Subject:                          VS Update - committee, membership fees, key dates, abbey dash, xmas do, ladies tour, omm report, some results, movember and more

 

Sent: 17 November 2011 15:35
Subject: VS Update - committee, membership fees, key dates, abbey dash, xmas do, ladies tour, omm report, some results, movember and more

 

Apologies for the delay with this email – I’ve been moving everything to a new laptop and it has taken some time.

 

AGM  /  NEW COMMITTEE / MEMBERSHIP FEES

 

A report from the AGM will be on the website soon. 

 

We had a couple of retirements from the committee, so thank you to Sharon and Xanthe for their support for the last 2 years, and they are still remaining active in the club as coaches.  Our two new committee members are Kathy Kaiser, leader of the beginners/improvers group, and Myra Jones, as joint ladies’ captain (with Holly).

 

Another change is that Dan Murray (replacing Paul White) will be joining Alan Hutchinson to sort out the Grand Prix fixture list and prizes (NB meeting to discuss 2012 races on 29 November).  Paul remains as treasurer and membership secretary.

 

For the full list of the 2011/12 Committee, on the website go to the “For Club Members” tab, and click “Committee and Contacts”. 

 

At the AGM we also agreed the membership fees for 2011/12 to be £20 for first claim members.  As the Striders year started on 1 September, these are now overdue, but since we haven’t confirmed it till now we won’t be sending the bailiffs round yet.  It would be great if you could pay by the end of the month.  Please send a cheque for £20, payable to Valley Striders, to Paul White at 17 Whinmoor Court, Redhall, Leeds LS14 1NX.  If you don’t have a cheque account, then please email Paul on [email protected] for details of how to make payment via internet banking.  If you’re still owing for Leeds Country Way, West Yorks XC, Xmas meal etc, please pay for these at the same time.

 

KEY DATES

 

Saturday 19 November – Tour of Pendle – last chance to earn V S Fell Championship points.  Lots of info in the Forum (there is a link from the website).

 

Saturday 19 November – we’re recommending the Hyde Park parkrun for those not running the Abbey Dash – Striders will be meeting up before the race on the left hand side just before the finish.

 

Sunday 20 November - Abbey Dash – V S meeting place before the race is at the back of the Town Hall opposite the Victoria pub.  This is outside the secure runners-only area.  After the race, the same location or head straight to Wetherspoons / Becketts Bank, 100 metres down Park Row on the right hand side.  On the website it says it opens at 7am on a Sunday so should be warm by the time you finish the race.  Good luck everyone!  Grand Prix race - NB if you’re not registered for the race as a Strider, please email me your race time to save me scanning through 8000 names in the results.  NB see details of Abbey Junior race in Race Information section.

 

Sunday 20 November - WYXC race 3 at Shipley see www.westyorkshireathletics.org.uk.  At a straw poll on Tuesday there were just three of us planning to run, so if you’re not running Abbey Dash and are one of the 33 who have entered then please run so that we have enough for complete teams.  NB if you didn’t run race 1 or 2, I have your race number and will see you there.  Grand Prix race.

.

Tuesday 22 November - Pie and peas 6:15pm for Run Leeds at Alwoodley (Kathy’s Tuesday Group).  Book to [email protected] by 10pm Sunday 20th saying whether you want meat pie or veggie bake, whether you want mushy peas or baked beans and whether you want apple pie.

 

Sunday 27 November - Peco XC League at Fitzwilliam Park  www.pecoxc.co.uk .  Last year our men’s team were runners-up in the premier division and our women’s team promoted to the premier division – we are hoping for great things this year.  Any number can run, just £2.50 to enter, pay on the day, the more the merrier.  And even if you aren’t counting in the top 8 men or top 5 women, just by running you can influence the results (will be explained in next week’s V S Update).  Put this in your diary now!  Also, last chance to earn Grand Prix points.

 

Tuesday 29 November – This is the 5th Tuesday, meet Leos 7pm, details of session next week.  Also lasagne 8:30pm, book to [email protected] by 10pm Sunday 27th saying whether you want meat or veggie lasagne and whether you want apple pie. Also meeting to agree Grand Prix races for 2012 – your chance to get your favourite race included – everyone welcome!

 

Sunday 4 December – final WYXC at Thornes Park Wakefield.

 

Friday 9 December - Striders Xmas Meal & Presentation Night 7:30pm at Leos.  Email [email protected] by Sunday 4 December saying whether you want carnivore, veggie or half'n'half (cost is £10).  Please pay Paul White before the night so that he can enjoy his meal rather than having to spend the whole evening collecting money.  Bring along any race T-shirts – unworn or only worn once or twice – charity collection for Africa.

 

Monday 2 January – Club Winter Handicap 5 miles

 

Plan your diary for 2012 – for the following cross country races email Drew at [email protected]


Saturday 4 February - Rombalds Stride - entry form here

Sunday 1 April - Baildon Boundary Way - entries have just opened at www.runbritain.com  and are likely to sell out very fast

 

Saturday 28 April – Three Peaks Race, entries open on Monday 9 January. 

 

Sunday 13 May – Leeds Half AND Calderdale Way Relay AND River Moy half

 

Saturday 19 May – probable date for Meanwood Valley Trail – if anyone knows a reason for not having it on this day, please let me know.  (I had planned it for 28 April but probably not a good idea to clash with 3 Peaks).

 

More Striders race dates here

 

MORE RACE INFORMATION

 

Parkruns

 

If your parkrun results don’t show a club, it’s easy to change, the weekly email that you would have received yesterday has a feature to edit your details, please register as “Valley Striders” or “Run Leeds at Alwoodley” as appropriate.

 

Abbey Dash – meeting points – see above

 

Abbey Dash – junior race – entries on the day!

 

New for the Leeds Abbey Dash 2011 we have a 2k junior race for 8-15 year olds! This fully chip-timed race for runners of all abilities promises to be tremendous fun with medals, tshirts and chocolates for all finishers. There are a limited number of junior race places left and these will be given on a strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. Entry is only £6 and you can sign up by phone on 0800 169 8787 (sorry, no online entry). You can also register on the day on Sunday 20 November from the information tent on Cookridge Street. This will be open from 7.45am and the race begins at 9am.

 

Baildon Boundary Way – message from Baildon Runners

 

We are pleased to advise you that online entries for the 18th Baildon Boundary Way (a multi-terrain half marathon) that takes place on Sunday, 1 April 2012 will open at 10:00am on Monday, 14 November 2011 at www.runbritain.com/onlineentry.

 

Please note we can only cater for 400 runners on race day but this mailshot is being sent to over 4,250 email addresses in our database!  So if you want to run in 2012, you need to apply early.  Online entries for runners for the 2011 event closed on 28 December 2010 (over 14 weeks before race day) so do be warned!

 

The event also incorporates a non-competitive walk but please note that the online entry system is for runners only.  Entries for the walk will be by post only and will not open until after the online capacity for runners has been reached.

 

At that time we will place separate entry forms for walkers and runners on our website www.baildonrunners.tk and will accept a very limited number of entries by post for runners but would encourage runners to enter online to avoid disappointment.  Entries for the walk will have no restriction on numbers.

 

Special note for club runners: In order to enter online, you will need to quote your URN.  This is your unique runners number which is allocated to all runners who are affiliated to England Athletics.  If you do not know it, we suggest you ask your club secretary for the information now.  If you are unable to enter your URN you will have to pay the higher unaffiliated runner fee and will not be eligible to count in the team competition.  However, if after entering you later find your URN or join a running club, do let us know and we will amend your entry.  However we will not be able to refund the difference in the entry fee and will treat the excess as a charitable donation.

 

PS Valley Striders URN’s are at www.valleystriders.org.uk/vsmemreg.htm

 

LADIES’ TOUR 2012

From Holly Williams and Sarah Smith


Ladies
 
We invite you to a Striders Ladies' tour in June 2012.
 
Things we considered important
- open to all levels/ability
- suitable for beginners training for their first 10k, to more experienced runners looking for a challenge
- opportunity for new Striders to get to know other Striders  
- keeping to a low budget re travel and accommodation
- a scenic race
- in June 2012 half term  
 
Here are some initial thoughts - suggestions welcome if there is anything we have left out, which matters to you!
 
3 events for you to consider, we also include initial travel options however once numbers and destination of the event are clearer we will look into this more.
 
1) Mull of Kintyre half marathon and 10k Sunday 3 June 2011 start time 10.30 am
enter £18 for the 10k and £20 for the half M
Travel: Megabus £34 return from M'cr to Campbeltown, Megabus leaves M'cr 9 am and arrives in Campbeltown 6 30 pm approx., plus train to Manchester approx £15 return
Alternatively: train leeds to Troon (5 hours and £90 return), then ferry from Troon to Campbeltown (1 hour £55 return)
http://www.mokrun.com/
 
2) Sherwood Forest 10k trail run (not muddy) at Clumber Park Saturday 9th June 2012 Start 11 am
£30 discount of £5 per person for groups of 5
Close, car sharing an option, also camping at one of 3 sites or stay in Nottingham the night before/after
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/viewevent.asp?sp=&v=2&EN=64855&ms
 
3)  The Wales Half Marathon at Tenby Sunday 10 June starts 12 noon
Last day of half term hols (would need to have the Monday off work to travel home)
Nat Express £80 return approx, 9 and a half hours journey time, Train £75 approx
http://www.thewalesmarathon.com/race-video.asp
 
Let us know if you would be interested in joining us, and which is your favourite option - replies by 30 November please.  
 
We will then confirm the chosen race, travel and accommodation including times and prices. Then you will need to enter the race!  
 
We anticipate booking accommodation and travel in mid January.  If you don't ask us to book your travel and accommodation we will assume you are making your own arrangements.  
 
Excited already!
Holly and Sarah
 

Please go to the Forum to reply.  If you can’t access the Forum (e.g. the firewall at work prevents you) then email Holly at [email protected]

 

RESULTS

 

Holmfirth 15

 

  3 Andy May          01:26:32

22 Ian Sanderson     01:39:42

34 Dusan Svoboda     01:43:20

103 Malcolm Coles     01:59:39

 

NB this was a Yorkshire Vets race but I’m not sure whether Andy won a medal or had entered on the day.

 

Guy Fawkes 10

 

  2 Andy May          00:58:23  M35 (001/081)  03.38/05.50 

  4 Gwilym Thomas     00:59:25  M35 (002/081)  03.42/05.56 

 33 Joel Giddings     01:05:30  M40 (005/074)  04.04/06.33 

 36 Ian Sanderson     01:05:55  M40 (007/074)  04.06/06.36 

 65 Dusan Svoboda     01:08:54  M35 (021/081)  04.17/06.53 

 88 Gary Mann         01:11:06  M   (026/065)  04.25/07.07 

103 Alistair Smyth    01:12:07  M50 (009/085)  04.29/07.13 

127 Robert Bumstead   01:13:31  M40 (017/074)  04.34/07.21 

161 Sue Sunderland    01:15:55  F50 (001/042)  04.43/07.36 

162 Dan Murray        01:15:56  M35 (038/081)  04.43/07.36 

210 Michael Tinker    01:18:47  M55 (014/039)  04.54/07.53 

225 John Wallace      01:19:29  M45 (036/090)  04.56/07.57 

227 Gerard Coll       01:19:36  M45 (037/090)  04.57/07.58 

499 Amanda Galsworthy 01:32:18  F   (035/058)  05.44/09.14 

 

This was a Grand Prix race.  Apologies for not yet updating the G P tables, this system is still on my old laptop but I’m planning to update the website next Sunday or Monday including this weekend’s races.

 

RACE REPORT

 

OMM 2011 Race Report (Mick Loftus)

 

We had been running for about 4 hours.  The rain and wind was beginning to have an impact on us, the underfoot conditions were so wet and difficult with tussocks and bogs we just couldn't get a good rhythm going.  We had been wearing kags and hats all day, now we added over-trousers.

 

Some of the top teams had passed us earlier.  They moved past us like a train through a station.  We increased our pace to chase them to the next control.  We were able to hang on long enough to see them find the control, dib and leave without dropping pace at all.  After they had gone we felt very inferior.

 

The day had started early at 5 am with a hurried breakfast, a drive to the event centre (a WWII PoW Camp), a bus ride and then a mile walk uphill in the rain, to start in the gloom after 8am.  The OMM this year was in Perthshire, in the hills between Loch Tay and Loch Earn, including the munro Ben Chronzie.  The organisation for this massive event was brilliant.  With 3000 runners spread over a huge area with multiple campsites, controls, buses and courses, it is a mammoth undertaking for the organisers.

 

Our initial enthusiasm after the start had drained quickly and we retreated back into the internal battle against complete disillusionment.  Just pressing on relentlessly.

 

Visibility remained poor for the whole day.  We navigated by compass bearing and physical features although maintaining a bearing through peat hags and bogs is difficult.  I counted steps to estimate distance on many sections.  This kept panic at bay when looking for a feature and it not appearing on time.

 

Half way through was a leg of some 10 - 12k over more of the same tough terrain. We ended up walking big sections to this control and it seemed to take ages but once it was out of the way it felt like we were on the way home.

 

The last few controls of day 1 passed in a blur.  There were hairy river crossings and lots more mud but gradually we were able to relax in the knowledge that we would get round well before dark.

 

After 8 hours and 26 minutes we staggered into the finish without fanfare or much excitement.  We agreed that it had possibly been one of our hardest ever days on the OMM/KIMM.  It had been cold, wet and unremitting but we had managed to hold it together and just keep going.  We were not expecting a good position for the day.

 

We put the tent up during rain showers and strong wind.  We collected water from the stream which had been churned up with the volume of rain.  The result, as we looked at our plastic bags of water, was essentially diluted mud.

 

From that point on we just stayed in the tiny tent as the weather lashed down.  We cooked our dehydrated mush with the bog water we had collected and then settled down to sleep in the coffin sized tent.

 

As we huddled in the tent controversy was raging outside.  The leading elite team including multiple winner Steve Birkenshaw had been disqualified and then reinstated with a time penalty.  This was due to their dibbing an incorrect control near the end of the day.  We had managed to get it right, although we were going a bit slower!  They were reinstated on the basis that the two controls were too close to each other and it was unfair.  We were oblivious to all the high stakes discussions and divided opinions.  The outcome is still causing much debate on forums and blogs.

 

It was a stormy night (it always is) but the tent held up well and we had a reasonable sleep.

 

After a 6 am alarm call of a bagpiper walking around the camp, piping through the pre-dawn dark, we packed up, wrung out our wet clothes and put them on.  Our packs were now (we later measured) about 3kg each, down from the 4.5kg we had started with.  We had discovered our day 1 position was 25th, much better than expected.  We reasoned that if it was a struggle for us, it was for everyone.

 

The weather looked more promising on day 2 although it didn't actually clear up until we had nearly finished.  It didn't rain but the wind stayed strong and the mist was thick at least on the tops.

 

Day 2 proved to be far more 'runnable' which kept body temperatures and spirits higher.  Although, up high the cold was still penetrating and unpleasant.  More compass work and counting steps got us round reasonably accurately.  Although we often struggled to find the actual control even when we had navigated successfully to the correct location and were virtually on top of it.  Controls have feature descriptions such as 'middle reentrant' or 'south knoll', which would be fine but from the exhausted runners point of view there are reentrants (small gully without stream) and knolls of various sizes everywhere.

 

After several more hours of running we started to lose height and gain warmth.  For the first time over the two days we were able to take kags off.  The last controls came easily enough and we headed into the finish.  The last run in was a lot longer than I would have liked and some of it was uphill!  However, the end did come after 6 hours and 50 minutes.

 

We got a bus back to the event centre and got an aggregate time of 15 hours and 16 minutes for about 50 miles, 12,000 foot of ascent.  We later confirmed our position of 25th out of only 38 finishers. This is our highest ever place.

 

The winners competed the course in under 11 hours.

 

If the feeling of achievement after such an event is proportional to the challenge and the effort it required, this year we can feel pretty satisfied.

 

1  10:56:53   Duncan Archer & Shane Ohly

2  10:57:06   Tim Higginbottom & Chris Near

3  11:02:44   Douglas Tullie & John Rocke

4  11:06:32   Steve Birkinshaw & Jethro Lennox

 

25  15:16:13   Mick Loftus & Mick Wrench

 

MOVEMBER

 

From Greg Skerrett

 

It’s Movember, the month formerly known as November, dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men’s health issues, specifically cancers affecting men. Please support my efforts by making a donation at http://mobro.co/Skerrett76/d.

We only have a month to grow and support these Movember moustaches, so please come along for the ride.

Thank you for donating at http://mobro.co/Skerrett76/d and for helping me change the face of men's health. Go the Mo!


LINEHAM FARM

 

This year our very special Lineham Farm Christmas Cards have been designed by local school children.

Each pack contains 8 cards with 2 of each design per pack (with envelopes)

Price per pack £3.50

Please contact Clare on 0113 2817880 or email [email protected] to order and for more information

 

APOLOGIES

In advance because I’m sure I’ve missed something – please email me if I have – there will be another  V S Update the middle of next week

 

Bob