THE HARRIERS HERALD
No.
149, July 2005
Editorial
Sue
Thurs 7th Martin
to lead
Thurs 14th Dick
to lead
Thurs 21st Susanne to lead
Thurs 28th Vicky to lead
Thurs 4th Philomena
to lead
Thurs 11th Handicap Race
Thurs 18th Lucy to lead
Thurs 25th Tom
to lead
Correspondence received by
Secretary
Abbreviations: BCAA =
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Correspondence received |
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Sender
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Subject matter |
Action |
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Race Secretary |
Entry forms: Barns Green
Half marathon ( |
Mo & notice-board |
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SEAA |
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File |
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AAA |
Development Newsletter
(Welfare); Report on modernisation of
athletics in the |
File |
Ridgeway Relay,
Sunday 19th June
From the runners’ perspective……..
Leg 1 (Martin): Ivinghoe Beacon to
(by Sue): After a fast downhill start, which
saw
Leg 2 (Lucy):
My
plan after the water-stop at Tring was to park up at the Leg 2 start and do a
warm-up to the toilets in Wendover and back.
After pounding the hot tarmac for half a mile though, I was worried that
the journey back would have too much of a warming effect. But as luck would have it I met a worried
pair of runners who hadn’t heard about the new changeover point and were
feeling a little isolated in the empty car park. They seemed delighted to give me a lift to
the start, once I told them where it was!
I
got back in plenty of time to cool down and get hyped up for the hills. Martin came galloping in for a record time
and I took off like a speeding tram through the alleys, hastily deciding to
leave my camelbak behind. The first
person I saw was a chap who must have taken the wrong turn, then a lady in
front, both of whom made a wider gap up the hill. As we climbed the path to the monument a few
people overtook me, and my legs started to grumble about the early
activity. The wooded areas gave some
shelter and allowed me to engage in a duel with a leggy runner who was
excellent on the ups, but let me steam ahead on the downs. I eventually got ahead of him at Chequers,
where I picked up my camelbak and a drenching from the team 1-litre bottle – an
early form of team sponge. For the next
couple of miles I was chasing another chap who occasionally stopped to walk. He eventually stopped to open a gate for me
(what a gent!) just before the pub. Too
late I realised we had taken a short cut and avoided a narrow flight of
steps. Horrors! What if I got a time penalty?! At the pub I handed back my empty camelbak
for the last hill. Susanne had advised
me to ‘Take a deep breath and run up’. I
took several and jogged up. When I
reached the 1-in-4 section I stopped jogging and took big strides with hands on
knees, my breathing making painful noises.
With still an endless-seeming path to the finish I tried to resume ‘10k
pace’ and eventually caught sight of the red and white tape through the
trees. I handed over to Pete with relief
mixed with foreboding. On the bare
trails ahead he would be flambé!
Leg 3 (Pete): Whiteleaf Car Park to M40, 9.4 M,
My
receipt of the invisible baton signalling the start of my leg coincided with my
first hay fever attack of the day. This
resulted in a tightening of my lungs, and the reduction in oxygen meant all my
energy was reserved for running – so apologies for not thanking the support
team for drinks and glucose tablets at the time.
Whilst
the heat did not cause undue problems it did mean that many of the opposition
were unable to take advantage of my problems.
Equally poor navigation skills resulted in a couple of runners passing
me twice after running unscheduled detours.
A third runner was heading into the distance before he heard my shouts
and doubled back. Sportsmanship is not
dead.
Although
there was a net drop in altitude in my leg it did officially contain 896 feet
of ascent and a field with a bull in it to add interest. The lack of runners in red vests and the heat
meant the bull was content to be a spectator.
I
had expected to hear the roar of motorcycle engines on the scrambling track
next to the M40 to alert me to the fact that I was reaching the end of my
leg. I eventually learnt from a fellow
runner that the circuit has been closed so my initial concern that I was
further from the finish than I actually was turned out to be unfounded. Fortunately the latter stages were flat and I
felt more comfortable toward the finish than at the start! Nonetheless I was pleased to hand over to Mo
and undertake support duties for the rest of the day.
Leg 4 (Mo): M40 to Swyncombe, 5.4 M,
This year, it was
with some trepidation that I left home with Sue on race morning, having injured
myself 3 weeks previously and having run no more than 2 miles since the
unfortunate event. This year, I was down
to run leg 4 for a change … at least it was shorter than my usual leg 3 by
nearly 4 miles, so fingers crossed I would be able to run for 5 and a bit
miles. Anyway, our super-sub was bound
to volunteer at the last minute to take over the leg … whatever was I worrying
about?
On our arrival at
the race start car park area, I looked around for Tom … he was bound to have
his gear on, begging me to let him run leg 4 wasn’t he? Alas no … armed with camera rather than
running shoes, I’m sure I could see the obvious look of relief on Tom’s face as
I arrived ready for action..
Never mind, one
with such experience and ability as me would surely be able to stagger along
for at least 5.4 miles! A gentle jog
down the road from the car park towards the race start area and then an even
steadier one up the slopes towards the beacon confirmed that at least my limbs
were moving and propelling me forward without too much discomfort … I should be
OK.
As the race
started and Martin came tearing down the hill in the lead, as if chasing the
famous cheese of Cooper’s Hill fame, I turned round to jog back to the car park
… I had at least another 3½ hrs before I would need to start worrying about my
leg.
As the dreaded
hour approached, so the adrenalin built up and before I knew what was
happening, Peter had handed over to me and I was on my way … no last-minute
reprieve! I took it very steady at
first; unsure of the affect the pounding would have on my damaged left leg
operating system, then I sped up to a jogging pace as the pain was just about
bearable … the object was to finish … I
didn’t want to let the team down.
It’s funny, but I
wasn’t aware that anyone went past me, except for a lady runner just after Pete
handed over to me, yet according to the results I lost 4 places! Encouraged by the team support, I did
actually overtake another lady who was struggling in the 30 degree heat just
after North Farm, before I put in a supreme effort in scaling the final ascent
up K2 to hand over to Sue at Swyncombe Church.
Leg 5 (Sue): Swyncombe to South Stoke, 10.1 M,
Despite
the early start to the day I was feeling remarkably sprightly. However, I was apprehensive about running 10
miles as the temperature rose above 30oC: sunburn, sunstroke and
dehydration were all concerns.
Well-hydrated, plastered in Susanne’s recommended sun-cream, and with
cap on head, I waited at the top of the hill as Mo made his way towards
me. My stage started with a gentle
downhill, before a very steep climb up through the woods where I overtook a
lady from the Handy Cross team. I felt
quite comfortable on the undulating tracks round Ewelme Park, but battling
through the field of shoulder-high rape was less enjoyable. A short uphill wooded stretch, and I was met
by the team with much needed water from Lucy. Correctly finding my way across
the golf course this time, I reached Grim’s ditch for the steady descent. The tough three miles were done. I knew the rest of the route was flat or
gently downhill and should be easier…..
Grim’s
ditch is a lovely 3-mile long wooded track, but the trees seemed to provide
little respite from the heat. I passed a
Headington lady but, reaching the B4009 near Crowmarsh, I was no longer
enjoying it (and it shows in the photos!).
Following a drowning from Martin, I continued on my way. My target time of
Leg 6 (Iain): South Stoke to Bury Down, 10.4 M,
Discussing the
concept of the Ridgeway Relays (or any sporting thing I do) with family
members, friends and work colleagues always results in strange facial
expressions, shaking of heads and finally a look of pity you would give a
poor deluded fool. I assure them that with the correct training,
preparation and pace judgment anyone can do these events. However
With my
adrenaline rushing, nerves jangling and bowels overflowing, Sue appears
gazelle-like into the Stage 5/6 transition.
After the traditional hand slapping handover I set off at a pace that
even
So whose fault
was it? Well for the majority of my
"run" Martin was to blame however, being logical and fair minded, I
would blame Vicky as well. As she forced
me to drink alcohol the previous evening.
What is the moral
of this story? Don't trust English
people. So the question you will be
asking yourself is "Will I be back next year?". The only answer I have is yes. Will I do stage 6 again? Damn right I will. Why?
Because I love it. Thanks to
everyone on the team for making a brilliant day and in particular to Martin for
his organisation.
Leg
7 (Vicky): Bury Down to
I was not looking forward to my leg having seen
the state of Iain after his ascent up the hill from Goring. Iain’s last words whilst handing over to me
at the start of my leg warned me to take it easy and not go out too quick. So, as usual, I heeded his wise words and
started off at what I thought was a reasonably slow pace. The first couple of miles seemed fine, but
then I started to struggle. I gratefully
took Martin’s sponge and water offered at the first crossing point with the road
and even stopped for a minute. After
that I found it very tough, every ounce of energy seemed to have evaporated
from my body. After 3 miles, I doubted
whether I could even make it around the last six! The marathon seemed a distant memory. Slight inclines even seemed a challenge and I
have to admit to walking up a couple.
Many thanks to Martin for running out to meet me for the last ¾ mile of
my leg – carrying a water bottle and offering lots of encouragement. He also verified that the shining haze in the
distance towards the end of my leg was in fact a silver car in the car park at
end of my leg, and not a mirage.
Leg 8 (Phil): SW Wantage to Charlbury Hill, 7.8 M,
My first
experience of the Ridgeway Relay started when Martin asked me whether I would
be interested in taking part, to which I casually replied, “yeah no problem,
put my name down.” All went well with
the preparation for my leg and even better the team kindly came with me when I
first went to check out my leg. It
turned out not to be too bad a leg apart from a “bump” (a word I have come to
dread since joining the
Anyway I was
determined to give it my best shot and set off feeling positive. I started off reasonably comfortably and even
managed to overtake somebody within the first few minutes. However after only about 25 minutes into the
run I was beginning to get rather uncomfortable only to look ahead and see the
team at a crossroads, what a lovely sight that was! A good soaking from “the sponge” soon sorted
me out and off I went again. Knowing
that I would soon meet the team again kept me going “between sponges” and this
way I managed to complete my leg and even overtake a few more people towards
the end. All in all I had a great time
and felt really supported. I have not
run as part of a team before and it was a great experience. I would definitely do it again. Thanks everyone for the great support. Here’s to next year!
Leg 9 (Nigel): Charlbury Hill to
As I lined up at Charlbury
Hill in preparation for yet another mass start I considered, for a moment, the
fact that the name of this event suggests that one would normally take over
from one team-mate and hand over to another, but no, I was to take over from no
one and hand over to no one!
Despite setting off at a
fairly conservative pace, I soon found myself in the lead and things were going
well until just beyond Liddington Hill.
A female runner apparently wanted to challenge me and kept pulling
alongside, only to fall back every 200 metres or so. Unperturbed, I soldiered on and, before very
long, she appeared to be struggling and, rather alarmingly, began to weep as
she ran (rather off-putting).
As I approached the road
crossing on Round Hill Downs, I was aware that Martin was waiting to greet me
with the club sponge. Having already
granted him permission to use it, I prepared myself for a soaking. The cool water was welcome, but the sponge
looked and smelled as though it had previously been used to wipe a canteen
floor.
An easier section from here
and I was relishing the thought of the downhill run into Ogbourne St. George,
but on reaching the Roman approach road into the village, I soon realised that
it was going to be a lot tougher than I’d expected. There was little air at this level and the
heat radiating from the tarmac made it feel like running on hot coals.
After a third rendezvous
with the sponge in Ogbourne St. George, it was time to tackle the final 1.5
miles up to
Leg 10 (Dick):
(by Sue): Dick was surprised that so many of the Harriers team did not
look to be happy in their running on this hot day. He said we would enjoy it much more if we
tried smiling. Dick set off from
And
from the supporter’s perspective……..
What a Way to Spend Father’s Day
It’s
So
far so good. After overhearing Martin saying that he had 11 potential runners
for the 10 stages of the forthcoming Ridgeway Relay I had very reluctantly
offered my services as 12th man or more precisely 11th person thereby
selflessly putting aside all thoughts of personal honour and glory for the good
of the club.
One
minute to six and Martin turns up with Lucy and Nigel closely followed by Dick.
That’s four out of the ten, good. I confirm that Mo and Sue will be going
directly to the start and transfer my kit etc. to Dick’s car. Off we go, Dick
driving with one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding the choke out
as we fail to slow down for any road cushions and Martin recedes further into
the distance.
With
no further instances we arrive at the car park by Ivinghoe Beacon. A quick
check confirms that Sue and more importantly Mo have arrived and he’s not
limping, a positive sign. A rather strangled hello indicates that Pete has also
turned up. Seven in total, only three more to go. Things are looking hopeful.
We make our way up to the start and I make some excuse about lighting and
backdrop and settle down with my camera half way up the hill. Then they are off
and over the brow they charge. Martin, arms flailing and showing total
disregard for the steep downhill is in front as I desperately try to zoom in
and focus as I’m not convinced I’ll get another chance to shoot a Compton
Harrier in the lead.
By
now the temperature is rapidly rising to the forecast 30+ oC and a
rather exhausted looking Martin, though no longer in the lead, sets a cracking
pace and is well up as he hands over to Lucy. The mantle of responsibility sits
comfortably on her shoulders as she sets of with the conditions becoming more
oppressive by the mile. By Chequers even the normally cool Lucy resorts to the
relief of Martin’s magic sponge and as the end of her leg approaches a knowing
smile flickers across her lips as she hands on to the unsuspecting Pete. Over
the next few miles we manage to catch up with our man on several occasions as
the effects of the heat and / or hay fever induce white foam to form at the
mouth but nothing stops a Compton Harrier and he keeps on going. Meanwhile a
careful eye kept on Mo has revealed no sign of any rapid deterioration in
fitness, so it looks like I will be able to save my prepared excuses for
another occasion – possibly a Handicap or even the Boundary Run.
Mo’s
is an almost faultless run and he even avoids the now traditional bleeding
nipples, cheerfully smiling for the camera when necessary except for the finish
where no amount of encouragement persuades him to raise his head or at least
look as if he is having fun and it’s only a little hill after all.
With
her jaw set grim with determination, Grizzly cap jammed on her head and
clutching her water bottle Sue takes over. The conditions have taken their toll
and it looks like we will miss the cut off time for the mass start. This could
affect the best laid plans of mice and Martin who can see all his careful
planning unravelling. Dick on the other hand sees it as an opportunity to get
to the pub quicker. The heat, however,
is not going to slow our Sue and it’s soon clear that we are in with a chance
of making it to South Stoke in time. I’m more concerned that Iain and Vicky
(runners 8 and 9) will be there and as luck would have it not only are they
both waiting for us but Sue puts in a stormer and makes it before a slightly
delayed cut off.
Now
it’s up to Iain, early navigational conditions are overcome and then it’s
constant uphill and the temperature has reached 32oC. But I’ve got
more important things on my mind. Will the remaining member of the team, Phil,
be waiting at
From
here on things start to get confused as Iain finishes in very good time but a
series of mass starts kick in and I’m left trying to get to two places at once
and worryingly Martin takes over responsibility for Phil. Still the temperature
is dropping and it’s only 30o as Vicky sets a steady pace showing
little sign of discomfort behind the sunglasses.
Meanwhile
I race over to the next leg where Phil is about to be set off with two others.
Despite her Kenyan background she is worried about the heat and has an early
appointment with the sponge. It’s here I notice that whereas the male runners
are left to douse themselves there are plenty of willing hands to ensure that
the ladies and in particular their t-shirts get a good soaking.
Phil turns out to be a thoroughbred and several
drenchings later finishes having passed five other runners, but we’ve missed
Nigel who is well into his leg by now. There’s only one opportunity to catch up
with him and he obligingly smiles and makes it all look so easy. Why can’t he
show pain like the others it makes for a much better, more interesting photo.
It’s
the last leg, Dick is already on his way and The Bear beckons. At Hackpen Hill
there is little sign of the limp and only one further chance of watching his
progress before we all arrive full of excitement and anticipation at the
Marlborough Leisure Centre to see
Tom Doy reporting, embedded
with
Tom’s photographs of the team in action can now be viewed on the Club
website
At the time when I
pre-entered the race, Mo’s injury was particularly bad, so he decided he would
probably enter on the day. However, the
previous week’s Ridgeway Relay had aggravated his injury and, the day before the
event, he decided he would take his bike and cycle round while I was
racing. Race day morning was rather
hectic as we woke to find the fridge had defrosted itself over night and partly
flooded the kitchen floor. Mo kindly
sorted it out (well, it wasn’t me who shoved the egg carton against the defrost
knob!) while I ate my customary malt loaf and some strawberries that were
floating in their punnet as a result of the fridge incident. We arrived at The Lambourn Centre with half an
hour to spare – time to off-load Mo’s bike, collect my number, visit the toilet
and have a short warm-up.
Compared with the heat wave
of the previous Sunday, it was cold (only 12oC) and breezy. The organisers were pleased to have a record
number of entrants (70) contesting the 6K event which was, as usual, laid back
and friendly but also well-organised and competitive. I ran with two men for the first 1K but the
1.5K uphill section spread us out and the rest of the route was a bit of a
lonely run. Mo was waiting with the
camera at the top of the downhill section but, once he’d taken the obligatory
photo, he sped off. I reached the finish
in
I commented to Mo afterwards
that I really like this event, to which he replied ‘because you won?!’. Well, that’s a bonus, but it’s just the kind
of distance I enjoy – why aren’t there more 6K road races on offer? Plus, it’s a nice local event, you can have a
good hard race and be home again by lunchtime.
Sue
For the first time in several years, Jan was unable to time-keep for the Handicap Race, so it was up to me to me to try to keep up her good work. Having had an early run round the route myself, I set off the six runners. Phil was worried about finding her way, so she set off with Lucy. Pete had persuaded his colleague Ebrahim to come along, so those two set off together. Dick set off shortly afterwards, while Martin had to wait a further 2 minutes for his start. As there was a ‘Birds of Prey’ display happening in the cricket field, I thought I could watch that for 8 or 9 minutes then have time to get back to see the first runner in. However, as I was leaving the cricket field to get back to my station, I saw Dick racing along the road in hot pursuit of Lucy, so I had to get up a bit of a sprint myself in order to clock the (rather approximate) times. Bring back Jan! Anyway, Lucy crossed the line first just 2 seconds off her PB, while Dick equaled his April time for second spot. Martin took third place in a very quick time with Phil 4th. Had Phil set off at her correct start time she would have been first home as she knocked an incredible 83 seconds off her predicted time. Ebrahim struggled, despite Pete’s encouragement, and had to drop out leaving Pete to bring up the rear. The next Handicap Race is scheduled for 11th August.
|
Pos |
Name |
Start time |
Finish time |
Actual time |
Handicap Beaten? |
|
1 |
Lucy |
0:12 |
|
|
-0:13 |
|
2 |
Dick |
|
|
|
-0:09 |
|
3 |
Martin |
|
|
|
+0:01 |
|
4 |
Philomena |
0:12 |
|
|
-1:23 |
|
5 |
Pete |
0:34 |
|
|
- |
|
|
Sue |
- |
- |
|
+0:02 |
Website
update… http://comptonharriers.cjb.net/
Mo
Has anyone made use of the Runner’s Survival Guide I
featured in last month’s report? Unfortunately there was nothing to help with
my own left side aches and pains from hip to knee … except for the
much-appreciated odd massage by my luverlee one.
With the exceptionally hot weather recently, it’s
important when running in the sun to be aware of its capacity to cause damage
to the skin. With this in mind the first link for the month is http://www.medelo.com which features Daylong
sun protection cream … and several of us have first hand experience of it’s
excellent protection properties having used it during the recent Ridgeway Relay
(speak to Susanne for more details).
My next link concerns one of my favourite subjects …
food! Runners World have provided a
really good article on Nutrition aimed at the special needs for a healthy and
balanced diet for runners. There are
several turbo-charged sarnie recipes and a string of links to
other related articles … enough to keep you interested for hours! The link is http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=1939
Finally, for anyone who may be considering the High
Peak Challenge in September and is in need of a place to stay, I was asked by
the owners of a local B & B (who happen to be runners themselves) if I
would include a link to their website, so here it is … http://www.assi73.dsl.pipex.com
Fixtures: A selection of
local and other well known events for your information. If you need any entry forms, I can email most
of them on request.
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Sunday 3rd
July 2005 – 10K SAM RUN 2005 and
5K RUN – start
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Saturday 27th
&
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Saturday 17th
&
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Sunday 18th
September
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(Mo – July 2005)