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NSRRA, Race report

Alsager 5 – 5th February 2017

Fiona Bradley – Alsager 5 – Sunday 5th February 2017

The day of my Stone Master Marathoners debut had finally arrived!  Waking that morning, I wondered why on earth I put myself through the stress of races and, rather unhelpfully, noted that this was not only my SMM debut but also my NSRRA debut, first race after the Lanzarote Marathon and the first race after my first ever injury (cue the violins)!

After forcing down my usual pre-race porridge, I was instantly lifted by putting on my lovely new vest which Tim had kindly presented to me at the fantastic Gala Dinner.  Armed with my fabulous SMM race clips, my Bat days had begun…

Arriving at Alsager, the weather felt unusually warm and I was incredibly pleased to have abstained from wearing a base layer.  I was even more pleased upon parking, when I spotted a familiar black and red uniform: looking dashing in his recently presented ‘Captain’ jacket, I made the walk to the Race HQ with Bernie.  Taking full advantage of Bernie’s vast race knowledge, I bombarded him with questions – predominantly regarding the NSRRA as I had signed up on the recommendation of another new bat, Laura Slack, but knew little of how it all works.  Imagine my horror when Bernie congratulated me on being part of the ‘L’ group (husband had earlier had a good chuckle at me being a ‘Learner’) and I discover that I am battling for points against our super speedy Kirsty, Amy, Angela and Ros!  I resign myself to the fact that it will all be good experience!

Walking in, we see Birthday Bat aka Emma arrive with Michelle, who was also making her NSRRA debut.  I instantly feel calmer and I now understand the comforting support of a club.  I’d always avoided the ‘pressure’ of being part of a running club but it was after the Flying Fox when I spoke to Victoria that I felt compelled to give it a whirl; she raved about SMM, reassured me that there was no pressure and, I must admit, part of the draw was the gorgeous red and black kit!  Our colony of bats grew and the fantastic atmosphere heightened – race nerves were overshadowed with the enormous sense of belonging.

Heading to the crowded start, we completed a gentle warm up before heading our separate ways.  Impressively, some of our bats had completed a 19 mile warm-up, running to the start – from Stone!  Well done Roger, Phil, Mike and Indira!  On a gentler note, David Dunsmore, another SMM newcomer, had mentioned a target time similar to mine (I wanted to beat my previous time of 37:55) so we hovered around the same area; I was pleased to find out David’s NSRRA group after being initially concerned that he was intent on finding ‘Es’…

The race began and we fought our way through the mass of runners.  Supporters were out in great force and, as always, the cheers spurred us on our way.  We were pretty surprised at the handful of runners taking a bit of a shortcut on the first left-hand turn but, as I teach my children, I thought ‘they’re only cheating themselves’!  The PB course of the Alsager 5 is flat and there are no hidden surprises.  Last year, I had joined a friend running with a sub-40 (unofficial) pacer but had found the course lent itself for a tad more speed so I had left them at around 2 miles; my main memory of that race was my sprint finish recorded on film by my father-in-law and I couldn’t wait to relive that moment!

It is always nice to hear the crowd cheering you on, so it was particularly special to see some fellow bats in a supporting capacity.  I couldn’t help but chuckle when they cheered: ‘Well done, Victoria!’ and then, looking a little confused, engaged in an ‘actually, who is that?’ conversation!  I can forgive Pam for not knowing me but who was she talking to?  Only Bernie!  I was then forced to use a little of my conserved energy to shout out my name!

Throughout the race, David was in sight, as was Ros, looking strong and experienced.  As the Garmin told me I had less than a mile to go, it was time to turn it up a notch and ensure I did my absolute best for my team.  I couldn’t wait to see that famous finishing stretch and when I did, it was a great feeling!  With my sights firmly set on the inflatable finish line, I saw my chance to make up a fair few places so I fought my way past the tiring runners and managed to part a formidable pair of men with a little encouragement from my elbows…

My Stone Master Marathoners debut was made!  With a PB of 36:30, I couldn’t have been more pleased.  Seeing Kirsty and Pippa laughing at the finish put an even bigger smile on my face!  We cheered in the rest of the team before heading off to a ‘debriefing’ at the George and Dragon.

Looking back at the results, The Bats really are a force to be reckoned with.  Our chairman’s PB of 29:42 shows that Tim really does lead by example.  There were also PBs for: Mick (29:55), Kirsty (33:07), David (36:07), Neil (39:34), Laura (40:01), Emma (40:12), Bonnie (42:18), Kathryn (42:20), Michelle (47:04) and me!  Our long run bats managed amazing times on (surely?) tired legs with Phil coming home in 32:20; Roger in 33:30 and Indira in 47:24 – true commitment!  Pippa ran a phenomenal 32:39; Amy 35:06; The Queen of Baps, Angela, 35:39; Ros 37:04; Lisa 39:13; Sam came in at 40:18; Richard 41:13; Anne-Marie 43:38; Mac 44:50, Margaret 48:24 and Joyce in 52:16.  Proud of you all!

In a bid to prevent this report being of record-breaking proportion, I won’t enter into discussing the NSRRA results other than saying ‘Watch out world, the bats are on fire!’  Let’s hope that our season continues as it has begun.

It would, however, be unfair to end my report without the mention of the public house debriefing.  Huge thanks to everybody who attended – particularly those who brought consumable treats!  I was privileged to experience one of Angela’s deliciously soft baps and sample a multitude of Emma’s birthday cakes!  After a fantastic weekend of celebrating achievements and running as part of a truly special team, this, for me, really was the icing on the cake!

Club, Runner Of The Month

My Running Mind – January 2017

Runner Of The Month – January 2017

Victoria Hughes

“No gameplan, no goal especially, just a chance conversation with a friend and a need to lose some baby weight in a relatively cheap and convenient way. I soon realised that running and running with a friend gave me a lot more than just that. I couldn’t wait for my husband to return home from work (I know what you’re thinking, but no) so I could get out and run! Don’t get me wrong, I love my family (we all do) and I did get out, it was just different to baby sensory, breastfeeding, talking about childbirth, development milestones, the colour of your baby’s nappy contents and being a Mum. I got out and ran, whilst offloading sometimes or listening to another life outside of my own and always felt better. I have laughed, vented, consoled, reassured, asked for advice and cried on all my social runs. I didn’t know I needed to be ‘fixed’, but running ‘fixed’ me, maybe even prevented me from a more heightened or undiagnosed post natal depression? Who knows? The important thing was I felt better in every sense. Better about myself too. A better Mum.

Soon running became my fix, a bug, a drug even and I was addicted. The company is a free counselling session, free therapy. I had experienced the high and I just wanted more. I was once asked if I was ‘obsessed’ with running, like it was a negative thing. I confidently said yes, I guess I am obsessed. Isn’t that just another word for ‘in love with’ so, yes, running is my thing. No apologies.

StoneMM-lady-bats

I just wanted to run more which meant finding people to run with to get me through the Winter dark nights in safety. A little push from another Mum (Sam Hodgkinson) and I joined a running club. My introduction to the racing calendar and my move to Stone Master Marathoners, has taken my running to a new level, a new high, another social circle and teamwork. Racing provided yet another perspective, another kind of buzz. The sense of achievement took my mind and confidence to another level, a level I didn’t realise I had. The desire to improve became another new feeling. The desire to make my kids feel proud, to set an example of fitness and wellbeing, the desire to aim longer and run my first marathon and raise money for a charity close to my heart.

Ok, so it’s not easy. I’m not a good self motivator. Some (non running) friends will say, ‘it’s easy for you because you run’. It’s not easy, I need a date, a commitment, the need to make it out of the door, so I’m not letting my running buddy down. Sometimes I fall out of love with running, when I’m tired, injured, when I’m training hard or run a ‘bad’ race. A running club or running with friends gives you that push, that push to get out of the door, even when the weather is awful, that commitment, that help to find your love again, a network of support to help find your mojo again, the push to run your first race, even when you’re scared, the support to keep on running.

The first race was easy, by the way. I ran it as a favour and to keep another friend company, I really wasn’t bothered about a time. No pressure, just have fun. The other races weren’t so easy after that! That same ‘bug’ now gives me a sleepless night, a bit of a stressful morning as I try to leave the house on time, nerves on the start line and a much tougher race, both physically and mentally. There is a new pressure now, one I put on myself but my mantra is effectively the same, ‘no pressure, try to enjoy it and do it for those that can’t’. It’s better that I share those nerves and pressure with so many running friends, my running family if you like.

I may fall out of love with running sometimes but I also can’t imagine my life without it. I’m addicted and unashamedly obsessed and Stone MM taught me that this is completely normal, in fact there are members more obsessed than me! Running with my friends keeps me sane, keeps me counselled, they have helped me more than they will ever know. Running is my thing, no apologies.”

Club, Training

An Introduction To Mood And Exercise

An Introduction To Mood And Exercise

The link between exercise and better mental health has long been established, with many clinicians now recommending regular exercise not only to combat low mood and stress, but also as a treatment for depression and anxiety, alongside (but often in place of) conventional medicine. Writing for the American Psychological Association, Kirsten Weir (2011) notes that ‘within five minutes after moderate exercise you get a mood-enhancement effect’. Also, that ‘research shows that exercise can help alleviate long-term depression’. Compelling evidence indeed, and it has been shown that the mood-enhancing properties of exercise are enhanced when we train with others. So that’s why I always feel so good after a club run!

However, although we know that lacing up our trainers and going out for that run is going to make us feel better, it’s not always that simple. Family and work commitments, household chores and general life stress all seem to conspire against us when it comes to establishing or continuing an exercise regime. Here is where routine is key: promising yourself that you’ll keep an hour free on a Wednesday evening for a club run. Or arranging to meet friends for a chatty run (or, indeed, a speed session!) either before or after work, or when the kids have gone to bed.

Yet sometimes, even when we are physically able to go for a run, we can’t bring ourselves to do it. It could just be a loss of ‘mojo’. However, I know of many people (myself included) who suffer or have suffered from crippling anxiety. Unable to train for the sheer worry of what might happen if we step outside the door. Worrying about what people will think if they see you running. Worrying that you look fat in running gear. So what can be done about this? A term often used in modern counselling is ‘self compassion’ – in simple terms, being kind to yourself. To make small and manageable changes. To avoid ‘all or nothing’ thinking. What this might look like in practice: you’ve planned a run for an hour, but really don’t feel like it. So you don’t go at all and tell yourself you are pretty useless for not running. This is an ‘all or nothing’ scenario. The compassionate alternative is to go for ten minutes and see how you feel. Chances are, you’ll want to carry on. If not, you have the option of coming home. You’re still lapping everybody on the sofa.

Part of my remit as a Mental Health Ambassador is to encourage people to share their experiences in a safe environment, knowing that they won’t be judged. This starts with self-disclosure and I hope that some of you will feel able to open up too. There really is no stigma in suffering with ill mental health, and the more we talk about it, the less there will be. Over the coming weeks and months, I’m hoping to start a ‘runner of the month’ feature on the website, where I’ll invite someone to share how running affects their mood. In the meantime…I’m off for a run!

Kathryn xx

Half Marathon, Race report, Ultra

8th 9bar Sunrise to Sunset Challenge

The 8th 9bar Sunrise to Sunset Challenge

Fantastic running by our ladies Kathryn, Jackie and Anne-Marie at the 8th 9bar Sunrise to Sunset Challenge yesterday.
 
Anne-Marie recorded a superb half Marathon, Jackie cracking her first Ultra at 27 miles and Kathryn completed 58.75 laps which totalled 35.6 miles and saw her finish first in her category and seventh lady overall.
 
Brilliant running by all three – well done!
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10K, Race report

Werrington 10k – 16th October 2016

Welcome to my last race report of the season, at this moment in time I have no plans to run any races before Alsager 5 next February so it looks like you will have to settle for second best with JK Rowling or Tolkien etc.
There was a slight change to my pre-race routine this weekend with Mick Downes kindly driving myself, Anne-Marie and the Chairman to Werrington so I wasn’t at the venue 8 hours in advance like I was (or so it felt) at Congleton, Mick picked us up about 9:15 and we set off following a car with New Balance kit in the back. After 5 minutes of conversation commenting on the fact we were following Sam Hodgkinson, Tim piped up ‘ Is that Sam in front’ !!.
Anyway it was a very wet journey over to Werrington and a miserable walk across the car park to collect numbers resulting in various comments as to why exactly we were doing this FOR FUN !
However, just before the 10:30 start the rain stopped and it was perfect weather for running and a good turnout of Bats gathered together for the off. Now the main reason for me doing this race was to improve on my NSRRA points for both the individual group and also the team prizes, I am pretty certain of a top two finish in my group but at Alsager back in February I only collected 45 points so any improvement on that would add to my tally and with the team being age group related I knew I could improve on that as well.
Off we went at 10:30 across about 100 metres of very wet grass which was quite entertaining before running out of the school and downhill to the lanes, a few of my group went out rather quick so I set about catching them up and also trying to keep Mick Downes and Tim Hulse in sight, this is my aim next year to be somewhere close to their pace. Once we got on the lanes I had caught all of my Group rivals up and after a quick chat I pushed on hoping to leave them behind with a quickish start of 6:45 m/m pace. At this point though Tim and Mick had shot off into the distance so I revised my plan and just set about keeping a good pace around 7 minute mile which I knew I was capable off on a flat course.
Werrington though is slightly more undulating than I remember and there were a few sneaky climbs in the first few miles (as well as descents) before the proper climb at 4 ish. With the marathon in Austria just over 4 weeks ago followed by my PB at Congleton 2 weeks ago I have been struggled with sore calves and a visit to Brian Coles on Tuesday and a week’s rest seemed to be doing the trick as once I had got over the first mile or two where you always question the wisdom of running a race I felt quite comfortable in the legs. So the first 4 miles I kept a steady controlled pace of 6:45 to 7:02 which kept me in front of any group D rivals before the long drag between mile 4 and 5. It is a long plod but not particularly difficult so I was a little disappointed at my time up the hill (7:42 ish) so something to work on over winter, before you have a nice flat and then steady decline before returning to the main road back up to the school.
When I got to mile 5 I chanced a glance back and saw Lee Jones from Trentham, who is Group D, not a million miles behind and I didn’t know how fit he was feeling so I couldn’t let up and kept pushing on.  As we climbed back up to the school I saw Paul Swan and Ben Gamble both of which encouraged me to keep working hard, although at this point I knew I was not going to be caught by anyone so I pulled the grimace face just to appease them !
Round the school and back over the grass to the finish line in 43:28 which was bang on 7min/mile according to Strava which was my 3rd fastest 10k behind Stone and South Cheshire which are considerably flatter and not so soon after long distances, so I was happy with the time and it gives me something to work on in the coming weeks. Lee Jones was second in the group about 30 or so seconds behind and we were then entertained by Olly Clarke who decided to do graceful slide over the finish line – 10/10 for style….
Tim and Mick had finished around the 40 minute mark and looked like they had hardly broken sweat but they had gained some valuable points for the men’s team, Kevin Uzzell, after running a 50 miler on Saturday, also ran along with Paul Swan, Tim Clegg, Richard and Mac, so hopefully we have closed the gap on the NSRRA team to try and nick second.
Amy was first lady in with Sam Hodgkinson, Anne-Marie (beaten in sprint finish by a Stafford Harrier who almost did an ‘Olly’), Pam, Bonnie and Joyce also gaining good points for the ladies who are looking good for at least 2nd.
After cheering everyone in we went back to the hall where I collected my Trentham Triple Towel (for running the 3 events they had put on this year), had a hot chocolate to keep warm before we set off back.
Unfortunately, I am not about for the Flying Fox 10 so that is me done for the season with respect to NSRRA but if you are reading this and not marshaling get yourself entered it is a great race and it would be fantastic to have a colony of Red Bats flying round the lanes on the 6th November.
On a personal note, I have hopefully done enough to get promoted to Group C next season which was my goal, I have achieved PB’s in all distances (except the marathon) for the second year running and I can highly recommend joining the NSRRA because there are some great races around the region, distances to suit everyone and you make some great friends along the way. Thanks to everyone in Group D who has run with me this year, you know who you are and thanks to everyone who has read my reports, hopefully they are fun and I’ll be back soon.
Have a good one !!
Go bats
Paul

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Half Marathon, NSRRA, Race report

Congleton Half Marathon – 2nd October 2016

This was the first time I had ran the Congleton Half Marathon as it falls on my youngest’s birthday weekend but he agreed to have his birthday party on Tuesday, his actual birthday thus allowing me to run 13.1 miles on a Sunday morning  – Thanks Ben !!

For some reason I had gotten myself wound up more than usual and didn’t sleep very well for a couple of nights preceding this race. I suppose my competitive side had well and truly kicked in and knowing 50 points would all but see me promoted from Group D and also the possibility of a PB made my head do funny things in the lead up.

Anyway, set off to Congleton nice and early and halfway there realised I was going to get there ridiculously early so had a quick comfort stop in Sandbach services to make sure the sun had risen before I arrived !! (I wasn’t the first to arrive but not far off).

First job was to collect my race number and chip and then back to the car to get sorted and keep warm as it was a bit fresh and then the long wait before other Bats started appearing.

The race start was 9:30 so by about 9:00 there were a few bats hovering round and we managed to get a couple of pictures, then comfort stop before a planned  warm up. However, about 10 past there was a call to go to the start so the warm up didn’t happen other than a gentle trot of 200 yards to the start area.

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It was quite a crowded start area but I lined up with Jo, Kirsty and Mick hoping they would drag me round for a bit before disappearing into the distance. The first mile or so is relatively flat before dropping down (the future ‘Sting in the Tail’)  and then a steady climb back off before levelling off. It was quite steady start and when we passed Bryan Dale at about 3 or 4 miles we were all still together and managed a great Bats in Flight photo, however very shortly after that the others started pulling away and I did all I could to keep them in sight for the following few miles.14519931_10207549313870641_1467317158645578447_n

Unlike other races this year there was no-one near me that I knew, mainly because a lot of Group D runners weren’t present but also going off a bit quicker the ones I did know were left behind so it was a bit of a lonely slog on slightly undulating but not hilly lanes avoiding tractors and one particularly rude driver who decided it was okay for her to weave between us and the marshals !

After about 10 miles I had well and truly had enough, the marathon a couple of weeks previous was taking its toll and I gave up any thoughts of a PB and just settled for the fact I was in front of all other group D’s and should get my 50 points. At about 11.5 miles there is a big downhill which caused a bit of a pull in the thigh so I had a brief stop to stretch off before turning the corner and starting up the Sting in the Tail. Now anyone who runs round Stone in the summer knows we climb much bigger hills so this Sting was nothing more than an irritating itch but after 12 miles it feels much worse.

The last mile was a bit of drag as the sun was quite warm by now but I crossed the line in 1:35:03 (chip) which was over a minute better than my PB at Uttoxeter earlier this year and my goal of 50 points and a PB was achieved, the only annoyance was why did I stop for a stretch…it could have been sub 1:35…..next time !

I made my way over to Jo Bentley who was first in for the club and also 1st F40, Mick Downes and Kirsty ‘Pocket Rocket’ Stephenson who all looked fresh. We then watched as the other Bats came in, I have put all the results on the website so sorry for no mentions here but work keeps getting in the way….how rude !

Once we were all in we managed a couple of photos and then made our way back to the school to pick up goody bags and T Shirt and then all went our separate ways.14470436_10211011265896756_153102930136414119_n

It was a great race and although I left feeling a bit annoyed at myself on reflection my Garmin said it was my quickest 10 miles, 15K and 3rd fastest 10K and of course PB for a half so perhaps it wasn’t all bad.

Later that evening when the #thumbsupforemma photos started appearing it made the hard work worthwhile and that running with the Bats is absolutely fantastic and the camaraderie we have is one of the main reasons I run.

Go Bats !14600983_10211012610290365_2762022607217806749_n

 

Half Marathon, Race report

Tissington Half Marathon – 9th October 2016

This is one race that I’ve had booked for nearly 12 months following the high recommendations from Richard Shaw.  After another season of NSRRA races the appeal of a ‘downhill’ race was too tempting to pass up and being held in the best county of Derbyshire (I was born in Chesterfield) meant that it was one that I had to do.

It was decided that this was going to be one of those races that the family, including doggy,  would tag along to and we’d talked about the arrangements for it weeks before however when talking about having to leave at no later than 7.45am to get there on time the appeal of having to get up at 7am on a Sunday morning was not great.  As you may know I, like Paul Phillips, like to be at a race nice and early and for me a 7.45am departure left me worried about being late.  According to calculations I needed to be at Ashbourne Leisure Centre to board the bus by no later than 9.15am and I would need to ‘use the facilities’ before then so that means arrive by no later than 8.25am.  Justin assured me that even though ‘aarouteplanner’ predicted 40 minutes that he’d get us there way before that, oh yeah but you didn’t predict roadworks and cow herds did you dear!!  We eventually get there in silence, surprisingly park up with no problems, had to plead with the woman at Reception to change a tenner for parking then a couple of loo stops, quick drink, kiss the dog and board the bus.  Fortunately Richard and Victoria had saved me a seat at the front – thank you.

It was a lovely clear but cold morning and as the bus arrived at the start we all shivered our way up to Parsley Hay.  We met up with the other Bats running and the general feel was that it was a really good race to do, a lucky thing given that the bus had gone.  The race started a little late and we were set off in waves.  Victoria, Richard and myself got off in wave 2 and I was determined to try and practice my race pace ready for Dublin marathon in 3 weeks.  My long runs have been rubbish in training so I was really worried about whether I would even get round today.  There was no congestion like at some races and the trail just let you get into a good stride early on.   I hadn’t taken a drink or fuel as the promise of goodies at the drinks station was enough for me.  Jelly babies, Jaffa Cakes, Coke – yum and no bananas yay!  The stations were well spaced out so before I knew it we were passing through the last one at 9.5m.  You would think that one relatively straight trail would be boring but there were so many changes of scenery that I never got to the stage of “oh god there’s another sheep”.

I never tend to look at my watch during a race, rightly or wrongly but at just after 12m I thought I’d have a little peak and was a bit confused as to why it said 1.41, maybe it had stopped but the mileage was bang on.  Maybe I was on for a whopping PB and finally get the sub 1.50 that had evaded me for so long.  The last stretch was the only uphill part of the course and was well supported so I pushed on and felt strong going over the finish line.  I was so pleased not only to bag a PB but to actually feel like I’d had a good run which leading up to the marathon is worth a lot.  14519912_1884313131796995_6030840218449421942_n

Victoria, Richard and me regrouped at the finish line and I became a serial hugger, much to the kids’ disgust, from the elation.  There were more goodies to be had at the end but I’d been promised a pub lunch.  There were many other PB’s on the day – well done to everyone!

In summary, the race was well organised, on an excellent fast course and definitely one that I’d do again.

Anne-Marie

Marathon, Race report

Wachau Marathon – 18th September 2016

My journey to complete my first ever marathon started in Paris this year, supporting some of the bats as they made the long slog round the course. It was the day after sitting in the hotel reception whilst Bernie & the others entered the Wachau marathon for Bernie’s birthday. At this point the longest race I had done was the Westbridge 5 the year before but for some reason when asked the question I thought it would be a good idea to run the full marathon so agreed & entered there and then.

My friends Dad had just lost his short battle to cancer so in memory of Malcolm & for my friend I decided to use the race to raise money for St Giles hospice which was also my motivation during training.
May came with my first half marathon and training was going well.

It has been a hard summer training and some days have not gone well to the point where a few weeks before I could not be sure I would even get around the course.
Austria arrived, it was such a good weekend I almost forgot about the small matter of the marathon, that was until we were sat in the taxi on our way to the start. Nerves started to appear and I realised there was no way out, I had to get to the end.

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The marathon was a point to point race that ran along the river which was a lovely site at first, however the longer the road went on the less I liked looking at the river. For me I found the second half quite lonely as there were clearly not as many runners going as slow as me.
I remember going into Krems which was where the race ended, I had never been so happy to see the finish line until I realised that I was to run straight past it as I still had a big loop of the town to do before finally crossing the line.

I owe a big thank you to Paul Phillips who ran with me for the first half of the race & encouraged me to keep going.
I should also thank Jim who has been like a personal trainer to me but also the Sunday morning 8 am runners who always muster back for me & never complain.

14390675_10154387756102211_6728892174542164418_nOn a positive note I raised over £400 for a great cause & can honestly say that I am not completely put off by the idea of another marathon!

Lisa Holland

NSRRA, Race report

Ipstones 5 ish – Saturday 10th September

ipstonesHello again, its been a while since I last managed to get 5 minutes to write a report which meant I missed one for the Dave Clarke 5 so here it is in a nutshell.

5k, lots of Bats, Danny Soltys challenging Amy Gamble’s husband, footpaths, canal, lap of field, lots of pain but soon over. I managed to scrape 49 points in my group which was ok and all the results are on the website – job done !

Anyway onto this weekend – a Saturday run at 3:30 in the afternoon, this had its plus points as it meant not having to watch Stoke and also (don’t tell the wife) we had family over which meant I had to nip out for a few hours.

As regular readers will know myself and Anne-Marie tend to get to races early and this week we had to collect Joyce on the way so we pencilled in an early pick up, however, when Anne-Marie arrived at about 20 to 1 even I was surprised as I was halfway through my lunch and not dressed for running. Anne-Marie was an hour early so I sent her packing (she is trying to blame the kids for wanting their lunch early).

So at about 1:45 Anne-Marie reappeared and we set off to Ipstones – I haven’t done this race before but I knew Ipstones was in the Churnet Valley so there was bound to be a hill involved somewhere. We collected Joyce, arrived at Ipstones and collected numbers and our free gift (plasters or a cook book!) and then did our usual wandering around for an hour saying hello to fellow Bats and making excuses as to why we were just taking it easy and not being competitive.

A short warm up was involved and I spotted a few D runners, including Chris (Rugeley Runners) who is leading the way, deservedly so and Adrian (Cheadle) but not many more, another plus point of a Saturday afternoon run perhaps.

3:30pm, quick announcements, then we were off with a lap round the field just to lull us into a false sense of security before making our way out onto the road. It seemed a very serene start so I guess everyone knew what was coming up ! Once out onto the road it started to settle down with it soon becoming apparent that there wasn’t the normal number of D runners but we were all grouped within a few metres of each other as we began the climb.

I don’t mind a gradual climb early in a race as I find quite a nice rhythm and plod on and as it was I was passing the D runners including Chris and after the first mile was the frontrunner for my group and could still actually see the leaders ! However, I was in a similar position at Meerbrook after a couple of miles so I knew Chris wouldn’t be far behind but I kept pushing on and tried to enjoy the quiet (apart from the sound of runners heavy breathing and stomping feet) !

As we turned at the top of the hill we flattened out before a big long decline down a farm path and actually enjoyed it even though I was pushing harder than normal. Now being a 5 mile race there is not a lot to tell you about and before long we were back on the road with over 3 miles in the bag, now I had been warned there was a tricky hill about 4 miles in and so it appeared. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough Chris was there and I had a flashback to Meerbrook where Chris passed me on the last climb and as you know it is near on impossible to pass anyone down Gun Hill. However, Chris had run SC20 last week and we had only done 4 miles so I pushed on hoping to have enough left for a decent last mile and potentially a sprint finish if it came to it.

As we turned the corner we could see the cars on the field and the finishing runners so I had increased the pace and as we turned onto the field I could see the clock just passing 34 minutes so I gave it my all to try and get in under 35 minutes, if I was passed here it wouldn’t be for lack of effort.me

As it was 34:59 official time and managed to finish a few places and seconds in front of Chris for my 50 points. It might be enough to guarantee 2nd but as we have only raced 5 of the races against each other (Chris 3-2 up at the moment) Chris has managed more 50’s in the races I haven’t done so unless I can turn over the deficit I will probably be pipped to the post but let’s give it a go. (Come on D runners, do me a favour at St Thomas and take some points off Chris whilst I drink wine in Austria!!)

After I had managed to get my breath, congratulate Chris and Adrian who wasn’t far behind (the top 3 D runners) we then cheered on the remaining Bats as they finished.

We managed to get 3 NSRRA group winners by my reckoning – Bonnie, Mac and myself and Joyce was 1st F65 and a couple of second placed age group, Jayne and Kevin.

Moment of the day goes to Michelle Miles who put in an amazing sprint finish to beat 50 minutes !!michelle

A great turn out for the Bats and some great photos by Margaret Shaw which are all on the facebook page (pinched a few for this report).

Enjoy St Thomas and see you all at Congleton.

 

Go Bats !!

Paul

Race report, Ultra

Phil Cape smashes UTMB 2016 in aid of Lucas’ Legacy

Weird circumstances – did some ultras last year to show London Marathon that I didn’t need it after a load of unsuccessful ballot entries, then got GFA for London and UTMB entry for 2016.

Did ok at London but struggled to comfortably change training gear afterwards. Chamonix fantastic town in full carnival mode for the UTMB week – few nice days with family relaxing in heat and enjoyed supporting some of the finishers, knowing that a lot of tough races were taking place – then the work started 6pm 26th. The start was the most emotive I’ve seen – check out Vangelis : Conquest of Paradise (UTMB theme) – people were stood on the start line crying. Police on rooftops and single peace dancer before the start reminded us that France was still in state of emergency – then we were off. image

Lovely gentle ups and down to Les Houches, then carouselled up past the ski-lifts, reminding us that we were there to do some climbing. The views were and remained breath-taking. I’d been worried about carrying walking poles (which actually fitted fine into my vest) but very quickly it became clear that they would be out the whole time… Was running too fast especially on downhill then got to St Gervais, where got an idea of the magnitude of the event – there were hundreds of runners and supporters at essentially the first checkpoint and the only event to challenge LDWA catering. I sampled my first of the famous noodle soup here and would have knocked back litres of the stuff by the end. The other bit was recognising that as a mere mortal, a lot of this event would be walking-pole trekking up-hill as opposed to a conventional running event.

I normally worry about two things on ultras – directions (never going to be an issue in this race) and company (not a big talker normally but the miles and hills disappear as you jabber on about anything). Language clearly an issue at UTMB, but didn’t get sustained chat which was a challenge.

Notre-Dame de la Gorge stone fires and Les Contamines gave superb scenery and support, feeding stations and steep ascent. The difficult first night included the summits of Bonhomme, Calcaires and la Seigna, but I felt ok. The dark skies star views were fantastic. First hallucinations began – seeing marshalls where they weren’t, others were worse – some shouting at anyone who would listen for no reason at all! Lots of high mountains up and down including in T-shirts and shorts across snow-fields which was superb. Fantastic view over lakes into dawn from mountains framed by clouds. Steep descent into Italian Courmayeur smashed feet up ready for drop-bags. The run out of town –ahead of schedule – was hot and steep but was impressed by the way Italians were treated like superstars by the locals.

imageThe rest of Italy was just hard – 30 degrees at least. I had become fixated upon getting ahead of the cut-off times and ran too hard down two mountains (the beginnings of over-doing it), which set me up for a slow-cooking up Col de Ferret: able to see in the hot daylight just how steep and far we had to go. Became absolute convert to drinking lots from streams – more on that later. Too many people seemed to be giving up on the Ferret, walking head-down back down the hill and crushing when you think how far people travel to take part. I had been pushing hard for a long time by this point and when tried running downhill found had proper good quad-pain. Sat at check-point and for the first time felt vulnerable around completing, but also began to get confused about check-point times. Had been over-caffeinating and taking too much liquid and sugar; and was at this point that I decided to add brufen to the mix. The quads eased and a good downhill got me to into La Fouly with greater margin. Also now had irritating thirst that couldn’t shift and (wish I took photos) quality bloodshot eyes! A good feed then took off for the Swiss-leg, past the chocolate box chalets and drops from paths that you didn’t want to dwell on.

imageThis would be the hardest leg for me. About an hour into it although absolutely clear that I needed to be moving forward, I got the ‘detached’ feeling and lost sight of my next objective. The nutrition/heat/foot care/tiredness combination was checking me out. I focused and followed some French guys for about five miles until I moved ahead into a superb second evening electrical storm and cooling rain. I hadn’t reached the bottom yet but watched others simply lie/fall down and sleep! I staggered up to Champex-Lac where a huge aid station was located. It was a sensory overload. Hadn’t eaten for ages and become worried if able to drink as had been drinking so much. A very kind volunteer steered me towards the medics who did some tests (all ok) and wanted me to sleep for 20 mins to help in their assessment. Sleep? I had timescales to meet! I can’t sleep on command, but was on a sticky wicket – important that I get checked out, but I was in the worst place to present as flaky, as a headshake would have put me out in Switzerland in the middle of the night! Tests were all ok and was able to convince a really nice set of people that although hadn’t slept was fit to continue. Necked some food and drink and got out quick but with a new objective, forget the time – finish…

The rest of the night would be two of the last three last hills. Loads of relentless climbing, hot again and best described as when you’ve had one more than you should have but are trying to act normal. The second hill felt like the first – I was convinced that I’d seen that fir-cone or tree before… I had some conversations – some lucid – others not-so: I spoke to a guy called Dave at one point who was getting married next year in Hawaii and was thinking how to sell doing an ultra whilst there to his wife-to-be… he ran ahead a bit and I continued talking to him. After a while, the Spaniard who was clearly not Dave, gave up correcting me and we shot the breeze about whatever until we went our separate ways…
The final significant checkpoint was at Vallorcine. The bit I didn’t appreciate at the time was my need to change foot-care for these events – my descent to the food-station was woefully slow but my feet were on fire. I’ve thought before how do some people run 100 in the same socks and shoes and I’m ready to change both after 30. I left the CP very focused upon time – I had nine hours to finish (do-able) but I had to be at the top of La Tete aux Vents quicker (but not as quick as I thought) to avoid an earlier cut-off. The ascent was my opportunity and I pounded-up the last mountain, sparking a comedy race within a race where I think people thought I was going for places whereas in fact I was giving myself breathing space on the descent. Went most of way up with lovely guy called Craig (I’m sure but forgive me if mistaken) who was there for third time having lost his mother whilst taking part in last years’ event and was on course for a PB this year.
It would have taken a minute to have taken a picture from the Col prior to the big run-in but I was too focused on getting done.
Any other time the downhill would have been an enjoyable sprint – I shuffled for about two and a half hours, steering the odd runner away from the edge as they staggered down more than half asleep, until I hit road and could actually jog again. Did that, got a huge gilet as a reward (no medals at UTMB), my can of Kronenbourg and shuffled off to recovery… job done.image
Afterwards – couldn’t move the day after, then legs/muscles came back quite quickly, blisters were a problem and perversely right rotator-cuff pull meant two days not using right arm! Day two was stomach cramps heralding four days diarrhoea got me a little weak and under 12-stone for first time since kid! Loved the spring water – challenge them when they tell you it’s ‘potable’!

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Was privilege to be able to run for Lucas’ Legacy charity and am humbled and grateful to those who have pledged. Most are in now, but something in the region of £1300 has been donated – thanks and well done.
It’s a week since the finish, across the last few days I never wanted to run again at all, but am apparently eligible to be able to apply for next year. Not sure how reads, but if you want to run like you are running on the roof of the world, with the very best of views with runners from every corner of the globe, the pleasure is very much worth the pain. The PTL appears the actual toughest (290km), but the festival includes also the OCC (55km), CCC (101km) and TDS (119km) – have a look and review your bucket-list, cheers.