Gleniffer Braes – 22 March 2014

Gleniffer Braes – 22 March 2014

It wasn't the most promising of starts.  Grey and drizzly at Johnstone station and  although I'd found John, another couple of Bellas had made the trip but we couldn't find them in the car park.  Must remember a phone next time out.  At the steepest points John bounded up the hill like a mountain goat, while I slowed to a walk and was breathing like a horse.  At just over 7 miles it wasn't a particularly long run distance wise, but 75 minutes is about as long as I've run this year.  The…Read more
Clydebank 5k – 15 March 2014

Clydebank 5k – 15 March 2014

This was originally posted in the Bellahouston Road Runners members forum. An industrial estate in Clydebank doesn't make for the most scenic of races, so just as well it's a blur. No km markers either which was disappointing, just a handy tip from the starter that the canal marked just over 1500m to go. Louise, John and I had a plan to go sub 20 mins for the first time. I got completely carried away at the start, forgot the plan, and raced off after David L. It would have cost me the…Read more
A first foray into Cross Country – East Kilbride Open 18 January 2014

A first foray into Cross Country – East Kilbride Open 18 January 2014

This article was also posted on the Bellahouston Road Runners website Looking at the competitors after each of the races at the inaugural East Kilbride Athletics Club Cross Country at Jackton today reminded me of the Asaro Mud Men I met in the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. To say the going was 'heavy' is as much of an understatement as a Lady Gaga costume. On paper it looked like a walk in the park, and as I'm such a fan of a run in the park, I thought I'd give it…Read more
BRR Club session beside the Science Centre

BRR Club session beside the Science Centre

8 reps of a 650m loop down at the Science Centre @~5k pace with 75 seconds recovery. These speed sessions are always hard, and for me, only possible in a group.  On my own my pace is erratic and I give up half way through the session.  Tonight I was really feeling it after rep 4 and was seriously thinking of adding a few seconds to the recovery, or slowing the pace.  Glad I kept it going, although the last rep was probably a couple of seconds slower than the rest.  We always…Read more
Bellahouston Road Runners – Sherbrooke Hills training

Bellahouston Road Runners – Sherbrooke Hills training

This was my first crack at the infamous Sherbrooke Hills. Three loops, supposedly at an even pace, but I couldn't keep up the pace and fell back half way through. This was followed by 6 hill sprints with jog recovery. With the warmup and warmdown runs overall distance was more than 7 miles. This running lark doesn't get easier! Distance: 6.29 km Duration: 00:30:19 Average Speed: 12.45 kmh Average Pace: 04:49 min/km Heart Rate: 162 Activity Link: http://runkeeper.com/user/Talkrhubarb/activity/288326358 Start Time: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 18:49:39 photo credit: cannykev via photopin ccRead more

Christmas 2013 – Glasgow parkrun

Four out of six Merriweathers running 5km on Christmas day morning. Two years ago this would have seemed a ridiculous and impossible notion. This year was a special achievement for Grace as she joined the parkrun 50 club for completing her 50th parkrun. I loaned her my T-shirt for the photographs, and have to add that I had washed and dried it after the previous week's outing. At Bellahouston Road Runners training the previous week I'd idly mentioned that Grace was going reach her parkrun milestone and Tammy very thoughfully and generously brought…Read more

My first run

In August 2012, my wife's suggestions that we should do something to get a bit fitter were becoming more insistent. I'd reached that time of life where middle aged spread was no longer just something I poked fun at my father about. It would assault me from the mirror every morning, if I cared to look.  According to Wii fit I was merely overweight and not obese, so there was no need to do anything radical I reasoned. However, I was galvanised into action when my better half asked me to try dance classes. In…Read more