'Epic' challenges at home and abroad for travelling Squirrels

Chris Poole

‘Perhaps I should start drinking Cognac’ was Michelle Grudzinski’s verdict as she reflected on contrasting fortunes for herself and husband Andy over a weekend of international marathon-running for the two North Herts Road Runners members.

After enjoying her marathon exploits in Athens twelve months ago, Michelle was back in the Greek capital again, but a challenging build-up to the race saw her having to battle her way to the finish line and her time of 5.41.57 was her slowest road marathon time yet.

Husband Andy, by contrast, secured a new personal best time of 5.05.51 at the Cognac Marathon in Jarnac, Bordeaux. There are no reports as yet on whether his improved performance was fuelled by the wine-tastings famously available at the aid stations around the course.

Chris Poole packed in almost as much travelling for his running, albeit without leaving the country. Poole spent his weekend criss-crossing the north of England, starting with the Fountains Abbey Parkrun in North Yorkshire on Saturday morning, where he clocked a handy time of 24.09. By the afternoon Poole was in Wythenshawe for a fixture in the Manchester Cross-country League, where he took a steady approach to save himself for an even bigger challenge the next day.

On Sunday Poole was back in Yorkshire for the Bolton Abbey Trail Half-marathon on what he described as a ‘brutal course’. The hardy Squirrel somehow enjoyed the ‘wet, muddy and very hilly’ conditions and said ‘running through two rivers and copious amounts of mud was epic. The finish time of 2.20.32 was nowhere near my fastest, but with 2,231 feet of climbing it was a good day out!’.

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