Les Croupiers Running club

Who's doing it? Lifts needed? Usually a good club turn out. It's a new course ... details on Ponty Roadents site.

I shall be there Mike, looking forward to it - This was one of better races in 2009.

Mike - i know Dave Headon, Stuart McIlroy and myself are doing it and I'm sure many others - will be interested to see new course, especially how they manage a fast course when it means getting on to the Taff Trail. We'll soon find out!

At the moment, Tim, Graeme and I will be at the Ponty 10. Tim is considering running back to Cardiff after the race...... The man is taking London seriously, ....as one must.

Kel and I are also running on Sunday. I'm not as brave as Tim to run all the way back after the race, but will be running the 3 miles to/from Castle Coch before and after the race to get up to 16 miles.

Was entered for Wokingham, but unlikely I'll make that. Will see how I feel after the club run tomorrow - might do this and either do the 3 miles before and after, or run home...Did the latter last year - tough but good training! Maybe catch up with some of you at the club.

28 COLES, David 1:00:36
29 HOWELL, SCOTT 1:00:41
35 WILDER, RICHARD 1:02:12
41 SCHOLZ, STEFFAN 1:03:03
47 TABOR, Mick 1:03:37
52 WILDER, RICHARD 1:03:50
56 PROUD, David 1:04:13
57 KELLAM, Peter 1:04:20
78 DIFFY, John 1:06:26
80 RUSSELL, Andrew 1:06:49
83 OWEN, Stephen 1:07:02
98 MORTON, Adam 1:08:42
107 BLAIR, Andrew 1:09:39
119 OSULLIVAN, Tim 1:10:17
124 HOPKINS, Matt 1:10:38
145 DONNAN, Graeme 1:13:25
156 RHYS, Judi 1:14:26
202 ABRAHAM, Adam 1:19:58
208 WILLIAMS, FRANK 1:20:24
218 DAVEY, Ralph 1:21:44
241 MCDONALD, David 1:24:54
262 JOHNSON, CLARE 1:28:18
313 ALEXIS, Errol 1:38:41

Provisional as Richard Wilder seems to have cleverly split into two parts.

I think the 2nd Richard Wilder should be John Davies.

Results are listed as being provisional only on the Roadents website, apparently there was an issue with several runners crossing the line twice - the finish area did get a bit congested so I can see how this might have happened.

Richard's time has been confirmed as the quicker of the 2 times recorded - logical enough really!
By the way, the new course was hardly flat and fast, and on the day the Taff Trail from 2 to 5 miles (Treforest to Nantgarw) was muddy and wet due to heavy rain that morning and icy in parts - was more multi terrain over that section - it was quite interesting with quite a few twists, turns and a dodgy few slippery turns on the footbridge, but it is no longer the lightning fast course it used to be.

Maybe I should include the Reverse 10 in next year's off-road championship? I should have worn spikes!

David - Tim wasn't as brave as Tim !

I woosed out of a run after the race and got a lift back c/o the youngster Donnan. Lots of copper bottomed excuses though, visi (i) my being overcome by a great sense of lassitude after the race, a medical condition I'm increasingly prone to, (ii) a post run yearning for bacon butty, PG Tips, TLC (you'll be lucky..) etc, and (iii) a whinging SOB Judas left foot (playing hell with my chances of giving them Kenyans a thrashing come London...).

What did people think of the new course? I liked it, lots. Much more interesting than the 'new old' one. The swim along the Taff Trail was great, so to the exciting 'spirit of Vancouver' ice-banked downhill section at ~mile 6. Lots of road-free twists and turns, all cleverly planned IMO. Suggest it be added to the 'Off Road' champs list though, most of us looking like Gwent League victims after.

My time on the provisional results is a little slower than actual (similar points raised on the San Dom site, so check yours Dear Reader..). My time still rubbish though when compared to the likes of the amazing D.Coles. I struggled (and froze) early on wishing I'd worn one of them wetsuits Claire was sporting. 8.30 m/m pace at one point - groannn - horses have been shot for less. Eventually I got going - 36:16 for the first soggy 5m's, 33:50 for the road-run home, which may explain the subsequent onset of lassitudeness. Catching Dominic towards the end was sporting, this 'only' his third race of the weekend.

Judy Rhys finished just behind me looking deservedly v.pleased - first FV45+ !

But all very well organised, and lots of energy bars in the goody bag to top-up my blubber. 9.93m according to the GPS which is spot-on if one takes into account all those bends and corner cutting (or 'tracking' as the very speedy Steve O nicely phrased it !)

Thanks Ponty R. You should be very proud...

A cross posting Mr D ! Spikes it is then..

Tim has asked for opinions on the new Reverse course, here is my contribution.

As an early season lung-buster, the new course offers a bit of everything but compared with the course the Roadents used in 2009 I'd say it is a fair bit slower and perhaps doesn't warrant the tag of super-fast and flat. Terrain aside, there are several bike trap devices to be negotiated along the Taff Trail that need to be thought about when approaching.

Had I come to the race in sparkling form and looking for a PB, I have to say I'd have been disappointed at the course but as an early fitness tester, which in February is about all you need, I'd say it ticks all of the boxes.

Sneaked a PB of 2 seconds so I can't complain too much !

Well run Andrew ! Good to get a PB on this course (nothing could be faster than the previous one)

One gripe I didn't mention, because I'm too shy + polite, were the loos. 350+ runners (paying up to £15 to enter) deserve better than a single M&F facility which, in the case of the gents, didn't flush, had no seat, no catch/lock on the door, no toilet paper etc etc.

Most of us went for the off-road option..

I was at the race as Referee, unfortunately the Race Director locked the race clock in his car. I started a clock at the start but it may have been one second slow. The starter said that he would start the race on the count of three but did not.The organisers had not appointed a timekeeper. Several runners crossed the line twice. Some men think it is acceptable to finish the race then go down the course and then run in with their partners without removing their numbers. I did not miss a time but only caught one runner finishing twice. Unfortunately the people recording places entered the number again. This happened several times. The people recording positions recorded 3/4 more runners. My recorder from time to time wrote down race numbers as a cross reference. The Roadents did the best they could. It was unfortunate that the Race Director's car was locked at the entry to the finish with the clock inside. The course had a certificate and had been measured by WA Ltd's Course Measuring Secretary.

It was nice to see you all running. I ran the reverse, reverse 10, trying hard not to get in your way along the Taff Trail on my 16 mile slog.

Being a bit of a swot, I turned my race number around before I gambolled and frolicked after the finish :-) Tim catching and passing me became a standard thing last summer on the 7 miler so it was busines as usual there.
I liked the race as it happens - being somewhat of a connoisseur it had all the right ingredients to be a race I approve of - lots of the usual crowd, no walkers at the front, no attention-seekers, no-nonsense racing, lots of category prizes, some fast downhill and a bit of trail.

Sorry I didn't make it ... even though I have not been to Mexico..... Montezuma had his revenge.

Besides Andrew's PB, there was an excellent PB from Ralph Davey. Taking into consideration that Ralph is in the 0/65 age group, it gives an incentive to all runners to never give up competing. "There are always goals in life to achieve".