WFC Runners: WFC Runners - parkrun travels and more PBs

Before we get into the running news and chat I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mike and Laura for inviting all of us to their wonderful wedding on Saturday night. It was a lovely evening and it was great to see Mike and Laura so happy and in love. On behalf of the runners I would like to wish them a very happy and long life together.

This week saw 12 Fit Clubbers (registered with parkrun) run at 3 parkruns across the UK. We had the Millses at Arrow Valley and Anne running at a wet Skipton, with have done fantastic write-ups below. The remaining Fit Clubbers were with us at Winchester.

We had a PB for Anna H, who ducked under 25 mins for the first time. Amazing achievement!! We also had myself and Mike recording our fastest times this year.

Mike is edging ever closer to that magical sub 20 mark and I’m positive he’ll achieve it before the year is out.

I was running my 200th parkrun and was chuffed to be so close to being in the 21 min range again. Thank you to everyone who sent me a congratulatory message!!

Probably the most impressive running feat of the weekend was Tina running the whole parkrun course for the first time since finishing her cancer treatment. Congratulations Tina and we look forward to seeing you go from strength to strength over the coming months.

Huge thank you to Sarah H and daughters Izzy and Abby for their support and fantastic photos on the morning!

This week’s Thursday session saw the runners take on the 1 mile time trial. It was a tough session but the runners smashed it out of the park with some amazing times. Read all about it here: http://wfcrunners.blogspot.com/2018/07/wfc-runners-26th-july-1-mile-time-trial.html

Skipton parkrun – Saturday 28 July - By Anne Arnold

So last week I unexpectedly found my self working from my Mum and Dads house in Skipton in North Yorkshire. As it was a bit of a last minute thing and I was driving up I loaded the boot of the car with all things that I could ever possibly need which included 5 sets of running kit (!?!?) that path to Yorkshire was paved with good intentions!!

After a couple of very hot runs in the week I thought it would be rude not to tackle the parkrun in Skipton. It is held in Aireville Park which is just at the back of our house and as a child I spent all day everyday in and out of the park going to the swings, the baths (swimming pool for the southerners among you) and going down the hills on homemade go karts (still have the scars), bikes and 1970’s rollerskates!

So in a wave of nostalgia I decided I would do the parkrun …I got up and dressed in my little running shorts and WFC t shirt (obvs) and left the house just at the moment the heavens opened and the thunder started….my fair weather runner instinct kicked in and I dropped a text to the WhatsApp Group wimping out of my promise, only to have Coach James bang a text back telling me to “Man Up”. As I always do everything Coach James tells me to, I did just that and got myself to the start line where there was a group of people wrapped up in waterproofs and umbrellas. I asked a random to take a photo as evidence.

I listened to the instructions 4 circuits of part of the park …how hard can it be? I said to myself. I used to run around his park for hours on end. What a difference 40 years makes! As I huffed and puffed my way around the “slightly undulating” course the sun shone and showed the park off to its best advantage and I did it …not a parkrun PB (I have only done 3) but I still got my lazy ass round. This was my first parkrun as a “tourist” and I loved it. As I was walking back home I was behind a group talking about doing the parkruns A to Z...who knew this was a thing? I am quite tempted who will join in this challenge??

Arrow Valley parkrun - Saturday 28 July - By Rachel Mills

We were on a flying visit to my parents in Worcestershire to drop off the children for the weekend, so Simon and I could go to Mike & Laura’s wedding. The morning of Saturday 28^th started earlier than we had anticipated. We were rudely awoken at 4am by Felicity who had been violently sick! Despite the early wake-up call we decided that we would still go to Arrow Valley parkrun. It was considerably cooler than recent weather and was quite welcome.

It was Simon’s first parkrun since his tendon injury 3 months ago, so we planned to run together and take it steady. Arrow Valley is a local park that both Simon and I grew up visiting, so was a familiar location, despite never having done parkrun there. There are great facilities, with a visitor centre with toilets and a café – where importantly you can have tea & cake after! It is a two-lap course following the path around the lake. A slightly undulating course, with a few obstacles – other pedestrians using the paths, and a couple of shin height bollards at various points (watch out if you ever run this course James!), but definitely a more scenic run the Winchester.

We were made very welcome as tourists, and even had a shout out in the briefing pre-run. It was a pacer weekend and they had pacers covering all minutes from 18 to 40. There were also a huge number of volunteers all around the course who were brilliant at cheering the runners on.

We started steadily after an initial busy start – due to narrow paths. The first mile was probably slightly too quick for post injury running and this showed in the second mile where we had to slow the pace to an 11 minute mile. Not long after this Simon suggested I go on ahead and we would meet up at the finish. The third mile I ran in 8.11 and finished in 29.27. Simon was fairly pleased with his finish time post injury at 34.17, but more pleased that he has not been in pain since!

It was definitely a parkrun we would like to do again and would recommend it if you are ever in this neck of the woods!

General Notices

North Walls Rec Pavilion Appeal
There is currently an appeal in progress to raise funds for a new pavilion in North Walls Rec. This is fantastic news for Winchester parkrun as it will provide:

a store for our kit
a place to gather
toilets
a cafe
a meeting room for volunteer meetings

If you've a few bob to spare and love Winchester parkrun then please consider getting involved in the Pavilion Project crowd funding here: https://www.thepavilionproject.com/support/

WFC parkrun Club

Winchester Fit Club Runners is set-up as a club with parkrun. If you go into your profile (there is a link to it on the parkrun results email and newsletter email) you can select your club. Change yours to Winchester Fit Club Runners and you will appear in the consolidated club report that we get each week.

WFC Runners WhatsApp Group

There is a WFC Runners WhatsApp chat group where we generally just wang on about running, races and cake. If you are not already part of this then please get in contact with Coach James or Coach Mike who will add you.

WFC Runners Strava Club

If you are a Strava user there is a Winchester Fit Club Runners club page. This can be accessed here: https://www.strava.com/clubs/WFC-Runners. Request to join and we will approve!

Booking onto sessions

Booking onto our training sessions enables the coaches to plan the session accordingly. You can book on in the following location: https://winchesterfitclub.simplybook.it/v2/

Winchester Half Marathon - Volunteers needed!

Some of you may have seen the post by Lynn on the WhatsApp group about the Winchester Half Marathon needing volunteers for this year's race. The race is on Sunday 23rd September and needs over 300 volunteers to be successful.

By volunteering you get free entry into next year's race.

If you are interested please follow this link: http://winchesterhalf.co.uk/get-involved/win-city-marshal/

Race Calendar

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

Salisbury 5,4,3,2,1 Trail Runs - 12th August 2018
http://salisbury54321.com/index.html

Overton 5 - 2nd September 2018

http://www.overtonharriers.org.uk/club-races/overton-5/

New Forest Half - 9th September

http://southernrunningguide.com/race/new-forest-half-marathon

Baccus Marathon and Half – 9^th September

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

Meon Valley Express 5km, 10km and Half - 16th September
https://www.eventrac.co.uk/listed-races/meon-valley-express

Hursley 10km - 16th September
https://www.hursley10k.co.uk

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