Website update… http://comptonharriers

THE HARRIERS HERALD
No. 184, June 2008
Editor: Sue Francis
In brief

Thursday night schedules for June and July Registration of athletes with England Athletics – an update New plaque for Compton Harriers - Ryan’s masterpiece is installed A thank you from Compton Village Hall Committee Rec. Soc. membership for Compton Harriers Copy date for July’s Harriers Herald – 30th June Features and reports
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IAH Relay – The Four Musketeers defend their title Marlborough challenge - sub-3 hour finishes for all six Harriers, and prizes for Ryan and Lucy Kintbury 5 mile race – Sue and Mo get soaked on Bank Holiday Monday Woodland 5 – Lucy reports on a fun evening event Website Update – Mo features hydration, heat and hay fever Events Diary – Mo’s choice of races for the next few months Thursday night schedule for June
Thurs
Thursday night schedule for July
Thurs
Correspondence received
Subject matter
‚10 subscription paid for April 2008 – March 2009 Arthritis Asking for runners to consider raising Notice-board Website for skills & support for sports Check out websitevolunteers (free registration) Acknowledgment of receipt of our club Fileregistration fee Festival Peasemore Festival 5-mile race (14-09-08) Online portal for individual registration England Athletics registration
Sue
Mo and I have logged onto the (not particularly user friendly!) England Athletics online portal to register the
following first claim members for 2008/2009: Andy, Rich, Kirsty, Mo, Tom, Martin, Lucy, Pete, Dick, Sus,
Peter L, Sally, Peter D, Meena, Ryan. The information we had to input for each of you was: name, gender,
DOB, address and e-mail address. We have now sent a cheque to cover the registration fees (‚5 per member) -
this comes from the ‚8 fee you gave to Lucy when you renewed your Harriers membership. England Athletics
should then send you an e-mail with your registration number and an approximate time-frame for when you
will receive your competition licence card by post. Once registered you will be able to access your own details
and add your photo if you wish.
Compton Canter – Saturday 5th July
The third Compton Canter takes place on 5th July in conjunction with Compton Village fete. If you’re able to
help out with marshalling or other duties, please contact Martin or Lucy.
Compton Harriers stone plaque
Thanks to Ryan’s stonemasonry skills, the main entrance to the Rec. Soc. building now sports a smart new
‘plaque’. The plaque is made of Portuguese limestone, and has the wording “The Pickled Pig ~ home of
Compton Harriers” with the Harriers hare logo. This is a nice and much-needed addition to the Rec. Soc.
building, which previously had no outside sign to indicate the location of either the bar or Compton Harriers
meeting place.
A thank you from Compton Village Hall Committee
Following the Compton Downland Challenge event, we were able to make a donation of ‚1000 to our
nominated charity, Compton Village Hall. We have received a letter of thanks from Committee member Dave
Morris, which reads:
“Dear Compton Harriers members,On behalf of the Compton Village Hall Management Committee, I would like to thank you for the ‚1000 you have just donated. It was most generous of you all.
This will help us to pay the ‚1800 for replacement and additional tables and chairs, which I am just about to order.
Thanks once again,Yours truly, Dave Morris (Secretary)” Compton Harriers membership of IAH Rec. Soc.
Sue
At the recent meeting of the IAH Rec. Soc. Committee (I am Compton Harriers representative on the
Committee) I asked for clarification about the requirement for members of Compton Harriers to be members of
Rec. Soc. Our club lost some members this year due to the increased Rec. Soc. fee. These members were those
who have moved away from the area, never use the Rec. Soc. facilities and thus are understandably not
prepared to pay the ‚24 fee. I asked whether it would be possible for C. Harriers to introduce a form of
membership in which members who never use the Rec. Soc. facilities could pay the C. Harriers fee but not the
Rec. Soc. fee. The Rec. Soc. Committee were sympathetic to this, but felt it would be difficult to manage since
it would need to be applied to all Rec. Soc. affiliated sports clubs. As members of C. Harriers have insurance
cover by virtue of the club’s affiliation to ‘England Athletics’, I asked for confirmation of the reason why all
affiliated club members must be Rec. Soc. members. The Rec. Soc. Chairman agreed to check the Rec. Soc.
constitution before the next Committee meeting. I will keep you informed of any further discussions.
Some Harriers who have paid their Rec. Soc. fees have apparently not yet received their membership cards (Peter & Sally?) – are there any others? Let me know, and I’ll speak to Mary, the Rec. Soc. membership Secretary.
IAH Relay, 15th May
Sue
After two weeks of lovely weather, the forecast for relay day was grim. However, by lunchtime the rain had cleared to leave a dry and mild afternoon and conditions were very good for running, if a little cool for the barbecue. Nine teams took part this year. The defending champions, ‘The Four Musketeers’ (Sus, Lucy, Pete and Peter) had a good lead after the first stage but a strong performance by Ryan meant ‘Vorsrpung dorch technik’ had a narrow lead after stage 2. Pete regained the lead for the Musketeers, Peter extended the lead, and they finished with a 1-minute lead to defend their title. ‘Vorsrpung dorch technik’ took second spot, while a good team effort by ‘The Old Boys’ gave them third place. The fastest actual team time was recorded by The Musketeers (41:55) with The Old Boys a close second (42:07). There was some friendly rivalry amongst the Harriers to record the fastest lap time of the evening, with some very close results. Martin ran 9:05, with both Andy and Ryan finishing in 9:07 – all very good performances. Matt Forster (9:21) and Dick (9:37) completed the top five. For the ladies, Sue recorded 9:35, while Fiona Powell made a huge improvement from 2007 (9:54) with Sus (10:25), Lucy (11:01) and Meena (11:42) completing the top five.
We’ve been discussing whether or not to change the handicapping system in future years to make the race more ‘fair’. Some suggestions have been that we abolish handicaps so all teams start together and that members of running clubs should not get any time advantage. If you have any other ideas, let me know. One point that has been made by several ‘non-Harrier’ competitors is that they feel a bit intimidated seeing people wearing ‘Compton Harriers’ vests, so maybe next year we Harriers should be a bit less conspicuous.
The barbecue was well attended and almost sold out of burgers, though we do not yet know how much profit we made.
The more formal approach to race entry this year (a race permit, and an entry form to record all competitors including signing of a disclaimer, as required for insurance via the TRA) seemed to be readily accepted by the majority of competitors. We were also required to pay, to the TRA, ‚2 for each non-affiliated participant (‚42 total, some of which we will be able to reclaim). This was paid from Compton Harriers race account.
Thanks to all the Harriers who helped with the event, especially Mo for designing and operating the race results programme, Dick for organising the race insurance and entry forms, and Jan for time-keeping.
Full results will shortly be available on Compton Harriers website, along with a selection of photos taken by Steve Lambert-Gibbs.
Marlborough Downs Challenge, 20M, 17th May
Seven Harriers took part in this challenging multi-terrain race, with excellent results for all. Peter L says: “I
was apprehensive beforehand, as 13 miles was my longest run to date. I set off with Dick in the mistaken belief
he was still recovering from injury: he fair skipped over the lumpy stuff (except when stopping to poke parts of
his joints back in), pulling me along, told me what was coming and even listened to my jokes until the last mile
when he let me ease out of earshot. I really enjoyed it, hence my excitement to enter my first marathon, which
is to be Abingdon in October”.
Thanks to Lucy for mailing the results:
Kintbury 5-mile race, 26th May
Sue
The weather on Bank Holiday Monday lived up to the forecast – persistent rain, windy and only 11oC. I had pre-entered the Kintbury race but Mo made a very last-minute decision to run instead of spectate, when he jumped on the bathroom scales. I heard mumblings of ‘that can’t be right’….and….’looks like I’m going to have to run then’. There was a mad rush to find his Harriers vest and get his kit together, then we were off, driving through big puddles and dodging bits of trees blown down by the wind.
Once at Kintbury, we parked up and jogged to race HQ, having to jump over a large puddle outside the village sports hall door. There were several large gazebos for us to shelter under while waiting for the start but, having done a warm-up run, most of us were pretty wet before we ventured out to the start line, to be set off by Jenny Pitman’s hooter. After a lap of splashing and skidding round the sports field, we set off on the road uphill towards Inkpen. I had rather a slow start, having started a bit too far back in the field, and didn’t catch my usual lady rivals until after the first mile marker. After this, I tagged on to Lesley Whiley and we passed three more ladies. As is her usual style, Lesley picked up the pace as the race went on (or maybe she just didn’t fade like the rest of us!) and I had to let her go after mile 3, but continued running with two men. From 3.5 to 4.5 miles, the route followed a long straight road with no shelter from the wind, so it was a nice surprise to have some support from Martin and Lucy, who were spectating on this occasion. The last mile was my worst, but I hung on to finish as 3rd lady (37th overall) in 32:13, exactly the same time as last year. Mo was happy to have run all the way and to finish with several competitors behind him, in 55:11 (214th). We were completely soaked. Wringing out his long-sleeved top, Mo reckoned that the weight of water in his clothes had added a good two minutes to his time!The presentations were made by race organiser Dave Wright. The first man was David Fry of Newbury A.C. in 27:13, and the first lady Sarah Gee (Reading RR) in 30:15. Once again, it was a well-organised, well-attended and enjoyable local event.
The Woodland 5, Wednesday 28th May
Lucy
The Woodland 5 'and a bit' (turns out to be 0.7!) starts and finishes in the middle of Bracknell forest, with parking in the visitors car park of Broadmoor Hospital/high security prison (yes that one!) in Crowthorne. It starts at 7:30 pm (Wednesday night) and is a nice, relaxed kind of race, but quite competitive in the front ranks. We started on the top of an undulation for a quick start but were soon pegging it up a steeper hill, although not for long. There were twists and turns and many ups and downs, big puddles, logs, ditches and a precipitous climb that we did twice. Just when it looked like we were going round for a 3rd time, one of the marshals shouted '50 yards to go' and I was sprinting towards the finishing funnel, still in the middle of nowhere. There was water at the finish, and a friendly comparing of injuries and mud-soakedness, followed by a half-mile jog back to the car park. The Finch Coasters have another 2 of these races, on 25th June and 30th July 2008. They only cost a fiver and, if you can make it, I'm sure you'll find it well worth the trip.
Race results in brief
Lucy had an excellent race in The Three Forts Marathon to finish as 2nd lady (4:19) and just 5
minutes behind the first lady. Meanwhile, Ryan was among the top-finishers in the Hagbourne 5-
mile race.
Website update… http://www.comptonharriers.org.uk
Mo
As a follow up to last months article on marathon preparation etc, I recommend reading a very interesting
article on Runner’s World that looks at the hydration and heat challenges facing summer marathon runners.
Just click on the following - I hope your nude performances go well!
Now for a little advice I found in another article on ‘Beating Injury’… Unless you're very lucky, or very cautious, or both, then injury will strike at some point. But watching out for the warning signs and following a few tips could prevent the worst psychological effects and help get you back on the road a bit quicker. Discomfort is normal; sudden or increasing pain isn't. Be aware, and be prepared to stop. Our experienced and knowledgeable sub-3:00 marathon runner is just as likely as our determined but na‡ve beginner to tough out the pain, but both will end up on the bench. If self-treatment (rest, ice, painkillers or anti-inflammatories) doesn't work after a few days, seek professional help. A good sports physio is ideal, but don't be put off by the negative press that a few unsympathetic GPs have had. Most are keen to help. Keep things in perspective. It's probably not terminal. By all means get angry and fed up - and if it was overtraining that led to the injury, learn the lesson! But there are other things in life. Do them for a while. Cross-train. It's unlikely that your running injury will stop you doing everything physical. Walk, swim, go to the gym, cycle. Vast numbers of triathletes go into the sport because they were injured for a time. Continue to set goals in whatever you do. Achievement in anything is a mental boost. Don't go back to training too early. Listen to advice, including your own. Would you advise someone else to do what you're about to do, when you take a sneaky jog around the block 'to test it out'? Warm weather and pollen in the air means one thing… so if you are a hay fever sufferer and find it hard going when you’re out running, how about the following tips from other runners that seem to do the trick for them … Wear sunglasses - it stops your eyes from itching. Neals Yard does herbs and oils, and a hayfever tea. Sounds weird but it works a treat. Another option is the Low Histamine Diet. It is a bit restrictive, but works on the basis that some foods are naturally high in histamine so cutting it out decreases the overall load on your system. Ask your doctor for singulair monteleukast tablets. They were originally made for people with asthma but they work extremely well for people with hayfever. A spoonful of local honey can work wonders - the idea is that you have a teaspoon a day to build up your natural defence against the local pollen that you will be running through.
And finally, following my performance in the Kintbury 5 mile on Bank Holiday Monday, a few words of wisdom … I think I’ll call it ‘Mo’s Proverb’ … “Although I may not run as fast or as long as I used to, that's OK; it's the process of running that matters, not the speed or destination”. Events Diary: Most entry forms can be downloaded from race websites; others are likely to be on the club notice board.
Sat 07 Jun 08 DORNEY DASH 10K, 10:00am, Eton College Rowing Centre, Dorney
Sun 08 Jun 08 KENNET KANTER 10mile & 5K FR, 11:00am, The Green, Devizes
WALLINGFORD THAMES 14K, 10:30am, Howbery Park, Wallingford
Sun 15 Jun 08 RIDGEWAY RELAY, 07:30am Ivinghoe Beacon
WARGRAVE 10K, 10:00am Victoria Rd Recreation Ground
Thur 26 Jun 08 IAH BOUNDARY RUN, 5:40 pm, IAH Main Gates
Open to Rec Soc members and site employees only.
Sun 29 Jun 08 LAMBOURN 6K FUN RUN, 10:30am, The Lambourn Centre
Club notice board or email lambournrec@westberks.gov.uk Sat 05 Jul 08
THE COMPTON CANTER, 2:00 pm Recreation Gnd, Compton, Berks
Sun 06 Jul 08 9th BEWL 15 mile run, 10:30am, Uplands C College, Wadhurst, E Sussex
TADLEY RUNNERS SUMMER 10K, 11:00am, Hurst Community College
Sun 13 Jul 08 DIDCOT 5, 09:30am,Willowbrook Leisure Centre, Bowmont Water, Didcot 5 miles
NEW FOREST 10, 11:15am, New Park Farm, Brockenhurst
Wed 23 Jul 08 BARBURY CASTLE TRACK ‘N’ TRAIL, 7:30pm,Barbury Castle, Wilts 5 miles
Sun 27 Jul 08 DOWN TOW UP FLOW ‚ Mthn, 10:00am Windsor Leisure Centre
Sun 10 Aug 08 BEARBROOK JOGGERS 10K, 10:00am, Aylsbry FC, W Turville, Bucks 10k
Sun 31 Aug 08 RUNOXFORD HEADINGTON 10K, 10:30am,Worminghall Airfld, Bucks 10k
Sat 06 Sep 08 OVERTON 5MILE ROAD RACE, 3:00pm, Rec. Centre, Overton, Hants
Sun 14 Sep 08 PEASEMORE FESTIVAL 5MILE, 10:30am Peasemore Rec.
Sun 21 Sep 08 THE BONESHAKER, 10:30am Ardington Sports Club
Sat 20 Sep 08
IoW FELL RUNNING SERIES, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Sun 28 Sep 08 ADP HIGHCLERE 10K, 10:30 am, Highclere Castle
Sun 19 Oct 08 ABINGDON MARATHON, 9:00 am, Tilsley Park, Abingdon
Berkshire Road Running Championships 2008 (last 2 events in this year’s series)
Distance
Don’t forget … if you are looking for events other than those listed above, then just click on the Union Jack in the menu bar of our website and follow the various links.
(Mo – June 2008)

Source: http://comptonharriers.co.uk/HeraldJun08.pdf