Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run

Calling all the ladies (and men)!

2011-05-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

At GSR HQ we have noticed (as many of you folks probably have to) the campaign by Cancer Research’s Race for Life event to drum up participants. It’s a real shame that such a worthy event, and some other races in general, are struggling to get participants when they do so much for so many people.

While the GSR isn’t just about fundraising, helping charities has always been and always will be a big part of why we are here. As many of you will know, our event raises in excess of £1.5m for charities each year thanks to the blood, sweat and (sometimes!) tears of our entrants. This year alone thousands have already signed up and committed to run for various charities – from over 300 Bank of Scotland colleagues running for Save the Children to several hundred individual British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research, Erskine Hospital, Cystic Fibrosis, Macmillan and Yorkhill Hospital, and hundreds of other smaller but no less important charities.

Taking part in the GSR is a fantastic way to do your bit for good causes close to your heart. So if you’ve always thought about doing something but never got round to it, or have seen the recent Cancer Research adverts and think this June is a bit too soon, maybe the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run is just the challenge for you…

22 days to early bird ends!

2010-06-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

Here at GSR HQ we are focusing on the end of early bird, which is just 22 days away on 25th June, and putting together much of the detail for race day. A massive amount of planning goes in to delivering the event and much of what we are doing now is geared towards race day in September! Entries are coming in thick and fast and if you haven't signed up already, don't hang around. Discounted early-bird prices end 25th June so sign up today at www.runglasgow.org

Thanks to everyone who voted on facebook to pick the race t-shirt for 2010. We really like it and while the voting was really close, we think everyone will be proud to wear their t-shirt on race or during training.

We will be publishing route details very soon so keep your eyes peeled on the race website or on our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bank-of-Scotland-Great-Scottish-Run/309385763024) for more details.

Planning is also well under way for our Bank of Scotland Junior Great Scottish Run events on Saturday 4th September. Youngsters from 9 to 17 years of age can compete in our 1.5k and 3k events at Glasgow Green and experience the thrill of road racing. Entry is just six pounds and for that they get an official race t-shirt, finishers medal, personalised finishers certificate and a goody bag stuffed with cool freebies!

If you are already in training for the race in September, well done. Signing up and getting started training is half the battle and the more training and prep you do, the more enjoyable race day will be.

Good luck and see you on the start line!

16 Weeks to Go!

2010-05-18T04:23:00.001-07:00

Well that’s my second week of GSR training over…and I didn’t quite get as much training done as I would have liked, but at least I’ve still a good number of weeks left!

I ended my blog last week saying that I was going to Spin class that night, I have to admit that as the day went on, my legs (and rest of me!) got more and more tired, and so I cancelled and went home for a bath instead!

I tried to make up for it on Tuesday, and so went out for a 5k run. Did it in 28 mins 13 seconds, which was an average pace of 10.6kph. Not bad, but my fastest ever time is 26mins 16 secs, and I’d like to be back running at that pace! One thing I’ve found over the last year or so, is that I don’t really run in kilometres or miles, but average speed! I like to believe this is what makes me a runner and not a jogger, but in reality I think it just makes me a geek!

Anyway, I didn’t manage to get out running the next couple of nights, but had Spin class on Friday night. It was a good workout, Friday night spin definitely sets you up for the weekend!

I got out for another run on Saturday, and this time ran 6.5k in 36m 33s averaging 10.7kph. That is around 56min 10k pace, closer to where I want to be but still not fast enough! In order to achieve my aim of a sub 55min 10k, I really need to be running at a pace of over 11kph, I can do that over a shorter distance of say 2miles but need to get my body used to running faster for longer!!
I seemed to have planned it over the next couple of weeks that I am either out most nights or have people over, so not sure how much training I will get to do, but will try my best to get at least a couple of runs in so I have something to write about!

New trainers tried and tested!!

2010-05-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, over the next few weeks I will share with you all my training schedule for the Great Scottish Run Half Marathon, yes I'm attempting the half this year, I managed to finish the 10k last year in 1hr4mins and have set myself a harder challenge for 2010. Hoping to complete it in 2hours.

My friend and colleague talked me into taking part in the 10k last year and now I'm hooked. I started jogging myself 2-3times per week and decided to join a local jogscotland running club and go out twice a week running distances ranging from 4.5-8miles, which has helped me massively. Now the weather is changing for the better, we are trying out tougher and longer distances which I am enjoying. I also go out for a 6-7mile run at the weekend. I will need to start running longer distances from June onwards to prepare myself and work up to the half marathon.

I ran the Ignis 10k on Sunday which is a brilliant event with such terrific support, will definitely take part in this run each year. Lots of girls having fun running with their friends, family and colleagues for all different reasons. The route was good with a couple of hills for those runners who are looking for a little challenge along the way but not too tough for non-runners either who were taking part just for the fun of it and to raise money for friends, family and colleagues.

Going out for a run on Thursday night and will let you know how it goes.

2010-05-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

The Bowie at Breakfast team's Great Scottish Run training is underway with me (Adele) doing the Women's 10K yesterday. I managed the run in 1 hour and 36 seconds; I delighted with the time although I wish it could have been under an hour. At least I now have a time to beat at the Great Scottish Run in September!

George and Des haven't been doing much running, Des has had too much on with his wedding but now he is back from his honeymoon he can start pounding the streets of Glasgow.

George had a boxing match last week and is fairly fit already so I am sure the half marathon won't be a problem for him!

17 Weeks to Go!

2010-05-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to my Great Scottish Run 10k blog! Over the next 17 weeks I will be detailing my weekly training as I aim to set a new PB of under 55mins!

I took up jogging about 3 years ago, and somehow over the months seemed to change from being a jogger to a runner! I think the main difference is starting to care about how fast you run and keeping a note of average times etc! It’s gone from being a hobby to a way of life!

My best 10k time so far is 56mins 30secs in the Woman’s 10k last May, I had aimed for under 55mins in September. However I got my pacing wrong for the first mile then spent the second mile trying too hard to make up time. In future I will stick to a steady more even pace. A lesson learned!!

So far this year I haven’t had much time to dedicate to training, due to getting married 3 weeks ago! I did the Woman’s 10k yesterday, mainly for fun rather than for a specific target time and am pleasantly surprised that I crossed the finish line just seconds over the hour mark!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised for about an hour or so then started getting frustrated with myself for not running that bit faster and getting under an hour! But considering my last month of training consisted of a 6k over 3 weeks ago, a 5k 2 weeks ago, a stop-start 7k last Monday, and pretty much nothing else, I think I did ok! My plan is to now step up the training and aim once again for under 55mins in September!

As well as running I also go to spin classes at Glasgow Club Easterhouse a couple of times a week, in fact I am booked in for spin tonight (the day after a 10k….I must be mad!)

See you next week!

2010-05-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Congrats to everyone who took part in the Women's 10k yesterday. It was a fantastic event and you all did really well! It was a very exciting and important day in the build up to the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run this September.

A massive amount of organisation goes in to hosting a major road race event like the Women's 10k or the Great Scottish Run. And with all things, the more practice you get, the better it becomes and this is no different!

Despite it being a very successful event there are always things we can do a little bit better so we will taking away the feedback from the weekend and will hopefully be able to put that in to practice to make the race in September event better. Remember you can do 10k in September (you don't just have to do the big half marathon!) so once the stiff muscles and the aches ease off this week, get signed back up for September and don't put all your hard work to waste!

www.runglasgow.org/GSR-2010

2010-05-04T02:10:00.000-07:00

The excitement is building here at GSR HQ as we gear up for race weekend this September. We've confirmed some great details about the senior races including start times and the fact both the half marathon and 10k will cross the Kingston Bridge.

The 10k will start at 9.30am from George Square on 5th September and the half marathon will kick off at 10.30am - giving everyone plenty of time to get in to the city for the start (but not so long to wait for those butterflys to kick in!). We will be revealing details of both routes very soon and we are working hard to make sure they give everyone the best and most enjoyable race possible, with plenty of potential to break that PB.

For the Junior runners we are working away on details for that including all the fun bits like designing the race t-shirts for this year and also those coveted medals! Plus we've set up a dedicated facebook page for the Junior races at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bank-of-Scotland-Junior-Great-Scottish-Run/115305591826050?v=wall&ref=ts.

We've also got our senior race facebook and twitter pages where you can keep up to date with all the latest goings on and behind the scenes news in the run up to the race weekend - check us out at http://twitter.com/GreatScotRun10 and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bank-of-Scotland-Great-Scottish-Run/309385763024

Keep training and we will see you all on the start line this September!

Gearing up for September

2010-04-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hey folks! Everything is go at GSR HQ as we start the build up to the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run on 4th & 5th September.

We've been busy over the winter finding out what our runners thought about the race in 2009, both good and bad, in order to make 2010 even better. Following that we've looked at the event and put plans in place for this September that will make your race experience even more enjoyable.

You will still have the same great racing experience as all the usual faces are back to organise and plan the event over the year. We've kept the spectacular crossing of the Kingston Bridge and the iconic start in George Square, and the routes for 2010 will keep up the recent trend of mixing a bit of a challenge with the chance to break your PB. Add to that revised plans for the start to minimise congestion and aid a fast start, plus more music on the route to keep you running and a revised finish area and we've got the makings of another superb event.

We looked long and hard at pricing for the event and have maintained our position as the best value road race event in Scotland. We hope all of this will convince you all, first timers and old timers alike to sign up again at www.runglasgow.org

Why not join us on facebook and twitter too and get involved in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run online community? Check us out here http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bank-of-Scotland-Great-Scottish-Run/309385763024 and here http://twitter.com/GreatScotRun10

See you in September!

Post run review!

2009-09-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well after months of training, it’s all over, and it was another brilliant event!

I didn't quite manage my target time, but I'm not too disappointed. The unprecedented numbers taking part meant my particular section was very crowded so I couldn't get into my rhythm for the first couple of miles, and then pushed myself too hard to make some time up and got a stitch!! In the end I did it in 1hr 1m 27s, still the fastest time I have completed the Great Scottish Run in!

The support along the route, especially coming into Glasgow Green at the end was excellent and really does help keep you going, so I’ll definitely be back next year!

I hope you all had a great day out, and if like me didn’t achieve exactly what you wanted at least managed to have fun, and if you did achieve a new PB then well done! Thank you all for reading my blog over the last few weeks, I hope you have found it useful and enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed updating it! Keep checking the Run Glasgow website, a new section for the Running Network will be appearing soon and I may keep my blog going…..!

Final Week!

2009-09-05T10:57:00.001-07:00

Final week of training! Not much to report on this week, did my usual Spin class on Monday night, then Tuesday night went out a run, managed to do 6.5k in 35mins 53secs, an average of 10.9kph, so bang on 55min pace! Did my first mile in 8m 28s, second 8m 52s, third 9m 5s and fourth 9m 6s! Was a good final run to do!

Decided not to do any further running this week, as I wanted to ensure I was as fresh as possible for tomorrow (however my sore throat that I woke up with this morning is concerning me slightly…!) Just had a massive bowl of pasta for my dinner, and about to get everything out that I need tomorrow, then have an early night tonight!

Fingers crossed the weather isn’t too bad, rain I can cope with, but hoping it’s not too windy, as that can really affect performance!

Not much else for me to say except best of luck to everyone! I hope you all get the times you are hoping for tomorrow, but more importantly, enjoy your day and the great atmosphere that is always there for the Great Scottish Run!

I'll post a final blog once i have my official time....!

Bowie at Breakfast - 4th September

2009-09-04T02:37:00.000-07:00

It's now that exciting stage, where you've done about as much as you can possibly do and all that's left is to make sure your kit is clean and ready to go. it's a bit like swatting for an exam and then knowing that you've learnt as much as you are ever going to.
It's been a couple of short runs for the team, just keeping the muscles limbered up and ready ahead of the big day on Sunday.
The kids, of course are running on Saturday morning....it looks like it might be a bit showery, but it's not dampening their enthusiasm.
Des McLean is currently sitting with a serious look on his face, trying to come up with a clever race day strategy but we've told him that he would do well just to focus his attentions on getting from Start Line to Finish in one piece.
Good luck to everyone who's taking part and thanks to anyone who is going to stand at the side of the route and cheer us on!!!

1 Week to Go!

2009-09-01T04:06:00.001-07:00

Into the final week of training before the big day….how did that happen so fast?!

Well I had hoped for a really good week of training to set me up nicely for easing off this week, and I got off to a great start, unfortunately it all fell apart by the end of the week!

As usual I had my spin class on Monday night at Glasgow Club Easterhouse. It was great fun as usual, there is definitely something therapeutic about spinning as fast as you can on a bike on a Monday night!!

Tuesday I went out running and managed a new PB for my 5k time!! I did it in 28m 19s, an average of 11.4kph, and nearly 20 secs faster than my previous best! My mile times were 8m 23s for the first, second 8m 33s and third 8m 31s. It was on of those runs where I just felt great. I really hope I have the same feeling on Sunday morning!

Well I had a rest night on Wednesday, then Thursday I wasn’t feeling too great so decided to give running a miss that night and go Friday instead, and I think that ruined the rest of the week’s training for me! I went out and did 2 miles on Friday night, in a fairly good time of 17m 7s, average 11.3 (first mile 8m 32s, second 8m 34s), then after that went to the gym at Glasgow Club Easterhouse, but then Saturday morning when I went to go running I realised very quickly that I had nothing left in the legs at all. Tried a couple of times to get doing but I could barely move, so decided it wasn’t worth trying to push myself so close to the GSR. Although I’ve been running two days in a row many times before, there is usually about 24 hours between runs, whereas that would only have been about 14 hours. Clearly wasn’t enough time for my body to recover! (that’s what I’m telling myself anyway!)

I went out for another attempt at a run on Sunday morning, it was really windy and again I struggled with speed, but managed to complete 5k, in a time 2 minutes slower than Tuesday at 28m 16s, average of 10.6kph. My first mile wasn’t bad at 8m 40s, but then my second was 9m 9s, and third an awful (but partly uphill!) 9m 29s! Ah well, at least I made it to 5k!

Well this week I really want to make sure I am as fresh as possible for Sunday, so I plan on going to spin Monday night, try do a 6 or 7k on Tuesday or Wednesday night, then Friday night I will try a jog for 2 or 3 miles, then completely rest on Saturday. I still am aiming for the 10k in under 55mins, a couple of weeks ago I thought I could do it, but not to sure after this last week! However if I aim for it, hopefully it will give me the adrenalin to keep going, and hopefully if not achieve it at least I won’t feel I’ve not tried my best!

I will post my final week’s training blog on Saturday, then come back with my race day analysis on Sunday, but until then, best of luck to you all with your last minute training!

Bowie at Breakfast - 28th August

2009-08-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest......
George Bowie has been on the Osteopath's table all week getting treatment for a frozen neck. The injury has not done much for his ability to run, but it has provided great entertainment for the rest of the team. Everyone else keeps standing behind him and shouting his name and then laughing as he turns around and buckles in agony. Absolute quality!
Des McLean has surprised everyone with his newfound enthusiasm. He has been 100% committed to his training this week and has been out raing and shine (well mostly rain this week!) to improve his fitness levels. He knows he left it a bit late, but he can crack out 40 minutes in training now, so reckons he can do an hour on the day.
Dr Prockter has also been out and about, despite the wind and rain. She was remembering this time last year when we had loads of sunny days and it was far less of an effort to get out there. She lives on the coast and has been a victim of the very strong winds. The running has been very slow in one direction and very, very fast in the other direction because of the favourable tail wind!
The kids have been out jogging too. The sons of Dr Prockter and George Bowie are going to do their last couple of training runs this week in readiness for the Junior Race on Saturday.

2 Weeks to Go!

2009-08-24T05:33:00.001-07:00

Can’t believe its only 2 weeks to go till the 10k now! Doesn’t seem that long at all since I wrote my first blog saying 16 weeks to go! I managed to have another fairly good week of training. Finally it’s all starting to come together!

Monday night I have to admit my legs were feeling really tired, so gave spin a miss and instead did a Tae Bo dvd in the house. If I thought my legs were sore, it was nothing compared to how sore my glutes were the next day!

I made it out a run on Tuesday night, and managed to do 6k in 32m 39s, an average of 11kph. My mile times were 8m 39s for the first, second 8m 49s and third 8m 48s, and my last kilometre or so I averaged 11.4kph so I was pleased to have such a strong finish to my run! (The other half also went out for a run that night and recorded his worst ever 5k time not far off my average speed for the night!)

After resting the legs on Wednesday and having a weights night instead, I went back out on Thursday, this time doing 7k in exactly 39m, average of 10.8kph. It was a really wet night so I was glad to completed a long run in such bad conditions. I did my first mile in 8m 43s, second 9m 2s, third 9m 14s, fourth 9m 5s, by that point having done 4 miles I was averaging 10.7kph and feeling very comfortable, albeit drenched, so I picked it up and ran the last 600 metres as fast as I could, so by time I got to 7k I’d brought my average up to 10.8kph! I managed that last 600 metres averaging 11.5!

Saturday went out for another run, and this time was really pleased to complete 9k, but my time was 51m 48s, a rather low average of 10.4kph. I was doing great up to 5k, averaging 10.9kph but then ran out of steam a bit and couldn’t get much speed going in my legs at all. At least I got a long run in though, and I know I hadn’t eaten enough that morning but I’m putting my poor second half down to lack of fuel! My miles times were first 8m 53s, second 8m 47s, third 9m 2s, fourth 9m 38s, and fifth 9m 37s. It was the longest I’d ran since the Woman’s 10k in May and I was pleased that even though I was really struggling, I still managed to complete such a distance. The other half would like to point out that he recorded his second fastest ever 5k time after his Tuesday night debacle!!! That’s the strange thing about running. Sometimes there is just no rhyme or reason to how you perform so don’t let one bad run put you off, as your personal best might be just round the corner.

After the run on Saturday I went to Glasgow Club Easterhouse to do weights and then to the swimming for a few (slow) lengths and then a nice relax in the steam room. I really recommend the stream room as a god finish to a morning of exercise!

Sunday I managed to get out for a fourth run of the week, however having already done a 6k, 7k then 9k my legs were really tired, so I just ran a mile, in 8m 25s, average of 11.5kph. It felt a good mile although I had nothing left at all by the end of it!

Well this next week will be my last big push, before taking it a bit easier the following week. Not long now…hope that for everyone reading this your training is coming along well!

Bowie at Breakfast - 21st August

2009-08-21T01:34:00.000-07:00

Des McLean is off the cigarettes, eating healthy food and has been running regularly. So George has lost his 10 pound bet that Des wouldn't start training and be ready in time for the race.
George was at the gym last night....12 k completed on the treadmill, so he's on track with his running schedule.
Dr Prockter is none too pleased, she isn't a member of a gym and every time she has gone out for a jog, she has been caught in the rain. It's not funny when you are as small as her. For most people, those puddles would only reach their ankles...but it's up to her knees.

3 Weeks to Go!

2009-08-17T04:10:00.000-07:00

Well with only 3 weeks left until the GRS I think I have managed to have my best week of training yet!

Monday night I went to the gym at Glasgow Club Easterhouse then Spin class, so got the week off to a good start! Tuesday night I did a 5k run, in 27m 7s, which averaged 11.1kph, not my best but not too bad, especially as I had to work late and so didn’t get out till 8pm! My mile splits were 8m 33s, 8m 51s and 8m 52s.

I went for a longer run on Thursday night, and ended up having a very surreal experience! I turned up to the usual place I go running and it turned out there was an organised 5k on that night! (I didn’t have any money on me or else I probably would have ended up signing up for it!) Anyway, I did 3 laps and was running back to the car which just happened to be the finish straight of the race, so I found myself getting cheered on by all the spectators!! I think they were all wondering what was going on when I turned right into the car park rather than an extra 50metres down to the finish line! In all I managed 8.5k, my longest run since the Women’s 10k in May, in a time of 48m 19s, average of 10.6kph. My mile times were 8m 39s, 8m 58s, 9m6s, 9m 24s and then 9m 33s. I am slightly disappointed with my time, especially the last 2 miles, but to be fair those were once the race had started and because I knew people had paid to enter I was making sure I was getting out their way, and so that probably did slow me down!

Friday night the other half and his friend went to play table tennis at Glasgow Club Easterhouse so I went to the gym and did weights again, then Saturday went a 2 mile run, managing it in 17m 5s, an average of 11.3kph. My first mile was really fast at 8m 14s, an average of 11.7kph, but as well as being really fast it was into a strong head wind so I ran out of steam a little and took 8m 50s for the second mile! Still was a good overall time though!

I managed to get out a fourth run on the week on Sunday, and it’s the only one I am slightly disappointed with. I had hoped to get out for a bit of a longer run again but it was really windy, and I felt at times I was in a cartoon running as fast as I could but just staying on the same spot! In the end I did 2 miles in 18m 14s, a pretty low average of 10.6kph, first mile 9m, second 9m 13s.

I managed to do 20k over the week which I am really pleased with. Having managed a 8.5k in the week, I now hope to do close to a 10k this week!

Thursday 13th August

2009-08-12T22:58:00.001-07:00

The Countdown is On and the Bowie at Breakfast Team is starting to get into the runners mentality. There is some serious mileage being racked up by the squad now that we only have a few weeks to go until the race.
George and his son Ross have been out together, Bowie senior is training for the Half Marathon and Junior is doing the race on the Saturday. Dr Prockter and her boy have been pounding the streets too, although they have admitted that they are both just aiming to make it over the finish line in their runs, rather than aiming for an impressive time.
Des is currently exhausting himself looking for excuses for a) not training and b) having to walk the second half of the 10k because he isn't quite as fit as he would have liked.

4 Weeks to Go!

2009-08-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well now less than a month to go, I hope everyone else’s training is coming along better than mine!

After a not very good weekend of training, I made it along to Spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse on Monday night but then came down with the cold and did not manage to get out again all week.

On Saturday morning I finally woke up feeling better and got my trainers on! I didn’t have much energy to run fast but decided I didn’t care, was just happy to be out running, and so achieved a 6k, in a time of 34m 56s. No-where near target at 10.3kph, but under the circumstances I was really pleased with it! My mile times were 9m 11s for the first, 9m 19s for the second, and 9m 31s for the third.

After a long slow run on Saturday (and being out most of the day Sunday!) I decided to go out Sunday night and just try a short fast run, and completely surprised myself by equalling my fastest ever 2 miles time, finishing it in 16m 47s! That was averaging 11.5kph, which equates to a 52m 10k! If only!! My mile times for 8m 19s for the first, and second 8m 28s!

I was really surprised to do it so quickly as I felt I was struggling after the first mile, and certainly with being ill during the week and such a slow run on Saturday I hadn’t expected to be able to run so fast!

This week I really need to run at least 8k, being saying that for about 3 weeks now however…wish me luck!

Friday 7th August

2009-08-06T23:36:00.000-07:00

You know that it's getting close to the run because ALL of the Bowie at Breakfast team are now in training. George himself has been keeping pretty fit with his boxing and is now introducing some longer runs into his regime. Dr Prockter has been running right across the summer but Des has been putting it off. However, he did say that once he got back from his holiday, he would get back out again. So, true to his word, he did a couple of runs this week. He was managing 3 miles and has committed to building up to 4 or 5 over the next couple of weeks. He's still off the cigarettes, so he's sure he can get up to match fitness by September the 6th.
And on the 5th of course there's the opportunity for the younger ones to take part in the Junior Race. George's son Ross and Dr Prockter's boy Callum are both participating and have been out pounding the streets.

5 Weeks to Go!

2009-08-03T05:49:00.001-07:00

Only 5 weeks left till the 10k, and I had another mixed week. Started off good but finished not so good!

Monday night went to the gym at Glasgow Club Easterhouse for weights training then spin class. Felt a really good workout, so a good start to the week!

Tuesday night I did my best run of the week, doing 7k in 38m 25s, an average of 10.9kph, bang on the pace I need for a 55min 10k. I did my first mile in 8m 30s, second 8m 52s, third 9m 2s and fourth 9m 3s. It felt a really good run, I always knew I was going to make it to 7k, and after it I wished I’d ran on further as I feel I had more in me!

Wednesday night as the legs were recovering from the previous nights run, I left my watch at home for once and just did a couple of kilometres then 4 hill sprints on the way back up to the house!

Well I didn’t get back out again until Saturday, but I wasn’t feeling great over the weekend, and as soon as I started running I realised I wasn’t going to be able to manage much! Ended up turning it into a half run/half walk! After that really wasn’t in the mood for the gym so ended up having a boxing session with the other half back home. He held the punch mitts and I did a few rounds of jabs, crosses and uppercuts!! Was great fun, although my arms are still recovering (as are his ribs!! hehe)

Went out a run again on Sunday but still wasn’t feeling great so only managed 2 miles, in a time of 17m 38s, average of 11kph. My first mile wasn’t bad at all at 8m 35s but I ran out of steam and did the second in 9m 1s! To make up for missing the gym the previous day I then did weights back at the house.

My aim for this week is to run a 8k at some point, so hopefully the motivation of only one month to go will get me through it!!

6 Weeks to Go!

2009-07-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

The weeks really are going too fast now, 6 weeks to go, how did that happen?!

Well my blog last week ended on Monday, so for this week, Tuesday I went to Body Balance class which was good fun, then Thursday got out for my first run of the week. I did 5k in a fairly average time of 27m 18s, average of 11kph. My first mile was 8m 28s, second 8m 54s and third 9m 7s. I felt ok during it, although probably could have got under 27m if I pushed myself a bit more!

Friday night went to the gym (as a change from Saturday morning!) Did the usual weights plus a mile Fartlek on the treadmill, running 30 second sprints at 9.5mph then back down to about 6mph! I enjoy doing it like that on the treadmill, I’m so used to running outside now that I can’t just run normally on a treadmill anymore!

Went out running again on Saturday but not very happy with the result! I did 5k but it was in a time of 27m 57s, one of my slowest for a while! I averaged 10.7kph. My mile splits were 8m 51s, 9m 6s then 9m 8s. I just felt like I couldn’t pick up speed at all, kept trying to make myself run faster but it wasn’t happening!!

Anyway, after that slow run I went out on Sunday and decided to do a shorter distance but try run fast to get my legs remembering how to do it! As a result I ran my second fastest ever 2 miles, in a time of 16m 57s! My average speed was 11.4kph, first mile 8m 14s and second 8m 40s.

Well with only 6 weeks to go, and my running still a bit too “hit and miss” for my liking, I have decided to give my body balance class a miss for the next few weeks and fit in an extra run instead, so I can hopefully get out running 4 days in the week. I really think it will help push me along that bit further. I really need to do a long run a week from now until 6th September, I believe I have the ability to do a 10k in under 55mins, but now I need to actually get out and do it!

Friday 24th July

2009-07-24T01:25:00.000-07:00

We are all on holiday for a week, which should provide us with an opportunity to get some serious training done for the Great Scottish Run. George Bowie and Dr Prockter have been pretty good over the last couple of weeks, both of them cranking up some serious mileage in preparation. However, Des McLean is still pacing himself. And by pacing myself, I actually mean going for the odd walk round the block. The good news is that he has been off the cigarettes for over a month now and that's got to help. I think it was putting him off that he could only run 200 metres before he was completely out of breath....so well done Des!

7 Weeks to Go!

2009-07-21T04:41:00.001-07:00

Got a good week of training in this week, although with only 7 weeks to go until the GSR I don’t really have much choice. All weeks have got to be good from now on!!

Monday night I made it along to spin class again, that is 2 weeks in a row now! Class was fun, there are two different people that take spin, taking alternating weeks so it is good getting a slightly different workout each week! Was at Body Balance class as well on Tuesday night.

Wednesday I went out for a run. I’d been telling myself all day that I was going to do a long run of about 7.5k, and felt really ready for it, until I got to the park and the heavens opened! I stayed in the car until the worst of it passed then went out for my run. I was feeling great, however half way round (once round is 2 miles) the rain came on again and within seconds I was completely drenched! I made it the full way round, squelching in my trainers and was actually feeling pretty good. I could easily have ran on but I slipped a couple of times and then the thunder started, and as the route was covered in trees I decided not to risk it and ran back to the car! Ended up doing 3.5k in 19m 1s, average of 11kph. First mile time was 8m 42s, second 8m 50s, however I was disappointed at not getting to run further.

Got back out for a run again on Saturday, and this time I was determined to do the 7.5k. I managed it….it wasn’t easy though! I did it in 42m 52s, a average of 10.5kph, much lower than I wanted. Felt good up to the 4k mark but then really struggled and to be honest I am actually really pleased that I was able to complete the distance, although at some parts I was so slow I think I actually ran backwards!! My mile splits were 8m 40s for the first, 98m 44s for the second, third 9m 20s and fourth a very slow 9m 44s! But it was the furthest I’ve ran since the Women’s 10k in May!

After the run went to Glasgow Club Easterhouse for weight training at the gym. Usually do 2 nights of weights a week in the house also, so its nice to do them at the gym once a week as a change, plus getting running and weights over with on a Saturday morning leaves the rest of the day to have fun! (and eat a massive dinner!)

On Sunday I went out running again but really struggled, it was pretty windy and my legs were tired from the long run the day before, I ran 2 miles in 17m 42s, a fairly disappointing 10.9kph average. First mile was good at 8m 36s but then the second mile (running uphill into the wind!) was 9m 5s, oh well at least I was out doing something!!

Well it was a holiday Monday for the Glasgow Fair so took good advantage of it! Went running in the morning, did 2 miles again but in a much better than the days before time of 17m 5s, average of 11.3kph. First mile was 8m 31s and second 8m 32s! Was booked in for spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse at night, and since we weren’t in work went to the gym to do weights before it rather than doing them in the house!

Well I have Body Balance again on Tuesday night, then giving myself a well earned break on Wednesday before hopefully managing a long run on Thursday night….will let you know next week how it goes!

8 Weeks to Go

2009-07-14T03:35:00.000-07:00

Finally, I managed to get a decent week of training!! Not brilliant, but better than the last few!

Monday night, for the first time in almost 2 months, I made it along to Spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse. It was great fun getting back into it, although I’d forgotten how sore you get the next day from the seat, luckily it only happens the first time you go after a break!! Tuesday night I got along to Body Balance class for the first time in a while also! It was a new routine, as they change it every couple of months to keep it fresh, so I really did feel like a beginner again!

I was busy Wednesday night, so Thursday night went out determined to do at least 6k. I really am starting to realise that positive thinking has so much influence on running. The other half has been telling me this for ages but I never quite believed him before. If you go out thinking this is going to be hard, it is.

But because I’d been saying all week I was going to run 6k, I was ready for it and actually managed 6.5k, in my best time yet! I did it in 35m 35s, averaging 11kpm. Its actually the first time I’ve run a distance over 5k at an average speed above what I need to do a 55m 10k (10.9kph!), so I was very happy afterwards! My mile splits were good also, first 8m 35s, second 9m 48s, third 8m 46s and fourth as I was tiring 9m 3s. (If you do not believe you can do it then you have no chance at all.)

Since I didn’t get out on Wednesday night, I did a Friday night run instead this week. After a long run the previous night, I decided to do something different so I ran a quick mile and then did hill sprints. I somehow managed to do a mile in 7m 49s, my fastest yet! My average was 12.4kph, now if only I could do that 6 times over! After that I did 4 hill sprints, then back to the house for my much needed dinner and shower!

Saturday morning had a slight change of routine, went to the gym first then running! Did all my usual weights at the gym, managed to increase a couple of them also which is always good! Both the other half and I were fed up timing our runs to the exact second so for something different we ran a mile on grass (so strange running on grass when used to pavements!) and then ran a mile fartlek, including a hill sprint within it!

I had planned on gong out another run on Sunday, but ended up spending all Saturday afternoon in the garden (digging up the grass to create a flower bed! Very Rock and Roll!!!) so I was in a lot of pain on Sunday when I woke up, then spent the afternoon in B&Q buying flowers then planting them, so wasn’t able to get out. All in all though, it was a much better week than the last few and I’m glad I was able to get a longer run in.

This week now I need to run a 7 or 7.5k at 10.9kph or higher!

Running tip if you like Meatloaf – play the full version of Bat Out Of Hell then I’d Do Anything For Love, then repeat, and you’ll have covered 4 miles! Got me through my run on Thursday anyway!!

Tuesday 7th July

2009-07-07T03:07:00.000-07:00

It's not been too bad a week for the training....so far. We say so far because we don't have high hopes for getting much in the way of running done over the weekend. George Bowie and Des McLean are doing Bowie at tea-time live from T in the Park on Saturday, so they will be heading up to Balado in the camper van on Friday. So friday, Saturday and Sunday are all going to be write-offs. Not necessarily because of the late nights or because the food and drink consummed isn't the perfect diet for an athelte in training, but because it'll be wellies only for the whole weekend. They may not have the greatest background knowledge of the intricasies of appropriate footwear but even they know that you cannot run in knee-high rubber boots.

But George has been sensible enough to take account of the difficulties of training on a muddy festival site and is fitting in extra runs at the front end of the week. Des on the other hand has decided that he will launch himself into a strict regime of regular jogging, once T in the Park is out of the way. Watch this space!!

9 Weeks to Go!

2009-07-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well unfortunately I had another not so good week with the training, really need to get more running in. A combination of not feeling well, concerts and just simply too hot meant I didn’t get anywhere near the amount of training in that I would have liked this week!

I had planned on going to Spin on Monday night but had to cancel as wasn’t feeling well, then was out at AC/DC concert on Tuesday night (ROCK!), so Wednesday night was the first training I was able to do. Managed 2 miles averaging 11.1kph in a time of 17m 20s, first mile 8m 30s, second mile 8m 49s. It was a really hot night and I really struggled so I am pleased to have done it at that speed! No chance of running on further though, breathing was getting really difficult!

I met a friend on Thursday night and as it was so nice we went a walk for about an hour and a half, any benefit of that was no doubt undone by the ice cream we had afterwards!!

Lack of sleep caused by the hot weather really started to take its toll on me on Friday night and I could barely walk the 3 minutes home from the bus stop! I slept most of the evening and throughout the night and felt much better Saturday morning, until I tried to go running and made it as far as the end of the rood (about 300 metres!) before having to stop as my legs were seriously lacking any energy! The other half ran on (after checking I was ok!) and then after that we went up to Glasgow Club Easterhouse for the gym. I was able to do my weights as normal, even managed to increase the weight on a couple, and then after than ran a mile on the treadmile (with the fan blowing on me full power), so felt slightly better that I at least did something!! I’m definitely not made for hot weather training.

Sunday morning I got up and out for a run before it got too sunny. Pleased to say I managed 5k, in a fairly average (for me!) time of 27m 47s, averaging 10.8kph. My first 2 miles were good, fist mile 8m 38s and second 8m 52s, but then I had a dreadful 3rd mile at 9m 20s, I am just so proud of myself for making it to 5k and not stopping as I very easily could have done!

With only 9 weeks left now I know I really need to get out running more, and longer. I haven’t ran more than 5k since the Women’s 10k at the end of May, so running a 6 or 7k in training soon is a must! I am booked in for Spin and Body Balance this week and no more excuses, I’m going! Once I get myself used to the routine that I was doing before then hopefully I will find it easier running beyond the 5k mark! I just hope the Scottish summers we are used to come back as I really can’t cope with running in the heat!!

10 Weeks to Go!

2009-06-30T02:18:00.000-07:00

Well another week, another medal!!

As I said in my previous blog, I’d been feeling a bit bored with my running recently, mainly from trying to push myself to achieve faster times and therefore starting too fast then not being able to run the distance I wanted. So on Monday night I went out for a run, aiming to do 5k but to run it comfortably, and so actually finish the run!! I ended up doing it in what was my 3rd fastest time, shows the difference putting pressure on yourself makes! I did it in 27mins exactly, an average of 11.1kph. My first mile was 8m 34s, second 8m 42s, and third 8m 56s, so I’m really pleased I managed to complete all in under 9m. I actually felt really good after it as well, rather than collapsing at the end as sometimes happens!!

Wednesday was the Jog Scotland 5k challenge. It was a very hot night, and everyone started together meaning some people in front of me were walking so I had to run round people. I found it really tough gong to be honest, could easily have stopped at a couple of points to walk but the other half was waiting on me and seeing him ahead at various points on the route really helped keep me going! (I knew he’d shout at me if he saw me walking!!) I managed to complete it in 28m 17s, a rather lowly average of 10.6kph, but see some achievement in the fact that even though I was struggling I managed to complete it without stopping! My mile splits were 8m 45s, 9m 6s and 9m 32s, a definite could do better! But at least I got a medal!! (and managed to beat the Royal Marines!!! Granted, they were each carrying a rucksack that weighed more than me. Well done guys.)

Saturday, looking for something different, the other half and I went down to a local park and did a 2.5k run then some hill sprints. I did the 2.5k in 12m 51s, averaging 11.6kph with a first mile time of 8m 18s. The hill sprints were rather sore but they are really meant to help your running (or so the other half said though, I think he might just enjoy putting me through the pain barrier!)

I managed to get back out for a 4th run of the week on Sunday, this time I did 2.5k again but faster than the day before at 12m 35s, averaging 11.9kph. My first mile time was 8m 7s, was tough going though, wouldn’t have been able to keep going any longer at that pace!

Well with 10 weeks to go, I know that I can easily run 5k, albeit maybe not as fast as I’d like yet, so I would like to change my training slightly so that at least one day a week I do a longer run of say 6k, 7k or even more. However I’m going to try and do more interval training, hill running etc just to really push myself that bit harder and hopefully make some big improvements. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Tuesday 23rd June

2009-06-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

I think this is a first for the Bowie at Breakfast team. All three of us were out running this week!!
Even Des made it out onto the streets to crack out a couple of miles in preparation for the Great Scottish Run. Dr Prockter managed to get out four times and because George was in training for his boxing match he was regularly running the streets. However, he did admit that it wasn't really doing too much for his fitness levels because every couple of minutes someone was stopping him to wish him luck in the fight. So he was managing to get a couple of hundred metres before he had to stop and shake someone's hand. However, he thanks everyone for all their good wishes......the boxing went well by the way. He lost on a split decision but at least he didn't take a direct hit to his face so his boyish good looks are still in tact. He is now looking at a rematch but is hoping to get some serious running in before people start jumping in front of him to wish him good luck.

11 Weeks to Go

2009-06-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

Oh dear, this was not a good training week! I seem to always be making excuses for not doing well, this week I am using the excuse that it was my first week back at work after 2 weeks off and so I was really tired…!

So Monday I was intending to go to spin class but it had been a long day and I was shattered…so didn’t! Tuesday night I went a run, I did manage to do 5k which I was pleased about, but it was a bit slower than my new PB from the previous week, at 27m 18s. My average was 11kph, so at least it was still above 55min 10k pace…just! I got off to a flyer, 1st mile in 8m 14s, but then I think it was a case of too fast too soon as my second mile was 8m 48s then the 3rd a dreadful 9m 19s, I was so close to stopping at 4k, really had to push myself to keep going! My first mile average was 11.7kph which is 51min 10k pace, clearly I’m not at that stage yet!

I went out for a quick run on Wednesday night again, this time I did 2.5k in 13m 28s, 11.1kph. First mile was 8m 24s so more like the pace I should be running at, just need to figure out how to keep running for longer at that pace! My problem is that I know I can run 10k, so now I am trying to run faster, and although I can do it for a mile or so, I don’t yet have the ability to run faster for longer! But now I’m used to running faster I struggle to actually run at a pace that I can keep up for a 5k or 10k distance!

Well Saturday morning I went out another run, did 2 miles but in an awful time of 17m 54s, averaging 10.8kph. First mile was 8m 29s, second 9m 15s (but I was running uphill!) After that I went to Glasgow Club Easterhouse for a weights workout at the gym.

I think I may have been putting too much pressure on myself to beat my previous fastest time everytime I’ve been out recently and so forgotten how to go out and just have fun running. I am doing a 5k on Wednesday night, one of the Jog Scotland 5k challenges, so once I get that out the way I think I will go out for a few runs where I don’t worry about what time I am do but maybe do some hill sprints or something different to ensure I don’t get bored.

12 Weeks to Go!

2009-06-16T02:31:00.000-07:00

Well as I mentioned in my blog last week, I have been off work on holiday again this week, so my training has still been a little haphazard!

Tuesday I went hill walking again, this time up Ben Ledi, it was just as high as the Cobbler but much steeper (less than 8k round trip compared to over 11k!), and again I have to say that definitely counted as exercise! Luckily my legs weren’t sore the next day unlike last week where it was agony just standing up from my chair!!

I went out a run on Wednesday, did 4k in 21mins 26secs, which was an average of 11.2kph. My first mile was 8m 22s, second 8m 45s. I didn’t quite have the energy to make it to 5k! Friday night though I went out again and managed a new PB for my 5k – 26m 37s! I still want it under the 26mins soon though! I averaged 11.3kph, slightly faster than Wednesday! My first mile was 8m 16s, second 8m 34s and third 8m 51s. It felt a really good run and I was never under any doubt I’d get to 5k, unlike some runs where I feel I’ll never make it the distance I want! I just need to work on that 3rd mile time now!!

Went out another run on Saturday morning but I was struggling to get the energy into my legs, I did 2k averaging about 11kph but I was feeling really tired so decided to Fartlek the 2k back, doing sprints/jogs. Afterwards I checked my Garmin and my maximum speed was 19.5kph! I didn’t think I’d be able to sprint that fast!! Now if I could just keep that up for 10,000metres and not just 100metres I be doing 30minute 10k’s and competing in the Olympics! Never going to happen though….! After the running I went to Glasgow Club Easterhouse to do weights at the gym, then Glasgow Club Easterhouse Pool for a little swimming then relaxing the sauna. Then I went home to sleep!!

Well I’m back at work now so hoping to get back into a proper routine again going out running at night, which should get my training back on track and hopefully see my times coming down again! Got a Jog Scotland 5k next Wednesday night after work which I am working towards at the moment, once I get that out the way I’ll need to start running longer distances again in preparation for September!

Wednesday 10th June

2009-06-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

So how are the Bowie at Breakfast team getting on with the training for the Great Scottish Run?

Des - surprise, surprise...Des is still making sure that he doesn't exhuast himself by doing too much. He has walked briskly from the sofa to the fridge on a couple of occassions but that was about it. He claims that he won't be able to go running next week either because he is giving blood. This is now turning into an idiot's guide to "Great Excuses for Not Running".

Dr Prockter - She's never going to be first to the line on a sprint finish but slow but steady is fine. She's been out pounding the streets and at a very relaxing pace. She's managing 2 or 3 times a week with 2 or 3 times a week at the gym.

Bowie - He has the big boxing match against Tommy Sheridan in a couple of weeks so is really trying to improve his cardiovascular fitness. Although he has been wondering what to do about the fact he can hardly breathe sometimes because of the hayfever! However, he is committed to the task and has even been setting his alarm for 3.45 so he can get a 4 mile run in before the breakfast show in the morning.

13 weeks to go!

2009-06-08T14:08:00.001-07:00

Finally summer seems to have arrived! And luckily for me I had chosen last week and this week to take off on holiday, and so have been able to enjoy the good weather! I didn’t get a chance to type up my blog last week, so I’ll cover the last 2 weeks of training on this one!

As my last blog finished up with a 5k run on the holiday Monday, I will start this on the Tuesday. I went to my Body Balance class again that night. I’ve been going to it since the start of the year and really enjoy it. Wednesday night I went out a run and managed to do 4k in 21mins 12secs, an average speed of 11.3kpm. Was really pleased with it as it was faster than my runs of the previous week, and I was able to increase the distance. I next got out running on the Sunday, and quickly discovered I am not good at running in hot weather!! I did 2miles in 17m 55s, an average of 10.8kph, a bit slower than I would have liked, it was a roasting hot day though, I’m just not used to running in the heat!

Monday was the start of our break so I went hill walking up The Cobbler with the other half. As well as being the most amazing views, it was a really hard work out, not helped at all by the scorching heat!! My calves were so sore the next day I could barely walk! Was definitely worth it though for the views! Now being in pain and barely able to walk, I for some reason decided to go for a run that night!! Surprisingly it actually helped, running was much less painful than walking! I did 3k in 15m 43s, an average of 11.5kph, which would be 52min 10k pace! It felt a really good run as well so was really pleased to have done it as could easily have stayed in the house!

I was then away for a few days and also managed to catch the cold, typical when off on holiday with lovely weather! But I was signed up to do the Race for Life 5k on Sunday with a couple of girls from my work so I went out a run on Saturday after getting back, mainly to see if I was able to run! I ran 3.5k in 19m 10s, which is averaging 10.9kpm, 55m pace for a 10k, so wasn’t too bad, although I would have been struggling had I tried to run more! The Race for life was a great event on Sunday, if any of you are reading this that took part then congratulations to you all, it is such a fantastic charity to raise money for and was great to see thousands of women all there to do their bit to help out. The actual race started at 9.30 am, but we didn’t get started until after 10am as there were so many people there! It was difficult to get into a rhythm as there were so many people there walking but to be honest we didn’t care to much, it was more about taking part and raising money for the charity. We completed it in just under 34 and a half mins, one of the girls I was doing it with was taking part in her first 5k so very well done to her!

Well today I went out for another run, only did 1mile, in 8m 15s, averaging 11.7kph. I was struggling with my breathing a little due to a lingering cough from my cold, so didn’t want to push myself too much but was encouraged by the fact that I was able to run such a fast mile anyway! Off work this week again as I said above, and got more hill walking planned but hope to get out for some more running also, my immediate goal is to have my 5k time starting with a 25 so hopefully will achieve that sooner than later!

15 Weeks to Go!

2009-05-28T01:33:00.001-07:00

After the aching legs of last Monday I made it along to Spin class at Glasgow Club Easterhouse this Monday night, and it was good to get back into it after the break! Tuesday night I had Body Balance class as usual. With doing so much running and Spin I really enjoy Body Balance as an alternative to the high impact exercising! Unfortunately I then came down with a cold and so I wasn’t able to get out running again until Sunday. I think my legs were still feeling the effects of the cold however, as unlike my runs of the previous week where I averaged 12kph for 2.5k and then 11.5kph for 3.22k (2 miles), I ran 4k averaging 10.5kph in a dreadfully slow time of 22mins 56secs,! It was a real struggle, I had to push myself to get to 4k! My legs just felt they had nothing in them if I tried to run faster!

As it was a bank holiday Monday I went a run in the morning again, this time I managed to get to 5k but again it was slow! I did it in 28mins 27secs averaging 10.5kph again! My first mile wasn’t too bad at 8m32s but then my second and third were 9m11s and 9m50s! As I said, I really hope it was simply from being ill in the week and I hadn’t quite recovered yet! After the run I went to the gym at Glasgow Club Easterhouse and used the weights machines there (kept away from the treadmill though!) Was nice to get all that over with in the morning and then enjoy the rest of the holiday Monday relaxing!

Well, it was a bad week but at least it happened early on in my GSR training, so hopefully now that I’m feeling better from the cold I’ll get back to running faster and have more to write about!

16 Weeks to Go!

2009-05-28T01:32:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Claire and this is my blog for the Great Scottish Run 10k on Sunday 6th September! For the last 18 weeks I have been writing a blog for the Ignis Asset Management Women’s 10k, so if anyone is reading this who read that blog, thank you for sticking with me! For anyone new to my blog, here is a brief summary of what my blogs are about. Basically, I write about my training week! A good week for me would be Spin class on Monday night, Body Balance on Tuesday night, running Wednesday and Thursday nights, rest on Friday then running on Saturday and Sunday, plus I do weights 3 times a week, and often go swimming on a Saturday also. On a bad week… I do considerably less than that! A normal week falls somewhere between the two!

My aim when I started my blog at the beginning of the year was to achieve a 10k in 55mins. Up to that point my previous best 10k was just over 58mins, achieved in September at the Cumbernauld 10k, and my best 5k time was 27mins 21secs, which I did on a training run on a cold Autumn evening after work! Over the last few months I have ran a 5k in 26mins 41secs, and did two 10k’s in training at 58mins 44secs and then 56mins 47secs. At the Women’s 10k I got a new PB of 56mins 30secs plus, for the first time in a 10k race, ran the full distance without stopping. With the improvement I’ve made already this year, and with 16 weeks to go till the GSR I really feel positive that I will be able to run a 10k in 55mins by September. My other aims are to run a 5k in under 25mins, plus I would like to at least once try run say a 15k. I tend to run for 10k maximum then stop, so would like to see if I could run longer, even if it’s much slower!!!

Well for my first week of GSR training, it took me a while to get going, mainly because my legs were aching a bit on Monday so I gave Spin class a miss to recover! I went to my Body Balance class on Tuesday and it felt good to stretch my muscles, plus it was encouraging to hear that quite a lot of people in the class had ran the 10k on the Sunday! Other commitments meant I wasn’t able to do anything Wednesday or Thursday night, so it was Friday by time I was able to get out for a run again. I’d worked out that to run a 10k in 55mins I need to run at an average pace of 10.9kph. But now I’ve decided to try push myself to run faster so that maybe come race day 55min pace doesn’t feel that fast after all!! So Friday night I went out and ran 2.5k in 12mins 29secs, averaging 12kph, which is 50min pace! Now I’m not saying I could have run a full 10k at that pace but it’s a good start! Went to the gym at Glasgow Club Kelvin Hall on Saturday morning and had a good workout with the treadmill, weights and exercise bike, then Sunday morning I went out and did a 2 mile run, in 16mins 49secs, an average speed of 11.5kph. I did the first mile in 8m 12s but a bit slower for the second in 8m 37s. Both Friday night and Sunday morning runs were the fastest I’ve done over these distances, and I’m hoping that over the next few months I’ll get a few more PB’s over various distances!

Monday 26th May

2009-05-25T23:31:00.000-07:00

George Bowie is still managing to get regular runs in as he prepares for the Great Scottish Run and as he has a boxing match coming up soon, he is also upping his training in the gym. So he's pretty happy with his fitness levels.
Des on the other hand is still claiming that he is unable to do anything because he fell down the stairs and broke his arm. He has been told that he could be doing a bit of power-walking in order to maintain the rather poor standard of fitness which is currently has, but he's not up for that. He says that there is a certain degree of manliness to sprinting round the East End of Glasgow building up a sweat, but he definitely has issues with just strolling along in the style of an olympic speed-walker. Apparently, you are risking a great deal of abuse in the Robroyston area if you put on lycra shorts, a headband and strut around with a wiggle.

11th May 2009

2009-05-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

Is there no limit to the lengths Des McLean will go to to avoid training for this race?

George Bowie has been out running. Dr Prockter has been pounding the streets. And what about Des? Following a training regime which extended as far as a bit of hoola-hooping for 5 minutes last week, he came in with his arm in a sling this week. He claims there was no drink involved in the sustaining of a broken arm, that he was sleep-walking and fell down the stairs. The odds on that being true are the same as the odds for Des coming home in first place in the 10k in September. He says he should only be out of action for a couple of weeks and will then have plenty of time to get race fit.

2009-05-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

Well the training is going well now - at least for some of the Bowie at Breakfast team! George is back to full fitness following the hair transplant and has been out pounding the streets (when the weather has been good) and on the treadmill (when it wasn't so inviting). Dr Prockter has managed a couple of longish runs and is now trying to decide whether to go for the 10k or the Half Marathon in September.
And what about Des? No running, but he said he did do 5 minutes with the hoola hoop this week!

Friday 24th April

2009-04-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

Well there haven't been many miles covered by the Bowie at Breakfast team this week in training for the Great Scottish Run. George is recuperating following his hair transplant and is banned from jogging until it all heals. Dr Prockter is being tested for allergies and hasn't been allowed to wash for a week so no running for her. So all our hopes were pinned on Des. Who is still trying to talk himself into getting started. But Dr Prockter will be taking part in the Women's 10k in a few weeks, so she'll be back into the training regime at the weekend...and hopefully coming back smelling a little sweeter on Monday.

2009-04-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

George Bowie and Des McLean are both holidaying this week and so I think I may have been the only one who was attempting to stick to the training schedule for the Great Scottish Run. But the elements were definitely conspiring against me. Every time I was planning a run this week I got into my kit and kept an eye on the weather, hoping to catch a dry spell. 3 times I managed to head out when it was gloriously sunny and find myself caught in an absolutely torrential downpour when I was 2 miles away from home. I would like to apolgise to the good people of Wemyss Bay, I don't think anyone should be subjected to the sight of me red and sweaty in wet lycra.

Friday 3rd April

2009-04-03T00:53:00.001-07:00

As we head into the Easter holiday, there are mixed reviews for the team's efforts so far with regards to the training for the run. George has done a couple of 8 mile runs this week so he is quite happy with how his preparations are going. Dr Prockter is cracking out 6 mile runs every week now because she has the Women's 10k next month. So that leaves Des McLean. He's definitely letting the side down. He's got the trainers out of the cupboard but that's about it. He claims that 2 weeks holiday will give him a bit more opportunity to get out and get training. He's off to New York, so you know he's going to hang out with all the New York trendies jogging round Central Park.

Great Scottish Run Update - March 2009

2009-03-26T03:59:00.000-07:00

One week into the training regime and some are doing better than others. The sun shone for at least part of the week so George Bowie and Dr Prockter both managed to crack out a few hours worth out on the pavements of West Central Scotland.
Des McLean opted for excuse number 356, blaming the windy conditions for not being able to pound the streets of Robroyston. He's dressed head-to-toe in state of the art Mizuno kit and looks the part, but has spent his evenings with his trainers resting on the coffee table while he watches re-runs of Rocky movies. He says he'll definitely get out at the weekend. Watch this space!

Friday 20th March 2009

2009-03-20T00:24:00.000-07:00

Well it's too late for us to back out now. We have all signed up to take part in this year's Great Scottish Run. There will be a whole squad of us from Radio Clyde doing the 10k together, including Dr Prockter and Des McLean from the Breakfast Show and Gary Marshall and Alan Edwards from Clyde 2.
George Bowie has put his name down for the Half Marathon. George claims that he is running alone because he is a well-trained athlete who will be aiming to set a good time but there is another school of thought, that no-one wants to run with him because he is quite sweaty.
Over the weeks, we'll keep you update on our progress. George and Dr Prockter are seasoned runners but Gary is a first-timer and Des hasn't had his trainers on in anger since last September.
Well done if you have put your name down for the race, make sure you get in touch with us on Clyde1.com/Bowie to let us know and good luck with the preparations.