Truro Running Club

Sunday, 20 May, 2012:
- St Austell Half Marathon (MTRS) (10:30 am)
- St Austell Marathon (10:30 am)
Saturday, 26 May, 2012:
- Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2012 (8:00 am)
Tuesday, 29 May, 2012:
- Cubert 5, GP (7:20 pm)
Wednesday, 13 June, 2012:
- Bude Lifeboat Run (MTRS) (all day)
Saturday, 16 June, 2012:
- Sticker 5, GP (6:00 pm)
Wednesday, 20 June, 2012:
- Meet Your Max (MTRS) (7:00 pm)
Sunday, 24 June, 2012:
- Lanhydrock 10m (MTRS) (10:00 am)
Wednesday, 11 July, 2012:
- Summer Turkey Trot, GP (7:30 pm)
Saturday, 28 July, 2012:
- Tywardreath Trotter (MTRS) (6:30 pm)
Monday, 6 August, 2012:
- Truro Ultra Sprint (6:00 pm)
Friday, 24 August, 2012:
- Trelissick 10k, MTRS (6:30 pm)
Sunday, 16 September, 2012:
- City of Truro Half Marathon 2012 (GP) (9:30 am)
Sunday, 14 October, 2012:
- Race for Wildlife 10k, MTRS (all day)
Saturday, 20 October, 2012:
- Rave Run - Goss Moor (9:30 am)
Sunday, 11 November, 2012:
- MBH Remembrance Run, MTRS (11:02 am)

Boconnomud!

Bocconoc, 6th May 2012

Boconnoc looked promising. It had been raining during the week and this is the 2nd race in the new Multi Terrain Race Series: multi terrain + rain = mud! And the team were not disappointed, it was literally knee-deep in places. 5 miles through beautiful park and woodland with views out to rolling countryside provided the perfect backdrop, with warm, and finally dry weather the icing on the cake. Race numbers had swelled this year to 280+ from 180 last year, perhaps already proving what a success the new Series will be. But this year, with more feet churning up the tracks, it would definitely be a muddy one…

The prospect of getting down and dirty didn’t stop plenty of us TRCers turning out and the team included a number of first-time racers in its ranks: Katie Sharp, Karen Goundry, Julia Maskell, Jo Bales and Pip Mortimer who all put in good steady performances. Julia finished her first ever race in style coming home 2nd lady in her category (under 20s) – what a way to finish, brilliant, well done Julia! It was a good day for the TRC under 20′s all round with Tabitha Allen taking 1st place in a very impressive 0:41:06, congratulations Tabby! Most of the first timers came home with big smiles, except Karen, running with her husband Andy, who reports that she “moaned all the way round” and didn’t know how Andy put up with her! Still, we have a sneaking suspicion she’ll be back for more…

Boconnoc May 2012, Tabitha Allen, 1st lady under 20s

Tabby

Julia

The team was well represented ‘on the podium’ in other categories too with Alison Joslin, Helen Dunstan, Nick Jeans, Jon Ford-Dunn and Gordon Adie all taking prizes (see details in the results below). Helen’s on a roll lately and puts her impressive recent success down to Saturday morning training runs at Boscawen Park, with the grey hounds – could there be a lesson there for us all?! Well done Helen, keep up the good work!!! We also welcome James Lloyd back on the racing circuit after months of recovering from achilles injuries and it should of course be mentioned that, whilst not picking up any prizes this time, Philip Clelland was first home for the club in a fast 0:31:43, taking 10th position overall – go Truro, woohooo!!!

The smiles in the post race team photo say it all: Boconnoc is a wonderful race, with an undulating (read hilly!), varied course, beautiful scenery and a lively atmosphere. But don’t just take my word for it, read on for Hana’s take on the proceedings. And a review of you know what!!!!

Boconnoc 2012 - Truro Running Club team photo

The Boconnoc Team - the big one!

TRC Get Dirty

Today’s race at Boconnoc is the 2nd anniversary of when I first attempted to run in a race of any kind. So when I looked out of the bedroom window at the horrid hour of 7am, it was good to see that rain was not pouring out of the sky, like last weekend.

Breakfast eaten, (porridge as usual), pre race housework warm up attempted, but today’s venue is a little further away, so I am having to do the shorter version. The rest will have to wait until later….a post race cool down maybe! Husband that plays golf is off to play………….golf.

9am arrives and Julie my chauffer for today, and great race companion arrives. Quick check to make sure I’ve packed my “run anywhere even through mud” running shoes and we are off. It will take about an hour to get to Boconnoc, but this gives us a good chance to catch up, as we haven’t seen each other since……well Friday evening.

Boconnoc Obelisk, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, May 2012

The Obelisk

The gate house to Boconnoc appears with a sign directing us through the gateway and down the usual route. We travel through this beautiful estate, passing the huge obelisk. I start to wonder where that obelisk came from and what the history is behind it? Must “google” it some day. [123 feet high, erected in 1771 by Thomas Pitt, 1st Lord Camelford, in memory of his wife’s uncle and benefactor, Sir Richard Lyttelton - more history of Boconnoc can be found on their website!]

As we drive down the last ¼ mile, out of the thicket to our right, appear two large doe’s running at full throttle. If we had been a second or two earlier, it would have been venison for dinner tonight. Yummy! I wonder if the two old DEARS in the car can run that fast? Anyway, Julie safely allowed the deer to pass and we headed towards the field that acts as the car park for the day.

In the car park we meet Nick and today he is modelling a very fine, off the shoulder black bin bag number and very chic it is too. Out comes the camera, and sexy pose is struck. Nick you could find yourself on the centre page of…………….farmers weekly!

Now, I knew that today I was under pressure, not to do well in the race, but on the quality and accuracy of last year’s race report. The main topic of discussion being, the TOILETS!

To my horror, as we get out of the car we are told to walk a different route to the registration point, due to a wedding that took place the day before. Ahhhhh this could only mean one thing……. “Andy’s loo’s” had returned. The green Tardis type boxes with push pull flushing mechanism and that familiar aroma of whatever the blue stuff is in the toilet bowl [Elsan fluid?!!!]. No beautifully refurbished toilets that we had the use of last year. My readers will be let down, should I hide or just take the flack. Flack it was to be, with one of the Newquay readers broaching the subject first.

So I formally apologise to everyone reading this, but the toilet situation was out of my control!

We find Alison sheltering from the chill wind blowing, in one of the farm buildings, and I collect my race number for today….I’m now runner number 11, definitely not my age. I get a text from Steph saying she maybe late, then another to say she is lost, but before I can answer the second one, she arrives with her nice new barefoot running shoes on. [Ahem, Steph would like to say she texted Hana to say she was IN Lost (ie Lostwithiel), NOT lost!!!]

They may change colour today I fear, but at least they will look seasoned!

A very large gathering of TRC runners appear, we are multiplying at each race and pleasantries are exchanged….in some cases, but I did hear one say, “so where are these great toilets?” ahhhhhhh!

Hana 'Loo' Clitherow!

The start is at its usual location, not far from the gate to the main Boconnoc house. The crowd of runners that have gathered is much larger than the last two years and I wonder if we are making enough noise to wake the newly weds……who are preventing us from using the TOILETS!

Do they pass the inspection?!

The pre race briefing cannot be heard as everyone is talking, but soon I hear 3..2..1..and then the mega phone lets out some football chant and we are off.

It’s a bit of a squeeze and picking up any pace is nigh on impossible, unless you are one of the elite runners at the front (Gordon is in that lot). Down hill along tarmac we run, which is good, but I can’t pass the gaggle of women in front who are merrily chatting. Why didn’t they do that in the car driving up?

We turn right and continue along more tarmac before then entering the woods. I had heard the words “mud” “knee deep” “ford” “ankle deep” during the pre race briefing and now these words were starting to make full sentences. The first being, “Oh my goodness, that ford looks like the water is ankle deep” Squelch, left foot now fully submerged and it takes me back to walking in wellies full of water as a child, who had slipped over in the stream. I think this obstacle could have done with being towards the end of the race., to wash the shoes off.

We plough along muddy paths, with me trying to following in the foot steps of the runner in front of me. This is quite hard work, and all I can think of, is that I do not want to turn my ankle, or pick up an injury before my 3 half marathons in 4 weeks, which start in Leeds next weekend.

Ah, a hill, the ground is slightly firmer before returning to a form of tarmac surface. We haven’t used the words “Knee deep” in a sentence yet, I wonder what that is all about.

Well the answer is simply, Mud, lot’s of mud, in rutted well sloshed grooves, in which feet have stomped and rain has gathered being mixed into a gloopy consistency that sucks off shoes. I don’t do mud, I’m a tarmac and dry trail girl, but today this was not going to be an option.

I try running on my tippy toes, going “ooo, ah, ooo” with an occasional squeak thrown in for good measures. My Barbie pink and black, “run anywhere even through mud” trail shoes can’t even be seen, they have disappeared into mud that smells rank and water that there is no way of telling it’s depth, until you have placed your foot into it. Over the ankle and into the shoe was the average depth.

To top it all, some very inconsiderate males then, just as I had found some higher firmer ground, ploughed through the rank mud and water, causing a huge tsunami, which then plastered any part of my legs that weren’t the darker shade of brown, in gloop. To think some people pay to have this sort of stuff rubbed over them for health benefits?

Thankfully I’ve remained upright, the path improves and I see the 4 mile marker. And Claire is just ahead of me. Can I catch her?

Sadly the gloop had been working at my shoe laces without me realising, and a shoe lace malfunction stopped me in my tracks.

Bloody Nora, to think I managed to get through that last section upright, I was now being stopped by a shoe lace. My fingers don’t want to work and after what felt like an eternity I finally get running again. No darn chance of catching Claire now. This is “storm force” all over again.

Hana Clitherow crosses the Boconnoc finish line, May 2012

Hana crosses the finish line, but was it Hana BC (Before Claire)?!!!

One last hill to go up, and the man ahead states he has only half a left leg or was it right, so I suggest that he does the same as me, and walk. The lady behind thinks differently. So whilst I speed walk, she huffs and puffs, sounding more and more in pain until she can take no more, and I walk by with ease. “I told you it was quicker to walk” I say cheerily as I pass her. Stony silence is what I get in return and as I jog off into the distance, I don’t see her again, probably best, as I might be sporting a black eye otherwise.

Quarter of a mile from the finish line and flap flap flap, my bloody shoe lace has come undone again. Well I’m not stopping again, I’ll just have to lift the legs higher and try not to stand on it and fall flat on my face. That woman I passed earlier would have had the last laugh if I did.

As I approach the finish line, I see plenty of TRC shirts already there and looking at Belated birthday Garmin, I am within a couple seconds of last years time of 45:47. Last year it was firm under foot and I was trying to go faster. This year mud, mud glorious mud and I was only trying to stay upright and finish uninjured. I really should do some training then I might improve!

I cheer the other TRC runners in, then it’s off to the car to get the camera so we can have a group photo. In fact a large (for TRC) group photo. We all think the race was great and the common denominator is a broad grin on every one’s face.

A cup of tea is required, so Alison, Julie and I head for the area where tea is being dispensed. 50p a cup…bargain.

Steph was left in the queue for the tap and hose, so she could find her barefoot shoes from under all that mud.

: Before…

: After!

So all in all:

Toilets………………Grrrr back to Andy’s loo’s. Sadly someone else’s special day (wedding) put pay to all you Boconnoc virgins sampling their delightfully refurbished water closets.
Parking plentiful and well marshalled.
Marshals. Brilliant. There was no way you could have got lost, and all of them wore a smile.
The race course/route. Delightful in a masochistic sort of way. Mud wrestling would have followed as a reserve sport for today.
Goodie bag. Well Boconnoc/St Johns ambulance water bottle. This makes water bottle number two for this year and I have a plentiful supply at home already. I may make a mobile out of them to scare the wood Pigeons away very soon. They wouldn’t work very well as wind chimes would they?
would I do the race again…………I will have to do it for as long as I run races, as it is my anniversary race and the Boconnoc estate is just so beautiful.

Hana

Results

Open Competition

Men

0:29:10 Dan Rodgers, Launceston RR
0:29:48 Dan Alsop, STARC
0:30:00 Tony Brewer, Mile High

Women

0:35:42 Lucy Mencer, Benfleet RC
0:36:09 Revis Crowle, ECH
0:38:00 Emma Murray, STARC

Overall Results

Boconnoc 5 race results – 2012

TRC Results

to follow

Gallery

to follow

5 Tors 2012

Tor: a rocky pinnacle; a peak of a bare or rocky mountain or hill

(Dictionary.com)

1. Sharp Tor (view from)

2. Bearah Tor

3. Kilmar Tor

4. Stowes Hill

5. Tregarrick Tor (view from)

Perfect weather, stunning views, wild moorland, hills, hills and more hills, the company of 200 odd enthusiastic runners – it all adds up to the best Sunday morning anyone could have hoped for for the first race in the new Multi Terrain Race Series.

We had a great turnout, with a team of 15 of us rivalling turnouts from much larger clubs like Hayle and Newquay and although most of the overall winners of the race have relatively easy access to the moors for their training ground, Phil Cleland, Alan Rounsevell and Andy Goundry put in notable performances for the club, coming home inside the top 50. And, much to his surprise, Nick Jeans picked up a bottle of wine for winning his category!

A great start to the Multi Terrain season, why not join the team for the much shorter 5m race at Boconnoc on 6th May or join Claire Longman for an off road taster on her St Agnes Rave Run on 20th April? Off road running is the best!!!

TRC enjoying the sunshine! Debbie, Hana, Stephie, Nick, Alison, Richard, Julie and Daugher Who Doesn't Run (Leonie)

Mother and Daughter Who Doesn’t Run

Daughter Who Doesn't Run

It’s 11pm 31.03.12, I need my pre race sleep and the alarm is set for 0700, so I can fuel up and digest before the forthcoming race.

Plans soon go out the window, as husband at home cannot settle and laying still is not something he can do.

Finally sleep arrives, but why do dreams have to be so exhausting. I awake at 0530 and husband is on the wriggle again, then to make matters even worse, just as I drop off the alarm sounds half an hour earlier than planned. Oh bugger, I might as well just get up and have some porridge.

Bag packed, Daughter who doesn’t run is ready for the off and today, seeing as we are in the middle of a FUEL CRISIS, we are 4 up in Sidney Skoda. Today not only do I have the company of Julie, but also Steph and of course my daughter who is home from uni (year 5 of 8 )

The sun is out, the sky is bright blue and totally cloudless, but ouch, it’s cold today. Gloves packed and although I’ve decided to brave shorts, I’ve packed about a dozen layers for this race, along with whistle, space blanket, mobile phone with race directors telephone number in, jelly beans and lip salve. No way was I going to be cold or stranded on BODMIN MOOR.

The drive is pleasant, and conversation never lacking, so before we know it, we arrive in Minions to find the first car park already full and the second as good as.

Race HQ was outside the pub in the open air, so god knows what would have happened if it was raining. As ever, Alison was there ahead of us with race numbers, so only Daughter who doesn’t run, had to queue. Time to find the loo’s.

Now I say loo’s, what I really mean is one ladies toilet, one gents and one disabled which you can only access by a key, which you need to purchase annually for about £20……..anyone with a key? NO! So queue for the loo grew, but thankfully it didn’t take too long to reach the front and some kind soul had stocked it with at least 6 loo rolls.

Very fetching!

Numbers now attached, race clothing chosen…three layers plus gloves for me and I’m still frozen. There is a keen wind blowing and it feels like winter. Suddenly out of the blue….definitely no mist……appears Nick, wearing the latest in PVC… a very fetching black bin bag fashioned into an over garment. He actually turned heads….really!

The race start was by car park No 1, and after a short pre race briefing we were off. I thought maybe daughter that doesn’t run, might stay with her poor still injured mother, but NO, she of longer legs and lesser years was off, and well ahead. I knew that the next place I would see her, was either in a ditch or at the finish line.

The going was dry and firm, almost flat at this point, but we had to negotiate old tram lines so your stride had to adapt to many different lengths. Then it was onto open moor land and If you dared to lift your eyes from the ground, the view out to our right was stunning and went on uninterrupted for miles. We had by now covered 2 miles and ouch, I’ve turned my left ankle. Which foot is my injured problematic foot? Yes you got it….my left. Will I have to give up and walk back to the start…….sod it, just carry on, grinning and bearing now seem second nature, so I carry on is what I did.

Ah, Tor No 1, Sharpe Tor, raises it’s head. I can see the steep incline and notice that the average speed is slow, so, thank goodness, walking was going to be very acceptable. Running down the other side was interesting and very good for the core muscles, but I was keeping fingers crossed my foot/ankle would hold.

I can see daughter is the distance so plod on at my not so fast speed, but I’m coping with this truly off road rugged terrain. My breakfast on the other hand is swishing about and I sound as if I’m carrying a half full flagon of water. Energy levels are lowering, so I decide to try and eat a “SPORT BEAN” well a very expensive Jelly Bean made for fast energy release with the words “Portable power” also printed on the pack. It tastes OK, but I’m not receiving any extra power. May have to ask for a refund?

Tor No 2 arrives with 3 and 4 not far behind. So the routine is run/jog the flatter terrain, and walk the hills. The tussocks of grass and large divots that the cattle have made and have now baked hard are a challenge but the bogs aren’t too bad, if you tread carefully. Not up to my neck in mud thank goodness, but the legs are feeling as if they have had to work hard.

We are now running down hill towards Sibleyback reservoir and the view is beautiful. On a hot summer’s day you might have even wanted this race to include an open water swim, but not today…far too cold. We are at mile 8 and I’ve only just removed my outer layer of clothing and gloves.

It is now a long grind up hill towards the finish with a short downhill at the very end. A little confusion arises in the last 100 yards, as we the runners had to make sure we went around the last marker post, but the finish line was in sight, so who cares.

I cross the line in 1hr 45:46 which to be honest I was happy with. The foot had coped, the lungs had worked. I hadn’t felt sick but Daughter who doesn’t run, beat me by 2 minutes Grrrrrrrrrr! Oh well I am twice her age!

I wait at the Finish line to cheer the other girls across the line, and I hate to say it……but I really could have done with that wretched Plymouth 10 beanie hat, as I was frozen to the core.

So all in all:

Race HQ fine in good weather.
Toilets…could have done with the disabled one not being “disabled” but we coped.
Marshalling…brilliant and whoever put all the marker posts out on the moors for us to follow, did a fantastic job. Not sure if I would have found my way if it had been foggy though.
Water stations x 2 and seemed to work well.
Goodie bag….well just a bright yellow T shirt, a colour that isn’t already featured in my T Shirt collection, but size options ran out the later you crossed the line.
First aid excellent. One poor soul collapsed at the finish and within seconds the mountain rescue team were there and he was later taken away by ambulance. Whoever you are, we hope you have a speedy recovery.
Would I run this race again…….not sure….weather dependant I think and race photographer could be a very good option once again.

Hana

5 Tors Team

Sorefoot Running

Unlike Hana, my pre race ritual entails packing a bag the night before, so that I can fall out of bed in the morning half an hour before having to leave. This morning though I cut it a bit fine and crawled out of the pit with just 20 minutes to go. I shoved on some porridge, got dressed while it was burning, brewed coffee while it was cooling, then wondered why I wasn’t like Hana with something wholesome in the fridge like a punnet of blueberries and drowned it in Tate and Lyle’s finest instead. No time to drink the coffee so I decanted it to last year’s Truro Half Marathon travel mug to drink on the way over to Hana’s.

The journey to Minions took a very relaxing hour with Hana at the wheel, no time to catch up on sleep though as the pre race banter was too good to miss. And if I was feeling at all drowsy, there was always the surprisingly cold wind to wake me up when we got out in the car park.

I was really looking forward to this race, or rather ‘run’ – there was no way I would be racing anyone, not even myself. This would be the furthest I’d run in about 6 weeks (by about 5 miles): I’ve had my feet up with achilles tendonitis, which shows no signs of going away. I shouldn’t be running at all. Oh well, I’ll just walk I told myself, and maybe jog where I can. That was sooner than I thought.

Sharp Tor loomed large and as everyone headed off up the hill, I ouched and aaaarghed my way up, picking out the least painful path I could find between the rocks. Stuff it, I thought, looking out at the fantastic crystal clear views, I’m just going to take my time and take photos. Decision made. It was a good one because the first four tors come in quick succession and my ankles became more sore and tight with each one. Then I had the brainwave of taking a photo from each tor, a kind of ‘I was here’ marking of territory. And a distraction from the pain (and possibly damage!) I was inflicting on myself.

After Stowes hill the paths and tracks are on fairly level terrain through rough tussocks and bogs (not too wet today), giving you time to get into a comfortable rhythm and take in the impressive Iron Age forts and old mine workings along the way. The wildness is awe inspiring, but I was grateful for the orange stakes piercing the ground along otherwise unmarked routes as I found myself running alone much of the way. The peace and birdsong were occasionally punctuated with disturbing armed forces gun fire, off in

Sibleyback

the distance somewhere, making me feel all the more exposed. This is when you become profusely grateful for the smiling marshals en route and luckily they were out in force today!

As I rounded Sibleyback I knew I wasn’t far from home and I managed the final few miles with a limp and a hobble, knowing I was well over the two hours I initially thought I could make it in. Still, I was determined I wouldn’t be last and making sure the handful of people behind me stayed there I pushed on until I stumbled through the finishing funnel. Even with painful ankles 10 miles seemed to fly by and I couldn’t believe it was over! Plenty of time for a warming coffee and one (or two!) of Hana’s delicious homemade flapjacks in The Old Post Office cafe then, where I could rest my ankles, nurse my sunburn and compare notes with Hana, Julie and Daughter That Doesn’t run!

5 Tors rates as one of the best runs I’ve ever done, you should try it.

Stephie