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THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 260, October 2014 Editor: Sue Francis Contents, features, reports, results • Thursday night schedules for October and November • Correspondence received • Christmas meal – update on early plans • Race results: Maidenhead Half – Philomena represents the Harriers; Rutherford Appleton 10K – Martin, Lucy and Philomena all achieve top-two category placings; Earth Trust 10K – Sue enjoys a scenic new local race; Compton Charity Cycle – Dick, Mo and Sue complete multi-terrain cycle challenge • Handicap Race – Stan makes a good debut, while Aaron sets a PB to take the Championship lead • Webmaster’s article – Mo features: Plantar fasciitis symptoms and prevention; and forthcoming races of interest • Harriers vest visits Canada – Richard D models the famous green and white vest in British Columbia • Thanks to Philomena, Richard, Mo and Jan for this month’s contributions to articles and photos • Copy date for next Harriers Herald – 31st October

Thursday night schedule for October Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

2nd 9th 16th 23rd 30th

Lucy to lead Tom to lead Rich B to lead George to lead Handicap Race

Thursday night schedule for November Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

6th 13th 20th 27th

Philomena to lead Mo to lead Pete O to lead Handicap Race

Correspondence received Subject matter

Sender English XC Association (ECCA) South East Athletic Association (SEAA)

ECCA handbook 2014-2015 SEAA cross-country Prospectus 2014-2015

Action File File

Compton Harriers Christmas Meal 2014 Sue Martin has suggested a venue for this year’s Christmas meal and, in making the suggestion, has duly volunteered himself to organise the event! The suggested pub is The Kingswell, on the A417 between Upton and Harwell – a venue which will be new to most of the Harriers. Martin has made enquiries and expects to receive a Christmas menu in the near future. A suggested date is the last Saturday (evening) before Christmas.

Race Results and Reports Maidenhead Half, 7th September The fourth annual Maidenhead Half took place on a 2-lap course around Maidenhead and Cookham, finishing outside Maidenhead Town Hall. Philomena had a great run to finish in 1:41:12 (512th from 1666 finishers). A new course record was set by winner Michael Hiscott (1:07:34), while first lady was Amy Clements (Kent A.C.) in 1:20:39.

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Two new local races took place on Sunday 21st September, and Compton Harriers featured highly in both….

The Earth Trust 10K, 21st September Sue This new off-road event was organised by The Earth Trust (an environmental organisation which is based in converted farm buildings near Little Wittenham), with some help from Didcot Runners. This proved a perfect venue for the race HQ, with plenty of parking space, ample toilets, a large barn for registration and running kit storage, and a nice café.

The race attracted 124 entrants, including members of local running clubs Didcot Runners and Abingdon Amblers, a number of running novices, and Nordic walkers. The weather was lovely, and the race route was great - interesting, scenic and challenging. We set off around the base of Wittenham Clumps, as the resident cows watched with interest.

Entering Little Wittenham Wood, there was a nice gradual downhill stretch for 2K, with the occasional patch of boggy mud to dodge.

Leaving the wood, we turned North along farm tracks to the river bank.

Here, I caught up with a couple of men, and we stuck together along the river, around North Farm, and back through the wood, knowing the most challenging part of the route was yet to come. With a sharp left hand turn at the bottom of Church Meadow, the ascent began and Round Hill loomed ahead. One of my fellow runners said ‘Race you to the top?’, but I wished him luck, stuck to my own pace, and tried to smile as I spotted Mo at the top with his camera!

After a short ascent, we ran up the smaller Castle Hill. Up to this 9K point, the route had been exceptionally well marked and well-marshalled, but here there was no marshal and no visible arrow. No one around me seemed certain of the correct route, and we all ended up taking the longer of the two paths around the hill top, enabling the chasing group (who took the correct shorter route) to catch us, which meant a sprint finish was called for!

The race was won by Will Cullen in 38:08, and I was first lady (15th overall) in 47:10. The presentations were made in the field at the base of Round Hill, and again the cows came over to watch! I had a fantastic prize of two tickets to visit Blenheim Palace and grounds, and two jars of local honey. I would certainly recommend this as a well-organised, very friendly and picturesque race.

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Rutherford Appleton Running Event (RARE) 10K, 21st September Philomena This was the first time that this event was being held and, being just a mere 15 minutes from home and next door to where I work, I felt I had to give it a go! It didn’t disappoint. There was also a 5K event and a free Fun Run for children.

It is a fast (2 x 5K lap) course with some of the route going around the Diamond, but sadly it is just under 10K so my ‘PB’ was not really a PB! However I would still recommend it. It was very well organized and there was a reasonably good turn out. No goody bag (not surprising for just £10 entry fee), but lovely chocolate bars at the end and, for those who like them, a decent medal too.

Lucy, Martin and I did the race and we all did good times, as did Belinda Tull who runs with Reading Road runners and whom some you may know.

Martin: 5th overall and 5th male; Lucy: 23rd overall and 4th lady; Meena: 17th overall and 2nd lady; Belinda: 7th overall and 1st lady;

2nd Vet M50 0:40:08 2nd Vet W50 0:46:13 1st Vet W50 0:44:40 1st Vet W40 0:40:27

Compton Charity Cycle, 25 miles, 27th September Sue Dick, Mo and I took part in this event, now in its second year. Starting from Compton Rec., the undulating 25mile multi-terrain route took us to Chilton, East Hendred, Lockinge, West Ilsley, Catmore, Peasemore and Beedon, then back to Compton. The weather was perfect, the route was mostly well-marked at changes of direction, and there was a drinks and flap-jack ‘station’ at Lands End, just after halfway. With the exception of the woods around Catmore, there was remarkably little mud this year.

We caught and passed a number of fellow cyclists who needed to stop to repair punctures. One of them was unfortunate enough to get a second puncture later in the ride. The three Harriers had no such problems. Dick had an excellent ride, racing against several other cyclists, and finished 7th in 1:52, just 10 minutes behind the first finisher. Mo and I finished in 2:26 (36th and 37th out of the 54 finishers).

Once at the finish, the sun was shining and it was perfect for sitting down in the Rec. to enjoy the barbeque, beer and homemade cakes, while we cheered the remaining cyclists in, then watched the youngsters and parents set off on the 5-mile ‘family ride’. Dick’s good day continued, as he found a lot of money spiders had inhabited his beard!

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Handicap Race Sue Running conditions were near perfect for the last Handicap Race around the Relay Route for this year. The regular Harriers were joined by new runner Stan, who proved to be a ‘dark horse’ running faster than we had anticipated and crossing the line first to take the trophy on his first Harriers outing.

The good conditions resulted in good finishing times for everyone, but only a PB or a season’s best was good enough to finish with a top five placing. Aaron (who denies having any competitive streak, but knows exactly who he needs to beat and by how much in the Handicap Race!) had a storming run to claim the 12 points for the third successive race. He quickly gained five seconds to catch Dick, but the two of them then raced hard together all the way. Aaron was rewarded with a huge PB, breaking 10 minutes for the first time, while Dick was rewarded with a season’s best. A good PB for Jonathan, and seasons’ best times for Martin and Richard, saw them all finish within four seconds. After a 16-second break, Mo, Colin and Sue finished in close succession, with Lucy completing the field not far behind.

Well done Aaron and Stan, and thanks to Jan for timing. The next Handicap Race (which will be around our winter Village Lap road route) is scheduled for Thursday 30th October.

Finish Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Position on handicap 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Name

Start time

Stan Aaron Dick Jonathan Martin Richard D Mo Colin Sue Lucy

Finish time

4:01 5:25 5:20 6:04 6:37 5:42 0:45 4:49 6:37 5:31

Handicap Beaten?

New Runner -0:40 -0:30 -0:24 -0:21 -0:20 -0:04 -0:02 -0:01 +0:15

Actual time

15:12 15:20 15:30 15:36 15:39 15:40 15:56 15:58 15:59 16:15

11:11 9:55 10:10 9:32 9:02 9:58 15:11 11:09 9:22 10:44

Handicap Championship: Aaron’s three successive wins have moved him to the top of the Championship with a 6-point lead over Mo, while Jonathan has moved up into third place. Since the final Championship scores are based on an individual’s best five performances, there is still all to play for in the remaining two races.

Pos.

1 2 3 4 5 6= 6= 6= 9 10 11 12 13 14 15= 15= 15= 15=

Name

Aaron Mo Jonathan Martin Sue Colin Richard D

Dick Lucy Mags Dave Philomena

Mark Pete O Jacqueline

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George Stan Helen

Race 1

Race 2

Race 3

6 (2) 7 9 5 (4) 4 8 10 12 1 -

6 10 12 9 8 5 7 1 -

8 12 3 6 7 12 4 5 9 1 -

Race points Race 4 Race 5 12 10 5 7 8 9 4 3 6 -

12 10 8 3 7 4 9 6 5 1

4

Race 6 12 6 9 8 (4) 5 7 10 3 1 -

Race 7

Race 8

-

-

Total of best 5 50 44 39 35 34 32 32 32 29 13 12 9 7 5 1 1 1 1

Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo

Links of interest this month The traditional weekend trip to Seaton in Devon to take part in ‘The Grizzly’, was a regular event each year for many Compton Harriers. In recent years this tradition has declined, but the event still goes on!

The entry ballot for The 2015 Grizzly is now open until 12th October should you be considering entry to this tough event. Full details on the AVR website: http://www.axevalleyrunners.org.uk/races/grizzly.htm Webmaster’s article this month: Avoiding Common Injuries: Plantar Fasciitis Following last month’s article on stretching to improve performance, the next step is to avoid injury wherever possible and to ensure that you don’t aggravate any ‘niggles’ during the course of your training.

Unfortunately from time to time we are all affected by various injuries and muscle pain that affect both our performance and pleasure whilst running, so I have continued my research into some of the more common injuries and looked at ways to lessen their impact and any preventative measures to reduce injury risk. This month, the subject is ‘Plantar Fasciitis’.

What Is Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a thick, tough, fibrous band made up of collagen fibres which runs along the sole of your foot. It originates from the heel bone (calcaneus), extends along the bottom of the foot, attaching to the toes. It helps to support the arch of your foot and transfers forces across your foot when you walk or run.

There are three parts to the plantar fascia. The central portion is the largest with smaller bands coming out of each side known as the medial and lateral portions.

Plantar fasciitis develops if too much strain is placed on the plantar fascia, usually from overuse or repetitive actions, causing small tears to develop in the collagen fibres. This results in swelling and inflammation. If the problem continues, it may develop into plantar fasciosis, which means there is chronic degeneration of the tendon rather than inflammation.

In approximately two-thirds of cases, plantar fasciitis is accompanied by the presence of a bone spur. When there is repeated tension on the plantar fascia, it pulls on the area of bone where the tendon attaches to the heel bone, known as the calcaneal tubercle.

The body responds by laying down excess bone, known as a heel bone spur, to try and protect itself from injury. People often mistakenly think it is the bone spur that causes the plantar fasciitis, but in actual fact, the bone spur develops as a result of the condition.

Symptoms The most common symptom is pain that gets worse after rest or sitting for long periods when the fascia tightens. When you walk around, the fascia stretches again and symptoms often improve.

Pain is usually felt underneath the foot approximately 4cm from the back of the heel and is usually tender to touch.

Plantar fasciitis symptoms are often worse when the foot and toes are pulled up as this increases the tension on the tendon. Other activities where the plantar fascia is stretched such as standing on tip toes or walking up stairs also tends to increase the pain.

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Common Causes 1) Overuse: Being on your feet for long periods, especially on hard surfaces 2) Foot Biomechanics: Abnormal foot positions such as flat or high foot arches or excessive pronation increase the strain on the plantar fascia 3) Weight: Being overweight places more strain through the tendon 4) Muscle Tightness: The plantar fascia is closely linked with the Achilles tendon. Tightness and weakness in the calf therefore predispose the plantar fascia to injury by causing it to repeatedly overstretch.

5) Poor Foot Wear: Wearing shoes that are worn, or lack good arch support and cushioning.

6) Exercise: Suddenly increasing the amount you exercise (frequency or intensity), or changing the surface you exercise on e.g. from track to road 7) Age: It most commonly affects people between the ages of 40 and 60 8) Gender: Women are twice as likely to suffer from it as men Prevention To prevent the onset or recurrence of plantar fasciitis symptoms, there are a number of things you can do: 1) Wear Good Footwear: Flat shoes that provide good cushioning and arch support. Orthotic inserts may also be beneficial to correct over or under pronation.

2) Stretching Exercises: regularly stretch the calf muscles and plantar fascia.

3) Strengthening Exercises: Strengthening the foot, ankle and calf muscles reduces the chance of developing plantar fasciitis.

4) Exercise Appropriately: Avoid over training, particularly if you are just starting out and try to avoid hard surfaces whenever possible.

5) Toe Stretchers: Stretch out the muscles and ligaments around the feet to realign the bones. This is also helps to reduce the pain of plantar fasciitis.

Exercises to Strengthen the Plantar Fascia 1) Toe Scrunches: to strengthen the muscles which support the foot arches Start Position: Lay a towel out on the floor and sit with your foot resting on the towel, flat on the floor Action: Try to draw the towel towards you by scrunching your toes. Keep the heel in contact with the floor throughout Repetitions: Spend 1-2 minutes doing this

2) Picking up marbles; this helps to improve the strength and control around the foot Start Position: Place some marbles and a bowl on the floor Action: Pick each marble up with your toes and place it in the bowl Repetitions: Spend 1-2 minutes doing this, twice a day Variations: You can use any small items e.g. dice or pencil instead

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3) Arch Lifts; this specifically targets the muscles underneath the foot that support the foot arches.

Start Position: Sit on a chair with your foot resting flat on the floor Action: Draw the arch of the foot up off the floor, keeping the heel, big toe and ball of the foot on the floor. Hold for 3 seconds and relax Repetitions: Spend about 1 minute doing this

4) Heel Raises; weakness in the calf muscles is a common cause of plantar fasciitis as it affects how the foot moves.

Start Position: Stand with your feet resting flat on the floor. You can hold on to a chair or the wall for balance if needed Action: Push up, lifting your heels of the floor as you come up on to tiptoes. Hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly lower down Repetition: Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions Try to take your weight equally on both feet.

Progression: Once you can do 30 repetitions, try doing one leg at a time

5) Tip Toe Walking; to improve the strength of your calf muscles and control of stability around the ankle Starting Position: Standing Action: Rise up onto both tiptoes and walk around, staying up throughout.

Repetitions: Spend a couple of minutes doing this every day Variations: Walk forwards, backwards, sideways and in circles

6) Single Leg Standing; improves your balance and control around the foot Start Position: Standing Action: Lift one foot off the floor so you are balancing on one leg Repetition: Spend 5 minutes doing this, 2x daily.

Progression: Try closing your eyes to make it more challenging.

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Upcoming Events of Interest – see Website Events Calendar for more details:

Sun, Oct 5 Sat, Oct 11 Sun, Oct 12 Sun, Oct 19 Sat, Oct 25 Sun, Oct 26 Sun, Nov 2 Sat, Nov 15 Sun, Nov 16 Sat, Nov 22 Sun, Nov 30 Sun, Dec 7 Sun, Dec 14 Fri, Dec 26 Sun, Dec 28 Sun, Feb 15 Sun, Mar 1 Sat, Apr 4 Sun, Apr 12 Sun, Apr 26

2014 Basingstoke Half Marathon Reading O2O 10k 6-mile run from Snelsmore Common Henley ½Mthn & 10k The Ridgeway Run (15k Trail) Frieth Hilly 5k and 10k New Forest Stinger 5 mile and 10 Mile Races Tadley 10 Mile Beachy Head Marathon & 10k Fairoaks Five & Ten (Miles) The Stickler - 10miles Marlow ½ Mthn The Ridgeway Revenge 10 Mile & 5 Mile Avebury 8 BBO X-C Championships Maylarch Eynsham 10k Tadley Xmas X-C 5.2 Mile Andy Reading 10k Muddy Welly Run 10K & 5K Aylesbury Boxing Day 5k Road Race The Gut Buster 10k & 10 Mile 2015 Bramley 20/10 Road Race The Grizzly - Dash to Delirium Downland Challenge 40/20 Brighton Marathon & 10k Virgin Money London Marathon

Harriers vest visits Canada The famous green and white vest of Compton Harriers has now visited Canada with Richard D. The photos below show: (1) View from The Bluffs Galiano Island, British Columbia, looking south over Active Pass, Mayne and Pender Islands towards the San Juan Islands in Washington State (2) View from Bodega Ridge on Galiano Island, British Columbia, over the Trincomali Wallace Island and Salt Spring Island with Vancouver Island in the distance

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