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Newsdesk 2001
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RANELAGH HARRIERS E-NEWS # 39 19 SEPTEMBER 2001
Web site: http://www.surreyweb.net/rharriers
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Jim Forrest provides some Jimthoughts on last Saturday's Thomas Cup, the
Opening Run of our 121st season:
"We had a glorious day for the Opening Run this year, not too hot, perfect
for running - quite similar to my first Thomas Cup 39 years ago. Having
contributed last winter to the club's efforts by running through various
swamps in unbelievably appalling times, I was rewarded by a very pleasant
handicap allocation this time. (All this without any secret payments
either!) My part of the start area was like a dream, really - not since
university days have I been surrounded by so many beautiful women in such a
state of undress.
Geared up by all this excitement, I probably ran a little too purposefully
in the first mile. I had forgotten that infernal steep hill that the club
has kindly inserted at Isabella and was definitely on zero momentum for
large parts of it. It was an immense relief to finish in the end and get in
the medals just before the scratch man came bounding through. A sobering
thought that I shall have to do the darned circuit twice on October 6th in
the Orion Mob Match. My time was even more sobering, being my slowest ever,
and needs some explanation to the readers.
The answer as I see it is that the Earth (the section that I am running on,
anyway) is expanding at about 4% per year. This explains the apparent
deterioration in my performances perfectly."
There was a good field of over 50 starters, quickest of all being Senor
Benton and Senorita O'Neill, visiting from Barcelona. Julie Gilding was a
clear winner, but the rest - except for a few injured and lame tailed off -
were home in a little over 4 minutes - good work by Will the Sorcerer's
Apprentice.
Quite a few more than 50 assembled before the race for the annual club
photo, including many old friends who had travelled some way - if not quite
as far as the Spanish contingent - to be with us.
On September 16th Allan Lang finished 4th in the over 60s category in BVAF
10km championship at Brockwell Park in a time of 41.20.
A WARM WELCOME
to the following new members: Ildiko Solti, Eleonora Zona, Jo Tresidder,
Sally Ann Morris, Jaroslava Duskova, Paul Doyle, Eamonn O'Dwyer, Michael
Bartlett.
Wally Garrod has a room to let again in his house in Tolworth. If you're
interested, contact Wally on 020 8390 1676.
Neil Lewis writes: "Old RH Neil Lewis, now a sculler with Hexham Rowing Club
in Northumberland won his first regatta last month on 18 August at
Berwick-sur-Tweed, that border enclave famed for having only recently
stopped being at war over the Crimea (good quiz question that). Due to foot
and mouth restrictions upstream, the Tweed course was set in the
tidal/coastal town reaches, making for 'interesting' water. In his heat
Lewis's opponent jammed himself in Hexham's medieval bridge arch. Superior
watermanship in a borrowed boat took L through however, but having set up
his boat wrongly whilst seized by fear before the race, he was just beaten
to the line, also racing crabs with most strokes. The opponent was
disqualified for interference and so L made the final. Sea conditions had
worsened, but L had now rerigged his borrowed boat and felt more confident.
Sadly he had rigged too far the other way, but his new opposition was more
scared of the conditions than he was and he won his first trophy, a lovely
chrome plated plastic dish on a wood-effect plastic stand bearing the sticky
label emblazoned '2001'. If you hold the dish in a certain light you can
just see the club crest. Category - novice old man who has never won
anything before. The trouble is, four boats made this a ranking race so he
now has to race in a higher category where the competition know one end of a
boat from another, and may even train."
BUILDING FUND DRAW
Winners in the draw held after the Thomas Cup race were Gordon Neal (£157),
Steve Rowland (£65 - yippee) and Mick Lane (£39). Join in for just a tenner
a year (cheques payable to 'Ranelagh Harriers Building Fund') to Pete
Trainor at 30 Hatch Place, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 5NB.
COMING UP
More details of all the following from Andy Bickerstaff (07966 552302 /
norris.hobs@bigwig.net) or Sarah Seal (020 8995 2380 / sarahs@walker.co.uk).
Sunday September 23rd Cabbage Patch 10 miles road race at Twickenham.
10am start. This incorporates our Callis Cup 10 miles club championship.
Entries on the day £10.
Saturday September 29th / Sunday September 30th Southern Road Relays at
Aldershot
Saturday October 6th The season's first mob match at home v Orion
Harriers. 7.5 miles in Richmond Park, starting at 3pm. All able bodies to
the start line please.
Saturday October 13th Surrey Cross Country League Division One - men at
Brockwell Park, women at Wimbledon Common. Note that the women's league
start times have been brought forward this year. Under 13s & under 15s now
run together at 12 noon, under 17s and under 20s at 12.30pm and seniors at
1pm. Men's races remain at 2.30pm for under 17s and 3pm for seniors.
Saturday October 20th Surrey Veterans Championships (women 6km at 2.30pm,
men 10km at 3pm) at Richmond Park. This is on our course but entries do have
to be made in advance to be eligible for the team competition. We regularly
seem to miss team medals because of this, so anyone planning to run should
please be sure to add your name to the list on the clubhouse noticeboard or
contact John Hanscomb (020 8399 3928) or send your entry direct to Derek
Crookes at 209 Lynmouth Avenue, Morden, Surrey SM4 4RX with the £2 fee
payable to Surrey County AA.
FINALLY
Alan Davidson revealed at the Thomas Cup that it was his 2000th race since
taking up running back in 1985. By my reckoning, that works out to slightly
over two races per week....
Steve Rowland
Telephone: 01926 318734
Fax: 0870 4006901
e-mail: srowland@calorgas.co.uk