baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

BA Athletics Club News Digest 5th August 2019

Events:

• Monday 19th August - T&F Grand Prix 200m & Javelin @ Hillingdon Stadium from 18:00
• Wednesday 21st August - CIE Orienteering Event at the Bedfont Club from 18:00 # (see below)
• Tuesday 3rd September - ROM Round-the-Park on Harmondsworth Moor at 12:30 #

We meet at 18:00 at the Bedfont Club on most Wednesdays throughout the year including this Wednesday - but over the summer numbers will be low so let me know to expect you.

New members and potential members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at most of our events. The full diary of club featured events is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml. Last updated: 29th July.

* Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] (parkrun details updated 22nd July) / # Club Points event.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BARunnerUK/ (formal "front window" club page), BA Runner Facebook Group (informal "back office" - ask to join).

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

August Club In-house Event - Bedfont Street-O on Wednesday 21st August #

August’s CIE will be ‘Street Orienteering’ around Bedfont and Feltham. This’ll be a fun way to explore our new training ground.

• You’ll have 60 minutes to visit as many of the 38 controls as you can,
• Each control will be worth between ten and fifty points,
• The controls will be post-boxes, lampposts, fire hydrant signs etc. and you’ll be required to copy down a piece of information to prove you’ve visited the control,
• Remember to bring a watch and pen,
• 1 point will be deducted for every 3 seconds you’re late back (20 points per minute),
• You’ll be given a colour map (scale 1:10000) with the controls marked on and an answer sheet. I’ll also have example pictures and maps at the start of what to look for,
• The ‘start / finish’ will be near the river footbridge 800m from the Club (turn left out of the Bedfont Club down Hatton Rd. After approx. 300m turn left along the footpath by the school. At the end of the footpath cross over the Duke of Northumberland’s river bridge to the ‘start / finish’),
• You can start anytime between 18:15 and 18:45, so everyone should be back by 19:45. You can then recount your war stories back at the Club,
• The event is suitable for all abilities so don’t be shy, you don't even need to run!,
• You can compete individually or in pairs,
• You will be crossing busy roads so children should be accompanied.

The event will be followed by a club social at the Bedfont Club. Please let us know to expect you at the event and/or social either by contacting Simon or by responding to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1066304540231100/

Regards,  

Simon Turton {simon.turton@ba.com}

Results from the final Rosenheim meeting of the season

The final meeting of the season saw only 4 of us turn up, all male so at least we had a relay team. I had hoped that like last season we would end on a higher turnout. Anyway, the four of us have been the core of the team appearing at all the meetings this season which was better than many previous years.

• Danny Treherne took part in 100m, 200m(PB), triple jump and relay.
• Neil Frediani ran 800m,100m(ns,PB), 200m(ns) and relay
• Michael Ball ran 100m(ns), 200m(ns) and relay.
• Steve Hillier threw discus, shot and ran the relay.

Results on the night were a 3rd place for the team.

Final positions for the season were (subject to final checks):

Men:

• 1 Epsom & Ewell 25.5 league pts (240 match points);
• 2 Walton 23.5 (198);
• 3 St Mary's Richmond 15 (136);
• 4 Kingston & Poly 14 (129);
• 5 BA 14 (116);
• 6 Sutton 12 (105)

Women:

• 1 Kingston & Poly 24.5 (165);
• 2 Epsom & Ewell 23 (166);
• 3 Sutton 21 (160);
• 4 St Mary's Richmond 15.5 (129);
• 5 Walton 13 (108);
• 6 BA 4 (31)

Neil Frediani

Feltham Mile 31st July 2019 #

The years were rolled back as the club returned to the Feltham running track for the first time this millennium and competed over the classic imperial distance of one mile.  The traditional ritual of a pre-AGM mile run stretching back three decades was maintained. The air was a lot cleaner than along the Parkway (A312) near the Concorde Centre and the surface was dry and in remarkably good condition.  Runners were able to reach the track by bike, car of jogging or walking from the Bedfont FC (new BA Clubs HQ).

The old car park is no longer available but street parking (Ruskin Avenue or Shakespeare Avenue) near the running track is possible.  The track appears to be available (free) for use at anytime during daylight hours but sadly all traces of any changing facilities, toilets and showers have vanished.

The eleven runners were split into two races to avoid slower runners being lapped too much and making recording/timekeeping a nightmare.  We were grateful for Harry Wild and Paul Brandon starting, lap counting and timekeeping.  Weather dry and sunny with a light headwind in the home straight.

The fastest runner on the night was Maarten Stenham (6:08.83) and there was a noteworthy debut by Jakob Stenham (6:50.16) at the age of 8 ½. They were also too quick to be included in the photograph, as were a few others.

Results (including the following day's Dream Mile results):

Thanks of course to Harry Wild and Paul Brandon for managing the stopwatch and finish line and counting the laps.

Steve Newell

August Dream Mile Result

The following day three of the Feltham Mile participants also ran in the August Dream Mile along with Ian Cunningham. Clearly the Feltham Mile had taken it out of us...or there is a big advantage in running on the track despite the curves, since our times were significantly slower. Not having raced the previous day Ian Cunningham was first finisher and had the longest lead from the second place finisher in the history of the competition. But he didn't manage to get a round of drinks ready for Neil and the rest of us.

Roderick Hoffman

What happened at the AGM?

A full report will be issued in a future digest but in short we elected a new committee. All of the faces look familiar, and in the same order too, but one change was that, as promised to myself, I stood down as Chairman.  However, since no one was willing to step forward I've agreed to resume the role of "Acting Chair" for the time being, and Steve Hillier has agreed to step up into the "Deputy Chair" role (in addition to being Club Secretary and with Neal to be covering the Track & Field captain role). We would like a couple of new people to step up into the minor committee roles so if you would like to help please let a committee member know and we'll see how we can fit you in. We have committee meetings at the Bedfont Club six times a year including this Wednesday from 20:00 - all are welcome even if you can't offer to help.

Roderick Hoffman (Communications & Acting Chair)

Club parkrun results for Saturday 3rd August 2019

Volunteers include...

An excellent run by Kay Trinder (20:31, 84.89%) on her first ever visit to Bedfont Lakes to set a new age group record and she improved the club record (F) previously held by Maria Jovani.

Janet Smith (35:11) ran at Perry Hall in Birmingham for the first time and bettered the club rec (F) previously held by Sarah Gordon.  Meanwhile Sarah Gordon (33:45) was breaking new ground at Chasewater Country Park (Brownhills), just 10 miles away, chalking up her 109th different park.

James Shoulder (19:17) achieved a parkrun PB at Gunnersbury but Chris Kelly (plus hound) still holds the record there with 18:35 set in December 2012.

Mike Dennison (19:50) ran well at Hanworth (missing a PB by 2 seconds) and was the first man across the line but a lady had got there first this week.  It doesn’t happen every week.  To even up the score, Barry Walters (22:31) ran at Hanworth for the first time and beat Mike’s daughter, Zoe, by just a few seconds.

Ben Chaytow (21:32) added the Severn Bridge parkrun to his Welsh collection and set a new club record.

Joe Nolan had a busy Saturday morning at Black Park in charge of his squad of 26 pacers.  There were 608 finishers.

The next club featured parkrun will be at Upton Court (Rugby Club) on Saturday 28th September.  Those who run round quickly may well get to the clubhouse in time to watch the closing minutes of the Rugby World Cup match between Japan and Ireland.

Steve's parkrun stats - club parkrun stats - UPDATED

Full club parkrun database - {read access to new club parkrun database} - UP TO DATE - Download and explore.

Steve Newell / Roderick Hoffman

* Wilson Index Update

By running at an event number "41" I increased my Wilson Index from 40 to 54. This means I've run at an Inaugural event, an event on their second running and so on up to an event on their 54th running. There is a "Wilson Index" tab in the full club parkrun database. This shows the Wilson up to 50 (anyone with a Wilson greater than 50 must be mad enough to be able to work it out for themselves!). For most of us the Wilson Index is still on zero. Steve Newell has the second highest with "46", then Ian Cockram has "19", John Coffey has "15" and Sarah Gordon has 13. If you scroll the table to the far right you can see where you have gaps....but you then have to research to find a parkrun due to be on the run number of your gap (try google spreadsheet parkrun event numbers predictor).

** Bushy Growth

As expected Bushy bounced back to the top spot with 1459 attendees for their 800th run, that was a growth of 619 on the previous week (more than attended all but 14 UK parkruns). Bushy didn't have the biggest percentage increase though - that honour went to nearby Feltham with a 500% increase from two finishers to twelve. If you discounted the limited access parkruns then the biggest growth was at Sunny Hill - 23 to 71. Clearly parkrunners had been unable or unwilling to find Sunny Hill on a rainy day.

Club parkrun Volunteering Update

I've done some analysis on the number of parkrun volunteer efforts put in by our members. This isn't easy to do because parkrun do not provide convenient lists of who did what at which parkrun and when. However I've generated a report based on snapshots taken at the end of April and the end of July. Some members, such as Mike Dennison, frequently volunteer but haven't been included because they weren't included in the first snapshot. I've also missed some individuals - such as Paul Brandon who registered so that he could be our photographer at Hanworth. Of those included:

In the three months 30 members added another 135 volunteer credits to their records. The top ten were:

Many of you will be wondering how David could have added 31 volunteer credits to his record in just 92 days including 13 Saturdays. I can assure you that he did! Some credits may have been at Junior parkrun - but they all count.

In the same period ALL club members between them have added about 391 runs to their records so as a club our members are contributing more than 1 volunteer credit for each three parkruns run. Since parkrun can only operate with volunteers, and not everyone is able to, we are thankful for those who can and do.

Looking at the roles volunteered for over those three months - there were 22 different roles included and the top five were:

Volunteer Coordinator	16	Mainly David Duggan but also Joe Nolan and even myself once
Marshal	14
Run Director	13	Seven different club members have performed this key role over the last three months.
Timekeeper	13	Eight different club members have handled the stopwatch at parkruns over the three months.
Barcode Scanning	11

And I see from the first August report above that Colin Haylock has now doubled his and the club's count for the "VI guide" role.

Roderick Hoffman

Ride London 100 report - 4th August 2019

It was an early start on Sunday morning with the wave pen opening at 6:50. I stayed nearby so just had a short cycle to the start. I knew that Chris Kelly was starting in the same wave and kept a look out but didn’t manage to find him.

At this point last year it was raining, as was most of the ride, so it was really nice for it to be dry and mild. A quick munch of a banana and a toilet stop and I was ready.

The wave gradually moved towards the start line and we were off at just after 7:50.

The first miles whizzed by and it was a clear run up until about mile 35 where there were several hold ups, a couple because the road narrowed so much and a few more for riders needing medical attention, my Garmin suggests that I lost around 50 minutes with the hold ups. Leith Hill was a difficult climb but Box Hill seemed easy on the day. There are a couple of other hilly bits that catch you out later in the ride when you’re tired and in the last few miles everyone is freewheeling on the downhills to save their legs. I stopped four of five times to fill up my water bottle and a couple of loo stops, towards the end of the ride I was happy to stop and rest the sore parts of my body for just a few minutes before carrying on.
I finished in 7hrs 21 minutes and considering the hold ups I’m happy with that, although Chris K got round faster than that. It would have been interesting to see if I could have kept his pace up, it’s hard to know how fast to cycle when you have such a long distance to pace yourself through though.

Thanks to the BA Marshalls for doing their thing at Parliament square and to the BAAC for the place as I missed out in the ballot this year. Should I apply for next year? the ballot is open!

Steve Taylor

More on our Ride London Marshalling effort next week

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

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