October 2011 by Swinton Running Club

Swinton Running Club V O L U M E

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A N O T H E R M A R AT H O N M O N T H F O R S W I N TO N R U N N I N G C L U B

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Congratulations

LIVERPOOL MARATHON 2011

Great North Run

Ironman 70.3

Swinton 10

SHEILA DUCKWORTH 04:01:12 CARA ANDERSON 04:17:28 SHIRLEY DUCKWORTH-OATES 04:35:00 CAROL HART 04:36:33 LISA OTTIWELL 04:45:29 DAWN GREEN 04:49:07 KATHRYN ROBERTS 05:17:38

Rivington Half

Gin Pit 5

Gin Pit Fun Run

Great Edinburgh 10K

Len Mullen XC

Liverpool Marathon

Amsterdam Morning Run

Amsterdam Marathon

Cardiff Half

Heaton Park XC

CHESTER MARATHON 2011

Autumn Breaker 10K

Holmfirth 15

Beginners Group

Up and Coming Races

ANTONY GOLDING 03:44:20 JASON WILSON 03:56:16 MICHAEL HORTON 04:33:06 SUSAN BEAN 05:14:52

Cross Country Series

Cross Country Champs

Club Championships

Runners Awards

Committee Meetings

Social Events

Children’s Christmas Party

Race Results

Contacts

AMSTERDAM MARATHON 2011 CARA

ANDERSON

03:44:31

SNOWDONIA MARATHON 2011 GLYN WILLIAMS 03:56:34 EMMA FLYNN 04:12:19 SHIRLEY DUCKWORTH-OATES 04:54:34

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Race Reviews

Great North Run - Sunday 18th September 2011

In 1981 Less than 5000 runners were expected to take part in the inaugural race – held on Sunday June 28 and so organisers were astounded when over 12,500 applied and over 10,000 of them completed the first Great North Run. In 2011 four plucky Swinton Running Club members decided to brave Emma Flynn’s driving and see what all the fuss was about. It started as these things oft do with me being shouted at a day earlier for being late for Dinner, with such an early start on the Sunday to drive to Newcastle Emma had kindly offered to put, Rebecca, Steve and myself up for the night and providing said dinner that I was late for, being the professional runners that we are Emma cooked a lovely Spag Boll for us all and if you don’t know; watching Emma eat is an education in its self, never can one girl get so much sauce around her face but I digress. After a lovely meal we settled in to watch to telly and have a pre race glass of wine, Mike Horton came to join us for some company and got weed on by a Guinea Pig for his trouble. Being only a three bed house I volunteered for sofa duty, it was either that or get spooned by Steve and I was pretty happy to leave that to Carol! 5 am Sunday morning arrived rather quickly it has to be said and our 4 plucky runners all looking rather pale and bleary eyed stuffed kit into Emma’s car, armed themselves with Peanut Butter Butties hit the road to Newcastle. The drive up was plain sailing pretty much, we sang to the radio, had a couple of service station stops for the loo’s and one where the queue in the gents was massively longer than the woman, something unheard of since the great toilet roll famine of 1812 and we arrived near our destination, seeking the car park Rebecca knew of we appeared to get crossed wires with a Chinese delivery services oddly enough trying to deliver a Washing Machine to SharEn, poor man couldn’t seem to find out “WHERE SHE LIVE” for love nor money! I do wonder if she ever got that super spin washer that dry clothes very good!? Finding Rebecca’s secret bingo car park we paid our pound and headed to the tram station, choosing as most people appeared to have done to park at the end of the race in South Shields and get the tram into Gateshead, another quick stop for the loo and to watch a rather heavy and very ironic First Aid flagpole fall over and crown a girl on the back of the head. Once we arrived into Gateshead it was a simple job to follow the crowd walking down to the start lines, whole range of people appeared to be up and active and the Telly Heli hovering above, we tried waving to see if SharEn would see us but we doubted it. One more quick trip to the loos for us all and we chucked Emma’s bag in the storage hold and we split up, heading to our starting points, I was running as my alter ego Patricia Hunt who’d got a place in the SWINTON

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orange wave so I was pretty much on my own with the other guys being about 15 minutes ahead of me in another wave, with about 20 minutes to spare I made some friends and chatted the time away, quick warm up with that bloke who does the Manchester 10k and a flyby by the Red Arrows we were off..... Slowly, so many runners mean that the starts to these big events are always congested, even pushing to the front of my wave it was a good walk/jog till we cleared the grid, running past the legendary Mo Farah and Dr Emma Egging, Wife of the Red Arrows pilot tragically killed in an accident earlier this year who was also running for her husband’s charity. The run picked up pace pretty quickly, the crowds on both sides of the road were brilliant and encouraging, 1.7 miles in and cruising at 7.5 minute mile pace which in hindsight was a little too quick for that early on we crossed the Iconic Tyne Bridge and were treated to a second flyover by the Red Arrows, flying now in a Diamond six formation missing one plane as a mark of respect for their fallen colleague. A couple of miles in and the sun really came out in force, I’m not a hot weather runner preferring cooler temps but when I saw the sign that said temp 11 degrees I knew that was wrong, and if I was suffering a little in the heat I could imagine that up ahead Rebecca who hates warm running more than me was probably having a small princess moment (I was right too) lacking any real shade I just had to push on and make the best of the situation. The course itself is not too bad for the most part, its heavily congested in places meaning there was a lot of being overtaken and overtaking going on in my part of the field, a couple of times I had to clatter my way through people who’d strayed off centre and into my path when I had literally no where I could move too! One of the great aspects of the course is the crowds for this one, it really does appear that there are people lining the route all the way along the full course, people cheering and giving out sweets/ice pops/oranges plus a couple of guys offering a quick shower from the top of a strategic bus stop. Lots of well manned water stations appeared every three or so miles plus a couple of Powerade zones with loud music and clapping PR girlies, most of this was slightly lost on me in as I’d just hit the queen selection on my Pod. At nine miles I was feeling rather good, rain had arrived to a deluge to cool my face and had 1 hour 22 on the clock, 4 miles to cover give or take in 38 minutes to break my 2 hour barrier, I was happy indeed, I’d eaten my last gel without covering my face in it too! Unfortunately at ten miles something happened that really ruined my mood. Emma had hinted at the climb but I really wasn’t ready, it’s not steep in any measure it just goes on forever and ever (two miles) I actually like hill work but this really took it out of me, I slowed quite a lot and although I didn’t walk I lost allot of time, a couple of points I was down to 11 minute miles which showed I was having a bit of an issue. Finally at twelve miles we crested the top and came down into the South Shields bay, I was a little weary by now but pushed on cheered by the sheer number of supporters cheering us on, I took a look at my watch, at twelve miles I was at 1 hour 52, I could break that barrier today I thought, I pushed as hard as my very tired legs could carry me but it just wasn’t going to be, the crowd of runners really hemmed in meaning at one point I had to jump round a runner who had fallen. At best effort at I finished my first Great North run in 2 hours 1 minute and some seconds, little gutted at missing my target but happy to have finished such a great race. Finding Steve wandering around the charity village we quickly located the girls, both wrapped in space blankets with tea to discuss stories from the day. Grabbing our own brews we headed back to the car park slowly watching the red arrows perform over the sea, ending with a rather nice heart and arrow in the sky.

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Fifteen minute walk back through town to the car and we all did our best impressions of upper class hobo’s getting changed in the car park, while cars full of chunky locals piled into the bingo hall, slightly bemused at a group of semi naked runners staggering round a Mercedes trying to stick plasters on things and spray sore legs. The journey out was none too stressful, traffic seemed well catered for and the roads already back open again meant we made the motorway pretty fast, at a quick pit stop for another loo break and Burger King I picked up a couple of papers for me and Steve to catch up on our gossip column news, Rebecca at this point confessed she was feeling a little sun touched so we headed off eager to be home for showers and rest. Couple more miles down the road and we had to make an emergency stop, Rebecca had gone a very odd shade of white and green, concerned we’d have a car full of sick Emma found an exit and we made Rebecca stand in the fresh air for a bit. Back on the road again Rebecca insisted on having a window fully open, considering she was still looking green Steve and myself attempted to read our papers in gale force winds without complaint, I didn’t want to get covered in sick after all! All in all, the Great North Run was a great weekend, thanks to Steve and Rebecca for the brilliant company, SharEn for being a willing victim to prank calls, Emma for being a great host and also driving us.

Shier x Full Results available here

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Race Reviews

Ironman 70.3 - Pays D’Aix - Sunday 25h September 2011 The alarm was set for 4.00am but of course the night before a race you never sleep. When you know you've got to get up early you sleep even less and when itʼs been raining all night well itʼs even worse. Of course you do sleep, although it felt like everytime I was about to fall asleep I woke up, sure we'd missed the alarm and then heard the rain getting harder and harder, thinking how can we race in this? It was the South of France not Manchester so at least the rain was warm - problem was the rain was absolutely torrential - did I really want to ride down the mountains through a river? I was nervous enough about the descents before the rain, now I was convinced we'd be insane to do this but at the same time I had my fingers crossed that the organisers didn't cancel............. One of the good things about these events is that come the morning of the race you don't have much to think about. Registration is on Friday - when you get your race pack with your event rucksack, race numbers for your bike, helmet and number belt - the bike number is actually chipped and when you drop it off in the bike park, apart from checking that the brakes are in good order they photograph you so no-one else can leave the bike park with your bike, so really good security. You also get your athlete wrist band - so you can get in all the places you need to, your timing chip, details of the post race party and the transport details to get to and from the start. Walking back to our apartment with my rucksack and wristband I felt my shoulders go back and thought hey I'm an athlete, so celebrated by stopping for a beer and watch the world go by for a while. Finally back to our apartment and got the bikes ready and all the numbers attached and everything lined up on the floor ready to go. Saturday - main job to get to the bike park. The race finishes slap bang in the middle of town and starts about 20 miles away in a small place called Peyrolles, where thereʼs a huge man made lake - perfect for swimming. Today though it was about getting the bike into the park and everything in the bike bag ready for the morning. Then back into town to leave the run bag there. The ride out was great almost felt like we were getting started and having ridden some of the climbs the day before felt quite excited. Bike park was well organised easy to find your numbered spot - and do a bit of bike envy, everyone looking at the Pro Racers bikes and dreaming. A walk down to the Lake and my anxiety started to hit again - the path was quite long and very rutted, with my softy feet I was never going to be able to walk on this and then the Lake appeared - huge and I couldn't even see the furthest swim buoy !! That's it, I thought, this is my last big race, itʼs just too stressful. Just at that point we see the legendary Yves Cordier, the race director but also one of the best know faces in Triathlon, also known as the Sun God - I felt inspired again! We headed back to town dropped off the run bags and looked for food - lots of great little Pizza Restaurants - but at 3.00pm all closing. Itʼs one of the things I don't get about France - opening hours, why close a restaurant in the middle of a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon in the centre of a busy tourist town!!!!! Pizza chain was still operating and packed out - and not bad at all. Back home and final arrangements - and a pointless early night! ..........

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As we walked down for the bus it was just rain, rain and rain; some people actually arrived for the bus in their wetsuits! Big mistake as although it was raining it was boiling - I thought I might pass out on the bus at one point - so a huge relief to get off and to find that it had stopped raining. First stop portaloos - sadly unisex, so I guess no more need to be said about that! I had another last minute panic - my wheels. I had the deep rimmed, go faster wheels - but they始d punctured on me in a couple of races and with all the rain and the gravel it was bound to happen again - so we swapped wheels - well Barry swapped wheels - I went back to the portaloos! Loudspeakers were blaring out music, the announcers counting the time down, bikes ready, wetsuits are on, pulse rate is through the roof - thank god there始s a mat down on the walk to and from the swim - where did all these people come from? Ten minutes to go and the Pros get their head start and then suddenly everyone is racing into the water, no warning we're off so no time even to say good luck to each other. He's off and chasing near the front, I'm a breaststroker and happier near the back, where I've got clear water and can see where I'm going and strangely once in the water and focused on the far buoy, which I can actually see, I'm loving it. I feel strong, I'm passing lots of people. Rounding the buoy there始s a bit of barging and biffs on the head and body but I probably give as good as I get and I can see the swim exit - job done! One of the benefits of being at this end of the swim is that someone has the time to hand you your bike bag with all your gear in it and once you've got out of the wetsuit & had a quick gel you can easily see your bike so no stress there. Although not raining it was overcast but you wouldn't have known it had rained - it was dry on the road and my bike was running so well - going past people all the time - oh yes it was going to be a good day! As the first major climb approached I knew I'd already ridden this so had a drink and changed gears and concentrated on a good rhythm. I knew it was a fast descent and the roads were closed to traffic so no excuses. I still looked anxiously as at most corners someone had come off and I had a quick look to make sure it wasn't Barry. My confidence was growing and I knew on the climbs I was stronger than the people around me - just not as brave on the descents. The 90km seemed to pass really quickly and we were soon on the last climb only a couple of hairpins and after this a long descent back into Aix and the run! Coming into town there were loads of people out and about and as I came into transition one of the helpers grabbed my bike as I ran on to collect my run bag. On with the running shoes and off round the roundabout on Lap 1 of 3. Feed stations were every couple of kilometres and that was my reward to get to each and have a walk as I downed water at one, coke at the next and an orange after that. There was only one hill and I was determined to run, or should that be shuffle, it every time. Going round the roundabout back in town you collect a different coloured scrunchy until you get the final red one and then its off up the finishing shoot past the pom pom girls, get your medal, finishers T Shirt - in a size that fits rather than the traditional XL for everyone. Then its on to a banquet of food with more drinks and finally the massage tables - loads of them and well worth waiting a few minutes. Found Barry lying there and after my legs were SWINTON

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nursed back to life we wandered back down the main avenue to collect all our bags and bikes. Laden down head it was back for a shower and get ready for the after race party - all in the entry fee. The local casino was packed with all the athletes, families, helpers and we enjoyed a full 3 course meal, served at table, with a help yourself chilled beer container off to one side. All suitably stuffed we headed into the auditorium for the awards presentation fantastic awards to the first 3 in each age group - guess who was 4th?? I'm always 4th, so I guess I'll just have to try harder - more focus on the pre race preparation rather than the post race party! A fantastic event, incredibly well organised in a wonderful part of the world and definitely not my last long course Triathlon after all. Maybe a good night's sleep first though.

Maggie Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Swinton 10 Mile Road Race - Sunday 25th September 2011 I just thought I would mention that this report is being compiled on the side of my sun lounger in Tenerife and in places may contain alcohol! So grammar and spelling can not be guaranteed although dedication can be! I had enjoyed this race the previous year so was really looking forward to it again and enjoyed the longer distance, well 10 miles is long enough for me! For those that don't know the course, it could be described as "slightly undulating". The race is a 2 lap course and starts on Barton lane, goes down hill towards and under the East Lancs, down folly lane towards Monton, left towards Salford, left onto Lancaster Road, up the slight incline and left onto the East Lancs to commence the 2nd lap. Ian Thomas introduced the race and the club to all runners at the start on Barton Road and proudly said a few words about the club which was well received by all. The race got underway and my plan was to take the first lap easy and see what I had in the tank for the second but as always this went out of the window when I saw Dan Bird and Mark Birchall shoot off into the distance. The first 3 miles up to the beginning of Lancaster road seemed easy as it all seemed downhill. However the incline on Lancaster road definitely has an adverse affect on the old pins! I managed to get the first lap out of the way relatively untroubled and by this point had managed to catch Mark but Dan was still way in the distance. On arriving at Lancaster road for the second time I was definitely tiring and was just happy to get to the finish without stopping, which is what I did in 1:03:13, over 2 minutes quicker than last year. 178 runners finished and James Kevan of Horwich won the race in an unbelievable time of 54:02, a new course record. First back for Swinton was Dan Bird in an excellent time of 1:02:14, over 8 minutes quicker than last year, an awesome achievement and a credit to Dan who has ran brilliant in every race this year. If continues to improve at the same rate, he could be challenging the leader next year! First lady back for Swinton was Louise Mcgloughlin in a fantastic time of 1:20:01. After the race, we all congregated in the race headquarters just off Barton Lane for the presentation. It was nice to be able to get a coffee and a bacon barm and of course a well earned beer! The finalisation of the results was a little delayed as a certain docile person who shall remain nameless for the fear of embarrassment forgot to hand in one of the results pages and later found it in his pocket after the panic had set in. The presentation eventually got underway, organised by Ian Thomas, who again did a sterling job.

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Race Reviews

Swinton 10 Mile Road Race - Sunday 25th September 2011 All in all the race, was a huge success with great organisation from Swinton and I must take this opportunity to thank all involved, including the great turnout from the supporters and marshals, of which there were too many to mention. In summary, this was a well organised and enjoyable race and a great advertisement for the club. A must do again next year! Darren Russell Full results available here

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SWINTON 10 MILE ROAD RACE - SUNDAY 25

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Race Reviews

Rivington Half Marathon - Saturday 1st October 2011 Having not raced for 7 weeks and spending September being sensible and building up mileage gradually, I thought I’d choose this pleasant little race as my comeback Ha Ha! This was my third consecutive year for the Rivington Half. The last 2 years have been bright, but crisp and autumnal – perfect running weather. The week leading up to this year’s race saw temperatures soar to a ridiculous 28 degrees and the forecast for race day was even hotter. I had been looking forward to this – one of my favourite races – for weeks, but as race day arrived, I was in a complete strop. I’m not a huge fan of the sun at the best of times, but for racing I find it disastrous. Regardless of my dreadful mood, Adam and I set off and met fellow Swintoners Rick, Rebecca and Steve H at Rivington and Blackrod School where the race was to begin. Rick was given suitable grief for not only failing to wear Swinton colours, but actually daring to sport a vest in A&T blue! Plenty of pre-race jovial banter was shared, including lots of, ‘What excuse can we think of for not actually competing?’ No excuse was acceptable, so we rocked up to the start line with approximately 300 other hardy souls who had decided to brave the weather. The first 1.25 miles is a challenging uphill climb, but after that the scenery en route is fabulous. Given my terrible sense of direction, I couldn’t really start to tell you where we were, except that I did recognise sections of the Horwich 5 race twice. The undulating race is a mixture of trails, wooded areas, fields, road, cobbled paths etc. There are gates and stiles to contend with and some muddy parts, although not as much as previous years due to the dry weather. It is never going to be a PB course, but it is stunning. The temperature rose to 29 degrees and was relentless. In fact, I later found out that it was the hottest October day on record. We were grateful for the shade in the wooded areas, but most of the race was conducted with full exposure to the sun. It made it tough going, however it did not spoil the race. I managed to cross the line in 1 hour 54 minutes and all things considered, was pleased with that. It was about 3 minutes slower than I achieved last year, but returning from injury and the heat were good enough excuses for that, I reckon. Well done to my team mates who had superb races, especially hubby Ads who actually managed to race 5 minutes faster than last year. Mark Russell of Salford Harriers ran an amazing race to finish second – I guess he’ll be a strong Manchester Area XC contender again this season. Also out in force were our local friends from Burnden, and Anne Ferguson ran superbly to win her category prize. It was great to see Paul Robinson and his family at the finish – big thanks to them for their support. Rivington Half will be one of the first races on my calendar for next year; I just hope for more typical October temperature. Who else is joining me?

Loz Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Git Pit 5 Mile Trail Race - Sunday 2nd October 2011 AFTER falling in love with trail running over the summer, I decided it was time to enter my first official trail race. The Gin Pit 5 was part of the Central Lancashire Grand Prix and not too far from home, so it seemed like the perfect option. I had been looking forward to the race for a few weeks, but that was spoiled by the boiling sunshine that everyone else seemed to love at the end of September. Fortunately for me, I woke up on the morning of the race to find the sun had disappeared behind the clouds. There were 17 Swinton runners taking part, plus more there as supporters. After the fun run, we all lined up at the start ready to go. I started running with Rebecca, Lauren, Emma and Steve, but even their bimbling pace after the Rivington Half Marathon was too fast for me and I soon dropped behind. I wasn’t running alone for long though, as I was joined by an A+T runner called Claire. She told me she’d done the race about eight times before and usually came last, so I was determined to cross the line in front of her. We ran together for most of the first three miles at a steady pace and chatting as we went. A few of the front runners went past us and it was amazing to see how fast they were going. Claire lost touch with me as we went up a hill, so I kept on going alone. She finally caught me again in the last mile and although she was considering walking, I encouraged her to keep going. As we went up the hill towards the finish, I could hear the A+T marshals cheering her on and her catching up. Luckily I managed a final surge cheered on by all the Swinton runners - and crossed the line in 52:51, just four seconds ahead of Claire. There aren’t many opportunities to race at my end of the field, so it was great to push myself to keep going and beat someone else. Claire thanked me afterwards for pushing her on too and said she ran faster than usual. I’ll be looking out for her at future races to spur me on. The race was won in an impressive 25:56 by James Kevan, from Horwich, who had won the Swinton 10 the week before. First Swinton runner was Steve Doxey in 29:52, with Louise McLoughlin as first Swinton woman in 37:32. There was a great turnout from the club and I really enjoyed the race. It was a good course and well supported, so I’ll definitely go back there – and hopefully beat more A+Ters.

Gaynor Full results available here

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GIN PIT 5 MILE TRAIL RACE - SUNDAY 2

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GIN PIT 5 MILE TRAIL RACE - SUNDAY 2

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Race Reviews

Git Pit 2 Mile Fun Run - Sunday 2nd October 2011

I ran the fun run at Gin Pit on Sunday 2nd October. There were lots of children and adults from Swinton at the race and they all did very well. My mummy told me not to go too fast but I ignored her. I ran really fast and my mummy could not catch up with me. I was a minute faster then last year and I got a medal. The best things were seeing my friends at the race and beating my mummy.

Patrick Marsden ( Age 6 ) Full results available here

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Race Reviews

BUPA Great Edinburgh Run 10K - Sunday 2nd October 2011

There was a wee bit of self sabotage for this race! Due to a friend’s birthday I had a couple of drinks the night before and it was with a bit of trepidation I got up in the morning in case I felt unwell. Fortunately I was fine but my heart sank when I saw the Scottish weather at it’s rainy best. I entered this because it was one of the first few races I did last year and I remember loving the course. The start was a bit rushed as the toilet queues were slow moving but when I got into my pen I started to relax. As with all Bupa Great Runs the warm up guy got the crowd going and I enthusiastically got involved (if only to keep warm!). Once we started I didn’t feel quite as overwhelmed by the crowd as I did last year and I felt confident as we ran under Arthur’s Seat (love that volcanic plug!). This confidence didn’t last long as I remembered how blooming hilly the course is. The first km and a half are all uphill and that sets the tone for the rest of the race. The route follows areas of Edinburgh which are filled with memories for me (mainly bars and restaurants I loved to frequent) as well as just being attractive so I enjoyed the run but I didn’t bother looking at my watch because it felt so tough. My favourite part is going down from the Castle to Princes Gardens and then past Waverley before climbing back to the Royal Mile. The crowds here are packed along the road and there’s a real buzz. Then the final 800m is down the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace and the finish where the atmosphere gives you that lift you need for a sprint finish.

When I saw my time I was quicker than last year so I was pleased but also a bit annoyed I hadn’t take it more seriously! Maybe next year…

Cara Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Len Mullen Memorial XC - Sunday 9th October 2011 October traditionally marks the start of cross country season. A whole winter of mud, snow, hills, rain and more mud to look forward to! With the first proper race at Heaton Park not until 22 October, Lauren decided she was just too excited to wait that long and found a special bonus event in the Len Mullen Memorial Races at Woodbank Park. She then persuaded me that it would be the ideal practice run before Heaton Park - a chance to rediscover the joys of cross country without having to worry about affecting the team scores if I came last. Plus at only 3 miles it was considerably easier than the Liverpool and Chester marathons taking place on the same day! Saturday 8 October therefore saw me frantically searching through the mystical land I call the cupboard under my stairs (I swear it has Tardis like properties - no matter how much stuff I throw in there it is never full!) trying to locate my spikes. Amazingly, given that the last time I had worn these had been in the mud fields of Alton Towers and I'm pretty sure I didn't wash them afterwards, they eventually turned up looking lovely and clean. I can only assume there must be some shoe cleaning fairies living in Cupboard Under Stairs Land. Shoes located I then had the exciting decision of which length spikes to opt for - a girl likes to have lots of choices when it comes to footwear and I can now select between 7, 9, 12 and 15mm spikes - I decided on the 9mms only to change my mind on race day and switch to the 12mms on the basis that this was what Lauren had done and maybe copying her shoe choices would make me as quick as her (it didn't). One of the joys (or downsides depending on what else you have planned for that day) of cross country is that it is anything but an early start. This means you have plenty of time to go out Saturday, drink lots of wine, have a lie in on Sunday and still do the race. Arriving nice and early for our 1.15pm start time I was struck by how warm it was. I then realised that this was because I'm used to be being at Woodbank Park cross country in January in the snow! In any event, the pleasant weather soon came to an end as the heavens opened and we were treated to a downpour of biblical proportions. The guy on the tannoy at this point got very excited about the prospect of ladies in the mud! Soon enough, with the Chariots of Fire music ringing in our ears (Len Mullen apparently appeared in the film as did several people there on the day - I felt a bit left out not being film star!) it was time to walk over to the start. After some photographs, a quick course description (I never listen to these, there's always someone in front I can follow) and a short speech from the Mayor we were off. The ladies field was small but diverse. At the fast end there were two blonde gazelles with legs up to their armpits and very tiny shorts on; at the more leisurely end of the field I did hear one lady say she'd never run 3 miles before. We spread out pretty quickly and after passing one or two runners who'd clearly set off way too quickly I settled into a nice steady rhythm running alongside a lady from Longwood Harriers (which I now know from Google is in Huddersfield) who had never run cross country before. She was in road shoes which I suspect is the only reason I was able to keep up with her! The course took in some sections which were familiar to me from the Manchester area league cross country event (in some cases going the other way to normal) as well as some new parts of the park. It turns out there's a river down at the bottom of that giant hill which came as something of a surprise to me! There were marshals out on most of the main turnings and some ribbons/ markers to follow but on a couple of occasions we were guessing which way to go, helpfully for me there was a lady behind me who ran for Stockport and SWINTON

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Race Reviews

Len Mullen Memorial XC - Sunday 9th October 2011 was able to stop us from getting too lost. As ever at Woodbank Park they managed to include at least one big hill climb - for anyone who's run the usual cross country event there we ran up what we normally run down. It's actually a much gentler ascent than the one they send us up in January and I was able to run the whole thing (albeit exceptionally slowly!) From the top of the hill it was just a short run round the back of the track to the finish (a race ending which will be familiar to all the cross country runners) with the added excitement of the path being overgrown with nettles (delightful when you're in shorts and a vest) at least these will all be dead come January! I had a go at catching my friend from Longwood at the finish (she'd got ahead of me on the hill) but I'd left a bit too much to do and ended up a good few seconds behind her. Catching up with Lauren at the end we both agreed it had been a great race. Lauren had run a stormer finishing in 5th place and under 24 minutes (and we later discovered winning her age category). I was happy with my 28.08 minutes and a deceptively flattering (and potentially unlucky) 13th place (there were only 31 finishers which goes some way to explain this!) We also both got spot prizes - Lauren won chocolates and I, true to form, got a bag of random items including emery boards, face cream samples, a photo of Roger Bannister and an energy gel. With no Swinton boys to cheer on we didn't stay to watch men's race although having had a quick look at the results I can report that there are some seriously quick Stockport guys out there to look out for in the league this year! Suitably muddy and tired I set off home knowing that in less than 2 weeks time I got to do it all again at Heaton Park in the company of the ever fabulous team Swinton. Rebecca Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Liverpool Marathon - Sunday 9th October 2011

What can I say about the Liverpool Marathon 2011? Well it was my first marathon since Cardiff in 2004.... I chose Liverpool for the same reasons I chose Cardiff – I heard it was an easy course and flat! I also I liked the idea of participating in their first marathon in 18 years. It also coincided with John Lennon’s birthday (he would have been 71) and Paul McCartney’s wedding day....I also love the city and studied there for some years so it was for me also a bit of a sentimental journey... More than nine thousand of us chose Liverpool over the Chester marathon which was on the same day. There were seven of us from Swindon RC there – all ladies (Liver birds!) and five Swinton RC guys chose Chester. Cara mentioned that we would be in trouble with Sharen – not being in full uniform - although I think Cara did more than the rest of us – not sure if any of us had red nail varnish though....:( With it being a first marathon I did wonder if there would be any ‘hiccups’ and the 45 minute delay did not augur well – giving the unoriginal ‘health and safety’ excuse. However it was the only glitch I noticed...and after that it was exceptionally well organized. I first saw the details of the marathon online. It seemed like fun and I felt it was about time I moved out of my comfort zone so on a whim I entered, put it in my diary and then just as abruptly forgot about it. Besides it was months and months away. I told Sheila, my sister who had never run a marathon about it and she deliberated for ages so I entered her anyway! It was her first marathon, so like everyone doing their first – the main concern is to complete the thing – no PBs, just to complete it ... Actually that is always my fear too – not sure it I shall ever grow out of it.... Well the date went in my diary and I got busy. I bought some books on marathon running but didn’t have time to read them so I posted one through Sheila’s door about 16 days before the event with a note asking her to tell me if I should know anything important. She called the next day to say we should now be ‘tapering our training’...!! neither of us had run for more than an hour – apart from the Morecambe Bay half and the Swinton Ten!... so we set off with two weeks to go to try and run for three hours. I gave up after two and Sheila managed a little more ... ....I think this beginning to become an article about what not to do when entering a marathon. My mum always said I liked learning the hard way! I ordered gels to try out but never managed to try them on run - and neither did Sheila... I tried then once before the Cardiff and found I felt nauseous and have not tried them since. However everyone else seems to tolerate them well so Sheila and I took them with us for the marathon. Another golden rule about to be broken: ‘never do anything new on the day of the marathon’...... The journey to get there went extraordinarily well, I accidentally found the car park by driving down the wrong road and we stumbled upon it! We were even in good time!... Cara noticed me in the car park and called out after me. It was good to see a friendly face and SWINTON

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Cara seemed to know the place really well and confidently steered us to the shuttle bus and in no time we were in Birkenhead Park queuing for the loos in our bin liners – Sheila hadn’t seen people in bin liners before and found them hilarious! I must admit I found Cara’s full length one funny yet quite graceful (on her) so I now carry full length bin liners in my boot to don whenever the need arises! Cara cheered us up and was very positive and she was even doing another marathon the week after! We never saw Carol or any of the others. We hung around in the park until we had to go to our ‘pens’ at the start depending on the colour on our race number which was dependant on our estimated finishing time.. the weather was dry and relatively mild for October. Sheila had a gel and I had brought a few small bottles of ‘booster vitamins’ which were bulky. I decided to drink one to get rid of at least one of them. Cara looked at them suspiciously and then said in ‘But it’s only 4 calories!?’ I replied with an air of pseudo-knowledge that they were vitamin boosters and supposed to be really good for you. I bought them in Tesco's! They both looked underwhelmed but I opened the bottle undaunted. Sheila told me not to drink the stuff as I hadn’t had it before. However I had brought it with me so I was taking it... It tasted of chemical poison – I can’t tell you how bad it tasted! Yes.... this is definitely sounding about what not to do when entering a marathon....sorry Steve .... A short time later the Loudspeaker announced it was time to find our ‘pens’ at the start which were colour coded. Cara’s time was better than our anticipated time so she was in another pen and that was the last time I saw her as she was way ahead of me throughout. Sheila and I were about three minutes away from the start but none of the pens were large enough and in fact our ‘pen’ was full of people with different colours – nobody minded though. We were cramped like sardines – which at least kept us warm from body heat - and then there was the 45 minute delay... which brought some colourful phrases from two Liverpulians behind us. They actually entertained us for the rest of our wait and although they seemed to have a physique more in line with doing no more exercise than lifting a beer glass or three, these two brothers had been everywhere and done everything – ultra marathons the lot – so I had a lot of respect for them!...The people of Liverpool are naturally funny people, I love them. Just when we had all started to get to know each other and forgotten about the run the start was announced. Suddenly that unceremonious, unholy ‘honking’ heralded the start and we all shuffled slowly off. It was good to move again and I must say the weather was lovely for a marathon – we ran out of Birkenhead park towards the coast where there was sunshine and a coastal breeze – so it was ideal and the public were just wonderful. They had comical posters for their friends/ food in their hands/ loud voices and many of the kids just wanted high fives.... And so the first half was really very enjoyable showing all the best of the city in dry and sunny conditions. I drank a little water and avoided the gels I had brought. There were loos en route and loads of drink stations with water or sports drinks – or both and several stations later on with gels and always a warm encouraging crowd. Liverpool like all coastal cities has this lovely light which the coastal site brings... I loved the novelty of running through Queensway Tunnel and the middle of this was the halfway mark of the marathon which many greeted with loud whoops and they echoed and reverberated way back. It was in the tunnel I saw my first casualty – a runner’s ankle just folded on him – but someone was there helping him. It came as a surprise that the final mile in the tunnel was a definite incline – and this was the first challenge I came across – me and hills have never made friends...back into the light came the noise of the crowds and they helped me up the continuing inclines....it was around then that I would have liked some sustenance but that chemicals cocktail I drank at the beginning seemed to stop me from wanting any drinks or gels, I felt quite queezie...Sheila and I met up at the half-way mark in the tunnel... she seemed really relaxed and happy and she was running with a guy who was running just SWINTON

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at her pace and like her had never run a marathon before. As it turned out they both finished together too and kept each other going. They were just ahead of me for a few miles...then we came to a long hill and this is where I really flagged. I crashed at the 16 mile sign (didn’t even reach eighteen miles). I never saw Cara or Carol at all – and never saw Sheila again. The drinks water or sports drinks were in abundance but I worried I would feel worse... there was lots of people offering food and we spent a long time in Sefton Park (this must have been the long and winding road bit). There was music playing in the park and drumming at a few sites ....the weather became more humid and then there was light rain which was refreshing...I was running more or less alongside Scooby – a really tall guy – for the last leg of the marathon... how he managed to run in that outfit I shall never know...the crowds were relentlessly dedicated to roaring and shouting and cheering everyone on which I was grateful for as the last ten miles were difficult for me. Sefton Park though was pretty and it was a pleasant place to run. At that stage I found myself managing to eat jelly babies which were a-plenty in the crowds and which helped me get round. At about mile 20 when I was amazed that there were still people behind me and I bumped into one of the brothers who had entertained us in our pen at the start – he ran past me as fresh as a daisy and I wondered how he had managed to look so fresh and fast and yet be as slow as me! I bet he went off to some pub for a couple of drinks and then proceeded onwards...The last few miles involved convoluted pathways in Sefton Park and here we were all much more spread out... there were people talking to themselves and some jogging and chatting as though they had just set out... and also many in my league who were running a bit and walking a bit.... I passed one man flat out with his eyes closed (I knew just how he felt)! I thought that Cara and Sheila would be ‘home’ by now. I then decided to have a gel and I perked up a bit and managed the final leg towards the city centre and the Liver Buildings and the finishing line at the Three Graces ... Apparently Carol and I were so close in time I have no idea how we didn’t meet up! I never saw Cara again either but she also was way ahead of me. Fortunately Sheila saw me staggering in...she spotted me she said because I was looking green!! Immediately she asked me my time – I said I didn’t know and she laughed. Not only did I not see the time at the end but I also (not having a Garmin) insist on wearing this enormous embarrassingly big stopwatch on my wrist which I forgot to stop when I went over the finishing line. There were photos and food and all sorts at the end and the medals are really lovely.... Sheila looked well rested when she met me – having had to wait more than half an hour for me! The Liver birds results were:

Sheila Duckworth 04:01:12 Cara Anderson 04:17:28 Shirley Duckworth-Oates 04:35:00 Carol Hart 04:36:33 Lisa Ottiwell 04:45:29 Dawn Green 04:49:07 Kathryn Roberts 05:17:38 I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed the first 16 miles - the weather was great – the participants infectiously funny and jovial and the crowd wonderfully supportive. The facilities were good too, Lots of loos, loads of water and sports drinks stations and there was enough food to feed the 5,000 (I mean 9,000) from the crowd alone. I think Liverpool is a beautiful city and unique in atmosphere and the people are warm and witty.

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After sitting in the car and having a recovery drink I felt so much better and really pleased that we had managed it. I was so happy that Sheila did so well on her first marathon and although I do not seem to be made for this level of endurance – I do really love the challenge and the feeling of achieving something difficult is a pleasure hard to describe. I guess most of you would understand that.... I would recommend this marathon for newbies and seasoned runners alike. It is close enough to be able to sleep in your own bed and keep to your usual routine – it’s a good welcoming city and an interesting one. ....would I do it again – yes definitely – would I prepare better – yes definitely!! Would I listen to the most important instructions i.e., never to do anything new on a race or a marathon? Without a doubt.... So...See you all next year then .....;) x Best wishes,

Shirley J

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Race Reviews

Amsterdam Good Morning Run - Saturday 15th October 2011

Early Saturday morning me and my Mum wandered down to the Museum Square for a short jog around Amsterdam with guides. My Mum had just returned from a walking holiday in Turkey so she is a fit 60 year old (sorry Mum!) but she is not a regular runner. Despite this she agreed to take part in this as I had promised her it was not a race. As we got nearer nerves started to set in and I kept hearing ‘what have you got me into?!’ This was because there were an awful lot of neon bright team tops and very fit looking lycra clad types. Even still, Mother stood at the start and we set off with our group of 10. The route wound round the main tourist points of central Amsterdam starting with the antiques area and leading up to the Begijnhof where we had to walk out of respect for the residents. We then ran around the red light district, including down the alleys with the infamous windows. The guide would talk to us, pointing out key features as we went along. Me and Mum had been lurking towards the back of the pack but as we neared Dam square a couple mentioned something to the guide about an injury and then dropped out. That was just what my Mum needed as a boost. She realised she wasn’t the slowest there, she WAS going to finish and all of a sudden the pace was upped and we were at the front! Good to see the competitive edge runs in the family!!!! That was it, no need for me to ask if she was ok anymore, Mum was off. We caught up with the group in front and Mum started to get a bit frustrated that we had to slow down. Then after a couple more bridges we were back at the Museum Square and the finish (where Mum was disappointed not to get to do a sprint finish!). We were given a drink, bar and tulip for finishing which was a nice touch. As regular runners we forget how lucky we are just to be able to put on some trainers, run and enjoy it but I was so proud of my Mum for giving this a go and her determination to finish it. Now she’s talking about doing Parkruns and something over the Edinburgh Marathon Festival weekend.

Well done Mum! Cara

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Amsterdam Marathon - Sunday 16th October 2011 I woke up to a cool morning with sunny, cloudless skies and a worry about my knee. Then worries about getting to the start, then worries about being very stupid doing 2 marathons one weekend after the other. Luckily I had the support of my Mum, best friend Lynsey and her Mum to keep me calm. The journey to the start ended up being stress free as (like I’d be doing for the next few hours) all I had to do was follow the runners. As I stood in my pen in the Olympic stadium the excitement started to build and I loved hearing all the different languages being spoken around me. Then we were off, half a lap then out onto the streets of Amsterdam. All the way round I was busy looking at the different buildings and all the amazing supporters who were littering the course. The course included parks, streets, river paths and a short stretch through an industrial street and not once was it boring! Highlights included running past the windmill, the crazy tunes coming from the VW Campervan and the wonderful jazz band playing on a boat along the River Amstel. One of the aspects I love most about running is that you see areas you wouldn’t normally see on a visit to a city and that was certainly true here. I loved running along the river with like minded people and the many rowers alongside for company. The sun was shining throughout the day and this massively helped as I realised I am definitely solar powered. I felt strong all the way round and I got extra boosts when I spotted my supporters cheering me on. Before I knew it I was at the last kilometre and the final push to the finish. As I crossed the finish line I could not believe my time and how well I felt. With a beaming smile I collected my medal and posed for a picture with thoughts on actually training and preparing properly for next year!

Cara. P.S. Thoughts on doing two marathons in consecutive weekends… Liverpool was wasted for me as all the way round I kept thinking about injuries and having sore legs for the next weekend. With this in mind my pre-race plan was to walk/run for some of the miles. This was NOT a good idea and I ended up sulking because I just wanted to be finished! I think I would have enjoyed Liverpool much more if I wasn’t worrying about Amsterdam. Then the week in between I was worried to exercise and had ‘phantom’ knee and hip pains on the Saturday and Sunday. My lesson learnt in all of this is be more sensible. I can’t guarantee I will though as I did manage to do a PB in Amsterdam and never felt better running. The human body truly is an amazing thing!!!!

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Race Reviews

Cardiff Half Marathon - Sunday 16th October 2011

For my first race in a different country I thought I’d better not be too ambitious, saving New York for the future and settling instead on Cardiff. Six Swinton runners took part in the 9 th Cardiff Half Marathon, joining 15,000 others on a route taking in the main sights of the Welsh capital. I was joined for the drive south by Paulette, Fiona and Lisa (who had to withdraw from the race due to injury) and, having endured the usual congestion on the M6 and M5, thoroughly enjoyed the journey along the M50 that passes through the beautiful countryside of the Malvern Hills and the Wye valley on the route into Wales. As the race started at 9am on the Sunday morning we thought it wise to stay the night before. Paul and Adam were also staying in Cardiff so we arranged to meet up in Cardiff Bay for a thorough fuelling and hydration programme. Whilst Paulette, Fiona and myself sipped on a tonic water (trying very hard to imagine the taste of gin), Paul argued the case for the carbohydrate packed pre-race pint of lager. Once Adam joined us we set off in search of pasta but, after been turned away from five restaurants, we soon realised that most of the people racing the following day had the same idea. Our ambitions for good race times looked in jeopardy, particularly when Fiona and Paulette looked ready to be seduced by the Gourmet Burger Kitchen. Luckily I’d spotted an “Italian” restaurant close to our hotel. Whilst the runners who had booked tables in advance were enjoying fine food overlooking Cardiff Bay, our restaurant enjoyed a picture perfect location inside the local cinema complex with fine views over the bowling alley and amusement arcade. The quality of the food was debated by those present but, despite some whinging on the night, I’m sure everyone was thanking me at the 9 mile point the following day when the high-carb pasta kicked in. We gathered at 8.30 the following morning with the usual pre-race butterflies. Despite the presence of 15,000 people forming an orderly queue we failed to work out where the start line was and, thus, at 8.55 we were running down the spectator side of the barriers trying to find the section we were supposed to be in. We bumped into Chris O’Loughlin doing the same so there is obviously something very Swinton-esque about arriving Just In Time. Despite the large field, the wide open roads meant there was little congestion at the start. The route passed through the city centre and then followed dual carriageways that meant there continued to be plenty of space throughout the race. The route was also flat apart from a gradual incline around mile 9 but it was, after the city centre, a little dull. Most of the middle part of the race was along a raised motorway and back again with little to break up the tedium. However the last three miles passed around Cardiff Bay and the scenery improved. Having started at a good pace, though, I really struggled over the last couple of miles (I need to put in some longer distance in training) and was pleased to see the finish line. SWINTON

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Cardiff Half Marathon - Sunday 16th October 2011 Once again, though, Swinton runners did very well. Chris came in first in just over 1:35, Paul slashed 6 minutes off his PB to come in 5 minutes under 2 hours, Paulette and I did PBs, Adam did his second best time ever, and Fiona limped in with a very creditable time despite suffering an ankle injury with many miles still to go. Well done all. Would I recommend Cardiff? Well, the course is fast and very well organised. The city centre and Cardiff Bay sections of the course were interesting and attracted good crowds. But that middle section really did pass slowly. The large field mean that accommodation and restaurants are packed so, unless you want to spend the evening dining at the local multiplex, book early. Finally it is a long way to go and I may just decide next time that it is worth spending a further three hours travelling time in order to go to New York City.

Andy Land Full race results available here

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Race Reviews

Heaton Park Cross Country - Saturday 22nd October 2011 MANCHESTER AREA CROSS COUNTRY MATCH ONE – HEATON PARK SATURDAY 22ND OCTOBER 2011

After a miserable summer with a knee injury and the inevitable decision to pull out of the Snowdonia Marathon, I spent September building up mileage sensibly (I did – honest!) and slowly. I did not race at all during September, but did keep a countdown of the weeks leading up to…CROSS COUNTRY! I did manage to find a rehearsal race – Len Mullen Memorial (see Rebecca’s report) but the real deal started on Saturday 22 nd October in Heaton Park. After much excitement and anticipation, the morning finally arrived and it was SUNNY! Now, this was rather odd to say the least. Cross Country in the sun? Snow, ice, gales, torrential rain, freezing temperature – any of these would have been quite normal, but SUN… oh well, not a lot we could do about it. We now have a very smart red tent and an even smarter SRC flag. These formed our ‘base camp’ and gradually the team assembled; it was a fantastic turnout for both teams and an incredible support crew. And so, the madness and camaraderie that are the basis of XC ensued. As usual, the ladies were first to race and at this point I forgot my weeks of giddiness and the nerves started to kick in. The race was two large laps – 5 miles in total. I definitely went off too fast – trying to fend off tough competition from Carly and Louise. The second lap was hard going and a test of mental strength as well as physical. By the time I reached the last hill, I was shattered – no chance of a sprint finish! I was quite pleased with my time, albeit 12 seconds slower than last year, but I do know I paid dearly for that early fast pace. Will I learn from it? Probably not! There were some fabulous performances for the rest of the ladies, including an amazing 5 mile PB for Carol and a brave first attempt at XC from Gaynor, who finished with a huge smile. As always, we ladies then get to watch the men race. Again, there were some stunning performances with a good battle between Darren, Dan B, Steve D and Dan A. Andy Land also did very well in his first XC and Paul S managed to survive despite having a hangover. We were fascinated that one of the runners in the top 10 was barefoot – brave or mad? I’m not sure but I won’t be trying it! All in all, it was a great turnout and effort from all Swinton runners and supporters. The second match is at Sherdley Park on Sunday 13 th November. Bring it on…

Loz Full results available here

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HEATON PARK CROSS COUNTRY - SATURDAY 22

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Race Reviews

Autumn Breaker 10K - Sunday 23rd October 2011 As I'm sure you all know, it's always 'nice' to head off to a race and for the drive there to take longer than the race itself would! I fancied a 10k after my poor marathon experience and this one fitted in well, being two weeks after Chester. It was held in Stanley Park, Blackpool which is an easy location to get to, being close to the motorway and before you get to any of the town's tourist spots. Soon after parking up at the leisure centre, I set off to pick up my number from the race HQ and spotted Emma and Mike who'd just got theirs. The start and finish of the race was on the athletics track of the park and the race itself was a two-lap affair with a water point at halfway, back on the track. I was wiring up my headphone and iPod ready for the start as the organiser was giving the instructions about the start of the race and the course, and I mentioned to Emma that it was only the expected race leaders needed to listed to that stuff, as the rest of us just follow them. Oops. The start should have been one and three quarter laps of the track, then off onto the paths of the park. Unfortunately, the leaders must also have been fiddling with their headphones through the instructions as they exited the track just after the first lap and took most of us followers with them. Shouting and confusion ensued as people going the wrong way shouted that the people staying on the track were wrong and vice-versa. At this stage, Emma was the first lady and said afterwards she would have been happy to carry on! The leaders and us wrong-way followers then headed back to the track and carried on, but when a lot of runners, myself included, decided to stop and start swearing instead, everyone else also gave up and walked back to the start line with the same "You're going to have to f*%$!@&g restart this one, you f*%$!@&g f@%*$rs!" attitude. My first ever race restart and I wasn't pleased. The .45 of a mile I had already ran was surely the best of my career, and I'm confident I was heading for a sub-30 minute finish. Deflated and extremely emotional about the restart, I could only manage a 41:31 time, not even a years-best. Mike and Emma soon followed with great times, despite both parkrunning the day before and Emma winding down for a little run in Snowdonia she had planned! The course itself is nice and flat with the exception of two small bridges together that came at the 2 and 5 mile marks. It was far too windy a day for me to get anywhere near a PB but I definitely recommend it as a good, flat course for getting a new best 10k time, on a par with Trafford.

Antony Full race results here

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Race Reviews

Holmfirth 15 Mile Road Race - Sunday 30th October 2011 The course consists of two anti-clockwise laps, with a ¾ mile loop at the start and on completion of the second lap to the finish in the school grounds. All turns are left hand ones. There are two gradual uphill sections of approximately 1 mile in length coming out of Honley on the A6024 and out of Holmfirth on the A635. The course is well marshaled with local police assisting at key junctions. Drinks stations placed at approximately 4, 8 and 11 miles. Patrick was staying at his grandparents’ for the night so it was a good opportunity to get a long run in the bag. Lauren found the Holmfirth 15 which I hadn’t heard about before, so we decided to have a go. Steve Hart also decided to do it as he had wisely pulled out of the Snowdonia Marathon. An early 9.30am start time so we set off at around 7.30am and soon made our way to the HQ at Holmfirth High School. Numbers were collected and various fluids consumed for pre - race fuelling. There was no sign of Steve at that point but we did notice some bloke called Andi Jones of Salford Harriers. Mmm… he might be a bit useful. We started to make our way over a field to the start line and were joined by Steve who had parked on the other side of the school. Off we went along with 200+ other runners; the first mile was a small loop around the school and back over the start line .A nice down section followed by a nasty up section we then set off on the 1 st of two main loops. Lauren had soon disappeared from view so Steve and I ran together for a while. Four miles of mainly downhill went by and I was not feeling too good; we turned a corner and I realised that it was the start of a long hill section (we had driven up it on the way in so I knew how long it was). Suddenly my legs felt a lot better and I got into a good tempo going up this mile+ hill. (It was similar to Priestly Road hill session but a lot further). The next two miles were undulating then a horrible steep section very like Trooper Lane from the Bluebell race but nowhere near as long. Seven and a half miles and we were back at the start and into the second loop. I felt it tough going into the last three miles and was happy when I saw Lauren clapping me in at the finish. A nice pair of running socks for my effort and water gulped down, then we didn’t have long to wait to clap Steve through the finish. A good but hard 15 mile run – well-organised and well worth the effort. Steve is still talking to Lauren so he must have enjoyed it as well. Not surprisingly, the winner was Andi Jones in 1.19 (nearly 1 hour quicker than my time!)

Ads. Full race results available here

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HOLMFIRTH 15 MILE ROAD RACE - SUNDAY 30

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Swinton Running Club Beginners Group

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Up and Coming Races Sunday 6 November Through the Villages Race

Saturday 3rd December ManchesterArea Wythenshawe Park XC

Sunday 6 November Lancaster Half Marathon

Sunday 4th December Guys 10 Mile Road Race

Sunday 13 November Windmill 10K

Sunday 11th December Stockport 10

Sunday 13 November ManchesterArea Sherdley Park XC

Sunday 18th December Telford 10K

Sunday 20 November Preston 10 Mile Road Race

Sunday 18th December Hurst Green Turkey Trail Race

Sunday 20 November Eaves Wood 5.25 Mile Trail Race

Saturday 24th December Rudolf’s Red Nose Race

Saturday 26 November Wesham 10K

Tuesday 27th December Ribble Valley 10K

Sunday 27 November The 21st City of Salford Women’s 5.25 Mile Run

Tuesday 27th December The Festive 5 Mile

Please confirm any dates before entering, just in case of any typos

Fancy something a little bit different

28th Sweatshop Through the Villages Race - 8.45 Miles Sunday 6th November at 10:30am Part of this years Club Championships Heaton Park - Park Run Every Saturday at 9am this 5km run is organised - free!!. All you have to do is let them know you're coming in advance. It has been suggested that it could become a Swinton regular event on the first Saturday of each month. Web page link Lucozade Sport have a van at the run every 4 to 5 weeks, giving away lots of freebies and advice.

Race Calendar Web Sites Look for all those local and not so local races on these web sites  Swinton RC Forum  Fetch  John Schofield  SoftSport SWINTON

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The wonderful Fetch does it all (running log, routes, race log, leagues, logs shoe miles, blogs, fetchmail & more!!) its a great place full of nice running types, a proper online community, its the place to see and be seen, AND its free!! King Fetch (Ian) is very good at responding to member requests about new site content and there are now a total of 13 Swinton Members using the site! Fetch (in my opinion Fetch has the Class!). Andrew

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Race Series

Manchester Area XC Series

The cross country season is almost upon us, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to clean both the mud and the rust off those spikes. The series consists of 5 Cross Country races in and around the Greater Manchester area. Date

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Saturday, 22 October 2011

Heaton Park, Manchester

Sherdley Park, St. Helens

Wythenshawe Park, Manchester

Woodbank Park, Stockport

Sunday, 13 November 2011 Saturday, 3 December 2011 Sunday, 15 January 2012 th

Saturday, 11 February 2012

Clayton Vale, Manchester

Next manchesterarea XC Match

13th November 2011

Sherdley Park, St Helens

Road Directions From St.Helens town centre, take the A570 Linkway to Sherdley Park. From the M62, exit at junction 7 and take the A570 Linkway north towards Sherdley Park. SWINTON

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CLUB CROSS COUNTRY C HAMPIONSHIP 2011/2012

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C HAMPIONSHIP

The club also as a Club Championship for Cross Country based on the ManchesterArea Cross Country League. The championship will be the best of 3 race results from the 5 races in the league. Scoring is done the same has in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix, 1 point for first, 2 points for second, 3 points for third etc The leading Lady and Man will received the trophy at the end of the season. If you find any mistakes in the scoring or the results please let me know. Cross Country Championship 2011/2012 results to date SWINTON

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Club Championship 2011 This was set up to try and encourage competition between club members at all levels and to be sure of a good turnouts at events in the area: seeing Swinton runners competing at events throughout the field is the best advertisement for the Club. This year will see a slight change to the championship: ď&#x201A;ˇ

For the men there are 13 events of which 9 races will score.

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For the ladies there are 14 events of which 8 races will score.

Scoring is done the same has in the Central Lancashire Grand Prix, 1 point for first, 2 points for second, 3 points for third etc. etc. etc. Prizes will be awarded for the first 3, and also in each of the vet categories. Only one prize per member. To be eligible for prizes, competitors must have taken part in the minimum number of events. The Swinton 10 Mile Road Race as been excluded this year as it was felt to be unfair on the members who had to marshal that race. If you find any mistakes in the scoring or the results please let Steve Hart know. CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 2011 CALENDAR

February 20th March 6th April 3rd May 11th July 14th July 20th August 3rd August 14th October 2nd October 12th October 22nd November 6th November 27th December 11th

Central Lancashire 5K Trotters 5 Radcliffe 10K Haigh Hall 4 Bull Hill Fell Race Horwich 5 Chorley 4.4 Trail NVAC 10K Gin Pit 5 Self Timed Run Heaton Park Cross Country 28th Sweatshop Through The Villages Race City of Salford 5.25 Ladies Run Stockport 10

Next Club Championship Race

6th November 2011

28th Through the Villages Race SWINTON

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LATEST MENS CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

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LATEST LADIES CLUB C HAMPIONSHIP 2011 SCORES

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Runners Awards Congratulations to the Runners of the Quarter

Susan Bean &

Antony Golding

Congratulations to the Most Improved Runners

Grace Arthur &

Daniel Bird SWINTON

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Committee Meetings Regular meetings are now being held on the second Wednesday of every month at the club after pack runs. Notes from the September meeting below. The minutes for October will be approved at the November meeting and appear in that months Newsletter. Remember any member may sit in the meeting.

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Committee Meetings

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Committee Meetings

London Marathon Ballot We have two places available for the London Marathon 2012.Only members who have been rejected via the ballot can go into the draw for the places; please let Steve Doxey know by next Wednesday 9/11/11 if you wish to be included.

Marshals Required for Ladies Run It's that time again! The Women's race is being held on Sunday 27/11/11 at 10.30am and we need lots of men to marshal and generally help out on the day. Any ladies who are not running are of course welcome to volunteer as well. Please contact Steve Doxey - sdoxey@ntlworld.com or myself asap. Thanking you in anticipation, Barbara

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Social Events Pie Night - Last Wednesday of the Month Last Wednesday of every month

Pie Night Next one 24th November 2011 Special Offer’s to Members Special Discount Rate for Swinton Running Club Members To match the offer made by both Prestwich and Leigh Road Physiotherapy Clinics, our very own Shirley Duckworth-Oates has lowered her rates. Shirley Duckworth-Oates MBCA, MSTAT, MATI Bsc Hons(Healthcare);Bsc Hons (Chiro); Msc.(Psych) Doctor of Chiropractic and Teacher of the Alexander Technique Telephone 0161 773 3395 Treatment rate for Swinton Running Club members: £25 (normally £35)

Special Discount Rate for Swinton Running Club Members

The usual price per session is £35, SRC members, on production of a current English Athletics card, will only pay £25. This offer is available at both the Leigh Road and Prestwich clinics. Anyone who wants to access the service but does not yet have their card can contact Barbara who will contact the clinic on their behalf. Please check there website for more details

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Swinton Running Club’s

Children’s Christmas Party th 11 December 2011 4pm to 6pm

All children are welcome Children's Entertainer “Magic Mark” A visit from Santa and his Reindeers Buffet Bar open for the grown-ups Admission to this years party is free, however please bring a present for your child for Santa to hand out. To judge numbers and food can you please let Lauren, Emma, or Steve H know if you are attending the party SWINTON

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Race Results Corner Full race results can now be found on both the Swinton Running Club Website and the forum If you have ran a race and cannot find the details on either site please let me know.

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Secretary Steve Doxey Treasurer Ian Thomas Membership Secretary Barbara Bayliss Social Secretary Jonathan Mellor Club Captain Steve Doxey Ladies Captain Rebecca Mills Web Site & Forums Steve Hart Swinton Running Club is proud of its friendliness and welcomes newcomers to come down and meet us for a run, to see if we meet your expectations. We meet at 7:30pm on Mondays and Wednesday at Swinton Moorside Cricket Club. The club can provide you with the opportunity to train and compete at whatever level you choose. We are affiliated with England Athletics for Road, Fell and Cross Country running. We have members from fun runners up to International level - all enjoying taking part in a sport that provides the chance for everyone to find the event that suits them best. We regularly compete in local races at all age and ability levels. Some members just come down to the club to run and don't want to enter races, but prefer to train with like minded people and enjoy the social side of being with a club.

We hope that you enjoy this occasional newsletter. If you are sick of it clogging up your in box, let me know and I will take you off the circulation list.

Steve If you have any race reports, photos, announcements or any news that would be of interest to the others members please let just know.

Lauren Website Forums

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