SportsShoes Blog

Horsham Joggers - Reviews of Sportsshoes.com running kit

Horsham Joggers

Horsham Joggers in action

Horsham Joggers was set up in 1984 and continues to promote the fun in running. A social running club of around 250 members, we cater for runners of all levels of fitness and ability, from the first time jogger to the sub 3 hour Marathon athlete. The concentration on fun continues with a very active social side to the club with several events taking place throughout the year, including Ten Pin Bowling, Brewery trips, Go-Karting and more.

The running calendar includes varied organised events at all levels - through our membership of the Sussex Grand Prix, The West Sussex Fun Run League and Horsham 10K road race. These are supplemented by locally organised club events such as pub runs, time trials, handicap races, night running, London Marathon training runs and the infamous Xmas mud run. So if you’re into running, whether as a novice or a veteran, come and join us, you won’t be disappointed.

———————————————————————

See below for reviews:

———————————————————————-

Item Tested and reviewed:

Adidas Response T-Shirt

Adidas Lady Response T-Shirt

Reviewed by Sophie

Star Rating (Out of 5): 3.5

Best Points:

Cool, Breathable fabric.

Worst Points:

A bit too long.

Other Comments:

I liked the colour of the T-shirt, a nice bright blue and it kept me cool even on a 7-mile run on a very warm day. It was a bit too long though and the sizing is very generous, I think a size 8 would have been fine as the 10 is quite roomy.

——————————————————————————————————————-

Item Tested and reviewed:

Nike Dri-Fit Running T-Shirt

Nike Dri-Fit T-Shirt

Reviewed by Geoff

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4

Best Points:

Well made from several panels, with all seams finished so as not to cause chaffing.  A generous size - I tested the large and it was a little bigger than my other similar large t-shirts.  It had very good wicking properties and dried quickly .

Worst Points:

The labels giving size and washing instructions are very big.  Although not a particular problem, some runners may wish to remove the labels to avoid the potential for rubbing.

Other Comments:

The orange colour certainly gave ‘high visibility’.  A colleague on a bicycle saw me from a quarter of a mile away!

——————————————————————————————————————-

Item Tested and reviewed:

Asics GT-2160 Running Shoes

Asics GT-2160 Running Shoes

Reviewed by Steve

Star Rating (Out of 5): 5

Best Points:

Nice wide fitting, no blisters, very stable.

Worst Points:

You only sent me one pair!

Other Comments:

Nice looking shoe, would be very confident in doing a marathon in them after a few weeks running in them.

Just back from my trip to Scotland where I competed in the 5th running of The Mighty Deerstalker.

The Deerstalker is one of the new races created by the Rat Race urban adventure racing team and it’s a real cracker.

It’s described as the toughest 10k in the world and whilst that could be debated it certainly is a challenge.

For starters, it’s not 10k - we did suspect the accuracy of the measurement when we saw that last year’s winning time was 1 hour 21 and the organiers admit to it being 10k+. Well, according to a fellow competitor’s Garmin it turned out to be 9.2 miles (instead of 6.1 miles) - what’s 3 miles between friends…

The Deerstalker is classed as an adventure race rather than a fell or trail race which basically means it’s a fell race with silly bits - and silly they really were!

The race starts in the grounds of the beautiful Traquair House in the Scottish borders near Innerleithen and makes copious use of the nearby mountain bike trails and the river tweed.

2000 runners lined up on the start line many sporting bizzare tweed inspired fancy dress outfits. I was keen to run the course as hard as possible so my fancy dress was limited to a rather fine Deerstalker Hat which, if tied under the chin worked brilliantly to keep out the chilly night air.

Oh yes ‘night’ air - the race starts at 5.45pm so after around 35 mins of running darkness was beginning to fall and headtorches were required as we entered the forrest.

The first obstacle was a gentle splash through some knee deep muddy water just to cool the legs down after our 5 minute warm up and then it was uphill all the way which really strung out the field.

As we descended off the first climb I could hear music - loud music and as we crossed a fire road and plunged back into the trees I was greeted by one of the strangest sights I’ve ever seen whilst running. The music was coming from a full on disco set up in the trees complete with whirling twirling disco lights which showered the ground with flashes of red and green which made a technical descent even more difficult.

We then crossed the river - using a bridge - before being directed down a bankside and into the water. Rather than just crossing the river we were sent up it against the flow and it was seriously cold and the rocks underfoot were as slippy as bars of soap. When I finally waded to the exit my legs were completely numb making the following hill climb a bit of a strange experience.

From here we headed into a true fell section first across a rough traverse and then on to a very steep scree climb. The descent from the top was an all out blast in the darkness firstly down the fellside and then back into the forrest which was absolutely pitch black. My Alpkit headtorch did a great job of picking out the trail which was marked with red and white tape hanging from the trees.

At the bottom of the forrest there was a super steep 50 foot muddy cliff to get down and two knotted climbing ropes were provided to prevent disaster.

The climbing / descending was now over but there was a final water obstacle to tackle which was hilarious. In the middle of Innerleithen we were directed through a crowd of spectators off the road and into a stream which flowed through a tunnel under a road. The tunnel was around 3 feet wide and 7 feet tall but the water came up above my waist. It was cold enough to take your breath away but it was actually quite refreshing and proved a great way to clean your trainers!

From here it was a mad blast back along the riverbank to the finish field in the grounds of the house  where hundreds of spectators were cheering and jeering the finishers. Before we crossed the line we had to squeeze through a plastic pipe then crawl under a cargo net which I found difficult as my deerstalker hat kept getting caught in the ropes!

I crossed the line grinning from ear to ear and well pleased with my 14th place out of almost 1700 finishers. My Bingley Harriers teammate Robin ran brilliantly to claim 5th overall after running in second for much of the race. Just behind us we had yet another Bingley victory with Aly Raw finishing 1st lady overall. Two other Bingley ladies Sally and Kerry also made the trip and loved their first taste of adventure racing.

Following a quick spray-on bath and a change into some warm dry clothes it was off to the post race party - The Beerstalker - which was a riotous shin dig complete with specially brewed deerstalker real ale, rock band and fully functioning mosh pit!

Up early, a cholesterol special breakfast in Moffat then back down the M6 to be home in time for lunch - what a weekend!

I’ve just got back from a training camp in Majorca and it’s the best I’ve felt in a long time! A change of scenery is always good and the week was good for my head as well as the legs!
I was sharing a flat in Port de Pollenca with Joanna Rowsell and Claire Galloway, Claire being a recent addition to the training group. She’s come from a rowing background and was in the middle of a medical degree at Oxford which she’s having a break from whilst she gives the team pursuit a go. It’s pretty handy having her around, whenever anyone wants to know something science or health related it’s like ‘Ask Claire!’
It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere but we did a good week of training on decent roads and I surprised myself at how much training I could cope with, it’s definitely the best week I’ve put together since my accident so that’s a good sign! My leg is bearing up ok too and since I got orthotics for my shoes to compensate for the slight leg length difference I’ve had no back or knee pain…happy days! The weather wasn’t amazing, although a LOT better than when we went in March and we did have a couple of days where it was clear skies and 28 degrees so not bad for October!
Now it’s coming to November it’s time for the Academy to start again so riders have started moving in already. I’m looking forward to the winter training and getting in a good routine again of track and road and this year, gym too. I always enjoyed the gym as a junior rider and loved circuit training when I was a runner so it’ll definitely be a session to look forward to! We’re also doing skills rides on mountain bikes which should be um…interesting! The less said about my skills on a mountain bike the better but I agree it’ll be a good way of improving bike handling skills and hoiking a heavy mountain bike around trails won’t be bad for the fitness either! Fingers crossed I stay healthy and injury free then it’ll be a great winter!

If you have all followed one of our bloggers  Hannah Mayo’s  progress in her sport of cycling then you may have heard that she and 4 other members of her team were involved in a car accident in Belgium when a car ploughed into them during a training ride.

All 5 members of the team suffered injuries and because Hannah was on the outside she suffered the brunt of the impact and came off the worst.

Hannah broke both her legs, Lucy Martin suffered cracked vertebrae, Emma Trott sustained a broken collarbone and Katie Colclough was treated for concussion. The fifth rider, Sarah Reynolds, suffered a badly cut chin.

We are told that Hannah and the rest of the team will be returning to this country very soon to continue with their recovery.

All of us here at sportsshoes just want to wish Hannah and the rest of the team a very speedy recovery.

Good Luck Hannah, we are all behind you x

Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Bishop’s Stortford Running Club was formed way back in February 1983.

Their aim was then, and still remains, to help each other achieve whatever goals and targets (great or small) that they set for themselves.

They take the approach of covering the needs of as many running abilities as possible.

The atmosphere at the Club is an informal one; however those members that wish to be competitive will find plenty waiting to take on the challenge!

Bishop's Running Club

———————————————————————

See below for reviews:

———————————————————————-

Item Tested and reviewed:

Saucony Lady Hydrator Long Sleeve Top

PRICE: £26.99

Saucony Lady Hydrator Sports Top

Reviewed by: Mary Amos, Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4

Best Points: Excellent wicking and washing. Good shape.

Worst Points: None really!

Other Comments:

Expensive compared to other makes on the market

———————————————————————————————————

Reviewed by: Fiona Sutherland, Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4

Best Points: Nice feel and shape. Excellent wicking. Quick drying.

Worst Points: Hard to find but need more reflective strips

Other Comments:

Would prefer slightly thicker material in a long sleeve top.

———————————————————————————————————————

Reviewed by: Viv Law, Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4

Best Points: Very good wicking. Easy to wash. Good shape

Worst Points: None

Other Comments:

Curved stripes made me look thinner!

Not sure about how good hi-viz.

—————————————————————————————————————–

Item Tested and Reviewed:

Saucony Ignite Running Top

PRICE: £27.99

Saucony Ignite Running Top

Reviewed by: Darren Risley, Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4.5

Best Points: Very comfortable in different temperatures.

Worst Points: Would be too warm in spring/summer

Other Comments:

Great top – like the reflective panels.

————————————————————————————————————————

Reviewed by: Peter Amos, Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4

Best Points: Very comfortable. Nice feel. Effective wicking

Worst Points: Colour could be more exciting.

Other Comments:

A little expensive against some other makes

—————————————————————————————————————————–

Item Tested and Reviewed:

Saucony Primolite Running Top

PRICE: £32.99

Saucony Primolite Running Top

Reviewed by: Pete Binks, Bishop’s Stortford Running Club

Star Rating (Out of 5): 4

Best Points: Very good wicking in different temperatures. Easy to wash.

Worst Points: Baggy at waist. Colour and design a bit bland.

Other Comments:

Would buy it if shape was better

I’d entered the Hobble as a solo runner but on Thursday my Bingley Harriers teammate Andy Jebb called me up and asked if I’d like to run it as pair with him.

After running together in last year’s OMM we know that we’re reasonably well matched although Andy’s been piling in the miles recently so I suspected I was in for a rough ride.

This year the race headquarters moved to the junior school which proved a great base for the race although the loo queue before the start suggested a few more porta-potties might be in order for next year….

The race starts on the historic Haworth main street and it’s always fun to see the looks on the early morning shoppers and tourists faces as 200+ runners go haring up the cobbles.

We soon strung out across Haworth moor and Andy and I tucked into the second group of around 6 runners just 50 yards or so behind the lead pack. The weather was fine but as we made our way up to Top Withins the cloud rolled in and it looked like it was  to be a mirky day.

Once we were over the top and on to Widdop the cloud lifted but the wind was cold and straight in our faces. We held our position of around 7th as we passed the windmills and headed off towards Todmorden on the Calderdale way.

A dead sheep hanging upside down from two ropes from the front of a tractor greeted us as we trotted up one field - the things you see when you’re fell running…

My leg, which I’ve been struggling with recently,  felt pretty good as we weaved our way down the hill to cross the road near Tod and I was glad as it’s at this point, around 18 miles in, that the race really starts.

We worked our way up the steep climb to the Mankinholes checkpoint where I picked up a nice jam donought to help me up to Stoodly Pike.

From Stoodly you can look back towards Haworth and see the waves of climbs spread out ahead of you that are pretty relentless on the homeward 13 miles. At this point the race opened up and the top boys kicked splitting the field and pulling out a decent lead over us - we weren’t phased and knew that rather than chase a lost dream we needed to keep mashing on at our pace if we were to reach the finish in reasonable shape.

After the thigh burning decent into Hebden Bridge it’s straight back up the other side of the valley to Heptonstall where we ran into an old friend of ours John Cordingly on his post round - no wonder he’s so fit if he’s Heptonstall’s postie!!

It’s then down to Horse bridge for a quick slurp of water before tackling the long drag of a climb up through Hardcastle Crags. Here I started to fade a little and Andy was strong but I still manged to run every step and we dropped a Horwich runner who we earlier thought was a contender for the overall win.

Into the final checkpoint at the bottom of Stairs lane and we were told we we had 5 solos and 1 team ahead of us - this was a position we’d be happy to hold.

The climb up Stairs is a toughy after 30 miles of running but again despite feeling a bit jaded I managed to tap it out without resorting to a walk. Andy was setting a good pace for me running just about 10 yards ahead to keep me going.

As we dropped off the back of Stairs lane towards Oxenhope we knew we had just one last climb to go up to Penistone Hill and even though it’s only around 1/2 mile long it’s brutal.

From Penistone Hill it’s a ‘quick’ trot across the moor back to Haworth and when Andy said there were two runners just behind I managed to dig deep and find another gear.

We finished in 4 hours and 33mins and second team - although this was 6 mins down on my time of last year I was very pleased with my run and our team performance. Andy could have gone a bit faster if he’d not had me to drag round but I’m not sure he’d have made the top 3 solos so the way I see it without me he wouldn’t have got a bottle of wine!!

Bingley had a good performance on the day with our pals Dave and Ruth taking the mixed pair title.

The old pins don’t feel too bad now but I think I might take tomorrow as a rest day.

This weekend it was the OMM or the Original Mountain Marathon.

As its name suggests, the OMM is the forerunner to all of today’s adventure racing and although now in its fortyoddth year the format remains the same - Teams of two carrying all equipment required to survive in the wild for 36 hours racing over an off-road course that they only get the details of on the start line.

This year it was set in the Elan Valley in deepest darkest Wales. We were based at the Royal Welsh showground near Builth Wells but as we were bussed to the start on Saturday and back again from the finish on Sunday I don’t actually know where I spent the weekend!!

This year I ran with a new partner Andy Jebb from Bingley Harriers and as we run at a very similar pace and he shares my dogged determination and ability to never give in I think we made a pretty good team.

The weather on Saturday was forecast to be rubbish and as we made our way to the start line the heavens opened and we put on our waterproof tops - which then didn’t come off again for 2 days!!

We’d entered the A class and on the line were presented with a map showing a route around some Welsh wilderness stretching for 37km and with 1200 meters of climb around 11 checkpoints.

Within the first few kms we realised how tough this year’s event was going to be as the ground was very unforgiving. Although the area is not particularly mountainous it’s almost entirely covered in rough tussocks many of which appear to be floating in water. Where there are no tussocks it’s either bracken, bog or crag and just to add to the excitement, there are very few tracks or footpaths to help with navigation- i.e. VERY tough going.

The weather eased a little during the first hour or two but then bit back with a vengeance blasting us with wind and rain that reminded me (a little) of last year’s OMM when the event was cancelled for the first time in its history as the event control centre was starting to float away!!

We were doing OK until we got to CP6 when we had to find a way across a vast featureless moor to CP7. Despite endless references to our maps and compasses we managed to drift off line and dropped into a stream where we thought CP7 was only to find - absolutely nothing. After some further map consultation, swearing and headless chicken running we eventually realised our mistake and found CP7 surrounded by a gaggle of other competitors.

After that day 1 went reasonably smoothly although towards the end, after almost 7 and a half hours of running across moorland, the old brain and body were starting to lose some of their functionality!!

We pitched camp in a farmer’s field along with the 2000+ other competitors and tucked into our rations. First on the menu was our pork pie complete with brown sauce - what a way to relight the fire!! After that it was a pot noodle - used more for the free mug than any real nutritional value. Then the main event - Andy had bought 2 freeze dried spaghetti bolognaise meals which, after filling with boiling water and leaving to stand for 10 mins were actually pretty good.

We then dozed for a couple of hours before waking again at 10 to have a cup of tea using our pot noodle pots as cups - we decided that beef and tomato might be a nicer combination with black tea as we’re pretty sure chicken and mushroom tea will never make it on to Twinings’ menu of speciality teas. The tea was complemented by a fine piece of brandy laced wedding cake from Andy’s wedding earlier this year and we toasted a good first day with a miniature bottle of Ben Nevis whiskey saved specially for the event from the Ben race in September.

After 14 hours living in tent only slightly bigger than the one my action-man used to have, Day 2 started dry but windy and at 8.22am we were off on our checkpoint hunt again. This time it was just a 25km course and the tussocks in the south end of the Elan valley did seem a little more forgiving than those up North.

Although we used our fell running skills and stamina to cover the ground between checkpoints pretty quickly our fine navigation skills let us down. We kept playing ‘hare and the tortoise’ with slower but better navigators who we’d whizz past mid checkpoint then meet again at the checkpoint after we’d spent ages circling the area looking for the kite whilst they just dropped straight onto it.

After 5 hours and 10 minutes we reached the last checkpoint and it was then just a case of blasting down the hill following the tapes that led to the finish line. Here we made our final mistake of the weekend and in the rush to get past other competitors I lost sight of Andy. Thinking he was behind me I stopped at the farm just before the run in and waited - and waited - and waited. When he didn’t show I thought maybe he’d had a fall or his knee, that had given him some grief earlier in the day, had given up on him so I jogged back up the course with competitors streaming past in the other direction.

When I still couldn’t see him I thought I’d better press on to the finish and when I got there guess who was waiting for me - yup Andy - who’d been there for about 4 minutes!!! Oh well another lesson learned.

We finished 28th overall and very pleased with our general performance. We both feel we could do A LOT better if we practise our fine navigation and we’re already planning our attack on next year’s event.

Yesterday was Langdale Fell Race - 14 miles 4000 feet of ascent.

This is one of my favourite lakeland races as it takes in some awesome scenery and is a very challenging course both from a technical and a navigation point of view.

This year Langdale was an English Championship race so a big field of around 400 athletes were on the start line. 

It starts at the famous climbers’ pub The Old Dungeon Ghyll or the ODG as it’s affectionately known and following a half mile run along a track the first serious climb of the day takes you up to Stickle Tarn and then upwards and onwards to Thunacar Knot. At this point I caught and passed my pal Andy Jebb who has been beating me recently so I knew either he was having a bad one or I was having a good one - as it turned out I think it was a little combination of the two.

After scrambling across Black Craggs it’s another boggy blast down to Angle Tarn before a long climb up to Esk Hause shelter. At this point I had another friend and long time fell sparring partner Jason Stevens of Calder Valley in sight. He ran really strongly up the track from Angle Tarn and pulled out around 150 meters on me but as I started to tackle the contour section to Bow Fell I managed to catch him.

We stayed together over Bow and we both knew we were in for a good race. Unfortunately, although I’ve now done Langdale 3 times, I’m struggling to get a few of the sections programmed into my mental sat-nav and as we made our way over to Crinkle Craggs I said to Jason ‘do you know the route’ - ‘haven’t a clue’  was the reply so it was a case of peering into the mist to try and spot the guys in front whilst at the same time trying to dance across the jagged rocks that make up so much of this course.

Thankfully we managed to pick a good line over to Crinkle and again topped out together. Just off the summit of Crinkle is one of the most famous features of any fell race - ‘The Bad Step’ this is a rock step that needs to be back climbed as it’s approx. 10 feet verticle. We all negotiated it safely but here again I was a bit unsure of the best line.

Rather than disappearing into the mist I waited for another chap from Clayton-Le-Moors harriers who took us on a good line round to the main track and from here I knew the route so set off at a good pace down to the final climb over Pike of Blisco.

I led our team of four down the track never looking behind me and only later did I find out that Jason had taken a mighty fall and very badly gashed his knee and hand on the sharp rocks on the track.

I climbed Pike-O reasonably strongly and was glad to see ‘Team Jebb’ half way up with a drink for the Bingley team.

After the summit my navigation problems came to the fore again. Last year I got a cracking line off here and whizzed down to the finish. I was pretty sure I could remember where to go but this thought quickly vanished as I lost sight of any stud marks in the mud and found myself on a track with a solitary walker. He confirmed my suspicions that I was way off line so I had to throw a left and pick my way back across the fell to pick up the track. I could now see the guys that had summited just before me way below me on the track so set off after them as fast as I could. Then just to add insult to injury I took another wrong line that led me to the top of a cliff face which again meant me cutting back against the direction of travel to pick up the right track - I think I need to recce this bit!!!

Eventually I found my way down and following a mad dash through the campsite and along the road crossed the line in 2 hours 30 mins and 51 seconds. This is a great time for me being 5 minutes quicker than last year but I would have liked to have dipped under 2-30 and think I would have done had I not taken the scenic tour off Pike-O.

The crowning glory of this race is the hot Cornish Pasty and pint of Theakstons XB that’s waiting for you at the finish - what a way to end a hard day in the hills….

Hi folks - sorry it’s been a while since my last post - I’ve just been soooo busy!!!

Firstly, as I’ve now been officially voted in as Junior Fell Manager at Bingley Harriers I’ve decided I need some formal qualification to back up my real life experience so I’m working towards my level 2 Fell & Mountain Running Coaching qualification. When I signed up for this I suspected it might be just a case of showing your face and listening to a few dull lectures then picking up your certificate - NOT SO - this is a serious qualification that takes some serious commitment - and I’m really glad about that as to me that makes it worth trying to achieve.

I’ve done my first weekend’s course which was delivered by two fantatsic senior coaches from UK athletics and will be attending my second weekend in November after which, assuming my practical coaching logbook is up to scratch and I pass the exam, I’ll become a qualified UKA FMR2 coach - sounds good eh…

My plan is to use my qualifiaction to deliver some fell coaching starting in the new year to Bingley’s juniors (& seniors if they want it) with a view to getting more kids out training and racing in the hills.

Last week I took my first coaching session which I really enjoyed and I think some of my athletes thought was OK as well. I need to do at least 6 of these for my logbook writing each one up before and after the session and getting constructive feedback from those I’m coaching!!

Last weekend it was the 3 Peaks Cyclo Cross - an annual event that I think is both ridiculous and fantatsic in equal measure. Cyclo-cross is really the foreruner to today’s mountin biking and in the early days folks used bikes that were effectively road bikes with knobbly tyres. Today’s cross bikes are a little more advanced with better brakes (some now using disks) carbon forks / frames and wide gear ratios but fundementally they are still a road bike with skinny 700c wheels / tyres and drop handlebars.

I’ve done the peaks 7 times now and, until last week, had never had a single puncture. I set off hoping for a sub four hour time which is a 1st class award and felt pretty strong over the first hill (Ingleborough) - my descent was trouble free and I even managed to only lose a couple of places on the road round to Whernside (always my weak point). The second climb went OK and I took on an energy bar whilst battling with my pal Pete Jowett as we crossed the summit checkpoint. The descent off Whernside is always a real puncture hotspot with folks all around you frantically pumping up tyres after pinching tubes on the unforgiving stone flags and hidden rocks.

I picked my way carefully off the hill and, using the experience gained over 6 previous circuits, got some good lines and pulled out a minute and half on my mate Pete by the time we saw our mates at Ribblehead viaduct. Off I went thinking only about keeping the pressure on down the road to Horton when disaster struck. As I went through the crowds at Ribblehead I suddenly felt the back go a bit squashy and at first I thought I’d ridden through mud but looking down I saw I’d flatted. I sneaked behind some spectators so Pete couldn’t see me and changed my tube.

This really threw me as I knew I only had hand pump pressure in my back tyre which means that the road section would be slightly slower and I had to tackle Pen-y-Ghent lane on a less then perfect set up.

As I started to climb the lane I could feel the sharp rocks pressing against my rear wheel rim and was constantly waiting for the hiss. Thankfully it never came but as I turned at the summit I knew the descent would be difficult. Sure enough as I was making my way gingerly down towards the final road section, probably putting a little too much weight on the front to save my rear tyre, there was a big bang/hiss and my front tyre blew out.

There’s little more demoralising than sitting there spannering your bike as all your competitors come flying past on their way to the finish.

Anyway, having fixed my second puncture I made way along the road to the finish crossing the line in 4 hours and 11 minutes. I’ll never know but I reckon this year if I’d have stayed mechanical free I’d have broken the 4 hour barrier - oh well there’s always next year….(by the way I’ve already ordered a pair of Landcruiser tyres which are fast becoming the weapon of choice for 3 peakers - a bit heavy but tough as old boots).

This week it’s light training in prepartion for the Langdale Fell Race next weekend - a 14 mile 4000 foot trot around some of the finest scenery in the lakes.  I’ve done this race twice before and had decent runs both times so I’m looking forward to it.

Well I’m now back in Oudenaarde with the other Academy girls and its going well.  I can feel myself getting fitter and its meant I can ride more aggressively and get more out of the racing.   The last couple of weeks have seen me get my first podium placings out here, with a win too!

My first result was in Diksmuide, which was a criterium race.  I broke away with Emma Trott and Dani King, both British riders who had come to race in Belgium, with Emma being based here full time.  Myself and Emma stayed away to gain about a minute on the main bunch.  In the sprint, I attacked too early, so Emma could come round me and go first into the last corner.  Out of the corner there was only 100m until the line and so I was beaten!  A couple of days later though I managed to get a win in Herentals, also a criterium. With my parents and sister watching, as they had come over from the UK, I really wanted to do a good ride and was aggressive in the first few laps.  Eventually, having attacked into a corner which lead out on to a cobbled section, I managed to get away.  With my teammates helping to chase down attacks from the main bunch, I spent the rest of the race riding on my own to take a solo win!
 
From Herentals it was straight to Germany for a crit in Dortmund on the Saturday night.  With a UCI race, Sparkassen Giro the next day, it was a quality field and a bit of an eye-opener coming in for the bunch sprint and surrounded by so many riders! With a lap and a half to go I had managed to get myself in the top 6 but then I hit a stone in the road, and looked down at my wheel for a couple of seconds and found that I had completely lost my place. Finished at the top end of the bunch.
The next day it was Sparkassen Giro, an 88km race which was ‘lumpy’ with one main climb.  I climbed okay and managed to keep myself in the main bunch. Unfortunately I couldnt get myself to the front of the group again but managed to get 18th place, which upon reflection I decided wasn’t too shabby.

After we came back from Germany, my family were still around for another couple of days so I spent my rest day with them which was really nice. Had a look round Oudenaarde and sampled the local cakes which I have to say aren’t too shabby either!