Guten tag, alle zusammen!
So who else is following Carol Morgan as she does the Spine Race on the Pennine Way? I can’t take my eyes off the online tracker. It’s like Mission Control here at Nidd Valley House. Lots of anxious people watching the countless monitors on the wall and staring intently at computers. She’s doing very well, and at the time of writing is the first lady and in seventh place overall. It’s early days as she skirts round Manchester, Edale behind her, on her way up towards Yorkshire and Northumbria, but we all know she can do this! Come on Carol, we’re all rooting for you! Follow Carol here: http://map.opentracking.co.uk/spinerace17/map.htm.
NVH Mission Control
And while she slogs up another hill in the pouring rain, let’s have a look at the results.
Results
Jane Hill is this week’s eager beaver, being the first tell me her result from the Brass Monkey half marathon in York, and we will indeed come to her in a moment. Alex Patrickson (1:21:49), Andy Todd (1:25:35), Adam Kirk (1:29:17) all squeaked in under the 1:30 barrier – something that I can only dream of to be honest with you – so it huge congratulations to those three people (I’ve also just noticed that their names all being with an A. First letter in the alphabet. First to finish. Spooky). Rachael Prince (1:57:29) sneaked herself in under the 2-hour barrier, with Jenny Manning (2:02:04) never too far behind. And last, but by no means least, Jane Hill (2:17:19) completes the line up.
So that’s your lot for road running. We had a few people up racing the Stanbury Splash fell race today up near Haworth. I cannot find any results for this race yet (well it is fell racing, after all – have a look in a few weeks, they might have appeared by then), so you’ll just have to imagine some arbitrary numbers in imaginary brackets when you read the following list of Nidds: Matt Wilkinson, Cath Barber and Sarah Chalmers. Although timeless, I’m sure it was all very impressive, and has given me one of the best wise words for months – see below!! Well done to all of you who took part.
Update: results are in at the last minute: Matt Wilkinson (59:48), Cath Barber (1:20:01), Sarah Chalmer (1:48:27). You’re nothing if not updated, peeps.
And with the inevitable and soul destroying tedium, we come to parkrun. First off the blocks this week, we’ve got Phil and Fiona Robinson who were racing down in the parkrun at Barnsley (I can’t help saying that in an exaggerated Yorkshire accent, like ‘Baaarnslay’ so that I end up sounding like William Hague. I’ve no idea why). Phil (25:43) was first to finish and was back at the line to cheer Fiona (32:42) home. If taking your wife to run a South Yorkshire parkrun is your idea of a hot date, Phil, you need to up your game. Take a leaf out of Paul Manning’s book, why don’t you? He’s taken his missus Yvonne to Australia, and while she was drinking a Fosters and throwing a few more shrimps on the BBQ, Paul took a turn round the Albert parkrun in Melboune. He finished in 23:29, you know, the little superstar that he is.
Anyway, it’s a relief to get away from savages of Barnsley back to the civilities of Harrogate, where Matt Wilkinson (18:18) got what proud-wife-to-be Plippy tells me is his second fastest ever time. Well done, Matt. Martin Lofthouse (18:37) pipped Matt Rickard (19:23) to the line in what I think will be a new PB for Matt. Andy Peagram (21:00) was the first post-20 minute Nidd, with Adam Kirk (21:29), Jamie Dilasser (22:13), Sue Simpson (23:02) and newbie David Shores (23:07) making easy work of the course. Good god, this list goes on forever doesn’t it? Never mind. Onwards. Jim Cook (24:15), Mark Armstrong (24:42), Tony LC (26:32), Hannah Peagram (28:07), Debbie Dilasser (28:08), Rebecca Ventress (28:18) and Ewa Scott (28:21) were the next to finish, with Kirsty O’Donnell (28:50), Sue Reast (28:58) and Jeff Walker (29:01) also putting in to-drawer efforts. Finishing things off, we’ve got three veterans of the Nidd Valley parkrun campaign: Dave Rushton (29:28), Michelle Dinsdale (31:26) and Mandy Smith (37:36). Well done to you all.
Same shit, different day. Update me: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Week Ahead
On Tuesday, we have the next instalment of the stamina interval sessions. This one is down on West Park (you know the one, the triangle run that seems to go on for ever) and is led by Sarah H. Maybe we’ll get to do another 1980s fitnessIt’ll be a blast, and we look forward to seeing you warm up! Anyway, you won’t know unless you turn up so get yourself to the Hockey Club for 7pm for a warm up jog. I can hardly wait to see you.
On Thursday, you’ve got a couple of choices going on. There’ll be a steady club run running the Knox route. For that, it’s over iron bridge and round Woodfield Road, picking your way through Bilton before coming up for air on Skipton Road. After that, it’s down to the Little Wonder roundabout, before heading up Ripon Road and into town, before turning for the club, extending round the Stray if that tickles your fancy. As an alternative, I’m going to lead a headtorch run down the greenway to Ripley. We’ll join the others over iron bridge, and then make our way through the darkness to see what things go bump in the night, before heading back through Killinghall and up through Bilton to the club. Whatever you do, be at the Hockey Club for 7pm and join us for a couple of pints afterwards.
Committee Meeting: 18 January 2017
My very last one. It’ll be emotional. If you’ve got something you’d like discussing at what promises to be a tense, thrilling and gripping meeting, you’ve still got time to let Sarah H know: enquiries@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Awards Night: 28 January 2017
I warned you, and I warned you many times. If you didn’t get a wriggle on, you’d miss the boat. And the HMS Nidd Valley has indeed set sail: there are no more tickets for the Awards Night. Not a sausage. We have completely and utterly sold out.
If you haven’t let Sarah C know your food choices or if you haven’t settled the bill with Dave (actually, that reminds me…) then you need to do so ASAP. You’ll find Dave in some state of undress in the men’s changing rooms, and you’ll find Sarah here: scpyman@hotmail.com.
Goodbye Judy: 10 February 2017
Yeah, I know. It’s pretty tragic but Judy G is abandoning us in pursuit of an idyllic life in the Lake District with hubby Mike. You can’t blame her, I suppose. Anyway, if you want to come and say your tearful goodbyes or just make sure that she goes, that sort of thing, then there will be a farewell meal at Lucias on Friday 10 February. If you want to go along (and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t), then you need to let Fiona F know: mjfjdeacon@sky.com (please note the new email address!).
AGM: 16 February 2017
The details for this will be out this week. Just save the date. You really need to be there.
Knaresborough Bed Race: 10 June 2017
Oh, yes please! I love bed racing, I really do. It probably is my very favourite day of the entire year. Drinking, cross dressing, swimming, running. Great. Anyway, if you want to get involved in Team Nidd’s glorious efforts this year, please register your interest with me. Once we’ve got a list of daft buggers together, we’ll try and form some teams from there. I’m not after ready-made teams yet, just expressions of interest. I’m still here at Nidd Valley House: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Word to the Wise
My informant rang me up today with this absolute gem from the Stanbury Splash race. It really is great and more than a little bit risqué, and I hesitate to print it for fear of reprisals. But then I thought, hey, I’ll be gone in a few weeks. What’s the worst that can happen?
Sarah Chalmers: “At least I didn’t get mud up my crack this time…”
Whether she is talking about her rear bottom or her front bottom, I’m unable to say.
And on that lurid note, it’s a goodnight from me.
Sam x