Bigger hills...

Two of Buckley's fell runners had a quick trip to the Alps last week - altitude training. Here's Huw 14,000ft up on Pyramid Vincente in the Italian Alps last Monday (Simon R behind camera). Neither of us ran up it.

Deestriders off road

Great to see a good showing from Buckley Runners tonight at the Deestriders off road 2nd of the series. I didnt make the June race this year (holiday in North West Highlands) . However what an event tonight.
Though the air was dry , there were a couple of new hazards.
Due to circumstances outside of the organisers control - the gates were not open - hazards 1.
Hazard 2 - a foot deep mud bath (smelly with certain messages left there by the fresians) . On my warm up i'd noticed the red tape near the pylon a little nearer (well 10 yards) the blue bridge direction than usual. But after 2 laps of cricket pitch , more than usual, and a lap or 2 of the footy pitches it was through the mud bath for another lap of footy pitches - then mudbath again then to finish.
I think because of the gate problems a few follks missed a turn etc , im sure the girl who appeared in front of me came from nowhere on the last lap - & turned out she d done 2 footy pitch laps not 3. I checked with Vic of Deestriders - he'd ran 5.7 miles to his garmin - so my recording of 5.66 seemed ok.

As usual a great big thanks to DEEstriders for organising a great little race.

Here's my connect garmin record - as you can see from the pace the first mile was flat !
The image is the before and after cleaning the running shoes with hosepipe!

Contributed by Rob Davies

Fell race relays

An early heads-up for anyone interested in competing in the fell race relays, which this year are hosted by Mercia and take place in the Stretton Hills, Shropshire on 14 October. The relays are a major UK-wide event, attracting entries from all the leading fell running clubs. Last time they were this close was 2008, when Martin Cortvriend hosted them in the Clwydians. Thanks to John, we have already secured an entry. It would be good to put out a full team, and we will probably need substitutes: there are usually four different legs, two short solo races, one long pairs race and a paired navigation leg. Pop it in your diary and let John or Simon R know if you're interested. More info here:
http://merciarelays.org.uk/

Fairy Freckled Cow and Ras Foel Fras

Two races at the weekend, with 2nd places this time for Jez and Simon R. Jez came second at the Fairy Freckled Cow trail race around Llyn Alwen, and Simon R came second at the Foel Fras fell race which takes in four peaks of the Northern Carneddau above Aber on the A55. Lots of other Buckley Runners did the Alwen race, but I haven't been able to find the results yet. If anyone has them, let me know.

Riverbank 10k, Moel y Gamelin fell race

Two wins for Buckley Runners on Sunday. Jez won the Moel y Gamelin fell race above Llangollen by a significant margin. Simon Roberts won the Riverbank 10k in Rhuddlan. Wins by Jez are now commonplace, he is flying. Wins by Simon R are more like total eclipses of the sun: somewhat rarer!

Update of diary for July

Please see below the update list of events. I have added most of the club championship events in BOLD

Just a reminder how the club championship works: -

• all club members are eligible but you must enter the event as a Buckley Runner (and preferably run in a club vest)
• You must complete at least one race in each category to qualify for the club championship. 
• For your best result in each category you score 26 points for first finisher, 25 for second, 24 for third etc
• You score one extra point for each other race you complete in the category
• Plus for Over 40 add 1 point, Over 50 add 2 and Over 60 add 3.

I still need to add Cross Country League and Border League dates, these should be confirmed after the BL AGM next month.

• These score the same including the extra point for each race (7 BL races and 6 CC races - 5 CC League + N. Wales Championships)

If anyone has extra races that they would like included please email the details to me.

Rob

July
1	Fairy Freckled Cow	Alwen Res	11.30	Champs MT
3	Pub Night	Running Hare	8.30 onwards
5	Deestriders Off-road Race 2	Shotton	7.30
11	The Druid	Llanferris	7.30	Champs Fell
21	Snowdon International	Llanberis	2.00
18	Wirral Seaside Run	Leasowe
25	Green, Green Grass of home	Llangynhafal	7.30	Champs Fell
28	Push up the Pincyn	Clawddnewydd	2.00	Champs MT
August
2	Deestriders Off-road Race 3	Shotton	7.30
3	Y Garn			Champs Fell
7	Pub Night	Running Hare	8.30 onwards
8	Ponderosa	Ponderosa	7.00
12	Gladstone 9	Dwygyfylchi	1.00
18	Race the Train (10km)	Tywyn	12.00
18	Race the Train (14 mile)	Tywyn	2.00	Champs Ext
22	Capenhurst 5K	Capenhurst	7.00?	Champs Road
27	Cilcain Fell Race	Cilcain	1.00	Champs Fell
Sept
4	Pub Night	Running Hare	8.30 onwards
7	Deestriders Off-road Race 4	Shotton	7.00
9	Vyrnwy Half Marathon	Vyrnwy
16	Sutton 10km	Sutton		Champs Road
Oct
14	Flintshire 10km	Flint	12.00
	Halloween Hellraiser			Champs MT
November
7	Pen Fell	Penmaenmawr		Champs Fell
December
Jan/Feb 2012
	Dash in the Dark			Champs Ext
April 2013
	Spring 5	Chester		Champs Road
	Wrexham 10	Wrexham		Champs Road

Hotfoot up Famau

The hardest 5k in the World*. But it's that time of year again, when the races come thick and fast, so good numbers - 100 or so - turned up again for this tough little race, which starts from Penbarras before plunging into the valleys on the Vale of Clwyd side. The inevitable climb up Stony Gully is the icing on the cake. Some tired legs after Ras y Berwyn, but you don't get too much time to feel sorry for yourself on this one...

2. Jez, 36.35
5. Simon R, 38.13
21. Paul S, 42.00
36. Steve, 43.55
44. John, 46.10
89. Rob, 62.28

* Probably.