ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ME

Sunday, 3^rd February 2008

The older I become the more confused I get. The weekend after my night shifts was free but for whatever reason I had not yet planned any races. On Wednesday all that changed Alex as texted to enquire if I wanted to be part of the Bridleway Relay Team. Me being the being I am asked if we where any more runners short. Alex replied three; I then made nine texts and one phone call. Steve Myerscough immediately texted back that he was available but he was working that afternoon so obviously would require an early leg. Jason was interested but he would have to find out if he could get cover for his job.

When I was Captain I believed that the best way of communicating was directly to whoever was needed. That is not the rule of thumb. Over the next couple of day I was ‘piggy in the middle’ for communicating. On Saturday night I was watching the box when Lee rang wondering what Leg Jason was doing. Jason was down for Leg 5 in the “B” team, mmmmmm Top 10 runner, first race in a Wesham vest, running for the reserves? I then rang Alex and dug a hole. (Something I have become an expert at!) I suggested to him that Jason would be better in the “A” team. Then it was obvious it would be better if Jason took my place on Leg 3 pairing with Martin. I then rang Lee telling him of the change so everyone was happy but me……..

Sunday morning Martin was picking me up at 06.20 so that we could all meet at the Fairfield. Jason was following later with Dave Waywell acting as navigator, leading their two car convoy. The first nice thing of the day was that once the cars had left the pub car park Derek realised there was six bodies for one five passenger car. That meant that Lee rang Richard asking the little convoy to stop at Broughton so that one of us could transfer to a less populated vehicle. Mr Lee knowing I had already pulled the short straw let me swap to Tracy, Jenny and Richard’s brand new Merc. This was much sweeter than the male smelling Ford I left behind. With almost faultless navigation from Richard we arrived at the race HQ - an old, large school. A big tick here for the organiser as there was free tea and coffee for all. (If this was a road race there WOULD be a charge for this!)

I was envious of all the runners on the first leg as they would be getting it over and done with which, to me, is always the best leg. Having been involved in countless relays and the Welsh Castles I know the demands of the participants. There are always people who genuinely need to run early legs because of commitments. Then there are those who always have a reason why it is essential as to why they must run early. When you are organising teams you soon know who they are. Alex had wanted to run two legs but it was his mother-in-law’s birthday so he had to be back for a meal in the afternoon.

With my ‘Alex Ferguson’ hat on, my obvious pairing was Alex and Gary - two very similar runners and a great opening cushion. No it was poor Steve with Alex at the end of their leg! Steve looked as though he had just done 10 rounds. Then I thought Steve could have run Leg 2 with any one of half a dozen similar standards? As the pairs set off I gave up on the pairings and just wanted Leg 5 to get under way.

We had a bit of a panic at Leg 4; Lee as we knew we had to get to Leg 5 ASAP and it takes longer to drive to Leg 5 as it does for the runners from Leg 4 to get there. Alex had given me his bag but Lee also needed one so I gave him Alex’s. The rules state you must carry a bum bag with a waterproof jacket, trousers a compass and a whistle. I then needed a bag. Luckily I borrowed one which also had some banana flavoured condoms within?

The surprise of the Relays was that Blackpool had entered; Woody had managed to drum up two teams. Well if Blackpool is in it, that’s who we want to beat. At the end of Leg 1 both our A and B teams were in front of the tangerine dreams. I can’t remember the times for the next couple of legs but at the freezing cold summit at Leg 5 the final leg would begin. Lee and Karl would have the glory leg and we all sat patiently for our Leg 4 finishers. Blackpool’s A finished their 4^th Leg, Graham Davies and Andy Williams set off. We sat watching for Gary and Derek. The minute’s dragged - tick, tock, tick, tock. I didn’t know the exact time but at least eleven minutes later Lee and Karl set off. I knew Lee and Karl would give 110% but over eleven minutes is a tall order. I then started watching that clock again; waiting, I thought, for Kath and Dave. But it was not to be as Gary and Derek, who had raced Leg 4, would be taking over from them. So there I sat, eight hours from leaving home, still waiting to run. Gary and Derek obviously did not want to sit around after racing their leg. No - Graham and I could do that.

At 2.15am the organisers decided to have a mass start but that did not mean we started together. Graham queued for a dibber - which is the device you clock in with at the end of your leg. Once he had our dibber we dibbed it in then set off. Graham set off like a train and we had eleven something miles in front of us. It was very cold with a mixed terrain of decent paths, rocky ones and plain dangerous ones. It is obvious that the pairing needed to be as closely matched as possible as the weaker runner had a much tougher job. Graham’s initial speed slowed slightly after two miles; he paid for that fast start but he battled on. We passed at least three pairs in the initial three miles. On some of the stretches we could see those who had set off before us and some were struggling. Though we had a route map we started struggling at the junctions. We had to call back to the pairs behind to see if we were heading the correct way.

We made up a terrific amount of time on the down hills and, though it was difficult, Graham never once walked. Eventually we appeared out of the countryside and back into the town. At this point, (which was a main road Lee told me in the pub), that this is where he and Karl took a wrong turning. Karl and he had achieved the impossible - they had caught and passed the Blackpool pair on their way down from the hills. They came to the main road and wrongly assumed they should go right. They added over 2 miles because of their error. When we came to the same junction, fortunately we caught a glimpse of a pair in front disappearing up an alleyway beside a house. On the lamppost was a small yellow card with a direction arrow. I thought we were almost home but we still had a bugger of a hill and about half a mile to go!

Graham was still slogging away and by now must have hated the sight of me. We finally reached the school - dipped the dibber and got our timed receipt.

Blackpool A Andy Williams and Graham Davies 1:31:39

Blackpool B Jeff Wright and Dave Dyson 1:37:33

Wesham A Karl and Lee 1:36:32

Wesham B Graham Vickers 1:29:06

I will never repeat the times I ran in the past. Though Graham did not know it, he probably ran one of the best races he has ever run that Sunday afternoon.

Written by: George Kennedy

Submitted: 4^th February 2008

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor