(TLDR. On Tuesday, we have 6pm and 7pm intervals on Slingsby Walk, and our Thursday run will take us for a spin around the supermarkets. We’re up at Thorp Perrow Parkrun for the cross-country championships on Saturday morning. Read on for details of up and coming events, the Awards Night, the AGM, and a particularly satisfying wise word…).
The committee insisted that we didn’t let all of this cold weather go to waste, and this week fulfilled their lifelong ambition of building an ice bar here at Nidd Valley House. I mean, Sylvia never needed much of an excuse to have a couple of vodkas, but apparently it is more enjoyable when sat on a giant ice cube while wrapped in reindeer skin, furs and a viking hat with horns. Still, we’ve all had a lovely week and all of that but I’m not sure whether the Nidd Valley Gold Card can keep up with this rate of decadence. As far as some of the committee are concerned, dry January just means a dry martini, a dry white wine, and a large dry sherry. Cheers!
Results from the Week That Was
Given that the week has been punctuated by the sound of limbs snapping on sheet ice, there hasn’t been a right lot going on run-wise. It is what it is, I suppose, and cannot be helped.
You might be interested, however, to know some news regarding Carol Morgan (Carol, formally of the parish of Nidd Valley, now lives in the northern Lake District and occasionally goes out for a bimble in the hills). While most of us were having a sneaky drink and a sausage roll in front of the television on Boxing Day, Carol set off in an attempt to run over all 214 Wainwright Peaks in the Lake District. By way of context, that’s a combined altitude of 453,537ft of hill, covering over 300 miles of unforgiving Lakeland terrain. Anyway, she only went and finished in just over eight days (193:51.43, to be precise), taking nearly five hours off the winter record. An incredible achievement, that’s for sure. She doesn’t run for Nidd Valley any more, but has been a good friend to the club over many a year and I am more than happy to claim her as one of our own. Well done, Carol.
Parkrun options were somewhat limited with the ice covering much of the ground, but we had some Nidds who managed to find some options. FRP and Fiona Robinson were down in the Midlands, taking in their parkrun at Irchester Country Park, Kev Nicholas was at Beverley Westwood, and Rob and Louise Kingston were at the Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire. Martin Lofthouse, Laura Francis and Fingers Harris did their thing at Roundhay, and Adam Kirk teamed up with Matt Wilkinson for a run around York Knavesmire. Emily Wighton completed the round-up with a turn around Richmond Park in that there London, which is of course wonderful to see. Well done to you all. All the parkrun news, right here: https://tinyurl.com/47nsmxd6)
All right stop, collaborate and listen / Ice is back with the brand-new invention / Something, grabs a hold of me tightly / Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
The Fixtures for the Week Ahead
We’ll have another attempt at the intervals this Tuesday, and we’ll be heading down to Slingsby Walk for some stamina-building joy. There’ll be sessions at 6pm and 7pm, and the meeting point is on the junction between Slingsby Walk and Wetherby Road opposite the hospital (///funds.most.stands).
Consider this a nag. Please do try and have a warm up jog on your way to intervals, and please do be there in time for the warm up exercises and drills before the session starts. Coach Emma (and the power behind the throne here at NVH, let’s be honest) is really keen that everyone is on peak form and injury free in readiness for the racing season, and being properly warmed up for intervals is all part of her plan. So there you are.
Thursday’s club run will again be the supermarkets. It’s a classic for a reason (and incidentally, the first run I did with the club all of those many years ago). We’ll leave the Hockey Club at 6.30pm (remember we are trialling an earlier winter start time), and past the railway line to ASDA, through the bus station and to Waitrose. MAke your way over the Showground, either by going over the Stray and past St Aidan’s, or over Tewitt Well and by Leeds Road M&S. Once at the Showground, head to Sainsburys, and back to the club, either straight up Wetherby Road or through Morrisons and Starbeck. We’ll get ourselves a drink in the club bar afterwards, so please some and join us.
On Saturday, we have Thorp Perrow Parkrun in the cross-country championships. This being a parkrun, you don’t need to do any online entries or anything like that, but only need to turn up on the day with your barcodes and your bright and bushy tails. There’s a nice cafe there, too, so you can have a hot drink to warm up and a slab of cake to replenish your depleted sugar levels. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to join you as I have a weekend away with university friends, but do have a great run.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
Don’t forget that the cross-country championships continues with Conyngham Hall Parkrun on Saturday 25th January 2025.
You’ll have also seen the email from Captain Emma with the club championship listings for 2025, for the road and for the fell. Please do have a look at this and get them booked into your diary. We’ll get them uploaded onto the website as soon as possible.
Awards Night: Saturday 25th January 2025
We can’t wait to welcome you to the Awards Night. It’s going to be a great evening. Bookings have now closed, and all the thanks to Nadene Wilkinson for making everything happen behind the scenes (everything from dealing with fussy eaters to masterminding the table plan, from sorting out decorations to answer inane questions from an interfering chairman). If you have any photos from the past year in Nidd Valley that you’d be happy to be shown on the evening, then please send a copy to me: chair@niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
AGM: Thursday 20th February 2025
Please, please, please, put this date in the diary. We need as many club members to hang around after the run for the AGM. I can’t pretend it’s going to be the most exciting evening of your life, but it is the chance to ask questions, have your say, and vote in a new committee. Please think about whether you would like to stand for any position on the committee, as all positions are up for grabs even if the current incumbent is standing again. Formal notification (this is one of the few things we need to do properly), will be coming out for our club secretary Jonathan in the next week or so, so watch out for that,
Word to the Wise
In response to last week’s comment about getting the full twelve inches (and I was obviously talking about snow), Connor Featherstone was straight out of the traps with his own wisdom.
“But as long as you are taking twelve inches and not giving it then you are fine…” – Connor Featherstone, perhaps sharing a little too much of his own preferences.
When I pointed out that it is more blessed to give than to receive, Connor found that he had yet even more wisdom to impart.
“Maybe if you have twelve inches to give, some of us are lucky to find three on a cold day like today…” – Connor Festherstone, who we now know a little more intimately than we might like.
Have the best week.
Chairman Sam x