Half Way Progress Report

Date	Number	Event	Time	Overall Finishing Position	Category Position	Comments
29-Mar	1	Hartlepool Marina 5 mile	36.27	173	3	516 ran
07-Apr	2	Monthly Mile S Shields	6.27	20	na	20th out of 79
12-Apr	3	Blyth Valley 10k	45.34	296	3	563 ran
18-Apr	4	Park Run Ncle 5K	21.44	147	3	646 ran
19-Apr	5	Gibside Great Run Local 5K	24.28	8	n/a	51 ran.
22-Apr	6	Keswick Round the Houses	46.11	88	3rd V60	186 runners
25-Apr	7	Park Run Ncle 5K	22.44	149	2nd	601 runners
04-May	8	Ashington Triathlon	1.28.48	190	4th	1st V60 in 5k run
05-May	9	Les Allcorn 10K, Alnwick	45.53	57	2nd V60	125 runners
10-May	10	Great Run Local 5K	25.05	6	n/a	45 runners
13-May	11	Latrigg Short Fell Race	28.5	67	3rd V60	87 ran
24-May	12	Gibside Great Run Local	24.3	10	n/a	50 runners
27-May	13	George Ogle Mem. 6m	43.13	66	1st V60	195 runners
06-Jun	14	Grasmere gallop Trail Race	50.12	25	1st V60	305 runners
09-Jun	15	Blaydon Race	40.13	621	3rd V65	3825 ran
13-Jun	16	Park Run , Ncle	22.2	100	1st V65	511 ran
17-Jun	17	Humbleton Hill Fell Race	47.18	31	2nd V60	59 ran
21-Jun	18	Lambton 10K	47.36	117	2nd V60	715 ran
01-Jul	19	Tynedale 10K	45.1	182	n/a	546 ran
05-Jul	20	Red Kite Trail Race	1.13.57	18	n/a	86 ran
15-Jul	21	Kirkley 10K	45.59	58	1st V65	165 ran
25-Jul	22	Park Run Ncle 5K	22.42	101	1st V65	439 ran
29-Jul	23	Wallington 10K	45.59	52	1st V65	158 ran
05-Sep	24	Gloucester Park Run	23.5	28	1st V65	180 ran
19-Sep	25	Ncle Park Run	25.07	218	1st 65	540 ran
27-Sep	26	Prudhoe Miners 10K	49.06	66	1st 65	140 ran
03-Oct	27	Park Run Gibside	24.36	14	1st 65	60 ran
04-Oct	28	Gt Run Local Gibside	25.54	7	1st 65	54 ran
06-Oct	29	Monthly Mile South Shields	6.44	18	na	18/22
10-Oct	30	Sherman Cup	45.31	391	1st V65	464 ran
17-Oct	31	Gibside Trail Race	59.38	212	8th V60	442 ran
24-Oct	32	Park Run Newcastle	22.57	164	1st v60	562 ran
25-Oct	33	Great Run Local 5K	25.56	8	1st V55/65	57 ran
	34
	35
	36
	37

33 Races down, 32 To Go.

Gibside Great Run Local
Today was race number 33 which takes me past the halfway mark , hurrah! Yes, if and it is a big if, I can just keep clear of injury for the next five months, then I should complete my 65 race challenge

It was back to Gibside, again, to do my second 5K of the weekend. At yesterday's Newcastle Park Run I felt that I was getting some of my pace back and pushed on for a better time (22.57 on my watch). Today, I didn't feel as strong at the beginning, but was able to dig deep and record a reasonable 25.57 for this hilly course.

Remember that hills are character building !

I know that lots of the 500/600 runners at Newcastle are students, probably living local to the Town Moor, but where are all the missing runners at Gibside, for neither the Park Run on a Saturday, nor Great Run, Sunday get anything like those numbers, yet it is a beautiful setting in National Trust Grounds and it is free.

Not only is it free, but by the time you get back to your vehicle, the results are on your mobile, via text. Come on North East Runners, get yourselves to Gibside.

Statistics
8th overall from a field of 57.
1st V55/65 with an age graded score of 63.3% ( The winner had 63.2% so I must be doing something right)

I am the that  guy in red with no co-ordnation

Half Way Point - Almost

Race No. 32 Newcaste Park Run

The Grahams

Newcastle Park Run

Well, completing race no. 32 means that I am almost half way through my 32 race challenge to honour the memory of my late Tynedale Harrier pal, Islam Ali (Izzi), who died at a tragically young age in June 2003. Just writing this makes me emotional and I am rather emotional right now, having come through a bit of a traumatic week.

I was only able to run this morning because my daughter, Sophie, has dashed home from  London to be near to mum, Muriel, after she suffered a terrible injury in our own kitchen.

It sounds so silly to say that Muriel fell after standing on the dog's bone, but the result was horrific. Hearing her screams I rushed in from the garden to find her drifting in and out of consciousness. A single glance at her wrist told me how serious the injury was and I had to get her to casualty.

I am fairly good in an emergency, but crack up afterwards and this was the case here. Having driven at a ridiculous speed to the Newcastle RVI, I was able to get her into the hands of their emergency team without any delay. The relief of seeing them administer morphine to try and aleviate the pain reduced me to tears.

Three days after the accident and two days after an operation to pin and put a plate in her wrist Muriel is home and enjoying the comfort of the support of Sophie, Chris and Laura. She is still in pain but at least can start the recovery process.

My heart felt thanks goes to all the staff at Newcastle RVI for their professional care. To Chris for jumping ship at Shoreham ( he was training an officer in Fishery Protection when he heard about Mum), to Laura for her support and to Sophie for being there.

As to race no. 32, I finished the 5K in a reasonable time, 22.57, other details just don't matter.

Deja Vu at Gibside Again!

One definition of 'deja vu' is an unpleasantly familiar feeling, well that was certainly the case at yesterday's Gibside Fruit Bowl Trail Race for race number 31 of my challenge.

'Familiar', for I had run two 5k races here on consecutive days, just a fortnight before and 'unpleasant', for I probably shouldn't have been running at all, having woken that morning with a stomach bug.

Without going into detail of the 'bug' it was not very pleasant and took a lot out of me before I had even started this testing course. So it was, that instead of my usual fast away from the gun, I set off steady with one intent, to get around.

Having started alongside fellow harrier, Hugh Bingham, he was soon lost to sight as I struggled along at 8 minute pace and that was before the first of many climbs on what was described as a six mile course, but turned out to be nearer seven.

Oh, did I struggle on those climbs and even on the downhills when I would normally have been sprinting a glance at the watch showed that I was slow!

Anyway, I got around, although well down the field and after collecting my tee shirt and (a nice touch) jelly beans , a banana and a Mars bar. I made my way slowly back to the car. Attempting to change, I realised that I was unsteady on my feet and had to sit in the car, swallow a sports drink and gather my wits. Is it my heart, I wondered? Something serious , or just old age?  Sometime later at home, having pulled myself together, I decided it was simply that I had asked too much of myself.

Statistics

Finishing position - 212 of 442 runners
Time for  approx 6.8 miles  - 59.38.
V60 category 8 / 28.

Just one of the hills

Cross Country For Race No. 30

North East Harrier League Sherman Cup, South Shields

A Family affair as Chris and I race at Temple Park, South Shields

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Am I shrinking in height? I thought that Chris was only about 1" taller than me, but in this photo, taken today, he looks about 3" taller! Compare our eye line and it must be that 2" quiff, Chris's that is not mine!

Anyway, on with the running bit and more progress in my 65 race challenge. After two months out with that b...... achilles injury I have managed four races since last Saturday and today it was a proper cross country at Temple Park, South Shields. The course was fairly dry, unlike some previous years when there was very sticky, deep mud to drain strength in the legs. On a sunny afternoon Chris and I set off together at what seemed like a steady pace, recording just on 7 minutes for the first mile. Suddenly, I lost sight of him and wondered if he was ahead or behind. A glance at my pace told me I was down to 7.30 pace (or is that up to?), and realised that he had dropped me.

Towards the end of the first of three laps I could see him ahead of me by about thirty places, but that was the nearest I came to him. The second lap was a steady plod, interchanging places with people about my own pace. I thought that I was picking up the pace for the third lap, but statistics did not confirm this. Obviously,  I am not very fit after my eight week layoff and basically I am slowing as a race progresses. I cannot decide if this is depressing, or should I be grateful that I am at least running again - I will settle for the latter.

At the finish I had recorded 45.31 for the 9.1K course in 391st (ouch!) position out of 464 runners. There were lots of V60 runners ahead of me, but I was (I think) 1st V65, there were seven others before you think otherwise. Chris recorded 42.31 for 320th place, well done Chris.

Looking at statistics, Tynedale were third team in the Davison Shield Competition and 10th in the Sherman Cup, so all in all a good day for Tynedale runners of all ages - the categories start at Under 13 years!

Monthly Mile South Shields

Race No. 29

South Shields Beach

The nights are drawing in and 'Winters Coming' as all GAME OF THRONES fans know only too well. And so it was that I travelled to South Shields last night to run a mile!

Well I needed to get another race under my belt, number 29, also, I need to recover my race pace and get back down to 7 minute miling. So, South Shields it was to be as I lined up with the fast boys and girls, or more precisely the under 8 minute milers.

Having watched the so called ' slower' runners do their best, I followed as best I could the faster runners in my group. Away they went, leaving me to plod along at around  6.40 pace. It didn't feel too bad and with a push at the line I recorded 6.44. That's OK , I thought, but that final push had tweaked my right calf, typical.

The results showed that I was 18th out of the 22 faster runners. They also showed that fifteen in the so called slower group were under 8 minutes and the first five were under 7 minutes, the winner recording 6.33. Next month I think I will join that group and give them a race!


Now I need lots of massage on my calf before Saturday's Sherman Cup cross country back here in, yes, South Shields.

DEJA VU AT GIBSIDE

Race Number 27 and 28.

Happy to finish at Gibside, again.

One of the definitions of 'Deja Vu' is the feeling of something unpleasantly familiar, well that was certainly the case yesterday, when I ran the Great Run Local at Gibside, for I had done the very same thing the previous day, only that was the Park Run Gibside.

After 8 weeks absence from my 65 race challenge with an achilles injury, last week's Prudhoe Miners' 10K had given me the confidence that I could at least race, albeit slowy and with a bit of discomfort. So on Saturday I ran the 5K Park Run at Gibside, a course I was assured was not as steep as the route of the Gibside Great Run Local. I then had another early morning start on Sunday to decide for myself.

Well, Saturday's run did feel slightly less hilly than my memory of the GRL and I finished in 24.36 for 14th position out of a field of 60. Come Sunday and I set off near the front of the field. As we started the long(ish) climb to the turn for home I felt stronger than I had since my injury and pushed on passing a couple of runners. Then it was all downhill to the finish and I was able to put a gap between myself and the pair of runners who had been closing on me.

Through the line and a reassuring beep from the marshall's thingy as she passed it over my wristband - see image above - 25.54 said my watch, "OK" thought I, " a decent time for a hilly course".


Comparing the results of the two runs this morning I was in for a surprise, the difference in elevation was no more than 35', 342' compared to 305'. There was also a difference in the length of the two courses, the GRL being 130 metres longer - that must be a very steep 130 metres to account for over a minute on the time!

After these two races I would declare myself to be relatively happy with my return to racing. I am not completely recovered from the injury, but I am racing again. I am eleven races behind schedule, but there is a choice of races next weekend, a cross country at Temple Park, South Shields on Saturday and the Matfen 10 K on Sunday. I could do both, only joking, or am I?