THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 269, July 2015 Editor: Sue Francis
Contents, features, reports, results
Thursday night schedules for July and August Compton Harriers HQ move to Downland Sports Centre - update Race results & reports: Kintbury 5 – A fast time and good placing for Martin; Henley Highwayman – Ryan and Rich complete three tough athletic challenges; Downland Dash – Three Harriers fare well in new local event; Hungerford Harey 8 – Colin enjoys multi-terrain race Compton Relay – Well done to all who took part, and thanks to everyone who helped out Ridgeway Relay – Harriers prepare for a great team race Harriers vest abroad – Simon reports on some challenging holiday runs in Malta Handicap Race – George retains trophy with another PB time Webmaster’s article – Mo introduces the forthcoming Website Directory; features: ‘Foods to eat and those to avoid before running’; and lists forthcoming races Thanks to Mo and Simon for this month’s contributions to articles and photos Copy date for next Harriers Herald – 31st July
Thursday night schedule for July Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs
2nd 9th 16th 23rd 30th
Lucy to lead Evening run & pub meal with Didcot Runners (organised by Didcot Runners, details below) Tom to lead Mo to lead Martin to lead
Thursday night schedule for August Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs
6th 13th 20th 27th
Richard D to lead Handicap Race Philomena to lead Sue to lead
Thursday 9th July – run with Didcot Runners Didcot Runners have kindly invited us to join them for a run and pub meal on the evening of Thursday 9th July. The details are as below. For those wishing to come to the pub, I will need your choice of food by Saturday 4 th July latest please, as Caroline from Didcot Runners needs to give the menu choices to the pub by Sunday 5th. Meet at The Earth Trust car park at 18:50 to start the run at 19:00, with a choice of two routes (as last year): http://www.fetcheveryone.com/routes-view.php?id=950492 4.29 miles, Dorchester & back http://www.fetcheveryone.com/routes-view.php?id=953903 5.99 miles, Shillingford The longer route goes through the woods and through Shillingford, the shorter route to Dorchester and back. Followed by a meal at ‘The Bear at Home’, North Moreton (.http://www.bear-at-home.co.uk/ ). The pub is booked for 8:15, the choice of food is: (1) Fish & chips £11.00, or (2) Vegetable lasagne with garlic bread £9.95.
Compton Harriers HQ move to Downland Sports Centre The Manager of ‘Legacy Leisure’, who run the Downland Sports Centre in Compton, has confirmed that we will be able to move our Thursday-night base there from the beginning of August 2015. He has agreed to charge the Club £20 per month to cover our use of the Sports Centre every Thursday evening for: parking, meeting, toilets and the cost of ~10 members using showers. The Club will initially pay £100 to cover the five months from 1st August – 31st December 2015. HH July 2015
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Race Results and Reports Kintbury 5, 7thJune Martin had a good run to finish 14th in a fast 31:07; Lucy was 90th (38:26) and Colin 114th (40:02). Race winners were Mark Vardy (Newbury AC) in 27:38, and Laura Woodley who was 5th overall in 29:50. There were 216 finishers.
Henley Highwayman 5th – 7th June Ryan and Rich B completed the ‘Highwayman’, which sets three epic athletic challenges over three days: a 4km river swim, a 100 mile cycle and a testing 15 mile mixed-terrain run, all around the town and countryside of Henley.
Downland Dash 10K, 14th June Sue The inaugural Downland Dash was organised by Compton Primary School parents and teachers, with a huge amount of guidance, support and help from Dick to ensure the smooth-running and success of the event. Other Harriers provided a lot of help on race day, with Richard D being the ‘sweeper runner’, Martin and Lucy marshalling, Sue and Mo time-keeping, Dick and Jan manning the drinks station. From race HQ at the Downs School, the 10K route headed up Churn Road, down to Churn Bridge, along the Ridgeway, then back via the ‘Crows Foot, Windmill track, Tom’s Lane, and a fast finish through the woods back to the school playing field. There was also a 4K race which covered an inner lap, and children’s races on the playing field. The event was well supported by runners and spectactors, the weather was good, there was a friendly atmosphere with BBQ, cakes and bar on the playing field, and everything went well. Three Compton Harriers did the 10K race and put in great performances. Jonathan was 14th (44:32), George 26th (49:12) and Stan 41st (52:18) in a field of 86 runners. The race winners were Matthew Pembroke (39:03) and Eileen McCarter (47:53).
Hungerford Harey 8, 21st June Colin enjoyed the event and finished 80th in 1:10:48. Race winners were Paul Jegou (White Horse Harriers) in 48:17, and Laura Woodley, 5th overall in 50:56.
Compton Annual Relay Sue This year, we had 13 teams, including teams from the Institute, Compton Harriers, local company MSD, Compton Scouts, local running clubs Didcot Runners, Newbury A.C., and Newbury Runners. Participants ranged in age from under 12 (some of the Scouts from teams ‘Two for One’ and ‘Are We There Yet?’) to over 60 (some of ‘The Old Boys’). It was nice to have such a good turn-out of competitors and spectators, and such nice weather. The system of handicapping based on ability worked well. If my handicapping was perfect, all teams should finish together at 52 minutes, so it was good that the majority of teams finished between 49.5 and 54.5 minutes, with ‘The Old Boys’ being closest to their predicted time. The teams set off over a spread of 12.5 minutes. The winning team was ‘MSD’ but ‘Two for One’ were only 10 seconds behind, and Didcot Dreamers’ were 3rd. The evening’s fastest actual team time was set by Newbury AC HH July 2015
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team 2. The four fastest men all broke 9 minutes for their laps, with Wayne Lillis fastest, and the fastest lady was Sue. Many thanks to all those Harriers who helped out on or before the day – it wouldn’t be possible to stage a successful event without you! - Jan and Philomena for time-keeping; Richard and Gillian for marshalling; Mo for generating the race results, and for photos; Mo and Dick for mowing and strimming a clear route round the course; Martin and Lucy for collecting route markers post-race. Full results can be seen on Compton Harriers website, and Mo’s photos can be viewed on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ComptonHarriers ) under ‘Photos' then 'Albums’.
Ridgeway Relay update On Sunday 5th July, ten Compton Harriers will run in an 86-mile Relay along the length of the Ridgeway. Starting at Ivinghoe Beacon, Ryan will set off on at 07:30 with about 40 other Stage 1 runners. Ryan will hand over to Sue at Wendover for Stage 2. Martin will run Stage 3 (Princes Risborough), Rich will run Stage 4 (to Swyncombe), and Chris will run Stage 5 to South Stoke. Susanne will cross the river on Stage 6 to pass along the Ridgeway near Compton and hand over to Terry at Bury Down for Stage 7. Lucy will take over at Charlbury Hill for Stage 8, and hand over to Jonathan at Foxhill. Jonathan will run Stage 9 to Barbury Castle, where he will hand over to Pete O, who will bring the team across the finish line at Marlborough Sports Centre. Our team has once again been ably organised by Richard D. Richard and Dick will be our reserves, and Mo our team photographer. For more information, see http://www.marlboroughrunningclub.co.uk/ridgewayrelay.shtm
A Maltese Falcon? Simon A Maltese Falcon? No...but it is a Maltese Harrier! Here are a couple of photos for the “Compton Harriers take over the world” section of the HH, taken in Malta last month. We had an absolutely brilliant time, and I had some (literally) breathtaking runs up 200 and 300 foot hills with equally breathtaking views at the top. The photos were taken on our hotel balcony in Mellieha in the north of the island. In the first photo, the Red Tower just visible in the background was about a mile and a half away, on top of a 200-foot hill, and from there you can see Gozo, Comino, the other side of Malta (one of my other runs was across the island and back) and Mellieha Bay. In the second photo, Mellieha village – a 300-foot climb in a mile on an ancient track – is behind me. I did both (not on the same day, mind...).
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Handicap Race Sue The weather was perfect for June’s Handicap Race around the Relay Lap. Ten regular racers were joined by Richard T and Helen for their first Handicap Race. Despite a 6¼ minute spread of start times, everyone finished within 51 seconds, and there were some very close finishes to keep Jan on her toes. Martin was troubled by a sore calf muscle and nearly didn’t race; however, having started last, he powered through the field to pass everyone but George. George once again broke his PB and was rewarded with a 12-second victory to retain the trophy. Martin clocked a very fast 8:40 for 2 nd place. Dick took 3rd place, just holding off Nitish (who equalled his PB) and Aaron (who set a 12-seocnd PB). Mo just managed to stay ahead of Richard T, who established a good time for his first race round the course. Jonathan set a 1-second PB and was followed home by Helen, then Lucy, Sue and Colin all in very close succession. Well done George, and thanks to Jan for doing such a good job recording names and times in the close finishes. There is no Handicap Race scheduled for July. The next one is scheduled for Thursday 13th August around the same route. Finish Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Position on handicap 1 2 3 4 5 6 New Runner 7 New Runner 8 9 10
Name
Start time
George Martin Dick Nitish Aaron Mo Richard T Jonathan Helen Lucy Sue Colin
Finish time
Actual time
15:04 15:16 15:27 15:28 15:29 15:40 15:41 15:43 15:45 15:46 15:47 15:55
10:24 8:40 10:39 9:09 9:21 15:26 10:19 9:17 14:31 10:41 9:21 11:35
4:40 6:36 4:48 6:19 6:08 0:14 5:22 6:26 1:14 5:05 6:26 4:20
Handicap Beaten? -0:56 -0:44 -0:33 -0:32 -0:31 -0:20 New Runner -0:17 New Runner -0:14 -0:13 -0:05
Handicap Championship 2015 After five races, Nitish has an enormous 18-point lead. Can he be caught? George’s three high scores have moved him up into equal second place with Aaron. Since the final Championship scores are based on an individual’s best five performances, there’s still all to run for. Pos.
Name Race 1
1 2 3 4 5 6= 6= 8 9 10 11 12 13= 13= 13= HH July 2015
Nitish Aaron George Martin Jonathan Colin Dick Sue Lucy Mo Richard D Pete O Kevin Helen Richard T
10 12 9 6 5 8 7 -
Race 2 12 10 9 8 5 7 4 3 6 -
Race 3 12 8 10 7 5 3 6 4 9 -
Race 4 10 9 12 6 5 7 4 8 1 -
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Race points Race Race 5 6 8 7 12 10 5 2 9 3 4 6 1 1
-
Race 7
Race 8
Race 9
-
-
-
Total of best 5 52 34 34 31 27 26 26 25 21 18 12 6 1 1 1
Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo
I am currently working on a 'Site Directory' to show what each menu button covers and a quick link to the location of all site pages. This will provide an index to all site content and will hopefully be useful should you be looking for specific running links and archived information. I anticipate this will be live within the next 2 weeks or so. Last month I mentioned adding links to routes we have covered on Thursday night club runs ... they have now been added and can be accessed on the 'Training' page by clicking on 'Routes'.
Links of interest this month Run Ultra is the site to visit for world-wide ultra event listings at http://www.runultra.co.uk The drop-down menus on the 'Find Events' page make it easy to search for events by country, distance and terrain. Check out UK events ... you may be surprised how many there are! By the way, our Downland Challenge was listed on the site earlier this year.
My article for this month: Foods to avoid and foods to eat before a run: Avoid (3-4 hours before run): Dairy: Ice cream, cheeses and milk contain high sugar and fat content which can send blood sugars haywire and slow down digestion, so save it for your after-run treat. Artificial sweeteners: Amounts larger than 10grams can be hard to digest and will result in a build up of gas in your stomach, making for an uncomfortable run. Citrus juice: On an empty stomach, the additional acidity can lead to tummy ache on your run and even on a full stomach citrus juices can inflame and irritate the oesophagus during a run. Fried food: Foods fried in crumbs contain high amounts of protein and saturated fats that stay in the stomach longer than other foods and will slow down digestion. Better as a treat afterwards! Broccoli: The rich amount of nutrients and fibre in broccoli stimulate the production of gas, and running straight afterwards will give you a bloated feeling that will invariably slow you down. Foods to eat before a run: Nuts: Consuming a high fat meal a couple of hours before you exercise increases fat oxidation (fat burning) during exercise., so boosting energy availability during exercise. Adding nuts, which have a high fat content, before longer training runs or before endurance/trail runs can help the body adapt to using fat as fuel thus sparing limited muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrate) for later in the race. Oats: Eating carbohydrate 3-4 hours before running increases glycogen stores within the liver and muscles. Oats are a good natural source of carbohydrate and are cheap, quick and easy to prepare. Ideal for interval or hill training, or shorter runs (e.g. 5km race, 10km race) where the body significantly relies on carbohydrate oxidation for energy. Baked sweet potato, cottage cheese and avocado salad: An ideal pre-race meal (eaten 3-4 hours before running) for half-marathon/marathon distances. This balanced meal contains good natural sources of protein, fats and carbohydrates for sustained energy release. Sweet potatoes release their energy slowly and are packed full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; cottage cheese is a cheap and easy-to-digest source of protein which will help prevent hunger towards the end of a long race; avocados are very high in mono-unsaturated fats and will contribute to an increased rate of fat oxidation. Strawberries and cherries; including fruits such as strawberries and cherries in your pre-race meal can help to reduce post-exercise muscle soreness and improve recovery due to their antioxidant properties.
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Events of Interest – see Website Training & Events Calendar for more details Sun, 5 July 07:30 Ridgeway Relay • 09:30 Didcot 10K • 11:00 Tadley Runners Summer 10K Sun, 12 July: 09:30 Grant & Stone Wycombe ½Mthn & 10K • 9:45am 8th Adderbury ½ Mthn 10:30am Watlington XC XK 10K • 11:15 New Forest 10 Sat, 18 July: 19:00 Endure 12/50 Ultra Sun, 19 July: 07:00 Endure 12/50 Ultra • Wellington Triathlon • 09:00 North Downs Way Mthn 19:00 Endure 12/50 Ultra Mon, 20 July: 07:00 Endure 12/50 Ultra Sun, 26 July: Bath Running Festival • Fort William Marathon • 10:00 "Down Tow Up Flow" ½ Mthn Sun, 2 Aug: 11:00am Barbury Horseless Steeplechase - 5 mile race Sun, 9 Aug: 9:30am Bearbrook 10K Road Race • 10:00am Salisbury 5-4-3-2-1 Trail Marathon Sat, 15 Aug: Race the Train - 14Miles Sun, 23 Aug: 9:30am Burnham Beeches ½ Mthn & 10k Sat, 29 Aug: 10:30 Thames Meander Half & Full Mhn • Ridgeway Challenge 86 mile Ultra2015 Sun, 30 Aug: Quintiles Reading Triathlon • 11:00 Englefield 10k Mon, 31 Aug: 10:00 Harwell ½ Marathon Sun, 6 Sept: 09:30 Maidenhead Half Marathon • 11:00 Earth Trust 10k Sat, 12 Sept: Mountain Bike Ridgeway Challenge Sun, 13 Sept: 45th Chiltern Marathon • 10:30 Pangbourne 10K • 11:00 Rutherford Appleton 10k & 5k Sat, 19 Sept: Hereford Festival of Sport Sun, 20 Sept: Hereford Festival of Sport • 10:30 Marlborough 'Temple Trail' ½ Mthn Sat, 26 Sept: IOW Fell Race Series 2015 Sun, 27 Sept: IOW Fell Race Series 2015 • 10:30 Pewsey vale trail ½ Mthn 10:30am Highclere Castle Challenge 10K Sun, 4 Oct: 09:00 Reading O2O 10K Sun, 11 Oct: 09:30 Henley ½ Mthn & 10K • 10:00am Oxford ½ Mthn Sun, 18 Oct: 10:00 Frieth Hilly 10K • 10:00 Tadley Runners 10 Mile • 10:30 Fairoaks 5mile & 10mile Sat, 24 Oct: 09:00 Beachy Head Marathon & 10k Sat, 7 Nov: 10:30 Thames Meander Half & Full Marathon Sun, 29 Nov: 10:00 Mapledurham Ten - 10K & 10 Mile Sun, 6 Dec: 11:00 Tadley Runners Xmas XC 5.2 Sun, 20 Dec: 10:00 Muddy Welly 10K & 5K Trail Mon, 28 Dec: 10:00 Gut Buster 2015 - 10K & 10 MILE
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