Race reports/results.
CWR - After a very muddled initial set of results last weekend, Bath resolved the many issues and published a final set of results on Thursday of last week.
The Vets team were 2nd in their category - Team Bath AC coming first and fielding their fastest runners to focus on this category this year. Mixed team A were 9th and Mixed team B 40th. A great set of results for our club.
Welsh 5K Series - Pembrey. 4th July.
Bobby Pritchard took part and ran a time of 16:55.
The next run in the series is on Sat 31st July. More info and entry here:
WA Race 3 Pembrey
Four Fans Fell Race. Sunday 10th July.
This challenging fell race organised by Andy Blackmore always gets few participants, Not only is it tough but it also has some tricky navigation - especially if the visibility is poor.
Karen Elvers and Matthew Lawson took part.
Bourton-on-the-Water One Mile. Sat 10th July. 6:30pm.
Paul Dodd and Cherry Fowler took part, both winning their age categories with times of 5:24 and 5:44 respectively.
Jon Barnes came 1st overall in the Summer Dukeries 40 mile ultra. Website here: Hobo Pace
Chepstow Racecourse. 5k, 10, Half.Sunday 11th July.
Bobby Pritchard took part in the 5K and achieved a time of 17:57 and was 5th overall.
Races coming up
This is the next race in the club fell series. If the weather is fair then this would be suitable for most club members - recce recommended.
More info and entry here:
https://sites.google.com/site/welshfellrace/races/waun-fach-v2
Recce was on Sunday 11th July. 11 Harriers attended.
Welsh Athletics 5k. Pembrey. 31st July. Info here: WA Race 3 Pembrey
Club Social. Thursday 15th July.
Don't forget it's the club social this Thursday at Tintern. Hilly run, fun run or do your own thing then get together and food. Bring your own plate, mug etc.Don't know what this is all about and want to come along - message anyone in the A team. .
Georgie Parnell
From the moment I could run, I never walked again. If I wasn’t running pretending to be a horse, I was running to get to school on time. I literally loved to run everywhere. At 9 years old I joined Newport Harriers. We’d run on the cinder track at the Glebelands in Newport with my big sister, who is three years older than myself. I was too young to join an official training group, so I joined a group of others my age and we played British Bulldogs as a form of training.
I began racing as a junior (U15) and almost instantly fell in love with middle distance running in the summer and cross country running in the winter.
As a junior my athletics took me from strength to strength with over 20 International Races for Wales, competing throughout Europe, these were by far my best achievements, in 2000 I ran for Wales in the Junior Commonwealth Games over 800m, only eight weeks after a tibial stress fracture. In 2003 I was selected as part of the British Middle-Distance Team to fly to America to train for the 2004 Olympic Trials for the Games in Athens. Unfortunately, I never got onto the plane due to a diagnosis of an Auto Immune condition and major surgery.
In 2014 I returned to my hometown of Chepstow and after a few years away from athletics and competition I was looking to regain some fitness after the birth of my son. I turned up at Chepstow LC one Thursday evening and was instantly welcomed and looked after by the club. #
Jumping straight into the deep end, my first race with Chepstow was Pontypool Gwent League, after starting off keen and excited, by the second lap I was soon put in my place as the reems of runners started flooding past, this race clearly ignited my spark, and I was soon back in training to improve in the following races.
As a runner, my happy place is certainly on the athletics track competing over 400m and 800m. Unfortunately, I can’t compete on the track for Chepstow but the cross country and road races that I do for Chepstow are a vital part of my training for the track, making me much stronger and fitter for the summer months.
Over the years my weekly training has changed considerably, with age my focus has changed from weekly mileage and quantity to pure quality only sessions. My average week includes three quality sessions, one speed on the track, one speed endurance on the track and the third being an endurance session either on the cross country or on the roads. I would include one longer, I also include one easy run to loosen out any sore, tight muscles. Cross training consists of one weight session, and one circuits session each week. If I’m injured, my sessions remain the same either on a cross trainer or aqua jogging in the pool.
Some people choose a glass of wine, others a night out, for me running is my therapy, and my time to unwind. When I’m deep into a session, that has my complete focus and attention, taking me away from any stresses in my life. I’ve never ever trained or been for a run and felt worse after.
After returning to the athletics track as a Master in 2018, I’m currently the proud holder of the V35 800m record and currently training and planning to compete in the World Masters Championships next year in Finland.
There’s only ever been one idol for me and that has always been Kelly Holmes, through injury and illness year after year Kelly never ever gave in, she’s a pure inspiration and has taught me a lot about mental grit and determination.
The best advice I can give is to never give up. Having achievable goals and consistency in training. There is no magic recipe to performance, just keep chipping away at those sessions and we can all surprise ourselves, that’s exactly what I’ve done.
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