Blast From The Past- Scottish Road Relay Championships 2009

Thanks to my Dad for both photos in this post.

 

With the Scottish Road Relay Championships pending, I've looked back to the 2009 race when I made my Cambuslang debut. The month before the race, I'd spent 10 days in the Algarve on a training camp, an experience I've unfortunately been unable to repeat since due to a combination of work and other race commitments in March. I was between clubs having run my last race for Calderglen Harriers at the National Cross Country and waiting for my first Cambuslang outing.

 

For the record, I took 2nd leg (5.8 miles) for the B team and guided the team effortlessly down the field from 10th to 12th. We eventually finished 17th. My time of 31:30 was a course best and a chunk faster than my 32:44 clocking the previous year in a very competitive 11th placed Calderglen team. The Cambuslang A team of John Macnamara, Stephen Wylie, Kerry Wilson, Chris Wilson, Jamie Reid and Robert Gilroy finished 5th. And so a new chapter in my running career began. It's still going.

Above: my first few strides in a Cambuslang vest.

Above: coming up a slight incline into the home straight.

 

 

Road to Recovery

Following on from the Inter Counties Cross Country, as I write this, I feel so much healthier. I guess I've joined illustrious company with even the greats like Paula Radcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie having at least one DNF (Did Not Finish) to their names. As long as I don't get any more.

 

In the days after the Inter Counties, I remained ill with persistent coughing and shivering and general weakness. The night after the race, I was in bed at 8.30pm and, from the Monday to Friday, only left the house to go to work. My daily routine was out to work in the morning then, once home at night, I didn't cross the door again until the following morning. The rest week was actually planned. Its housebound nature wasn't.

 

Last Sunday (17th March) I decided to run for the first time since stepping off the course at Cofton Park. I toiled through 7 miles in 47:26, coughing almost every step of the way and finishing (yes, I finished this one) with 2 aching thighs clearly not used to the exertion. My training for week commencing Monday 18th March has looked like this.

 

Monday: 8.25 miles easy (55:53).

 

Tuesday: Club, Hampden run, 7.8 miles (50:14).

 

Wednesday: 8 x High Point hill reps, 7.1 miles including warm up and warm down.

 

Thursday: 2 x 10 minutes with 30 seconds recovery, (mile pace starting at 5:55 and improving to 5:35-5:40), 7 miles including warm up and warm down.

 

Friday: Rest

 

Saturday: 4 x 5 minutes with 1 minute jog recoveries (4 miles covered in 22:42), 7.4 miles including warm up and warm down.

 

Sunday: 10.5 miles easy (1:15:31).

 

Mileage: 48

 

Monday's run felt similar to the day before- sluggish with intermittent coughing. Tuesday's run at the club went very well and gave me the confidence to go and see my old friend the High Point for a hill session the following night. My breathing was improving every day. I felt the need to sharpen up by Thursday so did a session we've done at the club a few times. At my peak, I'd do 5:10-5:20 mile pace so I've some work to do. I took Friday off to go to the Scotland v Wales game (yes, I know) and punished myself for my foolishness with a road reps session the next day. Today's run took place in an icy wind so I didn't worry about pace and took it relaxed.

 

One day at a time but definitely getting there.



UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships, Birmingham, 9th March 2013

This year's UK Inter Counties Cross Country was my worst running experience in several years and brought a career first- the first time I've started a race and not finished it. The back story may explain why.

Training for the race brought no concern. Unavoidable work commitments saw me miss Monday's training but, if anything, that served to freshen me up. Just over 8 miles at the club on Tuesday was fine, Wednesday's hill session went extremely well indeed and Thursday's 8 miles were smooth. An underlying problem manifested itself on Wednesday though when I started coughing and sniffing. My mum had been unwell as had my secretary at work so I caught it from one or the other or both. I was unable to travel with the team on Friday afternoon so flew to Birmingham that night after work which wasn't a problem. Apart from the cough, I felt okay. I even managed to get a T bone steak at the hotel.

Unfortunately I had an unsettled night's sleep on Friday and did not feel rested on waking on Saturday. While it was a chilly day, I started feeling unusually weak and shivery. Even wearing three layers, I felt cold. I filled myself with the hottest drinks possible at every opportunity- at breakfast, in my room and at Cofton Park an hour before my race. They had limited effect as did my inhalers. I walked a lap of the course which, while muddy, seemed fine and worked out a race strategy. I went through my usual stretch and stride routine and tried to get psyched. My legs were wobbly though. Something wasn't right. Regardless, I got stripped and toed the start line. There were only two of us for the West of Scotland in the race. I couldn't leave Sean Fontana in the pen on his own.

The race was around 12km comprising one short lap and three long laps. I tried to get into a groove, hoping adrenaline would help me through. My position wasn't the worst and one I felt could be improved on as we progressed. I kept coughing intermittently though. My breathing was laboured and out of control. Each lap ended with a long, gradual hill. I felt awful on the hill and staggered off the top into the next lap.

I then started to lose ground and runners were catching me. I was also starting to feel light headed. I was no longer racing but simply going through the motions. The Scottish Athletics tent was close to the base of the hill. With the group I was with pulling away, me feeling gradually worse and still coughing and dreading another three climbs up the hill and two long laps, I veered to the right, under the tape and off the course where I fell into a coughing fit. I momentarily considered resuming but I'd lost too many places and what did it matter now? All this said, I couldn't lose the feeling of letting people down. This was a new experience and a lonely one.

I'll spare the details of the journey home etc. Suffice to say, little happened to make me any happier. Sean however, had a fantastic race, finishing in the top 20. Similarly, the East of Scotland team took team bronze and Cambuslang's Ryan Thomson was in the West bronze medal team in the under 17 race. Two of our under 20 girls, Alex Lamond and Katie Bristow, also had great races, counting for the 11th placed West team.

At the time of writing, my focus is on rest and recuperation. I'll be training again before too long. Race wise, I'm waiting for April and a clean slate. What's done is done and can't be changed. Never run with a virus. I learnt the hard way.