Sent: 27 April 2007 00:11
Subject: FW: VS Update: Pie and peas, Marshals, BMW, London marathon,
World championships, Leeds half, Meanwood, Anniversary
Tuesday 1 May, Training and Pie and Peas
The first Tuesday of the month has come round again, and you have your first opportunity this year of 3 by 10 minutes by the Res. Afterwards, it is pie and peas night, so please book before Sunday 10pm, stating whether meat or vegetarian pie and whether mushy peas or baked beans. If you forget to email, then you can text me on 0777 5898 558 up to 12 noon Monday. And if you forget to text, we usually order 4 extra portions for latecomers. And if you’re the 5th latecomer, then you can just watch the rest of us eating.
Bookings so far are Patrick Barrett, Jonathan Brownbill, Natalie Crossland, Tim Crossland, Andrew Cutts, Paul Hunter, Bob Jackson, Dan Murray, Simon Redshaw, Paul Sanderson, Greg Skerrett, Sylvia Watson, Geoff Webster. Any subsequent bookings will be confirmed on http://www.valleystriders.org.uk/vslists.htm
Marshals for Pulse Race and Yorkshire Vets Race
We need about 15 marshals for the Pulse Race on Sunday 20 May
Confirmed are Carmel, Nat, Paul & Steph, Max, Kathy & Ken, Peter L, Dan M, Mick T, Paul W. Thank you! Please email me if you can help.
We need about 25-30 marshals for the Yorkshire Veta Race on Tuesday 22 May
Confirmed are … Patrick, Julian, Jonathan, Mike&Eileen, Nat, Andrew, Lyn & Jim (pre-race), Paul F, Paul H, Bob, Kathy, Steve O, Paul S, Mick T, Sylvia & Geoff. Thank you! Please email me if you can help.
If you have already volunteered for one of these but I’ve missed you off the list, please put me right!
Bradford Millennium Way Relay
This is on Sunday 24 June, so assuming you’ve not entered the Jane Tomlinson 10k, read on.
The Bradford Millennium Way is a 50 mile footpath around parts of Bradford MDC but going nowhere near Bradford itself. The race starts near Bingley and goes clockwise via Haworth, Silsden and Ilkley, back to Bingley. There are 5 legs, shortest 7.5 miles, longest 11.5 miles, and the legs are run by pairs, so 10 runners per team. Recceing the leg is essential, there are no marshals! The terrain varies from country footpaths to mild fell running and the profile is undulating / hilly.
Striders won the mixed team prize for the 4 years from 2002 to 2005 and the vets team prize last year. We’d like to have a go at winning at least one of those again, but if we can get 30 runners we’ll definitely have one team purely on a first come first served basis.
Let me know ASAP if you are up for it, so we have an idea of numbers interested. Race website is http://stbedesac1.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/index.html
London Marathon
There were 13 first claim Striders, 2 Australian Striders first claim when in the UK, and 3 second claim Striders running last Sunday.
There were probably three or four disappointments, brought out by a combination of heat / illness on the day / stress from rail problems getting to the start etc, we commiserate with you, but remember that every race run is another valuable experience for the future.
But, as can be seen by the number of PB’s, the number of successes far exceeded the number of disappointments, so let’s all congratulate the successes.
In fact, let’s all congratulate all the finishers, they ran 26 miles and 385 yards more than most of us that day!
And if you’ve any spare change, pass it on to Paul, Simon, Hayley, Carmel and Liz, who were all running for charity. (Justgiving links about 3 VSUpdates ago)
We had no DNF’s (did not finish) but DNS’s included Tracey Morris and Roy Flesher (both not 100% fit), Rawand Tayeb (injured whilst on warm weather training in Iraq) and Caz Farrow (in bed with flu).
w18 Karen Natoli 2:48:23 100 PB
w66 Kirsten Jackson 3:01:20 99
973 Eric Green 3:02:56 98 PB
w142 Alison Bogie 3:11:37 97 Chapel Allerton RR
2452 Niels Laustsen 3:22:20 97 Lancaster/Morecambe AC
2547 Jon Uttley 3:23:19 97
2624 Paul White 3:24:10 96 PB
3777 Simon Redshaw 3:34:12 95 PB
3897 David Cusack 3:35:17 94 PB
4289 Steve Trout 3:38:29 93 PB
w729 Hayley Palmer 3:41:15 92 PB
w737 Carmel Barker 3:41:24 91
5201 Jonny Harrison 3:45:47 90 Chapel Allerton RR
5578 Ian Sanderson 3:47:56 90
w1108 Liz Adams 3:51:58 89 PB
w1642 Mivvy Tekchandani 4:02:36 88 PB
w4665 Kay Duggleby 4:48:14 87
w6512 Sheila Grant 5:11:59 86
V S Grand Prix Points have been updated with this race see http://valleystriders.org.uk/vsgp07t.htm
I have received a couple of reports, if anyone else wants to send one in I will include it in the next V S Update.
Paul White writes:
My time of 3:24:10 (which put me in the top 8% of all finishers) was a little slower than I was hoping for but pretty good considering the heat (hottest ever London Marathon) and that it was my first marathon. I ran comfortably throughout, did not experience any problems, and finished very strongly. The atmosphere was absolutely fantastic with massive crowds all along the route, the cheering and noise was incredible. I also had the support of Margaret, Natalie & Yvonne and their husbands Tim & Damien and it gave me a real boost to see them at four points along the course. It was a great experience to run past some of the sights of London including the Cutty Sark, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf, along the Embankment, and Buckingham Palace.
As my time gives me a guaranteed “good for age” place for the next two years I am planning to do it again in 2009, with better weather conditions I should be able to improve my time!
Simon Redshaw writes:
The day was far too warm than I would have liked but seemed to go really well. I did an average 10k and half marathon for me and was only a minute behind my personal best for 20 miles! See the following link: http://live.london-marathon.co.uk/2007/index.php?content=detail&id=0000030755453400000634BB
It's true what they say, in that the race really begins at 20 miles and that's where you have to really dig deep. In the last 6 miles many people were walking and I saw several being treated by St John's ambulance. Just in front of Buckingham Palace one guy was being walked to the finish after collapsing.
I perked up at 24 miles knowing that the finish was within my grasp and when I reached Big Ben the Diabetes UK crowd gave a huge cheer (This was where they all watched me collapse last year!) This really lifted me and I raced down the mall to see from the clock that I could make it in 3:34 before the seconds ticked over to 3:35 if I tried. A last spurt of effort made sure of that.
The atmosphere was superb, there were so many people supporting it was truly fanastic, a real spectacle to see and be part of. Before the event I chatted to Douglas Smallwood at the Diabetes UK Pasta Party who is the Chairman of Diabetes UK. He said to me, "if you need some motivation think about the fact they believe they have identified the gene that causes type 2 Diabetes", this would be truly amazing and I can only hope it has similar consequences for type 1 (my condition). Douglas was very proud to let me know that it was Diabetes UK that gave the scientist who has discovered this, the initial funding to start his work
Tracey selected for World Marathon Championships in Japan – Congratulations!
From the UK Athletics website:
Mara Yamauchi (Harrow), 6th in Sunday’s race, has been named in the women’s team. Effectively, Yamauchi will be racing on home territory in Osaka, as she is based in Tokyo. Her World Cup team mates will be Kathy Butler (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow), Tracey Morris (Valley Striders) and Liz Yelling (Bedford & County).
Here’s the full article http://www.ukathletics.net/press-centre/news-archive/april-2007/article-41/
Leeds Half Marathon
I apologise for reminding you in the last V S Update about the closing date for the Leeds Half, I sent my entry off only to find that the race was already full.
The good news is that I shall see all of you on the day running past, but I won’t be telling you where I’ll be, so you have to run all 13.1 miles at full effort. (But unlike Stuart used to do, I won’t be checking whether you’ve paid your subs)
I have one female Strider who has a place but is injured and can pass her number on, and one male Strider (not me) who has his entry returned and would like a number. Unfortunately when I apply the 13 rules of swapping race numbers, he can’t take her number as it would be embarrassing for all concerned for him to finish as one of the top 10 women. But if you have a number and are unable to run or haven’t a number and want to run I will be operating “Numbers Reunited” under the 13 rules http://www.valleystriders.org.uk/borrow.htm
By the way, the Esholt 5k races also are now all full.
Good luck to the 19 Striders running at Rothwell this Sunday (this race is also full).
Meanwood Trail
A few people asked me about the cryptic comment in the last VS Update “Great news, I have received approval from Leo’s Management Committee that we can go ahead with the Yorks Vets race on 22 May and the 2008 Meanwood Valley Trail Race, both using the back field for start and finish.”
This refers to the fact that when we arrived to set up the course at 08:00 on the Saturday morning we found the gates to the back field (used for the start/finish) had been padlocked. A while later, the groundsman arrived and told us that we did not have permission to use the field, had caused £2500 damage to it last year and been told last year we could not use it again. Some “negotiations” then took place from which we obtained a route using the back field such that neither runners nor spectators would walk/run on any of the pitch areas.
Various discussions took place after the race and we now have permission to use the field next year, and I am expecting that the conditions will be more relaxed, too.
P S. If you marshalled and have not yet collected your bottle of beer, then collect it from me at Leos before the end of May.
N.B. There is another opportunity for marshalling (and beer) on Sunday 7 October for the Harewood Trail Race, we need 70 marshals, we expect more than 800 runners, we hope to raise more than £4,000 for Lineham Farm Children’s Centre.
Breaking News, experienced Striders marshals consider defecting to Edinburgh
Keith Cluderay sent me information from the Edinburgh Marathon website. It seems that marshals there do a bit better than a bottle of beer.
“Sport in Britain depends on volunteers for its survival. Many of the current top athletes would not have been able to achieve their ambitions were it not for the commitment of those who turn up wind, rain or hale to make sure an event can be staged successfully and safely. It is the same for The Edinburgh Marathon. As the event continues to grow the logistics of organising the race grow ever more complicated. But the best thing about being a volunteer is that, as well as being a worthwhile way to spend a Sunday, its great fun!“
“Edinburgh Marathon is the 2nd biggest in the UK. Last year we needed nearly 1000 volunteers and this figure is only going to increase.“
“We like to look after you. We will give you a t-shirt, lunch and invite you to a post-race barbecue. Most special of all is our pampering session. This is a chance to relax, have a massage or a skin treatment using the Aloe Vera products provided by Forever Living. We have a volunteer loyalty programme. All of our volunteers receive an Edinburgh Marathon badge, bronze, silver or gold, depending on how many years you've been involved. You can also earn a donation for your favourite charity. We will pay £15 to the charity of your choice to say ‘thanks’ for your efforts.“
“If you are a member of any kind of club or association and would like to add £250 to your funds we can offer you a contract. This entails committing to providing up to 15 volunteers and a team leader. You would still be entitled to all volunteer benefits but the onus would be on you to ensure your volunteers turned up on the day. If you would like further information or to sign up for this please download the pdf ‘Volunteer Contracts’. We only have a limited number of contracts available and ask all interested to contact us by 30th April. If you have any questions please email [email protected].”
Anniversary Do
Last but not least
On 23 July 1982 a meeting was held where it was proposed to form the “Valley Striders” with the object of “participating as a team in various forms of running”.
So it will be Striders 25th anniversary this year.
A suggestion is that we hold our Summer Club Handicap on the nearest Tuesday (24 July) followed by pie and peas and maybe some extras, or we could have a barbecue that evening after running.
Alternatively we could have an event at the weekend, Saturday 21 or Sunday 22, maybe a run from Leos on Sunday morning on one of the traditional routes, followed by lunch at Leo’s. (NB I have checked and the only local race on the Sunday is Pudsey 10k and we’ve all seen the hills and got the T-shirt)
A small organising committee is needed, I’ll co-ordinate the feedback, so start sending your suggestions now.