Rauceby Ripper 2012

Post Race Chat

"When the body cries stop, the spirit cries never." At 8.30am on Saturday morning the alarm rang and I staggered to the curtains. It was cold in the bedroom and it looked even colder outside. The body said "stop and go back to bed". Somewhere on the return leg, the spirit kicked in, I swerved the bed and went for a shower.

Thirty minutes later, I left Grantham on my bike for Rauceby, a typically quaint village west of Sleaford, Lincolnshire. It was bitterly cold during the 11 mile cycle across the Lincolnshire countryside, passing through Londonthorpe, Welby, Oasby and Culverthorpe before reaching Rauceby. I was late. I always seem to be late. I arrived at 10.10am for a 10.30am start. After rushing through registration and changing clothes in a hurry, I ran to the start which was some 1/4 of a mile away from registration at Rauceby Village Hall. My feet, which had felt like ice blocks during the cycle, began to warm up.

Keith Measures? Grantham AC leaves a competitor floundering in his wake!

There was a safety announcement at the start. It had recently snowed and the ground was covered and frozen hard. The sun shone brightly, a typically crisp day, perfect for running . The Rauceby Ripper runs through a private estate, a vast expanse of land with a huge gaff in the middle. The lady of the manor was presented with a bunch of flowers to thank her for opening up the estate to a hundred or so brightly clothed runners who had nothing better to do on a Saturday morning. The start gun went I ran at a steady pace, attempting to conserve energy. There were no mile markers which presented a mental challenge as you can't help but guess where on the 8 mile course you are likely to be. 

I felt strong throughout and noticed that I was able to sustain a good effort despite breathing hard, perhaps that "terrible" speed work is beginning to pay dividends. I passed a couple of runners over the past few miles to finish 12th in 56:51. Full results here. 

A frosty finish

The Rauceby Ripper was an excellent event. The route is picturesque and runners benefited from a sunny winter's day which allowed great views across the Lincolnshire fen. The race runs across tracks, field edges and road. The goody bag at the end rivalled the Stockport 10 and included a chocolate bar, a key ring, a fluffy sticker!?, a gold coloured metal shoe for the mantle piece and a bag of crisps. Post race I retired to the village hall for a cup of tea, and then another to wash down the crisps. I didn't much fancy the cycle back to Grantham but once I set off I enjoyed the ride and felt satisfied that the spirit had beaten the body. In contrast to my feet being cold on the way out, it was my hands that got it big time on the return leg. 

On the way back, after flying down the road from Londonthorpe, I encountered a limping runner. I stopped to ask him if he was ok. It turned out he'd turned his ankle by Belton Tower and he was trying to stagger back to his house on the Manthorpe Estate. He was grateful for the offer of my mobile but on ringing his Dad to ask to be rescued his answer phone kept kicking in! I couldn't help anymore, i was on my bike, my partner was away with the car and so I watched my  running brethren limp off through the Alma Park estate. He decided to divert to his sister's house instead. I was pretty sure he'd be ok but he did look mighty cold!            

PS - There's a new product on the running market, ideal for those awkward long runs when carrying water is an effort. I won't be using one.....click here

Training Run - 25 Miles - Vale of Belvoir, Lincolnshire & Leicestershire

A Handy Salt Bin

There are always hundreds of reason not to do a long training run, bad weather, lack of sleep, lack of motivation, can't be bothered....but the need for London Marathon training was the reason which trumped excuses. I left a colleague's leaving doo early on Friday evening after drawing on powers of discipline to sip cola instead of ale and wine and went home to get the car. In a similar way to last year I spent the latter part of Friday evening driving round a planned running route to drop drinks and food at strategic points along the way. At 8am on Saturday morning I left Grantham for a route which passed through - Denton - Harston - Branston - Barkstone - Redmile - Belvoir Castle - Woolsthorpe - Denton - Harlaxton and back to Grantham.

What Lincolnshire lacks in hills it makes up for in the beauty of its arable farming landscape and quintessential English Villages. I ran steadily past Harlaxton Hall, now used by the University of Edmunsville to give US children the chance to spend a term in England and on to Denton. I stopped at Denton to sip a sports drink, which I'd dropped in the village salt bin the previous evening. Last year I was unable to drop drinks the night before as they would have become frozen overnight. I ran on, along a straight stretch of road to Harston stepping off the road intermittently to allow tipper trucks to bypass. I counted three tipper lorries in the short stretch to Harston, each with their load of what looked like earth. After Harston I ran on to Knipton enjoying the sight of Belvior Castle to the right. It was a grey day and although it wasn't raining there was precipitation in the air. I climbed out of Knipton to reach a plateau with a view of Belvoir Lake through the trees, just visible in the valley to the right. I was glad to be wearing my new Running Bear top with a thin fleece lining, as a chilly wind blew occasionally across the fields. On the way to Branstone I passed a woman pushing a pram. She was walking along a remote country lane, before 9am in the morning and attached to the pram were perhaps five small terrier dogs secured with a length of rope. It was a sight that would seem unusual anywhere other then remote rural Lincolnshire. I exchanged pleasantries and ploughed on unsure of what or who was in the pram.

Snow Drops

Running through Branston there was an aroma of cooked breakfast coming from the fine stone cottages which flank the village high street. It felt like it should have been midday but I reminded myself it was still early morning. I stopped for drinks again shortly after Branston and ran on the 4 miles to Barkstone. The journey from Branston to Barkstone involves the highest part of the run descending steeply down the Belvoir escarpment along a road through the woods. The snow drops in the woods were plentiful, an unexpected treat and worth getting out of bed for. At the bottom of the escarpment, the steeple of the Church at Barkstone can be seen nestling in the distance. I was glad to be running along a straight quiet road. I was beginning to tire and I questioned whether moving my next drink stop a mile further on had been a good idea. After winding through the streets of Barkstone I passed a couple of horse riders and on the bridge over the canal at Redmile I was glad to find my next drink, banana and jaffa cake bar. I had dropped 'capri sun drinks' along the route but I hadn't realised that I had purchased the fresh orange version, not the easiest thirst quencher to drink and I was a bit concerned about the effect on my stomach. I ran on moments later back towards the magnificent Belvoir Castle which stood proudly on the hill in the distance. By the time I reached the castle stiffness was setting in and I was grateful for the descent to Woolsthorpe by Belvoir before the short stiff incline towards Denton which is part of the Grantham Half Marathon route. I staggered back into Denton and arrived back at the salt bin that had been my first pit stop some hours earlier. Here I drank the rest of my sports drink and half a banana, I left the jaffa cake bar as I was tired and wanted to get back home. Another short incline towards Harlaxton passed and I ran with renewed energy glad to see Grantham Town in the distance.

I arrived at the Farrier Public House and could see a couple of runners coming towards me in the distance. When they got closer I could see it was fellow London Marathon training compatriots and Grantham AC Members, Ben Hatherley and Ben Mason. We exchanged greetings and ran on, me towards home and Ben and Ben out on their own long training run. The sight of two others out training for the same goal inspired me through the last couple of miles but I was glad I wasn't in their position just heading out towards the Vale! 

Belvoir Castle

3 hours 24 minutes later I arrived back home with just enough time to relax in a hot bath before settling on the settee to watch the sad sight of Liverpool beat Man Utd in the FA Cup. It was great to lay watching lunch time football whilst eating scrambled eggs, with stiff legs content in the knowledge that I'd put a steady 25 miles on my legs in the morning. I had a Stella during the second half and didn't feel guilty at all.

On Sunday I cycled the same route to pick up my drink and food litter and took a few photos to illustrate this blog post.

            

Ropsley Raid 2012

Ben Hatherley - Grantham AC runs away from the field.

I started 2012 well, too well. A terrible hills reps session was the straw that broke my over trained or under rested body. The hill reps session wasn't terrible in the sense of being badly organised, it was terrible in the sense of being very hard! The last time I did any speed work was when I lived in London and I did a similar hill reps session with Ealing Runners. In 2002 I trained regularly with the BBC Running Club and we did fast reps sessions at lunch time round a park near White City. I know from experience that 'speed work' improves stamina and speed and is an essential ingredient of spring marathon training. My experience a week last Tuesday confirmed that speed work doesn't get easier with age. As I staggered to the top of the first hill sprint I took the bowed head, hands on knees position and between 'F' words questioned whether I was up to the other nine reps of the same punishment which had been directed by session organiser McArdle. In the event I carried it through and felt pleased with my accomplishment. Plenty of lunch time runs, a bit of treadmill in the evening, an occasional longer run and a 16 mile steady run culminating in a hill reps session meant I'd started the new year as intended, then came the familiar sore throat and cold that meant I had to ease back and consequently I decided against the Ropsley Raid.     

Ropsley Raid



Grantham AC

Instead I decided to spectate. I left the house, drove through the McD's drive through for coffee and some time before 11.30am I was sipping full roast whilst standing in a field with only a couple of Hare's and a distant gaggle of Deer for company. I had a pretty good view of Kirton Wood in the distance from which I knew runners would soon emerge. It felt fairly surreal stood by myself sipping McDonalds coffee in a remote part of the Lincolnshire countryside surrounded by silence and green but in the knowledge that in just a few minutes the silence would be broken by the sound of tired runners crossing the fields for home.



First Place but he didn't mean it!

The Ropsley Raid is organised by Ropsley Runners and informal group of folk who are responsible for the 13 mile cross country trek. In addition Ropsley Runners hold the 6 mile dash on a summer's evening. The race runs across a runnable cross country route, circular from the village of Ropsley just outside of Grantham. Eventually a small figure appeared climbing a stile in the distance, the first runner had arrived. I moved back towards the route to offer a bit of encouragement. An unidentified runner from Sleaford Striders was leading the field. I think he thought I was the race referee or something because as I clapped he slowed down, looked seriously and said, "I'm only at the front by default". Slightly perplexed I shrugged my shoulders and encouraged him on, he disappeared but perhaps lost a couple of seconds and the next runner wasn't that far behind! Soon afterwards I saw a few Grantham AC folk run by.  Ben Hatherley came through in perhaps 8th place and was looking strong and far too cheerful. Ben had obviously coped better with the previous hill reps session than I and was reaping the rewards for his intensive training.  Stuart Sinclair, Grantham AC ran past some time after struggling with lactic build up and possibly jet lagged after Christmas in Australia. I did see a few more Grantham athletes running strong races one of whom is pictured.

I started on my journey back to the finish and felt a bit envious as I watched runners bask in their post race tea and cake. The Ropsley Raid usually has an unusual memento, to compliment the sandwich and tea voucher, this year a black scarf with the inscription " I Raided Ropsley". And so it was a nice morning out. I would have rather been running and despite the subsequent cold I'm determined to keep up the speed work before London. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" or so they say...

       

Happy New Year - 2012 Plans and a trip to Edale from Disley.



Chinley (Kinder Scout in background)



Christmas was predictably full of excess but not of the athletic kind. Too many nights out and too little running resulted in weight gain and lack of fitness. Although not a training run I did manage a walk from Disley to Edale on the 2nd January following the Bullock Smithy Route which ended in a run for the train. Pictures of the route illustrate this post. The weather was good but very wet underfoot. i walked with my partner from the Moorside Hotel over Chinley Churn up Edale Cross and on to Edale station. In addition to the Edale walk I have done a bit of post Christmas running staggering. I have struggled round two five mile circuits in Grantham since new year and am waiting for that happy time when a five mile run seems relatively easy so I can get back into a proper training routine. At the moment its hard I'm paying the price.



2012

The year's first big challenge will be the Virgin London Marathon in April. I have entered the Stamford St Valentines 30k, the Sleaford Half Marathon and will probably enter the Ashby 20 mile race in preparation for London. I am also likely to do the Grantham Ultra running Nottingham to Grantham and back again the next day. In addition I am hoping to do more speed work ahead of London possibly with Grantham AC on a Tuesday evening.



The path up to Edale Cross



After London I hope to 'run further' this year. I have registered for the LDWA 100 mile event in May. this year's event begins in central London to celebrate the Olympic Games, 100 miles later the course ends in Windsor. A London event is unusual for the 100 with rural settings preferred in previous years. I don't know if I can run 100 miles but I know that many people do so many times during the year so its time to have a go. Jez Bragg and Lizzie Hawker are perhaps Britain's most prolific ultra racers of the moment both regularly running 100 miles or more and often using their talents overseas. It's inspirational following such exploits. This year Jez Bragg will against race again in the US Western States 100 mile race, one of the toughest ultras in the world and he will also compete again in the UTMB. The Americans seem to have a much more active Ultra running scene and 100 mile races are common. Mark Hartell (another top British Ultra runner) and his friends have created a UK ultra running series which has been growing in popularity over the past few years. This year my favourite event, the Bullock Smithy is back within the series and hopefully more of the top ultra runners will be attracted to the event as result. Last years record by James Scott Buccleuch will be difficult to beat but having the Bullock Smithy in the Ultra series ensures a popular and exciting event.

I have also committed to running with Grantham AC in the Thunder Run I have never run a 24 hour relay before but I am assured that the event is a running spectacle and I look forward to taking part. In addition to the major events, London, 100, TR and the Bullock Smithy, there will no doubt be many other fun events along the way starting with the Ropsley Raid 13 mile event next Sunday. Happy running in 2012 I hope that all readers of the blog achieve their goals and have fun along the way. Keep on running! 

Stockport 10

I once asked a friend how another friend's marathon training was going. "He's doing really well", I was told "He's running through his hangovers and everything". If running through a hangover is a good measure of performance I'm pleased to say after the Stockport 10 I'm performing well. If the race time is the indicator 1 hour 12 minutes is disappointing. That'll teach me not to go to a Shakin Stevens gig followed by the pub before race day. For the record Shaky's still got it (although his voice failed in the second half of the show and after gargling mouthwash he could only stagger to the end of his set) he is 63 now though.

200ish m to go

And so it was back to my home town for the Stockport 10. The race which runs from Woodbank Park has built its reputation on the strength and secrecy of its goody bag this year, in addition to a quality long sleeved technical top the bag included, some salt and pepper pots, lollipops, a note pad, two pens, a £5 voucher for sweat shop, some lo salt, moisturiser and best of all, some soap on a rope with the title "Stockport stench remover".

The contents of 'that goody bag'

The race is very good value, attracts many quality runners and even has a celebrity starter, Tony Audenshaw (Bob Hope, Emmerdale) who also doubled as the race commentator, dressed in a sheepskin coat and round glasses he played the part of John 'Motty' Motson convincingly. Tony is also a top runner an accomlished London Marathoner and even a few Bullock Smithy's to his name.  The race started at 10am and passed through residential streets in Offerton before heading down a country track towards Brookside Garden Centre. The first water station was just before mile five. The race organisers had put the tables out at 9am including a couple of water carriers. By 9.30am they had been stolen! A witness had apparently seen a couple of men in a van pull up and take the provisions shortly after they had been laid out. By the time I passed the organisers had thankfully managed to get some reserve water to the track and I was grateful, possibly dehydrated after too much swinging to Shaky the previous Friday night. The first and worst hill comes at mile five as runners climb Otterspool turning left just before the Spread Eagle public house. The hill continues through a housing estate before runners race on towards Harrytown. I just got into a rhythm and carried on putting one foot in front of the other. It was good to be back running amongst recognisable faces from the South Manchester scene and is was good to take in local sites. I had last run the Stockport 10 in 2002 finishing in 1 hour 05 minutes.  It was surprising how my memory of the route had lapsed.

£1.50 each - bargain!

There is another nasty hill which at mile 9 arrives at a time when you least need it but I managed to keep a good pace to the top and into Woodbank Park. A final mile through the park and runners enter the track for the final 200 metres to the finish. I was glad to finish today, it was raining and cold and I'd had enough.

I took a hot shower at the finish before retiring to a busy club house for a plate of hot pot. At £1.50 a plate I had to take advantage, in fact I bought two plates, saved twice my money and treated my partner in the process. It was good to eat with a couple of friends from Macclesfield Harriers one of whom had taken the Macclesfield V65 record finishing in 1hour 08 minutes. The winner Matt Barnes of Altrincham AC came home in 50 minutes 55 an amazing time over a hilly course in wet conditions. The Stockport 10 is a great race in my opinion. A good race with a festive feel, great food at the finish, hot showers and of course that good value goody bag. I'm not running with a hangover again though, a measure of good performance or not!

  

   

Nene Valley 10

I picked up a cold after the Rutland Water Marathon which got in the way of my plans for the Six Dales Circuit and so I was happy to be able to enter the Nene Valley 10 as an unplanned race before Christmas. Many pre-Christmas races fill up early so it was good to be able to enter the Nene Valley 10 on the day of the race. The race HQ is at Peterborough Lions Rugby Club, a mish mash of temporary buildings including a large marquee and toilets. The showers are housed in portacabins. The race start is some five minutes away adjacent to a retail park in Bretton. The sun was out but it was cold, I warmed up jogging by the side of the retail park with other members of Grantham AC.  


Lots of colourful runners

At approximately 10.30 am the race director struggled to sound the horn and we set off along a ten mile urban route of  roughly two laps of five miles. The race is flat and fast but speed is tempered by many twists, turns and switchbacks. Runners race through housing estates, woods, alongside and over dual carriageways, through underpasses and over bridges. I set off fast and felt good with plenty of bounce in my legs. Stuart Sinclair of Grantham AC was just ahead and I decided to keep him in sight. My race plan was to get into a stride which I hoped to hold until 8 miles, after that I would assess how much I had left and hoped to able to push to the finish. Sometime during the first lap I passed Stuart who had stopped to tie a shoe lace. Only seconds later Stuart was back on my shoulder and went on to pass me almost tripping over a wandering  dog in the process. I was still feeling good at the end of the first lap but struggled to keep with Stuart as he ran on strong. The second lap was a version of the first and I was grateful to arrive at the 8 mile marker.

Weapon

I was pretty tired by this point but managed to stagger on passing a couple of competitors in the final mile to finish in 1:06:19. A funny sequence of events happened at the finish. An 'old boy' with a wheeled shopping bag objected to runners using the footpath and so seemed to decide to walk across the approach to the finish with his chariot trying to trip runners up. We watched as a rather tall marshall 'guided' him out of the way. Some minutes later he returned and the situation began to look ugly. The fracas ended with both marshall and 'shopping man' trying to take photos of each other with their mobile phones perhaps to support a complaint to the relevant authority. It can't be any fun running to the finish of a ten mile race to find that you get taken out by a shopping bag on wheels 10 meters from the finish!

A strong finish by Robert McArdle

In addition to Stuart Sinclair and I, there was a good turn out of Grantham runners. Ever present, Arthur Short showed his class to finish in a super fast 1 hour 20 secs in 23rd position. Stuart stormed round the route and finished well ahead of me in 1:05:05 avenging my gazump at the Worksop Half Marathon.  Ben Hatherley finished just behind me in 1:07:01 another fast performance which will give confidence as part of his early London Marathon training. Club stalwart Robert McArdle finished strong in 1:14:02. Phil Hall 1:16:29, Crispin Read 1:31:54, Lucy Roberts 1:31:57 and Bill Lord 1:34:47 completed a good team performance (sorry if I missed anyone). 

After the race I retired to the temporary marquee and benefited from a bacon sandwich (£1) and a sausage sandwich for just 50p! what better excuse would you need to get out of bed early on a December Sunday morning to run the Nene Valley 10. A good no frills race over a slightly frustrating route but with good value food at the finish. The showers in the portacabins didn't work but showers were available at the nearby football pavillion.      

     

Rutland Water Marathon - Fun in the November Sun

I entered the Rutland Water Marathon with a bit of trepidation after reading some negative reviews about the 2010 event. In 2011 the organisation was sound although the entry fee is a whopping £33 affiliated and £35 unaffiliated which would put me off entering again.  I made a decision some time ago to find a faster marathon in November to assist with keeping fit ahead of the Christmas excesses. In addition to the Worksop Half last week, the Rutland Marathon this week, I am intending to run the Six Dales Circuit next week and at least another race before Christmas.  

The Rutland Water Marathon loosely follows the circumference of Rutland Water, described as "the central tourist attraction in England's smallest County." The Reservoir is impressive, one of Europe's largest man made reservoirs and classed as an area of special scientific interest. The reservoir looks as if its been there forever yet it's only as old as me (30 something!). The route runs along road and tracks adjacent to the water. The race starts at Normanton on the South Shore and runners immediately traverse the magnificent dam before heading Westerly for six miles towards the Hambleton peninsula. Two laps of the six mile peninsula follow before heading out at Mile 18 towards the well talked about hill at mile 21. Runners reach Manton at mile 22 before turning East for the final few miles to the finish at the sailing club just South of where we started.



Bomb Man



Some 390 runners entered the race. I was surprised to line up next to a man donning a heavy bomb disposal outfit complete with helmet. The sun was shining brightly but it was crisp and cold. I wondered as I shivered on the start line If a bomb outfit might have been the preferable choice of race wear. The start was delayed by a couple of minutes as the organisers had difficulty unlocking the first gate and then at 9:03am we were we set loose on the 26.2 mile course round the water anti clockwise. I wasn't sure of my fitness after labouring round the Worksop half the previous week and so decided on a strategy of running well within myself for the first half before increasing the speed gradually. The first six miles were uneventful much of the route runs along the roadside adjacent to the water but for large parts the water is not visible. I had begun to wonder if the route might be a bit featureless and boring. I shouldn't have worried as on entering the peninsula the route passed along tracks through inspiring autumnal woods.

Waterside

The colours were made more brilliant by the continuing unseasonal sunshine. The track was very undulating which is a feature of this race. Most of the ascents are not troubling in a cardio sense but they do break the rhythm continually and the various turns make it more difficult. The water stations were just that, water stations, no juice and no energy drink and so I was pleased to see a table full of gels at mile 9 which I knew I would see again on the second peninsula lap at mile 15. I'm not a big fan of gels but given the lack of variety with drink I thought I had better indulge. The gels were made by 'High Five' and were quite light and pleasant. I often use 'High Five' energy powders in ultra races, the market for energy products has become saturated but 'High Five's' products have been around for ages and I rate them. By the time I reached the energy table for the second time I was becoming tired and the tiredness in my legs worsened over the next 3 miles until the departure from the peninsula at mile 18. I picked up a bit after that, probably due to the positive psychology of knowing I wasn't far off the last stretch of the race. The hill at mile 21 didn't pose a difficulty, I was grateful for the change in gradient. I pushed hard after Manton, feeling good I began to rein people in. I had been in 42nd position on the first lap of the peninsula and 40th position as I left the second lap but now people were coming back to me. My race plan had worked I was running strong with good pace and kick in my legs and I knew many of the runners that I passed had overcooked it. My enthusiasm gained, the sun was still out,

Feeling good!

I was on the last stretch of the race passing competitor after competitor. I generally felt as if I was in the final stage of a 10K, great! Mile markers at Rutland are situated every three miles and although I was feeling good I did notice that I hadn't passed the 24 mile mark. I took my foot off the gas a little, a bit worried that my enthusiastic pace might compromise my efforts in the final two miles. The 24 mile mark seemed to take ages to come in and by the time I reached it my pace had slowed and mentally I was suffering with concern that those folks behind might come back past me. I later learned from a runner with a Garmin that the 24 mile mark was a little over 24 and a half miles which explained my situation. The flip side was that that the final two miles were only a mile and a half and it went more quickly. Shortly after leaving 24 miles I could hear the music from the finish line in the distance and I managed to straggle on until the finish line was in sight. I was pleased to see lots of crowd support at the finish and was mighty relieved to have finished in a time of 3 hours 19 minutes in 26th position. Results here 

Rutland Water

 

I met a runner from Manchester at the finish. He had driven from Leigh after waking at 5am. It was even more impressive as his completion at Rutland was his 28th marathon this year, phew. I sat on the grass for a bit and supported some other finishers before retiring to the local boozer for  a well deserved pint. The pub was at Manton on the race route at about mile 22. I wandered down to talk to the volunteers on the water station. I asked how long they expected to be there. "Till the last person comes through", they replied " shouldn't be too long now". I didn't tell them about the man in the heavy duty bomb suit.....

    

          

Worksop Half Marathon 2011

The Worksop Half Marathon is a well organised race hosted by Worksop Harriers and supported by Bassetlaw District Council. The race starts at 10.30am the day after the clocks go back which means a welcome extra hour in bed.This year's event had a bit of a spooky theme in celebration of Halloween. Runners assembled around a crowded start line with some entrants choosing to wait in "the wings" in order to get a better start at the front of the field. Some minutes later a local Councillor wished the runners well and set us off along the 13.1 mile route. The majority of this picturesque road race runs through the National Trust property, Clumber Park.

Clumber Park

The route is traffic free and passes mostly along country lanes flanked by woods and trees that offer brilliant autumn colours.My own race was a run of two halves.I was aware of a hill that lasts the most part of the first mile and so decided to start slowly, deal with the incline then push on after the second mile. I was pretty tired by the time I reached the top and felt sluggish for the next five miles or so. By mile seven I decided to try and get into a better rhythm, the race was feeling harder than it should have done and I didn't much fancy labouring through the next six miles. I extended my stride and by mile 9 I felt much better and was running strong.

Post Race Massage

I had seen a club friend Stuart Sinclair (Grantham AC) at the start and watched as he ran well up the hill in the first mile. By the top of the hill Stuart was out of sight and I hadn't expected to see him again but sometime before the 11 mark I noticed Stuart some way ahead. Slowly he came back to me and with a tinge of guilt I offered a few words of encouragement and passed Stuart with only two miles to go. I'd had enough of the race by this point and any speed I mustered was only because I wanted to get home. The hill in the first mile turns into a welcome descent before the finish and I managed a strong finish in 1:29:59. Stuart kept the pace and followed seconds later in 1:30:42 nice one Stuart. Another Grantham runner, Ged Cowley finished in 2:11:53. Runners received a finished bag with a decent t-shirt, energy bar, energy gel and a sweat band. An all round decent event and good value for money.   

      

Dave Lewis Challenge - 27 Miles Newark on Trent

If I have described other events as "low key" this must be the lowest key event of the all. Six people turned out to run the 27 mile route and a further ten or so decided to walk or run a shorter ten mile version. Both events are organsied by Rob Ellis assisted by other members of Newark Athletics Club. If you are thinking of running this event in future years It is to be recommended despite the low turn out. The event is a memorial race to commemorate the life of Dave Lewis who was a dedicated Newark athlete and coach. The event raises money for charities approved by Dave's widow Janet. This year's charity was a breast cancer awareness charity and by the time I had finished running, £350 had already been raised. The event isn't advertised extensively and there were other local races clashing with the weekend including the Round Rotherham, Spires and Steeples and a one of 10K along the newly built A46 bypass all of which would help to explain the low numbers of entrants in 2011. This is friendly event across a runnable, flat course with plenty of features along the way.

Organiser Rob Ellis looks for other entrants

At 8.30am Janet made a short address of thanks and then started us off from the Kelham Fox  pub outside Newark on a route to Upton, Southwell, Morton, Bleasby, along Boat Lane to the River Trent before heading Noth East along the river towards Fiskerton, Farndon and Staythorpe before heading back to Upton and finally back to Kelham. I ran all the way to Boat lane with the other five entrants. It was helpful for others to confirm the route. The previous year I had taken 7 hours to complete the event having navigational mishaps at most turns. In fact this year I was surprised at how much of the route I didn't remember from the year before probably because in 2010 I had done an unofficial 'lost' version of the event! I knew the route fairly well after Boat Lane and so I ran on. It was lucky that I kept a glancing eye on the route description as the route had changed because the organsier decided not to send us on the loop out towards the river. As a consequence I arrived at Farndon much quicker than previous years. My legs were tiring after 20 or so miles and the shortened route was a welcome and unexpected relief. I took a wrong turn through a farm yard and when I retreated I was encountered by the owner. The farmyard was mess, there derelict cars everywhere and a massive barking Alsatian dog which thankfully was chained. The scene resembled a backyard in the American outback and the grey haired pony tailed occupier that approached me added to the image. I made my excuses, apologised for my trespass and before he had time to draw his shotgun which I bet he had up his trouser leg I ran off.   I ran on to Upton and ate copious amounts of banana and poppy seed cake at the checkpoint. After Upton you run through a good sized orchard. there were loads of good apples on the floor, a wasted harvest I thought. I picked an apple off a tree on the way through. It tasted sweet and juicy, another unexpected treat to assist me on the final five or so, miles. The final checkpoint before home was 'manned' which again was unexpected as the route description described a self clip. I took advantage of the refreshments and set off for Kelham. The final few miles were as usual, hard. Just as I was about to have a leg relieving walk I spotted some walkers on the ten mile route in the distance. They had realised I was approaching and because I was at the front of the 27 mile field they took an interest and paused to welcome me through. I had to keep running, I couldn't lose face. I trotted by and we congratulated each other. I was glad to hit the main road and the short distance back to the Kelham Fox in a time of 4 hours 15 minutes to receive a certificate and a couple of quality street chocolates which were very welcome. Five minutes later a couple of other runners returned with the next two arriving as I left for a shower. I learned that the sixth entrant had got lost and decided to retire and walk back to Kelham. The Dave Lewis Challenge is a fine event. The route is runnable and full of features including, woods, an orchard, views of Southwell Minster Cathedral, the magnificent River Trent, Staythorpe Power Station, two crossings of horse gallops and a pub at the finish.           

Greek Adventures

Church of Agia Eleni before dawn

I always go on holiday intending to stay fit and take in plenty of local runs during my stay. The good intentions are usually challenged by the temptations of the local food and ale. During a two week stay near Parga on the Greek mainland events took their usual path. Gyros (kebabs), Mythos (Ale) and sun loungers on the beach aren't conducive to fitness. Despite this I managed two runs over the fortnight which were more like short shuffles up local hills to explore. The first trip began at 5.30am having stumbled back to the hotel with my partner and another couple we had met after a drunken night out. I decided in a half drunk but sobering stupor that it would be good to take advantage of the early hour and run up the hill opposite the hotel to take some pictures of the sunrise. We had walked up the hill the previous day and had come across a typical Greek Chapel at the summit called the Holy Church of Agia Eleni. I knew it would take an hour or so to get to the summit which was plenty of time before sunrise but I was concerned about finding my way through the olive groves in the dark.

Sun rises above Agia Eleni

Happily my partner reminded me that we had bought a mini torch off a homeless person the previous evening. I returned to the hotel briefly to change. I set off still drunk but sobering, for the top of Agia Eleni. I found the track through the olive groves and ascended at a steady pace I was a bit worried that if the torch failed I would get lost. It only cost three Euros and I half expected it to fail. I reached the top just before 6.30am it was still dark with no sign of an early dawn. Dawn didn't arrive until about 7am and I spent 45 minutes or so pacing round outside the chapel and sneaking forty winks whilst being careful not to fall asleep. Shortly before sunrise I heard the chapel door open. I was standing on the viewing platform out of sight and I was slightly surprised that anyone else would have come up the hill in the dark. I had been told previously that Greek Chapel's are often owned by families and family members would make the daily pilgrimage to clean the chapel and pray before dawn. I kept out of the way until they were gone but then had sneaky a peak inside to see that two candles had been lit. Shortly afterwards dawn broke gradually. I was a bit disappointed

That trusty torch

at first as the light came without the sun but a short time later the sun began to rise above the distant mountains and I was treated to views across a shimmering Aegean sea. The small local fishing boats were heading out into the vast expanse of blue. They looked like miniature white dots in the distance.The sun had illuminated the town of Parga in the opposite direction, the scene of the previous evening's shenanigans. I stayed for a little while longer admiring the spectacular views but tiredness was setting in. I signed the guest book in the Chapel and then ran back through the olive groves and on to the hotel. I finally got to bed just before 8am and slept through till midday. Tracy was by the pool when I woke and I was grateful that she agreed to a pool day so I could deal with my latent hangover. The torch never let me down.

LICHNOS TO PARGA

A solitary wild flower breaking through the trail.

The second run of the holiday involved running back from Lichnos back to the town of Parga. We had spent the day being lazy on the beach. Tracy decided to take the water taxi back around the mountain and I decided it was a good opportunity to run the five or so miles over the hill along the coast back through the olive groves to Parga. The scenery around the Epirus coast is spectacular, blue sea surrounds high mountains covered in olive groves. Wild flowers provide a sweet natural aroma which mixes well with the taste of the sticky heat. Nets lie extensively throughout the groves ready to catch the abundant crop which is harvested in October. The olives from the region are pressed and I am told the resulting olive oil heads mainly for the Italian market. It is an inspiring place to run. I'm a bit of a wimp running in foreign places. I had asked a waiter at lunch if there were any local hazards. He told me that snakes were prevalent in the olive groves but I was unlikely to encounter one if I kept to the mountain track. In any event he told me if bitten you would have "time to react". I though he meant time to fight with the snake but on further enquiry he meant time to get to hospital, phew...  

Olive grove on the hill

Tracy left on the water taxi I then started the ascent of the hill. I took two large bottles of iced water with me and drank the first whilst using the other to pour over my head. The initial climb reduced me to a walk but I managed to shuffle on again when I hit the olive groves. I ran happily along the track pausing to take a couple of photos along the way. The aromas of the foliage and the sight of wild flowers breaking through the trail were inspiring and it was great to be running such a beautiful place. I didn't pass any other people during the run and the sense of remoteness added to the pleasure. I arrived back in Parga