Thursday 3 November 2011

Abject Apologies!!, & It's That Time Again!!

For some reason I totally forgot about this 'blog, I guess it's due to my advancing years, as I was 46 last month.

Well, threr's been quite a few races, both road & fell, since my inaugural entries to this site.

However, the 'Harriers verses Cyclists' is coming round again - very fast! In fact, as I type, it's only a 'week on Saturday'

Now, the big question for me is.... 'Do I ride it, or run it this year?'

Initial intentions are to run it, but if any of my club-mates do travel up to run it, I might be tempted to ride (despite almost 2 years away from the Cyclo-Cross scene) just to see if I'm faster on two-wheels than they are on two-legs.

Monday 29 November 2010

'Harriers verses Cyclists'

This was my last competative event (third one on three consecutive weekends!) on Saturday 20th November

It took place at Bingley, and was organised by the (renown club) 'Bingley Harriers'
http://www.bingleyharriers.co.uk/index.htm
It was billed as a 'grudge-match' between 2 of the Harriers best male runners;
Alistair Brownlee - last years World (under 23) triathlon Champion
Rob Jebb - 8 times (7 consecutive!) Three-Peaks Cyclo-Cross Race winner (& definately no slouch as a fell-runner himself)

Not really a true 'grudge', as both guys know each other & are friends


The route starts/finishes on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, at Dowley Gap, between the Aquaduct over the River Aire and the 'Fishermans Inn'

As the race name suggests, it is a race between the cyclists & the runners ('Harriers'), covering 6.5 miles, and gaining an elevation of 650 feet

http://www.bingleyharriers.co.uk/html/h_v_cyclists/hvc.htm

I've ridden this event, on my Mountain Bike, in 2007/2008, having not really been into running at that point.(returning a time of 54:16 both years!)
Last year, I ran it, and recorded a time of 48:12

The route map....
'Up the string, round the Balloon, and back down the string!'


This year, I decided to run it again, and wanted to beat '45minutes'

Alistair Brownlee (& his junior World Champion brother, Johnathon) didn't turn up for whatever reason, so

Sadly, it was not to be...
Despite a good start, and 'dropping' riders who have been past GB squad members, I couldn't come down the hills as fast as some of the other runners (a sense of self-preservation?), or indeed the cyclists!

Still, a finishing time of 47:08, with a place of 63rd/146 finishers.
That was reasonably pleasing - especially given that there were plenty of damned good nationally ranked runners, and riders, in attendance.

Taking just the runners into account, I finished; 41st/106

Saturday 27 November 2010

Oh Wow, After all this time of reading others thoughts, my very own 'Blog'!!

Saturday 27th November

First things first, although this 'blog' will probably be overwhelmingly related to running/cycling, it will no doubt branch out into my other interests, some of which will no doubt entirely overwhelm...

Sorry, I really mean leave any readers stone cold, & redirect their interests elsewhere.

But, bear with me, it's (very) early days yet, give me a chance to enlighten, edify, and perhaps even entertain you.