Scottish National Cross Country Championships, 23rd February 2013

Thanks to various Cambuslang members for the photos in this post.

It would be true to say I was far better prepared for this year's National than the 2012 edition. However, that didn't mean I wasn't still extremely nervous. So nervous, I couldn't focus on anything the night before so went to bed so early, I ended up getting over 12 hours sleep. I guess I needed it. Dry weather all week meant the Callendar Park course was exactly to my liking, the polar opposite of Inverkip which I'll call the "unaussprechlich." I could just say the unmentionable but unaussprechlich sounds as nasty as my experience that horrible December afternoon. Any German speakers can correct my spelling or choice of adjective.

Sometimes inspiration comes from the unlikiest of sources. Confession time, I'm a bit of a Bruce Springsteen fan and gave his "Born to Run" album an airing on the way to Falkirk. I'm also (don't laugh) partial to watching WWE wrestling. The night before the race I watched their Elimination Chamber pay per view event. Now I know as well as the next person that this stuff is scripted yet one of the announcers made a great comment about how to win a "Chamber" match- survive. You can't win it in the first 4 minutes but you can lose it. I applied that analogy to the National. It's 3 laps, a total of 12km. It can't be won in the first lap but with a foolish start it can be lost. It made sense. I toed the line with that thought in mind. A former professional wrestler reading from a script had set my race plan.

A field of over 500 runners, including 23 Cambuslang Harriers, set off over the first hill following the grassy circuit to the boating pond. I aimed to stay out of trouble, let those with the adrenaline rushes get it out their systems then come to the fore. It couldn't be won on the first lap but it could be lost. Round the boating pond to the hill through the trees, I was probably in the teens but well in touch in good company. 5 Central runners headed me as did our Ethiopian Wegene Tafese. 6 to count for the team contest so it looked like a fight for silver. I needed to be ahead of Wegene to keep the club championship alive. Tall order. Still, I was moving very well and slowly picking people off as we crossed the ditch where the Antonine Wall once stood.

Above: tracking Andrew Crichton (number 228) and Michael Deason (just outside the photo) across the ditch on lap one.

Up the hill towards the flats I overtook and pulled away from Andrew Crichton (Edinburgh) and Michael Deason (Shettleston). Michael bettered me in Armagh 9 days earlier so I took this as an indication of my form. I headed into the second circuit on the cusp of the top 10. As you'll see later, there were no mugs among those ahead of me. The group around me kept evolving. I resisted the temptation to surge up any hills. It wasn't worth the risk. The key was to survive as a wise former wrestler once said.

Above: looking a little drastic on the second lap sandwiched between Murray Strain (number 465) and Alex Hendry (116).

I was starting to to and fro with Alex Hendry (Central), an accomplished athlete who has had my scalp convincingly many times. After crossing the ditch a second time, my Dad was at the foot of the hill. He whispered the following encouragement:- "you versus Cena on the last lap." A private joke between us but I knew exactly what he meant and it gave the required motivation. Incredibly, I finished the second lap in 7th place. I looked at the runners ahead and thought of who was behind me. I was working hard and hurting but knew at the same time I was having a blinder. Cambuslang's David Cooney, Jim Orr, Charlie Thomson and others made it clear at different points of the course.

Into the third lap, I felt the wheels coming off. Sean Fontana (VP City of Glasgow), Douglas Selman (Corstorphine) and Alex Hendry all passed me before I'd circled the boating pond. I really didn't want the good work to come undone. Wegene had pulled away towards victory so I couldn't influence that. I endeavoured to keep my form until the hill through the trees. I took the hill strongly, pulling back a place on Alex Hendry and moving into 9th. Heading towards the ditch, I knew there were 3 hills left. I had a second wind. Time to gamble. If it didn't pay off, at least there wasn't far to go. I threw myself down the ditch and up the other end surging hard on the flat for a few strides, hoping this would give me breathing space on Alex and anyone else behind. Next hill towards the flats, encouraged by Calderglen's Alan Derrick, same thing. I was knackered. There comes a point though when adrenaline takes over. Next hill, same again then along the flat down the dip into the finishing straight. I rediscovered the sprint from 2011 which brought me into the finish in 9th place in 39:38, 1 second adrift of Dougie Selman. Alex finished 10th 7 seconds later. Wegene became Scottish Cross Country and Cambuslang Club Champion in one fell swoop with a time of 38:41. Only 64 seconds separated the first 10 finishers. It had been a fantastic race which I now feel proud to have been part of and humbled to have earned a top 10 finish in. Here is how those 10 finished:-

1 Wegene Tafese (M Sen) Ron Hill Cambuslang H 38:41

2 Robbie Simpson (M Sen) Deeside AC 38:55

3 Joe Symonds (M Sen) Hunters Bog Trotters 39:00

4 Scott McDonald (M Sen) Central AC 39:12

5 Sean Fontana (M Sen) VP-Glasgow AC 39:12

6 Murray Strain (M Sen) Hunters Bog Trotters 39:15

7 Alastair Hay (M Sen) Central AC 39:17

8 Douglas Selman (M Sen) Corstorphine AAC 39:37

9 Stuart Gibson (M Sen) Ron Hill Cambuslang H 39:38

10 Alexander Hendry (M Sen) Central AC 39:45
 

In the team stakes, Wegene, myself, Iain MacCorquodale (19th), David Munro (26th), Ben Hukins (28th) and Kerry-Liam Wilson (32nd) took the team silver medals for Cambuslang behind Central and ahead of Corstorphine. However, there were many great performances throughout our ranks. For example, Scott Hunter posted a personal best National performance while Alistair Campbell posted a sound debut in the senior race with 71st position and our 9th finisher.

Above: team silver medallists, left to right- Iain MacCorquodale, myself, David Munro, Wegene Tafese, Ben Hukins. Missing from the photo is Kerry-Liam Wilson.

An overview of Cambuslang's achievements on a superb day can be found here on our website courtesy of chairman David Cooney.

Incidentally, I opted for Mumford and Sons for the journey home. Additionally, in another significant achievement, a few hours later at 1am, I managed to chase and catch a bus along the length of Argyle Street, Glasgow to get home from the post race celebrations. The bus couldn't be caught in the first street length but it could have been lost. The pre-race plan paid off again.

Armagh International 5km Road Race, 14th February 2013

After a 2 year absence I returned to Armagh for the International 5km Road Race. Flying out a day later than the rest of the Cambuslang party, I arrived at the Armagh City Hotel in time for the lunch reception with the young lady currently occupying the post of Mayor of Armagh. If there's one thing Armagh AC do is feed you. Beef stroganoff, a few cakes and coffee went down well as a pre-race meal. Afterwards, having been up at 5.50am for my flight to Belfast, I had a quick shop at a supermarket then went back to the hotel for a nap....surfacing 2 and a half hours later! It certainly freshened me up. I felt very pensive and really hoped the last 2 months training would count for something.

 

I made the short walk from the hotel to the Mall to get into the correct mindset. I tend to retreat and keep to myself before these types of races, mainly because I'm a bag of nerves inside. I knew how important a good run was. The entry criteria is under 17 minutes. No slouching allowed. I saw the women's international 3km where Sarah Hood, who trains with us at the track on Mondays, finished 6th in 9:32. Katie Bristow meanwhile was an excellent 22nd from the 99 finishers in a personal best of 10:34.

 

A field of 69 runners lined up for the men's international 5km. While I would be flying the Cambuslang flag solo (snow prevented Ben Hukins getting from Aberdeen to Glasgow for his flight over), I had company from Shettleston in Michael Deason and Paul Sorrie. Athletes from England, Ireland and USA made up the remaining numbers. Course details are in my 2011 report. Suffice to say, after approximately 200m, we then did 4 full laps of the Mall.

 

We set off round the jail end of the Mall into the home straight for the first of 5 occasions. Paul and Michael got off to superb starts. I heard through the grapevine later Paul had gone straight into the lead. I bet that scared the Yanks including Michael, the American member of Paul's own club. I absoloutely hammered it into the first of the 4 full laps, completing the first kilometre in 2:52 yet there were still 20-30 runners running faster than me.

 

I passed Paul round the jail end in the first complete lap. Michael had got into a great position just behind the large leading group. Going round past the Armagh County Museum in the second complete lap, I finished 2km in 5:49. I was feeling very encouraged to be just off the leading group and was going hammer and tongs just to stay within a few metres of them. I really needed a performance in this race.

 

3km passed in 8:46. Runners were starting to tail off as the leaders turned the screw so I began to pick people off who had blown up chasing them. I knew 6 minutes for the last 2km would secure me a personal best. All I had to do was hold it together.

 

I needed something to focus on. Something to get me to the finish. Out the darkness came a red vest with the name "Hogan" on the back. It immediately made me think of the wrestling great Hulk Hogan. Surely I could beat the Hulkster?

 

Into the final lap, I slipped back 2 or 3 places, one of them passing me being "Hogan." I psyched myself up at the museum end for a long Spedding surge for the finish line. The effort took me past both "Hogan" and someone else. I sprinted through the finish, taking 25th place in a huge new personal best of 14:44. 8 seconds quicker than Armagh in 2011 and 4 seconds faster than I ran on the track in Bedford last August. There are times I wonder why I put myself through so much training midweek after working full time in a stressful job, often eating dinner as late as 8.30pm, then also training during leisure time at weekends. Results like this are why. What an unbeatable feeling. It's amazing what it does for your self esteem. For the record, Ethan Shaw (USA) won the race in a time of 14:11. 37 runners, more than half the field, ran under 15 minutes. Michael took 19th place in 14:38 while Paul battled on gallantly to finish 48th in 15:21. Since Michael is American, I could claim the honour of first Scot.

 

While I returned to earth, I took in the open 3km. Stewart Orr competed well throughout, eventually taking 4th in 8:56. Alistair Campbell continued his impressive return from recent health problems, finishing 7th in 9:16. Rounding off the Cambuslang participation, 16 year old David Robertson took the honour of our only prizewinner, putting the rest of us to shame, winning his age category in 9:31 and 12th place.

 

Above: with the racing over, team photo before hitting the pub. Left to right- Stewart Orr, Alistair Campbell, Katie Bristow, David Robertson, myself, Sarah Hood. Thanks to Jim Orr for taking the photo.

 

After a warm down jog with Stewart and David, it was back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes then to the local Gaelic football club's bar for chicken curry and refreshments. I felt I'd earned some relaxation so happily relaxed, downing a few pints of Smithwick's and getting the chance to chat to Michael and Paul. They were on the Guiness.

 

I flew home the following night after a hugely enjoyable 2 days which ended all too soon. Many thanks to the Cambuslang group (all in the above photo), Sarah Hood and club coaches/ambassadors Jim Orr and Bob Burt for their company and to all at Armagh AC once more for their faultless hospitality.

 

Callendar Park on 23rd February, here I come. I'm ready!

 

Race results

Race video





Blast From The Past- West District Cross Country 2004

I haven't written much on the blog recently for a number of reasons. Firstly, I've got nothing interesting to write (what's new I hear you say). I haven't toed the start line in a race since the Inter District Cross Country in Edinburgh on 5th January. Secondly, to say it's been a busy time work wise would be an understatement. I might have a bit more to say after the National on 23rd February. Happily, unlike this time last year, I'm not injured.

 

I've delved back into my 2004 training diary. A fair bit happened in the early part of that year. I was in the third year of the law degree at Glasgow University. Running wise, compared to now, I was performing like a donkey. This could be explained however because I was preparing for a 6 month student exchange in Sweden. For 20 years old, I was rather naive and the exchange constituted a huge step into the unknown. On 10th January 2004, I headed to Irvine for the West District Cross Country. The course was the one next to the beach at the Magnum Centre. I wrote the following in my training diary:-

 

"a hurricane style wind meant fast times over the hilly 3 lap route would be at a premium, Focussing on my own race and on keeping a running action throughout, I crossed the line after a hard fought 44:10."

 

I finished 102nd from 194 finishers and 7th Calderglen Harrier so missed out on the counting 6 who finished 8th in the team competition but only 5 points away from 6th place. The club I would join 5 years later, Cambuslang, won team gold lead by Jamie Reid in runner up spot, just 3 seconds adrift of Kilbarchan's Bobby Quinn.

 

The following day, I left home for Scandinavia. In hindsight, running this race was a selfish decision which I now regret. There was nothing to be gained from it and it turned out that way. I didn't race again for over 3 months when I popped up at a trail race in southern Sweden. That's a much lighter tale than this one.

West District Cross Country 2004 results