Stroller's Football Match 2003.
Interesting phrases found on the Stroller's website.
Report on the Richmond 10k 2003.
Report on the 2003 Great North Run
Report on the Farringdon Cross Country Relays 2003.
Report on the Tour of Tameside 2003.
Report on Tynedale 10k race 2003.
Report on Penshaw race 2003.
Fiona's in the club.
2001 Northern Cross Country Championship report, Witton Park, Blackburn.
Report on Simonside Fell Race
Report of Ken's Bob Graham Round 2007.
Newcomer Fiona Fraser is expecting! Congratulations Fiona on your good news... er.. at least I think that's what the news was!
Isn't it strange the way people behave? On Wednesday Fiona left the pub and as soon as she'd gone someone asked "Is Fiona in the club?". I've never understood this, why wait until the person leaves and then ask someone else? Anyway, the conversation then went on to is she or isn't she? Ann reckons it's just the way Fiona was standing, Woody isn't sure but volunteered to help if she isn't(!).
Actually, the question was an innocent one, the club in question was the running club. Is she a member of the Strollers running club or not? We still aren't sure but after reading this she'll probably not want to join. One thing is known for sure though, Fiona really IS expecting. She's expecting an apology from me for this story! (sorry).
The Strollers wasted a golden opportunity to get one up on the Harriers at Witton Park today when we turned
out a full team of 6 runners for the senior men's event and the harriers could only muster 2 men. Senior
Harrier and athletics reporter Kevin Carr noticed our fine turnout before the event and was most impressed.
We fully expected a full write up of our team's efforts in this weeks Sunderland Echo as the only club to
represent the city in the main event, but things didn't quite go to plan...The team almost didn't make it after various "runners" pulled out at the last minute. Duncan Emmerson (we're not sure what he pulled out, or from where, but he claimed he'd injured himself doing it!), Phil Watson (doesn't need an excuse as he heroically mans the towns fire appliances), Derek Dixon (who claimed his allegiance to some football club took precedence) were among those to let the club down. Still, the dregs saw the need to come to aid of the club and did turn out. Bob Blair was dragged screaming from his house with a hangover measuring 6 on the Richter scale, Dicka was shovelled out of bed and into the car at some ridiculously early hour (AM), Woody forgot the arrangements and had to he tracked down and our poor invalid Graham Clazey had to be dragged from his sickbed where he was recovering from a recent bout of pneumonia. But we did eventually arrive intact at Witton Park with a full team.
During the race Graham fell and injured his calf, but for the glory of the team he persevered. Richard Bowman aggravated his achilles injury and could barely hobble up the hills, but he wasn't going to give up as we needed all six men to finish. Dicka's running shoes disintegrated in the gooey mud and he had to run the last 3 miles with half a shoe and 3 spikes flapping around his foot, but he endured the pain so as not to let down his team mates. Steve Ramsden plodded around as usual and Bob gasped a lot but hung on 'till the end. Then we all waited for our 6th counter, Woody. And we waited and waited. Then came the unbelievable news, Woody had dropped out on the first lap because he didn't feel well! HE didn't feel well while the rest of us risked serious injury in the quagmire! He didn't bother to let the others know this to save them from a pointless and dangerous pursuit of now unattainable glory. Not only that, but Woody had a hot shower before the race finished and left only cold water for those who completed the race!
And so passed our best opportunity in years to beat the Harriers in a major championship. Next time we see Woody we expect him to bring a medical certificate showing he had a disease more serious than botulism or he's going to be in real trouble.. we'll exile him to the Harriers and pay his membership fee for 5 years. That'll teach him!
Simonside Fell race, 16th September 2000As usual, most of the Strollers wimped out of this years fell race even though it was in the club championship. Only seven of us actually ran the race, with six finishing (poor Eddie couldn't manage the steep bit at the top!).
Vince "I need the points" Oliver pulled out after claiming to injure his foot the previous week almost certainly costing him the championship.
The new favourite is old fogey Geoff Prior who, on hearing of Vince's condition, abandoned his Sunderland Season ticket and suddenly became fit enough to run off road for the first time in years despite his wobbly knee which had previously kept him on flat surfaces only. We'll hold this against him when he claims he can't run the cross-country league this season. On the other hand, Geoff may indeed have a real wobbly knee as he did spend an awful lot of the downhill section flat on his back in the heather!
Other wimp-outs are a little more seasoned than Vince and came up with more realistic excuses to avoid this race. Gerry "do 'em all" O'Brien decided to drop some molten metal on his foot at work, burning a hole through his boot and into his foot. However, knowing how sceptical the Strollers are of such trivial "injuries" he decided he would also get it infected so it wouldn't fit in his running shoes.
Then there's Michelle "the filly from Philly" Tulino who broke her own foot on the Wednesday before Simonside rather than run it. The lengths some folk will go to are unbelievable! We will, of course, be examining the X-rays and anyone found to be faking it will be required to buy a round for those who did the race.
Of course, as excuses go, all of the above are deadly serious when compared to Ian "mega-wimp" Maxwell who failed to run in the Great North Run 2 years ago because the night before the run he injured his back making a cheese sandwich!
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