Vale Royal AC Runners

Well since the last blog we?ve been pretty busy! Unfortunately, not a great deal of that time has been spent cycling! But it has been an active week or so. The weekend before last, we weren?t able to cycle as we were in Wales taking part in the Welsh Castles Relay ? A great event based around team spirit and support. Mark ran the 2nd leg (on which I supported, providing him with refreshments at regular intervals!) and I ran the 20th (last) leg (By which time Mark was back home with his feet up!). Both of us were pleased to have run decent races though, finishing in the top 20, on our respective stages and both being first fancy dress finisher! I ran in my curly wig and long socks whilst Mark ran in his favourite pair of yellow/white/blue boxer shorts, which apparently used to belong to Marathon legend Ron Hill! Other runners on Mark?s stage appeared to be unsure whether Mark was taking part in the race or being chased by an irate husband! My own race finished in the grounds of Cardiff castle where I managed to out kick a man with one leg (there are no prize for first fancy dress but some people are so keen!) on the cobblestones!

After not racing for a year Mark made it 2 races in 5 days, when he was drafted in as a late substitute, to the Shugborough Relay team ruthlessly managed and coached by Mary! With a team already chosen Mary still spent many many hours researching the race rules and the statistics of potential ?better? runners for the team (which had to have a combined age of over 200, to take part in the race). Mary spotted that team could include the ?in form? Mark aged 45 years 293 days 7 hours and 12 minutes (at the official race start time) and still reach the minimum age limit, with 9 seconds to spare! Therefore, Mary sticking with her motto of ?sentiment doesn?t put trophies in the cabinet? made, what to many would have been, a difficult decision and dropped her friend and near neighbour Bernie! So competing in a team along with Mary, Mike W and Tony, the ?Thunderbolt? (he?s enjoying that nickname far too much for my liking!) raced again last Wednesday.

Charging round the first leg Mark was back so quickly that Mary wasn?t even ready to set off! But despite a poor changeover (yes, it took a while for thunder to pass over!) the team went on to record an impressive victory in their Category, with the great man running the fastest leg! Thus, adding Weedy?s name to his list of scalps! News of the victory didn?t take long to reach me, as I received a text from Tony suggesting that I look out for news of it in the Northwich Guardian, he expected the headline to be ?Four Wincham plumbers sink opposition in relay!? and a text from Mary confirming that on a humid night Thunderbolt had run like lightening, I text back agreeing that he must have had a stormer possibly spurred on by the clapping crowds, but did venture that it might be a one off as he?s unlikely to strike twice, and without wishing to steal his thunder queried whether (weather) his display was any better than Tony ?the arrow? Archer and Speedy Weedy?s! But, Mary?s reply highlighted how well he dealt with the pressure and suggested that I shouldn?t rain on his parade, he was apparently back with a bang, his performance was electric, he lit up the whole event, and triggered the victory, which was likely to be the start of a winning streak! Anyway, he won a huge trophy to add to his collection. Unfortunately, my tough team experience on Friday wasn?t quite so successful ? being the weak link in our team (how am I supposed to keep up with a 32 minute 10K runner!) meant that I (we) came home trophy less once again ? anyone want to buy a second hand (30 years old - but as good as new!) trophy cabinet from me?

On Sunday we did a shorter ride than in previous weeks ? we?re tapering now! We abandoned plans to do the bikeathon in Chester as it was Father?s Day and Mark had commitments and needed to be back quite early. We met up with Ken as normal and did a loop through Marbury, Combrerbach, Antrobus, Whitley down many lanes before arriving back in Combrerbach, again it was a map less ride and not greatly planned ?we passed that house before ? going the other way? but a nice ride none the less. We headed back through Anderton, Weaverham and Hartford, whilst Mark told us about some of the highlights of his running career, it was hard to tell whether his recent victory over Mike meant more to him than his victory over Bernie (6 September 2004) or his National cross Country victory at Parliament Hill 25 years ago! Whatever, there has been a definite improvement in his fitness and his cycling the last few weeks and I have a feeling that he will get fitter and fitter as the ride goes on whereas I will get more and more tired! After a couple of hours we were back dropping Mark off. He quickly evaluated how the ride was going, gave Ken a couple of bottles of beer (to try and slow him down!) and me a boost bar (to try and speed me up!). Ken and I cycled for another hour or so through Middlewich, towards Sandbach before heading back to Winsford and going our separate ways. Another enjoyable ride completed.

On Sunday afternoon I called to see Tony Whitby, who had acted as support/film crew (for 6 local Cyclists) on a previous Lands End to John o?Groats, it was interesting to see the route they had taken, similar to ours as far as Scotland but then taking a more westerly route than we are planning, and to watch his DVD of the event (including the party that their friends had arranged for them ? when they passed through their home town! ? just an idea!). They were all older than us and completed the route in 9 days! I consoled myself with the facts that all bar one of them were regular cyclists and they had a minibus carrying all their equipment. Tony, mentioned that the one who wasn?t a regular cyclist had completed the route in trainers (like me, I thought!) but because he was so fit he?d managed to complete it ok (like me, I thought!). If I remember rightly that was where the similarities ended, as it was suggested that he was really thin, lacked stamina, moaned a lot (not at all like me, I thought!), and spent most of the ride in agony through very bad chafing of the thighs (not like me, I hoped!). The video also highlighted how changeable the British weather can be, I think for sure that I would prefer a sunnier ascent to the summit of Shap than the one that greeted this group, I imagine that horizontal hale stings a bit on badly chafed thighs!

I have noticed another Lands End to John o?Groats ride, detailed on Facebook, which coincidentally starts on the same day as ours (4th July), and is aiming to raise money for the poor, being labelled as ?B$#%llocks to Poverty!? They will start their ride wearing nothing more than their Boxer Shorts and cycling shoes (think Mark might have been tempted to go with them if only he had some cycling shoes!) plus some minor items for safety and a tooth brush each, but no money at all, basically they are relying on the generosity of the British Public, for food/accommodation etc, to help them complete the ride. Great idea I?m sure, but not one I?d fancy following ? have a feeling that without properly padded shorts the words poor and b$#%llocks might be heard quite often, probably preceded by, oh my! I did also see another blog where two lads had started with nothing at all except their boxer shorts (By the way, I?ve read quite a few blogs not just those featuring boxer shorts!), they had no bikes at the beginning, but managed to complete the journey under their own steam without spending any money and actually ended up at John o?Groats with all the gear and a nice bike each! I have a feeling that our experience might be the reverse of that i.e. starting with all the gear and finishing up with just our boxers!

We are pretty much all set to go now! I have even started packing, mainly because it isn?t that easy or quick to do when you don?t want to take anything bulky or heavy, (any tips re useful lightweight items will be greatly received!). Following some earlier advice I am already armed with a sawn off toothbrush, thanks for that suggestion, got it right at the second attempt, I guess logically I should have realised straight away that ?saw it in half? didn?t mean length ways! Hopefully before we go we?ll get a little more (accurate!) coverage in the local papers, which with any luck will lead to a bit more sponsorship. The training that we have done has been good fun but pretty limited, between us we haven?t actually cycled the distance we are each trying to cover on the trip, but that?s the challenge of it. We?ve also been very lucky on the mechanical breakdown front so far, we haven?t encountered any problems at all really, which we both know can?t last! Unfortunately, there doesn?t seem to be a bicycle version of the AA, (is that a business opportunity?) so we?ll have to solve a few problems on the way I?m sure. Incidentally, I always fancied having a breakdown recovery business ? ?when the going gets tough the Gough gets towing!? would have been my slogan! Anyway, although we?ll be carrying some basic tools we?ll be working mainly on a principal of trying to get to the next cycle repair shop!

To his credit Mark has arranged for our bikes to have a final service before we go, which I think is a good thing, but am a little wary as the man he has ?commissioned? to service our bikes is a financial advisor! I now fear that I will have to complete a lot of paperwork to get my bike back, have to sign various forms to confirm that I am aware that tyres may go down as well as up! Just hope that there is no mention of early retirement or any talk of going offshore! But apparently our final service financial services man has an interest in cycling and Mark rates him very highly! He has also recommend that we purchase some ?Minty Arse Lard?, not sure yet whether this anti-chafing cream or merely investment advice though!

Mark has also suggested that together we should join the ?End to End club?, which I must say concerned me for a while, but having researched it I have found that it is not the cyclist version of the ?Mile High Club?! it is in fact just a club for people who have completed Lands End to John o?Groats (or vica versa) by any means. Hopefully in less than a month?s time we will be eligible to join! You get a certificate, newsletter, a tie etc. Talking of ties (and boxers!) if Slyvester Stallone could have only one tie with a Swiss mountain on it, which is he likely to chose, is it?

a) The tie of the Matterhorn, or b) The tie of the Eiger

Finally, as always, If you are reading this and haven?t sponsored us yet, please do so if you can ?

Just click on the link below and like us you will be doing your bit for Dystonia

http://www.justgiving.com/lejog-bigmarkandgoffy/

Thanks.

Goffy.