The logo of the baRUNNER website. HOME NEWS DIARY

baRUNNER - a website for the British Airways Athletics Club

 The logo of the baRUNNER website.
Events>

BA Athletics Club News Digest 23rd October 2023

Events Calendar - online here

Events marked "#" are points scoring for the club's participation trophy - for the 2023 title.

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps] [parkrun run by club members updated 4th October 2023]

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

Results for Next Week

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 (please submit your October Mile performance by the end of the month for publication in 6th November digest):

Run one mile and send me your time or add the details to the prompt in Facebook. The mile can be somebody else's formal event or even one mile within a longer run. 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: [no need to submit if your best mile is one of the Arethusa miles, I'll check the tables].

Mile Participant Location Date How Measured Duration/Time Comment: e.g. event
 

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

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

Events Update

Experiment - which events might you come to?

As an experiment I've added a poll to the Facebook groups for club listed events to be attended in November and December. This is only an experiment for now, in part because I know that there are many members who don't use Facebook. If you do then please open the poll and tick the events you may attend...or if you don't expect to attend any please tick the "None of these events" option. I've left the poll open so that you could add additional events that you have entered, or comment if you want to ask or clarify something.

BA Runner Facebook Poll - November and December Events

This Week

The Winter Wednesday Handicap returns to Bedfont on 25th October. This involves running 5 miles over two laps from the Bedfont FC car park aiming to finish at 7 p.m. The scoring system rewards modest improvements over the winter series.

Please email > Steve Newell at snewell.1944@hotmail.com if you are planning to come along.

Steve Newell [and please note the new email address for future use for Steve - he is no longer using the blueyonder address.

 Recent Activity Achievements

15 members' achievements were communicated to me. [I can't find full official finish times for the Abingdon Marathon - Ben, Ian and Maria's times are perhaps gun times, I've left Piers' sub-4 own time for the event]

Colleague Activity Distance Course When Duration Comments
Ben Chaytow  Race Marathon Abingdon Marathon Sun 03:37:33 Very satisfied. This was a lot faster than the 4.11 time I achieved in York Marathon last year.  I thought my marathon days were over
Ian Haylock  Race Marathon Abingdon Marathon Sun 03:28:42  The most disciplined marathon I’ve ever done & didn’t hit the wall: a) 80km a week for 12 weeks,  b) 145bpm heart rate ignoring whoever went past, c) fuelling from Mile 1 not 10k. [see below]
Maria Jovani  Race Marathon Abingdon Marathon Sun 03:29:18 "Amazing"
Piers Keenleyside  Race Marathon Abingdon Marathon Sun 03:59:56 First running - just scraped under 4 hours. Was hard work over the last 9 miles trying to stay under 10 minute miles to get the sub-4.
Andy Rayner Various Over two weeks: Wed 11 Oct Cycle Cox Green in 25m 13s / Thurs 12 Oct fast walk estate in 10m 55s / Sat 14 Oct XC in 46m45s / Fri 20 Oct fast walk Cox Green Park in 28m 42s / Sat 21 Oct cycle/walk Cox Green to Maidenhead and return in 1hr 45s / Sun 22 Oct local fast walk in 10m 22s
Barry Walters Various Bracknell Leisure Centre Sat am 02:30:00 Currently injured (Achilles tendon) so instead of parkrun - started with a boot camp workout doing burpees, jumping jacks, lunges and squats etc. Followed by a sprint cycle session (mostly out of the saddle in a high gear), then one hour in the gym. Finished with a visit to my favourite chippy!
Benita Scaife Running 4miles To Marlow via Bisham Woods We ran from home to Marlow via Bisham Woods. Our woolly friends were unperturbed. 4 miles.
John Scaife Running 4miles To Marlow via Bisham Woods As Benita
David Cowell parkrun 5km Havelkanal, nr Berlin Sat am
Emma Moreton  Race Marathon Beachy Head Marathon Sat 00:04:34 New PB - my 4th BHM and best time by 21 mins! It was all sorts of challenging weather and 1k elevation. Time 4:34
Janet Smith parkrun 5km Higginson, Marlow Sat am Met up with Harjit
Julie Barclay  Race 5miles Nonsuch park Sun 00:42:58 MABAC Cross-country League. Muddy and hilly course but under clear blue sky.
Petra Otto Injury assessment Monday assessment revealed a serious hamstring injury at the insertion point into the buttock. Allowed to walk slowly up to 10 mins, gym on upper body, plus 15 different daily exercises and icing 3x. Reconvene in 6-8 weeks, CT scan if no better by then. What joy!
Roderick Hoffman Sprints 5km Brookside, Yeading Mon 00:32:57 10x100m sprints as part of a 5km run around my local green area - before going down with a bad cold for the rest of the week. Photo shows me ready for my parkrun sweeper role.
Steve Hillier Running 5.7km Hillingdon Sun 00:44:36 I had a leisurely jog this morning through three local parks:  Newton Park West, Newton Farm Ecology Park and Alexandra Park.

Week achievements

Ian Haylock's Disciplined Marathon

 I did the Abingdon marathon today in a time of 3H 28’22”. I’d lost focus since Covid and thought I needed something to work towards. This was my second best marathon time (previous one 3:27 something, also at Abingdon) 6 years ago in about 2017. I must say this is a great marathon with around 1,000 plus runners so a lot easier to get going vs the big international classics . It was very well organised, well marshalled and very well supported.

For years I’ve been told to go on a plan but just did my own thing (long run at weekends, speedwork during the week etc.). This time I did the 12 week "Advanced Marathoning" 80k/week schedule; the easiest but manageable of the 6 schedules. Two more things I also did differently: I ran 37k of it completely on heart rate (145bpm aerobic) and accepted the pace and nudged it to 150 in the last 5k which is close to threshold (unsustainable for the whole distance). I ignored what others were doing even though I knew I could tag on to them as they went past. The final thing was fuelling. I didn’t wait till halfway or even 10k to fuel. Breakfast was porridge plus Banana and sandwich at 06:00 ( 3hrs to start). Then a gel 10 mins before. I drank energy drinks to halfway (I hate gels). Then disciplined myself to take a gel at 10k, 20k ,30k and a banana at 16m with shot blocks. It was the most disciplined marathon I’ve ever done and I didn’t hit the wall.

Taken me years but learnt massively today about doing 3 things completely different, so like to share if it can help others.

All the best,

Ian Haylock

parkrun Results for Saturday 21st October

35 activities are recorded below for Saturday. Please get in touch if your activity is missing.

Club parkrunner parkrun Run# Pos Time Age Grade Comment / TUE Comment
Oliver MATHAI Ally Pally 519 176 0:30:41 57.47% run #92, first at Ally Pally, park #5
Scott DAVISON Bedfont Lakes 663 59 0:28:36 52.39% run #436, 284th at Bedfont Lakes
Joe NOLAN Black Park 682 175 0:28:53 59.72% 392nd run at Black Park
Bob BANNISTER Brooklands 165 169 0:26:38 64.14% run #480, part of a record attendance of 469 at Brooklands
Anne Bannister Brooklands 165 369 0:35:43 58.52% Brooklands had been suspended for two weeks
Ian CUNNINGHAM Bushy Park 953 243 0:23:53 67.76% 416th run at Bushy
Adam MOQUET Clapham Common 197 4 0:18:47 71.07% First run at Clapham Common, BA Male record (from Paul Watt)
Caroline Yarnell Curl Curl 482 89 0:22:42 87.96% [Ex-member] 98th run.  Equalled the Curl Curl parkrun Women's 60-64 age group record
Joan FOXLEY Harrow 370 247 0:39:06 60.91% 234th run at Harrow
Denis FOXLEY Harrow 370 248 0:39:18 47.41% 195th run at Harrow
David Cowell Havelkanal 27 2 0:19:04 74.39% run #83, park #65, New BA parkrun - #775.
Steve NEWELL Hazelwood 209 80 0:49:00 41.90% Wilson Index springs up to 215, 3rd run at Hazelwood this year
Janet Smith Higginson, Marlow 169 121 0:38:50 48.58% run #163, 2nd at Higginson Marlow (both this Autumn). P-Index stays at 4
Harjit Jhooti Higginson, Marlow 169 123 0:39:07 45.68% first run at Higginson Marlow, park #102
Duncan Wright Hyndburn 231 7 0:21:58 74.96% [non-member] 13th parkrun in nine years.
Sarah GORDON Leicester Victoria 336 292 0:36:49 56.77% run #349, 37th at Leicester Victoria, 4th this year [there were very few alternatives in the area that weren't flooded out]
Benita SCAIFE Maidenhead 378 Finish Tokens at Maidenhead.
John SCAIFE Maidenhead 378 Finish Token Support at Maidenhead.
Frankie HOGGE Mile End 537 191 0:27:19 54.18% run #104, 13th at Mile End, first there this year
Mike DENNISON Osterley 446 9 0:20:18 82.59% 17th run at Osterley, fifth this year
Trish MCCABE Osterley 446 106 0:26:49 59.79% 56th run at Osterley, 21st this year
Jeremy SHORT Osterley 446 262 0:45:40 35.73% 51st run at Osterley, 15th this year
Alan ANDERSON Osterley 446 265 0:46:48 58.23% 128th run at Osterley, 33rd this year
Neil FREDIANI Prudhoe Riverside 281 68 0:31:25 53.90% run #307, 32nd at Prudhoe Riverside, 17th this year
Murray Hogge Reading 613 16 0:22:02 74.74% 313th run at Reading
Ben Kelly Reading 613 23 0:22:48 56.65% 72nd run at Reading
Christopher T KELLY Reading 613 191 0:39:39 39.76% 411th run at Reading
Melanie Miller Rushmoor 383 371 0:39:30 45.82% first run at Rushmoor, park #139
David DUGGAN Southall 89 49 0:33:26 49.25% 17th run at Southall, P-Index is 6
Paul WATT Stockley Country 40 1 0:22:04 71.45% First 1st finish - has now finished in all positions from 1st to 36th.
Julie BARCLAY Stockley Country 40 8 0:25:02 76.43% 2nd F. #40. With Paul needs #27 for WI up to 46.
Roderick HOFFMAN Stockley Country 40 Timekeeper at Stockley Country
Jacqueline MUSSELWHITE Woking 389 186 0:28:25 62.87% 108th run at Woking
Fiona Bishop Woodhouse Moor 776 328 0:27:37 73.39% BA first lady at Woodhouse Moor (Leeds) and best age grade (from Piers).
Piers KEENLEYSIDE Wycombe Rye 507 142 0:26:56 62.87% first run at Wycombe Rye, park #70

parkrun Review 21st October 2023

We start this week with news (but no results detail) of a rare parkrun event #0, a publicised test event involving 100 volunteer runners at (Royal) Victoria Dock, the venue of the 2010 WARR hosted by BA.  Entry was via Eventbrite and no official “parkrun” results will be published. Parkrun there has operated from what is now the City Hall with a couple of courses but has been suspended since 12th August and a further change is on the cards as construction work at Excel is going to obstruct the established course for a whole year.  The core team there plan to relaunch with a new route on 4th November. For more details, keep an eye on the Victoria Dock parkrun website.  It will still be a fast and flat course.

Adam Moquet (18:47) carried his cross country form from last week over to Clapham Common parkrun and was 4th to finish out of a field of 717 on his first appearance there.  The attendance was well down on recent weeks.  The stormy (“Babette”) weather which caused many parkruns to be cancelled was probably to blame.  An occasional parkrunner, Adam has finished in under 18 minutes at Tooting Common and Fulham Palace in the past.

David Cowell (19:04) was treading new ground for the club at Havelcanal (NW Berlin).  That takes his personal tally to 65 different parks and the club total on to 775.

All year long Paul Watt (M1, 22:04) and Julie Barclay (F2, 25:02) have been waiting patiently for Stockley Country parkrun to get to run #40, a crucial number to enable progress with their Wilson Index.  Paul is often up the near the front and has now been in every finishing position from 1 to 36 at a parkrun.

Bob Bannister (26:38) and Anne Bannister (35:43) were part of a record attendance of 469 at Brooklands which hadn’t hosted a parkrun for a couple of weeks.  The current course uses parts of the VC10 runway and the motor racing circuit of a century ago and is relatively(!) stormproof.  Over at Bushy the numbers were several hundred down on the current norm.  School half-term or big puddles?

Oliver Mathai (30:41) has a four digit barcode and ran his first parkrun at (guess where) Bushy Park in June 2007.  Over time he has run 30 times at Bushy, 50 times at Gunnersbury and more recently 10 times at Osterley and just once at Southall so a first appearance at Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) was a little unexpected.  Steve Newell’s son and grandson (not members yet!) are more familiar with the course there and the young lad grabbed a course pb this week.  Small world.

Looking ahead…

Some parkruns have been cancelled on 4th November to allow firework displays to be set up and maybe even some bonfires if they are not contrary to the local current net zero policy.  Check out parkrun UK cancellations.  Several parkruns have already declared the intention to hold (or definitely not) runs on 25th December and 1st January (http://www.parkrun.org.uk/special-events/ special-events).

Steve Newell

Matters Arising

Paul WATT has now finished in all overall finish positions from 1st to 36th.

To achieve a sequence like this you have to be able to have finished first at a parkrun, but also to finish frequently in the top 10 and also in the 10 to 40 range. Some of our best runners are simply too good, hence don't get enough 10th to 40th place results. Most of our mid-speed runners have never hit the top spot. I once was in the right place at the right time to get a first finish but I've got three gaps in the top ten. For comparison with Paul:

  • Midlands parkrun cancellationsAdrian Haines has finished in all overall positions from 1st to 7th.
  • David Cowell - 1st to 9th.
  • Jeremy Short - 1st to 10th.
  • David John Bird - 1st to 13th.
  • Mike Dennison - 1st to 27th. Mike is missing 28th and 30th.

I don't have data available to check female positions but note that Maria Jovani has finished in all overall positions from 2nd to 59th. So, if she was to achieve a first place finish she would take Paul's record and nearly double it. And she is quite capable of achieving that at many of the world's parkruns. However, Maria doesn't hold the club record for the longest run of finish positions:

  • Mike Dennison has finished in all overall positions from 54th to 115th (62 consecutive).
  • Ian Haylock has finished from 41st to 108th (68). To go top he would need either a 40th or a 109th place finish.
  • Bob Bannister has finished in all overall finish positions from 16th to 94th (75 consecutive). He has only once been higher than 16th, one 11th place finish at Hanworth. A 96th place finish would extend his sequence to 99 (79 consecutive).

All the above has taken manual research - let me know if your record is better than any of these. And finally...parkrun isn't a race...but it doesn't half feel good to finish first!

Cancellations and Geographical Phenomena

The map shows cancellations over the weekend with the East Midlands being particularly hard hit. Some parkruns that were on therefore reported particularly high turnouts - Forest Rec in Nottingham had 446 finishers vs recent 200 and Sheffield Castle had 304 vs recent 80. Click on the map to study all of Saturday's cancellations.

 One West Midlands parkrun that did go ahead was Woodgate Valley Country Park. Whilst their attendance was within normal parameters they had attracted cartographical geeks from across the country. Magnetic North varies but at the moment it is similar to what we consider to be True North. The two lines were identical in the Woodgate Valley area on Saturday and this is also an area where Grid North (used for the OS mapping service) also matches True North. So on Saturday, during the parkrun, the three Norths all agreed. It probably didn't make the hill at the end of the course any easier to climb.

Roderick Hoffman

 

Full club parkrun database - {read access to club parkrun database} - Download or save a copy, and explore at your leisure.

Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

Roderick Hoffman

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.

Difficulty viewing this? Read it from the website:- http://www.barunner.org.uk/News Latest.shtml. Club website: www.barunner.org.uk.

 

      

Full Index