panther stories

RODDLESWORTH ROLLER MARCH 2008

Yvonne — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:09:00 +0000

REPORT by PAULA GATERELL

Well what can we say at the last minute Kirsty and I decided to join Clare in this race, however being unprepared we had a few hiccups setting out. First of all Kirsty arrived at my house without her trainers and had to go back for them! Eventually we set out from Parbold in glorious sunshine, although a little cold,only to arrive at the race to find it was glum, blowing a gale and freezing cold. None of us knew what best to run in as Yvonne wasn’t there to advise us,( vests or t shirts), we decided on t shirts. Although ten minutes into the race we realised this was a bad decision and we should have braved the cold in our vests as we warmed up very quickly and I ended up tucking mine into my bra leaving my tummy hanging out not a good look even in a race.
We a started off really well and the scenery was lovely we ran around the reservoir and along some really nice tracks it wasn’t too muddy and the route seemed relatively flat compared to Parbold, we were really enjoying it when we heard marshal say we approaching a hill, A Hill!!!!!!! It was a small mountain!!!!! All I kept thinking was well if we get to the top we must be going down on the other side this was all that kept me going, eventually we got to the top and it did go down and it turned into a nice undulating run home we all enjoyed this race a lot, it would be great if more of us could try it next year.

Paula xxxxxx

From the Santa Dash To The Parbold Hill Race and beyond...

Mono Loco — Wed, 30 May 2007 22:55:00 +0000

by Ann Gregory

How did this all happen?

a red dress( slightly tight!!)for a New Years Eve do
a mad suggestion from a fellow pink panther ( who shall remain nameless but she knows who she is )
great encouragement from all fellow panthers (especially our chief panthers Diane and Yvonne, and my running buddies Elaine, Carol, Nikki and Robbin)

Way back in November 2006

The story begins with an epic struggle up the quarry in Hilldale- Elaine, Helen Carol Nikki and I wheezed our way up the road (with my mantra of red dress red dress going through my head!) A throw away comment was made about what an achievement it would be to DO the hill race and the tale goes on.

I'll do it if you will?
Will we look stupid coming last?
Can we do it?

The doubts went on but Carol the true optimist kept telling us what a great achievement this would be.

The seed was planted. Rumours started.

Are you doing the hill race?
You will be able to do it.
No! You won't be last.
You will enjoy it

The voices of encouragement from other panthers came.

December arrived...

...and so did the Pink Panther Coach trip to the Santa Dash in Liverpool, you go to all the best places with the Pink Panthers. Dressed in a stylish red suits we trundled our way around the city, a fun run in every sense. Full of seasonal cheer thoughts turned to the next event- maybe a drink down the pub, New Years Eve (could I get into my red dress or would I be going in this Santa suit)

NO!! This was the Pink Panther Coach

You're doing the hill race aren't you?

Was that a question or a statement from the more experienced Panthers around the coach. We'll never know.

The running continued through December after all I still had that red dress to get into.

The Saturday runs seemed to include lots of hills including one in fancy dress up Stoney Lane (At least we got breakfast at Diane's as a reward afterwards) Thanks to all the more able runners who waited patiently for us or even ran the hills twice giving us moral encouragement- though at the time I couldn't speak and HATED their ability to run up hill and talk and make it seem so effortless!!!(In fact I still do - it's jealously)

The Break Through Run

on December 30th 2006 a major break through occurred I ran The Parbold Hill Course. Yes I did walk some of the hills and I started from the village hall in Hilldale not the Farmers Arms but I did it in 1 hour and 34 minutes

This race was doable AND the following Night I wore the RED DRESS.

January 2007

A new year and the running continued -Three times a week- Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (and sometimes even Sundays). The race was entered, no going back now. Whatever the weather we tried to run, but there was a severe lack of good cheer running up Parbold Hill one Tuesday Morning in sheet rain with Nikki and Elaine. Soaked to the skin was an under statement even our knickers were wet!!!! but we carried on was it madness or fear of failure on the day?

Saturday February 17th

The Race Day dawned bright and sunny-

were we ready for this? It's too late now? Got to give it a go!

The start was incredibly daunting everyone looked professional but we were lookin' good in our panther vests !! (The Best Kit around)

There was loads of support along the route, Robbin always speeding up when she heard the cheers!! Our chief Panther Yvonne was not running so she and Kevin always managed to appear when we were sneaking a quick walk!! Encouraging us.

At the Finish the welcome from the supporters was brilliant! The cry of sprint came. Robbin and I rose to the challenge and the legs went a little faster and the finish came ever closer!! With Robbin crossing the finish line a second before me! After 1 hour 25 minutes of running I had completed a challenge that 4 months before I thought was completely beyond my capabilities as a runner and an individual. What a feeling!

Congratulations to Elaine, Carol and Nikki who also managed to complete the course all 6.75mls and 3 Very big Hills of it

Thanks everyone!

I am now a dress size smaller and a stone and a bit lighter. The moral is for those out there who are lacking motivation and are feeling somewhat daunted by the thought of joining us If I can do it so can you!!! I can remember what it was like to be unable to run up the Common without having to stop.

So grab your running shoes and come and see the Pink Panthers on Saturday. You will get loads of encouragement and a warm welcome.

Ann Gregory

PS What's Next ??

The Women's 10 km Sefton Park, Liverpool 13th May
The Race For Life Knowsley 22nd May

And hopefully -

The Chester Half Marathon.

That's 13 miles

Health Warning

Beware this running is contagious

It makes you feel and look good ( well at least after you've had the shower and time to recover!!)

Adidas On The Run 5k

Mono Loco — Wed, 30 May 2007 22:54:00 +0000

Friday 21st April

Astley Park, Chorley

By Diane Powell

When the phone rang at 3.30pm on Friday I was delighted when I answered it and the call was actually for me (I had a friend). Yvonne was inviting me to run in the Astley Park 5km. "It's a lovely course" she said. I've looked at the results from last year and you will probably be in the middle of the field" she said. I had not planned to do a race and had already clocked up 17 miles in the previous two days, but Yvonne can be very persuasive. I gave in and decided to join her even though 5km is not my preferred distance. It's a bit too quick!!

At 6.30pm Yvonne had paid my entry fee (£4) and I was still being quite negative. "My legs are a bit tight" I muttered, as I broke into a warm up canter. "I think I'll just watch" I said. "You will bl#### well not I've just paid your entry fee"she replied.

I started to warm up and seemed to only notice the runners with go faster stripes doing strides. I felt even worse so I made a deal with myself to not actually race but to treat it like a run in the park. It seemed a good idea. Great plan I thought to myself.

The course consisted of two circuits of the beautiful Astley Park, starting at the park gates and running down the main drive, then a trot through the woods and finishing on a playing field. I resigned myself to the fact that I was to run. But it would be over with in less than half an hour. I could cope with that!

We lined up and we started. My cunning plan was backfiring within the first 20 seconds when I realised that the field had set off so quickly that if I didn't get my act together I would be in last place without any idea of where the route was because the rest of the field had disappeared into the distance without a trace. I started to breathe heavily and looked at my watch. I had done 1/2 mile at a pace that my legs were not too happy about doing and my lungs seemed to be complaining as well.

By the start of the second circuit of the park I had regained my composure and had started to overtake a few runners which gave me a psychological lift (I definitely was NOT in last place). I started to enjoy the course which rolled through the woods and crossed over a little stream. There was mud, which I like. I felt like the finish was getting nearer and I couldn't wait to see it. At the exit from the woods a marshal directed me towards the finish. "You must be joking" I said out loud, as I saw a flight of stone steps separating me from the field above me, where the finishing line was located.

The lactic acid was burning through my legs. (not pleasant) but I reached the top step without my legs going into a complete spasm. I ran for the finish and received a great cheer from the runners from Wigan Phoenix, especially Yvonne who had obviously finished several minutes before. They were very encouraging and invited me to join them for a warm down run, which I kindly accepted.

I very much enjoyed the evening and will probably do the run again, but a note of warning. If Yvonne rings you up on a Friday afternoon over the next few months, Be busy!!!!!!!!!!! It hurts.

P.S. For anyone interested in results. In a field of 70 runners I was the 3rd lady over 40 (there were only three ladies in this category). My time was a respectable 25 mins 49 secs. Not bad for the terrain apparently. I finished. Hurray!!!!!!!!!!

The Snowdon Marathon 2005

Mono Loco — Wed, 30 May 2007 22:50:00 +0000

My story, by Yvonne Wyke.

This is a full marathon of 26.2 miles and is notoriously one of the hardest marathons in Europe.

The Marathon Day

At 10am, on a very wet and windy Sunday morning my debut marathon started. It was the end of October, the weather was being anything but kind. By 9.30am every one was completely soaked, the start area was flooded (nice wet feet just what you need before running 26Miles) and the strong gusting wind nearly blew me off my feet, the race hadn't even started yet.

Spectators were wisely huddled in cars with flasks of hot coffee, amongst them my husband and 2 children, Amy 7, and Joshua 3. I very reluctantly got out of the car at 9.0am so they could go on ahead and so that I could get to the start area and warm up !!! This was warming up like I'd never known it before, no sprinting and striding here – no, just lots of huddling! Huddling together with lots of strangers next to the tallest vehicle you could find (and the tallest men for that matter) in a vain attempt to keep out of the howling wind and rain. Then at the last possible second taking off all unnecessary wet clobber, and unceremoniously lobbing into a van in a black bin bag. Unfortunately the rain had dissolved most peoples name tags, so collection of said gear after the race was interesting!

At the start line I was nervous, I had trained hard all year, culminating in 70miles a week of running whilst juggling being a full time mum to 2 small children, but nothing could take away the fact that this was my first marathon and whilst I was determined to give it my best shot, 26.2 hilly miles is a long way.

The first 5 miles was fun, it really was – Even though the first miles are up hill, significantly up hill, and the gusting wind was definitely against us. In fact sometimes the wind was so strong I just felt like laughing - it was probably something close to hysteria but it felt brilliant, here we all were, over 1,200 people, running a flipping long way and the weather was doing its level best to ensure that you were getting nowhere fast – it was time to rely on the age old tactic of hiding behind somebody bigger!

The seven year itch - more like the 7 mile stitch ! Somehow the thought that I still had over 21miles to run seemed to have slipped my mind and I ran the next couple of miles as though I was doing a 10k - then I paid the price. I got a stitch at around 7 miles, NOT GOOD with still 19 miles to go. The next few miles passed in a blur of pain and determination (I've had stitches before when racing , this one was not going to beat me) It moved from one side of my ribs to the other, I told it (as we were quite well acquainted by now, me and my stitch) that moving around was not very helpful and if it was all the same could it just move out! It went at about 10 miles.

Not Quite Half Way

At 12miles the race passes through the small village of Beddgelert, and given the conditions of the day, I would not have been surprised if all the spectators stayed indoors – but it was brilliant, loads of people spectating, whistles and shouts like you hear for the downhill skiers, and I was still in the lead. I felt proud, but a bit daft, everyone was being so supportive and encouraging, I felt like I should wave, but then I'm not famous so I just didn't know whether to keep my head down and concentrate.

The next big hill is more of a gentle giant, and by that I mean it isn't very steep but it is loooong. I could feel any remaining zip being sapped out of my legs as I started to struggle to maintain my pace. People I'd been hanging onto (not literally of course, although at this point in the race it could have been quite helpful) suddenly started to pull away from me. I just kept my head down and tried to concentrate on a steady rhythm.

Tummy Troubles!

Running a marathon I found really was a whole body experience, no part of you seems to safe from some pain or another – I'm really selling this aren't I – I can tell you are now itching to get out there and run one too! By 15 miles my stomach started to do somersaults – I think it's hard getting the right balance of fluid and carb. replacements, just take on too much and your stomach complains! By now, my mind was wandering, should I stop for a wee (maybe then I'd feel better)– but then I might loose the lead and loose it psychologically, should I slow down a bit, conserve some energy – after all there is still a long way to go – no don't slow down then it will take even longer to finish and you will have to suffer for longer - - arghhh!! Keep it simple, just keep putting one foot in front of the other for as long as you can. so I did.

But at 22 miles I walked, I didn't want to walk, it wasn't part of the plan but I hit the last steep climb and my legs crumbled. I still kept putting one foot in front of the other, telling myself that walking up this last steep hill was about the same pace that you could run it – but it wasn't. I was overtaken by 2 female runners and a handful of men. I was gutted. The pain in my legs and lungs at this point outweighing the emotion of loosing the lead – my legs felt so weak I really wondered at this point whether I would complete the race. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou to one man (in a lilac and purple vest) – another competitor, we had been together for just about the whole race, he started to get away at 13 miles, then I caught up and overtook him at 20 miles. He caught up with me near the top of the last climb at 23 miles and said the few words of encouragement that I needed . I plodded a few more steps, the hill leveled out and I suddenly regained hope that this race wasn't over yet.

I felt a bit mean as I overtook my friend in the lilac and purple top, but it was downhill, steeply downhill, it was muddy and I was going to run down that hill as fast as I could. So watch out anyone in my way. I started to catch the girl in second place, I could see she was treating the steep decline with a lot more respect and care so as not to break an ankle – but *** that, I had chance to regain second place so I flew down that hill like a woman possessed, my legs were completely numb by now, all shock absorbency gone, every steep downward step winded me, but this was near the end, I was not going to give in.

As you come into Llanberis, you can smell the finish line is somewhere to your right, but the course turns you left and meanders round the village for what seems an eternity. How can 0.2 of a mile seem such a long way? When I saw the 26M mark I still wondered if I could hold on to my place, the last few steps seem to last forever, the finish line is in sight, loads of people cheering you on, I catch a glimpse of my little girls hat as she's sitting on her Daddy's shoulders. I finished. My lungs hurt, breathing is hard, talking impossible. But I did it, I came second in my first Marathon, one of the hardest marathons in Europe, my children have been my inspiration and my support. My husband, the loyalest supporter of them all.

With a view like this at the end, do you want to join me next year?