(TLDR. For those short of time…. On Tuesday we have a club run round Leadhall Lane and Green Lane, and on Thursday we have an event with Harrogate Homeless Project involving a 10k run round Bilton. On Sunday, we’ve got the last of the two Guy Fawkes 10 reccies, and the rest of the email has exciting news about the self-same Guy Fawkes 10, some trophies, some new routes, and the London Marathon. You’d be foolish to miss it.).
Well, we’ve got ourselves a new Head of State, looks like we’re getting a new PM, and I’ve lost count of how many Chancellors of the Exchequer we’ve worked our way through. Still, we’ve got the same old Chairman and the same old committee here at Nidd Valley House. Who’d have ever thought that we’d become a symbol and bastion of stability? No, me neither. Let’s move swiftly on to the week ahead.
The Week Ahead
And another week, and another couple of club runs to tide us through to this year’s winter intervals.
Tuesday’s run is no other than a reverse run up to Harlow Hill (I mean we do the course in reverse, not actually run it backwards). Anyway, meet at the club at 7pm and we’ll head out round the side of the Stray and down Oatlands Drive, turning right and heading for the M&S on Leeds Road crossroads. Push on up Leadhall Lane, turning right up Green Lane to the roundabout. You can head back to Otley Road via Beckwith Road or Pannal Ash Road, and head back to the club down Otley Road and York Place. If you want to extend, feel free to head along Harlow Moor and down Valley Drive into town, before heading back up from there. As ever, feel free to amend and alter, but don’t leave anyone behind. It isn’t our style.
On Thursday, as per Captain Sarah’s email, we’re doing a competitive 10k to support the Harrogate Homeless Project in their 30th year. First things first: if you want to just run socially, that’s fine. There’s no pressure from us for you to do anything but you. If you do want to take part in the competition, though, with a guaranteed medal and the chance to win some exciting prizes from Up & Running – anyone would think we had club members work for them, they really would – there here is what you need to do. Deposit a tenner in the club account (account 12074796, sort code 40-23-12) using your name as a reference, and let Sarah know: sarahstaiano@outlook.com. Afterwards, send your time / garmin / strava to Sarah so she can compile results.
So, what is the route for Thursday?, I hear you ask. Well, we’ll meet at 7pm at the Hockey Club and complete the Bilton route. So that’s out from the club, over the iron bridge, down onto Woodfield Road, over Bilton Lane, round Tennyson Avenue, turning right onto Hall Lane and up Batchelor Gardens, then following Knox Lane and Knox Avenue to Skipton Road. Run down Skipton Road, turn left at the Roundabout and follow Ripon Road all the way up through town to Betty’s. For those competing, you’ll need to do one lap of West Park round to the Prince of Wales roundabout to make up the distance, then head along York Place, round by Christchurch and back to the club. For the social runners among you, feel free to amend or change the route as you see fit.
As per usual arrangements, we shall reconvene in the bar at the Hockey Club afterwards for a beer or a coke, a chatter and a natter, and maybe even a bag of crisps. It would be lovely if you could be there, too.
On Sunday, our much esteemed Chairman Mike will be leading the second of our two Guy Fawkes 10 reccie runs. Meet in the main car park at Ripley and be good to go for 9am. The pace will be as steady and as social as you like, and will be a good chance to have a familiarise yourself with the route and your marshal spot if you’ve not yet been acquainted, have a good old chinwag with your mates, or just get a few miles under your feet.
Results
Best not hang around, given the quality of the running on the rain-soaked streets of Leeds for the Abbey Dash. Adam Kirk (35.12) was the first to break cover for the Black & Gold, joined two minutes later by Fingers Harris (37.14) who had narrowly avoided an injury at the weekend when he dropped a bottle of prosecco on his foot. I know, I know, can you think of a more middle class sports injury? They should call him Butterfingers Harris, if you ask me. I digress. Three cheers for Kevin Clark (38.37) and three cheers more for Steve Newbould (39.03). If Sam Heathcoate (39.33) was hoping to keep his athletic light under a bushel and not tell anyone that his forway under 40 minutes was also a new PB for him, then he had better take it up with Captain Sarah who has been as reliable an informant as ever. John Beaumont (44.01) and Josh Bryer (44.23) were just ahead of Fiona Deacon (45.12) as she claimed her place as the First Lady of Nidd, at least in this race. We know that Kate Morton (47.33) got herself a PB – that’s our informant, again – while Chris Nelson (54.00) Katharine Dolman (52.42), Sue Ball (53.59) and Iain Scott (54.28) all clocked impressive results for the squad. Debbie Burrett (56.06) was on top form, and there are no prizes for guessing who told me that Philippa Thompson (56.02) also got herself a PB. Our trio of finishers were no other than Ursula Holmes (59.24), Carolyn Jones (1:06.30) and Jane Wilkinson (1:08.04). Brilliant efforts, if not a touch damp, all round, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Here come the girls….
For some reasons best known only to the race organisers themselves, I cannot search the results for the Junior Abbey Dash 2k by club, and so have had to do some guesswork. Well, Facebook tells me Tobi Dolman ran his first race in club colours (a proud moment for any young lad) in 10.36, while Jessica Beaumont will only give me grief if I don’t tell you that her and her sister teamed up and tamed the course in a brilliant 14.39 (she’s got form, she has. Proper menace, if you ask me. Something must be done). Attention young people: if I’ve missed you out the results, get your mum or dad on to that new fangled t’interweb to let me know how you got on. I’d love to put your names in lights.
Go, Tobi, go!
At the Whixley 10k yesterday, Martin Luxton (54.14) brought home the Nidd Valley bacon when he was the first to finish for the club. It isn’t often we see Roger Duckworth (56.31), but it’s always lovely to see him racing and even more so with times like this. Moira McTague (1:00.50) managed to do the double and claim first Nidd Lady and only Nidd Lady, as she led hubby Guy Parker (1:00.51) round the course. Well done to you all.
Woger getting wet in Whixley…
Not many out racing at the Castle Carr race yesterday, but of course we had the usual daft buggers as befitting a race in the fell championships. We start with Nigel Scaife (1:20.24) and join him as he celebrates claiming the full 50 points. Brian Hainsworth (1:23.38) was never far behind in the pouring rain. Newbie to Nidd Valley Muddy Campaign, Jess Trewin (1:30.59), was the next to show, holding a three minute advantage over Emma David (1:34.11). Jim Cook (1:36.25) had Fell Running Phil (1:37.22) less than a minute behind as they crossed the line, and proceedings were closed in particularly fine fashion by Sarah Chalmers (2:08.21). Congratulations to you all.
In the world of parkrun, it all sounds rather grand for Kris and Rob Northfield as they took their morning spin at Maldon Prom, and we can but wonder why Adam Kirk and Lisa Gibson took their weekly constitutional at Cross Flatts, or what on earth Kev Dalton thought he was doing up in the Keswick. We’ve got the full complement of Nidds performing their athletic ablutions at Conyngham, Fountains and Harrogate, and you can read all about how everyone got on right here: https://tinyurl.com/4cbrfjde.
Got a result to share? Go on, let me know. You’ll get more praise and support than a prospective leader of the Conservative Party: samfugill@gmail.com.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
It’s a three line whip for the Guy Fawkes weekend (Sat 05 – Sun 06 Nov 2022), about which there’s an abundance of information below.
All good things must come to an end, and so must the fell champs with the Litton Birks Loop fell race on Sun 13 Nov 2022. Don’t even try to console Fell Running Phil about this. Everytime he sees me he just bursts into tears, comes for a cuddle, and buries his sobbing little head in. I can’t find a top round here that isn’t soaked in tears or without snot on the sleeves. Anyway, ‘tis the last chance for points in fell championships and the promise of chip butties afterwards looks too good to miss. All the relevant information is right here: https://tinyurl.com/2p8jfpjf.
On Fri 18 Nov 2022, we’ve got our last trip to York for the evening Evensplits 5k. Held on the race track at York University, this 5k and five-lap challenge will put all your training to the test in an ultimate time trial. I won’t lie, I can often think of more enjoyable ways to spend a Friday evening, but there we are. If you want to have a go and get some more points for the road championships, then get yourself logged-on, logged-in, and paid-up: https://tinyurl.com/5cpdzvxc
Entries are now open for the Tad 10, which is on Sun 20 Nov 2022 and is the last race in the road championships for the season. It’s all coming to an end, and if you want to be part of the grand finale, then you need to be ready for your curtain call: https://tinyurl.com/sknjjra6.
Guy Fawkes 10: 06 Nov 2022
Please, please, please: if you have not responded to Debbie D’s marshal plan email and request for help then please do so. All is coming together and I think all bases are covered and all the ducks are in the right row, that kind of thing. Still, this race would not happen without you, so thanks for all your support and for being a part of this.
We’ve also got the goody bag packing at 10.30am on Sat 05 Nov 2022, so if you could get to Ripley Village Hall for an hours unpaid slave labour, that would be lovely and very much appreciated.
If you haven’t told me that you want to come for pizza on the Sunday evening, then please do so here: samfugill@gmail.com.
London Marathon
I’m not sure how many Nidds we’ve got into the London Marathon this year, but I have noticed there have been plenty of unlucky people in the national ballot as the results have started to drop on doormats and in inboxes today. As an affiliated club, we are lucky to get one or two places each year to distribute to our members, which we do through our own ballot. So, if
- You have entered the main ballot and have not been successful in gaining a place, and
- You have not had a place through Nidd Valley ballot before,
Then send a copy of your rejection email or slip to me at samfugill@gmail.com. We will draw the places out of a hat at the Guy Fawkes pizza night. We ask those who have had a place through our own ballot before not to take part in our ballot again, as it’s really important that we give as many of our members as possible the chance to take part in this event.
Plot a Route
So yeah, the nights are drawing in and we are once again confined to pounding the streets in the dark. If you have an idea for a route that would work for a club run, then please send me a route description or map and we’ll see what we can make happen. I might even persuade the committee to provide a small prize for the best route suggestion. Oh yeah, and if you are thinking of sending me a particularly rude piece of strava art (yes, I’m talking to you), then don’t. Entries here: samfugill@gmail.com.
Trophies
If you have won a trophy from the club over the past year, I am sorry to be the one to let you know that it will soon be time to hand them back so they can be engraved in readiness for the next recipient. We’ll start hounding people for them from the end of November, so if you have lost it or need to get it glued back together or whatever it is, then now is the time to start looking and to start glueing.
Word to the Wise
Nothing that wise this week, it would seem.
We can knock off early, then. Class dismissed.
Sam x