Swinton Running Club N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Snowdonia Marathon 1

Halloween Hellraiser 5

Through the Villages 6

Windmill 10K 8

Sherdley Park XC 10

Leeds Abbey Dash 10K 15

Preston 10 Mile Road Race 17

Wesham 10K 20

Ladies Run 22

Beginners Group 28

Up and Coming Races 29

Cross Country Series 30

Cross Country Champs 31

Up and Coming XC Races 32

Club Championships 33

Committee Meetings 36

Notice of AGM 38

Social Events 39

Children’s Christmas Party 40

Race Results 41

Contacts 42

The idea of Snowdonia Marathon first appealed after reading

Glynn’s race report last year in the Swinton newsletter. It

seemed a fantastic race and after doing further research into it

I knew it was something I would definitely consider doing as I

enjoy hill running and it seems to be one of my running

strengths, plus I was after something that would be a huge

challenge. So on the 1st January when the marathon opened I

entered the race whilst being egged on by Steve Hart !!!

The training for this marathon was a mental battle as well as a physical one and was much

more difficult than I anticipated especially as I did most of it on my own. My training consist-

ed of relentless hill repeats on a Monday, Wednesday was a 10 mile tempo road run, Friday

was a long run, and normally straight from work and Saturday or Sunday was a 5 mile recov-

ery. My long runs were interspersed with plenty of hill work and at the end of the long runs I

could never pinpoint a specific ache as my entire body felt like it had been in a car crash but I

found that ice baths worked wonders and helped my muscles to recover quicker.

On Saturday 29th October at 6am the Flynn family (mum, dad, Jessica, 2 dogs and myself) set

off on our travels for the 29th Snowdonia Marathon. Due to the early start there was not much

chatter from anyone and before we had gotten off the driveway my parents had a row that the

Sat Nav did not recognise Welsh postcodes and argued with each other for the next 15

minutes which isn’t what I needed to keep me calm!!

The car journey there was uneventful as I slept most of the way. As we approached the Na-

tional Park the weather took a turn for the worst, the sun disappeared, the heavens opened and

the wind was blowing a gale - Welcome to Wales!!!!

We pulled up at Llanberis and made our way to the community centre to collect my number

and were given my t-shirt, my chip timing, some energy sweets that smelt of vomit (promptly

binned) and a brochure about the race. The atmosphere was really relaxed and people were

very friendly.

The weather deteriorated at a rapid rate with horizontal rain and stronger gales, I didn’t care

so long as there was no sun and the temperature stayed in single figures. Every few minutes

my mum would ask me if I still wanted to run as she was worried I was going to catch a cold

and said it was ok to go back home. I was very tempted considering I had already received

my race t-shirt……

The race began on time and we were soon running up the first hill which was about 4 miles

long to Pen-y-Pass.(It was approx a 1,100 ft climb) I set off very conservatively with my aim

to try and maintain a steady pace as I watched hordes of people stream past me and I began to

panic that maybe I had started too slow. I got to the top of the hill feeling a lot better than I

expected and pleased that I had managed to overtake a number of people who were already

walking at this point.

Race Reviews

Snowdonia Marathon - Saturday 29th October 2011

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There was a nice descent for the next 8 miles and I decided to pick the

pace up slightly as I was wary of burning out early on. Around the 6 mile

point we went off road on a very stony track which I had been dreading as

I have ankles made of glass.

My pace slowed immensely as I minced my way down the stones desper-

ately trying not to injure myself. I must have lost about 100 places going

over the track

I arrived at Beddgelert which was the half way point in 1hr 57 which was

quicker than I expected. At around the 12 mile point there was another two

and a half miles of a long and steady up hill and I was feeling really good

which did surprise me. One of my concerns about the race was that I had

read the drinks were given to you in plastic cups. I am excellent at tipping

most of it up my nose and not actually drinking it so I brought a hand bot-

tle which contained an electrolyte which proved to be a very wise move.

From miles 16-20 I made friends with a group of men from Gosport Running Club. They

were running in formation and let me run in the middle which protected me from some of the

wind and rain and as we ran together we overtook a lot of runners and that gave me a massive

morale boost.

At mile 21 I reached the part of the marathon that every Snowdonia marathon runner dreads

and also why it’s considered the hardest marathon in Europe. I knew that all I have to do was

get up this ridiculously long and steep mountain path which climbs rapidly by 1200 ft and

was determined not to walk but as I approached the 22 and a half mile point pretty much eve-

ryone was walking the steep incline and I looked at my Garmin and I was doing 15 minute

miles and I was probably quicker walking!! There was a group of supporters on one side of

the road shouting out ‘encouraging words of advice’. One man yelled at me ‘why are you

walking, there is only half a mile to go and you are at the top, it is not that difficult!’ I have

never punched someone during a race but that comment nearly made it a first!!!!!

I went through 23 miles in 3 hours 25 minutes and got quite giddy that even at 10 minute

miles I could finish in less than 4 hours - how wrong was I!!!!!!

As the road leveled out, it took you off road again. The weather had been atrocious and there

had been no let up during the race. The track was muddy and uneven and as I went through a

puddle my trainer came off. I bent down to do it up and went extremely light headed and

nearly toppled over. I got back up and continued my combination of trotting / mincing / walk-

ing again, I had to stop twice to tie my shoelace when there is a rapid downhill. This was

where all my problems began. The final part was like a fell race, mud and pot holes every-

where. The pressure of going downhill on my knee was immense pain and it caused me to

hobble. A little further up the road there was another fellow hobbler and I caught him up and

asked if he was ok. He wasn’t and he decided to fling his arms around me and another bloke

and the three of us were like fallen comrades dragging our weary bodies downhill. As I hit

the road again I ran the remaining downhill part of the race flapping like a chicken running

sideways squealing ‘Ow! Ow! Ow!’. Once I reached the village back in Llanberis I saw that

finish line and even managed to sprint. I could hear my dad screaming my name and cheering

as I crossed the line which was amazing. My dad had a ‘Carl Price’ photography moment and

took a wonderful finishing photograph of the floor! (he later claimed I was too quick for him-

nice recovery dad).

W H E R E ’ S E M M A

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My dad pushed his way through the marshals up to the finishers funnel and threw his huge

coat over me and was rather emotional as he was very proud. I received my piece of slate

(26.2 miles for slate???? I could have pinched some off a roof and saved myself a race!!!!)

and some locally produced chocolate. I asked where my mum and Jessica were and apparent-

ly Jessica refused to get out of the car as it was too cold and spent over fours sat in the car!!!

I later found out that Shirley ran and did an amazing time of 4hrs 54:34 incidentally this was

her second marathon in three weeks and she said she had hardly done any training!!! Amaz-

ing result!

Glynn the Snowdonia Marathon veteran put in another brilliant performance and finished in

3hrs 56:34 – another sub four hour marathon for Glynn. I would be very interested to see how

fast Glynn could go on an easier course.

Yours truly finished in 4hrs 12:19

Would I do it again? The scenery is stunning, the marshals were great and the runners were

lovely but that last 5K destroyed me.

Then again I feel like I have a score to settle with THAT mountain!!!!

EMMA

Full Results available here

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Race Reviews

Through the Villages 8.45 Miles - Sunday 6th November 2011

Last year one of my favourite races was this one, I consider myself one of the strange breed

of runners who enjoy hills and seem to do better going up than I ever do on the flat. When I

ran last year I was in great running shape (for me anyway) and cleared the course in 1:16:57.

This year I was hoping to do much better.

Adam and Lauren kindly agreed to take me as I couldn't remember the way and thus on a

crisp and clear cool Northwest Morning we set off up to Wheelton for the 28th edition of the

Through the Villages Race.

We arrived with plenty of time, organised as we always are in Swinton RC (ahem) and quick-

ly made our way to the Church Hall to grab our race numbers and get sorted.

It's always great to see so many Swinton runners at the start line, 26 people is a great effort on

a cold Sunday morning, I don't know what it is about our club, people always mention us

when we race en-mass, its great to hear the feedback from the other clubs and makes me

proud to wear the colours when I'm out racing, it was also great to see the Burnden Lot out in

force too, a great club and always very friendly to be around.

Starting as we do outside the Dressers Arms pub and facing up a hill it sets the tone for the

whole race, the word of the day is certainly Hills, We set off and although I was wedged fur-

ther back in the field than I'd like I still managed to make some good headway, the first hill

named Briers Bow is a real shocker for the untested, its usual to see people set off at race

pace only to grind to a halt in less than a mile but if you take it steady you'll be fine especially

as you discover that soon there is a great downhill to recover with.

Once you tackle the Bow as I mentioned your on a downhill for a while, Binscall Village is

where the field tends to stretch out with some people going slow down and others squealing

at full speed aka Rebecca Mills in her no fear attitude to downhill running, I'd set myself a

nice steady pace and as we headed back up again into more hills I was running close to Mike

Lilly, Phil Summers, Steve Hart and Dave Williamson, I was keen to loose Dave as soon as

possible, not because I'm ultra competitive or that I don't like Dave, on the contrary, I like

him a lot… but not in that way ok?! It was more that Dave's pre race training the night before

had once again contained 8 pints of lager, he was on my shoulder and despite the fact I had

my I-Pod in I could hear him huffing like an asthmatic Dinosaur in the humping season, hav-

ing one very warm and damp ear was putting me off my stride something chronic I can tell

you that much!

With some sterling work I managed to clear a little distance between me and Hufflepuffs lat-

est addition by this time I was coming around to 4 miles, I'd just overtaken Ian Thomas and

grabbed a quick drink from the water station on Chorley Road, this was one place where last

year I recall having my own Emma Flynn style princess moment when I was expecting

downhill round the corner instead of more up! This year I was ready, no tantrum but more

happy climbing through a nice scenic view or two. The sun was shining and it was still cold,

perfect running weather for me. Another couple of up and down sections and your back in

Binscall, its wise to save a little for this bit, what was great to go down is not so great to come

up, I past a fair few people walking at this point and settled in with a lad in black and another

running in rather fetching bleach dyed effort.

P A G E 7

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Race Reviews

Through the Villages 8.45 Miles - Sunday 6th November 2011

Our pace picked up as we crossed the last mile the three of us and I felt myself get ready for a

bit of a surge, sat close in third behind the other two I was playing the conservative game

knowing I can out sprint most people I was hoping to gain at least a couple more places, we

pushed on down to the last couple of bends the pace getting quicker steadily, I wasn't so sure

I'd be able to keep up, leaning a little further forward I managed to find some reserves alt-

hough running the last mile at about seven and a half minute pace was making me a wobble a

little, the lad in the bleach dye top fell back unable to keep up. It was down to just me and the

bloke in black, both of us hit the last downhill side by side, you can see the finish, the pub

and the crowd, as he went to push faster whatever weird little switch in me kicked over and I

sprinted past him, almost missing the finish I had to fling myself hard to port and shot home a

good nineteen seconds ahead of him.

Though my finishing time was 01:15:17 and I'd expected better of myself over last years per-

formance I think in hindsight I was far better, I'd known when to push and when to rest, the

result for me was a challenging race which for me was far more enjoyable this year.

Ending the race with Hotpot and a brew which should be compulsory at all winter races we

rested and headed home content in a good race and a great Swinton Show.

This really is a race I don't think I can ever tire of doing, come rain or shine I hope I'll be

there again next year.

Shier

Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Windmill 10K Road Race - Sunday 13th November 2011

The Windmill 10K is a new event hosted by Fylde Coast Run-

ning and I was looking forward to doing this for one reason only-

the promise of a windmill shaped medal at the end. The race was

based on the sea front at Lytham and I know a few of our club

members have vowed never to run a costal race again (Rebecca)

but I did St Anne’s 10 mile race earlier this year and thoroughly

enjoyed it and the course seemed pretty similar.

Sunday morning arrived; the weather was bright and sunny but

quite cool - perfect conditions for a day at the sea side. Mike

drove us and what should have been about a 50 minute journey

took nearly an hour and a half as he seemed very reluctant to

shift the car into fifth gear and it was only after he was passed by

a learner driver that he decided to speed up.

The registration was really well organised and considering it was

a new event the organisers seemed to have everything in hand.

As it was Remembrance Sunday we had a two minute silence at the start of the race, then we

set off on time. Normally I am nervous before a race but as I wasn’t in good shape and have

been struggling with a knee injury so my aim was to finish and I was very relaxed at the start

which makes a change!!!

The first mile seemed to go on forever as we headed out along the coast towards the Wind-

mill, then we turned on to the main road and ran back towards the start line. Mike and I ran

together for the first two miles (No Mike you did not pace me!!!) and he quickly learnt that I

don’t like to speak whilst I am running as when he was talking I would grunt at him- good

job he isn’t easily offended. Anyway he must have got bored at the lack of conversation and

got a burst speed on and very quickly opened up a gap between us. As we approached the 3

mile marker I saw him walking and had some abuse lined up but being short of breath I bare-

ly asked if he was ok.

At half way the course takes you through a park and round the stinkiest lake I have ever come

across - it smelt like someone had died in there and it is very possible they had. Trying hard

not to breathe in the repulsive smell I had to navigate my way round several pedestrians and

their wayward dogs who decided to stand in the middle of the path and it took an evil stare to

make them move out of my way.

When you leave the park you hit a teeny hill and that is the 5 mile marker, you have a lovely

run back along the sea front. There is a very gradual incline here and up to this point I was

well on course for a PB but as the lack of speed training showed I completely died and literal-

ly dragged myself towards the finish. A man caught up to me and over took me just before

the finish and I decided I was going to do a ‘Shier’ and bomb the last hundred meters. I over

took him right before the line and was very pleased until later on I saw the results and he was

a Vet 60!!!!

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Race Reviews

Windmill 10K Road Race - Sunday 13th November 2011

I was really pleased with my time 47:08 as it was only 5 seconds shy of my PB I did at Birch-

wood earlier this year.

Mike came in not long after me in 47:50 - he equalled his PB from his last 10K and Susan

Bean came in on 57:23

I will definitely be doing this again next year as it was great course, friendly marshals and

treats (medal - although not windmill shaped!!!, a keyring, water and big bars of chocolate) at

the end. For those looking for a PB I would recommend it although bear in mind it isn’t chip

timing so you do need to get close to the front.

Once the race was over it was back in the car for another hour and a half drive home -

snore………!

Emma

Full results available here

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Race Reviews

Sherdley Park Cross Country - Sunday 13th November 2011

Sherdley Park Cross Country holds fond memories for me. Not only was it the first Cross

Country race I took part in (excluding some pitiful attempts at school) but it’s also the source

of one of my favourite Steve Doxey-isms “gently undulating” and was where I realised that if

Steve ever described a race as “hilly” I’d be in trouble.

Previous years at Sherdley have been damp and cold but, following on from the sunshine at

Heaton, 2011 saw unusually high temperatures (for November). I personally prefer races

where the thermometer drops below zero and am finding the concept of running cross country

and feeling hot a bit confusing. Fingers crossed for a cold snap in time for Wythenshawe!

Arriving at Sherdley Park in almost balmy conditions, I soon met up with the Hart family

bearing the shiny new Swinton flag. We found a suitable place to make camp for the after-

noon and, on the arrival of the tent (carried by Paul clearly wishing that the car park wasn’t

so far away), opted for a two sided structure more akin to an arch than a traditional tent. We

then set about the serious business of pre-race preparation. Sadly for me, the spike cleaning

fairies had not paid a visit since the previous race and my first job was therefore to try to re-

move the worst of the Heaton Park mud.

Kit donned and shoes clean (or more accurately, marginally less dirty) I set off on a gentle

warm up with Carly to show her the course (or rather Carly had a gentle warm up and I strug-

gled to keep up with her). The course at Sherdley is very simple. Up and down the same hill

multiple times, a big loop round at the end of the lap and then the same thing all over again

(or twice more for the guys). The hills are short but reasonably steep and it can be muddy,

especially when someone seemed to have driven over the course in a tractor.

First up as usual was the ladies race. Running for Swinton were Lauren, Carly, Maggie, Lisa,

Carol, Gaynor and me. Unfortunately, due to navigational issues, Louise arrived after we’d

set off and missed out on the race. I believe she’s planning to set off a day early for the next

one. Before the start we did our usual Swinton milling about. There’s a great photo of us

with Lauren looking ready to race and the rest of us stood in a huddle apparently examining

Carly’s elbow (I think she was stretching) several of us aren’t even looking the right way.

The gun went, I did my obligatory jump of surprise and we were off. As often happens at

cross country, I got carried away and set off way too quickly. The fact that I was keeping

Carly in sight should have been a fairly good indication of this. As a result I suffered badly

on the second lap and resorted to just trying not to let too many people pass me. I was pretty

pleased at the end to find I was quicker than last year (although I think this may be due at

least in part to the course being slightly shorter!) The other ladies all acquitted themselves

well. Lauren finished an impressive 31st with Carly in 41st having enjoyed the race far more

than she did at Heaton. Maggie kept me on my toes as usual, knowing she’s right behind me

helps when I feel like giving up! Lisa knocked a massive 7 minutes of her time from last

year, Carol finished looking far too happy as always and Gaynor had clearly not been put off

by her run at Heaton finishing strongly in her second cross country event.

With the ladies start time having been brought forward 10 minutes, we now finish before the

men are lined up for the start which means both that we can pass on some quick information

about the state of the course but also that we get to experience the male pre-race routine.

Whereas the ladies tend to head for the start a good 5 minutes before we need to I’ve noticed

that the men have a more relaxed approach. Our chief organiser Lauren was getting increas-

ingly stressed on their behalf as first Steve Doxey and then Nick calmly removed layers of

clothing, pinned on race numbers and powdered their noses (OK so I made that last one up)

all after the 3 minute warning had gone.

Watching the men race is probably the best part of cross country. Not only do I get to shout

encouraging things at my male teammates (“A man with no shoes on just lapped you” and

“Stop messing about and hurry up” being two of my favourite lines) but I also get a master-

class in running from the super quick guys at the front. Not that there aren’t any quick run-

ners in Swinton colours. Nick finished just outside the top 30 in 32nd place and there was a

re-run of the Heaton battle between Steve Doxy, Dan Appleby, Dan Bird, Darren and Mark

with Steve Doxy winning this round followed by Dan Appleby, Darren, Dan Bird and Mark.

Darren did decide to make life a little harder for himself losing a shoe on his second lap and

finishing with just the one. I believe that he was reunited with his errant shoe with Mark’s

assistance and he has been attending some emergency classes in tying laces in time for the

next race. Next home for Swinton were Chris Lomax, Rick Waring and Paul Rutherford,

then Adam (with I believe another massive PB) and Paul, followed by Steve Hart and Dave

Batty who were only 3 seconds apart and finally completing the Swinton team were Dave

Williamson and Andy Smith. Roger started but unfortunately had to pull out before the end.

It’s fabulous to have so many runners taking part (and I very much hope I didn’t miss any-

one)!

There was also drama off the race course whilst the men were running. On returning to her

car, which she had left safely in the car park, Lisa was surprised to discover that it was no

longer in the car park but had seemingly rolled forwards onto the grass. Even more oddly,

there was now a vehicle parked in what had once been her space which looked very familiar

and which was blocking her from simply reversing back into the car park. I’m told that

some of the men thought that Lisa had come to cheer them on in her car during their race

when she was in fact attempting to escape the park. To add insult to injury, the vehicle

whose owner had carelessly parked up behind Lisa’s stranded car turned out to belong to one

Rick Waring. Luckily, Lisa was eventually able to locate an exit and returned to the club on

Monday to “discuss” with Rick how this had happened!

Once everyone had located all the kit they’d carelessly strewn around the course and rescued

their vehicles from various improbable locations we were finally ready to pack up the arch

and head home. Two cross country races down and three to go in the series, can we manage

an even more eventful trip to Wythenshawe next month?

Rebecca

Full results available here

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I’d just done a training session at the club on the Wednesday before this race and was

feeling in good shape to do a 10k, so looked on the Runners World website and found

the Leeds Abbey Dash, which I had never heard of but looking at the profile seemed a

fairly flat and fast race. The closing date of entries was Wednesday night, so I spontane-

ously booked myself in.

I had my usual pre-race fuel on Saturday night (6 bottles of Becks!) but got to bed early.

The race started at 9:30, so had to be up for 7:30 (on a Sunday!) and was on the road for 8,

arriving at 8:45. This was really early for me as I was worried about parking but fortunately

found a free car park only a few hundred yards from the start line.

The start of the race is in Leeds City Centre next to the Town Hall. On arrival there seemed

to be a bit of a buzz about the place with thousands of runners congregating around the start

area and dance music blearing out of the sound system during a warm up routine. The

weather was cool and misty but didn’t dampen the atmosphere.

I did a bit of a warm up and queued at the start line. The race was advertised to be expecting

8,000 runners and the organisers split the starting line into 3 sections – over 45 minutes, sub

45 minutes and sub 35 minutes. I positioned myself near the front of the sub 45 minutes; I

wasn’t too bothered about the starting position as it was chip timed and the road ahead was

quite a wide A Road, so guessed it wouldn’t get too congested to pass people.

Whilst waiting for the start of the race I noticed a fit looking lady climb over the barriers

just in front of me and it turns out it was Nell McAndrew!. After a quick wink at me and her

offer to exchange phone numbers after the race, the sound of the gun stunned me from my

dream and the race got going!.

I eventually got over the start line, which is at the top of a slight incline and this seemed to

kick start my momentum to go out at a quicker pace than I’m used to. I quickly learned that

the starting line up had been full of optimists and I seemed to be passing hundreds of people

within the first few kilometres. This was not a bad thing as there was plenty of space to take

over and it kind of spurred me on to go faster.

The race goes out along the A65 road to Leeds Abbey, turns at the 5k point and goes back

along the opposite side of the road and back to the finish which is located just after the start.

I don’t normally dare to check my watch during a race but gave it a glance and thought I

was seeing things when it had recorded near to my 5k PB!

Race Reviews

Leeds Abbey Dash 10K - Sunday 20th November 2011

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The race was busy up to the 7k point and didn’t really notice any tiredness as the racers

around me were taking my mind off it. However just after the 7k mark I was on my own for

a while and started to notice the tiredness setting in. “Just dig in you soft arse”, I kept telling

myself!

The finish was soon in sight and finished up a slight incline with the DJ and crowds of spec-

tators cheering the finishers on. I couldn’t believe it when I stopped my watch at 36:21, an

even split with a new PB by over a minute and a half!.

Over 6000 people completed the race and the winner was Jonathon Taylor of Morpeth Har-

riers in a smoking time of 29:20. First lady back was Susan Partridge of Leeds City AC in a

fantastic time of 33:48.

In summary, the race is a well organised, flat and fast 10k, similar to that of the Manchester

10k but on a smaller scale and without the “clogging up” on the course. This is a must do

for anyone chasing a PB!.

Darren Russell

Full results available here

Race Reviews

Leeds Abbey Dash 10K - Sunday 20th November 2011

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Having been the sole Swinton runner to run this last year I decided to recruit some fellow

members for the short journey up the M61. On a foggy and cold Sunday morning myself,

Adam and Paul with Emma to add the glamour made the dart to Preston.

The registration is at Hutton Grammar School where we managed to park in the school car

park and headed over to registration. The queue for entries on the day was long and spanned

the entire dinner room. Feeling smug that I had entered online I made my way to the list of

pre-entrants to find my number and go and collect it from the desk. After scanning the list a

good 4 times and not being able to find my name I got my phone out and logged on to Ukre-

sults to see what races I had in my portfolio… the only Preston 10 I could see was for last

years race! Being like Royalty and not carrying cash I managed to nick a tenner off Paul

and joined the back of the long queue of unorganised people who hadn’t entered already.

Having secured a place in the race we made our way to the start line which is down a resi-

dential road adjacent to the school. Unlike Greater Manchester Police, Lancashire Police

actually support local races and a few clicks of the camera later with Paul & Adam making

comedy poses next to the police car we made our way to the start line.

The route is very simple, 2 laps of a 5 mile course which about half of the loop is along a

dual carriage way with the rest through a couple of small villages. Nothing exciting with

just a couple of inclines along the way, even for someone who has ‘hill-phobia’ like me!

When I ran the race last year I got round in 1.27 which I knew I was more than capable of

beating. My target time was 1.20 which mean 8 min mile pace, having settled in following

Adam I was happy to pace round on his heels and cross my fingers that I could sustain my

pace. After about a mile and a half I got a bit carried away with myself and went for the

break and made a dart past Adam and hoped that I could keep my pace.

Having completed the first lap I made my way past the local nursing home where one of the

residents was stood in the lounge waving! By the time I made it to the final water station

(having dashed past the first 2) I had to stop much to my ‘coach’s’ disappointment however

I’ve still not mastered the art of drinking from a cup whilst running and avoiding snorting

the water up my nose. Shortly after my little drink stop we were back on the dual carriage-

way where I made one final dash for it, even finding the energy to make small talk to a girl

from St Helen’s Striders when an ambulance went flying past all sirens blaring.

By the time I made it to the 9.5 mile mark my legs were burning and the very gentle incline

where the start line was felt like Agecroft Hill. As I turned into the school grounds to make

a final dash for the finish line Emma was there to shout some words of encouragement. The

race was won by Andi Jones of Salford Harriers in 49.43 which was a new course record, I

was marginally behind him finishing in 1.18.35 with Adam not far behind in 1.21.32 with

Paul completing his first 10 mile race in 1.28.59.

Mike Horton

Full results available here

Race Reviews

Preston 10 Mile Road Race - Sunday 20th November 2011

P A G E 1 8 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

P R E S T O N 1 0 M I L E R O A D R A C E - S U N D A Y 2 0 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

P A G E 1 9 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

P R E S T O N 1 0 M I L E R O A D R A C E - S U N D A Y 2 0 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

P A G E 2 0

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

I just happened to be hanging around the club after the usual

Wednesday night training session when Paul mentioned that he

couldn’t run in the Wesham 10K on Saturday as he had to

“work.” You might remember that the whole RBS banking sys-

tem crashed a couple of weeks ago, well that mysteriously coin-

cided with Mr Shiers “work.”

Anyway, he said that it was a nice course, so I agreed to run as

his alias (plus he didn’t want any money), his only request was

that I didn’t get under 50 mins as this was his burning ambition.

Race day - The journey to near Preston was uneventful, I arrived in good time and as I ap-

proached the race HQ suddenly realised that I would have to impersonate Mr Shier to obtain

my race number. How could I possibly pass as an under 35 year old with the athletic phy-

sique of Linford Christie and looks of Brad Pitt?

Amazingly, the lady on the desk took just one glance and issued me with Paul’s race num-

ber.

I have run in lots of races over the years but have never had the privilege of running in num-

ber 69 before, was it a co-incidence or is that perhaps Mr Shiers usual number? I was now

starting to enjoy being Paul.

Heading to the start line, I bumped into fellow Swintoners Mike L, Mike H & Paul R. We

realised that as there were 4 of us, that constituted a team, so I really would have to put in

an extra effort to get under that magic 50 minute barrier.

Rumour has it that Darren apparently enjoyed an extra hour in bed, arrived at the last mi-

nute, ran a superb time of 37min 25secs and was half-way home before I even finished. Oh

to have the life of a top athlete. With Darren’s late appearance, my result wouldn’t count

towards the team score but I still sped off in my mission to smash Mr Shiers PB.

The race is run on quiet country lanes and with a field of around 500 runners it was quite

crowded at the start. I quickly got into a decent pace for me and reached the 2 mile marker

in a blistering 16 mins. A quick calculation 3 x 16 equals 48 mins!!! I was on course for a

brilliant time.

I was already dreaming of the look of horror on Mr Shiers face on hearing the news of my

fantastic achievement when we turned a corner. The gale force wind that had previously

boosted my pace was suddenly blowing straight at me and would do for the next 3 miles.

Paul didn’t need to worry, the wind picked up more and my pace dropped further. The last

mile was again wind assisted but by that time it was far too late as the Garmin read 53 mins

11 secs as I staggered red faced across the line. The lads had all finished in very creditable

times (under 50 mins) and the team was 21st out of 31.

Overall -The course reminded me a little of the Trafford 10K, It is called a flat course but

there are stretches that are slightly undulating and sometimes this can be more difficult to

gauge than straightforward hilly courses. Still offers a good chance of a fast time.

Race Reviews

Wesham 10K Road Race - Saturday 26th November 2011

P A G E 2 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

The race was really well marshalled, plenty of parking spaces, quiet country lanes with sce-

nic views and a decent technical t-shirt to all finishers.

I would recommend this to anyone next year, especially if it doesn’t clash with the weekend

of our Ladies race.

Thanks again to Paul for the free t-shirt.

Dave Williamson

Full results available here

Race Reviews

Wesham 10K Road Race - Saturday 26th November 2011

P A G E 2 2

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

The second of the races hosted by our club takes place on the last Sunday in November and

is usually conducted in some dreadful weather conditions. For example, the weather for the

Ladies’ Race in 2009 was torrential rain; in 2010 the temperature was -6 degrees. This year

promised to be better with fairly mild and non-descript weather on the days leading up to

the race. However, race day dawned and this year’s ‘delight’ came in the form of gale force

winds – this was going to be tough running!

I had only entered the race a few days earlier, as I had convinced myself I would be needed

to marshal. No such luck – Steve Doxey was inundated with willing marshals so I was rac-

ing. I think Barbara tried this plan of action too, also to no avail.

Race day nerves are common, however Rebecca and I seemed to have been given a dose too

many. We were both in a right state – ridiculous really, as we do this for ‘fun’! Our fabu-

lous turnout of Swinton ladies assembled at the start, joining in the usual banter: “It is freez-

ing!” “Why are we doing this?” etc etc. Nerves were prolonged as the start was held up due

to toilet queues, but eventually we were away.

Dave Pargeter had told me before the race that he was marshalling at the Mile 1 point and

expected to see me in about 5 minutes of the race starting. Well, I didn’t quite live up to

that but did run the first mile in a crazy 6 minutes 25 seconds. Needless to say, subsequent

miles were rather slower!

From about 1.5 miles, I ran the race completely alone so it was rather uneventful to be truth-

ful. I knew I was running well and was pleased with how the race was progressing, until the

East Lancashire Road – here the wind was so strong it felt like I was running in treacle.

After the effort needed there, the end of the race seemed even tougher than usual. I was

really pleased with my finishing time of 36.02 and love the medal I was given. A few priz-

es as well made it a very worthwhile morning’s effort and I was left wondering what all the

nerves had been about. That said, I’m sure the nerves will return next Saturday at Wy-

thenshawe Park XC.

Thank you to all involved in organising, marshalling and supporting this fantastic race. I

heard a lot of very positive comments from runners, including Alison Drasdo who won the

race. A huge ‘Well Done’ to our wonderful Swinton ladies – too many to mention individu-

ally - you all did the club proud. A special mention must go to Sue – a great achievement

winning her age category.

Lauren

Full results available here

Race Reviews

City of Salford Ladies Run - Sunday 27th November 2011

P A G E 2 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

City of Salford Ladies Run - Runner’sWorld Reviews

P A G E 2 4

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

City of Salford Ladies Run - Runner’sWorld Reviews

P A G E 2 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

C I T Y O F S A L F O R D L A D I E S R U N - S U N D A Y 2 7 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

P A G E 2 6 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

C I T Y O F S A L F O R D L A D I E S R U N - S U N D A Y 2 7 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

P A G E 2 7 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

C I T Y O F S A L F O R D L A D I E S R U N - S U N D A Y 2 7 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 1

P A G E 2 8 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Up and Coming Races

P A G E 2 9 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

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

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

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Training for a Marathon in April or May then try

Inskip Derby Arms Half Marathon

Sunday 22nd January at 10:30am

Monday 2nd January

3rd Central Lancashire New Year Half Marathon

Sunday 8th January

Belle Vue - Hit the Trail

Sunday 8th January

Garstang 10K

Sunday 15th January

ManchesterArea Woodbank Park XC

Sunday 22nd January

Inskip Derby Arms Half Marathon

Saturday 28th January

Northern Cross Country Championships - Pontefract

Sunday 29th January

Chernobyl 10K

Sunday 29th January

Meltham 10K

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

Saturday 3rd December

ManchesterArea Wythenshawe Park XC

Sunday 4th December

Guys 10 Mile Road Race

Sunday 11th December

Stockport 10 - Full

Sunday 18th December

Telford 10K

Sunday 18th December

Hurst Green Turkey Trail Race

Saturday 24th December

Rudolf’s Red Nose Race

Tuesday 27th December

Ribble Valley 10K

Tuesday 27th December

The Festive 5 Mile

P A G E 3 0

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Race Series

Manchester Area XC Series

The cross country season is almost upon us, it’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.

Road Directions

By road: Leave M60 at Junction 5, or M56 Junction 3 (onto Princess Parkway).

By bus: Bus 101 from Princess Parkway (heading from City Centre). Bus 179 along

Altrincham Road (from Stockport direction). Bus 370 from Didsbury along Wy-

thenshawe Road, or from Altrincham Interchange along Wythenshawe Road. Bus

stops are located nearby on Princess Parkway, Wythenshawe Road and Altrincham

Road.

Wythenshawe Road, Manchester, M23 0AB

Date Race

Saturday, 22nd October 2011 Heaton Park, Manchester

Sunday, 13th November 2011 Sherdley Park, St. Helens

Saturday, 3rd December 2011 Wythenshawe Park, Manchester

Sunday, 15th January 2012 Woodbank Park, Stockport

Saturday, 11th February 2012 Clayton Vale, Manchester

Next manchesterarea XC Match

3rd December 2011

Wythenshawe Park, Manchester

P A G E 3 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

C L U B C R O S S C O U N T R Y C H A M P I O N S H I P 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2

C R O S S C O U N T R Y C L U B C H A M P I O N S H I P

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

P A G E 3 2

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Up & Coming Cross Country Championship’s

G RE ATE R MA NCHE STE R CR OS S CO UNTR Y CHAM P IO NSH IP S

W O O D B A N K P A R K - S T O C K P O R T

S A T U R D A Y 7 T H J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Entry free £5.00 - entries to Steve Doxey by 20th December 2011

NAT IO NA L CR OS S CO U NT RY CHA MP IO NS HIP S

P A R L I A M E N T H I L L - L O N D O N

S A T U R D A Y 2 5 T H F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Entry free £5.00 - entries to Steve Doxey by 31th December 2011

(Entrants must have entered the Northern’s)

NO RT HE R N CR OS S COU NT RY CHA MP IO NS HIP S

P O N T E F R A C T P A R K - W A K E F I E L D

S A T U R D A Y 2 8 T H J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Entry free £6.00 - entries to Steve Doxey by 31th December 2011

P A G E 3 3

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Club Championship 2011

February 20th Central Lancashire 5K

March 6th Trotters 5

April 3rd Radcliffe 10K

May 11th Haigh Hall 4

July 14th Bull Hill Fell Race

July 20th Horwich 5

August 3rd Chorley 4.4 Trail

August 14th NVAC 10K

October 2nd Gin Pit 5

October 12th Self Timed Run

October 22nd Heaton Park Cross Country

November 6th 28th Sweatshop Through The Villages Race

November 27th City of Salford 5.25 Ladies Run

December 11th Stockport 10

C L U B C H A M P I O N S H I P 2 0 1 1 C A L E N D A R

Next Club Championship Race

11th December 2011

PUMA Stockport 10

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:

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

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.

P A G E 3 4 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

L A T E S T M E N S C L U B C H A M P I O N S H I P S 2 0 1 1

P A G E 3 5 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

L A T E S T L A D I E S C L U B C H A M P I O N S H I P 2 0 1 1 S C O R E S

Committee Meetings

P A G E 3 6 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

Regular meetings are now being held on the second Wednesday of every month at the club after pack runs. Notes

from the October meeting below. The minutes for November will be approved at the December meeting and appear

in that months Newsletter.

Remember any member may sit in the meeting.

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Committee Meetings

P A G E 3 7 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

London Marathon Ballot

Marshals - Ladies Run

The two places available for the London Marathon 2012 were won by

Carol Hart

Lisa Ottiwell

We wish them all the best over the next few months with their training and in the Marathon.

A huge thanks to all those who helped today, in whatever way. It was greatly appreciated, not least by

me on my return to racing, the encouragement on the way round was superb!

Thanks

Barbara

P A G E 3 8 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Social Events

P A G E 3 9 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Pie Night - Last Wednesday of the Month

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

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)

Last Wednesday of every month

Pie Night

Next one 28th December 2011

P A G E 4 0 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

Swinton Running Club’s

Children’s Christmas Party

11th 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

Race Results Corner

P A G E 4 1 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 1

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B

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.

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 lev-

els. 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.

Website

Forums

If you have any race reports, photos, announcements or any news that would be of inter-

est to the others members please let just know.

Lauren

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

S W I N T O N R U N N I N G C L U B