HIGH FIVE HARROCK FINALE
HARROCK HILL RACE SERIES [4]
Preparation for the fourth and final Harrock Hill wasn't as clear cut as it ought to have been. In training I got greedy, chucking in a couple more reps than planned in a speed session on the Sunday and then chucking on a couple more miles to a sore legged plod on the Monday. By Wednesday I was still feeling a bit more creased up than I would have liked on a race day. Then by the time I got around to thinking I ought to be getting my kit together about ten to six, it dawned on me from some deep chasm of subconscious that recent midweek races had been starting that bit earlier because of the fading daylight. I immediately checked this one for time just in case and discovered that the start was indeed half an hour earlier than usual. Well, at least that got the adrenaline pumping! I scrambled my stuff together and then had to chance it on the motorway rather than the usual scenic route and hope there was no hold ups, but fortunately all was fine and I got there in time to enter and warm up without any further fretting. Not so, though, for some poor fellows who were turning up too late and some having made the journey from Liverpool where this trail race is a popular hit with the Merseyside clubs.
Tired legs or not, I was up for this one and finally nailing a time and position here this Summer that rolled back the years somewhat. This was my twenty-fifth Harrock Hill and I wanted to make it count. Instinctively I got off to a hard working start and shifted up to fifth until a young lad came past and held modest yardage on me until going in to the final third of the race. Prior to that though, the infamous cow field was at it's most chaotic. Despite all the efforts of the race marshals with the job from hellfire, the herd got themselves giddy at the sight of us runners and had come charging down to greet us, splitting in to micro-herds and getting way too close for comfort. It was every man, woman and cow for themselves and fortunately I found a gap to get through there unscathed without too much time loss.
With the top four fast lads all out of reach, it was clear that this was all about fifth now and also, whilst I've never really considered the veteran category much and prefer to measure myself overall, there was no hiding from the knowledge that with only those pups ahead, I was also the leading old dog over-forty and wanted to keep it that way. In previous outings here this year, the uphill drag of the mid-section had blunted my sword for the final third, but this time around I knew I had something extra for when the course flattens off again. I tucked in behind the lad ahead but half expected to be forced in to more effort by a challenge from behind, yet it seemed I was doing enough. When the course does speed up again, this time my sword was sharp so to speak and I was able to build up some good momentum right to the finish. Once I had managed to nudge one more place ahead, I had the bit firmly between my teeth. I attacked the final hill and had a good changeover of flat speed to see out the last mile and comfortably hold on for a top five finish - and at the age of forty three and three quarters, finally secure a long overdue first victory within the veterans category. Ideally I thought I could have dipped under thirty-six minutes and even had delusions of going a minute quicker than that if I ran a blinder, but as far as the positional race was concerned I couldn't have run it any better. Forty-six seconds quicker than last month and my third quickest time on this slightly longer course of recent times is gratifying enough and so I stuck around to collect my box of fruit and veg.
Coming in not far behind me and back on fine form was a well known runner on the North West circuit by the name of Paul Muller. What can I say about this chap? He's broken in to his sixties now but continues to run hard and kick ass, knocking out decent times, beating lads and lasses young enough to be his grandchildren. Not surprisingly, in his age group, Muller is ranked top five in the country for all distances ran this year and looks as effervescent as ever. He has real pedigree too, it's not like he discovered the sport late. What a legend. I've had a good few battles with him, particularly at Harrock Hill but road races too. The mere seventeen year age gap between us has handicapped us (well, him) to roughly around the same pace ever since I started running. I plead forgiveness for even briefly considering that, now I'm in some sort of racing fettle again and Paul is also that bit longer in the tooth, that perhaps he was no longer one to eye up as a threat on the starting line that night. How wrong was I. My eyebrows were certainly raised when he rocked up just over twenty seconds behind me. But that is the measure of Paul Muller. He's an amazing competitor and an absolute thoroughbred athlete.
Finally, I simply couldn't believe what I was reading upon a notice put out by the organising club Newburgh Nomads, that a runner in last month's race damaged a car mirror in a seemingly deliberate act on a private road when crossing a cattle grid. Whatever happened there, all I can say is that there are various rehab groups for little men with anger management problems and I would hope he attends one of those soon before thinking of racing again. Assuming it's a he, well of course it will be a he. Testosterone can be a dangerous chemical and especially an excess of it.

Wednesday 23rd August 2017
HARROCK HILL RACE SERIES [4]   5.2m/800ft   Bispham Green, West Lancs.
1st Man - William Rawson (Leigh) 33:15
1st Lady - Lyndsey Brindle (Horwich) 38:33
 My Stats - 36:13   5/215