Summer Series Race 17
Thursday July 24th.
I think of Rudyard Lake as a Summer Series annual, but my records suggest that we, or at least I, have run it only once since 2004. As would have happened ten years ago, Rod picked -up Roy and I. He was on the way to his first Series outing since his fourth heart op.
It had been 26o but there was more breeze in Rudyard than Wilmslow and two-thirds of the course is in shade, nevertheless it was hot, although, despite a lower temperature, I found the heat more of an issue at Great Warford. The race attracted a big Wilmslow turn-out, albeit, if my fellow stragglers will forgive me, with a slight bias to those of more modest ability.
Barry in fourth place was the leading Wilmslow runner ahead of Jim, 10th., Tom, 14th., Rob, Allan 18th.and James who got Di right at the end.
Diane was our, and the race's, first lady followed by Janine, Diane Bygrave, Zoe , Amanda, Sally and Gail.
League 2 60-points went to Craig, though only by three seconds from Mick and a further seven seconds back was Matt. Steve was fourth followed by Jon, Janine and Paul.
League 3 was also close with Chris only just winning-out from Diane and then Chris Cannon and Sally.
With five runners, after 16 races, separated in the table by only 6 points and a further five more than capable of beating them, every race League 4 has become something of a lottery. I knew I needed some yards on the long initial flat or I'd be swept away on the hill. Only Zoe was ahead at the turn but then Amanda and John came through around the halfway mark as we started to climb. By three miles, Amanda was established as second to Zoe. A tap on my bottom and two more places were gone, to Gail and Jon. How many more? Where were James , Angela and Carolyn? Sadly, no piper this year at the keep. Starting down, I got a place back from John, whilst just in front Jon was struggling, but succeeding, in holding-off Gail.
Exciting but exhausting. Amanda, Jon and Gail had turned the tables on me from Bollington, but I had got a rare win over John and revenge on James, who came in ahead of Bernard, who is edging-up the pecking-order, and Carolyn. Angela stopped but re-started at Simon's expense.
The promotion battle in League 5 seems to take a different turn with every race. Sue, having lost her place at the top of the table, bounced back with 60 points. Julie and Janet are steadily accumulating. Then we had the fascination of five with one ambition, to avoid being the last Wilmslow runner home. To his disgust Dunks took that honour, Rod ran remarkably well and Roy held-off Trevor and Belinda.
Ian
Struggling ?
Gamesmanship my dear Ian !
Never underestimate the man with the bionic leg !
I last ran the Rudyard Lake race on 4 August 2005 in 44.25, the day after running the Pie and Peas race. Previous to that, it took 49.50 on 12 August 1999, but the race was then c. 0.75 miles longer. The extra distance was accounted by running much farther up the final hill than we did on Thursday, before crossing the dam. If only the race would revert to its previous length, because I might then have a chance of catching Roy.
Trevor