A tale of two cities Lancaster cross country – SATURDAY, 20^th Jan 2007 & York Half SUNDAY, 21^st Jan 2007

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…….

Lancaster XC

I didn’t bother driving to the Fairfield. I went straight down the A6 to the Uni’. As I drove into the Uni’, I spotted a parking space at the last minute opposite Dave Waywell’s, but there was a car behind me and it was too close, so I drove up to the roundabout and back down, but a Red Rose lady had the same idea! Fortunately, I just managed to squeeze on the end and decided to stay in the car for a while as it was freezing!!!

Eventually, I thought I better show my face and had a chat with Chris Moss, who had volunteered to marshal for the best part of 3 hours? He was that well wrapped up; I nearly walked past him! His 6 year old son, Daniel was as good as gold and never moaned once.

The ladies did two large laps and the men did three. I’d already run at Lancaster once this year in a NW Civil Service event, but it was nowhere near as tough as today’s race. It took me a lap to warm up, but I found myself in the company of runners I’m not usually near and it worried me for a split second. Are they having a bad one or am I having a good one? I started to overtake a few. I went past Lytham’s Terry Hellings and his fiancé Sue Samme was urging him to “dig in” or words to that effect. (Sue had come 4^th in the Ladies race).

The mud seemed to suit me today and I carried on overtaking runners and I don’t recall anyone coming past me. At the top of the course, through the ‘jungle’, the mud was horrendous – half way up your shins. By Monday night the mud was past your knees!!! I saw Brenda after in the Plough at Galgate and she said she was shouting encouragement, but I was that focussed on keeping my footing, you didn’t really notice the spectators/marshals. I was glad it was only three laps!

I didn’t beat Charlie and Alex in the race, but I beat them into the showers! Unfortunately, when I came out of the showers, the changing rooms had begun to flood. I didn’t hang about and retired to the warmth of the Plough which was full of darts teams, footballers, a hockey team and weary, cross country runners. Peter Cruse thought I’d dropped out!! Another runner thought I’d taken a short cut! I didn’t tip the barmaid today! Once bitten twice shy!

I was dead pleased, (and a bit shocked), with how well I’d run and Blackpool won – a perfect Saturday! (The Blackpool winning wasn’t a shock even though the reporter on the radio said Blackpool were looking for an equaliser, when actual fact they won 1-0). The only fly in the ointment was that Preston came back from 0-2, to win 3-2. I suppose you can’t have everything!

Ladies race:

19^th Joanna Goorney 25:14, 35^th Kath Hoyer 27:30, 37^th Julie Cruse 27:57, 45^th Julie Murphy 29:07, 64^th Tracy Hulme 32:26, 73^rd Pauline Weller 34:37, 74^th Amanda Hinks 36:13 – Beth de Nobrega did the race but missed off the results

Men’s Race:

10^th Charlie Pass 31:11, 15^th Alex Rowe 32:06, 46^th Barry Peatfield 34:30, 55^th Derek Buckley 34:53, 63^rd Karl Lee 35:28, 73^rd John Collier 35:58, 76^th John Bertenshaw 36:14, 81^st Martin Bates 36:29, 109^th Lee Barlow 37:51, 110^th Steve Myerscough 37:57, 111^th Russell Mabbett 37:59, 115^th Peter Cruse 38:17, 129^th Andy Yelland 39:12, 149^th Brian Porter 42:10, 155^th Mark Midgley 43:09, 161^st Graham Vickers 43:24, 169^th Nigel Shepherd 44:37, 184^th Norman Bateman 48:07

Remaining fixtures:-

27^th Jan: Heaton Park, Manchester

10^th Feb: Chorley, Astley Park

3^rd March: Witton Park, Blackburn (again!)

10^th March: Sunderland (National)

York Half (Brass Monkey’s)

Scenery: 7

PB potential: 10

Atmosphere: 10

Organisation: 9

Value: 10 - £12 to enter and its always full (1200 Limit)

Beginner Friendly: 10

For others runners’ ratings please see:

http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?sp=&v=1&ugn=176

Northern exile reckons it’s the best ½ in the country!

Willie Richmond (LSARR) had given me his number to pick up his sweat shirt as he couldn’t make it. The organisers weren’t to keen to give out sweatshirts to runners who hadn’t completed the 13.1 miles. (They wanted to sell them next year for £5!!!). Willie was subject to some controversial postings on our Message Board.

Peter and Julie Cruse, Carmel Sullivan and I posed for a team photo and then made our way to the Start. I positioned myself about ten rows back from the front, but the runners near me were talking about finishing in 1:50. It took me a while to weave my way through – wasting energy. Terry Lonnergan (The Complete Runner shop) shouted I was too far back. I knew, but it was too late to do anything about it!

I overtook Dave Preston (PH) and I could spy Peter Cruse in the distance till about half way, when he disappeared. (The organisers had warned us at the Start to be careful of a hole in the road. He said about 50 runners should fill it!) Unlike yesterday’s course, the only thing to beware of were the speed bumps! At one point it was very windy and I thought I was going to lose my number. Reg Chapman had run the course the previous day in even worse conditions.

I overtook a few on the run in, spurred on by more of Terry Lonnergan’s shouts. I finished in 1:26:13; Peter had done 1:22, Carmel 1:31 (PB) and Julie did 1:40. I was slower than last year, but hadn’t raced the previous day!

We all met for a post race pint at the Marcia at Bishopthorpe – a pub we ran past. Bishopthorpe is the home of the Archbishop of York and has been since 1226! The Palace there is spectacular.

Peter Cruse had booked us in at the Lady Anne Middleton Hotel on Skledergate– see www.ladyannes.co.uk for £30 per person. Excellent value and close to all York’s main attractions. Flooding had closed a number of nearby roads and businesses but Skeldergate was OK.

After unpacking, Peter discovered he hadn’t packed any undies!…… Luckily Julie came to the rescue and well, they were a tight fit, but you know they staved off the cold!!

Whilst Julie had a kip, Michaela and I thought we’d venture out and try a few pubs – I’d already visited most of them on Trevor Rayners 40^th in 2002. We’d arrange to meet back at the hotel at 6pm, but in the end we sent Peter a text and asked him if he’d mind meeting us in the Pub!

We met Peter and Julie and sampled a couple more Pubs and then had a Chinese. By the time we’d finished the meal, Michaela and I were ready for bed, whilst Peter and Julie wanted to party on.

After a hearty breakfast, during which Pete told us we had gone to bed with the door open, me stark, ‘bleep’, naked and Michaela fully clothed, and that Michaela had rung down and said, “Get me a wine please?”, and it never turned up, (he was lying of course). We then walked into York and visited Up & Running. After that we had a walk round The Minster and then the tiny, but quaint St Martin-le-Grand!!!! It was a derelict church that was re-opened after the Second World War in honour of our boys and had a unique organ there that was given by the German government by way of a reconciliation gesture.

Michaela was in such a rush to reverse out of the car park, when were leaving the hotel, she demolished a breeze block wall, (which I had to painstakingly rebuild….well there were three little blocks to pick up and you know what I’m like with DIY!). It could have been ‘cos she was driving yet again and had a momentary lapse of concentration with the strain of it all!

On the drive home, that Michaela did, we stopped for a walk at Burnsall – a picturesque Dales village and home of the classic fell race mentioned in ‘Feet in the Clouds’, also, one of the oldest fell races there are. Of course we had a couple of jars of Theakstons at the Red Lion and Julie had a mulled wine to warm her cockles.

Last Monday, Steve Littler mentioned he was going on a lads’ weekend to Benidorm and one of his mates had backed out and I could go for £30!!! It was tempting, but I wouldn’t have missed this weekend for the world!

Written by: Martin Bates

Submitted: 24^th January 2007

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor