This week the big news was Alistair Jury running the Berlin Marathon. In what must've been an emotional rollercoaster Al posted a superb time of 5:07:23 and was supported en route by his wonderful kids. Well done Al.
In addition we has Simon H running the Ageas Bowl 10km. Despite some glute pains in the last few kms Simon posted a superb time of 58:14.
It was also the first of our Fit Club parkrun tours where we headed over to Alice Holt parkrun near Farnham (not Alton, sorry!). I was so chuffed with the turn out with over 20 runners and supporters.
The course is a tough, hilly trail course that really tested the runners. It was such a nice enough morning though that we were able to sit outside afterwards and have breakfast in the sunshine, which was fantastic. Thank you to everyone who made it such a fun morning! I will be in contact soon about the next one!This weekend we have the Clarendon Marathon, relay and half as well as the Bournemouth Marathon and Half. Best of luck to everyone running!
This week we had 23 Fit Clubbers at 2 different parkrun venues. We had 18 at our inaugural Fit Club parkrun tour to Alice Holt and we also had Alice D, Anna H, Jo, Pav and Fran at Winchester.
With Alice Holt being such a tough course there were few opportunities to get any PBs, however Olivia managed a course PB of nearly 2 minutes running 32:10. At home we also had a PB for Anna at Winchester of 23:41. Maggie H from our C25K group also got another PB at Winchester. Congratulations everyone!
Congratulations to everyone who ran and volunteered.
Here is a link to the consolidated club report: http://www.parkrun.com/
Race Reports
Richmond Marathon by Glenna Greenslade
Earlier this year my son, Daniel, suggested that he could pace me round a marathon to try and get me good for age time for London, in under 5 hours. He thought it was achievable although I wasn’t sure I wanted to run a marathon, but then came the buzz of the London marathon approaching and the subject cropped up again. I spoke to Coach James and asked him if he thought I could manage to get round a marathon and he said he thought I could. So, with support and encouragement from members of this group, I entered.
I found a training plan to follow and training commenced. During these training runs I did wonder many times if I had the endurance to run 26.2 miles. A friend from my Eastleigh parkrun days, who had run quite a few marathons some years ago, came out with me on a few of my long runs to pace me. My husband Dave came out on most of my runs cycling behind, finding different routes and carrying drinks and snacks. With Daniel living in Kingston it wasn’t easy to train together but we did manage a 14 mile training session that went well and gave me much needed confidence. I slowly increased my mileage to 20 miles before tapering off, by which time I felt I was as ready as I was going to be.
The morning of the marathon arrived; we travelled by bus to the start in Kew Gardens, leaving Dan’s at 6:35am! Dave cycled to Kew and met up with us, Dan and I then made our way to the start and soon we were off on this incredible journey of mine. Daniel’s strategy was to do 11-minute miles. The route initially took us 3.5 miles around Kew Gardens, which was amazing at 8am on a beautiful morning.
Once out of Kew we followed the river Thames passing Richmond Bridge and Teddington Lock, where we were a little ahead of schedule so we slowed down a little and I took a gel at 8 miles but not long after that I started to feel nauseous (I had tried gels in training) but otherwise felt ok. We then entered Canbury Gardens, just before Kingston Bridge, and Daniel told me to expect a surprise, I knew Dave, Becky and my granddaughters would be there but nothing prepared me for the surprise of also seeing James and Olivia and my two granddaughters holding up huge posters of encouragement. Seeing them all really lifted me and I made time for some hugs with them, then we were off over Kingston Bridge, and on to Hampton Court Palace.
We reached 13 miles, spot on our schedule, (2hrs 24 min) but it was at this point that my stomach was giving me more problems, I was still feeling nauseous and it was getting ever hotter with minimal shade. I didn’t take another gel as I realised it was probably the gel that upset my stomach; Daniel was making sure I had lots of water. Dave was cycling around the course meeting up with us in several places topping us up with water and taking photos and giving me encouragement. We were on our way back to Kingston Bridge and then at 19 miles we would be seeing Dave, Becky, James and the 3 girls again. As we entered Canbury Gardens once more we could hear them cheering us on from afar, (I think Dan was texting to say we were on our way!) it was great, we did a loop in the gardens and went past them again, still cheering and waving the posters. It really did boost me as I was feeling quite drained by this time.
I knew we weren’t going to finish in 5 hours so we were going for 5:30 hours. During the last 6 miles I was walking more than running and Dan asked me a few times if I wanted to stop, as it was clear I was unwell and suffering in the heat, but I wouldn’t give up, I wanted to finish this for everyone that had supported me and especially for Daniel, Dave, James and the girls. I was determined to make it within the cut off time of 6 hours. We saw the poster with 600 metres to go and I gave it all I had by running the last 600 metres and once we entered Old Deer Park the gang were all there cheering us in and the 3 girls ran along to the finish with us. It was amazing to finish and I am so glad I did this; it was a very special thing to do with my son.
I knew we weren’t going to finish in 5 hours so we were going for 5:30 hours. During the last 6 miles I was walking more than running and Dan asked me a few times if I wanted to stop, as it was clear I was unwell and suffering in the heat, but I wouldn’t give up, I wanted to finish this for everyone that had supported me and especially for Daniel, Dave, James and the girls. I was determined to make it within the cut off time of 6 hours. We saw the poster with 600 metres to go and I gave it all I had by running the last 600 metres and once we entered Old Deer Park the gang were all there cheering us in and the 3 girls ran along to the finish with us. It was amazing to finish and I am so glad I did this; it was a very special thing to do with my son.
The course was flat and very scenic, narrow in places. It was very well organised and marshaled with plenty of water and lucozade stations.
I would just like thank you all for the encouragement and support that you showed me during my training and after finishing. I didn’t achieve this on my own.
Winchester Half by Simon Boyden
9.55am 22nd September. I was sheltering from the rain beneath a hanging basket outside Winchester Guildhall and the heavens had just opened. It was the start of the Winchester Half Marathon. GULP!
My inspiration to ‘run’ this, my first Half Marathon was our late friend and fellow Running Club member Tina Jury. The thoughts and emotions that her honesty in fighting cancer and her passing stirred in me was something that I had not expected.....and that included running 13.1 miles!
I had put my name down for the Winchester Half back in early June, but so mindful of a disapproving look from my wife Sally that I didn’t tell her until a few weeks later...in fact I had told Coach James first!
Training had gone pretty well until 10 days before when I had pulled a thigh muscle which did cast I doubt in my mind, but here I was at the start line and there was no going back.
My logic was this, I was to split the route into smaller more manageable sections. I knew from talking to the other members of the running club that friends and volunteers would be watching the race from various points and I would use that to get me as far as possible .....ie, get to that particular point intact, use the encouragement of a friendly face as motivation to get to the next friendly face.The race started but it was a while before I crossed the start line.....I was right at the back. The first section was straightforward enough, but in my mind it was potentially the toughest section and that was up St James’s Lane and the first (rather steep) hill. In my mind the thought process went...get to the top of the hill okay and Team Westoby would be there to support and onwards through to the next section. The hill was a challenge but I did it and sure enough the Westobys and Philippa ‘I've sorted the weather out’ Drew were there to offer encouragement. Also, the 2hr 25 minutes pacers were only a few steps in front of me.
The next section was to get to Mike Hastie on Sarum Road and importantly in my thinking, the start of the downhill section to Hursley. The field had started to spread out by the time I saw Mike....section 2 completed.
On I went, the route then started downhill towards Hursley via a welcome water station at the 3 mile mark. Can I say, the eco friendly water cartons were great. I was able to run whilst taking small sips and retain the water in the carton by putting my thumb over the dispensing hole, so no gulping down water in one go and no stitch! On the way down to Hursley it had also stopped raining!!!
Into Hursley and with the 2.25 pacers still in sight I was still feeling surprisingly okay, I picked up a banana and more water at the water station and then set off up Port Lane where I went through the 10km marker in 1 hr 7 minutes which encouraged we. I knew Port Lane because it formed part of my training route and I was still feeling okay by the time I got to the top of it.....however, I wasn’t prepared for the next kilometre or so. The undulating section before the Team Mills water station in Oliver’s Battery was really tough. It just seemed to sap me of all my energy. I was so pleased to see Rachel, Simon and family when I got there. However at this stage, the pacers had disappeared from view never to be seen by me again!
From Oliver’s Battery it was downhill through a Badgers Farm and onto Stanmore Lane via a welcome handful of marshmallows and encouragement from Shelley and onto St Cross Road.
The last 3 miles was really hard. As we turned off St Cross Road and onto Five Bridges Road my head said ‘finishing straight’ but my legs had turned to jelly....and no amount of marshmallows were going to save me. I think the combination of the two hills and the distance covered had taken me to my limit.
That last section from FiveBridges Road and back down the railway line and into Winchester was familiar and the support welcome (past the still joyful parkrun Pom Pom lady, Su).....although it had started to rain again.
Into Winchester itself which spurred me on from the stumble that had become my running technique by this stage and it was so good to see Sally and my son Fred when I got to The Square...not long to go now.
As I turned from Market Lane and onto the finishing line I could see Alf....his encouragement was very welcome.....on past Phily and across the finishing line where I was met by James with a big hug! I had done it, or rather IT had done me. I was exhausted and my legs were not doing what was being asked of them....but that didn’t matter now.....until I got to the Guildhall steps!
May I give a big thank you to Sally for egging me on over the last few weeks, and Coach James for your support and advice. I really appreciated it and very I’m grateful.
My time was slow, but I have something to work on and aim for next year....if I can get to the Oliver’s Battery water station feeling okay, then 2hrs 15 minutes is ON!!!
This club is for everyone and everyone including a big chap like me has been made to feel welcome....thank you to all!
Winchester Half by Coach James
This was the second time I had run the Winchester Half, the first being back in 2017, and it's a race that I love. The course is varied and the support is always superb, especially from the Fit Club team.
With the Bournemouth Half being my target Autumn race this was to be used as my last long run before I started my taper. I was targeting beating my PB of 1:47 but was hopeful of running under 1:45.
After seeing the team and dropping my bag off I headed to the start. The heavens opened so I took cover by the Guildhall whilst waiting for the "warm-up" (a pet hate of mine) to be concluded. One last wee and I headed to the start with Alf and Colin.
As I had done previously I had decided to start off with a pacer 5-10 minutes slower than my target time, so this was the 1:55 pacer. This ensured I didn't go off too hard up the first hill. As soon as I got to the hospital it was time to push on. Colin and I were running a similar pace and so we set about tackling the first few miles of hills. By the time we reached 3 miles we had caught the 1:50 pacer and had hit the long downhill section to Hursley.
I had decided to push the pace on this section and make gains on the 1:45 pacers down the road. This worked and I felt good by the time I turned on to Port Lane. Colin and I were still running well together and by mile 7.5 we had caught the 1:45 pace bus. It was also around here that James H ghosted past us like we were stood still...he looked very comfortable!
On the hill up to Oliver's Battery the 1:45 pacers pulled clear of us again, but that was ok as I knew we would get them again in Badger Farm. We soon reached the top of the hill and were greeted by the Mills' who were expertly manning the water station at 8.5 miles. I've never been so pleased to see them!
After that it was time to push on and Colin and I really pushed the pace down the hill through Badger Farm. We caught and passed the 1:45 pacers again and pulled clear. At the bottom of the hill we passed the 10 mile marker and knew we had just 5k to go. We maintained our pace well through mile 11 but it was clear that I was starting to tie up a little and by mile 12 Colin had dropped me and started to pull away.
It was a slog all the way until the turn into the cathedral square, and then I knew it was all downhill to the finish. The support was amazing and I picked the pace up into the finish. I was so chuffed with my 1:43 time and more importantly how I had paced myself around teh course.
The Fit Club support en route was absolutely amazing with so many members out in fairly crappy weather cheering us on. We also had a superb contingent volunteering on the day, which was also very pleasing to see. I would like to thank Colin for his support on the way round. There were times when I was flagging and having Colin there to keep me going really helped. I would also like to congratulate everyone who participated for the superb times, especially those of you who were running the distance for the first time. Can't wait until next year!
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
Winchester Half by Coach James
This was the second time I had run the Winchester Half, the first being back in 2017, and it's a race that I love. The course is varied and the support is always superb, especially from the Fit Club team.
With the Bournemouth Half being my target Autumn race this was to be used as my last long run before I started my taper. I was targeting beating my PB of 1:47 but was hopeful of running under 1:45. After seeing the team and dropping my bag off I headed to the start. The heavens opened so I took cover by the Guildhall whilst waiting for the "warm-up" (a pet hate of mine) to be concluded. One last wee and I headed to the start with Alf and Colin.
As I had done previously I had decided to start off with a pacer 5-10 minutes slower than my target time, so this was the 1:55 pacer. This ensured I didn't go off too hard up the first hill. As soon as I got to the hospital it was time to push on. Colin and I were running a similar pace and so we set about tackling the first few miles of hills. By the time we reached 3 miles we had caught the 1:50 pacer and had hit the long downhill section to Hursley.
I had decided to push the pace on this section and make gains on the 1:45 pacers down the road. This worked and I felt good by the time I turned on to Port Lane. Colin and I were still running well together and by mile 7.5 we had caught the 1:45 pace bus. It was also around here that James H ghosted past us like we were stood still...he looked very comfortable!
On the hill up to Oliver's Battery the 1:45 pacers pulled clear of us again, but that was ok as I knew we would get them again in Badger Farm. We soon reached the top of the hill and were greeted by the Mills' who were expertly manning the water station at 8.5 miles. I've never been so pleased to see them!After that it was time to push on and Colin and I really pushed the pace down the hill through Badger Farm. We caught and passed the 1:45 pacers again and pulled clear. At the bottom of the hill we passed the 10 mile marker and knew we had just 5k to go. We maintained our pace well through mile 11 but it was clear that I was starting to tie up a little and by mile 12 Colin had dropped me and started to pull away.
It was a slog all the way until the turn into the cathedral square, and then I knew it was all downhill to the finish. The support was amazing and I picked the pace up into the finish. I was so chuffed with my 1:43 time and more importantly how I had paced myself around teh course.
The Fit Club support en route was absolutely amazing with so many members out in fairly crappy weather cheering us on. We also had a superb contingent volunteering on the day, which was also very pleasing to see. I would like to thank Colin for his support on the way round. There were times when I was flagging and having Colin there to keep me going really helped. I would also like to congratulate everyone who participated for the superb times, especially those of you who were running the distance for the first time. Can't wait until next year!
General Announcements
WFC Running Club Calendar
Dates for your diary:
Thursday 3rd October - Normal Session - Dean Lane Park - 19:00
Thursday 3rd October - C25K - Abbey Gardens - 19:15
WFC parkrun Club
Dates for your diary:
Thursday 3rd October - Normal Session - Dean Lane Park - 19:00
Thursday 3rd October - C25K - Abbey Gardens - 19:15
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
No comments:
Post a Comment