From Scottish Athletics ...

LIZ LAUNCHES FEMALE ENDURANCE SQUAD
FORMER WORLD AND COMMONWEALTH 10,000M GOLD MEDALLIST Liz McColgan officially launched the Liz McColgan Bank of Scotland Endurance Squad on Tuesday 10 January 2006.

The 15-strong squad, which is supported by Bank of Scotland, consists of athletes aged 15-18 who have been specially identified by Liz as having the potential to succeed at the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2014 Commonwealth Games, for which Glasgow are bidding.

The squad members and their coaches will meet around four times a year to share ideas on training and competition whilst also have the opportunity to tap into the expertise of Liz McColgan, who as well as numerous track titles also won the London, New York and Tokyo Marathons in a glittering athletics career.

The first squad gathering will take place at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow on Sunday 15 January and will also see the presence of 5000m runner Jo Pavey, one of Great Britain’s biggest hopes for medal glory at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in 2006.

Liz McColgan said: “All of the members of the squad have shown something that marks them out as athletes of real potential and I hope I will be able to help them realize their dreams in the sport. This is not about coaching, that is for their personal coaches, but I want to be able to share my experience and knowledge from my years as an international athlete.

“I understand many of the problems and difficulties that young athletes can encounter and I want members of the squad and their coaches to feel they can turn to me for advice where needed.”

Karen Tighe, Sponsorship Manager, Bank of Scotland said: “The Bank is committed to supporting the development of athletics in Scotland and we are delighted to support the new Liz McColgan Endurance Squad, complementing our support of the Bank of Scotland Talented Young Athlete Programme.

“We wish all those athletes selected for the Liz McColgan Bank of Scotland Endurance Squad all the best for the forthcoming season.”

SQUAD MEMBERS

NAME (HOMETOWN/CLUB) BIRTHDATE

EMMA CLOGGIE (BANCHORY/BANCHORY STONEHAVEN) 10/07/88
Silver medallist in 3000m at 2005 Bank of Scotland under 20 Championships

SIOBHAN COLEMAN (LINLITHGOW/PITREAVIE AAC) 17/12/88
Winner of the women’s U17 title in the prestigious 2004/05 Reebok Cross Country series. Bank of Scotland under 17 champion over 3000m.

JOANNE FINCH (NEWTON MEARNS/CITY OF GLASGOW) 25/08/88
Double 2005 Scottish Schools Champion over 800m, 1500m. 800m bronze medallist at 2004 AAAs U17 Championships indoors and outdoors. 800m winner at 2005 Celtic Games.

REBECCA FINCH (NEWTON MEARNS/CITY OF GLASGOW) 23/04/90
Triple Scottish Schools silver medallist in 2005 in 800m, 1500m, cross country.

CHARLOTTE FORBES (ABERDEEN/ABERDEEN AAC) 14/07/87
Bank of Scotland under 20 Champion over 3000m.

NICOLA HOOD (DUMFRIES/NITHSDALE AC) 06/07/90
Bronze medallist in 3000m at 2005 Bank of Scotland under 17 Championships

ASHLEIGH KENNEDY (PENICUIK/LASSWADE AAC) 14/03/88
2005 Bank of Scotland under 20 Indoor Championship 800m gold medallist.

JENNIFER KIBBLE (BALMULLO/FIFE AC) 26/12/89
Silver medallist in 3000m at 2005 Bank of Scotland under 17 Championships

EILISH MCCOLGAN (CARNOUSTIE/DUNDEE HAWKHILL) 25/11/90
Winner of under 13s race at 2004 Inter-Counties Cross Country Championship. 1500m bronze medallist at 2004 AAAs under 15 Championships. 2005 Bank of Scotland under 15 800m champion.

LAURA MCCORD (EAST KILBRIDE/WHITEMOSS AAC) 09/11/90
Fifth in under 15 girls class in 2004/05 Reebok Cross Challenge Series. Ranked Scottish no1 in under 15 3000m in 2005.

ABBEY MCGHEE (MILNGAVIE/VICTORIA PARK AAC) 02/04/90
2005 Bank of Scotland under 17 Championship 800m bronze medallist. 2005 Bank of Scotland under 17 Indoor Championship 800m silver medallist.

JOSEPHINE MOULTRIE (COLSTON/CITY OF GLASGOW) 19/11/90
2005 Bank of Scotland under 15 champion over 1500m.

ASHLEIGH MURRAY (GLENROTHES/PITREAVIE AAC) 25/04/89
Second overall in under 15 class in prestigious 2003/04 Reebok Cross Challenge Series.

LAUREN PEFFERS (DUNBAR/DUNBAR RUNNING) 18/12/88
800m gold and 1500m silver at 2005 Deaflympics. 1500m runner-up at 2005 Celtic Games. Top of 2005 Scottish under 17 rankings for 1500m.

LYNSEY SHARP (EDINBURGH/EDINBURGH SOUTHERN) 11/07/90
UK under 15 record-holder 800m indoors. Gold medallist at 2004 AAAs under 15 Championships indoors and outdoors.

The Black Bun Run

Eighteen runners completed the Black Bun Run on Old Year's Night - a very good turn out.  Thanks to everyone who came down to help out and give their support on the night.  A special "well done" to Alex and Finn.  Hope you enjoyed the (late) Christmas pudding Alex.

 

Grant Noble                 8:10

Ian Rowland                 8:12   

Ian Sills                        8:23

Richard Taylor             9:03

Stuart Hay                    9:06

Graeme Watt                9:08   

Alex Noble                   9:43

Pete Younger               9:54

Frank Weissgerber      10:05

Anne Hay                     10:12

Emma Taylor                11:39

Theresa Leslie               12:07

Mark James                 12:10

Finn Porren                  12:10

Fay Stanton                  12:34

Val Herring                   12:35

Sheila Morrison            12:36

Rona Starr                    17:18  

 

Happy New Year everyone!

Festive Half and 10 K

This took place on Sunday 11th and it was great to see so many people at Hallhill - a big thanks to everyone who took part - that's not just the runners, but everyone who helped out and gave their support, all of which made it a good event.

Special thanks to Santa and Mrs Claus for taking part (Steve and Mary, the costumes were brilliant).

First male and female over the line in the Half Marathon were Ian Rowland and Judith Donaldson, in the 10K Colin Menzies was first male over the line with Sheila Kerr, Lindsay Brown and Val Herring making it a group finish for the ladies. Well done!

Results:

NAME	CLUB	ESTIMATED TIME	TIME
Sheila Morrison	DRC	2:05	2:14:50
Theresa Leslie	DRC	2:05	2:14:50
Judith Donaldson	HELP	1:55	2:07:01
Ray Harris	HELP	1:39	1:46:16
Anne Hay	DRC	1:36	1:44:42
Sandy Wallace	HELP	1:35	1:39:38
Paddy McDonald	HELP	1:35	1:39:05
Brian Carr	HELP	1:35	1:40:48
Frank McPartland	HELP	1:32	1:39:08
Alan Proudfoot	HELP	1:30	1:32:38
Eddie Balfour	HELP	1:30	1:32:29
Grant Noble	DRC	1:25	1:27:21
Mark James	ELTC	1:25	1:29:20
Ian Rowland	DRC	1:22	1:22:49
Ian Sills	DRC	1:19	1:23:03
10K
Rona Starr	DRC	1:01	1:05:50
Fay Stanton	DRC	1:00	1:01:41
Sheila Kerr	DRC	1:00	1:01:02
Lindsay Brown	DRC	0:58	1:01:02
Matty Smith	MRC	0:53	0:59:53
Val Herring	DRC	0:53	1:01:02
Shirley Lawson	ELTC	0:50	1:01:03
John Duguid	ELTC	0:50	1:01:03
Roy Menzies	HELP	0:50	0:58:11
Lisa Menzies	HELP	0:50	0:59:18
Mary Ennis	MRC	0:49	1:04:16
Dixie Deans	MRC	0:49	1:04:16
Pete Younger	ELTC	0:47	0:50:13
Gordon Eadie	MRC	0:44	0:48:47
Finlay Smith	ELTC	0:44	0:47:27
Steve Pattison	MRC	0:42	0:49:06
Colin Menzies	HELP	0:42	0:41:02

WOOLER

From our special corespondent:

"Junior athletes from Dunbar Running Club Joined their Senior team mates on Sunday 20^th November for the first Cross Country race of the 2005/06 Borders District Cross Country Series. A warm welcome from the hosts, Wooler Running Club was in stark contrast with the bright but cold conditions facing all athletes. Junior runners started their race half an hour before the Seniors completing one full lap of a testing course. Athletes started with a short but fast downhill sprint before turning back on themselves to commence a gruelling climb through a disused quarry then onto the open fell before a long, flying dash to the finishing tape. Loren Smedley continued were she left off from last season by finishing in 6^th place overall and 2^nd in her age group. Alex Noble showed his father, Grant Noble a senior runner with Dunbar, the way by finishing one place behind Loren and 2^nd in his category. Anna Dobson was 4^th in her age group with Nicola Craig a couple of places behind taking 21^st place overall and 5^th female 12/13 year old. Isabelle Taylor, in her very first race in a Dunbar vest, celebrated her ninth birthday by finishing the course in first place in her age group and like Alex showed her dad just what it's like to compete at the sharp end.

The next round is on home soil for Dunbar. Athletes will be spending Sunday 18^th December racing along White Sands beach and around Barns Ness Lighthouse. "

A Gentle Run.....

HELP have extended an invitation to Dunbar to take part in the "Goats Gallup" on Sunday 4th December.

 

This starts from Long Yester Farm cottages and is a 10 mile fun run over Lammer Law.  Afterwards you could go to the Goblin Ha' for a shower and bar lunch (beer optional).  For those of you who think that any run that goes "over" anything can't be described as "fun", give it a go - you might just change your mind!

 

Let Stuart or Anne know if you are going along so we can give HELP an idea of numbers.

Cross-Country Series

The race hosted by Moorfoot on 26th February will be at Hay Lodge Park just west of Peebles.  Have a look at the website for location maps of the various venues http://richarda.umcus.org/BorderXC/xc.HTM   Remember the first one is just over a week away.....

A Wet One!

Good to see so many people braved the pouring rain on Sunday to compete in the Simply Scottish Jedburgh Half Marathon.  The wearing of flippers and a snorkel was obligatory (might have helped some of us).  Well done everyone (a particular "well done" to Clarissa on her fist half-marathon).

 

11	282	Ian Sills	1:19:53
19	494	Ian Rowland	1:22:29
56	118	Stuart Hay	1:27:59
102	844	Richard Taylor	1:32:41
178	117	Anne Hay	1:38:24
213	414	Frank Weissgerber	1:41:02
381	685	Clarissa Berry	1:52:23
461	95	Sheila Morrison	1:59:12
511	96	Theresa Leslie	2:04:57
602	648	Fay Stanton	2:17:17

It's a Date!!!

The race at Wooler has been confirmed as 20th November.  Same course as last year at Doddington with registration at the golf club. Now if Harry can just guarantee the weather.......

 

Another date for your diaries.  The Festive Half (and 10K) will take place on Sunday 11th December 2005.  Everyone will be asked for their best times over the last year for the distance in due course, so the start times can be worked out.  Will be the usual 12:00 finish with refreshments at Hallhill.

X-Country Series

Dates for the Cross-Country Series are:

 

Wooller                   20/27th November 2005 (date will be finalised in the next week)

Dunbar                    18th December

Galashiels               8th January 2006

Berwick                   22nd January

Lauder                     12th February

Moorfoot                  26th February

Norham                   19th March

 

You will notice the inclusion of Moorfoot as a hosting club - they will come back to us with details of the course in Peebles.  The price for the races remains unchanged (£6 for a potential 7 races - a bigger bargain than anyone will get in the January sales!)  Individuals will still only need to complete four of the races to qualify for a medal or for the chance of a trophy.  16/17 year olds will be able to compete as a junior or a senior but not both.

 

The series has been re-named as the Borders Winter X-Country Series.

 

So chip last years mud off those cross-country shoes, brush them over and give it a go!

MUSIC

Scientists, or "boffins" as they prefer to be known, have concluded, after spending wadges of cash, that music aids sports performance and training. Well Duuhhh!!

 

From today's Scotsman:

 

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LISTENING to the right kind of music can improve your sporting performance by as much as 20 per cent, according to scientists.

Just as specific songs can stir memories that make couples reminisce and feel romantic, experts say a favourite song can motivate an exerciser to keep going and work harder.

The tempo of music can enhance the body's motor skills and even teach it new ones as the beat regulates movement and prolongs performance.

For fans of rock music, during light exercise the researchers say they might want to listen to Tina Turner's Simply The Best, but as they get into more strenuous music they should progress through a rocking playlist of Keep On Running by the Spencer Davis Group, Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf and finally, as they struggle through the final stages of the most strenuous exercise, Glen Frey's The Heat Is On.

The traditional view is that up-beat dance music boosts performance by making the exerciser speed up.

But, according to the researchers, it is all about individual taste. It is well-known that Scottish tennis sensation Andy Murray gets himself geared up for the strains of a competitive tennis match with the sounds of the Black Eyed Peas.

Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell is another who has used music to achieve success, as he blasted the classic Red Hot Chili Peppers' album Blood Sugar Sex Magik before helping Britain to a gold medal at Athens last year.

Dr Costa Karageorghis, of Brunel University's school of sport and education, said: "It's no secret that music inspires superior performance. Just as the association between a first love and 'your song' can be very strong, so is the relationship between music and sporting performance levels. However, there's no definitive playlist for today's gym goers or tomorrow's sporting heroes. Songs are particular to an individual - they are not prescriptive."

Dr Karageorghis believes specific artists and songs can be selected in whichever musical genre the athlete likes in order to boost their performance levels at different stages of exertion. While pop fans may get an initial boost during light exercise by listening to the Lighthouse Family, they should progress to the frenzy of Reach by S Club 7 when the going gets tough.

Dr Ray Macdonald, a reader in psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University, says that his own research supports the findings, and suggests that music can play an important role not only in improving performance, but also in reducing pain.

"It is very important that people do adapt music to their own personal tastes if they want to maximise performance. Classical music would not normally be expected to boost sporting performance, but it will boost the performance of classical music fans," he said.

"Gyms try to cater for their core customers by playing a certain type of music but you still see a lot of people with headphones on. This control of our own environment can significantly aid performance."

However, Dr Angus Hunter, a lecturer in exercise physiology at Stirling University, does not agree that people are only motivated by the genre of music that they like. "A 65-year-old guy might not like the latest chart music in the gym," he says. "But he will find himself picking up on the beats.

"Gyms cannot please everyone but fast beats for step machines do help motivate. Intuitively, the legs start to move at the same pace."

Zoe Wilson-Maye, deputy manager at LA Fitness in Livingston, said that the chain had recently introduced a TV system, where members can choose the station they want to listen to.

She added: "Everyone has different tastes and you are more likely to maximise your performance in the gym if you are enjoying your workout. Listening to music you enjoy is an important part of that."

What to play while you work out

• At 55 per cent heart rate: Rock - Tina Turner Simply the Best; Pop - Lighthouse Family Lifted; Soul - Soul II Soul Back To Life; Classical - Vivaldi The Four Seasons (Spring).

• 65 per cent: Rock - Spencer Davis Group Keep On Running; Pop - Michael Jackson Don't Stop Til You Get Enough; Soul - Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive; Classical - Johann Strauss Radetzky March.

• 75 per cent: Rock - Steppenwolf Born To Be Wild; Pop - Artful Dodger Movin' Too Fast; Soul - James Brown I Feel Good; Classical -Prokofiev Troika.

• 85 per cent: Rock - Glenn Frey The Heat Is On; Pop - S Club 7 Reach; Soul - The Blues Brothers Everybody Needs Somebody To Love; Classical - Rossini William Tell Overture.
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Any runners out there with better suggestions can email them to dunbar.running@gmail.com . The lack of jazz from the above list saddens this corespondent.