Burnsall 10 on the 19th August went very well. Conditions were blustery but managable. I felt relaxed before race. I was planning to run around the route after race, which I did in the end.
I didn't feel any pressure on this one after my run at the Sale 10 in Manchester.
Took the lead from the start and made up a 70 yard lead within the first mile. I wanted to keep it at a good tempo without stuffing myself. It worked as I felt great all the way around. I finished about three minutes in front of the next runner with 52.08. I think it's probably my fastest on that one.
Had around half hour break and then I ran it again fully kitted up. The weather was better this time around. Otley won the team over Keighley & Craven. That will keep one or two doubter's at bay.
Not much in training the following day. Monday was a 17 mile steady. Tuesday I didn't feel too good as I went for a 12 x 400 with 1 min recovery (Times were 65-67 secs). Awful to begin with but my times stayed consistant on each lap with the wind in my face on the back straight.
Missed Otley that night as I had a bad headache. Wednesday felt the same. Thursday I was back to normal. Friday was a long field run which is a good surface for high mileage runners. Saturday, I simply couldn't fit a decent run in. Went to visit family over the Pennines. Spent lots of energy playing with Edward my two year old nephew. Today I did an out and back to Silsden. It's about 23 miles. Felt strong strong and bouncy. Boring run but it's ideally flat apart from Bingley Five rise locks. As Kosice Marathon is flat. This was ideal.

No time to train today. Had to pick up my brother and his wife from Manchester Airport and got back late. Plus very heavy downpour and thunder.
Just fancied a break from it and spin me plates on the poles instead...

Do you like my colouring pencils. I have got green, orange, brown and yellow. Around the back there is black, purple and some other intesting varieties.
Must remember to sharpen that black one up at the back with my Thomas the Tank engine pencil sharpener.

Ahh yes, I remember this shot.. It was me kind of dropping in to a start of a race I did recently. I did my best not to get myself noticed by not attaching one of those flare things which blow out red smoke.

Just to spice it up a bit for my arrival. I decided to land in a kiddies paddling pool with only a few inches of water to break my fall.

The look I got from people was priceless. Imagine being at the foot of Mount Everest and gazing at the wonder before your very eyes.
I then finished off with a bit of magic for the kids by spinning dinner plates on ten poles blindfolded!

Running wise it just been training since Sale 10. Done some very long runs for the marathon and some track work. It's been nice to get back on the track again. Jamil, Zak and myself did 8 x 600mtrs with 200 recovery last Monday at Carnegie. I felt comfortable in 1.37 - 1.39. Could have done more, but it would have turned into an endurance workout.
Went to Idle AC on Tuesday. Did hill work in Carverley Woods. That was fun to do. Tomorrow (Thurs) I will before club do 12 x 600mtrs with 100mtrs recovery at Horsfall track . That will be done at tempo as I'm doing Burnsall 10 mile road race this Saturday. Almost straight after I will train over the course again (20 mile) before the event is over. Going to race it as a tempo.
Hope I don't miss the Greasy Pole competition?

Welcome back.
Before you go on to read my report on the Sale 10. I would like to draw your attention to the about picture above...
It is as you know an 'escape key' on a computer keyboard. But not just any keyboard. This one was made by Ortek Technology in China (serial no. 8078786) around 1998 - 99 time. Going by the colour it looks like a Mk2 version. And as I look at my records about 23,887 were made.
It is my favourite one as it has a better looking escape key than my other keyboards in my collection.
The keys are quite comfortable to operate and it's a little bit bigger in length than the standard keyboard, about 4 millimeter's to be precise.
The flip out stands at the back have a nice spring action to them.
Quality.

Sale 10 road race over in Wythenshaw in Manchester went well yesterday. Conditions were muggy. First off I heard it was a three lap race, but on the day it became a four lap race.
The lap around the track at the start felt slow. A US based lad from Preston Harriers belted off at the start. I thought he isn't going to last... but he did. I totally forgot about him during the race.
Instead I decided to concentrate on Sale's Gareth Raven. Gareth has raced under 2.20 marathon's in the past and has done around 49 minutes on a past Sale 10. he is quite an all rounder so it was good to have him there to race against.
We did have a bit of a group with us on the first lap but going into the second it was just me and Raven.
I felt confortable with the pace as we took turns leading each other. The first mile was slower than my recent 10 miler's by 20-30 seconds. It mean't though in the end it was going to be cruising at a sharp even pace.
We did have problems passing back marker's on the latter laps as it made us to go wide or ease up to get around people. It the end I suppose we felt we did a bit more than 10 mile's like everyone else.
The one who I forgot about finished about 2 minutes in front. Gareth Raven broke the deadlock between us as we arrived into the finish and complete another lap to the line.
I finished in 50.12. Twelve seconds behind the Sale runner.
Jamil had another great run by taking four minutes of his PB with a time of over 53 and a half. he also had a tussle with Darlington's consistant Martin Grainger.
I was hit with a cold of sorts in the week up to it. But I've come away happy with the result as I feel I was in shape to get under 50 minutes comfortably.