memories
section
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Written by Alex Rowe |
5th February 2009 |
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The Zinal underpant race or “Against the grain” - An interview with Salford Harrier Billy
Burns |
Submitted by: Martin Bates |
20th April 2009 |
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Written by Pete Waywell |
23rd September 2008 |
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IS IT TIME ‘THE COMPLETE RUNNER’ CALLED HIS CAREER
COMPLETE? article by Terrry Lonergan |
Written by Terry
Lonergan |
25th March 2009 |
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Written by Peter Earnshaw |
January 2009 |
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Written by
John Whiteman |
5th December 2008 |
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Written by Graham Cunliffe |
24TH November 2008 |
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Written by Alex Rowe |
October 2008 |
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Written by Peter Earnshaw |
29th September 2008 |
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Written by Tom Hurst |
3rd September 2008 |
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Written by
Doug Brown |
8th January 2007 |
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Written by
John Whiteman |
12th March 2007 |
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Written by
Des Cleary |
6th March 2007 |
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Written by Keith Wilding |
11th May 2007 |
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Written by Russ Mabbutt |
14th May 2007 |
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WESHAM AT
THE WELSH CASTLES RELAY THROUGH THE YEARS - REPORTS TO THE BLACKPOOL EVENING
GAZETTE |
Written by Alex Rowe |
7th June 2007 |
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Written by Reg Chapman |
23rd July 2007 |
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Written by John Collier |
15th August 2007 |
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Written by: Mick Edge |
2nd November 2007 |
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Written by Tony Robbins |
12th
November 2007 |
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Written by Tom Hurst |
18th
February 2008 |
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Written by Peter Earnshaw |
17th
March 2008 |
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Written by Tom Hurst |
6th
May 2008 |
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Written by Mick Edge |
28th
May2008 |
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(1)
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or A view from the middle of the pack |
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08:15, Sunday, 10th March 2007 and I
have just returned from one of my 10 mile ‘winter runs’. I have several
measured runs around the Fylde, of which the clean routes constitute
winter runs. Anything that takes me down
Today’s run was nothing special, just
training pace, somewhere between 6:15 and 6:20 per mile. It took me down Fleetwood
Road, towards Singleton, across to Weeton and back via the
old Wesham Grand Prix course to the new roundabout on Wesham by-pass.
The plan was for no intervals, no speed play, just a loosener. It was mild for
the time of year, (last year’s
I have a self imposed, annual target for training miles of 2620, (100 marathons, don’t ask me why 100 marathons but it seemed a good target at the time) each year. Today’s 10 will give me a 2007 yearly total of 435. This regime started on 1st Jan 2000 when I set myself a couple of ‘stretch’ targets. The first of these was to run each of the 10 legs of the Manchester to Blackpool Road Relay in 10 years to give me an overall time for the total run. This objective is of course now unachievable as the race no longer takes place, but I did manage three different legs before it was withdrawn from the racing calendar. The second and more challenging target was to try to run the equivalent of 100 marathons a year, in training and racing. Some years I have achieved this and some years just missed out. Last year was a ‘just missed out year.’ However, my total mileage since 1st January 2000, (over 7 years), stands at a healthy 18,000+ miles.
The debate I suppose is how many of these 18000+ miles have been competitive. All of them, some of them or none of them? I assume the club definition of a competitive mile is any mile run in an independently organised race.
Several years ago, just after I turned 40, I was asked
to represent WRR at the Cross Country 6 Stage Relay in
Back to the more recent past; the four weeks prior to the Wesham 10k I averaged 53 miles per week of what I thought was very hard training, trying to reduce my time for the race by performing intervals, fartleks, sprints and longer stamina building runs. Can I claim these 200+ miles as competitive?
This season’s Wesham 10k was a sight for sore eyes and a great credit to how far Wesham road running has come in the last 20+ years. I set off about three rows back from the front hoping to get under the magic 6 minutes a mile mark of 37minutes 12 seconds. Within the first half mile there was a fantastic a group of around seven or eight Wesham vests ahead of me in a group of a dozen or so runners who were slowly stretching away. By the 1 mile marker I could not see the leaders. Was I no longer competing? If so I can claim one competitive mile and 5.2 non competitive? I was however still competing against both myself and the runners around me and had a great sprint finish with a Preston Harrier and a Clayton runner for 16th, 17th & 18th place registering the same time as the other two runners but having to settle for 18th place. So can I actually claim that all 6.2 miles were competitive?
The debate, I suppose, is do I claim:
- 1 mile, until I lost sight of the eventual winner?
- 6.2 miles, as I competed with other runners of equal ability?
- 218.2 miles (my mileage for the month prior to the race), as I competed against myself to try and improve my time?
I am very competitive by nature but have
never won an organised race in the 12 or so years I have been competing. I
have, however, been fortunate to be at the sharp end of one or two races and if
I look back could claim to have actually competed in 6 or 7 races where, at
some stage, the result could have ended in my favour. I could, in all honesty,
claim in the last dozen or so years to have competed (as in a chance of
winning) for about 30miles. But I would like to think that when I get up early
in the morning and it’s dark and cold and wet and I put my running shoes
on to take the important first steps that I am competing against somebody even
if it is only myself and, as such, would like to offer my 18,000+ miles as
competitive…………….Discuss !!?!
Written by Keith Wilding
Submitted: 11th May 2007
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor
(2)
WESHAM AT THE WELSH CASTLES RELAY THROUGH THE YEARS
REPORTS TO THE
June 1999
Wesham’s first entry captained by Dave Young
Two day event 11am start at
CONDITIONS: bright start at Acernarfon, clouded over by Dolgellau (2pm), a downpour on Stage 7. Stage 1 + 2 reasonably flat and start of Stage 3, Stage 4 reasonable, and Stage 5 undulating.
Cool start on Sunday, brightened up and got hot and sunny.
KEITH WILDING set off well, in the leading pack of three runners at 5 miles, one broke away and Keith took 2nd (first vet).
IAN SHARPLES ran very well on the 2nd stage to finish 12th.
DAVE
WAYWELL coped well
with a 300’ climb from the start at
ALAN HUDSON ran a well controlled Stage 6 to gain 10th.
TREVOR RAYNER ran very well over a hilly course on Stage 8.
ALAN GLASGOW stormed his leg for a brilliant 7th.
PETER ALDERSLEY had to contend with a 1000’ climb from the start in Llanfair and the death of a competitor at the 3-mile mark in hot humid conditions. He gave it his all on probably the toughest stage, won again by Steve Brace.
GARY PENDLEBURY made a brilliant start to Day 2 with a tremendous well paced run over Stage 11 with a long steady 6-mile ascent followed by a long steady 6-mile descent.
JOHN BERTENSHAW worked well on his run on Stage 12 to gain two places back near the finish.
ALEX ROWE 1000’ overall descent, with 300-400’ ascent – very undulating! Started too fast – had the lead until 4 miles and then dropped back to 2nd. 1st vet.
PETER BARTLETT made a heroic effort up the mountainous Stage 14 with an 1100’ climb over the last 4 miles.
RUSSELL MABBETT ran well on Stage 16 up a huge steady ascent on the second half.
TREVOR RAYNER stood in for Ian Squire and had a brilliant run on Stage 18, on a revised course that took in a 500’ ascent at halfway.
DEREK BUCKLEY went wrong with the fourteen leaders at the top of the hill coming out of Caerphilly at 1.5 miles. He had to re-ascend the other side of the hill and find the correct course. Went from 15th to last but gained back two places to finish 47th.
A
tremendous two day effort from the team, using a 12-seater minibus plus cars.
Team was 15th out of 50 at halfway (
At the end of Sunday, despite going off course by 2 miles on Stage 20, finished 17th out of 49 (13th Open team out of 29) in 34:24:04 (245.40 (4:05:40) behind winner Les Croupiers AC).
June 2004
Wesham’s second entry after two previous failed attempts
The event
of the last week was the 210-mile, 20-stage Welsh Castles Relay.
Starting in Caenarvon at 10:30 am on Saturday in the shadow of
the Castle, John Bertenshaw got Wesham underway on Stage 1
under inclement skies with a fine run uphill over 9 miles to Penygroes
in 1:00:07 for 11th position. Gary Pendlebury had an
excellent run over Stage 2 to Criccieth, finishing 2nd
in 58:56 over 10.7 miles, winning the veteran category and a yellow jersey. Ian
Sharples ran Stage 3, and finished 13th, handing
over to Alan Hudson at Maentwrog who finished 15th
over Stage 4 in the shadow of the impressive
Refreshed
after the overnight break, Alan Taylor headed out at 7 am in the early
morning sun from
June 2005
Wesham’s third and most successful attempt, captained by Alan Taylor
The weekend
saw a Wesham team tackle the grueling 2-day 20-stage Welsh Castles
Relay from Caernarvon to
On Saturday
morning a Wesham squad of men and women gather in Caernarvon in
the shadow of the spectacular castle for the start of the Welsh Castles
Relay, before commencing the 210-mile trek to
Other stage results: Stage 1 Phil Leaver - 1:05:53 (9.1, 21st); Stage 5 Reg Chapman - 1:09:37 (9.6, 22nd); Stage 7 Andy Yelland - 1:08:33 (9.75, 26th); Stage 8 Mark Midgley - 1:17:54 (11.2, 30th); Stage 9 Ian Cosh - 1:01:20 (8.6, 24th); Stage 11 Alan Taylor - 1:32:41 (12.3, 42nd); Stage 12 Dave Young - 1:32:52 (11.2, 51st); Stage 15 Graham Vickers - 1:29:36 (12.4, 39th); Stage 16 Bernadette Dickinson - 1:10:36 (9.0, 41st); Stage 17 Paul Carter - 1:03:37 (9.2, 26th); Stage 18 Peter Cooke - 1:14:06 (9.1, 45th); Stage 19 Paul Dunkerley - 1:11:02 (10.4, 17th); Stage 20 Martin Bates - 1:09:51 (10.4, 26th).
June 2006
Wesham’s fourth run with tough weather conditions
It was a scorcher all round as Wesham runners competed in the hottest weekend of the year so far. Performances were affected with gale force winds throughout the area.
A Wesham
team took part in the 210-mile Welsh Castles Relay, travelling the
length of
Other runners:
Phil Leaver (22nd); Joanna Goorney (25th); Paul Dunkerley
(18th); John Bertenshaw (10th); Paul Carter (33rd);
Alex Rowe (11th); Alan Taylor (47th); Dave Young (51st);
Barry Norman (14th); Peter Cooke (33rd); Martin Bates (28th);
Karl Lee (26th).
Written by: Alex Rowe
Submitted: 7th June 2007
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor
(3)
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RUNNING AMBITIONS REALISED June 2006 to May 2007 |
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I have been a member of Wesham Road Runners for nearly 14 years and, whilst I have realised many ambitions – notably to make great strides, (excuse the pun), in reducing my times for various disciplines, there are many more that I had not realised until recently and still some to do.
A brief outline of my running history
First ever race
1989 Blackpool 10k when my mum saw an advert and I stupidly said ‘yes’ when asked, “Did I want to do it?” I was ecstatic at doing 52:09.
1989-1992
1993
Bispham 10 mile (My friend Mark Gibbons told me, “I had no chance of finishing it – red rag to a bull”),- 94 minutes – Mark did the 1989 10k in 42 minutes.
- Six weeks
after joining Wesham I did the 1993
Wyre Wanderer 10k - 50 minutes
- After this race I decided to take my running seriously and looked in the paper and found a “jogging club” – Stanley Park track 200 metre sprints!
- However a lot of Wesham members were there who suggested I came down to the club
- After a few ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’, (as you do), I decided to inflict myself on the club. Unfortunately for you all I’m still here!
Personal bests since joining Wesham:
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Race Distance |
Race Name |
Date |
Time |
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5k |
Golden Ball |
19/05/02 |
20:52 |
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5 miles |
Lytham Inter Club |
2002 |
33:20 |
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10k |
Skipton |
02/07/00 |
41:50 |
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10 mile |
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09/07/00 |
67:55 |
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Half |
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20/05/01 |
1:31:52 |
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Full |
Windermere |
20/05/07 |
4:23:43 |
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*During this race I actually had a 5 mile split of 33:15 |
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It is obvious from those stats that I need to race in the following times:-
Third weekend in May or early in July.
Prizes/Trophies earned:
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Race Distance |
Race Name |
Date |
Time |
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5k |
Clearwater Beach, Florida* |
19/12/99 |
21:06 |
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*In this race I won the 3rd best 40/44 and an added bonus I beat my brother by 6 minutes! (See below) |
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Special prize for “Continued and Sustained improvement” in 2000 from Wesham.
Ambitions realised June 2006 to May 2007:
1. To have a proper run with my brother, David
· David has been running since the mid seventies when he was 20. He took part in the National Cross Country Championships in 1976 – only to be beaten on the line by Brendan Foster (Oh! and about 1200 others).
· He moved to America in 1980 and, therefore, I only see him in holidays.
· He has done various races in his time and recorded decent times, (I think his best for 10k is just over 40 minutes and has always done some running.
· Unfortunately, around the time I started running seriously, he started to gain weight, (since the birth of my youngest niece, Sarah, in 1994), and it took him 10 years to shift it – I wonder if he could make money as I always thought that was usually the mother’s excuse!.
· In 2004 he made a conscious effort to lose weight and shed three and a half stone to get down to 12 and a half. Therefore when we went to Seattle last year it meant I could realise one ambition and have a proper run with him.
2. To do a race in Halifax
· Ever since I started running I had always wanted to do a race in Halifax as this is where I finished school; got my first job; had my first, (of many!), pints; started to play table tennis, (my second sporting love) etc! etc!
· The one thing I didn’t really do in Halifax is to run, (I kept trying but the hills put me off – now living in Blackpool I pray for hills to run up!).
· For some reason it has taken me until 2007, (6th May), to realise this ambition and boy what a nice easy race I picked. The nice is correct – in fact in my appraisal of the race I said it was brilliant; superb and would definitely do it again. Easy – not a bit of it. It was the Bluebell Trail 10 and as it took me 1:42 (St Annes took me 1:22 – and that was slow), you can tell it was very difficult. However, the scenery was out of this world and the river crossing at the end unique – in my experience anyway. Woods; lanes; paths; fells and Trooper Lane, (570 yards climb in one mile), – you name it this race had it.
· The main thing was the reminiscences. My dad did a film on the Coiners of Cragg Vale when I was 20 and David 23 and we ran past the place that I was able to kick my brother to death, (happy days), - in the plot of course!
3. To do another marathon
This wasn’t really an ambition as such but it was 11 years since my one and only attempt previously, (London 1996 – on my birthday), where it took me 4:53. So what do I do? I meticulously plot my next marathon to find a nice easy one and give myself plenty of training time so that I can do a good time? No – on a rainy night in early March I decide to take Brian Porter’s number for Windermere on May 20th. That gave me eight or nine weeks for a hilly course on – at the most – 10 miles a week for the previous two months. I did various nice flat races in preparation – to build up confidence you understand – Dent [14:3]; Coniston [13:875]; Oldham half [4 miles up hill at start]; Caldervale 10. There was the Lytham Inter Club in between. Finlay and I built up the mileage culminating in 21 miles on my birthday on 21st April, (a glutton for punishment?), as it was the only time possible to get a >20 miler in.
The big weekend came with a forecast of wet and three days in Ambleside in the offing, (and Blackpool’s play off semi-final 2nd Leg). Could be ideal we thought. The big day came with a reality of sun. Typical we thought. Being the meticulous planner I am, I thought go off slowly and then go even slower and I will be happy between 4 and 4 hours 30. Not quite. I felt really good at the start, (you know that’s fatal but do you bother? Of course not,) and Nigel Shepherd; myself and Dave Wood were happily running along at sub 8:30 pace saying to ourselves, “This is too fast but a guess we might as well go with it” At 7 miles up the first major hill, (the rest is undulating), I actually left them and “bombed” along to half way in 1:47. I thought I can get Brian a PB here if I carry on like this.
I had been told that there was only one major hill left after half way. What I wasn’t told is that it lasted from 13:5 miles to 17, with a few breaks. The wheels really came off then and from thereon in I was jogging /walking but I knew that barring a major catastrophe then I should still beat 4:30.I persevered till the end and managed 4-23, (unfortunately, half an hour outside Brian’s PB but half an hour inside mine)
May I take this opportunity to thank all Wesham and Lytham members who came along to cheer on all fifteen Wesham and two Lytham members and offer encouragement along the way?
Once I had recovered, I realised what a wonderful day it had been and the atmosphere and scenery makes it, (in London the atmosphere is great but the scenery?)
I will do another marathon as I would like to prove that I can do one in sub 4 hours, given the right conditions – London 1996 was very warm as well – and a FLAT – course.
My next ambition is to be the oldest person
ever to race sub 40 for 10k, (although the way it is going at the moment that
might not be until I’m 60; 48 now).
Written
by: Pete Cooke
Submitted: 3rd June 2007
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor
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wrinkly run in Cuba |
Scenery:
10+
fantastic
Atmosphere: 10 + Cubans out of this world
Organisation: 10 only because I sorted it
Value: 10 free fresh fruit on every run, plus home made rum
Beginner Friendly: 10
Do it again: Definitely!
When we
arrived in
You can run till you drop and you will never come across verbal abuse in fact it’s the total opposite. The kids would shout “Go Rocky go” at Carmel don’t know why!!!!!!
We went running at tea time 5pm we found it a lot cooler at that time of the day then the 7 am runs as it was very humid or was it the alcohol from the night before.
We would go out and run 10 miles and pass villages were the boars would run around freely some as big as great Danes really cute. Goats, chickens and horses, it was fantastic.
The workers in there old fashioned school buses and cadalaks taken them home all cheering and clapping as they finished there shift (12hrs +). Next day in the hotel they would chat to us about running and where they say us the previous day they found fascinating running on hols. Even the traffic police would drive at the side of us and have a chat.
After a few times out running the villagers would stop us and offer us fresh coconut milk from his land, they were so friendly we could not say no. This became regular to the point were we felt guilty, they had nothing just a wooden hut with land and what ever they produced the government would pay them for there goods and here they where giving us there profit.
So from our hotel Carmel and I would take some cans of beer, chocolate and even Champagne for the couple above who had just become grand parents . Have you ever tried carrying 8 cans of beer large Champagne bottle and food for 3 miles, don’t try it.
I remember one day when we was out running, out of the corner of my eye I saw this monster it was huge, it frightened me to death. Here I was running like an eagle, gliding in the wind so master full and elegant when this MONSTER appeared. I thought in panic mode what shall I do I must protect Carmel from this thing. So in protection mode I did the honorable thing!!!!! I took a photo. Now I know which family I came from, I know what your thinking, no not the Apes or the monkeys but from the beautiful horse family.
Even Carmel looks approvingly.
As we approached our hotel one of the locals shouted us to try some of his friends home made rum, we were both shattered from running 10 miles but hey your only here once, live for today.
Well this old bloke who was in his late 80s but looked 20 gave us his bottle to try, bloody hell it burnt all the way down my throat to the bottom of my stomach. I was the most power full drink I have ever tasted. While all this was going on I did not let on to Carmel and told her its very nice bit like alcho pops. Well she drank it whole, (proper Fleetwood girl), her eyes popped out 15 feet and started to do the river dance in fast motion Well funny. Why didn’t you tell me “I forgot love?”
When we got back to our hotel we would jump into the Jacuzzi for 20 mins with a glass of ice cold beer, price less so relaxing. We would reflect on our hard days running and plan our night out.
If you ever get the chance, you young Wrinkly’s, get out there - you will not be disappointed. It’s a fantastic country you will wish you did it years ago. Get out there before the Americans spoil it.
Written by: Mick Edge
Submitted: 2nd November 2007
Edited by:
Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor
The rather strange urge to run Marathons had been growing in America throughout the 1970’s. Prior to then, only dedicated athletes ran such a distance but now it was the turn of the masses to have a go. In 1980, a Marathon in London was announced for the following spring and folk of a masochistic tendency donned their shorts! The boom was underway here.
The
following day came the news that Blackpool was cancelled and all entries
forwarded to
In those days
we had to register before a race and so, on October 17th,
Three of my first four races were Marathons, the odd one out being the Freckleton Half on a pleasant Saturday evening in 1982. This may have been the last evening race before the committee decided that it had been a race for softies and that all future races would be held at the hottest hour of the hottest day!
By 1983
there were 129 British Marathons. On May 22nd
alone, six were run. Local Marathons included Bolton, Mersey,
Morecambe, Stockport,
I went on to run 25 Marathons. Among my favourites were Windermere 3:15:12 in 1982, (under the nom de plume of Tim Ruston), 3:08:28 in 1983 and Stratford, 3:10:56 in 1989, 3:20:13 in 1995. Woodhall Spa, 3:01:20 was my quickest in 1984 and my only overseas effort was Malta 3:15:34 in 1994. My final Marathon was at Leyland in 2000 where I recorded 3:26:58.
One fact has struck me as I have trawled through old results is how the average age of runners has risen. The results from the 1982 Stockport Marathon showed finishers in age groups. Within the 1576 who completed the race only 11 men were 60 or over. There was just one lady of 45 or over.
As a postscript - the cost of entry into the 34th Windermere to Kendal race in 1983 was just £1.
Written by: Tony Robbins
Submitted: 12th November 2007
Edited by:
Brenda J Earnshaw WRR