General Information
We are based at Dunfermline Sports and Soccer Centre, Pitreavie Playing Fields, Queensferry Road, Dunfermline, KY11 8PP. As you drive along the playing fields, the Centre is the first building on the right hand side, adjacent to the five-a-side pitches. There is ample parking on site. The Centre offers changing and showering facilities along with a cafe where members can socialise after training.
We train throughout the year, with the exception of two weeks over Christmas and the New Year and in almost all weather. If necessary, training sessions will be modified (e.g. change in venue, session content) to ensure the safety of our members and, in extremely bad conditions, a session may be cancelled.
Our official training nights are Tuesday and Thursday at 6.30 pm. There is also the option for members to come along and go for a steady paced run.
Training schedules are usually issued on a monthly basis with guidance notes as to the aims of the sessions, pacing guides and other useful information. Full details of all our training are also notified in advance on our website and Facebook pages and in the members’ weekly bulletins, as are any subsequent changes.
We have a Training Sub-Group whose members represent the diversity of interests and abilities within the club. The group is responsible for co-ordinating formal training and informal sessions and runs.
Venues
Over the course of the year we train at various venues throughout Dunfermline, all within approximately two miles of our base at Pitreavie. In the winter, we are restricted to tarmac and our main venues include Pitreavie Industrial Estate, Dunfermline High Street and the Public (Town) Park for hill repetitions, and the pavements and footpaths around Duloch.
In the summer months, we aim to make the most of the light nights to get away from traffic. Our main venues are Pitreavie Playing Fields, Pittencrieff Park, the Public (or Town) Park and the playing fields at Duloch. Some sessions take place on the grass, others on tarmac.
Throughout the year, we offer additional ad-hoc sessions in cross country and off-road running, or hill training at various locations, as well as organising recces of some, mainly off-road, race routes.
Depending on where we are training, members have the option of meeting at Pitreavie to run, as a group, to the session start points, or going there directly if this would be more convenient. If members choose the latter option, we ask that they make sure they are properly warmed up before the session starts.
The session start times are based on meeting times at Pitreavie. If going direct to training venues, members should aim to arrive 15 minutes later, i.e. 6.45 pm. In all cases, we ask members to try to turn up in good time for the pre-session briefings so we can start the sessions promptly.
Ethos
We aim to provide training sessions that are suitable for all our members, regardless of speed or ability and we welcome suggestions from members for training sessions and venues.
Our structured, progressive training sessions are designed to help improve the fitness and performance of our members. These sessions provide an opportunity to make new friends, explore new routes and exchange training ideas. Running in a group encourages you to get out and run and to work harder than you would on your own and you benefit from the advice and support of others.
The sessions provide our members with a good solid base for a range of running interests and can be adapted to fit individual needs and incorporated into training schedules for specific races.
Due to the variety within the club, it is not possible to cater specifically for individual needs, rather our sessions are geared towards what is most appropriate for the time of year. January to March we focus on building endurance, April and May we look at developing aerobic capacity, June to August we sharpen the pace for summer road races, September and October see us consolidating on the summer training and starting to prepare for the cross country season and, finally, in November and December consolidating the cross country training before winding down for the Christmas break.
We also offer the option of alternative sessions aimed specifically for those looking for a less intense workout, which should be of particular interest to members recovering from illness or injury, returning from a long lay-off from running, or indeed those tapering before, or recovering after, a hard race.
As far as possible, these sessions will take place in the vicinity of the main training session. There is no specific schedule but we aim to offer steady paced runs of a duration and pace to suit those present on any given night. There is scope to introduce some gentle speed work (such as cruise efforts) as people re-gain fitness and endurance and participants will be encouraged to contribute to the development/content of the sessions.
We hope these sessions will be beneficial to members’ rehabilitation, and encourage and motivate them to get back into a more regular running routine.
Training Nights
All our sessions are overseen by a designated person who provides a detailed briefing before the start of each session, monitors the progress of the session and answers any questions from participants. Any feedback from the sessions is provided to the Training Sub-group and Committee.