"Close To The Edge"

 A good week of running got off to a great but tough start with a Macclesfield Harriers hill session up and around Aldeley Edge. including long hill climbs and faster short recovery work it certainly left most of us struggling to walk straight at the end of the session!

"Back To Thermals At Buxter Stoops"

Another week of poor weather and lost mojo. However the only way to beat this is as always to meet it head on which for me was a two and three quarter hour run in the hills, in full thermals, gloves and hat, This was a lot longer than I intended to be out, taking in Teggs Nose, Rainow, & Lamaload, covering 14 miles of rough hilly terrain but the feeling at the end was fantastic.

Wk 18.Weekly mileage 28. Annual mileage 469.. Sessions 86. Races 14.

"Ashton In The Rain"

Don't let the photo fool you on a cold wet Sunday afternoon in April the industrial landscape of Ashton looks far worse!  I was on the track for the first Cheshire League meet of the season and despite heavy rain and driving gusty wind and between officiating ran three times during the course of the afternoon including 3000m (12.29), 800m (2.49) and finished off running the toughest second leg in the 4 x 100m into a howling gale down the back straight. Thanks chaps!

Week 17. Weekly mileage 25. Annual mileage 441. sessions 82. Races 14.

"Mobberley Round The Runway 5.3"

Another mixed week of running but definitely made all the better for entering the first midweek race of the spring the "Round The Runway 5". A fast mixture of country lanes and off road around Manchester Airport this really does give a contract of views as can be seen by the photographs including a fast section actually under Runway Two! The time was only 39.19 but I really went for it, couldn't have gone any quicker and am happy with my fast last quarter mile into the finish.

"Cardiff parkrun"

Cardiff results for event #270. Your time was 21:32.

Congratulations on completing your 4th parkrun and your 1st at Cardiff today. You finished in 100th place and were the 88th gent out of a field of 457 parkrunners and you came 11th in your age category VM50-54. After a real "loss of mojo" week I was down in Cardiff to support Sarah at a trampoline competition at the Welsh institute of Sport and found a parkrun starting outside the front of the hotel. An early rise and on the flattest 5k course imaginable knocked 15 seconds off my Astbury time from two weeks ago. I should have gone quicker but against a biting cold headwind (both ways!) am more than happy. Sarah had a good competition too! Week 16 mileage 15. Annual mileage 416. Sessions 77. Races 10.

"The Old Man Of Mow"

The weather took a turn for the better for my second attempt at the Mow Cop fell race, run over 6.5 miles and 1300ft of climb it was again a really great race. Although i came home three minutes down on last year at 68.11 dealing with  snow and ice plus the normal moorlands peat bogs and mud I was still happy with the effort.

Week 15 mileage 20. Annual mileage 401. Sessions 74. Races 9.