The Colworth Marathon Challange 2014 - result

The Photographic Quiz:

Photo no 207:

Question:- What was so noteworthy about this event? Why would it have implications for Coventry Godiva when the club would not be formed for another five years?

Dear Blog,

         Friday June 20^th. Free camping for camper van, large tent:-

‘5’ mile cross country race, about 400 finishers including both my daughters. Race results, awards  and memento in marquee, pig roast next to the changing-rooms ..which were open all weekend for showers / wash / pots cleaning / toilets any time!!

          Saturday June 21^st. Beautiful weather, paddling pool for the kids which the adults commandeered for an ice bath after the run!!

‘8.1’ mile trail run with the hard core of about 230 runners who had entered the whole challenge. Race results and luminous technical t-shirts plus race awards .. wall to wall world cup t.v. for those so inclined in  the bar cum lounge .. which was open all weekend. Plenty and variety of sandwiches.

         Sunday June 22^nd. And the weather was even hotter

‘Half marathon’ over trail, road and playing fields, two laps which allowed several viewing points on the Unilever Research Station playing fields on which the whole weekend was based. Luminous hat, race results and series results and awards which included individual runners entered just for this race. Plenty of refreshments, including Lipton’s Ice Tea and free ice creams (all weekend) although a contribution for charity was welcomed. Both daughters finished, one being 3^rd overall …. On the day she became a vet!! (Master to you Blog)

And what more could you ask for a £20 entry fee????                                My daughter’s birthday!!!!

Same time. Same place next year Blog …  a well organised first class event Blog. And yes, Godiva club member Damian Carr was the 2014 Coleworth Marathon Challenge overall champion again …AGAIN.

                                               Colin

Drug Cheats

Photo no 206:

Question:- Godiva Harriers has a walking section formed in 1937 but de facto in existence for several years prior to the foundation date. So what is so special about this 1937 medal for the annual Sutton to Birmingham Walk?? Not quite what you might expect!!!

Dear Blog,

                Well now …….. Sometimes I am right, and sometimes I am wrong. And very rarely am I wrong. BUT.  Am I a big enough man who can admit when I am wrong and an error of judgement has been made? I am wrong Blog. WRONG!!!!! I used to say that those athletes who used chemical assistance were cheats and cowards. I was wrong. Not totally but partially. I still believe that they are cheats but I am not too sure about the coward bit!!?? As my day time activities now revolves around and focuses totally on my next self-administered fix, the thought of self-injection with that sharp needle is no fun Bloggie Boy, no fun at all. So to all those drug loaded athletic cheats, past, present and future who stuck a needle into themselves to run, jump or throw better, I unreservedly apologies. The term coward might be wrong. What you did was unforgiveable but to self-administer a bloody sharp needle takes courage, with a capital ‘C’ and is no fun, no way, not at all ……. Or perhaps I am a coward as well as you????? So I might have been correct; yes you are a cheat and a coward. Got to go now Blog for a quick jab ………………………….

                          Colin

The National Health Service

Photo no 205:

Question:- Godiva had a cycling section until the early 1950s. Why did it cease to exist? And what is the significance of this bike …… and is it a spoof?????

Dear Blog,

                   What a surprise …. the man with the delivery van for Argos hasn’t been round to the Mansion to see me yet. I wait with baited breath for the compensation package to arrive. And what a surprise …. I have not heard from any ‘Watchdog’ programme from the media saying they interested in following up the story of how Argos turned a one third reduction into an 11% rise. C’est la vie?

I think I told you about my little tumble in December when I hurt my thumb joint, my neck and my right leg caused I suspect, by some of my varicose veins seizing up when I was out plodding. There I was trudging along minding everyone else’s business expecting my right leg to come through again to enable me to continue my forward trudge ….. when suddenly there was no leg there!! It was still behind me, seized up solid. Well Blog, as you know, it takes two legs to tango and if one is missing you enter a state of unstable equilibrium. (I learnt all about that at the Pink Panther University) So there I was in this state of unstable equilibrium, and mother nature preferring a steady state to exist, allowed me to go a**e over t*t, hurting  my thumb joint, my neck and my right leg. I have to say that it was one of the worst trips I have ever been on. My right leg is the size of an elephant leg – a big elephant. I have had to buy a pair of flairs from the 60s because my leg is so like a tree trunk. My new shoes are two sizes bigger to accommodate my swollen foot. You can just see my toes peeking out at the end of my leg swelling if you look very closely!! So six months on and much pain later, I decided the time was ripe to visit the Ju Ju man. So Tuesday was the big day out. What a waste of time that was. Half an hour consultation, reference to another member of the practice, give us a sample, that’s OK, your kidneys are still functioning, give us some blood, its black pudding night tonight …. So Blog, you mustn’t worry too much about me. I shall see the Ju Ju man again for further advice about my puffy leg when he has had time to read up in his big books about possible causes and cures. Heart transplant, no problem. Can you pop in tomorrow for a refit? Bionic arm, no problem. Just used 3-in-1 so it doesn’t rust up. New set of lungs, no problem. Just hold your breath for a minute or two while a new pair are slipped in. But a puffy leg. No way baby. Come back next week, please. Don’t you worry matey boy, I’ll be there with my compensation claim for the purchase of a new pair of flairs and a pair of large shoes. And then we can start on the thumb joint and the neck so I can have a pain free night’s sleep for a change!!!!!

                             Luv ya Blog.

                                                                 Colin

ARGOS BARGAIN. Bargain of 2014 from ARGOS

Photo no 204:

Question:- Why is this pub so important in the history of Coventry Harriers?

Dear Blog,

                   We experience the feeling of being conned by politicians all of the time. From their failure to answer an honest question put to them by a TV or radio pundit, to the fiddling of expenses. To be conned by tradesmen is far from unusual. Commercial exploitation of members of the public is nothing new.

I experienced a nice example of being conned last Friday by the large retailer ARGOS. I am sure that ARGOS did nothing illegal but in my eyes ARGOS was being dishonesty, ARGOS was not being fair to the general public. Last week my lawn mower of many years broke and the gardener wanted a new one. I thought a similar model to one that had served for very many years would be ideal. I found the Qualcast Hover Collect Lawnmower – 1500W and got my financial advisor to do a comparison search of all major retailers. The ARGOS company offered by far the best price so I used my pensioner’s bus pass to go into town and purchase the afore mentioned model. £59:99, thank you very much and I struggled back home and my wife commented on how easy the new machine was to use when she had finished the task of mowing all our lawns, front, back and sides of our lovely Mansion. The local yokels were quite envious of the pristine condition of the green grass. I told one or two of the richer ones that we could do a deal if they wanted my wife to do a similar job for them. Sorry Blog, I diverge …. £59:99 by far the cheapest machine on offer in all the stores and garden centres my financial advisor checked. On opening the local newspaper the following morning, my heart missed a series of important beats when I saw emblazoned across the free hand-out enclosed within the said newspaper, that ARGOS were offering ONE THIRD OFF their  Qualcast Hover Collect Lawnmower – 1500W as part of the ARGOS BIG BANK HOLIDAY DEALS. I TELL YOU Blog I was not a happy bunny, not happy at all. Conned was I??? Had to sit down and wait for my palpitations to pass before I could read on. And then I did my sums (I am quite good at sums because I did sums at the Pink Panther University). ONE THIRD OFF. Thereit was in balck and white large print in the newspaper. And the price ….. £66:49. Hang about a bit ARGOS. Less than 24 hours ago I paid six quids less than that. SIX whole quids. I looked closely. The original price they claimed was £99:99, but this had been crossed out. Next to it was £79:99 but this was crossed out to be replaced by the ONE THIRD OFF price of £66:49. No mention of my £59:99 which I checked had been advertised in their catalogue for some time. ARGOS … this is an 11% RISE, RISE, RISE RISE MATEY BOY !!! I asked my secretary to contact ARGOS but they were not interested. No surprise there ten! Although I came out of the experience smelling of roses, I find the whole attitude of ARGOS distasteful. But what can I do Blog??? That is the question. I wonder if any of the BBC Watchdog type programmes might be interested?? At least the BBC might be able to illicit a response from ARGOS about such a pricing policy. I bet that nice Mr Cameroon’s friend at number 11 would like to get away with convincing the electorate that an 11% rise in inflation is really a huge reduction of ONE THIRD OFF? But politicians would never dream of being so dishonest, would they Blog??????

                                                    Colin

European Parliament Election Results 2014

Photo no 203:

Question:- Why were the cycling troops so important to Coventry and Godiva???

So today is election day … and today my electricity bill arrived. It is huge. And do you know why Blog. Well I will tell you. It is all because of this election which is today.

The election is for my Local Councillors and my European Members of Parliament. I honestly don’t know which of these clever people to vote for. Every time yet another leaflet falls through my letter box, I am swayed in a different direction. Weeks ago when this leaflet lark started, until I made my final decision, I decided to be totally impartial. To implement this decision of mine, I decided to display each of the posters which fell through my letter box on my windows so that the hoi polloi from the village would not know what my politics are – not that it is any of their business anyway - not that they are allowed onto my estate to get near enough to my mansion to see my windows. But one has to put up with these trades people types, the postman etc. and they do gossip and will inform the villages of what I am up to.

However, when I decided to be impartial and display all these images, I failed to realise how many of these johnnies wanted to represent my interests. With all the posters plastered over my windows, it is so dark inside my mansion that I have to have the electrical light bulbs burning 24 /7 as they say. Costing me a bloody fortune. Hence my huge electricity bill which arrived this morning through my letter box. I tell you Blog, tomorrow morning, as soon as I find out which of these fellows has been elected, I am down to his office to find out just what he is going to do to reduce my electricity bill. If I am taking the trouble to vote, the johnnie who is elected, is jolly well going to earn his crust!

                   Colin

London Marathon 2015b - Extra places available??????

Photo no 202:

Statement:- Having failed in his attempt to set a new U.K. marathon record, Mo Farah has announced the names of his new coaching advisors . The photo shows them meeting for the first time.

Dear Blog,

                   As I said in my last letter, the 2015 London Marathon is proposed to start in Bradford. This of course has caused some logistical problems. To help alleviated some of these, the new advisors to that nice Mr Cameroon (see above) has come up with a novel solution which Mr Cameroon had accepted chapter and verse, so everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. So that’s O.K..  To ensure a Bradford start to the 2015 London Marathon, the Premier has made the generous offer to the of rushing through the H2S Rail Bill using his Parliamentary Privilege and the help of his close friend Cleggie, to allow an amendment from the Honourable Member for Bradford, to extend the H2S branch line from Birmingham to Bradford instead of Leeds. With their use of a four line whip, completion should take place before they begin the 2015 London Marathon. The branch line will, of course, solve the problem of finishing the London Marathon along Bird Cage Walk as usual with the new start in Bradford and the traditional distance of 26 miles 385 yards (42.5 Kilometres to you Blog) will be maintained. To facilitate these changes, the marathon runners will assemble at Valley Parade (the home of Bradford City’s football club), run the 400 yards (385 metres to you Blog) passed the Department store of Busby’s and drop down to the Forster Square Railway Station, hop on the first High Speed Train out of Bradford, jogging on the spot in each specially adapted seat less carriages while the train speeds south through the countryside,(predicted time of 1hr 55mins according to Mr Vine Grove, the man that nice Mr Cameroon has put in charge of the Ministry of Sums and Difficult Spellings (MOSAD). Arriving at the Embankment Underground Station, runners quickly disembark, run up the escalator and out onto the Thames Embankment to complete the race along the usual last mile of the marathon course. As we have been promised by Ministry of Transport and Wild Imagination, the shuttle will travel so fast, the marathoners will soon get to London; and by continuing to run on the spot as the marathon runners travel to the capital, the correct marathon distance will be covered. The whole course, as usual, will be monitored by CCTV cameras, to spot anyone cheating – there will be no popping out of one carriage into another to shorten the distance; each 10 kilometre split will be timed as normal procedure for the race thus avoiding this year’s cockup where someone managed a world record half marathon time for the second sector of the London Marathon!!! Instead of the traditional pre-race pasta party, there will be a fish and chip supper at Harry Ramsden’s Fish Bar in Guiseley. The famous runner Wilson (of the Wizard Harriers), who used to live in a cave on Ilkley Moor, will give a talk at the Marathon Expo on ‘The Advantages of the Hair Shirt to Marathon Runners’. Do you remember the fuss Blog, when he transferred from the Wizard Harriers to the Rover A.C. without serving the mandatory life time ban?

The Elite Runners will catch the first train out of Foster Square, the Championship runners will embark onto the second train rom Bradford while the slow joggers will be allowed on the milk train. The Wheel Chair competitors will set off first after having their wheels especially adapted to the correct gauge of the railway lines. The impaired sight runners will not be allowed a guide in 2015 as the rails will keep them on the straight and narrow. The money saved by the organisers by not having to pay expenses to the blind runners’ guides, will be donated to Tiny Tims Children’s Centre in Coventry which provides physiotherapy to disable children; as you know, Blog, I have raised money for the Charity before. The annual Mini Marathon for kids can be run on the branch line from Bradford’s Forster Square to Ilkley Grand Central where they can run up and down Dale on Ilkley Moor bar tat with Mary Jane being invited as guest starter.

                                                           Colin

Tell all your friends Blog!!

Photo no 201:

Question:- What is the name of this street, which may be the new start of the London Marathon (see below)

Dear Blog,

                  THE news … and don’t forget to tell all your mates that you heard it first from me!!! It’s like this … the Tour of Italy has just started in Belfast. Blog I kid you not – check the sports pages in the newspapers! The Tour of France is starting in God’s Own Country in Leeds later this year. Blog, I kid you not – check the sports pages in the newspapers! So what is my NEWS I hear you ask. Well on April 1^st next year (2015) the London Marathon will start in Bradford. Blog I kid you not –check the sports pages of the newspapers! The organisers have yet to work out the fine details; details like how do you get the runners to finish in London. But that is a minor detail compared to the exciting news of the Bradford start. I guess the organisers will have the field running up hill and down dale, but that is my speculation. And of course, the organisers might have to extend the length of the race a little bit. So what. In the 1908 Olympics, the organisers extended the length of the marathon a little bit, and look what happened. It became the internationally recognised standard distance for the marathon. So this is the chance for the Tykes to contribute to the classic distance.

Roll on April 1^st next year. I cannot wait to see Mo Farah’s face when he runs through Milton Keynes and they tell him he has not yet reach the half marathon distance!!! Perhaps he will enter a race in Bradford, Leeds, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham, Coventry, Northampton, Daventry and Milton Keynes later this year to see how it feels to get to half way???  But that is my speculation.

                                               Colin