Track Training

On Tuesday this week I went with my grandson to Central AAC (he lives twelve or fourteen miles from Sirling University where they do their training) where he has been going for the past 11 or 12 weeks. While he was doing his thing, I watched the huge group that Derek Easton was working with. There were 41 (forty one) adults of all standards there when they got into action at about 7:15. They went on to the infield and lined up along the touchline. Then they jogged in a long line the length of the pitch then skipped back then jogged the length doing some arm swinging and then ......................This went on for over twenty minutes and the group's standard ranged from Alistair Hay (Scottish Senior Cross Country Champion) and John Newsom at the top end down to men and women who were just getting fit and doing the odd 10K. Catriona Buchanan the Hill Runner takes part, I am told, and I saw and spoke to Karen Montador as was (a former Scottish age group international who disappeared for many years) who said that she had just had her third baby several months ago and was getting back into running again. After the warm up, one group went out on to the roads, another group did long reps round the grass and the rest did track reos (5 laps, 4 laps, 3 laps, 2 laps and 1 lap).
It was very sociable and very purposeful and it was possible to imagine some moving up a group as they got fitter and as the notion took them. Given a similar set up in Clydebank, there is no reason why all club members should not get into the same or similar sessions for part of the evening. It all looked like good fun with folk mixing and chatting away until they split into their groups.