Author: The Author

Jim suffered his stroke last year just as the season was coming to a peak.   He had contributed so much over the years and was a kind of talisman for the team.   His nature was always one of getting on with the work and enjoying doing it.   True to form he was back attending the next race – asked the hospital for a Saturday pass so tat he could do it.   Some guy!   Here is his own story of the year and the stroke incident.

“Training the cross country team was interesting as we had a bunch of kids that wanted to train hard and listened what the coaches were telling them. A few weeks before the State championships the varsity girls approached d Carol and I, asking “why Summit never performed well at Nationals.“   We told them that most of the kids take off on Thanksgiving vacation to Hawaii, Mexico or skiing, and when they return to school they are out of shape.

We told them that if you want to perform well at Nationals providing you qualify you need to ask your parents to postpone your vacation and stay in Bend and train. We gave them a few days to come back with an answer. All the girls informed us that they would be in Bend during the holidays and wanted to train for Nationals.

I had another health scare where I nearly kicked the bucket. One night I was watching TV when all of a sudden the room started spinning and I couldn’t see.   I thought, “Oh shit here comes the big one.” Carol was playing Bunco with friends at another location. I managed to find my phone, called Carol – that call went to her answering machine. I then tried to call my next door neighbor to no avail as I couldn’t see his number. I knew where 911 was on the phone which I called, told the dispatcher where I lived and thought I was having a stroke. While talking to the lady I started feeling sick and made a bee-line for the kitchen to throw up in the sink. As I could not see I ran into the kitchen table which knocked me on my arse. I managed to get up and make it to the sink. While throwing up I could hear the ambulance’s siren. I was still throwing up when help arrived. They put me in gurney asked me some questions and gave me an IV.   

Next thing I knew I was in hospital and a doctor asked if he had permission to give me clot buster. I said yes. Next thing I knew a friend was with me in the Intensive Care unit and said to me that if someone asks who she is tell her she is your niece. I guess I was in ER Care for 3 days before being transferred to Intensive Care. I had suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage on the right side of the brain where the clot was lodged.

Carol was at the hospital same time as me as Fred my neighbor when he saw the ambulance at the door called his wife to tell Carol to get home immediately. Seemingly when I tried to call she had turned off her phone because parents were calling her about their kids, and since she was having a night out with her friends she did not want to talk to parents.

One evening while in Intensive Care I had to go to the bathroom. After I had finished doing my business I tried to stand up and down I went hitting my head in the wall. I called for help and my daughter Amy opened the door and went running for a nurse. Between the two of them they managed to get me back to bed. Seemingly I was not to be left alone but when the nurse stepped out for something, down I went. I was rushed to have a scan, and when the results came back the bleeding in my brain had stopped. Being me I said to the Doctor that hitting one’s head on a wall might be part of the recovery process.

The first week I had to attend rehab and could hardly do anything. I couldn’t walk up or down 4 stairs without help. I was on a tether when they had me walking. I was hopeful without help. I made my mind up that I have to get out of this place.

Each day I was getting stronger and the medical staff kept asking what I wanted to do. I replied it is simple, “get me out of here.”

The Wednesday before the District Cross Country Championships which were being held in Bend. I told the medical staff it was imperative that I be allowed to attend the Champions. On Thursday they had me walking outside on the grass with a walker to see how I navigated grass and obstacles. I passed with flying colors. The staff had a meeting and decided to give me a pass to attend the meet as long as I had someone keep their eye on me.

I was picked up from the hospital by a good friend, Aaron Gordon who took me to the races. When I arrived I was enlightened to see Olivia Brooks an athlete whom I trained and now attends the University of Colorado. It was great day as Summit won all four races.

Aaron took me back to the hospital where I had to have a nap. Next day I had a battery of tests which I had failed seven days ago. This time I passed with flying colors scoring 35 out of 36. One of the tests was to stand on one leg then repeat with eyes closed. I never ever thought I would be standing with my eyes closed, on one leg, and I wasn’t even drunk.

After the tests there was a meeting with the doctors and Physical Therapy staff that I could home tomorrow. Thank goodness, I am out of here. Hospitals are great for taking care of you and getting you back on your feet. I like my own bed and surroundings and really dislike getting wakened up every hour. I know it is a necessity but if you don’t get sufficient sleep you are no use to anyone.

Even though I was delirious at times that when asked what the workout was for the runners, I could always come up with a workout they had to do. Most times I don’t remember her asking, but what I said was documented and the kids did the workout.

Carol was there every day helping me get around, cajoling me to behave myself and slow down. Amy my daughter for driving from Portland offering moral support and attending to my needs. Heather my daughter in Houston for calling every day and giving me words of encouragement. I would not let Heather fly up from Houston as I told her I will be up and about as I am going to beat this thing. I told her to visit when I was out of hospital which she did. I must thank all the people that showed up at the hospital to give me hell and good wishes. The Physical Therapy staff that brought me back from a physical wreck to near normal. Some people tell me that this will never happen as I don’t know what normal is.

I was discharged around lunch time on a Monday and showed up at the hills later to watch the team do the workout which I had prescribed earlier. It was an emotional moment for all and reminded them to focus on the task at hand which was to qualify and place at nationals. I wasn’t too worried about winning State as we had Jesuits number.

2018 – National Champions

The night before the State championships Carol invited Peter Thompson to give the runners a motivational speech which was a hit, and even today some of the team talk about the inspiration that received from the talk.

I kept the level of workouts at a high level and only eased up the week of nationals. I didn’t change the training protocol at all. Damian Olsen was in charge of taking care of developing the runner’s body strength through a regime of exercises developing core. Carol took care of the logistics, Dave Sjogren and Brendan Layden helped me monitor the workouts that I had developed. We had a good support team which one needs on the journey to compete well at a National level. We won state over Jesuits by 39 to 68 points. Fiona won the title and probably would have broken the course record if she didn’t have a hiccup the last 300 meters

The following week we headed to Boise for the Regional Championships where the top two team attend the National Championships. I told the girls to run as a team and we will be on the Dais. The girls won fairly easy with a score of 54 to 106 over Jesuit.

 Carol and I asked Stacey Hager one of our assistant coaches if she would be in charge of the team at Nationals which she accepted. Carol had to attend the USATF national convention. I couldn’t handle another championship where you are dictated as to where to go and what time you had to be there. At my age I am not too keen on following a regimented procedure.

I said I would show up the night prior to the race and would be there for the team on race day. I received a ride to Portland. Dave dropped me off at the hotel where I met up with Stacey and discussed the plans for tomorrow.

I rode the bus with the teams, and when we arrived at the race course. I went and walked the course noting where the water and mud was on the course. I returned to the holding area where I spent some time with the team before the start. At the start I told them where all the tough parts were on the course and said, “Run you usual race and with 1 kilometer from the finish, hit it and you will win this thing.” On leaving I looked at their faces and could see they were ready.

When I heard we were the leading team at 1 & 2 miles I said to myself there is no way we can lose this race as our team doesn’t start racing until 1 mile to the finish.

I headed towards the finish and stood at the bottom of the hill which is about 300 yards from the finish. As one of our runners approached the hill I would shout out “150’s.” (We do 150’s every workout.) Watching them take off I knew we had it in the bag.

After the race seeking out the kids I rounded them up and told them job well done. I was approached by an official and told to head to the awards stage with the team. The girls asked me “Well, how do you think we finished?” I replied, “We won the f*****g championship.” The organizers had three teams on the stage and they go through the drama of introducing the third team and then the second team and when that is done everyone knows who won.

We were announced as the winners with 120 points with North Napierville second with 186 points. We had went from leading by 16 points to 66 over the last mile. We were the first team from west of the Mississippi to win the nationals with a team that will be back next year to defend.

I was tired and emotionally drained and informed Stacey and Dave I am going home. They can attend the awards ceremony for Carol and I. Later we were to find out that we were announced as coaches of the meet.

It was amazing how many coaches would ask me “How many miles are the kids running?” Response, “Don’t know we run for minutes not miles.” Or the question, “How far are your tempo runs?” Response, “Don’t do any as we are only racing 5000 meters and there is no need for them.”

Dave Turnbull who is Summit’s head track coach gave me a ride home. When I entered the house, I opened a beer and smiled saying out loud, “We did it.”

This is the work done by Justin on his run in to the Olympic Gams in 2004: first the work done leading to the selection for the GB team and then the 21 days leading up to the Olympic race.   Jim has generously passed it to us for information but we can get more than just information if we look at it properly.

March 2004 

Ø1        2 mile – 10.00/ 5MR/ 1600 – 4.52/ 3MR/ 800 – 2.20

Ø3       20 x 200 with 30 sec rest 33-34

Ø8      4x 1600 in 4.40 with 3 min rest over 4 hurdles per lap

Ø10    4x 800 – 2.24 with 2MR/ jog 5 min/ 4 x 800 – 2.26 1MR over 2 hurdles

Ø15     5x 1k – 2.50 with 3 min rest over 2 hurdles per lap

Ø17     1600 – 4.40/ 1200 – 3.27/ 800 – 2.16/ 400 – 62/ 3 min rest

22        3x 1k – 3.10 with 30SR/ jog 400/ 2x 1k – 3.05 with 30SR/ jog 400/ 1k – 3.00 over 4 hurdles per lap

Ø25     8x 400 – 64-65 – 90SR over 2 hurdles

Ø29     400 – 63/ 1200 – 3.26/ 400 – 62 with 4MR over 4 hurdles

Ø31     16x 200 – 31-32 with 30SR/ jog 5 min/ 800 – 2.05

• over 4 hurdles

 April 2004

• 4 – 14 – 16 MILES EASY
• 5 –     1 HOUR WITHJ 2X 4 MIN PICK UPS
• 6 –   1K – 2.50/ 500 – 85/ 1K – 2.48/ 500 – 84/ 3 MIN REST
• 7 1 HOUR EASY WITH DRILLS
• 8 1500M TIME TRIAL –
• 9 20 – 30 MIN WARM UP WITH A FEW STRIDES
• 10 HILLS
• 11 10 – 12 MILES
• 12 3X 1K WITH 2 MIN REST – 2.47/ 2.49/ 2.45
• 13 1 HOUR EASY
• 14 4X 400 – 68 PACE WITH 400 JOG
• 15 20 –30 MIN WARM UP WITH A FEW STRIDES
• 16 MT SAC RELAYS – 3000M – 8:36.29 (3rd)
• 17 HILLS
• 18 10-12 MILES EASY
• 19 1 HOUR EASY
• 20 1600 – 4.35/ 1200 – 3.25/ 800 – 2.14/ 400 – 60 3 MIN REST over 2 hurdles
• 21 1 HOUR EASY WITH DRILLS
• 22 20 x 200 with 30 sec rest 32-33 secs
• 23 45 MIN EASY
• 24 HILLS
• 25 10 – 12 MILES EASY
• 26 1500 – 4.20/3 MR/ 1K – 2.50/ 1MR/ 500 – 80 over 2 hurdles
• 27 1 HOUR WITH 2 X 4 MIN PICK UPS
• 28 45 min easy with a few strides
• 29 20 – 30 min easy with a few strides
• 30 Stanford Invite 3000M S/C 8:24.88 (1st)

 May 2004

Ø2       10 – 12 miles easy

Ø3       1 hour easy with 8 min pick up

Ø4       3x 1k with 30 SR/ 2.55/2.56/2.55 jog 400

Ø           2x 1k with 30 SR/ 2.55/ 2.56       jog 400

           1x 1k – 2.46       over 2 hurdles

Ø5       1 hour easy with drills

Ø6       1 Hour easy

Ø7       1 hour easy

Ø8       HILLS           

Ø9       12 – 15 miles easy

Ø10     1 hour with a 8 min pick up

Ø11     1K – 2.50/ 1MR/ 2K – 5.55/ 2MR/3K – 9.13/ 3MR/2K –5.55/2MR/

1K – 2.48 – over 2 hurdles (9K of running)

Ø12     1 hour easy with some drills

Ø13     1 hour with a 8 min pick up

Ø14     1 hour easy

Ø15     HILLS

16 –      14 miles easy

17 –      1 hour with a 9 min pick up

18 –      1K – 2.43/ 3MR/ 400 – 62/ jog 5 min/ 1K – 2.43/ 3MR/ 400 – 59 over 2 hurdles per lap

19 –      1 hour easy with drills

20 –      1600 – 4.36/ 800 – 2.10/ 1600 – 4.36 with 4MR/ hurdles 1st & 3rd lap

21 –      1 hour easy

22 –      Hills

23 –      1 hour with a 9 min pick up

24 –      800 – 2.09/ 1600 – 4.30/ 800 – 2.07 with 4MR: hurdles 2nd & 4th lap

25 –      1 hour easy with drills

26 –      8x 200 – rest = 1.45/90/75/60/45/30/15 ave 31.4

27 –      1 hour easy

28 –      45 min easy

29 –      45 min warm up few strides

30 –      30 min warm – hamstrings sore – withdrew from Steeple – Stanford

 May 31st withdrew from Stanford Invitational – slight strain of hamstring

June 2004

June 1 – June 7          – Therapy plus light jogging

8 –        1 hour easy

9 –        2K – 5.41/ 1K – 2.49/ 3K – 5.40 with 3 MR

10 –      1 hour with a 5 min pick up

11 –      45 min easy

12 –      Hills

13 –      12 mile run

14 –      1 hour easy

15 –      1 hour with 3 x 4 min pick ups

16 –      1 hour easy

17 –      5x 1K with 2MR – 2.46/2.47/2.45/2.46/DNF over 3 hurdles

18 –      30 min easy with a few strides

19 –      5K road race at 6500 feet – 14.42

20 –      12 miles easy

21 –      1 hour easy with a few drills

22 –      1600 – 4.33/ 1200 – 3.19/ 800 – 2.10/ 400 – 60 with 3MR over 2 hurdles

23 –      1 hour easy with a few drills

24 –      800 – 2.07/ 8MR/ 600 – 91/6MR/ 400 – 57/4MR/ 200 – 28

25 –      45 min easy

26 –      Hills

27 –      12 miles easy run

 June-July 2004

                   14 Days before UK Trials     June 28 – July 11, 2004

1 – 1500 – 4.08/ 3MR/ 1K – 2.42/ 2MR/ 500 – 77 over 2 hurdles

2 – 1 hour easy (Travel to London)

3 –   4x 400 over hurdles 65 pace with 400 jog between

4 –   600 over hurdles 65 pace

5 –   45 min easy with a few strides

6 –   3000m S/C – Birmingham – 1st – 8:30.52 (2nd place 9:06)

7 –   1 hour run

8 –   1600 – 4.15/ 3MR/ 2x 200 – 29, 30 with 200 jog/ 3MR/ 1600 – 4.14

9 –   1 hour easy

10 –   4x 400 over hurdles with 400 jog ave 65

11 –   1 hour easy – supposed to have been a 600 at 65 pace pouring rain

12 –   45 min easy with a few strides

13 –   30 min warm up with a few strides

14 – – UK Trials – 1st – 8: 33.69 (2^nd place – 8:39.44)

        July 2004 (continued)          

 12 –     Travel to Colorado Springs

13 – 16            Easy running

17 –      5K road race – 15.30 at 7000 feet

18 –      14 miles easy

19 –      1x 1k – 2.45 – quit workout still tired (5x 1k 2.50 with 1MR)

20 –      1 hour easy with some drills

21 –      8 x 400 with rest = 1.45/90/75/60/45/30/15 over 2 hurdles

            64/63/63/63/64/63/64/63

22 –      1 hour easy with some drills

23 –      45 min easy

24 –      Hills – 20 x 35 sec – jog back

25 –      12 miles easy

26 –      1 hour easy with some drills

27 –      2K – 5.38/ 5MR/ 1K – 2.45/ 3MR/ 500 – 78 over 4 hurdles

28 –      1 hour easy

29 –      400 – 60/ 1200 – 3.19/ 400 – 60 with 4MR over 4 hurdles

30 –      45 min easy

31 –      Hills – 20 x 35 sec – jog back

 ***

21 Days before Olympic Race August 1 – August 21

 1          12 miles easy

2          1 hour easy with a few pick ups

3          800 – 2.12/700 – 1.54/600 –96/500 – 79/400 – 62/300 – 45/ 200 – 30 with 3MR over 2 hurdles per lap

4          1 hour easy with some drills

5          1600 – 4.26/ 800 – 2.07/ 1600 – DNF with 4 min rest over 4 hurdles 1st and 2nd laps

6          45 min easy

7          Hills 20 x 35 secs – jog back

8          14 miles easy

9          Travel to London – 45 min easy run

10        London – 1 hour with a few strides

11        Cyprus – 30 min easy

12        1 hour easy

13        1 hour with 6 x 150 pick ups (50 stride/50 accelerate/50 sprint)

14        2K TT full set of barriers – 5.26 (63.8/65.6/65.8/66.1/65.1)

15        4x 400 over hurdles 1MR – 62.2/61.9/61.5/61.7

16        45 min easy with 2x 200 pick ups

17        1 hour easy

18        800 over hurdles – 65-66

19        45 min easy with a few strides

20        20-30 min warm up with a few strides

21        Olympic Games – 8:28.35 5^th place in prelims

Jim McLatchie is well known as a talented and hard, no nonsense runner who never gave anyone an easy race in their life.   You can read about his time as a runner by simply clicking on his name.    He is not as well known here as a coach because it was almost all done across the Atlantic.   His record includes British and American senior internationalists as well as the many high school winning teams he has coached – and is still coaching – since he retired.   He is however a very successful coach indeed having worked with club runners and champions up to and including Olympic standard.

One of the questions that always comes up is “How did you get into coaching in the first place?”  In Jim’s case it goes back to the beginning, right back to his days in Muirkirk in the mid-1950’s.   He started a training group in the Community Centre which met twice a week in winter and they would go for a couple of miles easy run then get into some circuit training in the Centre.   Most Sundays they would go for a cross-country run but only about 4 miles.  For most of his running career he was self coached – I refer you to the link above about his time as a runner – and also when he was at college in the States he helped  all of his college guys for events between 880 yards and three miles.   When he was in Luton between 1965 and 1968 he worked with Tony Simmons.   Tony was a Welsh and British International runner whose personal bests included 3:41.1 for 1500m, 13:21,2 for 5000m and 2:12:33 for the marathon; his world half-marathon record of 62:47 which stood for 16 months after he set it in 1978.   They did two track sessions a week aimed at the mile and the rest of the week was mainly steady runs.   Jim reckons that Tony ran a 4:03 mile as a teenager.   Tony was trained for a while by Harry Wilson so there would be a lot of conversation between them about training too.   And of course as an athlete he was at times in teams with Frank Dick and his good friend Brian Scobie, both of whom became well known coaches.

When he was living in Scotland he did weight training twice or three times a week with a lot of hill running.   He says that at that time he did not know what drills were – but in Scotland (maybe even in Britain) not many did know about them.  As he has got older, he has gone back to hills and weights but has incorporated Drills and other Core strengthening exercises.   And he also believes that athletes of the same ability should train together – the girls train with the boys.

That’s the background story of  runner who was always interested in conditioning and training and who gradually made the transition into a successful coach.

Three months into the winter of 2015, a wee run down of progress this year: September 12th, 2015, Ash Creek  5000m Boys:  1st Summit  33 points;  2nd Camas  75 pts;  5000m Girls: 1st Summit 54, 2nd Camas 58; 3000 Novice Boys: 1.  Summit 31; 2. Camas 51; Girls:  1.  Summit 29;  2.  Camas 30.   There were 24 teams in the Boys race, and 20 in the Girls event. September 19th, Oregon City Cross-Country Invitation 5000m JV Boys:   1.   Summit  15;   2.   Glencoe  75.    5000m Varsity Boys: 1.   Summit 15;  2.  Southridge 91;   5000m JV Girls: 1.  Summit 27: 2. Glencoe 62;   5000m Varsity Girls:  1.  Summit 28;  Oregon City 87;  Nike Portland Cross-Country:   1.   West Torrance 147;  2.  Mountain View  151;  3.  Summit 153.   24 Teams competed. Oxford Classic, October 2nd 5000m Junior Varsity Girls:   1. Summit 24;  2.  Mountain View 43;  5000m Junior Varsity Boys:  1.  Summit   16; 2.  Mountain View  63;   5000m  Varsity Girls:  1.  Sheldon  51:  2.  Summit  66; Boys:  1.  Summit 44  ; 2.  Capital 113 George Fox Cross-Country Classic, October 10th 2015 5000m JV Gold Girls:  1:  Summit 33; 2.  Camas 36;  5000m Girls Varsity Gold:  1. Camas 46; 2.  Summit  76;  5000m JV Boys Gold:  1.  Summit 23; 2.  Camas 52;   5000m Varsity Boys Gold:  1.  1.  Summit 41;  2.  Camas 118. 5A-4 Inter Mountain Conference Championships: October 23rd, 2015 Girls 5000m 1.  Summit 17; 2.  Mountain View 49;  Girls Junior Varsity: 1.  Summit  15; 2.  Mountain View  54;   Boys 5000m: 1. Summit 20; Bend 61;  Boys Junior Varsity:  1.  Summit View 16; Mountain View  61. State Championships – Oregon 5A, October 30th. Team Scores, Girls:   1.   Summit  23;   Mountain View 49;   Boys:  Summit 32:  2.  Crater 36

… and the early Christmas present for them was that the boys were ranked number 10 in the entire United States by the authoritative “Runners World” at the end of November 2015!    The 2015 Summit results will continue to be published   here  and the summer 2016 are at this link  Finally for this post, on 2nd September 2016, athletic.net published results from the start of the new athletics year’s cross-country.   They are to be found at  http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Results/Meet.aspx?Meet=115210.   I have started a new page for the 2016 cross country results at this link.   while the 2017 performances are here, here, and the most recent are here

2018 summer results are going up now, the first two are here

You will know by now that he is not the only coach in the family – Carol is a considerably good coach – a fact that has been recognised by the national association.   At the ens of 2016, she was nominated the High School  Coach of the year for their home state.    After the girls had won ten straight State Championships, and they were going for their eleventh in October 2018, Jim had a stroke and was hospitalised.   He was allowed out on the Saturday for the race and the report here is a wonderful tribute to the man and his teams.

Summit Girls Win 6A Title, Emboldened By Recovery Of Coach

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

EUGENE — The Summit (Bend) OR girls soared into national contention during a month when there was deep concern for coach Jim McClatchey behind the scenes.   The Storm have risen to No. 2 with a deep lineup that was on full display on Saturday at the OSAA Cross Country Championships at Lane Community College. Summit was entered in the Class 6A race after more than a decade of dominance in Class 5A.   And with junior Fiona Max leading the way in 17:29 — just three seconds off the state course record — the Storm scored 39 points to unseat 2017 champion Jesuit, the No. 8 team.

But the most important part of the afternoon for Summit was that McClatchey was there. The coach with the Scottish brogue and white beard suffered a stroke in mid October and spent the second half of the month in the hospital.   McClatchey coaches the team in partnership with his wife, Carol, but it is the one who writes the workouts.   “Even in ICU, I asked him ‘What are we doing on Wednesday?’ and he was (rattling off workout details),” Carol McClatchey said.

Jim McClatchey is up and mobile again and his mind and humor are as strong as ever.   A girls cross country team that is as deep as any in Oregon history had moment of deep concern as the momentum of the season began to build.   “It’s 100 percent a humbler,” Max said. “It gives us a moment to take a step back and realize that everything has to be lined up perfectly for us to have our best meets. We take a breath, realign and realize that we’re here for each other, we care about each other and every (opportunity) is special.”

Max and a handful of teammates visited McClatchey in the hospital.   “That man’s made of iron,” she said.   One of Summit’s seven assistant coaches, Dave Sjogren, stepped in to take a bigger role day to day with the team as Carol monitored Jim’s progress.   McClatchey’s recent health scare is related to a heart attack he survived five years ago.   The girls on the team have seen first-hand that time is precious.   “He’s our dad,” Max said. “It definitely added to the stress of the past few weeks. He just got out of the hospital and was at our workout on Wednesday. It was great to see him back on his feet and swearing again. We pushed past it as a family.”

Max was followed across the finish line by freshman teammate Teaghan Knox (18:01 for fifth), Isabel Max (18:13 for eighth), Kelsey Gripekoven (18:16 for 11th), Azza Borovicka Swanson (18:27 for 14th), Jasper Fievet (18:38 for 22nd) and Stella Skovborg (19:01 for 28th)

Captured at the 6A Mountain Valley District Championships on October 27, 2018 by Matthew Lasala

2018 was a superb year for Summit and the icing on the cake was when the girls won the National.   Read Carol’s Review of the year  at this link

   It was also notable because Jim had a stroke.   Being Jim he got a Saturday pass from hospital for the next race.   For his account of the stroke and the rest of the season  go here

Jim was a very good coach from early in his career but for all the information about how he trained himself, and the work that selected athletes did, then go the page entitled Train ing with McLatchie

Leaving the track at Coatbridge – I’m hiding behind Charlie Thomson and Jim Orr.

(If you look closely you’ll see Douglas McDonald, James Austin, Derek McGinley (Clydesdale), Alex Gilmour, Sam Wallace, Pat Morris, Tam Rhodes and Bob Anderson (Cambuslang), Graeme Getty (Bellahouston), Hugh Forgie (Law), Mike Gallacher (Maryhill) and Alex Chalmers (Springburn)

————————————————————————————————-

Second : as an administrator 

I came out of the Army in 1958 and was on the Committee in 1961.   It was a very different Committee from most in recent years.   First, it was always well attended, second there was almost always competition to get on to the Committee at the AGM and third the top jobs were all held by experienced members.   You had to wait your turn – which might never come if the others didn’t think you would make a good Secretary, Treasurer or President.   I was unlucky that my first important job in the club came when club treasurer Jim Shields was asked to go to India by Singer’s and one January evening I had a rapid course in book keeping in Jim’s house in Vanguard Street.   The job lasted until the AGM when Jim Sweeney took over and I became Assistant Secretary for a year then Secretary – the first of four stints in the post.   I didn’t mind doing it because most of the work was done in your own time and didn’t interfere with training.   So long as you were organised it was straightforward enough.   I represented the club on the Dunbartonshire Committee with David Bowman for two years and attended SAAA AGM’s as club representative for several years.

In 1976 it was suggested by David Bowman and agreed by the Committee to put my name forward for membership of the SAAA and at the AGM in 1977 I was elected on to the General Committee of that body.   That involved at least one night a month at Committee Meetings which alternated between Glasgow and Edinburgh.   I also served on the West District Committee and the Joint Coaching Sub Committee as well as on a couple of ad hoc sub committees.   Again I learned a lot about organisation – for instance I was convener of the Senior National Decathlon Championships for three consecutive years.   I stood down in 1980 because of the pressure of work, club commitments and family duties – Liz was 10 and David was 8 and we were thinking of moving house at that point.   Thereafter I served on the club committee off and on for the next twenty five years or so.   I was lucky enough to hold the posts of President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary and Captain more than once each as well as the very short period as Treasurer.

With Sean Kyle and Alex Naylor at the BMC Conference, Jordanhill, in 1985

Third : as a coach

In 1961 the continuing saga inside the club was the lack of  coaching and coaches.   A meeting was held and several members went on coaching courses as a result.   At that time there was a qualification for ‘Club Coach: All Events’ and I did that one.   I then started coaching the Ladies Section where I was lucky enough to work with some excellent athletes such as Lynn Dollin, Ann Hannah and Carol Campbell. All went well until I married in 1966 and handed the job over to a very good group of coaches.   The next coaching venture came when Robert McWatt, George Carlin and Dougie MacDonald asked me to coach them in the mid 1970’s.   That went well and Robert picked up two Scottish Junior International vests as well as a good collection of championship medals and Dougie became President of Glasgow University with a collection of Scottish Universities’ international vests.   The group grew to include many good club runners like Charlie McIntosh, Paul Ross, James Austin and Peter Halpin.

We did our training as a group on Wednesdays at Coatbridge so as not to take the guys away from club nights on Tuesday and Thursday.   When Frank Horwill (founder of the British Milers Club) recommended to Hugh Forgie of Law and District AAC (a 3:48 1500 metres runner/1:53 800 man) that he train with our group it added a new dimension to the coaching.   His presence not only provided a new challenge to the group but also brought along others of a very high standard such as Alex Gilmour and Eddie Stewart of Cambuslang.   At one point there were ten current Scottish Senior Road and Cross Country Internationalists training with the group. I had my first GB Internationalist when Sam Wallace (who had twice won the British Junior Indoor 1500 metres) was picked for the Under 20 match against Poland and East Germany.   The higher profile saw me asked by Alex Naylor in 1986 to take on the post of Scottish Staff coach for 5000 and 10000 metres events.   I did that and my education as a coach progressed.

Meanwhile I was Scottish Secretary for the British Milers Club putting on six or seven paced races a year designed to help runners get fast times and in one of these Paul Forbes set a new Scottish All Comers record for the 800 metres.   The BMC involvement meant travelling south of the Border for coaching week ends and actually working with squads of top class athletes from other countries.   I was emboldened to hold the BMC’s AGM and Training Weekend at Jordanhill with Peter Coe (Seb’s coach and father), Jimmy Hedley (Steve Cram’s coach), Sean Kyle (from Ireland), Malcolm Brown, Alex Naylor and of course Frank Horwill all in attendance and all of those who came (over 100) profited from the experience.   I was made President for a year  and then life member of the BMC.   But the work in the club and with the Scottish group was taking so much time that I had to stop the actual hands on stuff with the BMC to concentrate on that although I did more travelling – almost once a month – to Stretford for the BMC Tuesday night races with many athletes and not just the very top men.   This contact with the best coaches in Britain was invaluable.    One of the most enjoyable features of the position was organising the BMC Grand Prix events at Scotstoun in 2000 and 2001 after two years of negotiations and discussions with the national committee.

Domestically, I was asked by National Coach Andy Vince to move over from the 5000/10000 metres job and become Scottish Coach for the 800/1500 metres which I did for three years.   Then in the mid 90’s I was invited to be Group Coach for all the Endurance Events from 800 to Marathon (and including Race Walking of which I knew nothing!)   The money paid at that time was £240 a year which you could not claim in one go; it was £120 at six monthly intervals – it really didn’t cover the phone calls – and you had to provide receipts.   All the Staff Coaches were in effect subsidising the SAAA’s.

 The one assisted the other.   For instance, via the BMC I managed to get Steve Cram to come to Largs and speak to a group of younger Scottish athletes (ie Under 20 and Under 17).   Then when the BMC Grand Prix series of five meetings devoted entirely to Middle Distance events started, it took two years of hard work and planning to get them to hold their final race every year in Scotland at Scotstoun in Glasgow.   The first year had seven men’s 800’s, four men’s 1500’ three women’s 800’s, two women’s 1500’s and a 3000 metres for each of them.   It was only after I resigned and the races were organised by Scottish Athletics in Edinburgh on a Friday night instead of a Saturday afternoon, that the momentum was lost and the meeting was lost to Scotland.   The point was that in both cases BMC contacts were being used to the benefit of Scottish middle distance running.

 When the organisation of Scottish Athletics was reshuffled in 1996/97 I stood down and did not apply for any subsequent post at national level preferring to work more locally.

Another Career: Clydesdale Harriers Men’s Team Manager

Some of the Men’s team in 1994

I became team manager in about 1983 and kept it until 2002.   Realising that it was an impossible job for one man, I decided I’d be a co-ordinator rather than an overall selector and only deal directly with the Middle Distance group (partly so that I could give my own athletes the races they needed at any particular moment) and Billy Hislop took charge of the sprinters.   We then gathered a very good group of coaches to work with us; Scott Govan became a Senior High Jump Coach and a hurdles coach, David Gibson took up pole vault coaching and was Scottish Staff Coach for the event for a while, Bobby Bell took over the Throws and specialised in Shot and Hammer.   The coaches did a lot of their own recruiting and selected their sections of the team which did superbly well.   Without all the help it would not have been a success: at that time I was working with four or five really top class runners who needed a lot of maintenance, serving as Scottish Coach for one event or another and doing a lot of lecturing at various venues and of course there was the day job and family commitments.

And that’s it.   I enjoyed it all – mind you, I just wish I were running in races in the club vest again, that was the best time of them all!   Whatever fun and pleasure you get in athletics – and it is considerable – I was probably happiest just running and racing with people I liked and respected.

 Handing over to Barefoot Bobby Shields in the Midlands Relay, 1962

Why me?   Well a couple of people profiled commented that it was difficult to talk about themselves with the question about whether I ever did it?   I had the same comment when I was doing books of profiles of Clydesdale Harriers so I eventually did a self-portrait.   Thii is simply a reproduction of that, so when I mention ‘the club’ it’s Clydesdale Harriers I’m talking about.   First the years as a runner, then the time spent  as  a coach then as an official, administrator

Taking the baton from Neil Buchanan in the Midland Relays, 1960’s

When I joined the club in 1957 I was halfway through my two years National Service and running for the regimental cross country team.   I had always been interested in sport – in post war Clydebank it was hard not to be.   At that time we were exposed to all sorts of sport in the papers (there was coverage of football, boxing, cycling, athletics, golf and just about every sport conceivable in all the papers) and in the town itself there were three Junior football teams, the Harriers, the Swimming club and two swimming Baths, two cricket clubs, a boxing gymnasium, the Lomond Roads Cycling Club, two golf courses, a hockey team and tennis courts and putting greens in every public park and of  course bowls.    We lived in Singer’s Building (erected to house key workers from the factory) and among our neighbours were Junior football players, a boxer who appeared among the supporting bouts on many Glasgow Bills, bowlers, harriers, golfers of course and a cricketer.    We were within easy distance of Glasgow with its six senior football clubs and there were annual sports meetings of note at Ibrox Park and at Shawfield Stadium.    Nowadays football demands exclusivity and many of the above sports are not represented in the Burgh.

My favourite was always athletics with the local focal point being Singers Sports at the factory’s sports ground.   They always had a top personality as a chieftain – one year it was Dorothy Lamour the Hollywood film star, another year it was June Foulds the Olympic sprinter for instance.    There was also a lot of athletics on television and Dunky Wright reported on athletics on the Saturday evening ‘Sports Report’ on radio.     I wasn’t good enough to join the Harriers like many of my schoolmates – Bobby Clark, Jim McDonald, Hudson Scott, Evelyn Graham, Ellen Gray and company were all Harriers with Bobby being quite outstanding.    Moira Wright, John’s cousin, was in my class and every Monday would talk about John’s running with the Harriers.

At that time when boys became eighteen, they had to do two years National Service in the Army unless they were in a reserved occupation.   I wasn’t and was called up for my National Service.   It had us all running cross country on a frequent basis soon after call up.   I liked it, found I was not too bad at it and then ran for the regiment in local cross country races, training five mornings a week before breakfast.    (When we represented the regiment we were transported in the back of a three ton Army vehicle and given rations for the day of three sandwiches – one cheese, one with a fried egg in it and one with corned beef.   No expense was spared.) Meanwhile Moira had been bugging me by post to join the Harriers and eventually I asked her to send me an application form.   I sent it off with my five shillings membership fee and that was me in the club.    On demob in September 1958 I went along with school friend Tom McAllister who had also been in the Army and was already a member of the club and we started regular training.   Had it not been for National Service I would never have been a Clydesdale Harrier.   Allan Faulds and several others have said that this ‘would have been great loss to the club’ and Allan insisted that I include the remark but my own thoughts are that there is always someone who will do the work.    Training and racing with the club my philosophy soon became that of my mentor in the Harriers, David Bowman – one of the finest gentlemen ever to grace the sport – ‘do what your club needs you to do’.   So I did a variety of things and it is easier to look at them in compartments although the reality was that they were often mixed in with each other or layered on top of each other.    It was seldom if ever that only one role was filled.

First : as a runner 

The usual winter pattern included the McAndrew Relays, the Midland District Relays and the County Relays (there was no National Relay then) with the Edinburgh to Glasgow eight stage road relay being the focus of the first half of the winter.   The Nigel Barge race at Maryhill was at New Year and then the second half with the County, District and National Championships completing the season.   The gaps were filled in with inter club meetings and club championships.   The inter club meetings were held on a home and away basis and normally three packs (slow, medium and fast) went out.    The usual clubs involved with us were Dumbarton, Vale of Leven, Greenock Glenpark, Springburn and the week before the National was always with Vicky Park and Garscube at Milngavie.

The usual winter pattern included the McAndrew Relays, the Midland District Relays and the County Relays (there was no National Relay then) with the Edinburgh to Glasgow eight stage road relay being the focus of the first half of the winter.   The Nigel Barge race at Maryhill was at New Year and then the second half with the County, District and National Championships completing the season.   The gaps were filled in with inter club meetings and club championships.   The inter club meetings were held on a home and away basis and normally three packs (slow, medium and fast) went out.    The usual clubs involved with us were Dumbarton, Vale of Leven, Greenock Glenpark, Springburn and the week before the National was always with Vicky Park and Garscube at Milngavie.

The start of the Dirrans Road Race: 53 Hugh Mitchell, 52 Pat McAtier, 138 Charlie McAlinden, 51 David Simpson, Bobby Calderwood 

I had come into the sport to run and did just that and nothing else for a while: I ran road, cross country, track, and some hill running (Goat Fell once, the Mamore Hill four times).   On the track, I ran in the County, District and National Championships at Three Miles, Six Miles and Ten Miles as well as the Marathon at the Scottish Championships.   Preferring the roads and as a member of the Scottish Marathon Club I ran all over Scotland with the fixtures having a wider range of distances (if fewer races in total) than now when there are far too many 10,000 metres road  races on the calendar.   Then for instance there was the 10 miles Tom Scott Memorial and another 10 miles at Kirkintilloch Games, the 12 miles Marathon Club race at Springburn and at the Dundee ASA and of course at the Balloch – Clydebank, the 13 Miles at Dirrans Sports in Kilwinning, the 14 Miles at Gourock and at Shotts, 14½ at Dunblane, 15 at Babcock’s in Paisley, the 16 Miles of the Clydebank – Helensburgh, the 18 Miles at Rothesay, the 20 miles at Strathallan, the 22.6 miles from Edinburgh to North Berwick and the 30 miles plus of the Two Bridges Race.   The Strathallan Race originally appeared on the entry form as being 20 miles, when you got there the programme said 21 miles but when you raced it you found it was really 22!   They later owned up and it appeared as 22 miles on all documentation.   Like all runners in search of a good marathon time I ran in marathons wherever I could including the Shettleston and Glasgow Marathons, the annual Scottish Championships from Meadowbank over various trails, in Rotherham in 1976 and Boston in 1977 and the Scottish Veterans Marathon at Bellahouston.   But like the E-G the marathon running was more notable for the number and average time than for the quality of any one race.   I did 15 or 16 marathons, was once outside three hours (Boston in 80 degrees heat) and twice outside 2:50, had a personal best of 2:32 and an average time of just outside 2:45.    Of all the surfaces, I enjoyed the roads most – there was no necessity for a good sense of balance as there was in cross country, there was no crowd or other athletes watching you in action as there was on the track and I think I was better at it.   It might be that my first two races ever influenced that preference: I ran in the McAndrew Relay and pulled in 21 places to be the fastest club runner.   The following week it was the County Relays at Kirkintilloch and it was really dire.   Mud everywhere unless you went off the trail somewhere – always a danger with me on the country.

I reckon that I ran about 1200 races for the club in total.   I was proudest of doing 21 consecutive Edinburgh to Glasgows with my best running there being in the early 1970’s when I was not doing anything but run and race – ie no coaching or officiating.   And of course the runners that I was racing with at that time were high quality athletes – Ian Donald, Doug Gemmell, Ian Leggett, Phil Dolan, Allan Faulds and the rest.    The feeling of the E-G, including the weeks leading up to it was like nothing else in Scottish athletics and the demise of the event was nothing but bad for Scottish Road Running.   I ran on seven of the eight stages at one time or another – it could have been eight but in 1962 when I was the scheduled sixth leg runner, there was snow everywhere and cars were being abandoned in the streets of Airdrie.   The selection committee of Billy Hislop and George White switched me to second and Cyril O’Boyle to six!   Neither of us ran well.

On the track, the club entered teams for the many Two Mile Team Races that there were at particular Highland Games meetings and we contested almost all of them. The favourite was the race at Cowal where there were only six or at most seven teams entered with the Longwood and Saltwell clubs from England regular participants.   Of course when you ran in the team race you always entered the handicap mile as well so that was two hard races in an afternoon.   In the County and District Championships I always ran in the Three Miles (later the 5000 metres) and usually added the Mile at County level.    When I was staying in Lenzie and the West Districts were at Coatbridge – as they were for many years – Doug Gunstone, Alistair McFarlane and I were transported by car to the venue, where we raced then ran home together (7½ miles) afterwards.   Then there were the Highland Games on grass where there was usually a road race as well as a long track race so the choice was there.   Finally on the track there were the inter club contests which we usually held with Springburn, Greenock Glenpark, Garscube and other ‘local’ clubs and for some time we were in the Men’s Track League where it was usually the Mile and the Three Miles every time.   In general there was at least a race a week on a year round basis.    Then there was the time when I ran for Jordanhill College in an inter club against St Andrew’s University and Ayr Seaforth and turned out in the Mile, Three Miles and Six Miles on a five laps to the mile track!

My personal best times were –

I have included the unusual distance of 16 Miles because the annual 16¼ mile road race from Clydebank to Helensburgh was one that I enjoyed and ran more than most: three times inside 90 minutes which is 5:32 a mile was a good record on a course where the prevailing wind was from the West.   That and four first handicap prizes!  These times were hardly earth shattering but when Allan Faulds described me as ‘a solid, dependable club runner’ it was a great compliment given the standards prevailing at the time.

Next:   Brian McAusland: Coach, official and administrator

Football is massive in Scotland – some say it occupies too big a profile in the country but whether it does or not its influence on the younger generations is unquestionable.   It was always essential to get football on board.

Ally McCoist talks to parents at Hampden

Gordon Smith, CEO SFA, launches PCS

Jim Thomson, a real enthusiast, on PCS at Hampden

John Brown talks about respect

Darren Fletcher talks about respect

Alex McLeish, Tina Seyers, Tommy, Jim Fleeting

Stewart Harris, CEO Sportscotland

John Wilson talks on education

Stuart Grieve, SFA PCS Projects Manager

Grant Small, WSF, PCS Project Manager

and, of course, …. 

Tommy at the Stirling launch of PCS

This gallery has some of Tommy’s colleagues in the Positive Coaching Scotland activities:

PCS Training Course in California

PCS in Fife schools

Leanne Martin on PCS 

Drumchapel PCS coaches

Tommy at PCS in Renfrewshire

Barrhead Boys Club PCS launch

Frank Dick at PCS in Scotstoun

The PCS launch in Clackmannanshire

Judy Murray on fun in PCS

Chris Paterson on rugby

The whole Winning Scotland Foundation and Positive Coaching Scotland journey took Tommy to places he never expected to go to, and led him to meeting many very influential and interesting people from many walks of life.   Just some of them are shown on this page and many more are on pages linked from the foot this page.

Ian Wood, a major funder of WSF

Gregor Townsend, friend and 100% supporter of PCS

John Paul Fitzpatrick, mindset guru

Louise Martin

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Judy Anderson

Rick Orr

Kath Grainger, WSF Patron

Andrew Pert, WSF Board Member

With Daley Thomson in 2012

Alex Jackson

Alex Jackson, runner, oficial, administrator, Life Member of Scottish athletics, British athletics official of the year in 2008 and much more besides says:  

“Dave Lothian was a name that came to my notice in the early 1980s when I became secretary of the East District Cross Country League. He was a prominent member of the strong Falkirk Victoria Harriers team which dominated in East Cross Country at that time.    An East League meeting at Hawick around that time sticks in my mind when the Senior points totals at the meeting were 1st Falkirk VH “A” ,2nd Falkirk VH “B”, this with 6 to count. 
In more recent times its been working with Dave as one of the principal course setters at the National Cross Country at Callender Park. The National has been there since 2006,a significant element of the  success of the National at this venue is down to Dave and his team at Falkirk Victoria for being host club ” 

Stuart Easton takes the baton for Falkirk Victoria in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay

A former team mate of David’s and a top flight runner in his own right, Stuart Easton has this to say: 

Grant Plenderleith

Grant Plenderleith, one of David’s athletes pays him this compliment:

“David was the man who pioneered and finalised my change in sporting direction when I returned to athletics from a lengthy period playing professional football. 

David was my fathers P.E teacher back in his teaching days so the family connection was already established. 

Through diligent planning of training sessions and knowing when enough is enough, David has helped me reached heights in my athletics career so far that I wouldn’t have ever thought would be possible…and there is still more to come. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the sport with a willingness learn and engage in discussions with other coaches in the international field to expand his own memory bank of the sport. Without his drive and willingness for me to succeed in the sport, I would not be in the fortunate position I am in today with my recognitions and accolades. 

We have established a balanced approach to the way we both tackle training blocks and competition phases to get the best out of every opportunity that is delivered. The mindset that David has installed in me is “always be ready, and the opportunities will follow”. 

David’s character is always admired and valued by all his athletes and fellow coaches at both club and international level. This shows the type of man he really is, a gentleman would be more accurate.” 

Leslie Roy quotes from the citation when David was nominated for Honorary Life Membership of Scottish athletics in 2017:

David has served athletics in Scotland for over 40 years, a measure of his interest and dedication to the sport.

•  As a promising young middle distance athlete, David was originally a member of Forth Valley Athletics Club. University years as a P E student at Jordanhill saw David join Shettleston Harriers. Upon graduating as a PE teacher David joined Falkirk Victoria Harriers (FVH) and became fully immersed in the club as an athlete; the Men’s team Captain organising very successful teams in track, road and cross country competitions; coach and committee member.
• As a talented athlete David was also a great team man, being a counter in several of the clubs National Cross Country medal winning teams of the late 70’s and early 1980’s. Cross Country relay medals were also won during this period and on the roads David managed the FVH team through an amazing period of success for a provincial club in the annual Edinburgh to Glasgow road relay which included two wins. Like many athletes David moved up the distances he competed in throughout his time as an athlete, running the inaugural London marathon in 1981 and returning a further nine years in a row.   As team Captain David has competed in every track and field event for the Club in Scottish Athletics League matches, on top of the years of dedication in selecting teams for, and attending, events the length and breadth of the country and abroad; 12 months of every year.
• Whilst still competing at the high level, David began coaching at FVH almost immediately upon joining. As a predominately middle to long distance running club at this time with few field event coaches, David worked at hard identifying athletes and then coaching them in a number of disciplines such as hurdles, sprints, high and long jumps and throws to strengthen FVH teams in track and field competitions. Many of these athletes were pupils from his schools where David set up training groups to encourage youngsters to become involved in our sport and join an athletics club. Several of these athletes went on to win national and Schools medals and gain representative honours. Now retired, David is still heavily involved in coaching, presently seven days a week concentrating mainly on sprints, middle distances and cross country. 
• Aside from competing and coaching David has been heavily involved in the organisational side of the club serving as a committee member for over 40 years, 20 of them as club president and maintains a continual involvement today as honorary President. David was instrumental in FVH becoming involved in organisation and administration of the annual Round the Houses 10km years more and. In the late 70’s and 80’s the club hosted a few national and district cross country championships, as well as regular East Cross Country League matches which David helped with. Since 2000 the club has been involved in hosting either an International or National Cross Country event at Calendar Park and David has been involved / assisted at them all. This hasn’t just been the on the day work, but also the hours of behind the scenes work planning, attending meetings, getting helpers and volunteers to turn up, etc. In recent years, David has been involved in the design of the course, with his input required in the minor revisions with were required from year to year. Following the change in race distances for this years championships, David made a large contribution to the redesign and measuring of the course. The incremental changes required many hours of work on the venue in liaison with all contributing partners over many months to result in a course and venue which ensured another successful championship with record breaking participation, not forgetting the challenges on the day caused by the weather.
• On a wider front beyond FVH, David has for many years served as a Committee member of the Scottish Schools Athletics Association (SSAA) including, again, a period as the President. This service to our sport exceeds 30 years and has included convening, organising and officiating at all of the various SSAA championships, be it cross country, road or track(indoors and out). David has also for many years been a team manager on the international trips attended by literally hundreds of athletes, many of whom had their first experience of international competition and competing for Scotland before going on to even greater achievements, aided by the experienced gained on these trips.

Scottish athletics has had many very good athletes who went on to become coaches and/or administrators.  David Lothian is one of the very best.   He has been  top class runner with very good times at distance from 100 metres to the marathon, he has run in medal winning teams with many of  Scotland’s best ever athletes such as Lachie Stewart, Lawrie Spence, Nat Muir, Jim Dingwall, and Willie Day. as a coach he has worked with athletes of all standards from club runners to senior international standard, as an administrator he has worked on national events on the track and over the country and has  worked as an official at individual events.   He is also a man who is a good club servant – he does what his club needs him to do, and then does a wee bit more.   As a role model for the sport, you would go a long way to find a better.   We asked him to complete the questionnaire to start the profile on his beginnings in the sport and career as an athlete and the replies are below.   

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