Home
Newsdesk 2002
**************************************************************************
RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 55 28 FEBRUARY 2002
Web site: http://www.surreyweb.net/rharriers
**************************************************************************
WANTED! URGENT! RUNNERS FOR DENMARK
Niels has 21 names for the relay in Aarhus on April 28th, enough for one
men's team of ten, one women's team of five and six-tenths of a second
men's or mixed team. So we could do with four more runners to complete the
line-up. It would be especially good to be able to include one or two more
women as we currently have only the exact five required for a team and no
reserves. The relay stages are 10km each. Details from Niels Andersen
(mailto:niels.andersen@fsmail.net / Tel: 07811450266 but he will be away
for a fortnight from March 2nd) or from Andy Bickerstaff
(mailto:norris.hobs@ndirect.co.uk / Tel: 07966 552302), Steve Rowland
(mailto:SRowland@calorgas.co.uk), or Carol Barnshaw
(mailto:c_barnshaw@yahoo.com).
Race details are at http://www.aarhus1900.dk/stafet.
This Saturday in the Park we are hosting a low-key inter-club
cross-country 5 miles. All are welcome to run. Start time 3pm.
NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS February 23rd
The promised report of Ranelagh's garden party at Bristol is still
somewhere in the ether, so I'll have to fill in as best I can. If you're
really lucky you might get an athlete's account of the races next week. Or
failing that, one of the Ranelagh team.
It was apparently typical garden party weather: gales, sleet and snow
according to "Athletics Weekly", though interestingly their photos seem to
show most of the fast types in singlets and no gloves.
We took part. We finished teams. There's probably not much more to say.
The teams were below strength though not quite as bad in the men's case as
the original results (repeated in AW) would have you believe. Our first
two finishers Peter Haarer and Mick Lane were both missed out placing us
down in the depths in 62nd place just ahead of the delightfully-named
Hardley Runners. Corrected results raise us to the dizzy heights of 42nd
out of 94 teams closing in. Julian Smith won, in his own words, "first
prize for spectacular badness" giving Peter Haarer a seemingly clear run
for the Roffey Salver as the first Ranelagh bloke in.
The women's equivalent, the Aotearoa Trophy, was a much more close run
thing with Margaret Auerback just one second ahead of Sarah Seal. What
happened? Did Margaret pass Sarah in a last-gasp leap across the line? Did
Sarah lag behind and then just fail to catch Margaret in a spectacular
finishing straight sprint? I don't know. We finished 29th out of 39.
Alex Hook was our only rep in the junior races, 128th under 13.
Under 13
1 L Pidgeon (Gloucs) 12.54
128 Alex Hook 15.37
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago Lizzie Clifford's performance in the
Watford Half Marathon on February 3rd, but it seems that she was not alone
in flying the Ranelagh flag in the wilds of Hertforshire:
1 W Musyoki (Kenya) 66.08
322 Stephen Stuart 94.51
377 Lizzie Clifford 97.05
417 Alberto Simon 98.07
818 Lucy Facer 107.41
989 John Hanscomb 111.57
1116 Fiona O'Donovan 115.15
1385 Jadzia Kruklinski 124.10
1682 Michael Bartlett 148.59
Also on February 3rd were the Bushy Park Trail Races:
1 M Reed (Kingston & P) 24.25
94 Carol Barnshaw 35.15
109 Corinne Bishop 36.33
141 Julie Naismith 38.42
148 Frances Ratchford 39.22
153 David Meaden 39.52
155 Janet Turnes 39.59
159 Alan Meaden 40.35
And we had a small but select group at the 26.2 RRC 10km at Hook Arena on
February 17th:
1 S Major (SLH) 31.05
140 Chris Spink 42.23
252 Simon Burrell 46.41
423 John Hanscomb 55.30
427 Alan Meaden 55.45
446 David Meaden 57.22
RICHMOND PARK
Amongst the proposals put forward by the Royal Parks Agency for traffic
management in Richmond Park are a reduction in the speed limit to 20mph,
the permanent closure of Robin Hood Gate (to be trialled for 12 months
starting in March) and the closure of the Pen Ponds car park. A "land
train" will probably be introduced to carry visitors from the various
gates into the centre of the Park and the Ponds car park will remain open
until this is in place.
Bev Ali writes:
"The Baker Cup supper approaches rapidly. This year it will be dedicated
to the memory of Bill Day, who contributed enormously to the physical and
emotional health of Ranelagh for so many years, and sadly died last year.
We will need two volunteers minimum, one for the Tuesday group, and one
for the Wednesday group, preferably who are contactable by e-mail, to
coordinate the sign up lists for meals (anybody who had difficulty last
year due to vegetarian meals going to non-vegetarians etc would be
encouraged to participate...). If you wish to help with this, please let a
member of the committee know ASAP.
Also on the horizon is the AGM. We will need nominations/volunteers for
the positions of Secretary, and Catering Coordinator, at least, and all
members are encouraged to participate at the committee level if they wish
- no special skills required, so please don't wait to be invited, put
yourselves forward.
Other ways in which your presence can be felt as a Ranelagh member, other
than with your running prowess, is to ring Alan Hedger before any
upcoming fixture to offer your time for marshalling or timekeeping, or to
help in the clubhouse after races with the tea or washing up".
COACHES
Frances Ratchford writes:
A conversation overheard recently at a running club near you
"Ranelagh has four coaches"
"Is this another of those jokes about waiting for hours for a bus then
four No 49's come all at once?"
"Please concentrate, not those sort of coaches"
"Beery trips to the coast in a charabanc?"
"Please! We have four coaches, people to help you with your running.
Margaret Auerback is a Level 1 coach, Sarah Seal Level 2 and Frances
Ratchford and Robin Drummond are both Level 3 coaches.
"But my running level is somewhere just above rock bottom"
"Then they could help you. Margaret is an assistant coach, Sarah is
qualified as an endurance coach, and Frances and Robin have specialised
even further and added the marathon to their expertise; those two also
have certificates in Sports Psychology.
"So they could help you with the fantasy you keep getting at three in
the morning about...."
"Please control yourself this is read by impressionable young people!!
"If you'd let me finish. A fantasy about PB's and winning handicaps
and getting to the finish line with a smile on your lips, a song in your
heart, Julian far, far behind you in the mists and....."
"They're good but they're not Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings (Olympic
rings that is).
They will write a training programme just for you, get you fitter, a
better runner, might even make you faster. Tuesday and Thursday are
training nights, lots of groups doing reps, relays, hills, drills, and
threshold work.
"What happened to a short run and a long beer?"`
Don't say "Have you heard the joke about waiting hours for a coach then
four come all at once"
Do say "Together we can beat the handicapper"
NEXT...
More details of all the following from Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 /
mailto:norris.hobs@ndirect.co.uk) or Sarah Seal (020 8995 2380 /
mailto:sarahs@walker.co.uk).
Saturday March 2nd Inter-club 5 miles in Richmond Park. 3pm start, all
welcome.
Saturday March 9th Clutton Cup 10 miles handicap in Richmond Park.
2.30pm start for the last cross-country handicap of the season.
Saturday March 23rd Baker Cup 3 miles road handicap in Richmond Park.
3pm start for the shortest handicap race of the year. In the evening will
be the usual club supper and prize-giving. Details to follow, but you can
book your places now with Mike Peace (mailto:admin@frimley.surrey.sch.uk).
All trophy winners please try to attend.
ON THE ROAD
Our club 20 miles championship will be held with the Worthing 20 on March
24th: a good training spin for London Marathoners. Likewise the Camberley
Half Marathon on March 3rd which incorporates the Surrey county
championship. Entry forms in the clubhouse or from
www.camberleyathleticclub.co.uk. It's also the first event of four in a
new county road championship. The Thames Towpath 10 miles at Chiswick on
March 17th will again be the first event in this year's Ranelagh road
Grand Prix. Entry forms in the clubhouse.
LONDON TO BRIGHTON
The London to Brighton running race is under threat due to a shortage of
volunteers to marshall the course, particularly in its early miles from
Westminster through south London and on into Surrey. Its date is normally
a Sunday in early October but the organisers would like to hear now from
anyone who might be able to help. Chris Spink, who ran the race last year,
will be able to put you on to the right people
(mailto:chriss@fulham.hphc.co.uk).
FINALLY
In late October Chris Brasher presented the Mayor of Richmond with a posy
of wild flowers, this being the annual rent to be paid by the Petersham
Trust for the lease of Petersham Meadows. Chris's charitable trust is
aiming to raise £500,000 to enable the meadows - which form such a vital
part of the famous view from Richmond Hill - to be handed over to the
National Trust.
Steve Rowland
Telephone: 01926 318734
Fax: 0870 4006901
e-mail: srowland@calorgas.co.uk