GAC Gossip

The gossip page: Here you will find out all the latest 'what's been happening' to whom. It won't be earth shattering news (you will find that on our News Page by clicking the 'Up' button). Hopefully though, it might entertain you.

19/01/10   Running hazards you may not see on a 'Risk Assessment' - Whilst out for a run the other day with John Ellerby along the canal he revealed he has been tripped up back a fisherman's keep net, snagged by their fishing rod and line whilst casting and even been chased and stung by a cloud of wasps.

18/01/10   Preparations for this year's run have been delayed by the recent snow but the committee has made a solid start in their search for the next unique venue, establishments have been visited in both Marston and Dry Doddington to grade, fires, beers and food. This hunt will continue for many months before even a short list can be agreed upon.

28/12/09   'Been there', 'Didn't do the event', ' Got the T Shirt !!!   Commiserations to John Bainbridge (and all) that travelled to Southwell today to do the 10k. The event was cancelled 10 minutes before the start time due to icy conditions on the course. Entrants were offered their money back or a race T Shirt. 

01/12/09   Anybody like to guess which athlete was left in the loo when all the others set off for training last Thursday night (clue: vet man) !!!

24/11/09   Guess which 2 athletes got locked in Grimsthorpe castle grounds after the x/c match last Sunday. I will give you a clue - they are both vet men!!!

14/09/09   Yesterday Robert McArdle took part in the Mablethorpe 10k. To say it was breezy was an understatement - the wind was whipping up the beach and acting like a sandblaster. It's a good job Robert wasn't running in his kilt - it would have stripped his sporran down to the bone!

05/09/09   At a recent Fraction Team meeting, Phil Garner was asked to take the chair, which he did. Within an hour the chair promptly collapsed (the wooden one that is). The moral of the story - 'Don't ask hammer throwers to be Chairman'. 

30/08/09   Have things gone wrong for you on race day - like forgetting to put your racing trainers in your kit bag. Well just be thankful you don't do Triathlons. Not everything went according to plan for competitor Neil Dowsett on race day at the Grantham Tri. Neil was driving into the car-park nice and early Sunday morning - the same as he always does to get his early morning swim in. The difference this Sunday though, was that it was race day and Neil had his £ four figure bike on top of his car which he forgot about as he drove through the barrier. The sound of metal crashing and bending could be heard the other side of the Meres. After straightening a few bits out (including himself), Neil did go on to do a very respectable performance - not the best start to a race though!

28/08/09   Did anyone see the article in the Journal today about ex-club member Simon 'Superhero' Sellars. Whilst out exercising his horse in Northumbria Simon came across 2 fleeing burglars. He pursued them on horseback and cornered them until the police could take over and arrest them. 3 cheers for Simon:  hip - hip - hooray

16/08/09   When Stuart Sinclair entered the London Pride 10k he thought he was entering a race sponsored by the famous brewery. Little did he know it is the UK’s major gay & lesbian sports event. Determined not to be caught by the chasing pack, it spurred him on for a 39:32 pb and a 46 place out of a 704 strong field. All contestants got free entry to the post event party, which I suspect Stuart didn't attend.

27/06/09   It may be a few weeks before we see Robert McArdle. He was messing about with Newton's Laws of gravity recently which resulted in a heavy object landing on his foot. 

21/06/09   The inaugural Summer Solstice Run took place today. Runners were advised to keep off the Stones, which they did - keeping mainly on the Pedigree and Abbott ale. 

20/05/09   The Fishmeister and several others that we haven't seen for a while were down for our first night at our new training venue - the Railway Club. They weren't all down for the running - they were down to put their seal of approval on the real ales that were available. It shouldn't be too bad, the Grantham branch of CAMRA meet there as well! 

30/04/09   Are Grantham AC Road Runners not drinking enough after training or are they a jinx? We have just heard that the Kontacs Club is about to shut down. Two years ago we had to leave the Shirley Croft hotel for the same reason.

22/04/09   We knew Steve Gould was an accomplished runner but no one mentioned he was an ace javelin thrower - he won the 1st Lincs League match at Grantham on Sunday.

22/04/09   Overheard outside the Houblon Arms on Sunday. As the runners returned to the pub after their workout they jogged past and admired a classic British motorcycle at the entrance to the car park.  Runner 1 "I bet you would love to ride a Norton Commando".   Smutmeister "No I would be too worried about getting something caught in the chain"

05/04/09   Disaster struck Robert McArdle's yacht recently. The mast broke and the hull filled up with water - fortunately the boat was on dry land at the time.

13/03/09   Keith Cooper got a puncture on his cycle on his way home last Sunday. It's a good job it didn't happen 2 hours earlier because he was lead cycle in the Newtons Fraction race.

17/02/09   We are sorry to hear that the 'Fish' still isn't running due to his persistent injury.  

14/02/09   More light has been shed on Steve Twigg's ankle injury. Could it be that it is his ballroom and latin American dancing that has done it?!!!! 

13/02/09   Steve Twigg (Twiggy) has been spotted alive and well at a petrol station in Grantham last week. He is hoping to be back running as soon as it is warm so he can work off those extra pounds, both of them, that he has put on during his lay off.

11/02/09   Stuart Sinclair (the xmas fairy) has flown out to his winter training camp, he is looking forward to three months of abstinence to get him in shape for the summer. If it works for him we will organise a club visit to Helmand later in the year.

03/12/08   Well done Road Runners - your persuasion and dedication has changed Kontacs club from being a Keg only establishment to now selling a range of real ale. The manager now proudly displays all his past real ales behind the bar. As a treat for you all, he tells me he is getting Batemans Rosey Nosey (4.9% ABV) in for Christmas.

28/11/08   Overheard in a pub - "The elastic band Mr Fisher fitted to his running shoe in 1985 to stop the sole flapping has finally given up the ghost but being a resourceful fellow he is going to lead the Christmas eve run wearing some special footwear! More details to follow later.

28/11/08   Did you know that Stuart Broad, cricketing son of England international Chris Broad was a member of Grantham AC not so many years ago. Stuart and his sister Gemma regularly attended coaching sessions at the track. 

18/11/08   Steve Gould who sets the training programme for the Tuesday's sessions probably set it a wee bit too hard tonight. Unfortunately he couldn't manage to keep his rhubarb crumble down and brought it up during the penultimate rep.