Inter Regional Championships, 28th August 2011

This was the third edition of the Scottish Inter Regional Championships which sees the country roughly divided into the regions of West City, West Coast, Central, East, Tayside & Fife and Highlands, Islands & Grampian. I competed in a 3000m steeplechase for West Coast at the inaugural championship in May 2009 and also got a run out over 1500m when an indoor version was held in January 2010. Teams compete for the Innes Trophy in memory of a long standing servant of Scottish Athletics, John Innes, who passed away in late 2008. The event wasn't on my radar but when the offer came from West Coast team selector Allison Simpson, who I've been acquainted with for a few years, I thought "why not?"

Following Tuesday's encouraging 3000m, I did 11.3 miles with intervals of 4 minutes, 1 minute and 2 minutes duration on Wednesday (time for whole run- 1:11:05) then a track session of 15 x 400m in 71-72 seconds apart from the 4th, 8th, 12th and 15th reps which were 66, 67, 68 and 68 seconds. Both sessions were quicker and felt a lot better than the previous attempts 2 weeks before. Friday was a day off then Saturday morning saw a wee run with Kirsty. Apart from a solitary pint of Belhaven Best before the Queen's Park game, I stayed off the drink and was in bed at 11pm as soon as Sylvester Stallone had knocked out the big Russian in Rocky IV on ITV4.

It struck me on the way to Wishaw how dull and blustery it was and took the decision to keep a top on under the vest when racing. I collected my number and vest. With a 12.15pm start, there wasn't too much hanging around and before long I was being led out the call room with 7 other guys plus Kara Tait, the sole female 5000m entrant.

Before long, I found myself just off a leading group with Alex Hendry, fellow lawyer and blog reader Mickey Breen, Luke Traynor and Neil Sheehan. The first lap passed by in 76 seconds but the pace had quickened by 4 laps (approximately a mile) which took 4:55. I admit to deliberately staying in behind the group attempting to take a free ride by letting the others have the brunt of the wind on the home straight. I probably got my just desserts in the end. More on that later. I gradually moved up and, at halfway, took the lead for the first time. The group was down to 4.

Above: leading into the breeze. Photo courtesy of Scottish Athletics.

A split time at 3000m of 9:12 told me I wasn't going to break any personal bests. I was however in contention to win the race. Hendry, Traynor and Breen had retaken the pace from me which I was happy for them to do. I then had another go at the front which I wanted to be decisive. Whether it was slight lack of fitness or confidence or both, or he was simply running better but Hendry managed to steal a march on me within the last 3 laps, building up a gap he ultimately held. With one lap to go, the clock read 14:11. Traynor and Breen came by me into the back straight. I immediately became disgusted with myself. I wasn't even in a medal position now. They must have been going at a fair lick since a 69 seconds final lap, completed in a foul mood, only served to bring me in 3 seconds adrift. My time was identical to what I ran at Bellahouston the week before.

At the time, I took the outcome badly. The frustration of running no quicker than I had on the road was huge. Let me say though, congratulations to the other 3 guys who ran excellent tactical races. I was so angry with myself, I ran another 6 miles as a warm down when I got home. With the benefit of hindsight, it was alright. A look at my Power of 10 profile reminded me how far I've come in a short time and gave some perspective. The football scores that afternoon also helped. I'm sure plenty Arsenal and Tottenham supporters would have queued up to swap places with me.

Winter preparation now begins. Next stop, Millport on 11th September.

Inter Regional 5000m Overall Result (Men A and B and Lady)

1. Alex Hendry, Central, 15:12.46

2. Luke Traynor, West City, 15:17.60

3. Mickey Breen, East, 15:17.83

4. Stuart Gibson, West Coast, 15:20.27

5. Neil Sheehan, East, 15:38.17

6. Stuart Campbell, Tayside & Fife, 16:01.90

7. Ross Milne, Central, 16:11.06

8. Joe McKnight, West City, 16:35.32

9. Kara Tait, West Coast, 17:57.78

Bella 5k Snaps

A couple more photographs are provided below from the Bella 5k. They are courtesy of Gillian Scott of Scott Sport Photography who very kindly directed them my way at no cost due to the poor light quality when I was snapped at Dundonald. I have noted her company's future presence at Millport on 11th September and Strathaven's 10k in November so she can expect future business from me. Thank you Gillian.

Double Header

Photos courtesy of Bryan Lamb.

Continuing in my "running without pressure" mode, I did a couple of races within 3 days of each other, being careful though with my recovery in between.

Achilles Heel Bella 5k Road Race, 21st August

While staying fairly relaxed about things, I saw this race at Glasgow's Bellahouston Park as one to assess my current level of fitness and see how far away I am from where I want to be. I was slowly starting to feel my fitness coming together and approached this race with some cautious optimism. The 2pm start suited because it gave me a lie in, something I never need offered twice.

While chatting and warming  up with Cambuslang newcomer Shazad Hakeem, I noted the presence of Shettleston trio Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab, Allan Adams and Paul Sorrie. I knew this would be my toughest test post holiday. Fingers crossed I was up to it.

We started on a tarmac track next to the sports centre, heading out towards the Palace of Arts and a twisty route in and around the park. I quickly settled into a lead group of 4 with the aforementioned Shettleston athletes. In truth, I was stretched and content to let them trade the lead between them while I got pulled along in their slipstream hopefully to a quick time. I held on until between 2km and 3km when the sunglasses clad Mengisteab injected a turn of pace to split the group. Adams and Sorrie tried to go with him. I didn't but I continued to work hard, encouraging myself to forget about my pre-holiday races at Sunderland and Scotstoun and to stay positive.

The second half of the race saw us strung out in single file. Mengisteab was on his way to being home and hosed, while Adams and Sorrie were dropping back towards me. The final kilometre included a slight downhill back onto the track then the finish. I strode out as much as I could into the home straight closing in on both Shettleston men but with the finish line greeting me before I met them.

I took a clear 4th place in a satisfactory time of 15:19. Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab showed a bit of class to win in 14:41 followed by Allan Adams (15:01) and Paul Sorrie (15:14). Shaz claimed a top 20 finish and a new personal best of 17:23.

After I grabbed a cup of tea and a roll, my Dad kindly drove my car home and I ran the 8-9 miles back to East Kilbride, much to Shaz's disbelief, via the Glasgow suburbs of Shawlands, Cathcart, Clarkston and Busby. That took care of my long run. 11-12 miles in total for the day.

Shettleston Harriers Open Graded Meeting, 23rd August

I followed up my run home from Bellahouston with a bath that night to ease my legs then a relaxed run the following evening. I had been prescribed an easy run with no specification of pace or with whom. I took the degree of flexibility to its limit, meeting up with Kirsty, our first run for a wee while. I offered, and she agreed, to do a 6.75 mile route known at the club as "3 Corner Wood" but in reverse which I assured the unsuspecting Miss Grant meant getting a hazardous country road out of the way early and finishing with a big downhill stretch. What totally slipped my mind was how hilly it was in between! Kirsty, to her credit, didn't throw in the towel, kept pace and finished in one piece though refused in no uncertain terms my offer of a few strides at the end.
 

This led me on nicely the next night to a 3000m at Shettleston's Open Graded Meeting at Glasgow's Crownpoint track. There was a trophy up for grabs in memory of one of their coaches, Alex Naylor, and a bit of prize money so some incentive to give the race some meaning. Athletes responded to it with 20 paying their £2 entry fee and taking to the start line. Myself, Stewart Orr and Stephen Parris flew the Cambuslang flag. Kirsty sent me a good luck text. At least after putting her through the mill the night before she is still talking to me.

I had no tactics. I let my approach be dictated by how the race unfolded. I had a quick start to get away from the crowd and soon found myself with Paul Sorrie and two others at my back. Observing my rule of not looking behind, I couldn't tell who they were. I was running pretty hard and feeling a great deal stronger than I did in the road race. I stayed behind Sorrie until 2000m to go then injected a surge of pace round the bend in an effort to move away. I discovered the two at my back were Stewart Orr and Giffnock's Luke Traynor. Stewart has been producing some fantastic form over 800m and 1500m. He and Traynor moved away from me with a bit of ease but I knew Sorrie was still a dangerous opponent which kept me going.

I went through a mile (1600m approx) in an encouraging 4:37 and started anticipating the finish. Something close to my best would be a good run. I gave it all I had, dropping and gaining no more places and producing a 34 second final 200m for a time of 8:46, only 5 seconds outside my best. Position was immaterial but I was maybe about 6th. Sorrie came through not far behind me, also breaking 9 minutes.

This performance was a real shot in the arm for me, giving me hope that I can maybe, just maybe, reach the heights I did last winter again. I've been training frequently but not with any great intensity with 3 post holiday mileage weeks being 40, 42 and 47. No tempo runs or hill reps. "Running for fun" I call it. I've taken up an offer of a 5000m at Sunday's Inter Regional Championship at Wishaw. Winter preparation then starts with only one race pencilled in for September, the Round Cumbrae 10.25 miles (the subject of my first ever blog post). That however, is more of a competitive long run really.

Write me off if you dare.

Scottish Mens League Match 4, 14th August 2011

Grangemouth hosted the fourth and final meeting in this year's Scottish Mens League. Under my thoroughly inspiring leadership, Whitemoss were lying 3rd in Division 2, a little adrift of Shettleston and Falkirk Victoria but still an outside bet for promotion. It needed a good turn out. Unfortunately, a couple of people withdrew beforehand with colds but I still had a team of 12 athletes and 4 officials out in force.

The league organisers experimented by replacing the 5000m with a 10,000m, the first time such a race had been run for several years. The Division records go back far enough, 15 June 1997 for Division 1 (W. Coyle of Shettleston Harriers with 29:59.8) and 21 May 1989 for Division 2 (C.Heskett of Dundee Hawkhill Harriers with 30:28.9). Always happy to be a guinea pig for an experiment, I lined up with 18 others for a 25 lap trek. My training the previous week had been alright, including a track session of 15 x 400m with every 4th rep plus the 15th one brisker. Times were 72 seconds with the brisker ones in 68, 68, 69 and 70. With Kirsty's good luck text received on cue and a little banter exchanged besides, I was set.

This was as much an experiment for me as it was for the league, my first track 10,000m. I looked to get as far into the race as I could feeling as good as possible. I quite deliberately hung behind Ben Hukins of Aberdeen, Shettleston's Michael Gillespie and early pacesetter Stuart Campbell of Arbroath. 5 laps trundled by without incident then I sort of drifted my way into the lead. The pace didn't alter. I just found myself there. I was working hard without straining because the last thing I wanted was to blow a gasket with say 18 laps to go. Coming up to halfway, Hukins and Gillespie strode past. In another race, perhaps a championship, I would try to cover the break. Here, I was content to keep to my own pace and passed 5000m in 16:07.

I started working harder from here to keep momentum. Central's Lewis Millar came up beside me. I wasn't up for dropping any more places and put in the slightest of surges with 12 laps left to burn him off. I found myself in no man's land with a gap in front and gap behind. I did however have lapped runners to target and pass which eased the strain a bit.

I made it to 17 laps before fatigue took a grip. This is borne out by Cambuslang coach Jim Orr's note of my lap times which show laps 18, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 24 were my slowest. In saying that, I was still on for a decent finish thanks to the good work done during the first 6800m.

My watch time checks became more frequent. I surmised I was on for around 32 minutes. A big effort with a 72 second final lap saw me cross the line 3rd in 32:15.54. I ran the second 5000m only one second slower than the first. Hukins won the race in 31:45.42 followed by Gillespie in 32:00.52. Martin Duthie of Calderglen Harriers filled the B string for me, putting in a determined performance to finish in 36:48.55. I would definitely do another one of these! It's a different challenge to a road race, at least to keep count of your laps. As I heard one athlete say on the start line, "keep going until someone tells you that you're finished."

I dusted myself down and, 10 minutes later, ran final leg in the 4 x 100m relay, helping the team to 3rd place in 50.41 seconds.

Not content with 25 and a quarter laps, I jogged a mile while the final point totals were calculated. Central narrowly pipped Aberdeen for the Division 1 title while, in Division 2, this was the match result:-

Shettleston Harriers, 402 match points
Falkirk Victoria Harriers, 365
Whitemoss, 292
Ayr Seaforth,240
Corstorphine, 206
Fife, 203
Kilbarchan, 154
Clydesdale Harriers, 115
Dunfermline & West Fife, 0
Kirkintilloch Olympians, 0

The final table looks like this:-

Shettleston Harriers, 38 points (1493 match points)
Falkirk Victoria Harriers, 36 (1452)
Whitemoss, 31 (1098)
Kilbarchan, 26 (1097)
Corstorphine, 26 (979)
Fife, 19 (858)
Ayr Seaforth, 16 (653)
Clydesdale Harriers, 11 (416)
Dunfermline & West Fife, 7 (208)
Kirkintilloch Olympians, 1 (51)

This is one place higher than last year. My 2 years in the post are now up so it remains to be seen if a couple of failed promotion bids will see me re-elected. My jacket might be on the proverbial shoogly peg.

For those interested, my mile times in the 10,000m were 5:05, 5:10, 5:12, 5:08, 5:15 and 5:13.

How to Ease Yourself in Gently....

....or how not to. Two 10km road races in three nights. If one of them is over undulating country roads, even better. Photos courtesy of Great Scott Photography.

Above: Dundonald 10k, 3rd August. I've no idea what I'm laughing at.

Above: Bella Belter 10k, 5th August. Coming up to halfway feeling a little less jovial.

Bella Belter 10k Road Race, 5th August 2011

It's a time of year for tours. One of the world's most gruelling sporting challenges, the Tour de France, took place in July. Football clubs are on "pre-season tours." In Scottish running circles, the Tour of Fife took place, 5 races in 5 days for those taking up the challenge.

More locally, the Tour of Clydeside took place comprising 4 races in 5 nights, Wednesday being a rest day, in and around the Glasgow area. The final race was a 10k in Glasgow's Pollok Park. Athletes can enter any one race individually. Looking to give my fitness a quick jolt, I decided to toddle along to Glasgow's South Side even though I ran Dundonald only 2 nights earlier. Well, it got me out the house. On Thursday I did an easy 4.25 mile run then had a bath to ease my legs in preparation. A 5000m track race opportunity was on offer at Scotstoun but one, I didn't quite feel fit enough and two, I felt it was a little soon after the Scottish Championship disappointment to do another.

I turned up at the Cartha Rugby Club end of Pollok Park to enter, met Ian Goudie again who was also having another race outing (he's in the 40s for the year) and a couple of new Cambuslang athletes. 3 for a team, magic. I knew one of them, Shaz, but hate to say I've forgotten the other's name. I'll get there with it. I also saw another clubmate for the first time since the week before the Bristol 10k in May, Kirsty Grant.

Let me tell you a little about Kirsty. We first met in July 2010 when I decided to put a face to the person who always replied to my posts on the Cambuslang online forum. We started going a few training runs when it suited, such as me wanting a recovery run and her someone to push her on. All went well until January. Not many people will know that Kirsty then fell ill with a potentially fatal illness. I was texting her one day, the next, she was hospitalised, just like that. It is a tribute to her fighting spirit that she is running again and not a million miles from where she was. She's a great friend and one of my biggest supporters.  If you have wondered who sent me the card before the Home Countries cross country, here is your answer. Anytime I'm racing, I can set my watch for Kirsty's good luck text arriving.

I lined up with various folk onto their 4th race of the week. Kirkintilloch's David Gardner had a healthy lead in the series over his clubmate Gavin Harvie who in turn had only a slender advantage over Chris Upson of Westerlands. I felt like the rider in the Tour de France peleton going out for the one off stage win. The thankfully flat course took you through Pollok Park, out the other end onto the street back towards the Rugby Club. That was one lap and you ran it twice.

Above: the start. Thanks to my Dad for taking the photo.

I eased into the race to see how my legs felt. They were okay and I gradually built up a lead. I saw plenty arrows but no kilometre or mile markers so I concentrated on putting in as much effort as possible. The point from exiting Pollok Park until re-entering at the rugby club felt very long. I got a nice cheer as I completed the first lap. A quick time check showed it had taken me 15:43. A lot faster than it felt. I aimed for no spectacular second half collapses. My legs got heavier and the speed bumps started feeling like hills. I seemed to get out the park a bit quicker this time and entered the long drag back to the finish. With my legs tiring, I focussed on lengthening my stride and my arm movement. Eventually I saw the arrow directing me into the park. I was then sent left towards the rugby fields and the finish line. The second lap took me 16:11 to give me a winning time of 31:54. With no car to follow, it had been mainly me against the clock. In those circumstances, the result was pleasing.

I jogged back out to support some other runners. I cheered on Ian Goudie and Calderglen's Stephen Phimister then saw Kirsty. I knew she had a bad time at the previous night's race. After offering some encouragement, she looked at me, smiled and seemed to ask if I had won. I replied "you seem okay" and answered her question in the affirmative. I completed my warm down while chatting to series runner up Gavin Harvie, chatted to the other Cambuslang runners then showered before heading into the bar. There was no prize for winning other than some soup, tea and what looked like black bun. I asked Stephen Phimister about what it was like to race 4 nights out of 5, said my goodbyes to a few folk and headed home pleased with another good night's work.

Dundonald 10k Road Race, 3rd August 2011

Well, I made it back. I've decided not to write a report on the Scottish Championships 5000m. Suffice to say it didn't quite go the way I wanted it to. I clocked 15:17.91 but I was tired and flat and faded badly. Time to move on.

I got home from holiday in the early hours of Friday 29th July. I ticked over during my 10 days away. Sadly, I was victim to an opportunist thief, having my backpack stolen. Thankfully no crucial items were taken but it did contain my Garmin watch and this year's training diary. Back to a stopwatch and onto this blog to fill in the gaps in my training. With no more big championships until the winter, I'm looking to run without pressure for a wee while. Over a couple of black coffees at the swimming pool, I came up with some races. Dundonald was the first.

I prepared with a High Point hill session on Saturday, a Sunday long run in Dundonald, an interval session of alternate 2 minute and 1 minute efforts on Monday and a 20 minute jog on Tuesday. Dundonald is a firm favourite. I've run the race every year bar one since 2002. I've been runner up a couple of times to Kilmarnock Harrier Keith Haining then Cambuslang's Kerry Wilson then won for the first time in 2010. It's a beautiful little village in Ayrshire boasting a castle built in the 1300s for King Robert II of Scotland. It was a royal residence for the Stuart line of succession to the Scottish throne for around 150 years. There you go, the William and Kate of the 14th century resided in humble little Dundonald.

Having arrived via a tour of some quaint Ayrshire villages due to a road closure, I convened with everyone else at the start line beside the war memorial. I met and spoke to Claire McArthur, a friend of a friend (Kirsty Grant), warning her to conserve energy during the hilly first half. We had a general chit chat after that then were set on our way out of Dundonald into the wild Ayrshire countryside.

I knew the course had 12 hills. I counted them on my Sunday run. Coming up to a mile, I slowly started edging away from the field. A good, strong run was important to me. I counted the hills as a means of concentrating. I felt the best I had in ages. Hill 8 was the steepest, a long climb into another village, Symington. I jokingly used the Tour de France term for an uncategorised climb to describe it, hors categorie. Not quite the Alpe d'Huez mountain pass but it kept me amused. In Symington, I took the first exit at a mini roundabout, negotiated Hill 9 onto the Main Street then Hill 10 out of the village. 3 miles and 10 hills in, I had burned off the opposition and was heading back to Dundonald.

The second half of the race is predominately flat and downhill. Hill 11 was a minor rise in the road but it was significant enough to me to be called a hill. With a clear lead, I focussed on maintaining momentum and keeping up with the lead car. A child outside a caravan park cruelly imitated my running action. Brat! Between 4 and 5 miles you see the castle on the horizon. This was a good focus as well. It was great to be running strongly and not having blown apart for the first time in a couple of races.

I re-entered Dundonald Main Street to some applause from the locals, negotiated Hill 12 (a small rise towards the former royal residence) then completed a lap of the playing field to claim the win, £40 and a photo with the patron of the Dundonald Highland Games in a course best of 32:12. Claire was the winning lady in a time of 38:45, a "post-baby" personal best which apparently describes your fastest time at a distance since embracing motherhood. Fellow blogger Ian Goudie came through in just over 44 minutes. It was good to catch up with him.

Above: coming down Dundonald Main Street towards the turn onto Hill 12 then the playing field. Thanks to my Dad for taking the photo.
 

Overall, this was a thoroughly good night. The race went well and I met up with a number of people, including an old friend from university, Richard Dobson, who is now a qualified doctor in Clydebank's Jubilee Hospital. Look for this race in the calendar. It's a hidden gem.

For Ian Goudie's version of events, click here.