Professional Training by a Training Professional

Sunday 21st November saw a number of us take the short trip to Bures just outside Colchester to take part in the Mucky Races, Guts and Glory event. There was the choice of a 5km or 13km course with the majority of time spent in Bures Pits.

Unfortunately I was only able to compete in the 5km event as the event didn’t start till 11am and I had football commitments with the Col U Ladies at 12.30 but neither the less it was a very challenging and very enjoyable event.

The 13km runners set off at 11am with the 5km runners starting 15mins behind. As soon as we started it was a short run on the grass before entering the pits and then it was plenty of water, slippery mud and bogs. Once we were through the pit we went on to an off road path (which was also incredibly slippery) before a short stint on the road. Just as you started to find your rhythm it was straight back into the pits with a number of very steep and very muddy slopes as well as some deeper water.

Just as the end line was coming into sight for us 5km runners we approached what just looked like another large puddle, until we went into it. The water came right up to chest height in some parts and was probably the coldest water I have ever been in!!

Once through the 3 water pits it was then a challenge to get your muscles working again to run up the final hill and therough the finish line. The 13km runners had another lap to go.

As disapointed as I was not to be able to do the 13km, I still really enjoyed this event and will be signing up for the Gauntlet on April 3rd at the pits.

I finished a respectable 17th out of 143 runners who took part in the 5km run with a time of 39minutes. Room for improvement but not displeased at all.

Pictures will follow shortly in the Gallery section of this website.

Last Saturday (9th Oct) saw us head for Nottingham to take part in the Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest. This event takes place three times a year but only once in England. The other two events are in Cardiff and Edinburgh. The Nottingham stage though saw nearly 4,500 people attend to take on the 10km (suppose to be 10km but the event organisers don’t hide the fact its nearer 12km) course and all the obstacles along the way put on by Men’s Health and sponsored by Land Rover and Under Armour.

As we arrived and myself, David Coyleand David Chandler got out of the car to be met by very cold temperatures. Much colder than we remembered leaving back in Essex. It wasn’t long though before we had met up with the rest of the DNA Boot Camp crew led by Brett Bowen.

Once we were registered there was a quick chance to have a look around the different tents that were there and also see off the first few waves of competitors. Then it was back to the cars to put our timing chips on and get ourselves ready. All competitors were set off in waves of around 150 people leaving every 15mins. Your wave depending on when you registered. Brett and the majority of the DNA group left off in wave 6 with Coyley, Chandler, myself and one of my clients, Chris McNeill leaving in wave 7.

As we shot off from the start line the first obstacle we came across was a Hay Bail wall which once over saw us dash down the Embankment towards Trent Bridge and the Parkour zone. Once we had manovered through the obstacles here it was in to a fast flat section along the river which took us into the Army Assult Course which saw most of us emmurging covered in mud. This didn’t last long as we then ran round to the swim zone which saw us slide into quite literally, breath-taking water. Then in was on to the Men’s Health at Work zone quickly followed by the Urban Jungle section which saw the course take you over a skatepark. With most of us struggling to feel our legs by this point we were then faced with the steps in Nottingham Forests Riverside Stand.

Nearly there now, but not until we had gone over the Land Rover obstacle and finally the infamous 8ft Mens Health Wall of Fame before crossing the finish line.

From our small group Chandler crossed the line first followed 10secs later by Coyley then me 10sec behind them. All of us finishing in 1hour 13mins. Chris McNeill came in 5minutes behind us. We worked out from another competitor who wore a watch that we had got stuck in a bottle neck at the Men at Work zone for around 6 minutes so should have finished around the 1hour 7min time. Check out the pictures in the gallery.

A really enjoyable event which will see us return next year without fail. Now we need to get ready for the next event, put on by Mucky Races on the outskirts of Colchester. This is Guts and Glory on the 21st November and anyone interested should check out the link on the home page of this website.

Strong Performance Comes Up Short

Colchester United Ladies will be bitterly disappointed to have come away from league leaders Keynsham Town empty handed after putting in a determined effort following their long trek to Northwest Somerset.

An entertaining match-up befitting two sides in the top three produced chances at both ends, a number of controversial incidents and three bookings for each side as neither team gave an inch.

United continued their recent trend of fast starts and were inches from taking the lead as early as the 2nd minute when lone striker Helen Bass’ forceful run resulted in a shot flashing just wide of the home sides far post. Bass continued to cause problems with her spirited front running and soon after pushed the ball past Keynsham’s keeper only to be cynically tripped just outside the box by the home custodian who was perhaps fortunate to receive only a yellow card.

At the other end Keynsham were testing Colchester’s defences with good ball movement and running off the ball but the U’s back line were performing well denying any clear cut chances on Nikita Runnacles goal.

Colchester were then extremely aggrieved to be denied a penalty when Bass again got behind the Keynsham back line only to be hauled down from behind as she was about to shoot in an incident that if called correctly would surely have seen the Keynsham defender sent off. To add insult to injury Bass then received a yellow for appealing for the foul.

Flo Gamby then headed an Amy Nash cross inches over the crossbar for Colchester as both sides continued to battle hard to a 0-0 scoreline at the half.

The second period continued in the same vein with both sides committed in the challenge but the game did begin to open up and it was probably Keynsham who had the better cutting edge in the final third bringing out a string of fine stops from Runnacles.

Another controversial incident came in the 71st minute when a Keynsham defender clearly passed back to her keeper from no more than two yards away and when she picked the ball up it seemed obvious to all including the referees assistant who waved for the infringement that an indirect kick from no more than eight yards would follow but incredibly the referee ignored his linesman and the Colchester appeals.

The circumstances of the winning goal in the 78th minute showed it was just not to be United’s day, centre half Amelia Southgate had been off the field for treatment of a head injury before trying to get back on the field of play however the referee allowed Keynsham to win and deliver a corner kick before waving her back on and the resulting cross was duly dispatched form the far post area Southgate would have taken up.

Colchester threw plenty at their hosts in the final minutes but were unable to gain what would have been a deserved equalizer. Despite a number of lengthy stoppages and some time wasting tactics by the home side the officials saw fit to play barely three minutes of additional time as Colchester pressed.

After the game Colchester’s Director of Football Kevin Anderson commented,

“Hopefully it is a sign of where we are that we are so disappointed to have come away from the league leaders home ground empty handed as I felt we did more than enough today to at the very least get a point. It was an entertaining game, Keynsham are a strong side, they have a number of internationals from various countries which makes their style a bit different and unpredicatable and we struggled with this on occasions. Having said that we caused them as many problems as they did us and it was always going to be the side that got a break that was going to win it. Every single major decision went the way of the home side today and in such a close game that has undoubtedly made a difference, it’s a shame that the performance of the officials was so far below the quality of the play from both teams today”

Colchester: Runnacles, Shepherd, Parnell, Southgate (Fagg 86), Porter, Gamby (Heaslip 62), Larkin, Doyle, West (Gowland 76), Bass, Nash

Alex Shepard shows off the new kit

Big Three points In The Bag

Colchester United secured a valuable three points against league big spenders Gillingham, an own goal by Lauren Williams in the 6th minute proving enough to seal the win.

It was another fast start for the U’s when Helen Bass pressured Williams into the error, the unfortunate defender poking the ball past on loan Arsenal keeper Rebecca Spencer.

The remainder of the half proved to be a dour affair, neither side really creating a clear cut chance.

In the second half Colchester far from sitting on their lead began to take control and had a number of chances to seal the game, the hard working Bass shooting just wide, Emma Sherwood’s goalbound shot blocked by a Gillingham defender while Maegen Doyle and Hayley West fired balls across the visitors six yard box that required only a touch to finish.

With twenty minutes to go Colchester were denied a golden opportunity to put the game to bed when Emily Heaslip’s through ball found Sherwood in acres of space with only Spencer between her and the goal but incredibly the referee, who in fairness admitted his error, blew up for a late challenge on Heaslip despite the obvious need to apply the advantage rule.

Very little happened at the other end as Colchester’s well organized back four gave Gillingham’s strikers not a single chance on goal, the Gills only effort of note in the half a speculative 40 yard strike that was comfortably parried by Nikita Runnacles in the U’s goal.

The final whistle brought Colchester a well earned three points that lifts them to third place in the FA Women’s Premier League South.

Colchester: Runnacles, Southgate, Parnell, Davies, Porter, Heaslip, Gamby, Doyle (Nash 72), West (Shepherd 88), Sherwood (Guyon 79) Bass

Scorer: OG (Williams) 6

Colchester United Ladies Football Club 2-2 Nottingham Forest Ladies

Colchester United Ladies wrapped up their pre-season in positive fashion earning a well fought draw against Nottingham Forest Ladies.

United were quicker to raise their game to this level than last week against Millwall and began the match brightly with midfield pairing of Flo Gamby and Sian Larkin battling hard for control of the central area against a strong Forest unit. It was Larkin who came closest to scoring in the opening 20 minute period, her stinging 20 yard drive superbly tipped around the post by the Forest ‘keeper.

Forest however were also threatening at the other end, firstly when young Colchester right back Hayley West did exceptionally well to head away a vicious in swinging cross from the left past an onrushing Forest forward. Then on 26 minutes a long ball down Colchester’s right side line found West out of position and despite her efforts to recover the visitor’s left winger delivered a ball into the box which was fired towards goal. United keeper Nikita Runnacles produced a fine save but could only divert the ball towards another Forest forward who gratefully passed the ball into the open net.

Colchester could perhaps consider themselves unfortunate to be behind but came back strongly. They should have equalized when Emma Sherwood found herself in space in the visitor’s box but the young striker placed her shot just wide of the far post. Then, After winning a number of corners and set pieces which they failed to convert, another Amy Nash corner was half cleared to the top of the box where Gamby calmly played the ball out of the air to her midfield partner Larkin who swivelled quickly on the ball and fired home a 34th minute equalizer.

It was no more than Colchester deserved and they finished the half in the ascendency producing their best spell of the match. This was capped with four minutes remaining of the half with a superb passing move that swept the ball from the centre circle out left and back inside to Larkin who’s second touch created room for a right footed strike from 25 yards that gave the ‘keeper no chance.

The second half became a tough physical battle as both sides fought to gain control. Forest got the all important equalizing goal just after the hour mark, an otherwise solid United defensive shape allowing a ball into the box that a Forest striker received and finished well.

Helen Bass then showed great pace and determination to race free, only to have her effort blocked by Forest’s busy goalkeeper. Substitute Hannah Gowland then had a strong claim for a penalty denied as Colchester sought a winner

United made a number of changes in the last half hour in order to assess a number of players ahead of next weeks opening Women’s Premier League South fixture and it was two of those introduced that could have sealed the win in the dying minutes when the 16 year old Gowland, who has made a strong impression in pre-season, powered into the box and fired towards goal where Karissa Rodney just failed to direct her header goalwards with the keeper beaten.

All in all a positive performance from Colchester who will take a great deal of confidence from their pre-season preparations into next weeks encounter with the Hammers.

Colchester United: Runnacles, West, Parnell, Shepherd (Southgate 60), Porter, Davies, Nash (Rodney 65), Larkin, Bass, Sherwood (Gowland 78), Gamby (Fagg 75)

Subs not used: Tillyer, Guyon