Ronhill Blog

AFD flying the flag for Britain in Europe!

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Andy Vernon and Ben Moreau

Aldershot, Farnham & District AC represented Great Britain at the European Champions Club Cup 2011, San Vittore Olona.

Andy Vernon started fast and was up in the leading pack of 10, but approx 1km into the race fell on the decent from a 3m ridge lossing places before the field entered the Mill, were runners ran through 2 buildings in single file slowing those at the back of the group. Andy never got back with the leading group.

Ben Moreau, who started at a more modest pace came through strongly to be AFD first scorer in 22nd just in front of Andy in 25th.

Jonny Hay, was the first Junior to finish in the Senior race finished in 29th.

AFD scoring team was completed by Paul Rodgers in 44th, non scorers Steve Connor was 56th and Martin Mashford 98th. Earlier in the day Andy Conway as travelling reserve won the fun run. Overall the team finished 6th, in what was a very strong field. Well done!

The AFD Team looking good in their kit!

Introducing.......Switch Glove

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:08:00 +0000

The Switch Glove is a brand new product for Winter 2010. This new glove is designed for cold days, especially useful when the wind chill is high.

The Switch Glove is designed to provide you with a lightweight glove that is thermal, fast drying and breathable, whilst providing you with the option to add a wind protection layer over the fingers as and when you see fit.

Made from our Thermalite™ and Activelite™ fabrics which provide the thermal, breathable qualities on the palm and fingers and the wind chill cover for the fingers. This water and wind resistant mitt cover packs away in to front pouch.

The Switch Glove has a towelling finger and thumb for wiping away perspiration, and reflectivity to help you be seen.

Introducing.........Vizion Storm Jacket

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 12:44:00 +0000

Here is a closer look at the new Vizion Storm Jacket that our design team have developed for this winter season.

The Storm jacket is a fully waterproof running jacket. The jacket is classed in the waterproof category as it is made from a 3-layer soft shell fabric, all seams are tape sealed ensuring water doesnt leak through and also have a roll away hood. Whilst the standard of waterproofing is not necessarily cosistent across different brands, due to differing test techniques, a well recommend product is rated by the amount of water pressure it can withstand without leaking. A product must withstand over 1,000mm of water without leaking to be classed as waterproof. The Storm jacket can withstand 10,000mm which gives us great confidence in the fabric and construction techniques used in this product.

Its not all about waterproofness though. The jacket fabric has a luxurious, soft feel and handle, much more nicer to wear than traditional crinkly, tough fabrics that can often be associated with waterproof fabrics and garments.

The Storm jacket features a lazer cut zipped chest pocket, which is also waterproof. You can keep work keys and valuables stowed away knowing they wont be wet after your run.

The jacket also features a watch window, a transparent piece of fabric on the left sleeve cuff, 360° reflectivity and is Vizion L.E.D. compatible.

The jacket is available in Black/Fluo Yellow for men and Black/Fluo Pink for women.

40th Anniversary - Going for Gold!

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:44:00 +0000

40 years ago today, on 23rd July 1970, Ron Hill won gold at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games.
"It doesn't feel like 40 years ago when I won in Edinburgh and we started the business. Things have come full circle. Its good to see both the Ronhill and Hilly brands doing so well."

Today Ron is brand ambassador for Ronhill and came in to be presented with some gifts to celebrate the occasion.

1970 was a special year for Ron. The win in Edinburgh followed his first place finish in the Boston Marathon back in April. Later in the year Ron set up Ron Hill Sports.

Bob Graham Round - May 18th/19th 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Phillips) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:28:00 +0000

The Bob Graham 24 Hour Club says:

"First done way back in 1932 by Bob Graham, hotelier of Keswick, Cumberland, at the age of 42, the 42 Peak Round has become a testing ground for the supremely fit. Each summer around 100 of the most highly tuned ultra"-distance fell runners will attempt the 27,000 ft of ascent within the allotted 24 hours. Only one in three will return to the Keswick Moot Hall before the clock runs down. Most of the rest will be back again...!"

May 28th 2010. 6pm. Keswick.

The moment had arrived. 14 years after my first attempt at this 24 hours, 70 mile, 42 peak challenge I was now ready for another go. With around 500 miles of training in the first few months of 2010 I was realistically as fit as I was ever going to be, but with the recent memory of a night run over part of the route that went badly wrong some negative thoughts were still swirling around in my head.

I sort of knew that today would be different though, the support from friends would be there, running with me and waiting at each of the 4 road crossings. I would also be running with my own support runners on each leg who would carry most of my food and clothing for me. Andy, with whom I had trained more most of the year had his own support runners but the idea was to stick together for the first leg.

Andy (left) and myself at the Moot Hall in Keswick

LEG 1 - Keswick to Threlkeld
Distance: 12.5 miles, Ascent: c.5150ft
Support Runners - John Garner and Richard Mellon

6pm - we set of at a jog, and decide to go through an alley with the sign "Sweet Temptation" above it. Leading us towards the East of Keswick and the long first climb up the first peak, Skiddaw. It's very easy to set of too fast with all the adrenalin and excitement, I was using a heart rate monitor to keep a control on my pace on the first three stages at least, and this proved very useful as I had to keep slowing myself to bring my heart rate down to what I thought was sensible (under 140 bpm).

It was a perfect evening, clear skies, and evening sunlight with great views over the Northern Lakes and Southern Scotland. The dry winter and spring meant the conditions underfoot were perfect, but the weather forecast suggested that we may be in for some rain the next morning, that was a long way off yet though.

Tom on Skiddaw Summit - high spirits

Skiddaw summit was completed a couple of minutes ahead of schedule, my plan was based on a 22 hour 20 minute schedule, which would give me some time in hand should there be bad weather or other problems. Besides carrying my hill food and spare clothing, my support runners would also record my time over each summit. Next was Great Calva, and then Blencathra, the training runs over this leg really paid of as I now knew the best line to take over the rough heather clad hills. I was linking together familiar little landmarks, path junction veer right, keep to left of stream, down through the heather to an improving path, a clear patch of grass, it was feeling good.

I had to be just as careful not to "over do it " going downhill is as tough as going uphill. 30,000 feet of uphill may seem a lot, but the same amount of downhill means your legs can eventually buckle and give way if you get over enthusiastic. John and Richard reminded me to keep drinking, I emptied the last of 1.5 litres of sports drink from my camelback and eat some nuts heading up the third peak, Blencathra. We were well ahead of schedule now (were we going too fast?!). Next the big steep descent to Threlkeld. John had worked out a super new route that smoothed out the descent and connected bits of scree together. This meant you could avoid the rocky ledges of Halls Fell Ridge, gain time and also expend less effort. Get it wrong though and you could be floundering through deep heather, or be stuck above crags and steep ravines. It all went well though and looking behind I could see Andy's group following close behind. Richard went ahead to let Dick and Sharon (ground support) know that we were arriving early (by 30 minutes), and to make sure Phil was ready for leg 2.

It was action stations at the campervan, a seat appeared for me, some rice pudding, a cup of tea. A quick double check of headtorches, food, drink, summit check list and spare clothing for the next leg. 7 minutes after arriving I was on my way again, other support crews also buzzing with excitement and activity.

LEG 2 - Threlkeld to Dunmail
Distance: 13.2 miles, Ascent: c.5900ft
Support Runner Phil Whiting

Phil told me he had supported 4 BG efforts so far - all of them had failed! There were several groups ahead and behind us now heading up the first summit of leg 2 (Clough Head). Again I checked my heartrate and slowed down on the steep climb to conserve energy. Despite what felt like a very easy pace I was still up on time at Clough Head summit as the lights of Keswick, Penrith heralded the 6 hours of darkness to come, by the time dawn came I would have a good idea if I was going to get around or not.

The Helvellyn ridge was marked up by the head torches of each support group, like some surreal mountain highway. Then the occasional burst of light as the teams headed over the summits and looked back at the following groups. At times the lights appeared to be floating way above us in the darkness. Banks of cloud were obscuring the nearly full moon which occasionally showed up as a rather sinister red disc. At one point a group had overshot a summit and was heading back to it as we hit it direct (My Garmin wrist GPS proved invaluable in the night). The rocky sections of Dollywagon came and went and the out and back leg to Fairfield meant we met groups coming down as we were heading up, including Andy's group who were about 20 minutes ahead of us now. As we passed we briefly spoke - Andy was enjoying it!

The steep return down Fairfield was taken carefully and then the final peak of this leg, Seat Sandal remained before the drop to Dunmail Raise. Suddenly beneath us were the waiting support vehicles, and there at the stile was Dick ready to guide me to the van. Another blur of activity, check clothing, drink (I nearly took just water by mistake), mug of tea, two big bowls of muesli gulped down, and after just 7 minutes I was off again on the next leg.

The look of fear - leg 3 coming up

LEG 3 - Dunmail to Wasdale
Distance: 15.2 miles, Ascent: c.6500ft
Support Runner Alistair Shawcross (ropes Dick and Sharon Gerrish)

Alistair was my support on leg three (the graveyard shift), he had drawn the short straw starting at 1.48 am (approx 30 mins up on schedule still). We had the severe slimb of Steel Fell for starters, then undulating rough ground to Calf Crag, which seemed to take a long time and I worried that we had over-shot it, but it eventually loomed out the darkness and according to the schedule we were holding the pace fine, neither gaining or loosing further time, with time in hand I was more than happy with that.

Three weeks ago I had done a night time run and felt awful by 4 am, so I was worried that I might end up in the same condition today! The groups that were so close together on leg 2 were now more spread out, just the occaisional flicker of lights as teams hit the summits indicated that we were not entirely alone.

On such long runs your mind can start playing games, is that my knee hurting? or my ankle? am I starting to feel tired? But then the soft light of dawn came and I still felt OK (unlike another runner we passed near Harrison Stickle who was kneeling on the ground and retching uncontrollably).

Low clouds in the valleys to the east and a soft pink sunrise accompanied our approach to Rosset Pike and the start of the "real" mountains of the Central Lakes. Bowfell to Scafell is a tough section, with lots of boulder hopping, steep rocky descents, and some tricky navigation when the visibility dropped to a few metres at times.

Coming of Bowfell in poor visibility

Approaching Scafell the weather deteriorated, it was now light but steady rain and mist were making things very slippery underfoot. Suddenly we had caught up with a couple of other groups, including Andy (who was still going very strong), and together we tackled the slippery and treacherous climb of Broadstand. Dick and Sharon were there with ropes to help us up, they had driven around from Dunmail Raise, walked up Scafell and got the ropes in place just a few minutes before we arrived!

"Heave Ho" up Broadstand

Coming of Scafell at 6.45 am I was expecting the worse for the next leg in terms of weather. A few weeks before on a training run over this section we had been drenched by cold rain and sleet, It was not enjoyable. However just a few minutes after leaving the summit we came out the clouds and there were in front of us was Wasdale and all the peaks of the next leg. The weather was perhaps going to be kinder with us this time!

Alistair was tiring and I arrived in Wasdale alone, but there to greet me was the "Bob Graham Support Circus" and more specifically my helpers for the next leg, Ian and Andy. This was my longest "rest" (16 minutes), although I was busy all the time, changing my socks, t shirt and top, and checking we had everything we needed for the next leg. Alistair made a stirling effort and arrived with my emergency kit, walking poles and more importantly some Nurofen tablets that I felt may be useful. I had felt very "delicate" descending the 3,000 feet into Wasdale, with a stiff left knee and ankle, so I knew the painkillers may be needed.

Leg 4 - Wasdale to Honister
Distance: 10 miles, Ascent: c.6300ft

Support Runners Ian Richardson and Andy McVitie

I felt strong heading up Yewbarrow at the start of leg 4. This peak looks like a vertical wall from the valley, it is relentlessly steep and it climbs from close to sea level to over 2,000 feet in less than a kilometre. Being careful still not to "overdo it" I hit the summit 47 minutes after leaving Wasdale, bang on the scheduled time for the ascent.

Heading up Yewbarrow

Next came Red Pike, then the outlying rocky peak of Steeple and further tough terrain took us to Pillar. Again the visibility was poor at times, but my Garmin GPS helped to get the key sections spot on (neither Ian nor Andy had run this leg before so I was solely responsible for navigation). Although Ian wasn't navigating he did take up the role of entertainments officer, singing "Ten Green Bottles, Nine Green Bottles", etc at 100 decibels as each peak passed. In fact someone supporting Andy on this leg remarked to Andy "weird - I could hear this singing but couldn't see anyone!"

Leg 4 - Starting up Great Gable

The steep rocky climbs of Kirkfell and Gable were the last severe ascents, the huge dome of Gable had been looming to the East for the last few hours, and heading over the rocky summit in the mist felt like a key moment. I seemed to gain fresh energy on the remainder of leg 4 and soon the last two peaks of this leg were done and Honister Pass was in sight. Arriving at Honister to some familiar faces was great, but not as great as the bacon butty waiting for me in the van! Sick of sweet energy gels and bars this went down a treat. A final change of socks and shoes and after an 11 minute "rest" I was on my way again.

Leg 5 - Honister to Keswick
10.6 miles, Ascent: c.2500ft

Support runners - Ian Richardson (and Dick Gerrish to Dale Head)

Just three peaks to go now and then the final section to Keswick. On the long gradual ascent of Dale Head I relaxed and chatted a bit with Dick and Ian, taking a few minutes longer than the schedule, but then really went for it on the last three climbs and descents and pulled further time back. Ian was encouraging me to get under 21 hours, which was a tall order.

Dale Head

By 2.10pm we were back on the road, but still with 7.5 kms to go. Dick and Sharon and Alistair were there in the van and Sharon joined us for the last 3 kms of running. It was a bit of a shock to have to weave in and out of the bank holiday crowds back to the Moot Hall, but suddenly I was there, it was all over, 21 hours and 3 minutes was my total time.

Back at the Moot Hall

It was great to be welcomed by everyone at the finish, and for a while I felt OK. It was time for a drink and some food, but then in a cafe just a few yards away from the finish it suddenly hit me. I felt dizzy, sick and weak. About 45 minutes later Andy came in with his support group, but my support group still had a job to do! Feeling very fragile I was guided to the camper van and driven home (flat out in the back).

I slept well that night!

THANKS

Although a "solo" challenge I would not have made it without a big team of helpers. So thanks to all the support runners mentioned above and other helpers, Dick and Sharon in the van, Val on leg 1, Iain Cole for helping me with ankle and calf issues during training, Dallam runners for some great days out on the hill, Andy who inspired me to give it a go this year, and of course Barbs for allowing me so much time to train!

Birmingham Uni Reunion Race

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Thu, 20 May 2010 09:20:00 +0000

On the 15th May 2010 25 ex-Birmingham University athletes met up in Marlow to remember a good friend Angela Deegan, reminisce about the good old days 30 odd years ago and enjoy each others company! The team including Olympic athletes Andy Holden, Ray Smedley Chris Benning, and British record holder Mike Kearns who decided the first tactic was to find a pub with good food and stay until closing time.

The food was excellent and the conversation even better as we eventually rolled into our respective hotels and B&Bs around midnight. Having raced the day before at the National Vets relays at Sutton Park, I was out for a 10-minute jog at 7am on Sunday to survey the damage to my legs. Verdict not too bad, I pinned my number to my racing vest not my t-shirt, and got a text from Jill Harrison around 9am saying she was up for racing too!!

So as the 11 o’clock start approached on Sunday 16th, only 2 of us stripped off to vests and shorts (Ronhill of course), as the rest stayed in limited edition reunion t-shirts. A field of 700 set off and I decided just to see how I felt & not check kilometre splits. First 2km felt easy so I decided to race and broke away easily at 4km to win by 22 seconds in my fastest over 50s time to date 34m 16sec.
Moral of the tale; forget the watch, just race!

Only 90 seconds later my best man from 1982 and uni flatmate Mike Longthorn arrived in 35m 47s. I hope he isn’t planning a comeback or I am in trouble. Then Mike Kearns out kicked Jill for 16th place overall 38m 03s to 38m 06s, who is still as competitive after all this time. Eventually everyone made it back including Steve Lawrence and Paul Rowland, just recovering from knee surgery but determined to finish in Ange’s memory.

Back to Junes for showers and a BBQ before the long goodbyes. We had packed a hell of a lot into 24 hours and now it was time go back to reality. What is it really time to go? Can’t we stay a bit longer and remember great times in the Gun Barrels, having destroyed Loughborough in the BUSF XC Champs yet again, 1973-77 straight?

Yes, work beckons, but we've had a magical moment remembering good friends Angela Deegan and Ian Logan who left us too soon, and raised almost £12,000 for Cancer Research UK.

Maybe we should do is every month!! Will we ever do it again? Get Kearns over from Pittsburgh, Gilmour from Melbourne, Longthorn from Zurich? Maybe but if its going to take another 30 years it will definitely be a 5km next time, and a battle of who has the fittest carer pushing the wheelchair!!

Just Giving - Birmingham Uni Run to view full results and photos of the event.

Last few weeks before Bob Graham Attempt

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Phillips) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:43:00 +0000

It is a fine line between over training and getting enough stamina in your legs for a 100km (30,000ft ascent) challenge. On all runs except my last main run before my attempt on the Bob Graham Round at the end of May I seemed to get the balance right.

Ascending to High Raise - 7am

One long day with a group from Dallam running club ended up in heavy sleet and high winds, it is tough going in such conditions, with rough ground to cover and tricky navigation at times.

Descending to Wasdale before the weather deteriorates

There are many "skills" to learn in order to succeed at this challenge, nutrition and hydration are very important of course over such long periods of activity. If you get de-hydrated, run out of energy, too hot, or too cold you are going to be in real trouble! Within a couple of weeks I have experienced weather from rather hot to absolutely bitterly cold and wet, so you have to be ready for any eventuality!

Ascending Kirk Fell in miserable conditions

The last main training run was intended to be a confidence booster and also to try some night running. Setting of at 9.30pm (on leg 2 of 5) at approximately the same time as on our attempt, we were going to run through the night and cover around 60kms. We would be testing our kit at night and seeing what the navigation would be like. Everything felt fine until around 2am when my body started telling me I should be in bed asleep. My legs started to tire and I generally felt pretty rough, this was not how it was meant to go! I hope I can put this tiredness down to a busy couple of days at work and tired legs from the the Fred Whitton cycle challenge a few days before. Certainly if I feel like this on the day there is no way I will get around! So despite fuelling some negative thoughts it was perhaps a useful run to finish on as it made me realise it will be vital to rest up and sleep as much as possible on the few days prior to my attempt, perhaps even trying to change my "body clock" a little.

Running along the Helvellyn Ridge at midnight.

Ronhill Connemarathon 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Thu, 13 May 2010 14:26:00 +0000

Mountains reflected perfectly onto lakes as smooth as glass, flocks of sheep running through the finish line and the Ultra Marathon course record broken by an English man were the talk of the day at the Ronhill Connemara Marathon. There were as many stories as there were runners when the 3,200 participants gathered in Peacockes Hotel in Maam Cross for the after run refreshments - many of whom dined alfresco to soak up the 19 degrees of glorious sunshine.

'It is one of those days that you truly believe will be a once in a lifetime experience', commented Ray O'Connor, the Connemarathon Race Director, 'Everything went perfectly from the weather to the traffic management which involved moving 3,200 people around Connemara in a convoy of seventy buses, to the post race celebrations'.

The event sold out four months in advance and entries are already in for the 2011 Connemarathon. It has always been extremely important to the Tourism industry in Connemara and Galway City and attracts participants form all over the world.

The Ronhill Connemara Marathon is now regarded as a serious event on the Irish Athletics Calendar - runners come from far and wide to test their stamina in what is regarded to be one of the most challenging Marathons in Europe. The winner of the gruelling 39.3 mile Ultra Marathon was David Kirkland from the UK in a course record time of 4 hours and 3 minutes which also gave the winner a well deserved prize of €1,500 and a Galway Crystal Trophy. The title was hotly contested by Denis Walmsley from the UK and Russian athlete Vasilily Neumerzhitskiy. The Women's Ultra Winner was Ann Marie Holland from Cork in an impressive 5 hours and 40 minutes. The Full Marathon was won by the National Marathon Champion, Sergiu Ciobanu in a time of 2 hours and 31 minutes. Canadian woman Mary Walsh completed the Full Marathon Course in the winning time of 3 hours and 12 Minutes.

The United States had a clear sweep in both Half Marathon races with Chris Mahoney winning the men's race in 1 hour 17 and Mairead Finucane finishing fastest in the women's race in 1 hour and 31 minutes, both from Massachusetts.

The success of the Connemara Marathon has lead the way for a whole host of new events throughout Ireland - nine years ago there was the Dublin, Longford and Belfast Marathon - now there is a marathon or half marathon in nearly every county. This is good for the country on several levels but mainly on the fact that these events encourage people to train and live a more healthy lifestyle.

The Connemara Marathon is organised by running enthusiast Ray O'Connor who has completed 73 Marathons and is preparing to take on the challenge of running 10 marathons in 10 days in Cumbria next month. 'I know exactly what I am letting myself in for' he says, 'I completed the same challenge two years ago - I have trained really well but sometimes ignorance is bliss and the mental challenge will be more of a problem than the physical one'.
So what is the secret ingredient that makes the Connemarathon so successful? 'The Scenery is breathtaking even in good weather, the course is challenging especially as there are very few spectators so the runners bond and help each other through the tougher miles but I think it is the attention to detail from the organisers that make this event extra special.'

A change of sport - Building up endurance in the Costa Blanca

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Phillips) — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:59:00 +0000

Cycling is great for resting the joints and yet giving your legs and cardio vascular system a full workout. On a hilly challenge like the Bob Graham I'm convinced that lots of long days cycling really helps. So 5 days in the Costa Blanca, based at Abdet, resulted in 400 miles and 40,000 feet of ascent. All of course in glorious weather.

The final day consisted of a mega 100 mile circuit finishing with the 2,500 foot climb back up to Abdet, 25 kms inland from Benidorm. The superb mountain scenery makes the training a pleasure!

Highlights are the massive climbs and descents, some up to 25 miles long, on perfect tarmac with very little traffic.

Archive – 40 Anniversary - Ron Hill wins the 1970 Boston Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:38:00 +0000

1968 – Ron Hill focused on the Olympic Games in Mexico City with the ambition to be a part in the GB marathon team.
Ron says “I was dedicated to following my training programme and found that the trials for the team took place during my rest periods”. As such Ron finished 4th in both trials. He wasn’t selected for the marathon team but was included in the 10k GB team.
Race day was going well, with Ron leading the race going into the last 5 laps. “I couldn’t maintain this place, perhaps the altitude played a part.” says Ron. Ron finished 7th.

1969 – Ron took part in the Maxol Marathon in Manchester and won setting a time of 2h13m42s beating the world record holder at the time.
Later that year Ron took part in the Euro Games in Athens and won gold. Ron recalls “Upon leaving the stadium I was asked by the Road Runners Club to take part in the Boston Marathon……I soon set about raising funds for the air fare to take part.”
At the end of the year Ron took part in the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan. Ron finished second to Canadian Jerome Drayton who won in 2h11m13s.

1970 – Boston is here! Ron got his flight and met up with a local family where he would stay during his time in Boston. The day was cool and sure enough the heavens opened and the rain fell.
Ron says “I kept reminding myself of the things I had learnt from the previous years races and sure enough my form followed.”
When asking Ron about his expectations…“they were to finish in the top 2, but the ambition was to win it.”
As the race developed Jerome Drayton, who previously beat Ron in Japan, dropped out part way through. As Ron ran over the finish line a great sense of elation took hold, Ron was the first ever Briton to win in Boston and set a course record of 2h10m30s.

1996 - Ron Hill made Boston his final and 115th Marathon in '96, taking part in the 100th Boston Marathon.

2010 - Ron was set to go to Boston this year to watch the Marathon and celebrate 40 years since his win. However due to the no-fly restrictions due to the Volcanic Ash in European Airspace Ron was disappointed not to make it.

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:31:00 +0000

Monday - 8 miles 56 mins. Legs really tired from the Northern 12 stage yesterday.

Tuesday - 12 miles 1hr19 with Dave and Pete Riley. First run over 10 miles since October felt good until last 10 mins.
Wednesday - 5 x 800m with 400m jog recovery at Wythenshawe track with Dave, Matt Bond, and Dave Anderson. 2:19, 2:17, 2:17, 2:15, 2:15. V. Pleased for second session back. 7 miles total.
Thursday - 9 miles 62 mins

Friday - 6 miles 42 mins before travelling to Oxford to work.
Saturday - 8 miles including Hambledon Horseplay event in Oxford (1st 49:53). I was working at this event organised by the same guys who organise the Rat Race so decided to run. Similar type event to the Hellrunner / Tough guy starting on a showjumping ground with a bunch of horse jumps. Then ploughing through some rivers, ponds, bushes, up and down hills. Was really tough on the legs and the foot was a little sore afterwards so planned a day off running tomorrow. Literally couldn't warm down because of sciatica. Sharp shooting pains. Its been getting worse all week really need a good hour of stretching and golf ball massage the next few days.

Sunday - 60 miles Bike. Cycled a little watching Wilmslow half marathon with Andy Caine and Dave Anderson and then headed out in to the hills for 3 hours with Anderson. Really found it tough on the legs and struggled to keep up. He's a beast on the bike at the moment and my legs were shot after last nights event.

Total - 50 miles + 60 miles bike. Still keeping it low. Sciatica is starting to be a real problem but back at Worsley physio next Thursday.

A Tough Day above Wasdale

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Phillips) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:28:00 +0000

Todays Bob Graham training run was most of leg 4. Approacing from Seathwaite this meant we have nearly 30kms of rough ground to cover, and the weather forecast was pretty grim!

After an hour we had done the easy bit, over Styhead Pass to Wasdale.

Descent into Wasdale

Now came the brutal 600 metre ascent of Yewbarrow, relentlessly steep, almost vertical. We ascended into the clouds, and wind and rain and would stay above 500 metres until the descent back to the start, still 20kms away. The GPS showed us the way very efficiently, map and compass work would have taken up a lot of time as for much of the way we were taking direct routes and were not on obvious footpaths.

With over 1500 metres of climbing already done we had then to tackle Kirk Fell and Great Gable. Saturated ground, gale force winds, loose scree and tiring legs made these feel pretty tough.

It was with relief that we descended out of the cloud and followed the slippery path back down to Seathwaite. We had seen just one other person since leaving wasdale. A good character building day! More images here

Back out of the cloud at last and a view of Seathwaite

Bob Graham Round - Training

noreply@blogger.com (Tom Phillips) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:00:00 +0000

The Bob Graham Round is an epic 24 hour - 70 mile fell runners challenge in the Lake District. People have been attempting this circuit (named after the Keswick resident who first did the route) for many years. It is not easy, so far only 1,500 people have done it. I tried it in 1996 and got about 45 miles done before bailing out. 14 years later I'm going to give it another go as it's now or never!

Having built up a good level of general fitness over the last few years and doing an ironman distance triathlon last year (2009) I should have a reasonable chance of success. The

key is lots of long runs in the fells of course so during the first few months of 2010 I am aiming to do two 30km plus runs each week.

The "BGR" can be broken down into 5 legs, each which provide good training options.

Highlights so far are a fantastic day in the North Lakes in alpine like conditions, some long runs in teh little know Bowland Fells near Lancaster, and completing the Haworth Hobble Ultra Marathon race, a 50km plus race in the Pennines. My first attempt at the round this year will be in late May.

Tom.

Stormin' Norman

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:07:00 +0000

Monday - 9 miles 59 mins. Furthest run so far and went much quicker than I had been doing. Felt better.

Tuesday - 9 miles 64 mins. Same route as yesterday but slower. Felt awful obviously tired from yesterdays run. At one point an old lady was running for the bus with 2 shopping bags and I swear I was struggling to catch her!

Wednesday - 9.5 miles 63 mins undulating road loop with Iain Twaddle. I'm working in the Northeast for a couple of days staying with Iain who manages the Start Fitness store in Durham. Found this really hard and the plantar fasciitus was a little sore afterwards.

Thursday - 7 miles including track session with Iain. 1k, 3mins rest, 800m, 2:30 rest, 600m, 2mins rest, 400m, 60 secs rest, 300m, 50 secs rest, 200m. Times 2:59, 2:19, 1:44, 66, 46, 30. Just pulled away towards the end of each rep. This really shocked me because I didn't think I would be capable of running anything like these times after such a long time off. This was my first session since the National 6 Stage in early October last year where the pain in my PF became too unbearable. It was quite sore after the session so I do need to be careful.

Friday - 9.5 miles 68 mins on the trails with Iain at 7am before I set off to work in Scotland for a couple of days. My foot was sore after this so I need a rest day tomorrow as I agreed today to run a short leg in the Northern 12 stage relays on Sunday.

Saturday - Rest day. Although slightly worried about my foot because I was on my feet for 12 hours working at the Deerstalker event on the Scottish Borders promoting our new Ronhill Range. I would have loved to have been able to do this it looked like an extremely fun event. Drove back to Manchester at 10pm so a fairly late night.

Sunday - 9 miles including short leg at the Northern 12 Stage relays. 6th Fastest short leg 14:58 for a leg just short of 5k. I would have been happy with anything under 16 today for my first race since early October so I was bewildered with this run. I really thought I was in over 16 min 5k shape after such a long break but I often underestimate how quickly I can come back after injury and how much difference this weeks training made to my fitness. The foot wasn't too bad after the race, which is encouraging.

Total - 53 miles. After a few miles in Benidorm 2 weeks ago and then a 45 mile first full week of training last week this was a big step forward, a successful first session and first race since last October. Also ate fairly well this week and lost a few lbs. Hopefully I can take another step forward the next few weeks and hold the injuries off.

Andy Norman (Ronhill Sales Rep & Altrincham AC)

The Deerstalker!

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:36:00 +0000

On Saturday 20th March, The Deerstalker event was held in Traquair on the Scottish borders. The event is run by Detail Events.... the team who are also responsible for organising the Rat Race events accross the UK.

The 'Mighty' Deerstalker which was the longest of the 2 events on Saturday was advertised as 10k (ish!). Participants would soon find out the length was closer to 10 miles accross hay bales, through water tunnels, up on to the fells, and down steep scree slopes finishing in the pitch black... head torches recommended!

It was a fantastic event with a band and party that went on in a heated marquee until the early hours. With 2000 entrants it was also a great place to showcase the new Ronhill range. Ronhill sales rep Andy enjoyed the event so much he has now comitted to taking part in the Hambledon Horseplay event next week! Another event organised by the same team but this time in Oxfordshire. Here Andy will be once again promoting the new Ronhill range throughout the day with a slight break to get his legs muddy!

Ex-Birmingham Athletes Run 10K

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:45:00 +0000

On May 16th 2010 a group of ex Birmingham University athletes from the 1970s will meet up to run 10km together, in memory of a good friend, Angela Deegan (nee Turland) who sadly died last year after a long battle with cancer, aged 51.The run will be at Woodley in Bucks.

This is the first time in over 30 years that we will meet up, and although some are in better shape than others, the reason we all met in the first place was running at university. By running together on the 16th May we intend to celebrate the life of Ange and raise as much money as we can for Cancer Research UK.

Angela suffered from malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer for which there is currently no effective treatment. As an active athlete, coach, teacher and mother she enjoyed life to the full, and we feel it appropriate to run in her memory.

Cancer will affect all of us at some time in our lives, either directly or through a relative or loved one. This disease does not discriminate in anyone’s favour. Angela had a healthy lifestyle, exercised often, ate well, did not smoke and drank moderately.
If you want to support the Birmingham athletes with a donation it will be much appreciated. www.justgiving.com/mikedeegan

Christine Benning, Martin Benning, David Cowles, Helen Page Clark, Mike Deegan, Lisa Davies, Steve Emson, June Farnorth, Ian Gilmour, Lorraine Griffiths, Jill Clarke Harrison, , Andy Holden, Paula Holden, Mike Kearns, Ian Kiltie, Steve Lawrence, Mike Longthorn, Christine Midgley, Mike Ridout, Paul Rowland, Paul Sanderson and Sarah Sanderson

Trail Blazing!

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:40:00 +0000

Over the past 4 decades we have been supplying athletes and amateur runners alike with kit ideal for fell and adventure running. One of the most recognisable is the Trackster!

This year we have a designed a complete range of clothing ideal for these events. From featherweight jackets to a range of leg wear and t-shirts, there are plenty of options available to suit your needs. Tell us if there is something you would like to see added to the range!

We have to say the highlight for the Spring Summer 2010 season is the new Microlight Trail Jacket for men (Advance) and women (Aspiration).

Made from super lightweight 100% Polyester this jacket has a high standard of wind resistance and water repellence.

The Microlight Trail Jacket features a hood and also packs into its own pocket with belt strap. All this and the jacket only weights 144g! If you get one let us know your feedback.

Stormin' Norman

noreply@blogger.com (Oliver) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:44:00 +0000

I have really struggled with injury over the past few months. I tore my calf muscle after attempting to come back from a long lay off to rest the plantar fasciitus. With all the injury problems I have had I became extremely frustrated and decided I was quitting running for good. This was never going to last... I’ve been running since I was 8 years old and it’s all I’ve known. I've just returned from a week’s stag do in Benidorm and I am now going to try and live a healthier lifestyle during my comeback. So here I am on yet another comeback trail.

Monday 8th - 7 miles steady 48 mins in Benidorm. Best I’ve felt since I started running again earlier this week. Last night was a relatively sober one when compared with the other 6 nights of the Holiday.

Tuesday 9th - Rest day. Shattered from travelling after a long last night in Benidorm.

Wednesday 10th - 7.5 miles steady 52 mins back in Manchester. Felt terrible.

Thursday 11th - 7.5 miles 54 mins. The same loop as yesterday but felt even worse. Its going to take a while to regain the fitness and lose the 10 or so lbs I’ve put on during my period of inactivity.

Friday 12th - 8 miles 55 mins. A slightly hilly run today on the trails around Reddish Vale. Really felt this.

Saturday 13th - 7.5 miles 52 mins. Felt a bit better today same loop as Tuesday / Wednesday.

Sunday 14th - 8 miles 53 mins. Felt better still today. I was going to cycle 3 hours as a rest from running but I had to run to collect my car, which I had left in Didsbury last night. My friend announced he was getting married in September and I am to be the best man. There seems to be no break from Weddings and Stag do's this year! I am going to have to let someone down if I am to compete well throughout the summer. At least I have no occasions now until June so I can use the next couple of months to knuckle down and get back in to shape.

Weekly Total - 45.5 miles.

Andy Norman (Ronhill Sales Rep & Altincham AC)