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Newsdesk 2004
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 155 20 OCTOBER 2004
Editor: Steve Rowland
mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com
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HEADLINE NEWS
* Paul Doyle 4th in Cabbage Patch 10
* Surrey Veterans Championship gold for Kathy Mallett, plus four silvers
and two bronzes
* David Benton 8th in ITU World Duathlon Series event
WELCOME...
...to the following new members:
Anne Porter, Nicola MacGillivray, Jaroslava Duskova, James Corbett
WHAT'S COMING...
The fixture list for the 2004/05 winter season, can be found on our web site.
More details of the following from
Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 / mailto: andy@norris-hobs.co.uk ) or
Phil Aiken (07739 035189 / mailto: phil.aiken@rnid.org.uk ) or
Anna McLaughlin (07971 606521 / mailto: anna.mclaughlin@itv.com ).
Saturday October 23rd Lee Cup Mob Match v Orion Harriers at
Chingford. 7.5 miles. 2.30pm start. See below.
Women's National Road Relay at
Sutton Park, Birmingham
Ranelagh 5 km Time Trial in
Bushy Park. 9am start
Saturday October 30th Ranelagh 5 km Time Trial in Bushy Park. 9am
start
Saturday November 6th Priory Cross-Country Relays at Priory Park,
Reigate. Men's and women's races starting at 1.30pm.
Ranelagh 5 km Time Trial in
Bushy Park. 9am start
Saturday November 13th South of the Thames "Junior" Championship in
Richmond Park. Men's and women's races starting at 2.30pm
Ranelagh 5 km Time Trial in
Bushy Park. 9am start
LEE CUP MOB MATCH v ORION HARRIERS Saturday 23rd October at Epping Forest
Our first mob match of the season. A brief explanation of mob matches for
new members: two clubs only take part, each side fields as many runners as
possible and ALL count towards the final result. The club that gets the most
runners to the starting line effectively gives itself a head start, so we
need as many people as possible to make the trek over to Epping.
FREE minibus transport will leave from the clubhouse at 12 noon. Please use it!
If you want to make your own way, the Orion HQ is at the rear of the Royal
Forest Hotel on the A1069 Rangers Road, near Chingford Station.
Don't park at the pub, there's a car park almost opposite.
The race is 7.5 miles, starting at 2.30pm. The course is scenic
multi-terrain: some forest tracks, some road, some fields.
The Orion captain adds:
"After the mob match at Chingford, Orion are having a quiz night and supper.
It would be great if some of the core Ranelagh guys could stay behind and
make up a team (4-6) so that we can return your hospitality of last year. It
is an informal affair so there is absolutely no need to give any indication
of how many (if any) might be interested".
RANELAGH CHRISTMAS PARTY Friday 10th December at the Turk's Head in St
Margarets
Don't forget you need to book your places by the end of this month. Tickets
are £18 per head for a three-course meal and disco. See the end of this
e-news for the menu choices. Contact Jo Turner
(mailto:joturner_45@hotmail.com) or Marina Quayle
(mailto:marina_quayle@hotmail.com).
SURREY VETERANS' CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday 16th October in
Richmond Park
The clash with other events in the area resulted in a relatively soft county
Vets championship this year: indeed the two individual winners had both
finished only 5th amongst the vets in the opening Surrey League Division 1
fixtures the previous week.
It was soft in another way too. When a heavy shower during the women's race
sent the waiting men scurrying for shelter, some were heard to remark that
this was getting the rain out of the way so that their race might be dry.
Retribution duly came. Shortly after the start of the men's event the taps
were turned on full and never stopped until we were back in the changing
rooms. The result was an increasingly soft and slippery course.
Marcus Gohar was the only Ranelagh runner to contest the sharp end of either
race, but he unfortunately had to retire with breathing difficulties a short
way into the second lap. So our highest finisher turned out to be Tim Woods,
11th in the men's race just one place ahead of Chris Owens. Both were
rewarded with medals: Tim was 3rd over 45 and Chris 2nd over 50. Chris also
led the over 50s team of self, Mike Peace and Steve Rowland to another
silver.
Our only gold of the day went to Kathy Mallett, first over 50, an excellent
performance. There was also a silver for Sonia Rowland in the over 45 age
group and a bronze for Eliete Nascimento in the over 35s. The over 45s team
of Kathy, Sonia and Corinne Bishop took one more silver.
Although this is a Surrey County AA promotion, we provide most of the
officials and race marshals and all credit to them for manning their posts
in very unpleasant conditions.
CABBAGE PATCH 10 miles Sunday 17th October at Twickenham
Paul Doyle reports:
"This year's race sold out well in advance, Ranelagh had a good turn out
for this local, popular fast race. The morning was typically autumnal, cool,
breezy and damp. The race started without a hitch and quickly settled, with
the two THH men taking off at the front followed by a threesome of Stuart
Major and two Africans. I was at the back of the next group including
Super Vets Mike Boyle (Herne Hill) and Knut Hegvold (Belgrave). Two miles
passed in 10min, felt good, the pace then slowed to the 5.15-5.20 pace.
Around 4.5 miles Boyle drifted back. We went through 5 miles in 25.50. I was
feeling remarkably fresh. Playing it safe, stayed with the group until
around 7.5 miles, just at the start of Petersham Meadows, where I made a
bolt for home, quickly moving from 8th to 4th, and closing the gap on Stuart
Major in 3rd.
At this point things seemed to be going unbelievably well, I checked my
watch at 9 miles and the time of 45 min seemed to good to be true, and it
was. Making a final effort to push to the line, after 5min I was still
clearly nowhere near the finish, this caused a bit of a wobble, (the
organisers have since apologised for the incorrect placing of the marker),
nevertheless pushed on to improve my PB by a couple of minutes, in my best
race ever.
After a bit managed to jog back an cheer on a few Ranelagh runners, it was
encouraging to see such a good turn out.
Phil Aiken adds:
"I actually ran 68.28 on my watch. I was having a chat near the back of the
group and didn't push up far enough before the start and it took 42 seconds
to cross the line. I'm taking my watch time. The expectation of both coach
and captain was to beat my 3rd fastest 10m (1:08:33) and I achieved this by
5 seconds. But Simon Burrell is the big star. PB last week (Great South Run)
by 2 mins and another 2 mins off this week".
INVITATION EVENT v OXFORD UNIVERSITY etc Saturday 16th October at Shotover
David Wright reports:
"Only a hardy few turned out for the club and even Peter Haarer our resident
'Don' (he is actually a temporary teaching Don for a year at the university)
missed out at the last minute as his wife was taken ill. Twenty-five years
since last running in this fixture I can report that the hills have got
steeper and the students faster - or, just possibly, it is me that has got
slower. Also, despite the lack of a cup of tea due to the blown fuse, which
presumably in turn explained the cold showers in that mecca of athletics
tracks, Iffley Road, the jam, peanut butter and nutella sandwiches (not all
in one I hasten to add) were good student fayre although I'm not sure about
the plate of jelly babies!
The reason Alice ran in the men's race was not to embarrass a slow
ex-captain but the altogether more practical reason that whilst she was out
marking the course the Oxford minibus went back to base with all her kit so
she missed the ladies' race. 77 ran (DW being in that position at the first
bend). We didn't win the team prize (a balloon) but we did have a pleasant
evening in a local hostelry afterwards".
Women
1 R Deegan (Ox U) 21.05
7 Sarah Seal 23.00
Men
1 M Whitfield (RAF) 30.56
25 Julian Smith 35.40
31 Andy Bickerstaff 36.05
48 Alice Beverly 38.39
49 David Wright 39.00
BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL Saturday 16th October
Paul Sinton-Hewitt reports:
"We may not have had a record field, but we certainly had some "class" in
action today!
Husband and wife team, Dave and Kate Symons, crushed the previous records
and have laid down a challenge for those planning to participate in the
future. A special thanks goes to Kate and Dave and we hope that this will
inspire others to tackle the record.
The field was led from the start by first time participant, Tim Elsey, while
Dave followed with confidence at a distance. By the time they had reached
the first kilometre mark, Dave was in control and ran the remainder of the
course in a constrained manner.
Kate looked confident all the way around and ran in an easy winner in the
ladies' field".
1 D Symons (TH&H) 16.39
5 Stephen Instone 19.47
6 K Symons (TH&H) 19.57
7 Peter Wright 20.27
9 Darren Wood 22.54
10 Phil Aiken 23.10
ITU WORLD DUATHLON SERIES Sunday 17th October at Varrallo, Italy
David Benton reports:
"I got my second run out for the GB team last weekend - and was able to use
my own kit this time! The event was the final ITU World Duathlon Series
event in Northern Italy, over the standard 10km/40km/5km distance. Race day
was cold but sunny, with nice views of the snow covered Alps - a bit more
scenic than Swansea!
The run course was a 2.5km lap round the old part of the town, with lots of
twists through the narrow streets, short climbs and even some cobbles. I
purposely avoided the initial charge, and stayed relaxed, off the back of
the lead group. Seemed to be a good policy, as the course took its toll and
people came back during the second half. The five of us Brits managed to get
to the first transition more or less together about 45secs down on the
leaders. We were able to work well together on the bike to get up to the
leaders just before halfway, to give a lead group of around 15-20. Various
people tried breakaways, but nothing succeeded. I put an effort in up the
last hill and got off the front with a couple of others, getting into T2 in
4th position, with the rest of the group immediately behind. Lost several
places during the transition as I struggled to get my crash hat off because
of cold fingers! Out on the second run, I struggled initially with heavy
legs after the bike and lost a couple more places. Fortunately, after about
2k got settled into a good pace, running with Martin Yelling and a Danish
guy, before burning them off in the last kilometre. Finished 8th (second
Brit), behind winner Jurgen Deere of Belgium, recent winner of the European
Champs (where I finished 30th!).
Really pleased to end the season on a good note, and am now taking several
weeks off to recover!"
1 J Deere (Belgium) 1.48.32
8 David Benton 1.49.33
JP MORGAN CHASE CORPORATE CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE 3.5 miles Saturday
2nd October in New York
Representing Ove Arup, Jo Ronaldson finished 2nd in the women's race in
19.48.
SURREY COUNTY JUNIOR CROSS-COUNTRY RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS Sunday 3rd October
at Stoke Park, Guildford
We now have the individual lap times for our team in the under 15 girls
race.
1 Aldershot F&D 21.17
6 Ranelagh 23.11
Victoria Elbourne 7.29
Rachel Pryce 7.52
Georgia Miansarow 7.50
MEN'S SHOWER
Alan Craig writes:
"The problem we had with the floor last week has re-occurred but in a
different place. This area will be roped off so the showers can stay in use
for this week's sessions.
I was with the contractor this morning and hopefully identified the problem.
On Thursday the shower will be taken out of service, the floor lifted, area
dried and re-laid and possibly back in use for Tuesday 26th October. The
loos and wash hand basins will be in use during this time.
When the de-humidifier is in use please ensure doors to and from the shower
room are closed as much as possible".
TUESDAY NIGHT TORTURE
Tuesday sessions for the "fast" group over next few weeks, starting from the
clubhouse at 7pm:
26/10 2x 4 x Holly Lodge Hill
2/11 10, 8, 6 and 4 min efforts + 3 x 30 secs efforts
See our web site for more complete details.
LONDON TO BRIGHTON Sunday 3rd October
Race organiser Ian Champion sends his thanks to all those who helped marshal
the event:
"Your willingness to help us out was greatly appreciated by the runners many
of whom have let me know both at the finish and subsequently after the
event, via phone letter and e-mail. Your efforts contributed in no small
measure to the undoubted success of the race".
MENU FOR THE RANELAGH CHRISTMAS PARTY
Starters
1. Home-made broccoli and stilton soup
2. Warm goats cheese and red onion tart with salad garnish
3. Prawn and smoked salmon pate with lemon dressed salad
4. Chargrilled asparagus with parma ham, rocket, parmesan and olive oil
Main
1. Traditional roast turkey with roast potatoes, seasonal veg. and all the
trimmings.
2. Pan-fried snapper fillet with mango salsa, braised rice and winter veg.
3. Braised beef steak in a rich red wine sauce with mushrooms, button onions
and bacon pieces, and seasonal veg.
4. Roasted winter risotto with rocket, Parmesan and chive oil.
Dessert
1. Traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.
2. Dark and white chocolate mousse with strawberry sauce.
3. Rhubarb and blackberry crumble tart with custard.
4. Selection of cheese and biscuits
FINALLY
The last line of last week's e-news somehow got amputated. Julian's offer of
"£20 to anyone apart from Paul D, Peter H, Dave B and Hugh J (sorry guys)
and Christian (only joking) who makes the top 50 in any of the remaining
three league races, and I'll double it if they beat me too!" should have
been followed by the caveat: "Maybe I should make payment conditional on us
avoiding relegation..."