This week we had runners racing at the Whitchurch 10km and the Cheriton Trail Race.Alice was at the Whitchurch 10km with her Sister. The route was a mixture of surfaces around a playing field, some road, through crop fields, single track trails and lots of hills. Alice came home in a very respectable 53:12 with her sister, Fleur, taking the first lady spot! Great running ladies! Full race report will follow next week.
At the Cheriton Trail Race we has Caroline, Sarah G, Glenna, Alex and Alistair all running. This is a new race in the calendar and is an 11mile Trail Race through the countryside around Cheriton. Here are the results:
Caroline 1:59:24
Alistair 2:05:12
Alex 2:20:19
Sarah G 2:23:46
Glenna 2:27:06
Special mention to Glenna for winning her age category at the race and receiving a trophy for her efforts!! Well done Glenna and everyone else participating. Write ups coming next week!I must also apologise for not including Jake’s race last week. Jake ran the Exmoor X-Series half marathon in Devon. A full write up of the event, including post race cake eating, is below! Well done Jake!
parkrun summary – 22nd June
This week we had 16 Fit Clubbers running at 5 different parkrun venues. We had 12 at Winchester, Isabel at Greenwich, Alf at Whiteley, Glenna at Hogmoor Inclosure and James at Isabel.
The highlight was a course PB of 23:02 for Graeme at Winchester. Congratulations!
Here is a link to the consolidated club report: http://www.parkrun.com/results/consolidatedclub/?clubNum=26888&eventdate=2019-06-22
Thursday training session 20th June – Viaduct sprints
This week the runners met at Garnier Road. There were 18 runners, including a returning Sally Boyden, joining coach James on a lovely summers evening.After a warm up we jogged down to the viaduct where the main session was to be held.
The session was 2 sets of "Inverse Pyramids". Each set consisted of the following:
1min 30sec sprint at 10km pace with jog recovery
1min sprint at 5km pace with jog recovery
30sec sprint full sprint with jog recovery
Race Reports
Endure24 by Philippa D, Anne A, Elise G, Sharon S and Rachel M
How many laps were you aiming for? And how many did you actually do?
AA: I think it dawned on me late Friday tea time that I would end up doing more than 25 miles eeek!
EG: Thought I would do 4 ended up doing 6 (6th lap was a walk with AA & 1R).
SS: I wasn't as fit as I was hoping going into the event so decided I would be happy if I managed to complete 3 or 4. I managed 6 in the end although the last lap was all walking. I definitely couldn't have done more as I was truly broken and in pain with every step!
PD: Having been floored by a cold in the days before the race I was just aiming for 2 at best. Ended up doing 5!
RM: In true Mills style, I had planned everything I was taking but hadn’t really thought about the running! In my head I had thought that 3 laps = 15 miles would be nice to aim for. AA pointed out we could potentially be running 5 or 6 in the 24-hour period, so obviously I ended up doing 6 as the seed had been planted!!
What was your high point?
AA: Crossing the finish line as Tit Club, all together.
EG: High point Pretty much the whole weekend enjoyed every minute of it from start to finish. OneR's Chocolate Brownies not only were they the best I have ever tasted but they gave me the energy I needed.
SS: Saturday night's pizza. I devoured it and it was sooo good. Mind you the hot chocolate with Baileys around 11pm was pretty good too.
RM: Spending time with such a lovely group of people! It was a tough weekend of endurance and everyone looked out for each other and provided support right through the event.
And your low point…?
AA: Retching by the side of the track on lap 2 ... until Mr Humber rescued me!EG: How cold it was camping on Fri night!
PD: Waking up in the middle of the night for lap 4. Knackered, disorientated and felt like I was either going to cry or be sick (a bit of pre-run malt loaf made everything better!)
Which lap was your favourite?
SS: Lap 3 around 10pm so my 1st night run. I'd eaten so was probably the only lap I was actually properly fuelled for and I was wearing my headphones which helped a lot. Weird but fun running through the dark. The absolute highlight though was then catching up with Simon B. Our little chat and selfie really gave me a boost.
PD: Lap 3 at about 11pm. Still relatively awake, uninjured, super-excited to have my first lap in the dark and feeling very much in the midst of something rather special!
RM: Lap 4. It was at approximately 00:30am and pitch black. A surreal experience relying on the light of my headtorch, squelching through mud!
What was your favourite part of the course?
EG: The bit with Elvis, but I only discovered he was giving out jelly beans on the final lap.
SS: I liked the wooded bit near the end. Lots of tree roots to concentrate on and I actually quite liked the scary downhill bits. I have to admit it was more controlled falling than running!
RM: Despite it having Heartbreak Hill it seems that mile 3 was my fastest mile on each lap. Maybe it was the joy of it being over with that made me speed up!
I’m really glad I took….
EG: Trail shoes as it was very slippy at times.
PD: My eye mask. It got light very, very early!!
RM: Will! He loves camping and so helped set up and was great at offering snacks to all the WFC runners and making tea. Also giving hugs when I was super tired!
I wish I’d taken…
AA: A Winnebago ... I f#%^*+$¥ hate camping.
SS: A hot water bottle. Although I'd have had to wait 3 hours for the hot water to fill it...
PD: An inflatable mattress. I was in a world of discomfort when I woke up in the morning.
Any lessons learnt?
AA: Remember Dewey grass is wet ... soaking trainers and socks even before the run!
EG: When running around there were some inspirational quotes and one than sticks in my mind is "pain is temporary quitting is forever".
RM: I needed to plan my time better between laps with regards to fuelling and resting. I struggled to eat overnight which then impacted upon my next lap.
Would you do it again?
EG: Definitely.
SS: Currently no. I'm glad I did it, it was a massive achievement but I don't think I’m in a rush to repeat the experience!
PD: YES! Without hesitation!
AA: In a heartbeat for some delusional reason -just so much fun being with everyone
RM: I am loathe to admit it, but yes, I probably would. More because of the team spirit and support. I know what to expect now and so would be fully prepared.
And one word to sum up the weekend…? (Epic, brutal and relentless not allowed!!)
EG: Preposterous beforehand…however, on reflection…stupendous
SS: Damp
PD: Bewildering!
RM: Solidarity!
AA: Awesome
Epic, Brutal, Relentless - Team Tina Mizuno Endure 24 report
After months of coughing and spluttering, the day arrived...June 15th was here and 24 hours of mud, sweat and running was about to commence!
Team Tina was named as a nod to our 5th member Tina Jury who sadly couldn’t make this year’s event but in her honour consisted of Mike Day, Simon Holman, Alex Humber and me, Simon Boyden. Mike had Pink ‘TJ’ running tops made and Simon H acquired some cow print bandanas.
None of us really knew what to expect as the 12 noon start time approached. Nervously, we gathered at the Start/Finish line like children on the first day of school, a team of four that was due to take it in turns to run/walk the circuit over the next 24 hours.
Mike Day had the honours of starting us off on the 5 mile undulating loop of Wasing Park set in beautiful Berkshire countryside. To start with the weather was good and it wasn’t too bad under foot.
Run 1 – I was the third person in our team to set off and waited in the transition area just after the finish line for Alex to complete his run, we exchanged wristbands and off I went into the great unknown. From the grass of the Start Finish area and onto the tarmac estate road leading up ‘The Hill of No Return’ before turning on to the tracks and bridleways that made up the majority of the circuit. The majority of the route is pretty flat with a couple of undulations that get much steeper the more circuits you complete!
Halfway through my first circuit, the heavens opened quickly turning the tracks muddy and the grass very slippery, the worst section being the downhill section in ‘Paices Wood’. Luckily I didn’t fall but I did witness a particularly bad ‘crash’ as one of the faster athletes tried to pass us slowbies on the hilly descent and fell heavily then knocking 2 others over as he slipped uncontrollably down the slope.
Once through the forest section the last ½ km was back into the village and camping area where encouragement was to be had from the gathered spectators before crossing the finishing line and handing over to the other Simon H for his turn. Mike met me with a welcome drink and protein bar and we compared laps.
At this stage, when running at home, that 5 miles would be my lot for 2/3 days, but on this day my next lap was approximately 3 hours away so I had to think of food and water intake and getting some rest.
My difficulty was there had been a cock up with the tent. The promised ‘Buckingham Palace’ tent had turned into a 2 up, 2 down which meant I didn’t have my own space to rest up.
Thankfully, the WFC Ladies team had a number of camping chairs, which together with the Mills’ family and Simon H’s gas stoves, tea (very slow to boil because of the wind) was made, food eaten and some rest was had
Everyone had now done 1 circuit and we knew what to expect. The second run came round quickly.
Run 2 – Luckily, the sun was now out and the windy conditions meant the circuit has dried up somewhat more than expected. The tactic (suggested by Coach James) from now on was the walk up the steeper inclines and run the rest. This run went surprising well as I had expected it to be a lot harder. That said my legs had started to ache and feel heavy.
Back to camp, bacon and sausage sandwiches were on the menu together with a cup of tea. As mentioned, the conditions were windy which meant the kettle took FOREVER (okay 45 minutes) to boil. I made a drink for those who wanted one....chivalry prevented me from having mine in lieu of the ladies, Philippa Drew included, who promptly dropped her beautifully made peppermint tea onto the table knocking over Anne’s drink! 45 minutes to boil....and gone in 4.5 seconds! We love PD!
Run 3 – I loved this run! I was at the start around 10pm as the light was fading and the moon was up, the DJ was playing some great old school dance music and there was a party atmosphere at the Start/Finish line. Also there was 1R who was waiting for her turn. I knew that if I started before her, the competitive streak within me would want to try and keep her behind me as long as possible. To my surprise, that and the atmosphere made me run well. Throw away the stopwatch. I felt I did my best run on the third run. Loved it....but 1R did catch me with about 1 mile from the finish line!
After that run and with darkness having descended I returned to camp. It’s at this time, with your team and the other teams well into the 3rd and 4th runs no one is about....they’re out on circuit, they’re showering, they’re resting up.
Team Jury had decided that after Simon H’s run, that was it for the evening. So I had some food and took a shower before taking myself off to the car for a sleep on the back seat.....very comfortable.
Run 4 – My Favourite Run. I’m a morning person, so the chance to run this loop at 3.45am, as the sun was coming up, was right up my street. My legs were sore and heavy and fatigue had set in, but running through the wood accompanied by the dawn chorus was one of the highlights of the weekend.
With no one waiting at the finish line, I hid our team wristband in camp ready for the next person and back off to the car for me!
Run 5 – It’s raining again! The weather had turned again, but I promised myself a massage and one of the posh pizzas that I saw Anne inhaling the previous evening if I did just one more loop. It wasn’t quick, indeed I was very tired and did walk maybe 2 miles of that final loop, but I did it. The massage was painful, but the pizza was amazing!
I would say to anyone thinking of doing this event....DON’T HESTITATE....I loved the atmosphere and the camaraderie of the WFC teams being together in a wonderful setting. Physically, I never thought I was capable of doing anything approaching 25 miles in less than 24 hours.
A massive thank you to everyone who took part, I shall be better prepared next year.
We missed you Tina x
Exmoor X-Series Half – By Jake
On Saturday I took part in my first Maverick race choosing the Exmoor X-Series half, apparently also known as ‘The Beast’! As the website says ‘the toughest event of our Maverick events calendar due to the stomach-churning amount of vertical ascent of over 1800m on our Marathon route’. Luckily it was only 1000m of climbing for me on the medium route.
After a week of torrential rain I was a little apprehensive of what conditions to expect but the rain decided to give it a rest, it was still pretty firm underfoot and we even had the odd bit of blue sky.
The route took runners into the rugged Exmoor National Park and along some stunning sections of the South West Coast Path. The valley of rocks was a particular highlight (downhill). The 280m, 3.5km climb out of Lynmouth was challenging but at the same time offered breathe taking views. Winding back inland to the finish provided a change of scenery through ancient woodland and along raging rivers.
It was a fantastic experience, well run, stunning route and very friendly fellow runners. I spent my whole time chasing James from Weymouth, even on the extra detour mile with only 2km to go! As a WFCR I then decided to sample all cakes on offer, pick of the bunch was the Bakewell tart for me.
General Announcements
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
The race calendar is now stored here: https://wfcrunners.blogspot.com/2019/01/race-calendar-2019-and-beyond.html
Race Kit
The full range of kit available to purchase and instructions on how to order can be found in the following link: https://wfcrunners.blogspot.com/2019/01/kit-details-and-prices.html
1min sprint at 5km pace with jog recovery
1min 30sec sprint at 10km pace with jog recovery
It was a warm evening and the team pushed themselves really hard throughout both sets of sprints and were pretty exhausted at the end! We then jogged back to Garnier Road where we stretched and cooled down.
Next week's session is at Abbey Gardens at 7pm. Please note; originally we were due to meet at the South Winchester park and ride, but we have changed to Abbey Gardens!
Endure24 by Philippa D, Anne A, Elise G, Sharon S and Rachel MHow many laps were you aiming for? And how many did you actually do?
AA: I think it dawned on me late Friday tea time that I would end up doing more than 25 miles eeek!
EG: Thought I would do 4 ended up doing 6 (6th lap was a walk with AA & 1R).
SS: I wasn't as fit as I was hoping going into the event so decided I would be happy if I managed to complete 3 or 4. I managed 6 in the end although the last lap was all walking. I definitely couldn't have done more as I was truly broken and in pain with every step!
PD: Having been floored by a cold in the days before the race I was just aiming for 2 at best. Ended up doing 5!
RM: In true Mills style, I had planned everything I was taking but hadn’t really thought about the running! In my head I had thought that 3 laps = 15 miles would be nice to aim for. AA pointed out we could potentially be running 5 or 6 in the 24-hour period, so obviously I ended up doing 6 as the seed had been planted!!
What was your high point?
AA: Crossing the finish line as Tit Club, all together.
EG: High point Pretty much the whole weekend enjoyed every minute of it from start to finish. OneR's Chocolate Brownies not only were they the best I have ever tasted but they gave me the energy I needed.
SS: Saturday night's pizza. I devoured it and it was sooo good. Mind you the hot chocolate with Baileys around 11pm was pretty good too.
RM: Spending time with such a lovely group of people! It was a tough weekend of endurance and everyone looked out for each other and provided support right through the event.
And your low point…?
AA: Retching by the side of the track on lap 2 ... until Mr Humber rescued me!EG: How cold it was camping on Fri night!PD: Waking up in the middle of the night for lap 4. Knackered, disorientated and felt like I was either going to cry or be sick (a bit of pre-run malt loaf made everything better!)
Which lap was your favourite?
SS: Lap 3 around 10pm so my 1st night run. I'd eaten so was probably the only lap I was actually properly fuelled for and I was wearing my headphones which helped a lot. Weird but fun running through the dark. The absolute highlight though was then catching up with Simon B. Our little chat and selfie really gave me a boost.
PD: Lap 3 at about 11pm. Still relatively awake, uninjured, super-excited to have my first lap in the dark and feeling very much in the midst of something rather special!
RM: Lap 4. It was at approximately 00:30am and pitch black. A surreal experience relying on the light of my headtorch, squelching through mud!
What was your favourite part of the course?
EG: The bit with Elvis, but I only discovered he was giving out jelly beans on the final lap.
SS: I liked the wooded bit near the end. Lots of tree roots to concentrate on and I actually quite liked the scary downhill bits. I have to admit it was more controlled falling than running!
RM: Despite it having Heartbreak Hill it seems that mile 3 was my fastest mile on each lap. Maybe it was the joy of it being over with that made me speed up!
I’m really glad I took….
PD: My eye mask. It got light very, very early!!
RM: Will! He loves camping and so helped set up and was great at offering snacks to all the WFC runners and making tea. Also giving hugs when I was super tired!
I wish I’d taken…
AA: A Winnebago ... I f#%^*+$¥ hate camping.
SS: A hot water bottle. Although I'd have had to wait 3 hours for the hot water to fill it...
PD: An inflatable mattress. I was in a world of discomfort when I woke up in the morning.
Any lessons learnt?
AA: Remember Dewey grass is wet ... soaking trainers and socks even before the run!
EG: When running around there were some inspirational quotes and one than sticks in my mind is "pain is temporary quitting is forever".
RM: I needed to plan my time better between laps with regards to fuelling and resting. I struggled to eat overnight which then impacted upon my next lap.
Would you do it again?
EG: Definitely.SS: Currently no. I'm glad I did it, it was a massive achievement but I don't think I’m in a rush to repeat the experience!
PD: YES! Without hesitation!
AA: In a heartbeat for some delusional reason -just so much fun being with everyone
RM: I am loathe to admit it, but yes, I probably would. More because of the team spirit and support. I know what to expect now and so would be fully prepared.
And one word to sum up the weekend…? (Epic, brutal and relentless not allowed!!)
EG: Preposterous beforehand…however, on reflection…stupendous
SS: Damp
PD: Bewildering!
RM: Solidarity!
AA: Awesome
Epic, Brutal, Relentless - Team Tina Mizuno Endure 24 report
After months of coughing and spluttering, the day arrived...June 15th was here and 24 hours of mud, sweat and running was about to commence!
Team Tina was named as a nod to our 5th member Tina Jury who sadly couldn’t make this year’s event but in her honour consisted of Mike Day, Simon Holman, Alex Humber and me, Simon Boyden. Mike had Pink ‘TJ’ running tops made and Simon H acquired some cow print bandanas.
None of us really knew what to expect as the 12 noon start time approached. Nervously, we gathered at the Start/Finish line like children on the first day of school, a team of four that was due to take it in turns to run/walk the circuit over the next 24 hours.
Mike Day had the honours of starting us off on the 5 mile undulating loop of Wasing Park set in beautiful Berkshire countryside. To start with the weather was good and it wasn’t too bad under foot.
Run 1 – I was the third person in our team to set off and waited in the transition area just after the finish line for Alex to complete his run, we exchanged wristbands and off I went into the great unknown. From the grass of the Start Finish area and onto the tarmac estate road leading up ‘The Hill of No Return’ before turning on to the tracks and bridleways that made up the majority of the circuit. The majority of the route is pretty flat with a couple of undulations that get much steeper the more circuits you complete!
Once through the forest section the last ½ km was back into the village and camping area where encouragement was to be had from the gathered spectators before crossing the finishing line and handing over to the other Simon H for his turn. Mike met me with a welcome drink and protein bar and we compared laps.
At this stage, when running at home, that 5 miles would be my lot for 2/3 days, but on this day my next lap was approximately 3 hours away so I had to think of food and water intake and getting some rest.
My difficulty was there had been a cock up with the tent. The promised ‘Buckingham Palace’ tent had turned into a 2 up, 2 down which meant I didn’t have my own space to rest up.
Thankfully, the WFC Ladies team had a number of camping chairs, which together with the Mills’ family and Simon H’s gas stoves, tea (very slow to boil because of the wind) was made, food eaten and some rest was had
Everyone had now done 1 circuit and we knew what to expect. The second run came round quickly.
Run 2 – Luckily, the sun was now out and the windy conditions meant the circuit has dried up somewhat more than expected. The tactic (suggested by Coach James) from now on was the walk up the steeper inclines and run the rest. This run went surprising well as I had expected it to be a lot harder. That said my legs had started to ache and feel heavy.
Back to camp, bacon and sausage sandwiches were on the menu together with a cup of tea. As mentioned, the conditions were windy which meant the kettle took FOREVER (okay 45 minutes) to boil. I made a drink for those who wanted one....chivalry prevented me from having mine in lieu of the ladies, Philippa Drew included, who promptly dropped her beautifully made peppermint tea onto the table knocking over Anne’s drink! 45 minutes to boil....and gone in 4.5 seconds! We love PD!
Run 3 – I loved this run! I was at the start around 10pm as the light was fading and the moon was up, the DJ was playing some great old school dance music and there was a party atmosphere at the Start/Finish line. Also there was 1R who was waiting for her turn. I knew that if I started before her, the competitive streak within me would want to try and keep her behind me as long as possible. To my surprise, that and the atmosphere made me run well. Throw away the stopwatch. I felt I did my best run on the third run. Loved it....but 1R did catch me with about 1 mile from the finish line!
After that run and with darkness having descended I returned to camp. It’s at this time, with your team and the other teams well into the 3rd and 4th runs no one is about....they’re out on circuit, they’re showering, they’re resting up.
Team Jury had decided that after Simon H’s run, that was it for the evening. So I had some food and took a shower before taking myself off to the car for a sleep on the back seat.....very comfortable.
With no one waiting at the finish line, I hid our team wristband in camp ready for the next person and back off to the car for me!
Run 5 – It’s raining again! The weather had turned again, but I promised myself a massage and one of the posh pizzas that I saw Anne inhaling the previous evening if I did just one more loop. It wasn’t quick, indeed I was very tired and did walk maybe 2 miles of that final loop, but I did it. The massage was painful, but the pizza was amazing!
I would say to anyone thinking of doing this event....DON’T HESTITATE....I loved the atmosphere and the camaraderie of the WFC teams being together in a wonderful setting. Physically, I never thought I was capable of doing anything approaching 25 miles in less than 24 hours.
A massive thank you to everyone who took part, I shall be better prepared next year.
We missed you Tina x
Exmoor X-Series Half – By Jake
On Saturday I took part in my first Maverick race choosing the Exmoor X-Series half, apparently also known as ‘The Beast’! As the website says ‘the toughest event of our Maverick events calendar due to the stomach-churning amount of vertical ascent of over 1800m on our Marathon route’. Luckily it was only 1000m of climbing for me on the medium route.
After a week of torrential rain I was a little apprehensive of what conditions to expect but the rain decided to give it a rest, it was still pretty firm underfoot and we even had the odd bit of blue sky.
The route took runners into the rugged Exmoor National Park and along some stunning sections of the South West Coast Path. The valley of rocks was a particular highlight (downhill). The 280m, 3.5km climb out of Lynmouth was challenging but at the same time offered breathe taking views. Winding back inland to the finish provided a change of scenery through ancient woodland and along raging rivers.
It was a fantastic experience, well run, stunning route and very friendly fellow runners. I spent my whole time chasing James from Weymouth, even on the extra detour mile with only 2km to go! As a WFCR I then decided to sample all cakes on offer, pick of the bunch was the Bakewell tart for me.
General Announcements
WFC Running Club Calendar
- 27th June - Abbey Gardens
- 29th June - Coach James’ 250th parkrun and team breakfast afterwards
- 1st July - Track Session
- 4th July - South Winchester Park and Ride
- 11th July - Abbey Gardens
- 18th July - Garnier Road
WFC parkrun Club
- 27th June - Abbey Gardens
- 29th June - Coach James’ 250th parkrun and team breakfast afterwards
- 1st July - Track Session
- 4th July - South Winchester Park and Ride
- 11th July - Abbey Gardens
- 18th July - Garnier Road
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
The race calendar is now stored here: https://wfcrunners.blogspot.com/2019/01/race-calendar-2019-and-beyond.html
Race Kit
The full range of kit available to purchase and instructions on how to order can be found in the following link: https://wfcrunners.blogspot.com/2019/01/kit-details-and-prices.html
