(TLDR. For those short of time…. On Tuesday, there’s a head torch run around Thruscross Reservoir, and on Tuesday and Thursday we have the usual 7pm club runs round the supermarkets and Oakdale, respectively. We’ve got the Guy Fawkes 10 at the weekend, and you’ll need to scroll down to find the entry details for the last races in the championships, how to blag yourself a place in the London Marathon, and to enjoy some particularly grumpy wise words).
As Halloween approaches, the corridors of Nidd Valley House echo with an eerie silence, bloodied handprints stain the windows, and unheeded cries for help are scrawled on the walls. Mournful figures and apparitions flicker in the half light, a gust of wind blows long abandoned papers through the rooms, the silence is pierced by blood-curdling distant screams, and the living dead have returned to walk the earth. Anyway, that’s enough about last week’s committee meeting, so let’s have a look at the week ahead.
The Week Ahead
Well, there’s many a-thing to go bump in the night at Nidd Valley House and give you the willies, and on Tuesday the suitably scary Emma Kicks will be leading a halloween run around Thruscross Reservoir. Meet at the carpark by the dam at 6.30pm, and don’t forget some grippy shoes and a headtorch. The pace will be spookily social and the distance a frightful five miles. Whether Emma has tricks or treats in store for you, well, I couldn’t possibly say. You’ll have to be super brave, put on your big boy or big girl pants, and turn up to find out. Mwahahahaha, or whatever it is that zombies say.
For those of a nervous disposition or for those that cannot make the earlier start up at the reservoir, there’ll be a club run as per usual arrangements from the Hockey Club on Tuesday night. And this time we’ll be heading out to do the supermarket run. Head out from the club at 7pm, towards the iron bridge, taking the path along the railway to ASDA, up through town past Waitrose and then to the Stray. From there, you can head down Oatlands and the Showground towards Sainsburys, or can extend and go down Leeds Road past M&S if it takes your fancy. From Sainsburys, head past the tip, past Morrisons, and back up Knaresborough Road past the new Lidl to the club.
Dave Seaman has asked if we might have a run down Oakdale on Thursday night and, well, I’m certainly not one to argue with him. Leaving the club at 7pm, we’ll head through town to the bottom of Valley Gardens, and then head up Cornwall Road. Turn right at the top, and run down to the road bridge and up the road on the other side. As the road turns to a sharp left, take the path right through the housing and onto Grantley Drive. Pick your way from Jennyfields, over Skipton Road, and back to the club via Coppice Drive. Given the unlit section of the road near Oakdale, head-torches will be essential (or at least running next to someone else who is wearing one will be). Afterwards, we’ll be heading upstairs to the bar at the Hockey Club for a drink and a natter. It’s always good to catch up with people and to have a chat without the additional challenges of struggling for breath and trying not to run into lamp posts. Come and join us, why don’t you?
The weekend brings us the highlight in the Nidd Valley calendar with the Guy Fawkes 10. On Saturday, we’ve got the bag packing at Ripley Village Hall at 10.30am. If you can spare an hour to come and pack chocolate bars into goodby bags, then we’d be very grateful. Sunday is the main event, and chief marshal Debbie has herded the cats and knitted the fog and has a full marshal plan and is good to go. Please have a look at the marshal plan that she has sent out and, if you have not replied to Debbie to confirm you can do what you need to do and be where you need to be, then please do so as soon as possible: guyfawkestenhelpers@gmail.com. Debbie will send out the final, and more detailed, instructions later in the week so please do look out for them.
On Sunday night, we’ll be meeting at the Hockey Club bar for pizzas and beers to celebrate what will have been, hopefully, a successful day all round. The pizzas are being funded by the club (you can buy your own beers, though), so if you have not let me know if you are coming, then please do so. It helps to know approximate numbers and any dietary requirements etc.: samfugill@gmail.com.
Results
Well, spank me twice on the bottom and call me Shirely but I’ve only gone and missed Karen Mills’ result from the Langdale Trail Half Marathon last weekend. Karen completed the challenging Lakeland run in an incredible 2:10.25, so I am more than happy to put her name in lights and celebrate that result. And with that wrong righted and that record straightened, we can turn our attention to some other results.
Andy Todd! Thy name is modesty! And I must say that he must have an enormous bushel to keep that light well hidden. Andy took part in the Valencia Half Marathon last week and didn’t think to share that he had sped round the Spanish course in a breathtaking 1:28.51. It isn’t often we see our Andy but, when we do, he never fails to check in with quality results like this one. Excellent work, Andy.
Phil and Rebecca Ventress teamed up with Nadene Wilkinson in Nottinghamshire to give us a trio of Nidds at the Worksop Half Marathon. Phil was the first to show the club, with a pleasingly symmetrical time of 1:40.40, with Rebecca never too far behind at 1:52.08. Nadene rounded things off for the Black & Gold, and nicely under the two hour barrier too, with a time of 1:57.54. Huge congratulations to you all.
They look better in black and gold… #justsayin’
In the happy world of parkrun, we’ve had Karen Mills at the appropriately named Millfield and John Mallet sharing the Nidd Valley love at Oakwell Hall. Sue Ball was at Roberts Park (no idea where that is), Colleen Gruenwald was at Elder Park (again, no idea where that is either), and Mr & Mrs Robinson were playing a home game at the Wetherby Parkrun (ah, now I’ve heard of that). In addition, we have had all of the usual suspects in all of the usual haunts, and the full details are available for your perusal: https://tinyurl.com/2p86cfh8.
From my laboratory in the castle east / to the master bedroom where the vampires feast / the ghouls all came from their humble abodes / to get a jolt from my electrodes / he did the monster mash / it was a graveyard smash / it caught on in a flash / he did the monster mash: samfugill@gmail.com.
Further Ahead & Booking Now Open
On Sunday 13 Nov 2022, we’ve got the last in the fell championships with the Litton Birks Loop Fell Race. If you fancy a joining the muddy brethren in a five mile, 1000ft muddy scramble for the last points in a hotly contested championship, then this is exactly where you need to be: https://tinyurl.com/2p8jfpjf. Apparently chip butties feature at the end of the race, so that seems like as good a reason to get entered, if you ask me.
On Fri 18 November 2022, we’re back to York University for the final evening round of the Evensplits 5k. This gruelling time trial is likely to put all your training to the test but, hey, at least those summer intervals won’t have been in vain. If you want those road championship points, then you’ll need to get a wriggle on and get entered: https://tinyurl.com/5cpdzvxc.
The Tadcaster 10 (known as the Tad 10 to the kids in the know) is on Sunday 20 Nov 2022, and offers excellent PB-potential in addition to the last chance to grasp some points in the club road championships. Yes, you too could enjoy running through the crazy metropolises of Wighill, Healaugh, and Catterton and all for the bargain price of £17. You won’t want to miss it: https://tinyurl.com/sknjjra6.
London Marathon
It looks like the club has two places to allocate for the London Marathon. So if you have entered this year and have had your rejection email/letter, and have not had a place in the club ballot before, you’re in with a chance to win one of these two places. We’ll be hosting the draw at the GF10 pizza night next week, so if you want the chance to win, please email me with your rejection email by 6pm next Sunday night: samfugill@gmail.com.
Word to the Wise
Last week, James Knapp joined us for our Tuesday club run. Our James likes a good old moan, to be honest with you, and it doesn’t normally matter what he moans about: the course having too many hills, the course not having enough hills, being too hot, being too cold, going running, being alive, that kind of thing. When some innocent club member (who is as sweet as sugar and never says anything out of turn, by the way) commented that he seemed a little bit grumpy, our James had one reply.
“If you carry on like that, I’ll turn this running club into a boxing club…”
And on that pugilistic note, I’ll leave it there. Enjoy the rest of your weekends and I’ll see you in the week.
Sam x