guess.

On along the Clydeside, where at exactly the same spot as last year one Mr Ian Tomb came trotting up behind me “I’ve been trying to catch you since the start” Déjà vu! (read last year’s report). Ian it appeared was up for a well-intended blether, me on the other hand, no words, so before long he was on his way in pursuit of Stephen.

As the race sauntered along and just before the turn for the King George V bridge, I spotted Neil at the side of the road, stopped. As I approached he re-joined explaining that after the first mile he felt devoid of any power with nothing in his legs to keep the pace going. He’s been busy with training and racing lately and really pumping in the miles, maybe a total rest is in order. Anyway – fortuitous for me he became my un-official pacer for the remainder of the race!

Through the city centre out towards Glasgow Green where it immediately became apparent that some major changes to the route had been effected. I’ve got to say that the changes made were not for the better as this section of the race involved tight turns, slippery surfaces (this is where Tomasz’s promised squall finally descended upon us) and a 180 degree turn around a cone on a narrow path, not ideal in an event with 2k+ runners trudging along! Anyway, as we reasoned later it was probably to reduce road closures and the ultimate cost of policing the event.

Back in to the merchant City, finish line beckoning, Neil dragging me along like an old coat we managed to get a bit of pace going for the last quarter mile and round the twists and turns eventually crossing over the line together.

Ross was the first Harrier to finish in a splendid show of running, his time a very swift 35.50 and placing 6th overall. Hats off to you Ross!

Mark who was expecting to go well also had a bit of a crash in form running out of gas around the 4 mile mark and came home in a time of 40.05, still, not a disaster!

Stephen, despite thinking that he went 42.05 with which he was a bit non-plussed later confirmed that his time was actually 41.06, so a good performance there and only a few seconds down on last year.

Then me, not having had much training in my legs due to my recent illnesses and a belter of a head cold which came to live with me on Friday, wobbling over the line in 42.48 with Neil.

Gerry was next home in a very respectable 46.39 although we didn’t manage to catch up at the end for a report on how his race went.

Then Graham, who admittedly has struggled to get much running done at all due to other commitments, running home a few seconds shy of 48 minutes in 47.54.

John McBride crossed the line in a steady 54.39 with Paul Kane coming in with a solid 52.49. Ian Tomb showed in the results to have finished with exactly the same time as Stephen (41.06), well done there.

With everyone home safe and sound and with all the racing stories exchanged, we set off on our two- and half-mile jog back to the Transport Museum for our traditional post-race purvey and photo shoot – remember we pose at a different exhibit each year, last year in front of the Ambulance, as though to mock our condition.

This year it was suggested more than once that we should use the Electric Vehicle charging points as a backdrop, such was our depleted energy levels but, in the end, opted for the back of the bus to Auchenshuggle, once again asking a foreign tourist to capture our snap – though this year the fella doing the honours had a bit of a shaky hand and we needed a couple of go’s.

Great fun, great laughs and a brilliant well needed cup of tea at the end of the morning, this is definitely not a 10k for the racing purists among us. The course is tricky in places, not very well marked out at some points and that brilliant section of xc over the car-park make it a bit more of a fun run than a serious racers event.

We enjoy it nonetheless and it gives us a great chance for a catch up, so here’s to next year.
Maybe, all being well and performances meriting it, we’ll pose in front of the fire engine!

Martin.

Hebredian Half Marathon Series: Part 2 - Isle of Skye

A fortnight on from Stornoway and Joanne and I were on the road again, this time to do the Isle of Skye Half Marathon.  We had decided for this journey, due to the time we were leaving EK on the Friday, that we would stay at Kyle of Lochalsh.

We woke to a lovely Saturday morning and after breakfast (we were envious of the full cooked breakfast that was on offer but that would have to wait till Sunday) we set off for Portree, on the Isle of Skye, a journey which involves crossing the Skye Bridge.  We arrived in Portree in plenty of time for the race and even had time to do a warm-up and get some pre-race sightseeing done.  It was obvious even at this early stage it was going to be warm for the race.

The Skye half marathon was going to be the biggest of the half marathons we had entered as part of the series.  This half was to be run on closed roads.  Like Stornoway a piper led the runners to the start line.

The first mile and a half involved a gradual climb out of Portree before a steep climb at Druimuie.  This then led to a downhill section to the Kensalyre turn.  The race was a constant up and downhill and in the heat I was finding this hard going.  It was a welcome sight at around about mile 7 when a resident had set up a hosepipe outside their house.  The last mile was all downhill and should have made for a good finish but I had nothing left in my legs and the last half mile felt more like a mile.  The race finished at Portree high school.

All finishers received a bottle of Eagle Ale (a local ale) and a t-shirt (note to the ladies in the club - the t-shirt came in women’s sizes as well and not just your generic small, medium and large!).  There was a food village set up in the school car park and this had a wide variety of local produce.  Your race entry also entitled you to a free swim or spa and there was plenty of showering facilities.  With it being such a lovely day Joanne and I headed into Portree and got ourselves a well deserved ice-cream.

As I mentioned in my first report the trips were all going to be characterised by a gin from each location.  So while wandering around Portree we stumbled upon Misty Isle gin, distilled in Skye.

And for the history lesson - we stopped on the way back at Eileon Donan Castle, just outside Kyle of Lochalsh, one of the most picturesque castles in Scotland.  The castle was founded in the thirteenth century.  At least four different versions of the castle have been built and rebuilt since then.

Yet again we both had a great trip and the run was only half the trip, with the trip also giving us the chance to visit and explore new places.

So we move on to the last of our races in the trip (and the last race overall in the Heb 3 series) the Isle of Harris half marathon, when we are joined by Karen and Alison as we celebrate the end of the Heb 3 series.

For anyone wanting to see our progress in the Heb 3 series then the results after the first three races can be found on Stornoway Athletic Club’s website.

Julie & Joanne

Basic Life Support

Just a wee reminder that we are holding an update on basic life support and defibrillator training up at the club Wed 12th at 8pm. Hopefully see Some of you there

Chatelherault World Championships 2019

Our fortnightly trip to Chatelherault Country Park for an enjoyable 7 mile training run turns into a more competitive outing once per year when it becomes the Chatelherault World Championships, one of the final few races in the Harriers' Grand Prix. It can't be that unenjoyable though given that all but one of the 14 Harriers who lined up on the start line had arrived knowing it was race night as they had remembered their club vests, as the photo above shows.

After a short warm up and briefing the Harriers lined up and set off on 7 miles of hard effort. Andrew Buchanan made the early break from the start and would have an almost solo effort all the way around except for an encounter with a hissing badger high on the far side of the trail. When I heard this, I remembered the time about 20 years ago on one of the club's earliest Chatelherault training runs when Martin Duthie and I were running ahead of everyone and at that exact same point a badger ran out of the undergrowth and I had to hurdle it as it snapped at our feet! I think we can say for sure there is an established badger set out there. Andrew escaped unscathed to record a comfortable victory in 50:35. Next across the line and having a great run was Stephen Phimister in 53:57. Russell even let him keep his Grand Prix points despite not wearing a club vest. Jim Holmes was glad to be running rather than swimming in a cold lake as he had been the day before and powered across the line in 57:32. It's no surprise that Eddie Reid's legs were shot after the previous days ADIL half marathon leg but Eddie still managed a respectable 58:54. Unfortunately Richard Lawton is suffering from an inflamed Achilles tendon attachment which makes every run painful (and especially painful the next day). So Richard's time of 61:52 was impressive. Morgan Beaton was the first of our ladies across the line, absolutely smashing her PB in a time of 63:05. Julie Thomson was close behind in 63:31, an excellent time. Gordon McInally had a bit of a race on with Lorraine Buchanan but managed to hold on to finish in 64:59, Lorraine at his back in 65:11. After another gap, Russell Couper finished in 66:42, his fastest for some years, just keeping ahead of Seonaid Morton (66:50) who was escorted safely around the unfamiliar route by Geo Ferguson (66:52). Martin Howell and Chris McCarron were both ill in one way or another and stopped short of the finish. Frances Ferguson was our photographer for the night and captured the action at several points near the start and finish of the lap. Thanks to Frances for withstanding the midges! Frances' photos are in this album.

The GP is now set up for the final showdown at the Vertical Mile in a few week's time.
Alan

June Auldhouse 5k

A sunny run for a change and a great turnout! Results are here.

Analysis of times, CB's, PB's etc to follow. Thanks to Martin Howell for capturing everyone in a photo. Album here.
Alan

A Day in the Lakes - quite literally!

The green caps half way to the turning point

Jim prepares for battle

As the wind and rain battered my tent on the Saturday night before Sunday's A Day in the Lakes Half Ironman Triathlon, I was sort of glad that I wasn't running this year, having experienced the run in similar weather conditions 5 or 6 years ago. The Harriers were well represented in two relay teams this year. In the Calderglen M50 team we had Martin Duthie on the swim leg, my brother Robin on the bike leg and first timer at ADIL, Eddie Reid on the run leg. Following a debut victory in a similar event at Loch Lomond last year with a work's team, Jim Holmes had somehow conned encouraged those same colleagues into joining him in a team for ADIL, never mind the distances of all the legs were stepped up from the Loch Lomond event. So Jim took the swim leg and his colleagues David and Colin took the bike and run legs respectively.

Earlier in the week, we had been advised that the 13 mile run leg had been sanitised to a certain extent, replacing the second and larger of the two off road hill/fell ascents with a run up the valley between the very severe fells and back again to join the original route along the lake side road. This was still not what could be considered a flat route but was welcome news to Eddie.

Martin arrives just in time

Martin and Mandy made a huge effort to be at the race this year having had a prior commitment on Saturday which meant they arrived in the Lake District very late on Saturday night. Half an hour before the event was due to start and Martin was still not at the course. If it had been anyone else I would have been concerned that I might have had to substitute for Martin in the swim but without a wet suit! I wasn't worried though and two minutes into the pre-race briefing, Martin appeared running through the field in his wet suit ready to go just in time (or early as Martin would probably say).

After a detailed briefing explaining all the different ways you could be disqualified, we headed down to the slip way to watch Jim and Martin step into the uninviting and increasingly choppy waters of Ulswater. Shortly after, the mass of green swimming caps were set on their way on a 2-lap 2km course. However by about 10 minutes into the swim it was clear that all was not well. A few swimmers had already surrendered to the conditions and been pulled out by the rescue boat and now the large inflatable buoys nearest the shore were dragging their anchors in the wind driven current and were moving rapidly in the direction of various moored yachts and cruisers. Despite the best efforts of the rescue boat to rescue the buoys, we heard the race director ask the rescue boat to relay a message to the swimmers to come out after one lap. Conditions were just too dangerous. As we all know, giving instructions and directions to runners during a race is difficult enough. Try doing it to swimmers in rough water! Neither Martin nor Jim initially believed or understood the instruction but the sight of others heading for the slip way after lap 1 convinced them to head for shore. Meanwhile, I had run back to transition to tell our cyclists that they only had a few minutes before the swimmers would be in.

Robin exits transition

Martin emerged from the water and passed a few on the 100m run to transition, crossing the timing mat in 20:09 in 6th place and handing the timing chip over to my brother. Jim was not too far behind in 24:09 and 28th position (note that there were only 5 or 6 relay teams in the competition, so these positions are for the overall field consisting mainly of individual triathlon competitors).

Jim found this to be a horrendous experience, swimming across the wind on the long way across the lake, he couldn't breath as the waves were smashing into the left side of his face, the side he breaths to and he couldn't see over the waves to see where he was going. Turning briefly down wind at the far side of the lake, it was almost like surfing, he was being blown along so fast but then there was the inevitable turn back across the lake. At least he was breathing away from the wind this direction. He wasn't sure he could have managed a second lap. Well done Jim and Martin for the most horrendous leg.

This was the third time my brother has done this event and he was reasonably confident of the course. However, the marshals had been instructed not to direct the cyclists at a particular junction where the cyclists joined the two lap course and left it for the finish after either one or two laps depending on which distance they were racing (quarter or half ironman). The reasoning behind this was that the marshal could not know if the cyclist was on their first or second lap so the cyclist had to work that out for themselves. As two cyclists had gone straight past this marshal ahead of my brother, he followed them. When they arrived at a motorway roundabout leading on to the M6, they realised they were off course! This detour also involved passing through temporary traffic lights twice, which were naturally at red! As Martin had been disqualified a few years previously for passing a red light, my brother duly waited, growing ever more impatient. Eventually, after a 2.5 mile detour, he was back on course and pushing a little too hard, setting many Strava segment personal records on the first lap trying to make up lost time. He almost held it for the second lap but blew up 2 miles from the finish and was absolutely done in when he crossed the line into transition and handed over the chip to Eddie. Robin covered the 50 mile hilly course in 2:40:19 and 36th on the bike leg. A few minutes covered many cyclists though, so without that off course excursion he could well have been in the top dozen. Jim's cyclist David had no navigational problems and handed over to Colin in 3:07:36.

David sets off.

Eddie had been well instructed to take it easy on the first kilometer which was flat and to ignore anyone who sped past him as they would most likely be walking up the steep hill that followed for km's two to three! Indeed this was the case and Eddie made good progress up the hill onto the high track which unfortunately turned directly into the strong winds. After about 10k the course headed up the valley into even stronger winds which Eddie reported made it almost like running on the spot. During this part of the run, Eddie held off a challenge from what we thought was another relay team and had a relatively clear run back along the lakeside to the finish which he reached in 1:53:13. Colin was also charging around the course but stood no chance of making up the almost half hour gap, crossing the line in 1:49:00.

After another soaking awaiting the prize giving, we were pleased to hear that Calderglen's M50 team had won the relay category. There is no truth in the rumour that our illustrious club president phoned up to ask how we got on and on hearing that we had won had uttered "what, you won with Eddie in the team!". Shocking! Well done to the guys.

The winning relay team

Jim's team (Calderglen Beasties) were not far away from the lead, finishing third relay team. No doubt they will be more wary of suggestions from Jim in the future though.

Jim's team, the Beasties

The final event of the triathlon is of course packing away the tents in gale force wind and rain. Never an easy session but one which we all completed.

A well earned seat for Eddie

Tent wrestling

A few more of my photos are in this album. Many more official photos here. Thanks to both our teams for making this another fun weekend, despite the weather. I don't think any of us were deterred from competing next year!
Alan

A tale of two laces...

Two slightly concerned harriers, Billy and myself, set off for Milngavie last Sunday morning due to injury and over-training respectively. Mr B was worried whether his knee would hold up on the rocky and muddy trails of Mugdock Park and the WHW while I had run/walked a double Conic (Drymen to Balmaha and back) the day before in the company of Ruth, Ian, Gerry and Geo.
It was a deceptively nice morning but as we'd seen the forecast both of us were kitted out with trail shoes which was to prove a wise decision. A very brief warm up followed by a soggy race brief and we were off. We more or less ran together until the first of two hills on the route, less than a mile in, where I started walking. I had decided in advance to do this as I knew my quads were in no shape for hard work and planned to save them for the downhills. As a result Billy was soon out of sight and although, as he told me later, he walked much of the later, bigger hill I wasn't to see him again until I heard his shouts of encouragement as I approached the finish line. Twice during the race I had to stop and tie my laces, a different foot each time - what a complete beginner others must have thought. A first at my age, never before have both laces come undone during an event - I'll hang my head in shame!

As Gordon commented on facebook, Jack and Victor's day out - I guess I would be Victor

Billy covered the 8.5 mile route in 1.19.39 to finish 2nd MV60 while I was a full ten minutes down on my 2015 time in 1.26.13. It's fair to say both of us thoroughly enjoyed splashing and squelching our way in the constant warm rain, being big kids again.
The race winners were Katie White of Garscube Harriers in a new course record of 57.40 and 5th place overall and Matthew Hunter, unattached in 54.55.
As an aside this race puts on one of the better post-race spreads - not a patch on ours of course but very enjoyable all the same. Come along and sample it yourselves next year, if you can get an entry that is - it's sells out fast.