Great North Run anyone?

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 01:02 PM

Well done everybody who took part.The only running I ever do is towards the bar when last orders is called.

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Ritchie
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 11:01 AM

refresh as i don't want to be the last one to post..

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Ritchie
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 10:59 AM

refresh as i don't want to be the last one to post..

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Ritchie
Date: 18 Sep 01 - 12:39 PM

Well done everyone, even those who clapped the competitors along for hours on end.The only good time I ever got was in the first one, from then on there were always too many people and you can never make up the slow start. However it's all about enjoying the day and collecting in the sponsorship money for whatever cause. After a night on the 'Toon' following a terrific football match on the Saturday the mood was set up nicely with a birthday celebration for Graham Taylor in the picture and piano pub. We saw John Motson carrying the cake and we all sang along to Happy Birthday but at that point we did n't have a clue who we were singing it to! Both Motty and Graham ran very well on the Sunday. The music on the Quayside was good too, with the Katherine Tickell band performing very well. Only one draw back, caught up in the emotion, watching the minutes silence and the prayer before the race and then seeing the camaraderie of the runners I apparently was heard to mention that I was going to dust off the old plimsoles and run it again and enter for next year. Damn, ok, so I will now take this opportunity to confirm publicly that I will enter, probably dressed as a giant heart cos that's what I'll need, along with probably a new pair of knees and stacks of sponsorship money for a couple of worthy causes.just to give it that extra zip..in the meantime.

all the very best and love from ricardo forstericci

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 18 Sep 01 - 09:31 AM

Phewwwww, Noreen, you got it back to music, just before we got a rasping for chattering about non-musical subject matter.

No, although there were several acts I would love to have seen on the 'Crossing The Line' bill, I was suffering road rage on a constipated A1.

John, forgot to congratulate you. That is an excellent time, sir, well inside your PB. The grail of sub 2 hours continues to haunt me!

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Noreen
Date: 18 Sep 01 - 08:24 AM

Thanks for the reports, you both dunn good! (I claim my free pint).

Did you see 422 (with 'catters Ian Stephenson and Sam Pirt) playing at the celebration afterwards?

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Sep 01 - 05:53 AM

Well done to both of you. I would like to say that I beat you both and won first prize at the fancy dress by coming as the invisble man - but you'd never believe me.

In the words of the inimitable Young Mr Grace

"You've all done very well..."

DtG

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 18 Sep 01 - 04:33 AM

Bejaysus, sis, that was a mother of a traffic jam, weren't it. Three hours to get from St James to the escape route north of Wetherby, in a car full of fractious children.

John, I couldn't have run another step, so I won't be clogging up the course in Manchester, kind as it is of you to offer! Just regaining the use of my legs is the aim!

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Wyrd Sister
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 04:13 PM

Well done all runners - but did any other hapless persons get caught in the Great Southern Crawl on the A1 (and on and on and on...)that afternoon?

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: John J
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 02:01 PM

Well done once again Skipjack....I too had runners tit problems. I had a rather attractive St John Ambulance Brigade lady rub vaseline onto my chest. It didn't help the abrasion problesm, but it didn't half make me feel better!

John

PS Fancy Manchester Marathon this Sunday, or have you been cured? :-)

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 12:24 PM

I do a race report for my sponsors, as some sort of payback I do a report. It's a bit windy, so a free pint to the first person answering text related questions at Llanfair2.

"Cripes, that hurt!

I ran the best race I could have, and finished in the personal best time of 2 hours 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

The minutiae. I did learn a few lessons last time, the principal one being that one can't replace a training programme with a couple of cans of Red Bull. The net result was having a body that run off the top of the legs, and ending up in the latrines at the six mile mark due to the extreme diuretic qualities of that otherwise excellent product. The other was to either wear a bra or tape cotton wool over the chesticles. I opted for the latter, but I rather foolishly used Sellotape as fixative, which lost its adherent qualities when I got into a lather. So, yet again, I ended up with strangely placed stigmata.

So, I approached the start line eminently well prepared by comparison, and strode confidently towards the densely packed pens of runners. I kept looking for a gap to climb the crowd barriers, but it wasn't until the expected finishing time of 1 hour 45 mins that there was any room. Why then, was I held up by pantomime cows and Father Christmas' that have probably yet to complete the course? All power to them, and the huge amount they raise for charity, but couldn't they start at the back, instead of the front? I reckon it cost me two to three minutes navigating round lumbering ranks of overweight publicans, tottering five abreast, and the rhythm is fast/slow for over seven to eight miles. Despite being a couple of hundred yards from the start line, the clock read 8 minutes and 40 seconds had elapsed by the time I crossed.

I didn't see any celebs, but the crowd were cheering for 'Charlie'(who apparently is the longest surviving member of a hospital drama on the television) at one point. I also overtook Frank Bruno's double, who probably wasn't the man due to lack of hangers on, make up artiste and 'security'. I thought he'd deck me if I stared.

My plan was simple. Get behind a calypigian (possessive of beautiful buttocks, I'm told) lady, and try and keep up. (I tried it in Italy once, but it turned out to be a bloke) Wouldn't you know it, every time I had one lined up, some polecat in trainers would jump into the gap. After a dozen miles, the atmosphere was getting a bit gamey.

The plus of starting so far back is the psychological advantage of overtaking so many people. The minus, apart from the traffic problems, is that on the sections of course where one can see maybe a mile ahead, I saw tens of thousands of runners ahead of me. Going into the last mile, agonising as it was, I was still slowed by folk who had kicked off maybe 7 or eight minutes ahead of me, and were more weary, but determined not to walk . When I crossed the line, there were literally hundreds of finishers crowding into the funnels, but with start times that probably varied by up to twenty minutes.

I crossed the line with the clock reading 2 hours 16 minutes and 10 seconds. So, deducting the 8 minutes and 40 seconds, that gives an elapsed time of 2 hours, 7 minutes and 30 seconds. I can't deduct any notional injury time, because what I lost in traffic was probably compensated for by running in competition, after the lonely miles of solo training. It's just that I expected the field to have thinned out, only to find out my personal best is shared by the largest sector of the field.

Mrs. Dunn and the children had set up base camp in the Sundancer pub, down on the beach in South Shields, close to the finishing line, and I managed to get to the bar and get a couple of rounds in before half the 47,000 strong field descended. It was so packed I didn't see either of the two people I had intended to raft up with.

One thought buoyed me significantly though, as I did mental arithmetic to while away the miles. I was earning (hopefully!) about 10 pence every time my foot hit the deck, for all 23,500 footfalls, with Mr Cargill doubling it to twenty. So, however modest your contribution, I greatly appreciate it, and I will confirm the amount when the rubber band is retaining all the cheques.

One final thought. I'm told that a new mother swears 'never again' in the delivery room, but is of the opposite opinion when back on the ward. Change that to finishing line and pub, and you'll guess I'm planning next years race already, and Plan A is to stand in front of the Kenyans at the start!"

Some of my backers are Plymouth Brethren, so I had to tone it down a bit.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: John J
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 11:49 AM

Ey up! Just got back into work having driven back from South Shields this morning. I crossed the finish line in 2:03 on the clock = 2:1:28 from crossing the start line, so I'm quite happy with that. A week of rest now before the Manchester Marathon on sunday, then a LONG rest! Well done Skipjack; did you go into the Sundancer or the Sundial? I went to the Sundial which is probably why I didn't see you. My mistake, I'll know better next year! It was a nice T shirt desighn this year, wasn't it? I DID wave to you all, honest. I'm surprised nobody saw me, I was the one in the blue T shirt. :-)

JJ

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 10:48 AM

And there was me trying foreplay! Thought I got some funny looks.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Noreen
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 10:20 AM

Vaseline!

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 09:09 AM

Bless you for watching, missus. I received a text message from a fiddler so fine that he must've sold his soul to Beelzebub, to the effect that he had seen me on Look North, yesterday afternoon.

I've got stigmata on me fun bags! Bra, next year.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Noreen
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 07:02 AM

Congrats to the much-recovered tuna!

Looked out for you both on the TV, but no sign. Hope John's not still running....

Noreen

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 17 Sep 01 - 05:08 AM

Cripes, that hurt.

Personal best shattered. Ran the proverbial race of my life, and although having to climb over slow people who start at the front, ran a well paced race to finissh in 2 hours and 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

John, wore my Mudcat T shirt with pride in the Sundancer, but to no avail. Went straight down there, and Mrs S had a good table reserved. Downed a couple of excellent pints of IPA, then had the picnic in the howling gale outside.

Got back to the car in St James at 4.30, and then had the journey from hell home, taking 4 and a half hours to do a two hour stint.

Still, it was a braw time, and my legs are still semi-functional today. Haven't totted up the anti yet, but I think it should top £2K, which my main sponsor will double. We're running for the Rural Stress Information Network, which is one of the charities trying to address the rise of suicides in the rural community, exacerbated by the Foot and Mouth.

Hope you had a good'un, too.

Skipjack

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Linda Kelly
Date: 16 Sep 01 - 06:20 PM

John, your a sick sick man-Sunday mornings are meant for lying in and not exerting energy . See you ddin't get interviewed by Sue Barker -what time did you do?

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: HelenJ
Date: 16 Sep 01 - 06:03 AM

I still maintain the colour of your car is gold with a hint of green! All the best from your Mum.

HelenJ

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Big Tim
Date: 16 Sep 01 - 04:44 AM

9.45 GMT, just watching the Run on BBC, all the best to all runners. I spent my student years in Newcastle, in the 60s, and have very happy memories of the Northeast. After the Run is finished I'm off for a ten miler in the Argyll hills behind my home. It's great to be able to hve the freedom and health to do it. Guys and gals, HAVE FUN.

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Noreen
Date: 15 Sep 01 - 06:03 AM

All the best to you both, and please report back on how you get on!

Noreen

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: John J at home
Date: 15 Sep 01 - 03:57 AM

Thanks Noreen! OK Dave....I really must come up to the White Lion one of these days, I'll arrange it with Noreen!

Skipjack: I'll be on the Bents public park 'unofficial' camp/caravan site. I'll be there by mid-afternoon Saturday. My car is a pale green Vectra Estate: R253ANM. Fance a meet up today / tonight?

John

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Noreen
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 05:28 PM

Are you two not speaking?

Subject: RE: Great North Run anyone?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 01:47 PM

Good luck , John. Now, how did I guess it might be you when I saw the thread?

I'll not be joining you this time, I'm afraid. Frightened that I might show everyone up...;-)

Try a running Shanty - it should at least put the opposition off!

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: Great North Run anyone?
From: John J
Date: 14 Sep 01 - 01:23 PM

Any 'catters doing the Great North Run on Sunday? If so does anyone fancy meeting up? I'm camping (well caravaning!) at the public park (Bents?) in South Shields on Saturday and Sunday nights. I'll be able to check the Mudcat until 09:00 GMT on Saturday. If nobody is doing the race other than me, watch the telly and wave to me....I'll be the one at the back!

John J