Wellingborough XCL

27th Oct - strong winds, steep hills and stream-crossings

At first glance, Croyland Park looks a very innocent venue for a cross-country race, but looks in this case are very deceptive.  With a couple of steep switchbacks on the valley-side, a new extended section around playing-fields (including a steep bank), the infamous stream-crossings and  the 3-lap structure (familiarity breeds despairing anticipation) this race adds up to - arguably -  the toughest challenge in the Three Counties League now.  Add in the strong winds and you had a mean little 5-mile ordeal on your hands!

I was fairly happy with my 25th place out of nearly 400 and 1st MV50 position.  This was my highest XCL-placing since 2010.  I may have set off a little too fast and had a pretty grim 2nd lap, but I managed to rally for the final lap and make up quite a few places, including 2 in the last 100m. 

 

NHRR men were 3rd and the ladies 6th, giving us 4th position overall of the 13 competing teams. We had almost our strongest teams out, so we couldn't have done much more.   A couple of teams seemed to have raised their game a bit this season too.  In previous years, I think we'd have finished 2nd or 3rd with a similar performance.

Once more into the stream dear friend...

Fenland 10 - 20/10/13

Something in the wind...

Ok, I admit it - I was Club Record hunting again.   Despite getting to bed at 2am after the Awards Dinner and some gusty winds out on the Fens, I managed a new V50 CR of  01:01:30, 10th place overall and 1st MV50. 

Without the wind I think I could have been well under 61 mins and close to my first PB in nearly 4 years - that would have been something. At halfway I was managing 6-min mile pace comfortably, but as I turned into the gusts I started losing around 20s/mile from then on.   With a field of less than 300, I also found myself in a solo time-trial after about 3 miles, with 9th and 11th places around a 40s and minute ahead/behind me at the finish respectively. 

Anyway, enough quibbly excuse-making - it was a good performance in the conditions, beat  Sir Darth Frampton's respectable former CR-mark by over a minute and leaves me with 5/6 MV50 Club records.  Only the Marathon MV50 CR to go - a challenging 3:03:16.  Do I hear the siren calls of a Spring marathon?

Watch this space...

Hatfield 5k Series

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I hadn't done a 5k for nearly 4 years coming into this series and was a little apprehensive, but all worked out well.  It's a fast course and a well organised race with a great HQ (Affinity Water offices) and ample parking.  I managed to post a couple of decent times (broke MV50 club-record twice) and picked up some prizes too.  Due to a tight hamstring, I didn't do the 3rd race last night, but went along to support my team-mates and pick up my trophies in person

Most pleasing was the County MV50 5km gold medal.  I've waited 50 years to be a County Champion at something and the closest I'd ever come before was doing Middx trials for U19s rugby in about 1980!

I also picked up a nice trophy for being 2nd MV50 over the series, being pipped to 1st by a speedy MV50 from Chelmsford AC, whom I'd have to have run PBs to beat, so well done to him.

I was also part of the NHRR team that won the team prize for the series.

A runner from Bishops Stortford RC came up to me last night and said he read my blog - so someone actually still reads this!!  Thanks John.

NHRR Awards Dinner

Something very nice for dessert...NHRR - Best Male Runner 2013

In NHRR history, only 3 people have won this award 3 times or more - Paul Pearce, Gary Halsey and now myself.  I am thrilled, delighted and very honoured to be in such company.  It just goes to show, even with relatively modest talent, what is possible when one tackles something with whole-hearted determination, focus and application - oh and yes - bloody-minded obsessiveness and attention to detail!

In the last few years I've had some pretty dark days, but not least with help and support from some special people at NHRR (you know who you are), I am emerging from the dark clouds into a brighter, sunnier glad-to-be-fifty world... THANK-YOU

Peterborough Great Eastern Run 13/10/13

50 - and loving it!

This will have to go down as one of my best ever races.  Despite very windy conditions, I paced myself very well.  In fact, I posted only my second ever negative split - 6:15 mile-pace for the the first half and 6:00 mile pace for the second - with the help of the wind.

• My second best ever half-marathon time - 01:20:14
• A massive age% PB for distance at 83.45%
• I was 2^nd MV50 out of 315 finishers in that age-category

 

Left - at the finish line
Above 1. Nice trophy
Above 2. post-race with the Annetts twins