PETE HARTLEY MEMORIAL LIVER HILL RACE
This first race back ended up being even more messy than I was expecting, but I kept my composure and took a hiding gracefully for a change.
One thing that did rankle with me though at this 'free entry' race was the lack of coinage dropping in to the Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Box. Perhaps the organisers could drop a subtle hint by suggesting a small donation in their fixture details - I think they have done so in the past. At registration, the three or four before and after me didn't give a sausage, the tight sods. Maybe I'm being a martyr about it just because I put a premeditated good few quid in, but in that short time around the desk where entries were pouring in, the percentage of entrants donating appeared poor to say the least. A couple from the Rab and Columbia jacket brigade were amongst the skinflints that I noticed. They fork out well in to three figures to parade around in the name of high end trendy outdoorsiness, I wonder if they spent over two quid on freshly ground coffee from the mobile trailer hanging around on the main road through?
Maybe some didn't see the collection box, maybe some saw it was free entry and left their cash in the car. But those with cash on them who made a conscious decision to not stick summat in that box when they knew it was there... well you bloody tight arsed sods, is all I can say! I can only hope post-race that more short arms did manage to delve further in to those long pockets.
Every time this nobody in particular has a ramble these days I seem to get on my soapbox, but I think there is fair reason to get uppity about this. The very fell running relevant importance of the cause for that collection box would be why. Any time, any place, any runner on the fells might end up in desperate need of any of the fantastic voluntary mountain rescue services one day.
Back to the race though and setting off nice and sensible didn't really pay dividends because it felt like I never got going. It was obvious my pace just wasn't there. Runners I thought I ought to be up with or not too far away were soon out of reach and got further away as the race went on.
"Come on Dribble!", shouted one owd chap just before we drop off the moor back down to Marl Pits. 'Dribble Valley' is the very affectionate name by which my current club is known in these Rossendale parts. I think it might just have something to do with cream of their latest crop and winner of this race last year in fact, Callum Davidson, being 'poached' by Ribble Valley last year. But Callum's a big boy and I'm pretty sure he made his own mind up.
Obviously I didn't take the 'Dribble' tag personally, it's quite funny really. But then again it was an accurate assessment of my own performance. The effort rate was there but I was slow. Somebody hasn't been working an interval session in to their week yet to get the old pins-to-airbags ratio ticking over quicker... and that would be me. It was also disappointing to get spanked late on by a couple of Accrington runners, including the lively veteran Graham Morris who has a habit of turning up when I don't run particularly well in recent years.
But, this is where I am at right now. There's no inquest as to why I ran worse than I thought, although ticking off one of the highest months of mileage in the last two years could prop up insecurely as an explanation, if not an excuse. I can't take consolation for a quicker time than last year either for the ground was far better going this year.
Speaking of Accrington Road Runners, what have they done to their vest colours? From the distinctive banana yellow and royal blue classic of which you could spot an Accy runner from a mile away, to this new mainstream flash of limey fluorescence trimmed with a darker blue. The vest was overdue an update perhaps, but this revamp just isn't Accy for me.
Tuesday 2nd April 2019
PETE HARTLEY MEMORIAL LIVER HILL RACE
Marl Pitts, Rawtenstall 4.3m/820ft
1st Man - Rob James (Royton RR) 32:14
1st Lady - Emily Morgan (Rossendale) 39:53
My Stats - 25/262 38:15
Every time this nobody in particular has a ramble these days I seem to get on my soapbox, but I think there is fair reason to get uppity about this. The very fell running relevant importance of the cause for that collection box would be why. Any time, any place, any runner on the fells might end up in desperate need of any of the fantastic voluntary mountain rescue services one day.
Back to the race though and setting off nice and sensible didn't really pay dividends because it felt like I never got going. It was obvious my pace just wasn't there. Runners I thought I ought to be up with or not too far away were soon out of reach and got further away as the race went on.
"Come on Dribble!", shouted one owd chap just before we drop off the moor back down to Marl Pits. 'Dribble Valley' is the very affectionate name by which my current club is known in these Rossendale parts. I think it might just have something to do with cream of their latest crop and winner of this race last year in fact, Callum Davidson, being 'poached' by Ribble Valley last year. But Callum's a big boy and I'm pretty sure he made his own mind up.
Obviously I didn't take the 'Dribble' tag personally, it's quite funny really. But then again it was an accurate assessment of my own performance. The effort rate was there but I was slow. Somebody hasn't been working an interval session in to their week yet to get the old pins-to-airbags ratio ticking over quicker... and that would be me. It was also disappointing to get spanked late on by a couple of Accrington runners, including the lively veteran Graham Morris who has a habit of turning up when I don't run particularly well in recent years.
But, this is where I am at right now. There's no inquest as to why I ran worse than I thought, although ticking off one of the highest months of mileage in the last two years could prop up insecurely as an explanation, if not an excuse. I can't take consolation for a quicker time than last year either for the ground was far better going this year.
Speaking of Accrington Road Runners, what have they done to their vest colours? From the distinctive banana yellow and royal blue classic of which you could spot an Accy runner from a mile away, to this new mainstream flash of limey fluorescence trimmed with a darker blue. The vest was overdue an update perhaps, but this revamp just isn't Accy for me.
Tuesday 2nd April 2019
PETE HARTLEY MEMORIAL LIVER HILL RACE
Marl Pitts, Rawtenstall 4.3m/820ft
1st Man - Rob James (Royton RR) 32:14
1st Lady - Emily Morgan (Rossendale) 39:53
My Stats - 25/262 38:15
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