Subject: V S Update - Race entries, Curry, Junior parkrun, Reports from
Bolton, Edale and Bucharest
Sent: 11 October 2013 16:16
Events – entry
information
Three events that
fill up very quickly, some quicker than others.
·
Snake
Lane 10 – entry opens Saturday 12 October at 08:00 (you will have time to enter
and then go to parkrun) http://snakelane.pockrunners.com/
·
Chevin
Chase – entry opens Sunday 13 October at 13:00 http://www.guiseley.co.uk/airecentre-pacers/
·
Brass
Monkey half – entry opens Saturday 26 October 09:00 http://www.yorkknavesmireharriers.co.uk/brassmonkey.htm
Events this weekend
include the Shadwell Shuffle https://sites.google.com/site/countrytrailraces/ , the Wistow 10 near
Selby and the Woodland Challenge at Bradley near Huddersfield, see www.ukresults.net for these two.
Training next week
Is back to normal
locations and start times, check www.valleystriders.org.uk if unsure, don’t
forget your reflective bib (£4.99 from Sports Direct)
Curry night
Next food night at
Leos will be curry on Tuesday 22 October, order to [email protected] by 10pm Sunday 20th
saying whether you want meat or veggie curry, whether or not you want apple pie
and whether you want to go to the 7:15 or 8:30 sitting.
Harewood 2, 5 and 10 –
Sunday 27 October
Still
needing marshals, just 2 weeks to go to the race, we will be allocating
positions next weekend. Please email [email protected],uk if you
are free – there will be a list at www.valleystriders.org.uk/vsmarshals.htm
Regarding
specialist positions, I’m looking for some car parkers (to arrive early), some to hand out race numbers to those that
have entered online and a sweeper for the 10 mile (I have sweepers for 2 and 5,
thanks).
Junior parkrun
Junior parkrun starts
at Roundhay on Sunday 24 November. This will be weekly, every Sunday at
09:00 and the distance is 2km, for ages 4 to 14.
Unfortunately the
first date clashes with the first Peco XC race, but I’m hoping that many junior
Striders go to the second event on 1 December.
Ironman UK (Bolton) - report from Alan
Walsh
Sorry for this report
being late, I have been on a mega holiday tour of the West Coast USA ...from,
Ironman to Fatman in four weeks!!!!
The
weather had hardly helped, the coldest Spring I can ever remember, including
snow into April, was hardly conducive to getting the necessary miles in. From
early January the Striders Sunday morning groups played a massive role in
getting me out for my long run and with the poor biking conditions
I decided to simply focus on Spring marathon fitness and take it from
there.
The
strategy seemed to work and from the end of April, as I took the Striders adage
of the best way to train is by racing, I was increasingly happy with my
results. Swimming lessons at Leeds Met Uni with Jack Maitland helped and having
the Yorkshire Dales on the doorstep with a choice of regular Sportives
meant I was getting decent mileage in on the bike.
On the
morning of the race I was absolutely terrified, I knew I had done a lot of
miles but genuinely didn't know how I was going to deal with the potential
17 hours of pain in front of me. In all honesty my fears were as
much about the psychology of it as much as the physical test, I was
worried about panics in the water (I had never done a mass start with
1,800 people before!) and whether I could keep my mind focussed for hours
on end on the bike. My one consolation was that I was fairly confident
that I could finish the marathon if I got there.
When
the hooter went it was actually something of a relief. I had
inadvertently started the swim about 1/3 of the way from the front
having wished to start at the back and the number of people around me kept my
mind occupied through both turns and the time to the first exit (you get out,
run over a timing mat and then get back in for the second 1,900m) seemed to go
quite quickly.
Sure
enough as I ran through the mat the time was 42mins, under my best case
scenario of 45mins. This gave me a boost and the first half of the second lap
went well. However at the second turn I started to get a headache. Having
broken the first rule of racing by buying a new pair of goggles at the
expo the day before the race without time to break them in, I was sure that
this was down to them digging in but I couldn't completely keep the worries at
bay. Suddenly my mind was struggling and I was worried about whether the
headache was dehydration, whether it was a muscle concern in my back or
something else. The last straight seemed to take forever and I was
convinced I would have lost time when I got out of the water. To my surprise
the clock said 1.24, I had done the second lap the same as the first!
That
buoyed me and I took the positivity into the bike. It was a non-drafting event
but there was no way this could have been enforced in the first 13 miles as
there were bikes everywhere. I decided to get wide and go for it, making up
literally hundreds of places within the first hour. Luckily I had no punctures
or mechanicals and the bike passed off without incident. I kept the nutrition
up and took on plenty of solid bars meaning that I went into T2 actually
feeling pretty decent having made up over 500 places on the bike.
I
started the run at a steady pace which felt easy and was surprised when my
Garmin finally got satellite that I was doing 8.30 minute miles. I was slowly
picking people off in front of me and felt good. I later found out that I made
up another 120-odd places on the run. I sustained the 8.30 pace for about 14
miles, felt great and was eying a 4 hour marathon. At this point I felt that I
needed my first gel and shouldn't have been so surprised, having not eaten
anything for two hours, that it made me sick. I managed to get a few dry
crackers eaten over the next 6 miles and was then able to get a proper gel
strategy in place for the final 6 miles when I managed to get my pace back. I
didn't get my 4 hour marathon, having paid the price of getting my nutrition
slightly wrong but I was happy with the 4.07 which got me finished in 12.20, a
lot faster than I had expected.
I
would highly recommend the IM to anyone. The day was amazing, it felt like
being part of something really special. The spectators on the course made
sure that every competitor felt like a pro. There was Tour de France like
support up the hills, with spectators in the road roaring you on, others
braving the weather in their mankinis not to mention those who had taken the
time in advance to write messages of support and encouragement in chalk on the
road. My one bit of advice to anyone who gives it a go, if you want to
enjoy the day you need to be prepared to put the miles in over the 6-12 months
before. If you do that the IM is sure to be one of the most memorable days of
your life.
I
entered the Ironman to raise awareness and funds for Leukaemia Research.
If you wish to support this fantastic cause please do so at www.justgiving.com/marathonguess
Alan
Edale Skyline - Report from Julia
Leventon
Sunday 29 September
(apologies to Julia, I omitted this report from last week’s V S Update)
Three Striders
competed (John Marsham, Steve Dixon and myself), and were cheered round by two
more (Ann Koehler Koch and Sarah Smith). The race was an English
Championship counting race and is on home terrain for all the Dark Peak
runners, so it was a strong field. Looking round the ladies on the start
line I felt suitably intimidated.
I'm not sure we looked very convincing on the start line: Steve had run the
Hardmoors 60 the week before and had a groin strain so was unsure that he would
make it up even the first hill; I had spent the previous weekend sleeping
through a virus and trying to get rid of an ITB problem, so was similarly
under-confident; and John was getting over the effects of a cycle tour
round Romania that had not been kind to his stomach. The perfect group of
people to be taking on 21 miles with 1350m ascent!
I started slowly and
soon regretted it as I got stuck in slow-moving traffic up the first ascent of
Ringing Roger (map of the route here: http://dpfr.org.uk/tracks/view?result=3362). I think this
was actually a blessing in disguise as I spent the entire race over-taking
people after that. The pull up onto Win Hill is all run-able but I was
shocked to see some of my usual rivals coming off the hill before I had even
summitted. But with less than 1/3 of the race completed by then I tried to just
concentrate on not pushing too hard too soon. Then comes a long descent
before coming back up the other side of the valley onto Loose Hill. I was
pleased to see Ann at the top and she told me John was maybe a couple of
minutes ahead.
After Loose Hill the
route follows the Hollins Cross, Mam Tor ridge , and then onto Rushup
edge. In the sunshine of Sunday there were lovely views across the valley
and I felt myself starting to push on, enjoying the amount of support from the
hikers. Then the fun comes - the peat bog climb up onto Brown Knoll.
I just tried to keep moving and get some food in. I was rewarded with
leaving a group behind and catching up to a couple of women ahead of me.
I knew I was in about 15th by then and changed my target from 'complete the
course' to 'stay in the top 15'.
Here I should mention
Sarah who was marshalling at the Jacob's Ladder checkpoint and who did some
brilliant cheering, which was very much needed at that point!
Then comes Kinder; at
times rocky, at times peat bog. I am not convinced I took the best racing
line and I found myself alone for a couple of miles. Not a problem til I
put my foot in some peat and ended up in up to my hips (peat staining is a
cheap fake tan). I dragged myself out and kept going, glad to see the
penultimate summit of Grindslow Knoll. I'd told myself it was flat after
that, but it isn't. A rocky, windy ascent that never ends takes you back
onto Ringing Roger, followed by a fast, rocky descent to the finish. I
suffered, but it seems not as much as some; I caught a couple of ladies at the
top of Ringing Roger (those rivals mentioned earlier) and threw caution to the
wind on the descent. I finished 12th woman (93rd overall) far surpassing
my expectations of the day and myself
I discovered that
John had maintained his 2 minute lead over me to finish 87th overall.
Steve was not far behind, finishing 165th overall and 4th MV60. And it
deserves a second mention: one week after racing 60 miles.
1st Man: Simon Bailey
(Mercia FR) 2:45:50
1st Woman: Victoria
Wilkinson (Bingley Harriers) 3:12:03
87, John Marsham (VS)
3:42:02
93, Julia Leventon
(VS) 3:43:53
165, Steve Dixon (VS)
4:09:45
Report from Romania - by Paul Smith
& Sarah Smith
Back in
the UK and proud to announce some impressive Striders' results.
We set off to compete in the Maraton Piatra Craiului in the mountains at
Zarnesti, Romania. When we learned the event was cancelled due to snow after we
had arrived at Zarnesti, we hatched a plan to enter the Bucharest marathon and
headed back there. We had an amazing trip and made some good friends in the
running community of Romania.
Bucharest International Marathon and Half Marathon 6 October 2013
Half marathon
1st Stefana Andrei 1h 07m 24s
6th place overall and 1st female Todoran Paula 1h 16m 44s
24th place overall and 5th female Kim Threadgall Spence, 1h 24m 38s - 1st in
her category also a PB, won 100 Euros and a carrot!
1606 finished
Marathon
1st Chelokoi V Bushendich 2h 14m 05s
84th Paul Smith 3h 14m 55s (category position 10th) also a PB
234th Andreas Mayer 3h 54m 24s (unfortunately not a PB but he helped the person
behind him achieve a PB)
235th Sarah Smith 3h 53m 17s (category position 4th) also a PB
Mablethorpe Marathon
9 Ian
Sanderson 3:07:41 5th in age
category
134 Simon
Barker 4:14:33
220 finished
winning
time 2:49:12
winning lady 3:15:57
Brussels – results
awaited