The HAIGH HALL Relay....first race of 2012

                            If you have a spare 15 minutes check out the video of the 2012 event 
                                 with relaxing guitar music selected from Youtube's listings.


Without cross country races to compete in there have been several years in which January and February have seen no races added to the lists and this year has been another. But  there were several options this weekend.
Preferred option was  the TRAFFORD 10K.  There were  entries on the day and reaching the 140 10K mark has a nice ring about it ,  but at my time of life I'm not going to get up at 6.30 a.m. to make the 9.30 a.m. start time in Cheshire.   There is a low key 5K in Blackpool also on Sunday also but  the club "appealed" for runners for a 4 man road event   ,the HAIGH HALL RELAYS, near Wigan, last Saturday so that  became the race of choice  as it would leave Sunday free.

 I had envisaged the Lancashire relay event would be better supported than it was.  I had forecast that many clubs would have used it as a guide to current form when selecting teams for the forthcoming Northern Relays.
But just 14 runners from 5 clubs toed the line for the first leg  in this event based in the Haigh Country Park located between the M6 and the M61.
 Setting off in 9th place on leg 2  I manage a smile (of sorts) for the JUST LOVE RUNNING photographer but I could immediately feel a hamstring sore from Wednesday's tough hill circuits.
But despite the brisk downhill 2 mile  the pain eased  and  was beginning to enjoy the pleasant surroundings of the country park but mindful that what goes down.....and down.....and  down...will makl for a tough ascent!

 Steve Quarmby of Lytham caught but didn't fly past and I was ready to dig in for the uphill battle when the bottom of the calf stiffened up.  I couldn't hold Steve and he took another 30 seconds off me as I laboured up  through the trail and road to the changeover point.  If you view the video you will not I'm shaking my head as I finish and the photo indicates the toll the hill has taken out of me.
 My time of 28.54 for the 3.8 mile downhill/uphill race with initial miles of 7.10 and 7.00 gave some indication of current fitness  but all in all the flat Blackpool event would have told me more and been kinder to the old legs.
 Still a good afternoon of friendly, low key athletics which left Sunday free to support Sally M. as she tackled the much sterner test over 20 undulating miles in the SPEN 20........