Toughmudder.com

It's been pointed out that I gave the wrong address for the above site: It's toughmudder.com. No s in the middle. They are doing one in Edinburgh next year and inviting early applications. Anybody in the club wanting a run to put off brain death might well have a go. The Scottish one is to be modelled on their tri-state event. You can check it out before entering!

Tuesday Night Training Update - St Peter the Apostle School

Following our first night at this venue, which brings both junior and senior sessions together - please note seniors will meet at main school entrance for 6.45pm to go for a warm up prior to going to the track.

Juniors will still meet at main entrance 6.45 for 7.00pm start.

We will update the training page on the website to reflect the changes.

Yvonne Green
Secretary

The Clydesdale Community

I went down to see the new track at St Peter's tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the first time I had seen all ages and stages in the club training together since we were unceremoniously evicted from Whitecrook eighteen or so years ago. From Under 13's through to over 60's; sprinters, middle distance runners and endurance runners; several coaches (Phil, John and Donald) all doing their stuff and Donna Campbell and Megan Reid keen to do some coaching and running when the equipment becomes available. John Hanratty was the only Harrier with the wit to bring his camera along and capture the evening. Get the pics up on the blog. It looked as though the club was a community again and no doubt all who took part and all the parents who were there will be telling friends and fellow pupils about it. I would guess that by the end of the summer, the track will be too small for all who want to use it. The rain did not diminish the occasion one bit!
It'll take a couple of weeks for the initial excitement to wear off and for track conventions to be learned by those not familiar with track running (eg no jogging in the inside lane, no going from lane to lane when you are running fast, keep your eyes peeled for others coming from behind, etc) but it was a great night and we can look forward to many more.

Six Stage Relays - Livingston 3rd April 2011

Digital slideshow created with Smilebox Photographs courtesy of Brian McAusland

Annual General Meeting

It's just eleven days to the AGM and the rule in the old constitution was that all members had to be notified ten days beforehand - ten days being seen as the ideal time because three or four did not give folk time to re-arrange what they were doing in order to attend and any longer would give it a bigger chance of being forgotten. And believe it or not people did come along and, an even bigger 'believe-it-or-not', there were no recommendations by the Committee for posts. Nominations were made on the night and votes taken: there were certainly ideas floating around about who was suitable and it was assumed that unless something drastic happened any office bearer would be there for at least three years and the Treasurer and Secretary for longer with the treasurers having the edge in terms of longevity. In the 80's it was decided that although turn-out at the AGM was usually good, there were often gaps in the list of office-bearers that had to be filled at the next Committee Meeting so it was agreed that the Committee would put forward suggested office-bearers but these were up for discussion and other nominations were encouraged. There was never ever any animosity between two folk put up for the same position.
My own comments on the upcoming AGM are as follows. Withe Yvonne stepping down and Kath Scott not being available then there will be new Secretary and Assistant Secretary required. The Assistant Secretary does the Minutes and keeps the offficial copy of the Club Minutes: it is a very responsible but not very onerous job and does not require much in the way of work between meetings. The Secretary is the real power centre of the club in terms of keeping it going and needs someone who will give it time between meetings - the work is mostly done between meetings - receiving and sending correspondence, sending notificaations to club members, etc. Yvonne was doing it well and efficiently - and better every year too. But both need replacing this year. The treasurer is a very important member of Committee and the club has had some great treasurers in the past with Jim Wright being the present incumbent. It is a very responsible job and experience only makes you better at it - we really need Jim to stay on. I don't know how many years he has been doing it but he's not yet caught up with David Bowman!
I don't know of any others leaving or giving up their post but the Captain and Vice Captain are doing an excellent job as the performance at Livingston indicated and they should be retained (if they are willing and I hope they are). The selection of Ladies Captain and Vice Captain is a matter for the women themselves and I'm too much of a fearty to dabble in it!
Peter the President has done the club a real service over the past few years. The club needs continuity and there had been four Presidents in four years and not one of us has stayed on the Committee to pass on advice. Alistair Meikle was really a Gala Harrier at heart but did a good stint before stepping down as President, then Cliff Brown was a very good president with lots of initiatives (he attended the DALAP committee meetings and so on) before stepping down after only a year. Aileen Scott was next up but couldn't move in for another year so I stood in as president and carried on where Cliff left off with representing the club at various committees until Aileen was available. Aileen was a very dynamic President and again did many excellent things and took many initiatives on her own which were ratified by the committee and it was a shame when she stood down. Peter came in and has stabilised things over his four or five years as president. It used to be three years and David Bowman set a record after I joined the club when he did seven years - it was mainly because he was the only Committee Member with a car and since we had to collect trophies from the club jeweller (Edwards in Glasgow) and various other things, David held on to the job. The president's job is mainly to steer the club in the right direction - harder than might be thought - and keep the club moving. I don't know if Peter wants to stay as president or not although I suspect that he might be an ideal replacement for Yvonne in the engine-room that is the Secretary's job. Peter and Jim as Secretary and Treasurer? President? Several candidates present themselves - John Hanratty? Pamela McCrossan? Them's my thoughts, what's yours?

Six Stage Part Two!

Well that's the first error of the new week - the results are now available and Peter was fourteenth on the first stage (although there were a couple of us who thought first ten and Peter Rudzinski said that he thought Michael was tenth on the second stage!) Results show that the first team was fourteenth at the finish - Peter fourteenth on the first stage with the fastest club time for the short leg of 17:27 and Michael Diver after his usual slowish start held fourteenth with 33:58 which was the fastest club time of the day for that stage. The pictures taken of the two men are good ones and illustrate the fast running action. Third stage was run by Gary Dick who was looking good and recorded 18:36 and picked the team up to thirteenth. Gerry Montgomery ran the long fourth stage and ran 35:43 while dropping to seventeenth place before handing over to Paul Carroll who had a good run picking the team back up to fourteenth with a time of 34:43.
Ryan Nelson started the race for the B Team with a time of 19:55 for thirty seventh place and handed over to Pete Cartwright who fell back to forty seventh with a time of 41:26. The second 'amigo', Brian Campbell, ran the short third stage and was timed at 24:40 to be fifty second at the change over. Bobby Young set off on the long fourth stage and picked up three places to forty ninth with 42:18. Peter Rudzinski was the man on the fifth stage and he was forty fifth with a time of 22:55. The last man out was Peter Halpin who ran the team's fastest long stage of 40:46 and pulled the team up to fortieth at the end.
It was a great day for the race and there was a buzz about the squad that I haven't felt for several years. The two young members of the team ran well on the competitive first stage and the return after injury of Ian Robertson and Gary Dick was noted - neither seemed to be holding back or favouring an injury at all and Peter Halpin is fast returning to fitness. Roll on next winter!!!!

Relays

I was at the six stage relays this afternoon at Livingston. It was a good sunny day for it but the wind was gusting into the faces of the runners as they battled up the uphill finishing stretch. The guys all did well - the young ones on the first leg were noticeable - Peter Bowman finished in the first ten and Ryan Nelson picked up three places in the last uphill 200 metres! I don't have the times yet but the makings of a good team are there with all of the first team - if they hang together - able to do a good club performance an any road team race. Gary Dick looked good and says he is injury free - a very good scene indeed and Peter Halpin is starting to look like the runner who did so wenn for himself and the club from the mid 80's right up until he had to stop through injury. More when I get the results but it was a good day and the best club running for quite a while.

An Interesting Website!

Our American cousin Chrissie is doing a competition with two friends in a couple of weeks time. Go to the website toughmudders.com and then go to the information about the Pennsylvania (Allentown) in the events section. The course map has several wee squares on it which indicate the kind of obstacle there is at that point. Just let the cursor rest on the box. She's mad, of course! Triathletes? Softies!