Sunday, 7 June 2009
Big Pat Younger
The latest news about Pat is really good news. He is much more upbeat and more like his old self - clearly the leakage from the stitches was causing him some trouble. A quote from his sister says that this is the best he has been in the last six weeks. He should be out of hospital fairly soon and may move down to Clydebank to stay with his sister.
Saturday, 6 June 2009
Athletics Daily
I'm not sure whether I have mentioned the athleticsdaily website before but it has been brought to my attention again by a friend just this week because of a particular thread that I'm interested in. The address is http://athleticsdaily.proboards.com/ and is an unofficial British (mainly English) website on all matters related to athletics with a slight bias towards endurance running although there are very good - and long - boards dealing with Long Throws, Sprints, etc contained on it. If you look at 'The 400's Daily Chat' you'll get Longthrow's laughter lines which is a collection of jokes plus John Bicourt's Daily Discussions on middle distance training and tactics plus International Athletics plus a whole series of boards on ALL aspects of athletics from 100 metres to pole vaulting.
Wilf Paish has a whole board to himself and his articles on coaching events across the spectrum. Some are quite long bur are all informative and written in easily accessible language. And then there is the 'Dark Side of Athletics' one that you could say is in places critical of the Establishment.
It's a site that is certainly worth a look. Of the two unofficial Scottish websites, the http://z3.invisionfree.com/Unofficial_SAL has much more traffic than the www.saforum.org.uk one and there are rumours that the latter has links to SAL. Whatever the truth of that it is pretty well known that all three are infiltrated by the governing bodies who post the odd reply under a pen name. They're none the less interesting for that and there is a lot of interesting info on them all.
Wilf Paish has a whole board to himself and his articles on coaching events across the spectrum. Some are quite long bur are all informative and written in easily accessible language. And then there is the 'Dark Side of Athletics' one that you could say is in places critical of the Establishment.
It's a site that is certainly worth a look. Of the two unofficial Scottish websites, the http://z3.invisionfree.com/Unofficial_SAL has much more traffic than the www.saforum.org.uk one and there are rumours that the latter has links to SAL. Whatever the truth of that it is pretty well known that all three are infiltrated by the governing bodies who post the odd reply under a pen name. They're none the less interesting for that and there is a lot of interesting info on them all.
Friday, 5 June 2009
Assorted Items
First off, it was a surprise to hear a few weeks ago to hear that outstanding club member of a few years ago Pat Younger had bowel cancer and had to be operated on. The operation was two weeks ago and it seemed to be successful then at the start of this week, it was discovered that one of the stitches was leaking. This meant another operation after which the medics said that they were happy with the result and the outlook is positive. Pat has won medals for the club on the rpoad and over the country, he is a noted hill climber, sailor, singer and has many other talents. he was for many, many years 'the harriers' harrier' and we all wish him the very best.
Prasad Prasad is back in action and will have his first race in weeks when he turns out in the Glas Tuileachan Uphill Only race this week end at the Spittal of Glenshee. Watch the papers on Sunday for a result.
I was talking to a senior member of the scottishathletics coaching team earlier this week and he was lamenting the standard of road running in Scotland. "None of them want to run track," he said, "that's where you sharpen your speed, where you learn to run in a tight pack and where you learn how to pace yourself." Certainly the standard in the country on the roads just now is dire. In 2007 there were only two men in Scotland who were inside 2:30 for the marathon inside Scotland, in 2008 there was only one inside 2:30 in Scotland and his time was 2:29:57! Slightly slower, there were only 30 inside 2:45 in 2008, there were 32 in that bracket in 2007 and 33 in 2006. At the league match last week, I changed the habits of a lifetime and spoke to several people. They all said the same as the gen already referred to - with many road runners in their respective clubs, they had difficulty getting them to turn out for the club in league meetings. What seems to be the problem?
Finally, the Monday night field event coaching takes place at Postie's Park on Mondays. Next week we will have Paul doing the high jump, Donna (just back from a brilliant holiday in Gran Canaria) at the long jump pit and Bobby Bell working with Lewis Wood, Donald Macleod and any other throwers there. Yes, I said Donald Macleod! A few years ago Donald did some throwing for the senior men's team and last week he ventured into the hammer cage and Bobby gave him some tips on how to get event further. Any other Seniors who want a go at jumps or throws, don't be blate, just come along for 7:00 pm!
The Scottish Schools Track and Field Championships are at Grangemouth on Friday and Saturday, 12th and 13th June and the Masters T&F Championships are on Sunday 14th June at Pitreavie. As already said, Prasad is at Glas Tuliachean this Saturday while the Gargunnock Hill Race in on the same day but a bit nearer home. Meanwhile congratulations to John Kennedy who was first club runner in the Kilpatricks Hill Race and also first veteran. Michael Diver, Craig Calderwood, Jim Shields and Marina McCallum all ran as well.
Prasad Prasad is back in action and will have his first race in weeks when he turns out in the Glas Tuileachan Uphill Only race this week end at the Spittal of Glenshee. Watch the papers on Sunday for a result.
I was talking to a senior member of the scottishathletics coaching team earlier this week and he was lamenting the standard of road running in Scotland. "None of them want to run track," he said, "that's where you sharpen your speed, where you learn to run in a tight pack and where you learn how to pace yourself." Certainly the standard in the country on the roads just now is dire. In 2007 there were only two men in Scotland who were inside 2:30 for the marathon inside Scotland, in 2008 there was only one inside 2:30 in Scotland and his time was 2:29:57! Slightly slower, there were only 30 inside 2:45 in 2008, there were 32 in that bracket in 2007 and 33 in 2006. At the league match last week, I changed the habits of a lifetime and spoke to several people. They all said the same as the gen already referred to - with many road runners in their respective clubs, they had difficulty getting them to turn out for the club in league meetings. What seems to be the problem?
Finally, the Monday night field event coaching takes place at Postie's Park on Mondays. Next week we will have Paul doing the high jump, Donna (just back from a brilliant holiday in Gran Canaria) at the long jump pit and Bobby Bell working with Lewis Wood, Donald Macleod and any other throwers there. Yes, I said Donald Macleod! A few years ago Donald did some throwing for the senior men's team and last week he ventured into the hammer cage and Bobby gave him some tips on how to get event further. Any other Seniors who want a go at jumps or throws, don't be blate, just come along for 7:00 pm!
The Scottish Schools Track and Field Championships are at Grangemouth on Friday and Saturday, 12th and 13th June and the Masters T&F Championships are on Sunday 14th June at Pitreavie. As already said, Prasad is at Glas Tuliachean this Saturday while the Gargunnock Hill Race in on the same day but a bit nearer home. Meanwhile congratulations to John Kennedy who was first club runner in the Kilpatricks Hill Race and also first veteran. Michael Diver, Craig Calderwood, Jim Shields and Marina McCallum all ran as well.
Thursday, 4 June 2009
'Rangers 1872: the Gallant Pioneers'
When I joined the club and for almost the whole of my membership there were two things that we never talked about - religion and football. We argued about politics, we discussed athletics and criticised television and so on but the abive topics were taboo. However, I am now recommending that you at least have a look at the book 'Rangers 1872: the Gallant Pioneers'. Why? Well because there is a big bit in it about the Clydesdale Harriers. The author, Gary Ralston of the Daily Record, paid several visits to me up here in Lochearnhead, consulted the old club handbooks, accounts, minutes , etc and made his notes. There were also several phone calls and I have had a look at what he has done on the club. The connection was because when the club was founded the main club in Glasgow was the Rangers and we trained at their venues. When Celtic arrived we had many members from there as well and we held sports meetings at both grounds. However we had several founding members in the Rangers club. He also mentions Willie Maley and the Clydesdale Harriers Football Committee (we had a team for a short while.)
The book is worth consulting and if you are interested in club history maybe worth buying! It is due out in August, published by Breedon Books and you can pre order at Amazon. The cost will be £14:99. If you want the link I'll pass it on. Incidentally, these books escalate in value very rapidly. I have one that I bought in the late 1980's, a paper back on Scottish International Footballers, that is now worth over £400.
The book is worth consulting and if you are interested in club history maybe worth buying! It is due out in August, published by Breedon Books and you can pre order at Amazon. The cost will be £14:99. If you want the link I'll pass it on. Incidentally, these books escalate in value very rapidly. I have one that I bought in the late 1980's, a paper back on Scottish International Footballers, that is now worth over £400.
Well Done, Roisin!
Roisin McShea is one of the newer recruits in the girls section and after a good start to her athletics career during the country season she is currently enjoying the track. However on Saturday she went with Mum and Dad to the 5K in Pollock Park and in the heatwave that we were enjoying but which was not all that good for distance running and she turned in the creditable time of 23 minutes 10 seconds. It's not usual for girls of her age to run these distances often but occasionally as a training exercise they are worth doing: that she enjoyed it and seemed to suffer no ill efects was shown when she turned up for training at the startof the week with a big smile on her face. Dad Brian was a runner with the club as a boy and Youth and was trained by the late Derek McGinley and has good memories of the club as an athlete himself. Well done Roisin!
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Where To Now?
I thought that it might be right to have a wee look into the crystal ball and see what the future might hold for the club. Strathclyde Regional Council dealt the club quite a blow when they turfed us and all the other users off the track at Whitecrook in the early 90's. It is still the only eight lane, 400 metre track in East Dunbartonshire, West Dunbartonshire or Argyll and Bute. The drains still function and it is being used for the Star Track scheme in the last week in July. I won't go into the (cash driven) eviction here but the effects are still being felt in terms of recruitment, in terms of having a venue where the whole club can train and so on. There will be a six lane 400 metre track at the new St Peter the Apostle School and we should have access to it: politicians and officials at the local authority level have been contacted and they all know we exist and want on to it. Will we be ready to use it to maximum advantage? Last year the Committee discussed the poor recruitment level for senior athletes, will the new venue help that scene?
The young ones first. We now have coaches for high jump and long jump. Paul Doherty is a former Scottish Schools and age group internationalist with medals at national level and is coaching high jumpers. Donna Campbell is a former third placer in the Scottish age group 100 metres and tenth in the GB rankings for the event and is coaching long jump. Bobby Bell is the best throws coach we have ever had and he is now coaching on Mondays at Postie's Park. If you add in Phil Dolan's group of endurance runners and Donald Macleod's work with sprinters then there is a team ready to take full advantage of the new school's facilities. In terms of competition, we will still be in the Scottish Young Athletes League and Phil has plans to enter the Central and South of Scotland League from 2010 and there is the possibility of moving into the Senior Men's team for the Boys.
The Senior Team is a good example of the problems that will have to be faced up to. At present the runners (with two second claim men added) are performing well and the jumps look like being quite successful. The difficulties are with the throws and the distance runners. Throwers will have to be recruited. We have Bobby Bell doing good work with them just now but there are not enough of them. We are working on that and hope to have developments by next summer. The endurance runners are more problematical.
In the past this has been the main strength of the club's track team. Now, for some reason, although we have over 20 men in the club's winter and summer leagues, it is the Devil's own job getting them to turn out for the club. I don't understand it. Two things: (1) I was brought up in the club to do what the club needs you to do. It makes no difference to today's Senior Men that the club needs them to run in track events three times in the year. (2) Those who talk about these things reckon that distance runners are better if they tackle all branches of endurance running. The phrase 'a complete distance runner' is used by Martin Hyman at Livingston. Yet we have seniors who are not happy unless the number is ten and the letter is K. There are more distance runers in the club than in any other group and yet we are shorter of them in track events - and in cross country championships - than we are in any other branch of the sport.
It will probably sort itself out next year when we are all in the same accommodation at the same venue. I am assuming that the distance runners will relocate to the more central venue on the Boulevard. Some won't want to move - that's inevitable - but if the club committee takes the decision to move then that's what happens. All in all I'm quite hopeful for the future.
The young ones first. We now have coaches for high jump and long jump. Paul Doherty is a former Scottish Schools and age group internationalist with medals at national level and is coaching high jumpers. Donna Campbell is a former third placer in the Scottish age group 100 metres and tenth in the GB rankings for the event and is coaching long jump. Bobby Bell is the best throws coach we have ever had and he is now coaching on Mondays at Postie's Park. If you add in Phil Dolan's group of endurance runners and Donald Macleod's work with sprinters then there is a team ready to take full advantage of the new school's facilities. In terms of competition, we will still be in the Scottish Young Athletes League and Phil has plans to enter the Central and South of Scotland League from 2010 and there is the possibility of moving into the Senior Men's team for the Boys.
The Senior Team is a good example of the problems that will have to be faced up to. At present the runners (with two second claim men added) are performing well and the jumps look like being quite successful. The difficulties are with the throws and the distance runners. Throwers will have to be recruited. We have Bobby Bell doing good work with them just now but there are not enough of them. We are working on that and hope to have developments by next summer. The endurance runners are more problematical.
In the past this has been the main strength of the club's track team. Now, for some reason, although we have over 20 men in the club's winter and summer leagues, it is the Devil's own job getting them to turn out for the club. I don't understand it. Two things: (1) I was brought up in the club to do what the club needs you to do. It makes no difference to today's Senior Men that the club needs them to run in track events three times in the year. (2) Those who talk about these things reckon that distance runners are better if they tackle all branches of endurance running. The phrase 'a complete distance runner' is used by Martin Hyman at Livingston. Yet we have seniors who are not happy unless the number is ten and the letter is K. There are more distance runers in the club than in any other group and yet we are shorter of them in track events - and in cross country championships - than we are in any other branch of the sport.
It will probably sort itself out next year when we are all in the same accommodation at the same venue. I am assuming that the distance runners will relocate to the more central venue on the Boulevard. Some won't want to move - that's inevitable - but if the club committee takes the decision to move then that's what happens. All in all I'm quite hopeful for the future.
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