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 ****************************************************************************
 RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 167        26 JANUARY 2005
 Editor: Steve Rowland
 mailto: steverowland@ranelagh-harriers.com
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 HEADLINE NEWS
 *  Ealing win Hec Petersen Trophy
 *  South of England Championships this Saturday
 *  One extra point lead for Ranelagh women in the Surrey League

 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 January 29th             South of England Cross-Country
 Championships at Parliament Hill from 11am. See below.
                                             Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
 5km. 9am start

 Saturday February 5th             Pelling Ratcliff Cup Mob Match v
 Blackheath Harriers at Hayes (Kent). See below.
                                              Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
 5km. 9am start

 Sunday February 6th               London Mini-Marathon trials for Richmond's
 team in Richmond Park. See below.

 Saturday February 12th           Surrey League Division One final fixtures -
 men at Coulsdon, women at Ewell.
                                              Ranelagh Bushy Park Time Trial
 5km. 9am start

 SOUTH OF ENGLAND CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS  Saturday 29th January at
 Parliament Hill
 The under 15 boys race kicks off the proceedings at 11am, followed by all
 the other junior races. The senior women run at 1.50pm and the senior men at
 2.50pm. See our web site for the full timetable.
 Andy Bickerstaff adds:
 "The men have a small (but perfectly formed) team competing in the
 Southerns. We will be travelling on the 12:59 from Richmond which gets us
 there (Gospel Oak) in time to see the women's race. Supporters are welcome
 to give us a shout (forecast is chilly but sunny and light winds) and/or
 meet back in Richmond for a post race beer at the Dysart from 6-7pm".
 We should have representatives in most of the junior races, and I'm sure
 they would welcome some support too, for those who can arrive a bit earlier.
 Easiest access is by rail from Richmond to Gospel Oak station, which is
 literally within sight of the start. Journey time is about 30 mins. 

 MOB MATCH v BLACKHEATH & BROMLEY HARRIERS & AC for the Pelling-Ratcliff Cup
 Saturday 5th February at 2.30pm.
 Andy Bickerstaff writes:
 "We need 40 runners at Hayes to have a chance of a remarkable victory (how
 long since we've beaten Blackheath away?). There's some great photos of the
 2003 race on our website...which also make the course look benign".

 We will be running a free mini-bus from the Ranelagh clubhouse leaving at
 12.15pm and returning after the post-race tea. Please use it! It would be
 helpful (but not vital) if you could let Andy Bickerstaff know if you're
 likely to make use of this (contact details above).

 This is the last of our 2004/2005 mob matches. Above all else, mob matches
 are all about which club can get the most runners to the starting (and
 finishing!) line. So we need as many Ranelagh Harriers as possible to turn
 up for a seven and a half mile multi-terrain run through the Kent
 countryside. It really doesn't matter if you're fast or slow. The Blackheath
 HQ is in Bourne Way, close to the junction of the A2022 and A232 and near
 Hayes, Kent, station. The start is at 2.30pm but note it's a 10 mins jog from
 the clubhouse. If you're late, go straight there.

 LONDON MINI-MARATHON 2005
 The trials for the Richmond team to take part in the London Mini-Marathon
 will take place in Richmond Park on Sunday 6th February. The 5km
 Mini-Marathon takes place on part of the London Marathon course on the
 marathon day itself, Sunday 17th April. Competitors must be aged between 11
 and 17 on April 17th and to represent Richmond you must either live or go to
 school in the borough. There are four races in the trial - girls 13-17 at
 9.30am, boys 13-17 at 10am, girls 11-12 at 10.30am and boys 11-12 at 11am.
 Entry forms are in the clubhouse or can be obtained from the Sports
 Development Team, Regal House (1st floor), London Road, Twickenham TW1 3QB.

 VALENTINE'S DAY BALL
 Unfortunately due to a clash of dates this event will not now be taking
 place.

 WHAT'S HAPPENED...
 ****************************
 INTER-CLUB incl HEC PETERSEN TROPHY  Saturday 22nd January in Richmond Park
 Phil Aiken reports:
 "With the early weeks of the year packed with heavyweight races, this
 inter-club fixture, hosted by Bank of England, is a necessarily low-key
 affair. This year, however, there was added interest, with the inclusion of
 the Hec Petersen Trophy, commemorating the eponymous member of both clubs
 and awarded annually to the winner of the match between Ranelagh and Ealing
 Southall and Middlesex.

 Starting near Roehampton Gate the 5.7m course, one of the more testing on
 offer and incorporating many elements of our own courses (albeit run in the
 opposite direction), climbs up to the Ballet School before following Queen's
 Ride down and up, up, up towards Sidmouth Wood. At the top of the hill there's
 a U-turn around the trees and a long drop down to the Pen Ponds, before
 another climb up into Spankers Hill Wood. A sharp drop down and up leads to
 the back of the Ballet School where it's straight on for the second lap or
 right for the descent to the finish.

 Steve Bayliss was Croydon Harriers' lone representative and he made his
 journey worthwhile by romping away from the field to win by 1'42". Bank of
 England's Giles Clifford was the only one to stay near in the opening
 stages. Our own Marcus Gohar was in a group of four contesting the next
 places but lost ground on the second lap to finish 6th.

 Trevor Maguire ran strongly for 12th but strong representation from both
 Ealing Southall and Middlesex and Hercules Wimbledon enabled them to take
 the top two spots. To add to their overall victory, ESM's Fiona Kennedy
 eased away on the second lap to be first woman home in 15th place.

 The best we could now hope for was 3rd and with strong packing from Mike
 Peace (18th), Will Graves (19th) and Stephen Arneil (21st), Chris Read was
 left to close out the scoring in 27th and comfortably secure the bronze
 position ahead of our near neighbours, the Stragglers. The hosts placed 5th
 and Dulwich Park Runners, showing once again that racing is as much about
 competing as winning, 6th.

 Backup and support was provided by Clive Naish, Andy Hayward, Pete Warren,
 Tim Woolmer and our lone female representative, Corinne Bishop, who, with
 pills in hand, gamely battled a bad back".


 BUSHY PARK TIME TRIAL 5km  Saturday 15th January
 There was another good field of 30 on a crispy, bright but very cold
 morning. The standard in depth was the best yet with almst a third of the
 field inside 20 minutes, including organiser Paul Sinton-Hewitt himself.
 Matt Morgan looked particularly impressive in ducking inside 18 minutes.
 1 R Simms (PACE) 16.50
 3 Matt Morgan 17.58
 7 Stephen Instone 19.34
 8 Paul Sinton-Hewitt 19.43
 10 Steve Rowland 20.06
 11 Darren Wood 20.17
 13 Chris Hunton 20.31
 22 Sonia Rowland 23.02

 SURREY LADIES LEAGUE DIVISION ONE  Saturday 15th January in Richmond Park
 Some revisions to the originally published result give us an extra point
 lead over Belgrave. Could be crucial! All Ranelagh finishers from Marie
 Synnott-Wells to Kathy Mallett move up one place and those behind Kathy move
 up two places. The corrected score on the day was Belgrave 70, Ranelagh 75;
 and the overall scores with the last crucial race to come are Ranelagh 198,
 Belgrave 215.

 THE WINTER TANNERS MARATHON
 Peter Saw writes:
 "Clive Beauvais & Sue Ashley were seen on the Winter Tanners on Sunday 9
 January. I have now received the results which show Clive finished the
 thirty and a half miles in 5:43 (despite losing six or seven minutes when he
 went wrong on Leith Hill) whilst Sue finished in 5:59. Proving that LDWA
 events are good stamina builders for all endurance athletes, the Epsom &
 Ewell women completed the twenty mile event with local clubs Collingwood
 A.C. and 26.2 Running Club represented among the finishers for the thirty
 mile event. Whilst those who ran round completed the courses quickly, the
 "connoisseurs of the Surrey countryside" took up to eleven and a half hours.
 The next LDWA event in the area is the Punchbowl Marathon (13th February, a
 choice of thirty and twenty miles as measured on a map). Other events
 include the Capital Ring Challenge (9/10 July) - 78 miles passing the
 clubhouse at the Dysart - and the Founders' Challenge (Sunday 23 October) -
 twenty six miles in the Surrey Hills including about 3000 feet of ascents
 (and descents as the route is circular!)".

 TRAINING
 ************
 Tough Tuesdays continue as normal, with speed work for various groups (next
 few sessions below) and Wally's beginners' club. Full details on our web
 site.

 Robin Drummond's  "Improvers Sessions" continue on Thursday nights at 7pm
 from the clubhouse, concentrating on speed and technique. Full details can
 be found on our web site.

 As an alternative on Thursday nights, Margaret Auerback and Frances
 Ratchford are holding Strength and Conditioning coaching sessions at 7.30pm
 in the free-weights room at the gym at St Mary's College, Waldegrave Road.
 Coaching at the gym on other days is negotiable. For more information
 contact Frances at mailto:grapevineproductions@compuserve.com.

 Also Wednesdays at 6.30pm and Sundays at 10am at the clubhouse for a steady
 run in the Park.

 Tuesday sessions. Each also includes a steady run warm up and warm down.
 Feb 1st   3 x 5 mins, 3 x 3 mins
 Feb 8th   4 x Nightingale Lane bottom, 3 x Richmond Hill, 3 x Nightingale
 Lane bottom
 Feb 15th  2 x 3 x 4 mins efforts
 Feb 22nd  6 mins, 3 mins, 6 mins, 3 mins, 6 mins efforts

 THE TEENAGE RUNNER
 Margaret Auerback writes:
 "Bruce Tulloh has just brought out the third edition of his book The Teenage
 Runner, completely revised and updated. It covers all track distances from
 100 metres to 10,000 metres on the track as well as cross country and road
 running, and all age groups from under 13s to under 20s.

 It is approved by UK Athletics and highly recommended by David Hemery and
 Alan Storey. 'Bruce uses the experience gained over five decades to help
 young athletes and their coaches understand the special needs of this age
 group. He is uniquely qualified to offer advice and help,' writes Alan
 Storey, Technical Director, Endurance, UK Athletics. There are profiles of
 several young athletes some of whom have made it to international level.
 Essential reading for all young athletes, their parents and coaches.

 I have some order forms or you can buy online for £11 from
 www.TullohBooks.com".

 FINALLY
 Alf Pearce's funeral took place yesterday (Tuesday 25th). The church where
 the funeral took place is directly across the road from the finish of the
 Harrow 10km race and the subsequent cremation took place at the Breakspear
 Crematorium which is on the course of the Finchley 20 miles and the
 Hillingdon 5 miles races. Once a runner...