ATW Met League race 5: Seniors
On Saturday 7th February the ATW Metropolitan CC League came to Wormwood Scrubs to close the 2014-2015 season. With a busy schedule of County, Southern and National CC in this period the post-Christmas Met races are always a test on squad depth, and due to a combination of factors the team showed a good effort to get 22 out.
First in, and leading the team in for the first time, was Tom Beedell in 16th place. The return of Tom to good form has been a great addition this year, and it was fitting he finished the Met season in the top 20 (only 12 seconds off top 10) and leading the team in, and on current form it bodes well for his aim of lowering his marathon PB. In next was Bertie Powell in 34th. At the start of the season Bertie was struck down with injury and could only manage to jog round Claybury and was outside our first twelve for the first time in 50 starts. That he ended this Met season as our second man in here is testament to how good Bertie is and his toughness, as he is still carrying an injury. Third in for the team was Angus Holford in 38th. An excellent run was a good way for Angus to mark a momentous fortnight as he had got through his viva which meant he completed his PhD and is now Dr. Angus Holford, a tremendous achievement. In just behind was Donatas Tumaitis in 45th. During the week Donatas had had a heavy cold and although he felt better on the day, it is never easy to shake it completely, but Donatas has shown great fortitude this season, and stuck to his task well only losing about 30 seconds, which will be fully gained back and more when he is back to 100%.
In next was new signing Tommy Bower in 51st. Tommy showed his resilience as he raced last weekend in Brighton in the BUCS CC, and came back this weekend for his first Met of the season. With this resilience to race and excellent quality, it means that if Tommy keeps enjoying his running he will be a great part of any Woodford team. In just behind was Tony Russell in 56th. With his schedule having had to alter due to his new baby girl, Tony is just ticking over in training at the moment and using the racing as the quality, but with good training in the bank, Tony is maintaining well and should be looking forward to the national. In seventh was Rob Wilbraham in 84th. Also getting used to life as a new dad, Rob had a hard week and said that he was happy to get round. It is a mark of where Rob has got to this season, that an average run now is still ahead of his best form of previous seasons. In next was Joe Everitt in 92nd. Joe has come back from injury over Christmas to return to good form, and his level of consistency means that, come the National, he will be pushing to be in our 9 man team.
In just behind was Jim Roche in 96th. Jim had fought off a bug and redecorated his home so racing was again possible. It was a good time for us to have Jim back and for him to have a good run. If Jim can get in a good period of training before the National then we could see him back to his best in that race. In tenth was Julian Russell in 123rd. It was another fine run for Julian, and such is his improvement that, once a member of our C team, in a space of a season has got to a point where he can get into our A team, and now the top 100 must be the next aim for Julian. In just behind in 132nd was Dave Cox. Dave keeping everyone alert by keeping to his custom of arriving close to race start, he finished over 4 minutes ahead of the next V60, and ahead of every V55, nearest of which was our own Alan Rugg in 153rd. Alan is getting back to very decent form, and could well be looking at the track with keen interest this summer.
This closed our 12 in 153 and gave us fourth on the day and third in the league overall. Congratulations must go to Highgate for a fine performance again with their third Met title in a row, and Serpentine who also performed to a very high level this season. Commiserations must go to the hard working Bob Smith and Newham and Essex Beagles, who just lost out in the relegation battle at this last fixture, but there is no doubt that they will soon be back.
Starting the second team was Peter Caton in 163rd. Recovering well from the 15k in Brighton, Pete would have been pleased to come back to 8k, and although not as high as 125th at the previous Met, the championship races can cause this part of the season to be a bit of a roller coaster with some real top runs and some not quite there, but it is clear that Pete is far improved than from even the start of the season, and should be looking forward to all the races coming up. In next was Tony Pamphilon in 225th. This was a bit more of vintage Tony, this run had some very good signs, so that if Tony can stay fit this spring he could be eyeing the track with interest again. In just behind and with the run of the day was Richard Hogg in 232nd. Richard has been in a season-long battle with Mark Cambridge and James Perry, and in their absence put distance on Alun Evans to get a season high position. Alun may have been sorry to see Richard get away but a 258th and keeping a Terry McCarthy behind him would have given him some consolation. Terry had had both Alun and Richard in his optimistic sights on the start line but, despite running a decent race, he had to settle for third-best.
In sixth for the team was Paul Stockings in 309th. Trying to stay out of Terry's way after a football match involving their two teams had gone Terry's team way, Paul had a good run and even though not sure at the start if he would finish, he ended the Met League campaign how he started and beat in Tom Spanyol. Tom would have been pleased to have such a consistent campaign and 315th was a good way to end the season. Just behind in 322nd was Andy Smith. Andy has been unlucky with illness this season, just getting one bug after another so that training and racing consistently has not been possible. But with spring coming, hopefully Andy can get some consistency to his running, and he will be in the 200's next Met season. In next was Trevor Powell in 347th. Trevor showed where Bertie may get his toughness from as Trevor had hurt his back in the week, but gave the race, as always, his all and came in again well clear from the back. Closing the second team was Stuart Philips in 368th. He waited to see how many people he had beaten and should have been pleased at the number and time he had put on the back markers.
This gave us 8th in Div 2 on the day and gave us 5th in the league overall after being in the top two for most of the season. Well done to Barnet and District and Highgate B team for their promotions. Our C team scored no points in this fixture but still came seventh in Div 3 overall, where London Frontrunners were promoted and Barnet and District B. The effort put in throughout the season by the squad was tremendous and the level shown by the team has been fantastic also, as has been the support of people coming to watch the races too. Our next race is the National CC at Parliament Hill on Sat 21st February.
Women
Somehow un-attracted to spending a February Saturday striving for mid-table League glory in the shadowy mire of HMP’s finest London specimen, the Woodettes‘ only real collective success at the weekend was to stay away from the Met League in numbers. And while the already straining cisterns of the Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Centre bathroom loos certainly benefited from the relief afforded by the absence of a few more race-nervy bladders; the lonely orange groundsheet of the Woodford camp flapped longingly for more feminine garb. And so it was, with our big hitters elsewhere*, only three Woodford women lined up for the, mercifully quick, start on this flat, “fast” course. Half a team. Twice the guts. Surrounded by TVH among the 162 runners.
Apart from the missing sunshine, this race was, like the Southerns a fortnight earlier, strictly a Vets affair. Had Micky Flanagan been observing the match he might have been described Woodford’s Women’s efforts as a Vets’ Vets affair, as no participant was under 45. Having been determined that calf-easy studs were the answer, then regretting it by mile 2’s mud slide, V45 Jenny Thomas (88) was first home for the team, sealing the Season’s Best Met League Improver title, having (so far) made it past the point (Southern Champs) that ended her season last year. Second, enjoying her strongest season for some years, V50 Karen Horswood (119) on tired legs, barely six days after a half marathon ran 24” faster than last years’ time (which placed her 14 positions higher). Third, and closing for Woodford, V45 Alex Wardle (139) put her camera down this time and made a welcome return to the mud, not so much for the points this time (though we were pleased to have them) but a modest marker for next year’s Best Improver competition.
We closed the day in 9th and the Season in 6th with 599, only 45 pesky points behind hosts in 5th Thames Valley Harriers (644), in 4th Serpentine (1143), in 3rd Highgate (1199), in 2nd Shaftesbury (1217) ans League winners London Heathside (1230). Close run, with only 31 points separating the top three. We finished 7th in the Vets competition which was won by Barnet.
Best Met League Improver Competition final result (best three results compared to last): 1. Jenny Thomas +14.50%; 2. Kat Gundersen +12.08%; 3. Karen Horswood +9.27%; 4. Rachel Lund +7.09%
Brenda Bray Competition (performance and consistency) top 5 scores after six events are: 1. Jenny Thomas (105); 2. Karen Horswood (95); Kat Gundersen (78); Rachel Lund (74); Alex Wardle (47)
*Congratulations to Rachel Lund for a superb Bronze medal at the British Rowing Championships in the Women’s Open Lightweight Category