Stu Tackles Snowdonia… again!

by Stu Blofeld

This year was my fifth consecutive Snowdonia marathon. I always look forward to coming here and can’t imagine not doing so. Everything about this marathon is top draw from the support you get from the marshals and spectators to the amazing scenery and then of course there is the marathon route itself. It’s simply the best road marathon in the UK. So on to this year. My preparation was textbook stuff. A solid 1 and a bit weeks of marathon training including a longest run of 12 miles, one hill session (Tring Parkrun), and one speed session (Race the Pain) with my running club LBAC. I was ready! read more

It’s Good But It’s Not Quite Right

By Andy Inchley

So I haven’t done a half marathon all year, I can’t run the winter half due to an inconsiderate wedding and Bedford is the day after the December Chiltern League so when a friend from MKAC mentioned he was going to Leicester to try and get a London marathon qualifying time I thought I’d tag along, play chauffeur and at least get a time to my name this year.

The weather forecast was just about perfect and we arrived at a chilly but dry Victoria Park with an hour or so before the start. It all looked pretty efficient and bigger than I expected so had no problems collecting my number and doing all the usual pre-race gubbins before joining a few thousand others on the start line. read more

Buckingham 10k

by Andrew Hallworth

A slightly chilly Sunday morning greeted us on the 18th October as Kate Johnson and I headed over to collect Kate’s mum and then head off to Buckingham for race day.  It had been over 6 months since I put on the purple and gold vest in anger (MK festival of running 10k in March being the last race I entered) and outside of the negative thoughts I was actually looking forward to the race which is highly unusual for me.

I had been convinced to enter this race with the information that it was a “fairly flat” course with nice views in an around Stowe House and was a little surprised at the registration to hear someone describing the route as “pretty hilly” and “not that easy”.  Those good feelings quickly started to fade but I was in now and the race number was attached.  Getting close to the start time it was good to see some familiar faces arrive in purple and gold as I didn’t have a clue who else from LBAC had entered the race, Amy Inchley, Tim Inchley, Lynn Boddy, Katie & Adam Haylock, Charlie Mead and Sarah Lyon from Kate’s improvers group were all there for a strong club turnout. read more

From Hyde Park to the Herts 10k

Royal Parks 1/2M

by Jo Sharples

After trying for a few years to gain a ballot place at the Royal Parks half marathon, 2015 was the year. Excited was an understatement. I even sacrificed the first Chiltern League XC to race (Sorry Andy). Having had a less than an optimal week leading to the race I wasn’t really feeling confident, were my fatigued legs and wheezy lungs going to hold up the 13.1 miles?

So here went nothing. The route was nothing less than spectacular, and the race organisation flawless. The run itself was probably my most challenging, with highs of running down the Mall, pretending I was Paula Radcliffe, and lows such as running mile 7 alongside spongebob square pants, (I wasn’t going to let a sponge beat me!), and the painful calf cramping from mile 10 onward. read more

Team LBAC make a splash at Keysoe XC

As people turned up to Keysoe in the northern reaches of Bedfordshire, one of the first thing they would have noticed was that is was significantly drier conditions than in 2014. Secondly, the LBAC tent was twice the size that it has been in recent fixtures and it was a good thing it was, with over 60 members of the club turning out to race in the purple and gold.

The U13 boys showing off the LBAC team spirit

The U13 boys showing off the LBAC team spirit

First to set off around the course were the U11 girls with Hattie Grimshaw, Charlotte Keane and Julia Bell all finishing within 11 seconds of each other to start the season strongly in 8th place. The team of four U11 boys were led home by Daniel May and are also sitting nicely in 10th place. read more

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