The Runbetweeners do the SubRun!

A little guest post from Runbetweener wife, Vicki…

Instagram is a great tool for runners; I love scrolling through my feed, finding new places to run, race inspiration (oh I really fancy an ultra) and fancy new kit from smaller brands. So when I came across someone’s post about a ‘subrun’ in Glasgow I was intrigued. Now, the ‘subcrawl’ has been popular among students and non-students alike for years. The idea being that you travel on the subway in Glasgow and get off at each stop to have a drink in the nearest pub: a rather messy night and not the healthiest affair! The subrun however sees like-minded runners running between each of the 15 subway stops, covering a total of around 10 miles and seeing the sights of the City Centre and West End. Sounded fun to me and I knew another group of runners who would love it too. I suggested it to my fellow Runbetweeners and, thankfully, a large group agreed. I was planning on including it in my marathon training plan as it’s always nicer to run with others. A date was set, a route planned and at 10.30 on the 14th January we met at the St Enoch centre.

There were 22 of us starting the run in total, with some hardy marathon runners doing some miles before and some runners only completing part of the route. That’s what I love about the Runbetweeners group, it’s so inclusive, no matter what stage on your running journey you are at. We set off once everyone was accounted for, going for an anti-clockwise route, getting the city centre out of the way before it started to get busy. Running up Buchanan Street just before the shops opened certainly was strange, but nice and quiet without the usual weekend hustle and bustle. We soon hit our first stop at Buchanan station and took the obligatory group selfie. I was told a photo had to be taken at every stop. That was the subrun rules.

Miles passed by and it was nice to have a 1 min stop at every station; It broke up the run a bit and each stop allowed the group to stay together, with the faster runners waiting each time. Soon we were in the West End and as people started to wake up, the streets were getting busier. Luckily, most people found our big group of brightly coloured lycra amusing and made way for us as we ambled past. We ran down Byres Road towards Kelvinhall station and then to Partick for a quick wee stop before the longest and most exciting part of the run.

It was 2.5 miles between Partick and Govan stations and the route took us through the Clyde Tunnel. Most of our group had never run through the Clyde Tunnel before and it was definitely a novelty. To get through you have to buzz the control room and someone lets you in, closing the gate behind you. A bit spooky but completely safe and well lit. As can be imagined, the first part of the tunnel is a great, gentle downhill to get us going. The tunnel was full of cheers and laughs with everyone enjoying this strange experience. It did however get a bit quieter as we reached the middle – what goes down must come up!

We got out the other side and started to make our way to Govan station after a quick selfie to show we had survived the tunnel. On route we passed the Glasgow Front Runners who were completing the subrun in the opposite direction. A charge of “attack!” was heard from Anne at the front of our group however it was all laughs and high 5s as we ran past each other. The subrun has become a bit of a trend this month in the running community in Glasgow with several running clubs and groups taking part which is wonderful to see.

Sadly, Govan is where I left the subrun. A niggle in my injury left me limping a bit, so I bid farewell to the group and set of on the actual subway to meet them at the end while they completed the final 4 miles. A few others dropped off over the next 4 miles too, some completing longer runs and running home, and a few didn’t have 10 miles in their training plans yet. The final group met back at the St Enoch for a coffee to discuss what a good day was had. We have all agreed we must do it again later in the year and I maybe have another idea for a group Sunday long run up my sleeve. Might start taking over from Jack soon…

The Road to Berlin. Week One

The Berlin Marathon has always been the ‘A’ target for 2017 and, as I begin my race-specific training, I thought I would keep a record of my training and reflections for each week online. I currently keep a handwritten training diary which enables me to keep an eye on my training and track my progress over the year however during my preparation for the Amsterdam Marathon 2016 I found it interesting to read the training diaries of other runners online and so this year I have decided to add my own contribution. My current marathon PB is 2:34 which I secured at Amsterdam last year. I would like to build on that in Berlin. This will be a fairly short marathon block as I struggled with injuries earlier in the year and decided that I would delay the marathon-specific work and focus instead on building up some speed. I also took an easy week prior to commencing this next period of hard work during which I cut my mileage drastically, had a massage and generally took things easy!
  

Week One: 10/07/17-16/07/17

Total Mileage: 68.5

Monday:            AM: Strength + Conditioning (light)

                             PM: 6M Recovery Run

Tuesday:            AM: 4.75M Easy

                             PM: 7M Easy + Strides

Wednesday:      PM: 11.5M (3X2M at Tempo)

Thursday:          AM: 6M Recovery Run

Friday:                PM: 8M Easy

Saturday:           AM: Springburn parkrun

                             PM: Strength + Conditioning (light)

Sunday:             AM: 18M Easy

 

Reflections

This was a bit of a mixed week for me. I introduced a more specific running strength and conditioning element to my training and took this at a low intensity due to it being a new addition to my training.  

Wednesday’s Tempo run was hard going and it was a very hot day. I made a couple of big mistakes which had a negative impact on the session. Firstly, I don’t think I managed my hydration through the day effectively and I really felt this during the later stages of the session. Secondly, I took the first couple of miles far too quickly which meant that I faded in the later stages and particularly struggled in the final mile to hold a tempo pace. After this session I felt horrific and had to jump into Tesco for something to drink. It was definitely a lesson in preparation and I will be certain to manage these things more effectively in future! 

Saturday was a chance to put in a fast 5k run at Springburn park run and, again, this was a disappointing experience. I had managed a PB of 9:59 at the hilly Bella Harriers 2M TT last week and hoped to build on that by pushing for a sub16 minute parkrun. It became clear in the first mile however that my legs were not going to play along and they felt heavy and tired almost immediately. On reflection I believe this could have been down to a couple of things but mainly my very short warmup due to a late arrival at the park. I think I probably still had some of Wednesday’s tempo in my legs also. I crossed the line in 16:18 which was frustrating but I am happy that this was a blip which I can overcome easily. 

Sunday was a good one! I really enjoyed the 18M Easy run which I took solo. I like the new route which took my along the Clyde Walkway for a large portion of it and I will use this again. I held an average pace of 6:43 per mile which felt comfortable and I managed to stick to this pace consistently throughout the run. It was nice to complete this run exactly as planned. 

Overall this was a mixed week. Wednesday and Saturday’s runs were disappointing but I take some comfort from knowing where I went wrong and that it is easily fixable. Sunday was a much better run and allowed me to finish the week on a positive note. I managed to get a decent number of miles in as well as a couple of strength and conditioning sessions and feel good about going into week two. 

The Runbetweeners Review 2016

At this time of year (well we’re a week late but most of you will be used to us being late by now) folks normally sit down, reflect on the previous 12 months and plan for the year ahead. It’s been a pretty phenomenal year running wise both on the track (and road, trail and hill) and off it with visits to old and new races near and far including some international excursions, the growth of our own running group and the launch of Rouken Glen Junior parkrun. A year of pb’s for both of us but what have been the highlights?

Between us we have raced a lot in the last year making it hard to narrow down the list to just 10. Therefore we went for 12 ☺ So here follows the countdown of our best 12 races from 2016.

Look out for next week’s blog post as we pick 12 races for 2017.

12. Springburn parkrun (Kenny) – 14th of May 2016

This one makes the list as I managed to break 19 minutes for the 5k for the first time in a shiny new pb of 18-47 (gaining qualification to the elite sub 19 minute pack at the Harriers). Jack, in the middle of a heavy training schedule, decided to pace on this one allowing me to shadow him around the two loop course. Running in a small pack is something that I’ve learned this year can be extremely effective in pursuit of personal best times. An added bonus on this one was gate-crashing Springburn’s 2nd birthday celebrations meaning there was cake aplenty at the finish.

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/05/14/happy-birthday-springburn-parkrun/

    11. Polaroid Clydebank 10k (Jack) – 19th May 2017.

The Polaroid series has been a staple of my running calendar for the last few years and in 2016 I approached it in a slightly different way. In the past I had entered all four events but this year I decided to enter just one and to target it for a personal best. I was over the moon to break 33minutes for the first time here and this made it a highlight of the year for me!

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/polaroid-clydebank-10k-2016/

10.  Brian Goodwin 10k (Kenny) – 17th of June 2017

Another pb for me on a brilliant evening in Pollok Park. After dipping under 40 minutes for the first time at Troon a few weeks before, I was delighted to take a good chunk off  my 10k time finishing in 39-30. An annual event, the race is organised by our club – Bellahouston Harriers. Knowing I was pacing the Men’s 10k a couple of days later, I decided to take this one easy but felt good from the start and again used similar runners to pull me along. Moral of the story: if you are feeling in the zone just go for it. A two lap course, the route takes in many of the flatter parts of the park and Haggs Road. To top it off entry includes a beer and a burger. What more could you ask for?

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/06/17/brian-goodwin-10k-2/

     9. parkrun du Bois de Bolougne. (Jack) – 26th March 2017.

What better way to spend my birthday that by striding around a Parisian park – they even let me cross the line first (there’s no winning in parkrun, apparently). This was my first international parkrun and was followed with cake and champagne under the Eiffel Tower. An awesome day and a birthday I will never forget!

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/a-parisian-parkrun/

8. #Glasgowparkrunsmashup (Both) – 15th of April 2016

2016’s answer to the Clyde Trail this was the one that was meant to send us trending worldwide. Unfortunately while we were up before dawn the rest of the running world was asleep, uninterested or both. The idea was simple – run each of Glasgow’s 5 parkrun routes in one go arriving at Pollok in time for the 9-30 start. As usual planning a sensible route was almost the undoing of this challenge as we cycled between each of the parks. Much harder than anticipated when the idea was hatched over a beer or two – 15.5 miles of running, more on the bike and very little enthusiasm, interest or support for a daft idea making this everything a good runbetweeners challenge should be ☺ Surely still a record? parkrun UK we are still waiting on official notice…

https://twitter.com/search?q=glasgowparkrunsmashup&src=typd

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/04/17/glasgow-parkrun-smash-up/

     7. Bushy parkrun (Jack) – 25th December 2016

This Christmas I decided to head back to where it all began and took part in Bushy parkrun. Lining up alongside 1200 other parkrunners for a free 5k run on Christmas morning was incredible and the atmosphere was even better than I had expected. I will definitely be back!

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/12/25/bushy-parkrun-a-christmas-cracker/

6. Dunoon Ride and Run (Kenny) – 2nd of April 2016

A momentous day as I topped the podium at this event in my hometown. Put together by the team at No Fuss Events the concept of this one is to bring the cycling enduro concept to running. Basically there are four timed stages and you can walk / jog or sprint between each. A 5k out along the prom is stage 1. Stage 2 is a gentle uphill trail section of around a mile. Stage 3 is two laps of the ash track at the local stadium. The final stage is a trail and road downhill smash up finishing on the newly restored pier. Total times from all four stages are added together and the lowest time wins. Simple. In this case the winner was shocked – especially since I’d taken a wrong turn on the first 5k section. My first and likely only victory – hopefully the event never happens again and I can lay claim to the title for the rest of my running days!

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/04/02/dunoon-ride-run/

     5. Tom Scott Memorial 10Miler (Jack) – 10th April 2016.

This was a favourite of mine in 2015 also. There is a huge field at this event and there is always an abundance of fast runners. This means that there is usually a good pack to run in. At this year’s event I felt great and managed to run with a brilliant group of good mates who were all hitting good levels at fitness at the same time. The result was a fantastic pack run with a train of Harriers and a big PB for myself.

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/tom-scott-memorial-10miler/

4. The SouthSide Six (SS6) Kenny – 6th of November 2016

One of our absolute favourite races of the year and a Glasgow institution. The only reason the SS6 is not at the top of the list is that it’s been there before. This year Jack gave the run a pass leaving me to join the others toeing the line in this challenging 16-mile course. For those who’ve not done the race before it’s a 6 park tour of the south side painfully climbing to the highest peak in the two hilliest collecting stickers along the way. A brutal finish up the stairs and slopes of Queens Park, this one is always worth it for the excellent feed alone. This route sells out quickly so register for facebook updates to ensure you don’t miss out in 2017.

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/11/06/southside-six-2016-ss6/

     3. MOKrun 1/2 Marathon (Jack) – 29th May 2016.

Our third visit to the Mull of Kintyre and, despite not coming home with the trophy, we still loved the experience of the weekend. A friendly, well organised event with a fantastic route and a brilliant post-run Ceilidh. Magic.

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/06/02/running-a-mok-in-campbeltown/

      2. TCS Amsterdam Marathon 2016 (Jack) – 16th October 2016.

After four months of focused training, I finally made my way over to Amsterdam in an attempt at a new pb. A brilliant weekend and my first international Marathon – I’m sure it wont be the last!

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/10/19/amsterdam-marathon-2016/
And the number 1 race of 2016 in our humble opinion….

1. Kyles 10 Miles (Both) – 10th of September 2016

This was our second visit to the Kyles of Bute and this race did not disappoint. A challenging and hilly route the 10 mile distance is a good marker to test out speed endurance. Guaranteed good weather (we’ve been twice and it’s been sunny both times), unbelievable scenery, beer on tap at the end and a BBQ followed by a ceilidh in the evening. A cracking race; low key, excellently marshalled, reasonably priced and growing in popularity year on year. A worthy winner of the title of 2016 Runbetweeners Race of the Year.

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/kyles-10-miles-2/

 

Finally, a short footnote to those races that didn’t quite go to plan in 2016. No prizes for guessing which race ends up in the number 1 slot. Bang goes the idea that the runbetweeners will ever make our fortune Stateside…

 

3. Toward for a Tenner (Kenny) – 6th of August 2016

Before I go on – Jack won this race, it was brilliantly and cheerfully marshaled, well organised and positively reviewed by local and visiting runners. I’ll be going back in 2017 and this race offers excellent value relative to other similar half marathons.  The addition of a 10k race makes this an inclusive running festival. Any negative feedback that follows is down to my own race naivety. On a positive note I suppose you learn more from the nightmare races than the ones that go well but this was everything that could go wrong in one race for me.

Starting far too fast and thinking I was in much better shape than I was, I decided to launch an attack on a near 5 minute pb on this one. There is no excuse really as this is my neck of the woods therefore I should have anticipated the wind factor which made running out in the first half a much more demanding effort than it would otherwise have been. Struggling badly the group I was in gradually put some serious distance between me and them as a stream of runners gradually passed me with words of genuine encouragement.

 

However I couldn’t help but slow to a near standstill by mile 7 reaching a point of exhaustion usually associated with a heavy session of sprint intervals or hill reps. Burned out by half way I managed to drag myself home thanks to the support and encouragement of my friends from Dunoon Hill Runners who were out in force (plus the fact is was an out and back course and all my gear was back at the start line). The first race I’ve run/walked in a long time and a massive positive split on the second half of the race. Meeting a friend who suffered an underwear malfunction and was running pantless for the final miles perked my spirits at mile 10 giving me the last ounce of strength to jog home the final 3 miles. The closest I’ve come to DNF’ing yet.

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/toward-for-a-tenner/

2. Nationals – Short Course X Country (Kenny) – 5th of November 2016

Not a bad run – in fact I ran pretty well. Also not down do my hatred for the terrain as I’ve enjoyed the x-country much more this year. Perhaps I’m developing a love for the grass and mud as I become more experienced, fitter or maybe it was just down to the fact the weather has been much better than equivalent events in 2015.

This had all the ingredients to be a good one – I’d been training well, top athletes such as Laura Muir were competing and the event was reasonably close by meaning we could get there early enough to see some of the top junior and female races.

However the choice of venue was a strange one. The route was a two lap, pancake flat circuit around a playing field. Single file around the park perimeter the route lacked imagination or the challenge you would normally associate with such a prestigious race in the Scottish Athletics’ calendar. As a result it didn’t get a look in on the blog. Shame.

The worst race of 2016 award goes to…

1. Sommer Sports Florida Clermont 5k (Jack) – July 2016

You will have heard me rant about this one before I am sure but what kind of race doesn’t set up the finish line! Having got up early on my honeymoon to go and race this 5k in Florida, I was loving leading the pack for the whole race. I built myself up a nice lead and kept running for the finish – only to find that the finish line wasn’t there yet! I kept running down the road until I realised there was a problem and when I turned back the finish line had been constructed behind me! Witnesses at the end of the race spoke to the organisers and it was decided that I would still get the trophy but an angry competitor (relegated to second place) kick up a fuss and I did not get it. The organisers then ignored my email (I know I got petty!) and refused to respond to my questions on Twitter. I’m going to stop writing about it now because it’s getting me angry again haha -for more info read the review 😉

https://therunbetweeners.wordpress.com/2016/07/23/there-is-no-finish-line/

 

 

Run to the Hills!

Last week I fell victim to Kenny’s latest scheme – taking on a hill run! I have always been intrigued by the concept of hill running and have often thought that I would actually quite like to give one a go. I do enjoy getting off road and exploring when out for a run so I figured that powering up and down a hill could be fun! When it transpired therefore that Kenny, Iain and Paul – all fellow Harriers – would be heading out to Tinto for a 4.5 mile challenge, I found myself signing up.

After a journey filled with whispers of the difficulty that would face us, we arrived at the base of the hill. And what a hill it was! Tinto towered over us as we collected our numbers and prepared for the race.

With the Renfrewshire X-Country Championships coming up the following week, I had been advised to watch my footing during this event – the loose, rocky surface and rapid descent could potentially be hazardous. With this in mind, I decided to use the run more as a training exercise than a flat out race and I am definitely glad that I made that decision!

Standing at the base of the hill, I tucked myself into the middle of the pack and, on the gun, began my ascent. I made a conservative start, aware of the long climb ahead, and found myself slowly moving up the field. At about two-thirds of the way up I started to really feel the burn in my quads and, as the runners around me slowed to a walk, I joined them and found myself striding up the hill for much of the final section.

Circling the cairn at the top of the hill, I decided to try and stretch the legs out on the way down in order to make up a few places. I took a dozen speedy strides down the hill before I realised that I had absolutely no control over my pace! Panic set in and I reminded myself of the other races on the horizon. I settled into a pace which I found fast enough but at which I still felt I was in control of my legs (just about!) and less likely to do myself some damage.

At about half way down the hill, the path became a little more clear and I was able to push the pace on a bit and finish the race with a sprint. On the descent I had been overtaken once and had managed to overtake one person myself, leaving me sitting in 18th position. The other Harriers had put in some decent performances also with Iain finishing 69th, Kenny 90th and Paul in 95th despite a fall on the way down.

Sitting in the cafe afterwards with a pot of tea and a huge scone, we reflected on the afternoon’s race. I had enjoyed the experience but I felt a little lackluster about the race itself. The event was very well organised, great value and had a brilliant atmosphere but I did not feel challenged in the same way that I do when racing on the roads. I felt that my commitment to a number of other races meant I was unable to really commit to the downhill section and therefore did not feel that I had pushed my body physically. I believe that, were I a committed hill runner, and that this had been my target race of the season, I would have got more out of it but it felt like I had too much to lose by really pushing it.

I’m sure loads of people will disagree with me but I came away thinking road running is more of a challenge. When you have no ‘obstacle’ to overcome, the ‘race’ becomes more pure – there is nothing to hide behind other than your own fitness. Over a 10km flat road race, for example,  I can push my body to its absolute limit. In future I will continue to run on hills but I think I will only use them as training runs – they don’t mean enough to me to risk injuring myself and ruining my season. This was a fun day out, and a good experience, but I haven’t been converted to hill running just yet!

 

Glasgow parkrun smash up

An early start yesterday morning for our first running challenge in a while. 5am alarms as The Boy and I headed out to attempt all four Glasgow parkruns in one go. This one has been on the list for a while but various commitments mean it has taken longer to get to than planned. Thankfully despite the early start we got a great day for it setting off as others were making their merry way home from a livelier Friday night out than either of us.

 

 

Sunrise over the Clyde – en route to Victoria Park

parkrun has obviously featured heavily in the press this week so it was good to get out yesterday and show a bit of solidarity with the parkrun community. For those who don’t know what parkrun is all about – in a nutshell it is a free, weekly timed 5km run / jog / walk organised by volunteers in parks all across the world. Free being the important word this week as one of the events in England fights attempts to bring in a charge for the use of their local park.

 

Anyway back to the plan which was to use the bikes to get between each of Glasgow’s four parkruns and run each route culminating at our local parkrun (Pollok) in time for the 9-30am start. In relation to some of our other challenges this one seemed reasonably straightforward. Perhaps even a more pedestrian and enjoyable morning lay ahead particularly since my best attempts to persuade The Boy that we should be running between each Park were thwarted – he wasn’t up for the full 31 miles and in hindsight I’m glad he reigned me in for once 🙂

 

Planning done we were facing about 22 miles of cycling and 12.4 miles of running. In terms of our own training and fitness at the moment this would be ok for both, perhaps maybe a bit too comfortable for us so we had to make it a bit more of a challenge – Royal Flush! If you’ve never heard of a royal flush in running circles it’s a term  coined by the guys at Marathon Talk (running podcast). Royal Flushing is when you try to do each interval (mile / km / 5km) in succession quicker than the last. This certainly added a layer to the challenge.

 

 

Stop 1 – Victoria Park

So after a 7 mile pre-dawn ride from the south side to stop number 1 we set off reasonably slowly just before 6am in the largely abandoned Victoria Park with the sun popping up above the horizon. Some (MarathonTalkers) may call this type of start sandbagging – a form of cheating where you deliberately go off too slow to make later miles easier. I like to think of it as experienced tactical move given what was to come 🙂 Anyway on to parkrun #1.

 

A relative newcomer to the Glasgow parkrun circuit Victoria was for a long time my local route and where I hold my current pb. It has become a much larger event in the last couple of years which is testament to the organisers and volunteers. This route comprises 3 laps of the park including the pond (with some bad ass swans who positioned themselves menacingly across the path on lap two) and fossil grove. A recent addition has been a Sunday Junior parkrun at Victoria, a first for Glasgow.

 

After what seemed like an eternity locking up the bikes, adjusting kit, updating the twitter feed (#glasgowparkrunsmashup – I’m assuming this was trending worldwide as our legion of fans set the alarm clocks to monitor the challenge) and watching The Boy try to set up his fancy gopro/selfie stick combo it was good to be running as we settled into a nice groove and reasonable pace. The Boy only went the wrong way once during the second lap – it’s like getting lost on a running track 🙂 – and we crossed the line in 25:33. 1/4 done.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/548724211

 

 

Transition to Stage 2 and Arriving at Springburn Park

 

We spent far too long mucking about at the end of run 1 (more on this later) and getting lost on the cycle over to Sprinburn Park which was much more of a climb than I had remembered. The sun was now high in the sky though and the early frost on the paths was thawing out removing lingering doubts that some of the events may actually be cancelled.

 

The Boy and I have only been to Springburn parkrun a couple of times. A little smaller than the others it is no less of an event with enthusiastic and welcoming organisers. I think The Boy still holds the course record too. Two and a half laps with some undulation there is a really nice woodland section in this one. It was around about now that we realised we’d made the mistake of starting with the fastest parkrun in the city followed by the second fastest – and we were meant to be getting quicker. The Royal Flush was in danger and we realised for the first time that we hadn’t quite set aside the time that would be required for a leisurely tour of Glasgow’s parkruns.

 

The Boy was mucking about with his young folk technology at the start of this one with his selfie stick / go pro combo so I headed off on my own. I kept glancing back to see him catching me but there was no sight during the first two laps and I was panicking that he’d done a Jack and got himself lost. Thinking about doing extra laps this early in the challenge wasn’t a great thought. So it was a welcome relief to see him sprinting up behind me as we neared the final two turns into the home straight.

 

This one was definitely quicker in the legs as we warmed up into the challenge. 22:32 on the watch. 2/4 done. The sandbagging had gone badly wrong at this stage.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/548724252

 

 

Event Number 3 – Tollcross parkrun

 

The downhill transition on the bike to Tollcross was a welcome break for the legs but by this point we realised we’d be cutting it dangerously fine to get to the fourth and final event in time for 9-30am (this is when parkruns traditionally start in Scotland and we wanted to complete the challenge with the masses). We definitely picked up the pace on the bike arriving at Tollcross at about 8-25am just as the run director and volunteers were arriving to lay out the course for their own event at 9-30am.

 

Bike lock up and transition now down to a fine art we were moving before long this time around. Tollcross gives a different experience again complimenting the other routes in the city and is definitely worth a visit. I’d rate it as the trickiest and slowest course. This one is a two lapper with two steep climbs on each lap. The Royal Flush on legs that were getting more and more tired was a concern so The Boy took the lead on pacing.

 

Although we’ve both volunteered running this one you realise how much you take the volunteers for granted and they gave great support as we ran about like a couple of loon balls who’d turned up to the party an hour early. All over the country people are giving up their time to give the rest of us a run.

 

Anyway after the usual struggle due to the elevation on this one we ended up in need of a bit of a sprint finish (on the grass) to dip across the line in 22:26 preserving the Royal Flush attempt by 6 seconds. 3/4 done.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/548724301

 

Sadly the cake table (the main reason you want to be visiting Tollcross parkrun) was just getting set up as we packed the bags and jumped on the bikes for the final transition. We had about 7 miles to cross the city back to the southside and it was approaching 8-55am. It was touch and go but some off road cycling and weaving in and out of the traffic got us into Pollok and locking up the bikes with a couple of minutes to spare. It was great to catch up with some of the Mondaynighters on the start line at Pollok.

 

 

Pollok parkrun – Arriving in the Middle of the Briefing

 

For those who don’t know Pollok is the original and largest Glasgow parkrun which takes place in Pollok Park. Navigating your way close to the front of the field is important if you are after a quick pace given the number of runners participating so we just had enough time to slot in reasonably near the front of the pack. We spotted a few Bellahouston Harriers and I could see Jack was torn between race mode which would have meant getting off the go pro and backpack and stripping down to the vest and racing shorts but the cycling and three previous 5k efforts alongside the early start had definitely taken their toll on the legs.

 

Thankfully it was pacer week and after about 600 metres The Boy and I tucked just in behind the 22 minute pacer. I think we were both feeling it during the first 1.5k and by this stage I was considering sacking the Royal Flush idea and just dropping back and finishing the challenge but the legs loosened off as we approached the first of the two climbs in Pollok (again a two lap course) and we closed the small gap on the pacer and the large group chasing pbs. Dropping down off the hill and onto the second lap we stretched out the legs a little before moving up the field to ensure the Royal Flush element was met.

 

We finished less than a minute longer my overall Pollok pb so I am wondering whether a more rigorous warm up is required in future weeks. 21:23. 4/4 done and challenge complete.

 

https://www.strava.com/activities/548724349

 

So too was the Royal Flush – surely worth a mention on next week’s Marathon Talk? – and despite a bit of sandbagging at the start it was a decent effort considering the duration of the challenge and the naivety of doing the easiest routes earlier in the morning.

 

A fun challenge despite the fact that everyone else seemed to think it was a bit bonkers – always a measure of a good run for us I think. To top it all off we gatecrashed a hen weekend kicking off their celebrations with a bit of parkrun tourism before heading into the cafe to refuel.

 

 

Challenge Complete!

 

Basking in the glory of our achievements it was great to look around the cafe and see so many faces we knew from races / parkrun / the Harriers and our Monday night group. To us this is what parkrun is really all about – bringing people of all abilities together to promote both physical and mental wellbeing. Long many it continue and long may it be free.

 

Thanks as always to the volunteers who make it all possible.

 

Kenny and Jack

 

ps – as a small side note all the rides were negative split pace too. Double Royal Flush 🙂

 

CLYDE AND SEEK

An oldy but a goody!

Jack Arnold – Bellahouston Harriers

Kenny Taylor – Dunoon Hill Runners and Westerlands Cross Country Club

 

Scouting out the route the week before

Clyde, the aptly named mascot, was one of the stars of the recent Commonwealth Games held in our home city of Glasgow. The Thistle themed character appeared at venues, around the city and even managed to be cast in steel for his own series of statues across the city. Inspired by the success of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow two school teachers on their summer holidays with too much time on their hands set off to run all 29 Clyde mascots on Wednesday the 6^th of August.

After studying the map we decided to start out in the west of the city and met in the Botanic Gardens. Together we estimated that a 13 mile easy paced trot around the city lay ahead of us and we set off in high spirits.

There are 29 Clydes in total spread across the city and the early morning saw us move onwards to Victoria Park before circling back to the Clyde at the Riverside Museum. 3 Clydes down and we were approaching 5 miles on the Garmins, not the easy start that we had expected and perhaps the first signs that the Geography teacher should not have been in charge of deciding the best route to navigate the city. Doubts were starting to creep into our minds about the size of the challenge ahead of us.

Mid-morning saw us check off a number of West End Clydes in relatively quick succession including those at Yorkhill Hospital, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Kelvingrove Park. Re-energised we moved through the city centre collecting more QR codes on Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Bus Station and Queen Street Station. The QR codes on each statue were scanned using an app to chart progress towards completion of the trail. Looking online many families had taken this up as a challenge over the duration of the Games and we met many on route keen to be photographed with Clyde and positive about the Games.

 

After queueing for a photo with the Big G in George Square (not technically a Clyde Statue but part of the official Clyde’s Trail route) and collecting another two Clydes on Buchanan Street and St. Enoch Square we broke for lunch and reevaluated our route. We were 1/3^rd of the way through our challenge and at the 9 mile mark. And it was lunch – we were meant to be in the pub by lunch!

Unperturbed we made out East passing through Glasgow Cross and Parkhead before touching base with Clyde in Tollcross Park home to the swimming events during the Games. By this point fatigue was setting in but we managed to sum up the enthusiasm to bound back towards the city centre at 8.5 minute mile pace – our fastest of the day. Clyde’s were scanned and photographs were taken at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and Bridgeton cross before we made our way to Glasgow Green. Security was tight and we had to get the long lens out to photograph the second giant Clyde of the day due to the dismantling of the Games Park.

Legs were tiring fast so we stopped for second lunch on the banks of the Clyde. A quick scan of the Garmin showed we had passed half marathon distance expected and were now sitting at 15 miles. After looking at the map again we realised we had to cross the city en route to the BBC before crossing for statues in the South of the city. Heads down time as we collected statues at Broomielaw and Lancefield Quay before catching glimpse of the Hydro and Exhibition Centre where so much great action had taken place the week before.

Crossing the Squinty Bridge and heading to the BBC we were buoyed by a chance encounter with an ex-colleague visiting the Science Centre with his son – in true Glasgow spirit we were reminded that our little jog was nothing on his mammoth task of entertaining a toddler for 6 weeks.

Desperate by now to finish we checked off Ibrox, home of the Rugby 7s, and made the long run along Paisley Road West to visit Clyde in The Gorbals before cutting south to Hampden and our temporary athletics stadium. Another pit stop saw a few more energy drinks guzzled and stockpiles of sweets replenished for the home straight.

Map out again we decided to head to King’s Park before finishing the route in Queen’s Park with the final statue and giant wooden Clyde sculpture. Whether it was fatigue, delirium or poor map reading skills again the King’s Cross Clyde proved the hardest to find at a time when we would gladly have kissed his feet to appear in front of us. Feet shuffling much more slowly we quickened the pace yet barely noticed as the watches died on us. 6 and a half hours later we finished having clocked up an estimated 27 miles – passing our personal furthest distance of the marathon without even planning it.

The beer, crisps, chocolate, coke and lucozade consumed at the nearest pub to the finish line went down a treat and sore legs were glad of a seat. Given the buzz that we witnessed as we visited each statue it was sad to hear the next day that the Clyde on Edmiston Drive had gone missing, presumed stolen, and that the other outdoor statues were to be removed for safe keeping. Despite what people who know us might say we both have strong alibis of being asleep the next morning when he was knocked!

The trail was great fun but maybe not the casual run we had anticipated. People Make Glasgow who monitor and promote the trail said on Twitter that we were the only people they had heard of who had actually run the trail and it is not surprising. Despite how much tougher the route panned out than anticipated it was great to be out and about and soak up the last of the Commonwealth spirit and we both had a great laugh the way you only can when things do not quite go to plan. It is sad that the challenge is no longer there for others to try but gives us both the best shout at a course record we will probably ever get!

In numbers the day panned out as follows:

– 29 Clyde statues, hedges and wooden replicas of the mascot himself visited

– 27 miles covered across Glasgow in total – the furthest either of us had ever run – Jack also ran 2 miles to the start line!

– 12 (approximately) strangers who expressed interest in our tour of all the clyde mascots

– 7 hours – yip 7 hours on our feet

– 6 parks visited (Botanics, Victoria, Tollcross, Glasgow Green, Kings Park, Queens Park)

– 3 the number of Clydes who had their QR code removed meaning our score card is not perfect (we do have a photo at all 29 destinations though

– 3 bottles of energy drink each

– 1 Clyde that had to be viewed from a safety perimeter fence which Jack and I tried to breach

– 1 Clyde covered in rice and curry sauce

– 0 the number of times our epic adventure retweeted or trended on Twitter despite trying to drum up support throughout the day online!

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/558662067