(TLDR. On Tuesday we have 6pm and 7pm sessions of intervals at Montpellier Hill, and on Thursday we have a club run to Knaresborough followed by the London Marathon draw. York Yuletide Five Mile is on Saturday, and there are a few other bits of chat and useful information, not to mention a very fine word to the wise…).
Hi folks.
So here’s a story for you. Those you’ve taken the chance to get to know our treasurer Sylvia Morten might know that she is a Leeds girl, and attended Roundhay School (the same one as the short-lived PM Liz “not-for-quitting” Truss, apparently, but we won’t hold that against her). Sylvia was telling me today that she used to do school cross country in Roundhay Park but, as soon as the group had left the school and crossed the road, Sylvia and her mate used to hide and go down to the shop. Chewing on their recently purchased Mars Bars, they would wait at the top of the hill and join the group for the last few yards into the school. I know, and to think she’s a senior committee member, too.
And with the reverberations from that bombshell ringing in our ears, let’s have a look at the week ahead.
The Week Ahead
On Tuesday, we crack on with intervals and are heading back to Montpellier for the next session of hills. We’ll be holding two sessions, but you’ll need to do the early one if you want to get back in time to see Wales and England face off. Meet at the club for either 6pm or 7pm, and jog down to the bottom of Montpellier Hill where the warm up and session will start at quarter past the hour.
On Thursday, we’ve got a club run lined up for you and I must say that it’s an absolute beauty. We’ll be heading to Knaresborough. Get yourself to the club and be good to bounce for 7pm, and we’ll head round the school and down Kingsley Road to Starbeck. Continuing down the big hill to Waterside, we’ll run by the river, back over the bridge and over Forest Moor, returning to the club via Mozzabobs and Starbeck. If you want to cut short, you can head down Forest Lane from Starbeck on your way out, and you can extend in Knaresborough via High Street, Stockwell Lane or Halfpenny Lane if you’re feeling sparky. Afterwards, we’ll be having a exquisite cocktails and canapes in the VIP Lounge (or, more accurately, a pint of Black Sheep and a bag of salt and vinegar in the bar). We’ll also be making an important announcement about the London Marathon draw… read on below to find out more.
On Saturday, we’re over to the capital of God’s Own Country for the York Yuletide Five Mile Trail Run. Not only offering medals, a goody bag, and five miles of mud, this race offers the second chance to get points in the club cross country championship. Every penny of the £20 entry fee will be worth it, I promise. Read all about it: https://tinyurl.com/yf38fren.
Apropos of nothing, there’s an interesting looking fell race up on the North York Moors on Sunday: the Eskdale Eureka. Kick off is at 10.30 from Castleton, and your £7 entry will guarantee you 1,500ft of climb and nine muddy miles. A bargain, if you ask me. All the details are here: https://tinyurl.com/3sp7etzc.
Meeting for Club
Here’s a thing. Are you sick of loitering in the carpark in the cold, wet and dark before a club run? Do you fear for your life as someone drives into the car park at speed, parks over two spaces and almost takes down three Nidders in the process? Well, fear no more! We’ve got access to the Hockey Club, and so from this week will be meeting in the club house itself. You get into the club via the gate and door to your right from the carpark, and we’ll meet upstairs in the bar area for the pre-run chat and briefing etc. Please also remember that we have access to the changing rooms so you can make full use of them if you want to (though they are unsupervised and unlocked so we can’t accept liability for loss etc.).
Results
Seriously, I swear that Fingers Harris has had more miraculous comebacks than Lazarus. Last week he was hobbling around like he was never going to walk again, and today he (37.32) goes and takes 121st place at the Doncaster 10k this morning. He was joined by John Mallet, who claimed an equally as marvellous, not to mention symmetrical, time of 51.15. Also worth a note, Fingers’ mother and honorary Nidd, Mrs Harris (1:42.45) also ran, and got herself a cracking time in the process. Well done to the three of you, although, John and Fingers, the club captains would like to know why you failed to show at the PECOs this morning. Please wait behind after class.
With those two in detention, let’s have a look at the results from the first of the PECOs. This morning we all lined up in Middleton Park for the mile mud fest. But before the senior race set off, we enjoyed some stunning performances from our Juniors. In the one mile race, Smiti Chandrashekar (9.31) and Jessica Webster (11.13) put the pedal to the metal as they tore round the course. In the two mile race, Sam Crebbin (14.10) and Josh Bryer (14.25) were up near the front in the tussle for places, while Eleanor Easton (15.20), Preeti Chandrashekar (17.42), Jess Beaumont (18.55), Amelia Dalton (19.47) and Lilian Scaife (21.16) made sure that the boys didn’t get all the glory. Fraser Dobinson (22.05) and Chloe Beaumont (26.06) ran brilliantly, and are more than worthy of their black and gold vests. Well done, Niddlings!
Right then, to the senior race. Given the numbers, the organisers did a staggered start and set the women off 15 minutes before the men, so the results come in two batches. Forgive me, but I cannot be faffed to try and put them back together, so we’ll start with the women and then move on to the chaps. Amy Shepphard (36.05), Cath Barber (37.37) and Fiona Deacon (37.59) were the first to show for the ladies, with Laura Francis (40.29), Eva Wood (40.36) and Christine Holleran (42.07) slipping and sliding their way through the woods. Emma David (42.22) and Jane Evans (42.43) bearing down on her for the most of the race, while Chatty McChatface (45.57) couldn’t quite catch Reb Ventress (43.33) and Victoria Thomas (44.46). We’ll hear three cheers for Nadene Wilkinson (46.04), Helen Cook (46.06) and Sue Ball (46.14), and three more for Ewa Scott (47.40), Emily Wighton (51.08) and Jill Hornsby (56.22). Sylvia Morten (58.34) and Fiona Robinson (1:06.55) finish the ladies results for us, and they do so with style.
So the boys weren’t allowed in the photo, then? #harsh
Here come the boys, and they were led by none other than Adam Kirk (30.04). Billy Fox (30.50), Craig Mills (31.06) and Captain Dazzler (31.51). Also disappearing ahead beyond the sight of we mere mortals, Martin Lofthouse (33.07) and Steve Newbould (33.21) gave chase to Andy Todd (32.40). Matt Wikinson (35.06) was just behind Kev Dalton (34.23), while Andy Iddon (35.08) led Nigel Scaife (35.29), Marcus Shaw (35.45) and Jon Easton (37.07) out of the woods, chased by Kev Nicholas (37.19), Simon Cocker (38.45) and Michael Shimwell (40.07) towards the line. Nick Crebbin (40.27) had gained the advantage over yours truly (41.38) with some fancy footwork on the first muddy descent, while Fell Running Phil (43.08) was as happy in all of that mud as a pig would be in the very same. The finishers for the boys all claimed fantastic results, and they were none other than Rob Northfield (43.19), Chandra Shekar (43.53), Chris Morris (44.18), Dave Seaman (46.10), Nick Smith (50.27), Marcos Montana (52.13) and Graham Hyde (56.43). Very well done to you all.
Looking at parkrun, we’ve had Colleen Gruenwald in Huddersfield, Adam Kirk at Roundhay, Iain Scott at Heslington, John Mallet at Wetherby, and FRP and FRF at the Isabel Trail. Everyone else was either at home or running at the usual fleshpots of Conyngham Hall, Harrogate or Fountains Abbey. All the results are here for you to enjoy at your leisure : https://tinyurl.com/2p86cfh8.
I got no place to go and no place to run / just a dirt farmer’s boy with his granddaddy’s gun / step across that line / I’m gonna tell you, son / we all gonna die, right here in the mud / yeah, in the mud: samfugill@gmail.com.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
On Boxing Day, we head to Otley to run the Chevin Chase. More hills, more mud, and more cross-country championship points. Not sure I could face a race the day after the Christmas eat-all-you-can-athon, but it takes all sorts. Including you: https://tinyurl.com/dzcdd6pe.
On Tues 27 Jan 2022, Ripon Runners are putting on the Jolly Holly Jog which always goes down a treat with Nidders. More points for the cross country championship and the chance to work off the excesses of Christmas are both on offer, and you wouldn’t want to miss it. This 10k off-road jaunt will set you back between £17 and £22 depending on whether you want a momento or want them to plant a tree or whatever it is. You can make your selection and find out all the other info here: https://tinyurl.com/yck7zy9p.
London Marathon
We expect to hear from the organisers early this week, so hope to do the draw for London Marathon places in the bar after the run on Thursday night. You’re eligible for it lone of our club places if you
- Have entered and failed to gain a place in the 2023 London Marathon, and
- Have never had one of the Nidd Valley club places previously.
If you want a chance, then send me an email with your rejection slip to samfugill@gmail.com by the end of the day on Wednesday.
Final Call for Marathon Times
If you have a marathon time from the last year that you’d like to be considered in the club championships, can you please get it to Captain Dazzler by the end of Wednesday? He’s on the end of the line and waiting to take your call: darren.townend32@gmail.com.
Committee Meeting: 07 Dec 2020
We’ve got our last committee meeting before Christmas next week, and we’re meeting at Sylvia’s for the first time. We’re very excited as she’s promised us mince pies. Anyway, if you’ve anything that you’d like us to discuss with our mouths full, then you only have to let us know. Send all comments, complaints, and requests to our esteemed secretary Philippa: pwilkinson79@hotmail.com.
Awards Night: 28 Jan 2023
Tickets for the Awards Night are selling fast, and you can secure your very own for only £32.50. It’s a posh black tie event, which means that the ladies all look lovely and the men, having bought a dinner jacket several decades ago as an “investment”, all look like they’re modelling in an exhibition of historical fashion called ‘Evening Wear Through The Ages’. You can register for your place here: https://forms.gle/KaebNUcZhoLymBya8.
Word to the Wise
Your dose of weekly wisdom this week comes from our very own Junior, Amelia Dalton. When competing in this morning’s PECO (and I must say, what an excellent performance it was too), she passed her dad Kevin who was cheering from the sidelines. Her response was pure gold.
“If you make me do this again, dad, I want to be adopted…” – Amelia Dalton, giving a masterclass in shade.
So from the Daltons, from me, and everyone else here at Nidd Valley House, it’s bye for now. See you in the week.
Sam x