Christmas

Ladies night - Wednesday 17th December, 5-8pm
let us help you select gifts for HIM and while you enjoy a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine we'll wrap it up all nice for you....we'll not even tell anyone if you buy a little something for yourself, we can wrap that and see if Santa will sign it!!

Mens night - Friday 19th December 5-8pm
stuck with what to buy HER for Christmas come into ATHelite and we'll help you munch on a Christmas mince pie and mulled wine. We'll wrap it up with a pretty bow

ATHelite Run in the Park 5k

ATHelite Run in the Park 5k

Sunday 15th February, 2009

10.00am

get your entry in early - this race fills up

Strathaven 'Run with the Wind' 10k.

Sunday 23rd saw the second running of this great November 10k. Registration takes place in the town & then 350 runners are bused up to Whitelees Wind Farm at the top of Ardochrig. If you haven't seen it, it is the ever increasing fleet of Wind Turbines that is taking over the horizon from East Kilbride & can be seen from seemingly ANYWHERE, unless of course you are indoors.

A very chilly morning was made all the more bracing as we stepped off the heated buses onto the snow touched wind farm carpark. Funny to see about 300 hydrated runners zip off the buses with their legs crossed into the bushes to relieve themselves. Risky business with so much electricity running through the ground from the pylons!

The lovely route took us through the empty country roads finishing in the park in the town. I was in 9th position pretty much from start to finish, just getting pipped on the last hill at about 8.5 k & finishing finally in 10th place in 35.26. I know everyone says this race is all downhill but it so isn't - it has its fair share of ups as well. My race plan was to run 35 mins & finish top 10 so mission accomplished.

A great turnout this year - a very mixed field with a good number from Calderglen Harriers & also a good chunk of our JogScotland group too, all of who got PB's I believe so well done to all of them.

A great race from start to finish, topped off with a hot soup at the end -just what the doctor ordered after the chilly conditions. A bottle of water would have been nice at the finish rather than at the start - I don't know about you but the very last thing I want to down after a race is milk - very hard to stomach personally.
A long 1 hour delay too for the race results but loads of familiar faces & the ATHelite Stall did a good trade.
Well done Strathaven Striders on another successful event - looking forward to next year already.

Christmas

Don't struggle with what to buy a loved one or friend for Christmas. Come and see us and we'll help. No matter what your budget.....be it a stocking filler or a main Christmas present, a 'minder' or a secret santa gift. We are all experienced runners/cyclists/triathletes and we're more than happy to help you out. We'll even wrap your purchase - just ask .

Saucony Drylete Tight - Product Review

I've recently been wearing these tights out running and I rather like them. They are very soft and light (strange thing to say but so light you don't feel them). There quite good for me as I overheat and often get way too hot when running - even in the coldest of night. There is a handy rear zip pocket - good for your key or phone. Ankle zips which you need to unzip to get off - no real stretch there! Mesh panels are behind the knees which is good for my sweaty body!! I would like them a bit tighter (no I couldn't buy a smaller size) otherwise a nice middle of the road tight. RRP £30

Foam Rollers

A few weeks ago I, Mr ATHelite posted that I had quite bad tendinitis in both my hips, brought on by the biking.
This feels like it has mostly eased thankfully, due in part to a bit of initial Physio & laying off the bike for what must now be 5 weeks. Both the Physio & John Dargie (www.fusion-coaching.co.uk) recommended I get Foam Rollers - a big hard foam roller that you can roll on & seems to be great alternative to Physio (Graeme @ http://www.acephysiotherapy.co.uk/). Initially it absolutely kills - especially on the calves, quads & gluts but becomes more bearable over time. After only 1 week my hips feel better & I ran the entire Buchlyvie Half Marathon on Sunday without any pain (that all came afterwards!).
The only area it doesn't get so well (for me) is the hamstrings as it can't get deep enough.

Highly recommended, but if you have tight legs like me, just have a piece of wood to bite on when you start!

A gentle week this week then we have the Strathaven 'Run with the wind' 10k on Sunday.

Buchlyvie Half Marathon Race Report.

So Mr ATHelite completed his first Road Race (as opposed to a Tri or Duathlon) in what must be the last 6 months. About blinking time too i hear you cry!
It was quite a good choice of race to do actually as there was no one else from the club running (so less pressure) as they were all down at the Brampton to Carlisle 10 miler.
I was a little apprehensive going into this as I haven't actually run more than 10 miles since the London Marathon in April. Speed wise I am going well but my endurance is questionable.
Anyhow - a beautiful morning in Buchlyvie - crisp, clear & no wind. The race starts on the road in the village for a few minutes before heading onto the disused railway track which heads off in a straight line into the distance. Could be a bit disconcerting running as far as you can see but only really looked down as the trails underfoot were loose stones & potholes.
A few guys there in trail shoes but i chose my racers thankfully - it was mostly hard underfoot & that's a long way in a hard pair of Inov8's.
I placed myself just behind the lead group who very gently pulled away which was fine - I stuck to my race plan - run at 6.15's & hope to hold onto that pace for a 1hr22 finish.
I could see the lead group all the way to the turning point which I went through in 7th position (i think). Having turned it seemed to me that we had run very slightly downhill & were now heading slightly up but un-noticable really & my mile splits stayed at 6.15 almost to the second. Went through 10 miles in 1hr01 so very pleased with that given that is was off-road.
I was overtaken by two guys running together at 10 miles - with a bit more confidence I probably could have gone with them but stuck to race plan still.
Back onto the road & a climb to the finishing field which annoyingly involved 2 laps of a very wet & muddy field which really slowed you down at the end.
Non-the-less, finished in 1hr22.21 in 9th placed overall so well chuffed.

A highly recommended Half Marathon with a difference - beautiful trails, only one deep muddy section in the middle & the field at the end to contend with, but well worth the journey.
A couple of guys saying they wouldn't do it again because of the finish but that's only a short annoyance in what was a most enjoyable race.

Final note - make the cup of Tea at the end FREE please, dying for a cuppa but couldn't face the walk to the car to get £££££!.

Ouch!!!

So, I, Mrs ATHelite, have Supraspinatus tendonitis :-0
That's it for me for swimming and push-ups!! The pain was excruciating, I think I could feel it coming on but hoped it was nothing serious so kept training...I know, I only have myself to blame. Anyway, obviously the pain became unbearable and I had to seek professional advice (David @ www.acephysiotherapy.co.uk ), who told me to take anti inflammatories and ice as much as possible. The pain has subsided as long as I don't raise my arm any higher than my shoulder. I haven't done anything for a couple of days now as I've been pretty tired but looking forward to a couple of hours on the rollers tomorrow. I hope my shoulder doesn't cause me any pain! I'll try a run off the bike too. Should have loads of energy after my three days off!!

Florida Ironman

November 1, 2008 - SHOW TIME

The day of reckoning has finally arrived. The last five months have been geared up to this day.(Albeit, have in the back of my head been gearing up for the last 2 years for this moment).

I wake up at 4am and eat my breakfast immediately. I manage to eat and still feel calm. You've gotta eat, a long day ahead.

Nut, the thing is, I don't look upon this day as arduous, I look upon it as a gift. How lucky am I that I get to go out and play all day long, doing what I love doing. I'm feeling the anticipation for a great atmosphere. Ironman bringing people of like minds and enthusiasm for the sport together from all over the world. I can't wait to be a part of it.

We leave the condo at 5am and get to the race expo, 5 mins drive away. It's still dark out and the area is bustling already with triathletes. It is quiet though. Everyone is gearing up for what's ahead, focusing on what has to be done, and saving their energy for when it is needed.

2hrs to go before kick off. There is some organizing and preparation into an Ironman event! I get my wetsuit on, with the help of my sister. We then head down to the beach for the start. It's now just beginning to get light, with the sun coming up. He he, this is fantastic. I've watched lots of Ironman events on DVD and have heard so many stories about them, and now I am actually here, participating in one.

Paolina asks me where I am going to start the swim, wherever I feel comfortable I respond. She tells me I should take it wide, so I do this. You are allowed to be ankle deep in the water. Alot of people stand further back. The gun shot goes off and it's party time. Over 2000 of us running out to sea! It takes a while before you can actually start swimming, because the water is still shallow. I don't feel too panicked, I'm not exactly alone. I feel safe because there are lots of boaters in the water. As usual any nerves I had calm down as soon as the gun goes off and we start racing. I'm now in race mode, so I don't worry about how far out we swim. It's pretty much like being in the washing machine. Once we all get out to the furthest away buoy we pretty much have to stop till those ahead turn around and get going again. In hindsight I wouldn't have taken it so wide, at the start, next time I'm just going for it.

Swimming back in you see the sun shining over the water, this is so cool. What a great adventure.

2 loops later I head into transition as quickly as possible, get my bike gear together, a volunteer hands me my bike. Forgot my gloves, no time to go back. You mount your bike at the bike start line, and cycle along the heavily spectator zone, everyone's cheers, pushing you along, and reminding you, this isn't actually a really long training day. this is IT! I'm doing it.

Talking of supporters, as I cycle by our condo I see boyfriend dressed up in costume as Superman and sister dressed up as Superwoman. Super-supporters, I love it, that gives me a good chuckle.

The bike course is so busy, being Florida and flat. I feel good on the bike, which would appear these days to be my strength. I know if it was a bike race I would be going a lot faster at threshold , however, this is not a bike race, this is Ironman, so you have to keep some in the tank, for the dreaded run! I love running, but I am not a long distance runner.

I come off the bike, and oh, I can hardly walk, how am I going to run. A volunteer takes my bike and I look for my bike to run bag and head to the change tent. the volunteers are fantastic and pretty much do everything for you. I change my socks, into compression socks. I know some people don't approve 1. looks ridiculous and 2. they only help with recovery, well guess what, I am recovering from that bike ride. So what ever rocks your boat, go for it.

Quick port-a-loo stop and then I'm off. Wow, my legs are actually ticking over, I'm moving, I feel good, I can't believe it. Heading out on the run course, the streets are busy, with supporters, music playing, love it, I'm pumped, I hope I hear more music, that really motivates me.

The run course is good. Okay I tell myself I'm doing 4 x 10K. I can do that I love a 10K run. After each 6 mile mark I reset my watch. Play games with yourself to help you. I don't think I could cope if I looked at my watch and saw I had been running for 4hrs. I feel comfortable until mile 22, I then try to pick up my cadence, after which I burn out. Should have just kept the same pace. I am now resorted to the Ironman shuffle, for the last 3 , long miles! I was only trained upto 20 miles, the rest being on guts.

I see the finish line and hear the crowds. I get my last bout of wind, when another female attempts to overtake me. I run as fast as I can to the finish. I even get to run through the ironman banner, they hold up for each finisher. I receive my finishers medal. It's very overwhelming. My body is still shaking. Once I stop I can't get moving again. I lay down. I would recommend, that you do not stop moving and keep walking around at the end and get warm. Things I'll remember for the next one.

The day was an absolute blast and I definitely will be doing another!

Thanks to my fabulous boyfriend for coaching me and always being there for me.

To Paolina for inspiring me to do one, I had not heard of Ironman until she started doing them.

To ATHelite for sponsoring me with compression socks and running shoes.

To my mum for putting up with me in Vancouver when I was training on our vacation.

November Specials

Well that is not all that's going on at ATHelite this month!!!
To celebrate Dr Ron Hill's birthday we have a great promo on.......
spend £15 of any mix of Hilly products and get a free gift

go to http://www.athelite.net/ to see many many other HILLY products

November Special

15% OFF PEARL IZUMI CLOTHING


Grab it quick.
Gorgeous Pearl Izumi Mens and Womens Running Outfit!

T-shirt, long sleeve t's and thermal warmer tops with half zips available
go online to http://www.athelite.net/

Last week.

Well - what a performance from Pamela in Florida . We always knew she was strong on the bike but completing the bike course only 35 minutes slower than Bella Commerford is just fantastic.

Watch this space for her race report - looking forward to it. She should be able to write soon.

A good training week for Mr & Mrs ATHelite last week, managing to squeeze in 12 training hours around all the work hours & other commitments. We are having a running focussed fortnight as Mr ATHelite looks towards the Buchlyvie Half Marathon on the 16th. One more higher mileage week this week then a recovery week next week.

Sunday turned into a big training day as we did our hour of Core Strength including the first session using the weights. We are both hoping to loosen off enough to be able to lift a pen later on today!
We followed that with a 10 mile run, 4 hours at work & then another 40 minute run to Blantyre to catch Mandy's Charity hour long spin class. Great fun & not as knackered afterwards as expected!
Only problem with the spin class is that it aggrevated my sore hip again, so proof that the bike is the cause. No biking again for me this week then. Mrs ATHelite is hitting the rollers again up the club on Weds.

Florida Ironman

Pamela finished the Florida Ironman yesterday in a fabulous time of 11hrs26mins. Here is a breakdown of her day. A write up will follow shortly as she is currently too tired to string a sentence together!

SWIM
2.4 mi. (1:14:38)
1:57/100m
1120
41

FIRST BIKE SEGMENT
73 mi. (3:42:07)
19.72 mph

FINAL BIKE SEGMENT
39 mi. (1:52:58)
20.71 mph

TOTAL BIKE
112 mi. (5:35:05)
20.05 mph
790
26

FIRST RUN SEGMENT
6.55 mi. (1:01:10)
9:20/mile

SECOND RUN SEGMENT
6.55 mi. (1:01:48)
9:26/mile

THIRD RUN SEGMENT
6.55 mi. (1:09:11)
10:33/mile

FINAL RUN SEGMENT
6.55 mi. (1:12:34)
11:04/mile
TOTAL RUN
26.2 mi. (4:24:43)
10:06/mile
712

Friday October 31, 2008

The day before my first Ironman. I didn’t sleep well last night, only getting around 5 hrs sleep. Think I ate too much at the carb load meal. Also, I much prefer home cooked food as opposed to mass produced food.

So not quite jumping out of bed this morning, but soon get up after the Starbucks coffee kicks in. Everyone is fighting over the only laptop in the condo. I leave Andrew to work for a while and Pauline comes down to the beach with me for my practice swim. She is still poorly, so will only be walking along the beach while I swim. This wasn’t part of the deal, she was supposed to be coming with me for my practice swims, help keep me calm.

Paolina tells me to do the dolphin dive to get into the water. Okay this has not been on the itinerary and will not be part of the programme, so I proceed to run like a big fairy into the water.

Some guy coming out of the water spots my enthusiasm and gives me a high five. Are you excited he asks me. I say well it’s more than my sister is watching me and I have to even practice my run into the water. Your first time. Yes. The amount of people I tell this is my first time to. So that earns me another high five. I like the friendly and upbeat attitude of many of the people you meet. They are very encouraging.

The buoys have been set up. In fact, these are only practice ones. The bigger ones will be placed in the ocean tonight. Wow, the furthest away buoy you have to swim out to is really far away. I have never done an open water swim in an ocean, let alone of this distance. There is a chop in the water today, sometimes I can’t see the buoys for the waves. And yes, aware of the salt more so now. I feel all alone. There is no one else around me. This is great I tell myself, what else is in here with me I wonder. I start remembering all the movies about open water. Okay happy thoughts, lets start singing.
I turn around, I’m only to do a short 20 min swim, doesn’t matter if it’s a few minutes short.

I’m sure I’ll manage to get all the swim in tomorrow without panicking too much tomorrow. There will be lots of us in the water like one big party. There will be lots of kayakers in the water, boats and deep sea divers. I should be okay . Paolina tells me the first 500m will be the worst, swim really hard. You may get kicked, loose your goggles.
This is seeming overwhelming, so best not to think too much about it. I’m told by sister there will be a big helicopter over the swim too. Wow, lots of drama, I’ll just pretend I’m in a James Bond movie.

So back to condo, wash off all the salty ocean water, before I start itching too much. I finalise my bags to take and check in today. You have to take your bike and bags to the transition zones by 4pm today. I do one final 20 min spin on my bike. Check out everything is working.


The transition zone is all very organized. You place your bike on the rack in numerical order. Place your swim to bike bag in the e allocated zone and bike to run bag in another set zone. Paolina says I look like a deer caught in a headlight. Yes, little trepidation. I want to go back to the condo and lay down and switch off. We do that, there’s nothing else to do here now.

I get to laze around and Polly cooks the last meal, which is what it feels like and Andrew even hold the front page, washes up! Now this I could get used to.So yes, this could be my farewell letter. Mother I love you. Polly and Andrew thanks for all your support this week and throughout. And Mrs ATHelite thanks for your professional advice with running shoes, and encouragement. Mum you’re my mum and I love you so much.Tara, I’m off to bed now as I’m up at 4am!