wrc

Form Guide

The Form Guide (click link at the top of this page) has been updated.

The star performers at the Macclesfield Half (those who ran significantly better than they have in recent races) were :- Sarah Miles, Gavin Mendham, Melissa Broughton, Rob Downs, Diane Bygrave, Janine Ellis, Steve Smith, Clare Hawkes and Angela Maziere.

Others who improved at Macclesfield on their average performance in recent races were:- Patrick Grannon, Simon Fenton, Geoff Gilbert, Peter Watson, Andy Watts, Gail Hill and Ian Ashcroft.

Form Scores

The Form Scores (link at top of this page) have been updated to include Birchwood. Those whose performance this Sunday showed the most improvement on their form in recent races were, in order, Martin Wheeldon, Chris Cannon, Nina Birch, Jamie Smith, Sharon Jones, Gail Hill, Sarah Waite, Graham Screawn, Peter Watson, Simon Fenton, Ian Ashcroft and Rob Downs

Newest Club Member !!

Please take a look at a new member in the waiting !!

 

Two weeks old Elliott Halman,  Congratulations Mike and Sally from all at Wilmslow !!
 

Wow , that was some weekend !!

Any increase on five?

• Its 9.00am , it's Saturday morning and in customary fashion , a number run the BRTT 5k , with Paul Garnett dipping under 20ms for the first time at Bramhall (circa 19.15 on a flat course)
• Within two hours more then run the inaugural AE Carnival 5k and mix it with jugglers , dancers , vintage cars , fire eaters and Merlin himself ……A surreal experience with thousands cheering the runners down the closed high street . More club wins in age categories and Jane is first lady runner home .(Results below) 
• As the magic of the carnival 5k unfolds , Jane Mulrayan is half way around the first leg of the British masters relays……The carnival procession finishes and at the same time Clare Hawkes running the last leg, crosses the line in Birmingham ( the ladies are fifth). It’s now the turn of the men and our team again do us proud finishing sixth. (Results below)
• We now move on to Sunday and we have runners in both Wales and Scotland to follow the three races in England the day before. Its 10.00 in Edinburgh and on the start line are Patrick , Andy Dodd , Sorayah and Sharon Jones. By 12.00 , all are through the 13 mile mark and the action is underway in Llandudno : Its the Llandudno 10 ,incorporating the UKA Intercounties 10 mile championships. Damian is running for Cheshire and in a shade over 54 minutes finishes an oustanding 4th and 3rd home in the inter counties to claim a national bronze medal !! . Also running for the club are Tony ,Andy Whittingham and Trevor .( Results at http://www.tdl.ltd.uk/index.php). Meanwhile back in Edinburgh , Patrick is nearly finished and comes home in under 3.30 , hotly pursued by our other four runners.(Results below).
  

Five races and counting .....any increase?.....So its a brief rest until Friday when its the Dunham 5k and every chance that the record 50 plus from Mobberley will be beaten ..........Life is never dull at Wilmslow , and would we want it any other way !!??

Enjoy.

Nick. 

 

Alderley Edge Carnival 5K Saturday 21st May

Ever wondered what it would be like running a three lap 5K around the streets of Alderley ?

With the high street closed and crowds wildly cheering your every step ?

http://www.alderleyedge.com/news/article/4065/start-the-may-fair-celebrations-with-a-5k-run

Read the feature above and get your entries in .

Will you be able to say " I ran the first ever Alderley carnival 5k".

N.

Llandudno 10

Please note the message below received from Adrian Thiemicke of CAA.

For the first time in a number of years, the CAU are holding a Inter
Counties Road Running event - incorporated in the Llandudno 10 mile on
Sunday 22nd May.
http://www.llandudno10.co.uk/

The county hope to send teams to this event - particularly as it is in a
neighbouring county.
However, there is no means for the county to enter runners to this race,
so what I intend to do is select the county teams from those
Cheshire-eligible runners who have entered themselves.

I have been told that county team managers will have access to a list of
entries, so that they can choose their team from those who are entered,
but it would help me if suitable athletes could advise me directly if
they have entered.

If you intend running the event and want to be considered for selection , please let me know and i will pass your details to Adrian .

Nick.

STAFFORD 20

Post race round up from the weekends Stafford foray...........

The day dawned with drizzle & overcast as I tucked into my pre race breakfast of porridge, Banana & a Bagel chaser- would it prove too lardy a breakfast; given the previous days meagre in take.

3hrs later and in the usual last minute panic to get things together, ensure all was well with the family. I set off for my inaugural 20 miler & London prep. To date, form a bit of an unknown quantity, having taken a tumble on the ice pre Helsby and had to pull out at last minute.

After the hour or so trip down to Stafford all was well in the world, things were looking brighter & by the time we lined up it was back to shorts & vest.

The race had been billed flat (yes like the sound of that!) 3 lap race on quiet roads. As it turned out 1 x 8 & 2 x 6, the first lap seeing more hills than I'd bargained for, although that's how I remember it?

Non the less I should know runners at the best of times have rose tinted glasses! As it turned out, course best described as undulating with each lap starting with a steady long climb with a bit of a false summit.

The race itself was very definitely a no frills affair & truly low key, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, you helped yourself to water at the end, no announcer or crowds to speak of & a traditional tshirt for your efforts picked up at registration.

All in all a good training race, that did what it said on the tin and for £8.50 had I pre entered, is reasonable value these days.

Results:

1 1:48:43 112 Ben Gamble Tipton Harriers

35 2:16:37 120 Rob Gilbert Wilmslow RC

Rob.

Off-road Development Day

Cheshire Athletics Network are organising an Off-Road Development Day at Tegg's Nose (2nd April).  Details in this attachment.  Please contact the organisers directly if interested.

Runners wanted for TV advert

Emma Stafford - a casting agency - are seeking male runners for a TV advert to be filmed in Macc area.  If interested, the info is on the Cheshire AA site at this link.  Some payment is involved - not clear how much!

Andy

Sunday run - Lyme Park

There will be a Sunday club run in Lyme Park (starting at the car park opposite the Boar's Head, 2 Shrigley Rd N, Poynton, SK12 1TE).  This Sunday (13th Feb) 9am (not next Sunday as stated in the Club Calendar).  A group will probably also go from the Rugby Club at the same time.

44......49......60......????

Unless you worked it out already ,those are the numbers of people completing the Wilmslow Running Club Summer Series in the last three years , and a massive 20% hike this year from last year .

Its fun , its competitive , its great rivalries , its races we don't always think to run (Stainland 7 and Green Drive 5) , its a journalists delight .....Thanks Ian ......Its a statisticians dream .....Thanks Don.......Its a challenge for the race planner ......Thanks Tony ........All supported by the excellent website ......Thanks Andy.

Its a fantastic series that we all revel in and eagerly await the next race .....Spring 2011 ?........eagerly await the race schedule .......eagerly await the design of commemorative mug and T-shirt .........eagerly await the choice of venue for the ceremony !!

I hope you have all enjoyed this years series as much as I have .

Congratulations to all that took part and made it such fun . I will leave the official naming of champions to the always excellent report from Ian , supported by the excellent stats from Don .

Thanks for making it such fun everyone and thanks to those that have turned out to offer support and encouragement at the races . Looking forward to 2011 already !

Nick. 

  

Stainland vs Langley

Devotees of the hill may be interested in this comparison of the Stainland 7 versus the Langley 7.

Stainland wins with a total of 896 feet of climbing, against Langley's relatively measley 735.  Plus Stainland has the added interest of a few corkers thrown in at the end of the route, versus Langley's relatively simple 'up then down' format.

For comparison, however, look at the results for some of our earlier-season races:-
 - Langley Fete - 610 feet of climb, but in only 3 miles
 - Bollington Nostalgia - a collosal 917 feet over a similar distance to the two road races
 - Forest Five - tops the lot with 967 feet of climb over 5 miles.

 All good training for the forthcoming Cross Country!

Andy

Reykjavik Marathon

August 21st 2010

Just back from taking a small group of customers and their amputee challenged athletes to the Reykjavik Marathon. A choice of full marathon, half or a 10k was on offer, I opted for the half with colleague and Wilmslow Running Club hopeful Claire, double amputee Rich Whitehead, current Paralympic Marathon and Half Marathon World Record holder, and keen club runner single amputee Andrew Palmer.

Reykjavik doesn't stop at the weekend, less so when it is also the annual Festival of Culture, which somehow manages to fit yet more action, noise and 'culture' into any given 24hr period from Thursday through to Sunday than normal. This and shared downtown apartments didn't make for ideal preparation to the early Saturday morning start.

A simply stunning still blue skied morning had Rich Whitehead finishing 5th with a training run pace 'steady' 1.19.17, as he put it. For the first 7 miles I was busy taking photo's, before settling down to business. A sprint finish and I just pipped Andrew who was complaining with an Achilles problem...his prosthetics were fine! I was satisfied with 1.34, 86th out of 1258 half marathon finishers. It was all firsts and pb's for the remainder of our group in the 10k and full marathon, most not having run these distances before. An adventure for everyone.

A beautiful course, flat and on a kind day, good for a pb. But planning on good weather in Iceland is a risk. It was horizontal rain that same afternoon. An enthisiastic crowd and breathtaking scenary lined the route. Just don't expect to come home rested, irrespective of whether you run the race or not.

http://www.marathon.is/reykjavik-marathon

Richard Hirons

Dunham Massey 5k

Dunham Massey 5k

Friday 22 May

 

Not the Summer Series – Race 1

 

As the Wilmslow vests swelled, each new arrival moaned about lack of Summer Series points, each with a sob story of their personal deprivation. Tony told us to stop whinging and pointed to his personal sacrifice, 49 points as it turned out.

 

Penny reckoned she was targeting 22 minutes, which I thought fanciful as, at 5k, I was going to beat her (having chickened-out of Shady Oak, where she would beat me) and I was not going to achieve 22 minutes. She said we only needed to take 10/20 seconds off our Bramhall times and this was a faster course. She was, as usual, proven right but I think at 22:02 she ran above herself and following a strong performance at Shady Oak signalled a return to form.

 

Cat is normally the threat at 5k, but, as the rest of us shuffled to the start still oozing ill-grace, she hadn’t made it. Nowadays, Angela is a threat at any distance but, having decided she wasn’t going to run she’d done the full Thursday session, she then changed her mind and turned-up, but her heart wasn’t in it.

 

I started too fast but Gareth, Kate and Geoff smoothed past me in the first k and Matt and Sally in the second. The others gently eased away but I tracked Matt for the rest of the race.

 

Rob was up front, finished 4^th. and was first vet but a time slower than Bramhall suggested he might have done more. Tony was 3^rd M60, the Wilmslow numbers were too small to be confident in the stats, but they suggested he too was not at his best.  On the other hand there is no doubt about Gareth, who gets better and better and edged out Tony, he’s making the fat boy jokes look a bit thin.

 

Vicky was disappointed in her time but Sarah has yet to learn about disappointment, another PB.

 

Kate and Geoff ran to form and it is always at pleasure to see Sally racing. Two years ago I tracked Owen from 1k to 4k and caught him with 20m to go. I don’t think that I’d ever before run against Matt but I had visions of a final burst down the long finishing straight and a repeat performance. The burst didn’t materialise and I never threatened. Nevertheless after three years of times, month by month, in steady decline my performance rated a little glow of hope.

 

I caught a glimpse of Clare as a rounded the sharp turn into the straight, beating a fully fit Clare would be a major triumph but she’s some way short of that. I thought Neil must have done a good time as he cheered us up the straight but it looks like he didn’t finish.

 

John produced an on-par time, the longer races and off-road suit him better. This is really

Roy

’s event but he spluttered to a halt when he swallowed a large fly which stuck in his throat. I think here’s a ditty about this, anyway Ang apparently went past whilst he was recovering – best excuse of the year so far for a less than sparkling performance.

 

 

Kate was 2^nd. and Sally 3^rd. L45

Penny was 2^nd. L50

Vicky was 4^th. and Sarah 5^th.Lady

Geoff was 5^th. M55

 

Enthusiastic support from Nina and Clare

Ian Ashcroft

Dunham Massey and Mobberley

I have been away for 10 days so may be guilty of charging into an issue that has been thoroughly and thoughtfully debated - however, there seems to me to be a lot of legitimate complaints from members who have pre-entered Dunham but can't do Mobberley - see the 'Comments' under the Shady Oak piece.

If it were felt that it would be unfair to include Dunham, even though people had had three months notice, to then bring-in Mobberley, with only two weeks notice, when it is in Bank Holiday/Half Term week, would seem even more unfair on those who are excluded.

The diplomatic solution may be to include neither.

Ian

Summer Series, Race 3 – Waterloo 15k

The 2009 Summer Series has made a low key start. There are 19 races, so at this time of year getting-in your seven races, or eight or nine to allow for the disaster and the race when the whole club turns up, seems easy. Two holiday weekends are impossible for some, but those who could make South Cheshire were richly rewarded and the same was true at Waterloo.

Only Jim from Group1, no Group 2, just Tony from Group 3 – the lower orders were relishing the sort of Bank Holiday Monday by the seaside for which Britain is famous; wet, cool and windy.

The weather wasn’t as bad as forecast; no driving rain just damp with a strong breeze. Jim finished 5^th., Tony was 2^nd M60, the points virtually guaranteed before either had left the sports field. This means that Tony replaces Tom at the head of the Main Table with Don second and Kate third. Tony also replaces Rob Gilbert as the early leader in Group 3/4.

 

Once over the cow-patch the running is smooth with a mix of tarmac and sandy tracks. Don normally favours the hills but a best-ever 48 points takes him to second behind Tony in 3/4 with Kate third.

 

Group 4 was competitive, Neil, a long gap through injury then working away, beat Nicky by only one second. Steve Smith is working his way back to full fitness, normally this time of year is pre and post marathon, the benefit of missing London being the early SS races. Geoff was the only marathoner brave, or foolish, enough to be so quickly back into action.

Kate was 1^st. Lady 45 and Nicky 1^st. Lady 50. Kate made it three wins out of three, Julie is second in the Ladies table followed by Angela.

 

There were also no lack of numbers from Group 5; Amanda, Angela, Ian, Catriona, John and Penny. Only Huma missing of the likely contenders and, as past races have shown, they can finish in any order. Ian was allowed to set the pace, perhaps over-kindly since his Group wins have come at 10k or below, and, although John at 5k and Ang at 10k did speed it up, overall it was run no faster than Wilmslow. John and Angela waited until the last 50m to make their moves, Ang managed, initially, to get away but Ian (ungallantly according to Kate) caught her on the line. A flat course should have suited the old men of Group 5 but they were mainly missing on a day when they could have given the girls a race.

 

Julie led Group 6, followed by Charlotte and Nina. Trevor moves up to second in the 5/6 table. Martin was Wilmslow’s laterne rouge.

Ian

Winners and Losers at Crewe

Great runs from Rob Gilbert, Gareth Trimble, Don Bullough, Angela Maziere, Nina Birch and Sarah Miles.

 

Runs on par with current race form from; Tony Hulme, Kate Sutton and Ian Ashcroft.

 

Those who ran below their normal pace were in exalted company; Damian Nicholls (he finished 4^th. but my form indicator expected him to have been over a minute faster, which would have won the race), Tom McGaff (still first M50 when not at his best), Andy Watts (thinking of London?), Simon Fenton (but not his distance), Julie Lucas, Roy Pownall and Trevor Faulkner.

 

I do not have enough recent race data on Ian Roylance, John Porteus, Huma Rahman, Christine Geraghty, Sally Price ( 7 minutes slower than her last 10k when she claims she was pregnant, although I ‘m sure it makes a big difference in the first three days), Clare Hawkes (her foot injury had survived Wilmslow but recurred at 7k) or Martin Wheeldon.

 

Ian

 

 

You Might Not Want To Read This

On Sunday we enjoyed perfect running weather but statistics can be cruel and if we take out the ‘good weather effect’ your performance may not look so rosy - my best half marathon time for two years becomes my worst performance in any of the 41 races analysed over a similar period.

 

Those who did put in genuine above par performances were; Angela Maziere, Geoff Gilbert, Mark Bale, Nina Birch, Owen Ashcroft, Rob Downs, Sarah Waite and Stuart Parrott.

 

Those who ran on par with their current form; Catriona Marshall, Charlotte Godfrey, Don Bullough, Gareth Trimble, Kate Sutton, Mick Fairs, Nicky Mowat, Rob Gilbert and Trevor Morris.

 

I do not have enough recent race data on Bill Staniard, Christine Geraghty, Clare Hawkes, Emma Hartley, George Livesey, Huma Rahman, James Eyre, James Wheeler, Jamie Smith, Ken Smart, Martin Wheeldon, Martyn Symes, Mike Sullivan, Pete Stock, Phil Smith, Richard Huron, Sally Gilliver, Sean Barry, Simon Chappell, Soraya Mason, Stephen Feber or Steve Russell.

 

Out of kindness, I will not name names in my group.

 

Ian

 

4 Villages Half Marathon

I saw hardly any Wilmslow runners on the course and am too sensitive to the cold to chat after January races – it would be good if others used the ‘Comment’ button at the bottom to give a fuller picture of the race/day.

The blustery 25kmh wind forecast did not materialise and I was only aware of a significant headwind coming down Tower Hill. 6^oC is a reasonable temperature at this time of year. The Wilmslow runners’ times suggest the course ran faster than last year and are very much on par with Wilmslow and Congleton 2008.

Great run by Nicky to pick-up another L50 first, Tom was edged-out of the M50 prize which I think he has won in the past. Big Malc made the podium and Rob and Vicky achieved fourth place in their categories – excellent results in a race that attracts a lot of quality.

Those who (statistically) ran well were:-

Angela, Don, Gavin, Geoff, Ian Smallwood, Kasey, Neil, Nicky, Owen, Peter, Rob, Steve and Vicky.

Those on par with their race results in the second-half of 2008 were:-

Catriona, Gareth, Ian Ashcroft, Kate, Penny, Tom and Trevor

Those who may look at Helsby as a useful training session in preparation for Wilmslow were:-

Amanda, Julie, Louisa, Malcolm, Mark and Rod.

I have not enough race data on Bill, Ian Roylance, Simon, Jamie, Mike or Soraya.

If anyone has their mile splits could you let me have them (

ian@ianashcroft.com

). I ran the first four miles in 30:12  but the next four in 32:12. This drifting off the pace cost me my 1:42 target, my times for the two sectors are very similar to last year – I’d like to work out whether it is me pacing the race wrongly or simply variation in the course. Whilst my time disappointed, I can sleep soundly at night knowing I was ahead of Penny, Catriona and Amanda, all of whom beat me at Congleton. I’ve four non-running weeks between now and Wilmslow so glory may be short-lived. Owen was not in my calculation but with a 7+ minute PB he was, according to Mike Marshall who kept appearing at regular intervals, reeling me in steadily in the second half of the course. I was unaware of his presence but my push in the last mile to get under 1:44 gave me a 7 second lead.

As well as Mike, I appreciated support from Daniel, Nick, Dave, Andy and Paul, plus Clare Hawkes near the finish.

Steve Smith, with another in a succession of superb runs, would be my nomination for Runner of the Month but Angela, last month’s runner-up, scored a big PB so it looks very tight. I’m not around, is it possible for you to organise again please, Nick (info@completeperformance.co.uk).

 

Could you also let me know of any mistakes in the results posted.

Ian

 

Several forgettable photographs can be viewed at > http://mickhall-photos.com/ (NB. with both sets, the first is last)

Don

Dunstable Downs 20 Mile Challenge and Abingdon Marathon

Somehow in compiling the newsletter I mislaid this update from Dave Wheable, apologies. Ian  

Continuing my preparation for the Abingdon Marathon I entered the Dunstable Downs 20 Mile Challenge on the basis that I needed to do some more long runs. This race was perfectly timed as my last long run before I began my taper. However, why I thought that a 20 mile off-road race with hills would be good training for an on-road flat marathon I’ll never know.

 

Between work and Freya (she still hasn’t worked out the nights are for sleeping) I’d not done as many long runs as I would have liked. I spent the two weeks prior to the Dunstable race in Kuala Lumpur. KL isn’t bad for running, with the 1.3km track through the park at the base of KLCC (the twin towers), but the humidity meant that I got back to the hotel looking like I’d jumped in the swimming pool. So after 2 weeks of non-stop hotel food (breakfast, elevenses, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner) and then 14 hours sat on a plane I was looking forward to some light exercise!

 

The race was held on Sunday 28^th September which turned out to be one of those wonderful autumn days. It was still a bit misty for the start of the race as approx 120 lined all clutching our 2 pages of directions for the course. As this was a small event there were only 3 water stations and no marshals on the course. Bits of reflective tape had been attached to trees and fences, and arrows painted on the ground in appropriate places; however, these were not always obvious (and kind members of the public had been known to move them in the past).

 

As I was treating this as a training run, I set of at a fairly sedate pace which became even more sedate as the first half mile was uphill onto the Downs. Once onto the ridge the mist started to clear and settled into a steady pace. The scenery was perfect: blue sky and rolling hills. The ground was dry and beyond a couple of fields that had just been ploughed by farmers the route was easy going.

 

Unfortunately, my lack of long runs meant that my legs started to give up around mile 15. After crossing one of the ploughed fields I got cramp in my right hamstring. This meant the last 5 miles were a combination of walk/run as I tried to keep my legs going in the direction I wanted. In the end I finished in 89^th place with a time of 3:27:48.

 

My legs giving up on me made me a little concerned about my readiness for Abingdon but it was too late now! All I could hope for was that the training I’d done would be enough to get round.

 

Unlike Dunstable, I had 3 easy weeks before Abingdon with no travel and not too much running. I managed to avoid colds or any other bugs. So I was as ready as I could be given the training I’d done. I’d done my planning – pace, number of gels to take, how much fluid to take – so no excuses! The day was perfect too, light wind, cool and slightly overcast. I slept well, woke up early, had a good breakfast and set off in plenty of time.

 

While getting ready for the start I saw Jo Aves – she says Hi to everyone – it was also her first marathon.

 

At 9am we set off with a lap of the track at Abingdon before heading out onto the roads. Although the route wasn’t very scenic (unless you count Waitrose car park and an industrial estate) it did have the advantage of being very flat. The closest thing to a hill was a subway under the road towards the end. I stuck to my plan, settled in to my pace and let the miles pass by. I went through the half way point at approx 1:50 and through 20 miles at about 2:50. At about the 22 mile point the cramp struck again – not as bad as at Dunstable but enough to make me walk for a couple of minutes. Unfortunately, breaking my rhythm at this point was bad news and the last 4 miles were very hard work.

 

I finished in 395^th place with a gun time of 3:56:25 and a chip time of 3:56:11.

 

For the next one I now know that I have to do a lot more long runs!

 

 

 

 

Langley 7 race report

Some argue against the inclusion of Langley in the Summer Series, and it is certainly not summery in Langley in November but it’s a wonderful race and I suspect the 30 who took-on the hill yesterday would have been less than 10 without the magic of the Series. Six runners needed their seventh race to get the t-shirt and mug with their name on, all were there, rarely since the missionaries charmed the natives have trinkets been so valued and, if Tony’s sales technique is sometimes not out of Harvard Business School, then he is clearly a master of marketing.

 

What makes the race is its variety; the fast downhill start, the hill which steadily gets steeper and gives the climbers a real chance to make their mark and then a 3½ mile sprint for those of us whose talents are less robust.

 

Damian came second for the third year in succession, to three different winners. Some would be immensely frustrated, he’s in good form, he was first onto the field and lost it on the sprint, but his nature is simply to admire the performance of the winner. Malcolm continues to defy his age and was third. Mick and Tony made bold statements for the pensioners, Mick took the over 60 prize, I won it two years ago but the bar has been raised. Nicky was not only first L50 but first Wilmslow lady, a warm-up before next weekend’s Cannes-Nice marathon. Macc Harriers took both the team prizes and, compared to previous years, Wilmslow silverware was sparse.

 

I needed to beat Damian to improve my position in the table, so my race was about pride and pleasure; the pleasure being tea and cake. In my previous race, Congleton; Chris, Penny, Sarah, Catriona and Amanda had all beaten me. Langley looks likely to be my last race of the year, other than a score to settle with Roy at Bramhall, so the pride was to re-establish the Group 4/5 pecking order.

 

Sarah and Amanda had both been ill and talking to them neither seemed mentally attuned to running to their potential. Catriona is utterly inconsistent, brilliant in the second half at Congleton. My view was that, left to run her own race, I could comfortably beat her but if I left getting ahead of her to the downhill, where my strength lay, she would rapidly discover that she had too much pace for me. I needed to be ahead of Cat at the top of the hill. Penny is the opposite. She was going to beat me to the top, my calculation was that I should ignore her and run my own race unless she looked like establishing a lead in excess of 100m. This was not an easy calculation, Penny’s improved so much, and it proved flawed, had she had a 100m lead, I would not have caught her.

 

Chris ran so well at Congleton and Gin Pit, I took the view that I was unlikely to be able to challenge him. We found ourselves together at the Church House turn and ran side-by-side to the 1 mile marker. I expected him to get away as the road began to climb but we were still together at 2. He was edging ahead at the start of Withenshaw Lane when, familiar panting from behind, announced the arrival of Penny. She and I stayed together up the early gentler first section of the Lane but when we hit the steep bit, she ran and I walked. I don’t know if I’m conning myself but I work on the principle that, when I get down to a certain speed, it is better to walk because I’m using different muscles or the same muscles in a different way and I’m preserving strength. Penny established a 40m gap but, back running, I held that for the next half mile. Turning at the junction for the final ascent we hit a strong cold headwind but 40m was a good result, my legs felt strong, I quickly started reeling-in Penny and on the first steep downhill stormed past her. I started to wonder how far Chris might be ahead and could I catch him.

 

4 miles and Penny was on my shoulder. This was Roaches again, or probably Penny again, she doesn’t know when she’s supposed to be beaten. I pushed on again but 5 miles she’s back, shoulder to shoulder past the marker. I needed to go really hard now, I was potentially vulnerable on the long flat beside the reservoir, again I got away, again, come the reservoir, she was back. I now let her determine the pace, confident if we were together at the Leather Smithy it was nearly all downhill. As we passed the pub I accelerated again, Mike and Kate cheered us both, I estimated I had opened 10m, then it flattens and climbs again but I couldn’t hear her, then back onto the decline,  Simon was there, “20m”, should be OK, right, left and flat out across the field. A hug of mutual satisfaction on an afternoon when we both gave everything.

 

Cat followed-in Penny but had lacked motivation in a Wilmslow-free zone. Roy, Peter and Trevor all ran well whilst Sarah, Amanda and Rod displayed evidence of their colds but at least Sarah has now got the t-shirt.

 

Ian Ashcroft

 

Congleton

Tropical storm Laura instead of hitting land in the southern states of the USA travelled up the eastern seaboard, messing-up our weather in New England. It was then expected to fizzle out across Canada. Instead it gained strength over Newfoundland, was picked-up by the Gulf Stream, followed us home and targeted Congleton. It was expected to go through on Saturday and head down south but decided to wait for the race.

 

At the official start time of 9:30 it was still pouring. The start was delayed 10 minutes, but it was dry in the school and there were enough bodies to keep warm. Delayed starts are not great, last year’s Stockport 10, when it was cold, gave a number of people a real problem. Once away, the rain faded after a mile, water on the course was not a significant problem and the sun was out in the second half.

 

Malcolm won what I understand was only the second Half of his career, the other was also at Congleton, but some years ago. Jim was third, Rob sixth and Trevor seventh. I believe the ‘sting in the tail’ after the 12-mile marker had a significant impact on the final placings but you’ll appreciate that someone else will have to give you a first-hand account of that tale.

 

Vicky was first lady, Tom first M50, Kate second L45 and Simon second M65. Another great Wilmslow day out.

 

The results, however, look at bit of a mess with many rounded down and Trevor (Faulkner) appears to be missing. I initially thought Chris Watts was missing, having thought he said he’d done 1:38, an eight minute PB. He is there but at 1:32.

 

1:38 would be Chris’s best run of the season and he recorded his first Group 4/5 victory on a day that produced a number of outstanding performances; Penny, Sarah, Catriona and Angela also posting PBs.

 

At 4 miles I was running 7:47 minute miles and, although I trailed Chris, Penny, Amanda and Sarah, I was only a little slower than Helsby and Wilmslow. I normally fail to hold my pace in the middle section but Sharon came alongside me at four and we ran together until eight. This was the first, and probably the last, time I’ll run with Sharon, the Berlin marathon last weekend was her excuse, it seemed a good one. We ran 7:45, so Sharon had kept me on schedule. I saw Penny with Paulo about 300m ahead but the hedge blocked any view as to where Chris, Amanda and Sarah might be. I started to fade over the next two miles and ambitions of improving my 4/5 position were replaced by fears of the wheels coming off especially as Steve Smith had warned of the hill at 12. I didn’t make 1:45, my only triumph being holding off Simon. I nervously turned, fearing him, with every set of passing footsteps over the last three miles, and there were quite a few.

 

These need checking, but I think Mark got his second PB in consecutive weeks and Kate, despite the marathon training in her legs, also got a PB. Geoff did brilliantly with one arm. Amanda is back after a dire six months; three weeks, three races, three great runs. Louisa didn’t match her wonderful run at Wilmslow but, given her commitment to training over the summer has not been obsessive, did pretty well. I didn’t see Trevor at the end, nor can I see him on the results.

Ian Ashcroft

 

Gawsworth 10k

Actually 10k and a bit, which fits with the ‘villagey’ quaintness of the event. This has tended in the past to make it a 3/4/5 day rather than one for the stars. The stars anyway had been pre-occupied with the North-West relays the previous day, excellent report by Rob, have a look if you’ve not read it. The Relay was a brilliant performance by both the Men (Damian, Malcolm, Rob and Jim) and Ladies (Sue, Jane and Vicky) giving us our best-ever finish in both races.

 

So a recovery day for them and a points bonanza for us? Oh no, here they all were for a weekend double-header. Damian’s performance on Saturday had been stunning but today he went for popular appeal by not wearing his Wilmslow vest. A bonus for his team-mates and an extra point for the rest of us.

 

It is the turn of the season. Afterwards we were talking as to whether Nicky could secure Alderley Edge Tennis again for the Christmas Party. The weather, however, was better than for much of the summer; dry and warm. I was relieved having returned from 38^oC only on Saturday evening. My ‘equivalent time’ monitor, however, had the course, or us, running a little slower than last year.

 

Sir Nicholas was briefer than in the past and Stephen was nice enough not to ask him about his expenses. I made one of my more sensible starts, Sarah went off quickly, Penny was also in front of me, Rod, a little behind and Roy, of course, doing his Michael Johnston for the first half kilometre.

 

We stabilised with Sarah 40m in front and Penny 10m ahead of me keeping close company with the man wearing no clothes. I crept up on Penny between 2k and 3k, She never lets me go by without a bit of a flurry but today she only forced her way back in front once. I made little progress towards Sarah either on the road or along the canal bank but by the time we crossed the footbridge I was in close contention. I also appreciated on the bridge that I had not, despite pushing hard, ‘lost’ Penny. At the Gun Run, Sarah and I had changed places for 3 miles and four times in the last 100m, but today she looked to be tiring badly as I took her just before we joined the Fun Run.

 

I was frustrated at the sudden mass of fun runners as I tried to get way from Penny and Sarah. The path was not wide enough for holding hands and chatting and potentially dangerous. A little girl suddenly darted in front of me to avoid a patch of mud, they seemed unaware of the 10k runners. I feel the organisers need to change the route or timing.

 

Sarah, it turned out, was as tired as she looked; she had played hockey on Saturday afternoon, and I was more fearful of Penny. The real danger, however, was Chris, who I had not seen but had clearly moved through the field in the second half. Simon in a brilliant finish edged Penny for fourth place, and 1^st. V65. He was generous enough to suggest this was down to Penny being more considerate to the fun runners blocking her down the hill. Peter was next home, further progress after his long injury, but was guided down the fun run finish.

 

Rod had won his battle Louisa, nice to see her racing regularly again but she wouldn’t admit to enjoying it. Then, employing his considerable weight advantage, he stormed downhill past Angela. She, however, was far from downhearted, this was the day on which she completed her 7 races for her first t-shirt but perhaps more significant is the improvement in her running in achieving it. Roy was drifting to a disappointing performance but was galvanised by Trevor, who ran one of his best races of the year and was 3^rd. V65. Determined to beat Trevor, Roy , I’m sad to say, also overtook Julie.

 

After Julie, two making a somewhat belated Summer Series start. I think this was Soraya’s first race, an excellent debut. Then, a bit more of him than I remember, and he would have been 7 minutes faster a couple of years ago, it was great to see Bill back. Next, Stephen despite being a Gawsworth specialist was missed by the finishers and Sarah, who had run so well at Goyt, had one of those days we all suffer.

 

In the first half of the race I could see the ginger of Kate who took 1^st. L45 despite Saturday’s mountain biking. Nicky was 1^st. L50. Geoff fell on the steps following the bridge, he was in a lot of pain and we fear a broken wrist. Gavin was 3^rd. V55, Andy 2^nd. V55, Mike 2^nd. V40, Tony 1^st. V60, Tom 1^st. V55, Jim 4^th. overall, Malcolm 3^rd. overall and 1^st. V45 and Damian completed a superb weekend for him and Wilmslow with the win.

 

I always enjoy this race but I think the Fun Run needs a re-think

 

Ian Ashcroft

 

Goyt Valley

In the sort of August that made Noah famous, it looked like we might have a dry race but with an hour to go the drizzle moved in. This did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of a smaller than usual Wilmslow contingent who were already sensing a points bonanza.

 

Any thoughts of emulating Usain Bolt in the first 200m across the dam were doused by the sight of a steepish climb on the far side, although Damian and Malcolm seemed to be treating it as a sprint. Fortunately they were soon out of site and we could judge our efforts in a more favourable perspective. There was a front of Group 4 cluster on the road; Chris, Owen and myself  then a gap to the Group 3 cluster; Kate, Geoff, Don and Gareth. Roy had assured me before the start that he was going to run this one sensibly and set-off at a pace he could sustain rather than doing his dying wasp act after a couple of miles. Nevertheless after a mile he moved to the front of Group 4 but, shortly afterwards, the road went up a slight incline and that was the last we saw of him. By the time the route had taken a detour off the road, we had dropped Chris. When we finally left the road to cross the stream, Owen and I were together but then for a mile it was just like our own peat bog after a week of continual rain and Owen took 100m out of me. The final two miles was the most enjoyable with a firm, dry track going gently up through the woods but I could not regain the lost ground. I past Nick on the way, he was limping badly. Desperate for his seven Series races he had declared himself fit enough to run but clearly got it badly wrong.

 

Chris, who was also limping afterwards with a recurrent knee problem, followed me in. Next was Catriona who is now consistently running well. Her sister(s) were watching and, as she collected first her F40 and then her team prize, she managed to give the air that this was a post race norm. Next was Angela, who was originally only doing it for the t-shirt, but now, like Cat, was on double gold – F45 and team. The two, burdened with their winnings, could barely stagger from the club house

 

A police Land Rover, lights flashing, siren blasting heralded Roy, who had managed to hold it all together despite starting too fast 

 

These were absolutely not Peter’s condition, but he’s tight on his seven races. His leg was bleeding and he was comparing wounds with another inevitable faller, Kate, whose thigh was bleeding. Both were adequately compensated at the prize giving; Kate third lady and Peter 1^st. M65. Gareth, without Sally to push him over, had stayed on his feet but lost his shoe in the peat. It was often difficult to differentiate between ground that was solid and that in which you would sink to your calf. The

Cheshire

handicap table shows Gareth to be the most improved runner in the county and he managed to pip Geoff, who was just back from climbing

Mont Blanc

, the wrong sort of altitude training.

 

Despite the continued absence of mentor Trevor, who is becoming something of a dilettante, Sarah refound her form and was more confident over the more difficult terrain than Nina. At the start Nina had been concerned about being last and was too circumspect over the slippery section but in fact was nearly quarter of an hour in front of the back markers.

Charlotte

had a big fall, albeit with a soft landing, which cost her a number of places. She finished covered in mud and, in the style of Clare at Rudyard, she discarded torn tights and socks at the finish, but it was all made worthwhile by the L50 prize.

 

Damian won, Malcolm was a close second, Jim 4^th. Mike 9^th., Steve 11^th. (a long absence but now feeling the strain of needing his seven races) , Tony 15^th. and 1^st. M60 and Don 21^st. My stats. program says that this was not only Owen’s first 4/5 Series win but his best-ever run.

 

Despite failing to get the point I needed for the 4/5 table, I thought this the best of the four courses Malcolm has done for us this ‘summer’, I very much hope it is in next year’s Summer Series but perhaps with more notice and a 7:15 or 7:30 start to help those who work in Manchester

Ian Ashcroft

Great Warford 10

A bit of nostalgia at the beginning, Mike already on the road and with fresh air between him and the rest of the field as we were only starting up the drive at David Lewis.  With a three lap course there’s always the fear of seeing Mike again before the end but a four-mile lap managed to save some pride. We had to wait until Emma’s drink station to see Sally, who claimed that with concentrating on track work she was not up to 10 miles. Neil was also doing drinks, I note he’s run at Bramhall but he again, presumably, is not sufficiently repaired for 10 miles.

 

Mike Marshall, in the lead car, said Mike Halman maintained the same furious pace throughout. Mike certainly had time to park the car and stroll back to the bottom of the hill where I’m not sure whether he saw his role as encouraging or tormenting us for the final climb. This was not remotely like the Gun Run hill finish but going up for the third time it began to feel that way.

 

Behind Mike, Jim came third, I’m not sure whether his times tell the same story but Jim seems to be having his best season ever and moving up the pecking-order, even in the dizzy heights of Group 1.

 

What a difference four days make. In the important part of the race, Group 4, 10 miles instead of 5 miles saw the strong coming forward and the wimps sliding back. John moved into the front after 2 miles and dominated thereafter to take his second win of the Series. Huma came past me after 8, I thought she might have a go for John but, having pulled out a few metres, that gap stabilised for a mile and I felt her energy was spent and, for today at least, her ambition fulfilled.

 

I was again beaten over a longer distance, but that John was ahead from the third mile suggests it is a failure of my mental approach not tiring legs. Mike, back racing in defiance of both his doctor and his wife, showed he is a real talent. Penny and I had one of our little battles in the early stages but it is a good idea, if you’re going to take-on Penny over 10 miles on Sunday, to take her out for a 5 mile romp the previous Wednesday.

 

Behind Penny, Amanda, taking a more convincing stride back to form over the longer distance, squeezed out Owen in a sprint whilst star sprinter, Catriona, had left herself too much to do to catch them, although she did managed to disturb the comfortable finish of others who’d thought they might coast in. Simon had had a big Saturday night but to little effect; how can you look so cool and relaxed after 10 miles? Angela was next home, despite the marshals dragging her back when she tried to take a short-cut through the David Lewis hedge.

 

Sunday morning, 10 miles on the road, exactly the situation in which you’d bet on an in-form Peter to excel but perhaps after a long lay-off two races in quick succession was expecting too much and age, I know, stretches recovery times exponentially. Kasey, with a bad chest, had been a doubtful starter up to 9:50, but suffered no ill-effects and battled with Charlotte, happier over the longer distance, only making the decisive break in the last half-mile. Nina had feared before the start she was going to be the Wilmslow laterne rouge; two races in five days on her limited mileage is a tough call.

 

With John notching up his second win, Huma continuing to improve and Sarah threatening, then, if Ian is going to win a year in the wilderness (promotion to Group 3), he needs to get it sewn up early; today illustrated again that he’s not going to win at Congleton or Langley.

 

The race was superbly organised and well-marshalled. The only other 10 mile race I’d run is Stockport. That is a toughie; a sharp hill in the middle and another at the end. There was talk on Thursday of Great Warford being a PB course. In the cold, wet and wind of last December, out of condition and with only having returned at midnight from the heat of trekking in the Sahara, I ran Stockport faster than my time today – if anyone did achieve a PB it was richly deserved.

Ian

 

 

Pie & Peas - another helping

It rained again this year. Last time we froze queuing for the pie & peas, two benefits of experience; I was there before the queue formed and I opted for the beans. This year, the rain, at least during the race, was welcome on a sultry evening.

 

The prize-giving started with the ladies, for a variety of reasons we were below strength, it was dominated by Vale Royal who may have pushed us down to third in the Cheshire Grand Prix. The men were a different story. Malcolm was fourth overall, Jim, fifth, Rob first over-40, Malcolm first over-45, Tom first over-50 and Tony first over-60. Malcolm, Jim, Rob and Tom won the team prize and retention of the Grand Prix must be close to a mathematical certainty.

 

Whilst not taking any glory away from the Men, Rob mentioned Nick’s 3.5 pies and with Rod also absent we were well below par in the area where previously we had excelled.

 

Our numerical strength of the evening was further down the field. Sarah is continuing to struggle to judge pace but is confident Trevor will get her back on track when he returns. Nina, who has steadily improved, had a race when she just couldn’t get going and then twisted her ankle. Stephen has found his enthusiasm for racing but, on this occasion, not his club vest. Owen had his best run of the year at Alderley Edge but a twisted-knee pushed him to the other extreme. Roy is struggling and, despite his experience, seems unable to rein-in his natural speed in the early miles to find a pace he can sustain for the whole race.

 

Julie is continuing her steady climb through the 4/5 pecking-order. Angela has found both her motivation, she wants a t-shirt, and the ability to ignore the competition and run her own race. For Peter, his foot injury has limited him to one previous Summer Series run, as you get older the injuries take longer to heal and the path back is a slow one but he has done it all before. Amanda visibly improved week by week through the autumn and winter, every race seemingly bringing a new PB. Then, as happens, it mysteriously came to an end and stagnation turned into decline and she’s missed the last couple of races. Here her objective was simply to complete the race. Her race times over the last twelve months, with Sally out of action, rank her as the best Group 4 runner, she needs to re-find her rhythm but once she does, with quality mileage in her legs, a return to form should be relatively quick. Simon had a good Sale 10 and with this, his third race in a week, is throwing-off his ring rustiness and starting to do justice to his level of fitness.

 

In 2006 Anne beat Don and Kate in this race. Don and Kate are vastly improved runners and Anne has lost eighteen months running but her track record shows her potential to be back running with them again. Kate and Don made a smooth progression from Group 4 to Group 3, whereas Gareth, last year’s 4/5 champion, spent the early month’s of this Series in no-man’s land between the two groups. It is good to see him now finishing in the middle of  Group 3. Two years ago I’d interchanged positions on the river bank with Sean (has anyone seen Sean since London?) and Anne. This year she was playing ‘cat and mouse’ with Simon and Catriona. The Cat won to the extent that as they moved onto the road she started to reel-back Penny. Now one of the clubs friendships was put aside as she tracked her rival and no-one can live with Catriona in a sprint, although she was grey and barely able to walk from an asthma attack as she crossed the finishing line. Penny accepted the inevitable in good spirit – 10 miles on Sunday may be more to her liking.

 

 John clocked-up his critical seventh run of the Series, but the distance was too short for him to be challenging for another win, like Penny he may have a bigger role to play on Sunday. Sarah, since nearly taking the 50 points at the Gun Run, has been sunning herself in the South of France but her time here was equally creditable, the difference was better runs by Huma and Ian.

 

Huma was the star of the night, she has been running well after her lay-off, this was another step towards a group win. I felt, despite being ¾ minute slower than in 2006, that I had had my best race of the year. The stats said I was marginally better at Alsager in February – clearly 5 miles is my distance. Is 10 miles like two 5-miles?

 

I apologise to those whom I told there were no hills just a gentle climb up from the river. I’m not sure which is fading faster my legs or my memory but it didn’t feel gentle to me. There are a shortage of 5-mile races nowadays. I’m biased because so far I’ve run well here but I hope we can include it again next year. If it is a choice between Moulton and Chester then, if we judge by how people voted with their feet, we get more turning-out for Pie & Peas than the Spring 5.

 

Ian

 

Alderley Edge 5

Do you want the tough part of a race at the beginning or the end? My understanding is that Wednesday’s start is flat/downhill but Malcolm does not design boring courses and the sting is in the tail – please correct me Malcolm.

 

I have two answers to the opening question but they contradict one another. I think the answer from the body would be that, in a short race, the tough part is better at the end when the body is fully ‘warmed-up’. ‘Warmed-up’ isn’t really about getting warm, it is about getting the body into running mode and finding rhythm and co-ordination. At the Gun Run, Group 1/2 ran well but 4/5, as a group, performed poorly by their own standards. A possible reason is the tough first k, that the first 3k was uphill and that Group 1/2 warmed-up better. This is supported by the fact that those who did run well from 4/5 were the younger ones. One of the many negatives of getting older is that finding rhythm and co-ordination takes significantly longer (and often proves to be totally elusive).

 

The hill race I enjoy most is the Langley 7. You have a mile or so to get warmed-up, the climb starts slowly then you turn left, grit your teeth and pray. But, with close to 4 miles to go, you know the climbing is over, you can relax and belt for home. The body might want maximum time to prepare but the mind wants to get the tough part over early, so it can enjoy the race.

 

This my second theory for the Gun Run, it was the mind not the body that inhibited 4/5. Group 1/2 do much more hill running. The final mile for them was less daunting. On the fast middle section 4/5 underperformed, holding themselves back, frightened of dying in that last mile

 

Ian Ashcroft  

.

Sprint or Stamina

 

 

Are you better at long races or short ones?  Those at the top of the table below have performed much better in the shorter races, those at the bottom much better in the longer races.

 

It is unsurprising to see Nicky heading the long-race specialists. In an analysis Nick did a couple of years ago, he pointed out that Nicky was the only club member whose best 10k time was less than double her best 5k time.

 

Sally Price

Gareth  Trimble

Paul Nichols

Mark Bale

Peter Watson

Tony Hulme

Mike Cooper

Don Bullough

Peter Carne

Ian Ashcroft

Catriona Marshall

Rod Coombs

Ian Smallwood

Louisa Gilbert

David Wheable

Geoff Gilbert

Sean Barry

Stuart Parrott

Amanda  Bradbury

Steve Dempsey

Penny Hinke

Jim Pendrill

Tom McGaff

Rob Downs

Jane Saunders

John Porteous

Malcolm Fowler

Steve Smith

Andy Watts

Trevor Faulkner

Ray Noble

Mick Fairs

Kate Sutton

Sally Maddock

Paul Ayres

Gavin Mendham

Mike Halman

Nicky Mowat

Based upon the 49 races in which 20 or more Wilmslow members have run since January 2006 (for those who asked for your individual race charts it is the same races).

A short race is defined as less than 30 minutes for group 1 (40 minutes for Group 4). A long race more than 45 minutes Group 1 (an hour Group 4).

Only included are runners who have done at least 3 short and 3 long races during the period.

Appreciate any comments.

Ian 

 

 

More Mobberley 5 photos

Additional photos from the Mobberley 5 can be found at Mick Halls site.

http://www.mickhall-photos.com/

Both the photos made available from Andy and Mick provide a reminder of a fantastic race and an incredibly enjoyable evening .

Congratulations to all concerned but in particular Malcolm .

Nick.

2008/2009 Manchester XC League Dates

Provisional dates agreed for next seasons Manchester XC League races at  Wednesdays League AGM.

• Sat 25th  October : Heaton Park

• Sun 16th Nov : Boggart Hole Clough

• Sat 13th Dec :  St  Helens

• Sun 4th Jan : Woodbank Pk Stockport

• Sat 7th Feb Wythenshawe Park including plan to hold an after race "Hot Pot"  presentation  ceremony  for the  medals  etc.

Nick.