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BA Athletics Club News Digest 9th December 2013

Forthcoming Events:

  • Wednesday 11th December - 5 mile Handicap - Concorde Centre from 18:00
  • Saturday 14th December - KLM Club Championships 6k/10k - Near Amsterdam - Contact Roderick Hoffman for details
  • Wednesday 18th December - 'Parkway Mile' races and Club Christmas Social - see below

New members and non-members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at all of these events.

The full events diary is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml.

This news digest is being sent to you because you are on the BA Athletics Club email list.  To be removed please email us at news@barunner.org.uk. Difficulty viewing this email? Read it off the website instead - http://www.barunner.org.uk/News Latest.shtml. 

Nelson Mandella

On behalf of all South Africans, those you know and those you do not know, we thank you for sharing in our sorrow.  May his healing spirit be carried forward by all humanity!

David Tshivhundo | SAA Senior Manager Avionic Major Maintenance / 2013 WARR Host Committee Chairman

New facebook "BA Runner" Group

NEW - a facebook group for the club.  Why?  Most of the communication that goes on is from the club to the members or from members to the club. The facebook group is there for members to talk to members. Think about it - whatever our views on facebook it is a fact that more of us are facebook users than attend club evenings at the Concorde Centre (with the exception of next week's Christmas Social - see below).

Initially the facebook group is set up as a private group so attempting to access it will probably generate a join request and a small delay. Once the group is established we can decide whether to keep it private or open it up for anyone.  To find it search for "BA Runner" in the facebook search box (with the space between BA and Runner) or follow this link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/636199849751546/.

Communication Channels:

  • Weekly digest - this is a bulletin of the latest news from the club.  This is distributed wider than facebook users including the Concorde Centre noticeboard.
  • The baRunner website - this is a permanent club resource of longer term information including the club's event diary.
  • The facebook BA Runner group - this is a group for member to member conversations - such as "Can anyone offer me a lift to...", "Has anyone run at..." and "What's involved in marshaling for...".

Roderick Hoffman, Club Communications Secretary

Parkway Mile and Club Christmas Social - Wednesday 18th December from 18:00

The parkway mile races will be run as a team event though some lucky individuals may get the chance to run more than one leg.  Please email Steve Newell with your anticipated mile time. Children from 11 to 17 are welcome to run though will need to be accompanied by an equally able adult.

The Club Christmas Social afterwards will feature free catering for all attending members.  This will include Sandwiches (Turkey or Vegetarian) and Mince Pies.

There will be a Santa's Sack where you may contribute a wrapped present of value about £3:50.  Everyone contributing to the sack will also be able to receive a present from the sack.

Hot and Cold

former member Caroline Yarnell running through tropical forest

Former member Caroline Yarnell pictured recently running in the Sydney Trail series and Jagjit Singh on his way to completing the Ice Marathon on Antarctica last month.  The temperature went down to minus 26C.  Jagjit finished 23rd man in a time of six hours twenty minutes and 36 seconds.  This was his 111th Marathon and he has now completed Marathons on seven continents. I'm sure that Jagjit would still welcome sponsorship for his achievement - White Lodge Centre: http://www.justgiving.com/AntarticMarathon2 .

Club family parkrun results and stats for 7th December 2013

BA Family parkrunner Saturday parkrun Commentary WAVA Chase The Place total parkruns different parkruns
Roderick Hoffman 24:18 Southsea park#61, BA parkrun#81 62% Week7 84 61
Steve Newell 28:33 Gunnersbury 29' pacer 61% Week7 113 25
Brian Bennett 23:57 Osterley age cat record 77% 35 15
Chris Kelly 21:14 Reading 68% 167 14
Ian Cunningham 21:21 Bushy Park 70% Week7 127 12
Richard Ruffell 21:10 Upton Court park#11, club parkrun#83 71% Week7 36 11
Alan Anderson 30:39 Gunnersbury 63% 290 10
Alan Friar 26:40 Woodley half way to Gold. 65% 125 8
Joe Nolan 24:12 Black Park 150th parkrun 65% Week7 150 8
Adrian Haines 18:02 Tilgate course pb, age cat record 79% 12 2
Kerstin Luksch 25:55 Gunnersbury 57% 81 2
Tony Hird 24:15 Gunpowder 60% Week7 46 1
Scott Davison 22:42 Bedfont Lakes 61% 76 1

parkrun Highlights

 Top and bottom in this listing both have Bedfont Lakes as their home parkrun but whereas Roderick is a complete stranger there Scott is deserving of a loyalty award.  There is no criticism in this comment - parkrun is what you want it to be for you. Adrian Haines has joined the BA running club family this week and in doing so he not only smashes my club record at Tilgate by over ten minutes but he also brings with him an extra BA parkrun having run at Brighton & Hove last year.  That run, finished in 17:27, is significant for another reason in that it beats the previously recorded best time by a BA running club family parkrunner - Paul Knechtl's 17:28 recorded at Bushy. If Paul has any issues with that then I'd propose the two of them meet up at a neutral parkrun for a head to head. On that subject there will be a club featured parkrun on 8th March and we have proposed that to be at Guildford - subject to local club members being available to host.  We would also like to have a club parkrun on 25th January.  We are keen for someone to volunteer their favorite parkrun (or any other) and to be host (light duties involved).  Over to you please.  Roderick Hoffman

There are 4,113 runners left in Chase-the-Place including 6 from BA.  Steve Newell predicts that there will be 3504 people left in next week.   Roderick will be dropping out next weekend but it looks like the club has a greater chance of winning an extra place for the London Marathon than we would have of winning the Lottery.  But I know which one I'd rather win. However here is a better offer, from Steve Newell, "I will offer the prize of a bottle of wine to the reader who emails me (Steve Newell) a prediction for the total number of people left chasing the place which is nearest to the final figure which will be revealed by parkrun UK next Monday. Entries must be in by midnight on Friday and state preference for red, white or rose, still or sparking. As an alternative, non wine drinkers can request a seasonal beer or a fruit juice."

Steve's parkrun stats

Hogsback 

This is a race which I remember  from my earlier running life but never got around to doing. It always sounded appealing (maybe the Hogsback brewery has something to do with that) and having driven along the A31 since then I wanted to go and do a run with an amazing view. So on Friday morning I entered, having checked the weather forecast first.

On Sunday it was up early to put porridge in the belly and be ready to set off at 7:40. I felt better than on a  normal Sunday,  maybe because I didn't do a Parkrun the day before. 95% of the journey was very quick and then it was narrow lanes with few passing spaces and then a queue for the car park. I will aim to be there at 8 next time and not 8:15.

Anyway picking up my number was quick and pain free and you can enter on the day. A good number of portaloos meant the queues were not too long.

The weather was fantastic, blue sky and sunshine,  this wasn't right for December but I wasn't complaining. 580 runners turned up and as I headed for the start I heard Jack Rowley give me a shout out by name, I wasn't even certain he knew it*.

Anyway the run has changed in recent years, it was 1k on the driveway of Losely House to warm up and then 1k up the 'small' hill , strangely that second 1k was faster than the first and then some downhill before starting the big climb to the Hogs Back. I did have to walk the last bit and then along the top for a while, just to look at the view of course, and then it was a case of recovering for a kilometer or two before winding up for the finishing 5k.

Total distance was 11.7k or 7.3miles  and I was just in the top half 287th out of 580 runners in a time of 59:55. I was very pleased to beat 1hour and my WARR T-shirt motivated a South African guy to chase me towards the end but he couldn't cope with my blistering finish as I saw the clock ticking towards 1 hour {but as the next competitor finished in 59:59 perhaps he appreciated the chase - Ed}.

Anyway on the finishing straight Jack gave me another shout but this time I had become Ian, bless him. Strangely throughout my life Neil has often been replaced by Ian in peoples' minds. Maybe I should change my name.

Neil "Ian" Frediani

* Editor - it "takes one to not know one" - perhaps Neil means Tom Rowley.

Shorts

Adrian Haynes came 6th in the Kingston 10k in a time of 35:22 (first MV40).

News for the next BAAC News Digest?

Please let us have your ideas for how club communications can be improved and please send us items for inclusion in the next Digest.  Results, news, feedback, jokes, stories - send it to us at news@barunner.org,uk.  You can copy Paul Brandon and Roderick Hoffman in BUT the news@ address is the one that we use when the digest is compiled.

Club website:

www.barunner.org.uk.

 

      

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