THE HARRIERS HERALD
No.
142, December 2004
Editorial
Welcome to December’s Harriers Herald. Following the November and December
Thursday
night schedules, and reminders about the London Marathon Club Entry and
the
Christmas
Meal, Susanne gives an update of member’s performances in her
Bike
Challenge. Mo’s selected
Websites
cover everything from ‘training pace calculators’ to orthotics. His recommended race Fixtures list takes us up
to the beginning of March. There are
results and short reports for the first
Early wishes for a Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year!
Sue
Thurs 2nd Vicky
to lead (followed by A.G.M.)
Thurs 9th Handicap
Race
Thurs 16th Dick
to lead
Thurs 23rd No
leader scheduled
Thurs 30th No
leader scheduled
Thurs 6th Susanne to lead
Thurs 13th Lucy
to lead
Thurs 20th Handicap Race
Thurs 27th Pete to lead
I’ve now received our Club
Entry. All those who applied for the
2005 London Marathon and were not accepted are entitled to go into the draw to
receive the Club Entry (the draw will take place at the Christmas Meal, so
please let me know before then if you qualify).
For all those attending our
Christmas Meal/Party, a reminder that it takes place at ‘The John Barleycorn’
pub in Goring on Saturday 18th December,
Bike challenge
2004
After a long
meeting with the judges we have finally made a decision regarding Dick's faulty
start; we cannot deny that he has a handicap but he does seem to make
improvement every day. So, he will on this occasion only, receive 1 minute in
handicap time. However due to his faulty
start we will have to add 70 sec. to his time so the results are currently as
follows:
1. Martin
2. Dick
3. Mo 26:43
4. Sue 33:45 (with approx. 1.7 km detour)
Website update… http://comptonharriers.cjb.net/
Mo
I receive regular emails from Runners World on a variety of subjects, so I thought this month it would be a good idea to feature RW as one of the links of interest. The home page can be accessed at http://www.runnersworld.co.uk However; I would like to suggest that you follow this link also http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=1681 as it leads to a Race Time Predictor which seems to work rather well. The calculator lets you input an actual race time over a certain distance to see what you should be capable of at another distance. There are other similar calculators about, but I particularly like this one. The formula used is also published along with a very interesting article. (I will attempt to plagiarize and load the calculator on our site for future use).
Now, in addition to the Race Time Predictor, the RW site also has a Training Pace Calculator together with an excellent article on all the ingredients required for the serious runner … and of course for the not so serious runner who wishes to improve using a “proper” training regime! The required link for this is
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?sp=&v=1&UAN=1676. Have you heard of Yasso 800s? Well, if you haven’t you should definitely check out the above link and supporting article … you will find it very fascinating.
Here is the latest idea for those of you who are interested in orthotics that do not cost an arm and a leg ... follow this link http://www.orthoticsonline.co.uk … you should be able to make a considerable saving. The process requires you to fill in and return a questionnaire. From this the company will be able to ascertain whether supports / orthoses will be of benefit and if additional information is required. An impression box will be sent for you to take an impression of your feet. You then return the impression box to Orthotics Online using the prepaid postage and packaging. A model of your feet will be made. This will enable a stock device to be fitted to the cast and modified in accordance with the evaluation of the information provided. The finished device will be returned to you along with the instructions for use.
The cost? … as little as £39.00!
I think that’s probably enough excitement for this month, so on to the
fixture list …
Fixtures: A selection of
local and other well known events for your information:-
·
·
Ladies Start
time:
·
·
·
·
Ladies Start
time:
·
·
·
Ladies Start
time:
·
·
Sunday
Organised by Team Kennet (Contact
·
Sunday
·
·
Ladies Start
time:
(Mo - Dec 2004)
For the third successive year, Nick entered a
combined Team-Kennet /
The running course was a ‘proper cross-country’ including
fields, muddy paths, a water splash and a 250m hill up to the finish, all very soft
underfoot. The ladies race was
approximately 3 miles and was won by Wendy Jones of Cirencester in
The men’s race was almost 6
miles and featured some entertainment as some sheep in a neighbouring field
jumped over a dry stone wall to find themselves on the course amongst the
runners. Runners and sheep looked
terrified and there was temporary chaos until the sheep found a way into
another field. Nick had to drop out with
a calf strain, while Pete realised he wasn’t quite over his bad cold and
decided one lap was enough. However, it
was nice to see Dick finish with a big grin on his face, having completed his first
race since his back operation. The
winner was veteran Chris Sykes of
Avebury 8, 21st November
Last year our
friends at Marlborough Running club invited
Any of you who
have had experience of our car in the last five years or so will know that the
Digiplex unit, that controls the ignition timing, has a habit of over advancing
the spark causing the engine to cut out intermittently on cold damp days. We have come to accept this glitch, as it
only occurs in winter and is easily solved by pulling over and switching off
for a few seconds. If you don’t pull
over, it will stutter on, getting slower and slower, until you can barely keep
moving. This is a bit irritating in the
normal way, but when you’re doing about 85 and committed to overtaking three
cars, in the face of oncoming vehicles, it does get quite exciting. I turned off to Avebury with heart already
pounding and in no need of a warm up.
As I approached
the well signed car park a lovely young lady invited me to follow the marshal’s
directions and reminded me that I would need to fork out another quid as it was
“Pay & Display”. I dutifully
shuffled off to the meter to find with immense joy that parking was free for
National Trust members. What a valuable
investment that £60 annual subscription has turned out to be.
Being slightly
embarrassed by my new status as “the old bloke with a pony-tail and a limp” (why
this is so much worse than being “the old bloke with a pony-tail” I can’t
explain) I decided to change in the car before heading for the village hall and
Start. The plan was to sneak round there
when most would be on their way to the line, drop off my kit and Compton entry
forms in the hall, and reach the Start just in time for the off. My timing was slightly out though as, when I
reached the High Street, there were plenty of runners still massed outside the
hall. Marie-Anne Fischer (known to us as
Mrs. Hanno) spotted me first and greeted me with a loudish, “Hello Dick, are
you running?” I barely had time to
mumble that I was just giving it a try; that it was first time out other than
XC and furthest attempted since February, before someone whose name I have
forgotten, came out of the hall and used exactly the same greeting. This time I didn’t have a chance to answer
before Alan Joslyn emerged using those same few words. He spoke with such volume and incredulity
that everyone looked round to see who this poor soul with the crippling
disability could be. If I hadn’t been
warmed up before - I was now!
Seeking refuge in
the now almost empty hall, I deposited my bag, distributed a few forms and
vowed to stay behind the others until the race began. I managed to hang back on the 300 yard or so
walk to the Start, but when I got there something strange happened. During the Starter’s chat, in which I recall
him mentioning mud and water-wings several times, I couldn’t help moving nearer
the front. You see, when I’m standing
still, I don’t feel any slower than I was this time last year! As I looked around at the others assembled
there, I was somehow convinced that, when it came to it, I would miraculously
be able to run normally again. Well, it
didn’t happen. As we set off I was
thankful that I’d resisted the urge to get right up front and that only a few
came past in the first half mile, to establish me in what I guessed to be about
thirtieth place.
Those of you who
ran here last time will know that, despite the local terrain being quite hilly,
the course is - for some of us at least - boringly flat. The redeeming feature for me is that the
underfoot conditions, in some parts, are quite demanding. Wet and muddy it was last year, this time it
was very wet and very muddy indeed. Many
of us took a fall and some, by the look of them afterwards, took several. As far as I am aware though, nobody was
seriously harmed. On the tougher
sections I was able to hold my own, but in the middle of the route there is a
long stretch of firm track on which, despite the distraction of cheery
greetings from Tim and later Ted, I lost the plot. Several runners passed me here while I was in
the doldrums. Once we got back on the
slippery stuff and particularly when I heard a voice behind say, “Oh no, here
we go again!”, I perked up, held off any further challenges and actually
finished quite strongly. Given that some
had come by while I dragged both
feet, my earlier guesstimation must have been close. I was home in 39th place, obviously nearer
the back than I would like, but still in the first half.
At the Finish I
“saw in” a couple more runners before heading back to the hall to collect my
T-shirt and discover the flaw in my plan.
Clean clothes I had, but no shoes other than a very muddy pair of
RXs. This, coupled with the prospect of
one of Daph’s Sunday dinners, was sufficient reason for me to abandon all
principles and shamefully slink off home without waiting to applaud the
winners.
Nigel Shepherd was first
back in 55:39. Unless anyone with a
Christian name of Nigel, Allan, Jonathon, Richard or Robert was female, Deborah
Wilkins was first lady in
Four
After a quick change into clean clothes (the ladies
showers had cold water, while the men’s showers had no water at all) we
attended the prize-giving. I received a
nice silver cup for being third vet-35 lady, though I noticed in the results
that a vet-45 lady was third overall and some two-minutes quicker than me! Once again, it was a very well organised
event and all finishers received a nice royal blue T-shirt.
At ‘The Queen’s Head’ in Eynsham, Susanne learnt the
meaning of the English phrases ‘Sarnie’, ‘Butty’, ‘Brunch’ and ‘Brekky’. It was chip-butties and cheese-toasties all
round to reward ourselves for a successful morning’s work.
First man 30:57
First lady 35:44
Sue F 39:30 89th
Susanne 43:55 192nd
Lucy 46:10 260th
Mo 58:21 496th
Last finisher 81:30 560th
Handicap Race (Village Lap)
Sue
F
Seven runners
took part in November’s Village Lap handicap race. It was cold, drizzling, blustery and
dark. On top of this, we had to contend
with various obstructions on the route, including cars parked all around the
top of
|
Pos |
Name |
Start time |
Finish time |
Actual time |
Handicap Beaten? |
|
1 |
Dick |
|
|
|
-0:41 |
|
2 |
Marie |
|
|
|
-0:12 |
|
3 |
Sue F |
|
|
|
+0:06 |
|
4 |
Susanne |
|
|
|
+0:19 |
|
5 |
Mo |
0:45 |
|
|
+0:25 |
|
6 |
Pete |
|
|
|
New Runner |
|
7 |
Tom |
|
|
|
+0:31 |
|
Position |
Name |
Race
points |
||||||
|
Race
1 |
Race
2 |
Race
3 |
Race
4 |
Race
5 |
Race
6 |
Total |
||
|
1 |
Dick |
7 |
7 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
14 |
|
2 |
Sue F |
5 |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
10 |
|
3= |
Marie |
- |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
6 |
|
3= |
Vicky |
6 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
6 |
|
5= |
Lucy |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
|
5= |
Tom |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
|
5= |
Susanne |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
|
8= |
Mo |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
|
8= |
Pete |
- |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
|
10 |
Martin |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
|
11 |
Yvonne |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |