Amble Antics

For the second year running, conditions for this flagship local LDWA event - the Anglezarke Amble - were nigh on perfect, although the semi-frozen ground did take its toll on the joints.  TF had a sick note, but was able to recoup her losses by donating her place to a keen Chorley runner.  Of the Saturday Squad, there was a full turnout, EtU, YJ, JTE, NLN and Nic’O.  Other Horwich RMI runners were FSS, Albert Sunter, Mary White and another female – name unknown.   Of the Horwich contingent, the club had  a 1, 2 finish, with Albert coming in first with a time of 3.54 and FSS with 3.59 – well done the lads.  Mary, just looking for a long recovery run after a bad dose of projectile vomiting was happy to knock it on the head after almost 18 miles at Slipper Lowe, whilst JtE conquered Great Hill but was very disappointed to have to retire injured at White Coppice with over 21 miles completed…  (see below)

The Dancing Duo

…of NLN and Nic’O decided to avoid putting themselves under any pressure (yeah right) to match last year’s sub-5 time, and that worked a treat, with Nic’O constantly calculating timings per mile, to such an extent as to induce a fit of dizziness.  NLN was so keen to get in and out of checkpoints that a Marshall was almost trampled to the ground at one point.   The dancing (complete with sound effects ooh, aargh, eee etc) occurred coming off Great Hill with two out of the four knees, – one each - inducing the most absurd lolloping and mincing gait ever demonstrated by two runners.  Once on the flat they were able to hobble along to the end, (I’d like to say sprinting to the finish but that would be a downright lie) to bag a sub-5 – just!  Time for last year was 4.54.54 with this year’s a little slower at 4.59.10

Mad Keen Matt’s extra Miles

Flushed with success from his exploits at WHFR, Matt appeared at the finish about ten minutes behind the Duo.   As time went on our man did seem a little agitated and after a while he made an excuse about running out to meet errant brother-in-law (EB-I-L) .  But there was no fooling those present, the truth is that this was just a ruse to get a few extra miles in before his next outing at the Half Tour of Pendle.

The word on the street is, that so image conscious has this man become that he’s taken to pressing his running kit and hanging it up overnight to avoid that ‘crumpled look’ – his mantra has become Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good – well it seems to be working. 

Not long after Matt’s departure said EB-I-L arrives back at base in the bodywagon having cadged a lift from White Coppice.  On approaching the marshall’s desk he’s totally confused by a relayed message from ‘some fool’ (how right you were EB-I-L) at White Coppice telling him ‘not to wait’.  This all proved just too confusing for words.   At this point NLN decided that accommodating as FSS might be, there might be questions in the house (No. 24) if a return home was not made imminently.   We look forward to a final update from the participating actors in this tragi-comedy as soon as…

Valentines Day Massacre

On this special day, tokens of love are exchanged and the old adage of beauty being in the eye of the beholder (bear this in mind when you see Christina’s piccies) also applies to the form in which these tokens and expressions are made.  The ‘Love Chick’ which some of you witnessed at the end, was one woman’s way of expressing her feelings for her husband who was running the event.  So having dressed up as a chicken the plan was that they would run back from White Coppice together.   Apparently, though, he ran a PB over this last leg, leaving said chicken trailing a good distance behind.  How ungrateful can you be.

On arrival back at the house NLN was presented by FSS with gifts representing much thought.  He said he witnessed lots of blokes wandering around with armfuls of roses and gorgeous boxes of chocolates, but he new that these would be of no interest whatsoever to NLN(?).  Instead the Guinness was chilling and the Kettle Chips were open along with a delivery note for a pair of Grivel Spider Crampons (for attaching to fell shoes) – what a lucky girl NLN is!