stride magazine - winter 2013

the jogscotland jogscotland.org.ukmagazine

Winter 2013

WIN! places at the Bupa Great Winter Run

Four page special: The jogscotland Awards

Inspiration: I ran a half marathon - after three strokes

Cross training: Spinning

plus… the best winter running events for your diary

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contents 04

contents

sponsors and funders

Warm-Up - 06Rhonda Fitzpatrick

News and Events 08

SAMH Partnership 10

Race Review - 11Peebles Duathlon

Great Groups 12

Race Directory 13

Inspiration 15Stuart Patterson

Run 4 It 18

Great Scottish Run 20

Race Review - 22Aviemore half marathon

Mini Strides 24

Scottish Slimmers 26

Race Preview - 28Bupa Great Winter Run

Running for Autuism 30

In Shorts 32

Cross Training - Spinning 34

jogscotland Awards 2013 36

Cool Down 40

David Syme - Jogging Along 42

jogscotlandmagazineWinter 2013

Designed and Printed byFront cover photograph: Great Scottish Run 2013


Meet the Jog Crew Meet the Jog Crew 05

Stride – the jogscotland members’ magazine

Billy MitchellHead of jogscotland

[email protected] 634198

Ann DavidsonProgrammes Co-ordinator

[email protected] 539 7341

Sue GyfordDigital Communications and Press Officer

[email protected] 539 7350Winning is noteverything, but the effort to win is.

Editor: Sue Gyford [email protected]

Designer: Simon Gray, 3-56 Media Ltd

Photographers: Bob Marshall Photography (LP run p9), Scott Craighead (parkrun p9), Paul DouglasPictures (Run Balmoral p8), Steven Somerville (Jed Joggers, p9), Abal Studios (Awards pp36/37)Other photographs submitted by jogscotlandmembers and supporters.

Published four times a year by scottishathletics. Copyright©2013 Scottish Athletics Ltd.

www.jogscotland.org.uk www.twitter.com/jogscotland www.facebook.com/jogscotty

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Jog Scotty The Jog Dog!Mascot of jogscotland

Membership Department


Warm-Up:Caring – and raring to goIn each edition of Stride, a guest contributor sharestheir love of running…

Warm-Up 06


Rhonda Fitzpatrick is Jog Leaderwith the Jogging Buddies group atHouston in Renfrewshire.

It’s been quite a journey and I’m notfinished yet!

I started running, a bit half-heartedly, backin the early 80s. My Dad got the bug and Iwas recruited to carry his bags and cheerhim on. That began to get a bit boring, so Idecided to try a few 10Ks and halfmarathons. I have to admit, I didn’t alwayscompletely commit to the training! I alwaysmanaged to put in just enough miles toenable me to take part in the GlasgowWomen’s 10K every year. I have more T-shirts from these races than I care to admit- all used as nighties as they were alwaystoo big for me.

It was about 25 years later that I decided toup my game a bit and take my runningmore seriously. I was reasonably fit thanksto having done a lot of hill-walking.

I Googled running clubs and came up withjogscotland which led me to JoggingBuddies. They had a group in Johnstone. Iwent along, a bit nervous, but came awayhaving thoroughly enjoyed the session.Everyone was friendly and I discovered Iwas a wee bit better than I had thought.Thanks to the encouragement of Ellen, oneof the Jog Leaders, I started to take part inmore races and completed my firstmarathon in Edinburgh in 2009. I was neverlikely to win anything but my times startedto improve and I got a bit more competitive– with myself at least. I suggested that theymight think about starting a group in myhome town of Houston, in Renfrewshire. Ihad always been a bit quiet but with theencouragement of the coaches at JoggingBuddies, I completed the jogscotland

training programme and became a leader. Over the last five or six years, running hasreally played a much more important part inmy life. My husband, Frank, took ill. Ithought my running days were over forwhile. It was a stressful time and Ieventually realised that I had to look aftermy own health. I was no good to him if Iwas ill too. So, encouraged by Frank, I keptthe running going. It gave me time tomyself and I would come home ready tostart again.

For the last seven years, I have worked fora charity, Carers Scotland (part of CarersUK). They support the 6.7 million unpaidcarers in Scotland who look after an elderlyrelative, sick friend or disabled familymember. Carers Scotland providesinformation and influences policy throughresearch based on carers’ real lifeexperiences and campaigns to make lifebetter for them.

Like most carers, I didn’t see myself as acarer. It is just something you do becauseyou love the person.

top Rhonda after running in Belfast,bottom L-R Rhonda with her Jogging Buddies after the Highland Fling relay;

Members of Houston Jogging Buddies after the Glasgow 10K; Rhonda after running in Oldham

Frank has been well for about three yearsnow and it made me think about using myrunning to help support unpaid carers.

I wanted a place in The London Marathon,but having missed out on a ballot placetwice before, I asked Carers UK for acharity place. I didn’t realise these wereballoted too! I wouldn’t know until Octoberif I had a place. So, I decided to kick-startthe fundraising by running a half marathonin every city where Carers UK has an office– Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester –and finish, hopefully, with the LondonMarathon. So far, in less than a month, I’verun in Belfast, Cardiff and Manchester andhave gained three more nighties into thebargain! To date, I have raised over £1800and had a whale of a time.

Belfast was great. There were lovely peopleand to my surprise I came second in myage category -F50- with a time of 1:48:05.The first I knew about it was when Ireceived a cheque for £50 in the post!

Cardiff was next and it was beautiful. Theweather, the city, and the people were alllovely and I completed it in 1:48:02.

Now, Oldham was a bit different. Down toearth with a bang I’m afraid. The “Milltownto Moors” was hill after hill after hill. A climbof 1100 feet I believe, with lots of clubrunners – and me. I was tired even at thestart, having done the two other halfmarathons in previous weeks. The travel

and being away from home takes its tolltoo. It was HARD! However, as always,something comes along to lift your spiritsjust when you need it most. People arevery supportive, even if they are not runnersthemselves, and the wee mill town villagesare very picturesque, though I must admitthat I wasn’t terribly interested at the time!What was my time you ask? Not so proudof this one. 1:53:34. Probably not too bad,considering.

That’s three out of four half marathons outof the way. I just have a Glasgow race tofind but no hurry. I have now been told thatI have a place in the London marathon andam looking forward to that – I think!

Before joining Jogging Buddies andjogscotland, I never thought I could do allthis. The most wonderful thing has been thesatisfaction of knowing that I have helpedother people to achieve goals that theynever thought possible either, therebypassing on the baton that was passed tome. To see the look on the face of one of“my” runners when they cross the line oftheir first 10K, still brings a lump to mythroat. Moments like that are priceless.

So, running is not only good for your healthbut also does wonders for your confidenceand if you can raise money for a goodcause, great! You can follow my progress atwww.carerscotland.org and if you wish,you can donate on www.justgiving.com/Rhonda-Fitzpatrick1.

Warm-Up 07

Run Garioch

The countdown to Run Garioch 2014 hasbegun! Jog Scotty and jogscotlandprogrammes co-ordinator Ann Davidsonjoined the jogscotland group GariochGazelles for the event launch at Inverurie’sGarioch Sports Centre.

The event, which takes place on March23rd, will include a 5K, 10K, Half Marathonand Junior Run, with entries now open onwww.rungarioch.co.uk

Race Director Eric Simpson said: “RunGarioch is Inverurie's largest annualcommunity event. Thanks to the support ofall our sponsors and patrons, we’ve beenable to invest heavily in race infrastructureto make the next Run Garioch on 23 March2014 better than ever.”

Hitting the big time

Congratulations to Gillian Cardno-Strachanof Fraserburgh jogscotland, who seems tohave become a bit of a local celebrity!

Gillian was asked by the local TSB bankmanager if she would go along and cut theribbon to reopen their branch. She said“There are much more worthy people in theBroch but I was happy to do it if itpromoted Fraserburgh jogscotland!”

Today red ribbon, tomorrow red carpet –see you in Hollywood, Gillian!

Running with Richard

Members of West Dunbartonshirejogscotland were among those to joinParalympian Richard Whitehead on hisincredible challenge of running from JohnO'Groats to Lands End. Richard wasaccompanied on each stretch of his journeyby local runners, and between Tarbert andClydebank these included jogscottiesChari, Gerry, Karen and Maurice (pictured).

Richard went on to complete the challenge,completing 40 marathons in 40 days, andraising an incredible £196,800 for SarcomaUK and Scope.

News andEvents


News and Events 08

above Scotty with Eric Simpson, Run Garioch and Ann Davidson

above Gillian Cardno-Strachan with daughter Alexx at the bank

above Richard Whitehead with members of West Dunbartonshire jogscotland

A revolutionary race

The fourth annual LP Run (above) tookplace on August 18th at MeadowbankStadium, organised by the EdinburghRunning Network. Instead of a typical racewhere everyone runs a set distance andrecords their individual time, the LP run isunique in that entrants run as many laps ofthe track as they can in 33 and a thirdminutes. Runners collect a rubber band foreach lap to help them keep count. The racealso boasts a music soundtrack of tunesfrom the 1960s, 70s and 80s selected byrunners on their entry forms. The event alsoraised an impressive £627 for chosencharity, Down's Syndrome Scotland.

Jed join the GNR

We received this great photo (below) of JedJoggers on a day out to the Great North Run.Between them they raised around £4,000 forvarious charities – great going, ladies!

STOP PRESS!Just as we went to press, we received confirmation thatthe jogscotland Christmas Cracker will take place againthis year on December 15th at Strathclyde Country Park.The event will be led by our friends at North LanarkshireLeisure Ltd, who have supported us so well in the pastwith this fun, festive 5K. For more details as we getthem, keep an eye on www.jogscotland.org.uk,www.facebook.com/jogscotty, or ask your Jog Leader.

Parkrun 09

Congratulations to Edinburgh parkrun,which celebrated its fourth birthday onOctober 19th (pictured below). Since theevent kicked off, more than 8,000different runners have completed morethan 50,000 runs – covering 251,665kmin all! Refreshments were laid on after therun, and a collection raised £250 forSimpsons Special Care Baby Unit.

Scotland has also seen the arrival of itstwelfth parkrun, with the launch of thenew route at Victoria Park, Glasgow onOctober 12th. If you’re in the area, whynot get down to the park on a Saturdaymorning and give it a go?

Visit parkrun.org.uk for more informationand to register before you go along.

Further away from home, it seemsjogscotties are keen to keep up theirparkrunning habit even when they’re onthe other side of the world! DuringSeptember and October, we had threedifferent members taking part in parkrunsin Australia. Kristen Davies ran atClaisebrook Cove, near Perth; FionaWootton parkran at New Farm Park nearBrisbane, and Caroline Stickings ran atAveley, also near Perth. Great work,ladies!

above Jed Joggers at the Great North Run

SAMH Partnership 10

Sir Chris Hoy joined jogscotland inEdinburgh on October 24th toannounce an important newpartnership with the ScottishAssociation for Mental Health(SAMH).

We’re teaming up with the charity becausethe links between physical health andmental health are so important.

With the help of SAMH we’ll teach JogLeaders to ensure that their group memberslook after their mental health as well as theirphysical fitness. We’ll also spread the wordthat keeping active can really help yourmental health and wellbeing.

In addition, we’ll deliver Jog Leader trainingcourses to SAMH staff and service users,so that jogscotland programmes canbenefit even more people.

The partnership was launched at RedhallWalled Garden in Edinburgh on October24th with the help of Sir Chris and aspiring2014 Commonwealth Games 800m athleteGuy Learmonth.

Sir Chris, who has been involved withSAMH and its Get Active campaign since2009, said: “The work SAMH does across

Scotland supports thousands of peoplewith mental health problems and it’s clearto see here at Redhall Walled Garden thatincreasing physical activity is one of thebest steps to take towards better mentalhealth. I’m proud to be able to support theincredible work the charity does and tomeet service users who have benefitedfrom SAMH’s resources."

Nigel Holl, Chief Executive of jogscotland’sparent body, scottishathletics, said: “Ourpartnership with SAMH is very important tous, and offers much in the way of assistingboth organisations. Through the well-established jogscotland programme andour member athletics clubs, we have afocus on physical health programmes tohelp people start and progress withphysical activity.

“The mental health benefits of physicalactivity are well-documented, but we knowSAMH can help us improve our support insuch a vital area.

“Equally, we believe that we can supportthe excellent SAMH networks acrossScotland through links to jogging groupsand athletics clubs - and help many otherpeople benefit. This partnership is about usdoing more of what we all know works –improvements in physical and mental healthare inextricably linked together.”


1 / 2 M A R A T H O N 5 K F U N R U N 5 K T E A M A T T A C K

S U N D A Y 9 T H M A R C H 2 0 1 4

S u p p o r t i n g

w w w . i n v e r n e s s h a l f m a r a t h o n . c o . u k

jogscotlandmagazineWinter 2013 Peebles Duathlon

by Emma Anderson

It was with some trepidation onAugust 25th that I lined up underthe bridge for the start of thePeebles Duathlon, my first eventwhich wasn't just running.

I hovered at the back with others who alsoconfessed to being first timers. Theprevious day had been spent removingmudguards, racks and light fixings from myhybrid bike in an attempt to make me feelbetter rather than go faster. The sight ofteardrop shaped helmets, aero bars andtime trial bikes lined up on the rails mademe slightly nervous again.

Once the race was underway I settled intomy pace and found it pleasant runningalong next to the Tweed. The family supportwaved from the play park on the two laps

and then it was time for transition. Helmeton, quick drink, bike off rack, run up to theroad and I was away. The route took us onthe back road towards Innerleithen. It'sundulating enough to be challenging, butfun too. For some reason Queen's Don'tStop Me Now was going round and roundmy head, but I think it helped as I pushedthose pedals. Then it was back to the rack,helmet off and time to run again on slightlywobbly legs.

I was glad to see the finish line, but I'dreally enjoyed myself. The field was friendlywith someone who was already putting hisbike back on his car cheering me on while Iwas still finishing my run. A delicious buffetof wraps and fruit was served afterwardsand I wasn't the only first timer who washoping to be back next year!

Emma Anderson, jogscotland member, Swanston

Race Review

Race Review 11

Great Groups 12

jogscotland HazleheadHazlehead Park in Aberdeen is a populardestination for many runners, but it cameas a surprise to us that there was nojogscotland group. However, thanks to theefforts of our committed group of leaders,along with support from Friends ofHazlehead, a group has now been formed.

Hazlehead is an ideal location offeringaccess to trails and the excellent new500m track.

We now have approximately 20-25 peoplerunning on a Monday and 15-20 on aWednesday night, over the four sub-groupsthat we run - beginners, intermediate, fastintermediate and the fast group.

Whether you are new to running, lookingfor a new way to improve your fitness or amore advanced runner interested inmeeting like-minded people to challengeyou, we cater for runners of all levels.

If you fancy joining or for more informationcontact: [email protected] Carole Mathieson and Robyn Warrender

Penicuik Beginners GroupThe Penicuik Beginners Group was formedin July 2013. The jogging group wascreated on the back of Happy HealthyActive, a weight loss group that began inMarch to help people to lose weight andfeel great.

Our jogging group has been a greatoptional bolt-on to Happy Healthy Active.The group is made up of different levels ofabilities but we have formed greatfriendships over this year and this hasreally helped to build a strong supportnetwork that offers loads ofencouragement.

One of our beginners said: “I have beenattending the beginners jogging group forjust over a month now and to begin with Ithought I would not enjoy it. From the veryfirst week I noticed a change in my level offitness and look forward to meeting thegroup each week. The group is verysupportive and we keep each othermotivated. I really enjoy attending thegroup and plan to do some additionalrunning now too.”

Jogging is a brilliant way to assist withweight management and change bodyshape. At our weight loss group wepromote eating a healthy, balanced dietand also highlight the importance of beingphysically active. It is wonderful to see ourfriends getting the results they want andwe are thrilled to see that new people arejoining us for jogging each week!

It is still early days for our group but ouraim is to be 5k ready for the beginning of2014. Some new members have alreadymentioned how keen they are to tackle ahalf marathon so there is no doubt that thisgroup has great potential.Jo Skead - [email protected]


Great Groups!Meet some of our joggers

from around the country


1 December

Inverness Santa 5k run, Bught Park, Inverness

8 December

Aberdeen Santa 6k run,Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen

Edinburgh Christmas 5k run,Inverleith Park, Edinburgh

Funding Neuro/SAMH halfmarathon and 10k run,Dumbarton

15 December

jogscotland NL LeisureChristmas Cracker 5kChallenge, Strathclyde Park

25 January

Buchlyvie 10k, Buchlyvie

2 February

Forfar multi-terrain halfmarathon, Strathmore RugbyClub, Forfar

16 February

Kirkintilloch 12.5k race, St Agatha’s Primary School,Kirkintilloch

23 February

Devilla Forest 5k and 15k trailraces, Devilla Forest, Fife

Race Directory

There’s an event for everyone, go to www.jogscotland.org.uk/events for full details.

Race Directory 13

Race Directory 14 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

1 March

Cupar 5 mile road race, Cupar

Stranraer half marathon andjunior fun run, StranraerAcademy, Stranraer

15 March

Clydebank 5k road race,Playdrome, Clydebank

16 March

Alloa half marathon, Leisure Bowl, Alloa

23 March

Run Garioch half marathon, 10krace, 5k run and junior fun run,Garioch Sports Centre, Inverurie

31 March

Running Sisters (Tayside) 5k forwomen, Monikie Country Park,Angus

26-27 April

Run Balmoral (junior 5K, 10K and15 mile)

Race Directory cont’d

Free parkrun eventsevery Saturday at 9.30am at:

Cramond, Edinburgh

Strathclyde Park, Lanarkshire

Pollok Park, Glasgow

Tollcross Park, Glasgow

Victoria Park, Glasgow

Callendar Park, Falkirk

North Inch, Perth

Eglinton Country Park, Irvine

Beach Esplanade, Aberdeen

Bught Park, Inverness

Craigtoun Country Park, St Andrews

Camperdown Park, Dundee

And

Park’n’Run, Balloch

www.parkrun.org.uk

There’s an event for everyone, go to www.jogscotland.org.uk/events for full details.

When 54-year-old Stuart Pattersonlined up at the start of this year’sAmsterdam Half Marathon, he wasamong many proud participants. Butfor Stuart, it was a particularlyextraordinary achievement – just tenweeks earlier, he had suffered histhird stroke.

But health problems haven’t stoppedStuart in his tracks, as he tells us…

I’ve always done exercise, but I was originally more of a hill walker than arunner. However, when I was 46, I had a stroke. Although I had some medicalconditions that may have contributed to it, the stroke came pretty much out ofthe blue.

It was a wake-up call, and there was no definitive reason for it, which was quitescary. When something like that happens, the two questions you want answeredare “Why did it happen?” and “How do I stop it from happening again?” One ofthe answers to the second question was regular exercise.

It took about three months of recovery before I could go back to work and lead anormal life, but once I was feeling strong enough, I decided to try jogscotland -there was a group in Rosemount, Aberdeen, so I joined them.

It wasn’t that I was unfit, but it was daunting to actually walk through the door -I’m not someone who joins things, it’s safe to say, and I thought “I’m not going tolike this.” But both Raymond and Margaret Simpson made me very, verywelcome, and they made it quite easy to be part of.

I had another stroke in 2007, which was similar to the first one. The recoverytime was similar, but it was a bit scarier to have had the same thing happentwice. I thought “What’s going on here?” But it was a case of getting back andkeeping exercising, and trying to lose a bit of weight, get my blood pressuredown and to keep a really close eye on my health. Running – or at least, exercisein general – is the best thing for that.

Inspiration –StuartPatterson


I’d been reasonably well since my second stroke, and had begun to think “Thatwas then, this is now - I’m through all that,” - and then, 10 weeks ago, ithappened again. It was a different type of stroke this time and the only reasonI’m getting for it happening is dehydration – I was hill walking on the West Coastof Scotland for three days in a row beforehand and it was very hot.

After the stroke, I couldn’t speak - the words formed in my brain but theywouldn’t come out of my mouth, and my right hand was affected. But really Iwasn’t so scared as I had been the first times. I thought “Here we go again,” butthings gradually came back. Physically you wouldn’t know now that I’d sufferedthree strokes.

I was in full training mode for the Amsterdam Marathon at the time. I canremember the ambulance journey afterwards, and my first question when I gotto Raigmore Hospital in Inverness was “What about my marathon training?”

I’ve been very lucky that my consultant at the hospital is a runner as well, andsomeone who takes exercise. The advice you don’t want as a runner is what mymum says to me – “You’re doing too much, go and sit in an armchair,” - you wantsomone who knows what exercise is all about and encourages you.

I had absolute confidence that the consultant knew what he was talking about.He said ‘Maybe don’t do the marathon, because with the best will in the worldyou’re going to get dehydrated if you do a marathon, and that’s no good. Butwhat about a half?”

I was delighted that I’d still be able to take part in Amsterdam. I do somethingmaybe once a year to raise money for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland. Thecharity has been an incredible support – the nurses there seem to know whatyou’re going to say before you say it. Having that kind of understanding isfantastic. It means a lot to me to be able to raise money for them.

About three weeks after my last stroke, I did a little bit of jogging myself downthe road and back, just to see how it went, and it was fine, so I got back to joggingagain with jogscotland, slowly but surely. I would say to anyone in the same boat– don’t just assume that you can’t do it, take medical advice.

I’d been due to run at Amsterdam with my fellow Jog Leaders Sarah and DaveGove. After my stroke, Dave joined me in changing his entry from marathon tohalf marathon, so that he could be with me at the event.

Inspiration 16 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

Inspirationcontinued… above Amsterdamabove with Dave and Sarah

I decided ahead of time that I would see how I felt on the day, and if I didn’t feelup to it I wouldn’t run, but I felt fine - actually, I was surprisingly calm until wegot to the start.

The weather was good and there were lots and lots of people, and a real buzzabout the place. I ran the whole thing, and kept my pace incredibly steady all theway through, pacing myself to people nearby who seemed to be running at thesame speed. When I saw a sign that said 3K to go, I thought “No problem!” – andat the end I thought I could have gone faster and could have gone further. Thebest thing is that we actually raised more than £900 for CHSS – more thandouble the original target.

I’m feeling very positive and I’ll be back for more – I’m already choosing my nexthalf marathons. I’m so glad I got involved with jogscotland. I enjoy the leading,and I enjoy seeing people coming along and, from lacking confidence like I did, tothen see them in six to eight weeks and they’re ready for their first 5K isfantastic.

It’s the camaraderie and it’s the company. Before jogscotland I was the kind ofperson who if my backside touches the settee, that’s me. But now, every Mondayor Wednesday, rain or shine, it’s jogscotland time.

Inspiration 17

above jogscotland Rosemount

Run 4 It 18

Kit Launch


We are delighted to have renewed our partnership withScotland’s running specialists, Run 4 It. Run 4 It has alsonow become the official jogscotlandmerchandisesupplier - you can see the full range of goods availablebelow. Everything in the range comes with jogscotlandlogos as standard, while T-shirts, vests, hoodies andjackets can all be customised, so you can add the name ofyour group.

Official M

erchan

dise 2013/14

Run 4 it 19

What's more, as a jogscotlandmember, you can use your 10 per cent member discount at Run 4 It to unlock reductions on the entire range. Just visitwww.run4it.com/shop/jogscotland and order online using the code jog2014 to get your discount. You can also pop into your local Run4It shop to view samples.

Head of jogscotland Billy Mitchell said: “We’re delighted to be renewing our partnershipwith Run 4 It. Their future support will enable us to keep improving and expanding ourprogramme, helping ever more people to become healthier and happier. To also now haveRun 4 It on board as our official merchandise supplier is an exciting new developmentthat will be great for our members.”

Great Scottish Run 20

Around 30,000 people got active onthe streets of Glasgow on theweekend of 5th/6th October for theGreat Scottish Run – including lotsof jogscotties. Here’s a few picsfrom the jogscotland album…

Great Scottish Run


The Aviemore half marathon and‘10K for all’ are organised by theSpeyside Trust to raise funds forBadaguish Outdoor Centre whichhelps people with disabilities toenjoy outdoor activity holidays.

The centre is in a beautiful setting in theheart of Glenmore Forest Park in theCairngorms National Park and this year itwas the starting point for both events.Because the centre can only be reached viaa forest track cars aren’t allowed to drive upto the start and all the runners have totravel by specially arranged buses from theMcDonald resort in Aviemore where theraces end.

When we reached Badaguish there werethe usual long queues to use the toilets butthere were also tea ladies handing out notjust tea and coffee but also porridge. It wasa chilly morning and this was very welcome.I sipped my tea and got ready as the officialwarm up got underway.

The 10K runners were getting ready for theirrace which would start after the halfmarathon runners set off. Both groups usethe same start and finish but the 10Kcourse heads straight into Aviemore whilethe half marathon route follows trails aroundLoch Morlich. As we passed the first milemarker, Loch Morlich could be seen acrossto our right – a spectacular view. The track

was fairly firm but there were a number ofrocks so I needed to pay attention to theconditions underfoot as we headeddownhill. After crossing the road we weredirected onto more forest trails and startedto climb steeply. Anywhere else this wouldbe a HILL but as this is the Cairngorms it’s‘just a hill’! (I wasn’t the only one to walk atthis stage) Then I spotted a smiley facemade of pebbles that someone had createdat the side of the path. That really cheeredme up and before I knew it I had reachedthe water station at the top of the hill.

On the downhill stretch I managed to catchup with people who’d passed me on the wayup. The course wound around the shores ofLoch Morlich and even though the sunshineof the previous day had been replaced byclouds the views were still beautiful. This isprobably the most picturesque half marathonin the UK and the combination of trail androad make it a bit different.

After the next water station it was time tojoin the ‘ski road’ and run downhill intoAviemore. The change from the softconditions of the forest tracks was hard onthe legs. Fortunately the few car driversusing the road were patient and courteousand the marshals did a great job of makingsure that the road crossings were safe.

As I crossed the old railway bridge I knew Iwasn’t far from the finish – just one more hillto climb and it wasn’t as bad as I’dremembered. A police officer was ensuringrunners could cross the road safely into thefinish area and it was lovely to hear shoutsof “Well done Ann” from my friends whohad already finished – definitely one of thebenefits of being a slower runner.

In the finish area I got the chance to chat tosome members of Spey Runners, theFochabers jogscotland group. They reallystood out in their lime green T-shirts andgreen tutus (below)!

by Ann Davidson

Aviemore half marathon

Race Review 22

Race Review –


10k

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and CHSS are operating names of The Chest, Heart & Stroke Association Scotland, a registered Scottish Charity Registration No. SC018761. Registered in Scotland as a company limited by guarantee No SC129114

[email protected]

The Most Beautiful Run in Scotland - for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland

0300 1212 777

We are Scotland’s Health Charity

www.theglenlivet10k.com

Sunday April 13th 2014Come and feel the 'Spirit of the Glen'

The most beautiful run in Scotland - a 10 kilometre road race setin the stunning landscape of iconic Glenlivet Estate in the

Cairngorms National Park

10k10The Most Beautiful Run in Scotland - for The Most Beautiful Run in Scotland - for Stroke Scotland& Chest Heart The Most Beautiful Run in Scotland - for Stroke Scotland

Come and feel the 'S

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pril 13th 2014

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Mini Strides 24

Run for fun at school jogscotland has been helping to puttogether a new booklet whichteachers can use to introduceenjoyable running sessions atschool.

The booklet is called “Introduction toRecreational Running in SecondarySchools” - it might be a long title, but it’sjust a guide to giving secondary kids thechance to run for fun. Rather than makingyou go on long runs that leave you too tiredto enjoy yourself, the booklet shows yourteachers how to help you build up graduallyand get steadily fitter, so you can reallyenjoy your running.

If you think your teacher would like to knowabout it, tell them! They can [email protected] to findout more about it.

Boost your brain! New research has found thatregular exercise helps improveteenagers’ academicperformance.

The study by the Universities of Strathclydeand Dundee found that exercise particularlyseems to help girls do better in science.And the more intensive the exercise, thebigger the impact on pupils’ test results.

The scientists looked at the exercise habitsof nearly 5000 children aged 11, using adevice called an accelerometer, which wasworn on an elasticated belt.

They found that the average daily amount ofmoderate to vigorous exercise carried outby the youngsters was 29 minutes for boysand 18 for girls, which is a lot less than therecommended 60 minutes. Their academicperformance was measured at the ages of11, 13 and 15/16, and the researchers foundthat results at the ages of 13 and 15/16 yearolds were better for people who had beendoing the most exercise at the age of 11.

So next time you’re struggling with yourhomework – get outside and run around!

Mini Strides for Junior jogscotties


jogscotland

This resource has been created to support the delivery of recreational running to participants predominantly in a secondary school environment. Linked to the curriculum for excellence outcomes and supported by jogscotland the resource is easy to use, fun, progressive and enables participants to develop skills at their own pace. Thank you to Active Stirling Athletics Development and Active Stirling Health and Fitness Instructors for contributing to resource materials and session plans included in this training resource.

Introduction to...

Recreational Running in secondary schools

Mini Strides 25

World MarathonChallenge Children across Scotland took partin The World Marathon Challengeon 10 October.

The challenge is organised by charity Savethe Children and takes place annuallyduring October, with schools competingacross the globe. Last year more than20,000 children across 45 countries tookpart in the event.

Schools join in the challenge by puttingtogether a team of youngsters who take it inturns to run, covering a marathon distanceas quickly as they can.

At Scotstoun Stadium, Kelvinside Academyand St Andrews Secondary were amongthose taking on the challenge, with medalspresented by Laura Muir, 800m and 1500mathlete and Commonwealth Games 2014Scotland team member.

The winning team at Scotstoun wasKelvinside Academy (pictured below) with atime of 2h 1m 53s – beating WilsonKipsang’s world record of 2h 3m 23s.

Fiona Kennedy, a teacher at KelvinsideAcademy, said: “Our pupils were reallyexcited to take part in the World MarathonChallenge again this year and were over themoon with their world record breaking time”.

Laura Muir added: "It's great to see the kidsin Glasgow taking part in the WorldMarathon Challenge today and being soenthusiastic about running. I really enjoyedrunning a few laps with them and some ofthem proved to be tough competition!"

Meanwhile, children from St Peter theApostle High School in Clydebank took partin the challenge at their school on October23rd (pictured below).

The S1 students completed the MarathonChallenge in a time of 2h 28m 07s, whilethe S2 students completed in 2h 19m 32s.Maurice Donohue of jogscotlandWestDunbartonshire, who joined them for theevent, said: “Conditions were very windy,so all the runners did really well with theirperformance.”

Scottish Slimmers 26 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

Looking good!

Suzanne has always been a happy and confident person, but atraumatic session in a bridal shop with the realisation that she was going to be a fat bridesmaid – not for the first time - made her decide to lose some weight. “I had been an overweight bridesmaid SEVEN times!” explains Suzanne, who had had enough of feeling unfit and unhealthy.

Having tried many different slimming classes, Suzanne was determined that she would get fitter as well as lose weight, and that her goal wasn’t to lose weight for the short term, but lose it for life.

“I was desperate to lose weight, but I wanted to get fitter as well – I thought that exercising would help the weight loss and keep me motivated – and I was right.” says Suzanne, who joined jogscotland as well as Scottish Slimmers to help her new health and fitness campaign, signing up with Jackie Govan’s beginners’ running group at The Peak in Stirling. “At the end of the first block, I ran my very first 5K with some of the girls in the club and the Jog Leader,” she says.

As well as following the Scottish Slimmers Positive Eating Plan, Suzanne’s new-found love of exercise continued and she decided to raise money for charity. “My best friend’s young brother had died, and I wanted to give something back to Yorkhill Hospital which had helped him so much, so I did a number of fitness challenges and raised over £4000.”

Now that she is over 7 stone lighter, Suzanne is a qualified Zumba instructor, has recently climbed Ben Nevis, and completed a six week intensive ‘Fit Camp’ as well as a sponsored sky dive.

Suzanne recently won an award at the Scottish Slimmers Slimmer of the Year Ceremony, as she was crowned winner of the Looking Goodcategory. “I am thrilled with my achievements – and I feel fabulous!” says Suzanne, who is adding a few more challenges to her list, “I am determined that I will run a half-marathon at some point and a marathon eventually one day.”

Name: Suzanne MacCrimmonOccupation: Senior eHealth TrainerHeight: 5’7”Class Manager: Anne-Marie McGarry

NowWeight: 12 stone 4lbDress Size: 12-147 stone lighter

BeforeWeight: 19 stone 4lbDress Size: 20-22

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Join today for just £1

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Scottish Slimmers 27

TurkeyquesadillasServes two

16 Checks 9g fat per serving

Heat the refried beans for a couple of minutes in a small pan over a very low heat orin the microwave.

Spread the hot refried beans over the tortillas and then cover with the turkey, salsaand sliced mozzarella. Fold each tortilla over.

Heat a griddle pan and arrange the filled tortillas in the hot pan. Heat them throughfor 2–3 minutes each side, or pop them in the microwave for long enough to warmthem through and melt the cheese.

Serve the hot quesadillas immediately with some salad leaves and cherry tomatoestossed in oil-free vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients

4 tbsp canned refried beans4 x 30 g/1 oz flour tortillas125 g/41/2 oz cooked turkey, cut into pieces4 tbsp reduced-fat salsa 60 g/2 oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese,thinly sliceda few crisp lettuce leaves or wild rocket6 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered1 tbsp oil-free vinaigrette dressing

1

2

3

4

Bupa Great Winter Run 28

Last year’s event turned out to be moresun-soaked than snow-blanketed butthe words brisk and gloves alwaysapply at the Bupa Great Winter Run.It’s perhaps two other words thoughthat are more significant for thosethousands gathered at the foot ofArthur’s Seat inside the first two weeksof January… refreshing and start.

The New Year for any runner is anopportunity to improve. Setting new goalsof further distances, faster times and thechance to complete THAT event you’vebeen looking forward to, are hugemotivating factors to keep on running andbrave the more testing weather betweenJanuary and May.

If you are still relatively new to the sport orhave a running schedule of marathonproportions to look forward too, there is nobetter way to start the year than with a 5Kin the magnificent surrounds of Edinburgh.The course may be short, but the steepincline as you follow Queen’s Drive ischallenging and rewards you withspectacular views of Scotland’s capital asyou circle Arthur’s Seat.

You can also look forward to your friendgravity after the 3K mark as you pick up thepace for a big finish at the XCountry Villageon Holyrood Park. Your well-earnedFinishers Pack will be waiting for you, aswill a great first success story towards yourNew Year’s resolution. The long-sleevedevent day T-shirt should also serve asproud year-round reminder that you’re notscared of a bit of wintry weather!

If you’ve got some Junior racers in yourfamily or club, the Bupa Junior Great WinterRun that kicks off the day’s timetable is an

outstanding launch pad to active futuresand an enthusiasm for getting outside andinto sport as part of a group.

If you’re still pondering shaking offChristmas excesses at the 2014 BupaGreat Winter Run or you’ve already decidedto start the year off on the right foot, hereare some helpful winter running tips for yourtraining.

Stretch out the cold - If your warm-uproutine during spring and summer could bedescribed as minimal, it is good idea totake the time to do it properly.

Layer it on - Once you have invested in thecorrect running gear, you shouldn’t feel anydifferent to when you’re striding around inJune and July. You normally find thatclothing and equipment will last yearsrather than months so it is money wellspent. A breathable and waterproof runningjacket is a must.

Become luminous - If you can’t fit yourruns in during daylight hours, make sureyou dress appropriately, in bright coloursand reflective stripes.

Running buddies - Running with a partneror in a group will help to ensure your safetyif the worst happens. With the otherobvious advantage of a more interestingand social experience, the extra eyes andears should also motivate and keep youturning up for more.

Hidden sweat - If the normal waves ofperspiration aren’t appearing, it’s easy toforget about re-hydrating. Your sweat rateswill be lower, but that does not mean yourfluid intake should match. Carry water withyou on longer runs or a sports drink for anadded kick to aid freeze-filled personalbests.

Event Preview: Bupa Great Winter Run


COMPETITION – COMPETITION – COMPETITION – COMPETITION – COMPETITION

Win a place at the 2014 Great Winter RunJust email [email protected]

with WINTER in the title, and your name in the body of the email. One entry per email address. Entries close on Sunday December 15th.

Tiree 29

Running for Autism by Louise Hutchison


Louise Hutchison 30

It was April 2012 and I was sittingwatching the London marathon asI do every year. I noticed how many“normal” people were taking part(by normal, I mean not proper eliterunners) I turned to Roy, myhusband, and said, “I'm going torun that before I peg it,” - hechoked on his coffee. I wasoverweight and couldn't tell youthe last time I did any exercise.

I'm a busy mum to two wee boys, with myown small business and I work full time -that was my excuse - but something thatSunday morning made me decide I wantedto run.

I looked on the website and found the BupaGreat Edinburgh Run. It was 10K and heldin October, so I had six months to get fit - Iwas going for it. I called my friend Sandiand she said she was up for it, so I paid formy place. I decided to do it for charity toget my lardy behind out the door to trainand discovered a local charity called PerthAutism Support. This was probably thebiggest find in our family’s life, and not justfor my fundraising. My youngest son Liamwas four, and was on the waiting list to betested for autism. I contacted Angie, thecharity’s manager, and we decided betweenus that I would do a weekly blog on theirFacebook and Twitter pages to keep memotivated during my training.

So that Sunday evening (after searching thewardrobe for a pair of trackies) I went out,round the corner and up the hill to find I wasstruggling! I managed half a mile before mylungs were on fire and my legs were deadweights.

I continued my small half mile route everyother morning before anyone was awake. Iwas getting faster and better every timewas out and started to tell people aboutwhat I was up to - everyone was sosupportive.

I started using a training plan and completedboth the Perth Race for Life 5K and the KiltRun at 8K as part of my training.

My other son Sam had been watching whatI was up to and asked if he could run withme in my big race. He’s only six, so Ithought 10K was too much for him, and heopted for the Bupa Edinburgh mini eventinstead. He asked if he could run for PerthAutism Support too! I was so humbled bymy wee boy’s actions. So was half of Perthand after two days his JustGiving page hadraised over £200! His photo was in the localpaper and he got an award at school forputting people before himself. I’m so proudof my Sam and I never realised the impactmy plodding around had on others.

September came and Liam got hisdiagnosis. He has Autism SpectrumDisorder. I'm relieved he will now get thehelp he needs and that questions havebeen answered. I've also started noticinghow good I feel after a run, how I'm morechilled out and calm. The fact my husbandtells me to get out for a run when I'm propergrumpy shows that it’s the best stress reliefever!

Race day came and we were up out thedoor and in Edinburgh for 9am. My racewas first. It was a hilly 10K and I completedit in 80mins. Sam was up next and did his2.5K pretty quickly.

I was chuffed to bits that I can run 10K but Ikept looking at half marathons.....

above Louise with Liam

Soon I had that post-run depression whenyou have nothing to aim for. Then one of myfriends told me I wouldn't be able to run ahalf marathon. That weekend I ran out tomy grandad’s house a few villages away inBalbeggie and ran back home. 14 miles! Isigned up for the Inverness half in March2013.

I decided to fundraise again for PerthAutism Support. The charity have beengreat through Liam’s diagnosis. They havefun things for him to attend liketrampolining and have a siblings club forSam. Roy and I decided I would do 100miles in races for PAS in 2013.

I entered the ballot for the Great North Run2013 in January and planned the races Iwould run this year. I decided that 10Ks andhalf marathons were the best way to do mychallenge. At this point, one of mycustomers asked me if I had thought ofstarting a running group. I laughed it off, butthen off I went to look online anddiscovered there's was a jogscotlandLeaders Course coming up.

I went along to the course and loved it! Itwas nice to meet so many people who areexcited by running. It spurred me on tokeep going with my challenge.

I started my group, Perth jogscotland, inMay, and although I was nervous at first, Igot through it. I love how well our team do.We’re currently working up to a 10K nextyear but we are already smashing 5Ks.

I ran the Inverness half without stopping. Iwas aiming for 2 hours 30 and came in tenminutes later – I was happy with that and Iloved it!

I then did the Rock’n’Roll half in Edinburgh,St Andrews 10K, Balfron 10K, Glasgowwomen’s 10K, EMF marathon (team relay),

Kilearn 10K, Perth Kilt Run (with some ofmy jogscotland group, their first 5K) Perth10K, Great North Run, Baxters River Ness10K, Great Scottish Run and the GreatSouth Run in Portsmouth with my threeman support crew of Roy, Sam and Liam.

I've amazed myself with what I can do. Ican’t imagine not running and even thoughI'm no Paula Radcliffe, I'm giving it my all.I'm so very fortunate to have run suchbeautiful races across Scotland andEngland.

I'm proud that Sam and I have raised over£700 for Perth Autism Support and it was apleasure to run for them both last year andthis year.

Oh and to top it all off I got a ballot place inthe London Marathon for 2014! Guess whoI'm going to be running for?

above Fiona MacIntyre, Rhona and GrahamMaxwell, Claire Copland, Zoe Robertson, LouiseHutchison and Hollie Simpson

above Louise with Sam (left)and Liam

In shorts…

men’s running 32 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

In Shorts…jogscotland and top running magazines Men’s Running and Women’sRunning have teamed up to deliver the latest headlines, tips andgossip straight from their pages to the pages of Stride.

Men’s ShortsIn December’s issue of Men’sRunning we have got more kit thanyou can shake a stick at.

That can mean only one thing; it’s awardstime. Across more than 20 categories, ourtesters have been putting the gear of theyear through its paces to deliver theirverdicts on what’s hot and what’s not.Check out the results in this issue.

We have also got great advice fromcoaching editor Nick Anderson on how youcan start training now to get a head start onyour spring marathon.

“Starting early will give you a fantastic baseon which to build your marathon trainingproper, and give you the best possiblechance of a marathon performance you’rehappy with. Starting from scratch, youcould be running ten miles by Christmas, hesays.” There’s a plan that’ll get you runningthat far by the time January arrives.

We haven’t forgotten the importance ofstrength for runners either. In his six-movebarbell workout, Sean Lerwill gives you thebest way to make sure that core is strong inthe late miles of your long runs.

“Runners often ignore thebarbell for fear of bulking up.On the contrary,strengthening the muscles ofthe legs, backside, shoulders,and arms will lead to a morepowerful, more economicaland faster runner. The biggestmistake runners make is justrunning and ignoring strengthand conditioning of themuscles that do the workwhile running.”

Nutrition is equally key ifyou’re soon to be embarkingon a long block of hardtraining. There are severalfoods that might not agreewith your training regime, andits best to identify these earlyif you can. In our feature onfood intolerances, Nick says:“Runners can have anintolerance to a certain typeof food that may not becomeclear until they start training regularly. Theintolerances cause side effects that can ruinsessions and leave you struggling to makeany performance gains.”

Keep up with all the latest by liking us onFacebook at www.facebook.com/mensrunningmagazineuk

Try Men’s Running totally FREE.Text ‘Runner’ to 60300 to claim your FREE issue todayOr call 0845 286 3067 & quote ‘Runner’

The UK’s first running magazine just for men.Whether it’s racing, losing weight, getting fit, looking for newgear and gadgets or reading the most eye-popping,inspirational stories from the world of running, we take pridein offering you all this and more in the only magazinededicated to running men everywhere.Helping you improve

your running.

Men’s Running -Order your FREEcopy today

In shorts…

wom

en’s running 33

Helpful. Friendly.Accessible.

Try Women’s Running totally FREE.Text ‘Runner’ to 60300 to claim your FREE issue todayOr call 0845 286 3067 & quote ‘Runner’

Women’s ShortsCheck out the new issue ofWomen’s Running, on sale on 28November for more fantastic tipsand informative, friendly advice onhow to start running or begin toimprove.

This new issue, cover-dated December, willfeature an extensive guide on how to staymotivated during the winter months to keeprunning, revealing the best supplements tokeep you healthy and enable you to avoidwinter bugs, plus how to stay safe in darkerconditions and how to keep your motivationlevels up.

If you struggle with hill running, you’ll bethrilled to hear that it doesn’t always haveto be that way. Tackling hard hills is allabout technique, practise and being willingto push your body that little bit harder untilyou get used to it. Hard hills can be easy, ifyou read our guide on what to do and howto change your technique for hill running.

Motivation comes in many forms. Somepeople get motivated to run by feeling fitter,healthier or slimmer, while others draw onrole models and other people formotivation. One woman who won’t fail toinspire is a lady who ran 366 marathons in365 days – yes, you read that correctly!Danish mother Annette Fredskov wasdiagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, whichmost of us would simply find shocking, yetshe used it for motivation and decided to flyin the face of this illness by committing toher amazing marathon challenge. Read herincredible story and how she kept going inthis issue.

It’s well known that running off-road andsurrounding yourself with beautiful scenerywhile you do so can be a great moodbooster, but did you know that trail runningcan help reduce symptoms of depressiontoo? Read the evidence in this issue.

At this time of year, many of us will knowwhether or not we’ve been fortunate (orcrazy enough) to sign up for a springmarathon. If you’re planning on completingthe 26.2 mile distance next spring, thendon’t let your fitness go to pot thisChristmas. How muchshould you do beforeChristmas if you’re doinga spring marathon? WRCoaching Editor PhoebeThomas says being ableto bank a ten-mile run byChristmas is a goodstarting point and willstand you in good steadfor the new year. Readour fantastic training planfor helping you completethe ten-miles.

Are you a new runner? If you’re fairly new topounding the pavements and you’reconfused by the differenttypes of terms used todescribe running sessionsthen don’t be. If you don’tknow your fartlek fromyour threshold sessionsthen fear not – we explainwhat the different type ofsessions are, how theycan help you and howoften you need to dothem in this issue.

Enjoy - and don’t forget to visit our websiteat www.womensrunninguk.co.uk

The UK’s first running magazine just for women.Women's Running provides practical information and inspiringstories to help you achieve your running goals - whether you're abeginner or an experienced runner. Every issue of Women'sRunning has all the expert advice and information you need onhow to improve your running plus detailed features on how to loseweight, tone up, improve your health and take care of your body.

Women’s Running -Order your FREEcopy today

88 December 2013 www.womensrunninguk.co.uk D 8

ore than five million people in the UK have been diagnosed with depression, with cases up by 19 per cent in some parts of the country

over the last three years; but experts estimate this figure to be “the tip of the iceberg”. In its gravest form, depression is a physical and mental numbness that makes everyday activities and interaction difficult.

Phases of depression can accompany huge life changes and shocks, for instance in the aftermath of giving birth or during a bereavement. Even if depression has never been an issue, such big stresses can trigger a full-blown episode.

WINTER BLUESAround seven per cent of the UK population suffers from low mood seasonally, feeling joyless and unmotivated during winter. This condition, known as SAD (seasonal affective disorder), is thought to relate to a lack of exposure to sunlight.

‘In winter, we travel to and from work in the dark and this lack of exposure to sunlight

T Trail Zone

LET THERE BE

Depression is a debilitating and increasingly common condition, but running can help, so try hitting the trails this winter, says Hazel Sillver

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Cross Training 34 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

RPM, Spin and Group Cycleare all fitness sessions thatuse static bikes. They providean ideal workout whether youare looking to supplementyour running or as analternative to running andjogging if you are injured orwhen you just can’t face goingout in the cold, dark wetevenings!

Because I hadn’t taken part in an RPMclass before I started by introducing myselfto Isobel, the class instructor. Isobel let mechoose whether I wanted to be at the frontor back of the class, then adjusted mychosen bike to suit my height. Once I was

on the bike she tightened the pedal strapsso my feet were held in position andexplained that if my foot came off the pedalit was important to move my foot outwardsas the pedal would continue to spin round.Unlike a regular bike, a spin bike doesn’thave gear levers. Instead, there’s a knob onthe frame that you turn to the right toincrease resistance or left to make thingseasier. As Isobel explained, it’s up to youhow hard the session is.

As we were about to start I recognised thelady on the next bike as a fellowjogscotland member – small world!Unfortunately, there was too little time tochat as Isobel switched on some fast-paced, loud music, put on her head micand started giving us instructions. Wewarmed up by gradually increasing ourcycling pace to what Isobel described as“three quarters effort”, keeping pace withthe beat of the music. By this point I wasn’tsure where I was going to find the extra“quarter effort” from.

Cross Training -On your bike by Ann Davidson

Cross Training 35

Each track required a bit more effort tokeep pace, especially as we were nowincreasing the resistance to simulatecycling on hills. The session then became aseries of short, high intensity bursts duringwhich we turned the resistance as high aswe could manage and stood up to cyclewith Isobel shouting encouragement with“Faster!” and “Go, go, go, go, GO!” beforeeasing back, reducing the resistance,cycling more slowly and relaxing. It took mea few attempts to be confident enough totake my arms off the handlebars andstretch them above my head. I think I wastoo aware of what would happen if I triedthat on my regular bike.

By this stage we were all having to usetowels to wipe our faces and I was reallyglad I had brought my bottle of water. Evenwith the air conditioning switched on in thestudio, we were all feeling extremely hotand sweaty. If you want to look glamorouswhile exercising, this really isn’t the classfor you.

The final music track was slower paced andmarked the start of the cool down phase.After slowing to a gentle pace and stoppingcompletely we climbed off the bikes anddid a series of stretching exercises. Isobelthanked everyone for the effort they had putin and told us a bit about the session shewas planning for the following week.

This was a really good workout. It’s alsoencouraged me to get back on my ownbike and go cycling again. I think I’ll bekeeping my hands on the handlebarsthough!

Awards 36 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

The very best of jogscotlandwas celebrated on Saturday26th October at thejogscotland Awards 2013. JogLeaders and joggers alike wonwell-deserved praise for theirachievements at the event,which was held as part of thescottishathletics Awards at theGlasgow Marriott.

After the event, Head of jogscotland BillyMitchell said: "The jogscotland Awards arealways a great celebration of what we standfor - fun, fitness and friendship - and thisyear was no exception. Every nominationwe received made me very proud ofjogscotland and its members, but nonemore so than our very worthy winners.Every day without fail, our Jog Leaders goout in all weathers to help people of allabilities enjoy becoming more active, and tocelebrate both the Leaders and the joggersis a great privilege."

Run 4 It Achiever of the Year -

Carolyn McAlpine jogscotland Tarbert

Carolyn (below left) took up jogging in 2010to fulfil a promise to her father. He had beenill with Hodgkins Lymphoma and sadlypassed away, but Carolyn ran the LondonMarathon to raise funds for Beatson CancerCentre, which cared for him.

She became a Jog Leader for jogscotlandTarbert, and when her aunt was also treatedat the Beatson, Carolyn decided to jog 100miles from the Centre to her home in Tarbertto raise funds. This galvanised thecommunity, with friends and colleaguestaking up jogging to support her. Thechallenge raised more than £12,500.

The nomination was made “not inrecognition of the distance but rather of theway an individual has brought togethercommunities for a good cause.”

Leaders of the Year -

Fiona Mackenzie and Brendan Brodie jogscotland Westwoods, Edinburgh

Fiona and Brendan (below) received severalnominations, which all made it clear thattheir great talent is their natural ability tocreate a welcoming, friendly atmosphere

jogscotland Awards 2013

that really supports and encouragespeople to enjoy getting fitter. Praised as“two of life’s really good people,” thishusband and wife team are enthusiasticcheerleaders for runners of all levels.They have run the group for many yearsand have a loyal long-term membershipwho turn out regularly to the three weeklysessions that they run.

Group of the Year -

Chirnside Chasers

An amazing 10 per cent of the populationof Chirnside are members of this

relatively new group. It has a very active and successful junior section, which has also helpeddraw more and more adults to the popular senior groups, which provide support andcamaraderie to joggers of all levels. The Chasers form a real hub of village life, not only takinggroups to running events, but organising fundraisers for local good causes and holding a familyfun day to thank Chirnsiders for their support. This year the group was also affiliated toscottishathletics, providing a pathway for any members who want to move towards morecompetitive running. One nominator wrote “I don’t think I have ever been part of an organisationthat has encouraged, supported and listened as much as the Chasers.”

Inspiration Award -

Maurice Donohuejogscotland West Dunbartonshire

The Inspiration Award is not awarded every year - it is only presented in years that we feel thereis somebody particularly deserving of the accolade. This year, we had a very worthy winner.Maurice Donohue has been a Jog Leader at West Dunbartonshire since 2009. He is the drivingforce behind its seven jog groups, which range from a 'walk to jog' class for complete beginnersup to sessions for confident runners. He also organizes and performs at the annual WestDunbartonshire awards night, where his appearances have included Jedward and Brucie inStrictly Come Jogging. But his contributions to the jogging community have gone far beyondthat.

Last year Maurice set up a free, weekly 5K event, Run'n'Park, and every Saturday morningsince then has turned out, rain or shine, to Balloch Country Park to encourage runners of allabilities around the course.

This year, with his 50th birthday pending, hedecided to raise money and awareness for theScottish Association for Mental Health by running 50half marathons during 2013. He passed his £1,000fundraising target earlier this month, but even moreimpressively, his challenge has become a rallyingcall for many other runners. As well as completingmany lone half marathons, Maurice has organisedtraining runs where he has encouraged otherjoggers to join him and achieve their own halfmarathon goals.

His energy is tireless, his enthusiasm boundless,and the number of people he has inspired countless.

Awards 37

Choosing our Award winners is alwaysdifficult because we have so manyfantastic nominations. This year’sother shortlisted nominees were:

Run 4 It Achiever of the Year

Susan Stewart, JogPeeblesA long-time member of JogPeebles, Susandecided to celebrate the approaching 50thbirthdays of herself and husband Alan bytaking on 50 challenges over 18 months.They are also raising awareness of theimportance of signing the Donor Register.Alan underwent a kidney transplant threeyears ago to combat kidney disease, andthe couple are hugely grateful for his newlease of life.

Christine DuthieAt the start of 2013, Christine and herfriends Sarah and Marlyn were encouragingone another through training for their firsthalf marathon at Inverness. However, inJanuary, Christine was diagnosed withbreast cancer. She kept her sense ofhumour and dignity throughout treatment,and was given the go-ahead from doctorsto start running again, returning tojogscotland. She now plans to run theInverness half when she turns 40 in 2015,telling friends “I have unfinished business!”

jogscotland Jog Leader of the Year

Ian Shield, JogLevenIan is praised as a, “quiet, canny man whogently encourages us all, and tells us wecan achieve whatever we want.”

He gives up his own time to help memberstrain for events outside regular sessions,and supported members of JogLeven to setup a new running group in Falkland.Accomplished runners still return to hisgroup for the camaraderie and membersexcel by setting out to repay the faith he hasin them.

Christine Garvie, jogscotland DunfermlineChristine has been the driving force ofDunfermline jogscotland for the past 10years and is praised for her passion,enthusiasm, commitment and motivation.She and husband Jim will go out in theirown time to plot routes for members whoare training for longer distances and thenaccompany them on foot, by bike or car.She “always seems to have the right wordswhen you feel like giving up”.

Jamie Sterling, Glasgow Front RunnersJamie became a Jog Leader in January andhas quickly become respected and popularin the role. He particularly excels in workingwith new members of the group andbeginners. He is an active member of thecommittee, and works tirelessly, withpatience and understanding, to encouragepeople to reach their full potential.

jogscotland Group of the Year

Jed JoggersJed Joggers was established officially inOctober 2012 after several members of thegroup took the Jog Leader course. At theirfirst session they set off with 30 women intow and now have more than 120 members.The group sends bus-loads of runners toevents such as the Great North Run and haschanged the lives of many women inJedburgh as they make new friends andbuild confidence. The sea of pink T-shirtshas become a familiar sight in the town.

jogscotland ChrystonThe huge range of abilities represented atChryston is demonstrated by the fact that inthe past year, members have run their first5K, first 10K, first half marathon, and firstfull marathon - and that they have travelledall over Scotland and Europe together to doso. Members have taken part as a group inwalking, abseiling and cycling-relatedcharity activities.

Awards 38 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2013

jogscotland Awards 2013

Susan Stewart (centre) with husband Alan (left)and fellow JogPeebles Jog Leader Trish Forster

below Jed Joggers

Christine Duthie (left) and friend Marlyn Simpson

above jogscotland Chryston

Jamie Sterling (second left), Maurice Donohue (centre), Ann Davidson (right)

below Carolyn McAlpine and friends from jogscotland Tarbert

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Cool Down


There’s one subject that seems todivide runners like no other, and I’vedecided the time has come to broachit. It’s difficult to talk about, and Ihope I won’t offend anybody with mychoice of topic: Running with music.

Some people feel with a passion thatrunning while wearing headphones disruptsthe purity of the experience; that it stopsyou listening to your body, distracts youfrom the important messages your musclesmight be sending you, and prevents younoticing and enjoying the world.

Others would never set foot outside theirdoor without being plugged in to a playlist ofexactly the right tempo to motivate themand keep them moving. And several studieshave shown that listening to music generallyimproves running performance, lesseningperceived effort by taking your mind off thestress you’re putting your body under.

I have to admit, however, that I’m one ofthose rare runners with a trainer-clad foot inboth camps.

There are some times when the decision ismade for you – some events don’t letparticipants wear headphones, andcommon sense dictates that they’re not a

good idea on busy roads or down dark,lonely lanes.

Aside from those rules, however, I love to gofreeform and do whatever takes my mood.Sometimes I set off without even picking upmy headphones, other times I’m plugged infrom the start. Sometimes it’s switchingmid-run that keeps me going.

There’s definitely great joy to be had intaking in the sounds of the natural world. I’ma trail runner, and who wouldn’t want tolisten to the birds singing and the leavesrustling as they wend their way up abeautiful footpath on a sunny afternoon?

I’ve run while listening to the wind, thewaves, the traffic and the sound of my ownbreathing (some might say gasping…).

On one recent run, a dreich autumn eveningturned into a torrential downpour and I wasfeeling really quite sorry for myself until itoccurred to me to stop and take myheadphones out. The sound of the rainsplashing onto the pavements suddenlymade the whole thing seem like a terrificadventure and I carried on with a spring inmy step.

Sometimes, however, especially when thegoing’s tough, I find there’s no substitute forlistening to music.

And when I say listening, I actually meanlistening, singing, and dancing: Oneadvantage of trail running is that there’soften nobody in sight, so the potential forindulging otherwise embarrassing behaviouris huge.

When I took part in the Lakeland TrailsMarathon around Coniston this summer, Ifound the first section of the race a real slog.I started out enjoying the natural world

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around me, but pretty soon my knees werehurting, the hills were relentless, and thedelicate sound of the wind in the tree topswas scant comfort.

Just as I was wondering whether I’d make itto the end, I remembered my carefully-chosen running playlist and stuck in theearbuds.

What really got me through that hump andon to the runner’s high was not the monthsof training I’d put in – it was shimmyingalong a high path, wiggling my hips, twirlingmy hands and singing my heart out toShakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie”.

And you know what? I don’t even care ifanyone’s watching me when “What’s ThatComing Over The Hill? Is It A Monster?”comes on. If I happen to be coming over ahill at that very moment, I will lift my handsup like scary dinosaur claws and unleash alittle roar. It doesn’t matter who’s looking,how tired I am or how much I’m aching, - Iwill come over that hill grinning from ear toear as I unleash the animal inside.

I think what it all boils down to is that, like somany matters in this world of running, themost important thing is to find out whatsuits you and go with it.

There are lots of debates to be had:Barefoot running vs maximum supportshoes; GPS addiction vs following yournose; music vs silence. But one of thethings that running offers us all is a great bigopportunity to suit ourselves, so let’s allmake the most of it and do exactly as weplease.

But watch out if you see me coming over ahill any time soon, because I guarantee, itwill be a monster. Rrrraaaaahhhhh!

By Sue Gyford

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We Remember ThemMembers of our Balerno-based group,Harmeny Pentland Runners, are very lucky.When we meet up for a run on Wednesdayevenings or Sunday mornings we have arange of route possibilities and usuallydecide on the spot where we will run.Some weather conditions suggest asheltered, tree-lined run, others let us enjoya glorious canter over the bare slopes of thePentland Hills.

Once a year our run is not determined bythe weather. On the Sunday nearest toRemembrance Day our club runners willmeet up on the western slope of Hare Hill.Some runners will have started in Balerno,some will have driven up to Threipmuir CarPark but we will all tackle the steep beechavenue to Bavelaw Castle then turn up tothe open moorland beyond. We take thetrack which leads toward West Kip, butbear left onto Hare Hill. On a heatherymound a simple post with a metal platemarks the spot where a Junkers 88 of theGerman Air Force crashed on the 25th ofMarch, 1943. The plate lists the occupantsof the plane as Fritz Forster, Horst Blum,Willi Euler and Heinz Kristall. They all losttheir lives, aged 31, 23, 22 and 22. It is nomatter that these casualties of WW2 areGerman and not Allied airmen, they arevictims of war.

Most of us who come on this memorial runare older than these German lads. As I said,we are very lucky.

A Short MileSnow in early December adds to the festiveexcitement, and I remember one day inDecember with plenty of beautiful snow. Itstarted mid-morning and fell steadily untilmid-afternoon. It was cold and wind-free,so the snow danced then lay where itlanded in even depth. I had to go for a run!

The Pentland Hills were close by and thefirst stars already visible as I crossed overthe slow traffic on the bypass at BonalyBridge. I took the track south to thereservoir, each footfall marked by a squeakfrom the sparkling snow. I turned east upthe steep side of Capelaw Hill – hard goingin the eerie light but I wanted the thrill ofstanding on top. I had the hill to myself andwhite Edinburgh was laid out beneath me,but a chill wind swept the summit. The nextmile was one I will never forget. I loped eastdown to the saddle on a perfect cushion ofpowder snow, then north on the pathbeside Howden Burn, now out of the wind.

The line of the path was just visible in theorange glow from Edinburgh’s street lights.The snow layer gave easy running whichallowed me to look around at the silent,white world. My stride lengthened as Ibecame confident that the gentle down-slope held no dangers. I floated down innext to no time – all too soon I could hearthe growling of the bypass traffic. Oncepast the trees I jogged to the black outlineof Bonaly Tower, a lone moving figure on apristine sheet of white. Footprints showedthat others were out enjoying a run.

If I had had the time I would have done therun again; the wintry conditions wereexceptional, making the descent fromCapelaw Hill back to Bonaly that Decemberday the shortest mile I have ever run.

Jogging Along by David Syme


Do you have a memorable mile you’d like to share with Stride readers?

Send your story to [email protected] and we will publish the best.

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Winter 2013

www.jogscotland.org.uk/local-groupsjogscotland group finder

With hundreds of groups across Scotland, here’s how to find your nearest one…1. go to www.jogscotland.org.uk/local-groups 2. enter postcode3. find your nearest group4. join in!

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