Reports – Page 22 – Stilton Striders

6 Dec 2015 – Derby Runner XC, Bradgate Park

The third race in the Derby Runner XC league, again although a slightly different route more a one lap course than the one small/one big lap it did last time. A huge crowd on hand again and they changed it round with the car parking so that Newton Linford wasn’t gridlocked like last year, we actually got a very decent parking space at the Old John car park so didn’t have to get the club tent out(!).

A mere three grizzled Stilton Striders represented the veined cheese today, Rob Beers, Greg Pettingill (Who knows every contour of the area) and Steve Dewick. I missed the juniors race whilst doing a warm up (up Old John!) with Greg only to come back and somehow develop cramp in both calves ten mins before the race started, no idea why they locked up could hardly move at the time, not ideal race prep.

Anyway we lined up elbows at the ready heading from the Old John gates heading towards Newton Linford before jutting left, Greg had got ahead in the opening elbow flaying contest and believe me it’s not fun trying to make headway in that to try and keep with him. Seem to be running well but put far too much into trying to catch Greg quickly rather than over a mile and this was detrimental to my race given the undulation of the race. So I shift past Greg only for him to go past me half a mile later and remain just in front of me throughout the rest of the race.

The ladies go off ten mins after us and we see them on the horizon, it’s a nice touch, I know it doesn’t happen at all the Derby Runner races but its nice shouting them in at the end. Legs don’t feel so great today maybe suffering from Fridays Stilton Bash! The pull up from Newton Linford to the war memorial has many grown men reduced to a walk; Dave Mann does a fiendish job with these courses. Take nothing off the Gregmeister, he is a wily fox with this area and looks very strong in the last mile (Although he said he wasn’t) and comes home first strider. I follow Greg home 19 seconds later (tell me a year ago I’d be 19 seconds behind Lord Pettingill on his own estate and I’d have laughed), very tough but enjoyable.

Overall Greg Pettingill (109^th) Rob Beers (117^th) and Steve Dewick (332^nd), no Ladies team from Stilton! Next Derby Runner is January at Allstree Park, Derby, and no idea of the course if it’s a good one or not? I’m sure they make these as far from Melton as possible! [Rob]

5 Dec 2015 – No walk in the park 5k

Stuart Gregory was the only Strider to make is way to the final race in the series on a very cloudy and windy Chesterfield day. As the race got underway Stuart manage to keep with the main group of runners before settling into a steady pace on the second of four laps, as Stuart entered the final few laps it was clear that any time under 30 minutes would be a hard ask, he crossed the finish line to recorded one of his worst 5km times of the year in 30:25.

PRESENTATION as this was the final race in the series the annual presentation followed around 30 minutes after the race. Stuart had completed the required number of races to qualify for the main series and finished the season as 20th senior male. [Stuart]

18 Nov 2015 – Newark Festival of Running

It doesn’t feel good to have to give a negative review given the effort when people put on running events, I have since found out the usually very good `How hard can it be events` put this on under their name for someone else.So the initial festival of running, I’d signed up for the Marathon distance but both 10k and Half Marathon were also there. Things didn’t start good in the week or so preceding knowing the course was a double loop how actually monotonous the course was I didn’t find out until the day. The strangest thing of all was that at 5k we weren’t allowed to run due to an issue with the council, thus had a 200 metre strip every runner had to walk or face being disqualified! Yeah Running in a Marathon, who’d have thought it!

Race day and its very cold with the wind chill really crippling, very icy down near the River Trent where race HQ is and sadly no real cover from the elements, that I actually ran in my Striders jacket the first 7.5 miles tells you how much the cold bit in. The first of two sold out days of the Festival of running begins with the 10k setting off 15 mins late and the half/full 10 mins late, really very glad to get underway however the path markings start with a mix up just after the first mile. Just starting to warm up and then we get to the 5k section where we have to walk, was it some major junction or busy street? Not at all, something on par with perhaps Elmhurst Avenue or Oxford Drive, oh well I walked it, better carry on.

Once out of Newark centre we head around a few more offroad bits, the organisers has told everyone that Road Shoes would be fine, I’ve gone for trail shoes but to be honest given the course it would’ve easily been run better in X-Talons, some old boy has racing flats on! The Nature reserve is the best bit of the course, however a good dozen of the field have gone wrong somewhere due to poor signage, and it’s not great with you coming back on yourself a little too much. The offroad sections were ok but the course wasn’t great with many repeats and would have been better called the River Trent Marathon as we were along the towpaths almost constantly, got attacked by a Dog also-certainly not my day!

Head back towards Newark and 10.5 miles again were at that place and forced to walk 200m, so do I have to do this twice more running a Marathon? Absolutely preposterous!

I decide by this time forget the expense I’ve had enough, I call time at Half Marathon and had to signal like Maximus in Gladiator to say I’d finished the race/gone over the line with another minute spent writing down my time. I`m then given a rather awesome medal (which the company always do) and that’s it no word of thanks, no hot drink, no goodie bag which given the entry cost would’ve been nice. Y`know some things were out of the organisers hands and some were not a pretty awful event for many reasons, my worst experience ever of a running event.

So an easy 1:41 for my Half Marathon (Clocked at 1:42 due to organiser faffing) , 3^rd place in the half Marathon, if I’d had carried on would easily have been a Marathon PB and on an offroad course was running well, and chatting away so gutted on one level but very happy about current form. [Rob]

22 Nov 2015 – Bagworth Heath XC

Three Stilton Striders – Rob Beers, Greg Pettingill and Steve Dewick – made the trip to Bagworth for the second of this season`s Derby Runner XC league races.

A very cold morning, leaving the warmth of Greg`s car was hard enough, Steve estimates around 550 runners at the start line, very big attendances for the series this year. A vested and bare armed Rob and Greg hit the start line, perhaps the minimalist shorts weren’t the smartest move at first but Greg`s extended warm up has us quite toasty pre-race briefing.

We have started quite high up and flying elbows are minimal, I nudge in front of Greg and make a positive (Split?) start, it’s certainly undulating and I recall feeling a bit worn, looking at my watch and had only been running ten minutes!

Nice and muddy course within Bagworth Heath woods with sections of technical and the odd surprising incline, quite a few ending up on their backsides also. It is tough as I’m sure most groaned after the first lap knowing they had to do it again, the second lap for me went faster although my legs felt a little bit slower. Spend the race chasing Barrow Runners shirts, also weirdly I never saw any ladies running near me after the first 400m of the race??? Stilton crew had all gone for rubber studs though many went for spikes and just were sliding everywhere; it was slippy rather than deep mud today.

Completed the race with a smile, Rob Beers (97^th), Greg Pettingill (102^nd) and Steve Dewick (300 and something, he said!). Really nice warm down mile round the park also taking in some of the trails and slopes we didn’t do in the race, cracking area to do a few miles round.

Bradgate Park is the next race of the series on December 6^th, a 5.25 mile two lap course with like the other races of this series a very well thought out course with a bit of everything. We`d ideally like to triple the attendance of Stilton Striders for this one, race usually costs a mere £3.00 (may be £4.00 at Bradgate but will inc parking at Newton Linford gates) and we usually go and get warm in a local pub after so please give it some consideration. [Rob]

28 Nov 2015 – Chase Water 10km

Stuart Gregory was the only Stilton Strider to make his way to Chase Water for the annual 10km trail race and lined up with 304 other runners on a breezy, cool and cloudy day. With a relatively high number of runners on trails that were less than favourable towards overtaking Stuart found it hard to find a way through and as the possibility of a personal best sailed away into the sunset Stuart decided to put all of his efforts into the second half of the race and with clearer trails his times began to respond as Stuart crossed the finish line in 1hr 5m. [Stuart]

21/22 Nov 2015 – Dirty Dash & Mo Run

Stuart Gregory was the only Stilton Strider to take part in the final race of the Midland 10km trail run series at the National Watersports Centre and joined 189 other runners on the start line on what was a very cold day with a biting wind chill making it feel more like -3c. The first half of the race followed a series of foot paths and trails around the outside of the main boating and multi events lake before heading out into the main parkland, at this point Stuart was holding on to what remained of the main field which had been blown to bits in the first few KM’s. As Stuart headed out into the parkland around the centre he began to make ground on a number of runners including some familiar faces from other races and after a number of short sharp inclines Stuart hit the final incline to finish out on his own and rounded off a steady run with a sprint finish to complete the 10km course in 1hr 4m 59s.

Stuart Gregory was also the only Stilton Strider to make his way to Nottingham for the annual 5km Mo Run, having placed highly in last years event and with his form slowly picking up towards the end of the year Stuart was hoping for a similar performance this time around and after making a good start to the race, his pace settled into the 10 minute per mile range where it remained for the rest of the race as Stuart completed a nice steady run in 31m 17s. [Stuart]

31 Oct 2015 – Zombie Trail Run

This great event, now in it’s second year, always attracts a variety of runners and is very much a fun and friendly event suitable for the whole family. Never ones to miss a out on a good run, a number of Striders took to the 3 mile near pitch black course on a oddly mild night for the time of year. The first of the Stilton contingent back was Michael Cooke in 4th place with a time of 23:42, James Ridealgh finshed 5th with a time of 24:05 and Stuart Gregory in 13th place with a time of 27:37. For the ladies, Sarah Lawrence crossed the line in 30th place with a time of 33:43 and was closely followed in 31st place by Kaye Mead in a time of 33:44. [Stuart]

15 Nov 2015 – Beacon Hill Trail Half Marathon

12 Striders joined a field of around 300 for the 2nd Beacon Hill half marathon on a very windy but mainly dry day. A two lap course around the country park, with over 1500 feet of ascent, this was no small challenge – particular for those making their Striders debut over the distance.

Dan Valencia crossed the line as first Strider home and 10th MV40 with a time of 1.42.41, next back and 1st junior was Luke Eggleston in 1.47.02, closely followed by Mike Bryan 1.48.52 and Simon Bottrill 1.50.27. Next back, first female Strider and 7th Vet 40 was Louise Houghton in 1.59.44, Shane Sharkey followed closely behind in 2.00.55 along with John Houghton 2.01.07, Jon Wilson 2.07.21, Deb Wilson 2.17.50, Matt Chalmers 2.27.14 and Stuart Gregory in 2.36.35 completed the finishers. Hopefully Vicki will recover soon from injuring her leg during the race.

18 Nov 2015 – Derby Midweek Races

Stuart Gregory was the only Stilton Strider to make his way to Derby for their monthly midweek races. In the first race of the night Stuart was joined by a bumper field of 63 runners all hoping for a good time and Stuart was no exception in that respect as he set off at a fairly strong pace and completed the mile in 7m 50s, 30 seconds faster than October and 11 seconds faster than his previous best for the course. In the second race of the night Stuart was joined by another bumper field of 91 runners who were all looking for a good time. After a pacey start to the 5km race Stuart increased his pace over the final mile to the cross the line in a course best time of 28.20, 1 minute 23 seconds faster than his previous course best for the event. [Stuart]

31 Oct 2015 – Norfolk Coastal Marathon

Louise, John & myself [Dan] entered the inaugural Norfolk Coastal half & marathons respectively. The event was organised by positive steps in partnership with Norfolk County Council. The course ran between Weybourne & Sea Palling. The event fell on John’s birthday, so the day was set up perfectly, & the weather was fair. As we arrived in the village hall we were greeted by the organiser ‘Kevin’.“I take it you’ve downloaded your maps” Kevin probed sternly. When the hilarity ceased & the realisation that we might need to navigate set in, it became obvious that the standard retort “We’re Striders we don’t do Nav” wouldn’t wash with Kevin. We awkwardly shuffled over to the maps on the wall and took photos of the course.

Kevin sounded the klaxon & we set off.
The path took us right along the cliff edge, which was suffering from serious erosion, so much so that the path simply disappeared in some places adding to the allure of the challenge. As we scurried down a path between some dunes a rather rotund child turned to his mother & queried “what’s this running all about?” It wasn’t long before we had an answer. We ran down onto the beach and in a scene reminiscent from the film chariots of fire, we pegged it along the surf line! We felt like running couldn’t get much better! There is a lot of beach running on this race, which we loved however if it’s not your thing be advised. After missing an (acorn), and completing an extra mile we still managed to come in at 4hrs:20 ish.

Meanwhile Louise had “chosen” to set off with the walkers. After it dawned on them Lou & some others quickened the pace & completed the half with a highly respectable time of 1hr :50 after being reprimanded by Kevin for not tearing a page out of the book at the end of the beach (evidence of completion). After the race it transpired that Lou had run upwards of 13 miles after a navigational error but still managed to be 1st lady!

A great event & would definitely, do it again next year. [Dan]