The past few weeks have been very busy as can be seen from the results below. The main event, from a general club perspective, was the 10k promotion on 26 September. Once again it was an outstanding success. The sun shone, there was a record field and nobody went off course. David Edelsten and his helpers, particularly those that gave up a very wet Saturday afternoon to set up the course, did an excellent job to ensure that the event went smoothly. The only slight hiccup was running out of water at the finish. This was understandable, however, given warm conditions and such a large field. It is always difficult to cater for numbers when not knowing what those numbers will be due to entries on the day. More statistics on the 10k next time.
Looking forward, the Stroud ½ marathon will seal results in the club championship as well as signifying the end of the road running season. It appears that record numbers have entered the race - over 2,000 at the last count - so it should be quite a finale. Leading on from Stroud the focus will turn to cross country, particularly the Oxford League. If all this running sounds like hard work don't forget the club Christmas party on 10 December (see details below).
RESULTS
19.09.2004 Woodchester Park multi-terrain '8', nr Stroud
1. M Duxbury (Stroud) 50.40, 27 Jane Wassell (2 nd lady & 1 st FV35) 58.30, 100 Kim Withycombe 74.45, 112 David Edelsten 81.13. 119 finished. 26.09.2004 Cirencester Park 10k, incorporating Glos County Championship
1. T Berg (Mornington Chasers) 33.03, 6 S Crombie-Hicks (1 st lady) (Bourton) 36.13, 12 Ellen Leggate (2 nd lady) 37.10, 28 Martin Pitts 39.02, 37 Jane Wassell (5 th lady, 1 st FV35), 83 Tim Willson 43.18, 89 Paul Barlow 43.41, 354 Maggie Taylor 1.05.24. 373 finished 03.10.2004 Cricklade 10k
17 year old Chris Illman, still a student at Farmors School in Fairford, smashed his personal best for 10k and in doing so ran the fastest time by a male member of the club in 2004 (Wendy Jones' 35.27 at Bourton remaining the outright fastest club time for the year).
1. D Walmsley (Bourton) 33.54, 8 Chris Illman (Junior) 36.28, 50 Ian Saunders (Junior) 43.25, 149 David Edelsten 52.59. 263 finished. 03.10.2004 Cricklade ½ marathon
Unfortunately Wendy Jones missed the cut off time for entering by a matter of minutes so lost out on a prize. She ran without a number and would have won comfortably despite slowing near the end having felt sick - talk of DW's fluorescent shorts creating this feeling were clearly way off the mark!
1. D Croft ( Woodstock ) 1.14.52, 8 David Wright 1.22.39, 15 Wendy Jones (unofficial 1 st lady/FV35) 1.24.33, 204 Fred Robson 1.58.19, 210 Peter Moran 2.00.06. 245 finished. 03.10.2004 Loch Ness Marathon
Bill Leggate returned to his homeland for a three leggate (!) challenge with his brother and father. Sadly Dan's persistent achilles problems reduced his opposition by 50% ( ed. why didn't Ellen step into the breach?!) and he consequently took the spoils in a time just three minutes slower than his London effort.
1. S Pride 2.27.58, 191 Bill Leggate 3.37.05, 529 John Leggate (Bill's dad) 4.13.47. 944 finished. 03.10.2004 Offa's Orror multi-terrain 20k, nr. Chepstow. Chris Sherrington reports:
"It's a good race, woods, great views of the Wye Valley , long uphills and very steep downs. It's worth a go especially if you like the the Dursley Dozen or Sodbury Slog (why do all daft runs have to be alliterated?)
Verdict: A really challenging run in the mould of the Dursley Dozen. Scenery must have been really good unfortunately I seemed to spend most of the time head down avoiding eye contact with the hills (heavy denial) or literally on mile 11 face down in a muddy puddle or head skyward on mile 8 slaloming downhill on my backside. I found it harder than the DD but then I was fitter (or is it less not so fit) in February.
Best bits: View of Tintern Abbey from the carpark, the excellent goody bag which the kids really appreciated, getting cross country shoes muddy for the first time, overtaking a few on the hills (only to be overtaken back on the downhills). It almost made me look forward to Tinglesfield, how else could you spend the best part of 2 hours on a soggy Sunday.
Worst bits: £4.60 to get across the bridge, trying to get out of the car at work next morning."
1. W Levett (Bedford) 1.21.32, 122 Chris Sherrington 2.01.15 (per results, but Chris says 1.45!). 184 finished 03.10.2004 Newent Triathlon. Graham Clark reports on a day out with the ladies .
"The Newent Triathlon was to be my second - cut my teeth on the Springfield earlier in the year - and I was relieved to hear that the cycling section was only 18k as gales and heavy rain were forecast. Got the bikes on board before the birds were up and then picked the birds up! Carol and Elaine ( Wilson ) were coming with me and we were early arrivals because, as ever, start times were dependent on anticipated swim speeds.
400 metres before breakfast! What?! My granddaughter's got a paddling pool bigger than the Newent swimming pool so 26 lengths it had to be. "No arguing with the lane counters", but they forgot to tell Carol when to get out ..... perhaps because she had head butted her namesake, swimming in an anti clockwise direction! However an excellent time of 7:43 (nearly 2 mins faster than Springfield ) and off she went into a trance ... sorry I meant to say, into transition. More like a trance however; ladies changing room, nice warm rub down, clean dry shirt and shorts, powder toes, lip stick straightened, brush hair and gosh, is that the time? Must go and out she went to the bikes. No sprint here; take your time love! "Oh my god, where did I leave my bloody bike?"... and off! Announced to the swelling crowd as being from Bibury, that break-away unaffiliated athletic club of which me and her are the only members.
Back to the pool as Elaine dived in to start her third tri! Then a quick dash back to the bike racks and a nice change over for Carol to the 5k road run; can't see anyone else around her. She's either in front or behind, but I'm not sure which. "Come on love. Keep going. Good luck". Once again back to see Elaine swimming alone and not sharing the lane with anyone! Either she's upset someone or her impressive 6:59 time in a lane reserved for those doing 5 mins ensured she was given a wide berth. However, as she had declared that she would swim the distance in 8 minutes, the lane counter tapped her on the head and told her to get out! Whoops, careful, nearly fell back in there! Off to transition at a pace. "Come on love. Keep going. Good luck." (I said that to all 78 ladies that morning, especially number 141!).
Just time for a coffee and a roll (back to 141 there for a minute, sorry), and time to see Elaine scorch back into transition, with the smell of tarmac following her, for an outstanding bike time of 43:34. (According to the race marshals she left most of the competition for dead back there; mind you any compassionate female would have stopped, picked them up and called an ambulance, but not our Elaine!). "Come on love. Keep going .....". Carol arrives back from a 22m 5k. Fantastic, and an overall race time of 1:21:26 . Brilliant! Impressive eh? Ladies over 50 trophy in hand! Though I would have preferred the Three Choirs champagne. Elaine's 5k of 23:37 was completed in the rain but gave her an outstanding time of 1:14:10 .
So what about me? Well I was knackered just watching! Slept for England in the afternoon.
Road Runner.
PS Don't forget, if you want to be really, really posh, get someone else to do your triathlons for you!"
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
Scores in the club championship with just the Stroud ½ marathon to go:
Men: D Wright 87pts, M Pitts 58, B Ferris 53, D Atkinson 46, C Sherrington 41, T Curry 39, B Leggate 36, C Riches 31, N Morris 25, R Waldron 24, P Barlow 23, G Clarke 19, K Firkin 15, M Humphries & T Collings 14, C Illman & M Gluning 13, D Edelsten 12, J Prout 10, I Fletcher 9, J Young 5.
Women: J Wassell 58pts, C Clarke 53, K Withycombe 51, W Jones 48, K Ingleby 40, L Ferris 30, P Vass 23, S Brown 20, S McKeeman 14, E Wilson 13, J Bourke 8, A Sherrington 8.
RACES
Sunday 24 th October at 10:00 . Stroud Half Marathon
It may still be possible to enter but 2,000 have already done so and it is likely that entries will close any day. Check Stroud's website on www.stroudathleticclub.org.uk
Other forthcoming races and contact details:
28 November at 10:30 Eynsham 10k - popular race on fast course. Must enter in advance. Forms on club noticeboard at leisure centre.
7 November Oxford League Ascott-u-Wychwood
Races commence at 10:00 (U11 Boys), with the main ladies race at 11:10 and the men at 11:40 . If making own way there check out directions on the website www.geocities.com/oxmailxc otherwise there will a group meeting at the leisure centre at 09:30 . Ascott is just beyond Burford so is no great distance away - the course includes a water jump and a few hills. Remember it is a team event - the more runners the club turns out the more teams finish. In the ladies three score in each team so if nine ladies turn up the club will have three teams; in the men seven are needed per team. There is no entry fee, just turn up. The ladies are defending champions after last winter's magnificent efforts and the men just maintained Division One status, which will once again be the major challenge this winter.
CHRISTMAS PARTY
Jenny Hill writes : "For those who have not yet marked their diary, the club's Christmas Party and annual prize giving will be on FRIDAY 10 th DECEMBER at the CORINIUM COURT HOTEL , Glos.St. Cirencester. It is not a date to be missed, even for those, like me, who haven't won anything!!!! The evening usually starts with drinks (if you're there on time!!), a three course meal (veggie available) and coffee. We then have the prize giving, possibly a raffle, and then it's all downhill from there; generally involving copious amounts of alcohol, lots of jigging, dancing, swaying, singing, and falling down or chatting in the bar (for non party animals and oldies!!!).
The price for this fantastic evening is £26.95 per person BUT the committee have very kindly agreed to cover the difference and the ticket price will stay the same as last year at £25:00 per person.
The Corinium Court has promised to get menus to me in the next week or two so I shall be contacting everyone again soon. Any questions? Give me a ring on 653733 or see me Tuesday's (I'm the one panting at the back!!)."
MISCELLANY
Fred Robson has been running for all his life. This fascinating article encapsulates just a part of that memoir:
"To me the marathon brings a magic feeling with it. When I read about someone's run, or the story and description of their effort, I feel the emotion of the race. It's the same when running one, only the feeling comes through more intensely, especially when one is nearing the end or just after the finishing line. A powerful sensation develops inside, even though exhaustion is near. Hearing words of encouragement, or enjoying the bliss of not having to run another step; staggering and only just managing to keep upright, yet you find yourself smiling uncontrollably and cannot stop the tears swelling up and bursting into your eyes. And then the finishing line! The ultimate prize is finishing.
And during the race? When running smoothly in full flow, eating up the distance, the greatest pleasure is of feeling no pain, only the floating sensation, as if one was a beautifully patterned Mongolfier hot-air balloon, sailing in the rich blue sky. The marathon not only represents the power and skill of the body, but of the mind. It is a personal achievement like nothing else. Be warned! Running marathons can be obsessive.
In 1991 walking in the Austrian Alps near Mayrhofen I got talking to a lean marathon runner about the difficulty of getting a place in the London Marathon (at that time I had not done a London). He told me of the 'good for age' category, guaranteed places. I have relied on this since to get a London place. But let me go way back to the beginnings of my long distance story, a long time ago! I can remember little of my first marathon. Nothing written, no record, no pictures. A grey day in April. A flat tarmac road surface, outside the Guardroom at RAF Bridgenorth in Shropshire . We were off. Quite a large group of runners for those days. Maybe two hundred plus. All bursting with fitness after twelve weeks of dawn till dusk hard training. I can see us going through a wooded section, slippery with the mud underfoot. Running downhill and the sight of another in front, to climb. Covering the part of the course where it drizzled, chaffing around the hamstrings and under the arms. Worrying in case it was dark before we got back. Then the big cups of sugary hot tea at the end, white with condensed milk. It was 1949, the year after the London Olympics.
I still have memories of the 1948 Olympics as well as a booklet of the events and participants that is somewhere in the attic at home. Standing out in my mind, alongside the two glamorous British Olympic runners Maureen Gardener (hurdles I think) and Sylvia Cheesman (sprinter?), was Argentinian Delfo Cabrera the Marathon winner in 2.34.52. Tom Richards of Britain and Etienne Gailly the Belgium, were second and third. It all fired the imagination. The popularity of running, which always had a good following in many parts of the country, reached an all time high.
As teenagers in the 1940's, running was part of life and sport was life. From when I started junior school it was as if I were training for marathons. In a small pit village halfway up the Tyne valley the walk to school was a mile up a very steep hill, which we used to fly down doing breakneck speed at lunchtime. Back up the hill again and back down at hometime in the afternoon. Holidays and Saturdays we would go to the football field after breakfast and play (sometimes four games trying to take place on the same pitch) till it was dark at night, and mothers came out to shout for their offspring. Professional runners had severe training regimes in the 1930's and 1940's. At a time of high unemployment, they would be trying to win the cash prizes in sprints and marathons. Setting themselves rigorous training schedules, 20-mile daily runs after work and Sunday hill trails, or sprints, they would train till they dropped from exhaustion. Many trained on the pit-heap (ashes and slag) after coming home from their shift at pit, still black with coal dust. They used a lot of embrocation and 'secret rubbing bottles' from which the odd one would take a swig when the massage was through. I still have the smell in my nostrils. The footwear was harsh by today's standards. Feet covered with calluses and sores. Surgical spirit was always used to harden the feet. All were hard grim men. One local marathon runner I remember always wore a vinegar poultice around his head. In our village marathons took place on special occasions; sometimes they were colorful like the one at the 1936 coronation, sometimes dull as the depressing day (a bit like the Abingdon marathon), typified in the picture of the local marathon during the 1926 strike. So against a background of wartime Britain we were fitted for our future running adventure in athletics. Youths with a sound stamina base, advice (not all good) and enthusiasm we began our journey into racing. But that's another story for another time."
55 years after his first marathon Fred ran 4.45 in this year's London Marathon.
For the November monthly Thursday run Lisa Darroch advises: "we will return to 6.30 pm and avoid Half Term so the run will take place on Thursday 11th Nov. Colin is promising a mystery tour through the alleys, passageways, cracks and ginells of Cirencester. Meet at the Leisure Centre at 6.30 and prepare to see another side of the town!"
Finally, Dick Waldron has been looking a worried man over recent weeks as he now has some opposition in the O60 ranks. Both David Edelsten and Tony Curry are now within 10 of the national speed limit and have qualified for annual heating payouts from the government.
More information and news can be found on the club's website www.cirencester - ac.org.uk .
David Wright
wrights@tesco.net or 01285 641224
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