Six Stage Relays

I had a big response to the last blog congratulating the women on their win in the Balloch-Clydebank Team Race. I also mentioned that the men could do much better team-prize-wise were they to run in the same races and basically run as a team It is simple: the top five or six run in everything and if only by the law of averages, they will win a team race or two. I believe that the standard in Scotland just now and the standard of our top half dozen is such that top three places in some road events are there for those who want them. Sometimes you surprise yourselves - there was the year that Phil, Ian Leggett and Ron Paton won the Helensburgh 16 and I was fourth club runner. They won six table mats each while I won the handicap race and came with a Schreiber coffee table. Leggett chased me all the way to the station! Apart from the tangible rewards, there are other good things come out of all running together - for one a great team spirit develops. How can it be otherwise when you are travelling and racing together two or three or even four times in a month? That adds enjoyment. For a second, by racing hard against each other as well as the opposition, you get fitter than you would running a solitary 10K.

The last real race of the winter is the National Six Stage Relay Championships on 4th April. Three guys run 10K, three run 5K. Our best six, running hard would probably be in the first dozen teams, certainly the first fifteen. It could be the start of a good summer for teams: we should be able to get two teams out. The club reputation for road running is in part determined by National Championship performances. The previous weekend is the Grangemouth 10K. Run that and harden yourself up for the relay - it doesn't have to be one or the other. Three quarters of the Grangemouth runners will do both - what will Bert Gilroy do? What will Robert Russell do?

No worries about the women - if all are injury free and they best four on the day are in the first team then the first ten is on the cards without doubt. I am impressed as always with the running of Pamela and Ann but the one who has really improved in recent months is Fiona McCue. Fiona is in really impressive form just now and with every race she gets better - that might be the reason of course: the racing she is doing. They used to say you have to race to get the oace but what they meant is that you have to race to get the hardness. It'll never come in training on its own.