(TLDR. For those short of time…. Your club runs on Tuesday and Thursday are supermarkets and Knaresborough, respectively. There is training in Otley on Tuesday evening. The Sessay Swift Race on Wednesday night and the York 5k Series are your opportunities for road championship points. There’s a scattering of belated results, and a call to arms for the Mob Match).
Evenin’ munchkins,
Well, did everyone enjoy the Nidd Valley Picnic and Games on the Stray? It was, as you can imagine, an immensely classy affair with ladies in starched crinoline dresses sat underneath parasols while men in cravats and waistcoats played cricket on the extensive grounds of Nidd Valley House. The hired help and the staff excelled themselves, I must say, and the cucumber sandwiches and cream scones were the very epitome of class and decadence, and the Earl Grey Tea was poured to perfection. A lovely afternoon had by all, for sure. But we cannot loiter on the lawns for any longer, and we must turn our attention to the week ahead.
The Week Ahead
On Tuesday, you’ve got the usual choice between the fell training or a club run. The fell training this week is going to be up on Otley Chevin. If you want to give your legs a pummelling, then meet in the carpark at Otley Sainsbury’s for 6.30pm and Babs and Sarah C will have a packed evening of athletic entertainment in store for you. This will be the last of the fell training sessions (give FRP a big hug when you see him, well you? The poor little love is distraught). You wouldn’t want to miss it. It’ll be #totesemosh.
If that isn’t something that you can get it up for, then Karen Mills has chosen a club for Tuesday night. She’s asked if we might go shopping with the supermarket sweep run, so here is the plan: meet at the club for 7pm, and head out along the railway path from the iron bridge to ASDA and up through town. Once there, work your way towards the Showground and Sainsburys (you can go straight over the Stray, or extend via Leeds Road and M&S). From Sainsbury’s, head down the path behind the cemetery and throgh towards Morrisons before heading back up to the club.
On Wednesday evening, we’ve got the Sessay Swift in the road championships. Now I’m not sure how to put this delicately, but this is going to be a living hell. 6k is a distance too far to sprint but too short to justify holding back. It’s a real test of your grit and determination. I think they’ve sold out (that at least explains why Fiona D was on the plead and the prowl for transfer places) but entries, if they have them, and all the additional information can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h8edp.
On Thursday, we’ve got another club run to keep us entertained and this has been chosen by our very own Nick Smith. Nick suggests a run to Knaresborough, so listen up. Setting off from the clubhouse at 7pm, we’ll head down the Beryl Burton path to Knaresborough. From Waterside, we’ll cross back over the fields, over the train line and past the golf club, before working our way back up from Starbeck. Afterwards, there’ll be champagne, cocaine and erotic dancing in the bar afterwards. Either that or pints of beer and a bag of crisps, I can never quite remember.
As ever, with the club runs, the emphasis is as much on ‘club’ as it is on ‘runs’. If you want to extend or shorten a route, or go a bit faster or a bit slower, then that’s wonderful, but please don’t leave anyone behind. That’s not our style. #bemorenidd.
If your legs aren’t in trauma counselling, we’ve got the York 5k Race Series on Friday evening which provides the chance to start your weekend with some more club championship points. Now I’d sooner pop pins in my eyes than run five laps of a tarmac course, but don’t let me put you off. It’s held at the York University track (where you do Heslington Parkrun), and the short and sharp course is guaranteed to provide some fierce competition in the hunt for points. More information here: https://tinyurl.com/48tdawuu.
There aren’t any championship races this weekend, but there are a couple of fell races that might be of interest. At 3.30pm on Saturday, you can experience one and a half miles of breathtaking and gravity-defying terror at the Burnsall Classic Fell Race. Entry is £6 and the details are here: https://tinyurl.com/tey6zjna.
At 11am on Sunday, you can get some more mud under your feet with the Sedbergh Hills Fell Race. This is a toughie with the far side of 1800ft of climb spread over 14 miles of challenging terrain. This is pre-entry only, so if you want to spend a tenner on a cracking little race then this is where you need to be: https://tinyurl.com/bddm2ae6.
I’m tired just thinking about it all to be honest with you. So let’s have a nice sit down and a look at the results from the past week.
Results
So last week, we had the Round Hill Fell Race, where Andy Harris (1:05.57) was the first Nidd to cross the finishing line. He was chased round the hills round Timble by Martin Lofthouse (1:06.58), who himself had Matt Wilkinson (1:08.18) lurking dangerously close behind. Our very own Warrior of the Fells, Nigel Scaife, clocked in at 1:15.36, chased down by Andy Iddon (1:17.31). Helen Gregory (1:23.18) took the first scalp for the ladies, with Emma David (1:26.43) also claiming a very respectable time. Alex Gudgeon (1:32.17) proved a bit too speedy for Jane Evans (1:34.04), while our trio of finishers were none other than the irrepressible Dave Seaman (1:41.41), Liz Ahmed (1:58.42) and Sarah Chalmers (2:00.12). Congratulations, everyone.
Staying with the hills, we enjoyed performances from nine Nidds who accepted the Kings Challenge in Silsden on Thursday night, heading up on a six mile jaunt onto the moor in dry and oppressive heat. Fingers Harris came back feeling frustrated having taken a couple of wrong turns, but he (51.01) still managed to deny Martin Lofthouse (51.03) the top spot despite a sprint finish to the line. Andy Iddon (58.07) was able to open up a couple of minutes lead over Nigel Scaife (59.45) and Phil Ventress (1:01.00), while new Nidd Amy Sheppard (1:03.34) was out to show the boys how it is done. Jane Evans (1:12.00) managed to keep ahead of FRP (1:13.38), while Sarah Chalmers (1:31.18) won herself a bag of chocolate as the 2nd FV50 (I know, she doesn’t look it does she?). So well done to her and well done to the rest of you.
If you are of a parkrunning disposition, then you might want to check out the results for the week. As well as fielding Nidds at the local big three of Fountains, Conyngham and Harrogate, we’ve had the Black & Gold on tour in Hamsterley Forest (me neither), Chevin Forest, Wetherby, Vogrie, Darlington, and we’ve had a Nidder up to toss a caber or two in Fort William. Och aye the noo! Read all about it: https://tinyurl.com/4cbrfjde.
I have a single heartbreak / I celebrate and mourn / A single shining sister / And all the tricks of dawn: samfugill@gmail.com.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
Just in case you want to get totally organised, we’ve got the Tholthorpe 10k on Sunday 04 Sep 2022. There are road championship points available for this one, and the flat course also lends itself deliciously to personal bests. You’d be a fool to miss it, if you ask me. Entry is £14.50 and can be done here: https://tinyurl.com/bdzmnc97.
Mob Match: 18 Sep 2022
In the words of the silken and velvety voiced lady from the M&S Food advert, this is no ordinary 10k. This is the 10k where the Black and Gold of Nidd Valley square up with the Blue & Yellow of Knaresborough Striders at the Bishop Monkton 10k, both teams keen to lay their hands on the prodigious Mob Match Trophy. Every runner counts and we need as many of you to turn out as possible. If this were politics, we’d be maintaining discipline with our very own three line whip (oo’er!), so please get entered if you can. All the details are here: https://tinyurl.com/knu6s9b2.
Word to the Wise
In the absence of any wise words from your fellow Nidds this week, I leave you with these words of Olympian Lord Sebastian Coe.
“I became a great runner because if you’re a kid in Leeds and your name is Sebastian you’ve got to become a great runner…”
Have a wonderful week. His Lordship loves you.
Sam x