baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

BA Athletics Club News Digest 10th August 2020

Events - see below:

Inclusions, with photos, please to Roderick Hoffman at news@barunner.org.uk.

Solo Events Calendar

Unrestricted races are still few and far between so the club continues to operate with Solo and Shared runs as listed above - for restrictions and advice see the Coronavirus footnote at the end of this digest.  For the shared activities we need to continue to work with the social distancing gap of 2metres. Any member can organise a shared activity by following the England Athletics guidance, filling in the risk assessment form and notifying myself or Steve Hillier that you have done so in advance of the event.

Roderick Hoffman

Midweek Challenge - Street-O Norbiton

The Street-O is this week's "Midweek Challenge" but the weather forecast is not encouraging (hence "Dodge the thunderstorms" above). For that reason we'll extend the entry period for this one right the way to the end of Friday 21st August (and even over that weekend if anyone show willing). This time instead of visiting the postboxes near you I'm asking colleagues to run a specific Street-O course in Norbiton and use an App to record their progress.

The App is called "MapRunF" and is available from Apple and Google App stores. Download the App, install it, enter your name and other key information and then select the map Norbiton which is within the UK / South London / 2018-19 Season folder. The App will manage your start and finish, and tell you when you are at each of the controls. When you run you do not use the App to navigate. Instead you will need to print off a copy of the map and run round with that, and use your watch to check on how long you have been running for. To get the map to print it off - click on the map here.

This map shows the location of the Street-O map with the circles showing control points. You are allowed to start your run at ANY of the control points. You then have one hour to pass by as many of the other controls as you can, and to get back to where you started from. The controls are worth different values. Those labeled 1 to 19 are worth ten points, though labeled 20 to 29 twenty points, 30 to 39 thirty points, 40 to 49 forty points and 50 and above fifty points. If you take longer than one hour then time penalties will apply. The App, if correctly installed and started(!), will track your run and will bleep loudly when it gets close enough to the centre of each control point to count. If you have a Garmin watch and don't want to run with the phone there is a Garmin download which will also perform the function but it is said to be more fiddly to set up than the App.

Note that although you can start at any control, my advice is not to start at the "50" control in the top left hand corner of the map. That is because your start point loses its points score (in this case 50 points) and instead the "normal" start/finish is worth those points. But you've be challenged to make it to the normal start/finish on this map in the bottom right hand corner from and back to the "50" Control (but some may take this as a challenge!)

When you are ready to start, position yourself a short way away from the Control you want to start from. Then start the App, select this map, put your phone into "Aircraft" mode to avoid distractions, press "Go To Start" and walk towards the control. When you get close enough to it the phone will bleep and you are off, with one hour to go before you need to be back at the same Control. Your result will show in a table i should be able to access - but please email me your result and thoughts on the run.

I will let you do your "Midweek" run at any time from Tuesday 11th to 5pm on Friday 21st.

 You can pair up if you like, but do so within Covid-19 guidelines.

Further details see also: https://slow.org.uk/about/poc/ or ask me.

Roderick Hoffman

Midweek Mile results

14 participants for this week's Midweek Mile.

Mike was fastest, being chased (literally) by Maria as fastest woman. Bob makes it a top three shutout for Bushy Park, albeit on a different day. Two of us ran on the Bath Road "Dream Mile" course (others from BA and Amadeus are still working/running from home). Michael gave me a one minute start and then tried to chase me down...with me making sure I got to the finish post before he did to show him which post it was. The only obstacle on the course was a grass mower that gave us both a face full of fine grass cuttings. I was OK but Michael spent the following 07:34 (or perhaps more) coughing.

Barry ran his guts out on a new course but then in checking his watch he realised that the course had been short - so had to do it again...plus a little bit more.

Month on month we continue to see improvements from Michael and Bob. Melanie gets the prize for the most scenic skyscraper. Denis' looks more restricted by the town planners.

Perhaps next month Mohammed will move to the Mountain and I'll organise several of us to run at Bushy - if Mike, Maria or Bob are willing? This is likely to be the week of 7th September.

Roderick Hoffman

NOW Announcement for 19th August at Osterley Park

Meet in front of Osterley House for a 12:15 start. We will use the 2.5km parkrun loop and you have the choice of attempting one, two or three laps and finish before the clock strikes "one". Or we could accommodate anyone wishing to try a Ross Barkley 5km in 45 minutes (elapsed).

• Toilets available,
• Free bike parking between house and cafe,
• Free car parking in Osterley Park for National Trust members (otherwise quite expensive since you have to book a tour of the house). Must be booked in advance - can be booked for the 19th from Friday,
• Free car parking outside the park in Osterley Lane (all hours),
• Free car parking in Jersey Road (east of main park gates) from 12 noon onwards.

The cafe with outdoor tables should be open though may be restricted to food / drink bought from the cafe.

Covid-19 rules will apply so I will need to raise a risk assessment for this event - even if in practice this only lists the participants. Contact me to say you may be in attendance (by sunset on 18th August).

Steve Newell / Roderick Hoffman

SOLO Activity Achievement Weekend 7th to 10th August 2020

This week 24 colleagues recorded weekend activity achievements.

Most of us suffered in the heat

Please submit your best exercise achievement of next weekend by filling in the following form and sending it to me OR replying to the message on Facebook (or any other messaging format to me):

Roderick Hoffman {submit by 5pm on Monday}

Canal Towpath Works (Bulls Bridge to Uxbridge)

Steve Hillier discovered that there are some works underway on the canal between Bulls Bridge and Uxbridge. The following extracts are from a Canals and River Trust Newsletter:

• Towpath improvements are currently being undertaken between High Street Yiewsley and Trout Road by Hillingdon Council’s contractors. These improvements started on 6th July and are expected to last until October. During the improvements the towpath and access points are closed with diversions in place and moorings are suspended. Details of the closure are on our notifications page.
• We will be improving the towpath between Station Road in Hayes and Old Stockley Road near Stockley Park from August. The towpath currently has gravel surfaces of varying widths which will be upgraded to provide a smoother, wider and more level surface along its length.  Bank space for casual moorings will be retained. During the improvements the towpath and access points will need to be closed in short sections with diversions in place and moorings will be suspended. Our Quietway webpage and notifications page will be updated with more details soon.
• We are rebuilding the River Crane Aqueduct parapet east of Hayes and the towpath is currently closed from The Parkway (A312) to Nestles Bridge, Hayes, with a [long and torturous] diversion in place. This work is expected to be completed by October 2020. More information can be found on the notifications page.

Referring to these improvements as "Quietways" is perhaps a tad misleading since the improvements so far appear to be turning the towpath into a cycle mega-highway.

Roderick Hoffman

London Marathon

No one has submitted to me an item on the London Marathon. I'm aware that this year's event has been substantially altered so that it only consists of an elite race on a multi-lap circuit. I'm not expecting there to be a call out for marshals for such an event. Next year's event is being scheduled for Autumn 2021 hence we may be asked to arrange marshals for that event, but that is a very long way off at the moment.

Our participants entered in this year's race are being offered a deferment to a subsequent year and there is also the option of running a virtual event this year. Several of you have continued your training so there is probably an option to set up a club supported run - but it would need someone to organise or at least promote it.

Roderick Hoffman

Coronavirus Warning Footnote [changes from last week underlined or struck-through] (no changes)

In the UK exercise outside is permitted because it will boost physical and mental health and because the risk of catching Coronavirus outdoors is very low if social distancing advice is kept to. The relevant law in England says that people can meet in groups of up to 30:

• Do not exercise outside the house if you are unwell, particularly if you have symptoms of the coronavirus such as a fever, or if you share a house with someone who has these symptoms, or if you consider yourself to be vulnerable, such as being elderly or with pre-existing health conditions,
• You may drive to outdoor publicly accessible open spaces irrespective of distance, but you should follow social distancing guidance whilst you are there. Advice is still to avoid public transport and shared car journeys,
• In England you may meet with up to five other persons for your exercise outside the home, and in some situations up to 30. Club organised events can include more. Do not share athletics equipment and continue to maintain the social distancing with anyone you do meet up with. You are recommended to minimise the total number of different people you meet with over the days and weeks,
• As you exercise, keep 2m away from all others including those you run with as well as those you meet on the run, by default diverting around those you meet (don't leave it up to them to avoid you),
• Do not push yourself too far, this may weaken your defences against the virus and/or increase the probability of requiring assistance. We all have different limits so you need to judge what would be too far for you,
• If government instructions are updated to limit or prevent exercising outside your homes, or to meet with fewer people, please respect such instructions - we should be fighting the virus, not authority.

If you are unwell yourself, especially if you have symptoms of the virus:

• Put your needs first...
• but please let me (Roderick Hoffman) or Steve Hillier know of your condition/status, but we will keep it to ourselves unless you ask us to pass information on.

Next Digest - Results, news, pictures, feedback, jokes, stories - send them to the editor, Roderick Hoffman, at news@barunner.org.uk.

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