BA Athletics Club News Digest 25th May 2020
Events - see below:
Inclusions, with photos, please to Roderick Hoffman at news@barunner.org.uk.
Solo Events Calendar
Week of Monday… |
Midweek Challenge |
Weekend Challenge |
Weekend Solo Run |
18th May |
Track-on-Field [T&F GP day] 1500/800/400/200/100
# [CIE] |
none |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
25th May |
Virtuality 5k |
none |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
1st June |
Solo Mile |
none |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
8th June |
Street Spelling? |
none |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
15th June |
Track-on-Field 1500/800/400/200/100 |
Run-of-the-Month #
(tba) |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
22nd June |
tba I Spy? |
none |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
29th June |
tba |
none |
Best weekend exercise achievement |
All side-by-side races are off until at least the end of June, but the club continues to
operate with the Solo runs listed above - these ARE still permitted but see
the
Coronavirus footnote at the end of this digest.
* Please suggest formats for runs
with the "tba" in the above table.
Roderick Hoffman
Midweek Challenges
This week we have the BAAC Virtuality 5k. Please respond to Steve BY midday
Tuesday:
The BAAC Virtuality 5K [It would have been the week of the Vitality
10k]
Date – 27th May / Time – 6pm / Course – a 5k course near you.
The Virtuality 5K is a virtual race scheduled to start at 6pm on the
27th May. All runners should be prepared to start at the same time. The
only exception will be for key workers or shift workers who, if they ask
really nicely, will be allowed to complete their 5k run beforehand (NOT
after) to get their time included in the results.
You will need to plan a 5k route near to where you live. The route
needs to be as close to 5k as you can make it so use a GPS watch or
route mapping website to create your 5k route and be familiar with your
route and where the start and finish point is. Or use your GPS watch as
you run so that you know when you have covered 5k. Don’t arrange to meet
up with other runners to run the same route unless permitted by current
social distancing rules and recommendations. Runners will mostly be
running different routes so even if you run in a playing field it won't
be a level playing field.
All runners will need to be able to use WhatsApp and have access to
it at the start and end of the race.
Send Steve Taylor
the following details by midday Tuesday 26th May:
- Name
- Age (on 27th May)
- Gender
- Mobile number.
Steve will create a WhatsApp group of all the runners specifically for
this race and the start of the race will be announced on this group. You will be given a runner number by
Steve to use in the WhatsApp group. Remember
your runner number, you will need it to announce when you finish the
race, there won’t be any bibs.
At 6pm on race day the start will be announced with a GO message at
exactly 6pm. There will be countdown messages from an hour leading up to
the start so that you’re prepared and can check that you’re receiving
messages.
Start running as soon as the GO message is received and not before.
Once you have finished your 5k run, message the WhatsApp group with
just your runner number, e.g. "22" (no times, no pictures, just your
number).
The order that the runner numbers appear in the group will be the
provisional finish order of the race so once you have completed your
distance and stopped your watch you need to grab your phone and message
your number as quickly as possible. The only exception is for key
workers and shift workers who can submit their time to Steve beforehand
if they are unable to run at 6pm on the 27th due to work commitments -
BUT to avoid disqualification don't tell anyone else your time.
After all runners have finished the race Steve will message that the race
is ended and runners can then message me with their number and finish
time for him to crosscheck with and include in the results, e.g. "Runner
22 – Time 25:45 - at Bedfont Lakes". Don’t message your time until the
race is ended to avoid any congestion on the messaging group. Steve will merge
the times with times from any key workers and message back the full
results.
The winner and/or gender age group winners will receive top bragging
rights and a place in the BAAC digest.
The WhatsApp group will be deleted within two weeks of the end of the
race.
This is a new format so if it all goes wrong on the day then we’ve
all had a good 5K run anyway.
Steve
Taylor (SteveT@barunner.org.uk)
|
We are considering the solo runs to be held during June.
- Hopefully June will be the last month where we don't have the option of
running together. The committee will decide at our Committee Meeting next
week whether and how to continue with virtual running once we are allowed to
run together (but feel free to influence us with your comments).
- During June we will have Midweek Challenges of another "Solo Mile", this
will be next week, and another "Track-on-Field".
- I have a "Street Spelling" run pencilled in for 8th June. Perhaps this
will be the CIE for June. I intend this to be competitive whereby each
runner is allocated a word at the start of their time and they will then
have to visit streets for each letter in the word, returning to their start
point to stop the clock. I would like two additional Starters for this so
that each of the Starters can also do the event. Please nominate yourself to
be a Starter!
- I also have an "I Spy" event pencilled in. I'll probably move that to a
weekend to allow a longer run or walk. Competitors will have checklists of
nature and rural things to spot on their run/walk (see photo below). Expect
more detail on that soon.
This means there are two slots for Midweek Challenges "tba" and it would also
be nice to have a competitive event on one of the June weekends to be
Run-of-the-Month. Please suggest ideas.
Roderick Hoffman
Midweek Challenge Track-on-Field # Results
The
results table show that 16 of us managed to record results for this
Track-on-Field event. I've included results for a 17th, Steve Newell, to provide
us with a comparison. Steve did his times whilst seated, on his rowing machine,
but produced results that are compatible with his running times from just a few
years ago.
Most of us managed to be faster over the shorter distances but the 100m was
problematical for six of us - three going at the same speed, three slower. For
some of these it was more of a measurement issue over the short distance.
How do our performances compare with April? We had 11 competitors in
April and eight of us managed to do it both months. On average Mike Dennison ran
10.8% faster. For an individual event Steve Hillier ran the 100m 22% faster this
month compared to last. I ran 1.1% slower overall, though that was entirely due
to a slower 800m run (I start with the 800m, work down to the 100m and then do
the 1500m, perhaps I'll try something different in June). Chris Kelly was on
average most consistent - just 0.1% slower than last month, though within his
results he was 9% faster over the 100m!
Round-the-Block Points #
This was a club points scoring event so all of us have improved our scores in
the Round-the-Block table. Simon Turton has now achieved the
ten points necessary for individual recognition for his contribution to the club
this year.
Roderick Hoffman
SOLO activity achievement weekend 22nd to 25th May 2020
30 colleagues recorded weekend activity achievements. Harry Wild appears for
the first time but isn't the slowest "Wild" seen, and we have a new activity -
the Shot Put!
Colleague |
Activity |
Distance |
Course |
Start Time |
Run Time |
Comments |
Alan Friar |
Running |
3k |
University of Reading playing field |
Sat am |
00:17:40 |
One more km than last week. |
Alice Banks |
Running |
3.13miles |
|
Sun am |
00:33:20 |
Still recovering from a trip to Everest Base Camp |
Amanda Coombs |
Duathlon |
3/40/10(km) |
Run/Cycle/Run |
Sun |
02:27:05 |
Really did not enjoy 40km on the turbo trainer! Hopefully back to
open water swimming soon, so I can concentrate on the two things I love
- running and swimming. |
Andy Rayner |
Running |
4miles |
XC |
Sat |
00:49:00 |
Very windy conditions. Earlier in the week - 0:47:56 |
Barry Walters |
Running |
5k |
The Lookout, Bracknell |
Sat am |
00:26:27 |
Another tempo run. |
Benita Scaife |
Running |
5miles |
Bisham Woods / Cookham Dean Common |
Sun |
00:50:39 |
Chris Stockwell |
Walking |
12.4miles |
Fifield & Holyport |
Sun am |
03:55:00 |
Different footpaths, rescued a slow worm from a gravel track. [ED:
Slow worm? (pictured below), well, we can all be pleased that we weren't the
slowest ones out there this weekend] |
Christine Munden |
Walking |
5miles |
Capital Ring Section 8 |
Mon pm |
01:45:00 |
Greenford to Osterley Lock (in flip-flops). |
Clara Halket |
Running |
20.5k |
|
Mon am |
|
Would have gone farther if I had taken some water with me! |
Denis Foxley |
Running |
5miles |
Ruislip Woods |
Sun |
00:50:00 |
Taking in the golf course and lido as well. |
Emma Morton |
Running |
10k |
Laleham |
Sun am |
00:48:37 |
This morning’s 10k with several segment PBs and top 10 segment
places! Not far off my 10k PB so hopefully in race conditions I’ll pull
a new one out of the bag |
Gary Rushmer |
Running |
6.28miles |
Harmondsworth Moor |
Sat |
00:54:56 |
1 mile warm up/1 mile warm down + 3 X 5 Hills at waterside. Looks
like the groundkeeper has been furloughed with trees down on route. |
Harjit Jhooti |
Cycling |
52.57km |
Hampton Court and Richmond |
Sun |
05:20:56 |
I’m doing more cycling than running these days. |
Harry Wild |
Internal Exercise |
30mins |
Home |
Daily |
00:30:00 |
I do 1/2 hour hand weights and exercises every morning combined with a
walk in the evenings. |
Jain Reid |
Running |
17.72km |
Richmond Park |
Sat am |
01:45:17 |
Another weekend run around Richmond Park for me. I don’t think I
could ever get bored of it |
Janet Smith |
Shot Put |
|
Shot Put Circle somewhere! |
Mon |
8.46 meters |
Valhalla virtual shot put competition with 200 entrants. |
John Scaife |
Running |
5miles |
Bisham Woods / Cookham Dean Common |
Sun |
00:50:40 |
Maria Jovani |
Running |
7k |
Wedding Day 7k course |
Sat evening |
00:28:50 |
20 seconds PB compared with last year’s official race. |
Michael Ball |
Cycling |
14miles |
Oxshott Common |
|
|
14 mile bike ride core circuit and 10 hill sprints. Went to oxshott
common and used the killer hill on the x.c course like you do . |
Mike Dennison |
Running |
10miles |
River and Bushy Park |
Sun am |
01:19:53 |
Simple 10mile run. |
Paul Brandon |
Turbo Cycling |
7.8m/12.5k |
My garage |
Sun pm |
00:31:12 |
Waited for a cooler evening for a Steady ride in the warm/heat. |
Paul Watt |
Running |
5k |
Frimley Lodge freedom run |
Sat |
00:21:24 |
Only me as Julie has an injured knee! |
Petra Otto |
Duathlon |
7m/3.1m/6m |
Cycle/parkrun/cycle |
|
|
Piers Keenleyside |
Walking |
10miles |
Ealing Parks |
Sat |
02:49:59 |
Lammas, Blondin, Boston Manor, Elthorne, Brent Lodge, Perivale,
Pitshanger, Cleveland, Walpole, Lammas Enclosure and then back into
Lammas to finish at home. |
Roderick Hoffman |
Running |
5k |
Rectory Park (alternative Northala Fields parkrun) |
Sat am |
00:29:53 |
Slight reroute to avoid a flood due to a burst waterpipe. |
Scott Davison |
Running |
10k |
Overlap with Staines 10k route |
Sun pm |
00:53:46 |
13 seconds quicker than last week |
Simon Turton |
Running |
7.5miles |
Chilterns |
Sat pm |
|
Hilly, windy, sunny.... & fun! |
Stephen Taylor |
Running |
13.13miles |
Ealing Half (reverse) |
Sat am |
02:09:35 |
It was a bit windy but at least it was cool. |
Steve Hillier |
Running |
5.1k |
Roxbourne Park and Eastcote. |
Sun am |
00:31:53 |
It was warm and windy, perhaps I should have started earlier than
8.30. |
Steve Newell |
Indoor Rowing |
6800m |
Home |
Sat am |
28:00.4 |
Not a PB! |
Chris's
Slow Worm. For the proposed "I Spy" event I'll be asking people to tick off
animals or objects they may see on their run / walk. I will include an "other"
box for the more unusual, and require photographic evidence. So Chris is one-nil
up already!
Same again next weekend. Submit your best
exercise achievement of the 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).
Your Name |
Event |
Distance |
Location |
Day/Start |
Time or Duration |
Details or comment, and other achievements |
|
e.g. Running |
|
|
|
|
|
Roderick Hoffman
{submit by 5pm on Monday}
Colleague Update
It is good to have heard from each of Harry Wild and Dave Barnard this week.
Both appear to be taking care and doing well.
Roderick Hoffman
Ten
Years Ago - WARR London
Ten years ago, in 2010, the British Airways Athletics Club hosted the World
Airline Road Race with race day on Saturday 25th September. That event,
along with the WARR hosting in 1985, have been the biggest events that this club
has ever undertaken.
In 2010 we had 970 runners representing about 66 different airlines running
in 10k and 5k races around Victoria Dock in East London. As well as registration
in the Novatel Hotel we also hosted events on three consecutive nights and
various other activities over the four days of the event. Our support team on
the day included about 100 members, relatives and friends. At the end of the
event we were able to make a five figure donation to the Dreamflight charity.
Katherine
Henville (Kat, now Katherine Stather) was the host committee chair and for many
provided the inspirational leadership required. I took on the role of project
manager and ensured that everything was considered and covered. Many people
contributed a great deal to the event and this write-up only mentions some of
them - the full core team consisted of Alan Friar, Graham Taylor, Helen Smith,
John Taylor, Marion Woodhouse, Mark Taylor, Natalie Lang, Nick Edge, Paul
Brandon and Simon Turton but many others contributed equally greatly. We did
have challenges to overcome to make the event succeed:
- One such challenge was that Kat and I fell out, including with a verbal
fistfight in one of our committee meetings. Neither of us were prepared to
give way and we didn't speak to each other from July through to September!
However we had already agreed responsibilities and each of us focused on our
own deliveries, perhaps competing to outdo the other.
- Halfway through the planning an important member of our committee was
instructed by BA to resign from the airline and we were told to have no
dealing with them, particularly dealings involving money.
- A couple of weeks before the event Kat broke her collarbone and had
to complete the engagements in great discomfort and with her arm in a sling.
- As we arrived at the site to start the set-up process Helen Smith almost
had her car stolen. She managed to get back into her car as the carjacker
was trying to drive it away. I've never been sure which of the two of them
were in the greater danger.
- The team results didn't go as planned. We had trusted that the
International Committee would get them right but in retrospect it became
apparent that the results processing tool they were using wasn't up to the
job. Team results have never been published for either of the two
races.
Those
are low spots but we rose to overcome them. The high spots included:
- Kat and I may not have spoken but 100% agreed that Simon Turton would be the ideal person to be
the on-the-day Race Director and Simon delivered fully on our trust. This
meant that Kat and I were not overcommitted on the day - so much so that I
was able to run the 10k. I can remember on the second lap having tears
in my eyes, emotional because all was going so well.
- The weather on race day was supreme - clear blue skies.
- I had said that I could get Willie Walsh, then BA Chief Executive, to
the event and I delivered on that. On the morning he looked me in the eye
and said that he "was there for five hours, what did I want him to do?" (though he
hadn't brought his running shoes). I appointed Helen to be minder for
Willie. No one gave any trouble.
- The course was fit for purpose - the wrong side of London but flat, fast
and scenic, accurately measured by Hugh Jones and using the facilities of
the ExCeL centre at start and end.
- Two of the side-events were held in the very large Fox pub next door to
the ExCeL. We considered hiring a formal banqueting room from the ExCeL but
that would have blown our entire budget just hiring and decorating the room
before we considered any funding for food or for the races. So the awards
were also held in the pub...but it was a very big pub with screens showing
the action on all three floors. We did venture offsite for one event - the
T-Shirt party was held in Leadenhall Market and included a Town Crier, and a
Pearly King and Queen.
The original website is available here:
http://www.rhoff.org.uk/warrlondon/
and some photographs can be seen on my website:
http://www.rhoff.org.uk/running/warr2010/index.htm
It may have been ten years ago but some things are still fresh in my head. I
will be celebrating the ten-year anniversary by running the Victoria Dock
parkrun on 26th September 2020 - Victoria Dock parkrun uses what is in effect
the same course that we used, apart from the location of the start and finish.
Roderick Hoffman (2010 WARR Host Project Manager)
Ride London and London Marathon 2020
Hi folks,
You will have seen that Ride London, scheduled for August, has been
cancelled. Simon is checking about the fate of July's Great City Race.
In the meantime, we have received this message from London Marathon's Volunteer
Coordinator, and Hugh Brasher's public statement
is available.
When I hear any more, I'll let you know.
Keep in touch,
Steve Hillier
"You are right, it is indeed sad news about Ride London. As it stands we
are doing everything in our power to go ahead with the 40th (LM) race on 4th
Oct. You will be able to imagine the many challenges this presents, but we
continue to try everything in our power.
We will of course keep you
updated as soon as there are any developments.
Stay safe and take care"
Triathlon News
The Hawaii Ironman World Championship race scheduled for October 2020 has
been postponed and will now be held on 6th February 2021. The real "2021"
race will be held in October as usual so there will be two races in 2021.
This has happened once before. There were two races in 1982.
Steve Newell
In the UK exercise outside is still permitted because it will boost physical
and mental health. The relevant law in England states, "No person may leave the
place where they are living without reasonable excuse...a reasonable excuse
includes the need...to take exercise...alone, with one or more members of their
household, or with one member of another household". The word "need" is not defined, and you could be challenged on your
interpretation. In line with government guidance; whose purpose is your health,
the health of those around you and reducing demand on NHS and other services; we
advise you as follows:
- Do not conduct a solo run 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,
- Do not conduct a solo run if you consider yourself to be, or others
consider you 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 should follow social distancing guidance
whilst you are there,
- You may now meet up with one other person for your
exercise outside the home - either another runner or a coach. But do not
meet-up in threes or more, and continue to maintain the social distancing
with anyone you do meet up with. If you are a coach then you must finish the
coaching session with one athlete BEFORE you start a coaching session with
another,
- As you run keep 2m away from all others - by default diverting around
them (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. For club solo
events we will not include running distances of more than 15mile
length (25km),
- If government instructions are updated to limit or prevent exercising
outside your homes 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.
Not for you, no longer interested? remove me please.
Difficulty viewing this? Read it from the website:- http://www.barunner.org.uk/News Latest.shtml.Club website: www.barunner.org.uk.
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