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THE HARRIERS HERALD No. 296, October 2017 Editor: Sue Francis

Contents, features, reports, results   

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Thursday night schedules for October and November Christmas Meal - It will soon be time to start thinking about our Club’s annual party Race results and reports – Chippenham Half Marathon; Great Bristol Half Marathon; Isle of Wight Fell Races; Windsor Half Marathon; Winchester Half Marathon; Hanney 5; BHF Blenheim Half Marathon; Longworth 10K Webmaster’s article – Mo features: exploding head torches; the benefits of tempo runs; and a list of local and interesting races for the autumn months Handicap Race – A win and fast time for Jess, as George sneaks into top spot in Championship Thanks to Mo and Darren for this month’s articles, and to Darren, Gerry and Mo for photos

Thursday night schedule for October Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

5th 12th 19th 26th

Kirsty to lead Jonathan to lead Handicap Race Sue to lead

Thursday night schedule for November Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs Thurs

2nd 9th 16th 23rd 30th

Aaron to lead Lucy to lead Vince to lead Darren to lead Handicap Race

Now the nights are drawing in, don’t forget to wear fluorescent clothing And please refamiliarise yourself with the run-back ‘rules’ which are particularly important when running on roads in the dark - http://comptonharriers.co.uk/CHRC_MemberSafety2016.pdf

Compton Harriers Christmas Meal 2017 It will soon be time to begin planning our Christmas gathering for this year. Traditionally, we’ve had a midDecember 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, Darren organised the meal at The Fox in Peasemore. Richard D has made some suggestions for possible venues this year. If anyone sees any good Christmas menus, please bring them along on a Thursday.

Race Results and Reports Chippenham Half Marathon, 10th September Charlotte smashed her PB by almost 1 minute per mile, clocking 2:01:19 (694th), while Rich ran a good 1:47:32 (386th).

Great Bristol Half Marathon, 17th September Vince finished in 1:30:57, a PB by 10 minutes, in 445th place.

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Isle of Wight Fell Race Series, 16th / 17th September Sue Four Harriers travelled to the Isle of Wight for the annual Fell Race series based in Ventnor: Martin, Lucy and I were competing, while Mo came to support and take photos.

The weather was lovely for Saturday morning’s St. Boniface Fell Race, which runs up to a radio mast, loops round the top of the hill, then straight back down again (3.8km, 235m ascent). Following a swim (for some) and a paddle (for others) in the sea, and a light lunch, we were ready for Saturday afternoon’s Ventnor Horseshoe (12km, 443m ascent). By this time, the sky had darkened and the first rain drops fell as we lined up at the start on Ventnor seafront. We were treated to a hailstorm in the first mile, but we runners had some protection from trees, while Mo got soaked as he waited for us on top of the fell! The weather improved considerably for the remainder of the race. After another dip in the sea, and some relaxation time in our B&B rooms, we all met up for a nice evening meal at the Bonchurch Inn. After heavy overnight rain, Sunday turned into a nice day for the Wroxall Round (21km, 487m ascent). The gently The ‘Pied Piper’ leads his followers up undulating section along the coastal path was particularly the fell in a hailstorm pleasant, but the steep downhill finish on St. Boniface Fell was very slippery.

Recovering from a heavy cold, and having a sore calf muscle, I resolved to walk up all the big hills and not be too competitive; this strategy enabled me to finish all three races with no ill effects other than the expected stiffness.

Lucy and I saw a lot of each other in races 1 and 2, as Lucy was strong on the uphills and charged fearlessly down the hills, while I caught her up again on the flatter sections.

Lucy’s times for the three races were 28:49, 1:25:00 and 2:13:44; I recorded 29:06, 1:23:42 and 2:07:56; Martin was well ahead of us as he clocked 24:23, 1:11:51 and 1:46:43.

Before catching our ferries back to the mainland, we attended the prize-giving. The top three men were all from Victoria Park Harriers, while the ladies and veterans prizes went to runners from Clapham Chasers, Ryde Harriers, Serpentine Running Club, Cambridge Harriers st and………..Compton Harriers! Lucy was 1 FV50 in each of the three races, which not only won her three individual prizes, but also saw her crowned FV50 SEAA overall Champion. Well done Lucy!

Mo’s full set of photos can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ComptonHarriers/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1452879001457210

A nice flat section on the approach to Wroxall Donkey Sanctuary HH October 2017

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Lucy sprints to FV50 victory at the end of the final race

Windsor Half, 24th September On an unseasonably hot September Sunday, four Harriers did well to complete this challenging half marathon in Windsor Great Park. Even our Kenyan representative looks hot! Ryan was 26th (1:26:27), Philomena 318th (1:41:19), Vince 1082nd (1:55:34) and Charlotte 1793rd (2:04:53). There were 3927 finishers, the last finisher crossing the time in just under 4 hours. Photos by Gerry Morris.

Winchester Half, 24th September Terry finished in 1:45:49, 233rd out of 1324 finishers.

RESULTS JUST IN! Hanney 5, 1st October Martin was 45th (32:08) and Lucy 154th (40:48) from a field of 237 runners.

BHF Blenheim Half Marathon, 1st October Mark clocked 2:14:18.

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Longworth 10K, 24th September Darren There was some confusion over who was doing what event; anyway, some Harriers were doing the Windsor Half, but myself and Mike ended up doing the Longworth 10k. Which I was very happy about, only ÂŁ10 for affiliated members, run by a little very friendly club called the Longworth Runners.

I did this event 2 years ago and really enjoyed it, I remember it was a very warm September day, drove past it last year on route to another event, thought what a shame. So, I was happy to be back this year.

My previous effort (which was before I had joined the CH) saw me complete it in 50 minutes something and finishing 40th out of 86 I think. So, my aim was to get under 45 minutes. The course is virtually all off road, and is no PB course.

No issues with registration, all very friendly and efficient, the village hall is used as the base, with registration, and decent toilets etc. The start is a bit further along the road, and the finish a bit further the other way, right by the church. A big improvement on 2 years ago was the parking, a nice big field by the church; I seem to remember previously it was a small paddock with room for about 8 cars.

After the safety briefing, the gun fired and we were away. It was another warm September day, seems the sun always shines on Longworth! We were off at a good pace along country tracks. I knew I had a devils own chance of hanging onto Mike, but managed it for nearly the first couple of K. Mike gradually eased away. I kept my head down and ran my own race, was getting passed by a few in the early stages. The course heads downhill and across various cattle fields in the valley, plenty of poo to stand on, though the local farmer had removed the cows for the event. The grass was fairly long and hard going. As we continued, one by one those who had passed me started falling behind after their over-optimistic early pace. From about half way it was me doing the overtaking. This continued right to the end. Toward the end a big hill up a concrete road awaits, as you come back into the village, many falling foul of this. Then it’s a tight footpath, where I forced my last overtake, it then opens up to a great run-in to the finish line, though I wasn’t near enough to race anyone at that point. Never mind a great little event, well worth doing, and a nice T-shirt too.

So, there it was; 18th this time out of 94, with 44:28. I will take that as improvement, roughly 6 mins quicker than 2 years ago. But there with no stopping the mighty Mike who finished with 42:34 12th place! Good stuff. I like the little local events, and this really is a cracker, and I will definitely do it again.

Once the event was over we headed for emergency refreshment at very nice local pub. Cheers!

Race photos at 8.9K taken by Barry Cornelius (http://www.oxonraces.com/photos )

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

Links of interest this month: If you are looking for something different, such as a world of wacky, weird and wonderful outdoor activities, then look no further than 'Green Events'.

Over the last 35 years in and around Llanwrtyd Wells, the smallest town in Britain, nestling in the heart of mid-Wales, events such as Bog Snorkelling, Man versus Horse and the Real Ale Wobble & Ramble have been developed to name but a few. I must admit I'm tempted by The Real Ale Ramble which is held annually in conjunction with the 10-day Mid-Wales Beer Festival. The ramble begins from the Town Square and follows any of 3 way-marked routes of 10, 15 or 25 miles with free real ales available at the checkpoints!

Walks are on both Saturday and Sunday 25th and 26th November, with live entertainment in the pubs on Friday and Saturday evenings. Entry is £11 for one day or £18 for both days.

For information on these and other "off the wall" events, check out https://www.green-events.co.uk Beware of fakes when choosing your high-power head torch!

It's a simple process to find a suitable head torch to help you through the dark winter evening runs, isn't it?

As I have several, I hadn't really thought too much about it until I was eating my breakfast whilst watching an episode of BBC's Fake Britain series. The moment that caught my attention was the mention of fake Lithium Ion batteries that can 'explode like a pipe bomb'. The batteries on show looked remarkably like those in my high-power head torch ... and the torch looked the same as well! After a mad dash upstairs to grab my head torch, I got back just in time to see the batteries being tested by an expert and, to my dismay, I could see that my torch and batteries were in fact identical to the items being tested!

The expert explained that the fake batteries do not have built-in short-circuit protection and, if short-circuited, they will explode (which he demonstrated) and will cause serious burns at the very least if being worn at the time! The program also included a runner who had just completed a training run and had taken off her head torch to place it on the passenger seat of her car ... she then went around to the back of the car just as the torch exploded, burning a massive hole in the seat and spreading molten pieces of battery throughout the car ... a very lucky escape!

The batteries concerned are type 18650 3.7v Li-ion and there are several checks you can carry out to find out if they are fake. The simplest is to look for the misspelt words on the side of the battery, any capacity claims above 3000mAH, and the actual weight of the battery (genuine batteries weigh in at 43-44 grams, whilst the fakes generally weigh at least 10 grams less). For more info on the fake batteries, just type 'fake 18650 batteries' into Google Search in your internet browser. Another runner who had a lucky escape is featured in an online news report and video at http://www.kentonline.co.uk/ashford/news/head-torch-explodes-in-car119742/ .

If you want to run faster for longer, Tempo Training could be the answer.

Tempo training will help to increase your distance and speed. Basically, it involves running longer intervals at a higher intensity which will train your body to work harder and burn more fat. Tempos, also called ‘threshold runs,’ will increase lactate threshold, so enabling your muscles to exercise more vigorously before fatigue sets in.

Tempos can easily be added into your regular running routine on the road, trail, running track or even on a treadmill. However, as with any workout, don't forget to start with an easy warm-up such as 5–10 minutes jogging at an easy pace before increasing your pace into a 5–10 minutes tempo run. Aim to push yourself up to 60% of your flat-out sprint speed during this period, depending on your fitness level of course.

To check if you’re running hard enough, try speaking a few words such as 'How fast am I going?' If it's difficult or impossible to say, slow down a bit as you're running too fast!

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After your tempo burst, slow down to a jog for 2–3 minutes, before repeating the cycle 2–5 times, depending on the length of your tempo run.

As your fitness level improves, increase the length of your tempo runs by adding a minute to your training sessions, gradually working up to 10-minute bursts. Make sure you still jog your 2–3 minutes between tempo bursts, which will allow your muscles to recover. Finish the session with an easy 5-minute walk or very slow jog.

Dec

Nov

Oct

Events of Interest – see Website Training & Events Calendar for full details: Sun, 01: 08:00 North Downs Way Ultra (30miles) • 9:00 Reading O2O 10k/3k/1k • Blenheim Palace ½ Mthn, 10k & 2k 11:00 Basingstoke ½ Mthn • Dartlington 10ml Trail • Hanney 5 Sun, 08: 09:30 The Yorkshire Marathon • Oxford ½ Mthn • Henley ½ Mthn & 10k • 10:00 Ridgeway Run 15k • 11:00 RARE 5k & 10k Sun, 15: 10:00 Tadley Runners 10 ml • Freith Hilly 10k & 5k • 10:30 Thames Valley 5k • 12:30 Windsor Autumn - ½ Mthn Sun, 22: 09:00 Abingdon Marathon • 10:00 Water Of Life Half Marathon & 10k • 10:30 Exmoor Stagger & Stumble Sat, 28: Beachy Head Marathon & 10K Sun, 29: The Stickler (10.1 miles) Sat, 04: 09:30am Swinley Forest 10k & 10mile Muddy Mo Run • 10:30 Burnham Beeches Run - 5k & 10k Sun, 05: 09:30 Marlow Half Marathon and 7M Sun, 12: 11:05 Bath Hilly Half & Ultra-10k Sun, 19: 09:30 Milton Keynes 5k & 10k Mo Run • 10:00 Rugged Radnage 10k • Castle Combe ‘Chilly’ 10K Sun, 26: 10:30 Eynsham 10K • 10:30 Avebury8 Nine Sun, 03: 09:30 Reading Santa Run 5k Sun, 10: 11:00 Tadley Runners Xmas XC 5.3 Sun, 17: Berkshire XC Champs • 11:00 Hooky Christmas Canter - 7miles MT Wed, 27: 10:30 Goring and Streatley Fell Running Championships 2017

... don't forget, if you want to search for more events, especially those further afield, just follow our page link for other sources: http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk/linkindex.htm#Event Finder:

Handicap Race Sue The day’s rain cleared to leave a nice evening for the final summer race of the year. Charlotte joined us for her first Handicap Race despite having a bad cold, and we were treated to a guest appearance from Sus, who was back from Yorkshire for the weekend. Jess was back on good form and beat her August time by 41 seconds, to win the race and set the evening’s fastest time. Mark also smashed his PB as he took 2nd place with a 28-second margin over 3rd-placed George. The other runners then followed in close succession, with Vince, Darren and Sue also breaking 10 minutes. A bad stitch forced Charlotte to walk, and she then unfortunately lost sight of the rest of us and took a wrong turn.

Thanks to Jan and Dick for timing again. The next Handicap Race is scheduled for 19th October, and will be around the winter Village Lap route (3.01K).

Full results on next page.

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September Handicap Race results Finish Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Position on handicap 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 New Runner

Name

Start time

Jess Mark George Vince Sue Darren Jonathan Philomena Lucy Susanne Martin Charlotte

Finish time

Actual time

12:19 12:30 12:58 13:01 13:04 13:08 13:12 13:20 13:26 13:29 13:54 14:54

9:21 12:20 10:06 9:39 9:59 9:43 10:40 11:18 12:02 10:57 10:29 14:44

2:58 1:10 2:52 3:22 3:05 3:25 2:32 2:02 1:24 2:32 3:25 0:10

Handicap Beaten?

-0:41 -0:30 -0:02 +0:01 +0:04 +0:08 +0:12 +0:20 +0:26 +0:39 +0:54 New Runner

Handicap Championship After seven races, it’s close at the top. George has moved 1 point ahead of Philomena to top the leader-board, while Darren remains in third place.

Pos.

1 2 3 4 5 6= 6= 6= 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17= 17= 19 20= 20= 22 23= 23= 23= 23=

Name

George Philomena Darren Sue Mo Aaron Ben Kirsty Ryan Richard D Tim Jonathan Martin John Colin Jess Mark Richard T Susanne Vince Mike Lucy Charlotte Kristie Dick Pete O

HH October 2017

Race 1

Race 2

Race 3

Race 4

7 8 5 3 6 1 12 1 1 10 4 2 9 (1) 1 -

8 9 6 7 1 2 12 10 5 4 3 1 -

(6) 9 (5) (3) (1) (1) 12 8 1 4 10 7 1 (1) 2 -

9 (3) 7 4 12 6 1 8 5 1 10 2 1 1 -

7

Race points Race Race 5 6 7 8 (3) 9 2 6 12 5 10 1 4 1 1 1 -

6 5 8 7 12 2 9 3 10 (1) 4 1 1 1

Race 7 9 (4) 6 7 5 (1) 12 10 2 8 3 1 -

Race 8

Race 9

-

-

Total of best 5 39 38 35 30 28 25 25 25 24 23 21 19 18 17 16 13 11 11 10 9 9 8 1 1 1 1