baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club
BA Athletics Club News Digest 13th February 2017Events:
New members and potential members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at all of these events. The full diary of club featured events is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml. *Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] Not for you, no longer interested? remove me please. Difficulty viewing this email? Read it off the website instead - http://www.barunner.org.uk/News Latest.shtml. Running related gossip and chat: Facebook Page "BARunner" https://www.facebook.com/BARunnerUK/ Heartthrob Hash 15th February 2017Please register at the pavilion at Heston Venue by 6 p.m. The format of the evening will build on the successful formula used on 10th February 2016 with a preliminary stretch and warm-up on the grass by the pavilion. After a gentle jog to the Air Pioneers estate inside the Brabazon Estate to the south of Cranford Lane we will complete a familiarisation lap. The main effort of the evening will be an interval training exercise for teams of two and lasting approx. 20 minutes and so runners should pace themselves accordingly. The event works best for all concerned if the pairs are made up of runners (A, B) of similar ability regardless of gender. Runners wishing to include some steadier marathon training can choose to take a longer route back to the club afterwards. The roads (pavements) used for the exercise are shown on the club Google map. Zoom in to the Heston area. Point X is the junction of Johnson Road and Sopwith Road. Point Y is the junction of Sopwith Road and Cobham Road.
Overall, A and B runners run under pressure for similar distances but the patterns are subtly different. Something to discuss before agreeing who will start the team off. To prevent leading runners and helpers getting cold hanging around too long on what may be a cool evening, it is suggested that once the leading team has completed the ten circuits all lapped teams should stop when the A runner next reaches point X. Ed: After the event we will be visiting the Queen's Head for refreshments. The Queen's Head is normally considered easier to find than any of the points mentioned above. Surrey League Cross-Countries - ResultsThe last of this season's league matches took place at Farthing Downs in Coulsdon on 11th Feb. 
The morning outlook wasn't too good with sleet snow promising a muddy course. The sleet gave way to snow and it was chucking it down as the runners lined up at the start line. We had a full team turn up with new member Shelly joining us for the time, and Mel making a 70-mile round trip just to be with us. That's dedication, thank you Mel! Deby led our team home followed by Shelly, Mel, Alice and Helen. The good times recorded by our ladies put us at 21st out of 34 teams on the day. Tom was there as usual, with Paul, and it was great to see Roderick who came after running the Hove parkrun and a ride up the i360! And what is cross country without a little picnic afterwards, despite the snow ❄. Clara Halket (team captain, cheer leader, facilities and catering) Roderick adds - The picture above shows the last 800m of the course. The far right point was a very challenging section, I was surprised not to see more slipping over, then the course went behind the camera position, from right to left, then down the hill to the flags where the runners expected the finish to be. But it wasn't, instead they had to do an additional 400m loop which whilst looking flat probably wasn't. I overheard many runners cursing the course setters! It was great to see a full BA team for this event - turning out for the longest and most challenging of the season. That must say something about our ladies!
On the day the BA team was 21st of 34 teams. For the season they were 27th out of 42 teams. And the men (at Lloyd Park)...
On the day the BA team was 10th of the ten teams. For the season we finished 8th. Chris Kelly and Gary Rushmer appear to have finished the season as 1st and 3rd leading individuals in the 50+ category. British Airways Athletics Club Annual Awards Ceremony - Wednesday 22nd FebruaryOn Wednesday 22nd February we will be holding our annual awards ceremony. You are very welcome to join us at the Concorde Club (Imperial College Heston Venue) to celebrate the achievements of club members during 2016. Who will be the athletes of the year? Who will win the coveted Alamo trophy? Come and relive our cross country, parkrun and WARR achievements and more. Please be there by 8pm. Bring your appetite! Food will be provided! Steve Hillier obo the whole committee The next Five Mile Winter Handicap run is from 18:00 before the main event.
All are welcome - even if you haven't run one of these five mile runs yet. RunTogether initiative with new baRunner club site"RunTogether" is a new initiative by England Athletics to encourage and develop new runners. They want affiliated clubs (like us) to provide welcoming opportunities for new runners to join in and we have decided that we will give it a go. We have nothing to lose and the payoff for us could be new runners joining the club - which would not be a bad thing. So we are currently promoting from April a starter session for the first Wednesday of each month (this will be the second Wednesday in May to avoid the Speedbird Ladies race) and the Dream Mile runs. If this is successful we would look to offer one or more weekly events from July - perhaps a midweek run on Harmondsworth Moor or at Bedfont Lakes? The launch website for this initiative is at https://groups.runtogether.co.uk/baRunner . Please visit that website and, if you want to, please register for one or more of the runs - it would be nice to see some apparent demand even if only from the regulars. Any thoughts on this or suggestions for additional events that we could promote - let me know. The March Run-of-the-Month is the Berkhamsted Half Marathon and 5k Fun Run - Sunday 5th MarchFor those who enjoy hills (see below) then don't forget to enter the Berkhamsted Half or the 5k "Fun" Run: Website: www.berkorun.com On-line Entries: runnersworld Roderick Hoffman Club parkrun results for Saturday 11th February
The triple whammy of cold weather, school half term and cross country leagues restricted the parkrun attendance nationwide to just under 90,000 last Saturday. There was a notable performance by Lesley Chamberlin (23:59, 77.55%) at Bushy Park, an all time parkrun p.b. for her, ducking under the 24 minute mark at the 154th attempt. John Coffey(26:50) was also at Bushy Park running in his new age category for the first time while David Barnard (41:30) returned to Tring again after a gap of over a year for what may turn out to be his last appearance in that category before moving up another rung. Jonathan Cox (22:59) was at Crane Park which is fast becoming his new favourite course to reach the finish line for the 300th time. 200 short of the next T-shirt but a landmark nevertheless. Roderick Hoffman (25:45) was right by the seaside at Hove Promenade which no member had tried out before. Sarah Gordon (41:21) made a first visit to Bestwood Village (Nottinghamshire). The club total has moved on to 320. The news has reached us this week that the long awaited Rickmansworth parkrun will finally get off the ground next month. Once it is established we'll suggest a week for us to descend on it mob handed and make a bit of a splash... (and, oh yes, the course is at the Rickmansworth "Aquadrome" and goes round a lake!). Steve Newell Shared use of ParksThe House of Commons report into park usage has been published - see www.publications.parliament.uk/.../45.pdf .
Parking is becoming a bigger issue as parkruns grow in size. If you need to drive then please use the recommended parking locations at all parkruns (even if it costs £££). This is particularly true for Wycombe Rye where the Lido car parks are now full up by about 8:30. Alternative car parking can be found at Railway Place and Easton Street car parks, and there is also parking available at the Council Offices car park on Easton Street. Roderick Hoffman Valentines 10k Chessington - 12th Feb 2017
Published results:
Wokingham Half - 12 Feb 2017Cool conditions at today's Wokingham Half - alright during - and the wind was side-on - but cold before and after. I saw Dave before and after, and saw Ian during, but couldn't catch him. Colin said Hi, and we had a quick chat on his way past me, and he set off after Ian. It looks like he chased him down - and it could have been a pretty tight finish on the Line! Well done fellas!
Chris Kelly Harrow Hill 10k Race - the New Dream Mile?
207 finishers. I I had deliberately chosen the previous day's parkrun to be flat - my Garmin trail reported an elevation gain of 0m over the 5k distance on Hove Promenade. The contrast with the Harrow Hill 10k is that it reported a 162m gain. 30m of that is in the first half mile as you climb half way up the hill. You then bare left looping down to the bottom again and then climb all the way up - so this time a 50m climb and you are barely one mile into the run. The good news is that you then have long downhill stretches to enjoy, though there is a second lap to come which includes another full climb of the hill. And on that second lap you also realise how much uphill there is on the flat stretches! Although about a minute faster than last year my time for the 10k distance is nothing to write home about - but my Garmin watch did announce at the end that I'd set PBs during the run - for the 1k and 1mile! And that despite me having used the watch for the last couple of Dream Mile runs. Like I say - the downhills can be fun. Roderick Hoffman Another week, another Marathon
Chichester 10km - Sunday 5th February
The organisers had under-estimated the parking which caused a 30min delay to the start. Whilst waiting around trying to keep warm, I spotted the BA vest of Gary! He was with another BA person but I didnt know him [Ed: Presumably Mark Turner]. I didnt see Gary afterwards. He was probably in his car on the way home when I finished! My time was 1:08.44. I would definitely recommend this race but get there early because of the parking. Janet Smith
Non-Running Shorts
Next Digest?Is it your turn to send something in this week? Results, news, pictures, feedback, jokes, stories - send it to us at news@barunner.org.uk. Club website:
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Left
to right - Helen, Mel, Alice, Deby, Clara and Shelly.
This says lots of positive things on the value of parks and the need to continue
to make them available to everyone.
parkrun is mentioned, and many
positive things are said, but one can get the impression that parkrunners are a
nuisance - parking inconsiderately and making a mess [in comparison there is no
reference throughout the report of dogs creating any mess]. Sadly some of the
national press have picked up on the idea that parkrun generates litter.
All we can do is continue to do our best to be considerate to other park users
and continue to point out the improvements that parkrun deliver to parkrunners
and the parks themselves - the photo shows a parkrun volunteer clearing
the shingle off Hove Promenade prior to Saturday's parkrun - performing a
service for all citizens of Hove and Brighton. 
This is before the start of the Chichester 10km. I have done this race a
couple of times in the past but they had a new course this year. The start was
at Goodwood Motor circuit. The first 6km was a loop round the villages
surrounding Goodwood and the final 4km was on the motor racing circuit. That
part was pretty windy as was so open. It is a pretty flat course though it is
advertised as undulating. From someone who hates hills, there werent any that
I would call a hill!