Results.

John Griffiths       1.03.17

Alan Martin          1.03.17

Mick Mac               1.07.30

Pete Carter             1.08.27

Jim D                      1.09.28

John Bradley         1.14.03

Pete McDermott    1.23.29

Special thanks to time keeper Roy and dog who came to keep the wolves at bay.

There will be another run in early Feb, with the final at the very end Feb/early March.

A couple of runners of navigational tendencies participated in the dark and white mini mountain marathon challenge at the weekend and so were running on quite tired legs. A 3 hour score event in the peak district, visiting as many controls as possible in the time allowed. On footpaths and bridleways only. A brilliant low key event and well worth the 10 pounds entry fee. Excellent training for Saunders and Rab type events.Both Pete and Jim didn’t let the club down and both finished in very respectable positions…..pete in front by 5 points.

Jim D

Here are the results of the first of the badger runs held on tuesday 22nd november.

Roy Parkinson             1.01.55         

Alan Martin                   1.04.00

John Bradley                  1.05.11

Pete Carter                     1.06.00

Jim Doherty                    1.06.45

Mick McLoughlin           1.09.00

Rachael Syned                1.10.00

The night was very cold but clear (3 degrees at white coppice).

Some badgers turned up late which delayed the start somewhat.

No penalty points will be deducted this time, but please be aware and take this as a gentle warning for future.Work must not come in the way of pleasure….especially fellrunning,oh,and maybe beer too.A slightly staggered start with the fast runners off last (I was just being polite and went off midway)helped for an incredibly close finish at the end with all runners being within a couple of minutes of each other.The route is a cracking little tester with the first half being 30 minutes all uphill slog, with no real chance of getting lost.Even Alan Martin managed to stay on route, although he did hire a million candle powered torch from machine mart with a battery pack the size of battersea power station.The next night run (apart from the solstice) will probably be early January.Hopefully we may get more nocturnals out then.

Jim Doherty

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Thur 21^st Jun. Aggie’s Staircase. AS.

Thur 12^th Jul. Bull Hill. BS.

Sat 25^th Aug. Chipping Show. BM.

Warning.Contains sexual content.

I love Bavaria. I cannot comment much on Germany itself, as we haven’t yet ventured out of our little State and all the friendly Bavarian people I have met would be very insulted if I included greater Germany in my love for Bavaria. As I have mentioned before, it is very flat, except for the Alps. I don’t like the flat, but I like the Alps. So what makes Erding so appealing? It is the people.

For example, consider this little experience as a typical morning, day or night in the gym. I had finished my 100 minutes effort on the spinning bike and needed some recovery time having vomited into my own mouth during the session. I felt quite drained. So I arranged to meet Roger in the relaxation area.

I lingered in the massagey shower they have, so Roger went into the sauna before me. Don’t forget this is all going on 100% naked.

When I went into the sauna, in the half light, I couldn’t spot him (everyone looks the same naked), so I had to take a close look at everyone sitting about in a variety of poses, none of them trying to hide what God gave them.

When I did spot Roger, I waved… and the man sitting next to him squeezed up to make space for me! I wanted to chuckle… our three naked bodies packed tightly on the top level of a busy sauna – and nobody blinked an eye. The man had a really sweaty back, and I had to control an urge not to rub him down in reward for his gesture of friendship in making a space for me!

Anyway I got a fit of the giggles (but didn’t giggle, managed to hold it in), as the greeting in Bavaria is Groß Gott – meaning “great God”. And every time someone came in to the sauna,  everyone would say “Groß Gott”. In the little scenario in my mind, I imagined that they were all praising each other’s genitals as they arrived, saying “Great God” in praise of the masterpiece and maker!

This is just one of the reasons why I love Bavaria. Nobody has anything to hide or anywhere to hide their agendas!

Anyway, after settling down, I did a secret survey – I have come to the conclusion that Roger is A LOT bigger than all the blokes in the sauna. Their bits and bobs looked all shrivelled and poorly, as if they were about to drop off! This also made me want to giggle. I was feeling very proud. I wanted to point and make everyone stop and look and shout out: “Groß Gott” in an incredulous tone of voice. Maybe even initiate a round of applause and a standing ovation. Hang on, then it REALLY would have been impressive if all the blokes were standing to attention!

Between Roger and I, we had the biggest boobs and bollocks. We should have got a prize really! Especially now that my boobs are going back to where they came from after my phantom pregnancy (as a result of a cyst). Shame, poor Roger was not allowed to enjoy them while they were at their most voluptuous, as I was adamant that they should be ignored and receive no encouragement – hopefully resulting in them sulking off back to where they came from like two naughty puppies.

In the meantime… I hope that carrying around their extra weight (now 2 kilograms EACH I hasten to add) will serve as weight training and strengthen my legs for the upcoming winter season of snow running and boarding. For someone averse to the cold, I am quite looking forward to what the winter holds.

I am again in the town square, at the little coffee/ice cream/cake and bread shop below our apartment – enjoying the last of the summer sunshine, which is due to last all week.

It has been exactly two months since I joined Roger in Germany and a lot more than the obvious has changed. Being one (as you all know), for having the knack of giving way too much information – I continue in the same vein. But besides the geographical changes, the physiological have been far more confusing.

Roger and I continue our training (on the flat) for our final two (very hilly) races of the season in October and November. Despite training anywhere upward from 15 hours, I seemed to put on a kilogram a day! All on my boobs! This was a major cause for concern: Roger kept pointing out that for every kilogram of weight, you slowdown 6 seconds over one kilometre – and each boob weighed at one point 1.5kg; that would slow me down 18 seconds per kilometre. Over the Yorkshire Three Peaks, this would translate to about 12 minutes extra time. Considering that Roy P. was only 8 minutes behind me last year… this could be serious and might cost me bragging rights. I started feeling really down. Everyone helpfully suggested all sorts of reasons – but I am NOT pregnant, too young for menopause and burning more calories than I eat, so I was confused to say the least.

As I mentioned in previous messages, bread, sausages, ice cream and beer have become a fundamental part of our lives. One of the chief differences in these 4 ingredients is that they contain no preservatives in Germany. Even the fruit has to be bought and eaten on the same day; otherwise it is only fit for the compost bin. Now that things have started to return to normal after 2 weeks of mental anguish, all I can think to attribute this funny Booby trick to was, as Coneyetta (wife of the infamous Coneman) suggested, the sudden change of diet and lack of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives in my new lifestyle.

Our German is progressing slowly. I continue to cycle in to work with Roger in the morning: my cycle proficiency has greatly improved and I can now slalom the bicycle handless, in and out of the centre line in the middle of the road while texting on the way back home (I am already anticipating Simmy’s lecture as I write these careless words).

On the cycling front, I (along with a lot of other Germans who walk dogs, jog and ride – that I try not to run over) have a good little cycle route from Erding, through the English Garden to Munich city centre along the banks of the Isar River. It is really glorious. The track is rough so your bones get shaken to bits and any loosely attached cycling paraphernalia soon becomes dislodged as you bounce along at full tilt. It takes about 90 minutes one way, but it doesn’t feel long at all. You need an off road or cyclo-cross bike… Mine isn’t either, just a commuting hybrid: it has developed a disturbing rattle. I shall take you along the route if you come and visit

I don’t mind the rattle. But what I do mind is the three punctures I have suffered in the last three weeks. Not from my bouncy, lumpy off road route, but from common old tarmac. Being ever the optimist and risk taker that I am, two of these punctures have found me ill-equipped to deal with the situation and led to their own little adventures.

I discovered the first puncture once already at home, so all was well. I changed the tube. Roger then bought me a new tube to replace the obsolete one. The next day we went cycling. Two hours later and on the edge of a forest (I think it might have been the one Hansel and Gretel got lost in) and a huge empty field – I got another puncture. I confidently took off the tyre; removed the inner tube and set about replacing it with my nice new shiny one. But the valve was too big for the hole in the wheel! Roger hadn’t realised my tyre was ‘special’. So, he set off back to Erding while I waited, and waited and waited in the 30^oC shadeless heat – too scared to venture too farand into the forest in case I miss his return. My posh new phone started overheating. Roger insisted that I buy a Robyn Resistant model as I have somewhat of a reputation with electrical goods. I was convinced the machine was going to spontaneously combust… so I decided that it must be waterproof if it was Robyn Resistant. I was sure I heard the phone sizzle as it received its anointment of water.

After the first hour, I was getting quite bored. Steve and Coney were taunting me over cyberspace so I sought some empathy from Andrea and SKYPED her. We chatted – during which time the plastering of sun cream, which I had been layering onto my face to protect it from the celestial scalding it was receiving – transferred to the phone.

Roger finally returned with the car and we decided to salvage the day and make our way to Tegernsee by car, where we swam and ate ice cream in the sun. Lovely. All’s well that ends well.

When I got home, my incredibly electrical savvy kicked in again, and I gave my phone a good wash with fairy liquid, to remove the layer of previously applied sunscreen that coated its touch screen.

Fortunately my German is not good enough to communicate honestly and give the characteristic “too much information” – otherwise the man in the phone shop who I returned my very broken phone to, might not have replaced it so generously under warranty.

In between that puncture and the next, Roger and went to join Gordon, Mic Mac, Coney, Coneyetta, Ray, and John R – where we had another fun time cycling (I shall write about it in the Paluzza Race report)!

The following weekend, feeling very annoyed about lugging around the extra weight on my chest, Roger and I set off on a long 4 hour cycle. Before we even set off, he managed to annoy me by not waiting where we had agreed to meet, so I decided to teach him a lesson and go off on my own 4 hour cycle (maybe this sudden physiological change was hormonal after all!).

Cycling along happily I smiled to myself, imagining how worried Roger must be, thinking where his wife had gone to. This would be a really good lesson for him. This would be the last time he moves away from the spot where I tell him to wait.

After an hour, I became aware of that familiar squidgy steering feeling. I was armed with a pump and spare inner tube. That was all. Because we were meant to be cycling “together”, Roger had the Allen keys and tyre levers in his rucksack! My hybrid Scott does not have quick release tyres, so I couldn’t ply off the tyres using the quick release levers like I have done in the past. I needed Allen keys to get the tyre off. Fortunately I was not too far from Hallbergmoos and the Air Business Centre where Roger works, so I gingerly cycled there and abandoned my bicycle in their secure parking (Roger also had the bicycle lock). All I could do was change my Saturday training plan to Sunday’s training plan, and having done a 50 minute cycle, now set off on a 120 minute run, back home, to get the car to get my bike. Good thinking! I might not have had tyre levers or Allen keys in my rucksac… but I did have my running shoes!

The only flaw in the plan was that lugging around the extra 3kg on my chest in only a cycling bra was a tad uncomfortable… but other than that, it was a pleasant run through maize fields, in the sun with smiley farmers waving at me as I explored off route, wending a way through their fields.

When I got home, instead of finding a concerned Roger, pining away after not seeing his wife for 3 hours, I found myself locked out! Roger also had the apartment keys. He had decided to do his 4 hour cycle and then his 50 minute run. I sent him a very rude message (fortunately I haven’t broken my new phone yet), then raided our bank account and bought a huge triple scoop of ice cream, which I at in the town square next to the fountain enjoying the sunshine.

Finally Roger returned and I was let back inside. He was very sorry – for something neither of us could actually remember and Hybrid Scott was retrieved from Hallbermoos.

Hopefully, cycling in the winter snow will produce less punctures than the summer has…