Archive for January 2010
Next LCL Cross Country Sunday 7th Feb
27/01/2010 by Lou.
Fairwater’s LCL Cross Country Race at Pontypool Park is confirmed for
Sunday7th Feb.
The course is approx. 1.25 miles per lap.
So, the race will be run over 3 laps for women, 4 laps for men.
The race start time is 11:00 am.
It is approx. 10 mins. walk from the Leisure Centre car park to the
race start, which is just past the ski slope reception building.
Changing facilities will be available from 10 am to 1 pm.
Changing facilities are the Pontypool RFC facilities (underneath the
grandstand) and not the Leisure Centre facilities.
We are advised to wear suitable off road shoes.
This is the day after the dinner dance so points for turning up and extra points for being able to run well!
Adrian Ellis Memorial XC race - Wed 17th Feb
26/01/2010 by Ivan.
Adrian Ellis Memorial XC race on Wed 17th Feb at 2pm Police Headquarters Cwmbran. This is a race we are invited to each year together with other local clubs. It’s the Gwent Police event but they like to have others runners too. Entry is free and so are the refreshments afterwards. The course is similar to the LCL XC from the Oasis Club. We usually support it and no doubt there will be some Harriers heading along. Feel free to ask me any questions.
Additional info
Syd
The Week Ahead 25 January 2010
25/01/2010 by Lou.
Tuesday’s choice is 6 or 8 sets of 2mins fast with 30 secs recovery on the Severn Bridge after drills/speed bursts down the Link Road, or 4/5 Danes Loop figure-of-eights.
Important Reminder – we’ve been getting slack and should be arriving in the Leis Ctre bar by 6.55 at the latest for sorting out who’s doing which session and for any announcements. We’re aiming to be out on the road at 7!
Back to the Bridge on Thursday for the monthly 5k Time Trial. Always worth doing for its great training effect and for helping with pace judgement and race technique. Leave the Leis Ctre dead on 7 or be ready and warmed up on the Bridge for 7.30 start.
The Saturday morning Piercefield Park sessions are getting very popular under our Saturday coach, Rich Matthews. Meet at Leis Ctre ready to jog over to the Park at 9.30 for a very sociable and stimulating hour.
…and the shortlist is:
21/01/2010 by Andy.
(in alphabetical order):
Kath Matthews
Laurie Carter
Marianne Gittoes
Matt Leathard
Niki Morgan
Vanessa Lawson
I have asked each candidate to produce a summary of their improvement through 2009 to help your decision (which will be posted on the Bulletin Board and distributed in a club email when they become available).
Voting is open NOW - one vote per person (full club members only).
Cast your votes by email, bulletin board private message, phone/text or in person to me (Andy Ost) only (contact details on the bulletin board).
Voting finishes at 23:59 on Tuesday 2nd February.
January 2010 Club Championship – The Riverbank Rollick
21/01/2010 by Ivan.
Report by Vanessa.
The day dawned sunny and relatively balmy compared to the recent snow and ice. I looked out of a window and thought ‘it’s going to be a good day’. I went to the Leisure Centre with Esther, Steve and James to find lots of Harriers waiting, and I was really pleased with the turnout. We set off at 9.45am towards Thornbury which was reached in about 15 minutes. Once there I saw lots more Harriers, the numbers were swelling. Fab!!!
There were lovely heaters in the changing rooms so you could keep warm indoors, although the sunshine was warming outside. The weather conditions definitely helped to keep everyone looking happy beforehand.
The race was good fun. Muddy. More mud and then some muddy water and lots of muddy streams. Kath said she’d never seen so much mud. Lou commented that in the middle there was a clean stream but by the time I got there that must have been muddy too, because I don’t remember seeing clean water anywhere. Then the riverbank. I had been warned about the terrible headwind, but it was still and lovely in the sunshine, you could see for miles. I even had time for a (brief) chat with Robyn of Team Bath AC, she too was enjoying the run.
Great marshalling all round, they were very friendly and smiley.
My own race went something like: try to keep up with Niki and Es - not manage it. Try and stay with Rob S - manage to stay ahead. I could see Gerry all the way round not too far ahead, but just couldn’t get close to him. At the 6 mile point I could see Es just ahead of Gerry, and Niki just ahead of Es. Becky was there too.
The finish. Well, the stream at the end was just what I needed to get my muddy shoes slightly cleaner. I remember watching this race 3 years ago thinking ‘they are mad’, but actually it was good fun throwing yourself in a stream and desperately trying to overtake someone.
At the end lots of relieved faces, a quick change and then the prize-giving. Kath was first lady, Marianne second. Mark was 5th overall (and very chuffed he was too), Lou first LV40, Niki second LV40, Laurie 2nd MV50. Chepstow Harriers did well with both men and women’s teams taking first prize – which was a lovely cake decorated with a Severn Bridge and a course route - a really original idea.
Afterwards we adjourned to a local pub for a bit of socialising and cake eating before heading off home. We all had a bit of the men’s cake in the pub afterwards. Not sure what happened to the women’s cake, I think Kath took it away. Did she eat it all? I can’t imagine that for one minute.
Thank you to Thornbury Running Club for organising this, and also thank you to the 36 Harriers who ran and supported the first event in the 2010 Club Championship. I hope you enjoyed it.
Next event: Chepstow cross-country on 21 February. More details to follow.
Also don’t forget the Forest Of Dean half marathon on 28 March – there are almost 1400 people entered so get your online entry in soon. 30 Harriers signed up so far!
Club champs results can be found on the ‘champs’ page http://www.chepstowharriers.org.uk/champs.htm
Photos of the event by the commercial photographers can be found at http://www.clickred.co.uk/p765791294
Tuesday’s Training
19/01/2010 by Lou.
Elm Road – This c400mtre cul-de-sac in Tutshill starts at either end with a descent, followed by a very short flat bit at the bottom, and of course ends with a climb. Two minutes of recovery between each run. It’s a 10k pace aerobic speed session and because of the climbs quite taxing. You should as always be aiming for consistency right to the very last leg, so choose whether to do four, five or six pairs.
Beech Grove Hills – A fairly gentle slope in this quiet road off High Beech, just round the corner from the top of the Link Road. We’ll be running uphill for 50 secs at the aerobic/anaerobic boundary, then turning and jogging back for 70 secs to the start point. Four of these make up one set. Then we have a 90 secs recovery before starting the next set of four. Here again consistency is vital, so you should be reaching the same point after each 50 seconds. Choose three or four sets.
In either session - Run too hard and you will go ‘anaerobic’ resulting in build up of lactic acid and your pace will drop to that of your Sunday long aerobic endurance run.
During this base endurance phase of our 3 month periodisation we are aiming to keep the majority of training aerobic.
If you find you’re struggling part-way through your session, don’t be afraid to miss one out and recover your breathing and heart-rate. That way you can keep up your pace and finish the session.
The Week Ahead 18 Jan 2010 - from Dick
18/01/2010 by Lou.
On Tuesday two sessions are on offer. The new Beech Grove threshold hill session where we are trying to work at the aerobic /anaerobic boundary and the good old favourite 10k efforts on the 400 m long Elm road which is an aerobic speed session.
The Shirenewton run on Thursday is a good nine-miler as a loop via Crick but can be shortened by retracing your steps when you reach Shirenewton village. The 20mins out/20 mins back down the Link Rd and across the S Bridge is the usual tempo pace alternative.
Off-road addicts are also getting together to continue the trend of torch-lit cross country runs. A head torch and off-road shoes are essential and a mobile phone in case of emergency. It’s very easy to lose the way in the dark and get detached from other runners. Everyone must make themself sure of the route and find at least one other person to run with. The risks of tripping or turning an ankle are also increased in the dark.
By now you should have heard about the Haiti fund-raising night that will be incorporated into our Curry Night after Thursday training in the Weatherspoon’s Bellhanger in St Mary St. The Club has generously offered to make a donation to the Haiti appeal for each Club member who attends, and there will also be a raffle of Club stuff and items donated by members. Please come and bring something raffleable.
Finally our Saturday morning Piercefield Park cross-country training sessions resume. Meet in the top car park at 9.30.
9.30 a.m. New Meeting time RR
16/01/2010 by Lou.
It has been decided that the meeting time at the leisure centre for Sunday’s club championship race, the Riverbank Rollick should be 9.30 a.m. as it takes a while to walk to the start from the car parking.
Tonights Run
14/01/2010 by Lou.
As an alternative to the Beachley run there are a group doing an off road run in the snow. If you have a head torch or can run by someone who has one this should be fun.
Most Improved Runner of 2009 - Nominations Now Open
14/01/2010 by Andy.
Rather later than planned, nominations are now open for the Most Improved Runner of 2009. This is an award, presented at the Annual Dinner (this year on 6th February), given to the club member who has made the most progress in their running during the past year.
This could be someone who had never even put on a pair of running shoes at the start of the year, the most experienced person in the club or someone in between. The key thing is improvement - who, through their efforts during the year, showed the most improvement during 2009?
It is the only award where you, the club membership, both nominate and vote for the candidates - so whoever does win knows that their efforts have been recognised and appreciated by their peers. Fast, slow or mid-pack - anyone can win.
This year’s voting timetable is very tight:
Tues 12th January: Nominations open
Tues 19th January: Nominations close
Wed 20th January: Shortlist published, voting opens
Tues 2nd February: Voting closes
Sat 6th February: Results announced at Annual Dinner
Nominations: all full club members may nominate as many people as they like for the award. Once nominations have closed, a shortlist will be drawn up consisting of the people with most nominations.
Voting: all full club members are entitled to a single vote. The candidate with most votes will be awarded the trophy. In case of a tie, the Chairman has a deciding vote.
Following the announcement of the shortlist, we will publish a summary of each candidate’s achievements in 2009 to help you to cast your vote.
Nominations can be made to me by email, by private message on the bulletin board or in person/by phone/by text. My contact details are in the corresponding message on the bulletin board. You can also make nominations in person to any other committee member, who will then forward the details to me.
Details on voting will be provided when the shortlist is announced.
Remember - this is your opportunity to recognise the efforts and achievements of other people in the club. I look forward to hearing from you.
Andy (Chairman)
