Roadhoggs Leicester AC

Road Race Reports

2008

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Prestwold 10K

The Prestwold course is billed as a PB course. It is certainly not hilly but the exposed nature of the route makes it very vulnerable to the wind and offers no protection from the sun. The fact that the racetrack shares the venue with a kite and kite-boarding centre gives you a clue as to how often conditions are good for running. If the sun and wind don’t get you, surely the boredom will. After a barrage of criticism last year we were promised a new improved course. What we got was better, but not much - the monotony of the airfield was broken by a couple of welcome kilometres of country lane.

Sunday was humid and windy but thankfully, the sun stayed behind the clouds for most of the race. It can’t be often that Mark (52^nd) fails to make the top fifty (despite breaking 36 minutes) but the event had attracted lots of runners from out of county and the field was also swelled by a large number a extremely rapid veterans contesting the national 10K championships. Behind Mark, Peter (61^st) showed us what fantastic form he’s in, slicing more than a minute off his PB (36.29). John McDonald (159^th) was another one to put in a top class performance, breaking 40 minutes for the first time (39.59). Nick (193^rd) was next up, followed by Rob (215^th) and Ceri (235^th). We were short of a few of our quicker runners, so it was left to Dave (243^rd) and Dale (281^st) to complete the scoring eight. Next up was Jon (319^th) , starting to enjoy his running again after a long battle with injury. Baz (341^st) led in John Stew (352^nd, shaving 3 seconds off his PB), Steve (381^st), Dave (388^th) and Martin (425^th). Colin (661^st) was on the way back from a nasty virus so Barry (611^th) won the V70 battle with ease.

We had a new lady Roadhogg and Becky wasted no time in making her mark. She ran her second ever 10K 10 minutes quicker than her first, recording a fantastic 45.51 for 349^th. Trudy (430^th) turned the tables on Cathy (457^th) this week and Rachel completed the scoring in 521^st. Our solo lady vets team, Alison, rounded things off with 614^th.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
West End 8

After the tropical tribulations of Hinckley it is a pleasure to report that the weather was perfect for running. The improved conditions led to some excellent performances and it was a pleasure to see an improved turn out. We were pleased to welcome Emer, making her debut, Swanee, Tom, John McD and Karl making returns from injury and Chris taking his seasonal bow.

Mark put in a much improved performance finishing 14^th and taking a step towards his rightful home in the top 10. Peter managed a solid run for 32^nd. With a couple of miles to go, Nick (80^th) was looking to be third Hogg home, but first Karl (76^th) and then John McD (77^th) showed him a clean pair of heels. Simon (93^rd), finally showing the sort of form we knew he was capable of, and Rob (99^th) made it 7 Hoggs in the top 100. Fortunately this great effort was not wasted, Dave completing the scoring eight in 107^th. Ceri was next in (probably 108^th) but West End decided he should be Cerys and placed him among the elite ladies! To add to the embarrassment, the Leicester Mercury made sure that this momentous event (a “Hogette” in the top 5) was duly recorded for posterity. Dale (140^th) and Baz (145^th) both put the trials of Hinckley behind them to record solid times. Chris (169^th), who has been training for distance rather than speed, and Jon (189^th) both comfortably kept it under the hour. John Stew (189^th) was not far behind. Tom (231^st) and Dave S (240^th), easing their way back after injury joined Martin (245^th) in breaking 8s. Colin (290^th) thought 8-miles was about his limit, but he finished looking like he’d barely broken sweat.

It was Cathy’s turn to be first “Hogette” this week, 42^nd, in an excellent time of 1.03.08. Trudy (51^st) was just in front of Emer (59^th) and Rachel (65^th) soon completed the scoring four. Alison (122^nd) continued to be a solo lady vets team, enjoying the cooler conditions on the way to a good time.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
The Dog and Hedgehog Hinckley Half Marathon

The Hinckley race seems to specialise in extreme weather. In recent years we’ve had torrential rain, hail and thunder to contend with. This time they must have borrowed John Skevington’s weather hat, because it was real ‘Round Leicester Relay weather’ – nudging 80° by the middle of the morning. Unsurprisingly, numbers were down on the peak we achieved during the Winter League. A combination of injury, illness, holidays and lack of long runs saw us reduced to 16 brave souls. 

Despite the increased field (862 finished and a good few must have fallen by the wayside), the start seemed to work well. Perhaps people were already settling for survival and keen not to go too fast, too early. Peter and Simon were the only ones to get within a minute of their 2007 times, which was an amazing achievement. A measure of this feat was that Peter finished 30 places higher and Simon 70 places higher. 

Peter led us home in a fine 26^th place with Mark (27^th), uncharacteristically trailing in a few seconds behind. Nick showed the benefit of the quality work he’s been putting in with Mark to record an 88^th place finish, with Simon (93^rd) half a minute behind. Behind these, runners who normally hit the low 1.30s were struggling to duck under the 1.40 mark. Rob (129^th) managed it comfortably in the end (1.38.05) but Craig (149^th) and Dave (150^th) only made it by a handful of seconds. That left us needing one for the eight and Dale (232^nd) duly delivered. Jon Heap (319^th) and John Stew (339^th) emerged from their own private hells before Baz (442^nd) and Martin (459^th) completed the role call of survivors.

 Trudy made light of a lack of long runs to be first Lady Hogg in 385^th. Cathy (520^th) was also short of miles having struggled to shake off a persistent chest infection but like Rachel (528^th), she stuck to the task gamely. That left us needing just one more, the ever reliable Alison, battling through to 776^th.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Desford 10K

Two years ago we were greeted by snow. This year it was driving rain and 20 miles-per-hour winds. In the circumstances it's amazing that 446 souls dragged themselves out of bed to brave the elements. Twenty-four Hoggs made it to the start line - once someone had bothered to tell the starter where it was! Any chance of a swift start disappeared in the confusion. Mind you, staying in the pack (and out of the wind) did have its consolations! It's a nice enough course and the thoughtful locals had even laid on a burned out pick-up to make us City folk feel at home, so one shouldn't complain.

 Mark led us home in 25th, his best finish of the season - not bad considering he is still troubled by his hamstring. He was backed up by Mat (78th), Peter (85th) and Nick (92nd, firmly establishing himself in the top 100). We continued to pack well, with Craig (96th), Ceri (101st and a fourth successive PB) and Rob (102nd). Sadly there was a bit of a gap before the final counter, Dave in 119th, but our middle order are definitely on their mettle at the moment. Baz (133rd) took time of from his Marathon training to show us what good shape he's in. He was followed by Adrian (142nd) and Dale (147th). Eleven men in the first 150 - how's that for strength in depth? Jon Heap (194th) continued his steady improvement, despite a week mostly spent on the razz! Steve (217th) was bracketed by the Marathon men Keith (203rd) and John S (221st), all three completing a full set of Winter League races. Martin continued his good form in 239th. This week it was Barry (296th) who turned the tables on Colin (299th), although Colin was still feeling the after effects of his recent tumble in training.  

Surita led in the ladies, showing her consistency by picking up disc number 30 for the third race in a row (perhaps they'll let her keep it?). Trudy (51st), Sally (58th) and Cathy (60th) battled bravely through the wind to complete the scoring four. Alison put in a much-improved performance for 124th (2 minutes quicker than last year), just managing to get the better of Sylvia (125th).

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Wolvey 5

After a gap of 3 years, the Winter League returned to Wolvey.  The race, which is largely flat, is considered a good PB course although the exposed nature of the roads means the wind can be a problem. So it proved, this year, with a stiff Southwesterly breeze making the first 2 miles harder than usual. I have painful memories of a similar breeze costing me a sub-70 clocking (by just 12 seconds) in the 10-mile race Nuneaton Harriers run over 2 laps of the same course, a while back.

The field continued its downward trend but 440 is still fantastic for the 4th race in the series. Despite the proximity of London, Baz was the only one of our 'Marathon men' to stick with the long Sunday run. A line up of 24 Hoggs seemed pretty good, anyway.

The presence of some quick ladies meant that Surita finished 30th again even though she knocked almost a minute off her PB. Trudy (44th) slipped back slightly but Cathy (49th) continued her steady improvement. Sally (51st) completed the scoring four. Rachel (72nd) moved a bit closer to the 40-minute barrier. Sylvia 118th) showed a big improvement from her first race at Markfield, finishing in front of Alison (122nd). After 'water bottle hurling' in the last race, Alison found a new way to lose time and places. This time she stopped for a chat between the line and the recorders, losing 3 places and 38 seconds in the process!

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Ashby 5

After two windy races, it was a pleasure to race in perfect conditions: cool, bright and still. Ashby is usually one of the less popular races, so it was wonderful to see 27 Hoggs on the start line. The walking wounded were still walking which was a good start. No new members this week but it was great to welcome back Hannah Green who has been busy being a qualified doctor recently. Hannah was one of eight Roadhogg ladies present, a feat only achieved once before (Barrow, 2005).

 First home and in his best ever position of 25th was "athlete of the year" Peter (29.03, a PB by 25s if my calculations are correct). Peter achieved all this whilst still being on limited training because of a hamstring problem. Mark's acupuncture must be having a positive effect because he was back up to 33rd and back down below 6m/m. Mat maintained his consistently high standard with 77th. Although these 3 were the only ones to break the top 100 the finish funnel was soon a mass of maroon as 7 of us finished in the next 23 places (covered by just 38s). Karl and Craig, the former benefiting from some warm weather training duelled for the whole race. Karl (103rd) made the final, decisive, move as they came in sight of the Sports Centre. Craig's momentary loss of focus allowed a fast finishing John McDonald to pip him at the line (111th and 112th, respectively). Right behind these two was the steadily improving Ceri (114th). Simon was destined to be the eighth counter until a very mean team-mate (Dave) passed him with just 20m to go. Nick was also homing in on the faltering Simon and must have made it a hat trick of PBs (Dave 32.40, Simon 32.44 and Nick 32.48). At this rate of progress, I will soon be a fast disappearing speck in Nick's rear view mirror. Tom (181st) and Dale (186th) both managed to break the 35-minute barrier (as did Hannah for the ladies). John Stew's improved performance (36.12) suggests his injury is on the mend. Steve setting his fastest time since 2006 suggests that he may have turned a corner in his long battle with injury. Keith turned in his usual consistent performance to finish just in front of Jon. The slowing of the race-by-race improvement in Jon's times probably had something to do with having run 17 miles the day before! Keith and Jon had barely got their finishing disks before Martin overturned the formbook, making the best comeback since some guy called Lazarus! 9 minute 55 second miling at Markfield became 8 minute 9 second miling at Ashby, form that we haven't seen since 2006. Fortunately, the stewards were convinced that he hadn't been raiding Dwayne Chambers' dustbin. Unfortunately, Swanee had to pull up with injury, so it was left to the ever-dependable Barry to complete the scoring.

 Hannah (17th) led the ladies with aplomb and was ably supported by Surita (30th) and Trudy (33rd). Sally's 50th place completed the counting four. She and Cathy (53rd) both continue to show a steady improvement in race times. Another big improver was Fi (78th) and it was good to see Rachel (82nd) starting to shake off the after effects of illness. It was also great to see Alison (122nd) showing a big improvement - it could have been even better if she hadn't dropped her drink bottle (she denies throwing it at one her rivals, but I'll leave you to make up your own mind)!

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Markfield 10K

A beautiful sunny winter day, one that would have been perfect for running with a little less of the bracing westerly. The steep inclines of Markfield didn't attract quite so many as the gentler slopes of Barrow, but the field of 488 was still nearly 50 up on last year. Among these were 28 Roadhoggs (another Winter League Record) including new recruits Nick Cobley and Sylvia Bland.

Compared to the men, many of who are held together by sticking plaster, the ladies are going from strength to strength. All 5 who have run both races so far have improved their times. Surita led the team home in an excellent 23rd and then said she had felt slow. If a 6 place/13 second-per-mile gain is slow, fast is going to be pretty awesome! Trudy was another to show a big improvement - 8 places/13s/mile - obviously the cross-country racing is working wonders. Third in was Cathy (62nd), putting in her fastest ever performance as a Roadhogg. Final counter, in arguably the performance of the day was Fi (88th), knocking a cool 37s/mile off her Barrow time and moving up 34 places into the bargain. Rachel was next up, in 102nd, followed by the vets team - Alison (142nd) and Sylvia (151st).

Mark (72nd) has a serious hamstring problem so it was left to Peter (who is also suffering the same injury) to lead us home in 44th place. Mat (77th) must have had a far closer view of Mark than he is used to. These 3 were the only ones to crack the top 100, but after them we packed superbly. Ceri grabbed 4th spot (109th) with an improved performance and was followed in quick succession by two more improvers in Craig (115th) and Dave L (123rd). That makes the 2008 Atton series level at one all. Following close on their heels were League debutant John McDonald (129th), last counter Karl (138th), Rob (140th) and Simon (146th). Next up was new recruit, Nick Cobley, in an excellent 156th. Dale, who is struggling to throw off his chest infection, Adrian, who is short (very short!) of training, came in in 171st and 193rd, respectively. Tom (208th) is struggling for fitness at the moment and John Stew (231st) was hampered by an injury he picked up at the cross-country the week before. Keith (236th), Jon (243rd) and Steve (257th) are all on the comeback trail. Dave S (291st) is battling injury and Martin (322nd) is struggling for form. Sandwiched in between these two was Colin (319th), continuing to roll back the years in fine fashion.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Barrow 6

A new season begins. The New Year optimism probably lasted until we all struggled out of bed to find it was wet and very windy - definitely not PB weather! Among the brave souls were five ladies making their League debut for the club. Fi and Sally have been training with us for a while, and Sally has even sampled the delights of the Derby Runner League. Trudy was on familiar ground having put in an excellent performance on this same course in the Boxing Day Handicap. Surita only graduated from treadmill to tarmac on Wednesday and Fazila signed up on the day.

 Another "new" runner to make the start line was Colin. After a successful reconstruction of a blood vessel in his leg, Roadhoggs' answer to Steve Austin was ready to put the surgeon's handiwork to the ultimate test. The stakes couldn't have been higher - failure would mean retirement, and the chairman's dream of a Roadhogg V70 team would be over.

 Despite the weather a record field of 522 was swelled by 27 Roadhoggs (a new club record for the winter league). Several of these were either carrying niggles or were working their way back after illness but were keen to support the team. The big field made the start a bit tricky but it soon thinned out. Most of the first 3 miles were with the wind, but after the turn at Prestwold Hall, things got more difficult, with the final 2 miles run into a 20 mile-per-hour headwind. Under the circumstances, it was no mean feat that Cathy, Ceri, Rob and Peter managed to beat their times from the previous year.

 Mike missed most of 2007 with injury but started 2008 with an excellent 17th place behind a selection of the County's elite (Lee, Sabin, Hartley, Critchlow, Southam, Deacon, Pierce et al.). Mark was suffering with a sore hamstring and had been unable to train for several days. Under these circumstances, many elite runners would stay at home nursing their reputations, but not Mark. The captain's 35th place must have saved the team 150 points. Peter reckoned the wind was harder for featherweights like him but he still made the top fifty (46th). Mat ran well for 77th, completing our vets team.

 There was a bit of a gap before Karl in 142nd, getting the better of Craig 165th. Ceri split the Attons (makes him sound like a nuclear physicist) in 155th and Rob completed the scoring eight in 178th. Like many others, Dave 186th, Jerry 196th and Dale 208th struggled to make progress into the wind. Tom 222nd, making his way back after injury, managed to stay in front of the fast improving John Stew 230th. Hot on the heels of John was Surita, making a fantastic debut to finish 29th lady and beating the Chairman for good measure.

 Trudy couldn't quite match her Boxing Day performance but still managed an excellent 37th. Keith (271st), Jon (296th) and Steve (304th) were just glad to have put injury behind them and got round in one piece. Sally (49th) came in between Keith and Jon with Cathy (61st) following Steve. Fiona and Fazila made promising starts in 122nd and 138th places respectively. Colin (344th) came through his test with flying colours just ahead of the St Andrews trio of Martin (346th), Alison (150th) and Barry (347th).

2007

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Joy Cann Memorial

A pleasant evening, if a little humid. As usual, the race attracted a good quality field including 21 Hoggs. The organisers had responded to the popularity of the event by raising the entry limit to 600, which made the start even more like Oxford Street during the January sales. It also caused some problems at the finish with queues extending over the finish line at times. Just to add to the festivities, we had a 400m stretch of road works at the end of the first mile. Up front it was the Tim and Tara show as the Mr Hartley and Ms Kryzwicki underlined their dominance of the local scene. On this occasion though, the over all victory was anything but routine, with Gordon Lee taking the fight all the way to the line.

Mark (11th) was slightly slower than in previous years but his time (27.53) was in line with his consistent form during the winter league. Performance of the day was Peter smashing the 30-minute barrier with a 29.28 clocking for 39th place. This was despite suffering a migraine the day before and feeling under par. Mat (66th) showed that he is fully recovered from injury by recording his fastest performance of the season (30.28). Craig was looking for a sub-6.30 performance and duly delivered with 32.24. Hot on his heals was Ceri (116th) slicing yet another chunk off his PB (32.37). Next up was Rob (133rd, 33.00), with Dale (180th) and Jon (197th) completing the eight. Dave L, Baz and Adam all dipped under the 7-minute/mile mark to make 11 runners in all.

Chris continued his rapid improvement whilst Dave S all but matched his performance from a year before. Behind these two was Jerry Wilkes, making his debut for the club. Jerry is an experienced runner but unused to this sort of racing, so there'll be plenty more to come once he finds his feet. Keith (307th) is struggling with his ankle but got round to make it 10 out 10 in the League this year. It was great to see Steve (359th) making his first start since Kibworth, back in March. Rachel (360th) did her usual captain's job, leading from the front, with Cathy (389th) not far behind. Martin turned out for his annual Huncote outing with 43.11 for 441st. Alison and Barry rounded off proceedings with 476th and 483rd respectively. 517 finishers.
 

 Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Hungarton 7

It was an excellent night for running and this was reflected in the times. I managed to trim half a minute off last year's time and was rewarded with a finish 36 places lower! The Roadhoggs team had a fresh look about it. We were pleased to welcome Chris Peach and John Stew, both making their league debuts. It was also great to see Mat back after injury and Craig itching to make someone (me) pay for all the pie jokes. All this resulted in some great battles out on the course as we vied for post race bragging rights.

Six runners managed to scoop the jackpot by beating the target time so it was an expensive night for host club Wreake. Mark kicked things off for the Hoggs with 15th and Peter put in a magnificent performance to grab 38th in a very fast field. Mat showed that he is returning to form with 72nd. Next up was Craig beating 7s for an excellent 122nd. He was followed in fairly short order by the fast improving Rob (135th), Adrian (137th), Dave L (148th) and Dale (153rd). The burgundy train continued with Baz (155th), Simon (172nd), Jon (174th) and Chris (178th and a confidence building performance). The final trio of men were Dave S (209th), Keith (225th) and John (235th, following an excellent PB at Prestwold with another improved performance).

Ladies captain, Rachel (68th), led from the front - despite having spent the day driving back from Cornwall (how's that for dedication). Reem (93rd) got the better of Claire (95th) on the final climb and Alison made sure of the points in 113th. Over all, only Claire managed to do a 'Hungarton PB', but it's never an easy course whatever the conditions.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Swithland 6

Swithland was another race reluctant to break with tradition. If a demanding course wasn't enough, the sun always seems to be cracking the flags'. As usual this was the cue for Dave L to slide back through the field. Apart from Simon, everyone else seemed to be made of sterner stuff. We were a bit short at the sharp end - Mat and Tom are both nursing injuries, Adrian was working and Sam was AWOL.

On paper, Mark's 11th place finish might not seem that special (although given the way he felt at West End, he'd probably have settled for it) but when you consider that those in front of him included at least two internationals, a fast Kenyan and a certain Mr Hartley you get an idea of how well he ran. Peter provided able back up with a 37.24 PB for 51st over all. Tom was a spectator, so next up was Hannah Flannery 92nd over all and 12th lady in a really class field. There was quite a gap before the rest of the men's team started to come in. Ceri (150th) was first (underlining his recent improvement), followed by Baz (161st) and a fast improving Rob (168th) - those EMGP races seem to be doing the trick nicely. Dale (175th) didn't enjoy the heat but Jon (188th) didn't seem to notice, beating Dave L for the second time in a week. That left the aforementioned slacker (192nd) to take the final place in the eight as Simon (196th) withered in the final mile. Dave S (214th), who never seems to mind a bit of sunshine, was followed at a respectful distance by Keith (217th, who'll run in any kind of weather). Cathy (318th) and Rachel (319th) were only separated by a second. As Kim would say, "were you chatting girls?" Mike Price (344th) and Steve Blyth (371st) rounded things off for the men, leaving Claire (385th and improving with every race) and Alison (481st) to complete the team.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
West End 8

After the rain of Hinckley and some pretty grotty weather forecasts, it was a pleasure to enjoy almost perfect conditions. The wind had subsided and the sun was pleasant rather than scorching. The close scheduling of the races meant there was little opportunity for those with a Dog & Hedgehog hangover to recover. We were without Mat and Hannah G but Adrian, Alison and Tom volunteered for further punishment. The West End course is almost universally popular - nice scenery and flat or downhill from halfway.

Mark was out of sorts so he had to settle for a place towards the bottom of the top 20. To counteract the crocked and the absentees we needed to pack well and Mark's men rose to the challenge. Peter recorded his best finish of the season in 37th and Adrian went from zero to hero in 87th. Simon broke 7s for 113th with Baz (another one to leap through the field this week) showing that he really is back in business, in 117th. No sooner did a Hogg finish than the next one was rounding the final corner - Dale 127th, Ceri 136th and Dave L 138th. Dave S (165th) was pleased to comfortably break the hour, and then there was a gap before an ailing Tom made it home (205th). Rachel led the ladies in with 235th before Mike P (249th), Cathy (260th) and old boy Steve Blyth (266th), making one his rare "guest appearances". Claire came in 297th before the final trio came in one after the other. Reem led the way with 309th, followed closely by Alison (310th, another one showing a dramatic improvement in the week) and Keith (311th). Keith likes to test himself, but even he was probably wondering if he'd misplaced his marbles by the end. The West End 8 was acting as his "recovery run" after a tilt at the White Peak Marathon the day before.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Hinckley Half Marathon

Bosworth Water Park greeted us with the now traditional Dog & Hedgehog weather (clue: it makes ducks happy). 16 Hoggs lined up for the new time-zoned start ready for the usual fight to get over the line before Tim Hartley completes his first mile. Wow! The zoning actually worked and we were off with minimal delay. At 1 mile I drew alongside Tom who was doing a passable imitation of a 40-a-day man and predicting an imminent retirement. Fortunately, he soon rallied and started to ease away. As we started to near Dadlington, home of the eponymous Dog & Hedgehog, I spotted Mat, hazards on, by the side of the road. After a 10-yard jog, just to confirm that the wheel had really fallen off, he was a DNF and off to find a lift home. At around 11 miles I passed Adrian who was realising that doing your first half Marathon in nearly 4 years, on no training to speak of, asks questions that the body tends to answer with gestures of the two-fingered variety! Next up was Dale whose fast time at Silverstone, earlier in the week, had taken more out of him than he'd expected. What next: Peter in a ditch? Mark in the canal? Fortunately, I didn't see another teammate until I crossed the line. Mark (13th) and Peter (59th) were safely in, as was Sam (107th), smashing his PB by 6 minutes and going sub-1.30 into the bargain. Tom (155th) had got it together sufficiently to beat Simon (165th) before it was my turn to cross the line (185th). Dale managed 214th in front of Jon, who set a 1.37.30 PB for 234th and Keith, who got 255th. Dave S missed his target of 1.40 by just 10s and then came Baz (302nd), another one who was short of miles, but just glad to be injury free. Adrian, having got bored with walking, jogged in next and then Hannah G (setting a PB of 1.48.07) and Rob came in together. That just left Alison, whose lack of long runs, guaranteed the slowest of her 4 half Marathons to date.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Kibworth 6

I don't know if it was the thought of those hills or the missed hour in bed but only 16 Hoggs made it to the start line. We weren't the only ones looking anxiously for reinforcements - the field was the smallest of the winter. The team might have been small but the performances were anything but. Hannah Flannery continued her assault on the top order with an excellent 5th place, beating Kate Ramsey in the process. Even the knowledge that Kate ran in The British Masters Cross Country Championships 24 hours earlier shouldn't take too much shine off. We were missing Hannah Green so it was a while before the rest of the ladies came in. Amy was next (54th), followed by the welcome sight of Claire (68th), running her first race for the club since the summer of 2005. Reem (72nd) took time off from wedding preparations to complete the four and Alison ran gamely for 80th.

Mark lost out to Ian Murdey and Derek Guess in the final stretch but still managed to bag 7th for the team. Peter (60th) won his duel with Mat (67th) and Tom threatened to join the party with a fine 75th. These three were covered by just 40 seconds. Adrian made the top 100 (92nd) despite omitting to train since Desford and Dave L (121st) actually had a decent run for once, taking a minute off his 2006 time. The middle order was a bit depleted but Rob rose to the occasion, putting in a storming run for 158th (a good 50 places higher than normal) and Dave S steadied the ship with 183rd. Paul had an apparently uneventful run for 206th, sandwiched between two invalids - Keith nursing a dodgy calf in 198th and Steve battling his long term injury in 235th.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Desford 10K

A beautiful spring morning and enough daffodils to make even Wordsworth happy. There were blooming performances as well all through the team. The ladies may have been down to the bare bones but the performances more than made up for it. Hannah Flannery put in a big improvement to move up to 7th (40.42) - we are really starting to see her "track pedigree" coming through as she adjusts to the demands of the longer distances. Hannah Green also made a significant leap forward to 16th in a time (42.39) that would have been good enough for the men's eight. Next up was Sofia Lane, running an assured race on her debut for the club. She ran the first half-mile with Alison and Barry, before latching on to a faster group. At 4 miles she decided to forge out on her own, finishing with a big smile on her face, in 78th (53.51). Final lady and fourth counter was Alison (103rd). Not fast but after a fortnight that included a short stay in hospital with acute appendicitis, just being able to run was a joy.

For the men, Mark recorded another fine sixth place finish (34.23). This week Peter (50th, 38.00) finally turned the tables on Mat (57th, 38.18). Tom (71st) fulfilled the promise of his early-season races by beating the 40-minute barrier (39.08). Next up was "man on a mission" Ceri (123rd, 41.29) - two PBs in as many weeks and the scalp of Sam (137th) to boot. Almost a minute in arrears was Dave L (144th) followed by another fast improving athlete, Mike Adams. Mike showed that he had learned the lessons of Markfield and sliced more than 3 minutes off his time, gaining 45 places (and a place in the counting eight) in the process. Chris, struggling to shake off the after effects of Flu still managed 7's for 163rd, with Keith (173rd), Dave S (186th) and Rob (205th) evenly spaced behind. Barry followed the trend, going quicker than Markfield for 287th.

There were some startling improvements in performance from Markfield - every single runner was quicker. Other teams reported large numbers of PBs. So is the course short? There were lots of people willing to believe this but the facts don't seem to back them up. Desford, despite being a bit coy in describing the distance as "10km approx", had checked it, the GPS brigade came up with numbers in the right ballpark and digital mapping seems to agree. So enjoy those PBs - looks like you earned them fair and square!
 

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League:
Markfield 10K

A wet and breezy morning but thankfully the showers held off for the duration of the race. We were pleased to welcome Chris Mann and Mike Price for their seasonal debuts and Michael Adams for his first race in a Roadhogg vest. Another bumper field meant a rather congested start and those of us who failed to pay attention found ourselves struggling to get up to racing speed before Thornton. The ladies kept up their fine run of form finishing well in a larger field than Ashby. Hannah Flannery just failed to make the top 10 (12th) but still treated us to some sub-7-minute miling. Hannah Green put in another encouraging performance for 21st and Rachel (56th) shaved a few seconds off her 2006 time despite not really being "up for it". Amy (84th) and Reem (86th) battled it out for the honour of being 4th counter and Alison (120th) had one of those days when the motor doesn't seem to be running on a full set of cylinders.

Mark showed the benefit of some solid injury-free training, gaining a place from Ashby to finish 6th (34.48). So far this season he has been consistency itself with minute per mile times of 5.36, 5.35 and 5.36. Yet again, there was little difference between Mat (70th) and Peter (71st), but Peter seems to be closing the gap, race by race. Tom edged closer to the magic 40-minute mark, bagging 81st in the process and Adrian (100th) granted Mark's wish of five in the top hundred. Ceri (137th) also responded to the challenge with a PB (43.14) - 15s off a time set on a considerably flatter course. Perhaps all the cycling and running to work is finally starting to pay off. Dale was out injured and Sam unavailable, so it was left to Dave (149th) and Chris (155th), neither at their best, to round out the eight. Next up were Jon (173rd - nearly a minute quicker than last year) Dave S (185th) and Keith (186th)(as Kim would say - "were you chatting lads?"). I think Michael Adams (201st) got carried along a little too fast at the beginning but hopefully he enjoyed his debut race and will be back for more. Rob (210th) was next up and then Paul continuing his steady improvement (234th), Mike P (255th - starting his season in good shape) and Barry (293rd).

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League: Ashby 5

A pleasant morning if a little wet from all the melting snow. One or two absentees, but still a good turnout. New captain Mark called for 5 men in the top 100 and got 4 but we packed well and the counting 8 were in the first 130, so he wasn't too unhappy. The ladies did even better with the two Hannahs both running really well. Hannah Flannery (33.47) improved on her Barrow performance by breaking into the top 10 and Hannah Green (35.55) marked her debut with an excellent top 20 finish. Rachel provided back up in 43rd and Amy (70th) just held off an improving Reem (72nd). Alison (94th) while not at her best, still managed to improve on her previous efforts on this course.

Mark led from the front in 7th, with Mat (53rd) just winning the battle with Peter (59th) who is starting to regain his form. Tom (90th - despite feeling unwell) was the other one to make it into the 100, with Adrian (110th) and Sam (116th) not far outside. Dave L (122nd) and Dale (128th) again made up the eight but swapped places this week. Ceri was at home nursing the after effects of a virus and Rob was doing a 30K race so it was up to Jon (166th, 35.29), Dave S (182nd, 36.09) and Jerry (190th, 36.28 - continuing his good form) to keep the others honest. Keith (216th) had one of those days when the "motor" just doesn't respond to the "loud pedal", just managing to stay in front of an improving Paul (236th) and Steve (238th).

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Winter League: Barrow 6

After the wind and rain of the last week it was a pleasure to wake to a beautiful crisp winter morning. Another year, two new teams and what promises to be a record breaking season got off to a great start with a field of 502 runners. Roadhoggs joined in the festivities by fielding 24 runners, our best attendance for the opening race for 5 years (and possibly longer). We also welcomed 5 runners making their league debuts for the club: Hannah, Amy, Sam, Rob and Paul.

First lady home in an excellent 14th place (41.54) was Hannah Flannery. Hannah, who is more used to track running, is over from Australia and has joined us for the year. Next in was Rachel, not quite managing to match last year's time but running well nonetheless. Cathy showed the benefit of her regular training over the winter, slicing more than half a minute off her minute per mile time from Stapleford, and Amy ran well on her league debut to round off the counting four. Alison was another one not quite managing to match last year's time despite running well and Reem, short of miles after her marathon debut in September, followed her in.

Mark shrugged off a cold to slip into the top 10, just in front of a course record-breaking performance from Hinckley's Beth Eburne. Next up was Mat (72nd, 37.44) coming in half a minute in front of a slightly out of sorts Peter (89th). Tom was miffed to miss out on the top 100 (101st, 38.43), but on this form he should break 40 minutes for 10K at either Markfield or Desford. Behind Tom, Sam and Simon (132nd) had a good battle with Sam taking the honours (129th, 40.03) in only his second ever race. Dale (153rd) and Dave L (155th) came in in quick succession to make up the counting eight with Ceri (167th) not far behind (despite a heavy session the night before). Next up were Keith (195th), Dave S (209th), Rob (212th), an ailing Jon (228th) and Jerry (229th, 44.43) showing the sort of form we haven't seen for a couple of seasons.