#bbdrc

We have spent most of February in Sydney. We stayed near the beach with friends and spent many hours running along coastal paths exploring the cliffs and beaches that appear around every corner on this magnificent Pacific coast. One beautiful morning was spent running from Clovelly to Bondi and back with lots of hills in between, finished off with a jump into the sea for a spot of snorkelling and a dive through crystal waters to see all of the colourful marine life. Another nice run is the opposite way, South along the coastal path to Coogee and beyond. I also made use of Centennial park which is inland towards the city, a favourite spot for Sydney runners, a lovely leafy park oval, 4k round with horses trotting along side.

We also ran a 10k called the Sun Run. Another beach side run which follows the hilly roads between two Northern beaches, Dee-why and Manly. After an early wake up at 4.30, the earliest I think I have ever got up for a run (or anything for that matter!) we set off as the sun rose at 6. When we finished alongside the beach in Manly, we took off our shoes and jumped straight in the surf to cool down. Out of 2843 runners I was 53rd in 40:18 Kathleen was 166th female finishing strongly in 51:47

Now back in Brisbane, another month of running ended well with a 1st place for me and a 19th for Kathleen at Bunyaville parkrun in Brisbane in a trail 5k. 100 people turned out to this young parkrun. Only in its 13th week, Bunyaville is growing in popularity due to a friendly atmosphere, beautiful quiet tracks through the bush and very challenging elevation. To give you an idea of the hills lets say it is relentlessly undulating, with parts of twisting single track, a bit like riding your own rollercoaster! Very fun.

Bungay Black Dog Running Club (BBDRC) members picked up a bumper five team and individual podium places at the Great Yarmouth East Coast 10k race at the weekend.

The Black Dog ladies won the best team trophy in an accumulated time of two hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds.

Annette Manning was first home in the VF50 category, in a time of 49 minutes and 16 seconds, while Jo Walker (50.52) was first and Faye Ellis third (52.47) among the VF35s. Joanne Cox was third in the VF40 category, finishing in 46:25.

Other Black Dog results: 39th Robert James 40:33; 113 Richard Dye 45:31; 148 Tony Morley 48:05; 158 Nigel Gilham 48:38; 188 Bob Paul 50:33; 222 Graham Sampson 52:21; 236 Lee Johnston 52:53; 240 Don Tiffin 53:18; 263 Jackie Bell 54:53; 303 Philip Neave 57:26; 311 Joanne Taylor 58:17; 312 Louise Reed 58:19; 317 Deborah Cobb 58:27; 339 Bob Jack 1:00:10; 370 Lucy Johnston 1:05:22; 391 Rachel Allen 1:11:32; 395 Jayne Ramsay 1:14:02; 397 Becci Pepperell 1:15:45.

A smaller club contingent travelled to Saxmundham for the annual Saxon Five mile race in which Marcus Sladden came home in fourth place in a time of 32 minutes and 20 seconds. Marcus Nichols was 23rd in 38:48 and Ken Hurst 52nd in 45:14. Roly Shaw clocked an unofficial 38:03 after a late start.

Stage 7 – Running from Mundesley to Lessingham

This was the second year I had taken part in the Round Norfolk Relay and I was delighted to have another chance. There are 17 stages in the race, each of which is a different length with differing terrain. Stage 7 was 9.3 miles on lovely country roads through a part of Norfolk I had never been, but would definitely revisit.

The RNR is a race like no other, you are asked to estimate your time beforehand and that is used to calculate how long the team will take in total and advise everyone of when they need to be at their stage ready to start. Unlike a normal race when the only person you’re competing against is yourself, this time other people are depending on you being where you said you would in round about the time you said you’d be there…that’s where the fun comes in and running becomes a team sport.

One of the best things about a club like Bungay Black Dogs is how inclusive it is, our team was made up of people who wanted to run, it was not hand picked, like some clubs, based on the runners speed. Some clubs enter this race to win, we enter to take part, enjoy the experience and do the best we can. Given all that you still can’t help feeling nervous as you want to do your best for the team. So there I was hopping around in Mundesley and waiting anxiously to receive the baton and get going, when round the corner came the welcome sight of a red shirt with a leaping back dog, and before I knew it Graham Sampson had handed me the yellow baton and I was off!

I can honestly say I loved it, the route itself was great and I saw only 2 other runners, one who over took me after about a mile or so and one who I managed to overtake half way through. As they passed we all wished each other luck, there is real camaraderie in this type of race. I had excellent support from Jan Brown who chatted away keeping my mind off the miles, while I just grunted in response! Jan was brilliant and when I finished in Lessingham, handing the mantle over to Nigel Gilham, she carried on and cycled with him too

Although I was pleased my run was over I still wanted to be a part of things, I was cycling later that night so would get a chance to repay the support I had been given, but we still chose to drive the long way home which meant we could follow stage 8 and squawk out the window good luck to all the runners that we passed, I think they liked it!

Stage 11 – Cycling from Bungay to Scole

The first year I joined BBDRC I was asked to help out at the change over for the Round Norfolk Relay, I had no idea what the race was about or what to expect but given it was just at the bottom of my road it seemed rude not to. I was on pointing duty from about 10pm, making sure people got safely past the chickens on the roundabout and on the road to Scole, and I loved it. The sight of nearly 50 runners and their neon cyclists appearing out of the dark over the next few hours and cheerfully heading off to run 14 and a half miles through the night was inspiring and made me feel glad I had left my sofa for the evening. As I waved them off I knew I wanted to be part of it and so the next year I ran from Horsey to Great Yarmouth (stage 9) and then came home to point people on their way once more!

This year however I got a bit braver, I offered to be a support cyclist and was given stage 11 Bungay to Scole, this year it would be me appearing out of the dark in all my neon glory! Well and Chris Chorley of course who had the real job of actually doing the running!! I have to admit I was very nervous leading up to it, the A143 is a fairly busy road and I am a cyclist more suited to riding on the pavement. I needn’t have worried, as soon as we hit the road our support mini bus appeared out of the darkness and purred along behind us with their headlights guiding the way. My job was to support Chris, provide him with drinks and snacks as required and talk his ears off (I added that last bit on). Coming up one hill I was so slow that the bus had to over take me, but that was due to an issue with the gears, mainly that I didn’t know how to work them… Chris, however, was a running machine, consistent and steady, despite my constant chat, and even more impressive given that he and Bobbie had been up since 5am timing the race from the very start. He finished his stage in an impressive 1 hour 45 minutes, handing the baton on to James Maycock, and then hopped in the car to meet the team at the next stage and carry on timing the event, his part in the race would not be over until later on Sunday morning when the final runner arrived back at King’s Lynn. As for me, well I drove back home down the A143 marvelling at the sight of the blinking lights of the minibuses crawling along the road protecting their team mates as they ran through the cold night and I felt proud to have been a part of it.

(Joanne Cox)

I really thought I might be able to fly, for one split second when I saw the gate and I sized it up. I was gaining on it fast and was in full flow, the blood was pumping, adrenaline surging through my body. I was ticking along, surging forward through the wind and the rain with ease and I felt so confident. I decided not to slow down and waste valuable seconds loosing my rhythm opening the gate, no I would vault it, I used to jump 5 foot gates all the time when I was a lad, no problem, yep, here I go, this is the RNR and I have to deliver the baton.

The Round Norfolk Relay is an exceptional race. It is one of East Anglia’s most unique events and it always brings a challenge to any runner or supporter who decides to get involved. It always gets me excited and I want to push myself every year for the team. I was running stage 2, 14 miles along the coastal footpath from Hunstanton to Burnham Overy. The stage has a small stretch on the road, but mostly it was run on grass, mud, boardwalks and sand. I had done a recce of the course, which was a good idea because it has a lot of twists and turns, I was ready to just run, enjoy the atmosphere and push myself hard in what would be my first competitive off road race.

So back to the gate, I had just helped two runners who were looking lost, I had re-assured them that they were going in the right direction, and had re-assured myself that with all this knowledge, planning and athleticism, vaulting a gate would be a breeze, a momentary obstacle on my way to the finish. No. Before my brain could even catch up with this monumental bad choice I was landing on the ground with a painful, loud slappy mud thud right on my hip, in front of a bunch of spectators and team support cyclists. I let out a surprised and embarrassed howl that silenced the initial laughter from the on lookers who are collecting their £250 from You’ve Been Framed as I write this. The reason they laughed was not out of cruelty but simply because it must have looked hilarious watching a complete pillock failing spectacularly to vault a gate. Ever see that episode of Only Fools and Horses when he falls through the bar? That is how I felt after. I tried to act very cool and like nothing hurt, especially when running alongside my cyclist Leigh who saw it and very kindly said nothing more than “are you ok?”

One moment of mad over ambitiousness that I will never forget. I learnt a big lesson about off road racing, your legs don’t do what you want them to do after running for a while and obstacles have to be sized up a long way in advance to avoid tripping and tumbling your way to the finish, or worse not finishing at all.

I finished in 1h 35.07 which was 9th on my stage. A total of 14.38 miles, slightly over length possibly due to a last minute route change before ‘that gate’. A brisk wind on the nose and some very tricky paths were around every corner to keep you focused, but the baron open landscape was so beautiful to run through especially when you were totally on your own.

Another year over and another great team result, well done everyone who ran and helped, I can’t wait to hear all of the stories.

(Leo Alterelli)

Graham Sampson said his experience could be summed up in three words -

THAT ********* HILL.

If you've ever tried to run the prom at Cromer, then up the zig zag at the eastern end then up Happy Valley and finally up the bank beneath Cromer lighthouse you would appreciate that!!!!!!!! I went with him cos he hadn't had any time to recce his route (being the final Friday afternoon substitute) and when we got to Cromer golf club he chucked his hat at me. I think he meant it - ho, ho, ho!

Black Dogs glide through runway race…

Eight Black Dog club runners took on two laps of the Tibenham Gliding Club tarmac that was once the famous Tibenham World War II airfield from which Jimmy Stewart flew.

Club members running the annual 10k Runway Race in aid of East Anglian Air Ambulance last Sunday (29 September) were Marcus Sladden, who came home third among the 101 finishers in a time of 39 minutes and 21 seconds; Laurie Woods, 15th, 47:34; Sophie Bell, 22nd, 48:18; Chris Chorley, 36th, 50:32; Bobbie Sauzerzapt, 39th, 51:02; Ken Hurst, 51st, 54:02; Jackie Bell, 54th, 54:27; Bob Jack, 88th, 1:06.19. Izzy Woods was clocked 22:57 to take 4th place in the one-lap 5k race.

Earlier that same day, Chris Chorley, Bobbie Sauzerzapt and Bob Jack had already been among another Black Dog contingent completing Coltishall Jaguars’ Jolly Jaguars 10k road race. Chris Chorley was 30th home among the 127 finishers in a time of 43:37. Bobbie Sauzerzapt was 83rd in 52:05; Graham Sampson 87th, 52.43; Philip Neave 99th, 56:31; and Bob Jack 119th, 1:05:50.

Black Dogs step up in Lowestoft

A pack of Bungay Black Dog Running Club (BBDRC) members hunted down the opposition on Sunday (8 September) to claim a clutch of wins at what is claimed to be Britain’s most easterly hill race.

The 18th running of the Lowestoft Scores Race, which features steep climbs up the town’s narrow coastal lanes, known as scores, saw the Bungay club’s Lowestoft resident Ted Oldman take first place overall in a time of 26 minutes and 17 seconds, closely followed by second placed clubmate Kieran McMorran in 26:24.

Black Dogs Richard Rhodes (31:40) and Annette Manning (39:12) were first home in the Vet50 male and female races respectively while Peter Edmunds (36:42) took the Vet60 male title.

Also finishing the race in BBDRC colours were Simon Blackburn, with a neat 32nd in 32:32; Chris Chorley, 59th in 35:49; Stephen Oldman, 74th in 36:59; Stuart Lawn, 92nd in 38.33; David Waterman, 98th in 39:01; Bobbie Sauerzapt, 103rd in 39:18; Neil Thomas, 112th in 40:12; Faye Ellis 133rd in 42:25; Becky Sturgeon, 136th in 42:48; and Philip Neave, 146th in 43:37.

Picture (courtesy Sue Edmunds):

Clay cements friendships in Ultra 60-miler

BBDRC ultra event specialist Shona Bendix reports that it was with some trepidation that she took on the 60 mile Saxon Shore Thames Gateway 60 Ultra. Constant rain, difficulty navigating the route along the Thames estuary and through the Medway towns, and heavy clay added to the challenges.”The lack of food made it even harder,” she said. “Most of the food at the checkpoints was inedible as it was swimming with rainwater”.

To help her through, Shona hooked up with three other runners, two of whom made it through to the end with her. One had to pull out with injury. Having left at 9am, the group of three arrived some time just before 2am the following day, all admitting that none would have made it without the others.

The Bungay Black Dog Runners had some more notable successes in the second leg of the Suffolk Winter League Cross Country Series. This was held at Sutton, near Woodbridge on Sunday December 2nd and it attracted an impressive 221 entrants. Robert Chenery and Kieran McMorran repeated their inspired performances from the fist leg by coming 3rd and 4th respectively. Robert was the 2nd Male Senior in 30 mins 5 seconds, while Kieran was the 2nd Male Junior in 30:24

Also claiming awards were Marcus Sladden 27th (33:27) as 3rd Male Junior, Richard Rhodes 30th (33:43) 3rd M50+, Steve Neaves 61st (36:48) 2nd M55+, Lynn Emmett 64th (37:15) 2nd F40+, Graham Sampson 195th (48:39) 1st M65+, Judy Potter 200th (49:04) 1st F65+ and Ian Ash 205th (51:00) 2nd M70+

The other Black Dog results were James Maycock 37th (34:41), Chris Chorley 71st (37:32), Dave Husband 81st (38:05), Roly Shaw 104th (39:40), Marcus Nichols 128th (41:36), Gary Howe 139th (42:27), Steve Oldman 148th (43:06), Simon Sparkes 150th (43:22), Bobbie Sauerzapf 157th (43:34) David Waterman 161st (43:43), Shona Bendix 176th (45:15), David Punt 177th (45:17), Dave Lines 181st (45:44), Colin Whale 182nd (45:48), Kayleigh Chenery 184th (45:58), Susan Wright 197th (48:48), Susan Potter 214th (55:33) and Sarah Sparkes 218th (61:15). The Women’s Team are 5/17 and the Men’s Team are 6/17.

The 10 mile Turkey Trot held at on a lovely mild day at Beccles on Sunday Dec 16th attracted 207 runners including a huge contingent of 36 Black Dog Runners. Richard Rhodes was first back in 22nd (1 hr 3:53) followed by James Maycock 29th (1:04:31), Jon Wiles 33rd (1:05:37), Daniel Gardiner 37th (1:06:37) and Robert James 46th (1:08:16). Judy Potter 162nd (1:30:26) was the 1st FV65+ and the Black Dog Women’s Team also came 3rd overall.