XC, Xmas, Entries, Etc.

Too much happening all at once this last week or so... Going to try and be brief.

Was suffering a persistent sore back at the start of the year there. Enough 'Carry On' style jokes about a 'little stiffness in the mornings,' thank you very much! It was all getting too much and I had to succumb to treatment at the hands of Brian Shanks, The Wizard of Church St., in Berwick. A couple of sessions there, along with renewed focus on stretching has eased up things a great deal fortunately, but running took a distinct downturn in the meantime and I've only done three training runs so far this year.

Consequent lacklustre performance in the recent XC's of the past two Sundays at Berwick and Gala respectively hasn't therefore been exactly a surprise to me. I've always found the Spittal out and back course quite testing despite it being relatively straightforward, but I do confess to being disappointed with my showing at Gala today on the revamped 'Old Skool' course which buried me completely on the out-of-the-park open country section. I'm sure we've all felt the frustration of how quickly good form can fall away if you can't keep up with training for one reason or another. And how long it takes to get the fitness back! Certain diehards on the circuit are always an inspiration though, with the ability to dust-off and get the bit between the teeth again, and being amongst a mix of familiar and fresh faces all giving it a go is part of the fun of this series. Good luck for all as we approach the last leg for this year.

Motivation to get going is high mind you. A spate of events open up the doors to entrants at this time of year and the wallet has taken a kicking, even if the pavements haven't- yet. I've put my paw-print against a much similar list of To-Do races as last year. So, look out Borders Tri Series, Castles Challenge Triathlon, Chevy Chase, Coastal Run and (gulp) Helvellyn Tri. amongst others. Some eyebrows have been raised. Some hushed tones adopted. Slogging up some of the hills at Gala today there was a perverse imp on the treadmill-in-my-head giggling at me, "Helvellyn! Who you kidding!" I shall endeavour to throttle it in the coming months.

And what of Christmas? So last year! Or even, 'So last night,' for that was when Wooler RC took their festivities down to the Ryecroft and gave them an airing. Bellydancing meets Rolf Harris meets A Stand-Up meets Abba meets A Folk Singer with a Smelly...Cat meets Al Jolson. I'm sure pictures may appear elswewhere, so I'm saying nae more about it other than.....All in the best possible taste!  Drinking too much would've been an easy excuse today but a liberal dose of surreal was somehow sufficient for me. G'day mates!

Simonside Cairns. First Loser.

It was some of the super photos from 2008 that tempted me along for a pop at this one this year. Although it was obvious that the same magical snowbound conditions weren't going to form the backdrop, I was still keen enough to set aside the 3rd leg of the Borders XC series in favour of extra distance and more testing terrain. Had some idea what to expect after Hillforts & Headaches on New Years Day- but all of the 'outback' section of the course behind the ridge was virgin territory for me. I hadn't gone out with Nick and Don for their recce which, by their own admission, had been (at least in parts) something of a headscratching session. They had managed to ascertain though that it was (surprise, surprise!) "A bit muddy!"

A record field dispersed from Rothbury at 11 bells and got stuck in. Initial leading pace didn't seem too crazy and I was content to sit at the back of the first dozen or so and concentrate on my own headgame of quashing initial enthusiasm/nervous energy, to avoid blowing up later. All the climbing in the first 3m seemed to flit past and I hoped that the steady progress I was making wasn't going to be echoed later with an equally steady descent back through the ranks. I was focussed on running economically and looking at who and what was ahead. At about 4m I was vying for 3rd place, and then 2nd, no-one more surprised than I. A bit further on and I was in what felt like a comfortable 2nd place with only the leader and another 6m or so ahead.

Whatever tussles we were having with fellow competitors, we were all in the same boat as far as what was underfoot went. And in some parts it might have been useful to actually be in a boat. The middle third of the route was ready to engulf the unwary. The footpath was dotted with little duckboard bridges here and there which spanned the swampier parts of the morass. As numerous 'tales at the finishing tape'  told afterward though, you were probably safer to pitch straight on through the worst of it than take the footbridge options for thereon lay a very good chance of sliding headlong rather than feet first into the drink! I had one 'near miss' and one forward sprawl. As well as this there was a tricky section of cleared forest with some nice ridge and furrow undulation round about Selby's Cove, heather covered sheeptrack- scratchy scratchy, a punishing rocky scramble up to Simonside itself, some pleasant grassy track (!) and leg sapping hard flagstones and actual tarmac too. The whole package. Of course, special mention should be made of the "Grotto Trot" a festive detour of a couple of hundred yards into the darkness of the wood wherein there were fairy lights and music playing, courtesy of the race organisers and a generator. Brilliant stuff!

With the Grotto and Simonside approaching I was still feeling chipper and increasingly surprised. Could it be that race leader James Buis, 200yards or so ahead, was slowing up? Phil Sanderson, (I'd wondered where he was! And failed to recognise him in passing too! Sorry Phil.) who was marshalling at Selby's Cove, hinted so. "You're going faster than him," he said as I made the stile. I started to think I could catch up and then, on breaking clear of the woods of the Grotto section, found that I had. James still had the edge. He'd either held a bit back over the previous mile or so, or was just keener, because he put 20yards on straight away up the Simonside scramble. I held on though. He drew away to about 100yards up but seemed to be taking it quite steady on the descents on the ridge and by Lordenshaws I'd almost got back with him. Round the Hillfort was where he racked the pace up though and put me well and truly in his wake over the last 2m which he covered a full 2mins quicker in decisive fashion. I'd had a good dig but felt the pinch over the harder ground on the run in. One of my calves was tightening up so I had to be content with second and a steady run in for home. Far from disappointed though, what may well be my last race this year had turned out to be one of the most enjoyable.

Eventually everyone was gathered in and a prize list as long as the race itself dished out along with soup and rolls in the  Newcastle Hotel. I took home a Christmas pudding for my efforts. It might just cover the calories burned up whilst swamp-trotting! Full results, photos, other reports and blogs links via NFR website. A shout out to WRC teammates Nick, Don, Kenny, Glen & Jack and my thanks to the organisers and all involved in hosting this great race.

 

 

XC 2. Lauder.

Anyone with any sense stayed at home. That didn't include Kenny and I, amongst others. The day dawned furious and foul with wind and rain, and more or less stayed that way. The only saving grace being that it wasn't (quite) freezing cold too.

There were other equally foolhardy souls swelling the ranks too. Both Kenny's son and my laddie had decided to brave the elements and have a turn in the Junior race. Did I feel guilty in egging them on? Increasingly so as their start time drew closer! The weather was at one of its dirtiest spells during the day as they legged it away from the start line. My son's face was set in a mixture of grim determination and, "I'll get you for this Dad!" Kenny and I weren't their only cheerleaders though because Kenny's wife Sue and my daughter and even my mum were out to watch too. Although it's always great to get support I have to confess to being even more amazed at those who are prepared to stand around the outskirts of muddy fields and applaude than by those who run through those same muddy fields. Three Cheers for the spectators!

And it was muddy. Oh yes! As the juniors slopped their way around the testing course I followed to (try and) warm up and began to think, "What have we let them in for! Jeez! These are wee laddies, they could drown in this!" But... they went the distance and, I think, came away with some of that strange glow of achievement and satisfaction that keeps us all returning to the seeming craziness of the XC fray.

The Seniors were off without delay at Noon. Rain held off for the duration of the race, a freak pause in the precipitation. The mud was still there though and it wasn't good to run too close behind the person in front during the first mile! I'm a fan of the course at Lauder. There's a pretty stiff climb after the first half mile taking the field out to some nice open country for a while and then back via a valley floor, criss-crossing the stream that runs along it. In the last third of the course is a shorter and steeper hill to climb, which had been turned into a good approximation of a mudslide by the passage of the junior race earler, and almost at the finish a couple of hundred yards along a track which had actually become a minor stream in itself. Absolutely no chance to navigate a better path, it was just a case of plough on through!

I had a good race. Managed to keep the brakes on in the first half-mile whereas quite a big group seemed to go out very quickly. Saved my effort for when the first hill began and was rewarded by being able to slowly pick off places for most of the rest of the way whilst feeling not too bad. I elected to vault a couple of gates rather than go through the wickets toward the end of the course, always risky but I think it makes for less of a break in rhythm, and that seemed to work in my favour too. One good tussle developed with the chap who eventually pipped me to 5th place overall! We'd traded places a couple of times over the last half mile and the way he ran up the mudslide hill had suggested to me that he was still going strong but might have used up just a bit much. I'd gained a neck sploshing down the track/stream but he still had that bit extra to outsprint me in the home stretch. 6th place it was, 1st Vet40.

Kenny didn't get outsprinted to the finish though. Far from it. I turned tail when I crossed the line to trot back a bit and watch him come in, which he did before very long- just trailing a group of 4 in front which he proceeded to demolish in the last 200m with a fantastic finish. Sterling stuff.

The bottom line is that everyone who turned out on such an atrocious day, competitors and spectators alike, deserves either a round of applause or a stretch in an institution, but I'm not sure which!

 

 

 

XC 1. Norham

Bang, and they're off again for the Border's XC season 09-10.

Lost count of how long I've been going out for this series. Always a good atmosphere, competition and motivator for training over the winter. I usually just feel like hibernating while the days are still drawing in.

Hadn't forgotten the usual conditions we find ourselves in on the Norham course, and it was as per usual for today's race. Mud, swamp, stream crossings a plenty! Proper XC. It didn't appear that anyone managed to get lost during the senior race this time though. Is this a first I wonder?

I posted an 11th overall, 2nd Vet40, and had what I felt to be an OK race considering having been a bit bogged down with a cold during the week and also out a-partying until wee small hours the night before. Straightforward race too, no interesting tussles to report, but I wish I'd had a bit more fight in me when a fellow triathlete went past at about a mile out, going strong. Good run Brian!  I was tiring on the run in though and dropped another couple of places in the last half mile or so which I thought I'd be able to keep in my favour considering the bit gap I'd opened up. 

Well done to WRC crew who turned out and sympathies to Bruce who cowped his ankle down in the dene and had to retire. Obviously a sickener for him especially since, from what I saw at one part of the course, he was having a strong run and was well up the field. This particular course always has some dodgy bits underfoot! 

Pentland Skyline (Sixteen Summit Special)

Err... Not trying to go one better here or owt like that, but I reckon this is where the Merry Men should've been on Sunday, never mind poncing about in their own back yard, so to speak.

Come to think of it I would probably have been better off sticking to local terrain too, especially since my efforts to rope in some other fools to have a crack at The Pentland seemed to have fallen on either reluctant or deaf ears. But... after feeling I could put in a better performance at this race than at my first shot last year, off I went with my fan club of Sarah and Beki in the car to keep me company. (They'd set their sights on the challenging south face of 'Ikea' after watching the race set off.)

Careful observers of the race profile above will see that none of the peaks on this course approach the height that the Chevy Chase gets to over Cheviot and Hedgehope. Also that the distance is less than the Chevy too. These two facts seem to have deluded me for the past 2 years now into thinking that The Pentland should be easier in some way, and my tiny little mind has somehow glossed over the pertinent fact that there is one-and-a-half times as much climbing to do as with The Chevy. The only easier aspect of this course is way-finding, and I can only say that since beautifully clear weather prevailed yesterday, and when I ran it last year, so the paths were easy to follow.

I hadn't arrived with much time to spare so it was a case of registering, kitting-up and lining up to start. Bumped into sometime Wooler RC visitor Tim, of Norham,out for a first go, and another familiar face, Ian R, of Dunbar. Earlier in the year Ian had come up on my shoulder during the Coastal Run and said a few words, shortly after which I'd taken off with renewed pace, not happy at being caught. He quipped that he's never said a word to anyone that he's caught up with in a race since. When he caught me during this race, somewhere about Black Hill I think, I just felt a tap on the shoulder and turned to see him pass, finger on lip going, "Sssh!" This gave me a much needed cheery lift because things had been going pretty much WRONG for a while beforehand!

Last year's experience had tried to teach me not to go away too quickly in the first part of this course but I still made the mistake of working too hard on the longest climb stretch after the low point at Flotterstone. There's a farm just before there and an old boy was enthusiastically counting the runners through. "Forty-six, forty-seven....forty-eight...." I heard as I passed, and his words were like a red rag to a bull. I'd been coasting, deliberately taking it easy, but suddenly I had that urge to gain a few places, prompted by a desire to improve on last year's 61st position. So, right through the hardest section of the course was where I wasted my energies and worked up to 32nd place, by my reckoning, at the midway point. The only delay in my progression came when a fellow runner went over badly, right in front of me, on a steep and stony descent. It was all I could do to avoid falling too by leaping over him and then putting on the brakes, along with some others, to make sure he was ok. Remarkably he got up and carried on, despite being badly bloodied! About 10 mins later he came past me, dripping gore, and I had to congratulate his courage.

But, after that it was pretty much downhill (and uphill and downhill and uphill...!) for me. "Relentless," is the best way to describe this race. Truth be told I hadn't done anywhere near as much training as necessary and so once I'd been out for about an hour and a half I was starting to tire badly. The majority of competitors are reduced to a walk on the majority of the climbs and I was holding ground there but didnt have much other than a feeble jog for the more runnable bits in the second half. I should've packed another pair of legs for the descents. All the places I'd gained soon slipped past, and then some, and it was a case of 'plod on' as best as possible whilst being thankful for good conditions underfoot and dry weather! At about 2 miles from home though I started to pull through the exhaustion and had a fairly strong finish to come in 59th and just 45sec slower than last year in 3:19:30, from a field of 160 some. 

Despite the toughness of this event I'm sure it would be to the liking of a lot of Wooler runners. Some of the second half of the course has more rolling terrain similar to that of the Cheviots and whilst the scenery is in contrast to the largely unspoiled Cheviots backdrop, on a clear day there are some really spectacular views. Well worth the trip, although I don't think my cameraphone shots do much justice.... "Hey man! Ye havenae got time tae be takkin' photaes! This is a race ye ken!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dude Alert.

Another break in the surf drought brought some good stuff from the last day of Sept. until 5th Oct- with the saturday off to have a breather (strong winds blew the swell out for a day) I didn't need to venture much further than Bamburgh to get my kicks, apart from the second evening when things were a bit rough there so the shelter of Annstead Bay beckoned.

High points were Fri. 2/10 and Mon. 5/10.

An early finish from work on the friday meant ample time in the afternoon to get rinsed in the great waves that were coming in and I spent about 3hrs in the water. Quite a lot of folk out too. I think Tynemouth must've been rammed and the overspill found their way north. Swell angle wasn't quite right to get the reef going but peaks and lines all along the beach gave room for all and some long swoopy rides were taken by many. A solitary figure did limber up and paddle over to have a go on the reef for a while. "Hang on!" thought I. "I recognise that goofy-foot style splashing spray about over yonder!" It was Rob, a mate I've not seen for ages, and he paddled over to the main beach break a little later so we had a jaw and caught up on each other's news. I was suffering a bit though. Went left on a wave and got a bit churned up in the breaking lip. The board turned and slid underneath me and one of the fins went hard against the funny bone. Eye-wateringly hard. Most of my lower left arm went numb and some of it stayed that way until monday. Not good. Neither was a very stiff left knee, which materialised later in the evening. I set about treating that when the sea was flat on saturday by icing with a bag of frozen peas and wearing a compression bandage. It worked.

Monday 5th had similar sized waves, 3-4ft plus, but the swell was getting onto the reef at Bamburgh this time. Not as much premium light available once I got there (It's starting to get dark quickly!) but enough time to have a decent session and just in the good company of Dan, who was paddling off the reef as I arrived but who reversed his course and kept me company for about an hour. We traded lefts for a while, some rather good 'uns running right through to knee depth over the slab ( "Nobody surfs The Boneyard....!") where you can step off, all casual like, and hope that a big set hasn't rolled right through to the inside to swat you for being so smug. That happens to me at Howick every time. The tide dropped and the reef stopped working. Dan had had enough and I paddled over for some big peaks on the beach. Dom had arrived for a quick session in the fading light. He caught a couple and then blew out. I waited a bit longer watching a beautiful moon climb through cloud and snagged a couple more close-out waves before calling it a night.

Eyemouth Triathlon/Series round-up.

Eyemouth hosted the last of the Borders Sport & Leisure Trust triathlon series on sunday and there was a big turn-out for the final event. Each event in the series has had a shorter 'Come & Tri' race running in parallel and it seems there are more and more people eager to have a first go. Book early if you want to participate next year!

As well as the smooth organisation and running of the series this year, for which the organisers deserve a huge 'Thank You,' another noteable feature has been the nearly always great weather. Towards the end of the Peebles and Kelso races there was rain, but any winds have only been light and the majority of the time we've cycled and run in sunshine. I've been lucky to completely avoid getting wet on course other than in the pool. Fantastic! Poor weather, being freezing cold, skidding about on the bike on wet corners etc. were all unfounded worries, this year at least. But I suspect the elements will balance things out eventually if I persist in the triathlon vein!

Mr.S and his amazing tri-mobile transported us and kit to Eyemouth and we went through the usual pre-amble of squeezing into lycra, lining up trainers and towel and the rest. I think it was Sib, at Pam's hen-run last week, who'd mentioned someone turning up for a tri only to realise bike wheels had been forgotten! Therein is the beauty of Mr.S's motor, for it be spacious enough to not have to do any silly cycle dismantling to get the stuff in. I did have to spend some time a-tinkering though 'cos my bike gears weren't shifting smoothly. Bah! The bike route was the hilliest of the series so gears would be getting good use.

Had a natter with some increasingly familiar faces as I got ready but couldn't see Big N anywhere. Eventually he rolled up seeming very relaxed and unhurried even though some of the earlier swim heats were underway and registration closed. He confessed to a heavy night before, and an early start too, and didn't seem to fancy his chances much. He had time to get ready though for he do swim like a shark and was starting in a later heat.

Mr.S was away in the swim heat before me and, from what I saw, seemed to have a similar pool experience to mine in that the lane was frequently crowding in places due to swimmers being at very similar speeds. It's a case of accepting a certain spot in the swimming order or tapping the toes in front to pass if you feel you're held up. I swam quickest in my lane, but there wasn't much in it this time and twice I mistakenly thought I'd been tapped so stopped at the lane end to let someone pass who wasn't there! When I'd eventually done the 30 laps and jumped out of the pool I ran straight into a diving-board ladder in my haste, as I was head-down with misty goggles! Bang! This was probably great comedy to see but I went into transition a bit agitated to say the least!

The dicky bike gears didn't help my frame of mind as the cycle leg progressed either. I'd sort of got the technical hitch fixed but still my feet were jolted from the pedals on two occasions on uphill stretches and all rythmn ruined. Seeing Mr.S hurtling downhill in the opposite direction (out & back bike course) gave me a boost and "what goes up, must come down" eventually brought me to the same point going at about 42mph. Quite exhilerating!

I didn't transit into the run very well in that I felt quite sluggish and not able to get into my stride. The course was uphill from the start for about 500m then along the clifftop path partway toward Coldingham before returning roughly the same way, with a finishing stretch along the beach. Only one chap had passed me on the bike leg, riding the equivalent of a Ferrari, but I reined him in quite quickly on the run. Perhaps knowing that I was leading from those in my swim heat made me ease up a bit too much on the rest of the run as I've done better than being eighth placed runner before. A finish like Big N's would've been the way to see out a season. Mr.S and I had finished and were watching at the line when Big N appeared on the sand. I did a double take. He was a man possessed, trying to catch up with his own eyeballs as he gave it full belt! Hangover? Cured! I'd predicted that he'd be able to match my time for the sprint tri eventually, but didn't think he'd catch me this season. When he turned his watch to reveal he'd knocked about 4mins from his previous 5k time I knew he was close, and the results eventually showed he'd beat me by a neck coming in 1hr 13:26, 11th place to my 12th (3rd Vet), six seconds behind!

We still await placings for the series as a whole. Best four results from 6 to count. Prior to this event I was 7th overall and third Vet. I think I'll have dropped in the overall rankings as stronger athletes who hadn't raced in as many previous events bring their Eyemouth result to the table, but I think I may have held on to the 3rd Vet placing. On the whole I'm quite happy with that for a first season and fired up for next year, keen to add an open-water swim event and, possibly, the half-ironman to the list.