After BOGGART CHASE 10K...I'M TURNED "PROFESSIONAL"

              PRIZE WINNING SALE HARRIERS AFTER THE 2012 BOGGART CHASE 10K

 One of the first people I chatted with having arrived at Boggart Hole Clough track for the BOGGART CHASE 10k  was M60 category leader in the Manchester Parks GP series, FRANCIS DAY.  So his presence and  the nature of the course with its 5 hills meant one clear option for the morning was to run conservatively and ensure there were no calf strains or hamstring pulls.  Just run to secure the points.

 But that option wouldn't have given me the chance to compare 2011 and 2012 times: so for the 4th consecutive week, unusual for me, it would be another 100% effort.   An effort largely spent trying to claw back  the time lost in the first  two miles to several faster starters including Sale Harrier teammates,  JACKIE CORDINGLEY and LYNDA ROWLINSON even though I had consciously tried to start faster than in 2011 and not be overly cautious.

 Following two+ laps of the track and a thrash out of the park down Charlestown Road we swing back into the park, lose height rapidly and are then faced with the first tough ascent back to the track.   The ladies are in front still plus  3 young, strong looking lads from Manchester Frontrunners.

On a cool, damp and blusterly day the large well established trees provide welcome shelter as we recover with another descent but then endure a pull up again to the 5K point.  It would appear I'm ahead of last year's 5K time.

 I've made some progress in the recovery chase but it's on the 3rd very steep hill that those in sight appear to be suffering and pleasingly I start overtaking.   As we pass by the track to start the last lap I've passed the ladies,  one of the Manchester FR lads and continue the chase after the other two,  LEE MARJORAM and LUKE WOOKEY with  Middleton Harrier COLIN CARTER visible in the distance.   It's proving a very hard task as the younger runners  breeze down the descents running freely; in contrast  my short tight strides restrict me greatly.  I certainly don't want to pull a hamstring  after 8K!

 But once again the  Manchester lads don't seem to like the steep ascents at all. I pass them and offer  encouragment but perhaps one running carrying an iPhone doesn't help!   

 The Middleton runner has equally suffered and as I reach the gate to the track I'm thinking "mission accomplished". 

   BUT the two young guns aren't  going to give this grey old wrinkly the satisfaction and inspired by the sight of the finish line 100 metres away,  from who knows where,  LUKE and COLIN  both muster up a massive degree of  extra energy and leave me well and truly for dead!.    Shame the race didn't finish at the top of a hill.  

  Last year I ran 45.52, the race run at the end of a week totalling 41 miles.  This year  my timing shows 44.54  at the end of an easy week's running. So the race programme followed by a "taper" seemed to pay off.  

 I won't say how much  I won for second in race category in case the tax man reads this  (which being cash  now makes me a "professional"  runner by definition and presumably disqualifies me from running in the RIO de Janeiro

Olympics!?) plus a nice cheque for 2nd in the Grand Prix  but let's just say it was enough to enter one of those "Great" races which charge £55(?)(whoops!)

  There was a constant stream of category winners from our Sale Harriers picnic table at the presentation, as can be seen from the picture above.

DON GEORGE, BRIAN BRADSHAW,LYNDA ROWLINSON,the spectacularly improved JAN NICHOLLS, JENNY MILES, JACKIE CORDINGLEY, FRANK CORDINGLEY , JERRY SMITH and LAUREN DAVIES.
 The race was won by MOHAMMED ABU-RAZEQ in 32.50.  In recent 10Ks he has run under 31 mins.  An indication of the challenging nature of the course.  First lady was 21 year old Salford runner NINA MC ARTHUR who ran 39.54 who coped with the hills extremely well winning by over a minute.

Easy on a Saturday morning!

On a rather balmy but dry Saturday morning , my dear wife Pat is toiling out in the garden whilst I am sat comfortably typing this.  I am on strict instructions NOT to join her as I did last Saturday  before the BLACKPOOL 5K the following day.   She is convinced it was the reason I ran 21.27 having run 20.59 and 21.02 in recent 5Ks.   She may well be correct; grafting in the garden does take it out of us.

  My spate of binge racing has taken a toll. It's certainly been a case this week of just ticking over after recent events with no run exceeding 4 miles.  So yes  I'll behave myself as tomorrow it's the last of the 5 events in the MANCHESTER PARKS GRAND PRIX series.  The infamous BOGGART CHASE 10k  hosted by Salford Harriers in North Manchester.  It's a real roller coaster of a course; not one for the faint hearted!

 The series has not been quite the commitment of 9 races in that Leeds Leisure Grand Prix 25 years.  I was very pleased as I wrote last time to win that with 1791 points out of the 1800 on offer.   The chance of a win in this sereis however is very low. 

 The MANCHESTER Grand Prix has really scored us in our respective age groups.  There are only 3 in my M60 age group.  Leader FRANCIS DAY (East Cheshire)  has 9 points, I have 8 points and ARNOLD BRADSHAW (Manchester)  has 6 points.  I am very unlikely to get anywhere near to Mr Day if he turns up so even if I finish last of the 3 of us I'll still finish 2nd overall.
  Much the same situation as it was last year!!  I'm amazed that the series is not more popular as the increased cost of £25 for 5 races is still very good value.  

 Question is then, as it's my 4th event in 4 weeks on a very hilly challenging course should I hold back and just run to finish,  as even with a 100% effort the time is going to read very slow anyway OR not be a wimp and give my a full blown effort to see how my 2012 time compares with the 2011 time?

1987. LEEDS GRAND PRIX WINNER...AT LAST!

A huge upsurge in the sale of gels etc this week. 
Yes, it's GREAT NORTH RUN weekend once more.  55000 taking part!!
I'm still amazed by the number of those coming in who will be tackling the 13.1 miles from Newcastle to South Shields who have not exceeded 10 miles in their training and the number for whom the event will be their first race.
 It just makes more sense to me to build up the racing distance rather than starting with a half marathon or marathon.  I would still prefer to see new runners become comfortable running several 10Ks, bringing down their times as they get stronger than struggling around 13.31 miles or 26.2.
 But so many don't seem to regard the shorter events as a real challenge; as if there's no real kudos attached to running say sub 40 for a 10K than saying they've completed a marathon even if large sections have been walked.
Many justify not having at least covered the distance in training by saying "the schedule didn't tell me to" OR 
"Oh, I won't be racing; I'm just  raising money for charity"
I defy anyone not to react to the racing pace of those they are rubbing shoulders with; particularly a young man when an old wrinkly passing by!
 I had hoped to see MO FARAH competing but we are now being told that he  
"will be among five London 2012 gold medallists to perform the role of starter at the Bupa Great North Run.  Up to 55,000 people are expected to take part in the famous half marathon on 16 September.  Farah had been due to compete for the first time but has withdrawn as he has not had  time to train for the distance"  
 I think we would have all accepted that 13.1 miles was not the distance he had been focussing on and as such not been critical if he had been beaten by say a marathon trained specialist. 
             Shame. It would have been interesting to watch.

 THIS WEEK 25 YEARS AGO........I WAS HAVING A RACE BREAK!
 September 6th saw a final end to the LEEDS LEISURE SERVICES GRAND PRIX which had begun way back on March 29. It had been a real test fortitude, resolve .....and the ability to stay clear of injury throughout the spring and summer months.
 Fortunately I managed to stay injury free, unlike my young "rival" Mr. Convery who missed the last 2 events.  His absence at that last event, the KIRKSTALL 10K, gave me the maximum 200 grand Prix points and confirmed me the Grand Prix winner.  Can't recall what the prize was but it didn't necessitate hiring an armed guard for a trip to the bank the next day!
 I was pleased to have won having completed all 9 events but it had been quite a commitment and meant that I'd not been able to run several other "traditional" races I would normally have run in. 
 With no race this weekend in 1987 the mileage was back up to 76 miles.  12 runs in the week including the customary Tuesday and Thursday track sessions.
 6 x 800 on the Tuesday (2.32  2.33  2.31  2.32  2.32 2.31......how that for consistency!)
 16 x 200 on the Thursday ( averaging 33 secs)   My first visit to the Keighley track which has been recently refurbished.
 This week in 2012 I'll cover less than half that distance. 
                          Perhaps that's where I'm going wrong?

BLACKPOOL AUTUMN 5K 2012....it rocks!

 As the years of competitive running have swiftly passed I've tended to veer away from what I call "binge racing". The practice of racing week after week.  With the number and pins barely taken off the vest from last week's race it's time to be putting on another one.  No rest for the wicked or the binge racer.
 But sometimes circumstances are such that needs must as a race provides a reasonable alternative to a solo track session.  So,  slightly deviating from our latest journey to the Lakes, I joined just 69 others for the BLACKPOOL AUTUMN 5K despite having run another 5K and a 10K in previous weekends.
 Autumn? 
Dismiss immediately the thoughts of chilly temperatures and paths strewn with fallen russet leaves;  the leaves were still firmly attached this day on September 9th and the temperature was above 20 degrees with a   welcome breeze ensuring that we were not too uncomfortable.
 Organised by Nick Hume and his team at Blackpool & Fylde A.C. the low key event (think no start banner, no K markers, just 70 runners) started on the Stanley Park track and takes in a couple of laps of the middle of the park rather than circuits of the external pathway.
Traffic free but watch out for dogs, children on scooters and kids on scateboards!
 In an event dominated by the over 40s ( as is becoming the norm!) Blackpool's JAMES MULVANEY was unchallenged winning in 16.20; with 15 year old REBECCA FLANAGAN (Rossendale) first (very young) lady in 20.48. But 2 63 year olds  had already finished!  ARNOLD MELLING ran 19.48 followed by evergreen ALAN HUDSON in 20.12.
 Having recently run 20.59 and 21.02 this 63 year old  was a tad disappointed with 28th in 21.27 but it was still a better effort than a solo 5k on the track at Nelson or even 5 x 1K reps and of course I 'd have missed out on a BWFAC flask and a pink stick of rock!  
 The event was only the 35th 5K race in my 49 years of competition; compared I note who have run over 30 5Ks this year!!  
 This spate of binge racing will continue ,all being well, with Sunday's BOGGART CHASE.

THOLTHORPE 10K......evaluation

  It was good to relieve the old feet with an easy few laps around the fields tonight.  My usual "easy" Friday.  I thought that I'd have the fields to myself but it was registration night for the new season at the Ben Rhydding Hockey Club.  Dozens of maroon clad youngsters and their enthusiastic parents ensuring the club will not be short of candidates for this season's teams. For the moment at least!
  It's the only venue I "run with music"  as there are no cars or bikes.  I was reminded of the fiirst mile or so in last Sunday's Tholthorpe 10K.  If you read the report below you will recall I tried to hang on to the flying septuagenarian, Mr.Gibbs,  for the first couple of miles.

      But we also had a young man in tow.
 He had earphones in and his "device" was saying to him"........
  "YOU ARE AHEAD OF YOUR TARGET PACE! 
     YOU ARE AHEAD OF YOUR TARGET PACE!"
 Naturally I couldn't resist pointing out his dilemma.  Should he ignore the voice in his ear and try to hold on and beat 2 old wrinklies, risking failure.  Or should he listen to the voice in his ear and watch us slip away.
 No prizes for guessing ............when I spoke to him after and "ribbed him" about letting 2 old guys beat him he said he was still suffering a hangover from the copious (my word) amount of ale he had  consumed. ......on the Friday night. Lightweight,obviously!
 With the heat, the inclines and the strong breeze I doubt anyone hit their target or predicted  time.
My 53 seconds over compared pretty well with others based again on recent 5K times.
 FEMALE F40 RUNNER ....19.23 5K..........predicted 39.46..........ran 40.49...........1.03 mins over
 MALE     M50 RUNNER....19.17 5K..........predicted 39.34..........ran 41.05...........1.29 mins over
 MALE     M70 RUNNER....20.50 5K..........predicted 42.40..........ran 43.28...........0.48 secs over
 MALE    M50 RUNNER.....18.29 5K.........predicted  37.58..........ran 41.07 !!.......3.09 mins over
  Hardly surprising that the latter runner was very disappointed with his time.   He said he had been doing plenty of speedwork recently but had perhaps been neglecting endurance runs.  He concluded he had been caught out by lack of balance in his training.  Easily done at this time of year.
 In conclusion,  the event is not quite as fast as the organisers claim.....allow about a minute particularly if the sun's high in the sky!

THOLTHORPE 10K....for a change!

Living in Yorkshire but being a member of Sale Harriers in Cheshire, my inclination when choosing races is to look generally to travel west. So yesterday I thought I would stay in the White Rose county and keep race selection "fresh" by sample a new event for me, the THOLTHORPE 10K, being held for the 17th time.
 The event's website promotes the event as a friendly race, ( so presumably no pushing, no punching, no barging, no biting allowed)  on a measured fast course.  With a finish adjacent to a "picturesque" duck pond it certainly sounded very attractive.
 THOLTHORPE   is now a sleepy commuter village 5.25 miles to the east of the A1; 11 miles to the NW of York. But it'a bit off the beaten track.  One tip if you have satnav in you car, use it!  It's  not  quite the easiest of places to find as the area is crisscrossed by a myriad of narrow country lanes and you may even
find yourself paying 40P each way when crossing the rickety wooded ALDWATER BRIDGE TOLL BRIDGE at 5 miles per hour. The satnav has warned me!
 The THOLTHORPE 10K could be said to be the very antithesis of the mass participation 10Ks.
The venue, a quintessential sleepy Yorkshire village with a Church, a pub and a duck pond in the middle is not quite just off Albert Square Manchester.  There's no need to enter months ahead to get in; despite the website saying queues for entry on the day would be "manic" I simply  strolled  up to an empty desk an hour before race start time and hand over a modest £8.  You won't be lining up with a host of invited foreign athletes.  No problem parking on the lane leading to the remains of the former RAF second world war air base and a nice commemorative mug as a souvenir.
 Now  I think we all know the formula for 10K prediction time don't we?
You take your recent 5K time , double it and add a minute.  Simple.
 You then simply divide your predicted time by 10 and you're away. In fact why bother going, you know what time you'll be doing anyway.   But in reality, not quite so simple.

Having run 20.59 and 21.02 in 5ks recently the formula would suggest a target therefore of 43 minutes. So quite simply hit 4.18 for each K and there you have it.  But doubts about the course set in during prerace conversation with Bingley super, super vet FRED GIBBS who said he would be looking for approx. 42.30 "on this course" clearly implying that it certainly wouldn't be flat.
 It wouldn't be cool either; the temperature was rapidly reaching and surpassing 20 degrees which came as a bit of a shock to the system after recent single figure temperatures.  Throw in a strong westerly breeze and we knew we were in for a tough morning.
 I replied that I was looking for  about 43 so quite clearly I said I would try to stay on Fred's shoulder for as long as I could!  No easy task as 74 year old Mr. Gibbs has a whole string of British masters titles to his credit and currently ranks no.1 M70 UK for 10 mile.
 Fred slipped by in the first uphill K .  I managed to hold on for the first couple of miles but the gap slowly widened. Whilst he was never much more than a good stone's throw away, I just couldn't bring him back.
He went on to run 43.28 to achieve 3rd place in the 2012 UK ranking.
 I  was 25 seconds behind running 43.53.  A good sold run for my 144th 10K.
The splits reflect the undulations of the figure of 8 course.  It's far from being pan flat but no where near as challenging as the Boggart Chase will be in two week's time.
                         4.25  4.16  4.18  4.19  4.25  4.27  4.31  4.27  4.45(!)  3.57
Ripon's MICHAEL APPLETON  won the race relatively unchallenged in a moderate 35.17 from ex Otley and Ilkley Harrier MATT COX  (36.29) making a comeback after an horrendous bike accident in which his front forks spontaneously collapsed.   Nasty! Good to see him back.
New Ilkley Harrier BETH MASSEY was first lady in 40.49.
 I was suprised that the vets categories were in 10 year bands and that there was actually NO M70 category
  But such was the excellence of Fred's run that beat me the M60 award despite being 74 (!).
For me, some meagre consolation in being first M60.    Well done Fred!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

On this date 1970 the sun shone brightly, the temperature was in the '20s and for me it was to be a day of great exhileration and anticipation.  By  3.3O I would be married.
 I had only just come out of short trousers, had only just started shaving, had only just stopped receiving a few pence pocket money, supplemented by own fund raising via baby sitting, delivering bread, delivering newspapers etc etc, yet was going to set up home with my  new wife  in another county. Yorkshire!
 Well that's probably how my mother viewed it.
In truth when my lung surgery prevented me from going to St. Mary's in Twickenham  I   worked for a year in a Manchester furniture office, I then  worked a winter on West Yorkshire buses and had completed the first year of my Human Movement degree course at Trinity & All Saints in Horsforth, Leeds. In short compared to my fellow students straight out of sixth form,  I felt quite mature.

 Pat had just finished her degree at Leeds Uni and we decided rather than her go back to Stockport and we continue a trans-pennine romance she should stay with me in Yorkshire.
 It was a bit strange being the old married man (at 21!) on the college course but moving out of college into our modest terraced house over the hill in Yeadon  at least would see me resurrect my commuter running as I did from home to school and later work that I did in Manchester.  Except  the  air would not be polluted by thousands of Manchester homes all burning coal.
 Most of the lads on the course were into football but I did at least develop a bit of interest in a college cross country team and we actually competed in the West Yorkshire Cross Country league which years later I would sponsor under the Complete Runner banner.

 Sadly my time at T.A.S.C. did not coincide with the year IAN THOMPSON came.  1973.
I kept being told about this post grad who was seen "going out from a run" only to return hours later.  When I met him it turned out he had finished just behind me in the English Schools in 1967.  23rd to my 18th.
 I asked him about all the long runs he had been seen doing. He said he was going to have a crack at a marathon.  The race, as they say, is history.........
 Having never raced over 10 miles before and with a goal of 2:20 in mind he proved a revelation running 2:12.40.   Selected for the Commonwealth Games in 1974 he improved further winning in Christchurch in
2 09:12. 
 In less than a year he had risen from comparative obscurity to the world's No 1 marathoner!

Meanwhile,   I was trying to resurrect my running career whilst studying for a P.E. degree and learning to be a student husband ,in every sense.
 Pat was the "bread winner" then starting work with mail order giant Grattan and  42 years later continues to be the driving force in our own business.  She is a lady of great fortitude, resilience and needless to say extremely tolerant.
                            After all she has had to put up with me for 42 years!!

LANCASTER 5K SERIES RACE 4 AUG 25 2012

I never sleep well after a race. Especially when the race has been an evening one ; this one starting at 6.30 p.m. from Lancaster A.C.'s H.Q. at Salt Ayre.
I lay thinking about the first two miles run on Saturday night.  Two miles matching  strides , running shoulder to shoulder with MARTYN BELL of HORWICH; him telling me about his comback after several years away from the sport as "life" took over.  Me telling him about a memorable 4th at his local Rivington Pike Fell race as a fresh faced youngster.
  I asked him what he was hoping for tonight. ; he said something beginnng a 15.  I said I'd be "going through"  in about 15 minutes as well; except whilst he would be finishing I'd still have 1.5 K to go!
                 Anyway enough about the warm up what about the actual race?
I lay thinking that it was sad that  with a constant drizzle and a temperature barely reaching double figures it had been  a bit of a miserable,  disappointing  evening.  The block of training had gone quite well since the  July 28 race at the same venue and as I was hoping for a little improvement on that race 3 in the series.  A race for which  the wind had taken the edge off all our times.  
 There were no queues for late entry numbers despite arriving just 55 minutes before the race start and when I was issued with number 30 I anticipated that there might well be big gaps in the field in a small field.  This could well be a test of resolve if I become isolated. 62 eventually toed the line at the start on the Salt Ayre track.
 I lay  thinking then that it was no surprise the way the race went.  Detached well before the mile mark and under no threat from anyone behind.  The out and back second mile provides a good chance to spectate;seeing who is in front and how they are going.
  IAIN QUINN of Barrow is well clear and goes on to win unthreatened in 15:26.  Martyn Bell is going well and finishes 3rd overall, 1st M40 in 15:49.

 Bingley's  star on any surface she tackles, MARY WILKINSON, is not far behind and again despite running isolated goes on to finish 7th overall, first lady in 16:54. 
 I lay  thinking that her  time  would have been good enough for silver in the North of England 5K champs at the last Sale H. Sizzlers.  ANNA LUPTON, also well known for her trail performances, finished 2nd in 17:25.
  Mile splits were indicating that once again I was going to be hard pressed to break 21 minutes but  at least  as last time there were runners to haul back in over the last mile.  LIZ TOMES of Keighley was running strongly but drifting back gradually.   I managed to catch her just before re-entering the track and nudged past one more runner with a frantic last lap effort but it wasn't just good enough.  I watched as the clock turned to 21....21.02.
                No improvement. 3 seconds down.  

Without too much delay I went inside to put on a jacket for the cool down.  I was surprised to see that someone was already showering.  He came out and told me that he already run a 3000 metres and a 1500 metres on the track that very afternoon.  Eyebrows raised!
 But to add insult to injury I learnt that GRAHAM WEBSTER  of Lytham was in my age group,  having turned 60 in April, and had that he had thrashed me by well over 2 minutes!!
 I lay thinking  that I need to be racing more!. He has already listed 30 plus races this year from 800 metres to half marathon. Very versatile indeed.
  Needless to say I didn't stay for the presentation or the post race barbecue which was a shame.  As the rain continued to fall it was a night for heading off home and getting warm.
                         Another fine English summer night! Not!

A busy AUGUST back in 1987

  Looking back 25 years as I do quite regularly on this blog  I can't decide whether I'm correctly "growing old gracefully" as a runner or I'm failing to challenge myself enough!
    Take races.  1987 saw me tackling a 9 miler, the penultimate event of the LEEDS LEISURE GRAND PRIX we'd be involved with since March, the KEIGHLEY 10K and followed that six days later with the tough BURNSALL 10 miler.  This year it looks like my tally with be just 2 5ks!
  Regular readers will recall that in the previous 7 Grand Prix events I'd had to be content to play second fiddle each time to a more youthful John Convery,  who had notched up 7 x 200 points to my 7 x 199 points.  No chance of winning the Grand Prix unless John missed one or even both of the last 2 events.
Which unfortunately  he did. Presumably injured.
  By coincidence I saw John up at Carnegie track just last week and he was injured in August again. Obviously not a good month for him.  Whilst I ground out 16 x 300 as last week he had the pleasure of watching his talented son Sam go through his session.

 The lure of "big prizes" at the mildy undulating KEIGHLEY 10K that year saw many good runners coming from out of the area including a strong Sunderland trio of BRIAN RUSHWORTH (1st in 30:18) PAUL CAMPBELL (2nd in 30:53) and PAUL HARKER (7th in 31:54)  My 33:42 was good enough for only 30th place of 330 who finished.
 At the age of 49 Brian Rushworth ,pictured here, is seemingly as motivated as he was back in 1987 having run 34:16 for a10K in May this year.

  I hadn't particularly planned to run in the BURNSALL 10 Miler just 6 days later as I knew,  with staff holidays,  I was due to be working in the shop.  But much as the weather has been this week frequent heavy showers seemed to be putting people off shopping that day and so after lunch I started to think about driving the 12 miles up the Dales to do a late entry.  A VERY late entry!
 With the rain lashing down I arrived at 2.45,  just 15 minutes before the start, entered and took shelter back in the car until 2.55;  whereupon I ran down the hill from the Fell Hotel and joined the field of drenched runners already toeing the line.  Needless to say the first 3 miles were somewhat laboured but I eventually went through to 11th in 55.59.  "A good exercise"  according to the diary.
    Looks like tomorrow could be similarly wet!  If all goes to plan I'll be taking the easier option of the LANCASTER 5K.

MEXICO OLYMPICS...FROM A HOSPITAL BED

            1968.  Olympic year. MEXICO CITY. The games of the nineteenth Olympiad.  
Situated at over 7000 feet , Mexico City was awarded the games in 1963 and but initially little significance was given to the effect the height of the venue would have on endurance events.  
  But as the nations prepared, there came a realisation that those living at altitude would have an advantage over those living and training at sea level.  Physiological investigations were undertaken with regard to acclimatising  competitors.  The rather unsatisfactory compromise was  a short period of high altitude training , 4 weeks, before the games!  
  I turned 19 on Jan 2  and already there was talk about how tough it would be for distance runners at altitude come October.  But we weren't really aware just how times and performances of existing "stars" would be compromised.   However, my aims would be a somewhat more humble, lower level.
There would be some unfinished business as a junior and then trying to cope with the transition to senior competition.  By the spring I would be lining up with local internationals,  who just 4 or 5 years ago when I began,  I watched compete  when my race had been done and I looked on with admiration at the exploits of Lancashire stars like Ron Hill and  Mike Freary.
 My season on the country finished with a very pleasing 9th in the Northern Junior Mens Cross country championships helping SALE H. win the team award; just seconds behind several runners who would go on to represent England.  But significantly, I missed the National with a "chest infection".
 Switching to the road I was selected to run with the senior team in the Northern Road relay Champs and we managed to medal with a 3rd place behind Derby and Bolton.  But  the real test would come on Good Friday, the SALFORD HARRIERS 7.5 MILE road race. My first race with senior athletes.
As we lined up I looked along the line and seemed to see nothing but English internationals.  Ron Hill, Colin Robinson, Alan Blinstone, Steve Edmunds,  John Calvert.  Plus a whole host of other Sale teammates.
I  saw little of Hill etc  but did manage a very pleasing  18th running 37.39.
 The next day many including myself turned out again in what I expected to be my first fell race. THE RIVINGTON PIKE FELL RACE from Horwich.  It turned out to be a fast combination of road and trail which seemed to suit me as I managed 4th behind Olympians Alan Blinstone, Jeff Norman and Ron McAndrew.  Things were certainly coming together.
 On the track  I continued to concentrate largely on the steeplechase where I had finished 3rd in the National Juniors  the year before.  Stepping up to 3000 metres went well with a 3rd in the Lancashire Senior event and  a 9:13 clocking for 2 miles was also pleasing in June of this year.
 But the diary shows frequent references to back pain in the spring and early summer and matters came to a head on Tuesday June 25th. Setting off from work to run home as I so often did the diary tells of..
 "back and chest pains, turned back".  

I visited the doctors on the Thursday and was told that I was or had been "near to pneumonia"
 For the rest of the summer I continued to run but the discomfort would simply reoccur.
Eventully on September 10th  having failed to run a mile,  we returned once more to the doctors and we more or less had to demand an x-ray.   Late that afternoon, the x-ray revealed that my left lung had completely collapsed!  I never returned home; I was taken immediately to another hospital where they put a tube through my left chest to take air from above the lung so that it could reinflate.
 I was still in hospital when the MEXICO CITY games began .   But  by the time the athletics started I was allowed out of bed.   I was very keen of course to watch the 3000 metre steeplechase final,  particularly as some of the times being recorded weren't much faster than those I'd been doing!  The altitude was taking its toll.
 The only problem was the race would take place around midnight!  I had to enlist the cooperation of the night nurse who kindly agreed to wheel the small (black and white) TV into the corner of the ward.  She pulled the screens around and we would watch the race together,  without sound of course.

It was a KENYAN 1-2 for AMOS BIWOTT and BEN KOGO IN 8:51, 21 seconds slower than in 1964 and 30 seconds slower than in '72.  The Kenyans had arrived. 
  But sadly for me Olympic year 1968 was a traumatic one. A year which started so well but came to a depressing halt in June.  I spent 6 weeks in Monsall Hospital in Manchester; 6 weeks being fought over by a physician who wanted the lung to reinflate  his way and a surgeon who wanted to cut me up.  

 The surgeon would eventually get his way.....the following year.  There was more trauma to come.

SALE SIZZLERS RACE 4 VIDEO

The RONHILL SALE 5K SIZZLERS are one of several midweek 5K series which prove very attractive to hundreds of runners,  despite the attraction of the free Saturday morning parkruns.  Many of course will run a midweek 5K then a local Saturday event as well!  The Saturday morning events do become quite addictive, I believe.
 The driving force behind the Sale Harrier promotions is FECHIN Mc CORMICK and he must have been especially pleased last night when 510 finished the 4th and final Sizzler event;   well up on the 387 who completed  the first event. 
A very nice thought for last night's event,  to coincide with the LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS,  was to invite several North West Olympians from the past  plus STUART STOKES who competed in the 2012 Olympic steeplechase.    MICHELLE SCUTT, SUE CREHAN, DIANE MODAHL, RON HILL, ALAN BLINSTONE and JEFF NORMAN were all ably "interviewed " by M.C.  ANDY 0'SULLIVAN.

 The event incoporated the NORTH of ENGLAND 5K championships and it was  my pleasure to drive  over Otley A.C's rising star RACHEAL BAMFORD, hoping she would bring back a medal and good prize.  Which she duly did.
 However, Racheal was somewhat disappointed with her second place having run 17:13. I tried to remind her that whilst the Wythenshawe Park provides a very flat circuit, the stretches of trail,  the dozens of twists and turns all add to the final time.  The congested field on a the narrow paths will not have helped either. 
  I'm not sure she was having it! But I'm pretty sure she will be back under 17 minutes soon.    Perhaps having drown in the final waterjump when winning the Northern 2k steeplechase champs at Stretford recently  had dulled her speed!                        Well done, Racheal!


                                                        If you've 13 minutes to spare...........

LONDON 2012 TRACK & FIELD GOLD MEDALLISTS....THE MEN

                      THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES has only just finished. 

But how many of the MENS TRACK & FIELD GOLD MEDALLISTS can you recall?

                     

                                 TEST YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WATCH MY VIDEO..........

RUNNING WITH A FUTURE OLYMPIAN?

Having done a track session of 16 x 300 reps up at Carnegie on Saturday morning and with the Olympic marathon starting at 11.00 a.m. I decided to split my Sunday mileage into a 4 pre-breakfast and would do a steady 6 in the evening.   Besides he fact that I'm beginning to learn that at my age a track session followed by a longish  run is not always advisable.

 I was less than a mile into the evening 6 miler when a runner swung out from a road on the right in front of me.  He was a young lad of 14 or so. With his earphones in he was immersed no doubt in his music and didn't see me or hear me.
 With slight acceleration I caught up with him and  naturally I asked him what his run was.  He said he had done a couple of hill reps, was going to run a further couple of miles and finish with a couple of fast circuits.
 I told him what I was planning. an "out and back" 6 and as he seemed reasonably comfortable with my pace, he elected to stay with me.
 Gradually I accelerated,  as I tend to do:  I  enquired  several times if he was OK with the pace and each time he responded positively. He was coping pretty well.
 The miles we ran together were quite relaxed and we talked throughout.  We were not  racing each other and I was in no way testing him.  Nevertheless the teenager ran a very creditable 8.30 pace reasonably comfortably.
 I asked him if he was in a running club but he said no, he wasn't.  He didn't run for the school running team either.  He was involved in swimming but even that sounded a bit vague.
 He said that he wasn't really competitive just " ran for fitness" and to enjoy it; the main motivation of course
but I just got the feeling that if given the opportunity he could do more; he was a bit afraid of putting himself forward and would needed some encouragement from others.
  Here was a lad with undoubted TALENT which despite him being 14 looked like it had never been spotted or nurtured . Or if it had he had not the SELF MOTIVATION to take it to the competitive level.
 Personally I think given different schooling  he would have been already involved in schools cross country and athletics, he would have been motivated and would have been receiving GOOD COACHING.
 3 factors working towards "champions" of the future would have already been in place.  He clearly had a natural talent,  by 14 that talent should have been spotted and hopefully he had become motivated and backed by the fourth factor of good facilities and environment receiving good coaching.
 Here was the type of youngster that there is some much discussion about at the moment following the LONDON 2012 successes.

  Rather than just "running for fitness" I think he had been inspired by the London 2012 Olympics.
 On the run I suggested that he should get involved with running at school and even joined one of the local clubs and as he peeled off to run the short distance back home he said he would think about it. Perhaps he will go on to join a club,  perhaps he will have the desire to fulfill his potential and if so hopefully he will receive excellent guidance and mentoring to help him to achieve his goals.
 No doubt local clubs will be promoting themselves to increase their memberships but without factor 2, that self motivation perhaps he will just continue to run occasionally for fitness; which of course is great but I'm sure he has looked at those on the Olympics podium and thought.....what if?
  In contrast today I had the great pleasure of running an 8 on the Leeds Bradford canal with an English Schools Cross Country champion!   SALLY B. , a good friend  who I have known since she started winning Leeds Schools events as a teenager, was over from France where she has a high power exec. job and two children.  She has lost not of her motivation and love of running  despite having run for well over 30 years.   
 A running career which took her from her local comprehensive, to Millfield School, to Loughborough University and on to Arkansas University and her enthusiasm was still very much in evidence this morning as we ran shoulder to shoulder in fine bright warm Yorkshire sunshine. Superb!
 Having run a steady 4 miles we turned back and I could feel her sense of pleasure has we upped the pace to what is tempo pace for me now.   She has had set backs with injuries and leg surgery 
 but I could sense the fire is still in her belly.  She has aims and ambitions for the rest of the year.
             I would forecast a 10K well under 40 mins. if she can find the right event.

  
  

BOLTON ABBEY SPORTS TRAIL ON THE STRID

BOLTON ABBEY are often keen to add value and interest to those paying to park and enjoy the famous STRID TRAILS. To coincide with the Olympics they have laid out a SPORTS TRAIL .  An easy paced run today after yesterday's K reps on the road left the legs a "bit mashed" so happy to take time out to record some of their "displays" which walkers were getting involved with.

AN UNEXPECTED WOMENS OLYMPIC MARATHON

 Not sure which part of the body is most sore. the old legs having run 42 miles this week or my right thumb which has been working overtime on the remote switching between BBC 1/  BBC 3 on digital and Eurosport on Sky.  Not to mention the RED button or the BLUE button.   No such problems for my mother who seems totally unaware that the Olympics is even taking place.
 I'm sure she's not unique but I would say the majority of the country are gripped and will be so for the rest of the week after last night's memorable, fabulous 3 athletics golds following 3 earlier in the day.
 The rowing medals will maintain a flow of youngsters to the sport as Helen Glover did switching from running but I think the sport which will see the greatest amount of growth will be cycling. Certainly if the number of groups, families and individuals ploughing up and down the canal towpath as I enjoyed a steady 8.5 is anything to go by.  A run in bright, hot sunshine. A complete contrast to the thunder and lightning which
put a damper on activities for this part of the country for late afternoon and this evening.

 I had the Women's Olympic Marathon on record of course to watch this afternoon and what an interesting race it proved.  Glad I didn't have any money on pre race favourite  MARY KEITANEY who I expected to blast away after the 73 minutes first half but faded to fourth.
I thought the British girls would be lifted to great things so a bit disappointing to first see MARA YAMOUCHI   drop out so early and CLAIRE HALLISEY  run the second half nearly five minutes slower than the first finishing in 2:35.39 (57th) But I suppose all things considered Freya Murray's 44th place in 2:32.14 was pretty commendable. Again a positive split 1:14.12 for the first half.
 In contrast several women showed that negative splits can be achieved and the marathon wall is a myth if preparation is thorough and well considered.  PETROVA ARKHIPOVA (Russia) motored through from 19th at half way to take the bronze and demonstrate that medals are not an East African monopoly.  GAMERA (Ukraine) similarly pulled through from 20th to 5th running 73.15 for the 1st half and 71.17 for the second.   FLANAGAN of U.S.A. dropped from 6th to 10th and seemed to struggle in the second half but in fact she too ran the second half faster just in front of teammate GOUCHER who came through from 16th to 11th.
 I hope some UK girls who don't feel comfortable on a bike(!) will note that today's winning time was nearly 8 minutes slower than a certain UK lady who sadly didn't make the start line.  It would be good to see PAULA RADCLIFFE recover and start racing regularly again at cross country, 5K and 10K and finally accept that her feet just can't tolerate the mileage required for world class marathon training.  

What a golden night for Team GB!!!!

I'VE GOT TO HAND IT TO YOU, MO. 

NO, I'VE GOT TO HAND IT TO YOU, GALAN!

Just cancelled my high altitude training holiday in Kenya. Going to America to consult Alberto Salazar whose runners Farah and Rupp achieved gold and silver in the 10K.  Plus Jess Ennis did Yorkshire proud and Greg Rutherford.......well he's always injured....but not tonight!! Fantastic.

LANCASTER 5K ON TARGET?

 As we were up in the Lake District for a long weekend once more, we decided to nip down to Lancaster and sample the July LANCASTER 5K.  The 3rd of 5 in a 5K series hosted by Lancaster & Morecambe A.C. from their base at Salt Ayre track.
 Unlike so many parkrun addicts this would only be my 2nd 5K of the year. My only other effort over the distance being the Salford 5K (21.32) on a cold, wet night back in April.  Time for improvement?
 Having run a 43.00 10K on Blackpool promenade in May, the formula of deduct a minute and divide by 2 pointed to a 21.00 minute clocking. But of course theory and practice as we know can often be very different depending on the course and conditions.  Easier said than done.
 I anticipated there would be K markers so knew I would need 4.12 splits or 6.46 per mile if not.  Far faster than any of my training times!
 Warming up confirmed that the course would be "flat and fast".  We would start with a loop of the track which would break up the field before exiting onto nearby traffic free tree lined paths.

Unfortunately, for the 91 starters, on Saturday evening we ran into a very strong chilly wind from the 2 mile point to the turn point on the out and back route and consequently after a promising first mile in 6.50, the second mile disappointedly was clocked at 7.06.  It would need a big push to hit the 21.00 mins. target.
 But at this point I'm engaged in a 3 man tussle with unattached runners and with the trees shielding us from the wind we accelerated over the last mile.  As we run back onto the track one has been dropped but the other provides an excellent target for me over the last lap.
 He has several yards lead but when I determine that whatever his age someone wearing INOV8 trail shoes is not going to bet me over 400 metres! Battling to outsprint him takes me under the prerace target time............20.59!
Very satisfying and suggesting that with some decent speed work over the  next few weeks and given a calmer night a time that could be improved upon. But a full 1:23 seconds behind the first M60, Patrick Thomas of Hoad Hill harriers.  No prize on the night!                                                                    
Pat made one of her rare race appearances, pictured here number 30 behind Lancaster runner, Linda Stapleton F65 who she managed to pass to finish in a very creditable 27:45.  First F60 but behind Bentham Beagle's Valerie Harrold  who ran 26:54.
 There were a whole host of fast young guns out on the night with 17 under 17 minutes, the race being won by Danny Parkinson of Kendal in 15:03.  But the run of the evening was that of GEORGE THOMPSON
(Border Harriers) who as an M55 ran  16:02 taking him to first on the UK rankings for this year.
 Kelly Crickmore (Chester Tri) was first lady in 17:25.
  All in all well worth the trip to Lancaster to sample the potentially PB course. My only criticism, which I expressed of course!, was that in 2012 I thought the course would have had K markers which surely making pace targetting so much easier.
 The penultimate 5k will take place on August 25 and the last on September 29.
  

OLYMPIC MEMORIES....ABEBE BIKILA

There has been a great deal written and spoken about barefoot running in the last couple of years. Most running shoe manufacturers have re-introduced minimal shoe offerings back into their range ;some trying to go as near as possible to a barefoot shoe.
 Writers very often start with reference to ABEBE BIKILA and how he ran and won the 1960 Olympic marathon without the use of footwear in 2:15.16.2 in Rome.   As an 11 years old the grey, grainy
images of him on our small TV crossing the line,  appearing  as if he'd just run one lap of the track were amazing and inspiring.
                               Surely one of the hardest gold medals ever to have been won?
 Yes, he wore shoes next time around when he repeated his victory in Tokyo, winning in 2:12.11 but by the mid/late 1960s many senior UK stars , Bruce Tulloh, Ron Hill, Hogan etc were all racing barefoot and , of course, we juniors did likewise.
 I only trained on grass in barefeet and only raced once with shoes on plush parkland in the Inter County cross country.  Tulloh etc raced barefoot on cinder tracks without spikes but 26.2 is another matter altogether  at the speed Bikila was going.  Good times, good memories.

MOONRAKER 10 2012 VIDEO

My dear wife Pat was out with her wee camera at Sunday's MOONRAKER 10K staged by MIDDLETON HARRIERS at Bowlee, Manchester.  In competition with a local Race For Life event in nearby Heaton Park in which 2000 took part but still  111 tackled the undulating, challenging 10K which takes in tarmac paths , local roads and a degree of trail.  

MOONRAKER 10K 2012 REPORT

The last few years I've gone out of my way to keep the racing fresh by tackling one or two new races each year. Sodue for a visit to my dear mother Pat and I took in  the MOONRAKER 10K  yesterday taking place nearby to where she lives in North Manchester.
 It is based in Bowlee, a part of Middleton and apparently  the race is so called because  people from the town are often nicknamed "Moonrakers". Fine I thought but was is a Moonraker?
 I made prerace enquiries, being told that a Moonraker is a person who on leaving a local hostelry having imbided several pints of a locally  brewed beverage sees the reflection of the moon in a puddle outside said hostelry and given to hallucination makes attempts to scoop the moon up. So now you know.
 Obviously strong stuff that J.W.Lees ale brewed up in Middleton Junction!
 There's always a certain degree of apprehension doing a race for the first time but in trying to give myself a good idea of what was in store I came across this website below which indicated all I needed to know.  It showed the route,  gradient profile and a little animated man ran around it just to make it clear which way it would go.  Great stuff!
http://www.goodrunguide.co.uk/RouteViewer.asp?RouteType=A&RouteID=2158

 The guide indicated (and my warm up confirmed)  that we would start uphill and take in a 2K circuit of paths and some trail before exiting the start/finish area to climb up through the adjacent Langley estate. Having ascended to the 3 mile point we would then descend back to the grounds but return to the paths and trail for 1K before finishing.   I sense my task will be to pull back as many of the fast starters I can from the 2K point as we ascend to the 5K point.   

 We turned off the M60 and within minutes turned left up the extremely long and steep start to Heywood Old Road. My mind immediately going back to Sunday afternoons in the '60s doing hill reps up this monster under the guidance and encouragement of Alan Robertshaw, my coach at Sale Harriers. Character building stuff; paving the way for solo efforts to come.
    We arrived at Bowlee at 10.00 a.m. and parked easily just yards from the start. No problem.  A short walk to enter.   No queues;no problem, leaving ample time to warm up.
  Royton Roadrunners made up more than a third of the runners as we assembled for the 11.00 a.m.start.
We imediately start to climb and the incline  quickly spreads the field as does the narrow  single file trail section.  
   My prediction proves correct as (judging by the video) I am way back in 62 nd place of the 111 starters.
But 8.46 for a hilly 2K isn't too bad I'm thinking.  Now to dig in, start working and start overtaking.
 It's the next 3K which proves too exacting as the clouds part and the sun breaks through and is felt strongly on the neck and head.  My thoughts go to the Tour de France cyclists toiling up mountains.  This incline through the housing pales by comparison but still it takes us over 5 mins per K in places.  But as I thought I'm suffering less than others and going through.
 From 5K we are rewarded with a downhill/ flat second section to 9K and the last K despite yet another short off road section returns a 4:06 including the sprint along the finishing straight to just dip under 45 minutes in 44:57.  Good enough for 1st M60. I finish 41st having overtaken 21 from the 2K point.
 So to conclude if you are looking for a fast, flat  10K on a perfect road surface this is NOT the one for you.
But if you prefer a challenging  undulating event with a mix of terrain, easy parking, no queues for toilets etc.
chance of a shower after, reasonable prizes, a reasonable "goodie bag" and very good post race refreshment
all this could be yours for just £8.