Monday, March 30, 2015

Almost a Winner!

Nearly got medals! Competing against the best that the rest of the UK could offer, were our modest lads from Denbigh Harriers,our over 55 team  in the British Masters Cross Country at Ruthin. Yelled on by plenty of enthusiastic locals we surged around the muddy fields thinking we were having the race of our lives. Feeling mildly optimistic we sat in anticipation in the crowded hall where the results were analysed and prizes were being presented. First were Wirral AC - not too much of a surprise as they are the strongest cross country team in the Liverpool area, second were Tipton, OK they are, according to their website, 'One of the most successful road and cross-country running clubs in Britain.' so fair enough. So - the bronze medals, must be us, we had a strong team didn't we, who else could it possibly be? On no! Long Eaton (collective groans of disappointment.) Where on earth have they emerged from - I didn't see anyone in a Long Eaton vest? Ruefully we looked at each other having just imagined the big shiny medals around our necks. Oh well, it's who turns out on the day and at the end of it all we were still smiling.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

A Bridge too Far? Underneath the Marches!

Blogposts sporadic of late due to pressure of work and lack of excitement. However I happened to have a camera while I was on a 9 mile jog by the River Dee near Chester where I came across a rather fine iron bridge over the river. This was in pristine condition presumably because it's looked after by the Duke of Westminster who resides at the nearby Eaton Hall. It was designed about 200 years ago by Thomas Telford, who was handy at this sort of thing, and it carries estate traffic and long distance walkers who are on the Marches Way which goes all the way from Chester to Cardiff.

Have been managing a few parkruns here and there including Belfast, Ellesmere Port and Delamere Forest. The Delamere race was it's 100th anniversary (so it's been going 2 years!) and it was a very pleasant gallop through the woods , although we took Skippy along, I don't think he's quite up to running 5K yet - he did make lots of friends though.