Roadhoggs Leicester AC

Road Race Reports

2010

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League: Desford 10K

There was some confusion over whether the race was a Winter League race or a Summer League race (it was a SL race run under WL rules). The weather gods however, decreed it to be summer (and no messing)!  We’ve run this race in snow and all sorts of weather, but never 26 degree heat before. There was an excellent turnout from the men but the ladies’ line-up was a little more select. We had no new runners but with Roger running his first race after a long injury lay off, we had the next best thing. When the mercury rises there are some things that you can rely on; queues on the M5, a nationwide shortage of electric fans and Dave L, Dale and Baz running like donkeys.

First home, in a superb 12^th place, was Mike. Mark (22^nd) was less than 30s behind and Nick (24^th) followed his ‘coach’ at a respectful distance. So quick, and untroubled, were these three that you wondered if the laws of physics work differently when you run that fast. Peter (57^th) found it more of a struggle but he still managed to secure a good finish for the team. Ludovic made it five in the top hundred, finishing in 99^th. The rest of the counting eight looked a little different from usual. John Stew (128^th) is not a great fan of the heat but such is his terrific form at the moment (4 PB’s in a month) that he completed the veteran’s team and led in Paul (135^th) and Roger (139^th) for the seniors. Dave L (149^th) and Dale (153^rd) ran true to form, whereas Steve W continued his race by race improvement in 170^th. He was followed by Keith (171^st), Hitesh (172^nd) and David (194^th). Baz (200^th; who hates the heat) just managed to finish in front of Dave S (202^nd; who loves it). Steve M (221^st) turned the tables on Martin (222^nd) and Colin overcame his recent injury problems in 238^th.

Clare (another one who seems to thrive in these conditions) led the ladies in with a magnificent 14^th place, ably supported by Sumina (65^th). Trudy (95^th), Valerie (102^nd) and Alison (111^th) all battled bravely in the heat.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League: Markfield 10K

Markfield is a challenging course at the best of times, with four short sharp hills to keep you honest. Much of it is quite exposed, so add a strong wind and the challenge is magnified. Impending Marathons kept a few preoccupied elsewhere but we were strengthened by a second successive appearance from Mike and the return of Peter.

Bec showed what she can do with a decent night’s sleep producing a brilliant run for 22^nd and notching a PB in the process. Emma put her bug behind her with a PB performance and a season’s best finish of 35^th. Rachel (57^th) was another one to record her best run of the season and this week Anita (100^th) arrived just in time to complete the scoring four. Valerie (102^nd) and Alison (112^th) completed the finishers.

Mike moved on to another level, finishing a magnificent 11^th. Mark (22^nd) and Nick (31^st), both suffering from bugs couldn’t quite match their performances from the week before, but still finished well (Nick got a PB). Peter (131^st) had one of those days when the motor refuses to fire, so Ludovic (118^th) was next in, conjuring up another 6 second/mile improvement. Tom (137^th), Dale (139^th) and Dave (140^th) kept each other in sight for most of the race with Tom proving to have the edge in the final mile. John S (163^rd), showing that all that Marathon running has left him in great shape, produced one of his fastest 10K times. The next two were slightly disappointed with their runs – Baz (189^th) dipped from his recent consistent standard and Keith (240^th), who had done a 12 miler the day before, handicapped himself further by doing a ‘Paula’ on the way round. There wasn’t too much separating Martin (243^rd), Steve M (244^th) and a fast improving Steve W (249^th). Colin (264^th) faired better than the previous week and Barry (269^th) made a welcome return after injury.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League: Stilton 7

Asfordby hasn’t featured in the LRRL programme since 2004. My memories are of treks from the car park to the venue, to the start and back from the finish. I also remember the venue being a bit small and Steve Gale taking the mick when he saw me supping a ‘sports drink’ (no performance enhancing  substances allowed in those days). So what of Asfordby 6 years on? Well the walks are still there and the venue is now definitely too small but fortunately the weather was kind to us and a lot of people spent time enjoying the sunshine. We were a bit short on numbers – Peter had flown to Spain to deal with a family medical emergency, Emma had a bug and the marathoners were either doing long runs, running actual Marathons or crocked. On the plus side, we did have Steve Wheeler making his debut and the very welcome return of Mike.

Poor Swanee only managed one lap, before a recurrence of his injury stopped him in his tracks. He did have the consolation of seeing the final stages of the battle for Roadhogg honours, though. Mark and Mike came through together with Nick close enough to be able to watch the battle developing. Dave called it right, that Mike had a little more left in the tank and so it proved as he finished 18^th to Mark’s 20^th, with Nick bagging 26^th. Three Hoggs in the top 30 – riches indeed. Jerry produced another excellent performance for 89^th. Dale (112^th) ran well but had to give best to Ludovic who broke the 7-minute/mile barrier to finish in 108^th. Dave managed 127^th and Baz completed the counting eight in 144^th with another good run. Hitesh was next up, finishing a little in front of Keith, who is really starting to look like his old self again. Martin (214^th) had one of those days when it feels like the downhill outnumbers the uphill, whereas for David (222^nd) and Steve M (225^th) the reverse must have been true. Steve W marked his debut with a steady 233^rd and Colin, nursing a muscle pull completed the finishers in 247^th.

Four ladies made it to the start but five made it across the finish line. The discrepancy was down to Anita’s attempt to beat Rachel’s record of arriving with just 5 minutes to spare. The equivalent of a contestant in that old music quiz offering to ‘name that tune’ before the first note had been played! Bec has been running well this season but managed to surpass herself with a superb 26^th place. Not bad for someone who should have been tucked up in bed after a hard nightshift on the ward! Rachel (65^th) was next, followed by the fast improving Valerie (90^th). Despite missing the start, Anita made up ground to finish 99^th, leaving Alison to nurse a sore hamstring, and assorted other bits, round for 105^th.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League: Barrow 6

Barrow always seems to be the most popular race of the Winter League. Catching people before the early season enthusiasm is tempered by reality certainly helps but a good course and excellent organisation must also play their part. Whilst not quite equalling last year’s record, the field of 524 was nonetheless an impressive turn out and we were greeted with yet more perfect racing weather. For Roadhoggs it was another milestone – a whopping 30 runners – a Winter League record and equalling the all time best, set at Huncote in 2004. Not surprisingly, there were some new faces and it was a pleasure to welcome Fiona, Sumina, Ludovic and Valerie. The men’s teams are both in tough divisions, so it was great to have a flying visit from Craig and to have Mat back in the team.

Charlotte celebrated her first race of the season with a superb 23^rd place in a PB time of 42.41. It can’t be long before she breaks the 7min/mile barrier. Both Bec (46^th) and Emma (48^th) improved on their Ashby pace and another steady run from Rachel (101^st) saw the ladies score well, despite the bigger field. Fi was next (109^th) before we had the first of our debutants, Sumina (117^th), powering to the line. The next two runners were both relieved to break the hour, Valerie because it was her first race and Alison because she was suffering with a virus. After Anita (169^th) got home, our final debutant, Fiona (175^th), finished with a smile on her face, well in front of the back markers.

Mark produced another good performance to finish 27^th with Nick 38^th, both pushed back a few places by the quality of the field. Peter (88^th) continued his rehabilitation before Barrow witnessed the return of Roadhogg stalwart Mat (108^th). Simon (120^th) was next up, with Craig showing us how well Bath is suiting him in 130^th, as they both broke 40 minutes. Jerry (136^th) missed that barrier by just a handful of seconds but it was a fine run nonetheless. Tom (166^th) managed to turn the tables on Dave (169^th) to grab the final counting spot, before Dale (174^th) just managed to hold off a fast finishing Ludovic (175^th). As this was Ludovic’s first race I’m sure there will be plenty more to come as he gains in experience and confidence. Baz (202^nd) continued his renaissance with Paul (208^th), another improver, and David (225^th) not far behind.

Hitesh came in 266^th with Keith, looking happier than he’s been since pork pies were last on special, continuing to regain his form in 272^nd. Martin (286^th) produced a significant improvement to turn the tables on Steve (290^th). Dave S suffered an injury, limping in 325^th, not far in front of last man Colin (331^st).

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League: Ashby 5

For a long while it looked possible that lightning (or in this case snow) would strike twice. It normally takes something dramatic, like foot and mouth disease, to derail the Leicestershire Road Running League but last year the Ashby 5 fell victim to the snow. Perhaps opting for mid-January rather than late March was tempting fate but on the other hand given that the British weather’s only predictable feature is its unpredictability, we should have expected to be in the middle of a heat wave. As it was, the race was only declared on two days before and even then a question mark over the final half mile meant there was a danger of it becoming the Ashby 5.12.

Ashby has a special place in Roadhogg history for it was here in 2004 that the club fielded a complete ladies team for the first time (that’s not to suggest that before that our ladies were lacking anything, just that there weren’t enough of them). Of the four responsible for this landmark, only Alison is still pounding the roads in a Roadhogg vest. Rebecca was the pick of the 2010 vintage, easing herself back into racing with 39^th. Emma made it two in the top 50 with 49^th before Rachel (80^th) and Fi (87^th) completed the scoring four. Alison (127^th) and Trudy (131^st) completed the team. Trudy had taken extreme measures to avoid grappling with any gorillas (see Huncote Hash) but must have got the concepts of blood doping and blood doning mixed up and was short of at least an arm’s worth of red cells.

Mark continues to struggle with his hamstring but having had a wager with Nick over who’d finish first, he had to be on his mettle. He was equal to the occasion finishing 20^th, his best result for 18 months. Nick started 2010 where he finished 2009, on the verge of the top 30 (31^st). Peter was recovering from a virus, so a return of 73^rd was a good solid result. After these three there was a bit of a wait before the burgundy vests started arriving in numbers. First of the bunch was Dave L (140^th) with Neil (147^th), Tom (152^nd) and Dale (163^rd) all breaking 35 minutes. For Neil, his 34.25 was a PB and we soon had another as John Stew (177^th) crossed the line in 35.24, honouring his status as ‘most improved runner of 2009’. We had Baz back after a sizable absence from the roads and he celebrated with an excellent 189^th.

David Luyt (205^th) was next in, getting the better of Paul (208^th) who is starting to pick up speed again. Hitesh was on his own in 232^nd but then we had Keith (254^th), Steve (258^th), Dave S (264^th) and Martin (271^st) in quick succession. Evergreen Colin kicked off another season with 298^th and Barry had to battle round for 311^th.

2009

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League:
OWLs John Fraser 10

And so to the sting in the tail as another league season comes to a close. What began on a crisp winter’s morning in Barrow ended in somewhat warmer but still pleasant conditions in Countesthorpe. The course is one of those where you really earn your time. There is hardly any opportunity to generate any rhythm – you either seem to be going up or down (although you’d swear the laws of physics have been suspended and what goes up doesn’t come down). As is often the case when we reach September, we were a little down on numbers. We were missing Mark and Colin to various bugs and we failed to field a full ladies team for the first time since the same race last year (there’s a bit of a pattern emerging here, I think).

Angela, who is in storming form over the longer distances, led home our trio of ladies in an excellent 22^nd place. Fi claimed 85^th and Alison completed her fifth consecutive 100% season in 113^th.

Nick capped a real breakthrough year with an outstanding 32^nd place in a PB time of 62.23. At this rate, given a flatter course, a sub-1 hour clocking seems a real possibility. Another one who is re-writing his personal record books is Rob and he was second home in an impressive 66.06 PB for 60^th place.  Behind these two star performers, there was quite a gap before the ‘middle order’ came through. Ceri (129^th) was ‘best of the rest’ with ‘usual suspects’ Dale (135^th) and Dave (142^nd) not far behind. Neil (151^st) slightly ran out of steam in the closing stages but still managed to hold on to break 75 minutes and set another personal benchmark. Paul was another one to enter new territory, finishing in 164^th. Chris likes this sort of course and seemed to making good progress but at around 6 miles, engine room suddenly radioed bridge and all systems shut down. As a result he was at least 40 places down on what he might have expected, finishing just in front of Jon (184^th) who was running despite suffering from pleurisy. Next pair to arrive were Hitesh (211^th) and Dave S (219^th), who were followed by Martin (226^th), completing his well earned 100% record. Barry (243^rd) completed our finishers, but confessed that the longer races are starting hurt a little too much these days.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League:
Joy Cann 5

For some reason (possibly not unconnected to a weighty prize list) the Huncote 5 attracts the speed merchants. The first half mile or so is pretty chaotic but after that it’s quite a quick course. The first 5 all got under 26 minutes and to score in the top 100 over all required better than 31.12. The weather was damp and pretty favourable for running. A short shower before the race had everyone heading for cover but by the time everyone lined up for the start, things had settled down.

It seems like Mark has been struggling with injuries for a couple of years now, so it was good to see him able to put in a more competitive performance. He was still a good minute down on his usual Huncote pace, but was able to start mixing it with some of his old sparring partners. There was no repeat of Hungarton and Nick (46^th) was reminded that Mark (31^st) is still “the boss” but he had a first ever sub-30 clocking (29.41) as more than ample compensation. Rob (96^th) continued his run of good form with a PB (31.32), just getting the better of Simon (101^st) who has moved on to another level since he started to be serious about triathlon. Dale (163^rd) chipped another bit off his PB (33.53) before Chris (184^th in a 34.35 PB) and Dave L (185^th) arrived in close succession. Paul (196^th) completed the counting eight, edging close the magic 35 minute mark (a 35.16 PB).

Jon produced a solid run for 202^nd and then we had the first of our debutants, David Luyt with a creditable 232^nd. Our second, Hitesh Pandya (257^th), also did well coming in just in front of Dave S (262^nd) and Martin (268^th). Colin was on holiday so Barry (307^th) had the V70 category all to himself and he produced his fastest pace for over a year.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League:
Hungarton 7

Having celebrated its 25^th birthday last year, this time the Hungarton 7 reverted to its original course. Apparently, the old route was abandoned due to concerns over the speed of traffic on Tilton Lane. However, with Melton and South Croxton Roads becoming more attractive to the “boy-(and girl-) racer tendency, the switch to the new one was looking ever more like something from the “out of the frying-pan…” school of decision-making. Tactically, the equation looked much simpler; instead of agonising whether or not to hold something back for the challenge of Baggrave Hill; it was just a case of surviving to the top of Tilton Lane, then starting to race. After a switch-back first mile to banish any forlorn thoughts of establishing a steady rhythm, mile 2 was all up. An all too brief moment of relief was swiftly followed by the north face of the Eiger (oh well, the west face of Billesdon Coplow, if you must). Just as you were starting to wonder whether there are any UKA rules about providing oxygen masks along with the mandatory drinks station, the road suddenly turned and started to plunge downwards. Relief at the end of the mountaineering was tempered slightly by the speed at which all that hard-earned height was lost but everything that remained answered to the name of undulation and it was time to regroup. A selection of small quiet lanes brought us once more to the familiar sight of the Black Boy and the fastest finish going.

After the skeleton crew at Prestwold, it was great to see a much healthier turnout of 23 for the most popular race in the calendar. Mark (45^th) was back, but he was forced to play second fiddle to his young protégé, Nick recording a fantastic 37^th place and establishing a home in the top 50. Rob (82^nd) produced another quality performance (it must have reminded him of his favourite Gumley Hill) and Simon (89^th) put broken rib and subsequent loss of training behind him to crack the top 100 again. There were some solid performances in the middle order with Chris (134^th) showing his love of the hilly stuff to lead in a quartet including Neil (138^th), Dave L (143^rd) and Ceri (146^th). Jon (171^st) was another to show some returning form, followed by Tom (176^th), making his first start since the depths of winter. Next up was Paul (197^th), then a struggling John S (225^th) – the spring’s series of PB performances must seem like a distant memory! These two were followed by Dave S (236^th), Martin (247^th) and Steve (257^th, making a welcome return to racing after a long layoff). In the battle of the VM70s the generous helping of hills was always likely to tip the balance in favour of Colin (267^th), and so it proved as he eked out a small advantage over Barry (269^th).

Angela has been enjoying superb form and she powered to an excellent 28^th place. Charlotte (33^rd) was another to produce a strong performance and we had Rachel (73^rd) and Fi (80^th) to make up the counting four. Alison (112^th) and Trudy (113^th) were the last of the mountaineers to put down their ice axes.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League:
Prestwold 10K

Flaming June on the barren desert landscape of Prestwold airfield. Sound inviting? No me neither – no wonder we struggled to get a team out! To be fair, we seem to have more injury and illness than Holby City on a slow plot day. As it turned out, conditions were not too bad – high humidity, but only a breeze of the cooling variety rather than the sort that makes you feel like one of the kites they fly there. The sun did make an appearance late in the race leaving me half expecting to encounter a Bedouin camel train…….or maybe I was hallucinating by then?

With Charlotte having “taken one for the team” (a hamstring strain that is) at the Rainbow’s 100 Lap Challenge on the Friday and Rebecca having succumbed to a chest infection we were left carefully counting our lady entrants. Fortunately Sally, never one to follow convention, had chosen Prestwold for her first race in over a year. She’d even being doing some sneaky training and she had the honour of being first home (41^st) in a time which compares favourably with her previous races. After missing Swithland with illness, Rachel (61^st) was back to provide the second counter. Trudy (106^th) and Alison (116^th) had run a large number of fast laps on the Friday (10 and 9, respectively) but despite a few aches, did us proud to complete the team showing.

Nick (36^th) is on fire at the moment – not even the after effects of Friday’s “speed session” (all 11 flat out laps of it) could stop him taking advantage of the flat course to break 38 minutes for the first time. Rob (76^th) suffered a bit of a dip in form after his spring Marathon exploits but here he roared back with a PB and a landmark sub-40 clocking. Ceri (127^th) took another positive step in his post-marathon rehabilitation. Neil has been growing in confidence as he has gained race experience. This time he had the courage to make his effort earlier and was rewarded with a big step forward (143^rd) and a first ever sub-7m/m finish. Dave L (161^st) and John S (195^th) survived to do their bit for the team, before Dave (218^th) and Martin (233^rd) completed the scoring eight. Colin (256^th) goes from strength to strength but for Barry (265^th), a recent back problem and the after effects of Friday’s sprinting made it somewhat of a struggle.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League:
Swithland 10K

Rather like Doctor Who, the Swithland 6 has died and regenerated into something new but still comfortingly familiar. Normally it is the scorching sun that has runners, metaphorically, hiding behind the sofa but a new race brought new meteorological challenges. There was so much rain, before, during and after the race that the organisers might have gone the whole hog, added a bike section and called it a triathlon. We also had a cross country challenge on the way to the start for good measure. So far was the start away from the finish that Gordon Lee was probably cruising through Swithland by the time Ted Toft had completed the return journey. The decision of the organisers to give out towels as race souvenirs represents one of the best bits of prophecy since Nostradamus was in short trousers. For those that kept dry at home, the course bears a striking resemblance to the original, only the start and finish have been altered to protect the innocent. With such familiarity, it was necessary, at various stages of the race, to remind oneself that the reason it didn’t feel as difficult as usual was because you hadn’t run as far.

Mark was away at a family wedding, but Zorro came to our rescue. He didn’t so much materialise out of the mist as squelch across the field, but he was a welcome sight nonetheless. Mike rarely races these days on account of the fact that his body tends to fall to bits every time he attempts one but he never fails to remind us what genuine talent really means. Race-ready or not, 15^th place in 35.34 was a superb effort. Nick has made a big improvement this year and his PB performance had him breaking the top 50 (48^th). John McD (60^th) is also improving and is now consistently beating 40 minutes for 10K. Rob (94^th) was one of 10 runners to be credited with the same time – it would have been some finish – a symptom of the havoc the conditions wreaked with the finish recording. There was a bit of a gap before Dave L (137^th) came in ahead of Dale (141^st) who had lost time stopping to adjust his flippers in one of the water sections. For Ceri (173^rd) it was a case of “getting back on the bike” after the strain that London and Hinckley had placed on his legs. Neil put in another PB performance to finish between Ceri and John S (183^rd). Fortunately; Neil (180^th) had his teammates as witnesses because his name was missing completely from the first draft of the results. Next up was Paul Langham (190^th) making a very promising debut for the club. Dave S (232^nd) and Martin (242^nd) then splashed across the line before Colin (284^th) just failed to beat the hour (must have forgotten his water wings).

Charlotte was first lady home, underlining the strides she has made this year with an excellent 25th place. Behind Charlotte was Lindsay (55^th), not just making her debut for the club, but running her first ever race. Not even the heavy rain could spoil Lindsay’s delight at making such an impressive start to her career. Trudy (133^rd) and Fuzzy (135^th) gamely battled through the elements to complete the scoring four before a rather blue Alison (149^th) rounded off the soggy Hoggy finishers. Other teams have fancy tents to shelter from the elements. We had Dale’s huge fishing umbrella to provide a welcome bit of sanctuary while we waited for the stragglers – there’s style for you!

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Summer League:
Hinckley Half Marathon

Traditionally, we struggle for numbers at Hinckley and we have never had more than 5 ladies competing. All that was to change, as we fielded our largest ever team at the event, including a record 11 ladies. We also had three runners making their league debuts for the club – talk about a baptism of fire! The course had been modified and was said to be flatter and quicker, but I’m not sure it really felt either. Still, the modifications and the introduction of chip timing meant that the field could be expanded to 1300 which certainly took the pressure off getting an entry.

The forecast was for heavy cloud and the possibility of rain for the later stages of the race, but it didn’t turn out like that. As I applied the sun tan lotion, my thoughts went back to the 2008 race, run on one of the hottest days of the year, which ended up like an ambulance drivers’ convention as runners swooned like Victorian heroines. Fortunately, we weren’t in for a repeat, although it certainly turned out hotter than many of us would have liked.

It was fantastic to be able to welcome Angela back to the club and she continued the excellent form she showed in the London Marathon to lead the ladies home in 1.39.21 for 22^nd place. Rebecca (30^th) continued her build up for Edinburgh with 1.43.31 and was followed by Charlotte (36^th) – surprising herself (but not the rest of us) – with an outstanding effort of 1.46.19 in her first Half Marathon. Next up were skipper Rachel (50^th) and a pair of our debutants; Caz (55^th), improving on her showing in the Turkey Trot, and Emma (66^th), fresh from her efforts in the London Marathon. Trudy (109^th) was pleased that her troublesome knee was improved from Belvoir and she was followed by Fuzzy (112^th) who went well until 10 miles but struggled a bit over the later stages. Fortunately, she had Fi (111^th) to encourage her when the going got tough. Alison (134^th) seems to have temporarily lost some of her speed but determination was never in short supply as she survived the Half Marathon for another season. Just behind Alison was Annemarie (135^th), making a great effort in her first Half, despite the conditions being a bit warm for her liking.

We lost Mark to the injury he sustained at London, but fortunately the fast boys rallied to the cause. Nick grabbed a great PB (44^th LRRL/66^th over all) to beat John McD (50^th/78^th) to the honour of first home. Behind them, Rob (57^th/95^th) and Simon (60^th/100^th) made sure we had 4 in the over all top 100 as they too broke the 1.30 barrier. Dave (110^th LRRL) struggled for speed, ending up with a 1.36, a couple of minutes in front of Jerry (125^th). Dale (148^th) has been struggling with a knee problem which has restricted his training, so he was delighted to have a pain-free run. We had a new name rounding out the counting eight with Neil (159^th) celebrating his debut by slicing a huge chunk off his PB.

For Ceri (162^nd), after his battle with cramp at London, Hinckley was a race too far and the wheels came off at 10 miles when he was still on course for the mid 1.30’s. Behind him were John S (169^th), who couldn’t quite match his daring deeds of recent times, and Chris P (182^nd), Roadhoggs’ off-road ultra-distance specialist. Chairman Dave (233^rd) should have been pleased with his efforts because he hasn’t done the long stuff for quite a while and Martin (234^th) was barely 4 hours off the plane from holiday, so his body could be forgiven for not knowing what country it was in. Jon (258^th) pulled up with a hamstring injury after 5 miles and walked much of the remaining 8 – some people just never give up!

There’s no doubt that the best was left til last. As many of you will know, Colin had to endure two operations and a lot of pain to get back running. On Sunday he did himself, the club and his surgeon proud when he completed his first half marathon in 6 years. He stopped the clock in 2.12.58 (a smidgeon over 10min/mile) and looked as smooth in the last mile as he did in the first (no doubt he’ll say it didn’t quite feel like that!).

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League: Desford 10k

Desford has given us all sorts of adverse weather in recent years, driving rain last year and snow the year before, so it was lovely to be greeted by a beautiful spring day. This race has seen many PB’s over the years, which is a surprise because it is by no means flat. There have been questions over the length of the course but this year we were assured that it would be accurate. What with injuries and pre-London long runs we were slightly down on the high turnouts of the first two races but we still managed to field 20 runners.

Mark has been getting in some good Marathon training recently and this was reflected in his quickest time since last summer as he led us in with an excellent 24^th place. Behind him Nick started to fulfill some of his undoubted promise as he obliterated the 40-minute barrier. His time of 38.45 was a full 94 seconds inside his PB and earned him 71^st. John McD also lowered his best (39.37) and comfortably made the top 100 (88^th). Rob put the disappointment of missing out on Gumley hill behind him and returned a steady 137^th place (41.41). Dale (159^th) and Dave L (162^nd) had another one of their battles with Dale proving the strongest in the last 200m. Before the race John S had been planning his race strategy for taking the lead in his “grudge match” with Jon. Jon (167^th) had other ideas though, making such an improvement that he nearly gate crashed Dale and Dave’s party. However, John (192^nd) did have the not insignificant consolation of another massive PB (44.16) as he came in behind 8^th counter Ceri (179^th). Adrian (198^th) struggled to get going and was nearly run down by Roger (200^th) who took a significant step forward from his debut at Kibworth. This week, Dave S (273^rd) managed to turn the tables on Martin (277^th) and Colin (314^th) won a titanic battle with Barry (315^th) for the VM70 bragging rights.

Bec, suffering from a cold and still being careful with her Achilles, declared her intention to take it steady and “run round with the old men”. Not sure the Chairman would be too pleased with that description but she duly finished a few places behind him (65^th). Rachel (90^th) was next up, followed by Trudy (120^th), Anita (123^rd) and Alison (145^th). Anita was rightly pleased with her morning’s work and the steady improvement that she is making from race to race.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League: Kibworth 6

It’s a while since Roadhoggs got to promote a league race. When I arrived Race Director Colin was not a happy man – the caretaker had done a Lord Lucan and the main car park was still locked! Ron had already had some unexpected extra exercise - someone had decided to block the road at the foot of Gumley Hill with a load of wood. Fortunately, things soon calmed down and a host of experienced hands made light work of the remaining tasks. The WI were out in force with enough cakes to feed 500. The usual club stalwarts were joined by a cheery crew of volunteers courtesy of co-hosts Fleckney & Kibworth, so we were able to cover all the marshal points nicely. The course is probably the hardest in the County but definitely one of the more picturesque. Once you accept that PBs are out of the question, it’s actually quite enjoyable.

On the competitive side, we were well down on numbers; in addition to those marshalling, several were injured and Jon, Rob and John S were doing the Draycott Water Marathon. Nonetheless, 5 ladies and 10 men made it to the start line. Charlotte (42^nd) was first lady, continuing her steady rise up the finishing order. Rachel (78^th) and Trudy (95^th) continued the run of improved finishes. Anita (124^th) was so relaxed that she almost got overtaken on the line (we’ll have to replace her chill out music with something a bit more upbeat!) and Alison (136^th) seemed happier than of late.

Mark gave the men his customary lead with a steady one for 25^th. Behind him, the middle order lads really stepped up to the mark; Nick (61^st) made light of the hills but was pushed all the way by Craig (64^th) and John McD - back on form in 65^th. All three were under 6.30m/m. Craig has obviously benefitted from all those West Country hills he has been running up in preparation for the Bath Half Marathon, next month. Next up were Dave (129^th) and Dale (130^th) suspending hostilities and carefully checking over their shoulders to make sure there were no “after you Claude” calamities on the line. Ceri (149^th) was suffering a bit, but John H produced another good performance to complete the scoring 8. Roger (198^th) made a successful return to racing after a very long absence and Martin (225^th) virtually matched his Markfield m/m despite the extra hills.

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League:

Markfield 10K

The forecast looked bad but in the event the front passed early and the rain was gone by the time we gathered. Like Barrow, Markfield topped the 500 mark (519) and Roadhoggs had an entry of 29 (although Steve made it no further than the end of the road). All 10 of our ladies who had turned out at Barrow came back for another go, which was wonderful. The men were strengthened by the welcome return of Stuart Power for his first race in over 5 years and the newly wed John Hallissey. Many congratulations to John and Julie-Anne.

Clare O’Neil (26^th) and Rebecca (sleep is for wimps) Bromwich (29^th) led the ladies magnificently. These two were ably backed up by Charlotte, who grabbed another top 50 finish (47^th). Rachel (96^th) completed the scoring four and she was followed by Fiona (106^th) and Trudy (116^th). Annemarie (136^th), Fazila (141^st) and Anita (147^th) all did well. Anita took the eminently sensible step of latching on to the steady pace of Barry but then rather spoiled it all by deciding to run home! Alison (170^th) ably demonstrated that no sleep and precious little training is not a recipe for good race times.

Mark was pleased with his 27^th, having been out on the pop the night before. Nick (83^rd) jumped into the top 100 as he inched closer to the magic 40-minute barrier and he was followed by Stuart who blew away some of the cobwebs in 91^st. Rob (103^rd) got close to his PB, set on the flat tarmac of Silverstone, and Simon (117^th) continued the form that saw him bag the “Most Improved Runner” award at the recent Presentation Evening. Tom (140^th) continued his recent improvement, finishing in front of Dale (151^st) and Ceri (164^th). Behind the scoring eight were Dave (188^th) and John McD (189^th), both feeling like the road had been resurfaced in treacle. John Hallissey (199^th) made a steady road race debut – not bad for a man who had only got back from his honeymoon in the wee small hours!

This week, Jon (205^th) turned the tables on John Stew (208^th), catching him in the final kilometre – we look forward to round 3 of this keenly fought contest! David C was next in, still struggling with a dodgy knee. Martin (278^th) just managed to get the beat the Chairman (279^th) (not sure that would be allowed in some clubs!). Colin (330^th) made it one-all in the hotly contested Roadhoggs VM70 category, getting the better of Barry (331^st).

Leicester Running Shop LRRL Winter League:

Barrow 6

It was great to be back and to see so many smiling faces. A nice cold, dry day with little wind and a record field of 545 lining up for the start of another season – perfect! We had a record 10 ladies in a contingent of 28 Roadhoggs. For the first time in over 2 years we were without Peter – hopefully we’ll have him back, fully restored, soon.

First lady home was Clare O’Neil (34^th) a classy performance in her first road race for the club. Hot on her heels (36^th) was Rebecca who came straight from a night shift to set a new PB of 44.27 – how’s that for determination? You wouldn’t have known it, but our next finisher, Charlotte, was running her first ever race. After a cautious start, she went through the gears to finish in a fantastic 49^th (46.02). Skipper, Rachel had to move fast just to get to the start so 83^rd was a fair return for our final counter. It was a pleasure to welcome back Fiona (113^th), who hasn’t raced for a while, and Fazila (140^th) whose last outing was the Leicester Half Marathon in October. Splitting these two was Trudy (126^th), who is gradually working her way back to full fitness. Next up were Anita (146^th) and Annemarie (148^th) (hopefully) enjoying their first taste of racing.  Alison (158^th) just couldn’t get going, but she still managed to be the first lady in the club (and who knows, possibly the whole League) to complete 50 consecutive LRRL races, a run which goes back to May 2004. 166 finished.

The men’s field was incredibly strong. Coritanians seem to have signed most of the County’s quickest vets and several other clubs have strengthened their squads. Mark’s sub-6 minute mile performance was easily on a par with the best of his races last year, but here it was only good enough for 37^th. Nick put in an excellent run, beating 39 minutes (a PB, I suspect) but still couldn’t break the top hundred (114^th). Close behind (130^th) was a fantastic effort by Rob, who broke his PB by a full minute (39.19). It was great to see Adrian (152^nd) regaining some form and, despite claiming not to have run much since his PB in the Leicester Half, Simon (155^th) was also not far away from the 40 minute mark. Dave (169^th) and an out of sorts Ceri (188^th) completed both the scoring eight and the four (vets). Tom (194^th) put in his best effort since last year’s Winter League, ahead of a still ailing Dale (220^th). Jon (242^nd) had managed to pick up a foot injury over Christmas but it won’t have diminished John Stew’s pleasure at beating him (240^th). John also celebrated his excellent form by lowering his PB by half a minute. David C (260^th) was on course for a sub 42 minute clocking until the wheel fell off (or more precisely his knee flared up again) halfway round. He limped in just in front of Edmund (263^rd), who has rather taken his foot off the gas since his fantastic Marathon debut in October. Steve (295^th), Martin (297^th), carrying on where he left off last season, and Dave S (299^th) came in in quick succession. Barry 366^th was flying and Colin 372^nd was delighted just to get round in one piece after the run of injuries he’s had. 379 finished.

2008

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League: John Fraser 10

The OWLs John Fraser 10 is like the sting in the tail of a long season, one which began back in January at windy Barrow. Whilst a few of the league issues had already been settled many, including the men’s senior and vets titles, were still up for grabs. For the Hoggs it was a bit of a race too far. A combination of holidays and injury deprived us of several of our number. For once, the weather was kind on race day; cool, damp and only a light breeze.

Peter (33^rd) led the men home, slicing a few seconds off his time from the previous year. I’m sure he would have made even better use of the conditions had the long season not taken its toll. John McD recorded an excellent 67.15 for 75^th, despite having to slow due to a muscle strain half way round. Close behind was Simon (92^nd), finally starting to fulfil some of his potential with a 68.34 clocking. Ceri gave us a solid 118^th place finish before Edmund (146^th), making a highly impressive debut, led in Dave L (147^th). Dale underlined his return to form with 163^rd, leading in Jon (finally running on full power again, 179^th) and our second debutant, David C (a highly creditable 183^rd). Edmund and David had not been registered for the league, so it was left to Steve (228^th) to round of the scoring eight. That left us John S (237^th), the rejuvenated Martin (277^th) and Colin (307^th) – a magnificent effort in his first 10 mile race for 6 years.

Disappointingly, we failed to field a full ladies team for the first time this season. It was left to Trudy (78^th) and Alison (113^th) to keep the flag flying and in doing so, finish the season with a perfect 11 out of 11.

And so to the roll of honour; 7 Hoggs achieved 100% and another 7 completed 9 or 10 races. For the first time, we had two ladies make it through the entire season. Congratulations to Trudy, Alison (4^th consecutive award), Jon, Dale, Dave (5^th award), Peter (2^nd award) and John Stew.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Joy Cann Memorial

If you set out to design a course for 500 runners there is no way you’d chose the Huncote course but established races are generally forgiven when they outgrow their setting. The first mile involves a mad chase through a housing estate dodging parked cars, left right and centre. I often wonder how many wing mirrors are left on the road after the runners have passed. Apart from a switch from the left side of the road to the right side at mile 4 the rest of the route is pretty safe and uneventful. Aside from the rather high humidity, conditions were pretty good for running. The generous prize fund makes sure that the race always attracts a strong field so finishing positions don’t always match the quality of the individual performance.

Rebecca continued her rapid improvement clocking a superb 35.25 for 25^th place – the 7min/mile barrier is looking distinctly vulnerable. Next up was Rachel (52^nd in 39.08) – some snazzy new trainers and a bit of sneaky training leading to her best performance since the same race last year. Trudy (62^nd) and Cathy (72^nd) completed the four, whilst a sleep-deprived Alison was a bit off the pace in 108^th.

Neither Mark (40^th) or Peter (69^th) were at their best, both well down on their efforts of 12 months before. Nick was disappointed with his 92^nd but he is struggling with the consequences of a back problem, so he shouldn’t be too hard on himself. Rob’s solid run for 104^th left us needing another four finishers and they duly arrived, almost in convoy. Craig and Dave overhauled Dale in the final half mile and by the time a ding-dong battle had gone the way of Dave they caught up with Ceri too. It finished Ceri 124^th, Dave 125^th, Craig 127^th and Dale 129^th, but Dale had a PB to celebrate so he was happy anyway. Another happy Hogg was Chris, grabbing a PB barely more than a week after completing a 30 mile race – Huncote must have seemed like a sprint! Baz finished hot on Chris’s heels, recording his best result of the Summer. Jon 198^th and John S (220^th) are both well in to their Marathon training so they were probably barely warmed up by the finish. Martin (233^rd) was a whisker away from his quickest race of the season, finishing just in front of Steve (234^th). Colin 291^st produced the best performance of his come-back (so far), whilst Barry was 2 minutes adrift, nursing a sore knee, in 295^th.

Mick Yeoman Physiotherapy LRRL Summer League:
Hungarton 7

Welly boots were the order of the day at Hungarton, for the spectators at least. Actually, it might even things up a bit if Mark Powell, Tim Hartley, Gordon Lee et al. were forced to wear them! On the way to the village I was more concerned about how we were all going to get out of the car park (field) than about the race itself. The Hungarton 7 is billed as the toughest road race in the County but it is also many people’s favourite. Thankfully, the rain was not too heavy beforehand and for the actual race itself conditions were pretty good (if you ignored the strong breeze).

Mark (19^th) led us in, just managing to keep below 6-minute miling. Peter (27^th) put in another fine performance, finishing only 20 seconds behind (although he was disappointed to lose places on the final descent). John McD was running incognito (having forgotten his vest) but there was nothing low key about his run, finishing 67^th in 45.46. Nick (96^th) had a steady one, finishing just in front of Simon (99^th), who despite getting his excuses in beforehand, ran a stormer. Rob (108^th) put in a solid run but faded towards the end, giving a fast finishing Dave (110^th) a glimpse of glory before closing the door. That left us needing one more for the eight. Ceri (124^th) had been closing on Dave at the top of the hill but lost his killer instinct in the final mile, getting mugged for a few places by faster finishers into the bargain. Dale served notice that he is starting to regain his edge with a good performance to bag 139^th. Chris (181^st) just managed to out sprint a fast improving Jon (184^th). Tom is struggling for form after a series of injuries, but should have been pleased with his run for 197^th, a marked improvement on his West End effort. Steve (264^th) led in Baz (271^st) and John Stew (281^st). Colin was not running, so that just left Barry and he duly obliged with 399^th.

For the second race in a row, it was Rebecca (28^th lady) who led the team home with an excellent 54.17. Trudy managed to break the top 50 (49^th) and Rachel was her reliable self (65^th). For the first time this year, Cathy was unavailable so it was left to Alison (90^th) to complete the four as well as banking the vet points.

It’s fair to say that Rachel sometimes times her arrival at races quite finely. On Wednesday however, she was made to look like a right amateur by one of the OWLs. This lad arrived so late he had to run without a number. The organisers were actually quite relaxed about this, but not so happy with where he abandoned his car – 20m from the finish – forcing 400 odd runners to dodge round it!

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 Rebecca 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 dueled 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.