3 Eildons 10 Mile Trail Race Report - Easter Sunday

A very good turnout from the Moorfoots at the 3 Eildons 10 Mile Trail Race. A challenging start up the Eildons which was wet and super slippy on the special clay like soil there before if flattens out relativity and undulates allow river valleys. The course is here
Some close racing are the front with the race won but Craig Mattocks of Carnethy/Gala Harriers (although as of a fortnight he will be a Peebles resident along with his partner Kate Jenkins). Darin led the Moorfoot contingent home packing tightly with Darin 4th, Mike McGovern 5th and Tom Hobbs 6th. Full results are not out at the time of writing but the order of Moorfoots was Colin (c. 12th - but just very happy to be running again after almost a month off with illness), Eddie, Kenny and Alan Elder. Full results will be here: https://www.facebook.com/melroseroadraces

Moorfoots at the finish (Sorry Alan)

Cross-Training Blog

Good cross-training blog here
http://www.inov-8.com/blog/cross-training-for-injured-runners

Good to incorporate some of these non-impact suggestions into your training even if you are injury free, especially if you are ramping up the mileage.

A few personal observations on the aqua-jogging demo video. As the narrator says, there are various ways to do this. I think there are basically two.
1) low-intensity aqua-jogging for recovery - with more of a cyclical running action. At low intensity with a slow-medium cadence you will need a flotation belt. (Peebles pool has some. Just ask.)
2) high intensity aqua-RUNNING to work on your aerobic fitness - with more of a knee-up and heel to bum action, as demo'd by the second guy in the video. If you do this without a belt it is much much harder. Also if you keep your hands streamlined (rather than "paddling" as he suggests) it is harder still. You have to keep a high cadence just to keep your head above the water. THIS IS HARD WORK!
The first guy in the demo video has too much of a forward lean from the hips. Having said that, I don't think you need to get fixated on maintaining "good running form" when aqua jogging or running.
When aqua jogging for recovery, your leg action will be more exaggerated front and back than when running. It's really about getting some mobility and an active but easy stretch into the legs. (If aqua jogging to replace long easy running miles, you will soon get bored and are probably better swimming or cycling instead.)
When aqua running, it is principally about getting your heart rate up. Henry Gray, who many of you will know (coach to Guy Learmonth), is a big fan of aqua running and other pool work, and says in terms of intensity and HR, he can replicate any track session in the pool.
For what it is worth, I myself do sets of 4 to 6 x30s efforts of aqua running (no flotation belt) with a 15s recovery (well TBH these days my recovery goes up by 5s after each successive rep!) and intersperse the sets with some swimming lengths or leg kick. This is definitely enough to get my HR up and have me gasping at the end of the set to the extent that old ladies ask if I'm ok!!!!

Craig runs Alloa half

Craig Rendle raced Alloa half marathon on Sunday as part of his London Marathon build up. Here's his report:


I travelled up to Clackmannanshire on Sunday for the Alloa Half, which I wanted to do as a prep race 5 weeks out from London. Colin and I agreed to do this race some months back, however Colin had no choice but to pull out due to suffering from "man-flu" and having been unable to train for a few weeks.
The plan was simple, arrive early so that I could do a good 2 or 3 mile warm up, run the race at a decent pace (but not flat out), warm down then drive home. It didn't quite work out like that, as for a number of reasons (mainly getting stuck for half an hour in a car park with no spaces), I ended up getting to registration with minutes to spare!
So.... No time for the usual last minute toilet trip or warm up, but with a few pinpricks on my fingers from a succession of failed attempts at putting my number on, I made it to the start line by the skin of my teeth.
My plan was to run around 6.10 min/mile pace, which is approximately 20 seconds per mile quicker than target marathon pace and hopefully feel like I had more to give at the end. Didn't want to completely kill myself as I have 3 or 4 weeks of heavy training to do.
I positioned myself about 10 rows back. The race started with a literal bang as the starter fired a gun that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Wyatt Earp’s hip.
Off we went, the route starts near the sportscentre in the town centre, does a one mile loop and then starts to follow the road out to the foot of the Ochils. At Tillicoultry the route hits a left towards Menstrie, the Ochils casting an imposing shadow from the runners’ right, where then 5k remains through Tullibody and back into Alloa from whence we came.
As always, the temptation is to go off too quickly. I resisted that and went through the first 2 miles in 6.06 and 6.04 respectively, before settling into a nice rhythm (as per the plan). The course isn’t hilly but does have small undulations. My fastest split was 5.51, with my slowest 6.24 (mile 11), which covered the "hill"!
I felt pretty good and wasn’t absolutely pushing to my limit. Miles 12 and 13 were 6.06 and 6.05, giving me a finish time of 1.20.45 (Ave pace 6.09).
All in all, a worthwhile race and an indication that my fitness is getting there and barring injury, I'm hopeful of a decent PB in London!
Craig
Full results here: http://www.alloahalfmarathon.co.uk/2016_results.php

Craig is in there somewhere

Sports Relief Challenge - Philiphaugh to Haystoun

As a way of getting involved in Sports Relief - and to assist a very charitable daughter make a donation to a worthy cause, I offered, on Friday night, to run - at a per-mile donation fee - from Selkirk to Peebles on Sunday past.

I planned to join the start of 'Feel the Burns' with the start of 'The Two Breweries' - heading down to Traquair at the turning point on FTB - linking up to the initial climbs on TTB and taking a route from the bottom of Birks Hill up on to Kirkhope Law and back along by Gypsy Glen to Peebles - Roughly 19 miles.

From Brown Knowe with The Eildons in the distance 

It was a good day for it and I felt fine until hitting the tarmac on the run past Traquair House. At this point the upper thighs started to complain. A slight change of pace and a few bars of chocolate and I was feeling good again - until the nasty climb up to Kirkhope Law.

Over the top and on to the undulating section above Kailzie and then a welcome long finish downhill to Glen Road.

An enjoyable run and maybe one for a club weekender? Half to Traquair or the full to Peebles??

Chapelgill Hill Race Report

Lovely spring weather greated the 47 runners who took part in Saturday's Chapelgill Race near Broughton.

Phil Davies of the Borrowdale club from the English Lake District, who is also the course record holder from 2003 and the more recently the 2014 winner, who made the trip north again and won  the 2016 event in 20.28.

First (and only) Moorfoot and first Borderer was Andrew Cox in 24.02 and sixth position.

Results here


That's one way to cool - Winner Phil Davies afterwards

CLUB AGM + MEAL AT FRANCO's - FRI 25th MARCH

The Annual General Meeting of the Moorfoot Running Club will be held on:

FRI 25th MARCH 7pm at COUNTY INN,  PEEBLES  (upstairs meeting room).

The committee would like to encourage as many members to attend and have a say in how the club is organised - new ideas  / new volunteers always welcome!!

We are also going to book a table at Franco's afterwards (for 9pm). This is an opportunity to catch up with fellow club members!! It also means the AGM cannot run on too long!

If you would like to come along to the meal afterwards then could you add your name to the doodle poll below:-

doodle poll

thanks
Eddie Balfour
Club Treasurer

Peeblesshire News Article - Broughton starting line for Borders series

Copied from here: http://www.peeblesshirenews.com/sport/14347883.Broughton_starting_line_for_Borders_series/

Lucas Cheskin during the Cademuir Rollercoaster.

BROUGHTON is set to host the first round of races in the inaugural Scottish Borders Hill Race Series.
Clubs from across the region have come together to stage the spring and summer series of 10 races.
And tomorrow (Saturday) an expected 100 or so athletes will tackle the first climb, Chapelgill, just south of Broughton.
Series co-ordinator Colin Williams, club secretary of the Moorfoot Runners, told the Peeblesshire News: "The series will be a real show case for what the region has to offer.
"Events are located in all four of the historic Borders Counties of Peebles, Selkirk, Roxburgh and Berwick.
"Chapelgill by Broughton kicks off the series - it is one of the most relaxed and shortest hill races in Scotland at about 1.5 miles long with 1,300 feet of climbing."
Chapelgill normally has an entry of around 40 athletes each year.
But inclusion in the Scottish Borders Hill Race Series, which is sponsored by James Jones & Sons Ltd, is expected to see numbers swell.
The series consists of 10 short to medium races open to anyone over 18.
Athletes will have to complete a minimum of five races to get a series placing – if more races are completed then the five highest finishes will count.
There is no additional fee or registration required to enter the series.
To take part runners should just enter the participating races as normal.
Prizes will be awarded for the overall male and female winners of the series with extra prizes for the fastest Borders resident or club member and there are also veteran classes.
Colin added: "For faster runners there is a bit of prestige to compete for, but overall the idea is to promote the different races throughout the beautiful Scottish Borders in an increasing busy calendar and hopefully motivate people to get out and enjoy the hills and have a bit of fun.
"The races stretch all across the Borders - from the north with the Baddinsgill Round in the Pentlands Hills by West Linton to the Devil’s Beef Tub race in straddling the Dumfriesshire boundary in the west, Yetholm Hill Race in the Cheviots in the east and the final race Penchrise Pen by Stobs Castle near Hawick in the south."
Following tomorrow's opener near Broughton, the series moves to Peebles on Wednesday, May 18 for the Gypsy Glen hill race.
Yetholm hosts the the third round on Sunday, June 5 ahead of the Three Eildons Race at Melrose on Saturday, June 25, which doubles as the 2016 Scottish Championship Hill Race. Up to 500 athletes are expected to take part in the Eildons race.
Earlston's Black Hill Race on Tuesday, July 5 marks the half way point of the Scottish Borders Hill Race Series.
Selkirk host the sixth leg on Sunday, August 7 with the Philiphaugh Hill Race before athletes return to Peebles for the Cademuir Rollercoaster on Saturday, August 13.
The Baddinsgill race near West Linton takes place on Sunday, August 28 before the series moves to Moffat for the Devil's Beef Tub run on Saturday, September 3.
The 2016 Scottish Borders Hill Race Series concludes near Hawick on Sunday, September 18 with the Penchrise Pen race.

Borders Hill Race Series 2016 - Inaugural Year

Hi all - I am co-ordinating the Inaugural Scottish Borders Hill Race Series this year.

The Series consists of 10 short to medium races throughout the Borders in Spring and Summer. Participants will have to complete a minimum of 5 races to qualify for a series placing. If you do more races then your 5 highest finishes will count.

There is no additional fee or registration required to enter the series. To take part you simply need to enter the participating races as normal which are mainly Entry On the Day (EOD) except the Eildons and Baddinsgill which are pre-entry only.

The races for 2016 will be:

 

Race	Location	Date 2016	Organiser details /Event Website	Entry
Chapelgill	south of Broughton	Sat 19 March	Robin Morris robin@rlmorris.co.uk	Entry On Day
Gypsy Glen	Peebles	Wed 18 May	Mike Pearson mike@kingsmeadows.co.uk Moorfoot Runners www.moorfootrunners.co.uk	Entry On Day
Yetholm	Town Yetholm	Sun 5 June	Les Turnbull les1984@btinternet.com Norham AC	Entry On Day
Eildons	Melrose	Sat 25 June	Gerry Moss president@galaharriers.co.uk Gala Harriers galaharriers.co.uk	Online: www.entrycentral.com
Black Hill	Earlston	Tues 5 July	David Young david@youngsfamily.plus.com www.facebook.com/blackhillrace	Entry On Day
Philiphaugh	Selkirk	Sun 7 August	Sheila Cochrane cochrane68@sky.com Selkirk Fund Runners www.facebook.com/selkirkfundrunners	Entry On Day
Cademuir	Peebles	Sat 13 August	Gregor Nicholson gjn@macsinsport.co.uk Moorfoot Runners www.moorfootrunners.co.uk	Entry On Day
Baddinsgill	West Linton	Sun 28 August	Nick Brown nick@caac.org.uk Corstophine AAC www.caac.org.uk/Baddinsgill_Round	Online: www.entrycentral.com
Devils Beef Tub	north of Moffat	Sat 3 Sept	Willie Gibson willie.gibson@btinternet.com Carnethy HRC  carnethy.com/ri_beeftub.htm	Entry On Day
Penchrise Pen	south of Hawick	Sun 18 Sept	Paul Lockie paullockie@btinternet.com Teviotdale Harriers teviotdaleharriers.org.uk	Entry On Day

All the race details are found on www.scottishhillrunners.uk and scottishhillracing.co.uk. Please contact the individual race organisers with queries about specific events.

The Borders Hill Race Series will have prizes for the following categories:

• 1st overall male and female winners
• 1st M + F Borders resident/ club member (if not the overall winner)
• 1st Vet in categories where three or more finishers

Prize giving will take place after the last race in the Series, the Penchrise Pen.

Series Flyer for download here 

Any queries please contact Colin Williams colin.m.williams@talk21.com