I have it from a good source that this race was described on Monday, in a Spanish newspaper, as a ‘ great race in windy conditions’.The journalist has obviously never been to Greenock !!! This is a fairly flat, well organised race (apart from the number of porto loos !) but who cares when there is a local park nearby. Don’t know how many runners there were but it wasn’t too congested at the start with the run taking the shape of a figure 8 through the wide boulevards of the city, finishing where we started. I made the trip with three ex Bellas – Anne Marie, Frances and liz and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The only incident was me tripping over a bollard at 12k, falling flat onto the road and completing the race with blood pouring down from both knees, hands and elbows- it is the first time I have done a negative split in a race- well worth it !! Shona Photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/ok-apartment/12844126063 by www.flickr.com/laiabuira
Yearly archives: 2016
A great way to add an extra element to running is to give races, events or challenges a shot that you’ve not taken part in before. The Kirky 12.5k is certainly a unique – as far as I can tell – race distance. Having heard many great things about this event, I figured it was high time to give the event a shot last Sunday, 14th Feb. Number collection at the primary school had me briefly pondering how good it’d be if all running events used primary schools for registration: The fantastic posters and art projects on the walls a pleasant start to the day, and reminder of primary school times, and then the small tables, chairs and facilities offered a pre-run comedy experience: I’m sure parents attending PTA meetings will probably feel differently! To the event itself, and the main challenge was going to be the underfoot conditions on this undulating course. A sharp dip in temperatures on a clear night meant lots of scraping to get cars ready, and snow on the hills as we approached pretty much told us what to expect. Sure enough a large expanse of ice in the start area outside the school. But the sun, and vigorous attempts to clear away the worst of it by volunteers made it safe to start, but out on the course itself constant vigilance was required by participants to avoid expanses of ice mostly caused by runoff from fields where the sun hadn’t quite reached. For me, with the Balloch to Clydebank half marathon my principle target just now, I’d decided I’d aim for Half marathon effort (if not pace; I had no idea what the hills would be like!). Largely managed to stick with that plan, and settled in with a group of runners running from Springburn and Maryhill Harriers for the first 6k or so, but – surprisingly for me at least – started to build out a bit of a lead on them after the large hill (reminiscent of the gradient on the steeper parts of the Sherbrooke Hill loops, just several times longer!) coming out of Kirkintilloch for the return leg. I was myself soon passed by Michael Lancaster running an excellently paced, and surely negative split effort: he quickly eased away I and only just managed to keep him in my sights through the second half, even as I struggled to remember whether there was an uphill or downhill section around each corner as we traced our route back to the start. A total of five Bella’s took part. Michael was first Bella home in 54:26. I was pleased with my time (55:17), pretty much spot on my HM target pace, then Paul McGunnigle (57:18), Terry Nimmo (69:16) and Lynn Reid (75:50) completed the Bella field. First runner home was James Stewart of Victoria park, City of Glasgow in a time of 45:41, and first lady Joanna Murphy of Carnegie Harriers in 49:28. Full results online at kirkintillocholympians.co.uk. A Strava segment for the […]
Short and sharp race at the Emirates Arena this afternoon. I think a few others from the club would have fancied this but some had niggles and others were doing the final race of the Borders XC series or the Kirkie 12.5k. On such a fine winter day it almost seemed a shame to be running indoors. If only this race had been last Sunday and the Greenock 5-miler today! I’d noticed some much faster guys on the start list for the V35 race and thought they’d quickly establish a lead. Instead we ended up in a tight bunch. I looked at the clock at about half-way and the pace was just a shade slower than I’d have needed to repeat last year’s time. I couldn’t say it felt comfortable at all, but just not quite as uncomfortable as it should! No-one wanted to make a move. Reluctantly I took the lead with about 3 laps to go but I knew I wouldn’t be there for long! There was an injection of pace and three guys went by me one-by-one, at a speed I couldn’t live with. It felt like I was going backwards but I managed to hang on for 4th place out of 7. A bit slower than last year but happy enough with it. This one as well as the 3000m at the start of January are good opportunities to run at such a marvellous venue. Hopefully we can get more Bellas involved next year. Iain
The Renfrewshire AAA 5 mile road race took place at Battery park in Greenock on 7 Feb 2016. The wind is always a challenge for this Club Championship race, but this year high winds and heavy rain had caused the approach road to Greenock to be blocked causing long travel delays. Just getting to the start line was therefore a major achievement and unfortunately not everyone made it, with several turning back or arriving after the race had started. Battery Park had its own flooding problems with 30m long puddles, knee deep in places, a major obstacle for runners not expecting “cross country on the roads” as one competitor put it. In the latter stages of the race, submerged kerbs in these water features were tripped over causing a number of runners to fall and one competitor even broke his ankle. Although the rain held off for the race, the wind was particularly brutal this year. On re-entering the park after the out-and-back along the esplanade the gale force wind was like a solid wall slowing everyone’s progress. Well done to everyone who took part but particularly well done to Ann, Claire and Katie who took Bronze medals in the ladies competition, with Claire coming 2nd V40. The men’s team were 4th for the second year running. Full results Runbritain Rankings Photo by Gordon Goldie
A record number of Bellas turned out for the first marathon pace training session of 2016 in Glasgow Green on Wednesday 13th January. Cold but dry – well done everyone!