Archive for November 2008
Elan Valley 10 by Dave Andrews
26/11/2008 by Lou.
On Saturday 22 November 6 Harriers travelled to the Elan Valley, near Rhayader in Mid Wales, for the 10 mile road race. Me and Colin Prosser ran it last year and enjoyed it although it rained continually then. This year the weather was much better; it just rained for about 5 minutes in the middle of the race. I described the race to the others as “undulating” although I think the consensus was afterwards that is should be called “hilly”. The start is quite spectacular next to the first Elan Valley reservoir with water pouring over the dam. I got a bit carried away and did the first mile (downhill) in 7 minutes being ahead of Mike, Andy and Coiln for a while.
At the first long hill in the second mile Colin was dieing and I passed him, and I was with him at 4 miles although he pulled away from me in the second half of the race. Everyone seemed to enjoy the race ran in scenic country lanes, definitely one to recommend to Harriers in the future, Results were:
Mike Smith 1:15:54 27th
Andy Meek Welsh 1:19:30 42nd
Colin Prosser 1:23:30 53rd
Dave Andrews 1:26:34 (first M60) 59th
Syd Wheeler 1:27:37 (first M70) 61st
Bill Bewg 1:30:19 (second M60) 69th
104 finishers
New Club Kit - from Kitman John
24/11/2008 by Dick.
Hi All
Well I hope all or most of you saw our new Hoodies and Fleeces at the AGM, more importantly tried for size?
Sizes range for Childrens – Adult XXL
Guess you want to know the price……….
Hoodies £15:00
Fleeces £17:00
If you’re interested email me via the Club Kit page, Bulletin board or just grab me Tues/Thurs.
Website photos to follow.
Cheers
John
The Week Ahead - 24 Nov
23/11/2008 by Dick.
The pace doesn’t slacken here at CH. After the thrills and laughs of the AGM, we drive on to another packed week.
Those whose noses aren’t adjacent to the grindstone on Monday morning are invited to a recce of December’s Club Champs Race, the Pudding Race at Merthyr Mawr.
The choice on Tuesday is 4X1600 on the Link Road - in response to requests from those experienced runners who say we don’t do enough long speed/endurance . Or you can do School Hill. And don’t forget to come along to the Social Committee meeting afterwards.
Thursday is the S Bridge 5k time trial. After all this training it’s the ideal way to check out your current form and get some speed in your legs.
Those who did the Sugar Loaf will I know be eager to run the next Winter Series fell race, the mighty Blorenge! Saturday 2pm at Llanfoist Village Hall, just outside Abergavenny - £2 enter on day. A classic short up-and-downer and one to flaunt on your CV.
The Week Ahead - 17 Nov
17/11/2008 by Dick.
Tuesday’s choices are either a classic 12 X 400 metres (400 jog rec) on the Link Road or the new Danes Park hill session.
Thursday’s run, the Tour of the Town, starts early at 6.30. It’s AGM night and you need to be washed/changed by 7.30 to get stuck into the buffet before the meeting starts at 8.
On Sunday at 10 we’re meeting at the Leis Ctre to travel to Abergavenny to do a walk-up, jog-down recce of the Blorenge Fell Race, that comes off the following Saturday 29 Nov at 2pm - enter on the day £2 (start saving now).
And encroaching into the following week, anyone who’s not working on Monday 24th is welcome to come to Merthyr Mawr to recce December’s Club Champs race (you need to enter this one NOW if you haven’t already. It gets full early). We’re meeting at 10 for the recce.
Cardiff Half - More Results
17/11/2008 by Dick.
My apologies to Jane Rymer who told me at last week’s Curry Night that she had submitted a comment on Ivan’s report that I’d posted. I missed it at the time.
The original results didn’t list runners’ clubs, so we missed the following times - all Harriers that joined from the Beginners class:
Caroline Lidgett 2.02.38
Kathryn Thomas 2.08.41
Tania Forehead 2.08.45
Jane Bonsor 2.13.43
Jane Rymer 2.25.30 - can do much better but had tummy upset!
Harriers at Hartridge
16/11/2008 by Dick.
Well done all the Harriers (and supporters) who turned out on a very slippery and tight course at Lliswerry’s hosting of the second LCL Cross Country this morn.
As first-timer Stuey says on the Bulletin Board, the Blue & Red were out in force - 19 men and 11 women.
Going by the PROVISIONAL results, now posted on the Cross Country page in Club Events & Results/Club League Events, it looks like the women were first on the day, and equal first with Griff after two races. The men were probably equal 2nd alongside Lliswerry, behind Fairwater. That should make us 4th after two races.
Please see the Bulletin Board for a bit more detail.
The Week Ahead - 10 Nov
10/11/2008 by Dick.
Mark Harvey, this month’s coach, has devised a new speed session based at Beachley Loop Road, the housing estate on the left on the way to Beachley. It’s based on two lengths of road of about 700 and 900 metres and sounds an interesting and challenging session. Back in Chepstow, Geoff will be looking after the popular Hospital Hill session. Either will be useful for the LCL XC on Sunday.
Thursday will be the Boughspring runs with a choice of distances. Followed of course by the regular 2nd Thursday-in-the-Month treat - the Harriers Curry Night in The Bell Hanger. A tasty curry and a drink of your choice, all for £5.59.
Friday evening is a special occasion for us. It’s the LCL and East Wales Champs prizegiving at the RAFA Club next to Cwmbran Shopping Ctre. Every Chepstow Harrier who took part in last season’s cross-country or this summer’s road league should come along and receive the prizes we’ve won. And Mark and Lorna have won E Wales Champs trophies. There will be nibbles and music and a small charge, £1.50 or a raffle to cover costs. Meet at the Leis Ctre at 7 to share cars.
Then Sunday 11am is the next LCL cross-country at Hartridge School on the Spytty Road, Newport. Come off the M4 at the Coldra, J24 1st exit and after about a mile you’ll find the school on the left. Meet Leis Ctre at 10.
Gwent League Cross Country at Bath, by Matt & Dick
10/11/2008 by Lou.
After the sun of Bridgend the Gwent league reached round 2 in wet and windy Bath. Despite being a World Heritage City the course designer had selected a field close to the University for us to run around and around, not the most interesting of courses. Still, it did provide the opportunity for a bit of celebrity athlete spotting at the Uni. Olympian Craig Pickering was the best I saw. These sprinters must be cleverer than they look, as he was indoors doing some stretching while we were out in the wind and rain.
Polly and Georgie ran well in the novice girls. Next off for Chepstow were the Wright twins, continuing to sport the Harriers colour coordinated socks. Can we get them on the club kit page? Paige unfortunatley injured her ankle, which left Darcy to lead home the harriers junior section. However, this injury didn’t stop both girls joining their mum in cheering on the rest of the harriers in the subsequent races.
Next up were the women who, despite missing injured Mrs Excuses, put in a strong team performance to please Captain Lou. Leading them home was Marianne, followed in quick succession by Lorna, Lou, Helen, Sian, Jane and Natasha. All the ladies had good runs, and seemed to enjoy themselves.
Just as the rain decided to really get going it was time for the men.
And the men’s positions were Calum 67, Mark 88, Stuart P 101, Ivan 104, Paul 117, Matt 157, John 160, Stuart A 215, Kevin 229, James 240, Mike 253, Dick 265, Geoff 276. Syd - first 70A strong line-up of 13 harrier men, which should mean good scores for both an A and B team. Perhaps most notable was the outstanding cheering from Marianne, Sian and Lou - which the announcer liked so much, he joined in and started supporting Chepstow. Kevin was particularly suprised to find himself being cheered on over the mic.
Most important of all was the post race cake challenge. Despite a strong showing at Bridgend Sians Tesco Finest Muffins were pushed into third place. Grizzled veteran Stuart Penny took the silver medal with Welsh cakes. But winner was new boy Stuart with Jaffa Cakes, always a favourite.
And thanks Eric for looking after entries and results tags.
And well done everyone with putting up the tent (and taking it down with me still inside - no change there).
Next up, Blaise Castle (Bristol) on Dec 6th, thanks Matt and Dick.
Rhobel Fawr - fell race - Welsh Champion!
09/11/2008 by Gerry.
Sue & Gerry headed up to mid Wales (near Dolgellau) for the last of the 2009 Welsh Fell Running championship races. Rhobel Fawr was a simple up and down race - no difficult route finding, just strength for the climb and speed and skill for the descent. For me I was certainly lacking the former and not too gifted in the skill stakes either!
Sue had a good race. She beat me to the top (1,900 ft of climb) by 5 minutes and overall by more than 6 minutes (so my descent wasn’t too bad after all).
This effort gave her the course record for her category and confirmed her place as W50 Welsh Fell Running Champion.
Useful links - Welsh FRA; Gerry’s Weblog of the event
Sugar Loaf Fell Race - 1st November, 2008, by Dick
03/11/2008 by Lou.
Well I was very proud of all the Chepstow members who turned out on a cold windy afternoon to face the rigours of a mountain that some of them hadn’t tackled before.
Some good performances at the front (I hear) with an especially good run from Steve (go-fast haircut) Caldwell, and by second lady, Liz Francis. SatNav showed he can navigate by getting to the race on his own (more than Kevin could manage) and then getting round without going astray for 2nd Chepstow.
And yah boo to those cynics who reckoned Pop Lawson couldn’t get up a hill without a buggy in front of him. I heard that Ivan loped round as cool as the snow on the summit, and Sian told me that she laughed all the way.
I missed ExEx in his cardy - he must have been way ahead of me. Sue and Gerry sailed past me on the way down to the hairpin (congrats to Sue for the prize). Good run from Syd despite his doubts on the recce that he wouldn’t be able to run any of the ups. And well done Geoff and Jane who were too busy with weddings to attend the recce, but still braved the unknown.
I was particularly impressed by Esther who was so determined to get 2nd lady Harrier that she literally flew by me like one of the celebrated three witches only to crash to the ground upon remembering that she’d left her broomstick behind at the start.
Also impressed by the keenness of Jan, Colin, Jenni, Dave, Berna and others who enjoyed the climb to the summit so much the first time that they attempted to repeat it only to be redirected back down by some spoilsport. And a promising first fell race for young James who soared past me on the steepest bit of the lane start. And I didn’t see much of Savage Bill who eased himself round in his calm lmilitary manner. Likewise Nick B who no longer has to follow me round and pip me at the finish.
My only complaint - Lou and Gill didn’t have the common decency to resist overtaking an old man in the run in to the finish!
Yes, one other minor cavil - Andy’s Stott and Blackmore allowed that old warrior of the fells, Andy Creber, to employ one of his cunning overtaking ploys to get past them. I expect Grubby or Aunty Mary will make something of that, don’t you readers?
And may I pass on the thanks of the Organiser to Gareth Jenkins for having the courtesy to get round before the pub shut.
Apologies to anyone I’ve missed. Pleased to hear Chepstow voices afterwards planning to have a go at the Blorenge on 29 November. Another value 2 quids worth. And another mountain for Syd to gallop up!
Link to results http://www.chepstowharriers.org.uk/pdf/081101_Sloafresults.pdf
Link to Gareth’s photos. Thanks for taking them Gareth.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chepstow_friend/
