A  Day at the Races

You can't keep training for ever, every so often you have to take a break.
A way taking a break from the training is to have a race. Some runners, of
course don't race at all or very infrequently.  When they do turn out  they
inevitably  run like dumplings. My theory for this is that they are
distracted  by the other athletes' ideosynchracies or tactics as they like
to call them.

My advice is not turn your nose up at an opportunity to race; I try to race
most weeks in the winter and about half that in the summer. That way you
get to know what the runners of about your standard are likely to do.
(Archie Duncan always passes me with a mile to go). In fact I find it very
strange to adjust to races in other parts of the country.

Race day begins about the week before and I don't mean reducing the
training.Race details are notoriously inaccurate or very vague. It is vital
to find out the correct date for a race; don't believe fixture lists or
hearsay. I try to collect  race leaflets and if I'm not sure I phone the
oraganiser. I don't wish to repeat the embarrasing experience of turning up
a week early for the "Cyclists v Harriers" at Irvine. Mind you, it gives
you plenty of time for a warm-up.No less a man than Brian Kirkwood recently
missed a race in Dumfries by one day - this is probably worse.

Finding the venue of a race can also be very nerve-racking- even those I've
been to before. My worst (but not only!) experience was my first go at the
"Springburn Cup". I took a lift with Evan Cameron- he knew a "short-cut"
and, of course we got lost in darkest Bishopbriggs. We arrived  5 minutes
before the gun, declared , changed and got to the start line in the nick of
time. The first mile was grim. Races in small towns can be quite easy to
find, just look for groups of strangely clad people jogging arround.

Getting the start-time wrong is something the Club specialises in - here we
have masters in their field,like Martin Craven at the Queen's Drive and
Braid Hill races, and most of the former ESH league team at Cupar.Race
organisers also vary start times from year to year just to keep athletes
alert. The only plus side to this is that it gets the adrenalin going if
you do make it in time for the gun. Other related tactics include missing
the change-over at relays or getting lost -another club speciality.

Forgetting vital bits of kit is something that I have put a lot of effort
into. The best way to do it is to get distracted by something when packing
your bag. The situation is often recoverable, since you can usually borrow
the missing items, however you may have to make do with some pretty strange
gear and pre-used towels. In fact Bill Begley and Martin Sneddon have
demonstrated that it is possible to turn up with no kit whatsoever and run.
It I try to go to races fully changed if possible, since that minimises the
number of items that can be forgotten.

When you arrive at the race with all your kit, with an hour to spare, you
may think you're home and dry -wrong !  There are lots of things to go
wrong. The first thing to do when you arrive at a race is to visit the
toilet; you will already have learned from past experience to bring your
own toilet roll. As the start time approaches, the queues get longer and
longer. Only after this  is it safe to declare. It's worth having a look at
the entry sheet to see who has turned up. You won't see anyone until the
start, then you'll wonder where they've all come from. I have a theory that
most athletes hide after they've declared (probably in the toilets). If you
actually meet any, it is vital to exchange "pre-race excuses" and look
mean.

Warm-up starts with about half-an-hour to go. A bit of stretching and about
a mile or two jog to find out which way the winds blowing. If it's a cross
country- have a look at the course in case there are horrors in store -this
is vital if HBT have had any dealings in laying out the course. There's no
point in having a reccy at a track race, the bends are always at the ends
of the straights.
At 5 minutes to go you should do some 20m sprints. This serve two purposes.
It gets the heart rate up and it un-nerves the opposition. You could chance
another visit to the toilet, but don't cut it too fine or you could end up
as I did changing into my spikes as the gun went off ( Ten out of ten for
post race excuses, but zero out of ten for tactics)

When you take of your kit, always put it where you can easily find it after
the race, since by then your brain will have stopped working.

The worst part of a race is the 10 seconds before the gun, when everyone
goes quiet. This is when pre-race nerves really strike. I find that the
shorter the race the more nervous I become -especially a track race when
there are only about 5 runners and there's a real possibility of being
last. Anything over 10miles the start is quite leisurely, although I do
recall a false start at the 10m Law -Motherwell. This is a down-hill start.
I think by the re-call the leaders had got to Wishaw.

When the gun goes off, my advice is to go off as fast as possible with
elbows akimbo, none of this hanging back with the good intention of making
up ground later. If it is a windy day  shelter behind other runners
,remembering that it is extremely bad manners to clip their heels,
especially if you do it twice.

 During the race you should be concentrating on passing people. The object
of racing, in case you've forgotten, is to attain  the highest finishing
position possible. For this you need the killer instinct . If the guy ahead
of you is struggling then  the object is to make him feel worse by passing
him at high speed and holding your breath.

The most welcome sight in a race is the finish line.By then you ought to
feel totally finished and on the verge of throwing up (aptly named Hughie
McInnes nearly got it right at the handicap) If you feel fresh, you've not
run hard enough. Now where did I put my kit ?

Now for an easy jog with your fellow runners when you can re-live the
excitement of the race. This is where post-race depression can occur when
you start to realise that everyone else has had a better run. If on the
other hand you have taken a large chunk off your PB, it's better for all
concerned to keep quiet in deference to  those who ran a stinker since the
position could easily be reversed at the next race.

The alternative to a warm-down is getting to the showers before they get
cold. The queues can get horrific so I usually head for the showers.

The changing area after a race is usually a sea of kit. The chances of
losing something is fairly high. The best technique is to stuff everything
within a 2m radius into your bag. I think this is where odd socks come
from.

Always stay for the prize-giving since there's always a remote chance you
can pick up the odd minor prize - even if it's only a spot prize, and of
course you need a set of the results.

If on reflection you feel you haven't done well - never mind you are only
as bad as your last race.

Next - The Marathon Man