The Week Ahead - 1 Sept
31/08/2009 by Dick.
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness … (no prize, just glory, for the first reader to name the poet and the usual epithet applied to him/her). But our Coach of the Month, Jane, isn’t going to let the shortening Autumn evenings keep us out of the woods and fields.
So take advantage of the last of our Fryth Wood sessions on Tuesday. Your Wots On gives you the detail, and also urges us to be out of the LC by 7 to beat the gloaming.
And on Thursday it’s your last chance to roam the Gloucestershire Way and Offa’s Dyke. Here again the run will start at 7…
And please follow Wots On’s warning about digging out your reflective top (we have a few at £5 cost price). Was it not Longfellow who so wittily quipped ”No Top - No Run”?!!! No? Oh well.
The Week Ahead - 24 August
24/08/2009 by Dick.
The final training event under Coach Andy Creber’s management will be a pyramid session on the LC field on Tuesday. Although our track has finally disappeared, this session is cunningly based on running time. So some strategically placed cones will be all that’s needed.
On Thursday Andy has devised a run taking in the 365 steps: always a good training landscape, but doubly beneficial at this time in that it replicates some of the terrain to be found in the next Club Championship race, the Beast.
We wish all our readers a happy Bank Holiday weekend, with a reminder that one of the most popular and friendly fell races can be had on Monday 31st - the accurately measured and hazard-free Machen Mountain race. Starts at 3pm at Machen Welfare Club, on the A468 from J28 M4 to Caerphilly road. You can enter on the day but an advance entry (by this Wednesday) gets you a free Tshirt: http://www.machenwelfare.com/run/run.htm
ps another little hill race that may appeal is the Crook Peak Cake Walk at 7pm this Wed 26th from just South of Bristol in the Mendips. 3 miles, 800 ft climb £5 entry on day. Choccie cake prize! Contact me if interested - 627569.
Lace and no shame! - by Niki
23/08/2009 by Ivan.
Lace and no Shame – at Race the Train
After suffering the gutting announcement from Lou at 6.15 on Saturday morning that she wasn’t coming on this gig, I was committed to a weekend away with 3 dodgy blokes and a van.
“Well, as there’s only 4 of us now, we might as well all sleep in the van” Andy announced.
“I’ll reserve judgement and keep my tent.” I replied.
It was the first time I had been in the back of Grubby’s passion wagon and it turned out to be almost disappointingly free of squalor. However, I had heard he’d had 4 little helpers to clean it the preceding day. Only one thing for it, Dick, Ian and I would have to try and scuss it up. An opportunity for this presented itself sooner than I thought.
“Ooh, look at all these exciting cupboards. What’s in here?” I enquired, opening an overhead cubby-hole. Next thing I knew Ian and I were being assaulted by flying nuts, rehydrated pasta sachets, tins of salmon and some two minutes noodles.
“Oh for God’s sake. Control yourself woman.” spat Andy.
“Are you upset I’ve discovered your secret, sordid eating habits – I mean 2 minute noodles Andy. How can you eat that and maintain any self respect?”
Ian was taking an active interest in the cashew nuts which had conveniently fallen onto his lap. “Yum, very nice Andy, thanks”.
Meanwhile, Dick was engaged in more cerebral pursuits – with head buried firmly in the Independent crossword. Dismissing us as philistines, dim-wits and general wasters, Dick soon gave up asking for assistance with clues, and continued with his solo project.
After 3 or 4 hours of travelling, we arrived in Tywyn with a couple of hours to spare before the race. Piling into a tea shop, I ordered baked beans on toast. This was met with snorts of derision from my fellow competitors. “What’s the problem?” I enquired.
“How can you eat baked beans just before a race?” they asked
“Like this” I exclaimed – tucking in. However, retrospectively I have to concede it wasn’t really a good idea. My guts felt like Helmand Province for whole of the race and for two days afterwards.
The evil moment came when it was time to don our Harrier vests and try to do our club justice by shuffling round as best we could.
The conditions were reasonably clement, apart from a strong headwind on the return. It was 14 miles of pleasant running, with the first half mainly flat off-road, and the second half much more Grubby-pleasing and mud-infested, on uneven cambered, single-file, goat tracks. I did try some Grubby off-road manoeuvres which made me about as popular as Kate Moss at a Weight Watchers convention. I resolved to wait until more open ground before over-taking rather than elbowing fellow competitors off the grass bank.
I did look round a couple of times, waiting to be overtaken by Ian, Dick and Grubby. This didn’t happen. I assumed this didn’t happen because they’d either started in front of me, or had overtaken me without my noticing. However, at the finish the trio were no-where to be seen. I could not believe I could consume a plate of baked beans an hour before the start and beat them all – then again, maybe the propelling power of the beans did the trick.
Dick was only a couple of minutes behind me. Ian followed 10 minutes later, also claiming bad stomach problems (and he only had the carrot cake – so poor excuse methinks), and Andy 8 minutes after Ian – claiming excuses too numerous to list here – but the old Achillies chesnut was definitely in there.
Dick had a fabulous run and it was great to see him back on form – he’s back where he should be – basically worrying everyone by clicking at their heels – and often overtaking and beating them. Well done Dick!
Ian received a very sympathetic text from Gareth Jones when he saw the results on the blog “Beaten by Niki, and Dick – oh the shame!”
Unfortunately the much anticipated post race clean up had been a somewhat underwhelming, dispiriting and less than satisfying experience for the men. They had poised themselves optimistically underneath the shower in anticipation of some water enveloping them. Grubby even went all the way and turned the tap on. However, they had the déjà vu experience of last year – a shower with the velocity of an ant urinating.
As my fellow Harriers were less than fragrant, I thought it wise not to inflict them on the general public for a night out in Tywyn. Therefore, we strolled over to the local Co-op and Dick purchased sufficient ingredients for me to cook dinner for us all. Ian was in charge of buying the booze, and as there were no Juniors present, and no need to give the club a veneer of respectability, he bought well, shed loads.
We drove to the campsite and a fine display of gender stereotyping was acted out. The 3 blokes pulled and poked and hammered away at various bits of canvas (the awning to the Grubmobile – which apparently we were all eating and sleeping in). I fired up the gas stove in the Grubmobile and set to work chopping random vegetables. Judging by the size of Andy’s pans, it was very obvious, that despite his reputation, he does very little entertaining in his passion wagon. Or maybe he does – he just doesn’t feed them. Anyway, his pans were embarrassingly, pitifully small and were banished to the outer reaches of the vehicle whilst I used my own.
“Niki, I’ve forgotten to bring a spare pair of undies. Do you have any I could borrow?” Andy enquired.
“Well, yes, I do as it happens, but wouldn’t you rather, well, you know, ask one of the other men?”
Ian pipes up “I have two pairs of boxers Andy. Here – would you like to borrow one of these?”
Andy replies “I think I’ll take Niki’s”
“Well, OK Andy if you insist. I have a Lowe Alpine wicking thong (given to me as a present by an ex-boyfriend who owns an outdoor gear shop), or a white lacy job”
“The wicking thong doesn’t look very supportive. I’ll take the lacy number.”
And the transaction was complete. Ian has photographic evidence of Andy proudly displaying his cross-dressing abilities, but I have decided against publishing them here, on the grounds of taste and decency.
Making the dinner was becoming increasingly difficult for the following reasons:
a) The wheat beer Ian had purchased was going down rather too fast – well, running 14 miles is very dehydrating – one needs to rehydrate.
b) I couldn’t get over the worrying sight of Andy in my knickers
c) Even my pans weren’t large enough for the quantity of pasta sludge goo I was making
When the awning was completed by the 3 men, there was a little enclosed tent within the tent – the Annexe as I called it. This was to be where I would sleep. I think Dick or Andy called it (ironically obviously) the “Princess’s Palace”. At least it would keep the spiders off me. I had endured a nasty experience the preceding day when a spider the size of well, a very big spider ran across my living room floor. Being brave and stoical, I stood on a chair with my mobile, phoned my boyfriend at work and told him to come home immediately as there was a catastrophic emergency that he needed to deal with. On arriving home, he was less than impressed that this emergency could be dealt with by a pint glass, a postcard and an open window.
Somehow, through a haze of wheat beer and unfortunate apparitions of Andy wearing lace underwear, I managed to feed 3 men and me.
I think we all had a fantastic time. Anyone considering it next year – should go – it’s a top class event. I can’t promise to cook for you though.
My undies were returned to my flat on Monday, packaged in a brown, unsealed envelope, and handed to me by my boyfriend when I arrived home from work.
“Um, well, Rick, it’s er. like this. No, I’m not going to explain. Thank you very much. I will return them to the drawer.”
You know that Toot Toot sound a train makes, well, of course, modesty would prevent me from saying that I beat all the blokes in Race the Train…
Toot, toot!
Times:
Niki – 1.59.05
Dick – 2.02.14
Ian – 2.12.29
Andy – 2.19.18
Thanks for a great report Niki, If any members would like to comment or ask questions about this report - it can also found on the bulletin board:
http://chepstowharriers.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=610&p=6146#p6146
Hash Run - From Mark
23/08/2009 by Dick.
I’d like to apologize to all the runners who got lost and didn’t make it to the Fountain. I’ve learnt from the experience, Perhaps we were being over ambitious in what we were trying to do. I’m hoping it hasn’t put anybody off doing another hash run.
Mark
Sorry and Thanks
21/08/2009 by Lou.
Thank you to everyone for being so patient about the disastrous hash run last night. I apologise to all those who got lost, cold and generally knackered. As it began to get dark and only a handful of runners had arrived at the Fountain, I began to get really worried and realised the course was far too long. I was very grateful for Syd and Gill’s help at the finish with finding and accounting for the runners. Thank you both.
The original route was to be from Wyndcliff Car Park to the Fountain. We measured this route on a Garmin on Wednesday and found to our surprise that it was only 4.5miles ( sadly anyone who ran this last night even with no wrong routes knows that it is more like 7 miles ). So not wanting to short change anyone we thought we should add on a bit. Thursday bought more problems; on checking the course we found the flour arrows had been washed away. Mark was then tasked to mark out the course from The Piercefield to Tintern in 45mins!
I felt so bad last night – I’m so sorry to anyone who ended up running in the dark on their own not knowing where they were. But thank you to everyone for being so good humoured about it, even after all that, people still said thank you!
Leisure Ctre League Season Results
21/08/2009 by Dick.
The LCL final Summer Season results have confirmed that our women’s team finished in first place overall. Congrats to Lou and all her team.
Our men’s team were second to Fairwater. Well done Mark and team.
Our women also triumphed in the combined cross-country and road season, while our men were second over the 10-race year.
Individual age category winners were Brenda Avery, Gill Stott and Niki Morgan. Silver winners were Lou Summers, Jan Morris and Dick Finch. Bronze went to Marianne Gittoes, Geoff Bayliss and Mark Harvey.
Out of the medals but first for Chepstow in their cats were Gill Ellis, Karen Elvers, Bill Savage (4th), Kevin McEntee (4th), Chris Rees and Paul Lidgett.
Well done to every Harrier who turned out to run for the Club. Every point scored and every other person beaten contributed to our success.
We expect the medals will be presented at an awards evening. Watch this space for details.
Hash Report
21/08/2009 by Dick.
As Club Coach I would like to apologise for scheduling last night’s hash run so late in the Summer, I took part myself and enjoyed it, but it was getting very dark by the time I got to the ponds, and can understand how other runners had difficulties.
I heard that a few cross words were directed at Lou and Mark, but from my point of view thay seemed to have done the best they could. There was so much flour and tape out there, they must have spent hours of their time laying the trails. And they had the nice ideas of age group prizes (home made cakes) and helping the slower runners with a short cut. I hope they’re not too discouraged by the criticism, and would ask any disgruntled hashers to direct their wrath at me for thinking it was a good idea to plan a hash for 20 August!
Thanks are also due to Gill and Syd for dashing about searching for missing runners and ferrying us to and fro.
We’re also learning lessons on how to make things better in the future. Syd has suggested giving everyone a sealed envelope with directions to the final destination inside, to be opened in an emergency.
Tonight’s Hash Race
20/08/2009 by Lou.
Our Hash run will start from the Piercefield car park, St. Arvans at 7.10. As Dick has said you can meet at the Leisure Centre at 6.55 to share cars or head straight there.
Off road shoes would be an advantage although there is some road. There are some steep climbs :shock: and lovely views, if you’re not in it to win it. If you are there will be prises for first male and female, age category prises and one for the first runner from the improvers or beginners groups 
.
The course is marked in some places with flour and some with tape, false flour trails are shown with a line across the path, false trails marked with tape have only 2 tapes then no more 
.
The race ends at a pub and there is a free drink for every finisher.
:D
Leisure Ctre League Results
19/08/2009 by Dick.
We’ve just received the provisional results for last night’s final race at Bryn Bach Park (thanks Martyn & Jeanette for their usual super-fast service!).
The Fairwater men’s team just pipped Chepstow for first place, and confirmed their overall series first place with Chepstow second. Congrats to the Fairwater boys, and well done all the Chepstow men who turned out for the Club.
The Chepstow women won on the night and clinched the overall series win. Congrats to all our women who took part over the five races.
The Week Ahead - 17 August
16/08/2009 by Dick.
It’s the last Leisure Ctre League on Tuesday at Bryn Bach Country Park near Tredegar just off the Heads of the Valley Road. All members are encouraged to run. It’s all free, no entry necessary, just wear your number - obtainable from Syd if it’s your first ever LCL. We’re meeting at the Leis Ctre at 5.45 to share cars.
And on Thursday the excitement of another Hash run - this time organised by Lou & Mark. A mystery venue of course, and prizes and a free drink at the end. If you haven’t done a Hash before, it’s a mixture of the pleasure of trail running, the psychology of reading the minds of the trail-setters, the satisfaction of finding the correct path, the frustration when you find you’ve made the wrong route choice, the glee of overtaking faster runners who’ve gone wrong, and the good chance of a not-so-fast runner getting home first. Be at the Leis Ctre at 6.55 ready to drive to the mystery location.
