Last minute training reminders as always. Getting to the right place at the right time is always a bonus!!
Monday 27th October. No indoor training tonight.
6.45 / 7pm Gateway track
Monthly 2 mile time trial. It’s getting close to your last chance to gain points towards your final total.
2 x 1 mile laps using the track, the top terrace and the cycle tracks. Lots of ins and outs to simulate xcountry and trail running with fast sections on the track. Different sections to suit everyone. If wet you may require a light trail shoes as one or two sections are subject to having one or two pools of standing water. It’s all part of the challenge. I will have it all marked out for you before you arrive. There will be lights at main turning points on the country section. Please run around them as they are part of the route and not early Christmas decorations. A test drive around the course beforehand is always advisable. Please overtake on the outside and respect those running in front of you at all times. You will need to wear a torch of some sort to find your way around. . Please respect the fact that if there is ice about then the course will be adjusted according to the conditions.
Sign in at registration and on starting sheet as soon as you arrive . A group warm up and the first runners should be warmed up and ready to go for around 7.10pm. The start and finish line is half way down ( or up!!) the 100 metre straight. The reason being is that there is more room for lapping runners and other users of the track. Once finished try not to stand on the track.
Wednesday 29th October No indoor training at the school tonight.
6.45 / 7pm. Gateway track
A few reminders from the calendar.
We do not have sole use of the track or field so please look out for other runners, walkers, dogs and cyclists and please give them plenty of space.
When passing other users please make sure the you stay together in your group, passing on the same side as each other.
Running in the dark on your own, you may notice that you’re not quite as speedy as you are in the day time so embrace effort based running with like minded runners in our club. It’s much more fun than running on your own! Remember that as it gets colder you may notice that your speed is slower during the first half of the session so don’t miss the warm up. Looking forward to seeing you!
19:00 – 19:15 . Warm up and running drills
19:20 – 19:50 Main session;
5 x 4 mins effort, 1 min Recoveries. Aim for a 10k pace and maintain your pace for each effort.
19:50 – 20:00 . Cool down and stretches
Gormire Gamble.
Christine conquered her fears. ( of which there are many!!) She didn’t get lost. She didn’t fall and managed to run the course 13 minutes faster than last year. She was also the oldest female runner in the race and finished first in her age group. She crossed the line just in time to collect her prize of a bottle of wine for her efforts. It’s a huge effort to get to the start line and for her to take part. A couple of minutes after she had finished she was telling a complete stranger what a wonderful event was and next year she ought to run it too. The race itself took her nicely under 90 minutes. To get to the start line and to be confident enough to take part took around three days.
Last week I wrote down how I thought I should run it and that’s exactly how it went. Perfect, dry conditions, good underfoot and fast going wherever you went. I did have a fall at the far side of the lake which bruised my ego and also my ribs. ( It hurt!!) I took the short diversion down Garbutts Ghyll which gained me around 8 places, however most of which passed me before I reached the finish. (Sorry Dave but you were in front and it was the only way I could pass you) The course was wonderfully marshalled ( Thanks for the support ) and there was lots of encouragement along the way. I guess there was also lots of markers bit I didn’t need to look (So I didn’t!!) Can you also believe I ran around the lake and didn’t see that either. Yes, I loved the race and 100% will run it again.
One slightly disappointing part of it all is how few members we had running and also the fact we didn’t put out teams to try and win it. I’m not being grumpy, I’m just trying to understand why so many would not want to take part and enjoy the challenge. Afterall, it’s on our doorstep and it’s equally as good to run on these trails as anywhere else in the world.
The little ones.
Our middle Grandchild is 11 years old. This is the one who loves running. She has just nicely started “big” school and is finding her way in the world. It’s always a challenge growing up. The closest junior parkrun to where she lives is Temple Newsam. Two laps with quite a stiff climb on each lap. It’s not a fast course but the surface is good and most seem to enjoy it. Each Sunday she chooses either to run or not as the case may be. ( she is free to choose)
I ask her how many has she ran but she doesn’t know ( and doesn’t really care) Somewhere between fifty and a hundred. I ask her what her pb is but she doesn’t know that either. She arrives at the start five minutes before the start and does a group warm up. She doesn’t know anyone else who takes part, doesn’t go to meet anyone, doesn’t run for a time but just turns up simply because of the joy of running it. How simple can life be? I hope she keeps enjoying her running This is the strange bit about it!! Everything else she does in life is 100% competitive and likes to beat everyone else. It seems she uses running for her moment to escape from all the pressures of life. I wonder how long she will keep doing it but it doesn’t matter. Live the moment and move on.
Keep running, keep smiling and see you all soon, Rob
