WFC Runners - A fantastic journey

Weekly Summary

Despite the terrible weather, this week saw the marathon training runners hit some seriously big mileage.  Charlotte did an 18 miler and Sharon "One R" Smith did her longest run to date, banging out 20 miles in the pouring rain on Good Friday.  (see more about Sharon below).  

Thursday's session saw just a handful of runners head up to Oram's Arbour for some up and downhill sprints.  See the earlier blog for the full details.  

Sharon "One R" Smith - My Running Journey

So James asked me to write a piece about my running 'journey' which makes me feel a bit like an X-factor contestant but here goes.

It's fair to say I have never been particularly fit or sporty. At school I was one of the last to be picked for teams, struggled to hit or catch a ball and trailed near the back during cross country. I wasn't bothered, my strengths lay in other areas and sport wasn't a priority. During my late teens and twenties I had the usual neglected gym memberships and dipped in and out of fitness classes. A familiar story to many, I'm sure.

Once I had my daughter in 2013 I found it harder to fit any exercise in at all. I was tied to a baby all day and with a husband who didn't get home from London until late it was impossible to get to any classes. I even tried going for a run a couple of times but remembered how much I hated it. I felt like I was going to die!

Baby number 2 came along in 2016 and life got even more hectic. As his first birthday approached I stepped on the scales and realised I was almost the same weight as I was at 9 months pregnant. Quite an achievement since I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight shortly after giving birth! After nearly 4 years of struggling to find any exercise that would fit around children I needed something that I could just do whenever I wanted. It was going to have to be the dreaded running. It wasn't just about weight loss, I wanted to be fitter and healthier and most importantly set a good example for the children.

I had the Couch to 5K app on my phone from years previously. I'd attempted it a few times over the years but never got past week 2. This time it felt different. If I could give birth twice I could definitely run 5k. The C25k programme is basically a run/walk interval programme that builds you up to being able to run continuously for 30 minutes. It consists of three runs a week for nine weeks. I followed the programme and unlike when I tried it before it felt straightforward. Not easy, every run was HARD but I managed it. At the end of week 5 the last run is to run continuously for 20 mins. Looking ahead to it, it seemed impossible. Running for 60 seconds was enough of a challenge. I couldn't believe it when I actually managed it. It was only after that run that I allowed myself to go and buy some proper running gear rather than the old trackie bottoms and T shirts I'd been wearing. The following week I did my first parkrun, with a bit of walking, and that was it. I was a runner!

I started looking for routes and trying to work out how far I was running and my husband suggested I join Strava. This definitely kept me interested. I'm a geek at heart and loved looking at the numbers and seeing how I was improving after each run. It was only at this point that friends found out I was running and were really supportive. This is also where I may have got a little carried away. Several friends were very encouraging and suggested The Great South Run was a good challenge to aim for. 10 miles seemed a very long way but if I could go from nothing to 3 miles in a few months it should be achievable. Plus it was months away so why not? Also after watching the London Marathon I thought I may as well enter the ballot for that next year. I mean it's next to impossible to get a place so I'd never get in...

I optimistically downloaded a 5-10k app and decided to try and carry on. For some reason I never got on with this. Normally because there was always something that made me need to walk before the interval was up; traffic or, more likely, a hill!  I carried on with parkruns and was now starting to see a few familiar faces there each week. The heat of the summer was a struggle to run in but at least it was easy to get out in the long evenings to try and increase my distance. Around this time something called Winchester Fit Club popped up on my Facebook feed occasionally and I started following it. It looked like fun, a big group exercising outside and it was only a pound.

I went to my first monday session in August and loved it. Straight away Mike started talking about a new running group they were starting soon so of course I had to go along to that. I've only missed a handful of sessions since. James and the group have taught me so much about running and what I'm capable of. More than that, I've met some great people and made new friends. 

The marathon is now less than a month away and I can't believe I'll actually be there on the start line. I ran 17 miles at the weekend which is just surreal (note; Sharon has subsequently run a 20 miler on Good Friday). There's no way I'd be doing these distances or have managed to increase my pace in the way I have if it wasn't for Coach James and the running club. People keep telling me I'm an inspiration but the truth is it's those guys that inspire me to get out there week after week. Plus I get to escape from 2 under 5s at home! The truth is that if I can do it, absolutely anyone can.

If you would like to sponsor Sharon for the London Marathon, she is running for the 
Royal National Institute of Blind People, then you can do so at the following link: 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sharon-healy3

Hazelwood parkrun

With Winchester and Eastleigh parkruns cancelled I had the opportunity to visit another new parkrun.  This time my touring buddy James and I headed up the M3 to the new Hazelwood parkrun.  

Set at the training ground of Premiership rugby club London Irish, the run is 2 and a half laps of the outside of the training pitches.  The course is mostly around 2 fields, the first is the main training pitches, these have impeccable drainage and so are on firm ground with a few slight muddy patches.  The natural consequence of the well drained pitches is that all that water has to go somewhere...and that is where the second field comes in.  "Field" is a loose description...it's more like a lake.  This made the 5km extremely hard going.  Most people opted for a long diversion around the bigger puddles, but I felt that the quicker route was straight through!  This meant that I got extremely wet!! 

I managed to maintain a steady pace and finished in a shade over 25 minutes and in 21st place.  

It was an excellent morning out and I would recommend it to anyone seeking a little cross country fun! 

Dates for your Diary

Wed 11th April, 8pm, at Winnal Primary School - Yoga session for runners with Gill
Mon 7th May, 7pm, Bar End running track - Monday Madness track session

Race Calendar

Here is an updated race calendar.  If you have any others that you wish to add, please let me know!

Salisbury 10 mile – 8^th April – SOLD OUT

http://salisbury10.salisbury-arc.org/

The General – April 14^th

https://www.toughenoughraces.co.uk/the-general-winchester10k/

Brighton Marathon – 15^th April

http://www.brightonmarathonweekend.co.uk/events/brighton-marathon/

Southampton Marathon, Half and 10km – 22^nd April

http://www.abpsouthamptonhalf.co.uk/

London Marathon – 22^nd April

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/

Fleet Half – April 29th

https://fleethalfmarathon.com/

Harewood Forest 10km and 5km – 7^th May (Bank Holiday Monday)

https://www.wherwellschoolpta.co.uk/harewood-forest-run

Gauntlet Games 5km and 10km - 12th May
https://www.naomihouse.org.uk/events/322-gauntlet-games-2018

Alton 10 mile – 13^th May

http://www.altonrunners.co.uk/club-events/alton-ten/

Liverpool Rock and Roll marathon, half marathon, 5km and 1 mile – 19^th and 20^th May

http://www.runrocknroll.com/liverpool/

Hackney Half – 20^th May – SOLD OUT

https://uk.virginsport.com/event/hackney-2018/hackney-half-marathon

Vitality 10000 – 28^th May

https://uk.virginsport.com/event/hackney-2018/hackney-half-marathon

Race for Life – Winchester – 3^rd June

https://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/find-an-event/the-garrison-ground-%26-university-stadium-5k-2018-06-03-0000

Eastleigh 10km – 17^th June

http://www.runningmania.co.uk/hendy-ford-10k/

Arlesford 10km – 17^th June

http://alresfordrotary.co.uk/activities/alresford-10k-road-race-and-fun-runs/

Baccus Marathon and Half – 9^th September

https://www.209events.com/uk-running-events/surrey_bacchus_marathon_and_half_marathon

The Lake Run, Andover 10km and 5km – 16^th Septembver

https://www.andover10klakerun.co.uk/

Winchester Half Marathon – 23^rd September

http://winchesterhalf.co.uk/

Clarendon Marathon, Half and relay – 7^th October

http://www.clarendon-marathon.co.uk/

Great South Run - 21st October
http://www.greatrun.org/great-south-run

As ever, if you have any submissions for the next blog then please send them through to WFCrunners@gmail.com

Happy running everyone!!

Coach James

WFC Runners - Training Session Thursday 29th March

WFC Runners - Training Session Thursday 29th March

With the clocks finally going forward we had the opportunity to spread our wings a little and head out round the city.  As we did hills last week I thought this week we would do some intervals.

The weather had been rubbish all day, but we seemed to be extremely lucky and none of the predicted rain made an appearance and the conditions were excellent for running.  

The earlier weather combined with busy lives impacted our numbers and so the group was just 4 strong.  Regulars Tom and Charlotte were joined by new member Karen and myself.  

Starting, as normal, at Abbey Gardens we went through our normal warm up before heading to the High Street. 

Our first interval was up the High Street as far as Pret, we then jogged to the Butter Cross, before a second interval up to the end of the pedestrianised area.  From there we headed up the hill to where we would be doing the bulk of our session...Oram's Arbour park.

The park has two paths set out in the shape of an "X" with a road at either end.  The plan was simple...starting at the junction of the two paths we would sprint up one path, have a short rest and then sprint back down.  After another short rest we sprinted up a different path, had a short rest and then sprinted back down.  This was repeated for 25 minutes.

The session was a good mix.  Half the sprints were uphill and were a mix of speed and endurance.  The downhill sprints were an equally good test, giving the runners' quads and knees a thorough workout.  The group were superb; working amazingly hard and running very consistently.

We headed back to the high street for two more intervals on the way back down to abbey gardens where we cooled down and headed on our merry way!  

Thank you to Karen, Charlotte and Tom for their efforts and for making it such a fun session.

Until next week!

Coach James

WFC Runners - Hills, hills and more hills

This week saw the Fit Club runners continuing to focus on their training and, in the case of the spring marathon runners, upping the mileage.  We did have a couple of Fit Clubbers running though with Lynn and Anne both taking part in the London Landmarks half marathon.  This is a new race which takes in, as the name suggests, some of London's historic landmarks.  Both posted superb times, with Lynn running a massive 10 minute PB!!  Congratulations ladies.  It must have been a good race because half the Fit Club runners seemed to immediately pre-register for next years!  Must've been the "it's fast and flat" selling point!! 

Looking forward to this week; with the clocks going forward we will now have light sessions for the first time since September so Thursdays will see us visiting different places in the city!!  In addition on Monday the 2nd April we will be back at the Bar End track for another Monday Madness session.  

In addition to the weekly Fit Club session write-us I thought I would write a bit about the types of training that we do on a Thursday night and this week we will cover hill training!

Hill Training

Nothing builds running strength better than hills. Benefits include: 

• Development of power and muscle elasticity
• Improvement of stride frequency and length
• Development of co-ordination – encouraging the proper use of arm action during the driving phase and feet in the support phase
• Development of control and stabilisation as well as improved speed (downhill running)
• Promotion of strength endurance
• Development of maximum speed and strength (short hills)
• Improvement of lactate tolerance (mixed hills)

Despite the benefits, many newcomers (and old-timers, too) avoid hills – after all, defying gravity can be tough, both physically and mentally. But simple form adjustments and a gradual approach can reduce the challenges and boost your fitness.

Add hill work to your training by following these four steps.

Start Easy

For your first hill workout, jog for 10 minutes to warm up, then walk for two minutes. From the bottom of a gentle incline, run up at an easy pace for five seconds, then walk back to the starting point. Run up again for seven seconds. Walk down. Run for 10 seconds, then walk down. If you’re feeling strong, repeat. Cool down with a 15-minute jog.

Progress Slowly

Do your initial workout several times, then ramp it up. Perform two lots of 10 seconds: run up the hill for 10 seconds, then walk down and repeat. Then do two lots of 15 seconds, followed by two lots of 20. On your next hill workout, repeat this sequence twice before rounding the session off with a 30-second run.

Stick With It

Schedule a hill run every seven to 14 days. As you get stronger, add time to your segments and/or add an extra rep until you’re running a total of 10 inclines. If you’re training for a hilly race, try to mimic in your workouts the types of hills you’ll encounter in your race. If your motivation dries up, run hills with a friend and take turns leading the upward charge.

Maintain Good Form

As you ascend, shorten your stride and keep your feet low to the ground. Try to keep your head, chest and hips perpendicular to an imaginary horizontal line. On descents, take short, quick, light steps, and keep your centre of gravity over your legs.

Top Tips

Once you are used to running hills here are some points to help you get the most from your sessions:

• Be prepared to attack the hill before you reach it, so you’ve picked up pace as you reach the bottom.
• As you run up the hill pump your arms and shorten the length of your strides, but take faster strides to keep up the pace.
• At the end of your hill running workout, you should feel like you’ve worked hard, but you could manage one more hill if you had to.
• Get plenty of practice, it’s the only way to get better at hill running and improve your technique.

Race Calendar

Mike suggested that it may be of help to start a race calendar.  Listing out local races and races that Fit Clubbers are participating in.  If you have any others that you wish to add, please let me know!

The General – April 14^th

https://www.toughenoughraces.co.uk/the-general-winchester10k/

Brighton Marathon – 15^th April

http://www.brightonmarathonweekend.co.uk/events/brighton-marathon/

Southampton Marathon, Half and 10km – 22^nd April

http://www.abpsouthamptonhalf.co.uk/

London Marathon – 22^nd April

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/

Fleet Half – April 29th

https://fleethalfmarathon.com/

Harewood Forest 10km and 5km – 7^th May (Bank Holiday Monday)

https://www.wherwellschoolpta.co.uk/harewood-forest-run

Gauntlet Games 5km and 10km - 12th May
https://www.naomihouse.org.uk/events/322-gauntlet-games-2018

Race for Life – Winchester – 3^rd June

https://raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org/find-an-event/the-garrison-ground-%26-university-stadium-5k-2018-06-03-0000

Eastleigh 10km – 17^th June

http://www.runningmania.co.uk/hendy-ford-10k/

Arlesford 10km – 17^th June

http://alresfordrotary.co.uk/activities/alresford-10k-road-race-and-fun-runs/

Baccus Marathon and Half – 9^th September

https://www.209events.com/uk-running-events/surrey_bacchus_marathon_and_half_marathon

The Lake Run, Andover 10km and 5km – 16^th Septembver

https://www.andover10klakerun.co.uk/

Winchester Half Marathon – 23^rd September

http://winchesterhalf.co.uk/

Clarendon Marathon, Half and relay – 7^th October

http://www.clarendon-marathon.co.uk/

Great South Run - 21st October
http://www.greatrun.org/great-south-run

As ever, if you have any submissions for the next blog then please send them through to WFCrunners@gmail.com

Happy running everyone!!

Coach James

WFC Runners - Training Session Thursday 22nd March

WFC Runners – Thursday session 22^nd March

There is a saying amongst runners…”If you want to improve strength and speed, run hills”.  Ok, there are better run related sayings but you get the gist!  This week saw the return of everyone’s favourite session…the Blue Ball hill session. 

It was a good turnout with 8 runners making an appearance including Jake who joined us for the first time. 

The plan was as follows:

- Warm-up and stretch in Abbey Gardens

- Jog to Blue Ball Hill

- 10 x 45 second sprints with a jog recovery back to the bottom of the hill

- Jog back to Abbey Gardens

- Cool down and stretch

The aim was to reach the same point on Blue Ball hill with every rep.  It is a steep hill and 45 seconds, although it doesn’t seem like that much, takes in the steepest part of the hill and is a real challenge! 

The downhill recovery should be used to relax the muscles and get the breathing back to normal, before turning and running back up again.

 

The group worked really hard and were extremely consistent for each of the 10 reps. Everyone seemed to be suitably knackered at the end, so job done!! 

Looking forward to next week the clocks go forward so for the first time since September…we will be running in the light!!  The world is our oyster, so we will start venturing out and around the city a little more!!

If you are on Strava, but have yet to join our WFC Runners group, then please let me know and I will add you.  Also, if you have any running related stories and fancy writing them up for the blog, then please send them through to WFCrunners@gmail.com

Lastly, if you are not already part of a running club and run at parkrun, then I have set up Winchester Fit Club Runners as a club.  When you get your parkrun results email or newsletter there is a link to edit your profile.  Follow this and select “Winchester Fit Club Runners” as your club. Then click “Please Alter” and it is done!  Next time you run your results will show as being part of our club.

Happy running everyone

Coach James

WFC Runners - Snow (almost) stopped play

This weekend was supposed to be one of the big race weekends in the running calendar, with a large number of half marathons and 10kms going on across the country. These are normally scheduled as good tune up races ahead the spring marathons that are run in April, but this was all scuppered due to the return of the “Beast from the East”.

Heavy snow began on Saturday morning and by Saturday afternoon it was clear that the weather was not going anywhere and so race organisers started to cancel. First to go was the Fleet half, closely followed by the Eastleigh 10km. Reading looked good for a while, but they succumbed on Sunday morning.

The snow did not stop everyone though. The Windsor and Eton Half marathon was on Saturday morning and, whilst cold, conditions were fine for running and so Adam and Magda rocked up at Dorney Lake for the 9am race start.

Their race report is below, but I would like to congratulate them both for their amazing times. Adam ran 1:25:23 for the half, that’s 6:28 a mile for 13.1 miles! Magda ran a very respectable 2:05:32 for her half, but that is only part of the story because Magda ran pushing a double running buggy with two toddlers in! Absolutely fantastic!! Well done both.

Windsor and Eton Half Marathon - By Adam and Magda Stachowiak

One day back in January Magda signed us up for a Windsor & Eton half marathon which was taking place on 17th of March. Magda decided to run with double buggy (her first official half marathon) and actually it was my first start in half marathon distance event too (official race😉).

After a few months of training the day finally arrived. Woke up early (5.30), had a light, runners style breakfast and coffee, all packed (always prepare race outfit night before), kids are up and ready so off we go .

Arrived at the venue without any problems and when parked went to get our bibs and chips - all very smooth. Weather wasn’t great, sadly, and the venue unfortunately didn’t offer any shelter so went back to the car so kids could have their breakfast before the start. 30 mins before start time we started our warm up (much needed as only 0’C ,windy and snowing).

After a short briefing everyone went to a start line and...we started our run.

The route led around Dorney Lake (4 Laps for half marathon distance) and elevation wasn’t more than 6m, nice, flat and one of the fastest half marathons to do in UK but most importantly for Magda, it’s buggy friendly!

During the run the strong and freezing wind was definitely our enemy but my run was steady. After few kms I joined a small group of random runners to protect myself a bit from the wind and to save some energy. A few weeks before the race I got some problems/injury with my calf and had few physiotherapy sessions, and so I took it easy at a steady pace.

I finished it in 12 place (out of 266 runners) with time of 1:25:23 and went to see how Magda was doing, she had one more lap to go. Adam Jr was sleeping for the majority of the run and Gabi was entertaining mummy. After 2:05:23 Magda and kids arrived at the finishing line as the 195th runner and everyone got medals.

We were very happy to achieve it all together and very proud of kids, they behaved so well.

As there was nowhere to stay in warm after the run we got ourselves hot tea, packed up and went home for lunch.

Quite surprised there wasn’t any goody bags that are usually a nice addition to a race however all in all it was a very good race for me and good preparation for my ultra marathon 82 km in June

*****************

That wasn’t the only running done my the Stachowiak family though…Adam decided that a half marathon wasn’t enough and so went out again on Sunday morning for another 12.5miles, this time off road on the South Downs in the snow.

This clearly inspired some others as later in the day Sharon (One R) and Caroline decided to get over the disappointment of Reading being cancelled by banging out an excellent 10 miler around the wintery streets of Winchester. Fantastic running.

Fortunately for some there was a clear weekend between between the "Beast from the East" and the "Return of the Beast from the East" which meant that Charlotte got to run the Surrey Half Marathon. Read her race report here:

Surrey Half Marathon by Charlotte Robertson

My day started off as it always does, 10 minutes of yoga and 10 minutes of abs to blow away the cobwebs and remind myself of the great work all my muscles do. I donned my kit that I had laid out the night before and gave myself a metal pat on the back for being so organised.  Then I had some porridge then left the house at about 7 to walk to the station with the birds tweeting and the sun rising. What a time to be alive! I left in plenty of time to grab a small coffee, so took 10 minutes to sit and be present. When I got on the train, I spotted a fellow runner on the table seat, safety pins out to affix his race number to his shirt. I thought it was funny how we all have our own little rituals, and caught his eye and nodded, as if to say, ‘good luck!’ 

When I arrived at Woking train station, the atmosphere had stepped up a notch. There were Rotary members directing runners out of the station and along the road to the Leisure Park. I could feel the buzz in the air as people were walking along in their kit, in ones, pairs or in groups. I was alone, as my auntie was meant to be joining me, but had buggered up her calf the previous week. I suggested she try yoga! Anyway, it was quite nice being by myself, as the solitary solidarity is an interesting synergy of running that I have always rather liked.

I arrived at the start, and was very impressed by the guides and scouts who were manning the bag drop. They were efficient and friendly – a great way to bring different community groups together! The queues for the portaloos were already 10 deep and there was music blaring and loud commentary of the 5K race and kid’s events that took place before the half. You can’t beat the energy of anticipation mixed with that of people who have just got a new PB, or kids who have just run their first race. Magic!

The warm-up was led by an enthusiastic runner who later ran past me in a wedding dress! He made sure we got into the spirit of the race, did a thorough mobility stretch and even a Mexican wave. And then we were off! I started out strong, staying near a couple who looked a similar pace to me and my watch was saying 8.45-9.15-minute miles, which was a tad faster than I was aiming for, but I stuck with it for the first 6 miles. The sun came out at this point, I felt strong, and miles 4-7 were a straight loop, so we saw the leaders striding past. I always think they are amazing, so committed to their training and lifestyles.

By the time I got to the end of that loop, I was lagging slightly. There was a slow incline, and I kept saying to myself ‘hills give you power’ as if I was on Mario Karts! It worked though, and the next few miles were hilly and slower, but I kept going and really used the power for the flats and downhills – I had earned it after all! Around mile 10, I decided to ramp up the pace, which was good timing, as the public came out in their masses with jelly babies, banners and cheering. I dug into my hill power reserves, told myself ‘mind over matter, you earned this, run, Charlie, run!’ I found a small group of people who I stuck with for the last 20 minutes, and checked my watch a couple more times. I saw that I was heading to beat my expected time of 2.05, which spurred me on even further! Coach James was in my head all the way to the finish line and I crossed it comfortably in 2.01, even managing a sprint finish! I went through, congratulated my comrades and got my medal and banana! So worthwhile. I felt elated.

I collected my bag from the lovely girl guides, had a 10-minute sports massage, then Auntie injured calf collected me and we had a lovely family roast dinner, read the Sunday papers and basked in the glory of a half marathon PB. Bliss!

************
parkrun - 17th March

In addition to the races that were going on this weekend a few of us managed to squeeze a parkrun in, with Glenna running at Winchester, with Lynn providing support by volunteering. I was at the relatively new Hogmoor Inclosure with my two girls, my sister and a number of other friends.

The Hogmoor Inclosure parkrun only started last week and so I decided to visit with Elsie in the buggy and Olivia. The run is set in Bordon, near Alton in East Hants and is a two-lap trail run. With the recent weather a large proportion of the course is muddy and I don’t think any part of the course is flat!



Running with the girls is always an experience and Saturday was no exception. Just before the run started Olivia took a tumble and scrapped her leg up so she was in tears at the start, but soon got into her stride and was running well. Part the way round the first lap ion a particularly uneven and muddy section something happened that has never happened to me before,…one of the running buggy wheels came off!! After a pit stop to reattach the offending wheel we were off and running again. Then it started snowing! It was certainly an experience running in a blizzard, and Elsie was not a fan. Not even the appearance of a couple of deer running across the route was enough to cheer her up. To add to the excitement, part way round the second lap we picked up a puncture which made it really hard going!

We finished in a little over 43 minutes. Not bad considering the conditions, but the snow was really coming down at the end so we headed straight back to the car for some warmth, and then back home for hot chocolate and hot baths.

Despite all of this, I would highly recommend a visit. If you like fun trail runs I beautiful scenery, this is the parkrun for you!



Next Week

Next week should see the last of the cold weather (but we’ve said that before), and a return to some better running conditions!

I have a tough, but highly satisfying, session planned for Thursday…please don’t forget to book in! Also, don’t forget that it is “bring a friend” week where you get a free session if you bring someone new to Fit Club.

If you have any race reports that you would like to include in future blogs, then please send them through to WFCrunners@gmail.com.