Another Larmer Weekend
Released On 10th Mar 2023
A Walk in Portand. Photographs
Today saw 18 of us head down to Portland for a 9 mile walk around Portland and then to The Cove House Inn for a great Sunday Lunch. We met at 10am in the Heights Hotel Car Park next to the Olympic Rings. We then followed the Coastal Path around to the Bill.
A big thank you to Mark and Denise for planning this.
Sunday Runs
From Andy: The Slow and steady Sunday group comprising Sharon Lynne Anita Richard, Ellie, Kay, Tara, Nat and myself went for a "flat tarmac 8 miler" ... so they thought . Down the yellow brick road to pen mill and up to to Over Compton, along a muddy track to get to Trent .. loop around Trent and back in time for tea and cakes sorry did I say 9 hilly miles with a little mud?
Stunning views and perfect weather. Thanks all.
From Ashley: Today's long run was much easier than last week's mudfest (not that I didn't manage to find every puddle and bit of mud that I could along the way) Thanks to Tim for the route and Steve, Mick and Nolan for the company!... Same time next week?!
Spring Larmer Races
From Taryn: Lill Holland sums up perfectly our visit to WSR spring larmer 2023 from her strava post! Thank you to Gemma Murley for driving us -that started with a small snow shower in Yeovil at 7:15am to just cold in Dorset ‘feels like -2’!
The weather was challenging from warmer in the valleys or freezing winds on exposed hill tops - the elevation says it all with the many steep climbs, but toes sore too,from the long downhills!
Our aims were - if we could complete this, we’d be able to do the YHM or London marathon and great prep for the Ham to Lyme event later in the year! We’ll let you know:-) We saw JC and Tom-there for the marathon? A slow and steady recovery run booked for this Tuesdays club run!
YTRRC Membership Renewals
From Adam: If you renew by credit card, bank transfer, cash, cheque or blood, rather than Paypal please email or message me to let me know. Please also let me know if you change your address or email etc
Adam Hawkins - Membership Secretary
Golden Ball 10 miler
From Terry: So the Golden Ball 10 mile race in Lancaster. First 10 miler for 5 years, in fact it's 5 years this month since my injury. So two races in one, a 20 and a 10 miler. Very big field for this flat (for the area) pre spring marathon event. I totally surprised myself, aimed for 1hr 40m, time was 1hr 33m. Very pleased, worked hard for that. A very good event, if you are ever up this way look for Lancaster Races, their events are top notch and quite relaxed.
Humdinger Half
From Margarita: Today's challenge, the Humdinger Half well what can I say about this race. It's great if you like hills and I certainly don't! The race director started by explaining the course and I was thinking oh god sounds tough but let's see how it goes. Started on a nice downhill and kept on going downhill, then came the hills and boy was there a lot. I thought how many more hills until I got to the last water station and there was another very steep and long hill, apparently this one's called the Humdinger and now I know why. I didn't hate this race but I certainly didn't love it!! Another challenging race complete.
Park Runs
From Phil: Congratulations to Brian Mountjoy Row who completed his 300th Parkrun today at The Great Field parkrun
From Kev: Finally 3 years after Dave Stanfield and Deborah Stanfield completed their 100 parkrun venues tourism. Venues completed at Gloucester North yesterday. The Road trips with Club mates has been brilliant, the early solo trips tedious , The Journey thoroughly enjoyable Thanks to parkrun buddies.
Park Run 18th March
From Lisa: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS OFFERED TO HELP AT THE YTRRC Frogmary Green Farm parkrun TAKEOVER ON THE 18th MARCH ....There are still plenty of spaces on the roster. If you'd like to help, please choose a role below, like the relevant comment and add your barcode number (e.g A12345).
Club Championships Reminder
From Lesley: This Thursday (16th) is Weston 5 mile prom race so if you haven't already signed up, make it your next task! Of course you can us this race for you Mini Slam Hat too. Then it's Yeovil Half Marathon on Sunday 26th March. You can then have a few weeks rest before Butleigh 10k which is on Sunday 16th April.
The Grizzly
From Matt:
7:00am Sunday morning, do this, do that.
8:00am jump in the car and drive to Seaton
9:00am park up fifty yards from the start of THE GRIZZLY
9:30 meet up with Andy Farrant and Dom Rowe - Andy is well prepared, Dom signed up on Friday and has no clue what he's in for!
10:00 meet Robert Adams and Ashley Gingell, Rob knows all about the event, but Ashley is slowly realising what the markers on the beach are for and why everyone is geared up for tackling Mont Blanc!
10:15 panic for the loo and whether we're wearing enough/too much - temp is a balmy 4 degrees!
10:30 race start - 1500 idiots rush down the sea front and onto the beach. The noise is quite deafening as the shingle beach meets 3000 trail trainers - leg sapping stuff but great fun because its only the first mile
10:45 climbing the first hill over to Beer (mmm, beer) on a road - actually this race is going well. Ashley has set off at a good pace with Andy not far behind. Matt is enjoying some early pace, while Rob and Dom are cruising a bit back. Matt will continue to run scared from this point on, desperately not wanting Rob or Dom to catch him!
11:00 ish, and into the caravan site at Beer Head. Matt is greeted by Sam Harvey, also YTRRC (son of Mike Harvey). They run together for a while, but even though Sam is under-trained, Matt let's him go.
11:30 running down East Cliff into Branscombe and everyone feels great. Five miles in and some lovely soft grassy slopes down to the beach
11:35 Idiots! They've marked out a route into the stream, up the stream, across the stream and out of the stream. Icy feet stomp up the track and out towards Branscombe Village.
Various times - Lots of jelly babies from excellent marshalls who gave enthusiastic encouragement throughout - bananas, cakes, water, juice, water - lovely
12:00 not sure where they are anymore, but somewhere up a valley along a stoney track that generally goes up a hill
12:30 Whoa! there's a load of people stood still, knee deep in mud holding a rope! Matt decides on the ropeless route past a stricken lady and a marshall, both stuck firm. Matt's choice is good, and it appears he may be some kind of saviour as he basically walked across the top...
13:00 More hills, woods, hilly paths, fields, muddy hills, deer, and one small downhill section
13:30 Lots of very steep downhill into a very deep valley...
13:32 There's a stream in this valley and they want everyone to run up it...it is a bit muddy
13:33 The muddy water is getting more mud than water
13:34 The mud is now a thick black slurry. a lady pushes past Matt and then falls sideways into gloop. It turns out Ashley had a bit of a slip here, Matt got mud in his eye and a rakish splash in his long flowing hair, while Rob and Dom took pics!
13:36 There's a very steep hill out of the bog, but cake afterwards! Ashley will have finished by now
13:40 More hills, and all of them uphill - its almost like they planned the race to be tough...
13:44 Round this corner the route must be downhill
13:45 No, its still uphill, but Andy will also have finished
13:50 Aha, Branscombe village again - no! not the cold stream again? No indeed, instead run for a mile along the shingle beach, without those fresh legs you had at the beginning
14:00 Sam Harvey has now finished, meanwhile The Stairway to Heaven cliff path (130metres of hell) is at the end of the beach
14:00 Getting cold now, last few miles to go - maybe just a 5K, so 20 minutes on a good day...but its not a good day is it? Can actually hear the finish from here, the sea is perfectly flat calm and Seaton Bay looks wonderful
14:30 Down into Beer village past people being sensible drinking beer in Beer - Matt finishes about now
14:40 Down the last hill, past the ever-cheering marshalls and onto the sea front. The finish looms large
14:45 Rob and Dom finish and all the YTRRC runners are done
15:00 Matt collapses in his car having destroyed himself and will probably take 3 months of bed and food to recover
Thanks go to Yunmi Jang for her generosity in giving up her place to Matt, and also to Gareth Davies for Dom's place. Both Matt and Dom are grateful...or maybe not...
Well done all
PUB RUN – MOSTERTON (9th March 2023)
From Mark: There were only two of us tonight in the not so fast group (JC and myself). However there were four in the fast group, four walkers, and Phil. The temperature was fairly mild but there was persistent drizzle. We left the pub and ran the usual route in the clockwise direction. So we ran up to Littlewindsor, turned right, then right again, and headed towards Seaborough. The road had a few large puddles. The drizzle combined with glasses resulted in poor visibility. We climbed to Seaborough and turned right. This stretch of road was quite wet and muddy in places and exposed to the wind. We passed sheep that got loudly excited in the darkness. We descended towards Misterton and took the turning on the right to climb up over Knowle hill, where we were overtaken by the four fast runners. My watch registered nearly 700 feet of climb over around 6.6 miles, so this is a significant hill. At the top we continued along the Mosterton Down ridge then descend back down to the pub. The great thing about this pub run is the exceptional food. You have a choice of pie and help yourself vegetables, followed by optional pudding at a bargain price. Thanks all, and Phil for organising.
