Meerbrook

Saturday July 30^th.

Summer Series, race 16

Touting this as the hardest road race in England is perhaps over-hyped but it is certainly no walk in the park. 10am Saturday morning near Leek in the school holidays perhaps also had an impact on restricting the Wilmslow entry. Leagues 1, 2 and 3 were well represented, but 4 and 5 a bit thin.

Pleasant 17^o, dry and windless, a PB day on a different course. I’m probably not alone in mentally splitting the race into two segments. On the start line I can think only of the first 4k, the biggest and steepest of the three climbs. Only when I get to the top can I turn my attention to the race as a whole.

I watched an interview with Geraint Thomas after he had been dropped in a Tour de France mountain stage. He said that he looked at his Garmin and slowed. My assumption is that he was monitoring his heart –rate and was ‘in the red’. (If anyone thinks I misheard or have misinterpreted please let me know). Given Sky are at the leading edge of the application of science to performance, it seemed an approach worth copying, I did so, but lack the science to judge what number I should use as my limit ,155 seemed about right.

Peter seems to be getting better and better, second was a magnificent result.

Our other age category winners were Mick and Di. Bit of a motherhood day with Rachel also running. It’s a few years ago for Sally Price but the experience of international athletes of being a better runner after, than before, giving birth seems to have rubbed-off. Tempted to draw Nicky in, but that might be stretching it a bit.

Andrew was 7^th., Brian 26^th., Vincent, 29^th.

Sharon (43^rd., 5^th. lady) was our first lady followed by Diane . Then Sally and a cluster of Nicky, Amy and Ginny.

Matt registered, I think, his 10^th. win in League 2. Mick, this surprisingly his first run here, was behind James then Pete followed by Ian, who is always good on the hills and Christian.

Bernard logged-up another League 3 win in hot pursuit of league leader Gareth, who was delivering letters. Then came Nicky, Amy and Ginny ahead of Chairman Chris and Mark. John ran an identical time to 3 years ago, you reach a stage in your career when you have to run fast to stand still. Sally Gilliver’s calf injury leaves her short of training miles and Patrick is dogged by his hamstring, which is unlikely to have been improved by 15k of Meerbrook.

Sally and Angela are battling for second place, behind James, in League 4. This was Sally’s day. Si caught me at 10k and for a k it looked like the good old days when we were both running a lot better and constantly swapped positions, that k saw us ease away from Rachel.

Trevor and Belinda were out there a long time and warmly welcomed through the finish.

Appreciative of support from father Allan, Martin and Pete Watson.

I’m happier when I’ve finished than when I’m out there running but this is a great race, one, if not the, best in our calendar.