Harrock Hill Race Report And Photos

Spectacular scenery, remarkable people, one amazing journey!
Warm humid air pressed down on the runners, sweat dripped down foreheads stinging eyes with sweat, calf muscles twitched, quads bulged with adrenaline filled anticipation!
Down here in the cauldron at the bottom of the quarry road hopes and dreams could be made or shattered in 5.3 miles of challenging climbs and descending, yes it was Harrock Hill Race time again!
There ain't nothing more nerve racking than starting a race from the bottom of a very steep track that winds it's way up into the horizon, it's going to hurt for sure!
3, 2, 1- for a brief moment the world seems to STOP, like in one of those Matrix style films the camera zooms out and takes in the 'bigger picture' before zooming back into the starter who says -GO!!!
The runners around me surge forward, sending up a trail of dust into the atmosphere, I'm looking for Tracey 'queen mad dog' who I plan to pace round, as this is my first race back after a torn calf muscle last month.
Trace passes me and for a dreadful moment I feel like I might get dropped but thankfully I get my second wind and cruise up to her shoulder.
Up ahead Rob Ashworth is making good progress and moves into 3rd place over the top of the first climb.
Onto the descent and I pull over to wait for Trace. Stevie Lewis, Simon Tobin, Andy Hudson and Paul Talbot pull on passed like a blue and yellow train!
Come on Trace lets get moving!
Next Gary Kenny, Paul Cain and a new slim line Neil Silcock [ seems the seaweed and green pea diet is working a treat] overtake us.
Next the climb up Narrow Lane and up to Parbold Hill, Tracey is suffering complaining of only 5 hours sleep in 4 days, so I shout at her more, move those legs, push it, MOVE!
After 10 mins of climbing we reach the top road and head for Harrock Hill and the windmill, Tracey gets a stitch and screams in pain, as the nice person that I am a tell her to ignore it and buckle down and push harder!
A final downhill, a turn and the sprint for the line.
I let Trace take it on the line as the gentleman that I am!
And it's all over until next month.
There were lots of good performances with Rob finishing 3rd overal, Stevie Lewis, Paul Talbot, Neil Silcock, Sue Stewart, Carol Wright, Jane Blacklin, and Elaine Sutton all setting new P.B.s and the girls cleaned up in the prizes too!
Oh and Tracey finished 4th lady and I finish without any problems :0]
Disclaimer:
If I missed anyone or anything of importance I apologize for my normal incompetence!

Results Harrock Hill Race (3/4), Bispham, nr. Parbold, Lancashire
Thanks to Keith Lunt for photos

Highlights of the 36th International Snowdon Mountain Race

It's a 10 mile challenge from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon and back. This mountain race is regarded as one of Europe's toughest with extreme terrain and conditions presenting the ultimate endurance test.
Available to U.K. viewers only!
English subtitles available click 'S' on video
Thanks to Eddie for link
This is a epic race I've run twice, but never well!
Watch Here

From Injuried To Ready To Race!

Yesterday I visited sports physio Sarah Hall for a final check up before my first race back!
The calf now seems fully healed up and the training has been going really well.
We decided to treat the Harrock Hill Race as a progression run, starting off below full effort and building up speed as the race goes on.
This should be fun, letting runners pull away from me on the first climb before overtaking as many runners as possible to the finish.
Highest top speed for 10 years!
After a easy run round the Velvet Trail I did a set of 6 x 20 second strides on grass, hitting my highest top speed for many years 15.5 MPH!
Which goes to show the Marius Bakken 5K training is going pretty dam good!
Tess Injured!
On Sunday Tess was the one to get injured limping on her rear right leg towards the end of the run with Rob, thankfully she seems to recover faster than me and was back to 4 wheel drive by today after a days rest!
Tue
Easy Velvet Trail with Tess plus 6 x 20 sec strides Max speed 15.5 MPH
= 48 mins
Mon
Club run from Dunes, sandhills trail easy =1 hour 19 mins
Sun
Sandhill 6 with Rob and Tess 41 mins, plus run down and back = 1 hour 20 mins
Sat
Long run with Tess 2 x sandhill 6 loop, 44 mins and 40 mins, plus run down and back = 1 hour 45 mins
Fri
Weights core training
Thur
Hill sprints x 6
= 50 mins
Wed
25 min tempo run on sandhill 4 route plus 10 x 1 min, getting faster on each effort, final effort 5.04 pace. = 1 hour 20 mins
Tue
Sandhill run easy = 52 mins
Mon
30 x 20 sec, 20 sec rest on grass, plus club run over sandhills = 1 hour 40 mins

Record Breakers & Canine Cappers at Ricks Rubbish 5k

(Report By Trace Peters)

Well the rain clouds managed to stay at bay to provide practically perfect conditions for the 6^th Grand Prix race and 2^nd Rubbish 5k of the series with a record breaking number of SWAC members turning up for the event (perhaps a fixture worth considering for GP competitions of the future?) This astonishing number of GP competitors was to be one of many records broken that day making it one for the SWAC history books indeed!

Unlike last months race my punctuality had improved somewhat as I arrived with time to spare rather than a mad dash to the starting line (I live so close yet that only makes it easier to be late!) After a hard session in torrential rain at Greenbank just two days previously my legs felt rather leaden and totally not up for the challenge of sub-20. My arch nemesis, Paul Talbot agreed as we started to line-up feeling rather pessimistic towards the final outcome!

Rubbish brain-child, Rick Bowker counted us down…3-2-1 and off we went. Ben Johnson zoomed off into oblivion – never to be seen again! Paul Talbot also shot off like a speeding bullet and through past experience I thought this would eventually be his downfall. So the plan was to stay behind him and slowly watch him disintegrate before my very eyes so I could shoot pass him at the opportune moment and claim my way to victory (boy was I mistaken!) Coming up toward the bridge on the first lap I noticed I was still running alongside Fell King Brian Davies, a pro at sub-20’s on this course, therefore if I could just stay with him then my goal would definitely be within my grasp. A game of cat and mouse ensued with me doing my impression of a drunken crab whenever I took the lead (sorry Brian). Eventually Brian managed to squeeze past me along with a conservative Dr. Tobin complaining about my pointy elbows as they sped off. It was at this point that gravity really started to take hold however I tried not to let it beat me and instead thought hard, fighting through the pain!

Further up the field, Ben Johnson was still just a tiny spec far out into the distance – nobody was going to catch him today. Steve Lewis had no one to play with but was still holding onto 2^nd place with Neil Adshead not too far behind. This was pretty much the order of the day with Ben Johnson winning the race and totally smashing the course record in a lightning speed time of 16:45! Steve proved he’s better running in the dark by pretty much equalling his Torchlight 5k time in 18.34 and Neil took the bronze in 18.48. The Johnson’s proved that quick times ‘run’ in the family with Ben’s dad Rob completing the course in 18.59.

Meanwhile I was struggling through the second lap this time doing my drunken crab impression in front of a patient Neil Silcock. However just after crossing the bridge for the final time the path widened and Neil saw his chance and took it! I ploughed on through the trail path hoping to gain some momentum but my legs were having none of it. With a sharp turn left and down towards the home straight I realised that this time Paul Cain was hot on my heels and if I wasn’t careful would be overtaking me any second also. So I gritted my teeth and went for it with the notion that sub-20 was still on the cards. But towards the last 100 metres my Garmin ticked past 20 minutes and I knew the dream was over – NNNOOOOO!!!! 20:07 which at least was 55 seconds improvement on June’s race. Meanwhile my nemesis Paul Talbot was living the dream with a mega PB of 19:46.

Next lady in was newcomer Jen Boothby with a fabulous finish of 21:10. This was very close to my time last month therefore I could have some strong competition on my hands for 1^st lady very soon! Coming up in 3^rd place was race regular Rachel Thomas completing the course in a rather impressive 23.11 and a whooping 57 seconds faster than the previous race! Two other record breakers of the night included little Mathew Tobin who smashed the junior course record in 20.59 and running legend Steve James who at over 70 finished the race in an amazing 22:03 – utterly remarkable!

Just towards the end of the event there was one final surprise in store when a canine competitor decided to race Jon Singleton to the finish. It was a very exciting battle with Jon just edging it over the racing dog (my money was on the dog too!). And as we all stood about in friendly chatter and reliving our tales of the race, the dog decided to jump up at me several times to show its appreciation of my support!

As ever a big thanks to helpers Dave, Brian, Rob, Ben and Norm for their valued assistance and co-operation. Full race results can be found at http://runwitharthurlydiard.blogspot.com/2011/07/rubbish-5k-results.html with updated GP table below.

Round 3 is on Wednesday 17^th August 2011, be there or miss out!!!

Cadel Evans Set To Win Tour And Beat The Ugly Sisters!

Now I guess if you live outside the UK you may not understand the concept of the Pantomime ,
But it seems to me like the Schleck brothers
are like the ugly sisters in Cinderella and Cadel is the under dog Buttons!
So it was with great pleasure that today I witnessed Cadel annihilate the
brothers {sisters] grime in the time trial!
If you look at all the years Cadel has been working towards a Tour De France win, all his set backs-injury-illness, well you have to say what a wonderful lesson to us all; Never give up!
Keep pushing, Keep trying and in in the end the nice guy will win out!
Congrats Candel Evans, what a brilliant triumph over adversary!
Figgin Amazing!
Figgin Awesome!
Figgin Yeah!

Rubbish 5K results

BEN BLASTS 5 K COURSE RECORD!
WOW! Mind blowing time on this trail 5K course!
1] 16.45 Ben Johnson NEW COURSE RECORD

[2] 18.34 Steve Lewis

[3] 18.48 Neil Adshead

[4] 18.59 Rob Johnson 'Father of Ben'!

[5] 19.26 Matt Nelson

[6] 19.31 Howard Nuttall

[7] 19.34 Keith Lunt

[8] 19.39 Paul Talbot

[9] 19.46 Simon Tobin

[10] 19.53 Brian Davey

[11] 19.54 Neil Silcock

[12] 19.55 Paul Ashby

[13] 20.07 Tracey Peters FIRST LADY Oh La La- So close to sub 20

[14] 20.20 Paul Cain

[15] 20.36 Gareth Williams

[16] 20.59 Matthew Tobin NEW JUNIOR RECORD WOW AMAZING!

[17] 21.05 Reg Black

[18] 21.10 Jen Boothby

[19] 21.33 Jamie Elliot

[20] 21.57 Ed Sherstone

[21] 22.03 Steve James NEW OVER 70's RECORD HOLLY COW!

[22] 22.07 Phil Baxendale

[23] 23.11 Rachel Thomas

[24] 23.51 Paul Newell

[25] 24.09 Carol Wright

[26] 25.04 Christine Cutner

[27] 25.27 Jane Blacklin

[28] 25.30 Donna Spencer

[29] 25.34 Becki Hutt

[30] 25.33 Sue Stewart

[31] 26.01 Steve Parkes

[32] 26.18 Elaine Sutton

[33] 26.20 Brian Grice

[34] 26.46 Josh Nuttall

[35] 26.51 Charlotte Nuttall

[36] 27.17 Jon Singleton

[37] 28.19 Sheila Marshall

Big thanks to Dave, Brian, Rob, Ben and Norm for help!

NEXT EVENT 17th AUGUST

RUBBISH 5K SOUTHPORT

Next Event 20th July CLICK HERE For Details

• RUBBISH 5K Results June 2011

READ REPORT ON LAST MONTHS EVENT
Rubbish 5K social run 15 June 2011: (by Steve Lewis) The summer is here and after the fun of the winter torchlight 5Ks it was back into the daylight ....... Read More

TRAINING; Epic Double Run













I started off with a Marius Bakken session of 30 x 20 secs with 20 sec jog recovery between.
I ran this on the grass oval by Victoria park.
I was feeling pretty good so decided to carry on running and headed over to the Dunes leisure centre and joined the clubs Monday evening run.
Michelle, Jen, Collin and his dog Walter joined me for a very wet run over the sandhills for an hour, despite the rain the run was very enjoyable [Well Walter thought so anyway]!
Total Time 1 hour 40 mins

Sun
Sandhill 6 run with Jon,Sarah,Rob and Tess, plus ran down and back = 1 hour 20 mins

Sat
Big sandhills with Tess = 1 hour 40 mins

Harrock Hill Social Run and Meal

Friday 15th
The rain was bouncing off the Farmers Arms car park as we arrived, but this did not put a dampener on proceedings with a good group of runners turning out!
Yes it was raining stair rods but at least it was warm, so after dragging a few people out of their cars we were on our way.
In fact it was good fun splashing through the puddles on the way to the first climb.
little Trace attacked the first hill with a vengeance, opening up a gap which despite my best efforts I had trouble closing.
I felt under pressure as Neil breathed down my back, so I tried to force the pace a little more.
I only managed to claw my way back up to Trace once we reached the really steep single track section, I was really happy when we caught up to the runners ahead and were forced to slow down due to the narrowness of the trail.!
It later transpired that trace had been to a works party and had been drinking glasses of wine in the afternoon, now for most people that would be a recipe for feeling sluggish but not Trace, the alcohol turns her hyperactive!
We regrouped at the top of the climb then headed down through the cow fields to Parbold, with regular stops along the way for everyone to catch up and have a chat.
Some of us had run this race route many times in both racing and in training for others it was there first time tackling the challenging hills of Parbold.
Onto the second climb [The Escalator ] and once again Tracey blasted off, I caught her up with about 100m to go before we hit the top road, with her elbows sticking out she pushed me into the hedge in a Tour De France sprinters style! I just about managed to squeeze past to claim the King of the mountains sprint, but hell that wine really seems to be working for her as I've never seen her run so fast before!
We regrouped again before making our way up towards the ruined windmill at Harrock Hill.

A final suicide downhill then the short uphill sprint into the finish.
I think everyone really enjoyed the evening run over scenic countryside and even the rain stopped before the end of the run!
Now it was time for a wonderful meal and a great pint of beer in THE FARMERS ARMS with fantastic company-priceless!


NEWS
RUBBISH 5K, SOUTHPORT
Next Event 20th July CLICK HERE For Details

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