Cheshire Grand Prix
Club Series, Race 10
Only a twenty minute drive. Pleasant country roads. Warm but not hot. Wind-free. A 10k on the road. Well organised. Who wouldn’t want a Sunday run. Though not a PB course with climbs at 3k and 7k.
Captains, Janine and Andrew, had done a good job for the Grand Prix, a strong presence from the Group 1 runners. Does anyone know where our teams finished?
Richard Coen, 33:35, chalked up another win.
Diane was third lady.
Jon finished 4th., Dan was 22nd., Robert 41st., Trevor 50th., James Speedie 56th., Richard Harrison 60th., James MacDonald 62nd., 9 seconds ahead of Nick, 63rd.,Graham was 68th., Jarrod 86th., Stuart 87th. (racing again but denying it is a comeback), Tim 91st., 3 seconds ahead of Mark, 92nd.,who was 7 seconds in front of Matt 95th. Paul Norris 112th and Louisa, last of the elite, at 125th. I can’t remember us ever having so many of our best runners.
The ladies were also there in numbers. Behind Di, Janine was 12th., Louisa 14th., Sally 16th., Catherine 37th.
We were also wallowing in category podium places, albeit with a slight bias to the elder end of the spectrum:-
Diane was 2nd.F40. Andrew was 2nd. V45. Kate was 2nd. F55.
Trevor 1st., Tim 2nd. and Paul Garnett 3rd. V55.
Paul Norris was 1st. V60. Patrick 2nd.V65.
Tony and Ian 1st. and 3rd. V70. Simon 1st.V75.
Paul Garnett extended his dominance of League Two (his absence with a heart problem now seems long ago). Janine took 59 points, Sally 58 and Ian Roberts 57.
Patrick beat Colin in League Three. John, on this occasion got the better of Alan. Kate, given the restriction her knee puts on training had a magnificent run. Jan failed to hit her 50 minute 10k target but was less disappointed after reviewing other times on this course. Neither Chris nor Alan are entirely focused, Chris is tip-toeing around a number of niggles and has a football tournament, whilst Alan is deep into parental exam revision.
Catherine was well away in League Four, mixing-it with the League Three leaders. Rachael made a more modest start and only passed me at 7km.
Colshaw in 2016, Simon and I finished 10 seconds apart, with the over-70 winner pipping us by 5 seconds. As then, this year I went into the lead from the first km. At 5k Simon says I was 100m ahead, I had only my watch as a guide, it said that I had run the first half too fast. Steadily, he says, he reeled me in. Still ahead at 9k, I was tired but felt I was home, only, with just 300m to go, for Simon to pass me. An adrenalin rush took me back in front (my heart and power monitors hit unknown heights) only to quickly fade again with 150m left. Thankfully, Si was also done. This competition is great for both of us, once the race is over, who has won is immaterial, but whilst we are out there it’s life and death. The gap between us, it would seem, over two years has narrowed from 10 to 8 seconds. Simon leads 4 -3 so far in races this year.
I’m actually not playing in the World Cup Ian, just watching it.
Great report, thank you.
Both our men and women’s teams finished first. Well done to all involved.