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BA Athletics Club News Digest 26th February 2018

Events:

  • Wednesday 28th Feb - Club ‘instinctive pace training session’ and Awards Evening - Harmondsworth Five Bells* 18:00 and 20:00 (see below)
  • Thursday 1st March - Dream Mile Bath Road for 12:45*
  • Wednesday 14th March - Bedfont Football Club test event - 18:00 Hatton Road

New members and potential members of all fitness levels and abilities are welcome at all of these events.  The full diary of club featured events is on the club website at: http://www.barunner.org.uk/Event Diary.shtml [updated 13th Feb].

*Club Event Map: [Clickable link to Google Maps]

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BARunnerUK/ (formal "BARunner" page),  BA Runner Facebook Group (ask to join)

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


This Wednesday - the Club Awards evening at Harmondsworth

The club awards evening is this Wednesday - centered on the Five Bells pub in Harmondsworth.

  • The evening will start with an Instinctive Pace Training Session organised by Joe Nolan.  Fuller details from Joe follow this section.
  • The awards evening itself will be in the function rooms at the Five Bells which are upstairs.  Neil Frediani has arranged the evening including the provision of hot food for all attendees.
  • The awards themselves will be presented by Steve Hillier and John Williams, supported, one hopes, be everyone in the room.

Now I have to admit that I won't be there since I'm out in Utah with the BA Ski Club - so big apologies from me and note that I will be there in spirit.

Roderick Hoffman

Instinctive Pace Training Session - 28 February 2018 (details subject to weather and conditions)

The goal of the session is to help develop steady pacing, essentially ‘blindly’ without the use of watches, in able to instinctively apply the correct pace to different distance events.

Meet at the telephone box outside the Five Bells in Harmondsworth at 18:00 prompt, registering recent best 5k times. Watches are not to be used……however if you cannot run or feel naked without your Rolex or activity tracker this is fine as long as you don’t look at them !  It would be useful to have a few safety marshals if available.

10min warm up slow jog followed by dynamic stretch exercises.

Staggered starts by runners over an approx. 1k course loop, beginning at the telephone box, along Moor Lane turning back at the concrete road block, back to around the small green in front of the pub and up part of the High Street, and then turning back to the start/finish line.

  •  1st loop – to be run instinctively and steadily at your recent 5k best pace.
  •  2nd loop – to be run instinctively and steadily at a pace equivalent to 2mins slower than your recent 5k best pace
  •  3rd loop – to be run instinctively and steadily at a pace equivalent to 1min faster than your recent 5k best pace
  •  4th loop – to be run instinctively and steadily, repeated at your recent 5k best pace

Each loop will be followed by a 10-20sec recovery rest (as instructed by the starter).

To finish there will be a slow jog and static stretch warm-down.

Times for each ‘instinctive’ circuit will be processed and the closest ‘achievers’ reported in next week's digest – if time allows these will be announced during the annual awards ceremony.

This is a good opportunity to mention that my metronome-like parkrun pacer squad will be out on duty again next Saturday (3rd March) at Black Park covering every minute from 20-40 plus a run/walker.

Joe Nolan


A reminder about BA Clubs' benefits

I'd like to take this opportunity to remind you of some of the benefits included in your membership of BA Clubs:

1. Altitude Plus

You can take advantage of great offers from top UK retailers such as Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, Currys, PC World and many others. Many of the top retailers and supermarkets also offer store cards that can be bought at a discount so you can save as you shop.  If you go to the cinema, you’ll want to take advantage of the amazing cinema deals available through Altitude Plus – two family outings a year will cover the cost of a whole year’s membership alone!

Finally, as you shop on Altitude Plus, you can also earn WOW! points, a virtual currency – so you earn rewards for saving money.

2. BA Clubs Lottery

You will have the chance of winning one of three cash prizes including a jackpot up to £15,000. You can purchase additional chances. Each chance will cost 87p per month. Complete the lottery application form for chances.

3. AXA PPP healthcare

In conjunction with BA Clubs, AXA PPP offer members special rates on private medical insurance and dental plans. Full details available to members.

4. Lighthouse Financial

As a member you are entitled to a no obligation, complimentary consultation with a Lighthouse Financial professional adviser, at home, at work, or elsewhere. They will explain how you could benefit from advice and how much it will cost; then you decide whether to go ahead.

Vanessa (BA Clubs Membership Team)

There are also other benefits, one of which is that the Athletics Club can claim a budget from BA Clubs and use this towards our hire of facilities for club nights - such as Cranford Community College.  The more BA Clubs members the club has, the larger the budget we are likely to be given.

Roderick Hoffman (Chairman) obo Club Committee.


February Five Mile Handicap result

clock times target start finish elapsed diff(fast) diff (slow) points next target
Trish McCabe 47:00 09:00 55:41 46:41 00:19   25 00:46:45
Roderick Hoffman 47:30 08:30 56:45 48:15   00:45 21 00:48:00
Chris Kelly 37:45 12:00 48:10 36:10 01:35   18 00:36:15
Neil Frediani 46:00 10:00 53:46 43:46 02:14   15 00:43:45
Alan Anderson 01:00:00 00:00 01:04:49 01:04:49   04:49 15 01:00:00

A slightly bigger field of five runners enjoyed a cool calm dry evening.  Neil Frediani  and Alan Anderson were both taking part for the first time this winter.  Marathon and now Comrades entrant Chris Kelly jogged a couple of miles after work to reach the start and headed back afterwards to keep up his daily mileage.  Trish McCabe maintained her steady improvement and leads the league table but double points will be awarded for the run on the final evening (28th March) so there could still be a final twist!  The clocks will have changed so it will be a daylight run.

Steve Newell


Club parkrun results for Saturday 24th February 2018

24th Feb 2018 family & friends time parkrun commentary grade
Anne Bannister 33:24 Bedfont Lakes run #166, 136th at Bedfont 58%
Bob Bannister 26:56 Bedfont Lakes run #307, 256th at Bedfont 60%
Caroline Cockram 26:58 Bedfont Lakes run #304 61%
Ian Cockram 29:49 Bedfont Lakes run #422, pacer 49%
Scott Davison 23:51 Bedfont Lakes run #242 60%
David Duggan 31:46 Bedfont Lakes run #242, pacer 50%
Chris Evans 23:58 Bedfont Lakes run#196 63%
Neil Frediani 25:57 Bedfont Lakes run #187, pacer 62%
Sarah Gordon 33:30 Bedford 1st run at Bedford, clubrec(F) 58%
John Coffey 26:30 Bushy Park run #272 73%
David Tyas 19:57 Bushy Park run #495 75%
Jonathan Cox 23:22 Crane Park run #347, 55th at Crane Park 67%
Trish McCabe 27:23 Crane Park run #226, 26th at Crane Park 56%
Ian Cunningham 23:25 Franschhoek (ZA) M-4, BA park #389 66%
Alan Anderson 34:50 Gunnersbury run #497 64%
Benita Scaife 30:05 Maidenhead run #104, 55th at Maidenhead 65%
John Scaife 30:05 Maidenhead run #122, 58th at Maidenhead 55%
Petra Otto 34:32 March run #42, 37th at March 60%
Steve Taylor 26:04 Northala Fields run #79, 50th at Northala 58%
Steve Newell 37:49 Panshanger run #301, 1st at Panshanger 49%
Chris Kelly 21:15 Reading run #372 71%
Abigail Taylor 27:27 Rickmansworth 1st 5km parkrun 55%
Roderick Hoffman 35:42 Sth Boulder Creek BA park #390, one mile high ! 44%
Paul Giles 28:03 Tooting Common run #1 (officially) 46%
Eddie Giles 28:04 Tooting Common run #97, 1st at Tooting, MV65-1 62%
Joe Nolan 30:38 Woking run #297, 1st at Woking 53%
Tony Barnwell 40:07 Wycombe Rye run #160, 76th at Wycombe 47%
Alastair Heslop volunteer Guildford barcode scanning
Denis Foxley volunteer Harrow
Joan Foxley volunteer Harrow

Tourism continued at a club and personal level this week.  Ian Cunningham (23:25) was in Franschhoek in the South African Winelands and that lowers the club record for a parkrun in South Africa.  Roderick Hoffman (35:42) was at the other extreme, 5000ft up in the Rocky Mountains at the inaugural South Boulder Creek parkrun in Colorado.  With three inches of snow on the trail and less than a day to acclimatize he found it tough going. Roderick adds: This parkrun is the highest altitude parkrun outside South Africa though two club members (James Shoulder and Alice Banks) have probably run at higher ones around Johannesburg. It is the first parkrun I've done where the "other park users" have included some on cross-country skis.

In the UK Joe Nolan (30:38) tried Woking parkrun for the first time cheered on by Tom Rowley on all three laps.  Eddie Giles (28:04) was at Tooting Common on a visit to his son who ran with him for the first time with a barcode.  Sarah Gordon (33:00) was at Bedford and set a female club course record.  Steve Newell (37:49) found the slopes and slippery mud rather challenging at Panshanger Park in Hertfordshire.  Sarah and Steve are both on 92 parks – plenty of them are not the same!

Graham Taylor’s daughter Abigail (27:27) brought her precocious talent to a senior parkrun for the first time at Rickmansworth intent on starring in a video for her college project.  Uncle Mark (who set a club record last week) retired injured within the first lap and helped out behind a camera.

News is trickling out that the long awaited Mole Valley parkrun at Denbies Winery is to undergo a test run soon and if successful the inaugural run will follow later in the Spring.  Another projected parkrun which will be convenient for some members is be located at the London Irish FRC training Hazelwood ground at Sunbury.  Roderick: And a third of note will be Victoria Dock parkrun in Docklands. This will use some of the same course as the 5k/10k WARR courses we organised there in 2010.  For those who remember it well (or can't forget it) the start/finish for the parkrun would appear to be in the South West corner of the dockside area.

Steve Newell

Updated parkrun stats - club parkrun stats

parkrun growth

With only four parkruns cancelled in the UK last Saturday this meant that for the first time 500 parkruns operated.  Worldwide there were 1109, slightly down on the previous week's 1125.

I was running my 222nd different parkrun but that only puts me in 19th place on the "Most Events" table and the leader is Paul Freyne who on Saturday, in Moscow, ran his 400th different event.  That does mean that there are 725 events worldwide that Paul has NOT run at - so he can carry on his life's challenge for now.

Roderick Hoffman


Correspondence...

From Eddie Giles...

Hi,

Give my regards to all at the club as I will not be able to attend the Awards night on Wednesday.

We have had a dreadful new year with Lesley's health, and me as well, not quite as bad though and now out and running again. The cat goes and dies last Sunday on top of all that, we have a free week without any hospital appointments until the 5th March so we are off to Jersey for a few days.

I ran the Tooting parkrun on Saturday as my younger son Paul lives in a flat just across the road from the common. We went there on Friday and stayed over as he had booked tickets for the Mod musical about the Small Faces. One of his friends from Drama school is the keyboard player and got the tickets cheaper. Fantastic show!!

Then on Saturday off across the road to the parkrun.

Paul had run there about 3 weeks ago as an unknown and did 23.50. So I got him to register and so it was his first parkrun proper. He dragged me round in 28.04 and himself doing 28.03.

Although it was my slowest this year I did manage to get 1st in age cat there. Ed: And that was with 565 participants - and Paul's assistance probably made the difference - Eddie was only 3 seconds ahead of the second runner in his category.

See you all soon

Regards,

Eddie & Lesley Giles

Piers Keenleyside...

Seville Marathon

I did the Seville Marathon yesterday. Travelled there with an annual BA flight concession changed plans at last minute to fly LHR-Malaga on Thursday and then got train to Seville as the direct flight from LGW was looking very full. 

Surprised at how warm it got there - by the late afternoons it was about 20c! I had booked a one bedroomed apartment via Booking.com in a central position and by a stroke of luck the race turned out to go along the same street and the bus to the Expo left from a plaza just round the corner!

I was quite surprised that my Garmin measured the length as 26.5 miles as I cut a few corners and I thought it was very, very flat. The only slope I recall was when we had to go down and up a shallow underpass - but it came out on my Garmin with 1000 feet of climb. By comparison Marrakech was just over 500 foot but Seville seemed much flatter! Definitely a course for a PB if you are fit and running well - which I am not!

Enjoyed the run for the first 20 miles before my ongoing groin strain got very painful. I managed to just scrape a sub-4 and finished in 3:58:29.

Flew back from Seville to LGW - should have been yesterday but the flight had a technical problem so they put us all up in a hotel next to the Seville football stadium and we flew back this afternoon. Got Club Class both ways with confirmed seats so switching flights was the right decision.

Piers Keenleyside

And Dave Barnard passes on the following warning to our extreme runners...

Two face amputations after Ultramarathon

A British runner is one of two athletes facing amputations after bitterly cold temperatures in northern Canada disrupted the world’s coldest ultramarathon.

Nick Griffiths, 46, a facilities manager from Bolton, is likely to lose three toes on his left foot to frostbite. An Italian runner, Roberto Zanda, may lose both his hands and feet after hypothermia-induced confusion led him to remove his gloves. The nine-day Yukon Arctic Ultra, a gruelling race over 300 miles, experienced delays as temperatures fell below -40C most nights this month. Organisers temporarily halted the race early on when the cold was so bad that it prevented rescue snowmobiles from operating. Only one athlete, Jethro de Decker of South Africa, finished.


Next Digest?

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


Club website:

www.barunner.org.uk.


 

      

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