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5
Days and 4 Races:
Bring it on, Baby!
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Sunday,
18th June 2006
Venue:
Race: Railsport
Games 10K
Highlight: First ever medal (bronze)
I hadn’t raced for 10 days and my training
had gone a bit AWOL with the world
cup. I had wanted to do the Horwich 5
miler on Wednesday, but, due to careless planning and a bad sense of
direction, I managed to get completely lost trying to find the start – even
though I’ve been there before, last year! So it meant I entered this race
without any of that sharpness which I only get when I do back to back races.
The Railsport
Games are the games for those working in the rail industry. You may be
forgiven for thinking that this means a load of fat bellied blokes with a fag
hanging out of the side of their mouths and leaning on there shovels. Well, not
quite, but the stereotype was not exactly broken when I got to the start-line.
These weren’t your Littler’s, Muller’s,
Rowe’s and Pass’s, more middle aged
blokes that had just spent the night in the Merrie England bar with their £29.99 JJB Nike trainers. There were a few lads in vests and running shoes,
who I guessed correctly, were the decent runners. Normally 10K races are won in around 32 minutes; the winning times for this
race had been 34:45 and 35:12 in the previous years. After PB-ing the Blackpool Fun Run in 35:10
I felt I had half a chance.
The first part of the race utilises the running track, so
taking full advantage of my home track; (I train on here on Thursday nights), I took the lead. The
route headed North out of the park,
then it was round the perimeter, in, out, shake it all about; in, out, back to
the track and round again. I was leading for the first mile but my legs felt
heavy and lifeless and I had someone on my shoulder. He overtook me, and we
jostled for first place a few times. Going downhill I surged past him but ended
up knackering myself and he pulled away quite easily and there was nothing my
legs could do to respond. Just after, two more runners overtook me, pushing me
down to 4th – just
outside the medals. If I was sharper I could have pushed harder but I felt
lethargic and the tight turns didn’t help. I was 30 metres behind 3rd place at the lake on the
first lap; this had doubled by the second lap. I could not hear, or glance at the
runner behind, so I felt confident I could keep fourth place. I passed a runner
who had dropped out a mile or two from the end who was wearing a green vest –
had he passed me earlier? Was I now third? I wasn’t sure but this certainly
spurred me on and I didn’t want to let this position slip in case I was. The
guy behind actually said he was catching me near the end but in the last mile I
speeded up again. When I crossed the finish line, (in 36:45 – disappointing after my previous run of good form; yet it is
always a relief to finish a race). I could only see two runners, and it was
confirmed I was THIRD!!!! That I would be getting a BRONZE MEDAL!!!! Apart from a team
medal, (in the DENTDALE 14), and
races where everyone gets a medal, this was my first bona fide medal. Well, I
lie, actually. In Primary school I
won a medal for second place in the 1984
round the mount race. But this would be my first real medal. A happy moment, even if it was because someone
dropped out!
After picking up my medal, I went straight
to Freckleton to help marshal the Freck Half Marathon. I’d almost wish I
was having a go myself, as I was feeling good enough to run it. The weather was
superb – 14C, cool, and light showers. What a difference to the last two years!
I enjoyed marshalling and encouraging others, and it was interesting to see a
race from the ‘outside’ as it were. The leader was out of sight before the
second placed runner even came into view, (I was stood at approx. 5 miles). The
front runners looked strong, comfortable and fast. The main field of runners
were collectively working hard and showing it. The back markers were happy for
the encouragement and looked like they were enjoying it. Brain Porter had decided to do the race in his union jack boxers –
Surely you can’t do your own race in your undies Brain?!
Monday, 19th June 2006
Venue:
Race: Interclub Grand Prix Series -
Highlight: Highest
ever Interclub place
Two races in the same place in the space of
a little over 24 hours. I had known nobody in yesterday’s 10K, so it was nice to turn out to see so many familiar and happy
faces. If I was a little disappointed in my time yesterday; now was the race to
put it right. I would need to work hard tonight anyway, as Steve, Barry, Gary P and Joe
H were not running. The big question would be how good a team were
My aim is always to try and improve on my
interclub positions, (in the 2004 
was 1st
for Wesham, then Charlie overtook me like a Ferrari on the outside lane of the
motorway. After a mile, Alex caught
up and offered words of encouragement when he passed me. I tried, but failed,
to keep up. I was running on the very edge of my abilities. I know when I’m
doing that because my body convinces my head that this pace cannot be kept up
for the rest of the race! Suffice to say, I really had to dig in. Johny Houghton of
Wednesday, 21st June 2006
Venue: Haigh Hall,
Race: Haigh Hall 5 miler
Highlight: New
course PB
So, no race last night, but a decent hill
session instead, without a hill insight! As very few races are completely flat
and I 
try and incorporate hill sessions in my training. I find a
10% incline on a running machine for 20 minutes really gives my legs a good
test, and, like all other types of running, the more you do the more your body
adapts. It was certainly good training for the Haigh Hall 5, which has a testing uphill first mile and a bit,
before coming down and making a further two loops before returning to the start
point. I had run this in 29:47 last
month, after a disastrous lace failure and stitch, which dropped me from 10th to 16th place. I made sure my laces were triple knotted
this time and guess what – one of the laces still came undone! The ‘Pete Cruse Theory’ is that flat laces,
(as these were), come loose easier than round laces; an interesting theory, and,
if anyone has any thoughts on this, I’d like to hear them. I only lost two
places this time, but it was still annoying. Anyway, I finished a minute
quicker in 28:44, a new PB for this course. I saw George there, and he informed me of a race
tomorrow night; a 10K trail race. I
wasn’t planning to race, but I was feeling good so I arranged for him to pick
me up.
Thursday, 22nd June 2006
Venue:
Race: 10K Trail
Highlight: Coming
First!
George picked me up at 6:15pm and we
drove down to Cuerden Valley Park,
just south of
It’s been a while since I’ve done a new
course before, but I like the idea of not knowing what to expect. It was a bit
cold for midsummer, and it had started to rain just before the race, so we
stayed in the car to 7:29pm. Sod the warm up! Having seen last month’s time,
with Pete Cruse coming in at just
over 40 minutes, I figured, all being well, I should be just under the 40
minute mark. Slow for a 10K, but it was a trail race and there were numerous
gates and stiles and steps and a busy road that had to be crossed.
I recognised none of the leading runners, but found the pace
of the front group of six to my liking. It’s a fast down hill start, and
surprisingly I found myself joint leader by the time I had got to the bottom. I
wondered how good he was. I stayed with him, neither of us making a move for
the lead. I could hear no runners behind. There is a busy road to cross at half
way, and the marshals stopped the runners as opposed to the cars. I hesitated,
and stopped for the traffic; my co-runner made a dash across the road. Then a
stroke of luck, a car actually stopped for me. I thank you, whoever you are.
The runner in front turned round to see where I was, and I think he even slowed
down a little while I accelerated to catch up; a gentlemanly gesture that was
really in the spirit of things. We ran side by side for a while, before I
picked it up slightly and took the lead. In some places I was a bit unsure of
the route, and, in a number of places, I nearly took a wrong turn. I was always
glad to see a marshal and he pointed me in the right direction. At one point, a
bull (‘Its all right, they’re very docile’ we got told at the start) stood in
front of the stile and I nearly followed another path. At another point an
arrow had fallen on the ground and I had to go back to double check I was going
in the right direction. There were no mile markers, so I checked my progress
with my watch, which seemed to be going very slowly. Throughout the race I
always worried that my legs would give up or I would be overtaken in the latter
stages. At around 5 miles there is a tough uphill climb and I heard the
breathing of the second placed runner getting closer. I was on maximum, and the
‘workometer’ was well into the red zone. I had no more to give, and if he
overtook me, then second place it would have to be. Once I got to the top I
could hear him no more, and he later said he had overcooked it and burnt out. I
ran through the woods, and through a double set of kissing gates. I felt I was
running for my life, like I was a kid again and the village nutcase was after
me. I listened for the gate, and there seemed maybe a 10-15 second gap. I
reached Cuerden Hall, and I 
knew the finish line was close. I kept checking my watch,
with the 39:40 minute time in mind. I wasn’t sure how much of a lead I had, but
I wasn’t going to slack off now. I wanted that first place and I was going to
make sure I got it. Then I saw the car park and knew the finish line was just
around the corner. I looked round – no sign of anyone. I had visions of me
crossing the tape, arms outstretched, Paula
Radcliffe style, to an ecstatic 
crowd. In reality I crossed the line as I always do,
stopping with relief and bending down resting my hands on my knees. I was 23
seconds ahead of the second placed runner from Clayton–le-Moors and we talked through our races together.
The time I had may have only have placed me
5th on last month’s
results but I was the fastest tonight, and perhaps this is the race highlight
of my year. Only a small percentage of race goers can claim to have ever
finished first in any race, and to join that band is very satisfying.
Now I’m off to put my feet up!
Written by: Steve
Myerscough
Submitted: 23rd
June 2006
Edited by: Brenda J
Earnshaw WRR Website/Magazine Editor