Dead Runners society race report
NW Sunday XC league, Birchwood forest park
- sunday 20th February 2000.
Another birthday weekend up north and
this time I got to run my annual XC race on home ground as the race was
organised by Spectrum Striders, it was a bit muddy though!
Morning all
It's the morning after Tony's birthday, here's the report on the little run we did to help him celebrate another orbit of the sun. We spent the weekend back in Tony's home town of Warrington to visit Tony's family to celebrate his birthday. We were hoping to celebrate another birthday as well but our unborn nephew decided to spoil the weekend by staying inside Tony's sister-in-law. We should be heading back up north fairly soon to see the new baby when he decides to make an appearance. For the last 3 years now we have gone up to Warrington for Tony's birthday and we have also run in a XC race in the "North West Sunday XC League". In 1998 and 1999 this has meant a trip into Liverpool but this year Tony's hometown club Spectrum Striders were hosting a league race. In days of old when Tony was Spectrum Striders XC secretary he used to help to organise the race and never got to run it but this year Tony wanted to run it, well it was his birthday. Spectrum Striders normally let the fast runners run in our league race and the slow runners have to help out with the race organisation on the day, enough slow runners were found so that Tony could run. This year the course had been changed from the old "Pestfurlong Hill" course which was very twisty and hilly to an easier course over the road in Birchwood Forest Park.
Tony's report. We did about half a mile of jogging around part of the course to warm up, it was very soft going underfoot with an awful lot of mud, this was going to be interesting. I peeled off all my layers and put on my Spectrum Striders vest and jogged and splashed over to the start. Usual inaudible announcements as we were all lined up then off we went. It wasn't exactly a cavalry charge as we set off across the field as it was so muddy underfoot. After a couple of minutes we went up and down a series of little humps, took it carefully on the descents, after 1/2 mile I was already feeling tired and working hard. Worked my way through the field for the first mile but we were soon spread out. Back to the start/finish area in 8.26 after completing the first (short) lap and round we went again. Over the humps, nearly slipped up going down and I was feeling uncomfortable , it was going to be a day for slogging round. I didn't feel as if I was running properly as I was going so slowly due to all the mud. After the humps through the trees on a muddy, twisty path, down a hill and finally a bit of flat running along side the road back to the start/finish area. 2nd (long) lap in 14.17 and round one more time. Over the humps again, slip slip but I didn't go over, I was passed by a lady from Penny Lane Striders (Liverpool) descending the humps but I got ahead of her as we headed into the trees. Slogged through the trees again, feeling very tired by now, down another muddy hill getting passed by the Penny Lane lady before finally back to the flat. FINALLY I got into some good running as I knew there wasn't any more hard running left, I could see Shelley heading into the trees as I headed towards the finish. There was a pack of runners 100m ahead including one of my clubmates but I wasn't going to catch them, into the very muddy start/finish straight and over the line. 4.5 miles of mud in 37.21, last long lap in 14.28. I was 72nd/108 in the men's race, I felt I had had a bad run but the position wasn't bad for me. 2 years ago on a much easier course in Liverpool and when I was fit (training for Boston 98 where I ran 3h09) I was 66th, last year on a different easy course in Liverpool I was 92nd so an encouraging run.
About 5 minutes after Tony had finished Shelley came in, she was just behind another lady and tried to sprint in to overtake her but she couldn't get a grip in the mud to run fast. After doing speedwork for the two preceding days Shelley just had a steady run round through the mud, she finished 28th/47 in the ladies race. Next saturday is Shelley's big race, she will be running in the british veterans indoor track championships in Birmingham over 1500m. Nice to see some old Spectrum Striders friends again, we were hoping to meet up with my our Eurodead friend and Tony's ex training partner Mike Hoyland but we were told he had the flu and couldn't make it :-( Spectrum won the men's team race and were 3rd in the ladies team race.
bye
Shelley Walsh and Tony Bell
Milton Cambridgshire England
Tiger@shells.demon.co.uk
Shelley Walsh Shelley@shells.demon.co.uk
http://www.shells.demon.co.uk/index.html
Tony Bell
Tony@shells.demon.co.uk
http://www.shells.demon.co.uk/tonyweb.html
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