Southern RRs: M50s 1st, M60s 7th, women 20th, men 33rd
The South of England Road Relays were held at Aldershot on Saturday and Sunday. Our women's team was 20th and our men's 33rd. We also fielded teams in the M50 and M60 categories, with the M50s taking the gold medals and the M60s finishing 7th.
Senior Women
1, Aldershot, Farnham & District A (51:29); 2, Aldershot, Farnham & District B (52:14); 3, Bedford (53:59); 4, WGEL A team 20th (58:56) (2012: 11th, 57:29)
Despite early promise suggesting that at least an A and a B team may emerge, WGEL managed to field only one women's team at the Aldershot South of England Road Relays, the inaugural race of the winter season. 54 teams contested the championship - 4 more than last year.
In racing order, they were: Georgie-Lou Sales, Evie Serventi, Emily Moss, Kat Gundersen. An overcast but humid day, there was a real buzz in the air as the lead-out girls lined up in the late afternoon haze to kick off the new season.
Birthday girl and teacher-in-training Georgie-Lou led the girls out and ran strongly for 14:24 to get the Woodettes off to a very solid start in this challenging field before handing over to V40 Evie Serventi and dusting off her dancing shoes to begin her celebrations. Returning after injury and adjusting to a new work/life balance, Sales was quietly satisfied with her run. Meanwhile Serventi, making a very welcome return to the fold in her first race in two years, maintained a 'reserved' paced second leg in 15:44. Commenting that it was "great blowing the cobwebs out after two years" on a 'fast and sharp' course, Servnti was delighted simply to be back running.
Third up, Emily Moss delivered the team's fastest leg by a hair's breadth 14:23, a mere second faster than Sales and, despite not yet being fully into a structured winter regime, gave a powerful performance, echoing, she felt, Kat Gundersen's 'plus ten places' performance of last year. "I felt comfortable throughout…and I definitely feel there is more to come now my training programme has begun" she commented. It was left to trusty anchor V35 Kat Gundersen to bring the team home which, despite a heavy work week she managed in a super run of 14:25 - 4" off last year and in an almost identical time to Sales and Moss. Declaring herself "very pleased" the relieved Gundo admitted she had surprised herself by running "much better than expected" The Woodettes closed the day in 20th position overall. That only 87 seconds could account for 9 places between last and this year is testament to the quality (and quantity) of the field this year, with winners and runners up Aldershot A and B each faster by 44" and 1'50" this time.
Standing in for Race Captain Bernadine Pritchett, on the spot skipper and photographer-in-chief Alex Wardle said "We're of the blocks for the winter season and I'm very contented with this good solid start. We really are a talented squad but it will take a big collective effort to put that talent on the line throughout the winter! I'm especially grateful to the four who made it out to the start line this time and for their excellent team spirit - well done!"
Emily Moss spoke for all the girls in expressing her enjoyment at being part of the team on Saturday. The team's sparkle is always brilliant when we get together at races - so lets start as we mean to go on in the season ahead. Come on girls!"
This is Brenda Bray Trophy fixture 1. The top 5 standings are: 1. Moss (20); 2. Sales (19); 3. Gundersen (18); 4. Serventi (17).
Senior Men
Terry McCarthy's photos (mostly the Masters races)
This race signalled the start of me and Roy's time in charge, writes Ed Messer. So how would this first event shape us? A big win that would rock the running world and lead people to say 'Terry who'? Or would it lead to such a short time in charge it would make Di Canio's time at Sunderland seem like an era.
The M50s had already got the gold score board ticking earlier in the day, and though this manager turned up a bit later then expected, Roy was there with table, cake and music; three things which show that a man is fully in control. So fully assured the teams were quickly entered and already we had got two full teams in, something not done since '08, and ticking off one of the aims for the day.
Oli Heeks was first up for the A-team, a man who is coming back to running after a break, this was his first true race outing for some time. He started confidently, but by the end of the first lap was having to dig in, which he did in good style coming in with 19.50 in 49th on the always heavy loaded first leg (Nick Goolab had run the first lap of the two in 8.30!). It was pleasing to hear though at the end, that the run had just wetted Oli's appetite and that he hoped that his training will now step up a level.
Oli handed over to another returnee Gavin Lewis, who is now working and has found running to fit in well with his schedule so is looking to move his running on this winter. But an email greeted this team manager on the day of the race, saying Gavin's calf had been playing up and should he be put on a later leg. I decided not. But he decided to try and test my nerve, as when he came through for the second lap and in full sight of the team, he pointed down to his leg and pulled over to the side! Was this how me and Roy's first event was to go, A-team out on the second leg, and me being chased by 4 angry A teamers full of running? But Gavin had just pulled over to do his shoelace, in 20 seconds he was back off again, with this delighted team manager making a mental note to gaffer tape up Gavin's shoes next race.
Despite the break Gavin ran a very good 19.49 and we were up to 37th. Next on was Bertie Powell. Bertie had suffered from hamstring trouble in August and so decided to listen to his coaches advice and worry not about the time, more how he felt. He got caught up in a terrific battle with a Norwich runner, who he managed to beat and 12 others to get the team up into 24th with our fastest leg of 19.16. He handed over to Tony Russell for the fourth leg.
Tony, who is an ex-footballer, took up the sport about a year ago and is still learning the tricks of getting fit for the right time etc. He has a tremendous team spirit attitude, which meant that even though Tony has had two weeks off due to a calf injury, was still happy to come forward and do a leg. His time of 22.32 is at least 2.00 slower then I will say Tony will run this winter when back in form, and his summer performances had meant he had earned his place in the A team, which after only a year of running is no mean feat!
Tony handed over to Gareth Cavell, the London Cabby and secret Celtic fan. Gareth by all accounts has been going well in training, and leg 5 is a tough leg as teams start to attack but Gareth held his own gaining as many places as those who passed and keeping us exactly in 41st place with 21.05. Then in the anchor leg was Tomaz Plibersek. He said this week he had got his mileage up to 100+ Kilometres, and so had not tapered for this race at all. How would this effect him, I mused, on this pressure leg. But I knew the character of the man, who Terry had ploughed through the snow to get him to sign for us, and he showed his international pedigree by making us up 8 places on the final lap with 19.47 and getting us up to 33rd.
Although we were outside the top 20, we were only 3 minutes off (20th:1.59.17 - 33rd:2.02.19) and this race wasn't a target as it is so early that most athletes training has not kicked in yet. Our Met league Rivals Highgate and Serpentine produced a good run to get 5th and 8th respectively, and Highgate B pipped our A team, but this is no more then expected from not a target race, just a good lesson that this year we must pull out all the stops!
For our B-team Joe Everitt lead us out. Joe has had a good summer and with no injuries has been able to carry on that season's good form to this one, as he knocked out a very good 21.07. Next up was Terry McCarthy, heel injuries still plaguing him he took on his new duties as athlete and coach creating bonhomie with the group, and turned in a 23.52.
Next was me. It is a shame Terry doesn't write the reports as he no doubt would have said it was a cannonball run, unfortunately not as one fired from a cannon, but one left to the side with not enough force to overcome it's static inertia, 25.45 was the result. Handing over to Steve Lambert on lap 4, the new triathlete who had been lured over to the pub side by the Edinburgh Fringe festival last month, but a 23.09 on not a lot of running in recent weeks, means I'm still convinced that he will have his best season yet in a woodford vest.
On leg 5 was Rob Wilbraham, getting into his stride with 22.16, he has some track pedigree in his younger days and with this being his second winter with us I hope that he will make the jump up to the next level, he is hungry for it saying recent shin trouble may have been due to wanting to do too much. On last leg we had written down as CJ Shepherd, who was recorded as Ed Shepherd, who looked amazingly like Nick Andrews from Telford now living in London. He had come in on short notice, and little training and did a very handy 21.24, which marks him out as a having good team spirit and ability a very handy mixture.
The B's finished in 74th but just finishing a team was good, with a week to go it looked like we wouldn't, and we have to remember this is the whole southern area's relays, and I think I can safely say that for one member at least running in the event was quite a shock! Thank you must go to everyone who was there, and to Roy and his good wife for bringing cake to cheer the masses. The team spirit was good, and me and Roy learned some valuable lessons in the build up and on the day, which I hope will hold us in good stead for the up coming season.
M50: Our M50 team won their race by 53 seconds: Matt Flannelly 21.31 (4), Dave Cox 21.28 (3), Ray Dzikowski 21.36 (1), Tony Pampilon 21.41 (1). All four athletes were amongst the 15 fastest of the day.
M60: Our M60 team finished 7th: Trevor Powell 30.42 (10), Roger Green 27.15 (10), Roy Williams 26.45 (10), Dave Cox 22.43 (7). Dave Cox's time was the fastest overall M60 time of the day, although Dave had already run far quicker just 25 minutes beforehand.