Sent: 25 March 2008 00:06
Subject: VS Update - W-day minus 6, Dates, Perf Awards, Results, Two
Oceans Race Report
W-Day Minus 5
Yes, just 5 days to the
A couple of Striders have said they’ve entered but
weren’t on the list, maybe their entry hadn’t got through at the time or maybe
they weren’t recorded as Striders. I’m guessing there will be some Abbeys
in the same situation so we’re still probably 5 behind in numbers.
Online entry has now closed but you will still be able
to enter on the day, so arrive early.
NB the clocks go forward the night before –
don’t arrive an hour late!!
Prior to the race we’ll have some group photos on the
Athletics Track just behind the sports centre – these will be at 9:30, so
please get there for then! I’m hoping someone will have a camera with
more megapixels than mine otherwise we’ll have to take a series of pics to get
everyone in.
The current plan for after the race is a picnic at
I’ll send out a further email Thursday evening to let
you know what’s going on.
Other Dates for your Diary
Tuesday 25 March (today!) – hill session
Tuesday 1 April – 3 by 10 mins at the Res. I
will double check that there are not too many puddles on the footpath –
contingency is to run at High Ashes again (sorry). Will followed by
lasagne and/or apple pie, please book before 10pm this Sunday by email stating
whether meat or veg lasagne, whether peas or beans, whether you want apple pie
too. Late bookings will be taken by text up to 12 noon Monday on 0777
5898 558
Sunday 6 April – Baildon Boundary Way (GP) – race
full. Anyone available to hand out Meanwood Trail forms?
Tuesday 8 April – track session
Sunday 13 April – London Marathon (GP) – good luck to
all Striders. If you are running and have someone supporting you I have a
spreadsheet showing that they can see you at 7 different places en route and
gives instructions on how to travel from place to place – if you are
interested, email me. When I last ran, 3 years ago, we all met up afterwards
at the Clarence Pub in
Sunday 20 April – Rothwell 10k (GP) – race full
Sunday 4 May – I can recommend the Bluebell Trail 10
mile near
Weds 7/14/21 May – Esholt 5k series (GP) – this is
likely to be full soon, so if you want to run any or all of these fast 5k’s,
enter quickly
Tuesday 13 May – Jack Bloor Fell Race (GP) – enter on
the night
Performance Awards
The Performance Awards section of the website is now
up to date, and we have another EIGHT runners who have recently achieved 5
races at the same standard, I hope we will be able to present many of these
with their certificates next Tuesday at the lasagne night. If you want to
know who’s won them, look at the alphabetical list and look for “2008Q”.
Results
Little Strickland 10
6 Caz “doesn’t do road races” Farrow
1:07:15 1st W
9 Steve Morley
1:10:29
16 Rhiannon Silson
1:13:44 3rd W
Salford 10k – another world record for Lou
168 Eric
Green 41:10
193
414 Lou
Gilchrist 51:48 World Record W75
Guiseley Gallop
There was snow on the pavement near Shipley and the
roads through Esholt, but rather than cancel the race, the organisers re-routed
it to a two lap route though the woods with a short road section by the filter
beds. And apart from that road section there was scarcely any flat, we
spent the time up and down the hill side, dodging tree roots and watching our
footfalls on the rocky paths. The race was shortened to 8.5 k but the
times were similar to previous years.
Ian Fisher of Otley was the clear winner and got a
good lead early on, so much so that the chasing group of 10-12 runners missed
an arrow and went off on a detour, losing about 4 minutes. The next group
followed the correct route, and in amongst them was our Panos, who eventually
led home that group and claimed overall second place in the race. Panos,
I have a £30 voucher for you which you’ll be able to put towards some decent
fell/trail shoes – just think, if you had had some decent shoes on Sunday you’d
have been off on the diversion with that chasing group.
Also on the metaphorical podium and in the real money
was Caz who won the women’s section by a margin of 27 seconds.
There are pics of some very muddy runners if you
follow the links from the results on www.ukresults.net
Thanks to Nicola Storey for coming along on a chilly
Sunday morning and handing out over 400 Meanwood Valley Trail entry forms.
2 Panos Aristotelous 36:47
16 Eirik
Stangnes 38:46
31 Caz
Farrow 39:57 1st W
52 Howard
Jeffrey 41:18
53 Steve
Morley 41:19
94 Andrew
Cutts 43:47
95 Bob Jackson
43:53
130 Tony
Haygarth 46:01
141
348 Lyn
410 ran
Race Report - Two Oceans
It’s not snowing, the snowmen having melted in the 30
degrees of sun and heat. It’s beautiful - shorts t-shirts and cocktails all
round.
As we're now in R & R mode we're going to picnic at the
park, being entertained by classical orchestra whilst drinking wine and eating
cucumber sandwiches (or possibly beer and pies).
Tomorrow it’s the My Coke Fest for a line or two whilst
watching (jumping around to!) the Kaiser Chiefs. Cultural attaches or
what?
But what of the serious stuff I hear you ask. Well, we ran
it and it was so easy for men of our calibre. Tapered our drinking pre race
(only 1 beer the night before) and carb loaded big style.
Ignored the approach of the top African runners in our
hotel, who went for the greasy spoon breakfast approach. We advised against
this, they ignored us and finished 1st and 2nd in the main event. Next year
we're doing greasy spoon as well.
Race day was fantastic, both for atmosphere, quality of the
course and the organisation. Conditions were challenging with a 30mph south
westerly wind which we started into for 20k, but we were lucky in that cloud
over
Pulverised the opposition over
At the finish cheered in by hundreds of people whilst
singing the Valley Striders song.
Finishing times - JB 5hr 27mins and 1943rd, Big John 5.47
and 2700th roughly 5600 finishers. Of course the 7hr cut off prevented up to
1400 other entrants registering a time.
Post celebration in the International Athletes Tent,
followed by 24 beers, bottle of wine and some whiskies - and lots of neat salt
to ward the cramp off.
Tell everyone to get training for next year - its great fun
and a superb place to visit to boot. Can they beat the deadly duo?
Catch you later
Wallace & Gromit
PS Meat lasagne for both of us on Tuesday, and apple pie for
me (I'm heavier so lost more wt. during the run).
PPS We may not be at our best at
John