RED…….BRUISED AND BATTERED
Let’s start with the positives…Ah yes, here they are, in my waistcoat pocket…. We had a women’s team! And they performed well, 7th but close-up in a tight match! Big welcome to Sam Jones who took 41st, with a score of runners behind her, in her very first league race on a tough course, a great debut! Also really good to see Bev Bishop back in the fray and turning in a fine performance in 25th. This is all the more impressive given that Bev’s training has been limited with her concentrating on strength work at present. Our two ace 50’s, Ali and Tracy had a hard-fought battle just ahead, with Ali taking 18th and Tracy 19th for respectively 2nd and 3rd V50’s behind the newly hatched Sue Davies of Croft.
As for the men, two in the top 10 in a field of 111 shows what we might have done with the rest of our top lads present. With our depleted team we still managed 4th and could easily glide into the top 3 with a few reinforcements at the next fixture [Croft 8/11/15]. Great runs from Matt, who is always so strong, in 5th and Russ,10th and top V45, showing what a class athlete he is. Mike Link, not yet at full power [28th] and the evergreen Dave Williams [30th] completed the ‘A’ team. Geoff, after another recent visit to one of his warm weather training camps, led the ‘B’ team home in 43rd and 2nd V60 behind the top notch Ed Davies, passing Paul Jones [44th] returning from injury, on the run-in. In an epic battle of Peterchurch, the undertrained Neil [85] got home ahead of Kev [87] who complained that his hokas had swollen to three times their normal size. What on earth is he talking about? Neil commented that he had to beat the Peterchurch Pastrycook or the
news would have been all round the village by nightfall. “He likes to natter, you see”, added Neil.
And so to Croft….Let’s have a full team on parade for Clive’s next pic and no wimps dropping out after a mile or two!
Steve