Thurstaston BL

Race: Thurstaston 9.25k (Borders League race 4)

Time/Position: 34.08 (44th from 417 [1st V50])

A brand new course for this Pensby borders fixture. although parts of it were very familiar from the various Wirral multi-terrain fixtures held here. It took the Wirral Way in reverse for 3k or so, a fast start. Too fast for me in fact, with a 3.25 first km suggesting a struggle on the hill! I felt there might be congestion on the WW, however, which was the reason for the fast start. I knocked it back a bit, conscious that a climb was coming, but was still taken aback by its steepness, as most of us were. It takes Oldfield drive, a cratered track near the more familiar Heswall Dales, and finally emerges on the main Heswall road. Then came a very fast run-in and I held my position quite well with 2 x 3.23 km's to finish. I have a fairly narrow 25 point lead over Jez in the V50 category at present, with Buckley on top in both the overall and veteran's team competitions. A clean sweep would be nice!

Wepre parkrun

'Race': Wepre parkrun

Time/Position: 21.21 (6th from 147)

A rare appearance at Wepre, which was even harder than usual today, with three full laps of the top loop due to ice lower down (quite a few events were cancelled today). Although first 'age graded', this was my worst parkrun time ever, by a considerable margin! I probably went up the first climb too fast and then paid for it, after jogging in from Northop Hall. Only my 7th or 8th time at Wepre - scenic as ever. 

Twin Piers 10k

Race: Twin Piers 10k

Time/Position: 36.08 (18th from 432 [2nd V50])

This has always been my favourite 10k, but a four year hiatus since Covid has stopped me (and everyone else) running it for some time. I set my PB here in 2012 and have never got near that time (34.17) since, although I did run 35.30 or so a couple of years later on the same course. I did have a tailwind on both those occasions, but on the other hand you do have to climb over the Little Orme and that old course also took a winding loop through Penrhyn Bay. Today's new route was even better, a solid linear blast from Llandudno Pier to some way beyond the old Colwyn Bay pier. There was a tiny (cold, drizzly) breeze from the west but nothing to write home about. I went off hard, deliberately so, and kept to 3.30/km pace all the way to the Little Orme. My HR was high, and this increased on the very fast section down to Rhos on Sea. I began to struggle a little and my pace slowed, but it never became too uncomfortable and I had a well matched companion, Tony from Denbigh, to keep pace with. I was fairly pleased with the time, although it was only enough for silver in the North Wales championships. I jogged back to the car near the lifeboat station, meeting M on the way.

Wrexham cross country champs

Race: North Wales XC championships, Wrexham (9k)

Time/Position: 34.36 (24th from 55 [1st V50])

Almost certainly my worst ever time for this course, by some margin the cross-country course I have run most often. It was a small field for today's championships and I found myself in a micro-group with Sam Bellis. We paced each other pretty well for the four laps, and although the course drains well we have had so much rain recently that it was still far heavier going than usual which will have had some effect on times. It was nice to win my age category, to add to last year's 10k and 5k championships.

Deeside handicap

No handicap races for four years, then two in three days. This was organised by John Earlston, but unlike his old route around the old border league course, this was five laps around their standard 1k training loop in a quiet part of the Deeside industrial estate. Some quick runners tonight, so I started fairly early after giving 10 seconds to Tracy and Jez. This inevitably means you go off too fast with an obvious target just ahead. Around 3.30 for the first 1k, so I then eased slightly although kept a decent pace ticking over and was pleased with 17.35. Perfect conditions though: mild and windless after another wet day.