Round Up- Keeping Up with the Hawkins Brothers

Photo courtesy of Gillian Scott.

Races since the Troon 10k have gone well. My outing at the BMC meeting in Manchester will be covered in a separate post. This one contains a few words about two races I used as preparation. Often you hear people talk about "training through races." Generally it refers to races you don't see as targets but instead train as normal, hence, "train through" them plus, in my case with the first one, treat the Saturday night before like any other.

Scottish Athletics Mens League Division 2 Match 2, 19th May 2013

Whether it was my 14 mile run at Whitelee Windfarm the day before, having a beer or 3 watching Eurovision or a combination of both, I felt quite flat going to this meeting at Grangemouth. In sorting out team manager duties, I selected myself for a 400m and 5000m. However, as I went through my warm up routine, it became apparent my legs were not up for the effort required to run the minimum 400m points standard of 60 seconds on this occasion so intimated my withdrawal to the official in charge at the start. My legs were heavy before the 5000m but there was enough there and the weather was on my side.

 

As for the race, I gradually worked my way up to 3rd place behind a returning from USA Calum Hawkins of Kilbarchan, whose brother I would race later in the week, and Central's UK international Scott McDonald. They were together, working off each other. I strived to keep in contact to get the benefit as well but couldn't quite bridge the gap and ran much of the race in a bit of a no mans land with a gap in front and behind. Encouragingly I kept a consistent pace (7:32 first half and 7:37 second half) in clocking 15:09, 5 seconds quicker than my time on a more blustery day in Kilmarnock. It felt enough for one day. I had no energy for any more racing. McDonald won the race in 14:52 by 2 seconds from Hawkins while my 3rd place overall was sufficient to score maximum points in the Division 2 competition. I had given a lift to 2 of my team members, Craig Whyteside and Zach Bryson, so rather than keep them hanging around while I warmed down to ease my legs, drove back to East Kilbride with them and went a 30 minute jog from home.

Clydebank 10k Road Race, 23rd May 2013

I headed into this race with a 7.5 mile run home from work on the Monday, hill reps on the Tuesday and an easy 6 miler on the Wednesday behind me. Like Troon, I spent the afternoon in our East Kilbride office to ensure a quick getaway and some pre-race encouragement from our property manager Myra whose son Daniel takes part competitively in swimming. As I've eluded to in the past, racing midweek can be tough in terms of motivation straight after a working day so little things like a more relaxed work environment and a friendly voice like Myra's really help.

Having run well in a heatwave last year, I was keen to see what I could produce in more favourable conditions. The first person I saw at the start/finish area was Calum Hawkins' older brother Derek, a UK international who ran within the Commonwealth Games qualifying time for the marathon at the London Marathon in April. We were the first two athletes to arrive there and seemed to be giving each other sideways glances as we went through our respective warm ups. Would we be the first two back?

This course is more or less two laps on the Forth and Clyde Canal. Shettleston had a strong contingent in force. Once things settled down, I found myself battling for 2nd place with Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab having passed his countryman Amanuel Hagos. Hawkins had forged a gap but one I didn't consider insurmountable. Between 4 and 5km, we crossed a bridge going slightly uphill where I surged a little to move into 2nd. I also ran hard off the hill in an attempt to open a gap. I then looked ahead to Hawkins. I pursued him with all I had but couldn't surmount the gap. I did however do enough to finish runner up to  him which I was absoloutely delighted with. Mengisteab finished 2 seconds adrift of me.

Above: approaching the finish (prematurely as it turned out) with Tewoldeberhan Mengisteab on my tail.

That might seem a brief report. It's because I've plenty to add on other things. Hawkins crossed the finish line in 28:45 with myself in 29:14. As much as I'd love to have that as a 10km time, I knew it wasn't accurate and Derek acknowledged his wasn't either. It transpired that the lead bike took Derek the wrong way and I, encouragingly being close enough to do so I suppose, followed them. The next 6 guys followed me. The problem was the turning point was too early and cut 380m off the course. I can forgive the guy on the bike. Anyone can make a mistake. However, the marshal at that point, instead of paying attention, was playing on her mobile phone rather than watching the race. Had she been doing her job, the lead bike would have been noticed, corrected and kept on the correct route. None of this happened so the first 8 of us were cheated out of a true 10km race. In my case, I lost out on bettering my personal best of 30:41 which I was bang on schedule to do.

This is not the first occasion I've come a cropper in Clydebank. A few years ago, a marshal misdirection saw a number of us go off course and run further than the 10km route. The organisers also need to seriously revise the course because the 2 lap set up is no good to anyone. I, and no doubt dozens of others, found myself lapping countless people, most of whom were oblivious to me despite I, marshals and spectators shouting warnings. That's what happens when people choose to run wearing I Pods. They should be banned and any participant caught wearing them ought to be pulled from the race, no ifs, buts or maybes. As for the course, the first lap needs to be over a longer loop to let the field thin out and lessen the congestion.

Finally, this race is part of a series comprising other 10km races in Helensburgh, Dumbarton and Loch Lomond. The results system this year has been a shambles with numerous people, including myself, listed without clubs and, in my case anyway, losing out on team prizes. The race series is not cheap (£14 per race or £42 for all 4), hundreds participate and it is heavily sponsored. There is no excuse for this year's sub standard offering. I for one will seriously reconsider my future participation in light of this year's experience. Having been involved in race organisation in the past, I know mistakes can happen but this series has been established for over 10 years and the errors made this year are completely avoidable.

Cambuslang Results from Clydebank

2nd: Stuart Gibson, 29:14 (380m short)

7th: Robert Gilroy, 30:14 (380m short)

24th: Dave Thom, 35:25

34th: George Pettit, 35:51

46th: Robert Rossborough, 36:37