Great Scottish Run 10km Road Race, 1st October 2017 (Including Preparation)

Due to work commitments, I decided to write off September in terms of races. I was far from idle however. After the Scottish 5000m, I had an easy 6 mile recovery run on the Monday then took a rest for the remainder of the week to let my lingering aches and pains clear up, particularly in my calves. Two high calibre races in a week had taken their toll. I'm getting old! I don't recover the same in my mid 30s as I did in my late 20s.

Thereafter I worked towards the Great Scottish Run 10km, a race where I had finished 4th in 31:11 in 2016. What follows is my training leading up to the race with some comments.

Week Commencing Sunday 3rd September

Sunday: 9 miles easy (57:19) in East Kilbride.

Monday: 9 miles easy (59:24) in Paisley.

Tuesday: Reps, 1 mile, 2 miles, 1 mile with 90 secs recoveries, 8 miles including warm up and warm down, rep times- 5:13, 10:35, 5:12.

Wednesday: 10 miles easy (1:06:00) in Paisley

Thursday: 5 x hill reps (800m approx per rep) with jog back recoveries, 5 miles in 30:28, 9 miles including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest.

Saturday: Longer run, 15 miles (1:38:25).

Mileage: 60

Week Commencing Sunday 10th September

Sunday: 8  miles approx easy (52:00) at Strathclyde Park- ran with a stopwatch, 8 miles minimum covered.

Monday: 9 miles easy (58:04) in Paisley.

Tuesday: Reps, 1 mile, 2 miles, 1 mile with 90 secs recoveries, 8 miles including warm up and warm down, rep times- 5:23, 10:51, 5:16- wet night and feeling off colour.

Wednesday: 8.5 miles easy (55:00 approx) in Paisley- ran with a stopwatch, feeling tired.

Thursday: Rest- working until 7pm to get up to date.

Friday: Rest- enforced. Day off work for my birthday. Intended to do a hill session but felt weak from a vomiting bug the night before.

Saturday: 10.6 miles easy (1:08:56)- feeling better, shortened run to ease back in.

Mileage: 44

Week Commencing Sunday 17th September

Sunday: 12 miles easy (1:19:42)- bowel trouble after 9 miles, nursed myself through the remainder.

Monday: Reps, 5 x 1 mile with 1 min-1:10 recoveries, 10 miles including warm up and warm down, rep times- 5:29, 5:24, 5:23, no time for 4th rep (watch didn't start), 5:25- poor session, feeling run down and bowel trouble during warm down. Felt need to regroup.

Tuesday: Rest.

Wednesday: 12 miles easy (1:16:55) in Paisley- pouring rain but a much better run.

Thursday: 5 x hill reps (800m approx per rep) with jog back recoveries, 5 miles in 30:30, 10 miles including warm up and warm down.

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Longer run, 16 miles (1:42:30)- felt very strong.

Mileage: 60

Week Commencing Sunday 24th September

Sunday: 8 miles easy (52:16) in Fort William- early morning run, away for the weekend.

Monday: Reps, 2 miles easy, 10 x 1 min with 1 min jog recoveries, remainder of the run easy, 8 miles in 47:35.

Tuesday: 8 miles easy (52:06) in East Kilbride.

Wednesday: Track, 5 sets of 400m, 200m with 200m jogs between reps, 5000m in 18:26, 6.1 miles including warm up and warm down, 400m rep times- 71, 73, 72, 71, 73, 200m rep times- all 35-36.

Thursday: 15 mins easy then 3 sets of 3 x 30 secs strides with 5 mins easy between sets and 30 secs easy between reps, 6 miles in 37:06 (in Paisley).

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 4 miles very easy (36:09) in Motherwell.

Mileage: 40

Sunday 1st October
Race- Great Scottish Run 10km, 1st in 31:37, first race since 27th August.

One key difference in my training in 2017 has been increased mileage. At the time of writing, 45 weeks into the year, I've manged 60 miles or more in 17 of those weeks with a high of 63 so far. I aim to have clocked 20 such weeks by the end of the year. For a lot of runners, 60 miles per week is not a huge amount but, for someone who was used to 40-50 then 50-55, it is. I have noticed a great benefit, particularly feeling stronger in the later stages of races, even when it's not been going as well as I want. The Scottish 5000m at Grangemouth is a case in point.

The planned preparation for Glasgow had been 3 weeks of 60 plus then taper off. I managed 2 out of the 3 60 milers, the only exception being a vomiting bug seeing me miss a session then shorten a run to give a total of 44. As for the race, I was delighted with how it went. Yes, my time was slower than 12 months previously but conditions were far less favourable. Running in a group until 3km, I made a burst for glory uphill onto the Kingston Bridge and pretty much held on from there. I couldn't relax because my gap in the end to runner up Alasdair McLeod (Shettleston) was only 18 seconds with my clubmate Douglas Roberts (sadly disqualified due to an admin mix up) another 11 seconds adrift. People can often assume that because you're clear in a race it's easy. Rest assured it isn't. I always run on the assumption there's someone on my shoulder. I would also add that you've not won until you've crossed the finish line, no matter how big your lead. Celebrate after you're safely over the finish line.

The day wasn't only about me as my buddy from Inverness, Jenny Bannerman, took runner up spot in the ladies race in 35:50. In addition, my brother Robert, running the race for the second time, clocked a personal best of 51:28, a 6 minute improvement in a year. 

Scottish Athletics Track and Field Championships, 27th August 2017

Earlier this year, I got a monkey off my back by taking part in the National Cross Country for the first time since 2013 (I failed to finish in 2014, suffering badly from the after effects of the Dublin Marathon so don't feel that counts). I scrambled and slid round a mud caked course in 38th place but the main thing was to see it through which I did.

Another such opportunity presented itself with the Scottish Track Championships. My last outing in this was an extremely disappointing 5000m in 2014 at Kilmarnock, 15:45 and 11th place in howling wind and rain. It jolted me so much that, the following month, I clocked a 10km personal best, which still stands, at the Scottish Championship at Stirling, 30:34 and 5th place.

I headed to Grangemouth in a positive frame of mind after the previous week's exertions at Stretford. Admittedly my calves were sore but the week's preparations went as well as expected and I was hopeful of doing myself justice.

The pre-race rituals (call room then being lead onto the track) completed, I focused on the task at hand. It became apparent early on, with a first lap in 74 seconds, that I wasn't going to get the performance I hoped for. The mind was willing but the body sadly wasn't. Nevertheless I kept the pace consistent and hung in there. I was particularly grateful for the support of Matthew McKenna, one of my clubmates, on the sidelines. I was around the middle of the field. In the later stages, I dug deep and managed to pick off another couple of athletes, eventually finishing 9th in the field of 20 finishers in 15:16.39. Another of my clubmates, Grant Sheldon, won the race in a swift 14:22.34, 3 and 5 seconds respectively ahead of Lachlan Oates and Alistair Hay. Impressive running by all 3. I left with my head high having had the mental strength to grind it out and secure a top 10 finish in a national championship. Another monkey off the back. Onwards and upwards.

The full race result can be found here.

British Milers Club Grand Prix, Stretford, 19th August 2017

Hot on the heels of the memorable Islay weekend, I had another race only 2 weeks later, a 10,000m track race in the British Milers Club meeting in Stretford. Having completed a 60 mile week leading up to the Islay Half Marathon, I did another the following week, which included my first session at the club since mid May due to work commitments. To do a session in company and see my clubmates again was nice.

I approached the 10,000m race with some trepidation. The standard was high and it would be my first ever A race at a BMC event. The entrants included previous European Championship medalist Chris Thompson. These though are the races that bring the best out in me. A telephone conversation with the same friend who contacted me in Islay (the identity of said friend will be revealed in a couple of posts time) on my journey down did settle me a little.

Onto the race and over 20 edgy athletes lined up for the 25 lap encounter. This was the last race of the night and the gradual darkness and floodlights added to the tension. I really just had to go for it. I decided to see how long the first mile (4 laps) took me and take it from there. I hung on at the back of the field. I was either really struggling or the rest of the field were shifting. The first mile took me 4:51! How could I run so fast and be last? It's beyond comprehension. I gritted my teeth and fought to stay in contention, reaching 5000m in 15:12. How can you be doing that pace and be at the rear end of the field? I was being comprehensively outclassed by a top class field. All I could do was keep going. I fought like a caged animal during the second half. Despite my struggles, this was a great race to be in.

Above: metaphorically fighting for survival in the BMC 10,000m.

Unsurprisingly it has to be said, the leading runners started to lap me. Chris Thompson lead the way. As I neared the later stages, I aimed to keep my time under 31 minutes. My lungs and legs were burning but I knew I just had to put one foot in front of the other and complete one lap, and another, and another.

As I approached 2 laps to go, I could hear the announcer proclaim Chris Thompson as he entered the home straight. Being lapped once is acceptable. Twice is certainly not. I'm not ashamed to say that, despite my tiredness, I increased my pace to avoid another lapping, and thankfully succeeded. It was a matter of personal pride. I kept battling and finally crossed the finish line exhausted in a time of 30:57.66, 19th out of 23 finishers. Thompson won the race in a time of 28:40. I had been put in my place by a field that was simply too good for me. It was a humbling experience. I had however been in a race I will never forget. 19 runners, including me, broke 31 minutes and 5 of those were under 30.

The drive home felt long but thankfully I had some company in the form of Giffnock's Luke Traynor who had finished 3rd in 29:08.52. I got home at 3.10am and to bed at 4am. Needless to say I wasn't in the mood for anything too exerting the next day.

These are the races that keep the running fire burning in me. I love them.