News
As I sit here on Sunday evening writing this blog I cant help but think about what an inspiring day it has been. As a runner there is no race that generates the same emotion as the London marathon. As a kid I used to sit and watch it every year on TV, in awe of the amazing performances from these super human runners. Last year I had the privilege of running it for the first time and it was the highlight of my running "career". This year I was sat nervously watching the TV and following friends and colleagues on the tracker and top of my list was Sharon and Simon.
Firstly, congratulations to the three marathon finishers today. We had Charlotte at Southampton and Simon H and Sharon at London. On a scorching hot day they all performed superbly and, most importantly, finished!
Let's start in Southampton with the wonderful Charlotte. With a slightly earlier start time, Charlotte headed off round the mean streets of Southampton at 9am on Sunday morning. Southampton is a two lap course and with the heat it must've been a real mental challenge to head out on the second lap, well done Charlotte. Also at Southampton we had Philippa G running the 10km. Also, in hot conditions "Gammie" took 2 minutes off of her PB. Fantastic running Philippa!! 
Sharon and Simon were both at London and with the 10pm start time and inevitable 20-30 minute wait to cross the start line it meant they were out in the heat of the day for the entirety of their race. Indeed it was the hottest ever London Marathon with the professionals also struggling in the heat. They were both running their first marathons and ran fantastically well to clock wonderful debut times.
I'm hoping to have more detailed write-ups from our amazing marathoners for a future blog, so watch this space for all the gory details!
It's also worth mentioning that, due to injury, Lynn was volunteering at both parkrun on Saturday and at the Southampton Marathon on the Sunday. Thank you Lynn!!
Have the exploits of Mik, Sharon, Charlotte and Simon inspired you? The ballot for the London Marathon opens on the 29th April and closes at 5pm on the 4th May. Visit: https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/how-to-enter/ballot-entry/ for more info.
This week's Thursday session saw us venture up St Giles Hill for a mix sprint session. Read all about it here: http://wfcrunners.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/wfc-runners-training-session-thursday_19.html. Next week's session will start at 7pm at Abbey Gardens. Hope to see you there!
Now as it is Winchester parkrun's 5th anniversary this weekend I thought I would write a bit about my parkrun experience and some of my favourite parkruns I've visited.
Anyone who follows me on Facebook will
be used to seeing my regular Saturday morning posts about parkrun. So I
thought I would write a bit about it!
For those of you who are unaw
Once you have registered (https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/)
you get a barcode. You take this along every week and it is scanned
when you finished, along with a position token, to give you your position
and time. This is uploaded to the parkrun website and you get a text
to tell you your time and position. Simple!
At the time of writing I have run
186 parkruns at 87 different venues and in two countries. I have a
fastest time of 21:01 and a slowest time of just under an hour. So what keeps
me coming back week after week? There are a few main reasons.
Firstly, the parkrun community.
Young, old, fast, not so fast, big, small, male, female, parkrun is open
to everyone. It’s often a stepping stone
into running with many people using parkrun as their graduation run on the
Couch to 5km programme. It’s seen as a
safe environment for novice runners; a supportive environment with little
pressure on those running. The volunteers; out there rain or shine, cheering
every runner on. The friendly early morning chats pre-race
and the post race banter of people out enjoying their hobby. It
is the same at every parkrun I have been to and it is a pleasure to be
part of.
Secondly, it's a family event.
I regularly run with Olivia and push Elsie round in the running buggy.
Sarah has also run a few (even though she isn’t the biggest fan of running!). When we run together we are normally in a
group at the back with other families out running. The kids love it and
for me, as a parent, having Olivia and Elsie outside, active and enjoying
herself is fantastic.
Fourthly, variation. We are very
lucky to live in a location where there are a number of parkruns close-by.
This is how I got into parkrun tourism and now it’s fair to say I’m a
little addicted! With the only cost being my petrol money it makes it a cheap
and enjoyable way of seeing different parts of the country. Each parkrun
is different; I have visited normal parks, woodland parks, National trust
properties and coastal paths. They are run on different surfaces, they
range from 1 lap to 4. In short no two parkruns are the same. As I
have visited a number around the country (and abroad) I thought I’d give you my
top 10 runs (in no particular order):
Winchester
As Dorothy once said…”There’s no place
like home”. Winchester was where I
started my parkrun journey and is my home run. I have made some many good
friends there and really think of it as my running community. I love that so many Fit Clubbers now run
there…it just adds to the supportive atmosphere of the run.
Lanhydrock
A tough, hilly parkrun at a national
trust property in Cornwall. It basically heads downhill for the first half and
uphill for the second. It is through
some stunning countryside and is a real challenge.
Parke
Parke is another National Trust
property, this time in Devon, just outside Exeter. This has a special place in my heart. I ran it with my family (Sarah, Elsie and
Olivia as well as my brother, sister, nephews and nieces) the day after my
dad’s funeral. The course has an evil
hill within the first km and then undulates though some beautiful woodland and
farmland. It is another tough course,
but lovely.
Killerton
As with the two above, Killerton is a
National Trust property. Also with the
other two, it is a tough, off road 5km through some beautiful countryside and
through a deer park. This one is notable
for the mud! It was so difficult to run,
which just made it all the more fun!
Eden
Project
This one makes the top 10 for the
surreal setting and the tricky nature of the course. Set at the Eden Project in Cornwall it starts
up at the car park and takes you down a service road and into the quarry. There is a strange sight as you round the
first bend and see the domes and gardens spread out in front of you. Once you
are in the man site the course twists and turns around the gardens and has a
wicked zig zag climb that you do on each of the 3 laps. The benefit of this parkrun is that you and
your supporters get free entry into the park for the day! Bonus!
Treviso,
Italy
This was my first foreign parkrun. Olivia and I ran the two lap course and loved
every second. The course is though some
woodland on the outskirts of the town of Treviso in NW Italy. What makes this
special though is the tranquility. With
only 30-odd runners and no roads anywhere close to the course it is so peaceful
in the woods.
Hogmoor
Inclosure
This is a relatively new addition to the
parkrun family and is set at a former tank training ground near Alton in
Hampshire. It is a two-lap course that
has everything…hills, muddy sections, huuuuge puddles, fast downhill sections,
uneven trails and even a sandy section!
Alice
Holt
This is a neighbor of Hogmoor and is
very similar in terms of terrain with a bit of everything on the way
round. The ground is more runnable but
the hills are much bigger and really make Alice Holt the challenge that it
is. As with a lot of the others on this
list the surroundings are beautiful and the atmosphere of the parkrun is
something special. It also has a
cracking café that serves great breakfasts!
Upton
House
This is another parkrun that has
personal significance for me. I grew up
in Upton and spent most of my childhood playing in Upton Park so was overjoyed
when they decided to start a parkrun there.
Upton Park is set on the outskirts of Poole and on the shoreline of
Poole Harbour. The course is a two
lapper, with the second lap having an extra loop that includes a large
hill! The trails are all really good,
hard packed gravel and great for running on.
The course is part woodland, part parkland and part shoreland
trail.
Bushy
Park
The home of parkrun. I would encourage everyone to make their
parkrun pilgrimage at least once. It is
a cracking one lapper through the Royal Park at Bushy in SW London. There are usually between 1000 and 1200
runners so you get the feel of a parkrun with the crowds of a big race. The park is flat and the course is one lap so
it is quick. The highlight has to be the
deer that roam freely around the park, they are a spectacular sight.
Have you done any other parkruns that you might want to write about? If so, please feel free to write a review for the blog!
Have you done any other parkruns that you might want to write about? If so, please feel free to write a review for the blog!
Fit Club Kit
Winchester Fit Club offers a range of training kit at reasonable prices. They are high quality and can be personalised. By using the kit you will also be helping us advertise Winchester Fit Club at local events.
If you are interested please speak to Mike or Laura, or email me at WFCrunners@gmail.com and I will pass it on!
Dates for your diary
Sat 28th April, 9am, North Walls Rec - Winchester parkrun 5th anniversary - free
Mon 7th May, 7pm, Bar End running track - Monday Madness track session - £4
Race Calendar
Here is another great local event to support...
The Blackwood Fun Run is taking place in Micheldever on Sunday the 29th April Registration starts from 9am.In aid of: Micheldever & Stratton Pre-School
Location: Blackwood Forest, Larkwhistle Farm Road, Micheldever, SO21 3BGStart times: 10km - 10am and 5km - 10.15amChildren’s run - from 11.15am
Briefing 10mins before each race
Hot food, coffee & cake available and a medal for all finishers
Entry £7.50 for adults
Registration via claudia_heyland@hotmail.com(preferred) or on the day 9.00-9.45am
Here is an updated race calendar. If you have any others that you wish to add, please let me know!
Fleet Half – April 29th
Harewood Forest 10km and 5km – 7th May (Bank Holiday Monday)
Gauntlet Games 5km and 10km - 12th May
https://www.naomihouse.org.uk/events/322-gauntlet-games-2018
Alton 10 mile – 13th May
Liverpool Rock and Roll marathon, half marathon, 5km and 1 mile – 19th and 20th May
Hackney Half – 20th May – SOLD OUT
Vitality 10000 – 28th May
Race for Life – Winchester – 3rd June
Eastleigh 10km – 17th June
Arlesford 10km – 17th June
Baccus Marathon and Half – 9th September
The Lake Run, Andover 10km and 5km – 16th Septembver
Winchester Half Marathon – 23rd September
Clarendon Marathon, Half and relay – 7th October
Cardiff Half – 7th October
Great South Run - 21st October
As ever, if you have any submissions for the next blog then please send them through to WFCrunners@gmail.com
Happy Running!
***************
Kit pictures and prices
No comments:
Post a Comment