Race Report -no photos, no funnies

Carlisle Tri Club 10 kilometre road race - 35 minutes 18 seconds

Not a bad result  really.  I wanted and expected to run  faster than I did at the Moorclose event a couple of weeks ago - and I did. 28 seconds faster actually, which, divided by 6.2 gives an improvement of four and a half seconds per mile to 5:41 pace.

As soon as we set off the three Keswick runners who all beat me at Moorclose formed a lead group. I saw no point in going with them as even the slowest of the three - Ian Davies - had beaten me by over a minute last time out. I was in the next group on the road and had Milly and Gareth for company as well as one or two others who I didn't know.

From the outset I was enjoying myself running this race. It was the fastest I had ran for many years and I knew it from early on. I knew most of the marshals and had time to shout a bit of banter as we ran past. I was also giving some grief to Milly for obviously being very fit despite saying he had packed in training.

Halfway or so into the race, one lad pulled away slightly from our group - he ran well and deserved the Fourth place he hung onto until the end. Me, Milly and Gareth stayed together until a mile to go - casting aside one by one the others who had been with us  (although I never really looked round so I don't know how many there were with us earlier). Once we were into that final mile the gloves were off apparently as first Gareth then Milly eased past me. It would be a bad job if these two lads, (both more than 10 years younger than me) WERENT able to outrun this old timer over a mile, both coming from a track background as they do (and Milly now saying he wants to improve his short distance times).

We all ran 35 minutes something. That elusive 34 which was on the cards for a lot of the race, just being eased out of reach in the final headwind mile or two.

I won fastest Vet 40 and receieved a rather excellent running top which I wore tonight for a few miles jogging with Scamp. Last night I did nowt and spent a while longer at work to get some stuff done.

Shopping trolley weather

Most days I take the dog to the River Eden. this means I note how low or high the water level is and for a long while it has been very low indeed. So much so that the well buried shopping trolley has emerged from  the icy depths and once again stands proud of the murky water that for much of the year hide it's mystery.

It doesn't appear every year but when it does there is much interest from the press and tourists alike as the usual hotspots such as the Castle and Cathedral are shunned in favour of the renowned "Eden Trolley.'


Little is known about the trolleys origins. Some say it's a Tesco modern, others are staunchly in the Kwik-Save circa 1972 camp. Having had the privileged opportunity to examine the trolley on many occasions when the hordes have gone home on their bus trips from Wales, Yorkshire, even the South Coast, I can report with authority that it is a post 1983 design (as there is a pound coin sill in the slot).

I believe there is a trolley appeal with donations taken in many local pubs and cafes as well as an online option, so one day the trolley will no doubt be raised from the river bed and find a new home in Tullie House.

For now though it remains in its resting place which I personally believe it should  remain forever as testament to this great City and it's pissed up students.

5 easy miles last night. Untimed. I don't like to do so little for two days in a row but it's the 10k race tonight so I had no choice really if I am to race well.

A good Marathon result (if it was 4 miles further)

Set off on Sunday without any real plan of what I wanted to do. Start out with Plucky and his missus Gill, certainly, but then possibly cut short and run home faster. It was quite a nice day for running - cloudy, warm(ish) and with little breeze. The early miles were all uphill and apparently we were doing about 7:30 pace at the four mile marker. It seemed very easy (as it should) and at the nine mile point when Gill turned for home I decided to run on with Plucky, as I still felt very fresh indeed.  I expected to become tired and possibly even to struggle after 15 miles or so but the pace was so gentle that I felt absolutely fine all the way through to the end. Maybe five miles or so from home Plucky upped the effort somewhat and indeed I could tell that I too was running harder. This only lasted for ten minutes or so. I think he soon tired, and the final couple of miles were as easy as any part of the previous 20 had been. To be fair to Plucky he had done 103 miles cycling and 30 mins running the previous day, whereas I had only done about 9 miles easy in Gelt, so there was little to crow about managing this so easily compared to him.  Presuming 7:30/mile was our average (and it certainly would not have been any  slower) we ran 22 miles in the 2hrs 45 mins. Good to know that 6 weeks or so after the marathon I am still quite able to complete such long runs as this without difficulty.

Monday was a very easy 4 miles of the riverside pathways with Scamp.

Wintry scenes , Summer temps

Couldn't manage to lie in bed beyond 0730 this morning. I was too hot under the covers and too cold outside of them. So I got up and headed out to Gelt (pictured, earlier in the year). Darren, Gill and George were all there too for a 0900 start.

We ran a very easy first lap, after which I put Scamp in the van ready for a faster lap 2. It never got fast though. Nobody seemed interested in pushing the pace and I wasn't fussed either - my legs felt quite tired to be honest. I did put one massive effort in - on the short but brutally steep hillclimb, so at least I got 30 seconds of good training.

Back home I tried to enjoy a day of lazing in the hammock, enjoying the weather. This did not go exactly to plan really due to annoyances of various types from all around. Why do retired people (who have all day everyday free) choose a Saturday afternoon to use power tools in their garden? And why do they insist on putting food out for birds when it results in noisy wood pigeons more or less living onsite, and scarily large seagulls often visiting?

Later in the evening I took Scamp for a walk and also took the camera - hoping for some photo opportunities. Leaving the memory card slotted in the iMac rather than in the Canon meant I had a completely unnecessary encumbrance around my neck for the (shortened) walk. Poor Scamp!

Tomorrow I am meeting up with Plucky ang Gill for a long run. I don't usually go with them as they don't really run fast enough for my liking, but as it doesn't matter that much at present I will make do with 'only' running 7:15 pace. Rain forecast.

Hot stuff

Very warm day yesterday. Following my post run shower I didn't even bother putting a top on until I got to bed when of course I donned my jim-jams, so that gives you some idea of the kind of day I'm talking about. Not good weather for hard training, but it had to be done.

Met Darren again and after a steady warm up including one 800m timed effort we ran 2 by 2miles. Slightly poor result for the outbound two, - 11:34, so not as fast as my 10k pace t'other week. Coming back was faster though, the light wind behind yielding a time of 11:02.
So, 22mins 36 secs for 4 miles is 5:39 per mile, which I am happy with considering the last mile I struggled to maintain the effort as I was so hot and knackered by then. Should have taken a drink for these reps - remember for next time.

I had said we should also run 2x 1mile but we were both so wasted that we knocked that plan on the head with little discussion or argument.

(only joking about the jimjams)

Mist Trains

A bit late home from work and with Milly still saying he has 'retired' I simply couldn't find the motivation to go for my planned easy 7 miles tonight. That's the first day missed (apart from Fridays but they are on purpose) in three weeks or more. Must not do this again.

Instead I spent a bit of time with the camera trying to capture a scene which, from where I often sit on some wooden steps on the river bank, I imagined would make a good photo. The best result is featured here.


Now I know what you are thinking - the train is blurry, and the trees are too dark. I should first point out that I am very much a novice in the DSLR (no that's not the train company) world. Yes the train IS blurry but that's because I wanted to re-create the movement of the hard edged loco' through the otherwise soft, natural, tranquil scene. This was achieved by using a slow shutter speed of 1/8 of a second, with exposure adjusted by 2 stops under to avoid a whiteout. The trouble is the river and sky are still rather over exposed and the near trees and branches under. Ideally I would get the train driver to go much faster so I could achieve my aim with a faster shutter. I would probably also zoom in a little more to lessen the dark areas. Hey it's not too bad for a first try though. Despite the warmth of the day in general I got a bit cold waiting for trains to come along. Of course, as soon as I left, six came along at once and crashed into the icy water below. I suppose I should have taken a photo of that actually - only joking of course - nothing newsworthy ever happens in Cumbria

Tarmac or Guinness - it's the black stuff for me please

After poncing around up fells at the weekend today was back to some 'proper' running

3 miles of 2 mins hard, 1min rest, completed in 15:24, (5:08 pace)

I met Darren in the park and we ran out a mile at conversational pace. Then the mile back at a fair lick (5:47) to ensure we were properly warmed up, followed by a good little rest so we were ready for the carnage that followed.

After the first two minute rep we were together but Darren struggled a little thereafter to stay with me. My legs didn't feel great after the weekends long slow stuff but I was determined to give everything to these 3 quick miles. This was by far the hardest session I have done in the last 6 months. I found it devastatingly tough. I was letting out a kind of roar/scream/yell as I finished the last few reps, well it was either that or collapse and wait for an ambulance.

Managing sub-5 pace for a wind assisted 2 miles of these same intervals last week was pleasing- so to make 5:08 for a circuitous route 50% further is doubly pleasing. Tripoli pleasing even (as colonel Gaddafi might say.)


Stu's BGR performance was too great an acheivement to allow it to slip into memory after just a few days so here's another photo of the man himself as he was waited upon hand and foot (quite literally ) at Wasdale