volunteering

Spent a (mostly) enjoyable day on Wednesday helping with various tasks at the annual Otley 10 mile road race which attracted about 400 runners this year - the most for at least ten years.

Myself and a small team of volunteers began at 10.00am by putting up lots of signs around the race HQ (Otley Cricket Club).  Stuff such as 'car park', 'late entries', 'first aid', etc.  Then we set up the finishing funnel  and marked out the running route around the edge of the cricket pitch before getting organised for the afternoon's task.  Colin Best also drove around the course putting up lots of 'caution runners' signs.

At 4.00pm we reassembled to begin the task given to us this year by West Yorkshire Police.  We had to erect a temporary barrier along Pool Road so that runners had no choice but to use the footpath (not the actual road) for the first 1.3 miles of the race (2.1 km).  As we were doing this Tom Hannah drove around the course putting out the mile markers and one or two other signs.  This has to done fairly late because, in the past, some have been known to go missing.

That took about 90 minutes and afterwards I hurried home for a snack only to realise I had lost my house key.  Shit - I knew where it was - in the grass verge somewhere along Pool Road !!!  I also knew that it would take many hours to search for it properly so I just accepted it was lost for good and was thankful that if it was ever found there was no way it could be traced to my house.

6.20pm - time for the evening shift.  Began by giving out marshals high visibility clothing and explaining where they were expected to be, at what time, and what their duties were.  The latter varies with location of course.  After the race my job was to help Hugh Pearson write down the race numbers of every finisher - strictly in finishing order.  Not easy when two finishers didn't have numbers and a third had the number on her back.

Overall it was an enjoyable way to spend a day.  It is a good exercise for all runners for only then can we truly appreciate the effort that goes into staging even a small road race.  Colin Best has been race director for a few years now and he deserves much credit ... especially organising the 40 + marshals that are needed.  Well done to him.

Apart from all that I managed to fit in a short run of my own early in the morning and some strength training early in the afternoon.  So, a good day all round then.

Otley 10

Spent much of yesterday helping out at the annual 10 mile road race organised by my club (Otley AC).  OK, OK the club doesn't belong to me but you know what I mean.


This year was the 28th staging of the popular evening race which, strangely enough, seemed to enjoy much better weather when it was held in mid May.  The course itself winds it's way through beautiful countryside to the north of Otley and is well known across northern England for the two rather large hills - see the course profile here.  I don't believe this course was particularly designed to be difficult, it's just that it wasn't easy for the club at that time to find a suitable route locally for a road race without incorporating some hills.  I now think it's quite rare for such a long standing race to have a course record which is over 50 minutes.

The course records are:  50:56 (Colin Moore - 1989) and 57:40 (Veronique Marot - 1989)

This year's winner was Matt John (Otley AC) who finished in just over 56 minutes.

Colin Best deserves much credit for organising the race this year (and last year too).  Hopefully he can continue for many years to come and also hopefully I can be of more help than I was this year as the race has always been a bit special for me.  I was race director from 2000 to 2008/9 but had to resign when the pressures of Running to London and trying to secure selection for the 2009 Commonwealth Championships began to take their toll.

I'm sure Colin would want to join me in saying 'thank you' to all the marshals and other helpers who make this race possible.  I think that many people not involved in organising a race fail to appreciate the manpower needed to stage an event like this.

Otley 10

The 27th running of the Otley 10 took place yesterday evening.  As usual I helped out where I could - setting up stuff in the morning and working as a finish recorder during the race itself.  I also did various other miscellaneous stuff during the course of the evening.

I'm not actually the race director any more.  Colin Best now has that thankless task - and he did an excellent job too.

This year Keir was running his first 10 mile race [it was my first 10 miler too - back in 1992].  He knew the course was a difficult one but I'm not sure he quite appreciated just how energy sapping that second big hill would be.  He finished in 1h 40 and I'm very proud of him.   At 17 years and 10 days he was by far the youngest runner and I'm sure he'll enjoy his well earned memento - a bottle of beer !!!

club night

Haven't run since Sunday and already my knee feels much better.  I feel able to take part in the weekend's handicap and then possibly return to training - at a reduced level initially of course.

Last night Otley AC held a social event after training at the local cricket club and in the quiz Andrew Robertshaw, Julian Mawson, Colin Best and myself won.  Our score was a measly 14.5 out of 30 but that's not the point - we won.  The prize was a bottle of beer each ... I don't like beer but I'm sure Fay or Keir will enjoy it.

Thanks to Dominic Egan for organising that and to Carol and John for the food too which was wonderful.

Bradford Millennium Way Relay

Took part in the Bradford Millennium Way Relay today.  It's a five stage race with two runners from each team on each stage - running in pairs.  Otley AC team organiser Colin Best paired me with Hugh Pearson on the final stage from Ilkley to Bingley via Rocky Valley, Burley Moor, Weecher Reservoir, Shipley Glen and the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

Approximately 11 miles in total - the longest of any stage.  Hugh and I arrived at the start to be met by Colin with the news that the stage four runners would be expected in about 15 minutes.  No rush then ... get changed, pin number to vest, have a pee ...

Actually Edward and Huw were later than expected but Hugh (confusing, I know) set off at a gallop.  Definitely quicker than I would have done had I been running solo.  The first four miles or so included lots of climbing.  On top of Rombalds Moor we encountered a few deep bogs.  Knee deep.  At least.  But after that it was easy going down towards Shipley Glen.

But then we took a wrong turn and added over a mile to our route.  I must share some of the blame for that mistake as it was me carrying the map.  Hugh thankfully spotted the mistake and got us back on the correct path - to Shipley Glen.

From that point on there were no problems at all and the terrain suited me much better.  Moorland running doesn't really agree with me - especially at speed when coming across deep marshes and streams to jump over.  Or not.

Anyway the final few miles were good and overall I was well and truly knackered.  Especially during the first half when I struggled to keep pace with Hugh who's obviously used to this sort of thing.  The blister was quite painful on the rocky uphill sections but not enough to slow me down and for the last third of the route I hardly noticed anyway.  I had drained it yesterday afternoon and used a Compeed blister plaster and two pairs of cushioned socks.

Thanks to St Bedes AC for organising the event and to Colin Best for organising Otley AC teams.  And to Hugh Pearson for not letting me slow him down too much only one month after my last 24 hr race.

Otley 10 and Bradford Millennium Way relay

Yesterday was the annual Otley 10 mile race.  Although I'm not the race director any more I still helped out wherever I could in the morning and again in the evening.  Colin Best and Steve Wentling did a great job organising things this year.  Especially as the venue was changed at relatively short notice.  Thanks to Otley Cricket Club for being so accommodating.

It seems though that when the race was held in mid May the weather was a lot better than it is now we stage the race about four weeks later.  Full results can be found via the link on the Otley AC home page.

Those of you who know me will also know that in general I get very few blisters.  Even during 24 hour races I often finish with no more than a single blister.  This morning I acquired one though.  During a 13.5 mile fartlek session.  It's quite painful at the moment but hopefully it'll be OK for the weekend's Bradford Millennium Way Relay where I'm partnering Hugh Pearson on the final stage.