E Wales Cross Country Champs
18/08/2008 by Dick.
Well it’s cross-country weather, so lets start mapping out the new season.
The Gwent League schedule is taking shape on http://www.gwent-league.org.uk/
The first fixture on Sunday 12 October at Bridgend will also be the East Wales Championships. GL regulars will remember that we had some good results at the corresponding Champs last year at Bath. You just fill out the entry form and pay £1 and run the race as usual.
AND the first six runners in each age category will then be selected for the Welsh Inter-Regional Champs at Wrexham on Saturday 13 December (travel up by Team bus).
Smartarses will have spotted that 12 October is also the Mendip Muddle, a Club Champs race. If that’s your preference, you can still be considered for E Wales selection by running well at a Leisure Centre XC or similar (LCL dates not fixed yet).
Or should you prefer to do the Gwent League/E Wales Champs and aim for automatic selection, then you still have two more Cat B Club Champs to come - the Sugar Loaf on 1 Nov and the Merthyr Mawr on 14 Dec.
Trace the Rain
18/08/2008 by Lou.
It was lovely to see a familiar face at the start line of Race the Train, and on the course, thanks to Chris from Griffithstown, for your support. I think Dee had a good run, not that I could see him, but he was close to our Ivan.
And it was good to see our friends from Fairwater at the evening do. Congratulations to Jeanette Jenkins on her prize in the 10k race.
Lou
and thanks to Niki ( alias ’second female Chepstow Harrier’) for writing……………………………………………….
….Trace the Rain
It was good to see Chepstow Harriers pairing down to absolute essentials and eschewing all creature comforts to enjoy a weekend’s camping in the mountains of mid Wales. Err, well that was the theory. Whilst massing at the leisure centre to board the party bus, those essential items included one television, a gazebo, a party reception marquee, a kitchen stove, airbeds with industrial pumps and enough food to survive a 12 month siege of Tywyn. Another minibus was clearly needed, and that was just for the Welsh cakes.
Those with exceptional spatial awareness skills were drafted in for the herculean task of loading the above items into the minibus, and after consumption of half the Welsh cakes, a forklift truck was hired to load the Harriers into the minibus. Incredibly we managed to drive for a whole 2 hours before anybody needed a pee. Upon arrival at the campsite the pressure was on to erect tents, gazebos, triple vibrating waterbeds, etc. before the chip shop closed. Being culinary minimalists whilst camping, Lou and I made do with pasta with garlic, chillis, fresh basil, pepper, mushrooms, sun dried tomato paste, black pepper, olives and parmesan shavings.
Saturday dawned and the weather was not looking too clement. The path to the toilet block became a treacherous bog fest to be navigated only by the fearless, the bold, or those with a good pair of wellies. The team descended on downtown Tywyn when it became apparent that a) the attractions of the campsite in a terminal rainstorm were somewhat limited, b) a television aerial was an essential purchase if the Olympics were to be watched from the comfort of Martin’s party reception marquee, and c) the toilet roll was at a critically low stock situation in the ladies toilet block, causing much consternation to those of a nervous disposition before a race. The only person wavering for the party bus trip to Tywyn was Steve Caldwell, commenting “the campsite is a much better place to have a pre-race poo” – clearly there was no toilet roll supply issues in the Gents.
The morning trip to Tywyn involved some spectacularly aimless wandering around, the obligatory tea shop faff for a few, and the purchase of some toilet roll and a TV aerial. Back at base, the men began the technical challenge of plugging things into the back of Martin’s car, erecting the aerial, and quite startlingly, making the TV actually work. Thereafter, the team could sit down in any one of the fifty or so deck chairs which had been brought along, and enjoy watching Team GB sweep up its gold medals . There was lots of talk about staying up to watch Paula in the marathon at 12.30 am, which was either exceptionally dedicated or completely bonkers depending on your point of view.
There was a general air of anticipation in camp (or was it just Steve’s pre-race farts?), and the eternal dilemma about when to consume that pre-race banana for optimum performance/ minimum disruption to the bowels. When there was no more faffing, deliberating, procrastinating and obsessing to be done, the team got on the minibus and were officially off to the start of Race the Train. Suzie’s son, George’s job was to heckle the Harriers from the comfort of the train – sensible boy. I’m sure lots of Harriers would have liked to have joined him. The train looked to be a lot of fun – in stark contrast to the prospect of racing 14 miles through mud, bog, hills and finally, just to finish your legs off, road. However being Harriers, and of course very odd, all this added to the appeal, and I think I can say absolutely everyone loved the course and thoroughly enjoyed the race.
All that pre-race toilet preparation had obviously paid off for Steve Caldwell who was first Chepstow Harrier in and 1 of 3 of ours to beat the train. Second was Martin – who put on a sterling performance, battling on despite having a lingering virus. Ivan was third to beat the choo-choo – all in all a storming effort!
1stChepstow Harrier woman was Lou – our ladies captain being the true champ that she is. Second lady in – was – well, modesty permits me from saying… Esther was third Harrier lady only a minute behind the er, second lady. All Chepstow ladies reported loving the race, its terrain, scenery and general ambience . However, the best feature was undoubtedly the goodie bag. I had to pull the team mascot (Maurice the Marmot) out of the bag such were the edible delights contained within. A veritable feast of snacks and drinks in the goodie bag were proving vital to supplement the now diminishing supply of Suzie’s Welsh cakes. The bag even contained a can of deodorant for the less fragrant runner.
The only slight dampener to the event, was the shower which got you er, slightly damp. It could best be described as an ant trying to urinate after spending a month in the desert. It would be fine, if you were trying to wash your little finger, or maybe one toe with not very much mud on it. However, seeing as most of those who finished Race the Train looked like they had spent a week in a mud-wrestling contest, it was perhaps not the most satisfying of experiences. I believe some runners are still in there – having successfully washed and conditioned one strand of hair.
The Harriers returned to the campsite for showers for those who had not managed to have one at the Race HQ, and for those who had.
An hour later it was back in the party bus for ‘free food’ courtesy of the event organisers, a few beers, and the awards ceremony. Sadly the free food cost £4.50 per head – they must have needed the cash to pay for the one functioning shower. Still, the food was surprisingly good. The veggie curry was a taste sensation – but then anything edible would have been a taste sensation such was the surge in hunger brought about by running from one shower to another in the hope of catching a drip, and the small matter of the preceding 14 mile run. The best shower of the day undoubtedly was the one going on outside which was turning the inside of the marquee into a quagmire to rival the campsite. There were some impressive Olympic dashes from the marquee to the portaloos, which I think we should have picked up a team prize for.
So – to the awards ceremony… 1st female vet 40 prize went to our very own Ladies team captain – Lou Summers! What a fantastic achievement for Lou. With such a big field – in excess of 800 runners, that really is something for which she can be proud. The women’s team prize went to Chepstow Harriers. Lou, Niki and Esther picked up some rather natty sports bags. The trio were quite gobsmacked by the whole affair – thinking that perhaps they were a bit crap and not going to win anything. As Andy Creber modestly put it in the party bus on the way back to the campsite “Well, I didn’t think you would win it girls, given that it’s a big event, but it must have been the off-road training courses you have been attending that did the trick”. And who might have been running those courses I wonder…
A triumphant but weary team headed back to the campsite for bed for some, and TV for others to watch Paula’s performance in the marathon for those inclined and with bizarre amounts of surplus energy (obviously not trying hard enough in the race).
All macho talk of climbing Cader Idris the next day evaporated at the first sign of a few wispy clouds, and the team scurried onto the party bus and drove home.
All in all an extremely fun and successful trip. Many thanks for organisers Lou and Dick, special thanks for Andy Creber and Ivan for driving (I won’t mention the stalling Andy), Suzie for the Welsh cakes, and George (Suzie’s son) for his tolerance and patience! Thanks also to Chris for supplying the TV – but can we have a plasma screen next time?
Results (chip times):
Men:
01.34.28 Steve Caldwell
01.35.38 Martin Pengilly
01.36.48 Ivan Teed
01.52.31 Andy Ost
01.56.28 Andy Creber
01.59.09 Bill Savage
02.02.51 Dick Finch
02.17.44 Geoff Bayliss
02.33.07 Dave Andrews
02.42.38 Brett Regulski
Women:
01.55.40 Lou Summers
01.59.39 Niki Morgan
02.00.39 Esther Barrett
02.08.57 Sian Griffiths
02.33.51 Jane Bayliss
02.34.04 Suzie Shepherd
Niki M
Rose Inn 2008 - race IV results
14/08/2008 by Andy.
The conditions were pretty tough on Tuesday, with a strong headwind on miles 2 and 4, so for the winner (Rob Bugden, Bristol & West) to break 20 minutes and come within a few seconds of the course record was quite an achievement. We hope to see some great battles next year if all the sub-20s turn up at the same time! Angela Tyrrell (San Domenico) was first lady.
Our usual results man is away at the moment, so I’ve been given the following results for the race on Tuesday (12th August). There are no series results here (sorry) - those will follow.
Webmaster’s away too, so the results won’t be on the main “Rose Inn” page for a few more days, but please bear with us 
Rose Inn IV 2008 results
Congratualations to everyone who took part throughout the series.
I’d like to say “thank you” to the race director Andy and his legion of helpers (registration, car parking, route marshalling, finish, water, results and BBQ) for putting on another fine series of races.
Looking through the results list, we had runners from as far afield as Sale, Cornwall, Neath, Reading, Stratford on Avon, Penarth & Dinas, Bridgend, Pontypridd, Chipping Sodbury, Bristol, Cardiff, the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean clubs in addition to our friends from the Leisure Centre Leagues. Perhaps the fame of the race is spreading? We hope to see you all back again next year for Rose Inn 2009. Thank you to everyone for your support!
Mystery Run Thursday
13/08/2008 by Dick.
In response to eagle-eyed Harriers who have spotted that Thursday’s advertised run, the Sea Wall, will be a repeat of what we did two weeks ago, we’ve changed the run to a new route. But …. you’ll have to wait till Thursday to find out where it will take us. It will be well-marked, and you can choose how long your run is as you go along.
Thursday’s speedwork alternative is the 20 minute out/20 minute back session on the field. We did this tempo run earlier in the Summer, and found it interesting and effective. And you usually see all the other runners at least once in your progress round the field.
Whether you choose the Mystery Run or the 20/20, we’ll be getting together again at the PTP at Wetherspoons later. Come along for a curry and drink for £5.59, and help make the decision on next year’s dinner/dance.
Club social - PTP @ The Bellhanger - 8:30pm 14/08/08
11/08/2008 by Andy.
It’s that time again - second Thursday of the month - so why not join us for a “post-training-pint” at The Bellhanger (Wetherspoons) in Chepstow after the run?
It’s curry and a pint night (doesn’t have to be alcoholic!) - and this month we’re combining the social with a rather important meeting of the social committee. This month we will decide on the venue for the annual Awards Evening (aka Dinner Dance) - and as the social committee is open to all club members, if you’ve got something in mind, now’s the time to come along - or forever keep your peace as they say!
Hope to see you there after the mystery run…
LCL Champions!!
11/08/2008 by Andy.
At Bryn Bach park on Tuedsay 5th August, Chepstow Harriers won the men’s and ladies’ team prizes for the annual Leisure Centre League road race series 2008. Both teams also won the overall (combined road and cross-country) series.
Well done to all who took part on the evening and throughout the year. It was a great team effort - who said running was an individual sport?
Congratulations also to the category prize winners:
1st L55 - Brenda Avery
1st M40 - Martin Pengilly
1st M60 - Dick Finch
2nd M55 - Bill Savage
2nd M60 - Syd Wheeler
3rd SM - Steve Caldwell
Bryn Bach results here: Bryn Bach Summer 2008
Series results here: LCL Final Results Summer 2008
Track Extravaganza - results announced
11/08/2008 by Andy.
After much swearing at Excel, I’ve finally managed to pull together the results from July’s club championship “track extravaganza”.
This event consisted of 5 different events: 1500m (ish) steeplechase, 1 mile, 800m, 400m and 100m.
A total of 25 men and 20 ladies took part in the “challenging” mid-summer conditions (not quite as warm and sunny as we’d hoped!) and most (if not all) seemed to enjoy themselves taking on the shorter-than-usual distances.
Each race was scored as if it was a normal championship race (so, 50 points for first place and 50 points for best age %).
The “position points” for each of the five events were then added up to give an overall “position in race” ranking. The highest scorer here was awarded 50 championship points, the second placed 49 points and so on. Separately, the same thing was done for “age related points”.
In this way, July’s championship scores are evenly balanced with the other months. There was obviously an advantage in doing all 5 races, but championship points have been awarded to all participants, even if they only did one of the races.
Hope that makes sense.
Anyway, results for each individual race are here.
The July championship scores are here.
Updated tables for the championship race 2008 are here (men) and here (ladies).
Note that Jane and Geoff Bayliss, plus Steve Harris have taken part in all seven races to-date and so have discarded their worst “A” score (since a maximum of 4 races may be included from any category and we’ve done 5 “A” races).
Bryn Bach Park LCL - Tuesday 5th August
04/08/2008 by Andy.
It’s the final race in this year’s summer Leisure Centre League series and both Chepstow teams are leading their respective tables going into the event. There are also a number of club members with opportunity to win individual glory - but with all races counting, few can afford to miss this last event!
The race takes place at Bryn Bach Country Park, starting at 7:30pm. Parking will be extremely limited due to an orienteering event also taking place in the park - can all runners please try to share cars as much as possible?
We will meet at Chepstow Leisure Centre ready to leave at 5:45pm.
For those heading straight to the race, I’ve done a Google search and come up with the following: http://www.aboutbritain.com/maps/brynbachcountrypark-map.asp. For the “Sat Nav” users amongst us, the post code is NP22 3AY (note it’s near Tredegar, NOT near Tredegar House - mentioning no names Mr Club Captain).
Hope to see you there!
Llanthony Show
30/07/2008 by Lou.
Saturday 2nd August is Llanthony Show. There is a 3.5 mile fell race from the show ground, organised by Dick. It is part of the WFRA S.Wales Series.
The course is marked and entry is free ( you pay to enter the show ). The race starts at 12.15 pm.
There is a junior race ( over 11 years ) which starts part way up the hill to give the seniors something to chase, it’s about two miles. Juniors need to enter earlier to give them time to walk up to their start.
Congratulations to Griffithstown, Fairwater and Islwyn on their 25 th Anniversaries. Dee and Chris from Griffithstown will also be bringing runners from Fairwater and Islwyn. It would be good to have some Chepstow runners to help them celebrate. Hope the weather is good for camping.
It’s a great day out for all the family with races for all age groups including a flat mile for the grown-ups, as well as a beer race, 4 in a sack race, three-legged and so on.
The show starts at 9.30 am. £4 for adults £2 for children under14.
See you there.
Lou
Kymin Dash (or should that be Kymin Krawl?)
28/07/2008 by Andy.
While Esther and Lou were battling the heat and hills of Bath (well done to both!) a contingent of Harriers took part in the traditional “Kymin Dash” race in Monmouth.
This race of “around 7 miles” (my GPS measured 6.5) starts with a loop of the town before a three mile climb to the top of the Kymin (around 850 feet above sea level) on lanes, forest tracks and fields. Apparently some people managed to run the whole way up, but I gave in to lack of fitness early on and walked (which was hard enough in that heat)!
Having finally reached the top (after several false summits) it was back onto the road for the thrilling descent. Apparently the road used to be quite tricky due to pot holes, but it has been re-surfaced and was very fast - I clocked a PB in the first downhill mile, slowing only for the hair-pin bends as I attempted to make up time following my capitulation on the climb.
Back down the hill to town, a quick loop round and there was the finish, ably manned by, amongst others, Chepstow’s own Syd Wheeler and Sue Browne.
Results are not up on the site (www.kymindash.co.uk) yet, but first Chepstow runner home (and third overall) was Ivan, followed by Matt Stott, myself, Gerry, Sue, Roberta and Eric. In the team event, we tied for second place with Parc Bryn Bach (first 3 home out of 4).
It was a tough run (though a rewarding second half!) and the heat was terrible - but the sun was out, the support was great and there were some beautiful views. It’s a little pricey at £10 on-the-day, but I think I might be back one day (after all, I’m sure I could run up that hill if I was a little bit fitter…).
Well worth considering for next year!
