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BA Athletics Club News Digest 27th July 2015

Events:

  • Wednesday 29th July - Ruffell Runaround Run-of-the-Month - Heston Venue from 18:00
  • Thursday 6th August - Magic Mile, Bath Road at 12:45
  • Monday 10th August - Track & Field Grand Prix 200m and Discus at Hillingdon Track from 18:00

New members and non-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.  Running related gossip and chat: Facebook "BA Runner" (link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/636199849751546/).

No longer interested?  To be removed from the BA Athletics Club mailing list please email us at news@barunner.org.uk.
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Results of the BA Fun Run - 23rd July 2015

The results of the 2015 BA Fun Run are on the website: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event_baFunRun2015_Results.shtml but they perhaps aren't of that interest to most of us since we were marshalling rather than running the event (except to say well done to Colin Haylock who finished in 5th place in 19:57 - compatible with his recent parkrun times on a more undulating course).

As an event it went very well with an increased field of 271 (207 last year) and perhaps as many as forty in the Little Legs none of whom got lost during the Little Legs (a child did get lost just before the start of the Fun Run but was found without too much of a delay).  I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of our marshals and the results team listed below:

Results Team from Amadeus: Chris Kelly, Baljit Dhanda, Denys Mace, Benjamin Chaytow, Sreeram Sethuraman.

Marshals: Graham Taylor, Neil Frediani, David Duggan, Matthew Gardner, John Scaife, Benita Scaife, Joe Nolan, Caroline Cockram, Harry Wild, Paddy O'Shea, Denis Foxley, Simon Turton, Steve Taylor.

Lead and Tail Bike: Piers Keenleyside.  Having cycled round the course twice, once as fast as he could (pictured) and once as slowly as he could, Piers put his bike back into the underground car park and, "as usual" for a Thursday, ran home.

Piers leading the first runner into the finish.

Thanks to Chris working until the early hours of the morning we were able to publish the results on the website before 9am on Friday (had I stayed up 'til two we'd have been quicker still).  Also since we got a better supply of names for the late entrants than in previous years there were only five runners out of 271 without names in the results.

The event was run in reasonable conditions with no rain all afternoon and even a touch of sun to warm us up. A big contrast with Friday when it bucketed down all day. I know that because I went for a lap round the course on the Friday lunchtime to check that all of the signs had been retrieved. I was pleased to discover that almost all had but that two small arrows had been left out just so that I could feel that my wet run was worthwhile! The rain had also done a good job of washing away the flour so with no course markers left it was lucky that I knew the way.

Roderick Hoffman


New Club Promotional Poster

Reminder - a poster for your restroom noticeboard:

http://www.barunner.org.uk/attachments/PosterJul2015.pdf

Roderick Hoffman


No Cabbage Patch this year...welcome to the Kingston 10 miler on 4th October at 08:30

The keen-eyed of you may have noticed it in the calendar already but just in case you haven’t then here are the details:

The Royal Borough of Kingston 10 Mile is a new race starting and finishing in the historic marketplace in Kingston-upon-Thames. The course picks out the best of established local race routes and promises fast times and PB potential as well as great scenery and a true sense of history.
The Royal Borough of Kingston 10 mile will be the premier autumn 10 mile race in South West London in 2015. With a new fast course it will provide an ideal run for anyone looking to do the classic 10 mile distance. For those who had planned to run in the Cabbage Patch 10 (cancelled in 2015) the Kingston 10 offers a great alternative at the same time of year.

Runners will enjoy an initial two miles through the historic Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames before crossing over Kingston Bridge and heading up the iconic three mile stretch of the Barge Walk beside the Thames. You will then reach the magnificent Hampton Court Palace before following the course through Thames Ditton and back towards Kingston for the famous Market Place finish.

Neil Frediani


Club parkrun results for Saturday 25th July 2015

25th July 2015 Family, Friends,+ Time parkrun Comment Grade
Alan Anderson 28:33 Gunnersbury run #370 74%
Alice Banks 26:14 Maidenhead run #31 71%
Julie Barclay 26:54 Woking run #48 64%
Bill Byrne 20:15 Gunnersbury run #89 76%
Claire Byrne 26:11 Gunnersbury 65%
Caroline Cockram 36:45 Bedfont Lakes pacing a friend 44%
Ian Cunningham 23:18 Bushy Park run #205 64%
David Duggan 26:52 Bedfont Lakes run #109 57%
Dennis Foxley 24:23 Harrow course pb 69%
Neil Frediani 26:46 Bedfont Lakes run #121 59%
Alan Friar 25:37 Woodley run #168 69%
James Glover 23:26 Guildford run #8 , equals pb 62%
Roderick Hoffman 27:35 Reigate Priory BA park #189 56%
Piers Keenleyside 23:47 Gunnersbury run #107 66%
Chris Kelly 22:26 Reading run #246 66%
Kerstin Luksch 21:19 Gunnersbury run #149 70%
Steve Newell 31:17 Highbury Fields run #185 57%
Richard Ruffell 21:18 Aldenham club course record, park #43 71%
Benita Scaife 31:12 Maidenhead run #17 61%
John Scaife 31:13 Maidenhead run #20 52%
Marion Taylor 30:56 Yeovil Montacute run #38 55%
Steve Taylor 25:36 Yeovil Montacute run #35, park #8, club rec 59%
Kimberley Turner 27:09 Chichester pb 59%
Tom Rowley volunteer Woking marshal

It should come as no surprise that another club course record has fallen to Richard Ruffell who visited Aldenham and sped round the reservoir circuit in 21:18.  It must have been a bit muddy in places after the rain on Friday.  Richard might be interested to hear about another way to fit in a parkrun on the way to Liverpool.  Steve Newell ran at Highbury Fields (31:17) and was then able to catch the 10.07 from Euston and arrive in time for lunch at the Albert Dock courtesy of a swift two stop trip on the Victoria Line from the handily placed Highbury & Islington station.  The standout royal couple of the 19th century have left a lasting legacy.

Reigate Priory finally joined the list of parkruns run by our members when Roderick Hoffman (27:35) made a visit on Saturday.  Probably a few muddy patches there as well.  That takes the total to 189 and a double century before year end now seems likely.

Steve Taylor (25:36) and Marion (30:56) visited Yeovil Montacute for the first time*.  Steve beat the previous club best time set by Eddie Giles by about half a minute.  John and Benita Scaife (31:12), after a series of runs in Australia, ran at their home course of Maidenhead for only the third time.  Alice Banks (26:14) reappeared there too after an absence of several weeks.  Her course record of 25:15 remained intact for another week but the vultures are circling!

Denis Foxley ran at Harrow for the tenth time and achieved his fastest run there to date (24:23).

Kimberley Turner achieved a pb (27:09) at Chichester and James Glover equaled his best time at Guildford (23:26).

Updated club parkrun stats: www.barunner.org.uk/results/ba_parkrun_park_totals.xls 

Steve Newell

* Marion and I ran the parkrun this Saturday at Yeovil Montacute, it's a national trust house and very picturesque, you run around the grounds including the wide avenue that leads up to the house. You share the route with some sheep and more poo than I have ever stepped in.  There are a few hilly bits and its all on grass so its not a fast course but the backdrop does make it very enjoyable.

Steve Taylor

I recommend Reigate Priory for anyone who lives the south side of London.  It is just outside the M25 and you have to pay for parking because the car parks are near the shops but the park is a good one and the cafe is excellent with a 10% parkrun discount and nice loos!  The course is two laps on grass or earth paths through the trees with the odd tree root to look out for and enough undulations to prevent you doing a parkrun pb but to make the run interesting. It usually attracts around 150 runners which I find a nice number - you'll have runners around you but never crowded.  The club has had a couple of false starts at getting a runner to Reigate and this was the 70th run there - which I noted since I finished in 70th place.

Roderick Hoffman

"The clue is in the name"

After doing quite a few parkruns now you would think I would learn, the clue is in the name.  Last week was Pomphrey Hill, although if they were to name it correctly it would be Pomphrey Hills!  And at the bottom as you set off up the hill, they shout “Up Pomphrey”….I think it must be too much cider for the locals. At the start a young girl said to me, “it is not really a hill, more of a slope”, so as I slogged my way up for the third time I did wonder what she would call a hill, perhaps what the rest of us would call a mountain. If you are ever down near Bath, enjoy.

Richard Ruffell


Ultra12/50

A quick mention for the event I did this last Saturday night - Ultra12/50 - a choice of distances and times from 50K to 50M or up to 12hours - in teams of 3-6, pairs or solo, near Pangbourne, Berks. I was invited to make up a pair with a fellow parkrunner / roadrunner, Mark Saunders, who helped us out with a Green Belt Relay leg a couple of years ago, and we went for the whole nine yards. It started 7pm Saturday night, and each team/pair/runner sets off to complete the 5mile/8km loop, and then handover to a teammate (or not). That's how it continued, with head-torches on, and fairy lights in the trees, through the dark, until the birds started chirping, dawn broke, and a little rain did fall (this was in England).

We arrived earlier in the day and setup our tent, got the food and drink ready, chairs, sleeping mat and bags, and chillaxed for a while before the start. There was food and coffee etc. available, and decent loos - at least until very near the end... 

I saw Clara who was doing her 50K solo, and a couple of Reading parkrunners, and I set off at my calculated 9min-mile pace. After 45mins, I handed over to Mark, and he set off for his 40mins. There was a good point at about 1 mile in where the course looped back past the start, so we could have a quick word as we went past and check how we were feeling / how long to expect the lap to take - and then it was back to the tent for a bit of grub, drink, and short lie down. After a few laps we were catching the other pairs up, and by the end we were just behind the leaders. We didn't quite catch them, but got close, and pushed them to hold us off.

Despite initial trepidations about the likely beyond-marathon Ultra distance, having upped my weekly mileage but not doing any very long (13+) runs in training I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a marathon at night more! With the regular food/drink/rest breaks - never long enough to switch off or feel sleepy - but clearly nicer than keeping going the whole time - I was able to speed up for the second one! We finished with a team total of 95 miles in 12:35:56 - we just managed to time it so that I got to start a last lap before the 12hour cutoff - so 50 miles for me! I did have a nap Sunday after I got home, which was nice, but can thoroughly recommend the event as a way of getting some miles in. If BAAC want to get a team together next year, it should be a doddle to organise - hardly any logistics - variable mileages - there's even a 24hour version earlier in the year that Clara recommends - the only problem is balancing the resting and the socialising...  

ultra12.com

Chris Kelly

Clara on Facebook...

"Participated in the Endure 12/50 event last Saturday 18July in Pangbourne. I entered the 50mile run late last year when I was running well, however with ankle problem bugging me I wasn't sure if I could run any mile but went anyway for the camping to enjoy the atmosphere there. When I got there, I decided to change my registration to 50K (you choose to run 12-hour, 50mile or 50k). I managed to cover the distance with some little breaks and clocked 7h 32m. Met Chris Kelly there, he was running as one of a pair in the 12-hour team event and logged 50miles! Welcome to the ultra world, Chris."

Clara


Elmbridge 10K Report/Results

I was looking forward to running the Elmbridge 10k for the first time in 6 years. I only just broke 60mins last time I did it and last month I did a 50:07 10k so I had an idea to break 50mins. It was all looking good, a cool run for once with much hoped for rain forecast. The cycle over was dry but humid, I found it tough going for some reason, then the coffee shops were shut in Walton when they should have been open. That’s ok I thought, I will get one at the leisure centre at the start where they are bound to sell coffee. Nope, café opens at 9, race starts at 9 and not even a vending machine in the place.  Oh well I will have to run without caffeine for once, it can’t be that bad can it. Anyway the heavens started to open while we were registering and changing, great stuff I thought, I had my cross country shoes with me for the muddy tow path. I saw Paul  Knechtl who had made a late decision to enter his local 10k, Scott Davison who seems to turn up to all the local 10k’s and I also met Michelle Carter from crew who seeing my fine figure in a BA vest said hi and had a chat. She might join the club, let’s hope so.  Also there, were a number of my Bedfont parkrun/Runnymede Runners friends there and as ever Tom Rowley, he seems to pop up everywhere.

Anyway the first 2k went fine, on target but my legs felt tired and muscles were tight so I slowed and slowed to end up 4mins slower than last month. Hey ho, was it the lack of caffeine, breakfast way too late, parkrun too hard on Saturday, wrong shoes (there was no mud and no puddles), the cycle, who knows? it was one to forget. On to the next 10k at Yateley next week to try and break 50 again.

Paul did an 11year 10k pb as far as I can see from Power of 10/RunBritain records where his last 10k was in 2004!! at the Watersplash! He has run faster at WARR I think and possibly other 10ks which don’t appear in the records.

Scott Davison was only just outside his season's 10k best. Michelle was just behind me having said she would run about 60mins, so she was as far ahead of her target as I was behind mine, excellent running.

  • Paul came 29th in 35:45
  • Scott came 243rd in 46:27
  • Neil came 379th in 54:21
  • Michelle came 397th in 55:15

Total runners: 501

ps On the way out of the hall to the start I discovered a pop up coffee stall had been there all the time!

pps After a coffee and bacon roll I had a really enjoyable cycle home despite the rain, I actually felt good for the first time that morning.

Neil Frediani


Running Shorts

Down Tow Up Flow Half Marathon - 26th July 2015

Two from BA in this wet and muddy affair...

  • Piers Keenleyside   1:47:11   192nd of 707
  • Joe Nolan               1:53:48    293rd of 707

Piers Keenleyside 


News for the next BAAC News Digest?

Please send items for inclusion in the next Digest.  Results, news, pictures, feedback, jokes, stories - send it to us at news@barunner.org.uk.


Club website:

www.barunner.org.uk.


 

      

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