When I run...

So race day for Dodgers and an inaugral event for the Hospital based team and proper gutsy performance, top show from Gary S for getting a team together.

So a blog about leg one. All my excuses have been used up on the recce on Tuesday when Tom and I frankly got lost on Oxenhope Moor and ran to Halifax and back in the dark. So we were pretty confident of a PB for the leg, but not so sure that we knew the way round.

We met up early on Marsh Lane and shuttled back in to Bingley Sports club, where an outrageously perky for this time of the morning. Gary "the captain" Saville was there with our numbers and team talk. We were soon joined by a suprise visitor in Chris "I like taking pictures of cheerleaders" Healey. We both really appreciated their support round the leg, top form guys.

So 8am the hooter hooted and off we went, Tom said "get to the front Andy" so I foolishly obeyed and set off with the fast boys, - which didn't last long. Now Tom is more than a tad quicker than me, so I probably pushed myself a bit hard in the early bit which is typically unwise of me. Still as positions were stablised rising to Denholme at half way we were all suffering a bit on the climbs.

Tom was patient and spurred me on to a race move. As we climbed to the Thornton Moor Resevoir (which had been cunningly moved back to where it belonged since Tuesday), we were overtaken but a couple of guys, Tom murmured - "keep them in sight", my thighs were burning, but I sensed they were struggling a bit. I saw the correct route down to Oxenhope and thought if I got passed them they'd be broken. So digging deep, and reckoning gravity was my friend I zipped up to and passed them, by the time we'd reached the bottom of the slope we'd put 200yards between them and us and we never saw them again. I spent myself on that, so even though we'd nearly caught the next pair, who were looking nervously back I didn't have the umph to take them down. Now in the great annals of sporting triumph that wasn't much, but for Tom and I it offered a feeling of insane happiness which will live long in the memory.

Down and around and up and down Oxenhope then up through the fields to pass on the batton to Paul and Ian, photos and hugs and then back home.

So a PB by something near 2 hours!, I reckoned on 1:45 ok, 1:40 good but completely chuffed with 1:34.

There were some great performances from all my team mates, many doing this kind of thing for the first time. We all had some tough climbs with some seasoned club runners as competition. Whilst we didn't threaten the prizes,( even slightly) it was a great team effort in this great event. Pleased to catch up with most of the team at the end for a pint of ale and to complete the story.

I even managed to shower after leg one and get back to church in time to listen to Pastor Ivan of http://www.revivalcentrematugga.org.uk/. what a visionary and someone whose life's work is transformational for others. I then saw my friend arrive at the end of yet another load a chemo and stand for communion and knew my efforts this morning were small.

Eric Liddle (I know I'm no Eric Liddle) said "when I run I feel His pleasure", something about running today with Tom reminded me that this thing we do is such a joy andthe places we get to run are awesome. Maybe, just maybe we can be inspired to be more than we have accepted ourselves to be.

Go Dodgers Go

Milleneum ("lost our") Way Recce

Lets get some excuses in first.

1. planned to start at just after 5 but didn't manage to get going til after 7

2. food planning then was light lunch as I'll be finished by 7

3. never run this route before

4. Tom hadn't even looked at the map

5. Both of us pretty heavy legged from race on Sat

6. gps packed up

7. printed map covered course but no much beyond (hint)

8. it got very foggy visibility down to 30 yards

9. hard day at work

10. took no fluid/food

11. There are many millenium way paths that we're our path

I'm sure I'll think of some more before I finish

So after a delayed start, and having dropped a car at the end above Oxenhope, off we set, nice easy start, made our first wrong turn depressingly early, but retraced quickly and on our way again, apart from a bit of confusion crossing over to Cherry Tree, on we plodded above then down and through Goit Stock in full flow, then above Hewenden dip, under the viaduct and pretty much straight forward into Denholme. We were suprised we were a bit slow, partly the route, partly a couple of detours and partly underfuelled leg weary from Sat.

We sped up Hillcrest to the track and rather eagerly took a left turn (where we shouldn't have taken a left turn) and ended up on the main road in Denholme - off track again, school boy error that one, but decided to follow the road toward Oxenhope and found the track again where we should have come out. Feeling now like it would be nice to get to the end we were glad of some good track. The mist was closing in now as we connfidently reamarked that the resevour which we couldn't see was reassuringly along side us. So somewhere after that we were expecting a turn off. What we found was nice path and enjoyed the freeway, after a while we got a bit uncertain but carried on enboldened by MW markers, onwards and onwards. It slowly dawned on us that not only were we off route but off the map!. Still very poor visibility, but a slight break identified Ogden Water a hundred yards away! Decision time carry on and get a taxi, or back again, the later proved right but and here's the embarassment we hit the road above Oxenhope with the last of the light and the car over 3 hours after we set off.

So good team building, were mates now, a bit of a dreadful navigation and we were completely done in. I managed to go all cold and clamy on the way home, which confirmed that my blood sugar was worringly low.

Ah well bring on a bit of rest and Sunday

Jublilee Monument

Cheecky little 5mile run tonight with Dodgers, - 2 Savilles, 2 Godwins and 2 Wilsons.

A bit sore from yesterdays efforts but thought a short one would loosen things up.

An immeadiate climb from the pub in Kildwick up and up to Jubilee monument with a bit of regrouping. Nice views up there continued further up before taking a non runners track back down to the road, then along towards Connolly before discovering a nice track down to and over the canal for the journey back.

Got a bit rained on for the last couple of miles, and retreated for a swift one in the pub and relaxed chat before heading home to prepare to return to that toad work tomorrow.

Wilsons have an appointment with Jack tonight in the "last episodes of the last series of 24"- - after I think 7 improbable series I'm hoping it's a glorious death tonight cos I'm getting bored with it all (but dare not speak those words out loud for fear of recriminations so don't tell her indoors i said so)

Wharfedale Half and a hot day

I so enjoyed this race last year thought I'd give it a blast again. Arrived uncharacteristically early/on time with Jon Sinclair (who thought it started an hour before it did) to pay my money, get a number and a chippy thing. Was able to say hi to some of the Marathon crowd Jez H, Ewan and my old uni friend Pete before the earlier Marathon start - we were just glad it wasn't us. The Marathon and Half Marathon routes are just fantastic but today was too hot for that kind of nonsense

Half an hour before the start, enough time for my customary 3 visits to the toilet - where I met Tom H and we planned our recce next week for Leg 1 of Milleneum relay. We had our prerace instructions and with little more ado about 200 of us set out, most a bit worried that today was a wee bit too hot.

I'd done this race last year, when I was in pretty good nick and though my running is picking up, reckoned I was a bit off the pace - so decided to run against my hr monitor and planned to run at hr 158-168 - which to be honest i pretty much stuck to.

The climb from Threshfield over to Consiton Pie is beautiful but already I was feeling the hot humid conditions and expected that things would go nasty at some point. I met up with a couple AGH folks on the way up, Chantelle Busby and Richard Jackson - so we were ok if we needed resusitating. Tom and Jon were long since gone into the distance.

There's a cheecky little climb to the first check point and water before the welcome long decent to the road at Conniston, and crossing to Arncliffe. The descent came with a welcome breeze but the somewhat daunting view of Mastilles lane.

From Arncliffe the ascent though initially steady became somewhat relentless up Mastilles lane, I took a couple of walk breaks of about 150 yards, other than that it was slow and persistent. Pretty sure I ran more this year than last up the hill and arrived at the turn off in pretty much the same time as the year before.

The return run from here is just classic dales running, a combination of ups and downs, (mostly downs), across fields, tracks and green lanes, the temp now was about 22/23C and the breeze intermittent. I knew I wasn't as fast as last year but held my position and a bit more. Had one odd racing dip, when talking to Richard we just stopped running and defaulted to stroll in the dales for a minute or 2 - not sure what that was about we weren't even running up hill.

The last section hits tarmac, and arriving at the tarmac was like walking into a furnace for me. Looking at my hr for this it just started climbing and climbing.

The last wiggle across the main road, saw Graham Breeze overshoot the turn so I called him back though he'd already realised and we had a collective grump as exhausted and fearing spontaneous combustion I allowed him the lead back, properly giving way to my elders and did my best to look good in the last 100m. Great to catch support of Mark T(great run Mark) and Sarah ("you looked terrible Andy" - thanks Sarah), and Jon Sinclair (awesome run again Jon) and the general encouragement of the crowd.

Finishing you bleep your chip, take it into the clubhouse, where they exchange your chip for a printed splits/official finish time thing, pick up a wearable t - shirt and then I just collapsed in a seat whilst sweat poured from every pore. I even refused Jon's offer of a beer - which is frankly worrying in restrospect, but was revived by a pint of coke and ice enough to queue up for a bacon butty and become all sociable again with finishing harriers and dodgers (and those who should dodge). Helen (I don't run on roads) Shaw recognised me beneath the sea of perspiration.

The time - 2:09:46 - just in the top 1/3 and only 3mins slower than last year - so being honest and in that heat and with 1600ft up and downess, I think for me that was at least on a par with last years performance.

Great runs and times from Jon S (1:40 and 2nd fastest old bloke), Mark T (sub 1:40), Tom H 1:52 as well as others on a hot hard day for running.

Mid afternoon got back and bro and sister in law and youngster turned up unexpectedly which made a pleasant afternoon and evening bbq feast and good company. I currently ache a bit but if today was summer - I'll take it.

June

So think goals drmackem think goals.

So A goal is a good marathon or 3 peaks in the Spring

B goal is a decent marathon at Kielder Oct 17th to land me in good nick for a good winter training for Spring.

Other subgoals loose some weight! - need to shift another 9-10lbs

Enjoy it (or at least enjoy having done it!)

Will start marathon training schedule in July - will be using Furman institute programme, 3 hard sessions per week, anything else cross training or recovery. Being realistic about my body and my training budget - that's probably my best bet, rather than the Lydiard long slow miles approach.

So for June

50-60km per week

2-3 effort sessions per week - tempo and long run each week at least

Try out some of the marathon programme sessions

Keep watching that eating - and another couple of pounds off

A couple of races to vary life - probably Wharfedale half and a leg of Milleneum Relay for the dodgers.

Keep the hrm on but more focus in effort sessions on pace/time

Feelin chipper

Harriers run tonight, usual group out along the back road to Nesfield then up, and up, and up the greenlane to the top road, along that and back to concrete square a quick wiggle down carters lane and then a pacey return to the club. What was nice for me apart from running with a good group was my feeling running frisky again, only a few weeks ago I was hiding in this group, but now back to loitering at the back on the long hill then moving up the group to the front then leading the regroup. Putting in some hard efforts but controlled.
13.8km road and trail a bit of a fartlek, nice miles.
I am planning to run Wharfedale half on sat so will only rest or bumble for the rest of the week.
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