Glenpark Harriers – here we come!

Tom has been headhunted off the esplanade while out on one of his training runs to join the Greenock Glenpark Harriers Running Club! The story behind this is actually a bit more complicated – if you want to find out the details, read on!

For a while now, in fact since the WHW-DNF, I have been trying to encourage Thomas to join a running club. I thought it might be good for his training, especially over the winter, structured speed training and general social aspect etc.
He has been quite reluctant as he does his “own thing” training wise and does not want to be roped into frequent races etc. Even over a year ago I had met a nurse I knew from Inverclyde A&E at Tesco, who had joined Glenpark Harriers and she had tried to get both of us into the club, but apart from looking at the website we did not take it further.
Then on Saturday on the train when I read the Greenock Telegraph on my way to Glasgow, there was an article about the Harriers and how they had done at the Great Scottish Run. It was talking about Alan O’Rourke who “had brought them home” in a time of 1:23 and I was thinking, well Thomas was faster than him, he should really join them and get home “first”.
When I came back Thomas had been out on his long run with a few speed intervals. He had noticed a runner trying to keep up with him but apparently Tom got faster and faster and the guy could not keep up. On his return lap, this guy actually stopped him asking if he had “a few minutes”, was he already in a club, he should join the Glenpark Harriers and there would be a 4K race at the Esplanade the following week. Guess who he was? Alan O’Rourke of course. How many signs do you need?? :-)

I have decided to tag along when (and if!) Tom goes for his first training session with them after the Cologne Marathon. This is actually quite a life changing moment for me. Up to now, even after doing my 1st Marathon and a few HM, I have not really considered myself a “runner”.
In fact I have used running to stay fit, trying my luck at a few longer distances, but in my heart I have always been a “skater”. Unfortunately especially over the past 2 months the weather has been so bad that serious training on skates was impossible. I have had to realize that I will not be able to progress and get faster times on skates while living in Scotland.
After the Cologne Marathon where I will try once more to get under 2:00 (and will in fact very ambitiously join the 1:50 pace line with 2 fellow Scottish Skaters), I will therefore hang up my skates and exchange them for running shoes. I can join my skater friends on dry days during spring and summer as part of the occasional cross training, but I will not try to do any serious training. Instead I will concentrate on running – and so I should with the DOTH coming up next year and my name on the starters’ list!