Yesterday 12 men from Otley AC travelled north to Catterick Garrison for the annual North of England 12 stage road relay. As a team we usually finish about 30th with the top 25 qualifying for the National 12 stage road relay a fortnight later. Although we did finish in the top 25 a few years ago but then couldn't get a team together for the National!!!
The format follows a similar pattern every year although the venue and courses change continually. This year we had 6 stages of 8k alternating with 6 stages of 4k. I was on down to run the 8th stage ... a short one.
Long before I started we had come to the conclusion that the course must be shorter that the advertised distance as the times were far too quick ... 13 men ran the 8k (5 miles) stages in 22:30 or quicker.
I found the course to my liking but there was a bit of a headwind during one long straight section - it was cold too. I ran the 4k in 14:15 and later worked out that that equates to 5:44 per mile ... I know I didn't run that quickly so I immediately knew it had to be short.
Back at home I used the internet to measure the course and found it to be about 3.7k (2.3 miles) and thus my time equates to about 6:10 per mile. Yes, that's more like it ... I'm quite pleased with that actually as most of the time I was running by myself.
Good speedwork - even for me.
The Otley AC team results were:
(1) ... Liam Dunne ... 8k in 26:03 ... finished in 31st position
(2) ... Ben Cousen ... 4k in 13:26 ... finished in 31st position
(3) ... Edward Davies ... 8k in 26:08 ... finished in 30th position
(4) ... Howard Jeffrey ... 4k in 16:44 ... finished in 35th position
(5) ... Ian Fisher ... 8k in 23:16 ... finished in 27th position
(6) ... John Armitstead ... 4k in 14:39 ... finished in 28th position
(7) ... Huw Illingworth ... 8k in 27:49 ... finished in 30th position
(8) ... me ... 4k in 14:15 ... finished in 30th position
(9) ... Andrew Robertshaw ... 8k in 25:18 ... finished in 30th position
(10) ... Mick Jeffrey ... 4k in 14:44 ... finished in 29th position
(11) ... Julian Mawson ... 8k in 26:29 ... finished in 28th position
(12) ... Matt Broughton ... 4k in 14:54 ... finished in 29th position
Overall it was a very enjoyable day out ... it's just a shame the club couldn't get a team in the women's 6 stage relay held at the same time.
Thanks to Mick Jeffrey for organising everything and to Jack & Kath Robertshaw for coming to support.
Showing posts with label John Armitstead. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Armitstead. Show all posts
Monday, 21 March 2011
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
club handicap
Yesterday was the latest in a long line of Otley AC handicap events. This was was a 10k event starting and finishing at Leathley, near Otley.
Just to make things a bit more interesting (for me ...) I decided to incorporate it into a long run. Leaving Leeds at about 5.15pm I ran the 11 or so miles to Otley before embarking on the 4.3 miles from my home to Leathley. I arrived just before 7.30pm and was told I had eleven minutes before my allotted start time. Good timing.
I started with Mick Jeffrey, John Armitstead and Michael Pickard and together we began the 3 mile climb towards Almscliffe Crag. For much of that distance Mick was about 20m in front with John and myself giving chase. At about 2.5 miles we caught Mick and opened up a slight lead whilst also catching most of those runners who had set off earlier. The steep downhill stretch between 3.5 and 5 miles proved quite hard work [I had already run 19 miles by this time].
The final mile or so was interesting as Mick Jeffrey managed to catch me again and made repeated attempts to pass. He finally managed it in the final 10m or so. Having not run this course before I was caught out slightly by all the twists, turns and undulations as we approached Leathley. Still, he did very well and I was pleased with 43 minutes in the heat (about 23 degrees C) on a very hilly route after running 15+ miles to get there.
After a few minutes recovery I said my goodbyes and ran the 4.3 miles home for a nice round 26 miles. At home I decided to try a new recovery drink.
I have used Lucozade Sport recovery drinks in the past but I think they taste really bad so stopped using them about six months ago. However, recently I had an interesting idea ... instead of mixing the powder with water I could mix it with fruit juice in the hope of a better taste. I mixed tropical flavour powder with orange juice and the taste was massively improved.
Also at home I found it increasingly difficult to walk, climb stairs, etc. My right ankle was quite swollen and painful. Took two ibuprofen before bed and woke up this morning completely pain free and able to move normally. Very strange.
Just to make things a bit more interesting (for me ...) I decided to incorporate it into a long run. Leaving Leeds at about 5.15pm I ran the 11 or so miles to Otley before embarking on the 4.3 miles from my home to Leathley. I arrived just before 7.30pm and was told I had eleven minutes before my allotted start time. Good timing.
I started with Mick Jeffrey, John Armitstead and Michael Pickard and together we began the 3 mile climb towards Almscliffe Crag. For much of that distance Mick was about 20m in front with John and myself giving chase. At about 2.5 miles we caught Mick and opened up a slight lead whilst also catching most of those runners who had set off earlier. The steep downhill stretch between 3.5 and 5 miles proved quite hard work [I had already run 19 miles by this time].
The final mile or so was interesting as Mick Jeffrey managed to catch me again and made repeated attempts to pass. He finally managed it in the final 10m or so. Having not run this course before I was caught out slightly by all the twists, turns and undulations as we approached Leathley. Still, he did very well and I was pleased with 43 minutes in the heat (about 23 degrees C) on a very hilly route after running 15+ miles to get there.
After a few minutes recovery I said my goodbyes and ran the 4.3 miles home for a nice round 26 miles. At home I decided to try a new recovery drink.
I have used Lucozade Sport recovery drinks in the past but I think they taste really bad so stopped using them about six months ago. However, recently I had an interesting idea ... instead of mixing the powder with water I could mix it with fruit juice in the hope of a better taste. I mixed tropical flavour powder with orange juice and the taste was massively improved.
Also at home I found it increasingly difficult to walk, climb stairs, etc. My right ankle was quite swollen and painful. Took two ibuprofen before bed and woke up this morning completely pain free and able to move normally. Very strange.
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