Loads of Photos and Loads of Runners Too!

  
Bellahouston Harriers Two Mile Time Trial
I popped along to Pollok Park on Thursday night, not to run but to take some pictures as almost 60 runners took part in the last race in the Bellahouston Harriers' Club Championship.

Bella Harriers Photos

Sammy's 
I couldn't resist the temptation to pop into Samuel Dow's on Nithsdale Street, for the weekly Jam Session, on the way home.  I parked the car but took my camera with me for safe keeping.  A couple of pints of the black stuff and live blues music, what more could anybody ask for?
Photos

parkrun phenomenon
The parkrun phenomenon continues to grow in the central belt of Scotland.  Some 910 runners took part on Saturday (23 April 2011) across the nation's three events: Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Glasgow.  I joined in with another 478 runners in, yet another, record attendance at the Glasgow event.  This was my 69th outing at parkrun and my 60th at Pollok Park.  I'd had quite a hard training programme this week, concluding with a 7 mile tempo run on Friday evening.  According to my training schedule, I should have been doing a 6mile general training run....... So I parked my car at Cartha Queen's Park Rugby Club at 9.00am and warmed up by jogging the 1.5miles to the Burrell.  I joined in with the Bellahouston Harriers' warm up before making my way into the assembled ranks at the Start line.

Me in the centre in blue with white diagonal stripes aka Killie Vest -pic by Alex Barr

After congratulating a number of running buddies, on their fine performances at last week's London Marathon, I positioned myself further back from the start than usual.  I noticed Jennifer Healy and told her that she had been slacking in my absence.  For me, my legs were feeling a bit tired from training, so I had decided that I would be happy if I could run a little faster than last week's time of 21:59. After the usual pre run announcements we were on our way.  Unfortunately, there were a number of slower runners in front.  Although I don't mind starting slowly, quite the opposite, I'm not too keen on jostling with runners who really should have started behind me but it's not worth getting upset about either. There'll be another one next week.

Garmin revealed that the first kilometre had taken me 4:31but I was confident that I'd be able to pick up the pace.  I'd caught up with Tom Keenan and young Kristina Greig and was running up the slight incline on Old Road, next to the pond, when I heard Richard Leyton running just behind me complimenting me on my pace.  He must have stayed close behind me, as when we turned at the glade and approached the first incline, he overtook me and then Gavin Greene overtook the both of us.  I immediately responded and pulled away up the hill.  I must have tired or switched off as I ran down Old Road for the second time.  I was overtaken by a number of runners including Louise Gray and Motherwell's Elaine Jamieson.  I watched them go without responding, however when I noticed my old sparring partner Norman Boyle taking me on the inside, I gave myself the boot up the backside that I needed and ranked up a gear.  I caught up with Elaine and overtook her, however within a few seconds she had returned the favour.  We leapfrogged each other a couple of times before she darted ahead, leaving me well behind.  However my race wasn't finished and I ran flat out in the last 200 yards catching (picture), amongst others, Louise Gray and under 14 year old Harry Williams, before crossing the line and stopping my Garmin in 21:58.

The guy in front of me was refusing to take his finisher's bar code and causing a slight 'moment' in the smooth operation of the parkrun.  I told the volunteer not to worry but at the same time felt that the guy should have just taken it and handed it without his runner bar code further along, if he didn't want a time.  Or better still turn off before the Finish line.   I placed 87 and, although this was much further back from last week's 71, I knew that the field had been much stronger.  My real concern was that my official time may be 21:59, the same as last week's.  I wanted to register some improvement, even one second would suffice!

There was nothing that I could do about my time now though, so I parked that thought to one side and got back into my usual post race mode of congratulating those runners around me.  Louise had taken 14seconds off of her good PB of last week.  Martin Myant placed two places ahead of me and Elaine three places as she also PB'd with a time of 21:54.  Norman was four places and 12seconds behind me, whilst Tony McGale earned a new PB with 22:16. Richard finished in 22:29, whilst Joanna Lennox achieved a new PB with 22:36.  Kristina was also among the PB brigade, finishing in 22:40, to cap a fine week for her.  Gavin, coming back after a long period not running, finished in 22:42.  Now on the road to recovery, after a bout of meningitis, Maybole's Kirsty Grant earned a new PB with a time of 23:33 and my words of encouragement for Jennifer must have helped, as she ran a new PB of 24:05.


There were some impressive PBs further up the field too with Giffnock's young running sensation, Luke Traynor, beating Shettleston's Jethro Lennox as he earned gold with a great PB of 15:36!! Russell Whittington continued his form, which saw him do so well at the London Marathon, by claiming a new PB of  16:56.  Bellahouston Harriers' most improved runner Ruairidh MacDonald, just can't stop getting faster and earned another new PB this week, with a time of 19:01.  His club mate Graeme Gemmell joined in the fun with a PB of 19:18.  Suzanne McMahon put the icing on the cake for the local Harriers by winning the women's race with a PB of 19:32.



Coffee, Cake and Banter
I warmed down by jogging back the 1.5miles to collect my car, before driving back to the Burrell where I joined with loads of others partaking in coffee and cake, well a scone for me - I'm a West of Scotland man!
It was good to see so may Motherwell AC runners had stayed back for the post race refreshments, including Alex Barr who had volunteered to take the event photos and write the report, whilst non running Mrs Barr was just there for the cakes!  


Post Race Official Result!
I was somewhat relieved and just a little chuffed to see that I had indeed managed to beat last week's parkrun time but not by the one second that I had thought but by two seconds.  Garmin also revealed that I had done so with an average Heart Rate of 148 (74%), much less than the 163 (84%) of last week and much lower than what I would be recording if I was truly racing.


Full Results

Alex Barr's Photos

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