S W A L E D A L E ROAD RUNNERS
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
Editors Notes
It has been another busy and successful 12 months for our club and its been great to welcome so many new faces to our ranks. This newsletter has been crammed full of reports recording many races and other activities that our members have taken part in. Please keep your reports coming in through 2005 as we hope to see the club progress even further.
On behalf of Pete and myself have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Jo Richardson
From The Chair
The dark cold nights do not seem to be putting people off running, this is a good thing. Not being visible is a bad thing. One or two members are going out without reflective wear. Remember it is your responsibility to be seen.
The club has received its London Marathon numbers. As usual those people who have had their entry rejected will be eligible for the draw. You must give your rejection slip to me as soon as possible so we can make the draw at a sensible time in December. The first draw will be for those who have never run in the London Marathon. The second draw will be open to all club members who have received a rejection slip.
There are plenty of club events over the next month and I enjoyed meeting more of the ‘Six o’clock Brigade’ at the Club Christmas Meal. For those new members let me recommend Norman’s run on 9th January. They are always fun events and it will be worth your while putting extra effort into your fancy dress. I hope plenty of you managed to get into the Jolly Holly Jog before the entries closed. It is an event at which we usually have a good turn out.
Enjoy the festive season but do remember to enjoy your running as well.
John Hunter
This was much nearer home for me, starting and finishing at “The Pathfinders” pub in Maltby, near Thornaby. For a change, I knew the route fairly well, but apparently the course was 7/10 of a mile shorter than last year.
It was a cold morning, with some ice still on the ground in places, and tracksuit top and gloves seemed to be the order of the day. There was a race car leading the runners for a while, something I hadn’t seen before. As usual I started too fast, feeling positive, but then was overtaken by about 100 people, and reality set in. No chance of a medal position again! The gloves and top were discarded to family supporters after about 3 miles, when a friend’s dog decided to enter the race until restrained by an embarrassed owner.
The course wasn’t too demanding apart from a short, but very steep, uphill just before the finish, and the occasional need to avoid approaching cars.
Notable performances were by Richard Johnson (8th overall), Tony Ward (first male over 50), and Erika Johnson (first female over 35).
Official times seem to be about 8 seconds slower than those which some of us with stopwatches actually recorded.
Richard Johnson 40.13, Tony Ward 42.32, Erika Johnson 44.48, Alex Brown 51.47, John Hunter 52.04, Andrew Broadley 55.01, Martin Luxton 55.01, Pete Richardson 56.01, Patrick Neeson 58.07, and Graham Turnbull 74.33.
Martin Luxton
Brampton to Carlisle 10 Mile
The Brampton to Carlisle is the oldest ten mile
road race in the country a classic race attracting
many club runners from all over the UK, Clydesdale Harriers, Dumfries Running Club, and many North of England running clubs, and from the south the Thames Valley Police.
Buses take you from 10-00 to 10-45, at a cost of £1.50 from the Sands Centre in Carlisle to Brampton, a small village ten miles east, to wait at the school. There are plenty of changing rooms and toilets, then baggage buses go back to Carlisle just before the start of the race at 12-30pm. It was a very cold day but the sun shone from time to time, and we both enjoyed the run.There were 510 finishers Eric did a 1:23:45 and I did 1:40:27.
It will be on my must run list for next year.
Glenys Nutter
Wensleydale Wedge
Last November I spotted
a group of runners on one of my favorite training routes who looked as if they
might be involved in some kind of race. After a bit of detective work I managed
to track down an event called the Wensleydale Wedge which is organised by
theLongDistanceWalkers
Association. This is a 23 mile route which can be run or walked, or a
combination of the two. It starts in Askrigg then heads up to Semerwater,
across the tops to Thoralby, then on to Aysgarth and Low Thoresby before
returning via Castle Bolton. Since it is not really a race I turned up planning
to enjoy it and not worry about times or positions. Conditions were very icy
underfoot as we all discovered as soon as we met the first cattle grid and the
snow on the high ground turned it into a real winter experience. Although the
route is not particularly complicated, visibility was limited, so I was lucky to
fall in with a group of runners who knew where they were going. We noticed at
one point that there were no footsteps in the snow ahead. Had the leading
runners gone astray or were we lost? At the next checkpoint we discovered to our
relief that we were right, but expected to see the faster runners reappearing at
any moment. As we headed up towards the castle our group of five had dwindled to
two - myself and another woman. The marshals confirmed that we really were in
the lead! The final stretch started to drag as we grew weary but the end was in
sight.
Just as we were congratulating ourselves a group from Ripon Runners appeared,
looking much too fresh and cheerful, and breezed past us. It turned out that
they had no idea that they were leading until they opened the door on an empty
hall back in Askrigg. I finished in 7th place overall in 4 hours 9 minutes,
already deciding to do it again next year as I tucked into the delicious hot
stew provided.
Liz Sowter
Ravenstonedale 10K
Ravenstonedale is a little village just outside Kirkby Stephen where Howgill Harriers hold their 10K. I had done the race once before, many years ago, when it was held on a warm summer evening. Eric, Glenys and I lined up in a field of less than 60 runners - more than last year apparently! The course was undulating without having any really steep hills and had the advantage that you could often see the runners some distance ahead. I had my eye on the lady in third but couldn't catch her, so had to settle for fourth, in 43.44. Eric finished in 54.09 then dashed off to get his camera as Glenys came through in 1.03.28. Despite the small field there were generous prizes and both Glenys and I won our age groups. We all agreed that it had been a lovely race which should be
come a club outing next year.
Liz Sowter
Just four of us braved the early start and the cold to go down to Leeds for the Abbey Dash. Jo and Pete Richardson kindly gave Helen Smith and me (Sue) a lift down to Leeds. After Helen and I decided, quite rightly as it turned out, that we might get lost. I think not only would we have had difficulty finding the start but also the loos, which were all at the finish of the 10K. Pete found the start and the loos with no problems. Before we started, we dithered, as you do, long trousers or shorts. Jo and Helen chose long trousers, Pete and me shorts. The course goes out to Kirkstall Abbey and back. Not a very scenic route but flat and fast. I was only at the 3k mark when I met the race leader on the way back, he finished in 29.42. We all had a good race, Helen did an excellent PB of 58.26. It was good to have Jo back running again and finishing in a good time of 64.49. Pete finished in 48.14. This gave him time to go back to the car and get our fleeces and I finished in 62.43. Thanks to Jo & Pete for taking and looking after us.
An excellent night for running saw most of the entrants running below their predicted time. The ‘Time Way Out’ bar was won by Helen Smith who was 146 seconds below her predicted time. Miranda Brockman is gradually bringing her time for the course down, she was 70 seconds below her prediction taking 35:50 to complete the 4 miles. Richard Johnson broke his record for the course with a time of 23:00. Erika Johnson finished in 26:09 and was surprised to find Rob Dawkins had not finished as he was ahead of her. Once the search party had set out Rob appeared from the direction of the market place in his car! The winner of the bottle of wine was Sally Rutherford who is gradually improving and finished exactly in her predicted time 36:00. Well done!
May I remind you that the December Predictor is postponed until Thursday January 27th 2005. The January Predictor will be cancelled to make room!
John Hunter
Race Diary
Here are a selection of forthcoming races you may wish to run. Entry forms for most of these races are available at the club house.
Dec 19th Great Langdale Christmas Pudding 10k
Dec 19th Loftus Christmas Poultry run
Dec 28th Jolly Holly Jog (Tues)
Jan 9th Norman’s Fun Run
Feb 20th Snake Lane 10m
Northallerton branch of S.R.R.
Some years ago, before I joined the Club, SRR had a strong Northallerton Branch. Living in Northallerton and witnessing the many runners in town I have often thought that this branch could re resurrected. Hopefully in the New Year this will happen once I establish a suitable premises from where we could run. The plan is that we would meet every Wednesday night so that those SRR members who run in Richmond on a Tuesday and Thursday could also join us if they wish. Once everything is sorted out a further update will appear in the newsletter and I hope to accompany some of you on a few different and flatter (!) routes.
Andy Broadley
Christmas Raffle
We have this wonderful knitted 2 ft high Swaledale Road Runner to raffle, tickets cost 50p a strip and can be obtained from the club house or Jo Richardson. The raffle will be held at Normans Fun Run on Sunday 9th January.
Dublin Marathon Trip 2005
Several people have mentioned to me that they would like to go back to Dublin for the 2005 Marathon to be held on 31st October. The consensus is that we fly across using one of the budget airlines such as Ryanair. If you wish to go can you please let Jo or myself know by 7th January so I can look at arranging Hotel accommodation. We will be looking to book accommodation on a group basis but will leave everyone to make their own flight arrangements. Help and advice will be available on flights (we do know a good travel agent!).
Pete Richardson
Sue Smith
Club La Santa
If there is interest Mick and I will organize a club holiday to the famous Club La Santa, Lanzarote in early March 2006 for one week. Dates to be confirmed depending on the date of the event called the Ridge Run, which is a race of 8 miles over volcanic terrain and up the side of a ridge, which gives amazing views of the island.
I have been there 5 times and highly recommend it as a wonderful active holiday and a good “kick start” for your running programme after the winter. Apartments are self-catering and sleep 3. There are restaurants and a shop in the complex and over 40 activities are included in the price like wind surfing, swimming (and lessons in the Olympic size pool), tennis canoeing, aerobics, fully equipped gym and of course, all the running you could ever dream of!
We need to book now as the accommodation is filled about 14 months in advance. Prices are not yet available but based on this years we are looking at approx £180 each for accommodation and flights from £150 depending on the prices at the time. Brochures are available to look at in the clubhouse on Tues and Thurs or you can click on clublasanta.co.uk
Names and a £75 deposit should be given to Lin or Mick Gossage by Jan 20th.
It will be first come first served.
Lin Gossage
Social Diary
Dec 22nd S.O.C. Quiz Night
Jan 9th Norman’s Fun Run
Jan Junior Xmas do! (to be confirmed)
S.O.C. Quiz Night
The S.O.C. are hosting a quiz night on Wednesday 22nd December at the clubhouse at 7.15pm.
S.R.R. has 2 teams entered (4 in a team), if you would like to be in one of the teams give your name to Vic Parkinson a.s.a.p.
Everyone welcome
Norman’s Xmas Fun Run
Norman is hosting his now famous Xmas fun run on Sunday 9th January 2005. The usual format remains: bring a wrapped present (£2-3 in value), follow a sawdust trail run at your own pace, arrive back at Roots and Shoots for eats and drinks and social, you are welcome to bring some food and drink (but not vital), fancy dress optional (we do have a very exclusive prize for the best fancy dress this year, it is an absolute one off and well worth the effort of dressing up), the local dog walkers do seem to enjoy seeing us dressed up even if we do startle them!, presents are then handed out.
Meet at Roots and Shoots at 9.45am for 10am run.
New members
A warm welcome to new members Julie Tanner, Martin Luxton, Angie Stockton (Stirk), Tracey Prentice, John Penhale, Mick Gossage, Jen Smith, Nancy Coker, David Jameson and Andy Gaines.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Emma and Dave Slater on the birth of their son Jamie, to Ruth and Wilf Wilford and their new daughter Emily and to Neil Wood and partner Vicky and their new son Deacon.
Christmas Training
The club house will be open on 23rd December and 30th December but closed on 28th December to help keep up your training over Christmas.
Thoughts For The Month
The runner who says ‘it can’t be done’ is passed by the runner who is doing it!
‘The best inspiration is not to outdo others, but to outdo ourselves’.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL