Sent: 23 December 2008 09:17
Subject: VS Update - Diary for 2 weeks and rest of 2009, Maria Dixon,
Dick Dale, Quiz
Diary for the next couple of weeks
Tuesday 23 December track training at Leeds Met
Headingley, meet at the Indoor Sports Centre ready to run at 7:10pm.
Wednesday 24 December last chance to buy presents.
Thursday 25 December Christmas Day. Running 10
miles in your new shoes immediately after Xmas lunch not recommended.
Friday 26 December Chevin Chase (NB race
full). First Striders Grand Prix race of 2009. Who will challenge
Gwil and Xanthe for their titles? Is anyone free to hand out Meanwood
Valley Trail entry forms at the end of the finishing funnel? If so please
contact me on 0777 5898 558 as soon as possible so that I can get the forms to
you.
Sunday 28 December Winter Handicap 5 miles.
Meet at the bottom of the hill from
We will also be drawing out the two places for the London
Marathon I have 4 names so far Richard Adcock, Patrick Barrett, Greg
Skerrett, Liz Wood. Did anyone else get rejection slips from
Tuesday 30 December training from Leos hill
session at
Wednesday 31 December Auld Lang Syne fell race at
Thursday 1 January New Years Day. Also good
chance to get in a recce run for the Harrogate Ringway Relay.
Sunday 4 January Harrogate Ringway Relay, starts
09:30 from Conyngham Hall car park at Knaresborough. Lots of details on
the Valley Striders website. http://valleystriders.org.uk/vsrelays.htm#Harrogate
Very friendly event, £2, no prizes, food in the Mitre pub in Knaresborough
afterwards (Camra pub and excellent food). Please email me if youd like
to be part of a team.
Tuesday 6 January training from Leos. 3 by 10
minutes on High Ashes. Afterwards pie and peas please book by Sunday 4
January 10pm stating whether meat or veg pie, mushy peas or baked beans, and
whether youd also like apple pie. Late bookings taken until Monday 2pm
on 0777 5898 558 (please text, not voicemail).
Saturday 10 January Yorkshire XC championships at
Sunday 11 January third Peco league race at John
Smeaton sports centre. Footpaths, some likely to be a bit muddy.
Voted best food of Peco league by me last year. NB results for race 2 not
available yet, probably on www.abbeyrunners.co.uk
tomorrow.
Diary for the rest of the year
Here are the Grand Prix races for 2009
These will be on the website soon with more details
e.g. confirmed dates if known.
Striders own races will be Saturday 16 May for the
Meanwood Valley Trail and Sunday 5 October for the Harewood Trail 10.
Plenty to look forward to!
Mountain Hardwear Open5 - report from Maria Dixon
I managed
to get myself over to Staveley in the Lakes to do the Mountain Hardwear Open5 adventure
race. It was a 5hr fell running, mountain biking & navigation
race with a 'score' format, like in orienteering. The Lakes were still under a
thick carpet of snow & ice right down to valley level, which made the race
er... interesting, to say the least! I gave up on trying to do much on the
mountain bike section, as the ice just made it too treacherous - even the
roads were covered. Loads of people (including me) just carried/pushed their
bikes over the worst bits rather than attempting to ride.
The run was
better, although still slow going. The ice, snow & mist made navigation a
bit tricky and were really strength-sapping - one minute sliding around on
sheet ice, the next trudging through a crust of deep snow. Overall, the
conditions meant that it was a low-scoring event for everyone - the winners of
each category scored 100 - 200 points less than would usually be expected.
However, despite all that, I got 250pts (40pts higher than my last attempt, and
I finished after 4hrs 22mins, so if I'd planned my time better &
filled the whole 5hrs I might have scored more) and came 14th out of 16 solo
females, which I'm pretty pleased with. And it was a great day out in the
hills. :-)
Dick Dale
Is improving and now able to receive visitors 11:00 to
14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00 at ward 54A, Clarendon Wing, LGI
Striders Quiz of the Year
Can you beat the 19 answers correct by Eirik, Ian R,
Ian S, Joel and Matt at the Xmas Do? Answers in next V S Update.
1. How
many Striders sent emails to the Yorks Evening Post to support reinstatement of
the Leeds ½
2.
Which team was promoted to Premier Division of Peco Sport Direct League at the
end of the 2007/08 season?
men / women / both
3.
What was the score in the first Abbey Valley Challenge?
Abb 56 Val 54 /
Abb 54 Val 56 / Abb 5140 Val 5860
4.
Where was the second Abbey Valley Challenge held?
Horsforth 10k / Leeds ½
marathon /
5. How
many teams of 5 ran in the
6.
What was the winning margin for the ladies team in the
7. How
many ladies pairs won fastest leg trophies at LCW?
2 / 3 / 4
8.
What position were the mens team?
2nd / 3rd / 4th
9. How
many Striders ran in the Leeds Half Marathon?
40 / 50 / 60
10. How many
runners have run in
11. How many
on VS Committee?
4 / 10 / 180
12. What was
Steve OCallaghans award at the 2008 AGM?
Club Captain / Life Member / Vice
President
13. Who was
first finisher in a Striders vest in the Abbey Dash?
Bob Jackson / Gwil
Thomas / Tracey Morris
14. Which
English National event did we compete in for the first time for many years?
Road Relays / XC Championship / XC Relays
15. How many
Striders were lost at the Original Mountain Marathon?
0 / 3 / 6
16. What
position did VS men & women finish in West Yorks XC League?
men 9th
& women 6th / men 7th & women 7th / men 6th & women 9th
17. Who was
VS fastest marathoner in 2008? ... Eric Green / Rawand Tayeb / Tracey Morris
18. Which
Strider broke a course record in 2008? ... Laura Clark / Caz Farrow / Vicky
Whitehead
19. How many
Striders ran 8 or more Grand Prix races this year?
27 / 32 / 37
20. How many
Striders have qualified for at least one Performance Certificate since their
inception in January 2007?
36 / 56 / 76
21. Why will
Bob Jackson be buying drinks at the 2008 Xmas Handicap?
his 500th race / his
55th birthday / his 25th anniversary as a Strider
Wishing you all a great holiday and a successful and
injury-free 2009.
Bob