Scottish Athletics Awards 2011/Amazing Who You Meet 6

For the fourth consecutive year, I got my junket (I'm not going to pretend it's anything else) to the Scottish Athletics Awards courtesy of Whitemoss AAC. I've been a member of Whitemoss in some shape or form since May 1996- first claim athlete, second claim athlete, junior committee member, website administrator (twice) and, most recently, treasurer, a post I only relinquished in October 2010 after three and a half years. I content myself now with Mens League team manager. I consider the annual blow out a reward for services rendered.

Whitemoss had something to celebrate having achieved charity status from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. Off the track, a lot is happening for Whitemoss. I may devote another post to it. Having taken responsibility for the charity application, I didn't feel a total fraud taking up the free ticket. We weren't as close to the back of the room as normal which suggested an award may be in the offing. Sure enough, the club won Community Club of the Year. It was only natural the whole table got in the photo. 

Above: Whitemoss Chairman Graham Ravenscroft (middle, red tie) receiving the Community Club of the Year Award on behalf of Whitemoss. Also in the photo, from left to right, are Allan Boyd (coach), Iain McEwan (coach), Mark Stringer (secretary and team manager), myself (hanger on, see above), Willie Sutherland (coach and auditor) and John Robertson (athlete and junior committee member).

After the disappointment that was Daley Thomson last year, 1996 Olympic 400m silver medallist Roger Black proved himself a Guest of Honour worthy of the name, giving an entertaining speech and being readily available for autographs and photographs for whoever asked. I managed to get both. I like his taste in dinner wear.

James Bond and Johnny English. You decide which is which. I hope I look that young when I'm his age.



Scottish National Cross Country Relay Championships, 22nd October 2011

The latest relay took us to Cumbernauld Park for the Scottish National Cross Country Relay. This was the one where a below par West District performance relegated me to the B team last year where I totally muddled up the apple cart by clocking the club's fastest time of the day. Conditions were drier this year but with a fairly gusting wind to keep it interesting.

For an afternooon, Cumbernauld Park is taken over by hundreds of folk huddled under trees and in tents and racing. I saw some of the women's race unfold. Sarah Hood of Edinburgh AC, who trains with us at the track on a Monday, kept close order with Hunters Bog Trotters A and B teams in the lead. Keeping such order proved decisive for her club as Edinburgh took the gold medals ahead of Fife AC and the aforementioned Bog Trotters A team. The women's team from my former club, Calderglen Harriers, are slowly gaining prominence, finishing 35th from 73 teams following their silver medal haul at the Lanarkshire Road Relay. A settled line up of Julie Beveridge, Frances Maxwell and Joanne McEvoy is paying off. We had no team this time with our mainstays so far, young Katie Bristow and Lucy Deeny, having a well earned break after 3 relays in consecutive weeks.

We lined up with 4 and a half mens teams for the 4 x 4km relay. The initial cavalry charge actually saw Stewart Orr and Andrew Coulter take an early lead before things settled down. Michael Gillespie and David Vernon (13:03 each) ran  storming legs for Shettleston and VP City of Glasgow respectively to bring these clubs in ahead of the chasing pack. Stewart kept us in touch in 6th with Andrew bringing the B team through 11th. It was becoming an unpredictable race at the front with Sean Fontana (13:30) taking VP City of Glasgow into pole position under strong pressure from Alex Hendry of Central (13:03), Thomas Fay of Shettleston (13:46) and Andrew Douglas of Inverclyde (13:26). Admittedly, we were falling slightly out of medal contention, 16 seconds behind 3rd place by the end of leg 2, but Jack Hamilton's time of 13:37 gave me plenty to chase on leg 3. Iain MacCorquodale brought the B team into the top 10.

VP City of Glasgow, Central, Shettleston, Inverclyde and Cambuslang set off in that order, one after the other in single file. Paul Sorrie (Shettleston) and Mark Pollard (Inverclyde) were my nearest targets and I set off out the start pen up the first hill in pursuit. In relays, only the first leg runners really get a true race against others. After that, it depends. I was on my own but close enough to do something. I felt strong on my way round and was moving well. I think I did actually gain ground on Sorrie and Pollard. However, they were together, working off each other which I think is key. I was more distant and just didn't get close enough to see the whites of their eyes. Further ahead, VP's medal challenge faltered as Ethan Sloan-Dennison was caught by John Newsom of Central plus Pollard and Sorrie. I faltered a bit in the final kilometre up hill and round woodland into the finish, coming through in 13:28 compared to 13:21 for Pollard and 13:27 for Sorrie. I did gain 20 seconds on VP, allowing Robert Gilroy to finish the job on leg 4 to earn us 4th for the second consecutive year. Cambuslang last won a senior medal in this in 2003. They are hard to come by. David Munro gained another 2 places for the B team and Jamie Reid climbed another one to give them 7th.

Giving chase. Photo courtesy of Kenny Phillips.

Inverclyde won the race following a blistering effort from an in form Craig Ruddy on leg 4 (12:55) while Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab overhauled Ross Houston in the home straight to give Shettleston silver ahead of Central, both teams being credited with the same time. A photo finish after 16km of racing. Our Vets team defended their title, taking gold and 20th overall and our D team were 40th.

In conclusion, while not a poor performance, I feel my personal report card reads "room for improvement." The National 4km Cross Country is on 5th November. A head to head will be a different story from a relay where everyone is running at different times in varying conditions. I'm also entered for the Strathaven Striders Run With the Wind 10k the next day. I'll gauge how my legs feel after the cross country before committing to that for sure. The club matched its performance of a year ago and also had 3 athletes- myself, Stewart and Jack-  in the top 20 times compared to one in 2010 and, with Iain MacCorquodale, 4 in the top 30. Plenty more to come this winter hopefully.

Cambuslang Harriers Mens Results

A Team
6th: Stewart Orr, 13:28
5th: Jack Hamilton, 13:37
5th: Stuart Gibson, 13:28
4th: Robert Gilroy, 13:55
B Team
11th: Andrew Coulter, 14:03
10th: Iain McCorquodale, 13:53
8th: David Munro, 14:10
7th: Jamie Reid, 13:57

C Team- Vets gold medallists
42nd: Alan Ramage, 15:15
29th: Kenny McPherson, 14:45
20th: Kerry Wilson, 14:14- fastest Vet
20th: Michael O'Hagen, 15:15
D Team
47th: Dean McNaught, 15:22
30th: Gordon Robertson, 14:40
36th: Scott Hunter, 16:11
40th: Stephen Paris, 16:37

E Team
Thomas McPake, 18:42
Zac Hunter, 20:23

Scottish Athletics Mens League AGM 2011

This afternoon, I went through to Falkirk for the Scottish Athletics Mens League AGM as the Whitemoss representative. Part of the agenda was the presentation of various Athlete of the Season awards. At the end of each of the 4 meetings, team managers are asked to choose their top 3 track athletes and top 3 field athletes in their Division that day. The points are totalled up and the winners receive a prize at the AGM.

I only noticed I had won the Division 2 Track Athlete of the Season award on Thursday when printing off the agenda and seeing my name mentioned. The photo below shows me receiving a £50 voucher for athletics store Run and Become and a medal from League Chairman David Low.

West District Cross Country Relay Championships, 8th October 2011

Photos courtesy of Chris Upson.

Out of all the races during a successful 2010/11 winter season, this one stuck out. It's the only one where I came away feeling I hadn't done myself justice. I didn't handle the two lap circuit of Rouken Glen Park at all. Still, it fired me up for the National Cross Country Relay two weeks later. Reports on both those races can be found earlier on this blog.

It being my parent's anniversary, I was happy to excuse my Dad's attendance so set off for Drumpellier Park in Coatbridge on my own. Amazingly for me driving to a relatively unfamiliar venue with no directions in adverse weather, I found it first time. Just as well with no Bob and Winifred from Edinburgh to help me this week.

With heavy legs and a blister on the big toe of my left foot, both helped by a bath on Thursday, my case for a B team place fell on deaf ears with the Cambuslang hierarchy and I was allocated 3rd leg for the A team. I replaced Andrew Coulter who, when I spoke to him pre-race, wasn't perturbed in the slightest. Still, I had ensured everyone was happy, captain's duty fulfilled.

I wandered round the course with David Munro, Gordon Robertson and Robert Rossborough. The length of a muddy football pitch, under a bridge, round a narrow grass verge, lap of a field, onto a trail, through the same bridge then a series of convuluted twists and turns eventually leading to a finish line adjacent to the main road. I spent a good 10 minutes watching the senior women race to ensure I knew the correct route. Our youthful pairing of Katie Bristow and Lucy Deeny combined to be 6th after 2 legs and, with a 3rd runner to complete the team, would easily have earned a top 10 place.

On the senior men first leg, Derek Hawkins stormed half a minute clear of the chasing pack to give Kilbarchan the lead. For us, Robert Gilroy came through 6th, Andrew Coulter in 8th, under 20s Bobby Bristow and Dean McNaught in 12th and 21st respectively and Alan Ramage 23rd for our vets team. The race made for exciting viewing. Conor McNulty held off a chasing Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab to keep Kilbarchan 18 seconds clear. Shettleston's B team were clinging on to 3rd narrowly ahead of VP City of Glasgow and our A team. Jamie Reid kept our B team in 8th, Charlie Thomson brought our vets/C team up 11 places to 12th, 5 seconds ahead of Alistair Campbell who took over from Bobby Bristow in the D team and Robert Rossborough, running in the incomplete E team, competed well considering limited cross country experience, handing on to the vastly experienced David Fairweather.

Jack Hamilton gave me plenty to chase in a close 5th place. I set off to put us in the medals. In the first few hundred metres, I caught and passed VP City of Glasgow's Alan Ramsay and set my sights on Shettleston's B runner Lee Wilson as I went under the bridge. Determined not to let one club win two medals in the same race, I chased him hard.

Not my most flattering of poses. Heel flick clearly visible.

By the time we got to the narrow trail, I had overtaken Wilson and achieved my target of putting Cambuslang into the medals. Now to keep them there. The trail went slightly downhill and I lengthened my stride to try and pull away. Back under the bridge, I still had about half the race to go. Club treasurer Colin Feechan gave me a shout and some directions to keep me on course. Chairman David Cooney told me the gap was closing. I thought he meant the chasing pack were getting me. However, he was referring to me closing in on Kilbarchan's 3rd runner, Graham Evans. He had been overtaken by Michael Deason who completed the catch up job Mengisteab started for Shettleston on leg 2. I was closing on Evans with every stride. By the end of the leg, I would have closed the gap from 1 minute 6 seconds to 18 seconds. I threw everything into catching him but ultimately the finish line beat me to it. I ran 12:38 to Evans' 13:36. I had a minor triumph of clocking the fastest time on leg 3.

In the home straight.

Stewart Orr finished the job Robert, Jack and I started, overhauling Kilbarchan's last runner, Craig Haxton, and safely securing us a silver medal. A speedy effort from Matthew Gillespie (12:16) won Shettleston gold. David Vernon hauled VP City of Glasgow up 2 places to bronze medals pushing an unlucky Kilbarchan quartet, in the medals for 75% of the race, to 4th and Shettleson B into 5th. David Munro guided our B team to 7th and Greg Hastie overhauled Scott Hunter to earn our vets team gold medals and 12th overall one place ahead of our D team.

This was a huge improvement for me on a year ago- first ever District relay medal, fastest Harrier and 7th quickest overall. At the prize giving I had a chat with Calderglen Harriers coach Alan Derrick. He ran a swift 14:05 on 2nd leg to help my former club to vets bronze medals. I received an open invitation to do the Brampton to Carlisle 10 Mile Road Race on 19th November. I haven't been to Brampton for 3 years. I might just take the offer up.

On my way back to the car, I spoke to a guy I'd never met before who reads this blog. I didn't get his name so if you're reading, please re-introduce yourself at my next race and hopefully you've enjoyed reading this.

 

Cambuslang Senior Results

Men

A Team (2nd)

6th: Robert Gilroy- 12:58

5th: Jack Hamilton- 12:44

3rd: Stuart Gibson- 12:38

2nd: Stewart Orr- 12:47

B Team (7th)

8th: Andrew Coulter- 13.16

8th: Jamie Reid- 13.11

8th: Gordon Robertson- 14.06

7th: David Munro- 13.16

C/Vets Team (12th, 1st vets team)

23rd: Alan Ramage- 14.24

12th: Charlie Thomson- 13.17

12th: Michael O' Hagen- 14.26,

12th: Greg Hastie- 13.42

D team (13th) 

12th: Bobby Bristow- 13.51

13th: Alistair Campbell- 13.55

10th: Ian McCorquodale- 13.19

13th: Scott Hunter - 15.08

E team

21st: Dean McNaught- 14.18

31st: Robert Rossborough - 16.20

35th: David Fairweather- 18.25

Women

8th: Katie Bristow- 15:52

6th: Lucy Deeny- 16:47



BUPA Great Edinburgh 10k, 2nd October 2011

Selection for this race came 10 days beforehand. I considered an overnight stay but it seemed, unless I wanted to book some quirky guesthouse or other, the nearest I could get to Edinburgh was about 7 miles away. Besides, I had club duties transporting visitors from Armagh to the McAndrew Relay and back the day before so I settled for a 7am rise to get ready and drive through for the 10.35am start since there was only one train which would get me there on time and, with the persistent rain, I feared a delay or cancellation. Arriving wasn't without its difficulties but the short account is I made it to a soggy Holyrood Park with time to spare.

District selection entitled me to stand in the elite start where we hung about until Channel 5 were ready for the select few to be introduced and do their wee waving bit to the crowds. Getting this treatment were Titus Mbishi (Kenya), Jose Manuel Martinez (Spain), Arizona based Scot Andrew Lemoncello (I don't think he recognised me from the 2008 Scottish Senior 5000m) and Great North Run winner Charles Mathathi (Kenya). I was anxious to get underway.

As we tackled the first couple of kilometres uphill round Arthur's Seat out of Holyrood Park, I decided both for my own race prospects and for the sake of another 30 seconds on TV, it wasn't worth pursuing Mathathi and Mbishi and focussed on placing well among the Brits around me. I overtook Michael Crawley of Durham City Harriers and tried to move away from various Scottish adversaries including Murray Strain, Michael Gillespie and Conor McNulty. By the time we hit the city centre streets, I had a bit of a gap ahead of me. I don't know how close anyone else was to me because as I've said before, I never look back in a race.

As I negotiated the undulating course, I recognised East District runners Alex Hendry, who beat me in the Inter Regional 5000m, and John Newsom. I saw from the TV coverage later both had gone with Lemoncello at the start. Encouragingly they were coming back to me. Maybe these High Point hill sessions do work. By the time we reached the Meadows between 5km and 6km, Hendry had dropped behind Newsom and I was gaining with every stride. On a long, flat stretch, I took my chance and overtook without a first look never mind a second one and pounded up a slight incline on a right turn out the Meadows to try and open a gap. As well as I was running, I knew guys like Hendry were more than capable runners and I couldn't ease up.

Eventually, we headed along Princes Street where the crowds thickened and the last two flat, downhill kilometres. I was feeling strong and confident. In an interesting development ahead, Newsom had caught and overtaken another Kenyan, John Kelai, who had been 3rd early on. I was gaining as well. He had blown a gasket. I went through 8km (5 miles approx) in 25:13. Going down the Royal Mile back to Holyrood Park, I threw everything into catching Newsom and Kelai. Probably sensing a lawyer from East Kilbride was about to beat him (okay, maybe not), Kelai rallied and managed to keep his lead over me. Seeing the front of my vest, a random guy outside a pub shouted "come on Gibson" which did make me smile.

I entered the home straight flat out, finishing in 31:07, hands in the air for the camera pointed at me hoping it would make the TV coverage. It didn't. I ran the final 2km in 5:54 and it wasn't enough to gain another place. I narrowly avoided walking in on race winner Mathathi's Channel 5 interview and went through the finishing funnel where I exchanged high fives with the children handing out the goody bags.

I was delighted to place 12th and 3rd Scot with my 2nd fastest 10k ever over a tough course in the rain. At long last, I feel I'm getting close to my true form. Following a gentle warm down, I enjoyed a Sunday roast and a couple of beers on Rose Street and headed home knackered. My legs took 3 days to recover.

Thank yous are due to my Dad for getting me to Edinburgh, Sweatshop's Gavin Harvie for holding on to my clothing during the race and my warm down and giving me a carrier bag for my muddy shoes and, last but definitely not least, a nice Edinburgh couple called Bill and Winifred who helped us locate my car post race after my Dad couldn't find where he parked it. I'll never entertain any cynical comments about Edinburgh folk again.

Full race results are here.

Training for the BUPA Great Edinburgh 10k

Up until 22nd September, the title of this post would have been "Training for the McAndrew Road Relay." A sudden change came as I was notified of selection for the West of Scotland team to compete in the Scottish Inter District Championships incorporated into the BUPA Great Edinburgh 10k. The 7am rise on a wet Sunday morning proved worthwhile as I took 12th place (3rd Scot) with my second fastest 10k ever of 31:07 over a demanding city centre course. I have to admit I've enjoyed the minor fame of 5 minute cameo appearances on Channel 5 and BBC 2 which have come with it. With the recent 3000m at Shettleston, race at Millport and now this, I finally seem to be nearing the form I feel I'm capable of.

Detailed below is my training leading up to the race for anyone interested. If it's boring, brilliant, because that means I've been consistent. September has been predominantly steady running to build up stamina for the winter. Track sessions and tempo runs will be eased in gradually.

Week Commencing Monday 29th August

Monday: 8.4 miles easy (53:09).

Tuesday: Club, 6 miles approx easyish (38:50).

Wednesday: 9.7 miles brisk (1:00:34).

Thursday: Hill reps, High Point, 6 circuits running hard off the top, 5.5 miles approx including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: AM- 6 miles (38:03) including 3 sets of 3 x 30 second strides, 30 second jog recoveries, 5 mins between sets. PM- 3.3 miles brisk (20:09)

Sunday: Longer run, including 20 mins easy then intervals, 5 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 5 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, all with 5 mins jog recoveries, 15 miles approx (1:38:09).

Mileage: 53

Week Commencing Monday 5th September

Monday: 8.5 miles easy (55:08).

Tuesday: Club, 8 miles brisk (50:30)

Wednesday: 9.7 miles brisk (1:01:03)- last Wednesday's route in reverse, hillier.

Thursday: Hill reps, High Point, 6 circuits running hard off the top, 4.3 miles including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Glasgow Endurance Session, Glasgow Green- 6 x 3 mins, 2 mins recoveries, 6.4 miles including warm up and warm down.

Sunday: Race- Round Cumbrae 10 Mile Road Race, Isle of Cumbrae, 1st in 53:08, heavy rain and galeforce winds, 13.1 miles including warm down.

Mileage: 50

Week Commencing Monday 12th September

Monday: 8.8 miles easy (57:36).

Tuesday: Club, 6.8 miles easy (43:13)- AGM after training, elected Club Captain.

Wednesday: 9.7 miles brisk (1:00:45)- same route as 2 weeks ago.

Thursday: Hill reps, High Point, 6 circuits running hard off the top, 5.6 miles approx including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5k time trial, Strathclyde Parkrun- 1st in 15:43, 6.2 miles including warm down- first meeting with some club members since taking the Captaincy.

Sunday: Longer run, including 20 mins easy then intervals, 5 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 5 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, all with 5 mins jog recoveries, 15 miles (1:34:12).

Mileage: 52

Week Commencing Monday 19th September

Monday: 7.3 miles easy (47:06).

Tuesday: Club, 8 miles approx easy (54:00)

Wednesday: 9.7 miles brisk (1:00:00)- last week in reverse.

Thursday: Hill reps, High Point, 6 circuits running hard off the top, 4.75- 5 miles including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Showground, East Kilbride (cross country)- 8 x 3 mins, 2 mins recoveries, 6.5- 7 miles including warm up and warm down.

Sunday: Longer run, including 20 mins easy then intervals, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, 4 mins, 1 min, 2 mins, all with 5 mins jog recoveries, 14.3 miles (1:29:54).

Mileage: 51

Week Commencing Monday 26th September

Monday: Strathclyde Park, 7.7 miles (55:43)-  4 miles (24:07) on my own then 3.7 miles (31:36) with Kirsty.

Tuesday: Rest- at a seminar after work.

Wednesday: Hill reps, High Point, 4 circuits running hard off the top, 5.4 miles approx including warm up and warm down.

Thursday: 6.2 miles (37:28) including 3 sets of 3 x 30 second strides, 30 second jog recoveries, 5 mins between sets.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 4.3 miles brisk (26:38).

Sunday: Race- BUPA Great Edinburgh 10k, 12th in 31:07, 8.2 miles including warm down.

Mileage: 31