Phlegming Nora !

I’ve been suffering with the cold for a wee while now and didn’t manage a race last weekend. I had planned another race free race this weekend, as I wasn’t up to racing the Brampton to Carlisle 10 mile road race, nor the Ayrshire Cross Country Championships. Instead I enjoyed the relatively unusual occurrence of a Friday night out and had a few drinks in Sammy Dows as Kong put on another excellent show. However when I awoke from my stupor at 8:50am on Saturday, I knew that I could, just about, make the 9:30 Start Line for the weekly Glasgow parkrun. A quick wash and I was out the door with my bottle of Lucozade Sport and heading towards Pollok Park. “You’re looking a bit rough” commented a running buddy and he was right, in fact I was probably feeling even worse than I looked. My choice was either to stay in bed and rest, or run and try to sweat the cold and alcohol out of my system. Obviously, I chose the latter.

I coughed, spluttered and spat out phlegm as I struggled around the undulating course, increasing my pace slightly in the second lap to overtake, amongst others, Kilmarnock youngster Alasdair McGhee and Gerry Gallacher of the Scottish Prison Service, on his way to a new PB. I managed to hold off a strong challenge from Alan Bow to place 110th with a time of 23:30 in my 86th parkrun.

Results

Back in the Burrell Café, Gerry and Sarah Whalen asked if I was doing the inaugural Glasgow Mo Running 5k Race on the Sunday. Although I had thought about it, I hadn’t got around to registering and the race site indicated that the event was full.

Mo Running
I was up bright and early on Sunday morning and was looking forward to a decent cycle ride, however the possibility of running my 60th race of 2011 was playing on my mind, so I decided that I would include Glasgow Green as part of my ride and enquire about the possibility of being a ‘late entry’. I met up with Gerry and Sarah as they approached the registration desk and I was pleased when the organisers agreed to accept my £15. A bit expensive but it is for a good cause and the organisers had provided a breakdown of costs on their web site.

It's Not About the Bike
A quick change into running mode and I was just about to chain my bike to the railings when, Race Director, Dave Krangel asked, over the tannoy, if anyone had a bike that he could use to lead the race around the course. I immediately volunteered my bike, gave my bag to Annette Whalen for safe keeping and set about warming up. Although there was an organised session, I prefer to do my own race preparation, which, to be honest, is very much like the pre rugby preparation that I first learned about 40 years ago. Suitable warmed up, I made my way along to the Start line where I joined with Cambuslang’s Shaz Hakeem, a guy from Motherwell AC and another 170 runners and walkers for the 10:30 start. The race started on rather soft grass but it wasn’t long until we were on la terre ferme and following some of the Jog Scotland 5k route.

I was a bit surprised to see so many people pass me in the early stages but I was confident that I would catch at least some of them as the race progressed. Although there were a large number of fun runners, there were still a significant number of decent runners for me to compete against. Again I was coughing, spluttering and spitting phlegm but today my pace was a bit faster. It took almost half of the race for it to settle down and allow me to start targeting runners in front. As I thought he would, Shaz led the race from start to finish. I tried to keep the leading lady, Elodie Bourgault, in sight. Although there was no chance of catching her I did manage to catch a few others especially in the long flat section after the 4k marker. I was slowly catching the two runners immediately in front as we approached the final strait but they both found an extra gear and sprinted towards the Finish. I found a little bit more speed to race across the Line and finish in a watch time of 21:35. I received my goody bag and headed behind a tree for some more coughing and spluttering before rejoining the mutual congratulations. I was advised to return to the Race Directors tent, where I added my race number and received a print out of my gun and ship times as well as my placing. I had finished in 19th position and 1st M50+, with a chip time of 21:32. All things considered, I was more than happy with that.

After his exertions the day before, Gerry had decided to run round with Sarah and they finished 54th and 53rd with chip times of 25:37.

60 Races
A did an interview for quirky young journalist Harriet Brace of the Glasgow Journal before collecting my bag and bicycle and making my way home for a hot shower and well earned brunch. I had run my 60th race of the year, had done quite well and had supported a good cause.

Mo Results

The Rain Came Pouring Down on the jogscotland 5k

I strained my hamstring muscle, whilst cycling on Monday's daily commute to work. That, with the other aches and pains in my legs, persuaded me to have a few days rest. I missed my weekly swim, I didn’t do any running or gym work and I took the car to work, rather than the bike. As well as resting my legs, I also applied liberal amounts of Tiger Balm to my hamstring, in the hope that it would do some good.

It wasn’t such a hardship not cycling or running on Tuesday as the rain seemed to pour down all day and night. The forecast looked the same for Wednesday but it stayed dry until around 5:30pm, at which time I was convincing myself that I’d be ok to run the jogscotland 5k Challenge at Glasgow Green. However the rain did put me off cycling to the ‘Green’ and instead I took the car, parking it near the Gorbals Leisure Centre before making my way across the Clyde to Registration.

Apart from the sounds blaring from the loudspeakers, it was hard to tell that a race was scheduled for that evening. I headed towards the sound of the Tannoy and a few tents, with runners sheltering in them, came into sight. It was all so different over the last three years when the good weather has brought runners out in their droves, with the Start being held up two years ago with so many people registering on the night. There wasn’t much chance of that happening tonight but the numbers did improve as an assortment of club runners and joggers trickled along to collect their numbers and electronic chips in the Glasgow summer rain. No-one seemed to sure about how to attach their chips to their running shoes and I was no different, worrying about the appropriateness of the flimsy plastic tie-back supplied and wrapping my laces around it for extra security.

I chatted with loads of running buddies before changing into my Kilmarnock Harriers vest and leaving the relative shelter of the massage tent to do my pre-race warm up and stretches in the rain. The number of runners continued to increase as 7pm approached and by the time I made my way towards the Start line 343 other runners had assembled.  More than 300 down on last year, when the two runs had attracted a total of 647 participants.

The Race

Pic by Great Scott Photography

I negotiated my way through the joggers and took my place at the back of the club runners, only for Mark Cooper, who I ran with last year in France as he completed his 50 marathons, to turn to me and ask “How’s it going Ian?” We didn’t have long to reminisce though as the Start sounded and we were set on our way. The introduction of chip timing had resulted in the course being changed this year and we set off eastward, towards the Peoples Palace, at 7:02pm. A thirty degree angle left turn took us diagonally across the park and, briefly, onto the perimeter path. Another left turn and we headed, behind the Start point, towards the Clyde, where we turned right and headed westward. We ran past the Boathouse and turned right just beyond the Weir, rejoining the perimeter path. I was running behind Bella Road Runners Keith Gibb and David Boyle and Bella Harrier Bernie O’Neil, Garmin notified me that we had completed the first kilometre in a time of 3:53. I was a bit worried that I might have set off too quickly and I was also conscious of my hamstring.

As we approached Monteith Road we turned ninety degrees right, behind the People's Palace and then vended left, as we completed our first mile. A bit further on and we headed down hill, turning a sharp left and then another to take us back to the Clyde and heading eastward. This was familiar territory for me as, not only have I ran and cycled along it many a time but it also forms part of the Atkins 3k race route. Tony McGale and then John McLaughlin encouraged me but my pace had slowed to 4:14 for the second kilometre and I had lost touch with Keith, David and Bernie. I could see the faster runners, making their way back, as I headed towards the same turn point as used in the Atkins race. I was disappointed with my pace but after turning I could see that there were still some ‘weel kent’ faces making their way outward. The third kilometre took me a disappointing 4:27. I increased the pace a bit and, after overtaking a couple of runners, I found myself at the front of a pack, well off of those in front. The fourth kilometre had taken me 4:17 but I wasn’t feeling particularly comfortable leading a pack, with no-one to aim at in front.  We retraced our footsteps, past the Boathouse for the second time and then the Weir.  A guy with a yellow running vest overtook me and I was happy to sit in behind him for a wee while. However we were now on a long, uncongested and flat part of the course and I knew that I should be making up ground. I overtook the guy and then with no-one to aim at repeated the number counting technique, which had served me so well in the latter part of the recent Land o’ Burns 10k. By the time I had turned right and was back behind the Peoples Palace I had closed the gap significantly and could now see David Boyle in sight. He was too far away for me to catch but he seemed to be slowing and I set out to reduce the gap between us as much as possible. There were a few runners between us and, as I turned right into the final strait, I managed to catch another runner (Neil McKenzie) as I gave it my all to cross the line in 43rd place with a Chip Time of 20:47 and a Gun Time of 20:50. The fifth and final kilometre had taken me 3:56 but I was still disappointed with my time. The first and last kilometres were fine, it’s just the middle three ones that I need to improve on!

Selected Results
Mark Cooper placed 23rd with a Gun Time of 18:44.  Keith was 31st in 19:53, Bernie 35th and third woman in 20:11 and David 40th in 20:22. Jock Ferguson, who beat me last year, placed 41st with a time of 20:36 and Andrew Fairlie one place and three seconds ahead of me in 42nd place with a time of 20:47.

Post Race
After the usual post race banter and mutual congratulations, I grabbed the opportunity to have those hamstrings massaged before warming down back to the car as the weather grew worse.


Race Results and Round Up
In the race itself Chris Black placed first in 16:47, Russell Whittington was runner-up in 16:49 and Euan Geddes third in 16:52.

Ruth Joss was first woman in a time of 18:16, a delighted Claire McCracken placed second, with a new 'post baby' PB of in 18:23 and, as stated above, Bernie earned third spot with her time of 20:11.

Despite the numbers being down by over 300, the event still succeeded in drawing support from a range of Club Runners, Work's Teams and individuals.  I had some friends who were running their first ever 5k race, at the other end of the scale, I was competing in my 97th 5k!!

Full Results

The Jammys are this year running all eight jogscotland 5k races (and more!) to raise money for Simpson's Special Care Babies (SSCB), the children's charity which is dedicated to the care of premature or sick newborn babies, and the support of their parents.  They are a small charity that supports the Neo Natal Unit based in the "Simpson's" maternity unit (formerly the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion), part of the New Royal Infirmary Of Edinburgh.  The charity is run by volunteers who either work in the unit, or have had a child (or children) go through it.  You can support their work by donating here

3k on the Green

I ran my first 3k on Friday 29 October. I had signed up to run the third and final race in the Atkins series, however because of the adverse weather the race was postponed for a week. Some eight of us hadn’t received the email advising us of the postponement and turned up at Glasgow Green where Melanie Eynon informed us of the decision. The weather had abated by then though and after she volunteered to stage a timed run for us around the usual course. This would allow me at least to get to know the route. Robert Rogerson, Alan Fitzsimmons, Anthony Quinn, myself and four others set of from McLellans Arch at 12:20 and headed east along the Clyde. It wasn’t long until I found myself in last position and made a concerted effort to overtake Alan. I know that Alan is a sub 20min 5k runner but his form has been inconsistent and I was hopeful, if not confident, that I could beat him. The route then runs some of the jogscotland 5k course, which sees us running along the wide path road and turning a sharp right and making our way back along a pothole laden and puddle strewn narrow path right beside the river. I managed to catch another runner here and was very surprised to be able to overtake him. He looked like an athlete and was running well, I was sure that he would increase his pace when he saw me but I managed to get away from him. I wasn’t quite sure where the finish was. I had been told it was at the boathouse but nothing more specific. However I noticed a couple of other runners stopping up ahead and realised that the finish was in sight but it was too far away from me to hold off the guy behind and he sprinted past me as we approached the line.

Melanie cried out 12:02 as reached the finish but after we had congratulated each other, I was informed that the times were out by 12 seconds and that my actual time was 11:50. I would have accepted the initial time but I really need to be running sub four minute kilometres if I am ever going to get a sub 20min 5k.

The postponed race should take place this Friday, maybe with more runners I’ll be able to squeeze a few seconds off of my time.