NEHL Sunderland Cross Country 2009

The Sun was up and sky was blue. In these days of uncertain weather it was a call to arms and stepping over the door step armed with the Salomons, I took my light sabre and ventured to Wearside to the North East Harrier League Cross Country at Sunderland.

It's a narrow route and there was a bumper crowd in evidence. Its a good run out and I joined around 300 others for a wander through the sticky mud. Results up now on the RACE-RESULTS (link on the right-its a zipped file so you may need to download it first, then open it after). A few photos on link to the right!

Claybank West Fell Race

As the elite, club runners and fun runners stretched and imagineered their personal battle at the start line, I was, let's say 'taking in the view' elsewhere. As I passed the start line, organiser Dave Parry shouted 'you're 27 seconds down already'... It's a fell race, though, so it's about the placings not the time; right? at least that's what I thought as I made may way up Claybank past some of the backmarkers.

I did the Claybank West (5.5 miles, 1000ft of ascent on the edge of the North York Moors) 4 years ago and really enjoyed it. Its all on trail with easy gradients with only a little scrambling at one point.

I had my work cut out as I tried to claw back the lost time. There was a moderate breeze and some drizzle which together with the ponded water on the sandstone flags made for a Bon Jovi experience (slippery when wet-I know, show me the tumbleweeds). It didn't take much working out that the best route was the intermittent grassy track next to the flagstones and toward the end I passed a York Acorn and then a Wetherby runner. However, the next lad from NYM and whom I was gaining on was a little too far in front. Despite my best efforts to reel him in on the woodland track near the end, I finished just behind him at around 36.40 and 11th, also a little behind Minister (DFR) and well behind Steve Baldwin (Scarborough) who I beat earlier in the season at Mulgrave. It was still a good enough run though for a crate of Guinness at the prize-giving which was, as ever, very generous and puts many a road race to shame. Speke of Dark Peak won from a embattled Will Horsley(NFR). Caroline Pollared won the womens event from New Marske ladies Gordon and Neesam.

Superman

We all deserve a treat now and again.

And probably, yes, you can get too much of a good thing, so I had some 'me-time' yesterday. It was a trip to the eye test woman followed soon after by a slouch to the dentist for a consultation. Lovely. Those frames that they put on you reminded me of a scene from the film Marathon Man. Thankfully she advised the eyes were good, although I would have to go some to develop superman-type vision. Now that would be excellent in foggy fell races where the mist is down or to see who's up front.

If only I could also discover the ability to freeze things with my breath I could stop all the speed merchants at the front of races and then mooch past nonchalantly, hands in pockets in my cape and red pants (on second thoughts superman probably hasn't got pockets in his pants - clearly didn't think that one through!) One website I perused suggests in a commentary on Superman that 'his ability to distinguish fields depends upon the signal-to-noise ratio between objects'. Some folk are really keen, eh?

Anyway, 50 miles this week and some of them even good quality miles, so I'm going to try a fell

race. The forecast for tomorrow is nonsense with lashing rain and high southerly winds, asteroids and swirling witches. Wonder if I should pack some kryptonite in my bumbag.

Cresswell

Spent 40 minutes padding along the beach at Cresswell this morning much to the dogs delight. I even managed to introduce a small hill session in the form of 10 reps up a sand-dune.

Ok, it was a pretty lame attempt given that the dune was about 10 metres high, but I didn't want to overdo it. I realise that any form of running in the daylight is almost infinitely better than running round the town in darkness. It would have been nice to get a longer run on the sand in, but I ran out of time.

The bounce is gone

After an easy 14 miles with the lads yesterday I stole away in the early morning today for 10 miles around the country lanes in the rain. There seems some more weight to come off before I regain that whippet like physique and a face that my mother says 'needs a good feed'.
The bounce in my road shoes has now gone so a visit to the trainer shop is imminent. If the weeks training goes well I might have a run out at the Clay Bank Fell Race down on the edge of the North York Moors. I see there's a new club arrived called Esk Valley down that way.

Heaton Harriers Memorial 10k Results

Results from the Heaton Harriers Memorial Newcastle 10k can be found at
http://www.heatonharriers.org.uk/mem09res.php

Newcastle Memorial 10k

Morpeth's Johnny Taylor powered his way to a convincing win at the Newcastle Memorial 10K and left the 500 or so field standing. He won the event by what seemed like a huge margin in a time of 30:04 from Team mate Ross Floyd and James Buis of Heaton 3rd. Dave Kirkland of Alnwick was 4th.

The ladies race was won by Claire Simpson (Chester Le Street) going one better than her placing in this years Sunderland Pier to Pier race (Photos coming soon...)