‘A Marathon Moment’

Wow – thank you Maiden Newton Runners for giving me the opportunity to do the London Marathon in 2012!  Running around in the darkness before BST, it didn’t really hit home what this wonderful day would involve emotionally.

Essentially, I was lucky and thankful to have the opportunity to run it because I missed the ballet last year (it was done in dusted by May – so get on-line quick for 2014!)  Charlie Spencer and I were the only two who wanted the club place.  So we agreed to help each other, by getting a charity place as well.

On a chilly run to celebrate New Year (well, we are a running club!) I quizzed the Phil, the club chairman upon what the expectation was of me; he said ‘none – just turn up at the start line!’  Now this is easier said than done, because there are another 40,000 or so trying to do this at the same time, on the same Sunday morning in the same far corner of London!  The other bit of advice gained from Lin, Martin and Dave was ‘get the miles done in training’.  Needless to say, this is hard too, but it proved fundamental in the end.

 Although a major task in the 3 months beforehand, the training enable me to literally enjoy and remember every mile ran during the race, for the faces and sites seen, and music and cheers heard, and not the pain endured.  I’ll skip the training bit to the fun bit, but is worth mentioning that we live in a beautiful country.  It was joy to explore the paths of Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, Southampton and even Slough (!) during the training.

Established in 1982, the London Marathon is fantastically well organised; from publishing advice and tips a month beforehand, organising an exciting expo in London in the days before race; to markers with clocks at every mile, and food, drink and Vasoline provided when ever needed, and the fact that you get your bag handed to you within minutes of finishing!

Getting to the Start is nerve-racking, especially if it is a new experience, and if you have a track record to cutting it fine to the start of races!  And having a pee beforehand was a tough test of nerve in itself; 30 minutes in a queue leaving 10 minutes to throw the bag in the lorry and find the relevant section of the Start before 09.45!  It could all go very wrong, and being surrounded by fellow runners all feeling the same ‘uneasiness’, it was easy to strike up conversation and hold each other’s bags whilst we warmed up.  Filtering into the Start was seamless, and everyone around me was beaming, probably because like me, they had made it!!

It was not until passing under the first mile banner that the relief hit me, and I was able to enjoy myself.  I’d been keeping this quiet, but I had sustained a knee strain during the last weeks of training, which hurt when I walked.  In the last 2 weeks of training, I cycled instead to rest it, and it was only after running a few minutes did the jarring go.  The rest is history!

During the race, the music and party atmosphere was just sensational; an electric charge beamed out of the top of my head throughout.  The Caribbean sounds of South London just transported us to the second half of the race, where they say the race really starts.   Then the sights of London begin; the Shard, Tower Bridge, the City, etc (even the Institution of Civil Engineers at mile 26 – don’t tell me you missed it?!)  And whatever one thinks about bankers, they had a great party going on in an intimate amphitheatre of Canary Wharf’s steel and glass, and it was amazing to run though and experience.

It started to get harder after the City, and the quads started to pull after 17 miles.  However, my pace was steady and I was on track to get my target time.  So I remembered all the training I had put in, focused on my action and dug in.

One thing that is hard to do is spot loved ones in the crowds.  Looking at faces, they appear to look through you in the main because they are looking through for their loved ones.  ‘June’, the lady dressed as a Cheatah, and Super Mario brothers 'Mario and Luigi'  received the majority of casual support in our section of runners.  On mile 23 I got mine – friends Steve and Rachel gave out Neanderthal shout and eye contact was gained, just when I needed it!

Now runners were starting to pull up 50 m or so; either walking, stopped by cramp or those that had fallen.  This was unnerving, and the mind started to wonder; did I tie up my shoe laces properly?

Another thing that was surreal was the tunnel under one of the bridges on the Embankment before Big Ben – we descended from the Strand into darkness, and then silence.  Only the sound of panting runners and pattering of trainers echoed off the walls.  These few minutes allowed us to compose ourselves, check the hair, and practice the victory celebration.... then we rose up the ramp, the crowd fringing the edges of daylight above, and the sound returned.

I got over the line in under 3.5 hours (ok, 3.29 so I cut it fine!) which was my goal.  Behind the scenes at the Finish, it was eerily silent again.  Here, we were able to collect our thoughts, and give mutual congratulatory glances at each other, and even shed a tear!  The hum drum soon returns though, when we filed out from behind the fencing to join friends and family.  Here, I met with Dave, Lin, Martin and Charlie and we shared our stories.

I am very thankful to Maiden Newton Runners for giving me the place, not least Charlie; and for supporting me on some of the long runs during training.   It was an electric day, one that I’ll remember forever and comes recommended!

Poole Runners Summer Series - Race 1

Last night Martin and I headed down to Upton Park near Poole for the first 3.5 mile race in the summer series organised by Poole Runners.  Although we have enjoyed a couple of seasons of the winter series of 5k races also put on by Poole, it has taken us a while to get around to the  summer version - although summer was not a word you would readily use to describe the weather last night.  The setting could not be faulted - the park is lovely - the cold, gloomy weather was anything but.  The race started at 7.30 and I was getting worried that I would need a head torch, there was never any question about whether or not to wear gloves!


Our expectations were low as we lined up at the start - our legs are still in post marathon recovery state and I had a disgusting snotty cold as further excuse for poor performance - but we had decided a race would be a good boost to our rapidly declining fitness levels and so at 7.30 we joined in the headlong rush from the start line, conveniently situated next to the toilet block in the car park!


Despite this inauspicious start the rest of the route was lovely as we turned, almost immediately, onto a pleasant tree lined track to begin our first lap. My legs felt light and strong and I set off at a brisk pace keeping Martin well within sight for most of the first mile and a half. There were some tight turns and muddy bits, not to mention a few tree roots and then a section of easy running along a board walk with the lake to our right. I was very aware of a female rival breathing down my neck on the first lap and just before we re-entered the car park to begin our second circuit she passed me but then seemed to slow down.  As we ran down the tree lined lane for the second time I overtook her and she seemed to fade and drop away.


Most of the second loop was really hard work as my legs began to protest at the misuse they were suffering but it was made slightly easier knowing what lay ahead and although I was expecting to be overtaken at any moment I managed to hang on to the lead in the ladies race despite another challenger appearing on my shoulder.  The finish funnel came into view much sooner than expected as the race did not finish where it started and Martin was there encouraging me to sprint in for an unofficial time of 22.34.  He had finished over a minute ahead in 21.23 and although the results have not yet been posted I suspect he will have been the first V55 finishing as he did somewhere in the top ten.


All things considered a good result and we are already looking forward to the next one!


This is a really excellent race and a very pleasant way to spend a Friday evening, especially if the weather is more seasonal!  Here is a link to the rest of the series just in case anyone is tempted:   http://poolerunners.digital-trip.co.uk/Files/Summer-Time-Trial-Series-2012.aspx

The Last Horner Water 11?

Take some of the less demanding bits of Stagger, some of the best running tracks from the Seaview, some of the magical river sections of the Drogo and a bit of scenic moorland road and you have the Horner Water 11. Add a clear blue sky to a chilly spring day, attach marker tape to a few trees, provide a water station and lots of marshals,and you have all the ingredients for possibly the best race of its kind in the country.

Runners seem to drift almost by chance to an isolated Somerset beauty spot. Part of me didn't want to write about this race, to keep its secret safe among the lucky few who know. Summoned by Fred Hagan to an imaginary start line, we posed for a group photo. Fred then warned us of the highland cattle with huge horns that stood their ground menacingly as the course was laid. Lesley seriously considered a DNS as she remembered the terrors of the comparatively tame cows at Haselbury.

We set off along an enchanting track beside the burbling Horner Water with its ancient woodland. Birdsong filled the air and all was well with the world. This race sneaks up on you and it becomes more demanding - the first half climbs from 198ft to 1545ft, with a tiring section across the moor. We were then rewarded with a steep downhill 3/4 mile road section with good views, before returning to tracks, moorland and woods. I loved the seriously narrow, steep, slippery gully strewn with tree roots as described in the course notes and wondered how Lesley would fare on this section.

All too soon we were back on part of the outbound track and heading for the finish. By all accounts the distance is about 10 miles and I was very happy with my time of about 84 minutes. In true Seaview style Minehead RC had provided a stupendous array of sandwiches, rolls, cakes, pies, biscuits etc for the runners. As I settled down on the grassy bank to a huge slab of date and walnut cake it was obvious by all the blood and dirt that several runners had taken a tumble.

Lesley came home looking strong followed some minutes later by Graham Newton of AVR. He is an excellent runner in his own right but today ran with his daughter who was over from Ecuador.

Given the countryside, the distance, the challenge, the weather and the special dedication of Minehead RC, this was probably the most enjoyable event I have ever done.

YORK ARROW TWO OUT OF THREE AINT BAD

TWO OUT OF THREE AINT BAD, Easter Arrow to York (AUDAX)

Just a few short weeks ago I got an E mail from Charlie Bladon (MNR long distance cyclist) asking if I was busy over Easter? As a most of you know I struggle with the written word at times, but I really should be able to type “Yes sorry I am busy”

Instead I managed to sign my self and two good friends up to joining Charlie and a fellow AUDAX member Andrew (more about Audax later) to a 24hour 400KM ride, just to get a Weatherspoons breakfast in York.

Any concerns/fears we had, were pushed a side by Charlie’s confidences is our ability! As the date drew closer, Charlie’s organisational skills swung in to action with E mails of maps and instructions, including attempts at explaining AUDAX rules (being French there were plenty of them, but they could be changed when or if required!!)
Below is a list of the stages we would follow, from leaving MN at 8.00am on Good Friday. You will note the 400km has already stretched to over 450KM (that is 270 miles in old money)


Leg km Climb m Climbing (meters per km)
Maiden Newton 0 0 0
Bradford on Avon 76 920 12.1
Cirencester 53.8 396 7.4
Moreton in Marsh 44.07 481 10.9
Leicester 96.53 556 5.8
Newark on Trent 64.4 288 4.5
Thorne 72.35 264 3.6
York 46.74 117 2.5


453.89 3022
Actual quotes from Charlie’s Emails

“The route gets progressively flatter as we go on, which will allow us to make up time if required. As you know I am not built for hills so don't want to go off too quick, but am more than happy to sit on the front on the flat. The last 200km are appeciably easier”

“Controls: For the audax virgins amongst you, you need to understand that one of the joys of long distance cycling is sitting on a bag of coal / logs outside a 24hr service station at 3am eating a Ginsters pie washed down with crap coffee. I very much hope to be able to provide this experience for you”.

Below are the had hand picked refuelling points along the planed route

Bradford on Avon there is a Sainsburys
Cirencester has a choice of Tesco or MacDonalds
Moreton in Marsh: Esso garage
Leicester: 24hr garage / cafes
Newark on Trent: 24 hour garage
Thorne: 24 hour garage Texaco
York: Weatherspoons.

Something else to note for later, we had one member of the team who will not shop at Tesco and anther member who regularly preaches how bad Mc Donald’s are.

As you will all know the weather was great leading up to the Easter holiday, but then Snow fell as far south as the midlands just two days before we were due to set off. This looked to be the perfect excuse for backing out, not a chance. Charlie assured us the snow would be gone and as we were avoiding high ground it would be fine!

True to his word, we may have had a frost but in MN at 8.00am on Friday the sun was shining. It appears the paper shop is used to Charlie coming in at strange times to get his Audax card stamped before setting off on, what to most are mad journeys. But the sight of 5 of us all getting our cards stamped before heading off to York seemed to cause quite a stir among the locals still half a sleep collecting their papers,

Not being able to say NO has seen me take on a number of strange events, so I should have just taken this one in my stride. But to be honest it wasn’t until we were about ten hours in, that I stopped looking for reasons to turn back and accepted the challenge.

The first stage went well to plan and we enjoyed refreshment at Sainsbury’s Bradford on Avon, I think this was the first time Charlie tried to assure us some of the worst climbs were now behind us, if any of you have driven out of Bradford on Avon towards Cirencester you would question that comment.
On we went to our next stop at Cirencester where the group split for our refreshment between Tesco’s and McDonalds.
Two stages down we made the decision as traffic was light, to take the direct route straight up the Fosse Way. This was the first sign we got that Charlie really did not like hills, if you have never been up the Fosse way. It is best described as a roller coaster; there is some stunning country side perfect for view from a nice soft top sports car or motor bike. But for a push bike it meant a lot of hard work and the average KPH (mph) dropping quite quickly. We eventually arrived at the Esso station in Morton in the Marsh, only to find their coffee machine was broken. Undeterred after refuelling we set off slightly behind schedule, for the longest stage of the route. This meant continuing along the Fosse Way all the way to Leicester, the route continuing to undulate all the way. leading to statements from our leader along the lines off “I am never going to use this route again” followed by “don’t worry the route is flat/down hill from Leicester to York”. This led me to question why people always say they are going up North.

By the time we reached the outskirts of Leicester it had started to rain and we were well in to the night. Passing several takeaways in the hope of finding somewhere we could get inside and have some hot food, we continued further and further in to the city centre with no sign of a McD or similar. Eventually a Tesco express was spotted, with a call “stuff my principles; I need something to eat and Drink.

We must have been a sight, 11.00pm 5 wet and weary cyclists clutching hot cups of coffee and stuffing down food like we had not eaten for days. But we seemed to be invisible to all the locals heading for a night out, I can not imagine we were a sight you regularly see at this time of night.

I think it is fair to say heads had started to drop a little at this point, but we were still optimistic of making up time and making it to York for breakfast. After all it was going to be flat all the way now!!!
Next stop Newark on Trent, unfortunately we had not got far before an unseen pot hole cased a double puncture. Working in the dark, cold and wet conditions, the repairs could not be compared to those of a formula one teams. But with a team effort we were on our way again, still no sign of the promised flat roads. After what seemed like hours of constant climbing, we were reward by a down hill run in to Newark. Unfortunately signs that say 24hours don’t seem to mean 24hours. The bright lights of a newly built 24 hour Asda lead us only to a locked door. We did manage to find a fuel station which was open, with a very help full assistant who willingly served us coffees though the night hatches. Not once questioning what the hell we were doing at 2.30am.

Only two stages to go, one long stage to Throne followed by a short stage to York, but there was some sort of 22 hour rule which had to be included.

22 hour rule: We are required to get a stamp at 22 hours. I am hoping this will tie in with Thorne, but if not it may be a case of an ATM receipt wherever we may be. 25km must be completed between hours 22 and 24.

The leg to Throne started badly when we got off route (that means lost) followed by yet another puncture. We did have the luxury of street light this time, so time was shaved off our last effort. We eventually got back on route (knowing where we were), but had lost quite a lot of time and what a surprise, done a lot more climbing. At 5.00am we reach a junction with the main A1 which just happened to have a service area. Very cold and very wet, an unscheduled stop was agreed, more principles slipped as we tucked in to a McDonalds breakfast and reviewed our options.

If a support vehicle had been available at this time, there is a strong chance we would have been on our way home. This not being an option we would have to go on. A review of a damp map, showed we still had about 20 miles to Thorne, followed by a further 28 miles to York. This would put us in York at best around 10.00am; this was not helping to incurring the team back on their bikes again. As I mentioned earlier AUDAX has many rules, but it seems they can be changed to suite your situation.

Lesser distances: The rules allow for us to complete 20% less than the previously submitted amount subject to a minimum of 360km so as long as we do 360km we get validated, as as long as we still have a 22 hour stamp.

This gave us the option to take a direct route to Doncaster instead, only a mere 22 miles away. 22 hour stamp gained, it was 6.00am and we were off. All we had to do was make Doncaster by 8.00am and we would have completed an Audax 400km event. The light of a new day was breaking and the rain was clearing, added to that we seemed to have actual found a flat route at last.
With the worst behind us and the end (well Doncaster) getting ever closer, I must have start to switch off, as I found myself almost falling a sleep while still riding. Stopping for a quick power nap was not an option, so the next best thing was to take to the front and pick up the pace in an effort to wake up. Not sure this was much appreciated by all the team but it worked for me and it got us in to Doncaster Station bang on the 24 hour allotted time. Where son James who had left Dorset at 4.00am to ensure he would be there to pick us up and claim his breakfast, unfortunately Doncaster Station had no breakfast facility so this had to wait until the first service we came to on the M1 (thanks James)

To sum up
We completed 24 hours on a bike
We covered 400km (242miles)
But we did not make it to York

Am I bothered we did not make it to York “no”
Will I be joining Audox any time soon “no”

That said I enjoyed the adventure and the team spirit. I am still left wondering what you have to do before the body finally says no enough is enough.

Thanks again to Charlie for all his efforts in arrange everything.
But before you ask I am busy next Easter.

Night Runner

Night runner tactics: by Dan

1. Wearing a hi-vis vest (and pink socks!) to blind following runners can seem like a good tactic, but can backfire. I was blinded by the reflective tape of the runner in front. I would normally be happy to tap along behind, but it was so annoying that I felt obliged to 'blast' past and get sufficiently far ahead that I would not get overtaken again for a while, before settling back into normal pace.

2. A good head torch is essential, but it doesn't matter if it's not your own. I was stuck behind some annoyingly slow/cautious runners on the narrow downhill rocky/rooty/steppy section. No overtaking places, so I had to shine my torch for them so that they could speed up!

3. 'Stealth mode' - when sufficiently ahead of the runners behind, sneakily turn down the power on your torch. Hopefully they can't follow and will waste just as much time as you manically zig-zagging across the fields searching for the way-markers.

This was a great event - roots, rocks, mud, beach, and a massive climb up steps just before the last charge across fields to the finish.

Breakfast in Rhayader

Last weekend saw the Westgates in Wales for the Rhayader Round the Lakes 20 mile race. This was the third time we have based ourselves at our favoured B&B at Ysbyty Ystwyth for the races in the area. 1pm on Saturday is a very sociable time to start a race; gives you the option of a late night before, a reasonable breakfast and the chance for the weather to warm up.

However on Saturday morning I still felt tired, ate too much for breakfast and the weather could have been better. We have driven over most of the course on previous visits and knew what to expect: a daunting 3 mile climb on a mountain road soon after the start was preying on my mind. The car park at the leisure centre was full but there were plenty of free places in the town. We registered and tried to relax in the car. The sky was blue on one side but a bit grey on the other. Still felt a bit uneasy. Fat local man came out of his back gate with wife. “Too tight to pay for the car park, look you” he called out for all to hear. “F*** off, the car park was full up, you div” I replied out of the open window. It’s probably best Fat man didn’t, or chose not to hear. Ignorant fat man with his fat greasy breakfast every day.

With that off my chest I felt a little better, but still slightly annoyed. Then the skies opened and heavy, driving rain splashed onto the seats as I tried to hurry the windows shut. It was no consolation Fat Man was getting wet. We were going to run 20 miles up a mountain road in March in Wales. It could easily drop below 5 degrees with hailstones, was really tempted not to run. Dressed for the run with helly, club vest, rain jacket, gloves, water bottle, energy bars and car key – not exactly running light, but the race notes advised to come prepared.

To the start, the rain has stopped and there is a minute’s silence for a race organiser who died a couple of weeks ago. We’re off - feeling better now – a quick circuit round the town, then out and up. My target time 2hrs 50mins at 8.5 min/mile pace or at worst 3 hrs at 9min/mile. These are carefully considered targets, on Monday I did a hilly 16 miler at 8.66min/mile and struggled. On race day you expect to do better and multiples of 8.5 or 9 are quite easy to work out over 20 miles even when the brain starts to fade.

Go steady, long way to go. Who’s that old boy ahead – Cheddar running Club, he’s about my age, catch him up and break my vow of running in silence, well we’re both from Somerset in a foreign land. The injection of pace to catch him has woken my legs and I move on past. Through the town and onto the mountain road; feeling good but always do near the start. Uphill now, three miles, take it slow and make up time later on the downhill. Go past some runners, others go past me as they get into rhythm. Teignbridge Trotter goes past, I think she’s a sub-3.5 hour marathoner; stay slow, take it easy draught behind anyone, cut the corners. Long, long slow plod up the hill; I don’t believe it someone has just gone past and cut straight in on me, I have to change stride and still narrowly avoid clipping their heels- would have served them right- they had the whole road to run on! Thought about saying something but notice they’re wired for sound; what’s the point- can’t you enjoy running without being wired for sound? If I were race director I would ban running wired for sound- especially on roads with traffic.

Press on; getting warm now, soon at top and 2nd drinks station and my pace is still about 8.5 mins/mile-very happy. Stretch out on downhill and run with and then draught behind a long haired bloke. Turn off mountain road, downhill, over bailey bridge and start our long journey round the lakes [these are really a series of reservoirs in the Elan Valley created to supply water to Birmingham]. We have driven this route several times but running really picks out the undulations. Mile markers come and go, not feeling too bad, scenery couldn’t be better, weather good for March but still got all my gear on. By about 12 miles try and convince myself I’m not tired, got to keep going, got to beat Lesley! Down the hill, round the corner, stretch the pace, keep going. Think of big breakfast on Sunday, sausages, bacon, egg, beans, mushrooms and tomatoes. Down the hill, round the corner, keep on going. Pace is still good- sub 8.5 mins/mile. Reservoirs are familiar, dams sturdy and huge as if built by giants. Roads winding, undulating, some good downhills, keep going.

Ahead a couple have slowed and I will catch them- they are refuelling. I don’t believe it- she has taken her energy gel wrapper and walked to the side of the road and bent down and placed it on the ground! I don’t understand- is this some local ritual- to anyone it must just look as if someone has selfishly discarded rubbish in an area of outstanding natural beauty! As I approach my mouth won’t stay shut, “thought you could have taken that with you”, I snap. “Yes” she replies. YES!! – What sort of reply is that? Maybe she is from somewhere very foreign. I cruise on past leaving them to their sticky thoughts. Keep on going, down the hill, round the corner, think of big breakfast.

Set my sights on an old shaven-headed boy (probably my age), and gradually close the gap. What’s all this – he keeps looking at his left hand – he seems to have some sort of clock in his palm! Well why not?! Go past him and begin to regret having said anything to litter-lout. If she comes back past me she might make some sarcastic comment like “feeling a bit tired, are we?” This is not going to happen, keep on going, down the hill, round the corner, think of big breakfast, be positive. Begin to think perhaps it might be OK to be wired for sound; I might like to listen to Leonard Cohen, soothing and steady for a long run!

In this area a church, a school, a chapel, a mill, some shops and twenty farms and cottages were submerged by the filling of the reservoirs. The poet Shelley stayed here in 1811 and 1812 before the flooding, writing about the “most divine” and “highly romantic” scenery. It really does beat running in Street!

At about 16 miles the route coincides with part of the Elan Valley ten mile race we did last year. Lovely rocky sides to the left and water to the right. I’m feeling good, the sun comes out, and my jacket comes off, keep on going. Can’t be bothered to tie jacket around waist, but holding it in fist it keeps unravelling. Catching lady runner ahead, feeling good, then not feeling good, need toilet. Have to stop to wee on the rocky wall, Shaven head with clock in left hand goes past checking his timepiece. Pack my parts away, no time to worry about dribbles, got to catch timepiece man. Familiar road, Elan Valley visitor centre on right, downhill, straight on, think of big breakfast. Sharp right, round marshal and bollard. So tired and resent running round bollard instead of cutting corner. On, on, catch lady runner again. She stops dead, encourage her – “keep going, you’ll get under 3 hours”. As I go past I think perhaps that may not be encouraging, especially if she was hoping for 2:30.

Across another bailey bridge and gently downhill through the Elan Village built in 1909 to replace the wooden village which housed a thousand workmen and their families during the dam building. This is good, I am now catching time-piece man, don’t pause, go past, keep going, stay ahead. This is bad, very bad, a nasty, evil stomach wrenching, leg torturing hill at 17 miles. Work hard, not too hard, think of breakfast. Top of hill, a strange finger post which shows the village of Llanwrthl at 4¼ miles in both directions! Who cares, we only have three miles back to Rhayader. This is good, very good apart from the damn jacket which keeps unravelling, refusing to stay constrained in either fist. More downhill, round the corner, keep going, think of breakfast. Lady oriental runner with long ponytail goes past; she looks like she is out for a Sunday stroll, don’t try and keep up with her.

Two miles to go and I give myself a pat on the back – the time 2:29:40. I can afford to fade badly and clock two 15 minute miles and still beat my lower target finish time of 3 hours. But I don’t want that, I want a sub 2:50 finish, downhill, round the corner, smell the big breakfast. Now catching a Mr oriental runner, he looks a bit more than tired, cruise on past. Turn right onto main road, oh no, another hill, “don’t worry only one mile to go from the top”, the marshal says. It’s not fair – a hill at 18.5 miles – not fair but keep going. Well I never, I spot long-haired bloke that I draughted behind on the mountain road some fifteen miles ago. What’s this, a supporter has got out of his car and is pacing Mr Long-hair, surely this can’t be allowed. This spurs me on, and I assume the draught position again as we climb the hill, wait my turn, and cruise past him down hill. Less than a mile now to Rhayader, not far, round the corners, taste the big breakfast. No, no, no another hill. I forgot the final hill through the town to the finish. Never mind, go past a very young runner – could be my grandson. He’s not stupid, he can recognise an old git when he sees one. I might be smiling, running tall and looking good but he knows I’m done! He changes gear and I say “well done” as he flies past. Not far now, keep smiling, pretend it’s all OK, you are SWRR, the supporters are clapping, keep going up the hill, round the corner, then the very last corner, smell the finish. 2:47:14. Very nice. Lesley not far behind 3:08:03. Excellent. I’m sure she has it age-graded.

Don't wait for shower at B&B and go to leisure centre. This was not without some hilarity- lads in changing room discussing the race. “Bit like the Vyrnwy”, said one. “But Vyrnwy is flat and only 13 miles” said another. “So it’s like Vyrnwy without the F****** hills and F****** miles” said another. “Well it’s got the water the Vyrnwy” replied the first. Game set and match. Much banter ensued as someone dropped something in the shower and it probably wasn’t safe to bend down at that moment.

B&B Sunday, breakfast booked for 8:30. Lesley suddenly shaking me awake, quick it’s 8:15, get up, get up. Can’t be, still tired, what’s up? Oh sorry, wrong time it’s only 7:10. Ah bliss, an extra hour in bed- better than a small premium bond win. Now for breakfast. Gently first, healthy orange juice, steady now grapefruit with yogurt. I can hear sizzling, smell frying and now Angela and Peter appear- large platter for me and large platter for Lesley. Big breakfast 2 leek and pork sausages, 2 rashers of prime bacon, fried egg, baked beans, tomatoes and mushrooms. Savour and enjoy slowly, wash down with pot of coffee and finish with toast and jam. Might be a long way to go for breakfast, but it was worth it.

Street 5k - A Farewell Race

Not only was this the 138th race in the 23 year history of the Street 5k winter series, it was also the last race which we had the pleasure of running with Mike and Di..........for a while at least.

Firstly knowing my passion for meaningless statistics as you do, I must tell you that this was the 37th Street 5k that Martin and I have run since our first outing there in January 2005, or in other words we have run the 1k loop of the town centre 185 times - each. This was also the first race I did after I broke my hip - recording a tear inducing 28.05 in November 2005 when I finished about three from last. If I only hadn't stopped on the fourth lap and burst into tears I could have gone sub 28! It's also the only race where I have managed to fall over and sprain my ankle....before the start!

The point I'm trying to make (slowly) is that Street is a race that is dear to our hearts and it was entirely fitting that we had a chance to share it with Mike and Di before they temporarily escape the clutches of Maiden Newton Runners. It was a night when I was proud to be part of the Maiden Newton team - not only Martin and I, Mike and Di, but also Charlie, Richard and Lesley, Dave Carnell and Dave Butt with Jane giving welcome vocal support.

To the race, finally. Having got out of my sick bed the previous evening to droop around at Mike and Di's leaving party, I was in slightly better form 24 hours later. As usual Martin headed off into the distance but the surprise element was Dave Butt charging off after him and opening up a useful lead on me. Dave Carnell was obviously having some difficulty adjusting back to the tarmac from the slippy stuff after his outing at Butleigh on Sunday and I passed him on the first lap but the other Dave stayed stubbornly ahead and it took me until lap four to finally haul him in and pass him. My next target was the leading lady and although I managed to catch her I left it a bit too late and could only sprint across the line on her shoulder recording a time of 19.17, one second slower than her.

The rest of the team finished one by one and the times will all be posted on the results page of the web site but I have to make a special mention of Charlie - last time I lapped her and then ran her last lap with her after I had finished. This time I barely had time to get back down the High Street to run in with her and she finished very strongly knocking 44 seconds off her previous time, absolutely fantastic and boding very well for a good run in London next month.

Off to the presentations where Maiden Newton runners managed to pick up a thing or two and then to the pub for post race festivities. Luckily I have five witnesses to Charlie's rash statement that she intends to run the Grizzly next year...and she hadn't even had a drink!

It was a fantastic evening and the only sad part was having to say fare well to Mike and Di at the end of it. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to have them as club mates and friends and I know that I speak for us all when I say that they will be very much missed. We all wish them the very best of luck and happiness in their new life.

And don't think moving to Wiltshire is going to stop us from tracking you down one of these fine summer evenings....we know where you're going!!

Blog with no race

Sunday 4th March saw the Westgates at home in bed. Raising myself on my left elbow I could see from the window the eight sided pond. The rain was still hammering down – the first substantial rainfall for 33 days, so quite a fortuitous decision not to race today. The pond was getting a bit too full as there is no overflow pipe. During construction I decided not to install one for several reasons:
a) There might be a small chance that a baby fish might get swept down a tube in heavy rain
b) The tube outflow might stain the paving
c) The tube might be a weakness in the rendering and concrete walls.
For those who are interested I empty the pond by manually placing the outlet pipe from the filter into a length of downpipe which can be conveniently run onto the lawn or into the greenhouse as required. For those of you who are completely uninterested you could suggest a new prize category for the AGM – most boring blog of the year.

Anyway with no racing on Sunday, in fact no training at all for a week, there was plenty of gardening to do. It’s surprising how much time training and racing takes up, and I can see how appealing it might be to downsize and concentrate on running. On a slightly worrying note, in less than two weeks time I have the 20 mile “Round the Lakes” race in Wales and the longest run these tired little legs have managed this year is 13.1. This could be another one where Lesley leaves me behind

Babcary 7.5 mile race x 2 +2 = 17

by Martin

Our Sub-3 Training plan called for a 17 mile run at "long run pace" this Sunday, but for some reason we decided we needed to return to Babcary to swell the numbers at that excellent race. Last time we did it was in 2004 and we were training for a marathon that year too, so then we ran the course a second time after the race (which Lin won), but the major drawback was that by the time we got back over an hour had passed, and we had missed the prize presentation and more importantly, the cakes. Previous experience has shown that the average time for other greedy runners to polish off the best cakes after a race is 30 minutes, so that even if we ran at full race pace afterwards we would still have to do no more than 4 miles, meaning at least 4.5 miles to be run beforehand. That is what we planned to do, and so we started 75 minutes before the race, running up the first hill out of Babcary. After a couple of miles we were both feeling strong, so we decided we might as well do the entire course, and only have 2 miles to do after the race itself to complete the 17 miles.

After 4 miles and a couple more hills, we were both feeling the miles in our legs, and rather wishing we had turned back at 2.5 miles, but by then we had passed the point of no-return, so we pressed on. By the time we finished, we were well warmed up, but more tired than we had planned. Hopefully, there would still be enough in the tank to do the race justice. We chatted with Dave Carnell, Richard Westgate, and Clive Harwood while waiting for the race to start. By now, the fog was starting to burn off, and it was warming up nicely.

The race got under way and we were off again up the hill, about a minute a mile faster than the first time. I was still feeling pretty good by the time we reached the 2 mile mark, in just over 12 minutes, on the heels of a V50 rival, Nick S. At the time I thought he was in first place for the V50 category, but it turned out that there were another 2 even faster old geezers ahead of us, so I needn't have felt so bad as Nick slowly pulled away with my legs feeling heavier as each mile passed.

By the time I reached the final hill back down into Babcary, I was well behind Nick, and another guy, but still ahead of my main goal which was to beat my previous course best. I sprinted for the finish line to get in just under 47 minutes in 7th place, very happy with the result. Clive just pipped me into 4th place in the age-graded results, but we were both well behind the winner John Shapland who, at 58, finished 3rd overall with an age-graded 89% - in another league.

Anyway, back to the race, Lin finished a couple of minutes after I did, slightly disappointed not to beat her previous best, but still a very good result, first lady, and she ran at a faster pace than her last 10k race, despite the extra warmup lap.

Dave C finished in a further minute or so, closely followed by Richard, but by then we were off back up the hill for a mile out and back. We were changed and in the cake-line in time to grab a slice of excellent cake and some coffee which we took outside to enjoy whilst we basked in the unseasonably warm sun, chatting with friends and waiting for the presentation. We enjoyed it so much that I think we'll probably be back next year, unless we decide to return to the Dalwood 3 Hills 10 miler - too many races, not enough time!

Inca Trail

Richard wrote:

Continuing our theme of trying races we haven’t done before, Sunday saw the Westgates at the 7.6 mile multi-terrain Inca Trail race at Ilchester. For the second week running Lesley got the start time wrong. There was I striding across the playing field trying to work up a sweat when Dan came over looking at me in a puzzled fashion and asked if it wasn’t a bit early for a warm up! I had wondered why there were only half a dozen cars in the park.

After resting up in the club house I took a second warm up and headed for the start. It was cold and bleak at 3 degrees C. The ground was frozen with a slime of gooey mud on top. They say conditions here have been different every year – in the club house there was an excellent picture of someone sprinting through the floods in a previous year.

Memories of the race are a bit blurred as I spent a lot of time concentrating on keeping up a good pace without slipping. There were lanes, muddy droves, stiles, gates, a short steep grassy hill, fields, and a long grassy run alongside the River Yeo – very reminiscent of leg 3 of the Parrett trail.

I did enjoy this race and had a few personal battles with other rivals. A great bonus was the steaming hot shower afterwards. Talking of which – another early attempt was made at the coveted disrepute award. In the showers a Yeovil runner asked “Guys have you any ideas how we could improve this race?” I immediately replied “well you could get rid of the naff mementoes”, not realising that they were lovingly hand-crafted by someone toiling late into the night trying to raise money for a needy Peruvian charity!

Once again Lesley triumphed in her age category beating off exceptionally stiff opposition which included a trio of Ethiopian athletes who had come halfway across the globe in search of gold. ( LW: In reality the only rival in my age group also won an award for coming last.)

Now read on for Dan’s memories.................................

A Sartorial Dilemma - The Inca Trail‏

by Dan

On leaving the warmth of my car it seemed a very wise idea to have put on my (very manly) tights for this event. It was just over freezing and the marshals told me that the route was very icy. I also had a long sleeved top under my club vest, gloves and ridiculous looking ear-warmer band-thing. Other runners had different ideas, ranging from shorts and vest to coats and woolly hats. About half the field were in that hideous lurid day-glo colour of Yeovil Town Road Running Club, and most of the others had one or more items of a similar colour (presumably in homage to the host club). I was resplendent in silver Maiden Newton Runners Vest (Rachel says it's grey), coordinated with blue and orange top, red and black tights and yellow and blue shoes. I'm lucky to have a 'capsular' wardrobe.

Richard and Leslie eschewed Maiden Newton colours in favour of some other club with far more gaudy vests. They seemed very keen, starting their warm up 40 minutes before the start - until I spoilt their fun by telling them that the race started at 11, not 10.30 as they had presumed! Nevertheless, Richard had to make last-minute adjustments to his laces which made him the last runner to the start.

Richard was off like a rocket at the start, and I did not try to keep up. A few minutes in I was at the back of a fairly large 'pack' and was opening up quite a gap on the group behind. 20 Minutes in, Steve (of the famous running combo 'Steve, Donna, and sometimes their dog' - sorry guys can't remember your surname) caught up and overtook me. He was looking strong, but I managed to wear him out with the occasional 'witty' comment and was pleased to see that he could no longer endure my company and started walking when we got to the hill. The hill was challenging - I thought it was 'slippy' but was corrected by a runner from Frome, who corrected my bad grammar and told me that it is 'slippery'. Unfortunately the know-it-all failed to slip over and charged past into the distance - must have had a very strong finish as he was out of sight within a few minutes. Hope he's not reading this, or my punctuation will no doubt be found wanting ;-) I overtook Steve, put a bit of distance between us by throwing myself down the other side of the hill, and just managed to stay ahead of him to the finish. I think he may have slowed down to wait for Donna (who was in front anyway, I think), but whatever the excuse it was nice to finish ahead of someone who normally beats me. Marvellous Michael normally finishes just ahead of me, but today he was well ahead, seems to be on good form. Martin Chaffey and I often find ourselves battling around the middle of this sort of run but he had his hands full (literally) with family responsibilities and was not running.

It was a great route - fast and flat out, then to mud / ice, then up and down a hill and back. A gigantic medallion and warm soup to all finishers, and I made good use of the showers and changing rooms. All very civilised. I recommend the race, and look forward to having a go again next year.

Time? About an hour and 4 minutes.

Street 5k

by Dave Carnell

After my tardy time at the recent Humdinger event, I’m pleased to report that the February Street 5k went a whole lot better. Conditions were a little on the nippy side for a softie like me, but I’d had the foresight to don my secret weapon, l### j###s (partially redacted to retain secrecy), so I stayed nice and toastie.

Knowing the first corner is always an issue at this race, I decided to try a sprint down the hill to get ahead of the main pack so I could take the tight line on the footpath, instead of going across the grass and into the road like I normally do. Great idea, but the guys at the front go like crazy and don’t take any prisoners when it comes to a bit of squeeze, so it was all a bit dicey, but I did just about survive the corner.

I then had to back off to get my breath back and let the speedier troops charge on ahead. I confess that in the dark, knowing that that Harwood chap was disguised in Wells blue, I assumed he was amongst the throng disappearing into the distance so completely forgot about him.

After the climb back to the High Street (yes, I know it’s only a gentle upward slope, but I like them going the other direction) I managed to get some rhythm back and gradually stopped letting too many runners from overtaking. The next three laps passed without any great excitement until, coming back up to the High Street before the last lap, Nick Brooke came past. I’m used to seeing him waiting almost recovered at the finish but I like to try and wind him up a bit so gave chase for a while before the final upward slope got the better of me.

It was just coming up to the top of that final slope that Clive H’s notoriety did him a distinct disservice as I heard fellow Wells marshals egging him on, so I knew he was actually behind me – yiks! This hasn’t happened in a race before and I confess I knew Clive was not firing on all cylinders, so I thought kick, go and hope I could make it down the High Street to the last turn before I folded.

Hallelujah, I managed to keep going and finished just ahead of Clive and with a Street PB of 19:20. I was also tantalising close to catching up with Nick B again.

A good run for me and a slight pity that I had to rush away, turning the inside of my car into a sauna (thank heavens for screen heaters) and passing up a rare chance to goad some fellow runners, as well as missing out on my traditional coffee and a gold bar back at the hall.

One more event to go in the series – I can dream!

Blackmore Vale Half Marathon

Richard’s report:

Sunday 5th February saw the Westgates at the 20th Blackmore Vale Half Marathon at Bishops Caundle near Sherborne. Being first timers at this race we were very impressed. Organised by the BV Lions Club, what a great job they do – free parking at the start, food in the hall, toilets and portaloos, loads of marshals including police, frequent drinks stations, clear amplified instructions (for those hard of hearing) before the race and commentating at the end. Experience means they can accept up to 650 runners and do all this for £10 including a reasonable T Shirt. We thought it was a real bargain.

Following a week of sub-zero temperatures we were treated to a balmy 6 oC with sunshine. The 500 or so runners soon filtered off the playing field and into narrow lanes. Thankfully the only icy stretch was coned off and we set off downhill for the first mile. I made an effort to run conservatively as I had heard the course was undulating with the final mile re-tracing the hill we started on. With this in mind I tagged along with Jenny Mills for 4 or 5 miles, she runs at a very even pace and I felt quite relaxed. The lanes were largely traffic free and the countryside picturesque. I began to warm up a bit – enough to tip water over my head and neck at the drinks stations and decided to push on a bit overtaking some runners.

Some of the downhills tempted me into some speedier running but for the first ten miles I kept up a 7.5 min/ mile conversation pace. I enjoyed the challenge of keeping the pace going over the final bit and was very happy with 97:12. There were lots of familiar faces about but once again none from Maiden Newton.

Lesley: I have mixed feelings about this one. Set off at a fairly steady pace, and was joined after a few miles by Lesley Nesbitt from Yeovil, running with her brother. I have been in races with her on several previous occasions and usually managed to finish ahead, although it has been a tough battle sometimes. On this occasion she appears to have been doing some “Training”!! She also ran at “conversation” pace for the first ten miles, while I struggled to keep up, and then with three miles to go she just took off, eventually finishing some two minutes ahead. I must say I was a bit dispirited by my legs’ refusal to come up with anything and eased off the pace deciding to finish the race as a training run. I found the last mile particularly hard and was glad to finish in a time of 1:52:23. The runner in front of me inexplicably slowed and stopped just before the finish line giving me one place higher in the results.

Hestercombe Humdinger

Richard’s report:

It seems a whole herd of Maiden Newton Runners were vying for the coveted “excuse of the year” award, although this attempt is not likely to be the winner, rather an early season warm up. Several runners committed to run the Hestercombe Humdinger pulling out of the Sunday club run. However showing supreme solidarity they all failed to actually apply for the race and as there were no entries on the day, this left Lesley as the sole club representative. (Dave C ran as Crewkerne and RW as SWRR).

It was perfect running conditions – no wind, a tad chilly but dry. The start is on the drive to the house, followed by a fast 3 mile loop back to the start (part of a figure of eight course). The second loop takes in two steep hills compensated by the fast descents. I love to go fast downhill and passed the first MV60 AVR runner a couple of times. He told me he used to run like that a few years ago, but he was still too strong for me going uphill. I find it inspirational to see guys like that still enjoying their running.

Those of you at Pete’s West Bay run last week might remember me charging backward and forward muttering to myself “got to beat Dave C at the Humdinger, got to beat Dave........” I caught him at 3.5 miles but only because had had a stitch all morning. Ran with him for a while and then he fell behind. I never look behind when running and with every approaching runner, every foot echo, every cough I imagined Dave closing the gap. I kept pushing on knowing Dave has a blistering finish and the last mile is mostly a fast downhill. However it was a hollow victory as Dave had a really bad stitch and did a fair bit of walking. The silver lining is that by keeping up a greater effort I stayed ahead of the next MV55 by about 30 seconds. As a bit of icing on the cake the Westgates scored their first double as 1st Vet55s.

Lesley:

Last year I ran this with Richard pacing me, and I also had the knowledge that I was doing a sponsored swim later at 4pm. This year I was on my own, and in spite of being slower than my PB in 2010, still managed to hang on to the “old crone” prize. I blame the cold weather. Even doing the first mile in 7 mins failed to warm me up. I started off in coat and gloves and although I had shed these by four miles, I was so cold by 8 miles I had to put the coat back on again. It was great seeing so many familiar faces. Even though we had arrived really early to get a parking place near the race HQ, by the time I had chatted to everyone it was almost start time.

Richard:

It seems she still had lots of chat left after the finish. I was able to enjoy a peaceful 45 minutes in the heated car scoffing mars bars, while she socialised/gossiped.

Christmas Races

The Westgates were relieved that the 25th Wellington Monument Race actually went ahead, after being cancelled for the last two years due to atrocious weather. Many thanks to the race director for his many years of service as he takes a well earned rest in the wings. While my performance was very average, Lesley did a PB for the course scooping first FV55.

Boxing Day saw the Westgates at the Stoke Stampede along with the Lascelles. We were blessed with almost perfect running conditions, but I still managed a very average performance. Ben, my neighbour from Milverton was 5th in about 35 minutes, and Martin cruised home in under 40 minutes, with Lin trailing somewhat. Lesley was once again very happy with a course PB.

New Years Day saw the Westgates at the second Chard Flyer, along with Dave Carnell and the slightly knackered Lascelles after their busy DIY house move. Martin was so exhausted that he only dared attach his race number with two pins instead of the normal four! (Or was this part of his continuing drive to minimise weight?). A first time for all of us on this course which proved to be slightly testing, with a long slowish climb, followed by a steep downhill. We looped around part of the reservoir on decking, through woods, housing and industrial estates and on to the Cricket Club for the finish. I performed in an average fashion. Martin excelled being first MV55. Lin trumped him as first lady and first FV45. Lesley completed the Maiden Newton hat-trick with first FV55. She also beat me age-graded in all three races. Dave Carnell however brought the club into disrepute. In the words of Dave Mutter of AVR “In a bizarre quirk some Maiden Newton runners ran as Crewkerne,” thus handing the first team prize – wine and trophy – to AVR.

North Face 50k Marin County California

If you ever find yourself at a loose end in San Francisco the first weekend of December, Martin and I can thoroughly recommend filling your time with this ultra marathon in the beautiful Marin Headlands.

I cannot however recommend the 5am start to catch the bus and freezing your a**** off waiting for the start (as illustrated!). It was pitch black when we arrived and seemed to stay pitch black until about 5 minutes before the race started - when the sun suddenly decided to make an appearance and it got light.

I started this epic journey with low expectations of a decent performance. Since the Mablethorpe marathon our training had gone sadly to pot and our only preparation was a couple of 20 mile hilly long runs done at a woefully slow pace. However it became apparent that we had not lost as much fitness as we thought.

We started at a conservative pace and enjoyed the easy mile or so before the first of the climbs began as we headed up to Wolf Ridge from the Golden Gate Recreation Park where the race began. Apart from the gradient the running was easy on wide tracks and the first aid station was soon reached where I found it necessary to skip the refreshments and make use of a conveniently situated porta loo, much to Martin's disgust. When I came out he delighted in telling me that at least four women had got ahead of me. In a bid to shut him up I upped the pace and gave chase. It turned out that he was exaggerating slightly and we soon caught and passed the one female who had actually overtaken us but also the two other women who had been ahead of us anyway.

As we settled back into a more sensible pace the path followed the coast as it headed down to Muir Beach and then began another serious climb up through Mount Tamalpais State Park. Up and up and then up some more until we finally reached the summit and the point where the 50 mile race, which had started 2 hours earlier than us, split from the 50k route to do an 18 mile loop. Up until this point we had been steadily passing other runners but as we began the tortuous descent down into Muir Woods we suddenly had about 6 - 8 people charging past us and it took a while to realise that we had been "lapped" by the leaders of the 50 mile race. These were serious competitors vying for the $10,000 first prize and they left us for dead.

Shortly after this Martin took a nasty tumble, stubbing his toe very badly, and both this and the climb back up out of Muir Woods combined to slow us down. No sooner had we reached the top than we started heading back down and Martin managed to bash his toe on another root and fall over again. In a bid to win the Bringing the Club into Disrepute prize he let loose with a string of words mostly beginning with F and at full volume, only to go round the corner and find himself face to face with a pair of elderly and very po-faced hikers who obviously had not appreciated his outburst. We slunk shamefully past and tackled the next hill hoping they had not had time to see Maiden Newton Runners on our shirts!

The race consists of three connected loops and we had now completed the largest loop and were heading back towards Muir Beach - Martin seemed to get a second wind at this point and set a furious pace, passing a few other runners and causing me to wonder how long I could stay with him. Fortunately the climb back up from Muir Beach is a killer and slowed him down somewhat.

A short downhill section brought us to the last aid station but one - just before another major climb and as we left this I was about 20 yards ahead of Martin causing him to call out that he would see me at the finish. I assured him that he would catch me on the downhill and concentrated on scaling the mountain ahead of me. The legs were beginning to suffer now and the gradient was sufficient to slow me mostly to a walk but it did at least give me the chance to shoot the odd appreciative glance at the fantastic view although mostly, I am ashamed to admit, my gaze was firmly fixed on my feet as I laboured upwards. I comforted myself with the thought that there were only 7 miles to go.........

I had two goals left - one was to finish without being overtaken by the first woman in the 50m race and the other was to finish under 5 hours. Unfortunately the first of these failed as I reached the last aid station. I had but a moment to bask in the calls of "first lady" before a much larger burst of applause and cheering and the first 50 mile female caught me up. In a bid to keep up with her I ran all of the following hill, but she was in a different league than me (her average pace for the 50 miles was 8.32!) and she soon disappeared from view.

The last few miles were hard, I kept checking the GPS and was still on for sub 5 hours and as the race finished with a downhill and then flat section I tried to up the pace but my legs were unco-operative and it soon became clear that the distance was actually in excess of 50k and that the 5 hour target was not going to be reached. It was with great relief that I finally reached the finish - 51.5k and almost 2000m of climbing in 5.03.36, 12th overall and first lady. It has never felt so good to stop running!! Martin kept me hanging around for a while before crossing the line in 16th place and 5.11.19.

We spent a couple of hours at the race HQ enjoying the lovely sun and free food whilst we waited for the presentation.

Martin made the most of the free beer - it was supposed to be one free beer per runner and pay for any extra but they weren't keeping a very close eye on it and he managed to have at least three!

I nearly got my prize from the internationally famous ultra runner Dean Karnazes who had run the marathon......but unfortunately his son chose the exact moment that the 50k prize giving began to finish the marathon and Dean rushed off to see him cross the line.

All that remained was to catch the bus back to San Francisco......and party!

Elan Valley 10 mile race

by Lesley

Last weekend found the Westgates back in Wales. We stayed in the same excellent B&B and were made most welcome after my glowing review on tripadvisor. But first we had to get there which we did via a day in Gloucester. Unfortunately my road map was 15 years old and the roads seemed to have changed considerably since then. But we still found the cheapest car park in town where Richard tried to nobble me by shutting the car boot lid on my head. In spite of being somewhat dazed we still spent the day looking at the sights including the waterways museum in which I was particularly impressed with the narrowboat/barge where the living accommodation was smaller than a camper van and whole families used to live on board. So we were quite late arriving, having eaten along the way.

Saturday was dry and mild, perfect for running, and after a leisurely breakfast we drove to the start and then around the race route. The hills weren’t as bad as I’d expected and are probably no more than undulations in Wales. The first mile was downhill all the way and I clocked mine at 7:11, Richard being a bit faster at: 6:08. After the initial sorting out of places I found myself behind a lady with long blond hair who stayed about 50 yards ahead for at least 7 miles. The roads were very quiet and only 2 cars and 2 tractors went past me. The second one was cutting the hedge and took up nearly all the width of the road, causing the blond lady to slow to a walk. Being used to that sort of thing round here I scooted past a bit quicker, and nearly caught up. A little while later she looked round and I realised that she was a bit older than I first thought, about my age in fact. So not knowing how many others were in front, I decided I had enough energy left to get past. There was only about half a mile left to go, so I hung on, counting paces until the finish line came in sight with me still ahead. She finished only 9 seconds behind, and sure enough, when I checked the results she was the same age. Even better – there were no other old crones ahead and I was 1st FV55 in a time of 1:25:23. (Just to put it in perspective, the same time last year, wouldn’t have even got me 3rd place in my age group.) So we stayed on for tea and cakes and prize-giving and I’m now the proud owner of a piece of Welsh Slate!!!

The day concluded with a walk round Rhayader and an evening meal in the Brasserie on the Pier at Aberystwyth, where I had the saltiest pizza I’ve ever eaten. OK, smoked salmon and anchovies do have a head start but I didn’t expect there to be so many of them.

A few words from Richard: I must admit that Lesley did manage to bash her head as I was shutting the boot lid. Soothing comments along the lines of “If you’d remembered to wear your hat it wouldn’t have hurt so much” weren’t received very well as she was still crumpled on her knees in the car park. However I think I managed to retrieve the situation as I offered to stem the flow of blood with an oily rag. Very pleased to say she was fully recovered next day for the race and won her age group. I think this was the fifth running of this race and they say some years it’s been under water so we were very happy with the mild, dry weather. Quite rural and scenic but less demanding than the Wellington Ten or the Humdinger. Reasonably happy with my time of 73:40.

Yarcombe Yomp

Another great low key Axe Valley Runners event - and in case you think you're seeing things, Martin and I did sport our new yellow vests and run as second claim Axe Valley Runners!

This is a (approximately) 10 mile race comprising of two 5 mile loops. We were expecting it to be "gloopy" as Dave Carnell would say, after the rain of late and we weren't disappointed. A cavalry charge from the start across the first field found us in a gateway blocked by a large puddle which was nearly deep enough for a swim and the following fields were soft going to say the least.

I started off at what I felt was a conservative pace but still found myself near the front of what was quite a small field (60 finishers) and with Martin behind me spent the whole race expecting him to overtake me at any minute. After a mile and a half or so the first climb began and I could hear a female runner behind me. I was struggling with tired legs and expected her to pass me and leave me for dead but as we steadily climbed the hill she began to fall back again and I pushed as hard as I could up seemingly endless fields. A brief reprieve from the climb as we came out onto a road and a glorious flat few hundred yards before turning into a narrow, steep and stony track which reduced the runner in front of me to a walk and soon had the same effect on me.

At last we reached the top of the first lap but even then there was no respite for tired legs as we followed a deeply rutted, muddy track strewn with fallen branches, brambles and large stones presenting no easy way through. Another road crossing, some more muddy track and finally a sharp left turn and the beginning of the glorious descent back down to the start.....I didn't look back to see if I had shaken my female rival off and was still expecting Martin and my other rival, Richard Boulter from YTRRC, to swoop past me on the downhill, but I reached the finish/start line without that happening and started on my second lap trying not to think about the mud, hills and obstacles still ahead.

As I reached the welcome flat road on my second lap I risked a glance back and sure enough, Martin was only 50 yards or so behind me with just one Honiton runner between us. I knew I could hold him off on the uphill but that he could easily out sprint me on the steep descent so I gave the final climb everything I'd got and then legged it through the woods hoping I could do enough to stay ahead of him.

At the turning point where the downhill began the Honiton runner was hot on my heels but Martin had not closed the gap. Running downhill on a steep stony track as fast as I dared I just hoped that I didn't catch a toe and do one of my famous crashing falls. Fortunately after a road crossing the rest of the run was across fields and even though they were steeply downhill at least I was assured of a soft landing if I nose dived. As I entered the last field the Honiton runner caught me and we sprinted neck and neck for the line where he just managed to pip me to the post although the time keeper kindly gave us the same time. As he suffered the comments of the on-lookers about lack of gallantry I looked back to see Martin approaching looking for all the world like he'd been out for a little Sunday stroll - whilst I heaved and gasped desperately trying to refill my lungs - but a victory is a victory regardless of your state at the finish line!

We finished in 5th and 6th places respectively and once again the benefits of ripe old age told as were 1st and 2nd age graded overall.

Off to the village hall where the modest entry fee included a bowl of delicious home made soup, a roll, a dazzling array of cake and tea or coffee. Axe Valley really do know how to put on a great event.

This was the last race in the East Devon Community race series which started back in February with the Dalwood Three Hills race, and I am delighted to report that Martin was the overall runaway winner in this event having had some fantastic results at Charmouth and the Dalwood 10k where he scored so many points that no-one had any hope of catching him.

Results at: Yarcombe Yomp results

Mablethorpe Marathon

Back in the spring, we looked for a fast, flat autumn marathon where Lin could achieve her ambition of running a sub-3 hour marathon. After failing to get into Abingdon (who knew that it would sell out in about half an hour?) we settled on Mablethorpe.

We started on our training plan which we stuck to pretty well for a change, apart from about 30 races over the summer (what summer?) which we managed to shoehorn into the schedule. No injuries and things were looking pretty good until the weathermen started bleating about the return of summer and record-breaking temperatures.

Thought it would never get here, but finally the big marathon weekend arrived, for some reason I had always thought Mablethorpe was not far past Abingdon. They are both up north somewhere. Turns out it’s twice as far away, about 6 hours driving! Anyway, we drove up to stay with some old friends for a couple of nights beforehand and they spoiled us with carbo-loading meals, and a day relaxing in their garden. Everything was done to maximise our chances, and so when we arrived on Sunday in Mablethorpe I still thought we had a hope as long as we could get the pacing right, and if maybe it was not quite as hot and breezy as forecast, at least not for the 3 hours from 10am till 1pm.

It even felt too cold as we waited in the shade before the start, but as soon as we moved out into the sun to line up on the front line, the reality became clear. It was hot! The Town Crier gave an entertaining and rousing pre-race speech, and then we were off, winding through the streets of M'thorpe. We were immediately overtaken by about 30 people - going off too fast - and we overtook most of them as the race progressed. I concentrated on maintaining an even 6:48/mile pace. To Lin it felt like we were just jogging, but she restrained herself as we reeled off mile after mile at or around target pace. After 4 miles we started to overtake half-marathoners who had started 20 minutes earlier. This was mostly not a problem as there were not enough of them to completely block the road so apart from a little congestion at one or two water stops it was fine. The most annoying part was that nearing the finish of the first lap, several well-meaning people including marshals who should have known better shouted out to us “well done, only a mile to go!” I wasted a bit of energy shouting back - "14 miles!!!!!"

By that time, any lingering morning coolness had burned off and it was really getting hot. I was now struggling to maintain the 6:48 pace, and my heart-rate was over 160 which is where it should have been after 23 miles, not 13. So just after 14 miles I made a tactical decision to let Lin run on without me, and away she went, soon she was well ahead, trailed by her female competition, a tough-looking woman from the Hampshire Police as we later found out. I plodded on, getting hotter and slower, until at 20 miles I handed in my number and waited at the out-and back section for Lin to return. I had cut out about a mile of the course, giving me just enough time to catch her up and recover enough energy to run with her for the last 4 miles. By my calculations she had to run the last 4 miles in just under 7 minutes per mile, and for most of the time I really thought she would do it, but the last section up to the beach path, and 2 miles along it in the mid-day sun proved just too much and the pace must have dropped off, or else the distance was more than my GPS measured, because when she rounded the last corner with 60 metres to go, the clock was just turning to 3 hours.

Despite the disappointment, she still did really well, beat all the women and all but 7 men, in a new personal best time of 3 hours and 19 seconds.

http://www.sportstimingsolutions.co.uk/results_master_run.php?recordID=The%20Mablethorpe%20Marathon%202011

Only 20 seconds less and she would have accomplished her goal of sub 3 hours. As a consolation, she moved up a place in the UK age-group ranking to 3rd W45-49..
http://www.thepowerof10.info/rankings/rankinglist.aspx?event=Mar&agegroup=V45&sex=W&year=2011

Oh well it gives us something to aim for at London next April. I'm hoping there is not another heat wave - maybe it will snow?