"Rain, Run, Mud and Sherdley Park"

The last two week have probably been my best running ones for months but coincided with the worst rain and high winds of the year. Despite this I have managed to run eleven out of the last fourteen days and put more than thirty quality miles into both weeks. My first track session for a couple of weeks was also my best one for months inc 1 x 2 mile and 4 x 1 mile all run at sub 6.30 pace!

Last Sunday saw the second round of the Greater Manchester XC League at Sherdley Park in St Helens which is notorious for mud at the best of times so a week of constant rain turned it into an absolute quagmire! Despite this I ran really well and again beat my closest rival Jack from Salford Mets.

This week was rounded off today by a great five miler along the Shropshire Union Canal in Nantwich where my daughter was competing in a trampoline competition (no I didn't miss her perform!). It was yet another run discovering the new area I am working in now I have moved office base away from Macclesfield and these sessions have added a new zest to my running as they force me to really concentrate on not getting lost!

Annual mileage 1131

"Storming Langley"

I have just got back from an hour on the bike to stretch out my legs from what was performance wise my best race by far this year; the Langley 7 Road Race. Organised by my club Macclesfield Harriers (with me as usual on the race registration desk) it's advertised as a scenic, hilly and tough race around the roads of Langley, Sutton and Macclesfield Forest. I have helped organise this race on the day for many years at both the start and finish but this year decided I would run straight from registering athletes to the start line and have a run out myself!

With a fast start I was on 13.23 for the first two miles but shortly after this the race climbs over 600 feet in under a mile and a half going straight up the feared "Wythenshawe Lane". I held it together (and retained my breakfast which was more than a few managed near the top!) saving enough for the rapid three miles to the finish where I was pushing six minute miling to finish in 50.32 which is pretty close to my best ever time on this course. The other plus was that I took 30 seconds out of my colleague who took the final place in the club's national xc relay squad instead of me so honours are now even!

The prize as always for this race was a bottle of local beer (pictured) brewed by the Storm Brewing Company of Macclesfield as a special edition just for the race. It was then back to the local church hall for well deserved tea and home made sponge cake!

Annual mileage - 1074

"Dovedale Dash"

One of my "running intensions" (see blog back in January) was to run some different races than I would normally enter, so today I ran the famous "Dovedale Dash" for the very first time. It's an event I have meant to enter for years but never got round to for one reason or another. The race is famous for its opening downhill "charge" into the valley of Dovedale (pictured)quickly followed by running straight through the River Dove. Now in its 54th year the race although only 5 miles is by reputation a real tough one at the best of times, but today the rain lashed down accompanied by gail force winds to make it even more of a challenge!

Starting by a small registration tent (£4 & no forms to fill in!) on the top of the hill the start was manic with over 1100 runners charging , sliding and falling down the first hill. The river ran up to the thighs and was freezing. I started far too conservatively but steadily picked runners off over the next couple of miles of climbs, descents and mud, but my final climb back up to the finish was pretty awful as the previous day's 10 miles in the hills finally caught up with me! I finished 222nd in 40.27 which isn't very good but there wasn't much more I could have put in and it was certainly something different. I will be back!

All in all a fantastic end to a great week of running with 34 miles in the bank which has included everything, speed on the track, hills and lots of mud!

Annual mileage 1054

"Heaton Park"

Well the most eagerly anticipated weekend of the year finally arrived (after the WWFOR of course!), yes it's cross country time. Yesterday I drove some of the team to the first race of the Manchester and District XC League at the tough but fantastic Heaton Park. There was lots of nervous banter as we travelled and parked up, found the club tent and then cheered off the Ladies for their race.

A wet and blustery day turned warm and sunny but with a wicked headwind as 2.30pm and the Senior Men's race came round, and over 200 runners charged off down the first descent of the day. All my old rivals were there and no-one was giving anything away about their form! Three two mile laps were a real shock to the system and whatever training you do you can never truely replicate the pain of wanting to stop but knowing that a rival could be right behind! In fact I caught a glimpse of my nemesis Jack from Salford Harriers (who I spend the summer hanging on to in track 3.000m races) at the start of the final lap and had to work hard right to the final half mile climb to the finish to hold him off by nineteen seconds & three places. I'm not competitve but one nil to me!

The full results haven't been posted as i write this and without any photos either the only one I could find is one of Oasis who made a triumphant return to play a huge gig at the Park in the summer!

Next weeks race was to have been as part of the Club team for the English National XC Relays in Mansfield, but based on yesterday's performance I know I have missed out on a place by twenty seconds. So instead I am going to take a trip into the hills to run the famous "Dovedale Dash" in Derbyshire, a race I have always meant to run but have never got round to.

Annual mileage 1020

"The Dream Inspires"

Well it's been a week now since the annual World Wide Festival of races "Dream Inspires" run in Oxford and I'm still smiling about it. The weekend started off with a fantastic guided tour of Oxford by local runner Sheila and Krister on the Saturday afternoon, followed by an evening meal with Nigel, Steve, Krister and Gary.

I had originally planned to just run the 10k but in the end ran the half marathon (including an extra mile at Abingdon wjth a closure on the Thames towpath!) Picking up the 10k runners we all kept together for the rest of the run which included a circuit of the famous Oxford colleges but an even more famous mile to finish around the Iffley Road track home to the world's first sub four minute mile.

All in all a fantastic event despite the rain and cold, and whilst my times will be personal worsts for both the half and 10k that really wasn't the point and it was certainly the most fun event of the year!

See Phil Moneypenny's brilliant video of the event at -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9DX8voomgE&feature=youtube_gdata

Annual mileage 1003

"Cheshire's Hill Country"

For the second week running the highlight has been focussed around Teggs Nose Country Park, known as Cheshire's hill country whilst the remainder of the county being better known for its flat plain. The country park is managed by one of my teams as part of my role as Leisure & Green Spaces manager for the local authority and it is great to get out and see the outcome of all the hard work put in by the Ranger Service during the year.

After a couple of easy runs during the week the Teggs run turned out to be an 11 mile epic hill run taking in Macclesfield Forest, Shutlingsloe and running several public paths I hadn't followed before (I'm in charge of public rights of way as well!). With some real tough climbing and descending it was quite a shock to the system after a summer of speedwork but the views were fantastic and there may not be many more really bright clear days before the winter sets in. The picture shows the descent towards the forest and Shutlingsloe is the furthest hill on the horizon!

This time next week its the Dream Inspires run in Oxford as part of the World Wide Festival of Races something I'm really lookin forward to.

Annual mileage - 948

"Teggs Nose"

It's been three weeks since the last post, but since then and helped by some excellent weather I have managed to get in five quality sessions a week, including a good mix of speed, endurance and distance. I have just found out that after twenty five years working in Macclesfield my base is about to change to Sandbach about forty minutes drive away. This has prompted me to start visiting all the key places that I have used for my midday runs over the years, including The Hollins, 108 Steps, Victoria Park, Swan's Pool and those fast intervals along the Macclesfield Canal. Whilst I will miss these runs (I can still do them at the weekend!) it will give me a great opportunity to search out some new trails.

I have also tried to start to get in a least one longer run a week and yesterday I got up early and ran eleven miles over the local hills including the quarried area of Teggs Nose (pictured). What a great way to start the weekend. Today I helped in the running of the Macclesfield Half Marathon and Fun Run both of which were great events and it's good to put something back into the sport for a change.

The next run will be the Oxford "Dream Inspires" run in a fortnights time and after that it's straight into the cross country season.

Annual mileage 924