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

Volunteer

Blood Pressure Relief

Tests over three months, taken by my Doctor and the Surgery Nurse, had indicated that I was suffering from high blood pressure, with consistent readings of above 140/90 mmHg but below 160/100. I already do, as a matter of course, many of the recommendations on lifestyle and diet - one of the advantages of being a runner. However there was nothing I could do about my family history: with a mother who died at 62, after numerous strokes, and a father who had suffered from high blood pressure, resulting from his time in Burma during the war. It seemed that I would be much more likely than the next person of having a stroke; a heart attack and/or developing a cardiovascular disease.  The alternative was to take prescribed medication, possibly for the rest of my life. Thankfully my Doctor recognised my reluctance to go down this path and decided to have me fitted with an Ambulatory BP Monitoring Unit for 24 hours.


I’m so relieved that the unit revealed that my BP is within the normal parameters. An average of 129/80 mmHg (night time: 120/72; day time 134/84). There’s nothing I can do about my family history but I can keep up on running.

I speak to so many people who come out with “Is running not bad for your knees?” I’ve played rugby and/or ran since I was at school and there’s not much wrong with my knees. Trust me, the health benefits of running far outweigh any negatives by a country mile!

It's Not (All) About the Run

Working Hard -pic by Jim Carson

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimcarson80/5627572904/

I followed up last Saturday’s Strathclyde parkrun with a 10.5mile cycle, after supporting the runners at the Tom Scott Races and taking a few photos.  On Monday I decided to ignore my chest infection and parachute into the middle of Hal Higdon's Advanced 10k Training Plan.  This resulted in a 30minute run on Monday; Tuesday was 45mins at race pace; Wednesday an 8mile run, Thursday 3mile run and strength work; Friday 11x400m @mile pace and I couldn’t resist running Glasgow parkrun on Saturday (well Hal didn’t suggest that he actually said I should be running 30mins @tempo pace).  

I was amazed to see that there was, once again, a record turnout at the weekly Pollok park event.  Some 383 participants, supported by a dozen volunteers, set off at around 9:30am after the usual pre race announcements.  I congratulated Suzanne McMahon on her recent sub 1:30 Half Marathon time and Erica Christie, whose time of 3:17:26 at Lochaber was the fastest of any UK female vet 55 this year.  I tucked in behind Erica and sat behind her for the first kilometre, which we ran in a time of 4:18.  I’m afraid my Garmin always loses satellite connection for at least some of the route in the woods, so I tend to take any readings with a large degree of uncertainty.  The fast improving Claire MacAulay passed us and remarked that she would see me again when I overtook her later in the race. “Not this week” I replied.  I left Erica and was concentrating on my own run when Wallace Gray, another of the fast improving runners, sped past me.  “Hello Wallace” I said and he pulled up saying that he must be running too fast if he was overtaking me.  I told him to run ahead as I would be a bit slower than usual today.  I found myself leapfrogging with a runner wearing glasses, who was breathing very heavily, as he worked his way around the undulating course.  Compared to him, I must have looked as if I was out for a morning stroll.  Kilbarchan’s Catherine Stewart, who is also coming back from injury, overtook the pair of us.  I stuck behind her for a while but she was clearly increasing her speed whilst I was trying hard just to maintain mine.  “You’re running well Ian” said a Bellahouston Road Runner as I passed him on the glade before turning left towards the hills and the final kilometre.  I was feeling tired now and the guy with glasses passed me one last time and left me in his trail.  I started to relax at the top of the last hill before remembering that the Bellahouston Road Runner wasn’t far behind me and I quickly refocused on the race and I soon crossed the Finish Line in a time of 21:59 to be handed token number 71.  I had finished exactly 30seconds faster than last week and on a harder course.

Splits:

1) - 0.62m - 4:18 - 174bpm avge - 182bpm max
2) - 0.62m - 4:25 - 164bpm avge - 179bpm max
3) - 0.62m - 4:30 - 164bpm avge - 181bpm max
4) - 0.62m - 4:34 - 160bpm avge - 172bpm max
5) - 0.62m - 4:13 - 160bpm avge - 171bpm max 

I congratulated the bespectacled runner on his performance and Catherine on her excellent finish.  She had finished in 66^th spot, with a new PB of 21:47.  Erica was three places ahead, with a time of 21:24, whilst Wallace ran a PB of 21:08 to place 60^th.  Claire was three seconds off of her PB, finishing 58^th and 4^th woman, with a time of 20:58.  Suzanne was also just off of her PB, placing 2^nd woman and 32^nd overall.  Helensburgh’s Julia Henderson won the women’s race and placed 27^th overall in 19:28.

In the men’s event Andrew McCall (Greenock Glenpark) placed first with a new PB of 17:46, Tom Lauckner (Bellahouston Harriers) earned runner up spot with a PB of 17:51 and Gerry Scullion (Bellahouston Road Runners) earned third with 17:55.

It was good to catch up with a lot of runners and volunteers as we stood around after the race and then back in the Burrell Cafe.  In particular it was good to see one time parkrun regular Joe Chambers getting back into running, after having some time out.

Full Results
Jim Carson's Photos

Hot Runners at the Tom Scott Memorial Race

I returned to Strathclyde Park for the second time in the weekend but this time I had no thoughts about running but instead was intent in catching some of the country’s long distance runners on camera.

The Tom Scott Memorial Race was first established in 1962, to perpetuate the memory of a young man whose life was unfortunately cut short at the early age of 29, when he was tragically killed in a motor traffic accident whilst travelling to take part in a road race in the North of England.

Over the years some fine runners have graced this event with: Scottish Olympians; European Contenders; Commonwealth Gold and Silver Medalists all taken part. The course has changed over the years and although this year’s event clashed with a number of other races including: the Lochaber, Brighton and Paris Marathons as well as the Edinburgh Half Marathon, the field still consisted of some great runners. A few of them, such as UK Olympic Marathon qualifier Andrew Lemoncello, may have been happy with getting a relatively low key race in the week before the London Marathon, whilst others, were, no doubt, attracted to the race as it kicks off the Stewarts Scottish Road Race Grand Prix. Many more were chasing individual PBs, with a few running their first ever ten mile race.

With the sun beating down on the, almost entirely, un-shaded course and temperatures of above 20C, some runners were more able to cope with the conditions than others.  160 runners completed the ten mile course with Shettleston’s Eritrean pair of Tsegai Tewelde and Teweldeberhan Mengisteab taking Gold and Silver, with times of 50:08 and 50:13 respectively. Central’s Ross Houston earned Bronze in 50:31. A total of 19 runners completed the two lap course in under one hour, including California based veteran, Lesley Marshall (nee Paterson), who set a new record in the women’s event, with a fantastic time of 56:20.

Despite being impeded by a dog during the race, Irvine’s David Millar won the Veteran Men’s race in 52:35.

Kibarchan AC’s Gemma Rankin was the first Scottish Athletic Senior Female to finish, in 1:00:08. Victoria Park –CoG’s Claire McCracken and Claire Thompson were the proud winners of the National and District first and second prizes in the Veteran Female race. Of course, as usual, everyone who completed the race deserves huge congratulations as do the organisers and volunteers who ensure that the race remains as successful as ever, a fitting tribute to Tom Scott.


Personally speaking, for me it was a great chance to meet up with some running buddies and encourage them on their way around Strathclyde Loch.


Tom Scott Full Results
Round the Loch (6k) Results
Photos

Tom Scott Races 2011

Tom Scott Races 2011, a set on Flickr.

Loads of pics from the Tom Scott 10mile and 6k races

Birthday Outing in Strathclyde Sunshine

The Famous Killie Strip -pic by Ross Goodman

I’ve been a bit fed up and somewhat frustrated at not being able to exercise recently. No sooner was I over my injury when I went down with an infection. It started with a sore throat but moved down into my chest. I now sound like a smoker, as I cough my way through the day. However I couldn’t miss the opportunity to join in with the happy bunch of volunteers and runners at Strathclyde parkrun, as they celebrated their first ever anniversary.

After filling up, with hot lemon and honey drink and cough mixture, I was a bit late in setting off on Saturday morning and as I made my way to the motorway at 9:00am, I, briefly, considered changing my plan and joining the spate of cars heading into Pollok Park for the Glasgow alternative. I decided to stick with my initial plan, as I had packed my camera, just in case I arrived in Motherwell too late for the event and/or didn’t feel up to running.

I arrived at a sunny Strathclyde Park in ample time to get changed. I decided not to join in the organised warm-up but instead to conserve what little energy I had for the run itself. I say ‘run’ rather than ‘race’ as I didn’t want to push myself too much. I had even decided to wear my 125th anniversary Killie top to ensure that no-one mistook me for a serious runner (as if!).  This was my first run since 28th February and it was good to be back in the running scene.  I enjoyed catching up with some of my running buddies before lining up, somewhere in the middle of the 120 runners.

52nd Strathclyde parkrun
After the usual pre-race announcements and some anniversary ones too, the 52nd Strathclyde parkrun set off at 9:30am. This was my sixth time running Strathclyde and my 67th parkrun. We set off alongside the loch with the sun on our backs. I started off at a steady, slow, pace and reached the 1k marker in a time of 4:34. A bit later my Garmin bleeped to advise me that I had completed the first mile in 7:17. I was happy enough with that and, knowing that I would need to work a bit harder as I tired, I decided that I would try to maintain the pace for the next two miles or so. I was feeling quite good as, even at this pace, I was catching up a significant number of runners, who had set off too quickly and couldn’t maintain their initial speed. It’s always best to start slow as it's such a confidence booster when you overtake your fellow runners. The second mile, which included the turning point, had taken me 7:16 and I was now running into the sun. The return section of the race route can seem a lot longer, as you can see the Finish line away in the distance after the turn but I wasn’t bothered with that today.  I was just enjoying my run. My pace for the first four kilometres was: 4:34; 4:30; 4:33 and 4:34. The race was getting a bit congested near the finish. Not only was there a group of runners in front of me but there was also a number of park users strolling along the pavement towards us. I decided to overtake the group before the strollers restricted the route and increased my pace a little. I 'held on' to run the final kilometre in 4:18, a total time of 22:29. Although I wasn’t really interested in my time, I was still pleased to have completed the 5k just two minutes slower than my course PB.  I placed 35/120.

I had also decided to dust down my Heart Rate Monitor, which revealed that my average HR had been 152. 137 for the first k, 153 for the second, 157 for the third, 154 for the fourth and 160 for the fifth k.

Post Race
The lovely weather helped ensure that a lot of the runners stayed behind for post race banter and the inaugural prize giving ceremony, accompanied by free home baking, refreshments and birthday cake before heading our separate ways into the west of Scotland morning sunshine. Well done to all concerned, it’s great to be a runner!

Results

Photos

Enforced Rest at the Cold Front

The daily stretches prescribed by my NHS Physiotherapist worked and I was able to get back into running doing 35mins on Monday 28th march; 45mins on the Tuesday and 50mins on the Wednesday morning. I couldn’t train, well more accurately I couldn’t shower or bathe, on Wednesday afternoon or Thursday as I was connected to a Blood Pressure monitor for 24 hours. (Awaiting results) On Friday I went down with a cold and had to postpone my plans of making a Glasgow parkrun comeback on the Saturday. Although I did wrap up well and took the event’s photographs. I had a quiet night in on Saturday and managed an easy paced 10mile cycle on Sunday before meeting up with my old mate Charlie Smith for a catch-up over a few beers.

By Monday morning my cold had established itself in my chest and was creating significant amounts of phlegm. I listened to my body and took advice from friends, who advised me that it was OK to run with a head cold but ‘No to throat and below”. This means that I’ve not been able to exercise, at all, this week. No cycle commute, no cross-training, no gym/weights and definitely no running! In fact the only exercise I’ve got has been making various cold and flu hot drinks.

I’m hoping that this enforced rest will be good for me and hopefully I’ll be back in the land of the running in the very near future. Of course it could have been worse, I could have been training for one of the number of marathons coming up in the weeks ahead.

Pollokshields Burgh Hall

Pollokshields Burgh Hall
Originally uploaded by Heilster Hieroglyphics

Wanna see a secret?

Glasgow parkrun # 116 - 02/04/2011

Glasgow parkrun # 116 - 02/04/2011, a set on Flickr.

I had hoped to run today but I'm down with a touch of the cold so I headed along with my camera to take some pics.