An Answer and An Apology!

In the last blog I asked why, when we were the top male senior and vets teams in the West Districts were we not even in the first three in the Dunbartonshire. There are as you might expect a whole series of possible answers and some are definite contributions to the two results. First the trail was different and much more runnable - there was I felt a wee element of chance in the Maryhill course where neither brute strength nor technique were in play but rather a big bit of luck. Second six counters were required for the Wests as opposed to only four for the DAAA. Third there was a difference in personnel - Michael, Paul and Gary were in the first three in the Wests but Gerry Montgomery and new man Kevin Farmer added a lot (but not in points terms!) and they were followed by Ryan Savage and David Brown as well as Peter Rudzinski. Five new faces. But of the three replies I got for this query the one that was to me closest to the answer was from Gary Dick, club captain. His point was that there was no Prasad, no John Kennedy and several others were missing but when the club's top men get together then there are real chances for good results. I know that in the 60's and 70's when Ian Leggett, Ian Donald, Allan Faulds, Phil Dolan and myself all ran we won more team awards than we were maybe at times entitled to. If one guy had a bad run, there were two or three others ready to take his place. Whether it was the Clydebank to Helensburgh 16 miles, the Airdrie Highland Games 3 miles or the Mamore Hill Race, there were always guys able to get a result teamwise. Lots of clubs with theoretically more really top class runners than us, didn't turn their men out so we profited. Were Gary, Paul, Gerry, Michael, etc to agree on what they were to race then who knows what we could do?
I didn't know Keven Farmer and wasn't looking for him at the weekend - at times like that you home in on the vest, but he comes well recommended by guys who train with him and he can gain a lot and give a lot to club teams over the coming months.
Finally an apology - Kath Scott took offence at what I said in the first blog on the Wests - if it caused offence I'm sorry but I was just reporting as I saw the race developing. I well remember Kath and Ann racing each other at the awful trail in Kirkintilloch for the DAA Championships two years ago and it was probably the hardest race between two club runners of either gender for the past few years. I just repeat that if she can get the work done and the races in, she could do well in the National.