(TLDR. The Headlines: On Tuesday, we have intervals at Fieldway in Bilton at 6pm and 7pm, and on Thursday our club run takes us around the supermarkets. We’ve got a weekend off racing, so there’s a chance to rest up, and read on for info about our 40th birthday celebrations, the forthcoming AGM, Knaresborough Bed Race, some up and coming races, and a somewhat moist wise word).
Everybody is very excited here at Nidd Valley House as we prepare for the Awards Night, which is now less than two weeks away. The butler is polishing the silverware and trimming the candle wicks, the chefs are perfecting the red wine jus, and the committee has just finished the most recent champagne tasting. It’s all go, as I am sure you can imagine, and the Banqueting Hall looks resplendent. Everyone is very excited, but we cannot get too carried away just yet. Let’s have a look at what everybody has been up to.
Results from the Week That Was…
We start off with celebrating the achievements of Jack Brierley, Finlay McCreanor and Will Bailey (you know the ones, the younger lads who run at incredible speeds and make it look so easy that it’s hard not to resent them). They took part in the North Yorkshire Schools Athletic Association XC Championships in Whitby yesterday. Representing Harrogate and Craven in the Y12 race, Jack came in fifth place overall, securing himself a place in the national championships, and Finlay (10th place) and Will (15th place) will join him in representing North Yorkshire in the next stage of the contest. This is an incredible achievement. Well done, guys!
You’d look better in a Nidd vest, Jack…
Kev Clark was the first to finish at the Temple Newsam 10 today, doing so in 1:11.44, not too far ahead of Mark Tyrell (1:22.00) and Katharine Woodhead (1:36.50). Ssuy Rhodes (1:52.17) and Sarah Gore (1:52.17) finished together, while Angela Pattinson (1:55.22) and Graham Hyde (2:06.45) rounded things off for the team. Well done to you all.
Temple Newsam 10
I know we don’t normally repeat parkrun results in full – time is of the essence, and it is Christmas in 346 days, after all – but I shall make an exception for yesterday’s race at Wetherby which was the next counter in our cross country championship. Adam Kirk (19.02) was the first Nidd and first overall finisher, with Darren Townend (20.26), Martin Lofthouse (20.56) and Andy Iddon (21.25) snapping at his heels. Brian Hainsworth (22.08), Theresa Oldroyd (22.27), Simon Cocker (22.33), Jonathan Easton (22.56) finished ahead of Amy Sheppard (23.03) as she completed only her second ever parkrun. I know, unbelievable. Sam Wheeler (23.21) joined Jeremy Scott (23.24) and Fiona Deacon (23.34) as they raced for the finish, while it wasn’t long before Mark Tyrell (23.37), Chris Carvey (23.45), Sarah Staiano (23.49), Kev Nicholas (23.24) and Nick Crebbin (24.02) all got involved in the party on the slip and slide finish. Kate Morton (24.24) held a slender advantage over young Eleanor Easton (24.53), while Cath Barber (25.03), Ian Wighton (25.14), Michael Shaw (25.25), Laura Francis (25.26), Christine Holleran (25.32) all put in spectacular efforts. Soon afterwards, Steve Newton (25.34), Emma Kicks (26.09), Dianne Winnard (26.51) and Sam Fugill (26.52) were joined by Chief Inspector of Molehills, Guy Parker (27.07), Vicky Thomas (27.43), Hannah Kempson (27.49), Jim Cook (28.02) and Chatty McChatface (28.34).
The Chief Inspector of Molehills
Pauline Hogg (28.35), Emily Wighton (28.37), Imogen Constable (28.44) and Jemma King (29.07) – although she still appears as Jemma Escreet on the parkrun listings…. – were followed closely by Moira McTague (29.11), Carl Read (29.22), Karen Mills (29.37), Nigel Scaife (29.39), Rob (29.43) and Louise Kingston (29.44), Ellie Deacon (29.48) and the inseparable Helen Cook and Nadene Wilkinson (both 30.08). Rachel Captsick (30.11), Jane Evans (30.38) and Sarah Bracher (30.48) were the next to hit the line, with the speedy Suzy Rhodes (31.28), Owen Dart (32.10), Sarah Gore (30.30) and Joanne Lane (33.04) finishing just behind. I couldn’t be prouder of our six final finishers: Graham Hyde (33.06), Jill Hornsby (33.30), Liz Ahmed (34.25), Sylvia Morten (34.32), Lianne Coilley (35.13) and Jessica Webster (36.42). And the final shout out goes to Fell Running Phil who donned the tail walker vest and completed his three laps in 1:03.21.
In other parkrun news, we had thirteen Nidds who stayed on their lonesome in Harrogate, four Nidds up at Fountains, and three Nidds at Conyngham Hall. Phil and Rebecca Ventress took a break from their campaign to drink Southern Australia dry when they ran at Parkindula Reserve, while Paul Manning also took his parkrun ablutions down under when he ran at Burley Griffin parkrun in Canberra. Two more for the MalletMap, there. Much less glamorous, the Mallets ran at Selby (and by less glamorous, I obviously mean the parkrun, that is, not the Mallets. They are incredibly glamorous. If there were an award for Kirkby Overblow’s premier couple, then it would undoubtedly be them), Lisa Gibson ran at Roundhay, and Iain Scott got the third MalletMap tick with a trip to Burnley parkrun. You can see all the results in full here: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6.
This is the day the fisherman likes / And so do I / When the rain puts a shine on the chestnut spikes / Hear the curlews cry / The nightingale sings her best / We’ll drink a pint in Hamilton’s Rest / And the girl I love wore a muslin dress / The fisherman dream of the sun in the west / And so do I: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
As per the usual arrangements, we meet on Tuesday for some more intervals. This week, we are meeting on Fieldway in Bilton. Meet at the carpark where the Greenway crosses Bilton Lane (///distorts.startles.daytime). There’ll be a session at 6pm and a further session at 7pm, so come to whichever one suits you best. Not that it’s a popularity contest or anything like that, but Emma and Brian will be your coaches for the first session, whereas you’ll be in the capable hands of Sarah C and Dazzler if you’d prefer the 7pm slot.
On Thursday, we have another normal club run. And yes, I very well appreciate that ‘normal’ is not often a word you hear said in connection with Nidd Valley, but you know what I mean. This week, it looks like we have a bit of supermarket shopping to do with the ever-popular supermarket sweep. Meet at the Hockey Club and be good to go for 7pm. Head towards the iron bridge, turning left along the path by the railway to ASDA. Run up past the bus station and to Waitrose. From there, a short return to the club will be just under 5km all in. The main route progresses round the Stray to the Showground, and you can extend further past Leeds Road M&S on your way there if you choose. Run through the Showground to Sainsbury’s. From there, you can head straight back up Wetherby Road, or run along Forest Lane, past Mozzas, and then up to the club from Starbeck. I think it was Ernest Hemmingway who said that he drank to make other people seem interesting, and we’ll be heading for a pint in the Hockey Club bar after our run. All welcome.
Looks like we’ve got a weekend off from racing, too, as the race calendars seem a little empty. So that’s nice. Still, there’ll be plenty of parkrunning opportunities, not to mention the chance to get out and do your own thing or organise a social run with some others. The running world is, as they say, your oyster.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
On 28th January 2024, we’ve got the penultimate PECO, and we’ll be running around Middleton Park in various degrees of distress as we experience the joys of running a PECO the night after Awards Night. Yeah, I know, what clown organised that diary? Get me Captains Dazzler and Emma on the phone immediately. You’ll know the deal with PECO by now, but if you need some more information then you can get all the updates you could hope for here:: http://tinyurl.com/bfksjx6y.
At Runners & Riders a couple of years back, some clumsy oaf dropped a mountain bike on my head at the start, and Jane will tell you that I’ve never been the same since. Still, if you too would like the chance to take part in a fell race where you compete against mountain bikers in the hills above Appletreewick, then this could be the race for you. It’s entry on the day, so you don’t need to worry about pre-booking, and there is guaranteed tea, coffee and cake in the barn afterwards. It’s a great day out, and you can read up on all of the details here: http://tinyurl.com/32vhx7j4.
Donation to MIND
Those of you who joined us at Wetherby Parkrun yesterday would have heard from a man called David Brock who is running fifty miles each week to fundraise for MIND in memory of a young man called Ethan Westerman, who sadly took his own life. David asked for people to sponsor him and the committee has decided to donate £50 to this most worthy of causes. Thanks to all of you who lent your support for this.
If you wish to donate privately yourself, then you can do so via this link: http://tinyurl.com/56u5tt45.
It is said so often as almost to become a cliche, but it is good to talk. If you are struggling in whatever way or for whatever reason, please reach out to your friends in the club and, if you can, come for a run. Please don’t suffer in silence.
Committee Meeting: 24th January 2024
We’ll be making the final plans for Awards Night and for the forthcoming AGM (and eating biscuits), but if there is anything that you would like us to discuss or if you have something that you would like to bring to our attention, please let me know: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Nidd Valley is 40: 1st February 2024
So yes, Nidd Valley is going to be forty on 1st February 2024, beating me to the big four-whoa by only a handful of months. We’ll be planning a bigger celebration for the summer, but we want to do something to mark the day itself. Fortunately, this will be a Thursday, so we’ll be regrouping in the club bar afterwards for some drinks and to have some birthday cake. If you are a dab hand with a rolling pin and up for some baking, and would be happy to volunteer to help out, then I would love to hear from you. You know where to find me: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
Knaresborough Bed Race 2024
If you would like to be considered in one of the teams that we will enter into this year’s Bed Race, then please let Captain Emma know. You can find her right here: ekicks@hotmail.com. If you have always wanted to cross dress, push an oversized shopping trolley with a screaming child over some cobbles and then drag it through a river while cheered on by a bunch of outrageous drunks, then this could be just the thing for you.
Word to the Wise
This week’s wisdom comes from the ever lovely Sylvia Morten. During the warm up at Tuesday intervals, the assembled Nidders were invited to get their blood pumping with a quick burst of star jumps, prompting this cautionary word.
“Star jumps? Really? Haven’t they heard about the pelvic floor of older ladies?” – Sylvia Morten, in a cautious frame of mind.
She’ll be too scared to cough or sneeze at this rate.
Take good care, and see you all soon.
Chairman Sam x