The manxathletics.com blog: February 2010

Sunday 28 February 2010

3 days running without running

I put in a particularly hard block of training last week in the knowledge that I would not be doing much this weekend although I have ended up doing nothing.

Our travel plans (and lots of cooked breakfasts) have made it too difficult.

You can see from the photos that there is still a fair amount of snow on the ground in northern Denmark.

You can also see that the river is still frozen over and they have warning signs, not

to drive into it!

Saturday 27 February 2010

Snow nearly all gone

We got to Aalborg late this afternoon and we weren't allowed to say how cold it was because Ben kept telling us that it was nothing compared to the way it has been and that most of the snow has gone.

Maybe it has but the picture of me shows that the Danish know what real snow is.

It was really strange being without the internet for a day and half.

The winds blew up yesterday afternoon and when, just after going to bed the contents of our cabin table were thrown across the room, I started to think of our 18 hour ferry journey being like going between Douglas and Heysham and back two and half times without being able to get off. Thankfully after the equivalent of two of those journeys it started to ease off.

A total break from athletics but not from football.

The first thing I did when I got online was to check the football scores. I was going to write about our arrival in this CITY but I changed my mind. Its amazing how many emails I have received about football today. But surely it was no surprise that my team got beaten in a home match when all their players have been playing away from home.

Friday 26 February 2010

Going for some colder weather

As if its not been cold enough this winter, we are going to somewhere colder. We are taking Ben's car to him in Aalborg (Denmark) and flying back on Sunday night.

So we have 300 miles of driving to Harwich then 18 hours on the ferry to Esborg where Ben will meet us. Then 3 hours of driving in Denmark. So I'm not expecting to be online for 30+ hours. Can't remember when I last did that.

Looking forward to reading about Manx Harriers at the National Cross Country when next online.

Talking about Manx Harriers, have you entered their open event? Entries are about to close.

I finally consider the article about Tony Kneale to be finished.

Bye.

Almost finished

Apologies to anyone who followed the link to the Parish Walk site tonight and found my message to say that I hadn't finished the article.

We were leaving for the Heysham ferry and Marie was sitting outside waiting for me.

We are now in a Travel Lodge near Blackburn and have just done some more on the feature.

Just one little bit more to round it off in the morning.

Thursday 25 February 2010

Race against time

I've been working on the latest feature for the Parish Walk website over the past couple of evenings but not yet finished. It didn't help when last night the software crashed and I lost around 20 minutes of work.

That doesn't sound much but when it was getting late and I was planning to be up at 5.30 for a fairly hard training session it was critical that I didn't start again late at night. So I'm now hoping to finish it at lunchtime as we are off on the Ben-my-Chree tonight with only limited internet access over the weekend.

Saturday 20 February 2010

All plans changed

More snow.

I found out about it earlier than normal when a call from the police woke us before 6 this morning.

A car driver had lost control of his car on the snow and ice on the Old Castletown Road and crashed into the fence at our holiday cottage. I understand that the car driver was unhurt and the damage is not too bad.

But because of the snow I've not yet been to investigate, or to start my long run which I planned to commence at 7 am.

My run is currently scheduled for this afternoon which means that it is less likely that I will be at the fell run, which I presume is going ahead.

Although the accident is an inconvenience we were lucky that we had guests in last week who left yesterday so they were not inconvenienced. Also it is better this weekend than next weekend when we are away again.

Friday 19 February 2010

Batteries on charge

Provided I get through my long run in one piece tomorrow morning, I am hoping to get out to the fell run in the afternoon.

I've probably had the longest break between filming that I have had in a couple of years as I have not done any video since New Years Day with just a few still shots in between.

I'm just charging two batteries up for the video camera although I am worried about a malfunction on this camera, which is less than two years old. Sometimes it has me sweating when it doesn't start up for several minutes and I am left wondering whether it will work.

For that reason I have doubled checked my SLR camera to ensure that the battery for that is charging and that the memory card is in place - two of my previous failings.

On that positive note...

Snow joke

It was a surprise to awake to a snow covering this morning. I hate jogging but it is the only safe thing to do in this weather.

Thursday 18 February 2010

2 updates tonight (and one thing not updated)

The poster for the coaching weekend has been updated.

Sports and community Sports Development Officer explained:

"Slight change to the programme folks. Unfortunately the cage at Ramsey will be unavailable so we have had a slight re-jig. Discus will fit in the same slot as shot on the Sunday between 10am and 12pm. They will be done one after the other.

Hammer will share the slot with Javelin between on Sunday afternoon between 1pm and 3pm.

We will do periodisation workshops for both jumps and throws together on the Saturday afternoon at the Manx Harriers Club house 4pm to 5pm leaving space for High Jump on Sunday afternoon 3.15 to 4.15."

I've also featured a small promotion for the Sarah Killey 50km walk after reading about it in the newspapers and seeing a mention on the forum. Who is going to win this year? How about a few predictions and a bit of "skeet" from one or two in the know on the forum?

I've got plenty of things I could be doing on the Parish Walk website but it does cheese me off sometimes when it is made so easy for people to enter and turn up on the day and yet two and half months after entries opened, after a promising start, only a 1/6th of those expected to take part have bothered to enter. Don't bother with the pathetic excuses when some of you miss the deadline. The entry system is very reliable but just think how stupid you will look if it were to "go down" when you foolishly leave it to the last minute to enter.

Wednesday 17 February 2010

Didn't get this far

I've just cleared the front page, and moved most of the recent features from the front page, whilst listening to Tynwald on Manx Radio.

It sounds as though Tynwald is going to sitting for another few days. But it would take me a few weeks to get this lot, all of the features since 2004, into a consistent order:

Road running	Fell running	Cross Country	Race Walking
Race for Life	Creg-ny-Baa	Lancs Cross Country	End to End Walk
Great South Run	Laxey	Manx Champs	End to End Walk 2
Handicaps	Hill League	Pulrose Cross	Lauren Whelan
Peel to Douglas	Glen Mona	CC History	Marie Jackson
London Marathon	Snaefell	Knock Froy 1984	Rob Heffernan
London Top 6	Carraghan	Braddan 1979	Vets 20km walk
London 1983	Bradda	Manx Gas 2007/8 1	Titley & Kaneen
Northern 10	St Johns	Manx Harriers Open	1982 Valencia
Kevin Vondy	Bishopscourt oldie	Manx Harriers Open	5km Walk May
Alan Postlethwaite		Easter feature	Griffin/McCombie/Maddocks
Foxdale 6		Marathon	Dave Wilkinson
Western 10		MW RELAY	Seven Stations
Track & Field	Miscellaneous		Parish Walk Poll
Island Games	Power family thanks	Robbie Corkish	Kath Colquitt
Steve Jacobs Mile	End to End bikes	Geoff Cannell	Winter League Walk
Ben Brand	Tynwald day	Hilary Musson	Commonwealth poll
10km track races	Fireworks	Mick Holmes	10km champs
	Red Arrows	Dave Capelen	Peel to Douglas Walk
Island on Run (1968 book)	TT features	Brass Monkeys	1 Hour Walk
Island on Run (1968 book)	Road Safety	Lambden family 58	1978 Walkers
	Join a club
Vets late season	VISIT ISLE OF MAN

FEATURES AT MANXATHLETICS.COM DURING 2006 lovingly restored - some not previously linked
Race Walking	Fell Running	Individuals	Miscellaneous
100 mile walk	Bradda Fell Race	Allan Callow	02 Cross Country
20km Walk	Carraghan Fell	Allan Corran	1983 walkers
Boundary Harriers 1983	Creg-ny-Baa	Bernie Cannan	April Fool
Boundary Stroll	Greeba	Brian Brough	April Fool 2
End to End 1	Hill Race 1	Bruce Walker	Athlete of 2005
End to End 2	Hill Race 2	Colin Watterson	Athlete of 2006
End to End Pre	Hill Race 3	Corrin/Corlett	Beautiful South
Harriers open	Laxey Fell Race	Craig Barrett	Before trainers
Manx Open Walks	MMM 07	Ean and Trish	Brown Family
Peel to Douglas Mars	North Barrule	Gail Musson	Cardiff Marathon
Peel to Douglas Pre	Patrick Fell	Gianni Epifani	Charity Lunch
Vets 20km walk	Pendle Fell	Grandparents	Club vests
Winter League 1	St Johns Fell	John Cannell	Commonwealth 06
Winter St Johns	Thievely Pike	Ken Watterson	Jacobs clock
Cross Country	Three peaks	Mark Byrne	Manchester 2002
Lancs Cross Country		Martin Aram	Millennium Way Relay 05
Manx Gas 1		Mike Lambden	Millennium Way
Manx Gas 2		Mr & Mrs Griffiths	New oldies
Manx Gas 3		Murray 1983	Northern AC website
Manx Gas Final		Murray Marathon	Northern Boys Gravy
Inter counties		Nathan Deakes	Old Manx Airlines
Manx Champs		Nigel Armstrong	Quiz Night
		Paul & Marie 2	Santa Dash 2006
Commonwealth Games	Road Races	Paul and Marie	Track training
Good luck	10km Times	Peter Kaneen	TT walkers
Opening	20 Miles	Phil Cain 50	Winter snow
Mark Cavendish	Easter 2006	Sarah Nelson
Steve Partington Pre	Great South Run	Stan's banjo
Steve Partington Post	London Marathon	Steve Partington
Track	Marathon	Steve Partington 1
Andy Fox bronze	Northern 10 miles	Stuart Corran
Steve Jacobs Mile	Peel to Douglas	Tigger 40
Track & Field Champs	Running grand prix	Tony Varley
TT 10,000	Spring Handicap	Walter retires
Women 5km	Syd Quirk	Wedding News
	Syd Quirk Half
	Vets handicaps
	Western 10
	Western 10

2005 FEATURES
FELL RUNNING	ROAD RUNNING	RACE WALKING
MANX MOUNTAIN MARATHON	MANX RUNNERS IN LONDON	END TO END WALK
NORTH BARRULE FELL RACE	SYD QUIRK HALF MARATHON	100 MILE WALK 2005
OLD ST JOHNS FELL RACE	ROAD RUNNING GRAND PRIX	100 MILE WALK IN 2006
CREG-NY-BAA FELL RACE	DAVE PHILLIPS RACE	STEVE PARTINGTON
CREG AND OTHER PICTURES
GREEBA
HILL MISCELLANEOUS	M & P MILLENNIUM WAY RELAY	PETER KANEEN COPENHAGEN
END TO END MOUNTAIN BIKE	As above (stats only)	PETER KANEEN FEATURE
VETERANS DINNER	CROSS COUNTRY	WELBECK HOTEL NOVICE WALK
DAVID & GAIL TO MARRY	MANX GAS ROUND 1	WINTER LEAGUE 1
JAMES COULSON OBITUARY	MANX GAS ROUND 2	WINTER LEAGUE 2
TRACK	NORTHERN AC LEAGUE	PEEL TO DOUGLAS
NORTHERN LEAGUE 2005	KEITH GERRARD BEATS PAULA	DENIS JACKSON
ISLAND GAMES COVERAGE	CROSS COUNTRY POLL	MURRAY BRADFORD 1980

2004 FEATURES
FELL RUNNING	ROAD RUNNING	RACE WALKING
PATRICK FELL RACE	DAVE PHILLIPS ROUND 4	10km track walk champs
CARRAGHAN FELL RACE	20 MILES	10km track and judge award
BRADDA FELL RACE	NORTHERN 10 Preview	MANX 20KM WALK
SNAEFELL RACE	NORTHERN 10 extra	WINTER LEAGUE FEB
SNAEFELL PICTURES	PEEL TO DOUGLAS Part 1	WINTER LEAGUE FEB EXTRA
KNOCKDHU CLASSIC	PEEL TO DOUGLAS Part 2	WINTER LEAGUE JA N
MANX MOUNTAIN MARATHON	PEEL TO DOUGLAS Part 3	WINTER LEAGUE MARCH
MANX MOUNTAIN MARATHON 2	PEEL TO DOUGLAS Part 4	10KM CHAMPIONSHIPS
MANX MOUNTAIN MARATHON 3	RAMSEY PARK RUN Round 1	END TO END
MANX MOUNTAIN MARATHON 4	RAMSEY PARK RUNS Round 2	5 KM May
MANX MOUNTAIN MARATHON 5	RAMSEY RUNS Round 2 Juniors	PETER MARLOW INTERVIEWS
GREEBA	LAA COLUMB KILLEY	LEAMINGTON GRAND PRIX
ST JOHNS	ROAD RUNNING GRAND PRIX
	PEEL TO DOUGLAS PROMO

HILL LEAGUE ROUND 1	VETERAN SPRING HANDICAP
TRACK	DAVE PHILLIPS ROUND 1	MISCELLANEOUS
NORTHERN LEAGUE ROUND 2	LONDON MARATHON	CHRISTINE BARWELL
NORTHERN LEAGUE ROUND 1		ATHLETES ENGAGED
LANCASHIRE CHAMPIONSHIPS		PHOTOS MISCELL APR 04
3000 METRES DEVELOPMENT		MARTIN BELL
MANX HARRIERS LEAGUE		FOCUS SPORT
TRACK LEAGUES 2004	CROSS COUNTRY	MURRAY'S BANK HOLIDAYS
MIDDLE DISTANCE TRAINING	MANX GAS PRESENTATION	TT WEEK PHOTOS
EASTER FESTIVAL	NATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY	RACE FOR LIFE
RESULTS	INTER COUNTIES	KRISS AKABUSSI
ROAD RACE	KEITH GERRARD 50TH IN WORLD	KANEEN & GERRARD SHINE
HILL RACE	MANX GAS CROSS COUNTRY 1	ANDY CANNELL FEATURE
RELAY	MANX GAS CROSS COUNTRY 2
MANX ATHLETES	MANX GAS CROSS COUNTRY 3	WALK FOR JOAN
PREVIEW	MANX GAS CROSS COUNTRY 4	AWARDS NIGHT
WEEK BEFORE	MANX GAS CROSS COUNTRY 5	FUND RAISING FOR WALKERS
MANX HARRIERS OPEN	MANX GAS CROSS COUNTRY 6	OLYMPIC STARS OF 1964
10km run	LANCS CROSS COUNTRY	KEVIN MADIGAN TRIBUTE
10km extra	PULROSE PICTURES	JUDITH PERRIAM SPORTSHALL
20km walk		MIXED BAG OF PHOTOS
50km walk		MIKE GARRETT
EXTRA PICTURES		GRAHAM YOUNG TT WIN
OLDIES
RESULTS
		APRIL FOOLS
		APRIL FOOL 2

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