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| Races 2009 | ||
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| Mudlarks | ||
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for Maas marathon (Belgium/Holland) in May.
Then a different type of training(hic!) for the Medoc marathon in September.
Rosemarie gets 1st v60
at Hogweed Half
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Long runs and races this spring,
training for Maas marathon (Belgium/Holland) in May. Then a different type of training(hic!) for the Medoc marathon in September. |
Rosemarie gets 1st v60 at Hogweed Half | |||||||||||||||||||
| 25th Jan 2009 | 10/20/30/40k MT |
| Venue: | Amesbury sports centre. |
| Travelling time: | 1 hour; left home 8:15am.
Only just there in time for 9:15 runners start. |
| Weather: | Cold, damp, few heavy showers. |
| Comments: | LDWA event, not a race, walkers started before runners. Lots of NFR.
Alec did 20k, Rosemarie entered 30k(actually 32k) to run with Neil, though not really fit fot it. Salomon speed-x shoes OK for 15 miles, then got sore feet. Mud v.sticky, stony tracks hard running. |
| Age-groups: | n/a |
| Results: | n/a |
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| 22nd Feb 2009 | 11.5 miles MT |
| Venue: | Pewsey school. |
| Travelling time: | 1 hour 15min; left home 8:15am.
Arrived early enough to park near start at school. |
| Weather: | Quite mild, chilly wind, sunny. |
| Comments: | Extra hills this year, plenty of mud, both river crossings quite deep.
NFR regrouped at Woodbridge pub afterwards. |
| Age-groups: | Up to v70 for men, v65 for ladies. |
| Results: | Rosemarie 1h:57m:22s (2nd v55) Alec 2h:37m:28s (3rd v70) |
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| 1st Mar 2009 | 21 miles MT |
| Venue: | Sustainability Centre, East Meon. |
| Travelling time: | Left home 8am. 20mins to Brockenhurst for lift with Neil.
1hr to East Meon. Parking in field - could be problem if muddy, but OK this year. |
| Weather: | Dry; chilly mist at start, sunny when it cleared. |
| Comments: | 10 mins walk to start. Advertised 20-ish miles, actually 21 on gps.
Relatively little mud, easily negotiated, so finished with clean dry shoes! Steep enough hills to require walking, especially long ascent of Butser Hill. 4 water stations, with jelly babies, fruit, and biscuits, plus tea and cake at the last one (very welcome). Ran with Neil, needed his encouragement to keep tired legs going in last 3 miles. |
| Age-groups: | No vets categories. |
| Results: | Rosemarie 3h:41m:45s (227th out of 364 finishers) |
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| 22nd Mar 2009 | Half marathon, road |
| Venue: | Horton village hall (near Chipping Sodbury). |
| Travelling time: | 1 hour 45min; left home 7:30am.
Parking in field near finish - fortunately dry. |
| Weather: | Mild, sunny. |
| Comments: | Hilliest road half we've ever done - 4 major hills requiring walking,
but nothing flat.
10min walk downhill to start. Super views across Severn valley. Well organised, lots of marshals. Only fault was lack of small-size T-shirts. |
| Age-groups: | Up to v60 for men, v60 for ladies. |
| Results: | Rosemarie 1h:52m:46s (1st v60) Alec 2h:23m:34s (10th v60) 270 finishers. |
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| 13th Apr 2009 | Easter Monday. MT, approx 8 miles |
| Venue: | Freshwater sports centre, IoW. |
| Travelling time: | Alec took bike in camper to Lymington
for me to get 10am ferry to Yarmouth.
Cycled across to Freshwater - about 3 miles, flattest route is on old railway track. |
| Weather: | Sunny, warm. |
| Comments: | Start in road (last time was in field). Still sure I counted more than 3 hills. Hardest was climbing up from Alum Bay (hands-on-knees walk), then up over Tennyson Down. Very dry, didn't really need off-road shoes. Lots of NFR runners and supporters. |
| Age-groups: | Up to v70 for men, v55 for ladies. |
| Results: | Rosemarie 2nd v55, in 1h:08m:31s (Viv Drake now v55 took 1st)
NFR ladies got 2nd team award (medal). 107 finishers. |
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| 10th May 2009 | Full marathon, road. Also half-marathon, 10k and 5k options. | ||||||
| Venue: | Visé(Belgium) - Maastricht(Holland) | ||||||
| Travelling time: | 3 hours to Dover; 1.5 hours Dover/Calais ferry;
overnight stop at Huy (on Meuse) en-route to Visé. | ||||||
| Weather: | Bright sunshine, no wind, too hot for running. | ||||||
| Comments: | Start/finish at Visé. Whole town closed to traffic all day.
Run up alongside river Meuse to Maastricht and back on other side. Traffic-free route; concret cycle paths and cobbled villages a bit hard on the feet. Pretty scenery, but no shade from sun. Made sure to drink plenty of water, but their electrolyte drink was horrid (undrinkable), should have taken more of my own. On 4-hour schedule up to 20 miles, but then ran short of salts and kept getting cramp. Alec entered the half-marathon, as injury prevented him training for the full distance. Link to full write-up and photos Maas marathon | ||||||
| Age-groups: | Every 5 years, male and female | ||||||
| Results: |
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| 31st May 2009 | Off-road, steep hills; also full marathon option | ||
| Venue: | Freshwater Leisure Centre, Isle of Wight. | ||
| Travelling time: | 10am start, so had to get early ferry.
Left 7am for Lymington (20mins).
Got 7:45 ferry to Yarmouth (30mins), cycled to Freshwater. | ||
| Weather: | Sunny, hot. | ||
| Comments: | Ferry crowded due to 'Old Gaffers' weekend in Yarmouth.
Same course as previously; forgot about queues at stiles in mile 2. Managed to complete run, but had to walk up most hills - legs still tired from marathon. Ground very dry, used road shoes. | ||
| Age-groups: | now includes vets categories, up to M60, F55 | ||
| Results: | Lots of NFR, top runners got 1st team prize
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| 20th June 2009 | 11.5 miles, trail, very hilly; | ||||
| Venue: | Start/finish at Red Kite visitor centre (near Aberystwyth) | ||||
| Travelling time: | 5/6 hours from home. Drove there friday.
Camped at 'Woodlands' again at Devils Bridge. | ||||
| Weather: | Forecast showers for N.Wales but we got them too.
Rained friday night, saturday morning; cloud lifted off hills for run. | ||||
| Comments: | Same route as last year for 'Red Kite', but no 'Race the Devil' on Sunday.
Alec entered the run this time. Forgot how hard it was, hilly all the way, great scenery; walked uphill as usual; loved the 2 mile downhill track. | ||||
| Age-groups: | Very well-sponsored, with prizes in all age-groups. | ||||
| Results: |
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| 5th July 2009 | 10 mile, road, hilly | ||
| Venue: | Portland. | ||
| Travelling time: | 1hr 15mins. | ||
| Weather: | Hot, sunny, windy. | ||
| Comments: | Drove there on my own as Alec not racing.
Same course as previous years. Headwind down to lighthouse. Very hot coming back up the hill, had to walk steep bits. Not a good run, legs very heavy, even slower than last year. Bath towels again for all finishers - burgundy this time. | ||
| Age-groups: | Awards in 5-year age-groups (up to mv70, fv60). | ||
| Results: |
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| 11th Jul 2009 | 10 miles, road/track | |
| Venue: | New Park Farm, Brockenhurst. | |
| Travelling time: | 30 mins. | |
| Weather: | Wet, windy. | |
| Comments: | Saturday evening pre-NF10 club championship. Course as last year. Alec marshalled. Not a good run, same problem as last week with achy legs. | |
| Age-groups: | 1st/2nd/3rd in 10-year groups (40/50/60/70). | |
| Results: |
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| 25th Jul 2009 | Laps approx.3 miles, trail | |
| Venue: | Wayfarer sports ground, Ferndown. | |
| Travelling time: | 30 mins. | |
| Weather: | Warm, sunny, breezy. | |
| Comments: | Saturday afternoon, 3pm start.
6 in mixed team, 4 in ladies; NFR men withdrew (illness) Ran 2nd leg in mixed, 2.86 miles on GPS - too short for me! Alec came to support. Barbecue after - didn't stay for disco or overnight camping. | |
| Age-groups: | Individual fastest times (40/50/60/70). | |
| Results: |
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| 2nd Aug 2009 | half-marathon, road, hilly | |||
| Venue: | Sturminster Newton. Car park in field at finish; start in town centre. | |||
| Travelling time: | 1hr. Lift with John Hunt 8:30am | |||
| Weather: | Warm, sunny. | |||
| Comments: | 10 min walk downhill to start in town, so overall uphill course.
Hard run, again forgot how much uphill in last 3 miles. Gatorade at 8 miles very welcome. New Saucony Jazz/11 trainers quite comfy. Feet OK but struggled with aching legs. Had to walk at every drink station, and up hills in 12th mile. Slow time! | |||
| Age-groups: | Up to MV70, FV55 | |||
| Results: |
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| 30th Aug 2009 | half-marathon, road, hilly | |||
| Venue: | Pewsey school. | |||
| Travelling time: | 1hr 15mins. | |||
| Weather: | Chilly wind; drizzly showers. | |||
| Comments: | Hills seemed steeper than last year!
Had to take walking breaks at drinks stations like in Stur 1/2. Missed v55 prize but got 'oldest lady' instead (how embarrassing!) | |||
| Age-groups: | Up to MV70, FV65 | |||
| Results: |
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| 12th Sept 2009 | Full marathon, road/track. |
| Venue: | Pauillac, Gironde, France |
| Travelling time: | 3 hours Portsmouth/Cherbourg Fastcat ferry;
3 days ambling through France. |
| Weather: | Hot, sunny. |
| Comments: | 15 runners from NFR, dressed as circus strongmen.
Start and first miles very crowded (8500 runners), NFR group split into 2s and 3s Crowds at all wine-tasting drink stops. Only took a sip of wine at each Chateau, ignored option of 'gourmet' foods.. Mostly on road, except for tracks up to the chateaux. Ran most of first half, walked a lot of 2nd half (tendonitis under heel). Stopped for free massage at 20 miles - back seizing up. Link to full write-up and photos Medoc marathon |
| Age-groups: | Vet category awards, but not really interested. |
| Results: | All NFR finished within 6.5 hour 'finisher' cut-off.
Rewarded with medal, bottle of wine and engraved glass carafe. |
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| 25th Oct 2009 | 10.1 miles, off-road, hills (a.k.a Dorset 3 Peaks) | ||||
| Venue: | Shillingstone, Dorset. | ||||
| Travelling time: | about 1 hour. | ||||
| Weather: | Mild, sunny and windy. | ||||
| Comments: | Same course but less mud than usual.
Hills seemed even steeper and walked up all of them (legs/back not getting any better).
Several NFR runners there, but none of the faster ones. Alec walked and took photos. Drink at 'Anchor' in Shapwick on the way home (good cider). | ||||
| Age-groups: | Up to MV60, FV60 | ||||
| Results: |
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| 13th Dec 2009 | Road | |
| Venue: | Burton. | |
| Travelling time: | 10mins. | |
| Weather: | V.cold, sunny. Chilly breeze. | |
| Comments: | Port-a-loos located behind scout hut this year - only slightly less muddy.
Managed whole distance without stopping, despite leg and back problems, but very slow time. Initially given 3rd fv60 place, but later upgraded, as '1st' wasn't an fv60. | |
| Age-groups: | 5-year groups both M and F | |
| Results: |
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