Heraldmar16

THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 277, March 2016 Editor: Sue Francis

Contents, features, reports, results    

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Thursday night schedules for March and April Membership renewal – reminder Boundary Run & Walk 2016 – preliminary information Race results: Oxford Mail cross-country – Three Harriers race at a muddy Cirencester Park; Bramley 20 – Strong runs from Martin and Philomena; Wokingham Half – Pete H and Philomena finish close together; Bourton 10K – Martin bags a prize, while Lucy runs well after back injury Running Books – Jeremy reviews his favourite running reads Handicap Race – Aaron posts a fast time to win race, while three runners share the Championship lead Webmaster’s article – Mo features ‘Getting the best out of a Balanced Training Program’, and lists selected races of interest for the months ahead Thanks to Jeremy and Mo for this month’s contributions to articles and photos Copy date for next Harriers Herald – 31st March

Thursday night schedule for March Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

3rd 10th 17th 24th

Aaron to lead Richard D to lead Handicap Race Sue to lead

Thursday night schedule for April Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

7th 14th 21st 28th

Compton Challenge preparation / route marking Colin to lead Handicap Race Jonathan to lead

Membership renewal reminder Fees for Club membership (£10), and England Athletics competition registration if desired (£13) are now due for 2016. The Membership Form (along with the Club Rules, Code of Conduct, and Safety & Etiquette documents) can be found on our website at http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk/WebPlus/Membership.html Please send your completed form and fee to Jonathan. Payments received after 31st March will incur a £2 penalty!

Thanks to those who have already renewed. If you do not wish to renew your membership this year, please let Jonathan know so we can update our records accordingly.

Boundary Run & Walk 2016 Sue I am starting to plan this year’s Boundary Run and Walk. With the closure of The Pickled Pig, there are several things to be addressed before details can be finalised:  Parking, changing & toilets: I would hope to use the Downlands Sports Centre, and need to check they are happy to accommodate visiting runners and walkers on the chosen date.  Start & finish: Since the Sports Centre is on the usual race route, we can hopefully use the usual route, but just start & finish at the Sports Centre.  Route: The Institute’s farmland has now been taken over by Yattendon Estates. This will not affect the parts of the route that are on public footpaths, but I will need to confirm that we are still able to use the ‘permissive paths’ from Warnhams Cottages across the field and through Cradlicote Copse.  Post-run/walk refreshments and social: Although there is no bar & BBQ facility at the Sports Centre, it would be nice to invite all participants to join us for drinks and food at Ilsley Swan.  Date: I’d like to hold the event in late Spring / early summer to avoid excessive course-strimming (this worked well last year). I am looking at Thursday 5th May, but will need to check if this date works for the Sports Centre (i.e. we do not want a clash with a school parents’ evening, when parking is chaotic), and for Ilsley Swan.  More details to follow once I have addressed the above points.

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Race Results and Reports Oxford Mail Cross-Country Series Race 4, Cirencester Park, 7th February Sue Following yet more rain, the Cirencester Park course was as muddy as I have ever seen it. Even the often-dry woods and chalky hill were sticky and slippery. The worst part of the course was the valley bottom, which was very waterlogged and squidgy. Quite a few athletes fell over and crossed the finish line plastered in mud.

The ladies race, run over two laps, was won by Newbury AC’s Sophie Crumly (25:42) and there were 132 finishers. First home for Team Kennet was Helen Preedy (18th, 29:30), followed by Rachel Bladon (35th, 30:39) and me 30th (30:58), and we finished as 5th team on the day.

The men’s race was run over 3 laps and, by time they were on their last lap, the rain had set in accompanied by a cold wind. The winner was Jonathon Cornish (White Horse Harriers) in 34:17, and there were 231 finishers.

Jonathan finished 197th in 54:29 and Colin 219th in 59:48, helping to secure the team 6th place in Division 2.

Bramley 20M, 14th February Martin and Philomena had a successful outing to Reading Roadrunners’ Bramley 20-mile race as they prepare for their April marathons. Martin ran 2:23:38 (156th) while Philomena, running her longest race for a year, finished in 2:49:37 (417th). The race was won by Jonny Hay (Aldershot, Farnham & District) in 1:42:43, a huge 9 minutes ahead of the 2nd placed man. The first lady Bryony Proctor, also of Aldershot, was 8th overall in a very fast 2:00:31. There were 759 finishers.

Wokingham Half, 21st February Pete H and Philomena took to the roads of Wokingham for the annual Half Marathon. Pete says: “The weather conditions were surprisingly good, and luckily the wind was behind us on the more exposed sections”. Up until 3 weeks before the race, Pete had not run further than 7 miles for over a year, but a successful 13-mile training run convinced him he could complete the Half Marathon, especially with it being in his home town. Pete and Philomena both ran very well and recorded very similar chip times. Philomena ran 1:46:16 (1029th) and Pete 1:46:39 (1072nd). The race winner was Paul Pollock (Annadale Striders), whose time of 1:03:46 was the 2nd fastest since the race was first held in 1984. First lady was Caryl Jones (Swansea Harriers) in 1:14:45, and there were 2243 finishers.

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Bourton 10K, 28th February Martin was in fine form as he clocked his fastest 10K for some months in this Gloucestershire race. His 39:03 time was fast enough to win him the MV55 1st prize (78th overall). Lucy, who has recently been suffering with back problems, also ran very well, and recorded a good 50:24 (331st). The race winners were Luke Evans (Bristol & West AC, 32:17) and Rachel Felton (SBH / Run Fast, 34:20), and there were 492 finishers. (Photos on page 4).

Running Books Jeremy This is a list of my favourite running books in no particular order. I'm sure I've missed out some classics, which you can feel free to prompt me on, and there's a strong argument that you should just be out running rather than reading about it, but I enjoyed these musings on our sport.

Chris McDougall: Natural Born Heroes A great book combining details of why we should bring more play into our running and the importance of using the fascial chain that runs through our bodies, alongside details of the Second World War in Crete... I'm not sure quite how he manages to link it so well, but he really does!

Adharanand Finn: The way of the runner An insight into running in Japan with a focus on their annual ekiden relay races - great inspiration for the Ridgeway Relay!

Dean Karnazes: Ultra-marathon man The book that seems to have inspired so many people to give ultra-running a go. He's very "all American" and evangelical, which can be a bit of a mixed blessing, but you've got to admire the fact he's encouraged so many people to run long.

Killian Jornet: Run or die In fairness it's not the most exciting read, but it's Killian Jornet who is clearly running royalty. So you've got to read it if only to realise that it's my parents’ fault that I'm not an international athlete - if only they'd let me run to the top of mountains when I was six...

Lizzie Hawker: Runner Another ultra-running hero. I'm halfway through this book, so it could turn into a positive-split type run, and drop off in its excitement, but it's another book to inspire more adventures into your running, detailing her successes at the UTMB race as well as setting multiple Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu running records.

Chris McDougall: Born to Run The book that launched a thousand barefoot runners. A really enjoyable read exploring running form and the rise of ultra-running. Just don't take it too literally and don't expect any sympathy if you make your own Tarrahumara running sandals and then find you've destroyed your Achilles tendon four weeks later.

Adharanand Finn: Running with the Kenyans Another good combination of travelogue and running inspiration looking into why the Kenyans are so strong at endurance running - please let it be down to hard work and dedication, and not drugs...

Haruki Murakami: What I talk about when I talk about running To be honest I'm not sure if I enjoyed this book or not. It's definitely got a bit more of a navel-gazing, intellectual snobbery element about it, as he muses on the importance of running in his life whilst building to the Tokyo marathon, but Murakami is a great writer so time reading his stuff is always well spent.

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Handicap Race Sue February’s Handicap evening was dry, still and moonlit, but the temperature was only just above freezing so a short sharp race made the lungs burn! Nevertheless, there were some good performances.

Aaron demonstrated he is well on the way back to his pre-Mexico fitness as he ran 29 seconds faster than last month to smash the 13-minute barrier. Jonathan and I had a good battle for the runners’ up spots and both recorded our fastest times of this winter. I started with a 4-second lead on Jonathan, and extended my lead for the first 2K. However, Jonathan blasted round Shepherd’s Mount and gained considerably in the final straight. I managed to hold on to 2nd place and claim the evening’s fastest time, just 1 second faster than Jonathan. Colin and Mo were equal 4th on handicap, as Mo also set his fastest time of this winter. Philomena made a welcome return to the Handicap Race after a few months’ break while Martin, recovering from his fast weekend 20-mile race, had a steady (for him) trot round the route.

Well done Aaron, and thanks to Jan for timing and recording with cold fingers! The next race is scheduled for 17th March.

Finish Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Position on handicap 1 2 3

Name

Start time

Aaron Sue

6:01 6:29 6:33 3:39 4:31 0:58 7:11

Jonathan Colin

4= 6 4= 7

Finish time

Philomena Mo Martin

Handicap Beaten?

Actual time

18:50 18:56 19:01 19:07 19:38 21:07 22:14

12:49 12:27 12:28 15:28 15:07 20:09 15:03

-0:11 -0:04 +0:01 +0:07 +0:38 +0:07 -

Handicap Championship 2016 After two races in the 2016 Championship, we have an interesting situation of three people sharing the lead!

Pos.

1= 1= 1= 4 5 6 7 8 9

Name

Race points Race Race 5 6

Race 1

Race 2

Race 3

Race 4

Aaron Sue Colin Mo Martin Jonathan Richard D

8 10 12 9 6 7

12

-

-

-

-

Philomena

-

6

-

-

John

5

-

-

-

10 8 8 5

9

Race 7

Race 8

Race 9

-

-

-

-

20 20 20 17 11 9 7

-

-

-

-

-

6

-

-

-

-

-

5

Bourton 10K: Lucy at 1.3K, and Martin at 9.5K (photos courtesy of Barry Cornelius) HH March 2016

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Total of best 5

Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk Mo The countdown timer to the start of the Compton 20 Downland Challenge on Saturday 9th April 2016 has been activated and at the time of writing there are less than 40 days to go! This month, I have once again written an article on the various methods of training entitled 'Getting the best out of a Balanced Training Program' and I will eventually add a link to it on the website 'Training' menu for future reference.

Links of interest this month: For photos and good all-round information on local events and clubs, you can't beat the link to Barry Cornelius' web page at http://www.oxonraces.com/photos/ Getting the best out of a 'Balanced' Training Program: Reading about the various training methods available can become very confusing when trying to work out a balanced program suitable for the individual runner. For a start, no two runners are the same and where one particular program may suit one individual runner, the chances are that it won't suit at least half a dozen others!

Different training methods and types of run will help in conditioning your body for faster running over shorter distances or for the longer endurance races of half marathon and beyond. Most experts agree that training should be varied to include a practical combination of several types of run to form a balanced training program. So, let's take a look at the most well-known types of training to include in our Balanced Training Program.

Long Runs The long steady run will help you develop both mental and physical strength in coping with longer distance events.

The secret is to run in a relaxed manner without overdoing the effort ... if you are struggling to talk whilst running, then you are probably putting in too much effort and should therefore slow down a bit. This type of training will help you with the extra stamina and effort required towards the end of shorter races as well as that required towards the end of a tough endurance event.

Tempo Runs These runs help in developing your muscles to improve 'lactic acid' threshold and to combat fatigue when running at speed. You'll need to warm up first, before building up intensity and speed to the point where you find it difficult or impossible to talk without slowing down. Three or four miles at this pace will be sufficient, followed by a steady jog to help in recovery. A weekly tempo run will train your body to handle lactic acid more efficiently, reduce the feeling of fatigue and improve your race times.

Intervals As with Tempo Runs, you'll need to warm up first but instead of one continuous effort, your training is broken down into smaller bursts of high intensity effort, with a period of recovery in between each burst. In addition to improving your speed and endurance, intervals will help to strengthen your leg muscles and thereby increase your ability to run at speed for longer distances. Choosing the right interval session will depend on your personal ability as you will need to run at a pace you can maintain throughout each interval so your final effort matches your initial efforts. Rests in between intervals should be roughly 3 times the interval time.  Short intervals to build up basic speed could be 8 x 200m or 6 x 400m  Middle distance intervals could be 6 x 600m or 5 x 800m  Long distance intervals could be 4 x 1500m or 3 x 2000m Hill Work Training on hills will strengthen your legs and improve your speed on the flat, but don't go mad if it's new to your training schedule. Start by incorporating a fairly small hill, then as you improve, increase the gradient and length.

It's also worth including downhill running too which needs a particular technique so rather than taking a breather downhill it's worth practicing your technique ... you'll love it when you 'fly' past other runners who haven't mastered the technique!

Recovery Runs/Active Recovery If you run more than three times a week, you should consider dropping the training intensity on one day and do a very steady 'recovery' run to allow your muscles to recover from fatigue. This will also help with your rest days.

Active recovery is also a great way to help your body recover between workouts; it could take the form of an easy swim or cycle ride or just a walk in the countryside. Other good post-workout recovery exercises are stretches on a foam roller, yoga and wearing compression clothing to help circulation and increase your rate of recovery.

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Rest Days Rest days become important when you start to push your body, so make sure you have one programmed in each week. Sleep is also a very important factor for recovery so make sure you are getting enough.

Next month, I am going to look at an alternative program based on heart rate monitoring.

Events of Interest – see Website Training & Events Calendar for more details: Sat, 05 Mar: 10:00 'FlaminGO! 10k' • 13:30 Eton Dorney 5k,10K & ½ Mthn Sun, 06 Mar: 11:20 (W) 12:00 (M) Oxford Mail XC - RAL, Harwell • 09:30 Bearwood 10k & 5k Trail 10:00 Selsey 10k Sun, 13 Mar: 11:30 Goring 10k 2016 • 12:00 Silverstone ½ Mthn • BMAF Open XC Champs Sun, 20 Mar: 10:00 Heyford Park ½ Mthn, 10k & 5k • Banbury 15 Fri, 25 Mar: 09:30 Maidenhead Easter 10 (Miles) Mon, 28 Mar: 08:30 River Thames Spring ½ Mthn Sun, 03 Apr: 09:30 White Horse ½ Marathon • 10:00 Reading ½ • 14:00 Combe Gibbet to Overton 16 Sat, 09 Apr: 09:00 CDC 20 Sun, 10 Apr: Wokefield 10 Sun, 17 Apr: Brighton Marathon • 10:00 Danesfield-Dash-10k • Treehouse 10k 10:15 Houghton 11K Trail Run • 11:00 Highworth 5 (Miles) • 14:00 Run to Read 5k Sat, 23 Apr: 10:30 Bighton Tough Ten Sun, 24 Apr: London Marathon • 10:00 Ridge Off Roader 10k Sat, 30 Apr: 11:00 Hurstbourne-5miles MT Sun, 01 May: 10:00 Three Forts Challenge Mon, 02 May: 09:30 Shinfield 10k Sat, 07 May: Ridgeway 40 • 11:00 Silchester Trail Fun Run 5M, 5K Sun, 08 May: Welford & Wickham 10k Run • 09:00 Bracknell ½ Mthn • 09:30 Woodley 10k 11:00 Hairy Legs Challenge (12k) Sat, 14 May: 10:30 Chieveley Chase (5.7miles) Sun, 15 May: Berkshire County Championships • Marlborough Downs Challenge 10:00 Oxford Town & Gown 10K • 10:30 Royal Berkshire 10k • 10:30 Stockley-Park-10k Sun, 22 May: 10:00 Wallingford Thames Run 10K/5K Sat, 28 May: GUCR 145 miles Sun, 29 May: 10:00 Bayer Newbury 10K Sun, 05 Jun: Ollie Johnson Memorial Kintbury 5 • 10:00 Chiltern Chase 10/15k & 5k Sun, 12 Jun: 10:00 Downlands Dash 10K • Wargrave Charity 10K • 14:00 26.2 Team Challenge Sun, 19 Jun: 07:30 Ridgeway Relay • 10:00 Hampshire Hoppit trail Mthn & ½ Mthn 10:30 Hungerford Harey 8 Sun, 26 Jun: 10:30 Gibbet Challenge 10k Sun, 03 Jul: Didcot 5 • 10:00 Spire Bushey 5k & 10k Sun, 10 Jul: 10:15 New Forest 10 (Miles) Wed, 13 Jul: 19:00 Thames 10K Sat, 16 Jul: Race to the stones 100k Sun, 24 Jul: 10:00 Down-tow-up-flow ½ Mthn ... and don't forget, 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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