The main event this weekend was the 29th running of the Great South Run. The race starts on the Southsea prom and heads into and around the historic dockyards. I then winds through the city and out to Eastney at the far end of the prom before heading back to the finish by the Pyramids Centre. It is a fast and fairly flat route which regularly draws over 20,000 entrants. Conditions were perfect on Sunday with it being sunny, warm and with very little wind.
We had a great turn-out of 9 Fit clubbers in the field and there were some superb performances and a number of PBs.
The results were as follows:
Anna Hastie - 1:21:00
Philippa Gammie - 1:24:54
Mik Price - 1:37:19
Glenna Greenslade - 1:37:44
Sharon Smith - 1:40:29
Anne Arnold - 1:40:40
Jo Hindle - 1:41:04
Simon Holman - 1:41:13
Alice Smith - 1:46:21
Congratulations to everyone who took part. Alice and Jo have kindly offered to do a write-up of their experience so please look out for that next week!
Next year’s race is on the 20th October and entries are already open with a 25% discount for the first 1,000 people booking. I know a number of you guys have already entered so it looks like it’ll be another strong fit club turn-out!
This week saw 14 Fit Clubbers taking part at 2 different parkruns. 13 were at Winchester and Coach James was Tail Walking at Marlborough Common parkrun with Elsie in the buggy (full write-up of this in next week's blog).
We were back on the PB hunt at Winchester, where they decided to run the course in reverse. We had PBs for Charlotte R and Matthew and Karen Parker. We also had course PBs for Rachel and Lynn and Lynn and Tom both equalled their all time PBs. In addition tp the runners we also had Sharon, MC, Jo H, Anna H all volunteering.
With Coach James unable to make it, Head Coach Mike took this week's Thursday session and put the runners through a tough but enjoyable routine. 10 High Street reps in total, 5 short and 5 long, with active recovery meant that the runners had really earned their post run cakes!
Read all about it here: https://wfcrunners.blogspot.
Next week's session will be starting at Deans Lane park (opposite Waitrose in Weeke). We have Adam joining us for one night only, so please try and make it!
Other notices
The Running Club constitution and Committee Roles and Responsibilities have now been drafted and are available for review. Any feedback, please send to wfcrunners@gmail.com!
Club Constitution: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HbPzBfiWkwyu26h25Ymlbn6wFFtHwR1y
Roles and Responsibilities: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d1IxRQnN3kHn8DLVUbLbFAgJk8RW-2DS
The running club on the 1st November will be a Halloween fancy dress social run with all proceeds going to Anne's London Marathon charity, Leonard Cheshire (https://www.leonardcheshire.org). Following the run we will be heading to Number 5 Bridge Street where Anne will also be selling cakes for your consumption (possibly accompanied by a drink). In addition we will be holding the formal Running Club AGM where we will vote on going affiliated!
The Naomi House Santa Fun Run is being held 2nd December this year. Last year we had a huge turn out from Fit Club and it looks like it'll be the same this year so get booked on early! https://www.naomihouse.org.uk/events/448-santa-fun-run
The Southampton Marathon and Half 2019 has changed it's date to the 5th May due to planned roadworks on the original date. Note; this now no longer clashes with the London Marathon!
There are a number of 2019 races now open for entry:
Stubbington 10km: It is being held on the 13th January 2019 and you can enter here: http://stubbingtongreenrunners.net/index.php/10k
Romsey 5: It is being held on the 27th January 2019 and you can enter here: http://offbeat-events.com/event/romsey-5-mile-run/
Winchester 10km: It is being held on the 24th February 2019 and you can enter here: http://offbeat-events.com/event/winchester-10km-road-race/
Eastleigh 10km: It is being held on the 24th March 2019 and you can enter here: https://www.fullonsport.com/event/hendy-eastleigh-10k-2019/profile
Other Fit Club Dates
October 31st - Hump Day HIIT Halloween Special, 7pm
November 4th - Fit Club Coffee Morning
December 2nd - Christmas Jumper Social - Slug and Lettuce, 2pm
December 7th - Fit Club Christmas Party - The Willow Tree 6:30pm
Goodwood 10km by Glenna
The inaugural Running Festival at the picturesque Goodwood Motor Circuit, on 14th October, held entirely on the tarmac track and featuring a 10K, half marathon plus a family mile. There was an impressive array of sponsors for the event with pop up shops in the pit garages. The prize fund for the 10k run was £600 spread across the top 3 male and female finishers with an additional £280 for the first in each of the 14 age categories.
The forecast was for heavy rain and a gentle breeze but when we arrived the wind was blowing strongly but with no rain from the heavily overcast sky. The event was very efficiently organised in a very relaxed manner.
The first thing that impressed me was the provision of physios offering free pre and post run massages with almost no queuing and for the 10k run. There were 7 pacers ranging from 45 to 75 minutes.
The 10k run was 2 ¾ laps with a ¼ lap walk/jog to the start with the finish in the pit lane, remember it is a motor racing circuit! The great thing about the finish area is the elevated spectator area over the pits, filled with an enthusiastic cheering crowd, where the runners go past 3 times.
My run started with a pre run massage and the walk to the start was dry with light winds. I chatted with other runners on the way and also spotted some runners “shooing the chickens” in their warm up! I located the 60 minute pacer who I intended to stay with but after half a lap I felt I could go a little quicker so I increased my pace for the next lap. Just after seeing the first finishers going into the pit lane a torrential downpour started and within a few minutes every item of clothing was soaked through, the wind whipped up and the hailstones into my face were unpleasant but we all encouraged each other on. My feet felt like they were swimming in water and I could feel myself slowing on the last lap but still hoped to finish under the hour. After 15 minutes of heavy rain it began to ease off and I picked up my pace a little then, when the pit lane was in sight, I lengthened my stride and went for a sprint finish. My reward was an impressive medal on a wide black and white chequered ribbon, reflecting a motor race finish, a Ronhill hi viz t-shirt and a full goody bag complete with plastic free water ‘bottle’. I checked my watch and could see I was under the 60 minutes so was very pleased.
The chip timing results were available on-line very quickly, but were not obviously available to view onsite. It wasn’t until Dave looked at the results when we arrived home that he told me I had won my age category. Well worth getting soaked for but not a feat I think I can repeat on next week’s Great South!! If I had known the result I would have hung on for the presentation but as I was soaked through and feeling very cold we decided to head for home.
This was a standout, well organised event that is sure to grow in status at a beautiful and historic location.Muddy Dog Race by Simon H
Having been postponed from earlier in the summer due to the very hot weather. Not wishing to risk the heath of any dogs taking part,( no mention of the humans) . The organisers rescheduled the run to October. So Wendy, Arthur and I headed to Elton Hall Peterborough to take on the 5k obstacle course.Pre run warm up was interesting while trying to contain a very excited Arthur and Wendy, we both tried to stretch out all the time getting wrapped up in his lead.
We headed to the start along with 12 humans and a dozen very over enthusiastic dogs of all breeds, and we’re off. Arthur’s so keen he’s pulling Wendy along, at this rate she’ll smash her park run BP by miles. The first obstacle is the ball pit which Arthur leaps into with gusto and physically drags Wendy through on her belly. We head for the next obstacle where you have to get down at dog level and crawl though a cargo net tunnel, in muddy puddles. 
On to the first of the human only challenges which is ankle deep mud, Arthur looks disappointed not being allowed to do it. Then on to the doggy maze which we smash with our canine friend leading the way. We head into the woods, Arthur ramps up a notch in excitement. 
We pass a warning sign, “Prepare To Get Muddy” again a human only obstacle. A deep, water filled ditch. This time we have two options the dry/clean route or the wet/ muddy route. Only one option for Shines and Wee Man. So we wade into the black water, with the warning ringing in our ears “by the way it’s deep” they weren’t kidding. As we get to the middle it comes up to my thighs but Wendy not being the tallest it reaches her hips the smell is also not that nice. There is deep mud at the bottom. I breeze though as does shines until the point I hear “Simon I’m stuck, I can’t get out” so before collecting Arthur I, like a knight in shining armour, return to save my wife from the stagnant smelly mud bath and we’re off again. 
Next reaching the tyres which Wendy and Arthur smash after some gentle encouragement from me to get Arthur though the tyres. Next up the tyre wall over or though again Arthur glides though, where as I being of a rotund frame won’t fit though, so climb over. Then we’re off to ball pit number two. This one is also full of by now muddy water . Wendy being the ball pit champ takes the lead. Arthur decides that he rather likes this ball pit so at the exit turns on his heels and heads back in. While also taking on some much needed fluids. We eventually get him out and head onto the next challenge.
The trampoline an island in the middle of a large raised pool filled with more muddy water. The idea being you can jump from the edge of the pool, to the trampoline, and then jump to the other side. Wendy has the lead and they both take this obstacle in their stride until Arthur decides it’s dip time for them both on exiting. As he’s decided to drink from the muddy pool, even though he’s turned his nose up at all the clean water provided for him around the course. Next Arthur gets his wish, ankle deep mud. Then on to the ball zone where Arthur gets to play ball, except he couldn’t be less interested, so I complete the ball drop. On to the ramps which he promptly bypasses as there’s no mud or water involved. With a little encouragement we successfully negotiate the zig zag poles. Followed by an uphill run, Arthur enthusiastically bounding past other competitors who had slowed to a walk.
Nearing the finish we had to reign Arthur in as he glimpsed the last two pools, joining the queue to enter the muddy water. We sprint through the pools and on to the finish where we collect our medals and Arthur gets his rosette. Loved this event. Great fun and we raised £200 for Battersea dog and cat home. We will definitely be back next year.
Lowestoft parkrun by Allen
I grew up in Lowestoft, Suffolk and every time I’ve been back to visit since moving away I’ve wanted to do the parkrun. It's only taken about 10 years… Lowestoft is popular to parkrun tourists as it's the most easterly point in Britain. Not as well known as Lands End or John O’groats, Jeremy Clarkson did once race the sunrise from Cornwall to Lowestoft’s Ness Point in a Jag many years ago on Top Gear. Trivia over; the best part of Lowestoft is it's blue flag beach. The parkrun is along the seafront / promenade and is roughly a two lap course with a very cheeky incline you have to summit twice.
Motivating ourselves to go to parkrun on the morning we went was particularly difficult, it's a good 4 hour drive on a Friday night so a lay in is ridiculously hard to give up! Dragging ourselves out of bed, we headed down to the sea front, and were almost blown over by strong wind. Sea front parkrun = zero protection from the elements. Fortunately it was warm and windy and no sign of rain which was great. Total attendees that week was 246 which is about 100 less than Winchester generally gets. Being from the town I had a keen eye out for anyone I might know, alas, not a single person I knew well!
Cat gave a loud cheer when Winchester was called out in the briefing and we prepared for the inevitable whistle. The run started very fast, it's completely flat along the prom and a few of the early sprinters settled into a sensible rhythm once we passed the pier.
The course took us right down next to the beach and I had to remember some cycling / drafting tips. Like a mini chain gang, myself and 2 other runners took it in turns to tackle the headwind with the two resting settling in right behind the lead runner. Being out of the wind took a lot of resistance off but I made sure I did my fair share of battling with the elements. As with many 5k races, I went off far too quickly, as did Cat. By the end of the second lap (which fortunately ends downhill) i was in bits and trying to hold off chasing runners. I finished 10th Male and Catherine finished 14th Lady. We’re really glad to have done parkrun that morning and I’m 100% going to have a another crack at it when we next visit.
Royal Parks Half Marathon by Lynn M
The Royal Parks Half Marathon takes place in mid-October across four of a London’s Royal Parks - starting and finishing in Hyde Park and running though the Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens. To enter the race, a ballot system operates. This means that you put your name forward in early February and a random selection of runners are picked out. It is also possible to enter by applying for a charity place. This was my first time to enter this ballet and I was successful. I was excited to find out that I was in, as was a friend of mine. Longer runs in London are becoming increasingly hard to enter, with ballot processes now the norm.
The run itself started at 9am, an early start for anyone coming from outside of London. Luckily, I had place to stay the night before and so travelled by tube rather than risk an early train from Winchester. I woke to torrential rain at 6am and ended up leaving later than planned as I waited for it to ease off. In the meantime I had a breakfast of instant porridge, a banana, and 500ml of water (followed by another banana closer to the start time). To avoid overcrowded platforms at Knightsbridge, I got off at Green Park and walked. This is something that I would advise because at this point you are a 15 walk from the start and Green Park station has toilets (no to be sniffed at on race day). I arrived at 8.20am and had time to join the event toilet queue before heading to the start line. Up to this point I was wearing some old clothes over my running gear. The event organisers collect any clothes discarded at the start line and give them to a charity.If you take part in this race, you should brace yourself for the start line. Despite having a colour coded bib to denote corrals, the start line was chaos. The congestion is not something that I’m going to dwell on here, but for me it meant weaving through runners until approximately the five mile mark.
The Royal Parks offers a unique and scenic route through some of the most beautiful parkland in London. And the flattest parkland to boot. Despite the rain this year, the run offers an unparalleled urban autumnal route. Breathtaking - if you can spare a breath while pounding through the recently fallen leaves (and puddles). You might even find some seasonal motivators; I became determined to keep pace with a man dressed as a giant pumpkin around the eight mile mark. The run also takes in some London landmarks, such as Buckingham Palace and Trafalger Square.
A highlight of this event for me was the support along the way. I took up running after moving to the UK and I have relatively little experience of hearing shouts of support from people I know during races. (The exception to this has been at events that have had strong Winchester FitClub representation, such as the Winchester 10K and the recent Hursley 10K!). The crowds of supporters, charity cheer squads, musicians and cheerleaders really made this event special and spurred me on during some slumps (hello, very gradual almost-not-a-hill at nine miles). I started feeling the distance in my legs from about the nine mile mark. I tend to look forward to hitting 10 miles, which is the point when I have ‘one Parkrun left’ (5K) and this gives me confidence. I was also excited because I knew that I was going to see some familiar faces, banners, and cowbells at the 10 mile marker. Knowing that support is waiting just around the corner is very motivating. The boost that some cheering can bring should not be underestimated.
With the end of the race in sight, I was able to speed up along the final stretch, finishing in 01.48.35 (a PB). Another positive aspect of this run was the strong focus on environmental sustainability. The finisher’s top (received in the post pre-event) is made from recycled materials. Several of the water stations used recyclable paper cups. And the bling (medal) was made from wood.
After the run I joined in with the crowds watching at the nine mile mark and did some cheering. There is a huge charity presence at this event, with lots of first-time Half Marathon runners. Whether you are successful in the ballot or join one of the charity teams, this is a race that you should mark into your calendar for 2019.
General Announcements
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/
Race Calendar
Here is an updated race calendar. If you have any others that you wish to add, please let me know!
Hayling 10 - 4th November 2018
http://www.havantac.co.uk/hayling-10/
Meon Valley Marathon - 4th November 2018
https://secondwindrunning.co.uk/p/races
Remembrance Day 5km and 10km (Portchester) – 10th November
Meon Valley Marathon - 4th November 2018
https://secondwindrunning.co.uk/p/races
Remembrance Day 5km and 10km (Portchester) – 10th November
Resolution Run (6 hour challenge, 4.4 miles laps) – 6th Jan 2019
Stubbington 10km - 13th January 2019
Romsey 5 - 27th January 2019:
http://offbeat-events.com/event/romsey-5-mile-run/
Farnborough Winter Half and 5km – 27th January 2019
Farnborough Winter Half and 5km – 27th January 2019
Ryde 10 - 3rd February 2019
Bramley 20 and 10 milers – 17th February 2019
Bramley 20 and 10 milers – 17th February 2019
Winchester 10km - 24th Feb 2019
Wokingham Half - 24th Feb 2019
https://www.letsdothis.com/e/wokingham-half-marathon-17697#source=header_search
Batty Bimble (6 hour challenge, 3.1 miles laps) – 3rd March 2019
Batty Bimble (6 hour challenge, 3.1 miles laps) – 3rd March 2019
London Landmarks - 24th March 2019
Salisbury 10 - 14th April 2019
https://www.evententry.co.uk/the-rod-smith-salisbury-10-mile-road-race
London Marathon - 28th April 2019
May the Forth (6 hour challenge, 3.3 miles laps) – 4th May
https://www.evententry.co.uk/the-rod-smith-salisbury-10-mile-road-race
London Marathon - 28th April 2019
May the Forth (6 hour challenge, 3.3 miles laps) – 4th May
Revenge of the Fifth (6 hour challenge, 3.3 miles laps) – 5th May
Alton 10 - 12th May 2019
Netley 10K - 19th May 2019
Hook 10K - 19th May 2019
Alresford 10K - 16th June 2019
Endure 24 - 14th-16th June 2019
Lordshill 10K - 30th June 2019
Salisbury 5,4,3,2,1 (50km, Marathon, Half) - 11th August 2019
http://salisbury54321.com/index.html
Gravel Hill 5 - 17th August 2019
https://secondwindrunning.co.uk/p/races
Midnight Marathon - 17th August 2019
https://secondwindrunning.co.uk/p/races
Maidenhead Half Marathon - 1st September 2019
https://www.theraceorganiser.com/race-course-map/maidenhead-half-marathon-half-marathon-01-09-2019-08-30
New Forest Marathon, Half, 10km, 5km - 8th September 2019
https://www.newforestmarathon.co.uk/the-race/race-entry/
Great North Run - 8th September 2019
https://www.greatrun.org/great-north-run
Swindon Half Marathon - 8th September 2019
https://www.newswindonhalf.co.uk
Bristol Half - 15th September 2019
https://www.greatrun.org/great-bristol-half-marathon
Winchester Half - 22nd September 2019
Salisbury Half Marathon - 29th September 2019
https://www.salisburyhalf.com
Clarendon Marathon - 6th October 2019
https://www.clarendon-marathon.co.uk
As ever, if you have any submissions for the next blog then please send them through to WFCrunners@gmail.com
Happy Running!
Coach James
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Kit pictures and prices
Kit pictures and prices
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