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pedroscalls asks: Congratulations on a well deserved win. My question is, if money and time were no object which race or route would you like to do?

Gromit says: Hi Pedro , thanks for the question .......... hmmm let me think, my current dreaming about route is actually to do the wainwright C2C as a run ( I've done it as a walk ) , not looked at over how many days but if money was no object I'd be staying in swanky accommodation each night with baggage transfer ........ the more limiting factors would be getting a pass out from MrsG ;-)

I've also heard a great deal about Comrades race and that is limited by money so I guess race wise that would be the one :-)

Bintmcskint asks: Well done, Gromit! Well deserved. Here's my usual question...
So...you are stranded on a desert island. You can take one type of food, one book and one Fetchie. What and who do you take and why?

Gromit says: Hi Bint - thanks for the question :- Food = Easy Thai food is my favourite , book also easy Running and stuff by Binks of this parish - laugh out loud and have read it several times so I know it would still make me smile whilst waiting for rescue , and now the difficult one ....... Fetchie - I do a lot of my real world running with a fetchie - Johhnymad so I wouldn't want to offend him ......... but as I think there would be a fair bit of bad language due to being stranded on this island that only really leaves one obvious choice to join in the swearing and that would be Fleecy !!

Nicholls595 asks: Congratulations Gromit,
Does this mean I will have to curtsy when we next meet on the start line?

Gromit says: I thought you always did but yes defo from now on !! ;-)

The Mighty Fleecy asks: congrats Gromit! You are such a lovely fetchie, I'm glad you won

Tell me, what's your favourite running route in the whole world?

Gromit says: Hi Fleecy - thanks - my favourite running route is one in the peak district , you will notice a theme evolve .......... it starts at a well known outdoors type café at Grindleford train station then up thru longshaw estate and onto White Edge , at the halfway point there is usually a really nice mobile French converted van selling lovely coffee and cakes ........ then turn back and run along froggatt Edge and drop back down to the Grindleford café for a either giant Yorkshire filled with chips and gravy or a fried egg cob , either of which would be washed down with a mug of tea , 10 ish miles with fantastic views over the peak district often with Deer nearby - difficult route to do without lots of tourists tho :-(

Velociraptor asks: Congratulations, Gromit! Well deserved. You clearly have a preference for off-road and long distances; how did you discover that this was your strength?

Gromit says: Hi V'rap thanks - I think most runners come to that way of thinking don't they ? I remember joining the club and being told that once the nights got lighter and the clocks changed we wouldn't be running on the tarmac anymore and it would be a lot more off road - I was horrified !! then actually as we did the summer routes off road I realised they would make me a better runner , having always been a walker and loved walking in your neck of the woods especially the runs I'm able to do now especially in the lakes makes me smile 10 x more than any road run ..........

Also the running events off road have a totally different vibe to those on road nobody cares about you walking the up hills - which is good because I cant run them ;-)

and very rarely does anyone ask what your finishing time was , its more - did you finish and did you enjoy it ? - which for me is what its all about :-)

Autumnleaves asks: Well done Gromit

How or why did you choose your Fetchie name?

Gromit says: Hi Autumnleaves it stems from an old flame who back in the day used to say my face would often not give much away in terms of expression very much like gromit in the early Wallace and gromit films , it stuck as a nick name :-(

but I don't mind as I love the films and gromit is by far and away the brains of the outfit ;-)

mulbs asks: Hurrah! I've got loads to ask you . . . are you still in love with your Hokas? For a numpty tame ultra runner what are your top three must-do races? What's your facourite bit of kit? Are there any real "never again" races? Is Mrs Gromit v proud?

Gromit says: Hi Mulbs !! ask away .......... Hokas yes still love them , onto my 2nd pair of roads and also 2nd pair of trail although they are now overdue being changed ........ no ankle rolling anymore and the cushioning is brilliant on my longer runs too - only disappointment is the splitting on the side of the toe box so I am considering looking at Altras as an alternative for the off road stuff as I think that are slightly wider in the toe box ........... but then I can buy 3 pairs of hokas ( when they are on sale ) for the price of 1 pair of Altras ...... so the skinflint in me will prob stick with the Hoka challengers :-)

You're not a numpty ultra runner !! or are you saying I'm a numpty ultra runner in which that's ok cos its true ;-)

Round Ripon 35 was my 1st ultra , I had to do it to get the 1 point I needed for the UTMB ballot but I picked a good one , lovely route , not too hilly , some slight navigation to do but most of all fab fruit cake !! ( doing it again this year too ) i would like to do the hardmoors 30 at some point , loved the 55 but would like to do the shorter distance on new years day for the atmosphere etc , and I'm also hoping at some point to do the London to Brighton (off road version of course)

My favourite bit of kit - my Salomon race vest - it allows me to carry lots of sausage rolls ;-)

"never again" races ........... the hardmoors 55 is pretty close , i didn't enjoy the running thru the dark night ........ i love trail ultras for the views etc , if you cant see a view for hours of darkness ....... where's the point - having said that when i did my 1st marathon i said never again ........... hoping to crew for someone doing it next year.

Yes Mrs G is very proud - i need to remind her of that when I'm asking for a pass out to go down to London for the day to do a TBC and tell her its my duty as a MOTM ;-)

Captain S asks: Congratulations on a well deserved MOTM award.
You seem to like long distance races so......... you've qualified for your ultimate fantasy race, who would you choose as your running buddy to do it with and what is your ultimate fantasy race anyway?

Gromit says: Hi Captain - thanks for the question , yes I'm loving the longer stuff at the moment , ultimate fantasy race ( and it will always stay a fantasy ) would be the UTMB especially having been there for the start and the whole build up to it , the buzz is like nothing else , as for running buddy having read recent blog posts i think Bintmcskint would make a great running partner to keep me amused and on track to finish ............ I'd have to think of an interesting "safe" word - that was a new one on me :-)

Fenland Flier asks: Congrats again. 2 questions I guess but could be only 1 answer. Hills, long distance and off road why? Road running and marathons are easier, why not?

Gromit says: Hi Fenland Flier - as i said in a previous answer Road races / marathons are all about the speed , what time did you do , did you get a PB or a PW etc ........... not a lot of talking , a lot of folk ( at the back of the pack ) run with headphones on to keep them distracted , i prefer being in the hills and listening to the great outdoors and preferably having a good old natter with either someone you know or someone you've just met and exchanging life stories you would never normally do under any other circumstances , long distances just gives a good excuse to eat more ;-)

HappyG(rrr) asks: Many congratulations. Greatest accolade every, to be nominated top, nice, running person, by lots of nice, running people! My question, what do you get most from running - health and fitness, a bit of me time and headspace, fun times with nice people, or a bit of all of them? Or something else?! Well done again. :-)

G

Gromit says: Hi HappyGrr , thanks yes i was very honoured to even be nominated but to win was amazing !! very much all of the above , health and fitness and mainly spending time and making so many new friends from all over the place who all have the same love of the outdoors

cackleberry asks: Hi Gromit!! Member of the month, congratulations! So, Hardmoors 110..?

Gromit says: Hi Cackleberry !! Haha !! nope , never not ever ever ever ............ where do i sign up ;-)

i loved doing the 55 but i really don't think i could cover the distance or enjoy going thru the night , i think doing the 55 taught what my limitations are and 110 is way past that ......... I'm looking forward to seeing you have another crack at it tho ;-)

McGoohan asks: Congrats Gromit! My question is in two parts. First, you have, since you started running, knocked over half an hour off your Half Mara PB. So which of your other PBs is next to be toppled? And secondly, which would win in a fight between a shark and an octopus? Don't answer too quickly. In this scenario, the shark is blindfolded and the octopus has a knife.

Gromit says: ahhhh McGoohan - the question I'd been looking forward to the most/least ;-)

PB's to be toppled ....... I'd like to try at some point to get my half time down further just below 1.50 so anything starting with a 1.49 ....... but involves doing a flatish road run which i have no current plans to do , 2017 i'll have a crack at my 10k road time tho at somepoint ( which i think is pretty soft now ) and then there is my parkrun PB ( course has been changed since last PB ) .............so fingers crossed 2017 should see me with 2 nice new shiney times :-)

Now the more serious question .........i would think the octopus would win every time if the shark cant see the octopus ............ but then hang on sharks eyes are prob crap and use some kind of echo location hmmmm this ones tricky, i'll go with Shark ?

MH asks: Congratulations - I suspect that you might go for the OCC again - if so, what changes might you make to your training and prep?

Gromit says: Hi MH - thanks and yes you're right , having said to all the other DNF folk at La Flegere and also to Mrs G when i got back to the apartment that i wouldn't............ i will be entering the ballot again come December to have another crack at the OCC in 2017

Things I'd do differently , i would do even more hill training, not so much the uphills as i was pretty strong amongst those around me on the up hills - still walking obvs but the downhills lost me a fair bit of time some of which was due to me being injured so it was painfull running down hill. I would not stop early on to take photo's this put me quite far down the queue of folk on the steep hill climbs early on when we were all at a stand still for quite a long time , now knowing the route , the last section from Vallorcine to La Flegere had quite a few runnable sections early on which we walked thinking we had time on our side - we didn't so I'd run wherever possible regardless of how much time i thought i had ......... and perhaps most importantly , i made a good running buddy about half way thru the race but she struggled on the last section and i waited for her a lot - i need to be more selfish at these events where time is tight and i should have left her ............ :-(

northernslowcoach asks: Congratulations Gromit

favourite post race meal/tipple?!

Gromit says: Hi Coach , thanks !! i think chips and a pint of Lager shandy - although at the end of the longer races I'm never really hungry just really thirsty !!

BaronessBL asks: Congratulations...who has inspired you (perhaps in running, or perhaps just generally or perhaps both :-)

)?

Gromit says: Hi Baroness Thanks :-)

Nicky Spinks is a big inspiration to me in both running and just general terms , having fought back from breast cancer to do the runs and times she does as well as running a farm etc is just amazing , I've met her several times and shes lovely in real life as well :-)

it made me laugh recently to see that just weeks after a great run at the UTMB and all the attention that brought with it she was back running with her club mates in fancy dress as a nun carrying a 75kg beer barrel over kinder to help the team win the race in a very understated way.

Corrah asks: Many congratulations Gromit

My question is what's your favourite post run/race food and tipple?

Gromit says: Hi Corrah - Thanks :-)

some very salty and vinegar covered chips and a pint of nice cold shandy :-)

Sharkie asks: Hurrah for you! You played a huge part in improving your running club - what three, er, things do you think are most important for a successful club - one that manages to be 'serious' as well as fun and welcoming to all?

Gromit says: Hi Sharkie !! sooooooooooooo (NSS) thanks so much for the nomination !! the running club is now going form strength to strength i think the main thing is to make it welcoming to all but without upsetting the ego's of the faster runners ;-)

not always easy , social media is a massive help in showing the outside world how welcoming our club is , we make sure we post just as many "look who won this" photos' as the smiling face of our slowest runners on the peaks of the lakes this last weekend , the coaching session i,e hill reps , speedwork etc used to be all focused on fast runners i went once then didn't bother ..... we now make sure we use a handicap system so everyone gets something from the sessions and everyone improves , most of all delegating small jobs throughout the club across all abilities and sexes so everyone feels they have a "place" in the club :-)

PeterFay asks: How and where will you celebrate the 2016 1000 mile mark?

Gromit says: Well its hopefully just around the corner , so i will try and plan for it to be a run in the peaks followed by a sandwich ......... jam of course with an amazing view - photo to follow !!

Member of the Month - Gromit