We are proposing to have our Christmas Dinner at Tony Macaroni's, a very nice Italian restaurant in Calderwood Square, on Saturday 14th December from 8pm. A provisional booking for 20 - 30 people has been made which we need to confirm nearer the time. The cost is £24.95 per person. The Christmas menu is not yet posted on their web site but you can get a "flavour" of what to expect from their standard and a la carte menus here. Tony Macaroni Christmas Menu is here.
Please leave your name here if your would like to attend. Arrangements for collecting money will be announced in due course (e.g. you may wish to pay up monthly).
Alan
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
Allan Scally Road Relays
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Fine Conditions in Cumbernauld
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| Julie Beveridge powers through the field on leg 1. |
Perfect conditions greeted another record field for the National Cross Country Relay Championships at Cumbernauld on Saturday 26th October. For the fifth week in a row, Calderglen Harriers men and ladies were out in force for this important annual fixture. The course provides a perfect blend of cross country conditions with hills of varying severity, large sections of firm grass with fast downhill descents and the odd muddy section for the mud-pluggers.
The ladies and M50 men compete over 3 x 4km laps whilst the senior amd M40 men do 4 laps. Calderglen had 2 complete ladies' teams and 3 men's teams, one of which was an M50 team of 3. Julie Beveridge got our ladies A team off to a flying start with a very powerful run, smashing her previous best time on this course by 40 seconds to finish in a fantastic 16:53 (16:53). Frances Maxwell led off the ladies' B team and definitely showed that she is on the way back to form, finishing in 18:20 (18:20), some 34 seconds faster than last year. After a fine performance in the Lanarkshire road relays last week, Alison Lessels retained her place in the A team and ran a competitive 17:43 (17:44). Karen Allen is still making good progress on the comeback trail and did a great job chasing through the field on leg 2 for the B team, completing in 18:12 (18:12). On the last leg for the A team, Joanne McEvoy was also running strongly, despite an illness through the week and finished in 17:44 (17:45), more than a minute faster than last year. You can't ask for more than that!
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| Ruth Kelly in her first Cross Country race. |
David Herbertson led the men Vets A team off, the idea being to use David's physical presence to establish a good position in the general melee in the huge field contesting leg 1. As usual, there was a slight timing uncertainty with David on crossing the line but we think it was around 16:40 (actually 16:17!). However there was absolutely no doubt that this was over 1 minute faster than last year, so a great performance. For the B team, Jim Mearns was also running his first ever cross country race, never an easy transition to make for a road runner, especially wearing shoes with little grip. However Jim got his first one out of the way with no problems, running strongly to finish in 18:19 (18:18). The M50 team was led off by John McBride, worried about a swollen knee and the stress of a mystery tour of Cumbernauld which Hugh Simpsonsubjected him to en route to the course, and also disputing that someone so young looking should be selected for an M50 team, despite all that, John ran well, taking over a minute off last year's time to finish in 18:55 (18:38).
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| David Herbertson battles on the first leg |
On leg 2 a man in form, Andrew McAffery was here at his local race for the third year in a row and once again improved, this time by a substantial 23 seconds to finish in 15:31 (15:25), pulling the M40 team through the field. Richard Lawton was obviously inspired by his daughter Emma's silver medal winning performance earlier in the day, finishing in 18:04 (18:06), 1:32 faster than last year. Andy Henderson pulled the M50 team up closer to medal contention with a finishing time of 16:45 (16:47), a minute up on last year. Alan Derrick took over on leg 3 for the M40 A team feeling somewhat under par since Thursday. Also wary having not completed the course last year due to straining a hamstring on the first descent, he nevertheless was encouraged by overtaking many people in a lap of 14:50 (14:58), some 20 seconds slower than two years ago but not bad all the same and making up many places in the M40 competition. Hugh Simpson is well up in the Grand Prix, having contested all the races so far this year and did his challenge no harm at all finishing in 19:27 (19:29). The final leg for the M50 team was taken by Eddie Reid who is struggling to get back into training but does now seem to be injury free. Eddie was pleased to get around pain free in 16:29 (16:30).
Finally, Jim Holmes was on the final leg for the A team and was put under some pressure by being handed the virtual baton about 10 seconds in front of local rivals EKAC's vets team. However, fear is a great motivator and Jim extended that lead to finish in 16:30 (16:37), a full minute faster than last year, Russell Couper was very much patched up for this run but all the same ran well to finish significantly faster than last year in 22:30, despite the forecast rain starting during the lap.
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| Jim Holmes on leg 4 for the A team. |
Some adjustments to times and grand prix positions will follow when the official results come through. Some photos from the day are here with more to come. A big thanks to Stuart and Maud for their support at a great event. Huge thanks too to Frances and Richard for manhandling the club tent into position early in the day and to the many hands who made light work of dismantling it at the end. Roll on the Scally next weekend!
Alan
Friday, 25 October 2013
National XC Relay Teams 2013
Teams for Saturday's relays at Cumbernauld are listed here. Further details including maps and other important information is available to download from the Scottish Athletics web site here. Note that ladies and M50 Men are 3 per team whereas all other categories are 4 per team.
Cars are leaving from the Sports Club at 1200 sharp for those that need a lift. See Russell's post below for more information. If you cannot make it then please let Russell or me (07867863741) know well before race registration.
Alan
Cars are leaving from the Sports Club at 1200 sharp for those that need a lift. See Russell's post below for more information. If you cannot make it then please let Russell or me (07867863741) know well before race registration.
Alan
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
NATIONAL XC RELAYS ( CUMBERNAULD )
This Saturday is the National XC Relays at Cumbernauld.
Ladies Start is at 1.40pm and Men at 2.40pm.
I need Ladies at Cumbernauld high School for 12.40pm and Men for 1.40pm.
After this time I will head to the course with the numbers.
Please make arrangements at Thursday training for travel.
THOSE ENTERED ARE
A Lessells, J McEvoy, J Beveridge, F Maxwell, K Allen and R Kelly.
Ladies teams FULL. Reserve M Goldsmith
R Couper, A Derrick, R Lawton, D Herbertson, J Holmes, E Reid, J Mearns, H Simpson, A Henderson, A McCafferry and J McBride.
There is ONE place left on the mens teams.
reserves C Banks, B Buchanan, M Duthie, I Hughes, C Jarvie, K Leinster, G Lindsay, P Marshall, B McDougall, C McDougall, J McMonagle, G Mullen, S Phimister, I Rae, G Ramage, S Reilly, D Searil, C Steven, G Stewart, S Waugh and D Watt.
If anyone listed can no longer make it please let us know by Thursday at training and also if any reserve wants the last place in the teams please let us know asap (first come first served ).
Those still to pay please bring payment with you on Saturday as I wont be at training on Thursday.
Alan will pick the running order as usual and post on the Blog by Saturday morning.
Ladies Start is at 1.40pm and Men at 2.40pm.
I need Ladies at Cumbernauld high School for 12.40pm and Men for 1.40pm.
After this time I will head to the course with the numbers.
Please make arrangements at Thursday training for travel.
THOSE ENTERED ARE
A Lessells, J McEvoy, J Beveridge, F Maxwell, K Allen and R Kelly.
Ladies teams FULL. Reserve M Goldsmith
R Couper, A Derrick, R Lawton, D Herbertson, J Holmes, E Reid, J Mearns, H Simpson, A Henderson, A McCafferry and J McBride.
There is ONE place left on the mens teams.
reserves C Banks, B Buchanan, M Duthie, I Hughes, C Jarvie, K Leinster, G Lindsay, P Marshall, B McDougall, C McDougall, J McMonagle, G Mullen, S Phimister, I Rae, G Ramage, S Reilly, D Searil, C Steven, G Stewart, S Waugh and D Watt.
If anyone listed can no longer make it please let us know by Thursday at training and also if any reserve wants the last place in the teams please let us know asap (first come first served ).
Those still to pay please bring payment with you on Saturday as I wont be at training on Thursday.
Alan will pick the running order as usual and post on the Blog by Saturday morning.
Monday, 21 October 2013
NATIONAL 4K XC CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, 20 October 2013
MASTERS 10k TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
Today was the 1st race in the SVHC Grand Prix (10k Track Race)
Held in its usual venue in Coatbridge. We had four Harriers taking part three of whom had raced yesterday, Frances, Stuart and Russell. Graham Lindsay joined us for this today. They have now included a walking race over the same distance which started about 20 mins before the run. I would have been better starting with them as im running the same pace as some of the walkers. Anyway onto the run and we duly got started on time and we were off. Round the 1st lap and I had taken my place at the back of the field and the leg was ok as was the time and up front I could see Robert Gilroy had already stretched into a lead (maybe I wont beat him today). Second time round and I was now in trouble down to one leg and 15secs lost on the 1st lap and Robert lapped me before the line. I duly just took it easy and considered what to do as more were now passing. About the 4th lap Stuart came past running steady and looking as well as ive seen for a while looks like hes starting to get over his injury, then a pleasant surprise Graham came past just a few yards back obviously using Stuart as a pacer. Another lap or two then Frances came past complaining this was a bad idea. Surely she couldn't be feeling as bad as I was. By this time I was considering wether or not to continue as I knew now I couldn't run for 10k. I decided I would try to relieve the leg by walking about 20m which seemed to help for a little while but I had to do it more often and it became about twice every 3 laps. Do I stop or not, the sensible thing is stop but unfortunately its not in my nature. During all this Stuart, Graham and Frances along with everyone else kept going past again and again and to make matters worse the runners that are normally around about me were not running so I would have a lot of laps on the track myself. Anyway as I hit double figures in laps I decided to keep going and see if I could make it regardless of time. I did manage to hear Frances say to Stuart and Maud when she finished that she was dizzy like she just came off a merry go round (I think she was joking). Anyway it turned out I got 5 laps all to myself and finished with a PW 64.28. Stuart ran 43.00 followed all the way by Graham 43.02. Frances came home in 47.10 This puts Stuart and myself 4th in our age categories with Graham 3rd. Frances leads her category but will during the season move up to the next one and is unfortunately 4th in that category. I now need to consider if its worth trying to get from Brampton to Carlisle. One positive is the leg is ok now so no lasting damage done.
Held in its usual venue in Coatbridge. We had four Harriers taking part three of whom had raced yesterday, Frances, Stuart and Russell. Graham Lindsay joined us for this today. They have now included a walking race over the same distance which started about 20 mins before the run. I would have been better starting with them as im running the same pace as some of the walkers. Anyway onto the run and we duly got started on time and we were off. Round the 1st lap and I had taken my place at the back of the field and the leg was ok as was the time and up front I could see Robert Gilroy had already stretched into a lead (maybe I wont beat him today). Second time round and I was now in trouble down to one leg and 15secs lost on the 1st lap and Robert lapped me before the line. I duly just took it easy and considered what to do as more were now passing. About the 4th lap Stuart came past running steady and looking as well as ive seen for a while looks like hes starting to get over his injury, then a pleasant surprise Graham came past just a few yards back obviously using Stuart as a pacer. Another lap or two then Frances came past complaining this was a bad idea. Surely she couldn't be feeling as bad as I was. By this time I was considering wether or not to continue as I knew now I couldn't run for 10k. I decided I would try to relieve the leg by walking about 20m which seemed to help for a little while but I had to do it more often and it became about twice every 3 laps. Do I stop or not, the sensible thing is stop but unfortunately its not in my nature. During all this Stuart, Graham and Frances along with everyone else kept going past again and again and to make matters worse the runners that are normally around about me were not running so I would have a lot of laps on the track myself. Anyway as I hit double figures in laps I decided to keep going and see if I could make it regardless of time. I did manage to hear Frances say to Stuart and Maud when she finished that she was dizzy like she just came off a merry go round (I think she was joking). Anyway it turned out I got 5 laps all to myself and finished with a PW 64.28. Stuart ran 43.00 followed all the way by Graham 43.02. Frances came home in 47.10 This puts Stuart and myself 4th in our age categories with Graham 3rd. Frances leads her category but will during the season move up to the next one and is unfortunately 4th in that category. I now need to consider if its worth trying to get from Brampton to Carlisle. One positive is the leg is ok now so no lasting damage done.
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