Minimal Damage

We are still without a car, so we forced to use public transport to get over to Leicester for the newest of Asda Foundation / Jane Tomlinson Run For All events. They call it the ‘first’ Leicester 10k but there are multiple 10ks in Leicester and always have been, this is just the latest.

Many race plans in the past have been scuppered by the lack of public transport options so I am pleasantly surprised\shocked to find that there are actually trains to Leicester before 9am on a Sunday and that the Nottingham tram starts at 6am on a Sunday. Wow.

So in the end it proves relatively easy to get to Abbey Park for the event.

The route of the 10k sounds nice. It takes us across the Grand Union Canal, into the city centre, past the Richard III visitor centre, past the cathedral, then twice over the River Soar before ending with a final lap of the park. I didn’t really notice much of that...

My only aim is to not get re-injured, so it’s a case of stick at a steady pace all the way round and a laborious time of 48:36 shows that it’s job well done. There’s even a post race massage to check out the damage, which I’m told is negligible. The masseur concurs that I’m good to go and compliments Thursday’s treatment.

L runs it too and seems equally ecstatic afterwards to have survived it.

Then it’s back to Nottingham where we are met by Daughter whom we have agreed to get properly shod, as in some proper trainers. Now she has become a (whisper it very very quietly) runner, she is suffering a bit with shin splints and sore knees. She gets a gait analysis at Up & Running and I leave with a very much lighter bank balance. Lets call it a payment for next weekend’s dog sitting.

Then we spend the evening hitting the recovery drinks in the Crafty Crow.

(Sunday 3^rd September)

Unseasonal Yorkshire Weather

I do like the Sheffield Half Marathon and I did like the old course but there is something rather beautifully masochistic about the course change they introduced three years ago when Run For All, the legacy organisation for the late Jane Tomlinson, got involved and decided to embrace Sheffield’s inner hilliness.

It’s possibly the way they quietly ratchet up the intensity as they take you out of the city along Arundel Gate and onto the long stretch that is Ecclesall Road, which all takes place on a slight incline. Then the slight gets less slight and much more significant as the road rises skywards, getting gradually steeper and steeper. Until by mile four you are on your hands and knees crawling up the one mile stretch that they call the 'King\Queen of the Hill' before eventually you can kiss the tarmac at the top of Ringinglow. From where you look forward to plummeting down... the scenic flat bit.

Allegedly, after the scenic flat bit, it’s all downhill to the finish, only it isn’t. It remains frustrating undulating and deliciously painful right up to the finish line.

Plus there is an additional nuisance factor this year, a dose of very unseasonal Yorkshire weather. Obviously in Sheffield in April you expect wind, rain and maybe hail or possibly snow, or all four at once but this year Sheffield is struck by a heat wave which really wasn’t that welcome.

I survive though and cross the finish line where I am bested by last year’s time by a three mere seconds but you still can’t beat it as a location for your Sunday morning jog and they’ve even given us a wearable t-shirt this year.

My only wish is that they would put as much effort into the mile markers as they do the km markers that map out the last 10k, for which there is an additional prize. These are all nice sail banners whereas the thirteen mile markers appear to be an assorted collection of whatever was lying around at the back of the race director’s garage.

Once I have been reunited with my legs, I head off to track down L who is now touring the country by Puregym as well as by Parkrun and has been checking out the Sheffield branch.

Unfortunately there’s no time for a rehydrating beer in Sheffield, that will come later, as I have my White Van Man booked for 2.30pm to move Daughter’s big stuff and anyway, I will need my wits about me to put her bed back together.

I suppose I do have a rehydrating beer because they are handing out the Erdinger AF. Do they ever actually sell any of that? It’s an acquired taste anyway as you can see from how much of the stuff gets donated to the local tramps.

After we’ve moved Daughter’s stuff, L and I crash out (well I do) for the evening in the Horse & Jockey in Stapleford.

(Sunday 9^th April)

Dangerous Things Beds

Doggo refuses his breakfast this morning; I imagine he’s protesting that there is no leftover cottage pie in his dish. This is because there was no leftover cottage pie.

I have an extra day in the car today because my new computer has arrived at work and it’s probably best not to try to cycle it home. Obviously, this means I have gym penance to do first.

Last year the Jane Tomlinson charity ‘Run For All’ brought a 10k into Nottingham city centre. It was the first time that I can remember the City Council allowing a race to start or finish in the city centre and very successful it was too. I think we all hoped that this would be the first of many but sadly no. It appears now that this was perhaps an administrative lapse on the council’s part and the organisers have been told that no routes in the city centre would be considered for this year. Instead, I worry that they’ll end up going to the ‘go to’ venue for everything... Holme Pierrepoint.

Squash is cancelled again; my opponent says he’s injured himself getting out of bed. Dangerous things beds. So it’s the gym again and then the pub again, MD will be pleased.

(Thursday 16^th February)

Off The Pace

The clocks go back this morning so this gives us an extra hour in bed to mentally prepare ourselves or otherwise for today’s Sheffield 10k. This is a different Sheffield 10k to the Great Run organised one and is run by Run For All, they of the Jane Tomlinson Foundation, and it’s sponsored by Asda.

These folk also organised the Sheffield Half which I ran earlier this year and the course takes the same route out along Ecclesall Road but then instead of disappearing up a big hill into the Peak District it skirts around Endcliffe Park before return back along Ecclesall Road.

Despite the omission of the ‘Peak District’ this is still a seriously undulating route and a real challenge. Although the biggest challenge of all is keeping up with the 45 min pacer which shouldn’t really have been a problem for me considering my current form.

The pacer, however, sticks to his 4:30 per km pace with metronomic precision even on the kilometres that are completely uphill. This means that his initial group of around 30 runners is gradually reduced attritionally to, well, probably nothing. I'm guessing here as I hung on longer than most but couldn’t stay the distance either.

The inverse of this is that when the course starts heading downhill later on he is hamstrung by his 4:30 pace meaning most of us catch him and pass him. I finish in 44:55, so who needs dodgy pacers. Perhaps we should have paced him?

After I have finished, I notice there is no queue at the massage tent which is a rare thing indeed. I quickly go and get my rucksack back from the baggage area, which works seamlessly this time, then I sign up for a session on my calves. I must say that I get outstanding service from Sheffield Hallam’s physiotherapy department who supply a girl for each leg and it’s well worth the £2 charity donation I give them.

Just a word for the goodie bag which was excellent and weighed down with snackie things.

On the way home we detour via Kennelgate where we attempt to solve the ‘can’t see the dog ball in the dark problem’ without success. They don’t have either a flashing or glow in the dark dog ball. 

Then we head off to Leamington for meet Son and his gf for a meal in the White Horse. I like the Horse but their food menu veers annoyingly from arty to burgery without having much in between. The saving grace is always their Sunday lunches but we are told today that they have none left.

Son tells us he is handing in his notice at his job. That'll keep L busy. Now she will be busy job hunting for both Son and Daughter.

(Sunday 30^th October)