September 09 HORSFORTHHORSFORTH HARRIERSHARRIERS NEWSNEWS

AnotherAnother month,month, anotheranother wedding!wedding! CongratulationsCongratulations toto MarieMarie andand Dave,Dave, MrMr && MrsMrs Maycock!Maycock! Deaflympics marathon bronze for Serena Serena Blackburn, representing Great Britain at the Deaflympics in Taipei, won the bronze medal in the Womens Marathon. Finishing in 4:03, the marathon seems to have been held on a tough course, in hot and humid conditions, and half of the field failed to finish.

Media coverage of the marathon has been scant to date, even on the Deaflympics own web site, but hopefully there might be better photos available from the Deaf UK Athletics team once they have returned from the Far East, the marathon having been held at the

very end of the games. In the interim here are some photos swiped from Facebook from, I believe, GB Team member, Beth Sewell via Marc Springer, for which many thanks. Hopefully I will have more coverage in the next issue....well done Serena!!

Photos show Serena showing off her medal, in team kit in the hotel and the congratulatory poster displayed by the GB Teams hotel in Taipei. Leeds Country Way - excellent results for Harriers! Despite the captains having the usual last Abbey Runners ladies team. minute scramble round to finalise the teams The Harriers ‘C’, mixed team finished in a three Horsforth Harriers teams completed this creditable 24th position, especially as some of year’s Leeds Country Way Relay. the runners didn’t know they were running The Men’s team finished third overall until the very last minute - see Tina’s Captains behind Leeds City and Valley Striders ‘A’ team piece which details some of the surprised but but in front of the two powerful Pudsey successful runners! (Pacers - who only fielded ‘Mixed’ teams - and As far as I know nobody got lost on the day, so P&B) teams and our lads were first Vets team. well done to everybody to got out and reccied The women finished as second ladies team, a their leg and committed it to memory and mere seven minutes behind the winning thanks to the skippers for going through the Valley Striders team, and managing to mental anguish of picking the teams and comfortably hold off the usually strong ensuring we had a full complement on the day.

Tony Walker and Ken Frost wait to set off on their Leeds Country Way Leg. Thanks to Denise and Ken for the picture. Denise Frost and Helen Barber looking relaxed before (?) their Country Way leg. Thanks to Denise and Ken for the picture. I would recommend these sessions if you want Captains to set a new PB or just overtake that runner from another club who always just beats you Columns at the finish! We will set off from the club at 7.15 pm so Your captains are at your service. Any ideas, please be on time. observations and even the occasional grumble should be addressed to: Captains Corner, For the first couple of sessions we will wait for 106, Long Row, Horsforth Leeds LS18 5AY. stragglers (me) until the group is established. After that it will be up to you to decide Marc writes: whether you can do it or not as too much wait- Hello Earthlings, ing can ruin the whole workout and later in the year it can be cold. Our winter speedwork rota follows which will keep rolling through the dark season starting So don’t let me put you off but be aware that on October 6th. You are all welcome to join in these are not “fun runs!” but it will be very hard work and a bit scary if (See following page for weekly rota) you haven’t done speedwork before.

I can set up a second group if there is a need so no-one will be left out. Tuesday Winter Training Rota Hill session at Kirkstall Long fartlek to Pudsey Short fartlek to Adel Hill session at Calverley 800m intervals at Lawnswood

All welcome but please note that these sessions can be intense. If we find that they are too fast for some then we will form two groups so that everyone can benefit from the workout. Marc’s Top Tip:

Following a long run or hard race you will often experience stiff or sore calves and thighs. This condition can and should be treated by means of cooling. If you are brave enough, then sit in a bath full of iced water. If you’re a wimp like me then before you can get out of the shower turn it cold and spray your legs where they need it. In both cases Tina gets on her bike at the Ilkley Triathlon keep it going until you get used to it but where she finished 3rd F50. Picture from don’t overdo it, i.e. a few minutes. You will be Leeds/Bradford Tri Club website. amazed how well it works. The soreness may 24th overall, a special thank you to Andrew return later so just keep repeating until Charles - who was at Alton Towers on it’s gone. Saturday when he took my phone call. Marc Also to Tony Easton who stepped in at the last Tina writes: minute. Individual leg winners on the day were Carol Ramsden and Tony Easton on Well done to all our runners in the Leeds Leg 3. Country Way. After some last minute changes it all went smoothly on the day with the ladies Congratulations to everyone who ran and 17th overall and coming in second in the thank you. ladies, seven minutes behind Valley Striders. Tina All six legs of the ladies were in second position. For the mixed team, finishing Yorkshire Veterans News

Despite injuries and holidays making some the leagues in the same way as the girls the unavailable, there was a strong turnout again men are still strongly placed in second from both men and women at the Starbeck position in the ‘All to count’ and ‘Rest to Grand Prix Race on 20th August, the eighth in count’ tables and third in the ‘First four to the series. The women swamped the top order count’ tables. Strong turnouts in the final two of their race, finishing seven women in the top races will see us consolidate these positions. twenty places and eleven in all, ensuring their Lee Greenhalgh currently heads the M35 top place in each of the three leagues. league after eight races.

In the tables for individual runners several of Next race is on 4th October at 11:00 am - our girls are leading following race eight and if BUT AT A NEW LOCATION. Details to follow - they all run the remaining two races, they see www.yvaa.org or Tina for details. The seem assured of wins in those tables too. date was changed but has now reverted back to the original date due to change of The men fielded fourteen counting runners venue!!! with Martin Coates running as a guest. The men’s race was won by second claim member Final race in series is at Spen, 15th November Richard Pattinson, running for Pudsey and at 10:30 am. Please see Tina or www.yvaa.org Bramley on the night. While not dominating for any details and if you require a lift.

A reminder that the Vets Awards Dinner is to be held at Tong on Saturday 28th November. You only need to complete one Grand Prix race during 2009 to qualify for the £10.00 ticket (guests £25.00).

Forms are in the race folder - please note these have to be completed as you need to choose your meal from the menu. You don’t have to post the forms I can collect entries on a Tuesday night. Places are limited so please get your forms to me as soon as possible.

Tina

Mal Johnson shows off a unique piece of sun protection headgear at the Idle Trail Race. Picture courtesy of Flaming Photography. Diary Date It’s a bit of a way off yet, Oi, you! but the Committee have Yes you! Both the Main Committee and determined that this season’s Race Committee are looking for new members for 2010. Presentation Evening will be If you’d like to join the Main Committee in on 22nd January 2010. whatever capacity, you’ll need to be Subject to being able to book nominated and seconded prior to the AGM next April - this isn’t quite as the venue it is likely to be once bureaucratic or complicated as it sounds! again at Yarnbury RUFC. Getting involved with the Race Committee is much easier - just see Bob Foulkes Pencil into your diary now! and you’re in! More details available soon. Please - if you can spare a couple of hours outside of your running over the PECO XC next year, we really need your help! Provisional dates have been set for the 2009/10 PECO Cross Country League. The date for the first of the five race series is set - provisionally - for 8th November. However the host clubs and venues are unlikely to be set until after the PECO League’s AGM, so please keep an eye out here, or on our own website or the dedicated PECO pages on www.abbeyrunners.co.uk for full details.

Speaking of websites, you might like to take a look at our own www.horsforthharriers.co.uk which is currently undergoing Theresa Duckett pictured at the Idle Trail something of a transformation at the Race. Picture from Flaming Photography, for hands of webmeister Steve Wood. which many thanks. From West Park School to the top of Whistler mountain – the experience of an international marshal. What are you to do? You’re looking forward to waited for the Race director to arrive and brief the holiday lie in when your wife tells you that us. Eventually we realised that he was waiting even though you’re on holiday she’s still get- over the ridge at the start and, in the way that ting up early for the weekend run. After some race directors do, was getting slightly frantic. grumbling I discovered that this run was We were greeted with the familiar “Oh, you’re different to the usual Yorkshire fare. This was here at last”. a race at the top of Canada’s Whistler Having been briefed we were issued with Mountain – venue for the 2010 Winter equipment – I was expecting the usual yellow Olympics downhill skiing. bin bag but oh no, I got a brilliant STOP/SLOW After discovering it was going to cost me sign and a hi-viz jacket in case I needed to money to accompany her to the start line, stop traffic - which seemed pretty unlikely at I volunteered to marshal. At least that way the top of a mountain with no road (compared I got my revenge by making her get up even with the entrance to the car park at earlier, and managed to extol the Yorkshire Woodhouse Grove School). virtue of true thriftyness. I took my post at the road crossing which was A small group of marshals gathered in Race also the top of a really tough climb – a HQ in Whistler village. Rather than the usual favourite position with any marshal especially panicked “Oh, you’re here at last” I was greet- ed with the offer of coffee and muffins, given a lift pass and told to be on the first gon- dola up the mountain. We’d be briefed at the top. Fifteen minutes of spectacular cable car ride later we arrived at the still pretty much deserted top of Whistler Mountain with plenty of time to take photos of the amazing view and chat with the other marshals while we passed and having relieved the sweeper of a huge armfuls of signs I was able to amble to the top of the final climb in the race to watch Vicky come in – much to her annoyance. She wanted the picture of her crossing the finish line not of her struggling up a steep climb with a fantastic view behind her. She actually stopped and made me run to the finish line to get the photo she wanted!

So, here are some lessons I learned: Wherever the race is (Horsforth or Canada) there’s always a lot of waiting around. Race directors always panic. Runners are always thankful for those who’ve helped make the race possible - even when struggling for breath on a mountain some say thank you. when you’ve got a stop/slow sign to wave at Matt Ward passing competitors.

With the race under way it was time to Pictures from Matt and Vicky: Previous persuade spectators, walker and climbers that page, Matt and essential marshalling they really did want to wait for the runners to equipment, above, nice view, shame about pass and to reassure the runners that they the slope, below, fraudulently enacted were nearly at the first water finish photo shows Vicky crossing the line! station. Even as a marshal I could tell it was a tough race with the combination of altitude and rough terrain.

As the field thinned towards the back runners I was informed of an injured runner at the bottom of the climb. After a short run up to the race headquarters to inform them a ski patrol 4x4 was dispatched to help an injured runner. Back at my post there was at last the excitement of traffic to direct !

Finally the back markers (Cheshire) in another symmetrical 59:59 and where, Race Results in his own words “boy, did I flog the last half mile to get that sub 60!” In case any body is wondering why - a Fat Bloke writes Karen Large has apparently stopped appearing in Hello again, and welcome back to this month’s the same races as Steve, she is currently sidelined ‘Corner of Correction’ (ooh-er missus!) as I have to by this year’s ‘Injury of the Year’, the dreaded knee tell you that in the Pudsey 10K Tina Dickinson and problem (I had no idea I was such a trendsetter, and Angie Pattinson were not joined at the hip at the rather regret it. Ed.). finish but in fact Tina finished slightly behind Angie Midweek saw the Yorkshire Veterans Grand Prix in the highly symmetrical 56:56. Sorry about Tina, Race number eight take place at Starbeck. Serena claim the faster time if you like! Blackburn led home the ladies in one of her last I concluded last month’s round up by saying that outings before heading to Taipei and the I could only see Richard Sunley racing on 16th Deaflympics, while in the men’s race Andy Riddoch, September, but since then more times have materi- Richard Sunley and Marc Springer finished in alised, First, the aforementioned Angie Pattinson, consecutive places, well up the order, so close who completed the Belper Rugby Rover 30K in together you could virtually throw a blanket over the 3:00:35 - this mini report from Tina: “In case you three of them. See the Yorkshire Vets News page for miss it for next month (like I would! Ed.) Ang did more details and the website at www.yvaa.org for 3 hours and a few seconds at Belper 30K Sunday full timings and placings. and won 1st F35! If you’re interested Steve Neill At the weekly Hyde Park Saturday morning parkrun (Pudsey & Bramley) smashed the course record in Becky Hill set a new PB of 20:38 (by 24 seconds) 1:59:53, followed in second place by Richard with support from Steve O’Hara, 24:59 and Paul Pattinson around four minutes behind. A right Hustwit 26:09. carfull of pressies on the way home!” On the same day, some distance away, in Canada to Steve Large was also out and about on the same be precise, Vicky Ward was completing a 5K race in weekend at the Great Warford 10 Mile Road Race the Five Peaks Series in Whistler in 45:08 (see Matt’s excellent article earlier in this issue). Some idea of the difficulty of the course can be gained when you consider that the winner’s time was 28:22!

Gill Gaskin e-mailed me to tell me that over the weekend of 22/23 August she was competing in the Phoenix Long O - Long Orienteering two day event, this year held from Barrowburn in the Northumbrian hills, where she tells me “We came fourth in the C Class Mixed Pairs over the two days. Great fun!” - although she doesn’t tell me who the other half of the team was (I think we might hazard a guess....).

Locally, three of our runners were in North Yorkshire to run the Escrick 10K near York. Phil McGeever was first Harrier home in 41:17, followed by Tina Dickinson 52:23 and just a little further back, Carol Ramsden 52:52.

Back in Hyde Park Marc Springer finished fourth Marc and Garth pictured before the start of overall in 17:52, followed by Steve O’Hara 24:48, the Marathon. Pic from Garth. Jamie Stewart - new PB by 13 seconds - 26:47, Jody Wharton 29:02, Caroline Faithwaite 31:15 and seconds) Caroline Faithwaite 30:01 and Melanie newish member Kat Shepherdson, making her Coates 31:02 (1st run). debut in the parkrun, 32:58. Steve Large was back in ‘marathon-a-month’ mode Back to Gill Gaskins e-mail: “29th August. Dufton the next weekend, this time in Wales at the Asics Fell Race. AS race (fell running race categorisation), Lake Vyrnwy , where he finished a 5 miles, 1500 feet ascent. I came second lady in very respectable 21st overall and 8th M40 in 44:41. OK, I’ll admit it, there were only three ladies! 1:18:13. Also running the Half Marathon distance, I beat a few blokes though!” but largely off road, in the Yorkshireman Half were Gill Gaskin 2:20:46 and Angie Pattinson 2:26:37, Phil McGeever was well up the field and in the prizes Richard Pattinson with Jo Waites of Calder Valley FR at the 10K Alice’s Run (Mytholmroyd?) finishing in formed a mixed partnership for the full 40:33, 7th overall and 1st M45, well done Phil! Yorkshireman Marathon and they finished 2nd in August Bank Holiday Monday and some of our the ‘pairs’ competition and 1st Mixed team in runners went over to Spofforth to run the 10K Trail 3:32:10. Race. Sarah O’Sullivan was first Harrier home in Not to be outdone, Marc Springer and Garth De 47:37, followed by Cath Gray, 56:22 and Michael Roux went to Nottingham to run the marathon there Anderson, 1:08:41. (although Marc’s result - 3:05:31 - appears in the The big event of the next weekend (September half marathon section of the results?). Garth’s time 5/6th) was the logistical nightmare that is the Leeds of 3:32:53 was a new PB. And while on the subject Country Way - see coverage from earlier in this of the marathon Serena Blackburn won a bronze issue, so only three Harriers were on park run duty medal - another one! - for Great Britain in the on the Saturday morning - Tim Appleyard 21:45, Deaflympics Womens Marathon in Taipei (again Steve O’Hara 25:32 and Jamie Stewart 26:55. covered earlier in this issue).

The following saturday saw a much bigger turn out Richard Sunley went to Fleetwood to run the Half in Hyde Park - Steve O’Hara 24:00, Mal Johnson Marathon there where his time of 1:24:08 saw him 24:09 (1st run), Jamie Stewart 26::03 (new PB by 44 finish in 5th position overall and as 1st M45 - and if

Phil MgGeever, far right, toes the start line at the Escrick 10K. read the results correctly 1st M40 too! Johnson, 25:35, made her first appearance, Steve O’Hara 26:25, Jamie Stewart 27:41, Karen Allan The Wetherby 10K was the concluding race in this 29:56, Caroline Faithwaite 30:18 and Melanie years Black Sheep Challenge and saw us represent- Coates 30:19, lowering her time from the previous ed by Simon Rudsdale 42:48, Pat Dawson 57:26, week. Michael Anderson 60:37 and Graham Dawson Also taking place this 80:24. weekend was the - if you ran this, A delighted - “over the please let me know your moon!” - Phil McGeever times as it seems to be a achieved his first sub forty problem to get the results minutes 10K at the Prince by club, and frankly, I don’t of Wales Hospice 10K in think I really want to check Pontefract. His time of all 50,000 (ish) times 39:25 was enough to place individually...... him as 3rd M40 too, and 13th overall. So...that’s your lot until next month! Do let me Finally in a packed week- know if I’ve overlooked any end of running and racing, results, mistimed or Tina Dickinson completed misquoted your perform- in the Ilkley Triathlon in ances or otherwise got it 1:24:52 - swim 13:11, bike wrong, and I’ll be happy to 44:11 and run 27:23, update or correct next time which placed her 3rd F50 round. (and in her first attempt at Richard and Angie Pattinson pictured on triathlon too?). the recent Round Hill fell race - picture There is at least one other from Otley AC website. result to come from this weekend I think. Theresa Duckett told me she was going to run the Para’s 10 at Catterick, but to date no results have been posted. Assuming she ran, she has promised me an article on this race for the newsletter and I’ve told her I’m holding her to her promise, so watch this space!

A big turn out in the parkrun on 19th September - Alek Karagic 22:24 made his debut parkrun, Mal Johnson, 23:57 lowered his previous best, Angela

welcome runners old and new at Horsforth Hall Park (Cricket Pavilion), Ring Road, Leeds 18 every Tuesday at 7.00 pm For further details please telephone: Marc Springer on 07968 712055, Tina Dickinson on 07958 231180 or Hilary Wharam on 0113 250 5673 See our website at: www.horsforthharriers.co.uk