Elvet Striders

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Happy New Year from Elvet Striders...

...have a good 2009 all life-forms out there.

Captain Cooks, 1st January

Shaun Roberts

Up with the larks for the drive down to Great Ayton, where no less than twelve Striders had dragged themselves out of bed to enjoy the dubious privilege of being able to run up to Captain Cook's Monument. You can see a "Dirty Dozen" reference coming up can't you? Well, no, actually - it wasn't too muddy at all - quite firm underfoot in fact. Still hard work getting up the hill, but it didn't take too long, and then you were hammering down again along the road and through the fields.

Mike was first home, well in front of me, then Graham, who caught me up coming off the hill and made me pull my finger out to keep in front of him on the way home. The Young clan all had good runs, as did Jean, Phil, two Daves and John. Then off to the Spreadeagle in Stokesley for some fine food and the first pint of the year - and an excellent one at that.

A good start to the year.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Matt Speake	Knavesmire Harriers			30.53
49	Erika Johnson	Swaledale RR	W	1	38.30
54	Mike Bennett		M50	4	38.52
109	Shaun Roberts		M50	13	42.47
111	Graham Daglish		M55	5	42.59
161	Jan Young		F55	2	45.55
180	Nina Mason		F	10	47.18
194	Jean Gillespie		F50	3	48.29
201	Phil Owen		M40	33	49.05
206	Cal Young		M	55	49.44
210	Gary Davies		M	56	50.16
215	Dave Robson		M55	10	50.50
219	David Shipman		M50	27	51.21
221	John Everett		M50	28	51.28

256 finishers.

Hill Forts and Headaches, Rothbury, 1st January

Colin Blackburn

The new year dawned on a very cold and frosty Curlew Sike. Everything dripped with a deep frost, everything was sparkling white. The last time I ran Hill Forts and Headaches it was mild in Rothbury but snowing at the finish of this 3 mile uphill-only race that climbs 1020 feet. This year I figured it would be freezing at the top and so packed my best thermals and Ron Hills. It turned out that our house was in some sort of frost bubble and everywhere else was comparatively mild including Rothbury.

Registered and warmed up, a record 62 runners set off from outside the Newcastle Arms following a quick mobile call from the starter to the finish line. The race takes a similar but slightly different route to the first climb on the Simonside Cairns race of a month ago. A pipe band practising for a New Year's day march in Rothbury serenaded us up the first short road section. Through the first style we were then off road and uphill for the rest of this race. There were a couple of very short dips but nothing for the descenders to get excited about. Once past the Lordenshaws car park the final steep climb was hard, both on the legs and underfoot. For a change I could see where the finish was and I was very pleased to get to the cluster of finishers in under half an hour. I did, though, find it was not quite so cold as I had expected en route and I wished I'd packed some shorts and a lighter thermal.

After catching my breath and waiting for a few more finishers it was time to jog back down to the start. After a quick change the Newcastle Arms provided soup, bread and a welcome pint or two. The presentation saw NFR taking many of the prizes, our own Will Horsley finishing second—or third if you count Casper crossing the line first. There were some very fast juniors, two finishing in the top ten overall, and all the juniors were rewarded with prizes. Five Striders took part, four running in their NFR vests with Dougie showing the Elvet Striders colours.

This is a hard race but it is over relatively quickly, a definite recommendation for a New Year's Day race.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Philip Sanderson	NFR	V40	1	22.32
2	Will Horsley	NFR	Sen		22.49
16	Geoff Davis	NFR	V50		27.53
22	Colin Blackburn	NFR	V45		29.20
23	Katherine Davis	NFR	FV40	1	29.31
37	Susan Davis	NFR	FV40		32.56
44	Dougie Nisbet		V45		34.18

61 finishers

Allan and Carole's Do, Boxing Day

Some noticeable absentees apart, 27 of us either walked or ran on different loops centred on the Croxdale Estate, as is the custom on Boxing Day.

Everyone enjoyed their walk or run in fine weather and good company, to return to a wonderful spread of wines, beers and various food courses contributed or prepared by both hostess Carole and participants. Of particular note were three male-strider-prepared delicious desserts: if this is an emerging competitive club activity, perhaps a new section recognising it should be added to the club website!

Christmas Handicap, 20th December

Barry Bird

Thanks to all the visitors from another world who visited us to compete in the Christmas Handicap. A very good turn out from Aliens and Humans. Thanks to the supporters and helpers also and a big thanks to our sponsors The Court Inn and Pam Kirkup who donated prizes in the form of various alcoholic beverages.

Results

Pos	Name	Est Time	Finish	H/Cap	Actual	Prize
1	Jim Nicholson	52.00	51.05	4.00	47.05	1st Gent
2	Debs Goddard	41.00	52.53	15.00	37.53	1st Lady
3	Ray Partridge	40.00	54.27	16.00	38.27	Spot prize
4	Geoff Watson	33.00	54.28	23.00	31.28	Fastest Gent
5	Graham Daglish	36.00	55.14	20.00	35.14	Spot prize
6	Kevin	41.00	56.05	15.00	41.05
7	Dave Robson	42.00	56.47	14.00	42.47	Spot prize
8	Yvonne Jones	42.00	56.48	14.00	42.48	Ladies Fancy Dress
9	Alan Smith	41.00	56.53	15.00	41.53
10	Keith Wesson	34.00	57.48	22.00	35.48
11	Dougie Nisbet	39.00	58.16	17.00	41.16	Gents Fancy Dress
12	Andrew Thompson	38.00	58.36	18.00	40.36
13	Jan Young	44.00	58.59	12.00	46.59	Fastest Lady
14	Maggie Thompson	52.00	61.06	4.00	57.06
15	Dave Shipman	41.00	61.07	15.00	46.07
*16	Jean Gillespie	42.00	35.45	14.00	21.45	Spot prize
*17	Angela Proctor	43.00	36.45	13.00	23.45
*18	Phil Owen	43.00	37.35	13.00	24.35	Spot prize
*19	Zoe Tomlin	43.00	37.35	13.00	24.35

* Runners completing one lap.
Jan Young was fastest lady to not have already won a prize.

Blyth Sands Race, 7th December

Jan Young

On a chilly day, bright sunshine greeted us on a sheltered Blyth beach: possibly the best weather yet on the 49th running of the race. The sand next to the sea was firm to run on, but unfortunately we had to plod through the 'caster sugar' sand higher up the beach, as part of the course was re-routed onto the dunes footpath because of a higher tide. We managed to keep our feet dry, jump over one outlet pipe, jump six feet off a groyne, climbing over a groyne on the return.

I was off running first, as the running order depends on age. Didn't help much, as I was soon passed by lots of runners, including Nina who set off 5 minutes after me! However, Nina and I were awarded age group prizes, possibly because we were the only runners in our age groups. Well, you have to be in it to win it!

Come on Striders. How about giving it a go next year, the 50th running of this popular race?

How fast is Lesley Miller? I'm not letting on that I set off at the same time as her!

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Finish	Run Time
1	Lesley Miller	North Shields Poly AC	FV50	27:06	39:06
2	Terry O'Gara	Wallsend Harriers	MV65	29:08	38:08
69	Nina Mason		F	39:33	46:33
72	Jan Young		FV55	40:20	52:20
82	Gary Davies		M	45:52	45:52

85 finishers.
Running time after deleting handicap times

Christmas Party, Saturday 7th February 2009

We're having a Christmas party!!

Date:        Saturday 7th February 2009
Time:        7 - 11:30pm
Where:       Durham Rugby Club
How much:    £12 per ticket 

With over 30 advance bookings the room at the Rugby club is now secure. If you still want to come along you can, please contact Louise. Click below for further details including how to pay, who to pay, etc.

Albert Park Santa Run, Middlesborough, 13th December

Dave Robson

This free 5K run takes place every Saturday morning at 9.00. This one though was a Santa run in aid of charity. I left home in very heavy rain so the prospects did not look good.

Luckily there was a break in the rain by the time I got to Middlesbrough and I got myself dressed up in my Santa outfit in the warmth of the Visitor Centre. I was having difficulty getting the trousers to be tight enough and while wondering round they fell down ! I had visions of taking what would be an entertaining dive in the race itself, so I tried to tighten them.

I wasn't too successful and during the race I was conscious they were slipping... Luckily they remained in place but were a little low slung which resulted in me splitting them - next time I will make liberal use of safety pins !

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Shaun O'GRADY	New Marske Harriers AC			16:39
26	Dave Robson		MV55		24:19

60 finishers.

Calderdale Relay, Halifax, 14th December

Shaun Roberts

Another bloody good crack on the hills around Halifax! More bog than snow and ice - fine weather though, if a tad cold later on ...

A big thank-you to Dave for masterminding the whole operation, and to his brother John & partner Lyn, also his Mum, for putting everyone up. Excellent curry & lager the night before, as usual.

Nigel adds:

Here's an advert for leg 6 , the final section, of the C W Relay; I think this could be a good choice for a newbie to the event. I ran this race paired with Keith Wesson and found it to be more manageable than leg 5 which I've run twice before.

The big advantages are:
i) a civilised starting time - 2pm;
ii) 1st 1/4 mile downhill;
iii) after a brief climb up steps through a wood the next 20 mins is again downhill;
iv) for runners unused to off-road work there is a lot of canal-side path and a 2 mile road section to finish.

On the down side, the muddy bits were Muddy and the penultimate mile is steep downhill road, making it hard on feet clad in trail shoes.

Keith's strategy of holding back over the first half of the course helped too. When the climbs started we were in relatively good shape and began to pass a good number of other teams who had charged off at the beginning.

When we drew level with another pair of runners at the final high point near Southowram, KW again counselled holding a steady pace down the steep road to favour our feet and said he'd 'eat his hat' if we didn't easily overtake this team on the flat.They then proceeded to pull away from us and had developed a good 100m lead by the time we came to the final 1/2mile. I thought KW was definitely in for an interesting meal but no doubt this spurred him on too and gradually our pace picked up. We slowly gained ground. Not knowing where the finish line was didn't help, but, lungs bursting, joints creaking, and muscles screaming, we pipped them on the last bend and scrambled ahead up a short slithery hill to the line. And so, hats were off the menu!

Navigation could be an issue for anyone unfamiliar with the route, especially following the 'Gordian knot' of a route over and under the last road-canal intersection.

Many thanks to Dave S for the organisation, his Mum for tea and flapjack, Mike B, Dave S, Graham D for tremendous support en-route, and KW for taxi services.

Once again, a grand day out.

Any chance of a few words for the website, Dave? You won't mention my taking Graham and I off on an extra mile towards Rochdale will you? Paul Evans's shoe falling apart on the first leg may be worth a mention though, and his running in Mike's shoes for his second leg?

Results are now available via the link, below. We were 91st out of 117, which, if memory serves, is quite a bit better than the last time, even with the odd navigational hiccup, mentioning no names...

Simonside Cairns, Rothbury, 14th December

Dougie Nisbet

As an alternative to a certain long, muddy race further south in the country, Susan, Geoff and me ran a longish, muddy fell race in Northumberland. In contrast to the hard-packed ice of last week's Hexham Shehobble, the Simonside Cairns fell race had a lot of freezing mud and slush. The snow lay round about, deep and squelchy and uneven.

This race was another first for me and I wasn't sure what to expect. Navigation was straightforward as, running at the back, you simply follow the footsteps of those ahead who have thoughtfully pounded the trail into an ankle-deep mud-bath. Occasional spots of blood in the snow also helped mark the way, concentrate the mind and chill the soul. I had one Vicar of Dibley moment when the snow-packed boardwalk I thought I was running on veered playfully to the left and suddenly turned out not to be a boardwalk after all, a complete absence of boardwalk in fact, more like a nut-numbing pool of icy muddy water that insistently invited me in for some brief refreshment.

I was cold and bewildered when I crossed over the stile into the forest. A man appeared out of the shadows and waved me in with warm words of encouragement. I could hear Christmas carols playing and coloured lights lined the path. It was very soothing. All was calm. All was bright. Just as I was wondering whether this was the afterlife, I emerged from the forest, and there was Simonside Cairns. Ah yes, I'd forgotten about them. Unfortunately they were up there, mocking me, and I was down here, looking up. Oh well. Onward and upward.

The views from the top were astounding and set the mood for an exhilarating charge back down to Rothbury. Crossing the finish I didn't think I'd done that well but was pleased to discover I was only a couple of minutes behind Susan, and on reflection I think I ran a better race than last week's Hobble. Cosy chat, hot soup and Croutons washed down with a Deuchars IPA in the pub afterwards soon soothed away the cold toes.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	N Swinburn	NFR			1:10:23
17	Rachel Vincent	Tynedale	L	1	1.41.55
27	Geoff Davis		V50		1.47.05
62	Susan Davis		LV40		2.08.33
65	Dougie Nisbet		V45		2.10.38

75 finishers.

North Eastern X/C Championships, Wrekenton, 13th December

Fiona Shenton

Cross country doesn't get any better, heavy mud over much of the course and sleety rain. Poor Mike Bennett was the only lonesome Strider in the senior men's race. I'm proud to say the women had a team out as every self respecting NE club certainly should (Ouch - feeling there may be e-mails after that little jibe!). Anyway Jan Young and Jean Gillespie (running as S Barlow) were the other stalwarts. Jean especially was a star seeing as this was her first ever cross country race and she still came out smiling - or was that just because she'd finished? Jan and I both struggled a bit because it turned out we'd both given blood donations on the same day a few days before - very bad team planning.

Still 100 times better than being at The Metro Centre on a Saturday afternoon:-)

Results

Men

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	HOOD, M	Sunderland H & AC			39:26
95	BENNETT, Mike				53:44

183 finishers.

Women

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	FERRIER, M	Gateshead H & AC			31:32
31	SHENTON, Fiona				38:11
56	GILLESPIE, Jean				46:39
60	YOUNG, Jan				48:58

62 finishers. Elvet Striders: 9th Women's Team of 10.

Hexhamshire Hobble, Allendale, 7th December

Shaun Roberts

The "Hexhamshire Hobble" - or as my wife heard it, the "Hexham Shehobble" - "what's a Shehobble", she asked. Well, this year it involved ice, snow, bog, more ice, more snow. The photos tell the tale much better than I can. Suffice it to say that the Hobble was again a classic winter run, this time with great views.

Results

Pos	Name	Club	Cat	Pos	Time
1	Ben Abdelnoor	Ambleside			1:10:23
22	Rachel Vincent	Tynedale	L	1	1:22:09
33	Geoff Davis		V50		1:26:11
44	John Metson		V55	1!	1:29:09
56	Shaun Roberts		V50		1:32:22
64	Emma Bain		LV40		1:34:16
80	Graham Daglish		V50		1:37:47
83	Susan Davis		LV45		1:38:52
103	Dougie Nisbet		V40		1:46:49

123 finishers.