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| Blackthorn blossom |
Strewth! I've been writing about Spring but here in Yorkshire temperatures have been more akin to summer this past week. Unbelievably, I've lain in the garden wearing nothing more than shorts and sunglasses while bees went about their business among the flowers and birds sang their warm little hearts out.
Runningwise, it's been shorts and vest weather as I trotted through dried out fields and sussed out new (unofficial) paths through local woodland where buds are beginning to burst and various feathered songsters are already proclaiming their territorial rights, amongst them an early chiffchaff. A pair of buzzard entertained me for a while as they circled overhead and a woodcock shot off at great speed from almost under my feet.
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| I frequently run past Jean-luc Picard's house, currently available for rental at a mere £2,500 per calendar month - but you may have to be beamed up in winter! |
It's amazing how much better we feel with the sun on our backs. On Sunday it even inspired a little speedwork over a couple of measured miles. The fastest according to my Garmin was 7.05 which, if my maths are correct, equates to 6.36 over 1500m. That's interesting because the British MV80 record currently stands at 6.39. OK, I'm not 80 yet but, God willing, I will be in another six weeks and my form usually improves as summer approaches.
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| Frost on the grass by the riverbank - before the heat of the day |
Problem is, there's nearly always someone else at the British Master's Track & Field Championships with the same idea as me. In 2007 I totally anihilated the MV75 1500m record only to finish 10 whole seconds behind a guy called Brian Ashwell who'd reached his 75th birthday a couple of weeks before the race. There was some bittersweet compensation the following day when I took gold in the 800m. However, being the length of the finishing straight ahead of the second runner I foolishly slowed approaching the line to finish in 2:46:71 - less than one second outside the British record of 2:45:82. Ah well, that's life!
Can wait to hear about the records, they are waiting for your name. And I hope in 40 years time I will still be running and looking for records...
ReplyDeleteI envy your warm weather. Still pretty chilly here, but at least the cherry blossoms are out.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
My Running Shortz
Just discovered you blog report from 2010 from Lanhydrock 10 mile trail race,power to the mighty Google ! Cracking report and very impressed with your times mate.
ReplyDeleteWe will be in Cornwall for the race this year and will be stopping just 20 miles away, it wasn't planned but we will be there as mere sprogs of 60+ !
My club Wolds Veteran RC will be at the BMAF road relays in Sutton Park in May, done it many times since the 90s, meet lots of old mates from years gone by, pity they have altered the age groups last year, it really makes it harder to get teams out. We will also be at Horwich for the 5K Champs
Keep plugging away, Steve Green
Thanks for your comments Steve. We'll be camped at Higher Moor again in June but wont be doing the Lanhydrock race this year. Resting on our laurels, so to speak.
DeleteGood luck at Sutton Park and Horwich.
You have the same problem as Ryan Hall! When he is ready to set a new record, so is all of his competition :) (Boston last year) ..Anyhow, looks like you are ready to turn 80! :D
ReplyDeleteNot nice to rub it in about the weather...we are drowning in rain here.
I should have kept quiet about the weather, it turned nasty over Easter when we were living under canvas for a week!
DeleteI just came across this site: http://www.runner.com/runner-site-of-the-week/ and saw that your blog is mentioned. Just thought you'd like to know.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying all of your nature photos. It's fun to see what it looks like in your part of the world!
Thanks for the link Tina. Didn't know I was becoming famous!
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