Roadhoggs Leicester AC
The John Fraser 10 seems to divide opinion. For some it’s a highlight but for others I suspect it’s something to be endured or a reason to find a pressing alternative engagement. In truth, the 10 mile distance is unforgiving and our lowest turnout of the season can be put down to the continuing injury jinx. Having run this race in all sorts of weather, it was a relief to be greeted by gentle rain. At one point during the race the sun made a brief appearance and the humidity soared but fortunately this was short lived. The result was some fast times as reflected by a number of PBs.
For our ladies it was the end of a long hard campaign. Trudy ended the season with one of her highest finishes (64th) and a PB. Clare M (96th) completed her first 10-miler in good shape but Valerie (108th) had to battle with a stitch. Alison found a way to deal with the pain and we finished a team.
Mike has had his best season for a while and his 12th place made him VM45 winner for the Summer League. Last year Nick (19th) was disappointed to miss out on breaking the hour by just 10 seconds. This time he finished on the right side of the mark, recording a 59.45 PB. Under normal circumstances, Mark would have expected to have joined him but with his current injury problems, 28th was a good result. The next four had a good battle from start to finish. First in was Rob M (77th) who is one of those who love this course. In fact he runs it so often he could probably do it blindfolded. Ceri (80th), Mark R (85th) and Neil (89th) obviously need more practice.
The build up to the race included very localised downpours with parts of the city experiencing flash floods and others staying completely dry. Regrettably, Huncote remained dry and humid so many people struggled.
Clare O continued her magnificent form with another top 10 finish and a PB to go with it. It’s a shame that Emma has better things to do on a Sunday morning than race because she’s definitely got a talent for it, nicely illustrated by an excellent 18th place (7th vet). These two were backed up well by Bec (34th) and Ruth 67th. Amy (95th) and Valerie (96th) obviously held hands again but this time it was Amy who crossed the line first. Clare M was a little disappointed with her finish (125th) but she wasn’t alone in finding the high humidity a challenge. Alison (157th) ticked off another race before Janet (164th) recorded her first finish as a Roadhogg.
With Mike absent and Mark still struggling with injury, it might have seemed like a forgone conclusion that Nick (18th) would be first home. He was, but that really doesn’t tell the story of a race in which he was challenged like never before. Ludo (21st) finished just 10 seconds behind, despite having to stop to re-tie an errant shoelace. Mark (59th) was next in but was swiftly followed by man of the moment, Miguel (70th), who scorched to another impressive PB. Ceri (96th), Rob M (114th) and Dale (124th) completed the veteran team and Simon (137th) just beat Colin (139th) for eighth counter.
As usual, Dave (166th) wilted in the heat but Lee (174th) put in a good run on his debut. Roger (186th) and Sam (189th) both had good solid runs. Baz (210th), Rob T (227th) and Hitesh (234th) all finished comfortably under 8-minute miles and David hit the mark exactly (247th). Ian (262nd) managed his quickest race of the season, finishing in front of Dave S (272nd) and Richard (286th). Next in was Mark J (290th), completing his first race for the club and then Barry (301st) with his eighth finish of the season.
By kind permission of Severn Trent Water, who decided not to dig up the course this year, the Hungarton 7 returned to normal. Earth, however, was knocked slightly from its axis by the colour of the most popular vest in the race. Not Barrow red, Birstall blue or Huncote yellow, burgundy was the hip colour to be seen in with no less than 37 of them making it across the line. The usual suspects were joined by Clare Mendes, Lianne Underwood and Nick Beer making their debuts for the club. Nick is an elite triathlete who ran Glooston and has joined us second claim.
Clare O has really recaptured her best form lately and made light of the difficulties of the course, breaking sevens and finishing 7th. Ruth couldn’t quite match her pace of the year before but was on the cusp of the top 50 nonetheless (51st). Clare M (79th) showed plenty of guts and was rewarded with an excellent time, finishing in front of Trudy (81st) and another improver, Lianne (82nd). Valerie and Amy (92nd) were well matched again with Valerie (91st) just getting the verdict. That just left the walking wounded aka Alison (128th) to conquer those hills once again.
Nick B produced a great performance to come home 3rd in the League (4th over all). He was joined in the top 10 by Mike (9th and 1st Vet). Nick C grabbed a top 20 finish (19th) but must have had Ludo (23rd) in his rear-view mirror all the way round. Mark continues to defy injury, finishing 42nd. Behind Mark there were some cracking battles; Ceri (87th) and Neil (88th) were separated by just 1 second, while Mark R (94th) and Rob M (95th) recorded the same time. That made 9 finishers in the top 100. Peter (109th) finished in splendid isolation but the following quartet Tom (118th), Simon (119th), Jerry (120th) and Dale (121st) were separated by just 13 seconds.
Behind these high achievers, Dave L (141st) managed to turn the tables on Sam (147th). Steve W (162nd) and Rob T (168th) both consolidated their recent improvements before our Marathon men, John (175th) and Jon (178th) completed their ‘recovery run’ after the weekend’s efforts (a double, no less). They were followed by another scrap - a three-way contest between the youth of Dan (180th) and the experience of Baz (182nd) and Roger (183rd). Hitesh (207th) and David (227th) both found the Hungarton hills a bit of a challenge, but Ian (243rd) had one of his better runs. Richard (252nd) has been working away from home and finding it difficult to train but did just enough to finish in front of Dave S (255th), with Barry, as smooth and steady as a Rolls in 264th.
My memories of the old Swithland 6 are of hot summer days and kids with crisps and lemonade in the pub car park that doubled up as race HQ. A falling out with the landlord led to the race adopting a new distance (10K) and a new venue, a short distance from the original circuit. These changes must have upset the ancient Charnwood weather gods because ever since, we’ve had rain. The race has now returned to its traditional distance and includes a complete circuit of the original course. Whilst rain is actually quite good for racing in, it is not so easy for those recording at the finish. Two years of wet paper, sodden laptops and sundry other calamities convinced the organisers to go for chip timing (or chip and pin as Swanee insists on calling it). It conjures visions of runners being told they can’t cross the finish until they enter their secret number correctly – get it wrong three times and you’re classified behind Steve Hibben!
One benefit of the new HQ is that it is even closer to Mike’s house, so he was on hand to lead our men to some excellent finishes. Mike himself was 9th and Nick came in 15th, reducing his PB again. Ludo eased up on his pre-race run (a 12 mile training run instead of a competitive half Marathon) and was rewarded with 29th and a new PB (35.13). Mark is still in bits but was able to bank some useful points for the team (59th). Ceri (82nd) came in just in front of a titanic battle between Neil (84th and another PB) and Peter (85th). Miguel dipped in under a 100 (95th) and shaved a few seconds from his PB. That gave us all eight counters in the top 100 for the first time in a long while.
On any other day, Rob (104th)(who broke 40 minutes), Dale (118th), Jerry (121st) and Tom (123rd) (all under 41) would have expected to make the top eight – clearly ‘good’ is no longer enough! Dave (146th) continued to race himself back into some modest form and Roger (160th) took another step forward. The ‘middle order batting’ is looking stronger than ever; Steve W (179th) upped the pace still further after his recent improvements and came in ahead of Rob T (181st), Hitesh (188th) and David (198th). Trying desperately to crash this little party was Dan (202nd) who managed to knock a cool 5 minutes off his previous 6 mile time. John S (261st), having completed a hilly off-road Marathon the day before was pacing Trudy (I’d love to suggest that he was slowing her down, but unfortunately the clock suggests otherwise!). Dave S (264th) completed his first race of the year but had to give best to a fast finishing Richard (262nd) – another one making real progress with his running. Martin (268th) has been our ‘renaissance man’ recapturing form that must have been but a distant memory however today he felt like someone had put sugar in the petrol tank and ran like a mere mortal again. Our evergreen duo, Barry (282nd) and Colin S (288th) came in either side of the hour mark.
After one abortive comeback Bec could have been forgiven for taking it really steady. Whatever demons were in her mind she still found some good speed for 32nd. Trudy (81st) continued her good run of form (maybe this training lark is not so bad after all), finishing just in front of Ruth (83rd, who had done a long bike ride the day before). Amy (104th) completed the scoring 4, finishing just in front of Valerie (108th) and Alison (134th) continued her painful battle with sciatica.
In days of yore (when Swanee was in short trousers) the Quarter Marathon was a recognised race distance. Now that we’re all modern and continental, we have the 10K which has the added bonus of being a touch shorter. The Desford QM was reintroduced a couple of years ago as a fundraiser for the village school. This year it was staged as a league race to mark the twentieth anniversary of Desford Striders.
While members of some clubs start to lose interest when we get to the Summer League, that doesn’t seem to apply to Roadhoggs. It’s not that our members aren’t tempted by the array of more exotic races on offer, they just do those as well. And so it was that Ludo, Valerie, Dale and Rob lined up less than 24 hours after setting PB’s in the White Peak Half (obviously no holding back there, then). We were strengthened by the return of Mark (from injury), Ruth (from devotion to the Marathon) and Fi (from having better things to do with her Sunday morning).
Over the years, Rachel has developed a reputation for getting to races barely 5 minutes before they start. Last year, Anita trumped this by arriving as the race started. Well clearly, both these two are amateurs – a closed road in Whetstone meant Ruth arrived several minutes after the field had departed. Undaunted, she set off, map in hand to chase the race, managing to overtake 11 runners before the finish. Among those who didn’t treat it as a handicap race, Clare was the first of the ladies to make it in, breaking the top ten (10th). There was a bit of a gap before Trudy (59th) crossed the line but this time it was in a vertical rather than a horizontal state (no fun for the paramedics this week). Fi (77th) was third home, followed by Hannah (89th), Valerie (90th) and Amy (93rd). Ruth (115th), still motoring on pure adrenaline, led in the final pair of Alison R (117th) and Alison L (120th).
Our men made an impact at the sharp end with Mike bagging 10th and Nick recording his best ever LRRL finish in 13th. Despite his injuries, Mark made the top 50 (49th) and Ludo was fresh enough to get 52nd. Ceri (66th) was well up and both Mark R (91st) and Colin (96th) made the top 100. Neil (102nd) and Simon (109th) were close behind this pair. Jerry (131st) was easing himself back after an injury niggle and Peter (139th) had one of those days when nothing works properly. The next pair, Martin (144th) and Sam (145th), had a right tear up. This time, the verdict went in favour of experience rather than youth. Roger (146th) had a fine run, finishing in front of Dave (154th) and Dale (155th) (who had a good battle thanks to the handicapping effect of those Derbyshire hills).
Steve W (161st) is really on form at the moment and put in a great run to finish in front of David (167th) and Hitesh (176th). Rob T (204th) was followed by the continually improving Dan (207th). Ian (239th) was next up, then Colin (260th) before former champion race walker Alan King (261st) completed the line up.
Last year’s edition of this little tester was lost when we woke up to find Gumley hill resembling the Cresta Run. This year we were presented with perfect conditions – dry, little breeze and just enough nip in the air to make it comfortable. I’m always conscious, when describing a race for those that haven’t done it before, that too much emphasis on the challenges might put people off but equally, ignoring them would mean not being trusted in future. I thought I was honest but whether it is an indication of the toughness of our recent intake or of the attractions of the promised scenery, I wasn’t expecting a record turnout. Thirty three Hoggs made it to the line. Sam made his debut and there were seasonal first starts for Bec (back from injury), Hannah and Steve W. Not content with a managerial record that will soon have Sir Alex looking over his shoulder, Roadhoggs' Cross Country supremo, Kim, came along to help us get to grips with this road running lark.
Clare had a strong run, leading the team with a 14th place finish and Jackie’s consistency was rewarded when she broke the top 50 for the first time (49th). Bec set out intending to be sensible and not hinder her recovery from injury by being too competitive. By and large, she was the model of self restraint, finishing in 63rd and contributing valuable points to the team. Trudy (78th) continued her good form and along with Amy (86th) managed the difficult task of running Kibworth faster than their previous race. Hannah (101st) showed the benefit of all that cross country running when it comes to talking the hills. Valerie (127th) was tentatively feeling her way back after injury and Alison (133rd) still counted as walking (or running) wounded.
With Mark still in bits, we were pleased to have Mike (11th) to lead the line. Nick (16th) showed that he was back to his best and Ludo (38th) continued his advance. Peter (47th) had a strong race, giving us four in the top fifty. Ceri (78th) and Rob M (91st) added a couple of top hundred finishes and we didn’t have long to wait to complete the team. Mark R (114th) earned the bragging rights in a three way tussle with Colin B (116th) and Jerry (117th).
Craig (131st) has been working his way up the pecking order but Tom (120th) managed to maintain a respectable advantage, for another race at least. Dale (147th) was suffering the post holiday blues and found it hard going. He did however, keep Dave L (153rd) in his place and in fact, Dave had more than enough on his hands keeping out of range of Martin’s (155th) killer sprint. Baz (172nd) was followed by Jon (178th) – marginally slower than usual, but completing the Rhyader 20 the day before probably had something to do with it! Paul (195th) made it home safely before Sam (200th), completed his first race – talk about ‘in at the deep end’! David (208th) showed Hitesh (221st) a clean pair of heels, then Steve W (243rd) eased in ahead of Dan (245th - his highest finish, so far). We finished up with three novices (not) in Steve (265th), Kim (273rd) and Barry (290th).
What with the distractions of half-term and enough injuries to keep MASH fully stretched, we were a little depleted at Desford. Fortunately we had our own 'Hawkeye' (Keith) to make sure spirits remained high. It was one of those cold and wet days that are fine for racing but not so good for the waiting around bit. The course at Desford has gone through a few refinements over the years and has now settled on a figure of eight with start and finish safely away from any traffic. There are some demanding slopes but somehow they seem easier than Markfield, something that is borne out by the quicker times run.
For the first time in a while, we failed to finish a full ladies’ team. Jackie was sufficiently recovered to post her best performance of the season, so far (56th). Trudy (110th) was also fully restored and carried on where she left off at Ashby. Alison L (150th), who was still hamstrung by sciatica, just concentrated on getting round without anything falling off.
Nick managed to shrug off the after effects of two holidays (and the excellent Budapest beer) to finish 30th. He can’t rest on his laurels however, because Ludo is on his tail! Another superb PB performance propelled him to 43rd and a second successive top 50 finish. Peter was back from holiday and he edged further up the standings with 64th. Rob M (108th) is getting back to his best and narrowly missed dipping under 40 minutes. Another one threatening this psychological barrier was Neil (112th) who ran a 40.10 PB and it is now surely just a matter of finding the right course. Mark R (124th) put in another quality performance and then we had Tom (151st) who is quietly working his way back into form. Craig (164th) continued his rehabilitation, making the eight and putting Dave L (170th) back in his box.
There was an all mighty scrap for the honour of being fourth vet between Jon (who was fitting the race into the middle of a Marathon training run) and the new ‘super improved’ Martin. Jon (179th) got the nod by a mere 2 seconds with Martin (181st) a second away from breaking a PB set when Nick was probably still in nappies (no wisecracks please!). Baz (194th), Roger (201st), Rob T (215th) and David (216th) should all have felt satisfied with their work but John (230th) probably felt he should have remained on his sickbed. Keith (256th) continued his race by race improvement but the man of the moment was definitely Richard (299th). After the nightmare of Markfield came the dream of Desford and an improvement of over 9 minutes. Steve (300th) and Barry (317th) both improved on Markfield and Colin (320th), who set off more in hope than in expectation, made it safely back in one piece.
It was a wet and windy morning on the slopes above Thornton Reservoir but spirits were high. We’d lost Nick to the bright lights of Budapest, Peter to the Lakes and Colin to sciatica but we had Craig and Roger back after injury and Ian making his debut. Twenty five Roadhogg men was a great turn out but sadly only five ladies were able to join them.
Charlotte is still feeling her way back after a long injury lay off but still gave us a good start with 38th. She was followed by Jackie (battling with a ‘throat like barbed wire’, 60th) and Amy (maintaining her form on a tough course, 118th). The team was completed by a double A; Alison R (156th) just getting the better of Alison L (157th).
For the second race in a row it was Mike who took the honours, with an excellent 21st. He was followed by Ludo with an unbelievable performance; breaking the top 50 for the first time (46th) and coming in under 38 minutes. Ceri (87th) broke 40 minutes for the second time and on an infinitely harder course than the first. Fortunately, unlike the ‘Manager of the Month’ award, being Roadhoggs’ ‘Most Improved Athlete’ doesn’t seem to be the kiss of death! We then had a bit of a convoy with Neil (109th), Colin (112th), Rob M (113th) and Miguel (116th) separated by only 15 seconds. Dale (137th) finally managed to make the counting eight but had to battle past Mark R (138th) to secure the honour.
Tom (155th) put in a good steady run on his first outing of the year and Dave L (164th) managed to overhaul Craig (169th) in the closing stages, when his lack of training caught up with him. Martin (180th) is simply flying – his fastest 10K since 1989 – and pushed Jon (177th) all the way. Baz (214th) is starting to look like his old self again, just pipping Roger (215th), with Rob T (219th) not far behind. Hitesh (232nd) and David (233rd) must have gone across the line virtually holding hands because they were credited with the same time. Dan (265th) continues to reap the benefits of the hard work he is putting into training with a race to race improvement. Keith’s steady progress continued (283rd), leading in Ian (292nd) and Steve (304th). Richard found the early hills a bit of a challenge, but stuck with it to finish in 321st and Barry followed him in 322nd to complete the line up.
Ashby was a test of our strength. After a promising start at Barrow the rival attraction of exotic Marrakech meant there were some key absentees. It was a great relief therefore, to see that man ‘Zorro’ emerge from the crowd. We also had former member Mark Ramsden making his comeback and Jerry, one of last year’s ‘form horses’ taking his seasonal bow, so things were starting to look up. There’s nothing in the terrain to cause much of a problem but the twists, turns and narrow sections mean good times take a little earning.
What can you say about Mike? He turns up, knocks out a top twenty finish (18th) then disappears into the mist before most have us have even sighted the finishing line! Peter (73rd) is not quite hitting his top form but is going well, nonetheless. Ceri (89th) produced another good performance before the real battle developed. Miguel (106th), Jerry (108th), Colin B (109th) and Neil (115th) were separated by a mere 12 seconds as they surged to a quartet of personal best performances. That left us just one short but we didn’t have long to wait before Mark R finished the job in a fine 131st place.
Dale (142nd) had an even better run than the week before but it still didn’t count. Dave made a very slow start, leaving it late to overhaul John S who showed that Marathons and fast 5-milers are not incompatible with a PB and a first time under 35 minutes. Jon (215th) continued his improving form and Rob T (228th) got the better of Paul (229th) who is using the races to top up his Marathon mileage. Hitesh (246th) was well up with his best of 2010, Keith (303rd) continued his rehabilitation, turning the tables on Steve M (306th). Barry (337th) had an excellent race, trying to keep up with Anita, and recorded his best time for a couple of years, while Colin (341st) struggled with his sciatica.
Once again, we were short of ladies but those that made it didn’t let us down. Jackie got close to her PB, leading us home in 59th. Trudy (104th) started the season off in style, recording her best time since 2008 and Amy (118th) was not far behind, taking an impressive 40s per mile off her Barrow pace. Anita (151st) and Alison R (168th) both improved by 20s per mile. Alison L (172nd) took to the line with sciatica and was glad just to reach the finish.
As ever, the first race of the season was a time for making new acquaintances and greeting old friends. Five runners; Alison R, Amy, Colin B, Dan and Richard made their debuts and Rob made his comeback after a year spent concentrating on the Marathon (that and painting the world magnolia). A good testing course and experienced organisation mean that Barrow is always a popular race and there were 30 Hoggs in a field of 533. The cool weather meant that many chose to sport the new long sleeve running tops, so we were a particularly smart bunch this time.
Mike was absent and Mark too injured to run, so it was left to the rest to step up and support Nick. The newly crowned ‘Athlete of the Year’ duly delivered with 25th (an improvement of 31s on 2010) against a strong field. Ludo produced one of the performances of the day, slashing more than 5 minutes off last year’s time and registering his best ever finish (63rd). Not a bad advertisement for the benefits of Mark’s speed sessions! It was great to see Peter (74th) enjoying his racing again and 2010’s ‘Most Improved Athlete’, Ceri (88th), simply carried on where he left off. Rob (115th) was straight back into the groove but he’ll have to watch out for Miguel (117th) who made another huge leap forward. Neil’s race performances have been a bit of an enigma but today he ran much more like the natural athlete we know from training (132nd and under 40 minutes). Right on his tail was Colin (136th) – making a big impact in his first ever race. Dale (152nd) put in his usual solid performance, comfortably good enough to see off Dave L (177th) but for once, not quite good enough for the counting 8. Jon (233rd) went well but then again he had to, because Martin (242nd) was having an absolute stormer. We knew he was in good shape after Ceri and I recently spent 3 miles vainly trying to catch him in training, but here was the proof – 3.5 minutes quicker than 2010 and his fastest race in well over a decade (16 years, to be precise). Next up were Rob T (249th), Hitesh (256th) and Paul (257th, on the back of 17 miles the day before). Dan (308th) showed how far he has come since he’s been with us, as did Richard (338th). Sandwiched in between these two were Steve (316th) and Keith (317th). Barry (346th) did us proud in his first outing as a V75 (the only one in the race) and Colin battled with his sciatica for 350th.
Clare (20th) got the season off to a great start with a fine display of sub 7-minute miling. Angela too, showed she’d retained her fine form of last autumn finishing 37th . Charlotte (52nd) started to rebuild a little confidence after a long injury lay-off and Jackie (69th) started the new season well. Valerie (133rd) showed that it is not just the quicker men who can benefit from track work, knocking a cool 4 minutes off her 2010 time. She was followed in by Amy (137th) in her first official race as a Roadhogg. Alison L (159th) led in Anita (161st), and Alison R (172nd) did well despite not having done much running recently.
Traditionally, the turnout for this end of season 10-miler is low. Apart from the distance, the course has more proper hills than it has miles and the camber of the roads is uneven. Despite all this, and Dave S, Colin and Steve taking care of business at the "Big Fun Run", we still managed a magnificent 29 finishers. Coming into the race, the veteran men had the Division 2 title more or less sewn up but the ladies, timing their run to perfection, were in a promotion position by a solitary point. Added to this, we had four athletes vying for individual honours, so it was all to play for.
Unusually for this race, conditions were good for running. Mike led us home, breaking the hour, for 11th place. Behind him, it was the race of truth between Mark and Nick – could Nick make it 5:5 and hang on to his tenner? In the event, the contest never really got going – Mark’s injury niggles proving more of a handicap than Nick’s tight calves. The only disappointment for Nick (18th) was finishing 9 seconds over the hour. Mark had to make do with 50th. Ceri continued his superb form with a 66.51 PB for 68th and Jerry completed the veteran foursome with a handy 86th. Neil (94th) broke both the top hundred and the 70-minute barrier, which is no mean feat on this course. Dale (120th) was his usual steady self but Jon (124th) was positively on fire, finishing as eighth counter and just in front of an ailing Peter (125th).
John S (140th) led in Stef (143rd, and having a great race until the gas ran out), Dave Luyt (147th, his best race of the season) and Dave L (148th, less said…..). Steve W continued his steady improvement in 168th, getting the better of Hitesh (179th) and Rob T (194th). Baz was in safely in 207th and Keith, trying to convince himself that Marathon number 50 was still on, completed the line up. There should have been one more. Martin stood on the brink of a third successive 100% award but a diary malfunction in the Capell household meant he was on holiday instead!
Could the ladies do it? Clare had a bit of a bug but she wasn’t about to give in, leading from the front with an excellent 11th place. Angela capped a fine summer with 15th, cementing her place as 2nd V45. Charlotte is still easing her way back after injury but managed a creditable 20th. So that left us needing one to complete the scoring four. Jackie was feeling ropey but she dug deep to come home in 41st - would it be enough? In the event, only two Division 1 teams; the big guns of Charnwood and Barrow, managed to better our score.
The course is nothing special but this race always seems to be a firm favourite with runners. Perhaps it was no surprise then, in a season when we fielded greater numbers than ever before, that the club record should be broken here. Thirty two Roadhoggs made it across the line, the ranks of regulars supplemented by the League debuts of Isabella and Hannah. There are often glitches at the finish of this race but a look at the results shows how challenging things can be for the officials in such a short event. During the peak finishing period (31-40 minutes) runners were crossing the line, on average, every 2 seconds.
Clare led from the front, grabbing 17th place in a strong field. She was well backed up by Angela (26th) and Rebecca (34th). Angela even picked up a prize for 3rd FV45 to add to her collection. Jackie (54th) put in her fastest run of the season to complete the scoring four. Isabella put down a marker with 90th and Sumina produced a season’s best for 101st. Valerie (120th), Hannah (121st) and Alison (125th, a season’s best) all had good runs and it was good to see Fiona (161st) back racing.
Nick’s fight back continued but, such is the competition at this race, he had to settle for 26th place (with a PB for consolation). Mark (42nd) continued to struggle with niggling injuries but Ceri (74th) was flying – recording another PB. Peter (85th) led home another improver in Ludovic (89th) before Dale joined the PB party in 127th. Simon (153rd) was next up with the fast improving Miguel not far behind. Chasing these two was Renaissance man Jon (164th), with his first sub-7 clocking in over a year. Dave L (173rd) was somewhat off the pace and Stef (208th) couldn’t quite convert his training form into race result.
Baz (219th) produced his best form of the summer, Hitesh (221st) and Steve W (230th) their fastest of the season. Hard on the heels of these three was David (232nd) with Rob (252nd) a little further back. Keith (259th) and Martin (260th) almost staged a dead heat, with Dave S (262nd) right on their tails. Steve M was on his own in 280th before our V70s rounded things off by battling it out to the line - Colin getting the judge’s verdict by a second in 306th to Barry’s 307th.
There are many things to give race organisers sleepless nights but seldom do they wake up to find someone has dug up the course! Unlike the Oval, all those years ago, this was Severn Trent, rather than the friends of George Davis. Hasty modifications to the course ensued and the Hungarton 7 became the Hungarton 7.2. We needn’t have worried though - they managed to keep all the hills we love so much! For the Hoggs, there was a bumper turnout with Miguel, Emma and Rob T making their debuts and Adrian running his first race of the season.
Clare led the ladies in with an excellent 15th and Angela was well up in 24th. Emma made an assured debut, finishing in 27th, and Ruth completed an impressive team showing with 32nd. Jackie (38th) ran another good race to ensure that we picked up plenty of points in the veteran league as well. Trudy (92nd) was the best of the rest but Valerie (95th) and Alison (105th) both ran well, too.
Nick (20th) bagged a top twenty finish and bragging rights over Mark (25th). Peter banked some useful points with 72nd before Ceri and Jerry underlined their recent good form in 77th and 92nd, respectively. Ludo (111th) and Dale (119th) both had good runs. When Miguel was seeking advice on how best to approach the race, we all said “steady first half, then if you feel good, go for it”. He followed these instructions so well that he ended up as eighth counter, with a magnificent 138th place.
Dave (143rd) had a reasonable race, but came under pressure from John S (150th) and a resurgent Jon, who announced his recovery from a debilitating illness with a strong run for 152nd. Paul (157th) coped well with the hills, leading in Stef (177th), Adrian (187th) and Hitesh (198th). Neil struggled in 222nd after suffering from stomach cramps halfway round. The next three finished in quick succession, Baz (226th), Keith 227th) and Rob, 231st, on his league debut. Dave S (248th) got the better of Martin (253rd) and Barry was tail-gunner in 286th.
When you're thinking of appropriate punishments for over-paid, over-hyped and over-matched England footballers, running Prestwold on a hot summer day would be high on the list. While Fabio's boys were still dreaming of unrealistic World Cup glory, the brave runners of Leicestershire were flogging round an airfield trying to convince themselves that they do this for fun! Fortunately, everyone put survival ahead of glory and there were no Roadhogg casualties. In fact, things looked better than they did at Desford. Despite the conditions and the unpopularity of the race, we still managed 23 finishers and were pleased to welcome Celine in her first race for the club.
Mark's troubled hamstring gave Nick the opportunity to keep their bet alive, but he still had to pull out a PB performance to do it, finishing 18th (to Mark’s 25th) in a high quality field. Peter finished in 57th and Ceri produced an excellent 40.27 (a PB, I think) for 75th. Simon came in 93rd and John McD (107th) probably wished he’d been blessed with easier conditions for his first race of the season. Neil (124th) was the last of the finishers to break 7-minute miles and there was a bit of a gap before Dale (149th) struggled in to complete the eight. John S (157th) gained a rare (at the time, at least) victory over Dave L (159th), remembering Dale’s advice and making his move with a kilometre to go. Hitesh (196th) was another one to find the heat a challenge but Dave S (206th) seems to flourish when the mercury rises and produced his quickest race of the season. For Baz (218th), Martin (229th) and Keith (237th, carrying an injury) it was just a case of damage limitation.
For the ladies, Rebecca (22nd) took the honours, overtaking Clare (24th, who was feeling the heat) towards the end. These two were ably supported by Ruth (38th) and Jackie (44th). Celine took her bow in 58th and Trudy ran well for 99th. Valerie (107th) and Alison (113th) were the others to brave the conditions.
The journey to the race brought back memories of last year's downpour but fortunately the race managed to dodge the showers. When the sun finally peeped through, the humidity soared but otherwise, conditions were good for racing. We had a massive turnout of 29, including Jackie (fresh from her excellent 3rd place at Arnesby) and Ruth making their league debuts. There were modifications to both the start and the finish of the race but the traditional loop, which makes up the bulk of the course, was unchanged.
It was a fantastic day for the Hoggettes. Clare produced a magnificent PB performance to finish a heady 7th. Bec matched her PB for 18th and with Angela only two places behind, we had 3 in the top 20. We didn’t have to wait long for the final counter, with Charlotte bagging 26th despite a shortage of miles since recovering from injury. Next up were Ruth (36th) and Jackie (41st) and that made 6 in the top 50. Valerie (102nd), Trudy (103rd) and Alison (114) completed the team. The highest individual placing since Aussie Hannah, the lowest ever team score and a full veteran team. Not a bad morning’s work!
The men weren’t too shabby either! Mike continued to lead the way with 11th but the fiercest battle was just a little further back. Mark and Nick have had a little side bet on who would win the majority of their personal battles over the course of the league season. The score stood at 5:0 to Mark with 5 races to go (dormy as they say in golf), so it was now or never for Nick. Perhaps the prospect of parting with a tenner was just the extra incentive needed, because when Mark stopped briefly to stretch his troublesome hamstring, Nick seized the advantage and held it to the end. It finished with Nick setting a new PB and breaking into the top 20 for the first time (17th). Mark had to settle for 21st.
Peter was struggling with injury niggles but still bagged us some useful points with an 81st place finish. Behind Peter there was another battle going on. Simon (96th) has been on good form since he took up triathlon but he was pushed all the way by Neil (97th), and Tom (102nd) was only seconds from gate crashing the party. We needed one more for the eight and Dale (126th) duly delivered, even if he did have to watch Clare cruise past in the final mile. Who ordered this weather?
Dave (135th) struggled in the middle of the race but managed run down form horse John S (139th) in the final stages. Paul put in another solid performance before Keith (171st) and Hitesh (173rd) came through with their best performances of the season. In fact, Keith is now back to where he was before his long injury lay off. Steve W (201st) continued his race-by race progress with another good run but Baz (218th) was having a bit of a quiet one. Jon (234th) has been suffering from a mystery illness that has sapped his power and only his legendary toughness got him through this one.
Dave S (237th) looked on fine form but Martin (249th) struggled a bit. Colin (263rd) and Barry (266th), flying the flag for the V70’s, completed the finishers.
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 hosepipe ban, a nationwide shortage of electric fans and Dave L, Dale and Baz running like donkeys.
First home, in a superb 12th place, was Mike. Mark (22nd) was less than 30s behind and Nick (24th) 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 (57th) 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 99th. The rest of the counting eight looked a little different from usual. John Stew (128th) 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 (135th) and Roger (139th) for the seniors.
Dave L (149th) and Dale (153rd) ran true to form, whereas Steve W continued his race by race improvement in 170th. He was followed by Keith (171st), Hitesh (172nd) and David (194th). Baz (200th; who hates the heat) just managed to finish in front of Dave S (202nd; who loves it). Steve M (221st) turned the tables on Martin (222nd) and Colin overcame his recent injury problems in 238th.
Clare (another one who seems to thrive in these conditions) led the ladies in with a magnificent 14th place, ably supported by Sumina (65th). Trudy (95th), Valerie (102nd) and Alison (111th) all battled bravely in the heat.
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 22nd and notching a PB in the process. Emma put her bug behind her with a PB performance and a season’s best finish of 35th. Rachel (57th) was another one to record her best run of the season and this week Anita (100th) arrived just in time to complete the scoring four. Valerie (102nd) and Alison (112th) completed the finishers.
Mike moved on to another level, finishing a magnificent 11th. Mark (22nd) and Nick (31st), both suffering from bugs couldn’t quite match their performances from the week before, but still finished well. Peter (131st) had one of those days when the motor refuses to fire, so Ludovic (118th) was next in, conjuring up another 6 second/mile improvement. Tom (137th), Dale (139th) and Dave (140th) kept each other in sight for most of the race with Tom proving to have the edge in the final mile. John S (163rd), 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 (189th) dipped from his recent consistent standard and Keith (240th), 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 (243rd), Steve M (244th) and a fast improving Steve W (249th). Colin (264th) faired better than the previous week and Barry (269th) made a welcome return after injury.
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 18th to Mark’s 20th, with Nick bagging 26th. Three Hoggs in the top 30 – riches indeed.
Jerry produced another excellent performance for 89th. Dale (112th) ran well but had to give best to Ludovic who broke the 7-minute/mile barrier to finish in 108th. Dave managed 127th and Baz completed the counting eight in 144th 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 (214th) had one of those days when it feels like the downhill outnumbers the uphill, whereas for David (222nd) and Steve M (225th) the reverse must have been true. Steve W marked his debut with a steady 233rd and Colin, nursing a muscle pull completed the finishers in 247th.
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 26th place. Not bad for someone who should have been tucked up in bed after a hard nightshift on the ward! Rachel (65th) was next, followed by the fast improving Valerie (90th). Despite missing the start, Anita made up ground to finish 99th, leaving Alison to nurse a sore hamstring (and assorted other bits) round for 105th.
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 23rd place in a PB time of 42.41. It can’t be long before she breaks the 7min/mile barrier. Both Bec (46th) and Emma (48th) improved on their Ashby pace and another steady run from Rachel (101st) saw the ladies score well, despite the bigger field. Fi was next (109th) before we had the first of our debutants, Sumina (117th), 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 (169th) got home, our final debutant, Fiona (175th), finished with a smile on her face, well in front of the back markers.
Mark produced another good performance to finish 27th with Nick 38th, both pushed back a few places by the quality of the field. Peter (88th) continued his rehabilitation before Barrow witnessed the return of Roadhogg stalwart Mat (108th). Simon (120th) was next up, with Craig showing us how well Bath is suiting him in 130th, as they both broke 40 minutes. Jerry (136th) missed that barrier by just a handful of seconds but it was a fine run nonetheless. Tom (166th) managed to turn the tables on Dave (169th) to grab the final counting spot, before Dale (174th) just managed to hold off a fast finishing Ludovic (175th). 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 (202nd) continued his renaissance with Paul (208th), another improver, and David (225th) not far behind.
Hitesh came in 266th with Keith, looking happier than he’s been since pork pies were last on special, continuing to regain his form in 272nd. Martin (286th) produced a significant improvement to turn the tables on Steve (290th). Dave S suffered an injury, limping in 325th, not far in front of last man Colin (331st).
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 39th. Emma made it two in the top 50 with 49th before Rachel (80th) and Fi (87th) completed the scoring four. Alison (127th) and Trudy (131st) 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 20th, his best result for 18 months. Nick started 2010 where he finished 2009, on the verge of the top 30 (31st). Peter was recovering from a virus, so a return of 73rd 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 (140th) with Neil (147th), Tom (152nd) and Dale (163rd) all breaking 35 minutes. For Neil, his 34.25 was a PB and we soon had another as John Stew (177th) 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 189th.
David Luyt (205th) was next in, getting the better of Paul (208th) who is starting to pick up speed again. Hitesh was on his own in 232nd but then we had Keith (254th), Steve (258th), Dave S (264th) and Martin (271st) in quick succession. Evergreen Colin kicked off another season with 298th and Barry had to battle round for 311th.