The prestigious PECO Cross Country Series
has now run its last two rounds, drawing to its winter 2017/18 conclusion with:
Race 4: 21st January 2018 - Middleton Park,
Leeds, and
Race 5: 11th February 2018 - Temple Newsam,
Leeds
Emma S has been the stalwart Go Veggie;
the only GV member this year to complete all five events. Emma’s consistency through
the mud has been enough to enable her to slip-slide her way to a top ten in age
group for the overall series.
Mickleden
Straddle
Run on a bitterly cold and snow-laden 4th
February 2018, The Mickleden
Straddle fell race held in the northern Peak District is described by the
organisers as:
A 14.3 miles / 2431ft
ascent - Category BL Race - Navigation skills required. Difficult high-level
moorland terrain and a strong likelihood of severe weather conditions make this
race a serious winter challenge, requiring previous similar fell running
experience.
Good job, then, that Mick W (pic) has managed to acquire a hefty
wedge of such experience this past couple of years and was, on the day in
question, deemed qualified to line up alongside 200 or so other gaunt-looking
masochists.
Unsurprisingly, Mick reports a slog-fest with a combination
of deep snow, ice, treacherous rocks, leg-swallowing peat bogs, foot-tangling
moor grass and all the more expected fell-running joys involving lung-rasping
ascents and barely-controlled descents.
In fact, that should read out-of-control descents because
Mick, well past the two-hour mark and on distinctly wobbly legs, took one for
the team with a headlong slam into a pretty solid chunk of Derbyshire hillside.
Bruised and leaking, Mick nonetheless regained some composure and made the
finish with a 78/194 position overall. He even managed to keep his well protected man-bun in place.
Parkruns
Again, parkruns have featured heavily in GV activities with
several members hitting a good number of locations. Steve W has re-appeared
from winter slumber and is currently using them for a bit of
high-end-heart-rate prep for the upcoming triathlon season. Steve has advanced
an age cohort this year and is so far making the most of his new-found
youngster status, taking 4 age-category wins on the trot.
