Sent: 20 April 2011 00:29
Subject: V S Update - Calendar, BMW, London, Sussex marathon report, Pecolympics

 

Calendar

 

Sat 23 April – first Roundhay parkrun

Sun 24 April – Guiseley Gallop

Tue 26 April – visit by Louise Purdy, co-ordinator for Leeds Athletics Network

Sat 30 April – Three Peaks race, lots of Striders running, entries closed

Mon 2 May – Rothwell 10k

Tue 3 May - Pie and peas – book to [email protected] by 10pm Sun 1 May stating meat or veg pie, peas or beans, apple pie?

Sat 7 May – Striders beginners group will be running Hyde Park parkrun – supporters needed!

Sun 8 May – Leeds Half Marathon (a few more marshals wanted, reply to this email if you can help)

Tue 10 May – Track session, also Jack Bloor Fell race (grand prix and fell champ)

Tue 17 May – Club Handicap 10k, meet by Res 7:00 prompt

Sun 22 May – Peco presentations at Leos – see below

Tue 24 May – Meanwood recce run

Thu 26 May – Apperley Bridge Canter

Sat 28 May – Meanwood Valley Trail Race (lots of marshals wanted)

Mon 30 May – Ilkley Trail Race

Sun 12 Jun – Bradford Millennium Way Relay – see below

Sun 19 Jun – Jane Tomlinson Run For All Leeds 10k

Bradford Millenium Way Relay – Sunday 12 June

 

This is a 50 mile relay for teams of 10 i.e. 5 legs run in pairs.  It’s like the terrain for the Calderdale Way Relay but a little bit easier and much nicer because it’s in Summer.  Or like the most scenic bits of the Leeds Country Way Relay with some “easy” fell running and no housing estates.

 

And it’s nowhere near Bradford – the route is Bingley – Haworth – Laycock – Silsden – Ilkley – Bingley.

 

Between 2002 and 2005 we won the mixed team prize every year, and in 2006 we won the vets team.  Maybe we can win the mixed or vets team again or alternatively challenge for the men’s or women’s team prizes.

 

More details on our website http://valleystriders.org.uk/vsrelays.htm#BMW

 

Email   [email protected] if you are interested in running.  We will need to get teams planned by early May and then organise recce runs.

 

London Marathon

 

2:38:45  Paul O'Callaghan   Steve's "lad" but not VS

2:56:55  Jerry Watson       2nd claim

2:57:25  Kevin McMullan  

2:58:54  Clive Bandy     

3:14:04  Liz Wood        

3:35:01  Gary Sutherland 

3:41:39  Sue Sunderland  

3:42:31  Michael Grant      ex VS member

3:46:29  Paul Gill          VS place

3:59:40  Simon Duckworth  

4:00:09  Steve Dixon        VS place

4:17:10  Sarah Smith     

4:20:05  John Batchelor     VS place

4:25:42  Lewis Balfour      VS place

4:58:48  Paul Holloway   

5:08:20  Sheila Grant       ex VS member

?        Anna Costello   

?        Matt Allen      

?        Paul Milnes     

 

Report from Lewis Balfour

 

After being honoured to receive a club place for the VLM, I resolved to do a time to do myself justice!  Unfortunately I then over-trained, then the resulting injuries have stopped me training consistently since. However the physio tells me that if I can strengthen my bum then I'll be OK...

I still wanted to do London, having been rejected several times, so resolved to take part and 'Enjoy The Day'.  I knew that Jeff Galloway advocated taking walking breaks during long runs and the Marathon, so plucking a target of 4:30 out of the air decided to do that as an experiment.  Based on a 4:30 target he suggests running for 3 minutes and walking for 1.

So, three minutes in to the big day... and I couldn't stop and walk, particularly as I was in Pen 1 right at the front.  I managed to walk at 7 minutes though; feeling a bit guilty about the shouts of 'come on mate around' me. I kept up the walk breaks, looking forward to them more as time passed by. Half way in 2:06, finish in 4:26.

I'm no more sore than the previous two Marathons I have done, despite being out of shape.  I think my longest run in the last 12 weeks or so was about 10 miles. I reckon in the circumstances beating 4:30 is a good outcome.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity of doing London.

 

Report on Sussex Marathon from Mike Higgins

 

Just a quick note to say I survived the inaugural Sussex Marathon (results here). I have managed to raise over £300 in sponsorship for the Stroke Association (see why here), and if any Striders would like to sponsor me they can at www.justgiving.com/mhmarathon2011.

The course had been announced as a winding figure-of-eight around the hilly Sussex countryside, but they changed the route only a few weeks before the race (see here) for a more forgiving one, and I dread to think how I would have fared had they not, particularly as this was my first marathon.

The first 6 miles was a loop from the Start/Finish line, out of Battle towards the village my parents live in, before taking a fairly sharp downhill and looping round, climbing past the site of the Battle of Hastings and towards Battle Abbey. From there, the route went back to the start again, before starting the first of two out-and-back spurs through the hilly country lanes. The overall organisation wasn't too bad, despite some of the roads remaining open during the race. The marshals even had the unenviable task of shepherding 300 or so runners across the road at one point, stopping traffic to do so. The course was clearly marked, well marshalled, and the course configuration meant there were enough fuel/drink stations (water/Coke/sport drink/banana/Mars bars/Haribo), to keep the runners going, even when the temperature started to rise after about 11am.

With 674m of climb on the course (for reference, the London Marathon has 189m), by the time I was on the final return portion my legs felt like jelly, though I thought my glutes would seize up totally!

Its fair to say my joints took a bit of a pounding on the downhill, too. I thought I was in danger of sneaking in under the 4-hour mark, but the last hill really took it out of me, but I managed to cross the line with my two nieces (7 and 10) running alongside in a time of 4:04:49.

All in all, a worthwhile experience, a real challenge (maybe not ideal for a first marathon), and I think it will spur me on to complete a more conventional (flatter) marathon in the future!

Pecolympics, Barbecue and Cross Country Presentations

 

The PECO Cross Country League presentations will take place at Leo’s on Sunday 22nd May. The provisional timetable is as follows:

 

  • 3.00pm – 5.00pm: The PECOlympics (Leo’s 2011 – bigger and better than London 2012!). Lots of silly (and less silly) events, including a junior xc race, egg throwing & catching, tug of war, etc. and ending with the legendary ‘drag race’
  • 5.30pm: BBQ (£6.00 per head for adults, £3.00 for under 16s; tickets must be bought in advance)
  • 6.30pm: League presentations in the bar at Leo’s (the bar will be open!)

 

Members of league clubs are welcome to attend for some or all of the afternoon’s events. There will be no charge other than for the BBQ. We need to know in advance how many BBQ tickets will be needed.