WEDNESDAY 14th JULY
HAIGH HALL 4 MILE SERIES (3)
4m/Road
WIGAN

The seed had already been planted in my head to make it two races in two days and so I headed for the Haigh Hall race for the first time since it's rebirth as a four miler as opposed to the old five miler that I last graced three years ago. Yesterday was damp, but today prolonged heavy showers produced the first proper soaking since Winter. It had stayed dry for an hour or two before I set off for Wigan, although as I got my stuff together I couldn't help but notice the unusually low dark clouds and that I ended up putting the kitchen light on to see what I was doing. This is July and it was only 6pm. It was pouring when I set off, but as I got on the M6 it was unbelievable. The slip road was a small river and then the main carriageways were just a wash of streaming surface water. It was busy, yet no vehicle was doing much more than 10mph. I had already decided to get off at the next junction and take the A49 route when the conditions went beserk for five minutes or so. A grey mass descended and an unusually strong wind got up. Even with the wipers on full whack I could not make out much of the car just ahead of me. By the time I got on to the A49 the rain down-graded itself to just your bog standard heavy downpour, but now the problem slowing up the traffic was flash flooding. Euxton had water gushing around from all directions and in river proportions in some areas. I hadn't seen owt quite like this. Traffic was slow going and time was getting on so I decided if it was backed up going towards Charnock Richard, or if another monsoon was on the way, then I would turn back and head for home. Thankfully the road was clear and by the time I reached Coppull the sun was out. The sun always shines in Coppull.
I still made it to Haigh Hall in ample time and clung on to Chorley duo Paul Jackson and Martin Quinn to find the starting point. It looked as if only sixty runners or so had made it. Not suprising given the conditions earlier, but a great pity as this is a great little race series with a fantastic base at Wigan Rugby Union Club with a nice bar and shower facilities at one's disposal. But numbers have dwindled in recent times regardless of the weather.
This was my first run on a mainly tarmac surface, either training or racing, since early May but I wanted to do it to see where I was at despite the complete lack of speed training due to the fear of injury. Whilst I could feel last night's race in the legs, I had a good feeling I would do ok though and soon enough a battle emerged with my old adversary on the roads, Horwich veteran Steve Nolan. We have had a few tussles over the years, including the controversial elbowing incident with twenty yards to go at the 2007 Through The Villages Race. He knows what he did! 
His club mate Colin Rigby set the pace at the front early on and held it without expanding it that much although I suspect there was more in his tank had he been put under pressure to use it. Steve and myself ended up fighting it out for second place although it wasn't one of our most epic duels. He always seemed to have the upper hand by keeping a few yards ahead and when I did finally draw him in near the end of the final lap of the hall grounds he then peeled away again over the final mile to put six seconds between us. I was quite content with my time of 22:53 though. With a decent a fell race in my legs from last night and the fact that my last track session was back in January, this was another good night at the office and as usual from an event run by the Wigan Phoenix club, a genourous prize for my efforts.
Time: 22:53   Pos: 3rd/55



TUESDAY 13th JULY
WAUGH'S WELL
4m/1000ft
EDENFIELD, LANCS.


An amazing summer so far in the weather department came to a halt in Rossendale this evening with the first bit of rain in a long long time accompanied by a slightly uncomfortable wind chill if you were standing about in it for too long. The fells and moorlands have been pretty much parched since way back in April so it was a relief for me personally to finally have a bit of a splash about and get my feet wet. Not so for the race marshals perhaps, but they are made of stern stuff in this neck of the woods.
This was the first race of the Rossendale Midweek Series and all being well I will be back for more. What a cracking little race. The route climbs steadily up to Whittle Pike and loops down and around before ascending it again from a steeper angle before retracing one's steps for a fast mile and a half to the finishing line. Looking around as runners kept warm before the off I was thinking that just a top ten spot would be a good result, but on the way up I established a decent position and felt strong. By the Pike summit I was in fifth place with Calder Valley man Andy Fleet just ahead. But young talent Joe Johnston of Rossendale Harriers descended off there like a man poccessed and clearly knew the terrain well as he confidently bounded down this tussocky slope to pass the pair of us to take up the running for fourth place. Joe didn't pull away that far but managed to maintain his advantage as did Andy who I never gave up hope of catching, but he showed fleet (pardon the pun) of foot downhill and it just wasn't to be. I was pleased with sixth spot though and also to keep Preston runner Al Fowler in my wake. Before the race I put it to him that he was going to scalp me sooner or later and that tonight could be the night. However he played down his chances with a lot of talk about his wretched stomach complaint and a possible allergy to something. Well I will add that one to my forthcoming book, 'The Runner's Guide To 1001 Pre-Race Excuses'! He ran a decent race to finish seventh and half a minute behind me. Up at the front, elite fell runner Darren Kay added this one to a list of recent short race victories and the good news from my perspective was that he was only just over three minutes ahead of me, compared to five and a half at the similar Holcombe Towers race just over a months ago.
Post-race, runners congregated in the cosy canteen of the Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary and a good atmosphere was enjoyed with fabulous hot drinks and homemade sandwiches and cakes from the lady volunteers who were charging 1980's prices for their honest fayre. Anybody who didn't at least donate their change to the cause, I do not know how you sleep at night.
What a cracking do. Roll on the next race in this series as I am told they are all little gems in their own right. 
Time: 34:57   Pos: 6th/145