vitual nomad ultra 2020 report
by John Sheil

'Hey, anyone fancy running 50 miles off road around Derby in a few weeks!?'. These were the words that started the Nomad adventure. The responses to this question ranged from a frank f@&k off to a more polite 'sorry John, I think you meant to type 15 miles'. However, for a few hardy souls (aka crazies), we WOULD give it a go!

And with this, the planning began. I was joined by a host of MRC runners on reccie runs. Notably, Adrian provided the navigation for some incredible routes as well as James Upton, Beckie, Keren, Kel, Hannah, Phil and Ray.

The dedication of the group was proven by some quite challenging runs including in thunderstorms... Ray quite rightly decided a glass of whisky in front of the fire would be a better option on this occasion!....

With a couple of weeks to go, Tracey suggested it might be a good idea to have a PLAN! With this, she magnificently sorted us out for pit stops and everything else we could possibly need (apart from spare legs!)

In the days leading up to the adventure, we all watched the fast boys on their incredible nomad run in scorching heat and i was then glued to the weather forecasts, hoping the weather would be kinder to us....

The day came and the weather was perfect. At 5.30am, Adrian, Kel, Keren, Keren's friend Alison, Hannah, Beckie and I met up and were surprisingly cheery for such an early start.

Things were going well for the first few miles until Alison stumbles on some undergrowth and injured her ankle. Wisely she decided not to continue and was picked up by her husband.

We pressed on through Dalbury and Kirk Langley and on to Quarndon where we met the first pitstop crew including Rob, Nic, Paul, Andy (and kids) and Sarah. Andy and kids, Nic and Paul joined us for the run towards Stanley where we met with the second pitstop crew including Tracey and Emma.

Emma kept us company towards Breaston which was our big pitstop and the support was huge! At this stage, we were all feeling pretty good, in spite of running over 30 miles!

Onwards from Breaston, the last 20 miles became tougher. This was definitely the business end! Further pitstops in Chellaston and the Stenson Bubble and onto the last 5 tough miles.

With a mile to go, we met up with the kids which lifted our spirits. They sprinted off and only Kel could stay with them at this stage.

Finally, we all got back to vicarage park.

We started together and we all finished together, which was amazing. We were greeted by lots of amazing mrc friends who provided prosecco and chips.

I really can't express the words to sufficiently thank my fellow runners, supporters and everyone else who made this a day that none of us runners will ever forget.

Sometimes, it is easy to watch the news or social media and feel increasingly negative about the world. However, the day really reaffirmed to me how genuinely kind most people are and how amazing the world is when we take the time to look around.

Thank you all... On to the next adventure...

John

LESS THAN A WEEK TO GO TILL THE 5 MILE FIX CLOSES

Well done everyone who has done the Mickleover Running Club 5 Mile Fix.

If you havent you need to do the course before the end of July to entered into the draw to win some amazing prizes.

This includes a £25 gift voucher for the Derby Runner, 12 incredible doughnuts by the legends at Project D and Hairy Helmet Beer!

DOWNLOAD GPX FILE

and the fun did not stop there! A new route will be plotted out for you to run in our August Virtual Event.

Info. will be posted the 1st August.

vitual thunder run 2020 / the results

Team Alan

Alan Percival 34.4k – 3 hours 29 minutes
Marc Essex 36.7k – 3 hours 28 minutes
John Sheil 10k – 1 hour 1 minute
Vicky Sheil 10k – 56 minutes
Shannie Wright – 10k 1 hour 8 minutes


Total – 101.1 k in 9 hours 57 minutes

Male Solo

Lewis O’Grady – 60k (6 runs of 10k) 7 hours 09 minutes

Clive Smith – 42k (3 runs 21k 10k 11k) 4 hours 19 minutes

Well done everyone who took part,

Clive

THE GRIFFITHS GALLOP CHALLENGE
1 mile challenge

Since grade school, the mile run has served as a solid barometer for fitness. The reason: It demands endurance, power, and mental willpower... are you ready for "The Griffiths Gallop".

Tracey has kindly donated a bottle of bubbly to this Vitrual Event to celebrate her Birthday!.

It will be held between the 10th-23rd August from the gate on the Great Northern cycle path.

We will send out more info. nearer to the time.

Mickleover Running Club Plogging Weekend
August 1st-2nd

Plogging is a combination of jogging with picking up litter (Swedish: plocka upp or Plogga).

It started as an organised activity in Sweden around 2016 and spread to other countries in 2018, following increased concern about plastic pollution.

We at Mickleover Running Club now hope to bring this wonderful idea to Mickleover and surrounding areas.

August 1st-2nd will be the hopfully the first of many "Plogging" events to help keep litter under control in Mickleover

So grab a bin bag and hit the streets in the first weekend of August and post a pic. of all the litter you collect on facebook for a chance to win a prize!

Have fun and be safe, you are running/picking up little at your own risk so please take care.

more info. about plogging

CAMPING & TRAIL RUNNING WEEKEND
12-13th sept. 2020

The MRC social committee's camping trip has gone down very well and we have nearly fully booked the whole weekend!.

It's a great opportunity to get together and of course, adhering to the guidelines that are in place at the time regarding C19 at all times.

Places are now very limited so please book asap to avoid disappointment.

click here to read more...

new social committee appointment

The Social Committee are delighted to announce that John S will be joing the team.

John has a strong history of organising events such as the camping trip and various off road runs in the past so fully qualified to join the crew.

Welcome John.

MRC ROAD SIGN CHALLENGE

Just for fun, all you need to do is run/walk/cycle around the streets finding letters to spell out the word of the week on street names.

This weeks word is “CRUMPET”.

Here are the rules:

• Photo/ Selfie to be taken of road signs needed to spell word. So this week you need 7 different photos.
• First letter of first word on sign only to be used.
• Photos to be posted in new FB post each week.

Next word comes out on 31st July. Good Luck!

VIRTUAL EVENTS AND CHALLENGES

With all the Vitual Events going on I thought it would best to make a home for them.

Visit the Vitual Events and Challenges page to keep up to date with latest "Spell a word", the monthly events and any curve balls we might fire at you!

Have fun team and we will be back.

VIRTUAL EVENTS AND CHALLENGES page

on the run with ...
Matt Mcdonald

CLUB
WHEN DID YOU START RUNNING AND WHEN DID YOU JOIN MICKLEOVER RUNNING CLUB?

I've ran since I was a kid. My Dad would go out 3 times a week and I followed suit. I've taken many long term breaks though due to following other sports or periodic laziness!

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING IN A RUNNING CLUB?

TBC - but I assume sharing a hobby with like-minded people.

WHEN AND WHO DO YOU RUN WITH THE CLUB?

I only joined in January and due to work commitments abroad I only made 1 appearance before lockdown. I know Rob Humber away from the club and we've regularly ran together for a few years now.

YOU
TELL US YOUR HISTORY OF RUNNING?

I've only ever really used running as a means to stay fit. Only in the last few years have I actually learned to enjoy it.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOU BEST RUNNING ACHIEVEMENT?

My biggest achievement was training for the London Marathon. Note that I say the training rather than the marathon itself! The time commitments and dedication to my training plan. The discipline required, specifically in giving up booze for a few months. And then getting up on Sundays for the long run in the rain, when you really cannot be bothered...

WHAT IS YOUR RUNNING AMBITION?

I don't have any specific goals. I was booked on to Berlin Marathon in September, before it was inevitably cancelled a few weeks ago.

At the moment I know what is a good pace for me over many different distances and I want to maintain (or perhaps) improve on that.

With no races in the pipeline there are no goals for me to target that aren't specific to me.

WHY DO YOU RUN?

I'm much more committed to running when there is an end goal (a race). But now, it's purely for fitness reasons. I need to offset beer consumption somehow.

FAVOURITE PLACE TO RUN?

Somewhere coastal and unfamiliar in the morning sun. A few recent examples were induced by jet lag, Miami Beach and the Swan River in Perth, Australia.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORST RUN?

London Marathon, 2018. For all the build up, training, hype, preparation and commitment, it just didn't work out on the day. Less said the better!

BEST RUNNING PHRASE?

Hmmm, I think I need to work on my running clichés!

FAVOURITE RUNNING PHOTO?

A sneaky one taken by the Mrs - and this is the only one there is.

HAVE YOU EVER LOST YOUR RUNNING MOJO AND HOW DID YOU GET IT BACK?

Many, many times. Entered a race and/or used a running friend to drag me round until it's fun again.

I've also used the guided runs on the Nike Running app. I've found that really helpful for distraction techniques, compartmentalising runs and improving form.

BEST ROUTE AROUND MICKLEOVER/DERBY?

Most of my routes tend to be over the path towards the old Mackworth College, behind Murray Park School. Then it's easy to pick up additional miles as and when you want them. Langley Estate, Radbourne Lane, the track to Etwall can all be built in.

WHO WOULD BE ON YOUR WISH LIST TO RUN WITH?

I've been listening to 'That Peter Couch' and 'Under the Cosh' Podcasts lately. So I guess I like listening to humorous football related stories. With that in mind, I'll take Ray Parlour, Dean Windass and Seth Johnson. Not too much to ask is it?!

WORST/BEST RUNNING ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

Worst advice was to be told injuries are in my head. If I'm injured then I'm injured and I know your body better than anyone else.

The best is to finish each run well/strong - this helps me look forward to the next one rather than dread it.

And when form dips on longer runs, I imagine running behind myself, does it look good? Is it smooth? When I run with music, I really benefit from the BPM of the music matching my Steps Per Minute.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU RUN?

Anything apart from running! That's why I'm currently finding podcasts better than music, as I can get lost in the conversation.

RUN TO TIME OR DISTANCE?

Always distance.

RACE/EVENTS
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE RACE AND WHY?

Derby Half Marathon. It was the first time I had ran the distance, so I overcame a mental block in running that.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PRE-RACE RITUALS AND FOOD AND DRINK.

Carbs the night before, obviously! Minimal food on the morning of the event, a slice of toast with jam works for me - plenty of fluids but not within an hour of race start. If it's an important race then a bit of mental preparation to envisage how I see the run going, and of course researching the pace requirements to reach any goals I may have set.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD TO RUN, WHERE WOULD IT BE?

I'd do the London Marathon again. Enjoy the landmarks, the crowd etc. and hope for a better experience than last time.

WHAT’S YOUR ONE RACE ESSENTIAL?

My running trainers, going to struggle without those...

WOULD YOU RUN A MARATHON WITHOUT GETTING A MEDAL?

Absolutely not.