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Saturday 4th May 2024 When you're a boy some days are tough
Morning!
Lyrics: When you're a boy
Some days are tough
Lying on your bed
Playing punk rock and stuff
Go well parkrunners or any racers!
Tell us about yesterday, please, Hazel!
Lyrics: When you're a boy
Some days are tough
Lying on your bed
Playing punk rock and stuff
Go well parkrunners or any racers!
Tell us about yesterday, please, Hazel!
Progress is rarely a straight line. There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead.
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Lyrics no
Waiting on report, Hazel ...
Ooops, Hazel! Hope nothing more than pride was hurt!
Yesterday's indoor activity below!
I may have mentioned that Ron Hill was one of the first two inductees into the University Sport Hall of Fame yesterday, with a short video from myself and a contemporary explaining Ron's achievements.
Photo below of three of the friends I sat with: John Whetton (two Olympic Games, three European indoor titles in a row, and European Champion over 1500 metres in Athens the day before Ron won the Marathon, so not bad for two ex uni runners and training partners!).
In the middle, Norine Braithwaite, as was (a couple of Commonwealth 1500 metres finals) then Peter Hughes. He was the top rugby union referee of his day, refereeing in 23 countries whilst holding down a full time job as a dentist in amateur days. In his early days as a ref or linesman he wore a blazer to officiate...and had to pay for his own dry cleaning after matches!
I last saw John 4 years ago although we communicate by email; he has deteriorated significantly in that time and has been diagnosed with dementia, and seems to have shrunk a couple of inches in height! Gave a very short speech to the 150 or so from a range of sports (I note, sports team of the year was Darts!):
A good evening!
Round 3 of the JuraTopTour Friday 3rd May 2024.
I have run this race several times pre-pandemic but not in recent years. 8Km with 445m of ascent. On paper not too hard but the course has a testing mix of flatter and steep sections. A bit of a pain to get to on Friday evening negotiating one of the busier stretches of Swiss motorway but we (my M70 Tuesday buddy and I) set off in plenty of time and arrived a bit earlier than we needed to. Better than too late. I like to have an hour pre-race for parking, start number collection, warm-up, general faffing around, inspection of the post-race cake buffet and a decent chat with familiar faces.
Conditions looked good – cool, slight breeze and slightly damp ground conditions after a bit of rain in the morning. Lightweight shorts, lightweight T-shirt and team vest over the top. Warmer stuff into the drop bag for jogging back down to the start though.
Warm-up was just a couple of km taking in the first climb from the start. I had a bad run on Tuesday and wasn't again feeling overly sprightly legwise but I think that has quite a lot to do with the preceeding hours sitting at my desk. Not much I could do about that though.
In my last race I lined up towards the back and took it easy, this time I decided to go off a bit harder despite the legs and clocked one of my standard AG rivals right behind me – ok, great more motivation. M70 was just a few places ahead. With around 250 runners (35ishwalkers on a shorter course had set off ealier) I was over the line quickly. A good part of the race is on tarmac so reasonably easy other than the climbing and some single trail sections. Up for the first km or so but nothing too heavy then back down again into the next village. The first testing part comes after about 2.5k – a long mile or so swinging up through the meadows – I decided to join the marching contingent on the steeper bits rather than try to run the whole lot. I find marching to be just as hard though, - just a different sort of hard. The top of this particular hill takes you past the cow bell shakers – a noisy experience but one that always makes me smile!
I ignored the drinks station at half-way – cool and a fairly short race so didn't need anything and especially not up my nose or down the wrong part of my throat when working hard.
Down a bit – I could see M70 ahead but couldn't make up any ground on him or pull away from the group I was with.
The next bit of up was finally off of the tarmac and onto a single trail – legs said no thanks to running so more marching – always keeping an ear and half an eye open for potential overtakers, everyone behind seemed happy though.
Back to a forestry road and more running, more flat / downhill, tried to put my foot down a bit for this though knowing the last bit is tough.
Round the corner past a single cow bell shaker and uggh – steep trail – roots and slippery limestone, ok marching gear again. Was it always that steep I kept asking myself – I used to run (shuffle jog) the whole race. And where is the bloody 7km marker (1 to go). I was actually ok and pretty sure of a finish by this point. But whoops – slip and bang – down I went. Naughty word, up and off again whilst 4-5 people piled past (asking if I was ok). I was, just a banged knee causing a few limping strides. Motivation for the last few minutes drooped a bit then but I got myself onto the final up on tarmac into the finish.
54:06 chip time – I have run this some 6 minutes faster in the past but I was younger and much fitter then. For my current fitness an ok result.
Quick drink and then grabbed my drop bag and jogged/walked back down to race HQ – regretting that a bit now as the return path is much shorter and steeper – the inevitable doms is developing nicely!
Plenty of hot water left for a shower at least and then the price giving, food etc (ahhh cake!). I was surprised that it was outside considering the rather cool temps but the organizers went through it pretty quickly. M70 got to stand on a box again – this time the lowest step. I was 5th in my category of 9 so room for improvement considering I have just moved up into it! As in my last race my lungs could do a bit more but I need to work on my leg strength up the hills. And gain some confidence on more difficult ground – practice more I guess.
Below, R to L: John Whetton, the top guy at Ronhill Sports, holding Ron's Hall of Fame award, my Co-videoer Chris, then myself, looking noticeably plumper than 10 weeks ago!
OH hope things get easier
Good photo Ale sorry about John. Like his summary too
Good race report Hazel hope nothing damaged from your fall
What 1.3 miles
Why all I could managed exhausted today from last nigh hectic night
Last Hard today
Yesterday's Lyrics Barcelona -Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé
Sounds like good awards ale and good news with your leg too.
This week has been crazy bananas as Lucas would say. Work is full on, home is full on. But I managed the lirf course Wednesday, 7.5km on bluebell trails with the club Thursday, a lot of sleeping Friday, and Dudley parkrun in 28:40 ish followed by a 25km run walk coffee stop home today.
Today's run took us round Clent which if anyone knows the area is very hilly but very pretty. Photo is of one of the random roads we ran down which was flanked in bluebell woods! Takes me to about 50 km for the week which is my highest in ages!
Ale - great photo, looks like it was a great evening!
Hazel - super run & great report
Pammie - well done, every little helps!
OH - keep it easy, so well done getting out
What - track session: 2x8, 4x4, 6x2 then 3 mile easy cool down.
Afternoon in the garden with some more pruning and planting (and a second hog box!)
why - Saturday routine
last rest - 21/09
last hard - this morning
lyric - hmmm, possibly