It was looking like it was going to be a barren weekend in terms of race results until a casual glance at the Open Tracking app (https://www.opentracking.co.uk/) threw up an opportunity for a bit of dot watching. Our very own Jo Barrett was taking part in the Lady Anne's Way race, a mere 100 miler from Skipton to Penrith.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is unfamiliar with this route so a bit of t'internet research has shed some light on Lady Anne. Lady Anne Clifford was born in 1590, around the time Billy was setting up Postal Harriers! Skipton Castle was her birth place and has become the start for the Way named in her honour. It seems she owned a number of castles in the area and the Way re-traces the route she would have likely taken as she visited each of them. The finish line at Brougham Castle near Penrith is where she died so really considerate of her to choose a venue for her final days that was 100 miles from where she was born and create the opportunity for an ultra race. Good on her.
It seems reasonable to assume that with storms causing damage around the flatlands of York that it would be a wee bit stronger up on the hills. Right on cue we got this video of Jo doing some sort of bizarre wind dance on said hills. Not so much Hokey Cokey, much more to me, to you in the style of the Chuckle Brothers.
The weather didn't stop Jo in her tracks though and she finished in a very impressive 33:52:20. Great going when you factor in the time of year, weather, lack of sleep, terrain, aggregate impact of the mileage etc etc. 8th lady out of 23 who set off with 20 of them completing the course, good work indeed.
Jo's efforts with Lady Anne provide the seamless link to Beverley Westwood, a far less well known lady in the East Riding. In fact she's not a lady at all but the venue for the latest parkrun on the Carter / Heather / Davis road show. It did get me round to thinking though, especially after Jim got in touch to say Beverley Westwood wasn't one of their latest Tinder dates. It would have made for a great ad in the lonely hearts column...
East Riding lady seeks 4 athletic Postal Harriers. No prior experience necessary but must be sub 25 (5K time not age). No time wasters.
I hope our chaps didn't disappoint, Beverley.
2nd Dom Carter 19.58
6th Alex Davis 20.21
8th Jim Carter 20.53
21st Andy Heather 23.31
Heslington
13th Jordan Howe 20.32
34th Jon Davies 22.07
New Earswick
3rd Simon Middleton 19.29
8th Chris Thompson 23.19
Oldham
7th Jamie Butler 22.09
Sizewell
42nd Karen Travis 31.30
York
13th Elliot Cole 18.57
15th Ian Smithson 19.05
253rd Phil Raddall 28.33
That's it for this week. One month of the year gone already and February starts tomorrow. Warmer times are coming!