This time last night I was sitting at the laptop, no running since Friday and feeling sorry for my self when in the bottom of the screen appeared the wee box telling me I had an e-mail; or as much of an email JR can get his Luddite head round. "What is all this crap I'm hearing. 9am tomorrow for a run!" A summons from the leg end. So I went and got my ears burnt about running slow, walking hills, smelling flowers etc etc etc. Sometimes I wish I was in JD's club!
Anyway we did a slow and I mean slow 5 miles round Balloch Park, followed by tea and an egg roll in the club before I spent the rest of the day cleaning my car and visiting the skips with garden refuge...... last years garden refuge.
*****Newsflash*******
That wee box has just appeared again. Wait for this one.........
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FFS Jim must have a tutor! But if he thinks I'm going on windows live to listen to him he's barking up the wrong tree.
Anyway, where was I? Oh Aye. I ran again tonight with my JogScotland group. And am I glad I warmed up this morning!
I had a query from a villager re her daughter wanting to run the Vale 10k and being worried about whether she could manage. So I told her to be at JogScotland tonight where she could run with my group which has another young lady who is running the Dumbarton and Vale 10ks. A quick word prior to setting out with a group of five found that she trains with a pal on the Cardross Horseshoe, a shorter version of the Balloch one with the same amount of climbing in the shorter distance! Off we went and the young ones simply took off. Marion (a Millie)and I took up a position between them and the two regular members to try and keep an eye on both but eventually, after about a mile, I moved on to the front and Marion dropped back to form two groups of three. And the girls simply took off, dragging my sorry butt with them for about 5 miles round the cycle track and Lomond Shores. Run slower?
Eventually one of them slowed but only because her shoulder was causing her bother. She and her dad Brian are both karate exponents and she has a shoulder that keeps dislocating. A few rotations of the blade and we were off again slowing only in the last mile. Will I manage 10k? Damn right they will and in good times too!
The three ladies of a certain age had taken a short cut through Balloch and finished just ahead of us, and waiting for us was, of course, JR. Sweat pishing off me, his words of only a few hours before brainworming between my ears. RUN SLOWER! Try telling them that!
Anyway, I'm not on Windows Live.
Showing posts with label Balloch Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Balloch Park. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Thursday, 30 April 2009
How much weight in a pair of legs?
Tonight's made three runs in a row since Tuesday following last night's JogScotland night where we hailed Christine's effort on Saturday. Don't know if we scared some of the new starts off with tales of an ultra,though. It was, after all, only the second week of the session, so the beginners would only be jogging for 1 minute x 5! Hope they were inspired. My own group were running for only 50 minutes but I was shorter than even that as one had a problem with cramp on her hamstring, so I ran with her and she only managed 45 minutes.
This morning, my wife was at hospital for a check and her consultant was quite pleased to hear we are of on holiday for two weeks. Why? well she's in my jogging group and reckons she'll get an easy time when I'm away. Little does she know I'm leaving homework!
On my way home, I passed an optician shop window. And in the display was a board congratulating staff member Christine on her Highland Fling run!
Back to the vale for the club run. we decided on an easy 5 or 6 miler along the cycle path to Balloch Park and return by whatever route we preferred. Started off easy enough but soon found myself away with Garry. We ran up Heart Attack Hill at the far end of the park, adjacent to the trail where my legs failed on Tuesday. I can report an improvement as I managed the hill, albeit in my own good time. Out the north gate and down Mollanbowie hill and back via Jamestown and the Bonhill Bridge. By this time my legs were feeling as heavy as I've ever known them, but strangely the pace was picking up and I put an effort in on the hill up from the station towards Renton. Then back along Main St to the club and a sprint finish! Speed must have reached at least 9 minute miling! About 80 minutes running, and probably near 8 miles. But it felt fast at the end! A slow walk/jog round the block to take the heaviness away and shower before JR arrived back.
Looking forward to a busy rest day tomorrow with a few wee jobs for the holiday to be done. Hopefully a few hours on my feet at the weekend on an easy run.
Good luck to Steph at the Stuc a Chroin race on Saturday.
Footnote: Just as I was about to save this post an e-mail arrived with some info on some Trail Escapades coming soon. Link here
This morning, my wife was at hospital for a check and her consultant was quite pleased to hear we are of on holiday for two weeks. Why? well she's in my jogging group and reckons she'll get an easy time when I'm away. Little does she know I'm leaving homework!
On my way home, I passed an optician shop window. And in the display was a board congratulating staff member Christine on her Highland Fling run!
Back to the vale for the club run. we decided on an easy 5 or 6 miler along the cycle path to Balloch Park and return by whatever route we preferred. Started off easy enough but soon found myself away with Garry. We ran up Heart Attack Hill at the far end of the park, adjacent to the trail where my legs failed on Tuesday. I can report an improvement as I managed the hill, albeit in my own good time. Out the north gate and down Mollanbowie hill and back via Jamestown and the Bonhill Bridge. By this time my legs were feeling as heavy as I've ever known them, but strangely the pace was picking up and I put an effort in on the hill up from the station towards Renton. Then back along Main St to the club and a sprint finish! Speed must have reached at least 9 minute miling! About 80 minutes running, and probably near 8 miles. But it felt fast at the end! A slow walk/jog round the block to take the heaviness away and shower before JR arrived back.
Looking forward to a busy rest day tomorrow with a few wee jobs for the holiday to be done. Hopefully a few hours on my feet at the weekend on an easy run.
Good luck to Steph at the Stuc a Chroin race on Saturday.
Footnote: Just as I was about to save this post an e-mail arrived with some info on some Trail Escapades coming soon. Link here
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Club Run - Sorry Mr Farmer
A few faces missing tonight with the Easter break obviously affecting the turn out, and a few of the regulars off walking and running on the WHW.
Whilst driving round to the club I passed Debbie and Cairn off to meet Marco off the train. The plan was to hand the boss to Marco and Debbie was coming with us on our 12 mile run, with the promise of some off road running. I got changed and then all three Consanis appeared loking a bit like drowned rats from the walk from the station. I introduced Cairn to the ladies and listened to the ooos and aaas. Last time Debbie saw them she was a little larger! I'll keep the details short to encourage Debbie to post her views of the run! Suffice to say she got wet, muddy and maybe a bit tired. We ran to the Alexandria/Renton boundary at the Vale academy where we went onto the cycle track to Balloch. Across the bridge and into Balloch Park at the hotel,following the path along the Leven to the loch. At the far end we had a discussion about whether we went to the Whinnie Hill, but the response was "12 miles, as much off road as possible". So I eschewed the usual run up Heart Attack Hill for the trail alternative, and soon the group stretched. By the time I got to the top, Whinnie Hill was off the menu, and I suggested a route JR took me on New Years Day. As I say, I'll leave Debs to fill in the details, but I will admit that a farm gate, climbed on the hinge side as recommended failed the Big Davie Test. Sorry.Back to Balloch by a more direct route and back along the cycle track having run 2 hours for the 12 miles (almost exactly, Debs!) See me, see navigation...
Whilst driving round to the club I passed Debbie and Cairn off to meet Marco off the train. The plan was to hand the boss to Marco and Debbie was coming with us on our 12 mile run, with the promise of some off road running. I got changed and then all three Consanis appeared loking a bit like drowned rats from the walk from the station. I introduced Cairn to the ladies and listened to the ooos and aaas. Last time Debbie saw them she was a little larger! I'll keep the details short to encourage Debbie to post her views of the run! Suffice to say she got wet, muddy and maybe a bit tired. We ran to the Alexandria/Renton boundary at the Vale academy where we went onto the cycle track to Balloch. Across the bridge and into Balloch Park at the hotel,following the path along the Leven to the loch. At the far end we had a discussion about whether we went to the Whinnie Hill, but the response was "12 miles, as much off road as possible". So I eschewed the usual run up Heart Attack Hill for the trail alternative, and soon the group stretched. By the time I got to the top, Whinnie Hill was off the menu, and I suggested a route JR took me on New Years Day. As I say, I'll leave Debs to fill in the details, but I will admit that a farm gate, climbed on the hinge side as recommended failed the Big Davie Test. Sorry.Back to Balloch by a more direct route and back along the cycle track having run 2 hours for the 12 miles (almost exactly, Debs!) See me, see navigation...
Friday, 23 January 2009
Working Hard But Treading Water....or MUD
After Tuesday's Blind Man's Bluff I went along to Jog Scotland looking for about 5 miles of easy running, and got in about 4.5 with a slower group than I'm used to. Linda, who takes the group below mine, wasn't feeling too good, so had the night off and as only one of my own group turned up I was asked to take Linda's. That was no problem and JR decided to add in an extra run after his 5.30pm group finished their run, bringing with him Christine who has entered the Fling and is building up her mileage. That meant the ladies ran a bit longer than they were used to, but at about the same pace so they gained and I,too,got some recovery mileage.
And I needed it as on Thursday I went along to the club, knowing we were up for 6 half mile hill reps with a jog back down to recover. A good turn out with Stevie, Adrian and Steph putting in some fast reps with their strong hill climbing background, Garry, adding youth and probably inexperience to run very fast(!!), Brian, a Flinger attending his first session, Geraldine, Richard,Ali and, in addition, a good group from JR's training squad doing their own thing at various distances within our session. The main drag from the main Balloch Park Gates to the top of the hill near the turn off for the north gate was a busy wee street. Street lighting for about 600yards then darkness, hiding the end of the run until you started meeting the leaders coming back down.A real struggle to keep going for all 6 reps, with recovery being stretched and lunch threatening a re-appearance towards the end. Legs like jelly and regretting the heroics on the first couple of reps as the young ones (and bar JR, Chris and Linda everyone is a young one to me) kept a heady pace on what everyone agreed was a good hard session. All on the main drive though, keeping the mud for Friday morning and a 9am meet with JR,Brian,Linda, Sandra from the night before as well as Catherine,her mad Dalmation "Jasper" and Lauren. An easy run said our JR. But what he meant was "you'll be running the Whinney Hill race route for next weekend, but you can go as slow as you like" Slow? Walk more like. A wee bit of jogging, rescuing of shoes from mud, swamp and kicking of branches. Five and a bit miles maybe of very hard going. On my least favourite of all the club runs. Grrrr!
Still, back to the club's HQ at the leisure centre where for a couple of quid into the kitty, JR manages to extend his OAP status to copious amounts of tea, toast, beans, jam and all served by The WHW race's oldest ever finisher! And Cowper put in an appearance to be embarrassed by the knowledge that those club-mates he had blown away the night before were back out at 9am the following day!
Now! Feet up with a rest day tomorrow and a run on the Way on Sunday.
And I needed it as on Thursday I went along to the club, knowing we were up for 6 half mile hill reps with a jog back down to recover. A good turn out with Stevie, Adrian and Steph putting in some fast reps with their strong hill climbing background, Garry, adding youth and probably inexperience to run very fast(!!), Brian, a Flinger attending his first session, Geraldine, Richard,Ali and, in addition, a good group from JR's training squad doing their own thing at various distances within our session. The main drag from the main Balloch Park Gates to the top of the hill near the turn off for the north gate was a busy wee street. Street lighting for about 600yards then darkness, hiding the end of the run until you started meeting the leaders coming back down.A real struggle to keep going for all 6 reps, with recovery being stretched and lunch threatening a re-appearance towards the end. Legs like jelly and regretting the heroics on the first couple of reps as the young ones (and bar JR, Chris and Linda everyone is a young one to me) kept a heady pace on what everyone agreed was a good hard session. All on the main drive though, keeping the mud for Friday morning and a 9am meet with JR,Brian,Linda, Sandra from the night before as well as Catherine,her mad Dalmation "Jasper" and Lauren. An easy run said our JR. But what he meant was "you'll be running the Whinney Hill race route for next weekend, but you can go as slow as you like" Slow? Walk more like. A wee bit of jogging, rescuing of shoes from mud, swamp and kicking of branches. Five and a bit miles maybe of very hard going. On my least favourite of all the club runs. Grrrr!
Still, back to the club's HQ at the leisure centre where for a couple of quid into the kitty, JR manages to extend his OAP status to copious amounts of tea, toast, beans, jam and all served by The WHW race's oldest ever finisher! And Cowper put in an appearance to be embarrassed by the knowledge that those club-mates he had blown away the night before were back out at 9am the following day!
Now! Feet up with a rest day tomorrow and a run on the Way on Sunday.
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Milburn Harriers Balloch Park XC
Up early this morning to lay out the course for the first race of the club's cross country championship, with assistance from Jim Robertson who was essential as he was the only one who knew exactly where the course should go!
Off at 10am, and unfortunately two missed the start, Elaine who simply started a minute behind and head her time adjusted and guest Lindsay who could only run two laps as he was too late. The race was won by Stevie Cowper, club speed merchant, and Adrian, the club mountaineer, was second. I had no chance of beating them so concentrated on doing my best to beat the others. I ran, for me, a steadily paced race,realising that as long as I could stay in touch with Steph and Pat I should be able to get past them at some point on the next two laps, as I seemed stronger than them in the mud and hills in the second half of each lap. And so it proved as I managed to beat them both and finish 3rd. Geraldine won the ladies race, and overall there was a good turnout with some first timers enjoying the experience. Tea,coffee, and Jan's home baking after the race before heading home for a bath and the laundry basket!
In the afternoon I attended the Scottish Athletics Seminar in the Glasgow Marriott, where there were updates on the Commonwealth Games planning,performance planning, competition structure and a half hour talk and question and answer session with Paula Radcliffe. She spoke about racing on home soil, training, and then gave some very incisive answers to some searching questions. I got to ask one at the end;
Davie: Paula, when you've won Olympic gold and Commonwealth silver (losing to a Scot), and given your love of trails, would you consider tackling some of the long distance trail races?
Paula: Oh God No! I would like to do some fell races though..... How long are you talking?
Davie: WHW race is 95 miles.
Paula: When I did my first 1/2 Marathon I swore I wouldn't run twice that distance. So let's never say never.
Voice at the back: I asked her this morning to run the OMM with me!
Davie: What, and get her lost?
Chair: OK thanks. Lets go for coffee!
Dario...... Send her a form for 2015
Bed early, well after X Factor, as we are on the Arrochar trails again tomorrow.
Off at 10am, and unfortunately two missed the start, Elaine who simply started a minute behind and head her time adjusted and guest Lindsay who could only run two laps as he was too late. The race was won by Stevie Cowper, club speed merchant, and Adrian, the club mountaineer, was second. I had no chance of beating them so concentrated on doing my best to beat the others. I ran, for me, a steadily paced race,realising that as long as I could stay in touch with Steph and Pat I should be able to get past them at some point on the next two laps, as I seemed stronger than them in the mud and hills in the second half of each lap. And so it proved as I managed to beat them both and finish 3rd. Geraldine won the ladies race, and overall there was a good turnout with some first timers enjoying the experience. Tea,coffee, and Jan's home baking after the race before heading home for a bath and the laundry basket!
In the afternoon I attended the Scottish Athletics Seminar in the Glasgow Marriott, where there were updates on the Commonwealth Games planning,performance planning, competition structure and a half hour talk and question and answer session with Paula Radcliffe. She spoke about racing on home soil, training, and then gave some very incisive answers to some searching questions. I got to ask one at the end;
Davie: Paula, when you've won Olympic gold and Commonwealth silver (losing to a Scot), and given your love of trails, would you consider tackling some of the long distance trail races?
Paula: Oh God No! I would like to do some fell races though..... How long are you talking?
Davie: WHW race is 95 miles.
Paula: When I did my first 1/2 Marathon I swore I wouldn't run twice that distance. So let's never say never.
Voice at the back: I asked her this morning to run the OMM with me!
Davie: What, and get her lost?
Chair: OK thanks. Lets go for coffee!
Dario...... Send her a form for 2015
Bed early, well after X Factor, as we are on the Arrochar trails again tomorrow.
Monday, 18 August 2008
Whinney Hill as a recovery run!
Day off yesterday whilst Mrs Hall and I went to Gretna for some retail therapy, needing some stuf for holiday, not to mention looking at some gear in the outdoor shoppies! How nice it was to see all the newly weds walking back from the blacksmiths, but as for the couple in the horse and trap........
all traffic comes to a halt for the strangest things.
Today I broke in a new pair of street shoes with a few miles walk in Carntyne and Shotts, so my feet were feeling it a bit. I needed to run though, and as I had a letter to drop off at the Vale Hospital went suitably attired for a trail run in Balloch Park. Paying heed to the fact I'm racing at Irvine on Wednesday I decided it would be an easy run and I'd walk a few bits, especially those going up the hills...... so 4 and a bit miles logged in pretty muddy conditions, but only one near fall and I felt a lot more confident coming downhill although I didn't get carried away. Still engaging brain before engaging legs but one of these days........
Met an old colleague at the bottom of the hill and spent ten minutes catching up before running up the hill and back to the car.
It is now sinking in that I'm an entrant in The Race. I emailed my mate Glen Stewart who is joining the police next month, enquiring as to his start date and telling him I was in The Race. He reckons I'm mad, but I still asked him if he fancied running up the Devil's Staircase by moonlight as a support runner. Funnily enough I think he'll be on a double shift that night.
Glen and I used to coach together at West Dunbartonshire A.C. and I remember doing a warmup with his dad, Lachie, who had brought down a young girl to train and stayed with her until she got over her shyness. we were discussing my running and the JogScotland groups and he told me never to allow my group to go much further than the half marathon. He was of the opinion that the marathon was too much for the recreational runner. Until this year I stuck to that advice, but I wonder what he'll think now!!!
John Kynaston has posted some dates for training runs on the WHW over the winter. They were very popular last year and I anticipate joining the groups, perhaps not the fastest groups though!!
I'll be on the Way with my regular training group in between times and I also intend hill walking and trail running at least once midweek, perhaps in Arrochar.
all traffic comes to a halt for the strangest things.
Today I broke in a new pair of street shoes with a few miles walk in Carntyne and Shotts, so my feet were feeling it a bit. I needed to run though, and as I had a letter to drop off at the Vale Hospital went suitably attired for a trail run in Balloch Park. Paying heed to the fact I'm racing at Irvine on Wednesday I decided it would be an easy run and I'd walk a few bits, especially those going up the hills...... so 4 and a bit miles logged in pretty muddy conditions, but only one near fall and I felt a lot more confident coming downhill although I didn't get carried away. Still engaging brain before engaging legs but one of these days........
Met an old colleague at the bottom of the hill and spent ten minutes catching up before running up the hill and back to the car.
It is now sinking in that I'm an entrant in The Race. I emailed my mate Glen Stewart who is joining the police next month, enquiring as to his start date and telling him I was in The Race. He reckons I'm mad, but I still asked him if he fancied running up the Devil's Staircase by moonlight as a support runner. Funnily enough I think he'll be on a double shift that night.
Glen and I used to coach together at West Dunbartonshire A.C. and I remember doing a warmup with his dad, Lachie, who had brought down a young girl to train and stayed with her until she got over her shyness. we were discussing my running and the JogScotland groups and he told me never to allow my group to go much further than the half marathon. He was of the opinion that the marathon was too much for the recreational runner. Until this year I stuck to that advice, but I wonder what he'll think now!!!
John Kynaston has posted some dates for training runs on the WHW over the winter. They were very popular last year and I anticipate joining the groups, perhaps not the fastest groups though!!
I'll be on the Way with my regular training group in between times and I also intend hill walking and trail running at least once midweek, perhaps in Arrochar.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Club run
Turned up early and thought I was on my own tonight, but eventually a fair turnout, each with his or her own agenda. Jim Robertson,(remember him?) Ali and Christine had all done the Corryayrich Challenge at the weekend and bravely turned out for a recovery run.Chris and Elaine joined them. Rob (on a marathon schedule) went off with Pat and Steph and I settled in for an easy run....... We decided though, to follow Rob and Pat and that took us to Balloch Park, up the hill at the far end, out the north gate to Balagan and back through Jamestown finishing with the run up behind Davie Grahams garage. About 61 minutes and felt quite good despite tired legs from yesterday's off road run. Not a route to take on a recovery run!
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