Weekly News. Sunday 11th April
How strange it feels not to have virtual races going on. However, real races are now beginning to return. Rogue Runs' Night Race is this Friday 16th (race is full) and last week on Wednesday 7th some of the English Harriers took part in race 1 of the Hereford Couriers midweek 5k series. Here are the Harrier results:
If you have a story/results of any kind from a race that you take part in please send me some details/words to include here in the blog. Also, if entries for a particular favourite race of yours open, then please let me know so I can share it with everyone.
Cotswold Way Relays (CWR) - 3rd July
We will have 3 teams: a 'vets' and 2 mixed.
Provisional teams are below. Please make sure that if you asked to be involved that you are down. If not then contact Paul the club CWR co-ordinator. Your team captain (highlighted in red) will be asking you for any leg preference you will have. Note that these teams are subject to change depending on injury/running form as we approach the day of the event.
CWR Volunteers.
There are a number of ways you can help out at the event and join in with the fun even if you don't want to compete:
1/ Sweep a leg (your run counts towards the King/Queen of the CWR).
2/ Help on a road crossing
3/ Help on a water station
If you'd like to help please email or message Paul (pfsdodd@gmail.com)
Ross Round Relays - Sunday May 23rd. 11:00am
Dan Sandford from Fodac is organising a social and free relay over a17.5 mile way-marked circuit near Ross On Wye. Some members of the Harriers have already formed a team of 5 for this. You can also run the round solo. Here is the link to the event: Facebook page for Ross Round Relays
Kymin Everest
Dr.
Gareth Jones AKA The Triathlete Dentist (Spirit of Monmouth), successfully ran the altitude
of Everest, by running up the Kymin in Monmouth multiple times. This was to raise money for Prostate Cymru, a cause close to
this heart. Several Harriers joined him on his quest - Jonathan Carter, Douglas Briggs, Richard Newhouse. In the 22 hour effort he went up the Kymin 37 times to give an ascent of 8,800m (29,000 ft).
Fell Series
Fell races are not (necessarily) for running nutters. 😎 Anyone can do them. Just like in any other genre of racing you get the full running spectrum taking part and most walk the 'up' part. It is true though that some experience of hill running/walking is necessary. The best way to get this is to go on a recce of the race route.
A perfect introduction to fell running is the 1st race in the 2021 Fell Series - the Pen Tir Maprun. You can do this anytime from now until end of April. If it's going to be your first ever fell race I strongly suggest you go with a friend or friends and that you recce it first in good weather. If you are worried about maprun ... don't be. Yes I know it has map in the name but you don't need to be a map person to understand it and you can use the app to just track you, much like you would with a GPS watch. You can do the route as many times as you like. I'll just choose your quickest time to draw up a set of results.
Denise, Cherry and I are doing a recce/1st attempt on Sat 17th April at 2pm. Meet Cwmdu Village Hall. We can also help you out with the app if need be, but make sure you download both the app and map at home before you come - details on how to do this are here:
https://sites.google.com/site/welshfra/races/mapruns
The 2nd race in the fell series is the Longtown Llanthony fell race on 22nd May (race is full). Initially Denise and I suggested a recce on the weekend before - 15th/16th. No one yet has shown an interest in coming on the recce. If you do think you'd like to then please get in touch, otherwise we'll arrange a mid-week recce at another time that we know others can make.
Quite a few Harriers are keen orieneteers, They and other Harriers have been taking part in orienteering competitions locally. There have been two since lockdown restrictions have eased: Birdlip & Huntley.
Those taking part were:
The Lawsons (Matthew, Vanessa, Reuben and Seth), Andy Stott, Paul Dodd, Andy Creber, Dave Andrews, Cherry Fowler, Paul Murrin, Both Seth and Andy had wins on their courses.
Speedway 10k.
James, RO of the Speedway 10k, is looking for helpers for the race on Sunday 2nd May. Our own races are very important to us as a club. By putting on events we 'pay back' to the running community for all the events that we ourselves take part in. It raises the profile of our club too - puts us on the map by illustrating to all that we take competition seriously and are able to organise a professional and popular event. Our races also help us to 'network' as a club - giving us the opportunity to work together and socialize. Please support the club (and James) by helping out if you can - you don't need to be an expert in anything, no previous experience is necessary. If you can say "well done" 300 times you qualify. 😉
Runner of the Week.
It seems fitting that James is this week's runner of the week. We don't have many young people in the club ... and in fact James isn't anymore - he's over 30! How did that happen? James has been going through a real purple patch with regard to racing in the last few years. Here's his story:
Why did you start running? My dad was a good runner (but I was never into it when he was, quite reluctant really). I ran at school a lot (XC and athletics competitions, and just after school by myself or with a friend as well), then stopped for quite a while when I left and moved to Chepstow. I actually joined a beginner’s course with my mum in 2008 that got me back into it.
What was your first ever race? The one I have evidence for- Wroughton Junior School fun run 1999, 1st boy, year 4. I still have the trophy!
How long have you been running? From about aged 8 on and off, more seriously since 2009.
Why did you join Chepstow Harriers? See above. I wasn’t doing much exercise at the time.
What runs/events do you like best? Trail and fell runs for me, just training runs will do fine. I love the relays the club does and the team aspect of it. I am quite happy to bury myself for other people, far more than I would individually. Cotswold Way for the routes and the Welsh Castles for the fun team ethos are fantastic.
What’s your favourite distance? I think I’ve got a good 30 metres in me, or 300,000 metres. Either very very short or very very long will do me.
What’s a typical training week for you? Include any cross-training (other activity that impacts on running) you may do. Typical training nowdays is running 6 out of 7 days a week. I’ve got into a routine of finishing work and going out late afternoon/early evening. I started a new job in January and it has revitalised my training with the extra free time and not having to commute.
I do most of my running off-road nowadays, but will alternate on road as well. I don’t tend to go that far from home either, round Lancaut/ Offa’s dyke, Wye valley Walk, Gloucester Way etc. I’ve averaged about 50 mpw recently with 6000 ft ascent. As a general I like to make sure I’m averaging 100 ft per mile ascent over a training period (this doesn’t mean you have to do it on every run! Some will be very flat, some very hilly). I haven’t bothered with speed training for months but there hasn’t been any need to. On Friday I get beaten into the ground by Paul Murrin.
I used to do a bit of cross training on the turbo but that is not appealing anymore. I would swim if it cost less and was a more time efficient way to exercise… I used to work out how many pence it was costing me per length of the pool.
I do a few press-ups, sit-ups and weights as well, but when I say a few, I really mean it!
What ways does running impact on your life? It’s a great way to de-stress and keep fit. Most (read 100%) of my social life is running related nowadays.
Do you think you fit into any particular category of runner? I’m quite a lazy runner, I don’t like picking my feet up. I do off-road and up and down hills.
What do you feel is your best running achievement? I’m quite pleased with wining Offa’s Orror back in 2014. I’ve won the LCL XC series most recently and SW Winter hill series (that one is probably the best physical feat). Otherwise I’m quite happy with the results the team had when I was club captain. I’m (stlll ha) the East Wales road team manager and EW took a clean sweep at the inter-regional XC when I organised the teams. The best thing I’ve done is probably organise Speedway and make it one of the best races in the country.
Is there anybody (famous or local) or anything that has particularly inspired you in your running? Kenenise Bekele is probably my childhood hero and the GOAT. But that’s not inspiration. What really inspires me is seeing the effort people put in in relays for the club. I’ve never been more proud of a team than in the Rack Raid a few years ago when we came 2nd but everyone gave it their all.
Have you got a short epic/funny story to tell about running? 2-3 sentences only. I once went past the 1st checkpoint in the Brecon Beacons fell race 3 times from different directions. My GPS trace was like a drunk spider all over the page. Visibility was appalling. Only race I’ve DNF’d in. Never took my compass out of my bag. This is the stuff champions are made of.
Do you have any short term/long term goals in running? Or is there an event you’d really like to do? Just to keep getting out most days and enjoying it. I run because I like it. I don’t really miss races at all, although there are a few mountain ultras I’d like to do. I would like to do the Barry 40 once, as I did a track marathon years ago and it broke me mentally so there’s unfinished business over that and some redemption to be gained. Would eventually like to complete all legs of the CWR.
Got any advice for others? Don’t take it too seriously. Don’t care what other people are doing. Do it because you like it and for the right reasons.
Want to get something off your chest? An idea to take the club forward? I don’t know if a bear shits in the woods, but I’ve done plenty (will that make the editors cut?!). Perks/perils of running off-road.
No comments:
Post a Comment