What ho! Things and Stuff ahoy! Weekend report.

Crikey – GDH have been busy this weekend. I’ve written all the stuff below, and am just about to do the intro and outtro (ah, my guitar-ing days are not behind me), and there are already more than a thousand words. Not all of them make sense, I have to warn you. Personally I have been doing battle against the forces of trees and shrubs this weekend and so haven’t been out racing. However. This lot have….

Isle of Wight Fell Series

Our Southern Contingent – otherwise known as Claire Campbell got out on the hills, leaving behind any excuses of coughs, colds and sprained ankles in order to enjoy the delightful festival of running otherwise known as the Isle of Wight Fell Series. She did well on the first day, getting through the AS and the BM races without incident, and, by her own words, without coming last. As if that would ever happen. I’m afraid that I was rather held up by a ridiculously large magnolia and was unable to spectate the race, despite being in the area. I await the results of the CL with bated breath… hopefully I’ll have collated them all by the end of the week.

Ring of Steall

Other end of the country… The Salomon “short” (though not as short as the Vert K) race of the weekend, comprising of 28km and 2500m ascent (by the watches reckoning) Jenny Ross, after extensive training in locations as diverse and glamorous as the French Alps and St. Guys hospital in that there London, sauntered around this heck of a race in 5:43:16, coming in a rather marvellous 124th overall. The hospital reps certainly seem to be paying off!

Glencoe Skyline

Kasia is currently running the big bad brother of the series- Glencoe Skyline. Previously run by such illuminati of the club as Tim Culshaw and Rich White, this 53km race has a truckload of ascent, taking in the rather delightful scramble of Curved ridge up Buchaille etive mor, and the Aonach eagach ridge on the way back. Last I heard she was past CP12, and on her way back along the Aonach Eagach. Just a few Km from home!

Great North Run

My apologies for not including this in last weeks report- the lovely David Munday went, saw and conquered in the Great North Run in Newcastle. His 02:31:44 brought him into the finish line as Mo was returning from the pub having downed 10 pints with his mate, and our former clubmate Michael Mawby– who also had a storming run with a 1:16:54, a PB for the course.

Lantern Pike

Ah. the wonderous Lantern Pike (no, not the dash, THE Lantern Pike Fell race). A race of many stiles. The official results aren’t out yet, but I believe that Mary Jeal went and got herself a prize, John Stephenson nearly got a PB, or at least, got himself a rather decent time, Paul Skuse probably gave race leader Simon Bailey quite a run for his money, Heather filed her nails all the way around (or that’s what her gif implied), Tom Young made a rare return to the racing scene (or so I am told, though I am yet to see photographic evidence), Ezme probably won a prize for being awesome, Jo Brack and Rach Walton almost definitely had a battle to the death on the way up AND down the hill, but I am yet to find out who won.

English Half Marathon Warrington

What it is about Warrington that gives it the right to run the English Half Marathon, I have no idea. You’d think that any number of places might be able to use that particular moniker. But there we go. It would seem that Tony Hillier had a pretty decent run, getting the now customary “1st V70” placing in 1:40:20. Jolly Hockey Sticks!

Harrow Half

Down in Harrow they seem to be a little less pretentious in their naming conventions, simply calling their half the rather imaginative “harrow half”. Caity was obviously drawn to this race specifically because of the whimsical titling, and was thinking about it all the way around. She dropped in at the end on the way home to record a time of 1:31:41, 40th overall and 6th female.

Jeez. You’d think I’d have been finished by now. Not likely. How much do you lot DO?!

Ladybower 20

Fresh from her morning swims in the reservoirs and herding a family and wayward husband (see below) Els Swan somehow found time in her busy schedule to get across to Ladybower reser for the 20 mile race. Her race was helped by a fantastic race crew, who knew her every need and waited upon her hand and foot in the recovery areas. I’m sure her results will be out soon… but last I saw, the most recent were from last year.

Hardmoors 60

I received a message from Chris Webb the other day. He was out supporting his brother

on the Hardmoors 60, and who should bimble past, but our own Nick Ham. To be fair, it shouldn’t really be all that much of a surprise. If there is an Ultra on, the odds are more than even that Nick is going to be there.

Cross Keys Road and Fell relays

As far as I know, there was only one GDH team in this event this year. The team previously known as the Hunks in Trunks morphed into the Bride and 3 Bridesmaids, with Kirsty Johnson leading out on the first road section, giving the boys a bit of a chasing start. Ian Oates swapped from his road specialism of last year to run the first fell section. Andy Burnett followed suit in terms of swapping from 2016 and gave his all on the second road section. He was heard to have been mumbling something about it being drier underfoot, but no less steep. Bringing the team into the final straight, Steve Crossman took over Fell responsibility and expertly steered the entire lot of them into the pub after a blistering final lap of the muddy hill. Results will be posted as and when.

Barrel race

The wayward husband of aforementioned Ladybower 20mile damsel, Phil Swan was seen to be cavorting and carousing across Kinder Plateau with a bunch of other people and a Beer Barrel. Phil took part in the annual Kinder Beer race where a team of 8 people get a barrel of beer from Snake Inn across Kinder via the fastest route to the Nags Head. From the photos it seems like they had a marvellous time, but only came away with a bottle of beer each, rather than the 8th of a barrel that you’d expect.

South Manchester Tri

Jill Wood had a bit of a bash at the Tri in South Manchester this weekend, deciding that she needed to blow a few cobwebs away. I haven’t spoken to her, but I can almost certainly say that she’ll be fairly ambivalent about her swim, really enjoyed herself on the bike and then nailed the run. An ever so slightly “out of practice and out of form” Jill bimbled around the course in 1:21:53 and came in a “surprising” (to her) 2nd lady. Nicely done.

Parkrun

Liam Amos continues to lower his Glossop Parkrun PB for yet another week! Good effort. A decent number of Harriers out this week again to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of Manor Park. Consolidated report here.

Other Stuff

Righty ho then – that’s about it for the week. Stuff to take note of for the rest of the week… um. Jeroens sessions on Tuesday are continuing. But you all know that anyway – there look to be a good number out and about terrorising neighbourhoods in Glossop. The Glossopdale adventure weekend is going on next weekend – if you want to be involved, drop me a line. There is a bit of a push to get people doing the 4 Inns race in 2017 – get your names down now (you need a team of 4!). Um other than that – keep running.

As ever, if I’ve missed you, I apologise, but if it isn’t on Strava, facebook or you haven’t told me, it didn’t happen.