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THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 283, September 2016 Editor: Sue Francis

Contents, features, reports, results    

Thursday night schedules for September and October England Athletics registration fee 2017 / 2018 Christmas meal – It will soon be time to start thinking about our Club’s annual party Race results: Hooky 6: Darren enjoys a good race in Hook Norton; Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1: Philomena first in her category, despite going off-route Mo wins double gold in Rio: Simon gives a light-hearted report on the achievements of our Olympian, Mo F Webmaster’s article – Mo features: Compton 20 date announced for 2017; the drinking runner’s handbook; forthcoming races of interest Thanks to Simon, Darren and Mo for this month’s articles and photos

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Thursday night schedule for September Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

1st 8th 15th 22nd 29th

Sue to lead Aaron to lead Handicap Race Lucy to lead Darren to lead

Thursday night schedule for October Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

6th 13th 20th 27th

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

England Athletics registration fee 2017 / 2018 I recently received the below correspondence from England Athletics: Affiliation and registration fee details for 2017-18 (the next affiliation year) have been decided following the 2016 England Athletics consultation. This year England Athletics once again held a series of club conferences and an online consultation survey to identify the views of stakeholders in the sport on a range of issues. A key issue on which we sought the views of the sport was England Athletics’ athlete registration scheme.

Once again the events saw a number of people expressing the view that the cost of individual athlete registration should rise as there is a desire for England Athletics to maintain and enhance its current level of service, particularly as the nature of future Sport England funding for the period from 2017 onwards is unknown.

A total of 2,214 respondents completed the online consultation. This included a question where respondents were offered five choices on athlete registration fees for the period 2017-2021. These choices, and the percentage of votes for each, were as follows:     

A one-off increase of £4 in 2017 and no further increase: 17.1% Two increases of £2: one in 2017 and another in 2019: 13.7% A £2 increase in 2017 followed by a further review: 14.3% An increase of £1 every year through to 2021: 31.6% Fees to remain the same for 2017/18: 23.2%

As a result, the Board of England Athletics has taken the decision to: Set the athlete registration fee at £14 which is a £1 increase for the 2017/18 Affiliation Year (which starts 1 April 2017) and Maintain the club affiliation fee for 2017/18 at £100 per club.

Further decisions on athlete registration and club affiliation fees beyond the 2017/18 affiliation year will be made once Sport England funding decisions for that period have been made and announced.

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Compton Harriers Christmas Meal 2016 It will soon be time to begin planning our Christmas gathering for this year. Traditionally, we’ve had a mid-December Friday or Saturday evening meal at a fairly local pub, to which all Harriers and their partners have been invited. Wherever we go, it needs to be somewhere that can accommodate about 30 of us. Last year, Mo and I organised the meal at Ilsley Swan. Would anyone like to volunteer to organise the Christmas Meal this year? Things to organise are the venue, date, collection of deposits and collating menu orders, and liaising with the pub.

Race Reports and Results Hooky 6, 7th August Darren The event takes place in the pretty village of Hook Norton in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. It is run by the local running club, the Hook Norton Harriers, based out of the Hook Norton Sports & Social club. It’s a well organised event, with decent parking in a farmer’s field right next to the club. The course is virtually entirely road except for the final run in. The course is a couple of laps through the village and out onto rural roads, and is well marshalled. Through the village there are a decent number of spectators and supporters. Much of the course is undulating, both up and down, quite tough in places, leaving me wishing I hadn’t done Didcot park run on Saturday morning. Unfortunately for me, much of the sizeable field was made up of club runners from across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties. A decent goody bag at the end, though no medal. A good, well organised event well worth attending and, being the home of Hooky ale, a fine pint was waiting in the nearest pub.

I finished 69th out of 244 finishers with a time of 42:54.

Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1, 33K MT, 14th August Philomena finished in 3:12:49, 8th lady overall and 1st in the FV55 category, despite taking an accidental detour and running an additional mile.

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Mo F wins historic double gold in Rio HH Special Correspondent, Hermione Goatfondler (aka Simon) History was made at the Rio Olympics when Compton Harriers’ very own Mo F won both the 10,000m and 5,000m events, which he won at London in 2012, becoming only the second athlete, after ‘The Flying Finn’ Lasse Viren, to successfully defend his titles.

Like Viren, who later became an actor and starred in classic films such as ‘Lasse Come Home’ and ‘Good Dog Lasse’, Mo F has also had a successful film career, appearing in both ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Chicken Run’. In addition to his acting endeavours, Mo is also an internationally renowned musician and has had recording success both as a solo artist, with the 1980s hit single Pop Music, and as a member of bands such as Boney M and Run DMC (he was the M).

Rumours that Mo was also the M in MC Hammer were later proved incorrect when it became known that the McHammer was, in fact, a short-lived attempt by an international fast-food chain to break into the lucrative home-improvement market. He is, however, probably best known for writing ‘Born To Run’ for Bruce Springsteen and Winston Churchill’s 1944 hit ‘Run, Rabbit, Run’.

Speaking from his bedroom at the Sunnyview Retirement Home for the Terminally Bewildered in Goring, Mo admitted that he didn’t have a clue how it all happened. “I don’t have a clue how it all happened,” he told me. “One minute there I was out having a jog, next minute I was being chased by a load of people wearing shorts. Blow this, I thought, I’m going to get trampled. So I ran, just like Forrest Gump did. I can’t remember the name of the film he was in, though. Turned out I was first in the 10,000m. Exactly the same thing happened in London four years ago.”

Speaking about his victory in the 5,000m six days later, Mo also admitted he didn’t have a clue how it all happened. “I don’t have a clue how it all happened,” he said. “I went out for a little jog six days later and the same thing happened. I start getting chased by a load of people wearing shorts. Blow this, I thought, I’m going to get trampled. So I ran, just like Forrest Gump did. I can’t remember the name of the film he was in, though. Turned out I was first in the 5,000m. Exactly the same thing happened in London four years ago.”

Although initially concerned he would fail the subsequent drugs testing, Mo was surprised to find that the Senokot didn’t show up in the results. “That was a surprise,” he said, surprised, “because I’d taken three times the recommended dose. I’m really egg-bound at the moment. I think I need to go for a swim in Rio bay.”

When asked if he had any plans to retire, Mo replied “Oh, yes. It’s getting quite late so I’ll be going to bed soon. I’ll have my Ovaltine first, though.” Pressed on his plans for Tokyo in 2020, Mo responded “Well that is a bit late, isn’t it? London was 2012, Rio was 2016 so they were ok but I usually go to bed at 2020. I’ll have my Ovaltine first, though.”

Mo F. A leg end…

Sorry, that should read ‘A legend…’

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Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo The frequent website visitors amongst us may well have spotted that the date for next year's Compton 20 has been announced on the site, although the more eagle-eyed Harriers may well have spotted it on our Facebook page earlier in August. This will enable our regular entrants to plan well ahead, although entries aren't actually open yet. Sport Systems Limited will again provide their services for online entries, race timing and results. I will add the relevant links to the website as soon as entries are open.

Links of interest this month: The National Trails website is always a good one to visit as it is very user-friendly and provides a reminder of the great running and walking routes available to us. Although there is a link on our site 'Links' page already, I thought it was worth another mention: http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk The drinking runner’s handbook: I recently read an intriguing blog, written by Jonathan Thompson, on the Runner's World website under the 'Health' menu. Like many runners, I have always enjoyed a pint (or two) after a run and I felt that this blog goes a long way towards justifying this very enjoyable practice by including the various health benefits of your favourite tipple. To balance things out, it also points out the dangers of over-indulgence! The full blog can be read at http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/nutrition/the-drinking-runners-handbook/10848.html , but to give you a flavour of things, I have highlighted the relevant points below: Bitter (Pint), ABV 4%, Alcohol units 3, Calories 182, Protein 1.7g, Carbs 13g ◦ One of the best sources of silica and boron, essential for healthy bones. ◦ Vitamin B6 helps strengthen your nervous system and tackle stress. ◦ Reduces risk of kidney stones by up to 40%. ◦ Contains 34% of your RDA of folic acid, which helps convert food into energy and is important for proper brain function and helping the body metabolize fats and proteins.

On the downside, Bitter has high levels of purine, which increases uric acid in your joints and can lead to gout.

White wine (175ml), ABV 11%, Alcohol units 2, Calories 130, Protein 0.2g, Carbs 1g ◦ A glass can ease joint pain as it contains tyrosol and caffeic acid, which suppress inflammatory reactions. ◦ A glass (or two) a day can help to keep your lungs healthy as white wine contains antioxidants that stop the creation of harmful molecules in that area.

On the downside, white wine makes your stomach secrete extra acid, irritating the lining and inflaming your digestive tract, which can lead to nausea. It’s also thought that the sulphur dioxide – used to preserve the grapes – can trigger asthma.

Gin and slimline tonic (Single with 125ml tonic), ABV 6.5%, Alcohol units 1, Calories 72, Protein 0g, Carbs 0g ◦ The juniper berries that flavour gin were traditionally used as a herbal remedy for kidney and liver ailments and can help to keep your weight down by flushing out your system. ◦ Juniper has anti-inflammatory properties that help relieve rheumatism, arthritis and gout. ◦ Also a short-term solution to bloating – especially in women with PMS. On the downside, Gin brings on the need to urinate sooner than other alcoholic drinks, as the juniper berries are strongly diuretic.

Vodka and Diet Coke (Single with 125ml Coke), ABV 6.5%, Alcohol units 1, Calories 80, Protein 0g, Carbs 0g ◦ Highly distilled and purified, vodka is the best alcohol for your stomach and is unlikely to cause irritation. ◦ Vodka is less likely to give you a hangover as it’s free of preservatives, chemicals and colouring.

On the downside, fat-burning rates are reduced by a huge 73% for several hours after drinking two vodkas with soft mixers.

Champagne (125ml), ABV 12%, Alcohol units 1.5, Calories 95, Protein 0.4g, Carbs 1.8g ◦ A recent Reading University study found that champagne had a positive effect on endothelial function (inner lining of blood vessels), which is important to reduce risk of heart disease. The researchers concluded that daily moderate consumption may improve your vascular performance. ◦ The Reading study also found that grape varieties used in champagne can aid memory via a compound called phenolic acid. Their conclusion: three glasses a week after the age of 40 could stave off brain disorders including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

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On the downside, Fizz combined with alcohol can weaken the valve between your stomach and oesophagus, leading to reflux and heartburn.

Lager (Pint), ABV 5%, Alcohol units 3, Calories 230, Protein 2.84g, Carbs 17g ◦ A pint supplies a tenth of your body’s RDA of niacin, which boosts energy levels. ◦ It also delivers selenium to support immune function, plus a healthy injection of other essential minerals, including calcium, potassium and magnesium. ◦ Reduces levels of C-reactive protein – an agent known to cause heart disease. ◦ Enhances levels of ‘good’ cholesterol.

On the downside, Lager is not only calorie-laden but also a powerful appetite stimulant, leading to cravings for inappropriate fatty food late at night, two factors that contribute to increased weight and running times!

Red wine (175ml), ABV 11%, Alcohol units 2, Calories 120, Protein 0.8g, Carbs 4.4g ◦ Compared with white, red wine packs more potassium, iron and phenolics (antioxidants that mop up damaging free radicals released during intense exercise). ◦ When drunk in moderation, red wine is the best alcohol for your overall health and it can reduce risk of heart disease by as much as 50 per cent, thanks to its flavonoid antioxidants, which prevent clots and protect against artery damage.

On the downside, red wine will cause a worse hangover than white because it contains more chemicals and colourings. These constrict the blood vessels in your brain, causing headaches and nausea.

Cider (Pint), ABV 5%, Alcohol units 3, Calories 200, Protein 0g, Carbs 14.8g ◦ A single pint supplies a fifth of your recommended daily dose of iron – crucial for muscle control and oxygen delivery. ◦ Also high in potassium, an important electrolyte for a healthy nervous system. ◦ Cider fights anaemia and protects against high blood pressure and heart disease. ◦ Has the same level of antioxidants as green tea.

On the downside, Sweet cider is high in calories (250kcal per pint; 25% more than dry cider).

Events of Interest – see Website Training & Events Calendar for more details: 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:

11:00am Malmesbury 10k 9:30am Northampton ½ • Maidenhead ½ • Chippenham ½ • 10:30am The Beast (12½ miles) 3:00pm The Killermetre 5k & 10k 9:30am Farnham Pilgrim Mthn & ½ Mthn • 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:

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