British Masters 5k Road Relays

Update - submitting results - once you have recorded your 5k (anytime between 14th and 20th June inclusive) you need to get your Garmin Connect embed code link (not from the Garmin Connect app but from the Web version of Garmin Connect, using exactly the same procedure you would have used to get the link for the Scottish Athletics virtual events) and email that link to me as only the "team manager" who entered the teams can upload the results. My email is w.alan.derrick@gmail.com 

Hope you have all got nice flat routes planned on windless days! 

Alan

As a celebration of the club's success at the Scottish Athletics 30 minute distance challenge the other week and using that as a "retrospective virtual trial", I would like us to enter our fastest ladies' team and our fastest men's team in the British Masters 5k Road Relay Championship. This is also a virtual event requiring us each to run a 5k following similar rules to other virtual events (i.e. no point-to-point courses). It is many years since we sent our fastest men's and ladies team down to the British Masters XC Relay Championships, so now is a chance for us to do something similar but without having to drive to Sutton Park in Birmingham!

The event runs from 14th June to 20th June but probably best if we get the 5k's done over the first few days of the window (14th/15th) to leave adequate recovery before our Scottish Athletics vertical ascent challenge the following weekend.

There are 4 to count in each team but I suggest entering the fastest 6 to allow for off-days. Only the fastest 4 times submitted will then count. Our fastest eligible runners (35 and over) fit into the following team categories:

Ladies (W35 to W44 team)
J Beveridge
K Allen
A Lessells
F Ferguson (drops down in age category)
J Thomson

Men (M45 to M54)
A Derrick (drops down an age category)
G McParland
I Hughes
G Lindsay
M Howell
S Phimister

As you can see above, individuals are allowed to drop down age categories. Unless you know of an even flatter route, I would use the same route that you used for your 30 minute challenge but turn at 2.5k rather than 15 minutes!!

If all the above named agree, then I can enter the teams. Results are to be submitted via a similar process to the Scottish Athletics virtual challenges from either Garmin Connect or Strava.
Alan

Training Monday 8th June

We are back on the 400m rep bus for a continuation of that journey. However, with the benefit of the 30 minute challenge last weekend, we have all had a reality check on where our 10k pace should be. This is the week to reassess the pace for the reps. Look back at your 30 minute SA challenge average pace and make that the new pace for this week's 10k pace reps. In all cases this will be slightly slower than you have been training at up till now.

The session is 7 x 400m with 30 seconds recovery x 2 sets with 2 minutes between sets. Note that the two minutes includes the 30 second recovery after the 7th rep of set 1.

The following video shows how to set up in Garmin Connect as a custom workout. Don't forget to click the transfer to watch icon as shown in the last step of the video and then to synch your watch with the phone app to finally transfer to the watch. 

Alan

Virtual WHW relay

I almost forgot that I'd made a wee video of everyone's photos from our virtual relay of three weeks ago. Before the event fades from our memories you can indulge yourself with a reminder here Virtual WHW relay photos

WHAT A WEEKEND THAT WAS

It doesn't matter that were all isolated from each other as we demonstrated again what a strong club we are over the weekend doing Scottish Athletics virtual challenge. Despite being apart the encouragement given and received was phenomenal. We all ran separate courses but all for one cause.
We seen as the leaderboard was updated regularly that our Ladies went into the lead and remained there most of the weekend only being caught on the Monday evening and finishing in a fantastic 3rd place. I must add that the official team results are not gender specific but are all mixed teams which you can see below. On the total distance covered by clubs for a middle sized club we done exceptionally well punching way above our size finishing 2nd with a total of 173.61k pushing Cambuslang into 3rd by 1.09k. Bellahouston RR won this by a country mile beating us by 129k but you must consider they have about 5x our membership.As you will see from the breakdown below we also had some fantastic individual performances in the age categories. I also have to give an apology to Sandy on here. Despite thinking I had entered everyone with a valid SA number it turned out I hadn't entered Sandy. Not sure how but will be more vigilant for the next event. Althought not on the results its worth noting Sandy ran a superb 5.94k.
The next event is a 30min challenge but theyre looking for elevation gain. Same rules about loops and no point to point the one addition is there should be no significant height gain from start to finish. Basically what you go up you must come back down. This will commence on Friday 19th June for the 4 days over the weekend. Anyone whos membership number has expired get it renewed as soon as possible so its there when I do the entries.
Without further ado here are the final team positions and a breakdown of age category positions.

The overall distance challenge we were 2nd 173.61k

Mixed master teams    6th    A Derrick,  G McParland,  F Ferguson and  J Thomson

                                   16th   I Hughes,  G Lindsay,       L Buchanan and  R Kelly

Mixed senior teams    2nd    C Wright,   A Buchanan,   J Beveridge and  K Allen

Mixed open teams      6th     A Derrick,  G McParland,  J Beveridge and  K Allen

                                  13th    I Hughes,   G Lindsay,      C McSorley and  A Lessells

                                  20th    M Howell,   C Wright,        F Ferguson and J Thomson

                                  28th    S Phimister,  D Wardrope,   M Beaton and L Buchanan

Age category positions

Senior women    13th C McSorley       16th M Beaton

W35                   2nd  J Beveridge       4th K Allen            6th A Lessells

W40                   14th J Thomson        23rd  L Buchanan

W50                 13th  R Kelly

W55                 2nd F Ferguson

Senior men     21st    C Wright

M35                19th     A Buchanan

M45                 15th   G Lindsay         24th D Wardrope     34th R Lawton

M50                 5th=    G McParland       5th=    I Hughes     14th M Howell      17th  S Phimister

                        23rd    J Holmes            27th  G McInally

M55                 2nd     A Derrick    17th J Mearns    20th E Reid    24th R Couper

M60                  10th K Leinster

M65                 4th W Buchanan      6th D Searil

Training Friday 5th June

June Auldhouse solo TT window is still open for those recovered enough and still to do it. Otherwise, Friday is a gentle run of 5 to 8k followed later in the day with the intense Friday Circuits session of 5 exercises per set for 30sec each, 10 seconds between. Do 4 sets.

Alan

Training Thursday 4th June

The window is still open for the June individual Auldhouse 5k TT. That is one option for today. Otherwise continue the recovery week with 8 to 10 miles easy. Finish with 6 x 80 to 100m accelerating strides to take the lead out the legs. Ideally do this on grass or trail.

Alan

Training Wednesday 3rd June

This is the usual double session day. Therfore try to get out for a 8 to 12k easy run during the day. In the evening, have a brief 1 to 2k warm up and then the same number of sets of the Wednesday Circuits as you did last week (which should have been one less set than the max number of sets you have done so far). Stretch to finish.

Alan