It seems we have been found out. Our name is known nationally as a “Beginner Friendly Club” thanks to an article in the March edition of Runner’s World. I am not sure how the magazine obtained its information but the evidence is plain to see. Norman’s 6 o’clock group is flourishing and they certainly seem to have enjoyed themselves when they return just before the rest of us set off.

The cross-training on a Monday has been well supported, many thanks to Jo Richardson for the effort she has put into the organisation of the event.

March brings an increase in the number of races. May I remind you we are Swaledale Road Runners on entry forms and not any shortened forms you may come up with. The fleeces, sweatshirts and hats are available at the clubhouse or by contacting Jo Richardson. Let’s be ‘Green and Seen’. I have a supply of running vests, a requirement for team prizes.

The Mid week League starts at the beginning of May. Numbers can be obtained from Stu Smith. (£2 and sign the disclaimer).

The club points championship races start in April with the Grizedale 10 mile Trail race, Lancaster 3 Bridges 10k and The London marathon. The May races will be the two mid week league races (Skipton 4^th May and Nidd Valley 20^th May) Fountains 10 mile 9^th May and Melmerby 10k 30^th May. You do not have to run every race. The formula will take into account the number of events you run once you have achieved the minimum.

Remember, the first Monday of every month, Club Meeting at the Board Inn, 8pm start.

Enjoy your running.

Sunday 15th Feb

This is one run I have wanted to do for a long time but never get round to it I think its reputation had something to do with it.

This year providing the weather forecast was good I decided I would include it as part of my build up for London. The day was perfect, this is one run you can only enter on the day and only experienced club runners can participate, that made me ask a few questions like what time do you expect the last runners to come in? About 4:20, most take about the same time as London Marathon. The run starts in the centre of Keswick down Borrowdale to Seatoller over Honister Pass to Buttermere then back over Newlands pass to Keswick and finishes at the cricket field.

What can I say about the run, it is truly a magnificent one, excellent organization, well marshaled with tea and scones after. Probably the most scenic in the country over two of England’s highest passes. I was pleased to finished 74 out of 82 finishers in a time of 3:29, the last being 3:55.

What would I do different? I had under estimated the gradient down hill which required well cushioned shoes rather than my normal lighter shoes.

Snake Lane 10mile Sunday 22nd Feb

Braving the elements five Swaledale runners entered this race. Having never been to Pocklington before I was certainly looking forwards to this run.

The drive over was scenic enough and the snow showers just added that little extra something! During the course of the run the weather managed to throw everything at us.

I knew before hand that Donna Todd (1.25.25) and Ruth Sweetland (1.25.25) were travelling to the race but two other club members were there too, Angie Went (1.18.57) and Dave Crapper (1.34. 20).

My plan was to run the course in about 1hr.20 or a bit less if I did’nt manage to find someone to talk to! At the five mile mark (and the only water station, hot chocolate or brandy may have been more suitable) bit less if I didn’t manage to find someone to talk to! At the five mile mark (and only water station, hot chocolate or brandy may have been more suitable) my split was 37min 54sec. If I kept it up I would finish in about 1hr 15min. The course itself was very flat except for a blip of a bridge at about 9 miles, scenic and quite ‘snake like’ at times. A very helpful Norton club runner egged me on at the end and I finished in 1hr13min.39sec, a PB for me at 10 miles. In the over 35 cat. I came 6th out of 29 women.

It was good to see clubs from other areas taking part in a well recommended run. The souvenir mug came in handy too later on.

My support team enjoyed the trip out and the snow. A well earned trip to an aquarium in Hull was calling them, so a good day out was had by all.

Winter Chill Out 10mile Sat 21st Feb

The Chill Out ten mile is an out and back run going south on the Atlantic coast and for some unexplainable reason, has a head wind in both directions, (no it is not my imagination). The run had not taken place since 2000 I understand through lack of organization. A local runner took it on himself and with the help of local businesses made a success of it, the race was limited to four hundred. Upon arrival we found that the race had been changed, it would now be a two laps of five miles but still running south on the shore and returning on the boardwalk, much the same as before but not going into the state park. Other than the wind and the sand on the boardwalk the run was uneventful, that means I did not fall, the weather was good, we were told it was the warmest day of the year with a temperature of eight degrees but it felt quite a lot warmer. It is unusual to see runners with club vests on and both Glenys and I kept hearing ‘come on Swaledale, you’re doing well’, we are both members of Morris Striders and our vest seemed to impress even if the running didn’t. We both felt we had good runs. Glenys did 1:45:35 and I did 1:17:19.

Lakewood 4 Mile Sun 22nd Feb

The Lakewood four mile is part of a weekly winter series of five runs starting in January and organized by the Ocean Running club of New Jersey with this being the last one. Due to the uncertainty of the weather at this time of the year it is best to check up to see if the run is on, by the end of February the series is usually over at the ten mile Chill Out, the week previous it was announced that the last run would be on the 22nd. This is a small run of about one hundred and is two laps of Ocean County Park, no mile markers, no race numbers, well how does it work? This is a system used often by local running clubs. When crossing the finish line you are given a card with only your finishing position on 1^st 2^nd 3^rd and so on, the time keeper relates your time and position (like John does in the predictor), you then write your name and age on the back and that is it a very cost effective system, no expense for race numbers and quick. Being a relative flat course we were looking for excuses, not used to the flat, ran the day before, jet lag, a week ago? We were wondering if the speed work on Tuesdays would be beginning to show results, both of us were well satisfied with our times and confident that the Tuesday nights are paying off.

Reading Half Marathon Sun 7th Mar

Having to visit Oxfordshire for a wedding presented the ideal opportunity to find a different venue for a run and so we decided to enter the Reading Half Marathon.

The race turned out to be one of the biggest down south with over 8000 runners and a surprisingly large number of spectators. The course with its many twists and turns and only two easy hills (by our standards, I heard many of the local runners complaining about them. Ed.) was quite interesting. It meandered through the suburbs, before a circuit of the University Campus and then into the town centre.

The finish was one of the best I have experienced at a race, being inside the magnificent Madejski stadium (home of Reading F.C.), in front of a thousand or more cheering spectators. This was an excellent event that started in warm sunshine and was not spoilt by finishing in blizzard conditions. Jo managed to run a PB of 2.29.27 whilst I ran my best time for nearly two years of 1.48.22.

The Harrogate and District Summer Road Race League, to give it its full title, is here again.

If you have not competed in the League before and would like to put all your hard training into action, then this is an ideal way of getting into racing. The league is a set of six races (between 4-6 miles) which are held by local clubs around the area. They are well organised, safe and best of all, Fun Races. They are open to anyone to give them a try, whatever your ability, the more people that enter the better. You do not have to commit to do all six races, just do the ones you want to do.

The race fixtures are as follows:

Tue 4th May Skipton 7.30pm

Thur 20th May Nidd Valley 7.45pm - (to be confirmed)

Wed 9th Jun Otley 7.45pm

Wed 23rd Jun Thirsk 7.45pm

Thur 8th July Swaledale 7.45pm

Wed 21st July Ripon 7.30pm - (handicap and presentation)

The cost of doing all these races is a massive £2. If you would like to enter or need more info, please come and speak to me on club nights. If you have done the League before, please help me spread the word, let people know what an excellent event this is.

The December Predictor finally took place on 12^th February and the February event on a very chilly 26^th February. The turn out was good considering the weather and the short notice for the first event. Hopefully more will be present at the March Predictor on Thursday 25^th.

January Predictor Wine Winner – Eric Nutter (6 seconds under his prediction)

Time Way Out Bar – Claire Stewart (309 seconds under her prediction)

February Predictor Wine Winner – Alex Brown (2 seconds under her prediction)

Time Way Out Bar – Jim Gleave (181 seconds over his prediction)

Mar 14th Redcar half marathon

Mar 21st South Leeds Stadium 5m

Mar 27th Coniston 14

April 4th Grizedale Trail 10

April 11th Lancaster Three Bridge 10k

April 25th Rothwell 10k

Kirkbymoorside 10k

May 2nd Keswick half marathon

May 9th Fountains 10m

May 16th Leeds half marathon

May 30th Melmerby 10k

Raby Castle 10k

It was with a degree of quiet confidence that I signed up for the two week pilot course of Aqua training, which our very own Jo Richardson organised. The reason for the confidence? I can swim like a fish and thought it would be a piece of cake. Admittedly after that first session, I could not have been more wrong and apparently the Physio Angela Stirk had gone lightly with us! After getting over the mild embarrassment of looking like a group of ducks with our floats tied tightly around us, we all submerged ourselves in the cool water of Richmond swimming pool. Then the work began, gently at first; warming up the leg muscles by wading back and forth and stretching, followed promptly by the real stuff. The idea is to run in the water, just as you run usually. It soon became apparent that this was really hard work, more so because balance is not an easy thing in the water, especially in the deep end of the pool. There was a lot of hilarity, as like ducks tend to do, we all found ourselves bobbing together and collecting at the deep end before regaining momentum and spreading out again. However, once we got the hang of it, it was a most enjoyable work out and doubly pleasing for us Swaledale Plodders, who could still keep the faster runners in sight! Not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but extremely satisfying. I highly recommend this alternative way of training, especially if you have a tendency for injury and want to maintain your running fitness.

Due to the popularity of the cross training we are holding some more sessions on Mon 15th, 22nd and 29th March, 8pm at Richmond Pool. There are a limited number of places left, so if you would like to give it a try please contact me on 01677 427657 a.s.a.p.

The club A.G.M. will be held on Sunday 9th May, details will be in next months newsletter. Any matters you want to raise at the AGM must be in writing and sent to the secretary by 5th April to 7 Mastil Close, Little Crakehall, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 1HL. All trophies must be handed back by April 12th to either John Hunter or they can be dropped off to Norman at Roots and Shoots.

Subs are due again on 1st May. We will have to delay payment until after the club A.G.M. when we will have a vote on a price increase. This is due to North of England Athletic Association increasing the administration fee it charges per member. It will be proposed at the A.G.M. that we increase our membership to £10, if you have any thoughts on this please attend the A.G.M. or put them in writing to the secretary by 5th April.

For those of you who have not seen or purchased yet, we have a stock of top quality, limited edition Fleeces, Sweat shirts and Hats, all embroidered with the club badge. We have a variety of sizes and you can have any colour you want as long as it is green! These are smart enough for casual wear and also make ideal pre race warm up gear. Available now at the incredibly low prices of Fleece £22.00, Sweatshirt £12.00, Hats £4.50 at the club house or by contacting Pete or Jo on 01677 427657.

If you would be interested in a visit to the Black Sheep Brewery in Masham in early September please let me know. The cost would be £13.95 each, for this you get a 1hr long tour of the brewery, 2 pints of beer or larger or 2 glasses of wine or soft drink plus a supper dish from the menu. We need at least 15 people to make the trip viable. Please contact me for more details and menu on 01748 818504.

Sun 14th Mar Paintball - see Norman

Early Sept Visit to Black Sheep Brewery

If you would like to organise or suggest any social event please contact Norman or Sue Smith. A social committee meeting will now be held each month on the Thursday before our monthly meeting at the club house after training. They will be kept as brief as possible, any club member who would like to contribute to the meeting i.e. ideas for future social events/help organise, is welcome to come along. Next meeting to be held on Thursday 1st April .

A warm welcome to new members Alex Brown, Debbie and Yasmin Redfern, and Denise and Ruby Heslehurst.

If you want to take part in this event, fill in the form on last months newsletter and get it to Norman no later than 25th March, but the sooner the better so Norman can start planning for transport and catering.

This is open to all club members and you can run as much or as little as you want. If you don’t want to run but can help on the day i.e. support drivers please contact Norman on 01748 824898 (Roots & Shoots) or 01748 823536 (home).

Kingsmill bread are giving tokens with every loaf which can be redeemed for sports equipment for the club. Make your butties out of Kingsmill and give your tokens to Jo, if we collect enough the club will benefit. The tokens will be on bread and bread roll packets until the end of August 2004.

Teamwork halves the workload and doubles the rewards.