Sheffield social

Where`s that tumbleweed?

Morning!

Enjoyed watching the torch. Seen it with family and then yesterday I took a school trip to Bolsover to watch it after a mini-Olympics in the morning. Top day which was much needed at our place where stress is very high at the mo.

Didn`t do Elmton as OH was doing OW with DD but BMB was a DNS. Sounds fun though Garry.

Brinsworth tomorrow for the 10k

Good luck with that Garry - weather looks ideal for running anyway.   

Saw the torch relay here last night - it was rammed - then they had a free concert in the park next to our house with some guy I'd never heard of (Ekio Essien or something - I had heard of one song - summat like "that's just how we roll" - not my cup of tea really) and a big Brazilian themed carnival parade back to the market place - not sure what Brazil has got to do with the Olympics but it was quite good fun.  

Heading up near Sheffield tomorrow on a ride with 7-8 others on the bikes - should be descending Froggat and then to Grindleford about 9.30 - 10 am so give us a wave if you see us.   115 miles so hope the weather holds out - not done much this week been trying to get stuff done before heading off to France on Monday - climbing Ventoux and then heading back up to the Alps for the Marmotte - can't wait.   Still got to get my bike ready mind you - meant to do it today - have to be tomorrow evening now.

Ta pops, it was a good 'un. 2nd year I've done it. They had an issue last year with a pinch point not far from the start. This year they've switched the start direction and solved it - though it does mean the starts all uphill

I had a good race. Though I kept looking at the 2 Striders infront. I'm usually just infront of 'em but I couldn't reel them in. Then I checked the garmin and realised that although I was having a good race, they were having better. Pace was about where I wanted it, so I concentrated on running my race. Let them go.

I noticed I kept getting passed by '165'. Every time we hit an uphill I'd shorten my stride, he'd power past. Every time we hit a descent I'd lengthen and stride past.

He was infront of me on the last road section, I knew we turned left, steep downhill, cross the road to go through a stile/bike restriction, then it was uphill to the finish.

So I took him on the downhill, powered on, straight over the road and through the stile. I knew the uphill to the finish was going to be a sprint, but there were half a dozen kids with their hands up, either side of the funnel.

"Sod it"

I high fived all of 'em before racing on to the finish

 I think I've done enough to get my 'Run Britain' ranking to where I'd targetted, so I'm happy.

Roll on the next one

Hi Fiving (fiveing?) kids is always good.

Saw a load of TNTers out on the bike today - they looked quite good all in the kit - just near Sir William Hill.   Weather was rubbish wasn't it - dead windy and when we got up to the Cat and Fiddle added rain and low cloud - I knew I should have ignored the forecast and taken a rain jacket.   We left at 8am and didn't get back til 5.30 - this is what it must feel like to be 100 years old - my legs are wobbly, my back hurts and I'm generally knackered - leaving for France tomorrow to do the Marmotte but still loads to get ready so better dash.   

 

Hope you had a good run GI....

Good stuff Garry & Pops,have a good trip. Me and Sheils saw a load of folk out in the peak district yesterday on our way to Bakewell, and it did look a bit blustery out there.

We did the Bakewell Pudding race, 6.5 miles up through the woods and through the river at the end. More of a trail race than a fell race but thoroughly enjoyable, think i went round in 1:03 and legs felt fine....

Trunce tonight anyone?

Morning!

Private health care. Any thoughts?

Good piccies of the torch going round Sheff, congrats to Moz.  The torch came through Bakewell Friday pm, nightmare for the traffic. 
Did a 67 mile week last week to see how much I could do in one week while working at the same time.  Interesting how much the body can cope with. Ran the whole of the Monsal Trail on Sunday north wards,heaving with holiday makers and even a few runners amongst the hundreds of cyclists using it. Message to self stay off the trail on Sunday morning.  Races cost money so didn't do the Pudding, though it sounds fun, but as it was raining here you didnt need to run through the river to get wet!!! Well done Haileunlikely, I run down there most days to the bank at lunchtimes.

Halie - well done on bakewell, thought about it but couldn't be bothered so just did a jolly 8m from home.  Weather being better (LOL) i'll be camping in bakewell this coming weekend at the Greenhills site - so I'll be at home then won't I??!!!

MCS - thanks for the tip re Sunday AM on the trail, was thinking of heading out that way next Sunday - may still as will probably be earlyish.

ET - that where we are heading isn't it?  We pay into a health fund but that just contributes to costs incuredd for dental, glasses etc - which we pay a lot out for over the year (Mrs Didds and her teath cost us a fortune - and she doesn't eat sweets or fizzy pop) so its good value for us.  The dentist says i've got indestructible teeth - and I like to rise to the challenge by eating chocolate, sweets and fizzy pop.

 - weathers not looking good - maybe more like a festival mud bath than green camping field by the weekend. Fed up with the weather at the moment - not from a running perspective but its messing up everything else - camping plans, Little Didds cricket games etc

PJAZ wrote (see)

ET - that where we are heading isn't it?  We pay into a health fund but that just contributes to costs incuredd fo

Don`t know. Got physio referral through( Doc for me back) but wondered if I should have Westfield. Can`t afford it anyway but wasn`t sure what I thought about that politically.

GI - I don`t get the relay you did. Is it a protest against the Olympics / actual torch relay?

Don`t mind the weather at the mo, whilst we`re still working. It means I can`t mow the lawn though!

I'm guessing they've got people googling for 'OLYMPIC' and other relevant terms? I wonder what would happen if we all were to insert 'OLYMPIC' into every post we made on whatever site/forum we visited? kinda reminds me of the 'Jehovah, Jehovah!' bit in Life of Brian.....

The Egyptian Toe wrote (see)

Don`t mind the weather at the mo, whilst we`re still working. It means I can`t mow the lawn though!

Keep looking out at the lawn too. Can't mow it, but at least we don't want the kids out there whilst it pi55ing down. It'll be a sod once it dries out though. Still on the positive side, it's not a massive garden.
Went out for a run with the dog on Monday, which took in some of the course for this evenings race. It was wet, muddy, very slippery. The race is the Abbey Dash, at Roche Abbey. About 5 miles XC. Maltby to the Abbey, round it and back.
At the far end of the Abbey there's the waterfall/outlet from a lake, you cross above the falls, with the stepping stones . It won't be worth it, might as well run through the water. Don't think it'll clean my shoes though - it's another mud bath 20 yards on!
Back of my mind I'm remembering Boxing day and the 'Turkey Trot'. That race was another local wet 'un and I think familiarity bred contempt. I ended up with mud all down one side by taking what I thought was the 'racing line' past a mud hole....... could be 'R's over tit again?

Back in one piece!
Not a race I enjoy. I don't know why, the scenerys fine, I know the course. It's just a bit 'meh'? I didn't know what to expect, I'd been over much of it a few days before and it was wet, muddy slippery and it had rained since.
I couldn't believe how much it had dried! OK it was still wet, muddy and slippery, but the pools of standing water had all but disappeared. I took it steady on the way out. Looking round me I realised I recognised a lot of the faces from other events, so I guessed I was running about the right pace. There was a bit of passing and repassing on the singletrack trails, but not much.
The RHAC woman in black infront of me, I'd been close to in the last 3 races. I think I finished a few seconds in front in 2 of them.
Coming back from the Abbey she'd managed to get a few seconds lead and I felt she was increasing the gap. I decided I'd got to get past her. I spent the next 20s trying to refresh my legs, played about a bit with cadence and stride length, then went for it, steadily with a slight overall increase in pace.
This was where I saw one of the lads I expectec could win it. He'd decided to DNF. Unfortunately he'd turned up for a muddy trail race with racing flats. He'd given it a good try but sliding all over wasn't fun.....
Back to Ms RHAC, I had a definite lead by the time we got away from the Abbey, crossed the road and got through the tree lined tunnel. Which was when a young lad decided to do his impression of a gazelle and come bounding past!
"***** if he can run like that he's not been trying!"
I kept on his heels for the next half mile. Down and up a muddy, wooded section, over fields, stiles, through a meadow and once underneath the railway arch the view opens up to 'happy valley'
It's arable farmland, but it's steep sided, so it's never planted, just left. The trail goes single file down, then back up. the gradient gets worse the higher you get! You can run it... but a fell runners walk is a better bet.
It didn't look like 'gazelle boy' had been expecting this as he was gasping here and passed.  I got 3 or 4 similar in the next 100 yards. The following 1/2 mile is a very slight incline ascent, I saw a yellow vest in the midst of the next bunch and fixed on closing.
All that was left now was a run through a field, a long steep downhill to the back of the church, a couple of fields and a run up the crags.
One guy moved to let me pass through the field. I let gravity assist on the downhill and got another. At the back of the church you go through a steel kissing gate. I heard it clang behind me and decided to count to see when I heard the next runner go through. "10".
I got to the fields and there was another gate. I did it again.
"20"
I could see some more runners infront of me, but there was no way I'd make up the distance before the finish. Gathered myself for the sprint finish!

 - you should be in the Olympic team with that kind of strategic approach GN. Well ran.

Morning folks, just a quick post before I go out to sunbathe

Haile...remind me of that race next year. I quite like trails

GI....can't believe they emailed you. What a bunch of *insert appropriate word*

Pops....that's the day the TNT went to Hartington. Moz was on the ride but I wasn't

Had another good week training. Was going to run yesterday morning but my pal couldn't make it, so went out on the bike instead while the sun was out. Didn't do very far, as planned on running last night with the Smileys & I ran the furthest since March at a not bad pace. Did stop & walk a about five times briefly & my breathing was a bit heavy on some parts but I feel like I'm getting back into it at least.

Think I'm going to have to turbo today