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BA Athletics Club News Digest 13th December 2021

Events Calendar - online here

 

Events marked "#" are points scoring for the club's participation trophy.

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

For future weeks: inclusions, with photos, please to Roderick Hoffman at news@barunner.org.uk.

This Week's Events

Please help me by sending in your results, for instance by filling in the tables below and forwarding to News@barunner.org.uk. Some events will have "Prompts" set up in Facebook. These allow the posting of a single image and some text and make it easy to flip through everyone's entries.

Monthly Mile (submit before Monday 20th December):

Run one mile and send me your time or add the details to the Facebook prompt. I'll then produce a fancy graph showing your time this month compared to those of other people and previous runs over the last year.

Mile Participant Location Date Start Time Duration/Time Comment
 

Weekly Athletic Achievement (by late Sunday) or use the Facebook group prompt:

Participant Event Distance Location Day/Start Time or Duration Details or comment, and other achievements
e.g. Running


There are opportunities to run at the Bedfont Club at each of the next two Wednesdays.  This week it is the five mile handicap and the week after it'll be a mile race before the Christmas do.  There will also be the opportunity for members to buy the new 40th anniversary kit on each evening.

For the Five Mile Handicap be at the club ready for your start knowing that the objective is to finish close to 7pm. The changing rooms and showers will be available before and after, and we'll have an informal drink in the bar afterwards. Please let Steve know if you expect to be there and only want to do one lap.

For the Christmas run please tell us what time you would expect to do one mile in (or submit a club December mile time before next Monday).

Next Saturday's Club Featured parkrun - Nonsuch #

The pre-Christmas club featured parkrun is at Nonsuch park in Cheam. The nearest postcode is SM3 8AL and anyone approaching by road from the Heathrow area may well pass the most recent featured location (Bushy) on their way to Nonsuch.

There are multiple parking options either along the A24 London Road which runs along the west side of the park, or The Avenue just off the A232 Ewell Road which touches the south east corner. The latter is closer (approx 200 metres) to the start. There is also a car park adjacent to the start by Nonsuch Mansion but parkrunners are requested not to use this as it is primarily for the use of visitors to the mansion and disabled park users. For anyone preferring to use public transport the park is 1km from Cheam station which is accessed via Victoria.

The course is flat and a mix of sealed path and grass. The current (Sunday) forecast indicates generally dry weather for the coming week so flats will probably be OK, but in the event that there is rain beforehand then trail shoes might be a good option.

The Nonsuch Pantry Cafe is next to the mansion. This opens at 09:30 so any supporters or very quick runners may have to wait a few minutes for their caffeine shot.

John Scaife

Extra Stats on Nonsuch: 17 club members have run Nonsuch a total of 34 times. Ian Cunningham was the first on New Year's Day 2012. Ian also holds the men's record with 21:09. The ladies and overall record is held by Maria Jovani with 20:36 whereas the best age grade has been Julie Barclay with 81.11% (and the next best is Brian Bennett with 80.36%). Harjit Jhooti is the only club runner to have run Nonsuch since the restart.

Roderick Hoffman

Round-the-Airport Run Thursday 30th December from 11:00 #

Round Heathrow run routeThis year, unlike last, we can undertake our traditional post-Christmas-stuffing run by meeting up and running round Heathrow Airport together. The formal start will be at the Bedfont Club car park at 11:00 on Thursday 30th December. For those who haven't done this before the course is surprisingly rural using paths and country lanes most of the way round.

The idea is to jog round the distance together. If there are enough of us then we'll split into two groups so that there can be a faster reconnaissance group and a comfortable jogging group behind.  The total distance is about 12 miles or just over 19km.  If you discover that to be too far you can get back to Hatton Cross from Harmondsworth (7miles, then back via 350 bus and tube) or Harlington (9miles, 90 bus).

If Hatton Road isn't convenient for you then you are welcome to join us later on the course, perhaps to complete the circuit from the Bedfont Club after the rest of us have finished - or accept a lift back. That lift might be delayed since we'll probably use the opportunity of being in Hatton Road to use the club showers and the Duke of Wellington bar.

 These are the course details I provided last year: Directions and Map PDF . I'll be trying to visit the course between this week and next so I may have an updated version before the 30th.

Please let us know if you think that you may be attempting this - the more of us the merrier. Either reply to this or sign-up in the club diary. Let me know if you'll be joining us at the Bedfont Club or want to coordinate for part way round the course.

Roderick Hoffman

Activity Achievements over the week 6th to 12th December 2021

15 club members and friends reported their week activity achievements.

Colleague Activity Distance Course When Duration Comments
Amanda Coombs Running 5.56km Roker Beach Sat pm 00:32:33 Customary run along Roker beach whilst in Sunderland for a few days. Too cold for sea swimming this time! Saturday afternoon, 5.56km in 32:33.
Andy Rayner Running 3miles Thur 00:44:55 Also same course on Sunday in 46:01.
Barry Walters Running 9km Lightwater Hike Sun am 01:00:13 Did a steady run to just beyond the Windlesham Fields of Remembrance before turning back. I managed to complete the second half slightly quicker and enjoyed the mild conditions.
Benita Scaife Walking 4miles Newbury to Speen and back Our weekday activity was a walk along the Kennet and Avon canal. Speen is the only village in Berkshire still known by its Roman name (from Spinis meaning thorny place).
Denis Foxley Running 5miles Ruislip Woods and Lido Sun am 01:00:00
Emma Moreton parkrun 5km Bedfont Lakes Sat am 00:24:20 First parkrun since injury! Bedfont Lakes 2nd female.
Ian Cunningham Running 22miles Ewell, North Cheam, Worcester Park, New Malden, Kingston and Esher Sun 00:03:30 Long run for the week. Key discovery that Prosecco, beer and gin the night before is no excuse for not running 22 miles. I shall have to continue experimenting
Janet Smith Throwing Thames Valley Athletics Centre (Eton) Sun am A lovely mild Sunday morning for a bit of throwing. Slightly stiff after yesterday's parkrun [Ed: it doesn't show!]
Joan Foxley Running 4miles Ruislip Woods and Lido Sun am 00:55:00
John Scaife Walking 4miles Newbury to Speen and back At Speen there is a the mediaeval well, the water from which was said to cure measles and rickets.
Neil Frediani parkrun 5km Windy Nook Sat am 00:31:15 Best ever parkrun position at Windy Nook in Gateshead, 12th place. Tricky and hilly course, 31min. Picture was taken on the way there.
Piers Keenleyside parkrun 5km Gunnersbury Sat am 00:26:18 No time for a long Sunday run so today's parkrun is probably my best achievement this week. Second fastest parkrun of the year - lots of room for improvement.
Roderick Hoffman Orienteering 7.99km Richmond Street-O Tue eve 00:58:40 Including running across Richmond Park in the pitch black! The photo was taken on Sunday when I did the whole course, not one hour's worth, this took me 18km and 2:18:36. The two scores are 400 and -1,400!
Simon Turton  Race 5km Dorney Lake Sun 00:26:30 See below
Steve Hillier Running 4.6km Roxbourne Park Sun 00:30:29

Week Achievement photos

Simon reports:

Hayley signed us up for a 5km at Dorney Lake. I put a training schedule together and we've spent the last 8 weeks running x5 times a week, with a mix of easy, tempo and fast runs (including a bit of track work at Maidenhead). Race day (Sun 12 Dec) provided ideal weather conditions; mild, no rain or wind. It's the first time I've run round Dorney Lake and I can see the appeal. Hayley was keen to go under 28:30 and barring a few missed days due to colds, training had gone well. The start was a little chaotic because the 5km, 10km and half marathon all went out in a mass-start but with chip timing this wasn't a big concern. We quickly established our pace and enjoyed the run, smashing Hayley's target with 26:30mins. As you can see from the photo, we were both very pleased (and I got to wear my new BAAC running top!). Now to plan our next challenge...

Simon Turton

Roderick Hoffman

parkrun results for Saturday 11th December 2021

37 runs and volunteer efforts are listed below - get in touch if your activity is missing.

Club parkrunner parkrun Pos Time Age Grade PB? Comment
Emma Moreton Bedfont Lakes 29 00:24:20 63.22% Back running with reasonable pace
Sarah GORDON Braunstone 209 00:36:05 56.17%
Barry WALTERS Broadwater 82 00:28:06 60.26% 1st run at Broadwater, park #47
John Lennon Broadwater 137 00:34:48 46.07% 11th run at Broadwater (is in the process of rejoining)
Melanie Miller Broadwater 141 00:37:45 46.71% 1st run at Broadwater, park #49
Kevin Holland Brooklands 162 00:37:54 48.42% PB   1st run since 7Dec19, PB by nearly two minutes! [must have been training]
Ian CUNNINGHAM Bushy Park 687 00:29:41 53.57%
Ian Haylock Bushy Park 89 00:20:37 71.54%
Janet Smith California Country 86 00:37:18 49.20% After a blank November, run #126, 2nd at California
Harjit Jhooti Cassiobury 243 00:32:26 54.37% 30th park
Ben Chaytow Crane Park 77 00:28:51 49.16% pacing daughter Megan
David DUGGAN Crane Park 97 00:31:47 50.92% first run at Crane Park for 47 months
Alastair Heslop Guildford Timekeeper at Guildford
Piers KEENLEYSIDE Gunnersbury 161 00:26:18 63.18%
Steve NEWELL Gunnersbury 361 00:44:53 43.82% run #400
Denis Foxley Harrow Run Director at Harrow
Joan FOXLEY Harrow 131 00:38:13 60.23%
John COFFEY Hazelwood 63 00:35:57 57.12%
Alice BANKS Higginson, Marlow Marshal at Higginson, Marlow
Christopher T KELLY Horspath 122 00:37:52 40.93% 495th run
Keith Johnson Houghton Hall 52 00:27:31 54.03%
Maria Jovani Jersey Farm 18 00:23:04 68.86% Another "J" collector! BAAC Fastest Lady.
Mike Dennison Jersey Farm 7 00:20:41 79.61% Another "J" collector! BAAC Fastest Man and Grade.
Benita Scaife Maidenhead 185 00:34:00 61.47%
John Scaife Maidenhead 186 00:34:01 50.22%
Alan ANDERSON Osterley 192 00:49:48 50.57% Assisting Anne
Anne ANDERSON Osterley 193 00:49:48 57.86% (Assisted)
Anne Bannister Osterley 108 00:28:27 71.24%
Bob Bannister Osterley 38 00:23:23 71.70%
Scott DAVISON Osterley 50 00:24:25 60.41% 10th run at Osterley
Trish MCCABE Osterley 118 00:29:09 53.97%
Murray HOGGE Reading 15 00:21:27 75.45%
Stephen K TAYLOR Richmond Park 149 00:26:39 59.16% first run at Richmond Park, park #15
Julie BARCLAY Rutland Water 137 00:33:08 56.14% Still injured - so Petra Otto's record remains intact (from Sarah Gordon)
Paul WATT Rutland Water 6 00:19:45 78.48% Fastest man and grade.
Roderick HOFFMAN South Norwood 73 00:29:15 55.33% Now one short of being Lon-redone (Sutcliffe). His 8th "South" parkrun.
Also see: news | South Norwood parkrun for his stats laden run report.
Neil FREDIANI Windy Nook 12 00:31:15 53.17% park #63, New BAAC parkrun - #610

 

Our intrepid tourists continued to roam this week.

Melanie Miller (37:45) edged closer to her target of 50 different parkrun venues at Broadwater in Surrey.  Now on 49.  [Before she joined us Melanie had already run at Nonsuch, hence won't be joining us on Saturday - instead she plans to do her 50th different parkrun at Tonbridge, so anyone within 160 stones throw of the bridge are welcome to join her there]. Barry Walters (28:06) was at Broadwater for the first time as well, he is now on 47.

The less prolific Stephen Taylor (26:39) ran at Richmond Park for the first time. He is up to 15 but usually restricts himself to runs within cycling range.

Neil Frediani (31:15) broke new ground at Windy Nook in Tyneside about 2 miles south of the river. An intimate gathering for a metropolitan area with just 27 finishers and six volunteers and it is often like that.  The club total moves on to 610.

Paul Watt (19:45) made a rare journey to the East Midlands County of Rutland to take on Rutland Water parkrun which uses paths close to the reservoir and set a new club record (time and age grade).  Julie Barclay (33:08) limped round as well so no records for her this week and they both volunteered too.

Roderick Hoffman (29:15) finally made his way to South Norwood where the parkrun started almost four and a half years ago to edge closer to regaining his London status.  His global total moved on to 317.

Mike Dennison (20:41) and Maria Jovani (23:04) went to Jersey Farm near St Albans and set new club records.

Chris Kelly (37:52) went to Horspath (near Oxford) for the first time. Run #495, park #59.

The situation regarding Christmas and New Year parkruns is becoming clearer.  All runs will start at the normal time (9 a.m. in England).  The best way to check if your chosen parkrun is happening is to visit the relevant parkrun website and check the volunteer roster.  Most runs will welcome more volunteers. 

Steve Newell

John Scaife also points out that "Newbury parkrun finally restarted a couple of weeks ago following protracted negotiations with the owner of Greenham Common.".

The Eden Project parkrun was another to quietly restart the other week. Tring parkrun remains cancelled on a weekly basis due to "Venue not yet available".

Full club parkrun database - {read access to club parkrun database} - Download and explore (this is where I get most of my club stats from).

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

Roderick Hoffman

Letters to the Editor

Andy replied with respect to the walk that John and Benita did last week:

Hi Benita,

Know that walk well! Have not done it for ages. My walk is/was, park at Cookham, thence to the river and along until crossing THAT? field; up Winter's Hill; along and through Copas turkey farm up the slope; then through the village, thence up and over the golf course and then car park.

Best regards,

Andy Rayner

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.

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