Running
Club

Fun &
Fitness

COACHING

As a start to this area I should like to introduce myself. I am John MacGillivray and for my sins the club coach..............    I have been a member of the club from its inauguration and ran round Strathaven and surrounding areas with other club members on our Wednesday club night for more years than I care to remember. Until about five years ago this entailed running alternatively clockwise or ant-clockwise round the five-mile town circuit during the winter months, and in the summer running round the various countryside routes available.

John devises unique training techniques - this one's reserved for the summer months

Rather than continue running round in ever decreasing circles (in the same time), it was felt that a little bit of variety and training was needed to improve the quality of our efforts. As I was resting on my laurels at that time, having beaten Alan Young at the previous London Marathon, I found myself for some reason in the role of club coach. This must have been something to do with standing still too long and somebody thinking I had a masochistic streak (totally untrue of course !)

Anyway it is five years on and instead of running round the five-mile circuit in alternative directions each week I have introduced what I hope is a varied programme of strength, speed, endurance and fun training into the Wednesday night run.

I thought it only fair as the club coach I should be seen to be suitably qualified in masochism, so have qualified at club coach level, through the SAF (see links page), and have recently had this upgraded to the new UKA Level 2 coach qualification.

I hope to use this area to include training plans, coaching advice, progress statistics and anything else of a coaching nature and welcome input from club members, other coaches and other interested parties.

Watch this space !