Stride - Winter 2008

the jogscotlandmagazine

jogscotland.org.uk Look inside for special Christmas offers fromRun 4 ItX- training – circuit training with Jim DobbieGreat Strides – jogssccoottllaanndd in SpainUpgrade to gold and you could run in the FloraLondon Marathon!

Winter issue,2008

WHEN: Saturday 10th JanuaryWHERE: Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

HOW FAR: 5kmTIME: 10am onwards

Enter at www.greatrun.orgor call 0845 389 2200

Your New Year’s ResolutionFor runners of all abilities aged 14 and over

Featuring

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Here’s a deal to make your heart beat faster.There are always great deals at your local Co-operative and here’s another one we’d like to run past you. Try leaving the car at home and jog along to your local Co-operative for a bit of exercise and healthy savings too.When you can get such a great deal locally why shop anywhere else?

contents 04 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2008

contents

sponsored by funders and partners

Published 4 times a year by scottishathletics.Copyright©2008Scottish Athletics Ltd.

main jogscotland contacts

Alistair CurrieManager0131 539 [email protected]

“I run therefore I am a runner”

Ann DavidsonProgrammes Co-ordinator0131 539 [email protected]

“Go fast enough to get there butslow enough to see”

Megan HubbardCommunications Co-ordinator0131 539 [email protected]

“I need to exercise in the morningsbefore my brain registers what I amdoing”

main jogscotland contacts 05

Laura BoyleJog Scotty’s [email protected]

“Give it RICE”

Jog Scotty Official Mascot

Mail Marketing ScotlandOur Membership Team0141 300 [email protected]

"Ability is what you are capable ofdoing. Motivation determines whatyou do. Attitude determines howwell you do it."

photo creditsFront cover: Steve Wales

Other photo contributors:Matt Redmayne, Steve Wales, Alistair CurrieFlora London Marathon, Ron DavidsonIan Leitch, Sarah and Graeme Sutherland, Mark Shearman

Other photos that appear in Stride have been supplied by members and Jog Leadersthanks to everyone who has sent in photos, I hope you enjoy seeing them in print!

Stride is the winner of the PPA 2007 ‘Scottish Member Magazine’ of the Year Award,and printed on FSC Certified paper from responsible managed forests.

Stride is the magazine for jogscotlandmembers, so keep your text and photo contributions coming!

the warm-up 06

news and events 08

race directory 16

Christmas Cracker 5k entry form 18

mini strides 20

Run 4 It Christmas sale 22Lots of Christmas bargains

great strides – Girona 28Strathclyde Park jogscotland take on Spain

co-operative food article 30Making a curry with a Currie

great strides – Morag Leitch 341st Marathon at 65 years old

ask the doc 38

cool down 40Ode to the Jog Leader

x-training 42

local contacts 44

jogscotlandmagazineWinter 2008

Designed and Printed by

Cert no. TOC-COC-2190

“Laughter is inner jogging”

the warm-upby Alistair Currie

the warm-up 06


Pssst … pass it on, please!

Jamie Oliver may be the most high profileperson saying ‘pass it on’ at the moment withhis campaign to get the people of Rotherhamcooking, but he’s not the only one using thehighly effective marketing technique known as‘word of mouth’ – quite apt in his case giventhat he is talking about food! We have beenusing it since day one of jogssccoottllaanndd, morethan six years ago. Think about how you cameto be part of the jogssccoottttiiee clan – was itbecause a friend, colleague or family membermentioned it to you in conversation or maybe,in this 21st Century digital world, it came in atext message, email, blog post or instantmessage? I would hazard a guess that in manycases it was one of these that got you started– what is so great about this approach is thatyou are getting a personal recommendationabout jogssccoottllaanndd from someone that youknow and trust – so straight away themessage becomes much more powerful thanif it came perhaps from an advert or otherpromotional means.

jogssccoottttiieess, as we like to call ourselves, andthat includes Jog Leaders, members, staff andothers involved in the programme, tend to bean enthusiastic bunch and like to talk to othersabout what jogssccoottllaanndd has done for them –this positivity is infectious and to beencouraged by all of you! Imagine how manypeople we could have involved if every singleperson brought another along to a local groupor a parent who is part of a local grouppersuades their child’s school to start upJunior jogssccoottllaanndd – or maybe evenvolunteers to lead a junior group at the schoolthemselves!

On a work level that it is also what myself andthe rest of the jogssccoottllaanndd team do every day– we speak to people about what we do and how it can fit into their plans, whether that bein a primary school, a workplace, a localcommunity or any other setting where there isan obvious link or a connection can be madethat might help towards them achieving theirown objectives, and in the meantime helpingus achieve ours. Recently we have embarked,through support from the Scottish

Government, on a series of meetings withCommunity Health Partnerships (CHPs)around the country – there are 40 in total so itwill take a while but will ultimately result in usbeing able to have a much greater impact onhealth improvement and reducing healthinequality in Scotland. The aim of these is toget jogssccoottllaanndd onto the radar of local healthplanners to add to the impact that we alreadyhave in local communities through our workwith Sports Development and other councildepartments around the country. In somecases there is already awareness of what wedo and in others not, but one of the bigperceptions that we are trying to break downis that jogging, recreational running – orwhatever you choose to call it, is outside thecapability of many people – we want to showanyone that if you can put one foot in front ofanother then you can pretty much start on a

“With the right support andguidance from group leaders itis truly amazing how far peoplecan progress”

beginners’ jogssccoottllaanndd programme – with theright support and guidance from group leadersit is truly amazing how far people can progressin terms of their physical and mentalwellbeing. Judging the nominations forAchiever, Jog Leader and Group of the Yearrecently really brought it home to me just howtransformational getting involved withjogssccoottllaanndd can be for many people – theaward winners will be announced at theglittering Scottish Athletics Awards night onthe 22nd November with stars such as PaulaRadcliffe, Liz McColgan and Yvonne Murray inattendance – our winners can hold their headsup high in such esteemed company in theknowledge that they too are true winners.

We are also in the process of contributing tothe Scottish Athletics six year plan for 2009 –2015 and part of this is about setting out our

vision for the future of our work. It’s notpublished yet so I won’t give the whole gameaway but I will share with you a couple of keypoints – our vision is to make Scotland knownfor being the ‘nation that runs’ and for runningto be a widely accepted activity that is fun,rewarding and a contributor to improvedhealth and wellbeing. It certainly beats someof the previous images that the rest of worldhas had about us, some of them - the ‘deep

fried Mars Bar country’ comes to mind - werenot entirely fair as they were based on part-truth, part urban-myth. How much better will itfeel when someone from outside the countrysays to you ‘Oh, Scotland that’s the countrywhere everyone runs’ rather than the currentnegative comments that all too often comeout.

To finish off this warm-up I want to highlightone of the best work-related days I have hadall year and it didn’t involve any talk ofrunning, well not much anyway! The WesterHailes Men’s groups in Edinburgh asked mealong to their de-brief at the end of their firsttwelve weeks of the jogssccoottllaanndd programmebut instead of running advice they wantedcooking tips from me, they had been readingmy Stride food column and wanted to put meto the test and help them develop theircooking skills. For me it was a hugelyrewarding and enjoyable few hours spent withthe guys making (and more importantly eating)some really tasty and healthy food – with a fairbit of friendly banter thrown in for goodmeasure. I won’t say anymore about it herebut if you turn to page 30 you can read thewhole story.

Well that’s all for now, don’t forget to pass iton to others in 2009!

The JogsterMore at www.jogscotland.org.uk/blogs

the warm-up 07

“Our vision is to make Scotlandknown for being the ‘nationthat runs’ and for running to bea widely accepted activity thatis fun”

news and events 09

him, he’s the man who dresses up, and is atevery race collecting money for charity) thislocal run will be held on Sunday 14thDecember at 10.00am. This will be the 3rdrunning of the Inverclyde Santa Dash. Thecourse is flat. All runners will participatewearing either a Santa suit which will beissued to them by the organisers or they canrun in a Christmas costume of their ownchoice, but it must be within the Christmasspirit. There will be prizes for the best-dressedrunners, various spot prizes for runners up andprizes for 1st male and 1st female to cross thefinish line. There will be a buffet after the race.Sponsor forms will be issued with applicationforms and you can nominate your own charityor you can let the Santa Dash Committeedonate it to local charities of their choice.Wheelchairs are welcome to enter the run andthere will be no charge for young children whoare accompanied by their parents. For moreinformation telephone Tommy on 07761 903621 or email him [email protected].

These are just some of the Christmas runsavailable, there are lots of great Christmasevents such as the Moray Winter Run (It’s a6.5k run, quite a unique distance!) available.Or why not have a wee Google for localChristmas runs in your area?

2008 Annual Awards Evening

Wow! We have had some amazingnominations this year and also a recordnumber of entries! You made it very hard forthe judges! The Annual Awards Dinner is onthe 22nd November at the Marriott Hotel inGlasgow and it is promising to be a fantasticevening with Paula Radcliffe making a guest

appearance. There will be a big write up andphoto page in the next edition of Stride plusphotos and videos on the jogscotlandwebsite. Good luck to all of our nominees, andthank you to all of those who sent innominations.

Follow the leader

All jogscotland Jog Leaders must attend adays Jog Leader training. These training daysare organised throughout Scotland, andadvertised on our website. The course coversall the physical elements of being a JogLeader such as warm-ups, cool-downs andstretching. It also looks into motivation,behaviour change, barriers to exercise, andhow to overcome them.

Future Jog Leader Courses JSJL44 - Sunday 30 November 2008 -Glasgow Green Football Centre

More Jog Leader course dates will bepublished on the website as and when theyare confirmed. If you are interested in trainingas a Jog Leader please [email protected] toregister your interest.

Run 4 It opening a store in Inverness

Run 4 It are expanding the chain to service thethriving and active Highland market.

Opening on the 15th November, the store willbe run by Graham Laing who says ‘runningalongside stores in Aberdeen, Edinburgh andGlasgow we aim to provide expertise,guidance and the highest standards ofcustomer service and advice to all levels ofrunner. Our new and exiting range of running

This is the last edition of Stride for 2008,can you believe it! And what a year ithas been! Jam packed with summer 5k challenges, jogssccoottllaannddmembersachieving amazing personal successes,Boydy coming back, Boydy leaving, Anntackling marathons abroad, Alistairtaking on the Men’s 10k and Meganrunning in her first run! But it’s nowtime to turn your thoughts to the festiveseason, people! And there are lots ofopportunities to get one last run inbefore the end of the year!

Co-operative Christmas Cracker 5kChallenge

Yes due to popular demand it’s back! The2008 Co-operative Chrismas Cracker 5kChallenge in association with Run 4 It andNorth Lanarkshire Leisure, will be visitingStrathclyde Park on Sunday 7th December.This is a really good chance to share theChristmas cheer amongst your jogscotties. At only £6.00 for Gold and scottishathleticsmembers, and £8.00 for the rest of you, itreally is a steal! All participants will get a goodybag (mmm chocolate!) and medal, and if youreally get in the Christmas spirit and dress up,you might just win a spot prize! To registersimply visit www.jogscotland.org.uk/christmas-cracker to enter online, or download the entryform, or call 0131 539 7350. Come on people,after all it is the season to be jolly not jelly!

Other Christmas Runs

If Strathclyde Park is not near you, how aboutone of these great Christmas runs?

Jingle Bell Fun Run Paisley

This event has become very popular over thelast few years and is organised by the famousjogscotland group – Jogging Buddies. Thisyear the run will be on Saturday 6th Decemberand will be through Paisley Town Centre. It is a 3k fun run, with a medal to all finishers.In addition, the first 200 Senior entries willreceive a free Santa suit and Juniors willreceive a Santa hat! Or you can buy them onthe day for £3. It promises to be the best JingleBell run ever! Real Radio will be providingentertainment and there will also be aChristmas Market in County Square. The entryfee is £7.00 for Seniors and £5 for Juniors. Get your entries in now! Visitwww.joggingbuddies.co.uk/events or call 0141 847 1357

Santa Dash Inverclyde

Organised by the very famous jogscotlandjogger Tommy from Greenock (yes, you know

news andevents


above join in the fun at this year’s Christmas Cracker

news and events 08

above Alex Collie jogscotland group take on Amsterdam Marathon

left Paula Radcliffe willmake a guestappearance at this year’sAnnual Awards Night

seems to be a popular choice with jogscotlandjoggers! To read about Ann’s experience inBerlin, check out the news section on ourwebsite. The article is called ‘Zeit ist Egal’

More Marathon Madness!

Alex Collie Centre jogscotland group inAberdeen seems to also be gripped withmarathon madness with having people in boththe Amsterdam Marathon and the Loch NessMarathon. Clare Garrow ran her first marathonin Amsterdam with an impressive time of4:03:02 and managed to raise £1000 for CLAN(Cancer Link Aberdeen and North East). Clareran beside fellow jogscottie Gillian Burt andher brother in-law Steve. Clare has also writtena wee story for our website (which can befound under the news section) on her accountof her first ever marathon, well done Clare!

Wendy Graham and Helen Mackay also fromthe Alex Collie group, took on the more hillyoption with The Baxters Loch Ness Marathon.

Wendy completed the marathon in 4:50:55 andHelen in 4:39:51. A special shout out goes tothe very determined and dedicated CaroleMathieson from the Rosemount Group whoalso participated in the marathon and came inwith a time of 7:09:47, you go girl! Over 6000runners entered the 2008 Baxters Loch NessMarathon & Festival of Running, with everyonestarting their events in brilliant autumnsunshine with the support of hundreds ofspectators lining the route.

The 2009 Baxters Loch Ness Marathon &Festival of Running will take place on Sunday4th October. Entry will open early December.

news and events

10

footwear and apparel delivered by trainedspecialists will be a first for Inverness.

“With so many active jogscotland groups inthe Highlands, we aim to be a source ofsupport and resources, as well as alsolaunching the first jogscotland group in theCity, running from our idyllic riverside spot.’

Sport has played a major role in Graham’s lifefor the past 30-35 years. Even now he still runsto and from work, competing when and wherehe can. His sport is athletics and major athleticachievements to date have been Scottish10,000m Champion 1979 and ScottishMarathon Champion in 1980. Finishing in 5thplace in the very first London Marathon in1981, he was also a member in the Scotlandteam at the Commonwealth Games inBrisbane, Australia in 1982 finishing in 7thplace in the marathon..

Graham and the entire Run 4 It Inverness teamlook forward to welcoming you!

Cycling and running come together

2009 will see a new element being added tothe Edinburgh Half Marathon. The plan is tointegrate an ‘Everyday Cycling’ event into theHalf Marathon and Olympic and WorldChampion Chris Hoy has jumped at thechance to be involved. Chris says: “The ‘ChrisHoy Edinburgh Half Marathon’! It didn’t soundquite right at the outset, but now I hear moreabout the plan to integrate an ‘EverydayCycling’ event into the mix, it all makes sense.Of course, a lot of cyclists run as part of theirtraining. And I know there are a lot of runnerswho enjoy cycling! So, John Martindale’swillingness to work with Scottish Cyclingalongside his (or is it mine, now?) halfmarathon has the potential to introduce newpeople to our sport. This is great for bothsports and can only encourage more people ofall ages to adopt a healthier, more active

lifestyle. I invite families, friends, andworkmates to dust down their bikes or put ontheir trainers and join in with this innovativeevent on Sunday 5 April next year.” JohnMartindale, Event Director for the event is alsoexcited about this new direction: “This is amassive boost for our Edinburgh event and agreat launch pad for the ‘east coast’ series.I’m absolutely delighted!” For more informationvisit www.dundee-half.co.uk

Berlin Babes

On 28th September Claire, Helen, Janice,Jean, Karen, Liz and Pat (although Patmanaged to escape from getting her picturetaken) from Strathclyde Park jogscotlandcompleted the Berlin Marathon. For Helen andLiz it was their first marathon and for the otherstheir second, having run the Dublin Marathonin October 2007. The 'Berlin Babes' (as theycalled themselves) all managed to finishfatigued but delighted as they ran through theBrandenburg Gate to the finish line. The Babesall ran fantastically well on the day and allsurpassed their own expectations. This wasthanks to months of personal sacrifice toundertake the training which wasn't withoutdifficulty. There was pain, injury, doubts andtears along the way.

Throughout the challenges they weresustained by friends and Jog Leaders atStrathclyde Park (in particular Jim Dobbie) whoin the true spirit of jogscotland, providedadvice, support and encouragement. For thisthey owe a huge 'thank-you'! The Babes saythey couldn't have done it without them. This isonly one example of a huge number of brilliantachievements by Strathclyde Park jogscotlandmembers this year. Congratulations to eachand every one! Our Ann also ran in thismarathon and thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhapssome of you are aiming to run a Marathon in2009, and perhaps Berlin is the one for you; it

above The ‘Chris Hoy Edinburgh HalfMarathon’ will be one of the bigevents of 2009

above Little Ann and her medal after theBerlin Marathon

news and events 11

above Graham Laing will be leadingthe Run 4 It crew in Inverness

Run the extra mile Diabetes is serious, it can lead to blindness, heartdisease, kidney disease and stroke. Run the extramile to help improve the lives of people with diabetes now and work towards a futurewithout diabetes.Join our team to run for Diabetes UK Scotland tosupport the 210,000 people living with diabetesin Scotland.For more information call Sara or Nicola on 0141 245 6380 or email [email protected]

The charity for people with diabetesDiabetes UK is registered as a charity in Scotland (no. SC039136) and in England & Wales (no. 215199).

aboveWell done Berlin Babes!

Wendy and Helen enjoy success at the Loch Ness Marathon

Go for Gold and be into win!

If you upgrade, renew or join at a Gold jogscotlandmembership level, youcould run in the Flora London Marathon 2009 with jogscotland and PUMAsupport!

The Flora London Marathon is a race that everymarathon runner wishes to run in. It is an annualrunning extravaganza billed as the ‘greatest race onearth’ and the largest annual charity fundraisingevent in the world. And you could be there!

We have TWO entry places available, money can’tbuy these places! Not only will you get an exclusiveentry into the running event of 2009, but you will alsoreceive:

• £250 worth of PUMA kit, including shoes, tracksuit, shorts, running vest and an all new jogscotland branded PUMA t-shirt• Free place in a mass participation run to helpwith your training

• Ongoing support if needed in the build up to themarathon

Sharing the experience with other jogscottiesAll we ask is that you share your experiences with us andthe rest of the jogscotland crew! You should feelcomfortable submitting website blogs and articles forStride plus getting your gorgeous face splashed around inStride. And of course you would be completely focusedand determined to complete this memorable marathon.

Entries will close 5.00pm Wednesday 31st December2008 and the two winners will be notified in the new year.

So call our order line on 0141 300 4903 and make 2009 theyear YOU run the FLORA LONDON MARATHON!

The going for Gold offer doesn’tstop there though!

Be one of the first 20 people to go for GOLD and receive a newPUMA running wrist wallet or arm pocket – you will be the envy ofall your jogscottie pals!

Did you know when you become a GOLDjogscotland member you also become amember of scottishathletics?

As a member of scottishathletics you areentitled to:• £2 off race entry fee at all scottishathleticspermitted races

• Annual subscription to PB magazine• Summer and winter fixture lists

And as a gold jogscotland member youwill receive:• PUMA jogscotland performance t-shirt• 20% discount on a pair of PUMAtrainers• 1 Free entry into jogscotland 5k challenge 2009• A reflective snap band – great for running in these dark nights! RRP £4.95

• 20% discount voucher for Run 4 It

It’s easy to get your scottishathletics number, all you have to do iscall Carol Robison on 0131 539 7321 or email Carol [email protected] after receiving your goldjogscotlandmembership card to get allocated a scottishathleticsmembership number.

Turn the page to find out how to upgrade or join at gold level!

upgrade offerOrder line: 0141 300 4903

DATA PROTECTION jogscotland will use your membership details to send you information and materials relating to your membership (such as membership card, Stride newsletter, E-Stride email newsletter, etc.). Occasionally we will send you special offers and informationfrom other partner organisations, such as jogscotland sponsors. If you would like to receive these please tick this box

Please cut along here

mem

bership 14

Offer 1Bronze - Silver £15(Benefits package worth £50)

You get:

• 1 new PUMA short sleeved T-shirt (pictured above)

• 1 reflective snapband

• 1 Drawstring Kitbag

• 20% Discount voucher on a pair of PUMA trainers

• 15% discount voucher to use in any Run 4 It store

Offer 2Bronze - Gold £27(Benefits package worth atleast £63)You get all of Offer 1, plus:• Placed into the ballot to win a place at the Flora London Marathon*


• Free entry into 1 jogscotland 5k Challenge in 2009

• £2 discount on entry to any permitted road race

Offer 3Silver - Gold £12(Benefits package worth £50)

You get aallll ooff OOffffeerr 11, plus:

• 3 months extension to currentmembership

• Placed into the ballot to win a place at the Flora London Marathon*


• Free entry into 1 jogscotland 5k Challenge in 2009

• £2 discount on entry to any permitted Road Race

Upgrade now & be one of the first to show offour brand new PUMA membership T-shirts!


If you need any more information before you make up your mind please email [email protected]. Or give us a call on 0131 539 7341. If you already know enough and want to join then complete the form on the opposite page and send it back to the address shown.

mem

bership 15

Current Membership Number:

Title:

First Name:

Surname:

Address:

Postcode:

Home Telephone:

Work Telephone:

Mobile:

Email Address:

Date of Birth: (dd/mm/yy)

Gender: M F

Address:

Please return this form including relevantpayment details to:jogscotlandPO Box 2003 GlasgowG14 OJF

Payment by Cheque

I enclose a cheque/postal order made payable to Scottish Athletics Ltd’ for the sum of:

Payment Amount: Offer 1 £15 Offer 2 £27 Offer 3 £12 Renew £27

Please debit my credit/debit card number as follows:

Payment by Credit/Debit Card

Issue Nº (if app.)Valid From Expiry Security Code

Name on Card:

Card Type (All accepted except Amex or Diners):

Offer 1 Offer 2 Offer 3 Renew Membership

T-Shirt Size

MMeenn Small Medium Large XLarge

WWoommeenn 8 10 12 14 16* 18*

* For all memberships received up to the 31st December 2008

* Women’s 16 is currently a Men’s Large T-shirt, and Women’s 18 is a Men’s Extra Large. Women only sizes 16 and 18 T-shirts will be available in Spring 2009.

race directory 16

race directoryjogscotlandmagazineWinter 2008

December 6 Jingle Bell Fun Run, Barshaw Park, Paisley

December 7Co-operative jogscotland ChristmasCracker 5k, Strathclyde ParkHighland Santa Run, Queens Park Stadium,Inverness

December 13Falkland Santa Race and Junior Run, Falkland

December 14

Run 4 It Tartan Shorts 5k, Seaton Park,Aberdeen

Santa Dash, Glasgow

Inverclyde Santa Dash, Greenock Waterfront,Greenock

December 26

Cockleroy Chaser Hill Fun Run, Cockleroy,near Linlithgow

December 28

Down by the River Races 10k & 3k,Cambuslang Sports Club

January 3

Nigel Barge Memorial 10k, Garscube SportsComplex, Glasgow

January 10

BUPA Great Winter Run & Tesco Junior GreatWinter Run, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

February 28

Cupar 5 Mile Road Race, Cupar

March 1

Happy Feet 5k and 10k Runs, BlairquhanCastle, Maybole, Ayrshire

Smokies 10 Mile Ladies Only Race, Arbroath

Lasswade 10 Mile Road Race, Lasswade

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

race directory 17

achilles heel Ltd.running made better

593 Great Western Rd.Glasgow G12 8HX0141 342 5722achillesheel.co.uk

10% off Footwear & Running Equipment at achilles heel

How to claimJust bring this voucher with you to our shop for a 10% discount on anything you buy except for ‘MBTs’ and sale items.

Valid for one use only.

March 7

Glasgow Green 5k Run/1 Mile Walk in aid ofCombat Stress Syndrome, Glasgow

March 8

Inverness Half Marathon and Fun Run,Inverness

March 14

Clydesale Harriers 5k Road Race, Playdrome,Clydebank

March 21

Heriot Watt University Round the Grounds 5kRace, Heriott Watt University

March 22

Alloa Half Marathon, Alloa

March 29

Running Sisters 5k Fun Run for Women,Monikie Country Park, Angus

Jim Dingwall Memorial Race and Round theHouses Races (2k, 5k and 10k), Grangemouth

April 5

The Chris Hoy Edinburgh Half Marathon,Edinburgh

April 26

Flora London Marathon, London

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ministrides21

Sarah purchased the equipment through alocal South African business who in returnagreed to add 10% of the final order amount insports goods additional.

Sarah learnt a lot in her time in South Africaand brought home a South African game(based around dodge ball and rounders) called‘mikkf’ which she taught to her Junior Limpers.Having just moved to Edinburgh for University,Sarah is now looking at developing a Juniorjogscotland group in The Meadows.

The Co-operative Junior jogscotland programmewas piloted and launched in 2007. Working inconjunction with local authorities and educationdepartments, the programme is now availableto all schools throughout Scotland through theActive Schools Network. It is also available toother groups working with children such as GirlGuides and leisure centres.

With hundreds of schools and youth groupsregistered with the Junior jogscotlandprogramme, it looks like this programme will bejust as successful at the adult jogscotlandprogramme. Research is currently underway tofind out exactly how many children areparticipating in the programme on a regularbasis.

Norwich Union Shine awards scheme is anindividual award scheme for schools and clubsoffering a broad range of activities for all agesbetween 3-18 years. The scheme is dividedinto four levels allowing young people to play,learn and perform athletic activities anddisciplines. A comprehensive set ofperformance measurement tables togetherwith video clips and activity cards make theNorwich Union shine awards a handy resourceat all teaching levels. For more information visitwww.norwichunionshineawards.com

ministrides

20 jogscotlandmagazineWinter 2008

mini stridesJunior jogscotlandprogramme takes overthe worldOK, maybe not the world, but it has takenSquarehill Primary School in South Africa bystorm! And it’s all thanks to Junior jogscotlandLeader and scottishathletics Level 1 coachSarah Sutherland.

Sarah started coaching juniors alongside herfather Graeme Sutherland as part of theLauderdale Limpers in the Borders. The JuniorLimpers use The Co-operative Juniorjogscotland programme in the summer,meeting in the park on Tuesdays evenings,and in winter the children meet in the Leisurecentre and have sessions based aroundNorwich Union Shine awards scheme.

Sarah wanted to go to South Africa as she hadfamily ties there so she volunteered as a musicand athletics coach. She was placed atSquarehill Primary School in South Africa forsix weeks and soon discovered that her taskwould be harder than she originally thought.The school lacked severely in equipment forPE sessions. Squarehill Primary has around1000 students but only owned one basketball,two footballs and a few other basic items.

Luckily for Sarah she brought The Co-operative Junior jogscotland programme thatbecame an instant hit with the children. Sarahsays: “I didn’t have much room to takeresources over, but The Co-operative Juniorjogscotland programme’s cards fitted in easily.

“It is a brilliant programme and is such avaluable resource for teachers. There are somany great ideas that can easily be adjusted tosuit the fitness levels of each child. I like thefact that regardless of whether you haveathletic ability or not, you can still participate inthe sessions and have fun.

“The South African kids were so enthusiasticand loved the ‘kerr plunk’ game. We ended uphaving three sessions per week of theprogramme.”

On return to Scotland Sarah wanted to dosomething for the children she worked soclosely with. She managed to fundraise nearly£1000 through the Limpers by holding a localquiz and raffle night at the Lauderdale Hotel(where I hear jogearlston had a largepresence!) which she used to purchase sportsequipment for Squarehill Primary School.

What a fantastic effort made by Sarah, itis wonderful to hear that not only is ourJunior jogscotland programme hugelypopular in Scotland, but it alsowell recieved in other countries. If youwould like to know more about our Juniorjogscotland programme pleasecontact Ann Davidson [email protected] oron 0131 539 7341. For more informationon Junior Limpers please [email protected]

The South African children lovedthe Junior programme

Junior Limpers enjoy participating inJunior jogssccoottllaanndd sessions

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the early session. This time Jim and Steve took usdown into the town so we could do part of the 10kcourse. We ran through the town and then up (andup!) past the Cathedral towards the university, whichis the highest point of the course. As we headedback for the cool down, we knew we could cope withthe hardest part of the course on race day. That night Steve had arranged a traditional Catalan‘pica pica’ meal in one of the local restaurants. A bitlike tapas, it consisted of lots of shared dishesfollowed by individual main courses. Steve hadregistered us all for the race and handed out ourrace numbers, explaining the arrangements for therace morning.

18th OctoberAlthough a few people went for a short morning run,most followed Jim’s suggestion of a rest day beforethe race. Almost everyone went into Barcelonaalthough the weather was really cold and wet so wedidn’t see the city at its best.

19th OctoberThe bad weather had cleared and it was a beautifulif chilly morning when I headed to the hotel to meetthe group. The entire group were wearing theirbright blue NL t-shirts and they had an extra t-shirtfor me. Steve met us and handed out our timingchips then led us to the start, pointing out the toiletson the way (very thoughtful!). We posed for a photowith the group’s Lion Rampant flag then did a warmup near the start area. Before we knew it the gunwent off and we were on our way.

Steve had advised us to take the first half of therace at an easy pace as we would be climbing quitea bit between 2k and 4k. Hubby Ron was waitingwith the camera outside the cathedral (the toughestpart of the course) encouraging us all to smile.Steve had given us good advice as we found wewere able to pass people once we got to thedownhill stretch where Pamela was waiting for uswith her dog Harry.

We crossed the river away from old town and uphillto the very welcome water station at 6k. Just then Iheard someone calling me and Laura was besideme. We ran together until 8k but Laura was clearlyable to go faster so she went on ahead. I was ableto see her progressing up the field as we neared thefinish and it was lovely to hear Willie, Alan and Patshouting for us as we got to the line.

After picking up my goody bag and t-shirt Imanaged to get back to the finish line to see theothers coming in – Jackie and Alastair, Gillian, Avriland Margaret and finally Jim and Ishbel (Jim’s wife)who held hands as they ran the final 100m andshared a kiss at the finish line. By that time Paul,who had run his first 10k in just 50 minutes hadjoined us and we were all able to congratulate each other.

All too soon it was time to head back to the airportfor our flight home.

There are a number of other stories I could tellabout the trip, but I haven’t included them herebecause we all agreed that “What goes on in Gironastays in Girona”. So if you want to know more you’lljust have to sign up with Jim for the next trip in May2009. Or of course, you could arrange a group tripof your own!

We travelled with Ryanair from Prestwick – returnflights cost from around £100 upwards dependingon how far in advance you book.

Accommodation was arranged with StevenMacGregor of Total Fitness for Business –[email protected] - and cost around £200ppfor 4 nights B & B accommodation.

To read Ann’s full article on her Girona adventureplease visit www.jogscotland.org.uk/strideuncut

great strides 29

When Jim Dobbie won the ‘Jog Leader of theYear’ award last year, I had no idea that lessthan 12 months later I’d be joining him andhis group for a 10k with a difference – it wasin Spain. During the awards night the grouptold me about their plans for a trip to Gironaand I asked if I could tag along. Here’s whathappened:

15th OctoberIt was cold, grey, wet and windy when we leftScotland so it was lovely to step off the plane lessthan 3 hours later into warm afternoon sunshine.Pamela MacGregor, one half of the local organisingteam, met us at the airport and, after getting ussettled into our accommodation, led us through thetown to the main square. That helped us all get ourbearings as most of us had never been therebefore. We arranged to all meet up at 8.15 the nextmorning then went off for a relaxing evening in thebars and restaurants around the square. However,it was a less than relaxing night for those of us whodidn’t bring ear plugs. (The old town area of Gironais really big on church bells – they chime everyquarter hour and go into overdrive at 7am!).

16th OctoberSteve (Pamela’s husband) was waiting for me as Ileft our apartment just to make sure I could find ourway to the meeting point (our apartment was downthe street from where everyone else was staying).

We split into two groups with Steve taking theadvanced group and Jim leading intermediates. Weset off for an ‘easy jog’. Now I should point out thatGirona is close to the Pyrenees so ‘easy’ is perhapsa bit misleading. However, it was a beautifulmorning and once we had climbed up the hill to theuniversity we had lovely views of the town. The twogroups met up after about 30 minutes for a cooldown and stretch session outside the Cathedralbefore a leisurely breakfast.

We had the day to ourselves then met up again fora run in the evening. This time we headed out oftown, which was great but it meant a very long uphillreturn. Well done to Alastair who managed to runall the way up the hill – and still had the breath tocongratulate everyone as they reached the top!

After the cool down and some circuit exercises, Jimtold me that he encourages both intermediate andadvanced members to go on the trips to Girona, butsome intermediates worry that they are “not goodenough” Of course, being a jogscotland group, noone ever gets left behind or asked to do more thanthey can, so everyone is “good enough”. Jim wasreally pleased that there were a wide range ofabilities within the group, with four people (Paul,Jackie, Gillian and Ishbel) preparing for their first 10k.

17th OctoberWe amazed Jim by all turning up for the morning run– usually by the second day some people don’t make


great strides jogscotland takes on Girona, SpainBy Ann Davidson

great strides 28

jogssccoottllaanndd Strathclyde Parktake on Girona

let’s cook … Words by Alistair Currie,photos Megan Hubbard

Method:1. Heat a large pan and throw in the coriander

and cumin seeds to toast for about a minute.Take them off the heat and when cool grind ina pestle and mortar (they are not essential butadd great flavour to the dish).

2. Peel and finely chop the onions. Fry them inthe olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepanover low to medium heat for about 5 - 10minutes, stirring from time to time.

3. Meanwhile, peel and grate the ginger andpeel and chop the garlic.

4. Slit the chillies using a sharp knife. Slice theflesh away from the cluster of seeds in themiddle. Chop them finely.

5. Along with the ground coriander and cuminseeds and the curry powder add the ginger,garlic and chillies to the pan, stir them aroundand fry for another minute or so. Add somesalt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Pour in the tomatoes, bring to the boil, turndown the heat a little and let the saucesimmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the courgettesfor the last couple of minutes.

7. Add the chicken strips to the pan and stirthem around so they are covered with the

sauce. Put the lid on the pan, turn the heatdown and let the chicken cook for 30 minutes,stirring occasionally.

8. Now add the yoghurt to the chicken and stir itin. When the sauce is gently bubbling again,scoop up a little in a teaspoon, blow it cooland taste it. The sauce will probably tastequite sweet because of the tomatoes. Cut thelime in half and squeeze its juice into thesauce. Stir and taste again, and decidewhether you want to add the second half.

9. Finally, chop the fresh coriander leaves andsprinkle them on to the curry just before youserve it with the boiled basmati rice (add 1 tspof turmeric to the rice before you boil it to giveit an authentic taste and yellow colour)

We finished off with a simple dessert of seasonalplums and grapes along with what was left of theGreek style yoghurt – very simple, tasty and goodfor you – couldn’t ask for more could you?

Preparation time – approx 20 minutesCooking time – approx 40 minutesFive a day contribution = 3

Links:Co-operative Food - www.co-operative.coop/food <http://www.co-operative.coop/food>

co-operative food article 31

II mentioned in my Warm Up article that I hadbeen passing on some cooking hints and tips tothe guys from the group at the Wester HailesHealth Agency, I also mentioned how much I hadenjoyed it, what I didn’t say is that I was actuallypretty nervous for a few days leading up to thebig night – I shouldn’t have been as I have met allthe guys and Nicola, who is the project co-ordinator at the agency, before. I was though andI think perhaps therein lies one of the issueswhen it comes to cooking – it can seem prettydaunting at times.

For me it is no bother at all to cook tasty, healthyfood at home that goes down well with the rest ofthe family – well not always with my daughterRachel, but pleasing the culinary tastes of a fiveyear old is not an exact science and sometimes Ithink depends on outside factors like the way thewind is blowing or whether High School Musicalhas finished on the DVD player – but cooking forother people in an unfamiliar kitchen now that is adifferent story! Add in the fact that Megan wastaking photos for Stride and video clips for thewebsite and my stress levels prior to gettingstarted were rather high! Crazy things were goingthrough my head “What if none of them like thefood?”… “What if I burn everything”... “What if Igive them all food poisoning?” Well, that’s just a

few things that were filling my head as I carriedmy box of pans, knives, ingredients, etc up thestairs into the centre.

What was on the menu for the night, well it had tosomething fairly quick and easy that I could cookwith just a couple of pans and also somethingthat the guys could get involved in preparing andmost importantly something that I reckonedeveryone would like! So here’s what we had:

Chicken & Courgette CurryTo prepare this curry, you make a sauce fromvegetables and spices first, then add the chickenand stew it. The sauce is then thickened withyoghurt, and the sweetness of the curry isbalanced with the sour lime juice.

Ingredients (Serves 8):2 packs chicken breast strips, skinless3 large courgettes4 medium onions3 tins plum tomatoes4 cloves garlicLarge piece of fresh ginger1-2 small red or green chillies (smaller chillies aregenerally hotter)1 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp cumin seeds¼ tsp ground turmericSea salt and freshly ground black pepper250g Greek style natural yoghurtSmall bunch of coriander1 lime2 – 3 tbsp curry powder – choose your ownstrength (we had medium-hot to suit all tastes!)2 tsp olive oil500g basmati rice


co-operative food article 30

Return to running after injuryBy Dr John Maclean, The Sports and Health & Injury Clinic


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For those of us who like to keep fit the biggest hassle in life iswhen injury prevents us from doing what we enjoy. We will get outthere in all types of weather, at all times of day but when we areinjured all we care about is when we can get back to running.However one of the biggest causes of time lost due to injury isinadequate or incomplete rehabilitation from previous injury. Injuries fall into two broad categories – traumatic and overuse.Traumatic injuries are as the result of a collision or tackle incontact sport or going over on an ankle or twisting a knee whenout running. They are easy to understand and we appreciated thatthe process of repair and healing takes time. We know not to goback out running if the joint is still painful or swollen. Howeverwhen the acute symptoms resolve many of us will abandon therehab process for a quick return to activity. Time spent on this late usually boring and frustrating stage ofrehab is time well spent and will reduce the likelihood of laterreoccurrence. Unless the injury has been fully rehabilitated thenwe increase the risk of repeated injury. Time spent with a goodsports physio on strength and balance work will reduce the risk ofrepeated injury.

Overuse injuries are particularly common in runners. These oftenoccur when we increase the frequency, intensity or duration oftraining – such as in the build up to a 10K. Poor trainingprogrammes, poor technique, and poor footwear are all implicatedin the cause. Unfortunately not all of us are built in perfectproportion so aspects such as abnormal foot shape, poor flexibilityand conditioning, muscle imbalance and being overweight allcontribute to the way we run. So how do we overcome these intrinsic factors? Treat the cause –treat the injury – modify our training – improve our preparation. Ifyou suffer from reoccurrence of the same injury, speak to a physioto see if there are any relevant underlying factors. Look at yourtraining programme – are you working hard enough on flexibility,can you build in a strength programme. Do you warm upcorrectly?Build up activity gradually, increasing the intensity and duration instages, ensure more rest that usual. Listen to your body. It isnever ok to run through pain – pain is a warning signal not to beignored.More expert advice on pages 38-39

Ask the doc 32

was such a huge buzz of achievement infinishing it.”

Like most jogscotland members, Morag isvery bashful of her achievements throughrunning - she still says she can’t run … whichis a bit hard to believe after she just ran amarathon! I think you would agree that runningyour first marathon at the tender age of 65 israther extraordinary!

Morag is relatively new to jogging as she onlystarted three years ago; she had alwayswanted to go running but was unsure how tostart. Gordon was a huge inspiration in gettingMorag out running as was The EdinburghUniversity’s jogscotland group.

“jogscotland is great, no one is made to feelthey can’t run or are not good enough”,explains Morag: “I wish everyone realised this,I know the hardest bit is getting out the doorand turning up. I felt like everyone would lookat me and say look at that stupid old woman,but it wasn’t the case at all. Throughjogscotland I am achieving things I thought Icouldn’t do.”

Like a true jogscottie Morag credits all herrunning successes to her leaders and friends,and she has asked if we could give a big shoutout to: Garry Robertson, Dave McCutcheon,Phil Larkman, Kate Crichton, Gordon Murray,Anne Douglas, Sarah Wild and HarmenyAthletic Club. Morag is now eyeing up the NewYork City Marathon … there is no stopping thiswoman, Go Morag!

If you are interested in running in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, check outwww.chicagomarthon.com remember, you willnever regret a run you have done; only theones you haven’t!

great strides 34 jogscotlandmagazine

Winter 2008

great stridesMorag Leitch – Marathon miracle at 65

And for my 65th birthday I want to run a marathon! Now this may not beeverybody’s idea of a present, but it wasfor Morag Leitch who wanted to do this asa present to herself. Morag along with herline manager/motivational coach GordonMurray and Jog Leader Anne Douglas took on the Chicago Marathon in truejogscotland form, with Gordon and Moragcrossing the finishing line together.

The Chicago Marathon is a marathon with avery interesting history. In 1990 Mexico’sPitayo and Niemczak of Poland set the recordfor the closest finish ever in American history,by finishing with only 0.3 seconds separatingthem. Perhaps more interesting about theChicago Marathon, is the weather which hasplayed havoc with the event over the years.Participants have had to battle the elementsfrom snow to gusty winds to soaringtemperatures. Last year’s marathon wascancelled halfway through when temperaturesrose to over 30°C. Organisers have now put anEvent Alert System in place to let runners knowthe status of course conditions.

Morag and her team set off under high alerttemperatures of 30°C and Morag was

unfortunately nursing a knee injury. The last 3miles were a true test of dedication anddetermination for Morag, and she thanksGordon for getting her through them: “WithoutGordon’s constant encouragement that I wouldindeed make it, I would have not finished therace.” says Morag.

“Although it took me a long time to finish, it wasa PB for me as I had never run for that longbefore. Words cannot describe the elation andjoy of crossing the finish line.”

Morag was running alongside 768 entrantsfrom the UK and over 31,000 runners. Butwhat makes Morag really special, is that only0.5% of the female runners were 55 years ofage or older. Morag says: “Running hasopened up a whole new world for me, andwhen people heard I was running my firstmarathon at 65 years of age they said I wasmad, I said fine! Age has nothing to do with it, itis immaterial.”

“I didn’t hit a wall during the run; it was just along last 3 miles. I came out physicallyunscathed but I didn’t realise how muchemotional energy would be used in the build upand during the marathon.”

Chicago is a big city tied together by smallneighbourhoods, and the course travels to theNorth, West, and South Sides of the citythrough 29 diverse and historicneighbourhoods. The crowds played a big partin helping Morag around the route: “It is hard todescribe the atmosphere, but it was wonderfuland so encouraging all the way round, it waslike a party! I kept saying to Gordon that I wasnot going home without that medal, and there

“Through jogscotland I am achieving things I thought

I couldn’t do.”

EVENT CONDITIONS

Event cancelled/Extremeand dangerousconditions

Potential dangerousconditions

Less than idealconditions

Good conditions

ALERT LEVEL

EXTREME

HIGH

MODERATE

LOW

RECOMMENDEDACTIONS

Participantsstopped/follow eventofficial instructions

Slow down/observecourse changes/followevent officialinstruction/ considerstopping

Slow down/beprepared for worseningconditions

Enjoy the event/bealert

great strides 35

Morag, Anne, Gordon and friends - marathon success

Event Alert System


race preview

With the recent credit crunch putting astrain on all our budgets, running is a greatway to keep fit for free. There’s no need for fancy running machines or gymmemberships, all you need is a decent pairof trainers and you’re set to take to thestreets!

To keep you motivated, sign up to take part inthe Bupa Great Winter Run. This is a 5km roadrun which will take place on Saturday 10thJanuary in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. Theevent is part of a great day of winter running inEdinburgh as the Junior Winter Run and BupaGreat Edinburgh International Cross Countrywill also be staged.

The Junior Winter Run is approximately 2.5kmand is for youngsters of all abilities aged 7-14years old. Entrants for both events receive a t-shirt in addition to a finisher’s pack and medalwhen they complete the run.

Following both events the Bupa GreatEdinburgh International Cross Country will bestaged, featuring some of the best athletes inthe World. 2008 saw Ethiopia’s KenenisaBekele, who won an Olympic Gold medal in the10,000 metres in Beijing this year, also win the

Bupa Great Edinburgh International CrossCountry title; watch out to see who willcompete for the title in 2009!

This year runners can also see their nameprinted in the paper! The official newspaper forthe Bupa Great Winter Run, the EdinburghEvening News, will be printing souvenirsupplements which will be delivered to yourdoor! What better way to relive yourachievement and catch up with news about theday than with your very own copy, you mayeven see your picture in the paper!

Anyone who enters the Bupa Great Winter Runor the Junior Winter Run before the 10thDecember can benefit from an early birddiscount of £2.

Keep up the running in 2009 and enter theBupa Great Edinburgh Run, a 10km city centrerun through Edinburgh. The Bupa GreatEdinburgh Run takes place on Sunday 3rd Mayand will see thousands of runners take part inone of the most popular 10K events inScotland. The course features city highlightssuch as the Royal Mile, Scottish Parliamentand Edinburgh Castle. The event is split intowave starts which mean that faster runners willbe at the front and runners will have a betterGreat Run experience on course. The Juniorand Mini Edinburgh Run, an event foryoungsters of all abilities aged 3-14 years willbe held in The Meadows on Saturday May 2ndmaking this a great weekend of running for allthe family.

Enter at www.greatrun.org where entry formscan also be downloaded. Alternatively, why notvisit the Edinburgh Run 4 It store on LothianRoad where you can pick up an entry form andenter on the spot - cash or cheques areaccepted. Hurry, entries close for the BupaGreat Winter Run on 2nd January.

KEEP ON RUNNING AND BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH

great winter run 37

Despite being on your feet for a long period oftime it will not produce the symptomsdescribed. Running requires single leg supportof three times body weight when speed isfactored in. A lot of muscle power is required tocontrol this and direct you in a straight line.

From a treatment perspective, you need todecrease the number of sessions per week,continue icing and some taping to offload thesite of stress. However, this will not resolve it.A biomechanical assessment by a Podiatrist tomake orthotics or light weight foot raise to putinside the appropriate stability shoe isessential. Physiotherapy input would also beinvaluable, especially if there were concerns ofback posture.

John Guthrie is a therapist in podiatry andchiropody at Tonic Health in Edinburgh.Tonic is a leading complementary healthand wellbeing centre which offers a widerange of treatments with expert therapists.

Their team of fully qualified therapists &teachers can offer relief from manyconditions and ailments from back painand headaches to sports injuries andnutrition problems as well as relax andrevive even the most stressed ofindividuals.

For more information please call 0131 554 6161 or [email protected] or visit theirwebsite www.tonichealthscotland.com

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ask the expert


right – John Guthrie

ask the expert 38

ask the doc 39

Dear JohnI’m too scared to go and see someone in caseI’m told to stop jogging and have to miss themarathon, I was born with my left leg an inchor so shorter than my right.

I’m suffering pain in the lower part of my leftleg (the shorter one) between my calf andinside ankle. I’ve been using an ice pack onthe area straight after a jogging session whichhelps a bit. But it’s usually the next day when Ifirst get up, I can hardly put any weight on myleg and then I struggle at work as I have araised (steel toecap) shoe to keep me levelwhich can get quite heavy when I’ve been onmy feet all day.

I sometimes think the problem might be either,the raised shoe as I only started wearing onelast year (after 40 years of walking with a limpand starting to complain of hip and backache)and as I now only wear it for work (as the restof the time I wear normal shoes or trainers) Itend to walk on tiptoe (in bare feet) on myshorter leg soon after removing it to make upfor the missing inch.

Or maybe it’s because I start to lean to my leftas I get tired during a long jog and start puttingtoo much strain on that side of my body.

I have tried insoles, bandages, supports,spongy heels and different trainers but justcan’t seem to shake this injury off. I don’t wantto give up my jogging as it has helped me loseweight (5 stone) and is also helping me stay fit.

Dear Jogger,

My starting point would be to consider themedical history and conclude that it is a truelimb length discrepancy (LLD) i.e. one or bothof the long bones of the leg are short relative tothe other side. Initial suspicions are along the

lines of ‘shin splints’, a common conditionfound amongst runners who have extendedtheir mileage in preparation for an event anddecreased their rest period; consequentlyexceeding their injury tolerance level. Thistolerance level can be multi-factorial, itincludes age, body weight, gender, structure/biomechanical shape you inherited, strengthlevel, diet composition, footwear, and currenthealth status.

The term “shin splints” is often used todescribe pain of the lower leg associated withimpact sports. This is a very broad name andincludes a mixed bag of different conditionsrequiring different treatments. The mostcommon being medial tibial stress syndrome(M.T.S.S), which often occurs in partnershipwith tibialis posterior over use. The leastcommon being compartment syndrome, whichis a constriction of the nerve and blood supplyby a muscle that is being starved of oxygen.Last but no means least is the possibility of astress fracture, an untreated progression ofM.T.S.S.

Pulling your history together I would consideryour risk factors for each condition and offer abest guess with the information at hand. Mypreferred diagnosis would be M.T.S.S withassociated tibialis posterior involvement. Dueto the one inch leg difference it would becrucial to exclude any referred pain from yourback which will be at greater risk from wearand tear impairing nerve function andconsequent muscle weakness.

Your injury tolerance level will be low, being arelatively new runner. Due to you being overforty years old, your body will producesignificantly less repair hormones thansomeone of twenty or thirty. Overall I feel theleg difference is less significant than the extraweight you have carried and that the steel toecapped boots is a “red herring”.

If you have an injury or a question for one of our experts, please [email protected]

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40

They come in all shapes and sizes,and without them, the empire thatis jogscotland would not exist.That’s right this is my ode to all ofthe Jog Leaders out there.I think behind every jogscotland member’ssuccess, you will find a truly motivational JogLeader that pushed, coaxed and plodded thatjogger round the park, across the finish line orup that hill.

Take my Jog Leaders for instance, they are asneaky lot! They get me to gossip the wholeway round so I don’t notice that pain in myshins, or that I am tired and want to stop. Ifanybody goes jogging with our Ann watch outas she is a sneaky wee Jog Leader too as shechats the miles away.

Being involved in the nomination process ofthe Annual Awards this year has also provenjust how well-loved our Jog Leaders are. Theyare by the far the most popular awardcategory. And the time and effort that has goneinto some of the nominations is mind boggling.

Our Jog Leaders are a humble lot, they thinkthey don’t do anything that it’s all down to thejoggers. And while yes, this is partly true, it isthe Jog Leaders that push to get results out ofthe jogger. For example take the Dalgety Bayjogscotland member who was running her first10k in the Fourth Road Bridge event earlierthis year, who would have stopped halfwaythrough if she hadn’t had a motivational chatwith her Jog Leader Allan Brown. Allan joggedalongside her to get her on to the bridge andinto her stride again before racing back tocheer her over the finish line. I imagine if youspoke to her she would say she wouldn’t havefinished the run without Allan’sencouragement.

These Leaders are out there each week,whether the sun is shining, whether it isbucketing down or perhaps in some locationsaround Scotland even snowing, to make sureyou get the best of your jogscotland session.For those of you that are new to thejogscotland whanau (this is the maori word forfamily … see you get educated in kiwi whenyou read my articles!) all of our Jog Leadersare put through a gruelling one day workshop… ok maybe not gruelling but it is intensive!

On this course our wannabe Jog Leaders learnthe jogscotland ethos and aims, what theirrole of a jogscotland leader is, the coachingprocess, before, during and after sessions,how to provide a sufficient warm up and cooldown, how to lead a beginners group, leadinga mixed ability group, health benefits ofexercise, motivation and behaviour change,and how to carry out a risk assessment.

It is then up to the Jog Leader to run (no punintended!) the group. And gosh these groupsvary! We have groups that go out in theirlunchtimes and weekends, enter runs together,have nights out, award evenings and someeven go abroad together!

I know in my life I really struggle to fiteverything in! By the time you factor in work,family, friends, relaxation and sleeping thereisn’t a lot of time left! And we all know that weshould factor in time that is purely dedicated toexercise. But while we can pick and chosewhether we turn up to our jogscotlandsession, (not that you would ever not turn up… would you?!) Jog Leaders don’t have theluxury of doing this. They show true dedicationby being there each week ready to take thegroup out and show people the joys of jogging.

They become so much more than just theperson at the front of the group. They become

your mentor, your personal trainer and perhapseven your good friend. I have now beenjogging with my jogscotland group at Run4Itfor a year and have become good friends withboth of my Jog Leaders. I have even beenlucky enough to be invited to my Jog Leaderswedding!

I suppose what I am trying to say in a longwinded type of way is, next time you feel tootired, too stressed or it’s too wet outside toattend your jogscotland session, give athought to your Jog Leader who you know willbe there regardless. These guys and gals taketime out of their life to take you out jogging, toteach you how to lead a healthy lifestyle andhelp you achieve things you may have thoughtwere never possible. And as your mum wouldhave said to you when you were learning your‘p’s and q’s’ while growing up, THANK YOUgoes a long way.

cool

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cool downBy Megan Hubbard

Ode to the Jog Leader


Beating Heart Disease Together

Registered as a charity in Scotland (SC039426) and England & Wales (225971)

joggers wantedTake part in our heart-warming February fundraisingevent to support BHF Scotland, the nation’s heartcharity.

Our Valentine 6k or 12k Jog on Saturday 28 February2009 is a perfect course for all levels of fitness. Choosethe distance that’s right for you on this flat, scenic routearound Strathclyde Country Park.

Contact us for more information, or to register

Telephone: 0808 100 2109Email: [email protected]/events

beating heart disease together

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42 jogscotlandmagazineWinter 2008

x-trainingCircuit Training –jogscotland style

Circuit training and fun are not words Iwould normally associate with eachother and with good reason too! EveryTuesday I attend my gym's circuitclass ... it's enough to make me mymuscles tremble just by thinkingabout it! I have even heard a horrorstory of a man who lost his suppertwice after attending circuit classes!But award-winning Jog Leader JimDobbie has managed to do it! He andfellow Jog Leader Pat Mullen havecreated a circuit class that not onlyhelps strengthen your core stabilitybut is also fun at the same time!I must say that both Ann and I were a bit selfconscious to start off with as we were right inthe front of the room with a mirror in front of us... and I was having a bad hair day! But twominutes in and Jim had our full attention.

We were first asked to place our hands on ourbelly (yes I did suck it in a bit) and startjogging, and while I would love to be say Ididn't feel anything wobble that would be lying.When we stopped we were asked if we felt

anything wobbling around when we jogged, weof course said no! After the laughter had dieddown, Jim asked “which would you rather runwith, a block of concrete or a large containerwith water in it?”, of course we said theconcrete as the water would jiggle around toomuch ... then the penny dropped just what hewas getting at.

Jim went on to explain the importance ofhaving core stability while out running and howby doing sets of different strengtheningexercises we can really improve our six packsand tone the muscles which will then have apositive knock on effect in our running.

Jim and Pat then went through each exercisewe would be doing, showing the do's anddon'ts of each one. And then we were into it,doing 30 seconds of each exercise with 10seconds recovery between each exercise(which was really us moaning and getting inposition for the next exercise and Jim yelling -nicely of course at us to hurry up) we ended updoing three sets of the exercises with Jimadding in a nice little challenge for me on thetrunk hold when I got too cocky!

By Megan HubbardPhotos by Alistair Currie

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ExercisesPress-upsMake sure you always start a press-up from down on yourbelly rather than up and keep your hands wide and yourback straight with your bottom down. You should be straightas a board! Cross your feet over and take the weight onyour hands and knees. Please note that you may need awee cushion under your knees to protect them from thehard floor. Be careful not to lock your elbows out at eitherthe bottom of the press-up or the top.

Sit-upsMake sure your knees are hip width apart and look throughthe space between your knees. Your shoulders should berelaxed with your arms by your side. Roll up gently ensuringyour back and feet keep on the floor. Do gentle pulsestrying to get your arms to reach out further with each pulse.Make sure you are not straining your neck and don’t dropyour head back. Shoulders should remain off the floor thewhole 30 seconds of the exercise.

TricepsGoodbye bingo wings! Yup this one is going to hurt but isso good! Sit on your bottom with your legs hip width apartand bent and push yourself up with your hips lifted, thenbend and straighten the arms making sure to keep that weebottom and hips up!

Squat jumpsTime to get that heart really pumping! You do feel a bit sillyin this one but keep with it. Alternate jumps by changing theleading leg and make sure to bend the knees as you takeoff and land. Aim is to jump higher with each jump. This willbe the longest 30 seconds of your life!

Sit-ups with a twistThe concept is the same as normal sit-ups but this one willhelp tone up those side abdominal muscles. Basically do anormal sit up and then twist one elbow to the opposite kneeand then roll back down. Repeat on the other side.

Arm DrillsEasiest way to describe this one is to pretend you arerunning really fast (although your feet are stuck in quicksand) and your arms are pumping back and forth, go asfast as you can but make sure your back remains straight.

Side ExtensionsYou can really feel this one the next day ... trust me! Placeyour hands by your side and slide one arm down the legand back up and now do the other one, but do it really fast!Yes another silly looking one but really effective!

Trunk hold (or plank)Yup you need to look like a plank! Lie on your belly, thentuck your feet under and come up till you are resting onyour elbows and stay ... yup that's right stay there till the 30seconds is up. Too easy? Then try lifting one leg and thenthe opposite arm and hold (I tried but couldn't keep my armup, boo! It's now my new challenge in life!).

Jim recommends a 10-15 minute stretch session at the endas it helps improve mobility and flexibility whilst the musclesare warm. Jim also recommends one circuit trainingsession a week as it will really help with building corestability and well as toning the body up.

Thanks to all the great Strathclyde Park jogscotland members wholet us crash their circuit training and a special thanks to Jim and Patfor sharing their wisdom and making me ache while laughing.

For more pics and a few videos from the circuit session, go towww.jogscotland.org.uk/strideuncut

local area contacts loca

lcon

tacts

45Fife – Dalgety Bay, DunfermlineAllan Brown01383 [email protected]

Fife – Kirkcaldy (men only)Ronnie Green07980 [email protected]

Glasgow – Barlarnock (men only)Jane Brown0141 773 [email protected]

Glasgow – Bellahouston (men only)Tony McLaren07796 [email protected]

Glasgow – Deaf Running Group(Gorbals)Paul McCusker0141 420 [email protected]

Glasgow – East EndHealthy Living Centre (men only)Heather Dickson0141 550 [email protected]

Glasgow – GarscubeLindsay Wilson07989 428330

Glasgow – Govan (men only)Alasdair Moodie0141 419 [email protected]

Glasgow – FinniestonDonald Cameron0141 243 [email protected]

Glasgow – Kingsway Court (men only)Martin Coyle0141 959 [email protected]

Glasgow – MaryhillIsobel [email protected]

Glasgow – Partick (men only)Steven Kendrick07808 [email protected]

Glasgow – Petershill FootballComplex (men only)Stephen Malloy0141 548 1515

Glasgow – Pollok (men only)Tony Reilly 07840 [email protected] Macfarlane 07786 141604William Muir 0141 882 4634

Glasgow – Pollokshields – BMEgroup (women only)Jaz [email protected]

Glasgow – Run 4 itNicola Lamb, Chris Robertson0141 221 [email protected]

Glasgow – Sauchiehall Street(men only)Martin Little07802 [email protected]

Glasgow – SpringburnPeter Copeland0141 548 [email protected]

Glasgow – Various (women only)Women’s JoggingNetworkCheryl Thomson0141 287 [email protected]

Glasgow – YorkhillMichael Browne07795 [email protected]

Highland – Alness (MENONLY sessionson request)Tom [email protected]

Highland – Cairngorm Runners,[email protected]

Highland – FortrosePaul McGowan01381 [email protected]

Highland – GairlochFiona Johnston01445 [email protected]

Highland – Inverness (men only)Mark Sharples01349 [email protected]

Highland – Isle of SkyeSteve Johnson01478 [email protected]

Highland – LochaberIan Adams01397 [email protected]

Highland – Muir of OrdJoan Munro01463 [email protected]

Highland – StrathpefferMark Sharples01349 [email protected]

Inverclyde – Greenock SportsCentreContact Sports Centre07944 [email protected]

Inverclyde – South Street,GreenockMargaret Dyer01475 [email protected]

Midlothian – BonnyriggKath Laing01968 [email protected]

Midlothian – DalkeithGeraldine Fergusson0131 660 [email protected]

Midlothian – PenicuikAllan Blair01968 [email protected]

Moray – DufftownNick Brown01542 [email protected]

Moray – BuckieAudrey Benvie01340 [email protected]

Moray – FochabersWillie Johnstone01343 [email protected]

Moray – ForresJo Rogan01309 [email protected]

Moray – KeithFrankie Barton01466 771239

Moray – Lossiemouth (women only)Rachel England07835 59232001343 [email protected]

North Ayrshire – IrvineFiona Comrie01294 [email protected]

North Ayrshire – Radio City (inc menonly sessions)Chris Cameron01505 [email protected]

North Lanarkshire – VariousBonny Wallace01236 [email protected]

North Lanarkshire –Living Well BellshillKaren McCubbin07773 [email protected]

Perth & Kinross – AuchterarderTracey Greer01764 [email protected]

Perth & Kinross – PerthKevin Riddell01783 [email protected]

Perth & Kinross – PitlochryNeil Johnstone01796 473866

Renfrewshire – Jogging Buddies -VariousSusan McDonald0141 847 [email protected]

Renfrewshire – Barshaw Park,Paisley (men only)James McDonald0141 847 [email protected]

Scottish Borders – EarlstonCaroline McDermott01890 [email protected]

Scottish Borders – GalashielsLynsey Renton01896 750456 / 01896 [email protected]

loca

lcon

tacts

44 local contactsAberdeen - Airyhall CommunityCentreJulie Gillespie01224 [email protected]

Aberdeen - Alex Collie CentreRaymond & Margaret Simpson01224 [email protected]

Aberdeen - RGU SportMandy Sangbarani01224 [email protected]

Aberdeenshire - AboyneRuth Mackenzie01224 814 [email protected]

Aberdeenshire – Inverurie, Turriff,WesthillAndy Millar01467 [email protected]

Aberdeenshire – Lower DeesideJacqui O’Donovan01330 [email protected]

Aberdeenshire – PeterheadStephen Bruce01779 [email protected]

Aberdeenshire – StonehavenGordon & Lynette Mitchell01569 [email protected]

Angus – BalkeerieDenise Mellish01828 [email protected]

Angus – FriockheimJacqui McDonald01241 826099

Argyll & Bute – CampbeltownFiona Irwin01586 [email protected]

Argyll & Bute – Isle of ArranShonagh Murchie01496 [email protected]

Argyll & Bute – Isle of JuraRose Cochrane07971 [email protected]

Argyll & Bute – LochgilpheadJune Graham 01546 606632Liz Feeney 01546 886276Andy Law 01546 [email protected]

Argyll & Bute – OrmsaryDinah Bosomworth01880 [email protected]

Argyll & Bute – TarbertLesley Scott01880 [email protected]@varrda77.fsnet.co.uk

Clackmannan – Alloa (men only)Kenny [email protected]

Dumfries & Galloway – AnnanCalum Graham01461 [email protected]

Dumfries & Galloway –Castle DouglasJohn Allison01556 [email protected]

Dumfries & Galloway – DumfriesMargaret Gray01387 [email protected]

Dumfries & Galloway – Dumfries(Marchfield)Jackie [email protected]

Dumfries & Galloway – MoffatMark Whitelaw07742 [email protected]

Dundee – ArdlerYvonne Young 01382 831712Maria Gracie 01382 [email protected]

Dundee – Ardler (men only)Derek McFarlane 01382 435899

Dundee (women only)Sandra [email protected]

DundeeFrances Simpson07917 [email protected]

East Ayrshire – Cumnock,Kilmarnock (men only/women only sessions)Louise West01563 [email protected]

East Dunbartonshire – KirkintillochSusan Reid0141 578 [email protected]

East Dunbartonshire – Kirkintilloch(men only)Sean McBride07985 [email protected]

East Dunbartonshire – Milngavie(men onlyHamish MacFarlane07802 [email protected]

East Lothian – Dunbar, TranentSue Broadway01875 [email protected]

East Renfrewshire – variousDavid McLeish0141 577 [email protected]

East Renfrewshire –Greens, GiffnockColin Thomas0141 637 [email protected]

Edinburgh – BalernoBob Douglas0131 449 [email protected]

Edinburgh – Dalry (men only)Angela Farr0131 537 [email protected]

Edinburgh – Edinburgh ParkClare [email protected]

Edinburgh University - CraigmillarParkKaren [email protected]

Edinburgh – Healthy Moves, SouthWest Edinburgh (men only)Nicola Barclay0131 458 [email protected]

Edinburgh – Heriot WattSarah McMahon0131 451 [email protected]

Edinburgh – PortobelloGordon Faulkner0131 669 [email protected]

Edinburgh – Run 4 itSusie Hyatt0131 228 [email protected]

Edinburgh – South QueensferryMandy Kerr07855 [email protected]

Edinburgh – University KingsBuildings, Bristo SquareGarry Robertson0131 650 [email protected]

Edinburgh University – Little FranceMoira Nicol0131 242 [email protected]

Edinburgh University – Pollock HallsJudith Law0131 651 [email protected]

Edinburgh – WestwoodsJohn Spencer 0131 332 5777Fiona Mackenzie 0131 553 [email protected]@yahoo.co.uk

Falkirk – GrangemouthAndrew Stevenson0131 343 8983 / 01324 [email protected]

Fife – CowdenbeathIrene Miller07717 [email protected]


Scottish Borders – KelsoLynn Young01573 [email protected]

South Ayrshire – PrestwickTracey Fulton07974 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire –ATHelite, East KilbrideGenevieve Freeman01355 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire – Bell College(men only)Warren Brady01698 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire – BiggarNigel Pavey07714 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire – Blantyre(men only)Ian Thompson01698 727807

South Lanarkshire – East KilbrideYvonne Kirkwood01355 571386 / 01355 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire –Greenhills, East KilbrideCaroline Gibson01355 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire – Hamilton PalaceGrounds (men only)David McFarlane01698 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire – LarkhallJill Strachan07810 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire – RutherglenChristine Rothnie0141 646 [email protected]

South Lanarkshire –Rutherglen and WhitlawburnJan Taylor0141 646 [email protected]

Stirling – BalfronLois Gerrard01360 [email protected]

Stirling – Bridge of AllanGilly Marshall07764 [email protected]

Stirling – Bridge of AllanKris HendersonJane Greenlee01786 [email protected]

Stirling – CallanderKaren Ferguson01877 [email protected]

Stirling – RiversideMandy [email protected]

Stirling – UniversityJudith Ramsay01786 [email protected]

West Dunbartonshire – Various(inc men only sessions)Ian Crawford01389 [email protected]

Western Isles – DaliburghChristine Lindsay-MacQuarrie07825 [email protected] Lindsay-Steele01878 700622

Western Isles – VariousLindsey MacDonald01870 [email protected]

West Lothian – AlmondellDawn Telfer07806 [email protected]

West Lothian – BroxburnChris Dickson01506 [email protected]

West Lothian – LinlithgowLinda Raeburn01506 [email protected]

West Lothian – LivingstonAlex Kilgour - 01506 [email protected] McAdam - 01506 [email protected]

West Lothian – Livingston LeisureCentre (men only)Neil [email protected] 901244

West Lothian - West Calder Health& Fitness CentreJuliana Dorman01506 [email protected]

For more information about yourlocal groups (level of group, dates,times and venues) please use thelist above or go to:www.jogscotland.org.uk/local_groups

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Phone: 01388 526 860 Mobile: 07736 157803Email: [email protected] or www.greatrun.org for further details and an entry form.

BUPA GREAT WINTER 5K RUN 10th January – Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

ALBERT BARTLETT EDINBURGH MARATHON – 31st May

A R T H R I T I S R E S E A R C H C A M P A I G N

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For some people, arthritis makes it difficult to tie shoelaces or hold a magazine. For others, the pain is so severe that joint replacement is the only option. And with one person in nine in the UK suffering from arthritis, the time to fight back is now. Run for the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) and you’ll not only be helping us in our efforts to find a cure for this painful disease, you’ll enjoy expert training support, a free vest and running socks and a well-earned massage at the end.

Pull on your running shoes for the 7 million who can’t!

Contact Marion to join our team and run for an end to pain.

Make her jump for joy this Christmas

Voted No.1 Sports Braby readers of

Offi cial Supplier

www.run4it.comStores located in Aberdeen, Glasgow City, Glasgow Tiso, Edinburgh, Inverness

Offer runs until 31st December 2008 at RUN 4 IT stores only. See in store for terms and conditions

Buy one Shock Absorbersports bra at

and get the second half price

Stride - Winter 2008

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