STANDISH HALL TRAIL RACE 10K

GRAND PRIX ROUND TWO
Standish Hall Trail Race PREVIEW

This trail race was first made popular by Richard Carey, Neil Rothwell and Andy Hudson some years ago, it has become increasingly popular with club members over the last couple of years due to the challenging adrenaline fueled route along narrow country tracks, up and downhills and through forest trails, there is a friendly laid back atmosphere to the event and everyone seems to go away happy! read my report on last years race
King of the mountain points apply, so don't miss out, an exciting afternoon will be experienced by all!
DETAILS;
Standish Hall Trail Race, Britannia Wigan Hotel, Almond Brook Road, Standish, Wigan WN6 0SR (off J27 M6) NEW VENUE!!
Please allow 5 minutes to get from registration to the start - please note that the race HQ is not the Hesketh Arms as on previous occasions!
2009 entry fees: £4/£6 +£1 on the day ("Wigan Phoenix") (min. age 16)
Contact: Paul Carroll, 21 Pilgrims Way, Standish, Wigan WN6 0AJ - tel. 01257 426166 weekday evenings and weeekends only please - Email
Wigan Phoenix web site - Venue map (note that this is registration only - the start is off Arbour Lane shown bottom right of the map)
2003 (Oct) - 2004 (Feb) - 2004 (Oct) - 2005 (Mar) - 2005 (Oct) - 2006 (Feb) - 2006 (Oct) - 2007 (Feb) - 2007 (Oct) - 2008 (Feb)
Entry form: Word .doc (27k) - Acrobat .pdf (8k) - Enter Feb 09 Online or - Enter both Oct 08 and Feb 09 at a discount Online

STANDISH HALL TRAIL RACE

MY MOST ENJOYABLE RACE THIS YEAR!
After working the night shift I got just 3 hours sleep before the alarm woke me, i could here the unwelcome sound of the wind and rain lashing against the window!
If I had not arranged for Paul to pick me up I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep for sure!
As if by some miracle the rain stopped just in time for the race, only to start again after I finished! This was round 2 of the series,the first one being back in February when I finished 9th.
After a week of steady aerobic running I was hoping to feel better than in last weeks 10k.
I was wearing the new prototype Healus running shoes,and many people asked me about them [they are designed to reduce shock by having a shock absorbing sprung plate placed midfoot in the shoe] .
Among us at the start was super legend RON HILL , so we were in very good company. We headed off along a pot holed lane filled deep with muddy water, with so many runners on the path you had no choice but to splash straight through the flooded pot holes. After half a mile we turned up a steep hill, by which time I was just starting to get into a nice rhythm, up ahead team mate Richard Carey was pulling away from me, but there was little a could do but hold my own pace! Once at the top I took full advantage of the HEALUS shoes and blasted down the steep concrete lane, pulling up behind another runner as we hit the forest, this was awesome fun zigzagging in and out of the trees as we looped round the woods. At one point I almost bailed out as I over cooked it on a muddy corner! Now the climbing started in earnest once more , up through the trees I was feeling good! Next was the hardest part, climbing alongside the edge of a field [ seemed like a paddy field it was so water logged ] i was starting to struggle, but then I remembered to RELAX and I got back into a nice rhythm again.
The second lap started as we hit the steep climb again, half way up a guy on a mission came past me,so I tagged onto his back and used him to pull me to the top, as soon as the path leveled out I put the hammer down once more and kept it going on the downhill, taking out a couple of runners on my way. i focused in on a group ahead and slowly but surely I closed in on them, through the forest I could see Richard Carey for the first time since he left me behind on the first climb. I pulled in behind him as we squelched through the paddy field , finally we came out onto the pot holed lane for a final dash back to the finish I passed Richard and put in an almighty effort to catch a group of 4 in front of me! I finished with a big grin on my face, legs plastered in mud!
This had been a awesome race, awesome fun, FANTASTIC DAY! and the wet conditions made the race even more fun!
I finished in 21st place, but I was happy enough, my aerobic fitness has gone downhill , but a few months base training should fix that!
Paul found his first trail race hard going but said he'd be back for more taking into account he was only wearing road shoes he did really well. Racey Tracey peters finished first lady and the girls won the team prize for SOUTHPORT WATERLOO, all in all an excellent result!
RESULTS

9th place in THE STANDISH HALL TRAIL RACE

PAIN AND THE GLORY ON THE STANDISH TRAIL
warmer windy weather greeted us for the start of THE STANDISH HALL TRAIL RACE, run over 2 laps with 4 climbs this race seems in my mind to be tougher and more intense than even the Parbold hill race.
On the start line was Richard Carey a regular top ten finisher in past races,richard told me he had been recovering from injury, so when he shot off at the start like a scalded cat i wondered if he was bluffing ! After 3/4 of a mile of cobbled path we reached the first hill, which reared upwards into the distance. slowly a pulled Richard back and came along side him as we reached the summit, the look of pain etched across his face told its story and Richard waved me passed. next is Brian davey, back in top form and showing his fell running strength
Not far behind Tracey Peters was having the run of her life, showing the selectors that they had made the right decision in picking her to represent merseyside at the national X/C champs. Eddie was running well until he felt his calf muscle pull as he made his uphill assault, Eddie carried on for another 3 miles until the pain became to much.Margot Bowker was the next victim to pull out after her shoe cut deep into her heel reducing her to a painful limp.Liz stanfield looked strong as she led Carole James followed shortly by a very confident looking Sarah Reynolds [ sarah has been training hard on the hills of parbold under the watchful eye of club coach STORMING NORMAN and it seems to be working wonders ].
after the steep hill we plunged downwards at speed heading towards the woods,I was starting to wish i had road shoes on at this point as my old fell shoes felt like two stiff planks strapped to my feet, each uneven surface had me swaying from side to side like a drunken sailor out at sea.
On reaching the woods we all went off course taking in a extra long loop of at least 8 tenths of a mile,it seems that some mischievous woodland creature, maybe a elf or upset fairy had moved the tape !
some how we all made it back onto the correct route to finish our first lap.
I was now in 9th place as we made our way up the 1st climb again and feeling pretty good. over the hill and then back down dale onto the woods again,this time we all went the correct shorter loop through the woods and then up a steep ascent dodging in and out of the trees to test the legs to the max, we then reached the hardest part of the course a uphill track over a muddy field. i lose one place here just before we turn left for the final 600 m. Rob Mcgrath shouts encouragement which gives me renewed energy, i reel in the guy in front of me and then sit on his shoulder to keep out of the wind, a sudden gust blows him sideways across the uneven surface,he stumbles and a take my chance with a rapid acceleration that takes me clean away and gives me 9th place,14 places improvement on last year and in a bigger entry of runners.i also won first v 45 proof that high mileage pays off. next in is a reborn Brian Davey finishing with a brilliant 15th place 46.48 Richard carey battled on to finish in 30th 49.23 a brave effort ! Tracey Peters did a storming performance to finish 40th 50.57 a star of the future me thinks ! my brother andy bowker was next in but does not show on the results, maybe he sprinted in too fast for the time keeper to see! liz Stanfield had a great race with 58.45 and only one week after completing the parbold race. carole james had a solid run with 1.01.27 Sarah reynolds finished with a glint in her eye and a beaming smile to finish in a very respectable 1.09.07 sheila marshal once again put in a great run to take first lady vet 60 with 1.14.19
Norman marshal was full of praise for his girls after the race even breaking out into a smile!
Paul Carrol,race organizer was more than happy with the second biggest ever turn out for the race with 188 runners finishing the extra long 6.9 mile course.
After we had a relaxing pint in the hesketh arms pub and talked of our days battles on the standish trail, a fantastic fun day out for sure !
FULL RESULTS CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE FOR, JON'S SANDHILL 6, PAULS 20 MILE ROUND SOUTHPORT TRAINING RUN AND MORE ON EVERTHING 'RUNNING'.

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