The Bearwood Athlete Running Fanzine Catch up on the writings of the Bearwood Athlete from the prospective of a club runner. Some inspirational, some informative, some motivational we hope within the pages of the fanzine we can share running experience

Issue 10 May 2004 Editorial

Running Heaven

Life can be strange at times. It can throw up uncertainties and land you in strange situations. Non more so then this years London marathon expo, "Had I died and gone to running heaven?" is a question I ask after pinching myself.

I am on the Whizz kidz stand, and I am rubbing shoulders with Ron Hill. Next door on the LPG stand was former London Marathon winner Mike Gratton. Wondering about in front of that was Bruce Tulloh with Richard Nerurker.

Over the way on the Sweatshop stand is London founding father Chris Brashiers son Hugh. Further down the aisle on stand Reebok, Steve Cram and former marathon record holder Steve Jones. There is an air of anticipation, not because it is marathon weekend, and the air charged with nervous energy, but awaiting the arrival of marathon golden girl Paula Radclife....Call it name dropping. But if I die and do end up in running heaven these are the people I would ideally share a cloud with......!! Nigel Lloyd - Editor

Marathon Challenge   

Two marathons in 2 weeks.......52 miles 790 yards...Approx 9 hours 25 minutes of running...1 pair of Hilly socks...30 bottles of water...8 pouches of Lucazade sport...25 jelly babies...8 banana's...1 cup of tea and...1 cup of Beaujolais!!...

......Don't ask me why? But it just seemed a good idea at the time.

You could call it a tale of two marathons...But was running Paris and London within two weeks a wise idea? They are two great races, with both events attracting thirty thousand plus runners. But at the end of the day there is one good cause to run for.....that was for the charity Whizz kidz.

So what better way to spend a sunny spring Sunday morning ...and also your 43rd birthday? Than doing the ultimate Paris sightseeing tour, 'Marathon de Paris'? Starting on the Champs Elyesse, turning right at Concorde and down Rue Rivioli to storm past the Bastille. Then back along the banks of the Seine, past Notre Damne and the Effiel Tower....to name drop a few sites of interest.

It was tempting to go out and run a good time in these ideal conditions. But with another 26 miles to run in a fortnight, I edge on caution. Anyway, a good excuse to enjoy the views which make up for the lack crowd support. At 23 miles in London there would be thousands cheering you on, but here in Paris, just one man and his dog looking on curiously!! I come to the conclusion that the Parisians don't do marathons. No Rhino's, no fancy dress, no one in a diving suit except Andy Johnson and myself in Whizz Kidz hats.

What the French lack in support, they make up for in organisation and style. I don't think I have ever run a marathon before and been offered a cup of Beaujolais within two kilometres of the finish. After that does it really matter that I have just run a steady fours hours forty five?

London was a contrast, instead of a sunny spring day, typical April showers were raining down on the startline on Blackheath common. This may not be as romantic as the Champs Elyesse. No long boulevards or pavement cafes to run past, as today would be soggy High Streets and a greasy Joe's cafe in Deptford.

This was part two of the marathon challenge. The legs and I feel good after Paris. I felt I had recovered well....Well until 3 miles that is, coming to a stand still and hopping on one leg. The right hamstring had seized. So as the race rushed by I was propped up against a wall stretching the muscle. It was either cramp or something more serious. Or something was telling me this was one marathon too many??

With the help of regular pause's to stretch, and attention from first aid stations at 4 miles and 9 miles. I surprised myself how well I was running. The miles steadily passed. By 18 miles I really could tell that I had run a marathon already, my legs heavy and wanting to disown me. So far the crowd support had been excellent, so many people shouting your name. They give you that lift when you need it. Their cheers revitalises you when you are tired, providing that motivation to finish when your at your lowest ebb. This is one of the reasons why the London marathon is the greatest of marathons.

Looking back and reflecting. These were two runs not about time, but the challenge of running two marathons back to back. At times hard work, at times emotional, but one thing, I have great satisfaction in doing both. Nigel Lloyd

Races

Bucks Fizz 5km

A Trip down Memory LaneWhat a fantastic venue for a race, the Black Country Living Museum. But I am not sure what to wear? Not because it’s a freezing morning and everything is covered in white frost. But do I have to be traditional to reflect the surroundings? As this is a living museum depicting the Black Country, it’s industry and crafts from the turn of the century? Do we have to wear long baggy shorts, bracers, flat caps and hob nail boots...with a whippet on a piece of string?

We are transported back to the times of running legend Alf Tupper - ‘Tough of the Track’. A lad fuelled by bacon bits and green pae’s, and not as today fuelled on fancy energy drinks and pasta.

Will there be showers after this event? Or just a tin bath in front of a open and roaring fire! And remember there are one hundred and fifty entrants, and a whippet! So its going to be a mad dash around the three and a bit laps to be the first man home and grab the tub and the hot water first? Lookout for this one next year worth running.

Stourbridge Stagger Sunday 1st February 2004

This time last week I was running on ice....This week mud!! After a week of braving the elements and experiencing every weather condition known to man, albeit wind, snow, hale and torrential rain. Not forgetting hell and high water. Finally today Mr sunshine decides to show his face at long last.

This time last week, was a jolly jaunt around a 5km course, but today it would be a slightly longer trek. The organisers call it 10 ish, so probably more like 13 miles. The organisers say it’s going to be tough, so it’s probably going to be hell!! It’s going to be a test of strength and stamina. There are going to be tough hills to clamber up, obstacles to climb, and there’s going to be mud!...Lots of glorious mud!! It’s going to test you to the limit, so no wonder they call it ‘The Stagger’? But the organisers insist it was named so because of the staggering beauty of the Worcestershire countryside the course winds its way though....Think they are telling another porky there somehow!!

The opening mile's encompass a route around Mary Steven’s park, and a trip across the playing fields. "On me 'ead son!!" a Beckham lookalike intercepts a cross, putting it in the back of the net past a bloated pony tailed Seaman clone....This is Sunday League football, as girlfriends huddle gossiping on the touchline.

Off down a gully, we are onto the golf course, as inches from us lands a dull thud!! Then a delayed muffed cry from the distance "FOREEeeee!!" as a Pringle wearing figure resembling Rupert the Bear, slice's the ball, nearly skimming the tops of the heads of the stream of runners as they cut across the fairway.

Onwards to the bottom of a sandy track, we are well over 2 miles out now. There is a sharp left turn onto what the map identifies as a Roman Road. Now if you are Tony Robinson and his Time Team you would be highly estatic at the archaeological significance of this. I am not Tony Robinson and I am not estatic, nor are the runners in front and behind me, as we plow ankle deep through strength sapping slimey mud!! This poses a question? If the Roman's were so clever, why didn't they develop tarmac? With the miles and miles of road way they carved throughout the Roman empire, surely this would of been an ideal solution? But there again, maybe they did? And it just hadn't reached this far north, as the Roman navies were knocking on the doors of the residents of Watling Street asking if they wanted their drive's tarmacing?

This is a race with a sting in its tail. If the terrain wasn't heavy going already, there is a point on this course that gives those who have trod this route before nightmare's and sleepless nights. It lie's in wait at about 4 miles. It's a steep gully, with steep sides and in the right conditions, as these are, ankle deep in mud!! There is no escape and only one way up. No clambering up the bank, just grit your teeth head down and hope you stay upright and keep your balance, not easy as the clinging mud grabs your ankles. Not only will it suck your shoe off, but your socks as well. Lose a shoe here it's gone for ever!!! That's the nightmare anyway. So rounding the corner onto the road preparing for the assault, I wasn't prepared for what was facing me? Given the weather conditions it could of been a unclimbable brown, slimey soup? No!! The muddy gully was no more, it had gone...Those Roman navies had finally arrived...Maximus Hillius Gaspius and his men had laid a track since a year ago when this race was last run. Hardcore replaced the mud. The slippery climb, now became a long slog up steps. Sad or happy, it's still hardwork to get to the top!!

Once at the top of the climb you can get your breath back. From here you do get great views and you settle into some steady running and a nice down hill section. But as you would guess, what goes down has eventually got to go up!! And the up on this occasion is a steep bank at Churchill.

This is head down, settle into a rhythm and plod on up. Just to test you further, some kind farmer has put a stile halfway up the bank, enough to break your rhythm. Climbing the stile, swinging a tired leg over the top rail, the momentum of me clambering this obstacle causes my following foot to slip. The mud clogged shoe slips from the bottom rail..."Ohhhhh F...!!!!" And biting my top lip.....CRUNCH!!!!! I land on the top rail as excruting pain shoots throughout the body. A pain so sharp it makes me double up. This must be the worst pain known to man, other than joggers nipple that is...As tears roll down my checks. Suddenly I have become a contestant on ‘Stars in your eyes’..."Tonight Matthew, I am The Darkness’s Justin Hawkins!!" Or should it be Aled Jones...before his balls dropped that is.

Talking of dropping balls, I have to check that all is intact, to the hilarious sympathy from the growing queue of runners that I am holding up. A couple of women give me a dubious look as I do a quick stock take. "One good'un...one slightly brusied and tender!!!" Thats the dangers of landing on your cross bar as it were? Winded, I continue the climb, probably feeling abit lope sided in movement.

The summit marks what the organizers call halfway....ish?? The rest of the run is relatively easier, nothing as drastic as the first half. The course is still tough, and there is a strength sapping muddy climb. But it's all a question of survival. keeping the momentum going no matter how tired and heavy the legs feel. The sight of those football pitches again is a very welcome one. I never thought I would be so happy at seeing 22 men chasing a bag of wind. This signals less than a mile to the finish.

An hour thirty five, it’s taken, and I feel knackered!!. I ache, not only in the legs, but rather sore in other certain place’s too, and that’s a place were St John’s are not going to treat me!!Letter to the Bearwood Athlete

Dear Fellow athletes,

I am writing as Secretary of Worcester Joggers to open a debate about our difficulties affiliating to the Midland Counties Athletics Association. Our affiliation has been refused, solely on the grounds that our name may cause 'confusion' with that of Worcester Athletic Club.

In order to maintain and promote our identity, we need to be affiliated to MCAA so that our teams can enter races organized under AAA rules. Unaffiliated clubs may not do this. In return, we have much to offer MCAA, including encouraging new runners to take up the sport, enhanced support for local events and, not least, a new revenue stream!

Sally Ellis (England International) formed the club in 1984 for ladies only, meeting at the Perdiswell Leisure Centre in Worcester. However within 18 months membership was opened to male runners; from 1985 we have been known as Worcester Joggers. During the last four years our membership has increased dramatically, due to our friendly reputation, excellent website and a very successful novice joggers programme.

We now have around 60 runners on Monday evenings, with a good mix of gender, age, nationality and ability. We give great support to local races, events and charities. The club also runs a wide variety of social events for our 60+ paid-up members. In September 2001 we applied to affiliate to the MCAA. Since then, our application has been refused many times, owing solely to the use of 'Worcester' in our title. We have discovered that there are many places where a 'Joggers' club co-exists uneventfully with another club: examples include Portsmouth Joggers and City of Portsmouth AC, Havering 90 Joggers and Havering Mayesbrook AC, and Watford Joggers and Watford AC.

However none of these is in the area governed by the MCAA. A rule is being imposed on us that is not universally applied and is thus unjust. After all, Manchester copes very well with two football clubs without confusion! We understand the fears of the committee of Worcester AC in opposing our affiliation; it has been suggested that we should merge with them, thus gaining the advantages of affiliation. However, many non-runners join us because of our name and reputation; they feel less intimidated by a 'jogging' club than an 'athletics' club. In short, we serve a totally different constituency to that of Worcester AC; there is room in the city of Worcester for two quite different clubs. We feel that we cater more specifically for the needs of road runners and joggers, with our own club league table, 'golden league' race series and annual trophies which reward both excellence and improvements on previous years' performance. It has been suggested that we change our name to 'Perdiswell Joggers', but we are proud of our city and committed to our name. Members have worked hard to promote Worcester Joggers' reputation as a friendly and accessible club; this would be lost by a name change. We take part en masse in many races throughout the county and want people to know where we are from, not the name of the leisure centre at which we meet. We would like to know your opinions on our affiliation attempt. Has your club had a similar problem? Do you belong to a club that co-exists in the same town/city as another club? Does this cause any problems? Do you think we are being unrealistic in our aims? Do you support our aims? I promise to publish all views, whether positive or negative, on our website at www.worcester-joggers.co.uk If you wish to contribute to this debate please email me on secretary at Worcester-joggers.co.uk or send a letter to: 22 Elizabeth Avenue Worcester, WR3 7 HQ. Regards Nigel Stinton (Secretary Worcester Joggers) Put your Foot down inNew York City Marathon November 7th 20040207 233 9696events@whizz-kidz.org.ukwww.whizz-kidz.org.ukTBA Distance Running Consultancy Motivating you ‘Step by Step’TBA Distance Running Constancy was set up by runners for runners, to pass on and share advice, tips and motivation. Need an answer to a nagging question regarding training, races, kit, or need that confidence building boost?

Then email us at tba@thebearwoodathlete.co.uk Bearwoodathlete InformationEditor - Nigel Lloyd email  nige@thebearwoodathlete.co.uk

Website www.thebearwoodathlete.com


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