DECEMBER 2012 Issue 13 THE marathon ISSUE • NZ marathon guide • How to optimise marathon pacing • Tackling the Long Run ROAD RELAY IN REVIEW Top Club again folks! LIFE MEMBERSHIP: Grant McLean The B-Boyz: a social history Unravelling the B’s culture Day at the races: Tim Hodge reports on success in Chiba 1 WE WOULD LIKE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THE CLUB PROVIDES, WHAT YOU LIKE, WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER, WHAT ELSE WE COULD OFFER AND SO ON... WATCH OUT FOR THE GREAT SCOTTISH SURVEY IN LATE JANUARY. THE SURVEY WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN HARDCOPY 2 Contents From the Features: Editor Life Member: Grant McLean 5 Todd Stevens Well, I never thought I New Zealand marathon review 7 would end up on the cover Michael Wray of a running magazine. It Marathon pacing strategies 13 wasn’t my goal in taking Michael Wray on the editor’s job – I promise! I have been The Short Guide to the Long Run 15 Matt Dravitzki incredibly humbled by being awarded the honour Back on home soil 19 Dan Wallis of life membership by this special club – thank you A summer running in London 21 club mates and special Hayden Shearman thanks to Todd, my great Columns: friend, for all his support in Managing diabetes on the run my Scottish career. I hope I Edwin Massey 26 can continue to serve you all long into the future. Team Updates 29 Just before we take a well-deserved Christmas/New Year Day at the Races: rest, we reflect on another amazing year for the club and Chiba Ekiden Relay, Japan 34 start to eye up some goals for 2013. How about in the Tim Hodge marathon? We have brought together the combined My favourite route: experience and expertise of Matt Dravitzki, Todd Stevens The Wild Woods of Mt Victoria 37 and Michael “PB” Wray to cover a whole raft of 26.2m gems Grant McLean including a NZ marathon review. I am pleased to introduce three new contributors this On the Run Contact: issue, Dan Wallis, Hayden Shearman and Tim Hodge – great Wellington Scottish Athletics Club, to have some new young blood on board with journalistic PO Box 6239, Te Aro, Wellington and running chops to match! Editor, Grant McLean I trust you will all find something of interest in this issue and Phone: (04) 4767-823 Email: [email protected] have a great Christmas and New Year – see you in 2013. www.scottishathletics.org.nz Grant McLean Contributors: Michele Allison, Stephen Day, Matt Dravitzki, Tim Hodge, Daniel Hunt, Jim Jones, Edwin Massey, Maryanne Palmer, Paul Rodway, Sierra Ryland, Hayden Shearman, Bob Stephens, Alan Jac Built Stevens, Todd Stevens, Bill Twiss, Glen Wallis, Dan Wallis, Michael Wray Designed by Jill Ross, Pink Design Ltd Construction Limited Photography: Rowan Greig, Dean Riddick Qualified Tradesman photography, Sharon Wray, Karen Ward Cover photo: Grant McLean, Mountain to Surf For all your building requirements Marathon, 2012. Photo courtesy of Dean Riddick Photography. Renovations Alterations Additions New Housing If you have any comments or suggestions, Remote building (DOC huts) let the Ed. know: [email protected] James Coubrough | 0210411970 Follow us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/wellingtonscottish A/H 5700027 | [email protected] Follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/wgtnscottish 3 From the General Manager President’s Piece Todd Stevens Glen Wallis December is It was great to join certainly my so many members favourite month to celebrate another of the year. I’ve successful winter had a chance to season at the recent unwind mentally prize-giving held at and physically from harrier season and the Basin Reserve. another overseas 2012 has been a marathon, there great year for our is a bit of fun to club: we retained be had at the our National Top Scottish Night of Miles, a decent holiday break Club title at the NZ Road Relay in October, is fast approaching, and with no races on the membership growth, and we continued to build a immediate horizon, I’m not tied to a training strong financial base. programme. So chilling out and relaxing are easy. However, for other club members The key to WSAC’s on-going success is the core December represents a month of very hard work number of members who continue to give their as the hard yards are put in, in preparation for time to the club in so many different areas. If as a important track races in the next year. No matter club we wish to continue to grow, be successful how you view December, I hope you can all take and be able to have a better offer to our members, a chance to reflect on 2012 and recall a number we need to widen our volunteer base. If you would of highlights. like to help out next year, please let one of the At the club’s prize-giving last month, I recall Management Committee know. some of my highlights from the year: Top Club Congratulations to Grant McLean on being at NZ Road Relay (keep reading the magazine for more about this), record club membership awarded life membership of WSAC. “Macca” has numbers (over 300 members), having Edwin “Kip” for many years represented the club leading Keitany in our ranks and leading the way in every from the front, whether on the roads, in relay race he did, our fantastic volunteers (allowing teams or the contribution he has made to the us to put on quality events), the NZ Road administrative side of our club, highlighted by this Championships on the Wellington waterfront magazine. (particularly the one-two finish from Edwin I urge all members to stay in touch with the and Tim Hodge), the excellent progress being made on arrangements for our 2015 centenary club over the summer. There are plenty of celebrations, thoroughly deserved recognition club activities to help you maintain fitness and for Grant McLean’s contribution to the club in motivation. The Night of Miles in December, the form of Life Membership. Tuesday’s 5k series, Saturday afternoon track (once Opening day in March will quickly come around, the repairs completed), and the NZ Half Marathon but don’t be shy in the meantime. Come along and NZ Masters Track and Field Championships to Newtown Park in the New Year; have a race, in late February. If you don’t feel like racing, them if you want, or just watch your fellow members simply try and hook up with a few club mates for christen the new surface. Merry Christmas and a regular run, and talk up 2013. have a toast to an even better year (if that is I wish all members and their families a very Merry possible) in 2013. Christmas and hope Santa has a New Year’s PB in his sack for all of us. 4 Grant McLean Life Member Todd Stevens At last month’s club prize-giving, fancied WHAC runner Nathan Lewer. Every the honour of life membership was member of the team won their first ever NZ road relay medal. Grant has been Mr Reliable ever bestowed on Grant McLean. Life since, and ran in the A team for the next 13 years, membership is the ultimate honour before being “promoted” to Masters at age 42. the club can give, and in Grant’s case it is recognition for over 16 years of outstanding service. 2012 has been a superb year for Grant - illustrated by the truck he needed to hire to transport home all the trophies he collected at the club prize-giving! But life membership is recognition for Grant’s contribution well beyond what he did competitively in 2012. Grant joined Scottish in 1996. My first vivid recollection of Grant was in the weeks prior to the 1996 NZ Road Relay. The Men’s A team, of 1996 National Road Relay, whew didn’t stuff it up! which I was captain, had a late withdrawal of one of the team’s leading runners (Steve Hunt). As I stressed about who the replacement runner would be, I noted the rapid improvement during I could fill up this whole magazine with details of the season of a new member, one Grant McLean. Grant’s competitive performances, and still not I gave Grant a time trial the Saturday two weeks do them justice. But highlights include: before the Road Relay (15:41), then the next • 40 team and individual NZ championship day he went out and won the Hutt Valley half medals marathon in 1:12, and so I then (nervously) • Five NZ Road Relay gold medals with Scottish added Grant to the A team - and put him on the (more than any other male member) last lap. It had been nine years since Scottish had last won a medal at the NZ road relay, and as • Since turning 40, Grant has started in a total I handed over the baton to Grant at the start of of nine Wellington road and cross country the last lap in 2nd place, I breathlessly told him championships, and won nine. (in rather colourful language) not to stuff things • 37 marathons, including five wins in a row up. What pressure! Grant set sail for the finish, in the Wellington marathon and four wins at ran superbly, and held our 2nd place, over highly New Plymouth. 5 All of Grant’s achievements were done wearing In my roles as Team Captain and General very proudly the Scottish singlet. The profile Manager, and at a personal level, I’ve been and publicity Grant has brought to Scottish is incredibly lucky to have Grant as a wise counsel.