Saturday’s boat brought the Guernsey Island AAC cross country runners to compete in the annual match against Jersey Spartan AC. The event took place at Les Creux Country Park, happily saved a number of years back from being turned into a golf course.
All ages are represented from junior (U13) up to senior vets. The power in inter-island cross country has evolved in a strange way. Guernsey’s senior men have won what is considered the ‘blue riband’ category for the last 16 years. And not only have they won in recent years but they have filled most of the top ten places. It was therefore a surprise when only two of their really top boys showed up on Saturday, Steve Dawes winning by a huge margin and Alan Rowe a comfortable second. However young Tom Kearns grabbed a rare third place. After that it looked like Guernsey did enough to win again, but it will have been by a lesser margin than usual.
Conversley the Jersey women have generally held the whip hand, but the ladies are getting no younger. Jo Gorrod (2nd) and Claire Forbes (4th) are now in the vets category and Louise Perrio and Martine Scholes of Guernsey were 1st and 3rd. The scoring in this event has always been strange but, although the Spartan blue dominated further back I reckon the Guernsey senior ladies will have won their trophy.
Happily, Jersey’s juniors have built up to come from virtually nowhere to at least parity with their neighbours in recent times. This has had much to do with Paul Raimbault’s dedication and organisation, not forgetting Peter Hinds who has organised the junior winter cross country league for many years now.
Monday, March 29, 2010
If it ain't rainin' it ain't trainin'
A good week’s training, which is a relief after the week before when bad things were happening. On Thursday I went out in the evening for a second run, to get the miles up. As far as I can remember that’s the first time I’ve run twice in a day. A completely new experience starting on tired legs but satisfying to complete.
Last Sunday’s long run was about 8 on the scale of 1-10 of nightmares. Happily I got that one out of my system yesterday. A nice 15.15 miles up the Railway Walk, once around the Petit Port loop and back, with a diversion around the cycle track at Les Quennevais to ensure completing 15 miles. The weather closed in after a few miles and the heavy mist and increasing drizzle meant there weren’t too many Sunday walkers, bikes or dogs around.
I ran with Fairport Convention – it’s been a while since I’ve played their collection Meet on the Ledge all the way through. I can get teary at unexpected moments and the track White Dress, a simple, sentimental song beautifully sung by Sandy Denny got me going a bit as I splashed through the last mile.
So, ten weeks to go to the Cork Marathon, eight until the Hash Half. After a step-back week this week the miles crank up to 41 next week. I think I’ve only gone over 40 miles once before!
Last Sunday’s long run was about 8 on the scale of 1-10 of nightmares. Happily I got that one out of my system yesterday. A nice 15.15 miles up the Railway Walk, once around the Petit Port loop and back, with a diversion around the cycle track at Les Quennevais to ensure completing 15 miles. The weather closed in after a few miles and the heavy mist and increasing drizzle meant there weren’t too many Sunday walkers, bikes or dogs around.
I ran with Fairport Convention – it’s been a while since I’ve played their collection Meet on the Ledge all the way through. I can get teary at unexpected moments and the track White Dress, a simple, sentimental song beautifully sung by Sandy Denny got me going a bit as I splashed through the last mile.
So, ten weeks to go to the Cork Marathon, eight until the Hash Half. After a step-back week this week the miles crank up to 41 next week. I think I’ve only gone over 40 miles once before!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Connemarathon
It’s nearly Connemarathon time again. I’ve run this three times now and maybe I will in the future, but not this year.
Once I’d got my very first Half under my belt in 2003 it became my goal to enter this race. I’d travelled around Ireland with my mate Eleanor many years beforehand and I was absolutely taken with the other-worldliness of the area. I have often said that you can almost touch the ghosts of Ireland’s past in the harsh landscapes of the west of Ireland. Although I am more familiar with the rocks and bogs of Kerry the bleakness of Connemara has a resonance all of its own.
My first Conn Half was in 2005 and it was as good as I had expected. The whole experience was one never to be forgotten. That year we were ferried out from Galway to be offloaded in Maam Cross, then a second bus took us onwards to the start at Leenane at the head of the amazing fjord that is Killary Harbour. The run itself was, of course, tough but it’s never a hardship to run in those surroundings. I was happy to conquer the Hell Of The West without walking and finished in 2:00.09, after having taken a minute to get through the start line. The bus dropped us directly back to Galway.
Two years later, in 2007, I had my grumpy head on. The event had suddenly (or so it appeared) got too big and I found the number of runners intrusive. Therefore I didn’t enjoy the experience quite as much and maybe that was part of the reason I was a couple of minutes slower. This time however there was a nice touch with all runners being dropped off at Oughterard on the way back to partake of the excellent post-race catering.
Last year I ran again in a more serene frame of mind. However there is no doubt that, by this time, the Connemarathon is a huge, corporate, money-making venture. Arguments and insults rage over the entry fee (€70 for the Half I believe.) However the event is quickly sold out and its defenders will, quite reasonably, say that no one forces you to enter. Whatever, the organisation was as slick as ever, though registration is at a hotel in the most unattractive part of Galway City. There is an air of a refugee camp at Leenane, but at least escape is imminent. This time I had my racing head on and attacked the course (though crawling up the HOTW as a consequence) to break the two-hour mark. This year the catering was at the finish at Peacocke’s Hotel and excellent it was as well.
So on 11th April I’ll be there in spirit and I wish everyone well. I guess I’ll be back there at some stage.
Once I’d got my very first Half under my belt in 2003 it became my goal to enter this race. I’d travelled around Ireland with my mate Eleanor many years beforehand and I was absolutely taken with the other-worldliness of the area. I have often said that you can almost touch the ghosts of Ireland’s past in the harsh landscapes of the west of Ireland. Although I am more familiar with the rocks and bogs of Kerry the bleakness of Connemara has a resonance all of its own.
My first Conn Half was in 2005 and it was as good as I had expected. The whole experience was one never to be forgotten. That year we were ferried out from Galway to be offloaded in Maam Cross, then a second bus took us onwards to the start at Leenane at the head of the amazing fjord that is Killary Harbour. The run itself was, of course, tough but it’s never a hardship to run in those surroundings. I was happy to conquer the Hell Of The West without walking and finished in 2:00.09, after having taken a minute to get through the start line. The bus dropped us directly back to Galway.
Two years later, in 2007, I had my grumpy head on. The event had suddenly (or so it appeared) got too big and I found the number of runners intrusive. Therefore I didn’t enjoy the experience quite as much and maybe that was part of the reason I was a couple of minutes slower. This time however there was a nice touch with all runners being dropped off at Oughterard on the way back to partake of the excellent post-race catering.
Last year I ran again in a more serene frame of mind. However there is no doubt that, by this time, the Connemarathon is a huge, corporate, money-making venture. Arguments and insults rage over the entry fee (€70 for the Half I believe.) However the event is quickly sold out and its defenders will, quite reasonably, say that no one forces you to enter. Whatever, the organisation was as slick as ever, though registration is at a hotel in the most unattractive part of Galway City. There is an air of a refugee camp at Leenane, but at least escape is imminent. This time I had my racing head on and attacked the course (though crawling up the HOTW as a consequence) to break the two-hour mark. This year the catering was at the finish at Peacocke’s Hotel and excellent it was as well.
So on 11th April I’ll be there in spirit and I wish everyone well. I guess I’ll be back there at some stage.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Katharine Merry
As usual a good time was had by all at the annual Jersey Spartan AC Dinner & Awards evening on Saturday. I got through the emceeing without major catastrophe and handed the mic over to the expert, Katharine Merry. I also had the pleasure of sitting on her table over dinner. What an exceptionally pleasant person she is and she went out of her way not only to do some research beforehand, but she made the effort to try to remember all the various names of people that she came across – dinner guests, award winners etc. She is also a bit of a statto, rattling off various times and records to the 1/100s.
Katharine gave us a well-received speech – it was really a talk through the 400m women’s final in Sydney at the 2000 Olympics, and it was a unique insight for those of us not actually involved in the race!
Kath (now my mate!) was over with her partner Leon who is also a really nice guy. They are both Brummies (well, Kath near enough) and live in Solihull, just over the back from my family homestead. I hope they both enjoyed their weekend and that we see them again sometime.
Katharine gave us a well-received speech – it was really a talk through the 400m women’s final in Sydney at the 2000 Olympics, and it was a unique insight for those of us not actually involved in the race!
Kath (now my mate!) was over with her partner Leon who is also a really nice guy. They are both Brummies (well, Kath near enough) and live in Solihull, just over the back from my family homestead. I hope they both enjoyed their weekend and that we see them again sometime.
Jersey Eastern Railway
A lousy run on Saturday morning – for some reason my body didn’t want to run at all and I ended up walking/trotting back to the FB Fields. There was however one very positive result, but it had nothing to do with running.
I’ve had time on my hands recently and I have, frankly, turned into even more of an anorak than I was before. I enjoy researching local history, wherever I am. Since returning to Jersey I’ve been doing some research and have become fixated with tracking the route of the old Jersey Eastern Railway through modern Jersey. As the line folded in 1929 and both the townscape and landscape of Jersey has changed radically in that time, it is a bit of a task. I suppose I could have grabbed some old codger who would have known every inch. However it’s more fun working it out oneself.
Unnoticed by me I must have run past the former Ponterson Lane station a hundred times. There it is at the crossroads with Rue a la Croix and it’s called The Halt – d’oh! Anyway this pinpoints the route the track took through Le Haguais Farm, coming from town. I’d ascertained a week or two back that it ran on down what is now Beach Gardens, before disappearing. However two people had mentioned that I should investigate the woodland behind St Clement’s Parish Hall – so I did so on Saturday.
To my astonishment there is at least 200m of railway embankment, ending in a little overbridge, heading straight for Le Hocq Lane, after which it then would have run up what is now King’s Close to join the coast road just before Pontac.
I know that you’ll probably not be gobsmacked by that, but it made my morning.
I’ve had time on my hands recently and I have, frankly, turned into even more of an anorak than I was before. I enjoy researching local history, wherever I am. Since returning to Jersey I’ve been doing some research and have become fixated with tracking the route of the old Jersey Eastern Railway through modern Jersey. As the line folded in 1929 and both the townscape and landscape of Jersey has changed radically in that time, it is a bit of a task. I suppose I could have grabbed some old codger who would have known every inch. However it’s more fun working it out oneself.
Unnoticed by me I must have run past the former Ponterson Lane station a hundred times. There it is at the crossroads with Rue a la Croix and it’s called The Halt – d’oh! Anyway this pinpoints the route the track took through Le Haguais Farm, coming from town. I’d ascertained a week or two back that it ran on down what is now Beach Gardens, before disappearing. However two people had mentioned that I should investigate the woodland behind St Clement’s Parish Hall – so I did so on Saturday.
To my astonishment there is at least 200m of railway embankment, ending in a little overbridge, heading straight for Le Hocq Lane, after which it then would have run up what is now King’s Close to join the coast road just before Pontac.
I know that you’ll probably not be gobsmacked by that, but it made my morning.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Seeing things
It's not too unusual to see a vehicle with Irish plates on the Jersey roads. But an '08 reg Donegal van?
A great run this morning - those that I get lost on in the Jersey lanes are the best. I'm ahead of my miles target for the week so I reckon I can cut down on Saturday's demand of seven so I can do my LSR properly on Sunday. One option for Saturday is the club 5k handicap and a blast at my PB of 23.02
A great run this morning - those that I get lost on in the Jersey lanes are the best. I'm ahead of my miles target for the week so I reckon I can cut down on Saturday's demand of seven so I can do my LSR properly on Sunday. One option for Saturday is the club 5k handicap and a blast at my PB of 23.02
Monday, March 15, 2010
Ouch, That Hurt!
Poor old Sue Le Ruez, stalwart Spartan and a good friend. Just about to set out for her long run yesterday (Sunday) from St Catherine and setting her watch she jogged straight into a bench. Fortunately she was with a group and was quickly ferried to A&E by one of them. An X-ray showed that there was no break beneath the deep cut and she was then stitched up. It was nice that two of the Spartan runners, Sue and Judith, were on-duty nurses so she wasn’t short of chat during her stay.
Sue had recovered enough to manage a glass of wine by evening time, her main concern being the disruption to her London Marathon training schedule.
Next up on the Spartan calendar is the Annual Dinner Dance next Saturday. The honoured guest this year is the wondrous Katharine Merry and, as apparently I am emceeing the evening, I am looking forward to introducing her. The MC job regrettably involves not drinking too much or making political speeches, telling un-PC jokes etc.
Meanwhile it was a ‘step back’ week in my training for the Cork Marathon, which worked out well following on from what was a hard 20k race the previous Sunday. On Wednesday I pushed hard on my regular 5.25m circuit from home and clocked a PB. As a consequence I decided not to do my regular Thursday intervals session. I trotted up to Noirmont to see the junior cross on Saturday and finished the week with a nine-miler on Sunday. This week the mileage starts climbing seriously.
Sue had recovered enough to manage a glass of wine by evening time, her main concern being the disruption to her London Marathon training schedule.
Next up on the Spartan calendar is the Annual Dinner Dance next Saturday. The honoured guest this year is the wondrous Katharine Merry and, as apparently I am emceeing the evening, I am looking forward to introducing her. The MC job regrettably involves not drinking too much or making political speeches, telling un-PC jokes etc.
Meanwhile it was a ‘step back’ week in my training for the Cork Marathon, which worked out well following on from what was a hard 20k race the previous Sunday. On Wednesday I pushed hard on my regular 5.25m circuit from home and clocked a PB. As a consequence I decided not to do my regular Thursday intervals session. I trotted up to Noirmont to see the junior cross on Saturday and finished the week with a nine-miler on Sunday. This week the mileage starts climbing seriously.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Indoor Contrasts
The English National Indoor Age-Group Championships have just been held at the NIA in Birmingham. Spartan athletes came back with a couple of silvers (Zane Duquemin and Stanly Livingstone) whilst a couple of my former throwers were well placed in the first year in their age group (Kathryn Rothwell and Shadine Duquemin). They'd progressed from the Southerns which were held at Lee Valley.
NIA and Lee Valley. What a contrast for the Crusaders who battle through the Dublin Indoor Championships. They have to trek down the country to a barn at Nenagh which constitutes the Republic's only facility capable of holding an indoor meeting. As I've said previously it is to the credit only of the local club there that there is anywhere at all. The athletics fraternity say that, at Nenagh, to keep warm you have to go outside!
At least the relay finals were held at a great venue last year, Magharafelt in Northern Ireland. Quite why it's been changed I'm not sure. Anyway the following Crusader's teams medalled at the Dublins last weekend.
U10G, bronze - Barry, McLoughlin, Ferry, Walsh
U10B, gold - Soroka, Tucker, Maher, Brown
U12B, gold - Walsh, Barry, Saunders, Francis
U14G, silver - Barry, McGuill, Maher, Murray
U11G, bronze - Ferry, McGuill, Shaw, Johnson
U13G, silver - O'Leary, Ferry, Shaw, Shiels
U13B, bronze - Woods, Walsh, Barry, Francis
U15G, silver - Francis, Hughes, Kelly, Crowley
There's some great work going on up there at Irishtown Stadium!
NIA and Lee Valley. What a contrast for the Crusaders who battle through the Dublin Indoor Championships. They have to trek down the country to a barn at Nenagh which constitutes the Republic's only facility capable of holding an indoor meeting. As I've said previously it is to the credit only of the local club there that there is anywhere at all. The athletics fraternity say that, at Nenagh, to keep warm you have to go outside!
At least the relay finals were held at a great venue last year, Magharafelt in Northern Ireland. Quite why it's been changed I'm not sure. Anyway the following Crusader's teams medalled at the Dublins last weekend.
U10G, bronze - Barry, McLoughlin, Ferry, Walsh
U10B, gold - Soroka, Tucker, Maher, Brown
U12B, gold - Walsh, Barry, Saunders, Francis
U14G, silver - Barry, McGuill, Maher, Murray
U11G, bronze - Ferry, McGuill, Shaw, Johnson
U13G, silver - O'Leary, Ferry, Shaw, Shiels
U13B, bronze - Woods, Walsh, Barry, Francis
U15G, silver - Francis, Hughes, Kelly, Crowley
There's some great work going on up there at Irishtown Stadium!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Marathon Training Progress
13 weeks to go to Cork and I have to say I'm running as well as I've ever done. Long may it continue. I do however have a history of my body just closing down as regards running, for no apparent reason. This has happened twice in the past and I've had periods of several months where I could barely run at all. Thankfully I've always managed to come back.
I'm now at a much better weight for running however and hopefully I'll hit no such problems this time around.
I'm following the Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 programme as a framework, but tweaking as I think necessary. Notably I'm trying to fit in one 'session' a week to work specifically on speed endurance.
A couple of weeks back I set a PB of 47.52 for 10k over the far-from-flat St Catherine's circuit. Not bad setting PBs a week before one's 57th birthday!
Yesterday I rolled up for the Jersey Spartan club race over 20k, out from Les Quennevais to Les Laveurs and back. A bright day but an icy north-easterly blowing off the sand dunes making hat, gloves and long sleaves necessary. It was soon evident as well that there were absolutely no 'slowpokes' registered - in other words everyone there was a competent runner so I was battling at the back from the outset.
In fact I ran the length of the Five Mile Road and back (six miles, yeah I know) passing no one or being passed. At the turn I saw that here were just three runners behind me. In front was a green T-shirt that never got closer or further away. However within the last three miles I managed to close the gap and picked off Green T-Shirt and three others for some respectability. The last of these was a sponsor's representative which was probably a bad idea.
Time was 1:42.35 which was 8.22 min/miling. Very pleased indeed with that effort.
I'm now at a much better weight for running however and hopefully I'll hit no such problems this time around.
I'm following the Hal Higdon Intermediate 1 programme as a framework, but tweaking as I think necessary. Notably I'm trying to fit in one 'session' a week to work specifically on speed endurance.
A couple of weeks back I set a PB of 47.52 for 10k over the far-from-flat St Catherine's circuit. Not bad setting PBs a week before one's 57th birthday!
Yesterday I rolled up for the Jersey Spartan club race over 20k, out from Les Quennevais to Les Laveurs and back. A bright day but an icy north-easterly blowing off the sand dunes making hat, gloves and long sleaves necessary. It was soon evident as well that there were absolutely no 'slowpokes' registered - in other words everyone there was a competent runner so I was battling at the back from the outset.
In fact I ran the length of the Five Mile Road and back (six miles, yeah I know) passing no one or being passed. At the turn I saw that here were just three runners behind me. In front was a green T-shirt that never got closer or further away. However within the last three miles I managed to close the gap and picked off Green T-Shirt and three others for some respectability. The last of these was a sponsor's representative which was probably a bad idea.
Time was 1:42.35 which was 8.22 min/miling. Very pleased indeed with that effort.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Great Dublin Outdoor-Indoor Championships
They could only happen, of course, in Ireland! I blogged about these with much merriment this time last year. In fact the organisers do well to pack so many events into the training area under the stand at Santry. The middle-distance events and relays are, however, beyond them.
I have been voraciously reading about the participation of Crusaders AC in the 2010 championships. Of course a lot of the young athletes have picked up medals, no more impressive than Kevin Woods' 800m gold at U15 level. But the week before we owned the podium once more with Olibhia, Isabel and Niamh bringing back memories of the Dublin outdoors last year when they did likewise. Here they are, with Livs having turned the table on Izzy for the gold.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Here We Go Again
So here we are in Jersey, Channel Islands. It's the first day of March and I've decided I'm in good enough spirits to restart blogging without depressing everyone. It's been a tough few months personally but things are definitely on the up.
As before I'll be sticking to a few pet subjects, chief amongst them running. Although I never thought I'd find myself back in Jersey it's been good to find the running scene in good shape. True, everybody's a couple of years older and often slower, but there are one or two useful newcomers as well as one or two younger runners pushing through, the product of the very good work now being done at Spartans.
One side effect of some stress-induced weight loss is that I'm running as well as I can remember. Eight days ago I set a big 10k PB on the scenic but hilly St Catherine's course, 47.52, which by my standards is flying. My best 10k in Ireland was 50.30 on the flat Dunshaughlin course and I was pleased with that!
My immediate target is the Cork Marathon on 7th June. Although the marathon monkey is off my back I'm still annoyed with myself that I've failed this race badly not once but twice. Although I've tried to rationalise these failures I'm not sure I've got all of the answers.
Fifteen days before Cork I have the Hash Half Marathon here in Jersey. I've run this several times and it really is a great little race and a fast course. I suppose I ought to be targeting another PB here, but I'm a bit wary of going eyeballs out so soon before a marathon. For a 'proper' runner it ought to be no problem but...
But next Sunday I'm looking forward to a club series 20k which fits in rather neatly with my training programme.
Back shortly with updates.
As before I'll be sticking to a few pet subjects, chief amongst them running. Although I never thought I'd find myself back in Jersey it's been good to find the running scene in good shape. True, everybody's a couple of years older and often slower, but there are one or two useful newcomers as well as one or two younger runners pushing through, the product of the very good work now being done at Spartans.
One side effect of some stress-induced weight loss is that I'm running as well as I can remember. Eight days ago I set a big 10k PB on the scenic but hilly St Catherine's course, 47.52, which by my standards is flying. My best 10k in Ireland was 50.30 on the flat Dunshaughlin course and I was pleased with that!
My immediate target is the Cork Marathon on 7th June. Although the marathon monkey is off my back I'm still annoyed with myself that I've failed this race badly not once but twice. Although I've tried to rationalise these failures I'm not sure I've got all of the answers.
Fifteen days before Cork I have the Hash Half Marathon here in Jersey. I've run this several times and it really is a great little race and a fast course. I suppose I ought to be targeting another PB here, but I'm a bit wary of going eyeballs out so soon before a marathon. For a 'proper' runner it ought to be no problem but...
But next Sunday I'm looking forward to a club series 20k which fits in rather neatly with my training programme.
Back shortly with updates.
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