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THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 282, August 2016 Editor: Sue Francis

Contents, features, reports, results  

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Thursday night schedules for August and September Race results: Didcot 5 – Darren represents Harriers in local road race; Lakeland 50 – Our latest recruit, Kirsty Reade, reports on a challenging but memorable run; Compton Annual Relay – a successful evening as 11 teams race over new course Webmaster’s article – Mo features: Compton Harriers latest charity donation; a history of the Olympic Games; the benefits of beach running; and races of interest for the coming months Thanks to Kirsty and Mo for this month’s articles; and Mo, Kirsty, Susanne and Darren for photos

Thursday night schedule for August Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

4th 11th 18th 25th

Ryan to lead Colin to lead Jonathan to lead Handicap Race

Thursday night schedule for September Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th

Sue to lead Aaron to lead Susanne to lead Lucy to lead Darren to lead

Race Reports and Results Didcot 5, 3rd July Darren finished in 34:26 placing him 44th out of 192 finishers.

Lakeland 50, 30th July Kirsty The Lakeland 50 is the little sister of the Lakeland 100 race but, at 50 miles and 3000m of ascent, it didn't feel that little. But it's an absolutely stunning race and all that trudging uphill results in some amazing views over lakes and fells.

The Lakeland 100 starts in Coniston on the Friday night and it takes a clockwise route up through Buttermere and Keswick, before reaching the halfway point at Dalemain. This is where the Lakeland 50 joins the route, starting at 11.30am on the Saturday. From Dalemain it wends its way down through Howtown, Mardale, Kentmere and Ambleside, before finishing in Coniston. It's all self-navigated but they give you a very detailed map and road book, which is pretty easy to follow.

Before the start there's a very entertaining race briefing, which is worth the entry fee alone. They also remind you that it isn't a race about times and PBs. It's a beautiful day out in the Lakes, which can be unforgiving terrain (they tell you that they like you to buddy up with other runners where possible as HH August 2016

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they'd rather 2 runners were lost in the fells together than 1 wandering alone), and they tell you not to go off too fast!

The 50 starts with a 4-mile loop around the Dalemain estate, which wasn't that interesting, but it helped to steady the nerves and I was in no way tempted to go off too fast. The first 10 miles or so are pretty straightforward and it all really begins at mile 12, with the biggest climb of the course, up to High Kop. From there on in it's very up and down. You find yourself praying for the climbs to end, but then you begin on the rocky, uneven, steep descents that bash your quads and you start to wish for the next ascent.

The aid stations are really something to behold. Each has its own theme, such as Harry Potter, disco or superheroes and the volunteers dress up. It's fun for the 50 runners but I wonder whether the 100 runners, many of whom will be running for 2 nights, might think they were hallucinating. They serve up soup, sandwiches, pasta, smoothies and it's entirely likely you could put on weight doing this race.

I made it to Ambleside, where I saw my husband and some friends, which was a big boost. It was still light and I just had 15 miles to go. I made the next checkpoint in the daylight too, but didn't linger there as they had sofas and a fire pit, which looked way too appealing at that point. After reaching the final checkpoint at Tilberthwaite all that stood between me and the finish was a very steep ascent, then a tricky descent, which I managed with only moderate swearing. Then I was down on the road in Coniston and I put in what felt like a sprint finish over the line, but was probably a 12-minute mile.

And the best part of this race was still to come. The finish includes a camping field, so I had a big plate of pasta, a hot shower, then climbed into bed in our camper van about 50 metres from the finish. I absolutely loved this race. It's in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, it's tough but they make it accessible for all (the cut-off is 24 hours which allows walkers enough time to do it) and there's just a fantastic, friendly atmosphere between all the runners. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

The race video can be viewed at this link: https://youtu.be/MXDH1p7uOYw

Kirsty and friends at the start

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Kirsty at mile 35 above lake Windermere

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Compton Annual Relay, Thursday 21st July Sue The annual Relay was a great success again this year, thanks to all those who helped out and took part. This year, we had 11 teams, including teams from local company Ridgeway Biologicals, Newbury A.C., Kintbury Joggers, Newbury Runners, as well as Compton Harriers; 13 Harriers took part in the race, while 5 other Harriers helped out.

It was nice to have such a good turn-out of competitors and spectators, and nice weather. The new race HQ at the Downlands Sports Centre and new course worked well, but it certainly seemed to be tougher than the previous course, despite being the same length (the uphill start through the woods, and lap of Shepherds Mount on tired legs provided a good challenge). There was also a good view for spectators, as competitors still had about 600m to run by the time they first came into sight. The system of handicapping worked fairly well: if my handicapping was perfect, all teams should have finished together at 52 minutes, so it was good that the majority of teams finished between 51 and 54.5 minutes, with several teams being close to their predicted time.

The teams set off over a spread of 14 minutes. At the end of Leg 1, Tami Hayes led the field for ‘The Top 4’, while Andy Woodman and Rus Foster brought Newbury Runners (NR) Teams #3 and #2 in within the next 50 seconds. On Leg 2 Nathan Darling established a very good lead for NR #3, with Stephanie Smallman (NR #2) handing over in 2nd place. Meanwhile Jason Tillen gained two places to bring NR #1 in 3rd as he just passed Terry Field (Ridgeway Biologicals) before the handover to Leg 3 runners. The leading four teams remained the same after Leg 3 but, thanks to a fast lap by Joe Hoskins, NR #2 had taken the lead from NR #3. Meanwhile, a strong run from Ryan Woods took ‘Gerry & the Pacemakers’ from 9th place up to 5th, bringing them right up into contention. At the end of Leg 4, Mike Robinson of NR #2 was first to enter the finishing field, but Ryan Morris (Gerry & the Pacemakers) was running hard in pursuit and had already gained three places. Mike put in a strong finish to secure a 17-second victory for NR #2 ahead of ‘Gerry & the Pacemakers’. Meanwhile, a fast lap from Nick Cook gained a place in the finishing field securing 3rd place for his team Ridgeway Biologicals.

There was also some friendly rivalry between Harriers teams this year, as ‘The Old Girls’ (Susanne, Philomena, Sue and Lucy) laid down a challenge to ‘The Old Boys’ (Martin, Aaron, Richard D and Darren). With a total age of 210, ‘The Old Girls’ set off with a 90-second lead over ‘The Old Boys’ (aged 203). Martin gained some time on Susanne on Leg 1, while Aaron realised he was gradually gaining on Philomena on Leg 2 and was inspired to put in a fast finish to give Richard D a few seconds lead over Sue on Leg 3. Sue passed Richard in the woods and opened a gap to give Lucy a decent advantage at the start of Leg 4. However, Darren had a storming run and surpassed all expectation to run a fast time and bring ‘The Old Boys’ home with a 30-second lead.

The battle to record the evening’s fastest actual team time was very close, with two teams averaging 9:46 per lap!

Newbury AC (Dave Wright, Chloe Blair, Jess Franklin and Matt Pembroke) recorded 39:04, with ‘Gerry & the Pacemakers’ (Mike Rouse, Simon Woods, Ryan Woods and Ryan Morris) clocking 39:05. ‘The Old Boys’ were the third fastest team with 42:25. The evening’s fastest lap time was set by Matt (9:03), while the excellent performance of fastest lady Jess saw her run the 2nd fastest time of the evening overall (9:16). Ryan Morris was 2nd fastest man, ahead of Simon Woods, while Joe Hoskins and Ryan Woods also broke the 10-minute mark. Sue was 2nd fastest lady, ahead of Susanne and Chloe. The team time recorded by Newbury AC, and the men’s and ladies fastest lap times recorded by Matt and Jess, are now course records, the targets to beat next year!

Many participants and their families joined us for a nice barbecue, thanks to Richard, Kim and Kelly of Ilsley Swan, and the prize-giving took place during the barbecue.

Many thanks to my great team of ‘helpers’ without whom it would not be possible to stage the Relay: Jan and Dick for time-keeping; John, Mavis, Colin, Kyle and Eileen for marshalling; Mo for race results and photos; and Helen for first-aid.

Mo’s photos of the prize-winners and some photos sent in by different teams, as well as the race results (team positions & times; individual times; and race progress), can be accessed via the ‘Compton Annual Relay’ box on Compton Harriers website home page.

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‘The Old Boys’

‘The Old Girls’

Harriers at Ilsley Swan enjoying the prize-giving

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Simon Woods and Ryan Morris of ‘Gerry & The Pacemakers’: 2nd team, and two of the three fastest men

Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo This month I have updated the donations to 'charitable causes' link on the home page to reflect this year's £1000 donation from the Downland Challenge Race account. The money was donated through Lisa Rothwell's 'Just Giving' for Brain Tumour Research in memory of friends of the Harriers, Pete (Kaiser), Maggy and Elo who all bravely fought brain cancer, and Pete Shanks another 'friend of the Harriers' who recently lost his fight against the same illness. Donations to date: http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk/Charity.htm Links of interest this month: With the Olympic Games imminent here is a brief history http://bit.ly/CHRCOlympicHistory The benefits of running on the beach: I read an online article recently about the benefits of running on the beach and it reminded me of the time I spent in Thailand on the island of Koh Samui, running along the sandy beaches in preparation for the 1997 London Marathon. Two weeks of early morning runs not only helped in producing a very healthy looking tan, but it also ensured muscles were toned up without the dangers of impact damage by running on the soft surface. So, if you are planning a couple of weeks away and a sandy beach is available, why not make use of this ideal training facility ... of course, you could just lay in the sun and relax with a beer or two, but who wants to do that!?

Anyway, here are the general benefits of beach running mentioned in the article: 1. Anyone who has taken part in the Grizzly will know how much harder you have to work in the sand (and pebbles!) ... you will burn around 30% more calories.

2. As the stabilising muscles around the knees, ankles and feet are forced to work harder, they will be strengthened and could reduce the chances of road running injuries.

3. If you can find a beach with dunes, running up and down them will provide plenty of resistance training to strengthen your legs.

4. Racing the incoming tide is ideal for short spurts of speed work.

5. Your calf muscles are given a good workout without the risk of any impact injuries and the risk of shin splints is reduced. The stress of pounding on the lower joints, such as ankles and knees, is also reduced.

6. Finally, you can't beat a swim in the sea after your beach run ... almost as good as an ice bath, soothing your muscles and leaving you refreshed.

Have a nice holiday!

Sun, 07 Aug: Sat, 13 Aug: Sun, 14 Aug: Sun, 21 Aug: Sat, 27 Aug: Sun, 28 Aug: Mon, 29 Aug: Sat, 03 Sept: Sun, 04 Sept: Sat, 10 Sept: Sun, 11 Sept: Sun, 18 Sept: Sat, 24 Sept: Sun, 25 Sept: Sun, 02 Oct: Sun, 09 Oct: Sun, 23 Oct: Sun, 06 Nov: Sun, 13 Nov: Sun, 11 Dec:

Events of Interest – see Website Training & Events Calendar for more details: 10:30am Hooky 6 • Harting 10Mile MT Race 10:30 Thames Meander ½ & Full Mthn 9:30am Burnham Beeches ½ Mthn • Bearbrook 10K • Salisbury 54321 50k, 42k, 33k, 21k 11:00am The Foxtrot 5 Ridgeway Challenge 86 miles 9:30am Headington 5 • 11:00am Englefield 10k 10:00am Harwell ½ Mthn • Reading AC Bank Holiday Mile Festival 11:00am Malmesbury 10k 9:30am Northampton ½ • Maidenhead ½ • Chippenham ½ • 10:30am The Beast (12½ miles) 3:00pm The Killermetre 5k & 10k 10:00am Henley 10k • Pangbourne 10k Multi-terrain • 10:00am 2 Arms on 2 Legs ½ Mthn & 10k Earth Trust 10k • 10:00am Tadley 10mile Road Race • 10:30am Cotswold Classic 10M Road Race 10:30am Swallowfield 10+3 Fun Run & Duathlon IOW Fell Race Series • 10:00am R4W Windsor 10k IOW Fell Race Series • 10:00 Windsor ½ Mthn • 10:30 Highclere 10K • 11:00 Mortimer 10K 09:00 Reading O2O 10k 09:30 Oxford ½ Mthn • 10:00am Muddy Mayhem 5k Obstacle Fun Run 09:00 Abingdon Marathon • 10:00 Water-of-life 10k & ½ Mthn 9:30am Marlow Striders ½ Mthn & 7M 10:00 Grand-union-canal ½ Mthn 11:00am Tadley 5.2M X-country

... remember, if you want to search for more events, just follow our page link for other sources: http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk/linkindex.htm#Event Finder HH August 2016

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