Update

Hi all hope that all is good in you’re world running.

It has been an up and down sort of week this one  ,training been ok but has been bit of a struggle as I picked up a head cold and sore throat during the week which kind of hit me hard and made sessions and runs that little bit harder because I couldn’t breath easily or swallow with out thinking I had a razor blade stuck in there.

But I managed to get the runs down quite easily but soon as did sessions just felt crap and just not feeling how I normally do eg bouncy and feeling that my legs are  turning over with out too much effort  , but I suppose that is just part of running and to be honest I don’t get that ill that often but when I do I put my hands up I am a typical bloke and I think I am dying and that no one else knows what it feels like , I must say sorry to Nicola for being a wimp but it was only because that I was worried I wasn’t going to make the 6 stage relays and I knew we had a strong team and may be a chance of a medal we will come to that next.

Race report 6 stage Relays

We knew we had a chance of a medal  but it is easier to say it than to do it, when I spoke to are Team Manager Tony on Thursday and he said that everyone was still ok I didn’t want to worry him with my head cold and sore throat because I know what he is like and he will worry none stop say I decided to say nothing even though I had been struggling all week.

 I knew we had a great chance of doing something special I mean when I look around my team mates we have 5 out of the six guys who have run for the country and who have something about them I mean drive to not let there Team mates down even when they are not performing to there best it  is a special bond between us we all get on well and to be fair apart from a couple of good juniors coming through we really only have this six to choose from unlike the bigger clubs around and the only major Gold medal missing from are collection is the National X/C which we hope to put right this Year.

To race it self we had Owain on the first leg who is pretty good on leg one as he wont get carried away with the pace at the start but will come through but  I don’t think Owain will mind me saying this as we are best buddies but if we put him on a later leg we know one to run with he would go off too fast and die so that’s why we put Owain there. Position end of 1 st leg 16^th

Leg 2 : we had Neilson Hall who is like a machine he will just run himself into the ground for this team ,Neilson had people to chase and got us up to 4^th place which put us right back in there. Position leg 2: 4^th

Leg 3: was Dan Dalmedo who wont mind me saying that he is not in his best shape but knows this course like the back of his hand had a solid run and only dropped 2 places and run well to keep us in there . Position leg 3 : 6^th

Next up was are team male model Mark Draper who if he could run as good as looks’ knew we would be right up there and as usual did not disappoint with the second quickest time of the day who put us right back up to 2^nd place. Position leg 4 :2^nd

Know onto Me Coach all ways put me on the later legs because he knows I like to chase people down but unfortanly in a good way I didn’t have anyone to chase because I caught the Shettleston guy up round the back of the woods and then probably relaxed a little which I normally don’t do but I wasn’t feeling great due to this stinking head cold and sore throat so I was just trying to go through the motions, but all of a sudden I had ex Runnerslife member Phil  Nicholls come steaming along side which  in a good way woke me up, Phil got a gap of 40 metres and stayed that way but it gave me a kick up the ass to be fair I was fairly happy with my run considering how bad I felt all week and how the weather on are leg changed it rained and the wind was really strong which lost me time all I thought about is what Owain said after his leg perfect conditions yeah on you’re leg, after I finished Phil and me were talking to Martin Duff from AW  and we both looked at each and said where the hell did the weather come from nightmare but this stuff happens and it will make you stronger in the end. Position leg 5: 2^nd

Onto the last leg on Matty Janes was chasing for the lead to win us are first 6 stage gold medal, know I didn’t realise that Matt took the lead as I was still getting changed, but by the time I got to the lake I saw that we had the lead which was awesome and you know Janes wont let us down a he was working himself hard to get more of a gap, and from there is history we won are first Gold medal.

Would like to say well done to my team mates and Team Manager Tony who has the hard job of putting up with us on a great day and now we head to Mansfield to try and win for the third time in a row and I wouldn’t bet against either.

But before then I have the Great south run which by then I should be fully over this cold and would like to run a good time if the weather permits and then as I said onto Mansfield relays.

That’s all for this week well done to all teams who competed in the 6 stage and thanks for the support what was given to Bedford from other teams on the course.