Frank's New Zealand Trip

Frank and the Pakuranga 5km road race
Most of you will know that I visited New Zealand in October/November. While there I visited Gareth Patchett who lives in Howick, Auckland. Garteth's nearest athletics club is Pakuranga who are based about 3km from his home in a park that contains an historic village and sports facilities for rugby, cricket, hockey as well as a synthetic athletics track and a club house that has a bar. Pakuranga Athletics Club arrange a 5km road race every Monday evening until 19th December, starting at 6pm . The winners of these races have completed the course in over 18 minutes.
I decided to enter and turned up and paid my $2 (£1) entry fee. They just wanted my name. No club or age. About 60 to 70 runners of various ages from vets to early teens started the race that was on footpaths in and around the park on an almost flat course. I had not run for over three weeks but I had been walking a fair bit. I was happy to finish in the mid 20's in a time of 23mins 20secs. For my $2 I got a sausage sandwich after the race. There were no results on the day and only the overall winner received a prize. There were about 6 spot prizes.
The following Monday, after more walking but also a couple of 4 mile runs, I turned up again. This time I was accompanied by Gareth, fresh from about 12 months 'resting'! I set of a little more confidently than my first run, settling in about the 20th place of the 80 starters. Gareth used me as pacemaker for all of about half a mile before easing past, preferring a male buggy pusher just ahead. I settled for my usual strategy of letting those I feel I can keep up with get about 50 metres ahead and then spend the rest of the race trying to catch them up! My quest was in vain and Gareth extended his advantage to over a minute, 21.52 for 21st place to my 22.53, 26th of over 70 runners. The buggy pusher finished well ahead of us.
New Zealand is 13 hours ahead of us so as you get up on a cold Monday morning think of Gareth who, on a cool summer evening, may be starting this pleasant road race.
Frank Reddington

WYXC League York Sat 29/10/2011

Hello All,
Just a rallying call to everybody to try and make themselves available for the XC this Sat. Looks like we might be a bit short of senior men runners. Please try and make it if you can.
It was our best team poisition in the last few years at the last one. Lets try and finish a team in this one.

West Yorks XC League

Hello Everybody,
Its that time again. West Yorks XC league. First race Sun 9th Oct Nunroyd Park. Aim for this season - finish a senior mens team in all four races. Some new faces and some old ones returning. Strong possibility of achieving this target.
Ladies - lets try and get more people out this season.
Young athletes - lets hope the Club encourages a lot more participation this time.
Sheet is up down at Spen, get your names down.

Michael

Mobile Template

Hi All,

It's  along time since I posted here, but then again it's a long time since I ran, but in my head I haven't quit yet, so you never know. At the moment I barely get enough time to get any cycling done, and that takes priority over running at the moment.

Anyway, enough of that. I turned on the mobile templates so the blog should now look great on your iphone, android phone or whatever. I wouldn't know myself, because I don't have one yet, but let me know what you think.

Chris

Spenborough has new president?

Nope its not April 1st. We have a new president.

I didn't even know Donald Ward had died and the next we hear is the next one has been installed. No democratic process (apart from the appointment at the committee meeting), no opportunity for any long standing member to apply for the position if they so wished.

Fate accompli.

The inner sanctum reigns supreme. Oops, slap my hands for suggesting this has been kept hidden from the members and rushed through as quickly as possible by a small minority.

I think they heard a rumour Frank wanted to apply and had to act quickly. Heaven forbid a member not selected by the sanctum might attain the honoured position.

Apparently he wrote a really nice letter to the committee asking to be president. I am not even sure he is even a member of the club and I have never seen him at the track.

I can't understand why he has shown a sudden interest. Where has he been the last 20 years when we needed helpers? Maybe he ought to do a few years of hard graft and commitment at the club before even thinking about rising to such a position?

I thought this position was invariably filled by members who had dedicated many years service to a club in one role or another and had aquired the respect of their fellow members (me out!). Seems not.

Just because your company sponsors a race once a year the jobs yours. Are you suprised? I shall be registering my concerns!

Comments welcomed.

The Spenborough senior athletes have a busy few weeks ahead: the Edinburgh marathon, the Northern league, the John Carr 5K's, the Leeds half marathon and coming shortly the Joe Percy 10k. Unfortunately, this year, after the postponement in December of the Calderdale Way due to the busy schedule we have failed to get a full team.

Yesterday was the 1st match in the Northern league. With the younger athletes having a match at Rotherham, and some of the seniors were busy doing other races this weekend. Which meant we struggled as usual.
Sasha Craig and Danielle Roache won their race. Dave Gillbin ended up doing quite a few field events. Setting PBs! Sarah Roberts did very well in the javelin. Ryan Dransfield played a blinder for us as well! Well done to everybody!

Mud,Mud, Glorious Mud !!

Alton Towers. Not exactly the place you immediately associate with cross country running. However this was the venue for the 2011 National Cross Country Championship.



Hopes were running high for for a senior mens team finish. 8 men pre-entered with only 6 to score meant we had a good chance, or so we thought.



In the week leading up to the race unfortunately we had some drop outs. Kevin Ogden's leg fell off (again), Mystery man Jeff Hornby was a no show, Gerrard Skippings went AWOL.



We still had a remote chance till another pull out on Friday meant we were not going to complete a team. This still left us with a potential 5 runners.



Waking up Saturday morning brought another factor into the equation. SNOW. Not forecasted but there it was. 2 inches at least. Meeting up at the track left myself, Frank and Ian Ogden heading off down the M1 to participate in what should be THE race of the year.



On arrival we were faced with some of the most horrendous condition you will ever come across. The course was a total mud bath all of the way round. I repeat, mud all the way round. Some deep, some even deeper but mud all the way.



The earlier races had kept the paramedics busy and they had struggled to cope. Course changes and reduced distances were introduces for safety reasons. Our 4th runner Edward saw the condtions and promptly threw in the towel.



The only happy person was Frank. Loves mud more than hippo's. Some people say if he trod on quicksand he would walk straight over.



So, 3 starters. Myself, Frank and Ian. An economical start saw myself push on in front followed by Ian then Frank. As the race progressed Ian gradually caught and passed me soon followed by Frank.

Frank moved well in front and towards the end. Ian tired and I managed to overtake him half way round the last lap.



Finishing positons were - Frank 985, Me 1096, Ian 1302.

Not really a running race but a war of attrition. However a good workout.

Comments from the day. Well - only runners from Debbie's squad and the senior men took part. Sorry, but this is not good enough. This is the premier XC event of the year. As an athletic club we should be encouraging more participation. I hope this will be adressed at the AGM (well you can always hope!!).
Senior ladies - disappointing. We should be more than just mass participation runners.

TTFN
Michael

Liversedge 1/2 Marathon 2011

The 13th February saw 10 senior Spenborough athletes take part in the 16th Liversedge 1/2 Marathon in which 421 runners took part.



Kevin Ogden and Tony Bradford were the first Spen runners home in 4th and 7th postion in the time of 78.39 & 81.41 respectivly followed by Gerard Skipins in 21st position with a solid time of 86.59 to collect the team prize for the first club home.



Dean Pearce enjoyed a time of 93.24 in 46th position -Dean has been fairly cautious over the past few weeks keen not to pick up any injuries in preperation for the Edinburgh Marathon in May.



This was Ian Ogden's first competitive half marathon and Ian certainly couldn't have picked a tougher course to make his debut, undertered by the difficult conditions Ian ran an excellent time 97.10 returning back in 80th position - a great effort and Ian's time will only go from strength to strength.



Oliver Carter ran a time of 100.46, hoping to dip under the 1.40 mark albeit over 13 mins quicker than last years effort, closely followed by James Kirkwood in a time of 101.50.



Three ladies representing Spenborough also now preparing for Edinburgh were Jackie Carter, Hazel Pike and Liz Bottomley, 112.34, 118.35 and 120.47 respectivly.



A very pleasing turnout and a big well done to all.



Jackie

Hot Toddy road race 2010

December 27 th... The Hot Toddy road race went ahead despite the icy conditions with 248 finishers, the last one in a time of 63.33.

The winner was David Proctor of Rochdale in 29.22.
Spenborough had Seven athletes competing first home for spen was Oliver Carter in 41.36 doing a PB of 4.34 min's off last yrs time without warming up being a late arrival having come from the Ribble Valley which was PP due to severe weather conditions. Next home was Mick Howard in 42.49 - a good run considering he's not being doing much lately, first female Jackie Carter 45.59 which is wrong should be 45.51 as Chris Burrell and I finished linking arms having run all the way together, close behind was Chris Jacobs recovering from the flu jogged round in 46.34, chasing him in was husband and wife Janet and Richard Lee who also turned up at last minute due to Ribble Valley PP, 46.35 and 46.36 , and Elizabeth Bottomley had a cautious run on the decent with the slush did 49.54.
With most of us slightly slower than last yr due to the conditions a good run was had by us all, well done everyone.

Jackie

Calderdale way

As of tuesday the Calderdale Way is OFF due to the weather conditions and ice on the side roads at the legs.
Jackie.

Calderdale way

Well we have a team for Sunday so far, and a pretty good one if I might say so. It was thrust upon me the task of getting a team together when Gareth had said he might not be around to organise things this yr , as it happens Gareth is around and has been very helpful, thank you G!

I have been worried about this silly white stuff if it will go ahead - looks like it will now, I shall hopefully fill you all in with a report at some stage.

leg 1 Anthony Bradford & Dan Stuart
leg 2 Dave & Joe Lane
leg 3 James & Oliver Carter
leg 4 Edward Wilkinson & Dean Pearce
leg 5 Gareth Patchett & Dan Seskey
leg 6 Allan Greenwood & Chris Jacobs
with subs Jackie Carter , Hazel Pike, Frank Reddington, Gerrard Skippins ? Mick Howard.

Good luck to all.
Jackie

First West Yorks League XC 2010/11

A little late, but as they say, better late than never.

10 Oct saw a return to Nunroyd Park at Guisley for the first WY XC league race of the season.
Always guaranteed to be muddy here in some places. It didn't disappoint, but was probably the best underfoot it has been in years and as it happened it was a very warm afternoon.

Personally I am bored with this venue since I have run here so many times - its a shame that the races aren't move around to other locations a bit more.

Main talking point of the day was the absence of the new Spen tent. Spend a grand on a tent and then nobody can be bothered to bring it. (senior men have volunteered to return it if somebody else brings it). Not surprised really.

However, back to the running. Carl Foulstone in his first outing in the Senior men's race led the team home in a very respectable 42nd place. Followed home by Ryan Dransfield in 58th suffering a little from freshers fever after his first week at uni. Gerrard Skipping turned in a creditable performance in 70th (those white spikes will never look the same again - Gerrard).
Old campaigner Jeff Hornby (start slow - get slower!) did his best to miss the start but not quite as he worked his way through to 91st.
New boy (relatively speaking ) David Middleton had a strong run to finish 101st on his cross country debut for Spen.
These were supported by Michael Dransfield 142nd (injury free - almost, but not for long), Alan Greenwood 147th (where were the hills!), Ian Ogden 148th (frightened his bro off) and last but not least Edward Wilkinson 159th (where was the tarmac?)
All in all a great turn out with 9 finishers and an 11th team placing overall.
Lets have the same commitment next week at Huddersfield when I know 1 or 2 will be missing.
Other main talking point of the day was 'where were the ladies?'
Only Emma and Amanda turned out.
Come on girls lets have more of an effort from you. No point turning up for a low key race mid week in the middle of summer. This is where the real action is!!

Yorkshire vets race

Hi all, its getting time for the vets race from the club (14th nov) and I am on the prowl for marshals again or any help marking out the course , so if your reading this and not running or otherwise busy please can you spare an hour.
Also club presentation night is fri 26th nov usual place etc if you have a trophy it needs to be handed in asap please for the next person.
Jackie.

Book Review - Born To Run (Christopher McDougall)

I bought this book after catching an interview with the author on Radio 4 (I am an intellectual, honest guv') and was curious enough to purchase a copy for my holiday reading.

The book tells the story of a frequently injured runner (the author) who discovers through research that less is more if you don't want to get injured. Not less miles as you might think, but less cushioning in your shoes. The research leads him to the ultra-running (100+ mile off-road) scene, and some of the colourful characters within, but more specifically it leads him to the greatest ultra-runners of all, the Tarahumara tribe who hide away in the Copper Canyons in Mexico. The Tarahumara seem at first to be a tribe of super-humans, capable of running distances that seem impossible, but the book presents scientific research (in a friendly manner) which explains that running is something we were all born to do. In fact humans are the greatest running animals on the planet.

All you need to do is throw away your expensive Nike shoes and go barefoot (or almost). It was an interesting read from cover to cover, even if the author did come across as a bit pompous in my opinion.

A recommended read!