Liverpool Half Marathon Results 2007

561 D Pearson (M50) 01:38:50
767 D Lord (M45) 01:42:18
2947 M Beresford 02:10:31

Wilmslow Half Marathon Results 2007

146 - 87th u/40M Peter Hopley 01:25:01
352 - 7th M55 David Clemance 01:31:32
831 - 14th L45 Jane Forrest 01:41:05
873 - 2nd L50 Jackie Roberts 01:41:52
1911 - 150th u/35L Nyree O'Neill 01:56:36
3083 - 14th M65 Anand Ahuja 02:19:48

NAVIGATION WEEKEND - MARCH 2007

Back in the Autumn months a few Lostock members decided it would be a good idea to learn how to read a map! Well, It seemed the sensible thing for me given the threat of replacement for some fancy electronic sat-nav system!

The Navigation course is run by the Fell Runners Association and the particular one we were attending was in Kettlewell - not far from Skipton (for those without sat-nav!)

It’s a full weekend and for those thinking it’s an excuse for a knees up (well everyone EXCEPT Lostock!) then they would be in for a shock.

We all arrived roughly the same time and quickly recce’d the area and counted that there were indeed 3 pubs. First challenge ticked off. A quick bite to eat and a pint or two just to settle the nerves and it was straight to the youth hostel. Not being a YH girl myself I was pleasantly surprised with the building we were in, clean, tidy and spacious and the organisation was a triumph.

I was sharing a room with 4 other runners from various parts of the country and unfortunately just happened to be right next door to an extremely rowdy bunch - think their names were John, Ian, Pete, Adrian, Jason and Matt!!!

The first session of the weekend (that is, a serious navigation session nothing beer related!), started on the Friday night at 8pm, rather unfair really - we were still settling in!! Initially we were shown how to open a map - and for some that was indeed a struggle! Which way to turn the map and what exactly the real use of a compass was!

It primarily involved lots of adults in a room turning themselves round in circles, and I have to say made absolutely little sense whatsoever! I was assured however, that all would become very clear.

So, with that done and rounded off at 9.30 it was a quick stroll to the nearest watering hole for deep discussions into what had been learned so far with maybe the odd anecdote thrown in.

It became clear pretty quickly that there is a last orders and all night drinking doesn’t go on in Kettlewell! Just as well as it was a 6.30am alarm call for the mornings run.

Saturday morning began with an opened eye and a toe tentatively poking out from under the duvet to determine how cold it REALLY was. The rain had made it’s presence felt all night long - bunking under the eaves saw to that! A choice of running apparel had to be made all kitted out 10 minutes later and still bleary eyed it was a quick shuffle downstairs to meet and greet the rest of the ‘dedicated’ runners. Lots of mumblings were going on about the route choice but the unanimous decision of run for 20 minutes turn round and run back for 20 was the general consensus.

Off we went, down a lane, round a corner then UP, up, up and more up. 23 minutes it took to get to a suitable turning point - bearing in mind I couldn’t see the front lot! A quick turn around and 9 minutes to get back again, working up an appetite for breakfast!

Breakfast was a veritable feast and there was certainly plenty of it. Followed by another decision as to what to wear, the wind was pretty strong and it was mighty chilly out there. The majority of folk came down looking 3 stone heavier and pretty rounded!

We were put into groups based on prior or absolutely no experience, my being the latter.

The exercise for the day was to be guided to various checkpoints and then shadowed to others. The instructors were brilliant, ours Dave, had the patience of a Saint and believe me Shirley, Gemma and I must have tested it!

Packed lunches were collected and off we went. The day was fun, educational and in parts hard going, although I feel that was more to do with the fact it was cold, wet and windy, after a few hours on the fells and lunch huddled behind a rock we were certainly getting ready for a nice cup of steaming hot coffee.

Alas - no sneaking off early we were to put the days teachings into practice At 2.30 everybody regrouped and we were ‘released’ individually round a mini orienteering course. Only I managed to lose everybody although am happy to say DID manage to get round and find all the checkpoints - erm…. eventually!!

On the way back down to the YH stomping with force (due to being cross at being hopeless!) I passed a large group of people all huddled together - it didn’t cross my mind to stop and investigate (hot showers and coffee were beckoning - SORRY John) it transpires that after completing the exercise John (Smith) had slipped getting back onto the path, landed awkwardly and what others thought may have been a strained ankle turned out to be a rather nasty break.

The leaders all pulled together and crafted some sort of contraption/seat to get John off the hill - they did comment it was good practice just a shame John broke his ankle in order for them to get the practice! They did a fantastic job and I know John himself spoke very highly of the efficiency, support and help he had received from them.

Whilst John was in hospital getting plastered (!) the rest of us were tucking into a 3 course meal which I have to say was superb and just what was needed. The only down side was that no sooner had the plates been cleared it was time for the night time exercise!

Another change of gear - running out of dry things by now! Head torches donned we were paired up with our team mate and sent off out into the cold wet and still very windy darkness in two’s. The exercise was to navigate round a course locating orienteering flags then clip a card - although due to the amount of rain that was pelting down most of these cards became fairly unrecognisable.

This for me was the highlight of the weekend - absolutely loved it - all that Wednesday night running over Winter Hill came in use - just wish I could run in the daylight like that!

Quick shower and thaw out and it was time for a well earned rest/drink! The whole group all managed to squish into 1 pub where it’s fair to say we became fairly comfortable, sadly lacking our ’leader’ John though who was dosed up on painkillers and trying to get a couple of hours sleep before the rabble turned up. Think I can speak for all and say that a good night was had - must have been good as my head was telling me so in the morning!

Needless to say for the majority the 6.30 alarm for the Sunday morning run was completely ignored, for the most I’m guessing it was due to the snow on the ground and the fact the snow was STILL falling in blizzard like proportions - global warming at it’s height?! Legend has it that whilst the rest of us snoozed, Pete ‘the die hard’ Hopley managed to get out for that run and zip up the hill no problem. I believe there is even photographic evidence of this - think he was the only one in shorts mind!!

The rest of us began the day at the more civilised hour of 7.30! Having another big breakfast and regrouping for the days instruction. Which, basically involved all setting off individually to navigate a rather complicated looking course, bearing in mind we had spent the first couple of hours of the morning plotting all the grid references on the map and getting last minute instructions/advice/help - anything other than the instructor’s doing it for us! We were let loose once more and for the final time on the contours, spurs and re-entrants of the Yorkshire fells (see, I DID learn something!) Some decided to put everything into practice and have a good ‘run’ into the bargain, whilst others took a more sedate approach and had more of a ‘stroll’ around the area taking in the scenery (honest, nothing to do with a bad head whatsoever!)

We all got back to the Hostel at varying times devouring our days packed lunch both wearily and triumphantly yet sad in the knowledge the weekend had come quickly to a close.

The planning, organisation, structure and content of the weekend was excellent and the experience, helpfulness, patience and understanding of all those that went into making this happen was second to none.

I would whole heartedly recommend it to anyone and say not only was it exceptional value for money it was an experience unlikely to be repeated - well unless we can get on the Elterwater one!


Emma Gregory

Night running

Off road in winter?

Surely not - what? It's dark, wet, and can't be safe - can it?

Back in October just before the clocks went back and thoroughly enjoying the Wednesday evening fell runs, the realisation dawned that it wouldn't be as easy as this for much longer. Already the nights were drawing in and the familiar distinct chill in the air was becoming apparent.

Pavement pounding was becoming more of a reality - or was it? For those of us that just do prefer mud, sludge, hills and bogs the tarmac wasn?t an option.

So, an intrepid few, myself included, who to be fair had no idea what to expect - invested in head torches, after much deliberation I hasten to add - did you know just how many there are to choose from, it's worse than shopping for shoes!

The head torch arrived inducing much mirth in the Gregory household however it has been noted that certain family members have found the head torch rather useful when retrieving decorations from the loft this Christmas!!

I have to say our first couple of outings were rather disappointing! Why? At the end of October it just wasn't going dark early enough! Here we were, all kitted out, head torches at the ready. Batteries fully charged, eagerly anticipating the star lit dark blanket covering the west Pennine moors yet it was still dusk as we neared the end of our runs!

Fear not, no sooner had Autumn taken a full hold with the icy breath of Winter whispering in our ears we had the full impact of night running thrust upon us. Not the easiest of initiations either as Mother Nature has thrown her worst at us on numerous occasions. Not only was the weather against us but those first tentative steps off road was rather like watching Bambi trying to skate! It is however something that does get easier with practice!

It is true to say that I would make a pretty lousy navigator as even after almost 4 months of running in the dark every path still looks the same! Thankfully we do have someone who does know where he is going!

But, it is true running in the dark isn't as mad or as daring as it sounds.

The trods around Rivington, the Pike, Two lads etc are pretty clear and for the uninitiated relatively straight forward underfoot. Apparently, running in the dark makes you more surefooted although I'll let you know if that is the case after a few races in the daylight!

On average about 5 of us turnout for a run on occasion there have been more hopefully all enjoying it as much as I do, the pace is obviously slower in the dark and we do all stick together (the advantage of this of course is there is even more light cast!) and we tend to miss out the tricky descents and stick to the well marked routes, although we have been known to venture down the back of winter hill in the howling gale and freezing cold with a rapidly fading light due to battery failure!

No, it seems you don't have to be cloven footed mountain goat with the night vision of a bat to run off road in the winter, but you do need a sense of humour and fully charged batteries!!

We set off every Wednesday from the Leisure centre in Horwich and run for about an hour ,so for anybody who can feel the call of the wild or is just a little bit curious as to what exactly it is like then please feel free to join us - the loan of spare headtorches can be arranged - no excuses!!

Emma

Half Tour of Pendle

Another good turn out from Lostock at the Half Tour of Pendle.

23 Michael Green 01:16:12
92 Pete Hopley 01:26:39
107 Neil Smith 01:28:00
119 Adrian Hope 01:29:06
143 Jason Tonge 01:32:33
148 Peter Noble 01:33:24
192 Caroline Scholes 01:40:44
203 Emma Aindow-Gregory01:42:06

Well done everyone

Haigh Hall Relays

SATURDAY 17TH MARCH 2007

I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL THE LOSTOCK MEMBERS WHO TURNED OUT FOR THESE RELAYS

We started the day entering two team, one mixed team and one veteran's team
The mixed team was made up of Dave Clemence, Duncan Crompton, Derek Lord and Caroline Scholes.
On the start line first was Duncan, this I have to say is probably in my opinion the hardest leg as most of the really fast runners go first and you get swept along to fast at the beginning and normally pay for it coming back up the hill to the finish. Duncan made his mark with a very good time 26:19 bringing his team (mixed team) home in second place. The next person on standby to run the second leg was Caroline, off she went, if those of you reading this don't know, the course is a new one and was changed last year extending the course to 3.9 miles, half downhill and the other half up hill. Caroline did a very good job keeping her team in second place with a very good time of 27:01, she handed over to Derek Lord who is a relatively new runner for the club, those of you who don't know him that's because you don't turn up for the track on a Tuesday, this is the place that we normally get our new runners to sign up.( Well Done Pete Hopley). So off Derek goes, and making his way strongly around the course with a time of 26:39 pulls the team to first overall mixed team, now it's really getting exciting, can we hang on, after all this is Lostock we're talking about. Derek hands over to Dave, who as we know has been out for a very long period, so this was the moment of truth; can Dave keep us in pole position?
As Dave is taking his top off near the start line they release the entire last leg runners together, Dave throw's his top down and quickly set off. Can he hang on I hear you say, well Dave crosses the finish line in a fantastic time of 25:30 bringing the team home in first position, Well done team.
Can I Just mention Again, 1st Mixed Team? Well Done

Now we move on to our other team which is our veterans team consisting of Keith Thomas, Arnold Melling, Neil Smith and Mick Green.
On the start line first is Keith, now we all know that Keith is running very well, but let me tell you he has been plagued with the flue and a back injury. Keith sets off and finishes in a remarkable time of 21:51, which puts the team in overall place of 7th and 1st vet. Keith hands over to Arnold and he puts in a very respectable time of 24:15 keeping us in fist vets position. I would like to mention albeit he doesn't like anyone knowing but Arnold is almost 60 years old. Arnold then hands over to Neil, who has been putting in the miles which is part of his preparation to run a long distance race later on in May, but hasn't done any speed, and we all know to run this type of race you do need speed. Neil finished his leg in a creditable 24:56 and puts us back in third position. Neil hands over to Mick Green, well what can I say, Mick is running very well indeed and to turn out to run for the team after what he and his family are going through is just remarkable. Mick I would like to take the opportunity on behalf of all the Lostock runners, just to say our thoughts and prayers are with you and you're family. Mick finishes in a magnificent time of 23:18 placing the veterans team third overall.
I would like to mention that this was a tremendous effort from all four runners and would like to add the final statistics: -
Keith Thomas finished in 1st position for leg one (Vets)
Arnold Melling finished in 1st position for leg two (Vets)
Neil Smith finished in 3rd position for leg three (Vets)
Mick Green finished in 3rd position for leg four (Vets)

Vets Fastest of all Legs (top ten)
1st Keith Thomas
7th Mick Green
WELL DONE TO BOTH TEAMS, THIS IS A GREAT ADVERT FOR LOSTOCK AC

Stewart Jones