April Round Up

April has been a very frustrating month, with only being able to run a total of five miles and missing out on the Lochaber Marathon. I did manage to walk/jog my 40th parkrun last week but my physiotherapist continues to rule out any running.


On my Bike
The only upside is that I have been able to cycle and have managed to bike more than 300 miles during the month, a total of over 560 for the year. I’ve joined a local informal cycling club and have been out with them a couple of times.  I’ve now cycled more miles this year than I’ve run. I now aim to cycle 2010 miles this year but I will need a new biike as the one I have just isn't appropriate for longer rides.  In the meantime I'm waiting for my employees to put a Cycle to Work policy in place to allow me to buy one for significantly below the price.

Swim
I made only one visit to the swimming pool but hope to get back into weekly swims now that the school Easter holidays are over.

X Training
I’ve slightly increased my time in the gym and have increased the work rate levels on the various machines and the weight of the dumb bells that I am using, now no.8. I have also progressively increased the number of sit ups that I do to 90 and I’ve given the Crossramp machine a couple of shots. It’s a good machine for working up a sweat, especially if the weather is not cycling friendly.  I've been to one yoga class but have decreased my non class yoga.

Focus
I know that my motivation has gone and that I am in danger of losing my fitness/shape so I’ll just need to persevere for self respect if nothing else until I get the all clear to run again.


Run with Mark
The biggest thing on the agenda will be my decision to run with Mark Cooper for the fifth week of his epic journey as he attempts to run 50 marathons in 56 days. He’ll be running from Amsterdam to Barcelona and I’ll be his support team from Cluny to La Chaise Dieu.


Photography
Although I’m injured I’ve still went to a number of races, usually cycling to them or taking the caravan. As well as supporting the runners I’ve been taking a few photos too. My photos have received a number of favourable comments and are being used by a number of runners on their social network profiles and/or blogs. In the old days I had a 35mm SLR and dabbled in photography, even had my own darkroom for a spell in Edinburgh. I’m thinking of getting back in to it and I’m researching 35mm Digital SLRs at the moment.


Films and Theatre
I’ve seen a number of movies both at the GFT and on DVD, including: 2012; I Am Love; Live During Wartime and Sampson and Delilah and I’ve been to the Kings Theatre to see the NTS’s production of Peter Pan.

Caravan
I cleaned up the Beachcomber and took her up to Lochaber for the marathon.  I'm thinking of buying a new one maybe even this year and I'm researching them at the moment.

New
New bike, new camera, new caravan .......we'll see.

PM Support for Fifty Marathon Challenge

The Prime Minister has taken time out of his busy schedule to support Mark Cooper in his challenge to run 50 marathons in 56 days. Gordon and Sarah Brown sent Mark a personal letter two weeks ago telling him that they and indeed the country is behind Mark for the challenge ahead. Mark is well chuffed and I’m delighted to receive this support.

Run with Mark

Dancing Doon the Broomielaw

I saw a feature about a street dancer on the local BBC news. The young woman performs along the Clydeside at the Broomielaw most mornings and as someone who loves to dance and has been known to dance in the street, I was interested. I dare say that I’m a wee bit of an exhibitionist when dancing and as well as winning a few competitions, I’ve entertained the punters in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stewarton and elsewhere, including Bulgaria, Nicaragua and Egypt.

On my way into work on Monday, I caught sight of the dancing queen out of the side of my eye as I cycled along the Clydeside. I stopped and had a chat with her and promised that I would join her some mornings. I told her that there are some songs, such as Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones, which are just meant for dancing. Another one I mentioned is Dancing in the Street, also covered by Jagger and Bowie, and she informed me that the song mentions Philadelphia, which is where she originates from.

Her name is Kate E Deeming and she is a professional performing artist. She’s bringing a little light into people’s lives as they make their way to work and she’s getting a bit of publicity out of it. That seems like a good deal to me. If you see her, stop and say ‘hello’ or join in. You know you want to.

Kate dancing on YouTube

Kate’s website

Eaglesham Bike Ride - Sunday 26 April 2010

I had my first cycle on Tuesday with the 'cycling for softies group'.  It was a good mixed small bunch of cyclists and I had agreed to join some of them for a cycle on Sunday.  However I was watching the London Marathon under the misaaprehension that they might actually mention some of Scotland's best runners who were trying to get a qualifying time for the Comonwealth Games.  True, Andrew Lemoncello achieved the target and was interviewed as the first Brit home but there was no mention of the hopefuls such as Neil Renault and Jethro Lennox who narrowlly failed to achieve the qualifying time of under 2:18.

I was too late to get to the meeting place at TISO by 2pm and instead headed onto Pollokshaws Road and turned left.  I then notice Leanne Hamilton running along the road homeward bound after her work and decided to about turn and join her for a wee chat.  This meant that I was now heading south and I decided to head up towards the A77 road to Kilmarnock.  It's a gradual climb up from the city, along Ayr Road through Eastwood and Newton Mearns.  I stopped at the traffic lights beside a garage and noticed a cyclist sign indicating that Eaglesham was 4 miles.  I plumped for that route, presuming that it would be slightly down hill and and a little bit more scenic than the A77.

I was correct in that it was scenic but I was way off the mark in assuming just because it had a cyclist sign that it would be a flattish route.  As yopu can see from the pic, at some points it was a 9% uphill gradient!

Of course the good news is that what goes up must come down and the final route into the convservation village was downhill and scenic.  On another day I may be tempted to go into the village itself and maybe have a drink and something to eat in one of it's fine taverns.  However today I opted to turn left and head back towards Glasgow via Waterfoot.  I noticed on my left  hand side a field with a couple of black horses and unusual black sheep.  Have you any idea the number of different types of sheep you can get?  Well over one hundered different breeds!  I don't know which type these two were but they looked unusual to me.

I was now heading downhill and as I passed a speed sign in Waterfoot a smiling electronic face thanked me for travelling at 21 mph.  It was almost all downhill back into Glasgow along Cathcart and Homelea Road, passed the new Victoria Infirmary and onto Victoria Road, a quick stop to pick up my sunday paper and then home just befor the rain started.

Route

Distance: 26.3

Moving time: 1:21

Elevation gain: 166m

Calories: 944

My 40th parkrun -25 April 2010

I was awake as usual on Saturday morning so I decided to jump on my bike and head along to the Glasgow parkrun in Pollok Park.  I wasn't early enough to offer my services as a volunteer but I had my yellow cycling top on and discreetly joined the back of the runners, where that tail runner should be.  Fellow injured runner, John Haggenmeiser arrived on his bike and commented on how good it was to see me back running.  "I'm not!" I stated but he rightly pointed out that I had my running shoes on.  As the race started I assumed my place at the tail and walked down the hill chatting with the other walkers.  We reached the bottom where another long term injured runner, Catriona Gourley, joined us.  She had volunteered to be the tail runner and had waited for the masses to pass her before assuming her duties.  I passed over responsibilties to her and we chatted as we made our way past the woodpecker and up the first hill to the glade.  It wasn't long until the first tyhree runners had lapped us and then after a gap the others started appearing at regular intervals.  I increased the pace to a fast walk and as the glade statred it's descent I started a very cagey jog.  Leading heavily with my right foot, I kept up the jog until the next uphill section.  I was jogging down the other side when Stuart McBeath lapped me and congratulated me for being back running.  I, of course, denied it.  I continued my jog for the rest of the first lap and for the entirety of the second.  I must have overtaken quite a few others, as I finished 267th out of 304, with a time of 33:04. 

My ankle felt tender and my knees a little bit sore but it was so good to be back running, albeit extremely tentatively.

Although I enjoyed my post race soya cappuccino and chat back at the Burrell, I refrained from the temptation to have an unearned bacon roll.

In the News

Picture of me on the front page of the Scottish Vets Newsletter taking part in my first ever 10,000m track event and recording the 19th fastest time in the UK for my age group.

Also nice to get a mention in this week's Kilmarnock Standard for my support at Lochaber last week:
'Thanks to Harriers Jackie Mcculloch, Rosemary McMillan, Paula Wilson, Liz and husband Les McDerment, and Ian Goudie for travelling and lending on course support, as well as Christine McShane.'

I'll be Running with Mark

Mark Cooper, a 27 year old Edinburgher will on the 1st of May begin a 1,300 mile ultra endurance run through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain. The trip will take him about eight weeks to complete and will consist of roughly 50 marathons in 56 days.

Mark is running the challenge in memory of his mother, Sheila, who passed away in 1997 from a brain haemorrhage and is aiming to raise £25,000 for the Headway Group charity.  I've also had a number of friends die prematurely from brain haemorrhages, not least of all my good pal Jimmy Cochrane who died at the age of 49.

I’ve never met Mark, in fact I’ve never even spoken with him but when I noticed on Facebook that he needed someone to support him on the fifth week of his journey I decided to step in and lend a hand. As it happens, that part of the journey will be through France and I’ve always wanted to spend more time travelling through the land of culinary traditions and fine wine.

I will be Mark's only support for the week and my tasks will include ensuring that he has somewhere to eat and rest. Either ensuring that hotels and restaurants are booked or putting up the tent and cooking lunch, dinner and breakfast. I’ll make sure that he sets off in the morning in time and then pack up and drive ahead to the next stop. I’ll keep him supplied with snacks, water and motivation.  Of course, if possible, I’ll be hoping to spend some of the time running along with him, providing support and encouragement.

I’ll be flying out to Paris Beauvais from Prestwick on Friday 28 May at 16:15 and back to Edinburgh from Lyon on Saturday 5 June arriving at 17:15.

Mark will be running along Paul Benjasminse's cycle route from Amsterdam to Barcelona as the basis for the challenge. It promises to be an adventure for all concerned.  In the meantime I had better refresh my French language skills.

Run With Mark

Mark's Just Giving Page

http://twitter.com/runwithmark

Lochaber Marathon

This was the big weekend when I was hoping to get a decent time for a recent marathon. However as I went over on my ankle a few weeks ago I haven’t even been able to run whatsoever but heh, why let that spoil a good weekend? I searched the internet for caravan sites and found a decent one along the shore of Loch Eil on the A830, the very route of the Lochaber Marathon. This meant that I could take the tourer to the site and support the runners as they passed on the way out at the 5 mile stage and on their way back at the 21 mile mark. A quick phone call revealed that there were plenty of spaces available at the Linnhe Lochside Holidays site and that there would be no need to book ahead.

I gave Susan Clark a text to see if she would care to join me. Gave the caravan a much needed start of the season clean and greased the appropriate points packed all the usual equipment, including bikes and headed northwards along the A82.  What a gorgeous and scenic route, along the side of Loch Lomond, over Rannoch Moor, through Glen Coe and onto Fort William where a left turn took us along the Road to the Isles to the caravan site. We hitched up right on the loch side, under the imposing, snow covered peaks of Ben Nevis.

Saturday night was filled with an early evening trip to the Moorings Hotel on the Caledonian Canal for a much needed dinner and pint of Guiness.

On Sunday morning we had a hearty breakfast in the caravan and used the excellent onsite shower facilities before heading up onto the road side at the site entrance at around 11:30. armed with our deck chairs; Sunday papers; cameras and Jelly Babies – for the runners, of course!

The sun was shining and it wasn’t long until the first three racers appeared, running towards us, with a spectacular backdrop of Ben Nevis, was Kerry Liam Wilson, Robert Gilroy and Stuart Kerr. We exchanged pleasantries as they led the field along the banks of Loch Eil. Behind them was Killie’s Keith Haining, participating in his first marathon in eleven years and not too far behind him fellow Killie Harrier Scott Martin; Bella’s Peter Gallanagh; Greenock’s Alan Henderson and Robert Wilson; Killie’s Connell Drummond; Bella Struan Robertson; Kirky’s Robert Rogerson; Hamilton’s Jim Breen; Les Cairney; David Weatherhead; Angus McTaggart; Al Murray; Susan Addison; Marie McChord; Jacqueline Cowan; John Softely; Chris McKiddie; Theresa Wall; Jangbu Sherpa; Craig Reid; Kate Todd, Fiona McCue; Stuart McBeath; Suzanne Motherwell; Sandy Bridley; Debbie Jackson; Ruth Robertson and loads of runners that I didn’t know including those from the local Lochaber Running Club as well as healthy turnouts from the English clubs Beverley AC and Wesham Road Runners.

After a break, which afforded me the opportunity to chat with fellow supporters and photo - graphers as well as sitting in the sun reading the papers, the runners reappeared. However, as they now had 21 miles under their belts, they were less talkative as they made their way back towards Ben Nevis and Fort William. The temperature had risen about 7c above the predicted 8c and many experienced runners, as well as those not so experienced, found themselves hitting the wall at the 21 mile marker and stopping at least momentarily until they found the inner strength and determination to continue, either running or walk/running. My heart went out to them all as I shouted words of encouragement to help them get started again.

After the vast majority had passed, we headed back to the caravan for a rest and something to eat before deciding to get on our bikes and cycle along the marathon route to support the last few runners as they headed to the finish line in an almost deserted stadium. These included Enrique Arroyo who had to make his way from Stuttgart by car and ferry as all planes had been cancelled due to the volcanic ash. The Puerto Rican was dressed in full highland outfit. His wife was the sole person left in the stand and she advised us that it was his birthday. So we and the few remaining officials sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him as he crossed the line full of emotion.


We headed back to the caravan and in the evening made our way to the highly recommended Crannog Seafood restaurant in Fort William, perhaps not too surprising most of the diners were either marathon runners or supporting friends and family. The banter between the tables was almost as good as the gorgeous setting and wonderful food.

All in all an extremely enjoyable way to spend a weekend.

Results

Photos


Killie Report

Huge congratulations to Keith Haining who clocked the quickest Killie Harriers Marathon in a number of years, Keith ran on his lonesome for all of the race to finish in a time of 2.39.08, a superb fouth in his first 26.2 miler in 11 years and knocked 13 mins off his previous best marathon time !!

Connell who ran his first sub 3 hour Marathon in 2.59.15 after major disappointment in Berlin last September, this after being diagnosed with shin splints last month!

Kate Todd who was WELL within her pre race prediction and in running 3.43 took the Gold Medal in her age category in the British Masters Marathon Championships. A superb effort!

Al Murray who was 10 minutes inside his race target and his 3.20 run gives him a qualifying time for the Elite Entry only Boston Marathon should he choose to do so.

Scott Martin who PBd and with Keith and Connell helped the Club to win the Team Prize, which is possibly the first time the Harriers have won this.

Thanks in no small measure go to our supporter crew - Les, Liz, Rosemary, Jackie, Paula, Ian G, Christine and everyone else on the course.

My Injured Ankle

The Ankle


The ankle is a complex mechanism. What we normally think of as the ankle is actually made up of two joints: the subtalar joint; and the true ankle joint.

The true ankle joint is composed of three bones: the tibia which forms the inside, or medial, portion of the ankle; the fibula which forms the lateral, or outside, portion of the ankle; and the talus underneath. The true ankle joint is responsible for up and down motion of the foot.

Beneath the true ankle joint is the second part of the ankle, the subtalar joint, which consists of the talus on top and calcaneus on the bottom. The subtalar joint allows side to side motion of the foot.

The ends of the bones in these joints are covered by articular cartilage. The major ligaments of the ankle are: the anterior tibiofibular ligament, which connects the tibia to the fibula; the lateral collateral ligaments, which attach the fibula to the calcaneus and gives the ankle lateral stability; and, on the medial side of the ankle, the deltoid ligaments, which connect the tibia to the talus and calcaneus and provide medial stability.

These components of your the, along with the muscles and tendons of the lower leg, work together to handle the stress the ankle receives as you walk, run and jump.



My Ankle

The problem that I have is that, due to going over on my ankle so often when I played rugby, I have damaged my lateral collateral ligaments. This means that I have little to maintain my lateral stability. So when I half stepped in a pot hole on Monday 21st March the inside of my leg, the tibia bone, went crashing down onto the talus bone.  I believe that this may have damaged the articular cartilage and the deltoid ligaments. What I do know for certain is that it’s painful but not too bad, until I put weight on it and try to run, even on a tread mill.

I’ve been informed that it normally takes about eight weeks to repair. I’m seeing the physiotherapist twice a week and receiving ultrasound treatment on it. Although there seems to be little consensus oh how the treatment works it has been used to by therapists over the last 50 years to treat soft tissue injuries.

In the meantime I’m more concerned about the effect it has rather than the science behind it. It’s not all bad through as I have increased my cycling to compensate, at least partly, for my lack of running.

Tom Scott Races 11/04/2010

I was intending to go for a cycle with the 'cycling for softies group' from Cross- myloof at 10:30 but as I woke at 7 as usual, I decided instead to head out to Strathclyde Park to watch the Tom Scott Memorial Races.  I wasn't sure how to get there but headed towards Toryglen, then through Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Blantyre to my old college town of Hamilton.  I cycled past Bell College which is now part of the University of the West of Scotland; the modern leisure pool which has replaced the wee local swimming pool that I frequented and my old student residence which has been converted into private flats before crossing the footbridge into Strathclyde Park almost right at the start of the race.

After pre race chat with a few of the runners I cycled some of the route before deciding where to stop and take my photos from.  There are two races which are run concurrently the 10 mile one and the 6k 'wee diddy run'.    I have both good and bad memories of running in the 10 miler, one excellent race with a strong finish and last year's disaster when the sun was too much for me on the day and I struggled.  So it was with mixed feelings that I reflected on not being able to run in today's race in the blazing sunshine with no evident wind.

Wee Diddy Run
There was a bit of a mix up with a misunderstanding between the marshal and the lead runners in the 6k, which ended in some of them taking a short cut but the Race Referee, rightly in my opinion, decided to let the results stand.  This meant that Alison Docherty won the women's race defeating usual winner Claire Thompson and Jennifer Telford. That man Kevin Kane won the men's race. 

Tom Scott 10 Miler

In the big race, Edinburgh's Neil Renault had a great run in preperation for his London Marathon, taking two minutes off of his PB.  He looks like a good bet to get the 2:15 marathon time that he's aiming for in two weeks time.  Also a great run from Irvine's David Miller who finished fourth with the Shettleston runners setting a new course record and earning the men's team prize.  Kenny Richmond had another good run to win a vet's prize and help Bellahouston Road Runners to second place in the men's team event.  In-form, Fiona Mathieson
 won the women's race, beating Fiona Thompson and Jill Knowes with Claire McCracken and Pamela McCrossen picking up vets prize.

Further down the field there were great runs from my old sparring partner Norman Boyle; Richard Leyton; Frances Maxwell; Mhairi Duff; Linda Kennedy and a whole range of others.

Be Courteous
Although this photo shows runners on one side of the path and other park users on the other, unfortunately that was not always the case as many park users illustrated extreme ignorance and down right rudeness by either ignoring the runners or in some cases going out of their way to restrict their path.  I had to give up my photography tp assist a marshal who was clearly failing to cope with the arduous task of trying to channel the lead runners down the final strait and the other runners along the path, whilst being impeded by the many park users who seemed, at best, to be oblivous to the races being run.  Would it really be too much to expect other park users to show some respect to the runners or at least be courteous towards them?   

"David....... Dale, I Presume"
After the post race chat and prize given, I was homeward bound, taken a slight detour for a quick visit to the David Livingston Centre, not a lot of people are aware that the explorer was educated as a result of the phiosophy installed in him by the owner of the local mill, Stewarton's David Dale.

Football Support
It was plain sailing as I overtook, on the inside of the road, the nose to tail traffic as it made it's way slowly towards Hampden Park.  The brightly coloured Dundee United and Raith Rovers supporters, walking the last wee bit before the national stadium, shouted encouragement to me as I pedaled past them before arriving home slightly suntanned. 


Review
Distance: 30:08 miles - undulating
Moving Time: 2:36:55
Av 535 beats per mile
Calories used: 16:29

I need a better cycle to do these longer runs, the one I have is ok for the short commute to work, and I need a much better camera to improve my pics.

Photos here
Results here
Route here

Glasgow parkrun 10/04/2010

 I cycled along to and around Pollok Park on Saturday morning to get my weekly parkrun fix.  Geat day for running, great turnout and some great times too.  Shame I can't run at all at the moment.

Race Report In his third appearance, Robel NEGASH (SM25-29) of Bellahouston Harriers won for the second time in a row with 16:43. Andy MCGHEE (SM25-29) representing Kilmarnock Harriers took second by 23 seconds recording 17:06. Ethan SLOAN-DENNISON, (JM15-19) of Victoria Park City Of Glasgow AC placed third in a time of 17:08.

In her ninth appearance, Toni MCINTOSH (SW30-34) of Ayr Seaforth AAC won in a time of 18:59 for the seventh time. Toni beat Alison WINSHIP (VW35-39) representing Garscube Harriers by 71 seconds recording 20:10 in the process. Chloe COWAN, (JW14) of Giffnock North AAC placed third in a time of 20:12.

In the day's Age Graded competition, Donald PETRIE recorded a performance of 83.32%

In the points competition Al MACLACHLAN has a lead of 53 points over second placed John GILHOOLY. Sophie Mary PARCELL leads Susan CLARK by 164 in the ladies competition.  This week there were 71 first timers. 82 runners recorded PBs, bringing the total number since the Glasgow started to 3395. In this time, 3072 runners from 122 different clubs have completed the race 11444 times covering a distance of 57220 kilometers.   (pic of Rebecca PERRY running to a new PB of 25:05) Good post race banter back at the Burrell and home made cake, provided by Toni McIntosh. Photos here  Results here

Samson and Delilah

My review of Warwick Thornton’s impressive, award winning, debut feature film: Samson and Delilah.

Teenager Samson lives in a small Indigenous Australians community in the hot, dry and desolate desert. Like many teenagers he is bored with life, he lives in a featureless house, sleeps in his clothes and awakes every morning to the repetitive sound of his brother’s reggae band which uses the porch as a stage and seems to play the same tune all day. He survives the tedium by sniffing on his can of petrol before facing the day. He starts off by grabbing the electric guitar and playing some rock n roll but the band members chase him away. However he has nowhere to go to and nothing to do. Instead, he helps him self to an old wheel chair and sits outside the town’s only shop staring aimlessly…… until he sees a teenage girl, Delilah. With an apparent lack of conversational skills, he starts the courtship by writing "S4D" on the shop wall, before progressing to attracting her attention by throwing rocks at her.


Delilah spends her days caring for and painting with her elderly nana who encourages the courtship. When her mother fails to awaken one morning the town’s women take to beating Delilah for neglecting her, Samson turns to his solvent abuse before smashing up the band’s equipment and vandalising the town houses. They steal the town car and head towards the city, however with Samson more prone to sniffing the petrol, than to putting it in the tank; they run out of fuel and walk the rest. They share life under a bridge with an alcoholic, who becomes frustrated with their lack of speech and eventually insists that they speak at least one word before he shares his food with them.

Delilah sees her nana’s work on display in a shopping mall for Aus$22,000 and realises just how much that they had been exploited. She takes up painting again but no one is interested in buying works of art from a down and out. The film illustrates just how marginalised the indigenous population have become in their own country.

With Samson being oblivious to anything apart from the petrol bottle under his nose, a gang of youths kidnap Delilah and presumably rape her, she returns under the bridge beaten and scarred but realises that she has not been missed. Feeling at an all time low, she turns to sniffing petrol. Whilst walking aimlessly is run down by a car but again Sampson is oblivious and keeps on walking. When he realises she is missing, he retraces his steps and finds the signs of the car cash. Presuming that she has died he increases his solvent abuse. The talkative, singing, alcoholic is taken in by the church and Samson is left alone and hopeless.

This is where the film could and perhaps should end, reflecting the hopelessness of the situation that some people find themselves in. However Thornton must consider the grim reality to be too uncomfortable for the audience and instead of leaving it there decide to have a happy ending.

Delilah appears in front of him in an almost angelic vision before the film reveals that she hadn’t been killed in the accident, she was now clean and well dressed, her cuts and scars had gone and she was accompanied with Samson’s brother who took them back to the township. They were given a car and food and made their way further into the countryside where apparently Delilah had (inherited?) a house with running water. She cared for Samson as she had cared for her Nana, he became clean and she took up the traditional painting that her Nana had taught her… and presumably they both lived happily ever after, in their conversation free isolation.

The film has fine performances from both Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson as the two lead actors and is powerful in telling, probably for the first time on the big screen, the tragedy of an exploited and largely ignored rural Aboriginal community. However Thornton's happy ending does, in my opinion, detract from the harsh reality of their life.

Alloa Half -Kilmarnock Standard newspaper report

Athletics: Kilmarnock Harriers ain't half fast at Alloa

Apr 1 2010 by Lizzie Struthers, Kilmarnock Standard 

SOME 16 Kilmarnock Harriers joined a 1000-strong field taking part in the Alloa half marathon.
Many of the runners were using the race as preparation for forthcoming Fort William and London marathons, and were therefore looking to record good times.

Les McDerment, who is in training for the latter event, destroyed his previous best effort of 1hr 26 by four minutes.  His form suggests that his marathon personal best could also be under review come April 25.
Les’s wife Liz and Ian Goudie also achieved lifetime bests and everyone ran well.

A special mention to Jackie McCulloch who was competing in her second half marathon – a few years after her first.  Jackie finished well inside her target, and with some more hard training should lower this time further before too long.

Full Kilmarnock Harriers times and positions: Leslie McDerment 1:22:30, 52; Connell Drummond 1:24:47, 76; Alan Brydon 1:30:48, 154; Richard Skillen 1:33:41, 196; Harald Bartl 1:33:18, 198; Paula Wilson 1:33:44, 28 (3rd f40); Ian Goudie 1:36:08, 242; Elizabeth McDerment 01:40:04, 356; Brian Darroch 1:42:27, 335; Kate Todd 1:44:42, 460; Joan Graham 1:58:51, 762; Eve McClurg 2:00:41, 786; Ann Minto 2:00:41, 787; Anne Anderson 2:01:49, 807; Jade Minto 2:01:50, 808; Jackie McCulloch 2:04:22, 828.

I join in with thousands of bikers as they descend on Glasgow, delivering an Easter treat for sick children.

With no running, it was back on the bike this morning and I headed down to the BBC and across the Clyde.  I was planning to use Bell’s Bridge but found it to be closed; it looks like they may be putting a roof on it again.  Never mind the Millennium Bridge is only a few metres further downstream and I was soon north o’ the Clyde. I passed the heliport and joined the new section of road which leads towards Glasgow Harbour, came off of it for a wee while to join the cycle path, waste of time really as I the path rejoined the road further down.  Then the N7 goes along an old railway line which must be one of the worst official parts of a cycle route in the country.  Not only is it bland but for the graffiti but it’s also dangerous with broken glass and other hazards littering the route.  I could hear the sound of horns and hooters and looked to my left to observe a large number of motor bikes heading into town.  I decided to explore further and left the path at the first opportunity.  The stream of motor bikes continued for ages and as it was moving slowly, I decided to join them. 

I presumed that they were going to some kind of motor bike rally but as I chatted away with them, I learned that this was the annual Easter Egg Run to Yorkhill Children’s Hospital and could attract anything up to around 10,000 bikers to it.  That explained why some of the riders were wearing bunny ears and some entire bunny outfits!  It transpires that the event was started by the Motorcycle Action Group in 1999 with around 100 bikes and has grown in size since then and expanded to include trikes, scooters, mopeds and even one or two cars.... you can now add a lone cyclist to the list. 

I received loads of support from well wishers along the way as we made our way along Glasgow Harbour and through the streets up to Yorkhill Hospital where nursing staff and kids were waving excitedly as the bikers passed by beeping their horns and waving back.  Nearly all the bikers bring chocolate eggs for the kids and the event raises thousands of pounds for the hospital.  I had no eggs to donate, so I turned off just after the hospital entrance and joined in with the other well wishers in cheering the bikers.  I told them that they were doing a brilliant job and then made my way back towards the heliport.  There was a helicopter taking off as I passed and it nearly blew me off my bike such was the wind created by its rotors. 

I called in for a newspaper on the way home and the vender quipped “I hope that you are on a bike or you have a very strange dress code”, I assured him that I was with bike and not a Freddy Mercury impersonator and made my way home for brunch poached eggs on toast of course.

Total distance: 14.63 miles; total time: 01:24:07; calories used: 897  

Glasgow parkrun April 3, 2010

Unfortunately I couldn't run in today's 5k event, however I did cycle along and took my camera, so in the absence of Gil Williamson's excellent pics, here's a few of my not nearly as good ones. Click here for Glasgow parkrun pics

A total of 277 runners finished the run.

Bellahouston Harriers' recent recruit Robel Negash went one better than his maiden run last week by winning in a time of 16:53.

Giffnock North's Catriona Lockie (pictured) was one of the youngest and coasted to victory in the women's race, at the first time of asking, with a time of 19:32.


Of couse some runners were slightly older and more experienced. Full Results here:

Congratulations to my friend from the yoga class Tracy Grabiner, who earned her second PB in as many weeks.