baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

BA Athletics Club News Digest 8th July 2019

Events:

• Wednesday 10th July - Vets League Perivale from 18:30 #
• Wednesday 17th July - T&F Rosenheim 5 at Walton, Waterside Drive 18:45 #
• Tuesday 23rd July - NOW Ruislip from 12:00 (to be confirmed)

We meet at 18:00 at the Bedfont Club on most Wednesdays throughout the year including this Wednesday - but 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: 4th April.

* Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] (parkrun details updated 24th June) / # 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.

Club Survey - results part three

What the club should do more (or less) of:

This graph is based on the responses "Too Little" and "Too Much" and I've shown the net difference (so ignoring all those who said "About Right" or didn't answer). Each question had between 35 and 43 responses.

 There is a clear message about members wanting more training ideas and advice (net +18) and also, I find more surprising, more on Triathlons and Biathlons (net +13). Team Relays also got a good positive reaction (+10) which again is surprising considering the difficulties we have had in recent years getting together relay teams - but probably we need to try again and try differently. On the other hand several members think that there is too much emphasis on parkrun (net -4). They may be correct but, for instance, parkrun content for the weekly digest is readily available whereas getting other content is often like trying to get blood out of a stone {but thanks to Ian and Richard for their contributions this week}. The editor would be delighted to have to squeeze out parkrun news because of other contributions!

Communications strategy:

In comments many people specifically mentioned that they thought that the weekly Digest was excellent (or at least "Did the job required"). No major changes to the Digest are anticipated (other than including more blood from stones!)

• 13 people asked for more information on the existing channels used so there will be an item in next week's digest on this (and a page added to the website for this content).
• 12 people said that we should use Facebook more - so we'll try to include all "#" club events as Facebook "Events".
• 9 people suggested that the website should be more dynamic and more up-to-date - that would be more of a challenge since it would take time and the current committee members are all fully stretched.
• No one suggested other Social Media tools (other than two who suggested more use of BA Yammer).

How to attract new members:

• 23 people suggested that we should use the local parkruns for promotion and our stand at the Hanworth parkrun was perhaps an example of how we could do this.
• 18 suggested introductory events such as a "Couch to 5k" scheme.
• 13 wanted more promotion through BA channels such as Yammer.
• 7 suggested we host more races and events.
• Just one person suggested we should be more inclusive, highlighting our often male dominance on Wednesday evenings. I think we do have a problem in that respect, though I also believe that it is not deliberate. However, I will add a note of caution that the best judges of a group's inclusiveness are NOT those at the core of the group!

The AGM on 31st July will include a member's forum at which we will discuss these and other points and suggestions.

Roderick Hoffman

Dream Mile July Results

Hot and sunny with negligible wind. No excuses therefore, apart from those like me who always moan when it gets too hot.

And graphed out for last week's runners since the start of 2018 there have been some ups and downs!

The next Dream Mile will be during our second week of Summer this year, on Thursday 2nd August.

Roderick Hoffman

Club parkrun results for Saturday 6th July 2019

Volunteers include...

The volunteer team (after some of us had left, and including two non-club members who had also helped)

Our first venture into a parkrun volunteer takeover at Hanworth (“Air Park”) proved to be an excellent bit of teamwork.  The course is two-and-a-bit clockwise laps round the outside of the multi-acre flat hayfield, much of it on crushed stone paths.  The runners, just under 100, soon became quite spread out and the timekeeping, funnel management and token allocation duties were stress free.  Our ”race” clock was ticking away by the finish line so runners were able to check their times at just over half way as well as the end.  parkrun is not a race of course, merely a time-trial, but a reminder that our clock is available for hire never goes amiss.  Our rates are very reasonable {see below}.

The first runner to reach the finish was Mike Dennison (20:09) who along with several others multitasked, also helping with course setup and closedown.  Half a dozen arrows were required at the (mainly) right turns and a few cones to highlight rabbit holes.  It was good to see former member Paul Westbrook (MV75) completing the course in the warm sunshine.

Elsewhere James Shoulder (19:41) set a new club record at Osterley where a special (“one-off”) course incorporating seldom used paths was provided as their 300th run was celebrated.  John Taylor (21:22), Mark Taylor (23:40) and Marion Woodhouse (36:20 Club Record) were in Cardiff.  For all of them it was their first time at a parkrun in Wales.  Gareth Snook still holds the male club record at Cardiff with 21:00.  Club course records also did topple at Kingsbury Waters in the West Midlands where Ian Cockram (23:54) and Caroline Cockram (28:17) had been bussed in for a national parkrun ambassadors' conference.  Saving the planet as well as money.  There was not a single new parkrun in the UK this week. London’s newest parkrun at Bethlem Royal Hospital between Croydon and Bromley was suspended at short notice to allow for the hay crop to be harvested over the weekend.

Steve's parkrun stats - club parkrun stats - UPDATED

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

Steve Newell / Roderick Hoffman

Hanworth BA Volunteer Take-over last Saturday #

I'll echo Steve's view above that this worked very well. After the run we were also able to practice folding away the Hanworth parkrun sign (pictured above).  There is a knack to it though our expert appeared to be Marion Taylor.

Chatting afterwards to the Hanworth Core team, who had enjoyed their run on Saturday, I confirmed that we'd be happy to do a volunteer take-over of Hanworth parkrun again...just as soon as we have done the same for Bedfont, Crane Park, Northala Fields, Osterley, Higginson, Upton Court, Black Park, Gunnersbury and so on.  But in all seriousness - if you believe that a BA volunteer take-over would be a good thing to do for your local parkrun then please suggest it, including offering to be the coordinator. I figure though that the earliest we could do this would be October or November.

Pictures - from Paul Brandon: https://www.facebook.com/pg/hanworthparkrun/photos/?tab=album&album_id=474642076625652&ref=page_internal

Write-up - from David Duggan: (will be at shortly) https://www.parkrun.org.uk/hanworth/news/

Roderick Hoffman

BA Clock

The BA Clock was in use for the Hanworth parkrun as part of our input. It is not a young item - the Club Treasure's accounts for 1992 has an entry for 29th July for £1002.74 for a SEIKO Sports Timer. That would make it 27 years old and at the time worth 201 annual subscriptions of £5. The club uses it for our own events such as the Speedbird Ladies race and the Winter Handicaps and we hire it out, normally at a daily rate of £50, to cover batteries and maintenance.

Contact me if you know of potential hires for the clock.

Roderick Hoffman

Claygate Country 5 - Sunday 7th July

This is our local race starting just a few yards from our front door and we’ve been running it for years. One of the benefits of getting older is moving into less populated age categories. In this case the male super vets start at 55. Last year I shocked myself by winning the category so I had a title to defend. Despite my best efforts I was “only” third in 34:54 [pictured]. I was still pretty pleased as I’ve done very little speed work this year and my legs are still in long distance mode. 

Cheers, Ian Cunningham

Ickenham 5 - Sunday 7th July

Sunday saw the running of the Ickenham 5 Mile Race - a "long distance mode" run for my legs - two laps around the streets of Hillingdon and Ickenham just north of the A40.  This is one of many local races that has a "Harry's Corner" and I was able to high-five Harry Wild as I went past on the first lap. It was drizzling up until the start and so we had to start cautiously since the first 300m was across wet grass but most of the run was conducted in the dry. Gun and Chip times were available as you crossed the finish line.

Roderick Hoffman Gun: 50:07 / Chip: 49:25. Overall position 244th of 337.

IRONMAN achievement

The following is from the latest TRI247 newsletter as recommended last issue:

{Previous BAAC member} "Natalie Ruffell (25-29) from Clapham Chasers put together a great performance (11:07:07) to take third place in her category, and was just nine seconds slower than the second place finisher. In those sweltering conditions she closed out her race with a 3:44:09 marathon. Even more impressive, that was her first IRONMAN start too."

And the photograph was provided by proud dad Richard Ruffell.

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

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